Late 60s psyche pop on Atco from Bo Grumpus – a Boston group who only ever cut this one LP that we know of – and it's a groovy one! The sound has kind of tight pop combo groove with catchy melodies – fleshed out into trippier territory with some keys, trumpet, and overall bigger arrangements – some of which was done by Felix Pappalardi, who would go onto to bigger things with Mountain! Titles include "Sparrow Tune", "Think Twice", "Yesterday's Street", "The Breath O'Love", "A Knowing Young Touch", "Ragtimey Love", "Travelin In The Dark", "Brooklyn", "The Moon Will Rise" and "If I Came To You". LP, Vinyl record album

The brilliant consummation of Bowie's late 70s years in Berlin – a record that showed he could take the experiments in sound he was crafting with Brian Eno, and turn them back into the kind of creepily catchy rock tunes that first made him a legend! Eno's help on the record is still quite strong – heard very well in the record's use of odd electronics and exotic themes – of a sort that Eno would later explore on his own with David Byrne. But the real charm here is pure Bowie – with an unabashed flair for a dramatic lyric, a well-chosen use of a heavier guitar, and a sense of personality and poise that makes the record one of his most unified ever! Titles include "Red Sails", "Look Back In Anger", "Repetition", "Boys Keep Swinging", "Red Money", "Yassassin", and "DJ". LP, Vinyl record album

The brilliant consummation of Bowie's late 70s years in Berlin – a record that showed he could take the experiments in sound he was crafting with Brian Eno, and turn them back into the kind of creepily catchy rock tunes that first made him a legend! Eno's help on the record is still quite strong – heard very well in the record's use of odd electronics and exotic themes – of a sort that Eno would later explore on his own with David Byrne. But the real charm here is pure Bowie – with an unabashed flair for a dramatic lyric, a well-chosen use of a heavier guitar, and a sense of personality and poise that makes the record one of his most unified ever! Titles include "Red Sails", "Look Back In Anger", "Repetition", "Boys Keep Swinging", "Red Money", "Yassassin", and "DJ". LP, Vinyl record album

The only album ever from Broken Glass – a group that features the great Stan Webb from Chicken Shack on guitar – bringing in all the strengths that he added to that well-known group! There's some of the blues rock inspiration of that earlier combo, but refined a bit more with a compressed sort of 70s Brit vibe – great production from Tony Ashton, who makes all the best licks and catchier lines of the songs really stand out – but without ever making the album sound too commercial. Titles include "It's Alright", "Keep Your Love", "It's Evil", "Ain't No Magic", "Broken Glass", "Take The Water", "Standing On The Border", and "Jersey Lightning". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the earliest albums ever from Harold Budd – an artist who'd later rise to great ambient fame in the following decade, but who's maybe at his most sophisticated here! The set has all the hallmark of the new musical experiments that Brian Eno was showcasing on his Obscure Music label – where the set first appeared – and Budd plays electric piano with a very cool set of contemporary musicians – a lineup that includes alto sax from Marion Brown, harp from Maggie Thomas, marimba from Michael Nyman and John White, and glockenspiel from Gavin Bryars. Brian Eno produced the record, and vocalizes slightly – and tracks have a long-spun, almost spiritual vibe – on titles that include "Bismallahi Rrahmani Rrahmani", "Two Songs (Let Us Go Into The House Of The Lord/Butterfly Sunday)", "Madrigals Of The Rose Angel", and "Juno". LP, Vinyl record album

An amazing little record from Joe Byrd – an artist with roots in serious music, but who's serving things up here with a wild hippie aesthetic that makes the whole thing come across more like a "happening" than the usual sort of studio album – but in ways that also echo an earlier generation of Americanist composition too. The process of the record mimics some of Byrd's famous work in New York – and has a very collaborative feel overall, with elements of electronics, acoustics, and vocals coming together beautifully! There's some great tabla, harpsichord, moog, and organ on the record – plus more serious woodwinds and brass – and vocals from Victoria Bond, Susan De Lange, Christie Thompson, and Ernie Anderson – plus Joe himself. Titles include "Kalyani", "Moonsong Pelog", "You Can't Ever Come Down", "Gospel Music", "Nightmare Train", "Leisure World", and "The Elephant At The Door". CD

The first four albums from this crucial group – along with four more CDs of rare live material too! First up is the self-titled Cactus – the first album from this legendary group – an important American hard rock powerhouse, driven by the famous rhythm duo of Tim Bogert on bass and Carmine Appice on drums – both of whom roll out of the gate here with amazingly frenetic energy! They're maybe only topped by the guitar work of Jim McCarty, whose searing lines are clearly learned from blues inspirations, then turned up in both speed and power – to match the vocals and harmonica of Rusty Day! There's nothing going on here that sounds like blues rock at all – even though the set begins with a cover of "Parchman Farm" – next to other titles that include "My Lady From South Of Detroit", "No Need To Worry", "You Can't Judge A Book By The Cover", and "Let Me Swim". On One Way Or Another, Cactus are totally at the top of their game – and the guitar of Jim McCarthy really sets the record on fire, right from the very first note – at a level that should have made Jim one of the real guitar hero legends of his generation! Yet there's also power from the whole group going on too – tight rhythms from the team of Carmine Appice and Jim Bogert, the latter of whom starts to bring in his own vocals a fair bit more, offering backup to the raspy lead of Rusty Day. And while there's a few currents that show their older influence from blues, the sound here is massively hard rock all the way through – making the record a great illustration of the way that slavish blues rock gave birth to a fresh new jamming sound in a matter of just a few short years. Titles include "Rockout Whatever You Feel Like", "Song For Aries", "Feel So Bad", "Rock N Roll Children", and "Hometown Bust". Restrictions is next, and despite the title, there's no restrictions at all – as Cactus seem to be even more confident, more able to stretch their wings and fly than ever before – even adding in some extra piano and keyboards at points to the core guitar-heavy sound of the quartet! All the group's best elements are very firmly in place – searing guitar, righteously confident vocals, and a strutting sensibility that makes this early 70s album way ahead of the game in terms of territory that so many bigger groups would later copy for their own classic records. Titles include "Guiltless Glider", "Evil Alaska", "Sweet Sixteen", "Bag Drag", "Restrictions", and "Mean Night In Cleveland". Ot N Sweaty is a record that's got a bit of a shift in the classic Cactus lineup – as the group's still driven strongly by the work of Carmine Appice on drums and Tim Bogert on bass, but get guitar power from Werner Fritzschings, who's a pretty amazing player – next to some added keyboards from Duane Hitchings, and vocals from Peter French – a singer who's ballsy power might be even more in line with the group than their previous lead singer! The album's got an unusual approach in that side one was recorded live, side two in the studio – each with a nicely different flavor as a result – on titles that include "Swim", "Our Lil Rock N Roll Thing", "Bedroom Mazurka", "Telling You", "Bad Stuff", and "Bringing Me Down". 8CD set is overflowing with great material – bonus tracks added to three of the four albums in the collection, than a further 4CDs worth of live material – titled Fully Unleashed – The Live Gigs Vols 1 & 2. The live material is great – and really shows the tightness of the group at their best! CD

Rootsy noise sweetened by raggedly alluring melodicism from Califone – still one of the most vital and idiosyncratic groups of their time! We can no long heap the experimentalist tag on Califone – if we ever really could. They've got quite a sonic blueprint laid down after 8 or so albums, but they do continue to surprise us. Roots And Crowns is a strange and compelling blend of crackling, somehow rural sounds & percussion, strummed and sometimes chugging guitars, pastoral found-sound atmosphere and singing that's no more or less part of the ether than any other element. A timeless piece of work! Tracks include "Pink & Sour", "Spider's House" (which references Brian Wilson at his furthest out stage), "The Eye You Lost In The Crusades" (which references Nick Drake a bit in the guitar), "A Chinese Actor", "Our Kitten Sees Ghosts", "The Orchids", "Black Metal Valentine", "Rose Petal Ear", "3legged Animals", "If You Would" and more. LP, Vinyl record album

If you ever doubted the blues chops of Canned Heat, take a listen to this album – as the group are joined by the great John Lee Hooker, who they let stand strongly in the spotlight and almost make the album his own! Previous sets by Canned Heat were already pretty darn great – a huge cut above blues-inspired rock groups of the late 60s years – but with Hooker in the lineup here, the sound gets even more raw and sensitive – so much so that a number of these cuts almost feel like some of the early Detroit 78rpm recordings the older blues musician recorded at the start of his career – hardly the watered-down blues rock you might expect. Titles include "Burning Hell", "Send Me Your Pillow", "Messin With The Hook", "Boogie Chillen No 2", "Peavine", "Just You & Me", "Whiskey & Wimmen", and "I Got My Eyes On You". CD

Maybe the greatest moment ever from Caravan – one of the greatest groups to emerge from the jazzy Canterbury scene in the late 60s! The album's a wonderful blend of jazz roots and more focused rock impulses – and has some subtle funky elements that's given it a wider sort of audience over the years – that special sound you'd find in a rare few Deram gems by artists like Mike Westbrook or Colosseum too. The drums are especially great – snapping out in a way that really holds things together, even when the instrumental solos really step out strongly – especially the organ, flute, and tenor – all of which retain a jazzy appeal. The vocals from Richard Sinclair are nice, too – never overdone, with almost a Robert Wyatt sort of reserve – and titles include "Golf Girl", "Love To Love You", "In The Land Of Grey & Pink", and the extended "Nine Feet Underground", which takes up all of side two. CD features bonus tracks – the unreleased "I Don't Know Its Name", "Aristocracy", "Group Girl", and "It's Likely To Have A Name Next Week" – and a new mix of "Disassociation/100% Proof". CD

The raw, mesmerizing debut of Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds! On From Her To Eternity, Cave stalks and staggers right along the line between the aggro caterwaul of The Birthday Party and the haunting moodiness of later records with the Bad Seeds – and it's as distinct and exciting as ever after all these years! The looseness of the Bad Seeds sound is big part of what makes it so amazing, with spare backdrops that always carry the promise of noisy menace to come, and it's all the more exciting with it does – and Cave's mournful, angry testifying is in near peak form here. Includes "Avalanche", "Cabin Fever!", "Well Of Misery", "From Here To Eternity", "Saint Huck", "Wings Off Flies" and "A Box For Black Paul". DVD features 5.1 DVD-audio surround mix and bonus videos! CD

A really cool Canadian group from the 60s – an all-native lineup of members from the Tsimshian Nation – but working here in a raw garagey style that's totally great! The drums are lean and powerful, guitar follows suit, and vocals often have a surprisingly charming quality – tuneful, and harmonized with a nice sort of sweetness at times. The group famously recorded on Wisconsin's powerhouse Cuca label, home to some great raw singles back in the day – and this set brings together their rare 45 for that label, plus rare demos and unissued material – in their first-ever full length set, with titles that include "Don't Let It Bother You", "Do Lord", "I Won't Be Around", "The Sun Is Shining", "Ebony Eyes", "You Don't Need Me Anymore", "Don't You Leave Me Behind", "I Shouldn't Have Did What I Done", and "I Need Your Lovin". LP, Vinyl record album

A long-overdue look at a little-heard side of the career of 60s pop giant Lou Christie – his great but ill-fated recordings for Columbia Records – most of which appear here for the first time ever! Lou hit the label right after a massive hit for MGM – and Columbia gave him plenty of time in the studio, and continued his work with producer Charles Calello – the genius who crafted so many wonderful settings for Christie, as well as the Four Seasons at the time. Calello's genius is in full effect here – creating these incredible backdrops for Christie's stunning vocals – really pushing him past simple pop into a whole host of different modes that make the whole thing a great "what if" – had the label not given up on Lou so quickly. The CD features great sound, detailed notes, and 24 tracks in all – 15 of which appear here for the first time ever – a blindingly great mix of tracks that includes "I Remember Gina", "The Greatest Show On Earth", "Blue Champagne", "Tender Loving Care", "Gypsy Bells, "Escape", "Standing On My Promises", "Shake Hands & Walk Away Cryin", "Self Expression", "Yellow Lights Say", "Meditation", and "How Many Days Of Sadness". CD

The longest album ever from The Clash – a stunning triple LP set that really shows the group bristling with new ideas and energy throughout! There's a hell of a lot going on here – some cuts that are every bit as strong as the previous records, others that offer a few mis-steps but in a wonderfully playful way – and a few more that really hit this sort of unique mix of genres and politics that could only be summed up as Clash-like at its best! Bits of hip hop, reggae, new wave, funk, and more mix together beautifully – and the album's got a hell of a lot of charm and character, even if you're skipping past a few of the cuts you don't like as much as the others. 36 tracks in all – and titles include "The Magnificent Seven", "Hitsville UK", "Junco Partner", "The Leader", "Police On My Back", "Midnight Log", "The Call Up", "Washington Bullets", "Broadway", "Rebel Waltz", "Look Here", "The Crooked Beat", "Somebody Got Murdered", "Lose This Skin", "Charlie Don't Surf", "Kingston Advice", "Corner Soul", "Let's Go Crazy", "The Sound Of Sinners", "Living In Fame", "Silicone On Sapphire", and "Career Opportunities". LP, Vinyl record album

About as classic as you can get for the great Eddie Cochran – no surprise, since the album was put together to mourn his untimely early passing, and is filled with some of the best tracks he ever cut for Liberty Records! The music here is Cochran at his prime – that post-country, pre-pop sound that has Eddie drawing on a lot of southern roots, but really giving the music a raw focus – with that sound that went onto make him a huge influence for years to come – through mod scenes, punk years, and beyond! Titles include "Lovin Time", "Drive In Show", "Teenage Heaven", "Sittin In The Balcony", "Summertime Blues", "C'Mon Everybody", "Cut Across Shorty", and "Somethin Else". LP, Vinyl record album

Hey, don't hold Wayne Cochran's hair against him – because he's one massively soulful dude, despite a high white pompadour – and really knew how to rock the clubs back in the 60s! Cochran's a really unique figure – working with a look that was whiter-than-white, but coming across with a groove that was right up there in the best funky soul mode of the time! Wayne played for the same sort of crowds that went to see Baby Huey & The Babysitters – blending together soul and R&B influences with a really party-oriented groove laid down by his legendary CC Riders backup group – and crossing countless borders along the way, all in pursuit of a socking soul sound! This wonderful set is the best we've ever seen on his music – and features tracks pulled from his sessions for King, Chess, and Mercury – plus a full never-issued live album for King, titled The Wayne Cochran Show. There's more than a few covers here of other 60s soul tunes, but Wayne somehow manages to make most of them sound even better than the originals – bringing in funky arrangements that weren't even used on the hits, and making us wish we'd had a chance to catch his cooking show back in the day. 38 tracks in all – with titles that include "Dance To The Music", "Hold On I'm Coming", "Fa Fa Fa Fa Fa (Sad Song)", "I Can't Turn You Loose", "Hard To Handle", "Chopper 70", "Everybody", "Let Me Come With You", "My Machine", "Get Ready", "Which One Should I Choose", "I'm In Trouble", "The Peak Of Love", "Somebody Please", "I'm Leaving It Up To You", and "Big City Woman". (Soul, Rock) CD

One of the more heavily brooding albums ever cut by Leonard Cohen – and also one of the best – the iconic Songs Of Love And Hate from 1971! Cohen's aptly titled third LP, with the nice spare approach to production that most of his early work had, even more stripped down, with voice and acoustic guitar the focus, and some tasteful, more lush texture when the mood strikes – and oh so incredible wordplay and phrasing from the iconic maverick poet/songwriter. Classic bummers including "Avalanche", "Last Year's Man", "Dress Rehearsal Rag", "Diamonds In The Mine", "Love Calls You By Your Name", "Famous Blue Raincoat", "Sing Another Song, Boys" and "Joan Of Arc". CD

Maybe the best album ever from this seminal British jazz rock combo – a record that really has the group stretching out in the expanded space of a concert setting! Colosseum were already one of the best groups to mix jazzy currents and heavy rock modes – but they really set a fire with this brilliant live album – which really gave the group plenty of room to show off their instrumental chops! Immediate Records star Chris Farlowe is on vocals – but the real charm of their sound comes from the tenor and soprano sax work of Dick Heckstall Smith, the Hammond and vibes of Dave Greenslade, and the heavy drums of Jon Hiseman – who really keeps things in the pockage, and provided more than a few funky passages on the album. Titles include "Lost Angeles", "Rope Ladder to The Moon", "Walking In The Park", and a version of Michael Gibbs' "Tanglewood 63". LP, Vinyl record album

The final chapter of Lula Cortes amazing run of music in 70s Brazil – a small label release that brilliantly blends together a range of psychedelic influences – all with a gritty edge that's quite different than what you might expect from the date of the album! Things here are every bit as tripped out as on some of Lula's other albums from years before – trippily poetic, occasionally folksy, and sometimes touched with heavier electric moments that really offset the gentler, more organic moments. The reissue features full notes on the music by Cortes himself – and the package offers a rare chance to hear an album whose original pressing was supposedly destroyed before it was ever released! Really great sound, and a lovely package that more than lives up to Lula's amazing music. (Brazil, Rock) LP, Vinyl record album

One of those rock records that shouldn't have worked – Elvis ditched the pounding pop of his earlier post punk years for this one, replacing it with 80s synthesizer soul production and hired back up singers – but it works, thanks to Costello's pen being nearly as sharp as it ever was. Titles include the mega hit single "Everyday I Write The Book", plus "Let Them All Talk", "Love Went Mad", "Charm School", "King Of Thieves", "Pills And Soap", "The World And His Wife" and more. CD

Sleazy, greasy early 80s trash rock from the one-and-only Cramps – live at New York's Peppermint Lounge! Includes Cramps classics "You Got Good Taste", "I Ain't Nothin But A Gorehound", "Beautiful Gardens" and more, plus that vicious Cramps take on "She Said" by hillbilly trash rock progenitor Hasil Adkins, "Faster Pussycat" and more. Lux sounds lucid as he ever does one second and like he's about the choke death seconds later, which is The Cramps personified, right? LP, Vinyl record album

Sacrilicious psychobilly sleaze from The Cramps – tearing into the 80s with Songs The Lord Taught Us – one their best ever albums! The Cramps may have ticked off aging proto rock fans of the time with their ghoulish take on the style, along with their punk demeanor, but producer Alex Chilton sure did "get it", right? As if we didn't already adore that dude! CLASSIC! Titles include "TV Set", "Rock On The Moon", "Garbage Man", "I Was A Teenage Werewolf", "Mystery Plane", "I'm Cramped", "Tear It Up" and more. LP, Vinyl record album

A pair of mod classics from The Creation – back to back in a single package! First up is We Are Paintermen – a gem of a record from one of the coolest UK groups of the 60s – served up here in a German release that maybe gives The Creation one of their most vibrant covers ever! Despite the European issue of the material, the tracks here are all Brit brilliance from the group and producer Shel Talmy – served up in their incredible blend of mod grooves, garagey rawness, and early psych production – sharp and tight at the same time, and years ahead of its time! Titles include "Can I Join Your Band", "Making Time", "Tom Tom", "Biff Bang Pow", "Painterman", and "Nightmares" – plus covers of "Cool Jerk", "Hey Joe", and "Like A Rolling Stone". Next is How Does It Feel To Feel – genius work from The Creation at their best – tunes that really get at that special sort of something that set the group apart from so many others in the late 60s scene – a kind of compression of mod, garage, and psych elements into these short little tracks that still have all of their brilliance after so many years! The intensity here is maybe right up there with the early Who at their best – and the album brings together Shel Talmy-produced tracks that were originally issued as singles on the Decca, Polydor, and Hit-ton labels. Titles include "Uncle Bert", "Midway Down", "Girls Are Naked", "Sweet Helen", "Ostrich Man", "Life Is Just Beginning", "I Am The Walker", "For All That I Am", and "How Does It Feel To Feel" in both US and UK versions! CD

An underground classic from Karen Dalton – a record that's almost out of time, given its early 70s release – as Karen sings with spare backings that are almost in a Folkway Records mode at points, but with all these headier currents that are also indicative of the Bay Area generation too! Dalton's voice is completely unique too – unlike anything you'll ever hear – phrasing that almost hearkens back both to vintage jazz and Appalachian folk, but a style that's more long hair – as are some of the backings too. The set was recorded upstate in Bearsville – and really has all the hallmarks of the freedoms of that scene at the time – summed up beautifully on material that includes "Something On Your Mind", "In A Station", "Take Me", "Same Old Man", Are You Leaving For The Country", "Katie Cruel", and "How Sweet It Is". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the folksiest albums we've ever heard from Jackie DeShannon – a record that's heavy on acoustic guitar and folk-styled numbers, but which also features some top-shelf LA arrangements from the great Jack Nitzsche! Jackie takes on a number of folk hits of the day, but delivers them with a surprisingly strong approach – still a bit pop, but with an expressive quality in her vocals that may well beat most of the other pop folkies of the time. Titles include "Walkin Down The Line", "Don't Think Twice It's Alright", "Baby Let Me Follow", and "Jailer Bring Me Water" – but the set also includes "Needles & Pins", which is one of Jackie's most soulful tunes ever! LP, Vinyl record album

Four classic albums from Jackie DeShannon – all in a single set! First up is Me About You – sophisticated Jackie at her best – working with great arrangements from Jack Nitzsche and Nick DeCaro – both cats from the California scene we can really trust for "cut-above" pop work like this – music that goes way past the simple sounds of DeShannon's start – into cool adult territory that really makes the album great. Jackie's vocals are surprisingly soulful in the setting – even more so than before – and the tunes include lots of gems, including versions of Van Dyke Parks' "High Coin", John Sebastian's "Didn't Want To Have To Do It", and Tim Hardin's "Baby Close Its Eyes". Also includes "I Keep Wanting You", "Me About You", and "Nicole". Next is Laurel Canyon – heady work from Jackie DeShannon's later years in 60s pop – an album with themes and styles that go way beyond her earlier recordings – as you might guess from the hip Laurel Canyon reference in the title! Jackie's working here in a mode that's much more strongly in a singer-songwriter style than before – with arrangements and backings that are a lot more organic, and less pop-tuned than ever – almost in a Laura Nyro approach on some numbers. As usual, a good portion of the tracks were written by Jackie herself – including "Holly Would", "Come & Stay With Me", "LA", "Too Close", and "Laurel Canyon" – and the album also features a few well chosen tracks by other writers too, like "Bitter Honey" by Paul Williams & Roger Nichols, "I Got My Reason" by Barry White, and "You've Really Got A Hold On Me" by Smokey Robinson. Put A Little Love In Your Heart is quite possibly the last great hit from singer Jackie DeShannon – an album built around the righteous spirit of the title track – filled with really wonderful original tunes penned by Jackie and soul singer Jimmy Holiday! The album may well be the best to explore the space between pop and soul that often characterized Jackie's work – and the overall sound is somewhat similar to some of Dusty Springfield's best pop/soul work from the same stretch. 10 of the album's 12 tracks are originals by Holiday and DeShannon – all set to soaring orchestrations by James Langeford, which often have a pronounced influence from the sound of Atlantic Records in the late 60s! Titles include "Put A Little Love In Your Heart", "You Are The Real Thing", "River Of Love", "Movin", "You Can Come To Me", "You Have A Way With Me", and "I Let Go Completely". To Be Free is an interesting little record – with kind of a crossover California soul feel overall – recorded with Rene Hall arrangements that echo a few rootsy modes at times, mixed in with fuller orchestrations that step a bit back towards Jackie's earlier years on Imperial – a surprisingly nice blend, with a fresh sound for the 70s. The album features a number of great tracks co-written with Jimmy Holiday – a fellow Imperial talent – and titles include "Mediterranean Sky", "Sooner Or Later", "What Was Your Day Like", "Livin On The Easy Side", "Brighton Hill", and "When Morning Comes Again". CD

A record that seems to take Dead Can Dance even farther back into the past than ever before – not to the sound of their earliest years, but to a world of ancient musical elements that come together beautifully in their hands! The set is probably the most carefully-recorded the group ever gave us – and one of the most sensitive too – with spacious qualities that can let individual vocal or instrumental passages really resonate, while wider washes of sound come in to tie the whole thing together, but in a way that's greatly matured since the earlier years of 4AD. Lisa Gerrard's vocals are amazing – and titles include "The Carnival Is Over", "Ariadne", "Towards The Within", "Spirit", "Bird", and "How Fortunate The Man With None". CD

Landmark work from The Dead Kennedys – and maybe still one of the greatest punk records to ever come from the American scene! There's so much here that so many other records are missing – razor-sharp instrumentation, a great sense of pacing, and most importantly, a biting wit that always keeps the whole thing from ever lapsing into any sort of over-serious cliches! Yet unlike their LA contemporaries, the group were also never ones to just lay into the jokes – as the political commentary here is especially pointed, and nearly every single song is a blistering attack on late 70s California mores and national obsessions. Every track's a gem – and titles include "Kill The Poor", "Forward To Death", "Let's Lynch The Landlord", "Your Emotions", "Holiday In Cambodia", "California Uber Alles", and "Stealing People's Mail" – plus a killer cover of "Viva Las Vegas". LP, Vinyl record album

One of our favorite records of all time! We've got to admit, this one's an acquired taste, but if you dig cool LA studio pop from the early 70's, this record's a real treasure! Nick DeCaro was probably best known to the world as an instrumental arranger for A&M (he did a lot of the Claudine Longet albums), but this record from the early 70's has him singing in a set of cool spacey tracks that mix studio pop and jazz for a sound that's unlike anything else we've ever heard before. Nick's backed by a tight group that includes LA jazz players like Arthur Adams, Wilton Felder, Paul Humphrey, Harvey Mason, and David T. Walker – and the sound is very compressed, very laidback, and very very hip. Tracks include "Under The Jamaican Moon", "Wailing Wall", and great versions of "Getting Mighty Crowded" and Stevie Wonder's "Angie Girl". Remember, it's an acquired taste, but if you like stuff like middle period Steely Dan or Maria Muldaur, you'll really dig this one! (Now Sound, Rock) LP, Vinyl record album

The birth of a legend, and easily one of the heaviest records to hit the mainstream in the late 60s! The album's got a sinister quality that you can hear on the first few notes – a low-end, rumbling approach that brings in a lot more fuzzy bass than other groups of the time had ever thought to use – all topped with some of the most wickedly edgey guitar put on record to date, and undercut by drums that are almost verging on funk at times! Basslines set the tone for most of the tunes in the set – creating a bottom-heavy groove that would be copped many times in years to come, but which still sounds tremendously fresh here in the original. Titles include "Mandrake Root", "I'm So Glad", "One More Rainy Day", "Help", "Love Help Me", "And The Address", and "Hey Joe". LP, Vinyl record album

Some of the first work ever recorded by a young Jackie DeShannon – early singles from her first years at Liberty Records – a label she definitely helped put on the map during the 60s! Right from the start, Jackie's got something special – a style that's quite different from some of the other female pop acts of her generation – a bit more grounding, maybe, and certainly a lot more soul – not to mention a great way with a tune, as you'll hear on some of the early compositions featured on the package. The set features both a and b-sides of the early singles, plus an unreleased track – with production and arrangements by the likes of Snuff Garrett, Clyde Otis, Bert Keyes, Jack Nitzsche, and Dick Glasser. Titles include "Just Like In The Movies", "Guess Who", "Faded Love", "Dancing Silhouettes", "I Wish I Could Find A Boy", "Baby", "The Prince", "That's What Boys Are Made Of", "I'll Drown In My Own Tears", "Should I Cry", "I'm Gonna Be Strong", "When You Walk In The Room", "500 Miles", "Did He Call Today Mama?", and "Ain't That Love". CD

Yeah Yeah Yeah Yeah, Y- Y- Y- Y- Y- Y- Y-eah, this is one of best art rock albums of all time – the Eno produced full length debut of Devo – the caustic, sarcastic and fun soundtrack to society's devolution! There's nothing we don't love about Devo at this point, from their unprecedented use of multimedia, to the hard to pull off fusion of sneering social and pop culture satire with good humored fun, and that's just the conceptual stuff. The songs are original and inimitably great, too, with those squeeling synth punk dynamics. Tracks include (I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" (best rock cover ever?) "Jocko Homo", "Mongoloid", "Uncontrollable Urge", "Space Junk", "Come Back Jonee", "Sloppy (I Saw My Baby Gettin')" and more. LP, Vinyl record album

DMZ's badass self-titled set for Sire from '78 – buzzsaw guitars, driving rhythms, manic vocals and eerie organs – an incredible combination of 60s garage inspiration and ferocious punk-era urgency! DMZ migh have been weird fit at a Sire label that at the time was struggling to get The Ramones and Richard Hell into the mainstream – but boy, is it ever worthy stuff! Includes "Mighty Idy", "Bad Attitude", "Watch For Me Girl", "Cinderella", "Don't Jump Me Mother", "Destroyer", "Out Of Our Tree", "Border Line", "Do Not Enter" and "From Home". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the darkest albums we've ever heard from Domenico – very different than his collaborations with Kassin and Moreno Veloso! The sound here has a lot more electronics and distortion – not unfamiliar with other records on the Mais Um Discos label, but a bit different than some of Domenico's other work – although there's some bossa-styled acoustic guitar and vocals at times, which really makes a great contrast and warms things up nicely! Producer Ricardo Dias Gomes had a big hand in the sound, and the album is maybe more of a collaboration between the two than just a Domenico solo set – and the whole thing definitely marks another amazing chapter in his wonderful run of records over the years. Titles include "Diga", "Nada Sera De Outra Maneira", "Mole", "Ta Brabo", "Aterrizar", and "Um Abraco No Faust". (Brazil, Rock) LP, Vinyl record album

Really important early live work from The Doors – a performance at the legendary Matrix club in San Francisco – and one of the first concert recordings ever done of the group! The set wasn't originally part of their legacy with Elektra Records, but has become rehoused as a key part of their catalog at the label – a really burning performance that effortlessly mixes blues inspirations, psych inclinations, and that very special quality that the band was forging right from the start! As with other unearthed Matrix recordings – which seem to show up more and more as the years go on – the whole thing is a key window into not just a moment in the group, but a moment in the scene as well – even though, reportedly, the concerts were very under-attended at the time. This triple-length package brings together the entire five nights of recording, with lots of unissued material – including surprising versions of jazz tunes "Bag's Groove" and "All Blues" – plus never-heard versions of "Summer's Almost Gone", "When The Music's Over", "My Eyes Have Seen You", "Alabama Song", "Break On Through", and "Moonlight Drive". CD

Godlike work from the legendary Nick Drake – and exactly the kind of record that's made him a continuing legend over the years! The style is completely its own – not really folk or rock, but not really jazz either – yet served up with plenty of jazzy phrasing that's helped keep Drake's music fresher than most as the decades move on – and which makes each song here a really rich discovery – even if, like us, you've heard the album hundreds of times in the past! The production is wonderful – with slight underscorings of strings that help unlock dark corners of the songs – and tracks include the classic "River Man" – easily one of Nick's best songs ever – plus "Fruit Tree", "Day Is Done", "Three Hours", "Saturday Sun", and "Time Has Told Me". A record we'd never part with – ever! LP, Vinyl record album

Some of the most obscure work ever recorded by Lebanese singer/songwriter Roger Fakhr – late 70s recordings that were originally only circulated on tape within a small community of friends and supporters, and material that has a vibe that almost feels like some of the best late 60s material from the American scene! Roger sings in this beautifully moody vocal style that's maybe somewhere between Bill Fay and Fred Neil – and the instrumentation, while gentle, is also well-pointed – so that slight electric elements mix with acoustic guitar in a very cool way, and always with a sense of arrangement and production that really distances these tracks from any sort of home recordings or demos. Plus, vocals are in English throughout – which furthers the Cali vibe of the material – and the whole thing could well be the record that gets the rest of the world to pay attention to Fakhr's overlooked genius! Titles include "Down To My Bones", "You Look So Funny", "Had To See Harry", "Drinking Tea", "Rainhill", "Road Of Farewell", and "East Of Any Place". (Global Grooves, Rock) CD

Some of the most obscure work ever recorded by Lebanese singer/songwriter Roger Fakhr – late 70s recordings that were originally only circulated on tape within a small community of friends and supporters, and material that has a vibe that almost feels like some of the best late 60s material from the American scene! Roger sings in this beautifully moody vocal style that's maybe somewhere between Bill Fay and Fred Neil – and the instrumentation, while gentle, is also well-pointed – so that slight electric elements mix with acoustic guitar in a very cool way, and always with a sense of arrangement and production that really distances these tracks from any sort of home recordings or demos. Plus, vocals are in English throughout – which furthers the Cali vibe of the material – and the whole thing could well be the record that gets the rest of the world to pay attention to Fakhr's overlooked genius! Titles include "Down To My Bones", "You Look So Funny", "Had To See Harry", "Drinking Tea", "Rainhill", "Road Of Farewell", and "East Of Any Place". (Global Grooves, Rock) LP, Vinyl record album

A stunning selection of early work from The Fall – a package that brings together all the music they recorded in the late 70s, plus a number of unissued live sets from the same time! As with the other boxes in this series from Cherry Red, the presentation is amazing, and amazingly comprehensive – with very detailed notes on all the material, providing a musical history of the band that gets way past the oblique packaging of the original releases. And in case you're wondering what's inside, here goes: CD1 features the album Live At The Witch Trials, CD2 features Dragnet, CD3 features all the great early 7" singles by the group and Peel Sessions material, CD4 features rare outtakes and session material, and CD5 through CD12 all include rare concert recordings, including the first-ever Fall live set! 150 tracks in all – and a very big booklet of notes. CD

An amazing shift for Family – the group's first album after Rick Grech left for Blind Faith – and a set that has the group really reinventing their sound! The vocals of Roger Chapman are maybe even more dynamic and upfront than ever before – really finding that special sort of spirit that made him one of the most unique talents on the British scene of the time – but maybe the most unusual aspect of the record is the presence of new group member Poli Palmer – who brings in all these cool new sounds on keyboards, flute, and vibes! Those elements create a richness in the sound that wasn't there before – one that seems to give the vocals of Chapman even more focus than usual – on titles that include "Drowned In Wine", "Some Poor Soul", "Love Is A Sleeper", "The Cat & The Rat", "A Song For Me", "Wheels", "Stop For The Traffic Through The Heart Of Me", "Hey Let It Rock", and "93's OK J". LP, Vinyl record album

Titles include "Sympathy For The Devil", "Hard Rain's Gonna Fall", "Piece Of My Heart", "These Foolish Things", and "Loving You Is Sweeter Than Ever". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the heaviest albums to ever come from Japan – a wicked batch of tripped-out, fuzzy tunes to rival the hardest rock from the UK at the time! Flower Travellin Band have a basic approach that's build on pounding drums and rumbling basslines – and although the guitars are fierce too, they're often used with some slight exotic phrasings at times – styles that have a slight Eastern flavor that really adds to the record. The vocals are really wailing too – banshee-styled, but also with some bluesy undertones – and the album is essentially one long track, broken up into different sections with a different feel. (Japanese, Rock) LP, Vinyl record album

Arguably one of the most successful double live albums ever! Includes the classic "Baby I Love Your Way", and "Show Me The Way". LP, Vinyl record album

The fab second album by the Free Design – one that has them moving confidently into the realm of groovy pop – magically touching songs with their unique innocent harmony approach, and completely transforming them in the process! The set includes wonderful versions of groovy 60s pop hits like "Windows Of the World", "Eleanor Rigby", and "California Dreamin" – but stands out even more for Chris Dedrick's original compositions – like "Quartet No 6 In D Minor", "A Leaf Has Veins", "An Elegy", "I Found Love", "You Could Be Born Again", and "Ivy On A Windy Day". Sublime throughout – and as the cover says – "The Freshest Sounds You've Ever Heard!" (Vocalists, Rock) LP, Vinyl record album

One of the few straight rock records ever issued on the mostly-folk Monitor Records label – a great 60s outing from Freeborne, a group with a sound that's as tripped-out as you might expect from the cover! Instrumentation is heavy on organ and guitars, both acoustic and electric, but there's also some cool percussion too – and interesting use of recorders, in a way that comes across with an ocarina-like charm! Vocals are somewhat soft, but have a dark undercurrent – and there's a really great folk-into-psyche sort of feel to the whole thing. Titles include "Images", "Land Of Diana", "But I Must Return To Frenzy", "Inside People", "Yellow Sky", "Peak Impressions & Thoughts", and "Visions Of My Own". CD