A really striking album in the career of Atomic Rooster – one that's a little bit groovier than most, and maybe a bit funky as well! The drums are great, and have plenty of soulful currents – and the Hammond, piano, and electric piano work of Vincent Crane almost seem to echo earlier UK beat group currents, but turned towards a much hipper 70s vibe – one that's followed by an equally extended range from vocalist Chris Farlowe, who seems to fold together both his mod and prog experience in the vocals! Steve Bolton brings in some tight, riffing guitar – and titles include "Time Take My Life", "Never To Lose", "Breathless", "People You Can't Trust", "All In Satan's Name", "Close Your Eyes", "Little Bit Of Inner Air", and "Stand By Me". LP, Vinyl record album

The third and fourth albums from Atomic Rooster – back to back in a single set! First up is Made In England – a really striking album in the career of Atomic Rooster – one that's a little bit groovier than most, and maybe a bit funky as well! The drums are great, and have plenty of soulful currents – and the Hammond, piano, and electric piano work of Vincent Crane almost seem to echo earlier UK beat group currents, but turned towards a much hipper 70s vibe – one that's followed by an equally extended range from vocalist Chris Farlowe, who seems to fold together both his mod and prog experience in the vocals! Steve Bolton brings in some tight, riffing guitar – and titles include "Time Take My Life", "Never To Lose", "Breathless", "People You Can't Trust", "All In Satan's Name", "Close Your Eyes", "Little Bit Of Inner Air", and "Stand By Me". On Nice N Greasy, Atomic Rooster definitely get a bit greasy – using some funkier elements at times, and bluesier currents at others – all at a level that really lets singer Chris Farlowe hit some of his most expressive modes! The group's got a fresh guitarist this time around, Johnny Mandala on lead – and his presence gives some of the cuts a harder rock edge than before, often taking the lead more than the keyboards of longtime member Vincent Crane, which helps shape the sound of the set. Titles include "Voodoo In You", "Save Me", "Satan's Wheel", "Can't Find A Reason", "Take One Toke", and "All Across The Country". CD set features the bonus tracks "Moods" and "What You Gonna Do". CD

A wonderful departure for Kevin Ayers – an album that's a lot lighter and more whimsical than his original fame with Soft Machine! The tunes are extremely playful, and often quite catchy – almost a Donovan-esque blend of folksy roots and jazz inflections – but tuned a bit more towards trippier ends, thanks to instrumentation that includes celeste, electronics, flute, oboe, kazoo, cello, organ, and a wide range of different guitars! David Bedford handled arrangements, and other players on the session include some ex-Soft Machine comrades – like Hugh Hopper and Robert Wyatt! Ayers' vocals are produced with a nicely compressed quality that squeezes them in alongside the instrumentation – and titles include "Joy Of A Toy Continued", "The Lady Rachel", "All This Crazy Gift Of Time", "Eleanor's Cake", and "Girl On A Swing". LP, Vinyl record album

The glory days of this legendary group, served up here in a double-length collection of tracks – not just the hits promised in the title, but a few overlooked gems too! The set features 18 tracks in all – and titles include "52 Girls", "Rock Lobster", "Planet Claire", "Private Idaho", "Quiche Lorraine", "Mesopotamia", "Strobe Light", "Party Out Of Bounds", "Love Shack", "Good Stuff", "Hallucinating Pluto", "Summer Of Love", "Song For A Future Generation", "Roam", "Channel Z", "Debbie", "Is That You Mo Dean", and "Deadbeat Club". LP, Vinyl record album

The first Babes In Toyland LP – maybe a little noisier and stranger than their major label efforts, which is a heck of a statement given how gnarly and awesome the later Fontanelle record turned out! Babes never really got the props they deserve for helping pave the way for noise rock to pummel it's way to the mainstream in the early 90s – especially for women in the scene – and Spanking Machine is the most underappreciated album in an underappreciated run all together. Includes "Swamp Pu**y", "He's My Thing", "Vomit Heart", "Dogg" "Pain In My Heart", "Lashes", "You're Right" and more. LP, Vinyl record album

The last album in the legendary run of records from Ginger Baker and the brothers Adrian and Paul Gurvitz – a heck of a power trio, but one that comes across in a very different way than Baker's famous work in Cream! If anything, Ginger's drums have more of a funk current than before – a really powerful driving force at the bottom, while Adrian riffs around all over the top and edges of the tunes with these well-crafted guitar lines that don't even need a solo to find their voice – wickedly emphasizing the vocals on tunes that include "Flying In & Out Of Stardom", "Neon Lights", "Mystery", "Thirsty For The Blues", "My Mind Is Healing", and "Smiling". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the most iconic rock and roll shows of all time – the late 70s farewell to The Band, captured by Martin Scorcese in a famous film of the same name – and presented on record in a package that really lives up to the majesty of the moment! In the world of 2LP live sets of the 70s, the 3LP presentation gave the group even more space to stretch out and say their goodbyes to the world – while also opening the door up for a large lineup of guests who include The Staple Singers, Muddy Waters, Ron Wood, Van Morrison, Dr John, Bob Dylan, Ronnie Hawkins, and other well-chosen artists who allow the group to show off their roots and inspirations while also wrapping things up. Robbie Robertson produced, and the whole thing is pretty darn iconic from start to finish – on titles that include "The Last Waltz", "Up On Cripple Creek", "The Shape I'm In", "Down In South New Orleans", "Forever Young", "I Shall Be Released", "Rag Mama Rag", "Further Up The Road", "Dry Your Eyes", "Evangeline", and "The Weight". LP, Vinyl record album

A fantastic classic from The Band – a set that's hardly got them cowering in the corner the way the "stage fright" title might imply – and which instead seems to have the group at their most confident during the early years, effortlessly spinning impeccable musicianship and some surprisingly biting lyrics! The young Robbie Robertson is on guitar, Garth Hudson warms things up with organ lines, and vocals are handled by the shifting array of other players in the lead – Rick Danko, Levon Helm, and Richard Manuel. Titles include "The Shape I'm In", "Sleeping", "Strawberry Wine", "Just Another Whistle Stop", "Daniel & The Sacred Harp", "Stage Fright", and "Time To Kill". CD reissue includes an alternate take of "Daniel & The Sacred Harp", two alternate mixes, and a radio commercial. CD

Titles include "Walk Like An Egyptian", "Manic Monday", "Not Like You", and "If She Knew What She Wants". LP, Vinyl record album

Barclay James Harvest sound almost a bit more melancholy here than on previous records – maybe just because the leadoff hit track "Hymn" has a brooding message on drug deaths – but also because there seems to be a slightly more intense quality to their overall approach! The group are in very comfortable, confident territory – so much so, they can slow things down a bit and move with a brooding sense of soul that almost seems a precursor to the power ballad scene that would emerge a few years later. These tracks are still nicely free of the schmaltz of those – but definitely have a sense of compression that points the way forward – on titles that include "Hymn", "Love Is Like A Violin", "Leper's Song", "Taking Me Higher", "Spirit On The Water", "Sea Of Tranquility", and "Hard Hearted Woman". LP, Vinyl record album

Brigitte Bardot's best known on these shores as an actress, but during the 60s she cut some really fantastic work on the scene in Paris – including a fair bit of groovers that were done with help from the legendary Serge Gainsbourg! Bardot provided a fantastic new voice in the world of pop music – a singer who was unabashedly open about her desires, and very different than the more melancholy stars of a few years before – a quality that's further emphasized by the wonderfully groovy instrumentation used on most of these tracks! Production and arrangements are superb – and put this music in the best territory of the grooviest 60s French pop by artists like Serge Gainsbourg, France Gall, Jacques Dutronc, and a rare few others. This is the first-ever English-annotated collection of work from the period – and features a whopping 25 tracks from her recordings for Philips and Disc AZ – titles that include "Harley Davidson", "Contact", "Neu Au Soleil", "Je Danse Donc Je Suis", "La Madrague", "Les Hommes Endormis", "Je Voudrais Perdre La Memoire", "Mr Sun", "Le Diable Est Anglais", "Tu Es Venu Mon Amour", "John Et Michel", "Gang Gang", and duets with Serge Gainsbourg on "Bonnie & Clyde" and "Je T'Aime Moi Non Plus". (French, Rock) CD

A sprawling anthology of 60s and 70s Joe Barry recordings – a performer who was instrumental, early on, in putting Louisiana on the map for R&B-indebted rockers – even if he never busted out in a big way nationwide! This great 2CD set from Ace sure makes a great case for Mr. Barry. It covers his best recordings he made in the early 60s, plus some rarer stuff from the 70s. The earlier tunes have a great rockin' R&B style to them, while later on are some rare swampy rock & country material that's pretty damn strong! 51 tracks on 2CDs: Includes "I Got A Feeling", "Try Rock 'N' Roll", "You Belong To My Heart", "Beg Your Pardon", "Don't Close That Door", "Yonder Comes A Sucker", "Secret Love", "Any Old Time", "Heartbroken Love", "A Fool Such As I", "I Almost Lost My Mind", "Lucky Morning", "Come What May", "Bouquet Of Roses" and many more! CD

A soaring set from the great Robbie Basho – one of the most unique artists of his generation! Basho's often mentioned in the same breath as John Fahey, but a record like this really shows his difference – as the record not only features wonderful work on both 6 and 12 string guitar from Basho, but also has lots of these oddly-sung, surprisingly heartfelt lyrics – in a mode that's quite far from folk roots, and which instead has this really soulful warbling that really adds a lot to the spirit of the tunes. The only other instrumentation is some very cool work on the South Indian log drum – and titles include "Omaha Tribal Prayer", "Sweet Medicine", "Roses & Gold", "Joseph", "Blue Corn Serenade", and "Wounded Knee Soliloquy". (Folk/Country, Rock) CD

Repackaging of the Beach Boys' installment in Capitol's hot rod-themed Shut Down series – the first edition of which was devoted to a host of different artists! It's clear that even in this setting, The Beach Boys have way more to offer than just a few gimmicky car songs – as the record offers some of the early group's most tender, personal moments – real early gems like "The Warmth Of The Sun" and "Don't Worry Baby" - mixed in with more playful numbers like "Fun Fun Fun", "This Car Of Mine", "In The Parkin Lot", "Shut Down Part 2", and "Keep An Eye On Summer". It's this mix that really gets at the group's genius at the time – maturity creeping out amidst the youthful themes, in ways that few other 60s acts could ever hope to match. LP, Vinyl record album

"Little Deuce Coupe" makes a second appearance on a Beach Boys album – this time around as a leadoff track to show the group's versatility on the hot rod market! Despite the change from surf themes, though, the music here is magically the same – sublime Wilson family harmonies, produced with a clean, clear simplicity that really makes the voices sparkle. And even when singing about cars, the Boys manage to break our hearts with their ballads and more gentle numbers – as you'll hear on a set of tunes that includes "Ballad Of Ole Betsy", "409", "Shut Down", "Our Car Club", "Be True To Your School", "No Go Showboat", "A Young Man Is Gone", and "Car Crazy Cutie". Includes the complete album in both the mono and stereo mixes. CD

A mixed bag record, but with some really wonderful moments – and essential listening as a lead-up to the Pet Sounds album to follow! There's a mix of styles here – some rough rocking numbers that are a bit stiff, mixed with some really amazing tunes that get at Brian Wilson's new sensitivities – tunes like "Girl Don't Tell Me", "You're So Good To Me", "Summer Means New Love", and "Let Him Run Wild" – all complicated in subtle ways, with a great sense of tension underneath. Other tracks include "Help Me Rhonda (45 single version)", "California Girls", "I'm Bugged At My Old Man", and "Amusement Parks USA". CD

The Beatles at their late best – 1968's self-titled set, now immortalized as The White Album! The White Album capped offed a period of intense creativity for the band with a double that's as freewheeling as anything they'd ever release. It's got raw rockers with wry lyricism, tender acoustic balladry, psych blues jams and some flat out weird bits. As was always the case, John's and Paul's songs cover the majority of the sides, but The White Album also features what's arguably George's most vital moment as a Beatle with "While My Guitar Gently Weeps". Other tracks include "Back InThe USSR", "Dear Prudence","Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da", "Happiness Is A Warm Gun", "Martha My Dear", "Rocky Raccoon", "Why Don't We Do It In The Road", "Julia", "Yer Blues", "Sexy Sadie", "Helter Skelter", "Revolution 1", Good Night" and more. CD

The Beatles at their late best – on 1968's self-titled set – now immortalized as The White Album! The White Album capped offed a period of intense creativity for the band with a double that's as freewheeling as anything they'd ever release. It's got raw rockers with wry lyricism, tender acoustic balladry, psych blues jams and some flat out weird bits. As was always the case, John's and Paul's songs cover the majority of the sides, but The White Album also features what's arguably George's most vital moment as a Beatle with "While My Guitar Gently Weeps". Other tracks include "Back InThe USSR", "Dear Prudence","Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da", "Happiness Is A Warm Gun", "Martha My Dear", "Rocky Raccoon", "Why Don't We Do It In The Road", "Julia", "Yer Blues", "Sexy Sadie", "Helter Skelter", "Revolution 1", Good Night" and more. LP, Vinyl record album

A very unusual early moment for The Beatles – a record issued in the US not on Capitol, but on the Chicago soul imprint Vee Jay Records – a company who reportedly took the group on as a favor to EMI, because they wanted to release a set by Frank Ifeld! LP, Vinyl record album

Maybe our favorite Beatles album ever – a key set that bridges the catchiness of the early years and the sharper ideas of later albums – with a slightly sinister undercurrent that really keeps things fresh! The album's got some great early psych in spots, offset with wonderfully mature and sweet lyrics on the love songs – cross-cut with a bit of witty social commentary too! The blend is amazing – a pre-Sgt Peppers moment of the group that maybe captures them at their most honest and open – all the depth of records to come, but some of the more direct modes of previous sets too. Tracks include "Taxman", "Eleanor Rigby", "Love You To", "Here There & Everywhere", "She Said She Said", "And Your Bird Can Sing", "Tomorrow Never Knows", and "For No One". LP, Vinyl record album

A landmark leaping-off point for The Beatles – and a record that really paved the way for countless new ideas to come! The mix of catchy pop and freer ideas here is really wonderful – tunes that introduce a whole new mature world in mainstream music – yet manage to have all the catchy complexity of the earlier years too. Production, songwriting, and delivery is superb – and this version features 14 songs that include "Drive My Car", "Norwegian Wood", "Nowhere Man", "Think For Yourself", "The Word", "What Goes On", "Girl", "I'm Looking Through You", and "Run For Your Life"". LP, Vinyl record album

An unusual collection of early work by The Beau Brummels – pre-Warner material recorded for Autumn, but on a record issued by the Vault label! There's a great sense of jangle-pop throughout – a slight twang that would later unfold in different ways in Bradley's Barn, but which here works to give the tunes this little sense of sadness amidst the warmer melodies – which themselves are particularly great, and much better-crafted than some of the other US groups of this nature at the time. The boys definitely borrow a bit from The Beatles (including a name that gave them placement right next to the fab four in the record racks) – but maybe they're also drawing on some of the folk harmony groups from the SF scene they called home, too. LP, Vinyl record album

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Titles include "El Becko", "The Golden Road", "The Final Peace", "Space Boogie", and "You Never Know". LP, Vinyl record album

Titles include "Blue Wind", "Goodbye Pork Pie Hat", "Play With Me", "Love Is Green", "Head For Backstage Pass", and "Come Dancing". LP, Vinyl record album

A cool little album from Joe Beck – very different than most of his other work! Although Beck's best known for his guitar work on funky 70s jazz records, this early album has him working in a mixture of rock, jazz, and folk styles – all cast in the hipster mode of Verve's Forecast imprint. There's a few funk tunes on here, but the best numbers are stretched out trippy ones that bring together jazz and folk, in a floating "folk funk experience" sound that we totally love, perfect for the generation of Tim Hardin and Nick Drake. Beck sings on some cuts, and others are instrumental. Titles include "Ain't No Use Talkin", "Goodbye LA", "Please Believe Me", "Let Me Go", "Come Back: Visions Without You", and "Spoon's Caress". (Jazz, Rock) CD

A massive package of work from Bedlam – an early project from drummer Cozy Powell, and one with a legacy that's surprisingly bigger than the single album they issued back in the day! The first 2CDs feature both a new mix and 1973 mix of the self-titled Bedlam album – a searing set that stands as a great bridge between generations and styles on the UK hard rock scene! The group's most famous member is drummer Cozy Powell – the ersatz leader of the lineup – but the whole combo hits on all burners, with great lead vocals from Frank Aiello, guitar from Dave Ball, and bass from Dennis Ball – plus keyboards on the set from both Max Middleton and Felix Pappalardi – the latter of whom produced. Powell's drums are fantastic throughout – really driving the whole thing along – and Aiello comes across like some lost lead act from the glory days of the arena scene. The set features one killer break track called "Seven Long Years" – a stone jammer that begins with some great drums that break nicely into guitars – and other titles include "Believe In You", "Hot Lips", "Sweet Sister Mary", "Putting On The Flesh", "Set Me Free", and "The Beast". CD3 features a Live In London set from 1973; CD4 features a Live in New York set from 1974; CD5 features a related Big Bertha Live In Hamburg set from 1970; and CD6 features 16 more formative tracks from 1968 to 1970, recorded as Bedlam, Ace Kefford Stand, Big Bertha, and Ideal Milk. CD

A rare early chapter in the long legacy of Human League and Heaven 17 – a group of musicians who'd partly go on to form the latter, recently departed from the former – yet still working strongly in the dark, electronic style of the earliest releases from the Sheffield scene! There's plenty of moody analogue sounds going on here – and as a cassette only release back in the day, the whole thing is a key slice of that cold wave underground of the early 80s, even though its members reached later fame – definitely working in territory that's more avant and electronic at times, but with more rhythmic instrumentals as well! Titles include "Music To Kill Your Parents By", "Decline Of The West", "Honeymoon In New York", "A Baby Called Billy", "Wipe The Board Clean", "Uptown Apocalypse", and "The Optimum Chant". CD

Don't think "rock", think "groove" – because oud player John Berberian takes his instrument into some very groovy territory here – mixing its Mid-East roots with a sweet array of modal rhythms and psychedelic elements – all of which make for an album that's even trippier than you'd guess from its cover! The album's one of the few "jazz meets world" sets that really gets things right – bringing together different global elements to come up with a sound that's wonderfully new and fresh – and which moves the whole thing way past its roots in Turkish, Greek, Armenian, and North African styles! Joe Beck plays some great electric guitar on the record – but the main string focus is on the oud, which Berberian uses with this exotic tinge that rivals the instrument in the hands of Ahmed Abdul-Malik on his own albums like this. The lineup also includes tenor and other reeds from Souren Baronian, plus other percussion, and nice use of electric bass to hold the whole groove together – and titles include "The Oud & The Fuzz", "Tranquility", "Chem-oo-Chem", "Iron Maiden", "Flying Hye", "3/8=5/8=8/8", and "The Magic Ground". (Global Grooves, Rock) LP, Vinyl record album

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(Cassettes, Rock) Cassette

Chuck Berry is definitely on top with this classic Chess Records set – an album that shows that Berry always had a lot more to offer than some of his oldies rocker contemporaries! Sure, there's a few hits here, but the overall quality of the music is more in the mode of Chess blues of the time – lots of raw backings that are as heavy on piano lines and romping rhythms as they are Chuck's own searing lead guitar – a sound that definitely sets the tone for generations to come, and which is always heard best here in its early hoke-free setting. The whole album's wonderful, and even familiar hits sound newly brilliant in this context – a smoking lineup that includes "Jo Jo Gunne", "Around & Around", "Hey Pedro", "Anthony Boy", "Sweet Little Rock & Roller", "Almost Grown", "Roll Over Beethoven", and "Maybellene". (Soul, Rock) LP, Vinyl record album

A double-helping of Chuck Berry brilliance from his early years on Chess Records – music that always has way way more to offer than you might think! Sure, some of Chuck's hits are very familiar – and sure, the man could later be a bit of a parody of himself – but there's no denying the power of this early material, and the revolutionary way Chuck had of playing guitar – rooted in blues, paving the way to rock, and also opening the door to lots more funky soul in years to come! The guitar work alone is worth the price of admission, but the songs and vocals are wonderful too – and the CD features 26 titles that include "Down The Road A Piece", "Mad Lad", "Sweet Little Rock & Roller", "Anthony Boy", "Little Queenie", "Oh Baby Doll", "Confessin The Blues", "Almost Grown", "Jo Jo Gunne", "Wee Wee Hours", "Too Much Monkey Business", and "Brown Eyed Handsome Man". (Soul, Rock) CD

A really unusual second chapter of the first album from 80s underground psych giants Black Sun Ensemble – material that was recorded for that initial record, but which was lost in all sorts of different ways over the years – finally unearthed and brought together here as a stunning second album, thanks to the research that went into a recent reissue of the debut! There's plenty of freak, fuzz, and drone going on here – the group in territory that just about nobody else was touching on the American scene at the time – very dark, heady styles that are completely different from the polished pop of the paisley underground, and much more like some of the more substance-altered psych that was beginning to emerge in the UK. Titles include "Mayan Dance", "Ice Breaker (alt)", "Red Ocean", "Blue Thunder", "Heart Of The Sky", "Ruby Eyes Of China", "Mandolin Winds", "A Chunk Of Mandolin Love", and "Dove Of The Desert". LP, Vinyl record album

A trio of spacey classics from Tim Blake – all brought together in a single set! First up Crystal Machine – fantastic sounds from Tim Blake, an artist who previously worked with Gong, and sometimes worked with Hawkwind – but who really came into his own on this legendary album of electronics! Tim works here on a self-constructed "crystal machine" – a bank of electronics that was often played in performance to front some trippy film installations (as shown on the cover) – which perfectly suited the stretched-out spacey style of his music! The vibe is maybe a bit like early Tangerine Dream, but with some of the warmer modes of the French electronic scene of the time – and titles include "Midnight", "Last Ride Of The Boogie Child", "Synthese Intemporel", and "Crystal Presence". On the cover of Blake's New Jerusalem, Tim looks like he's sitting at the helm of a spaceship on the cover – and in a way, that's what his music was at the time – a way of taking off to the skies on waves of electronics, in the kinds of sounds that Blake first created in his Crystal Machine project, but which have an even sharper focus here! The album's got more vocals than Tim's previous effort, and in a way that's what really sets it apart from the rest – as Blake's got this warmly positive approach that would be at home in progressive folk, but which here comes across with a very unique style – given the mostly electronic setting of the album! All the banks of knobs, slides, and keys pictured on the cover are used to strongly skillful effect – on titles that include "Generator", "Passage Sur La Cite", "New Jerusalem", "Song For A New Age", and "Lighthouse". Magick is a really great later set from electronic genius Tim Blake – an album recorded 15 years after his early classics, and done in his windmill home in France – but all played live, in a way that makes the electronics and keyboards here maybe more amazing! Blake has certainly picked up some of the elements from the 80s generation who were influenced by his earlier work – but also keeps the more open sense of song structure from his classics at points – with a sound that still knows when to revel in the best analog moments, next to the digital ones. Titles include "Tonight", "Strange Secret Of Ohm Gliding", "A Dream", "More Magick", and "Waiting For Nati". Also features the bonus b-side "The Woodland Voice". CD

The biggest sounding Blondie album by far – and a radical leap from New York new wave scene band to a wildly ambitious pop pastiche machine! The band always had a fearless way of filtering far-reaching pop sounds into their material, even when they were still on the CBGBs scene, and while their stylistic reach grew with each successive album, Autoamerican really takes it to extremes. It's somewhat notorious for favoring session players over the core band, but given how crazy the stylistic breadth is – no disrespect to that incredible core band – it's a creative win, as much BECAUSE they bit off more than they could chew production wise, as it is despite that. It's most famous (or infamous, depending on who's talking about it) for "Rapture", and other tracks include "Europa", "Live It Up", their classic, breezy cover of "The Tide Is High", "Here's Looking At You", "Faces", "Follow Me" and more. LP, Vinyl record album

(Funky 45's, Rock) 7-inch, Vinyl record

Four lost albums from David Blue – a really compelling singer/songwriter, ripe for rediscovery! First up is These 23 Days In September, recorded for Reprise – a really moody little record from David Blue – a folksy singer who's got a style that definitely lives up to the melancholy promise of his name! Blue's definitely an artist with a difference – working in the familiar mode of vocals and acoustic guitar, but with an edge and distinctness that really sets him apart from the folkies of a few year before – that sense of different that really set apart a new wave of contemporaries, like Leonard Cohen, Fred Neill, or Tom Rapp. Titles include "These 23 Days In September", "The Sailor's Lament", "Scales For A Window Thief", "You Will Come Back Again", "Slow & Easy", and "The Grand Hotel". Stories is an overlooked early set on Asylum – the kind of really special singer/songwriter material that really set the label apart at the start of the 70s! David Blue has this compelling vocal style that's moody, but down to earth – inflected here and there with guitar contributions from Ry Cooder, who's understated, but really brings out some special qualities in the tunes. Jack Nitzsche adds in some light strings at points – but overall, things are pretty spare and personal – and titles include "Looking For A Friend", "Another One Like Me", "Sister Rose", "The Blues", "Come On John", "Marianne", and "Fire In The Morning". Nice Baby & The Angel shows David Blue really starting to get some star power in his mix – a fuller set, produced by Graham Nash – with work from Nash on guitar, plus more guitar from Dave Mason and David Lindley – in a nice mix of roots elements, but which never overwhelm that unique sense of songwriting and vocals that set David Blue apart from the rest. Titles include "Darlin Jenny", "Troubadour Song", "Train To Anaheim", "True To You", "On Sunday Any Sunday", and "Outlaw Man". On the cover of Cupid's Arrow, David Blue might look a bit cheesy, what with his open shirt and all – but he's definitely the real deal, and very down to earth in his singer/songwriter approach – with a quality that's only underscored by the lineup on the set – a group that features Levon Helm on drums, Jesse Ed Davis on guitar, David Lindley on mandolin and slide, and Barry Goldberg on piano and organ, and also handling production of the album too. The shift from David's roots is a bit like that taken by other contemporaries who once started in more folksy territory, then found a new way to grow in the west coast singer/songwriter scene – and that means that things are more electrified, but still quite far from mainstream music – with original tunes from Blue throughout, and titles that include "I Feel Bad", "Maria Maria", "Primeval Tune", She's Got You", "Tom's Song", and "Run Run Run". CD

This Blue Cheer record, their first of 2 in 1969, has a different lineup on each side–with Bruce Stephens on guitar, tortoise shell, & sandblocks, and Burns Kellogg on piano & organ on the somewhat more bluesy & song-oriented Side 1, while Randy Holden takes over guitar & vocals for the much heavier psych-rock approach on Side 2. Titles include "When It All Gets Old", "I Want My Baby Back", "Aces'N'Eights", "Peace Of Mind", "Honey Buter Lover", and the mind-melting "Fruit & Iceburgs". CD

This Blue Cheer record, their first of two in 1969, has a different lineup on each side–with Bruce Stephens on guitar, tortoise shell, & sandblocks, and Burns Kellogg on piano & organ on the somewhat more bluesy & song-oriented Side 1, while Randy Holden takes over guitar & vocals for the much heavier psych-rock approach on Side 2. Titles include "When It All Gets Old", "I Want My Baby Back", "Aces'N'Eights", "Peace Of Mind", "Honey Buter Lover", and the mind-melting "Fruit & Iceburgs". LP, Vinyl record album

Blue Effect are down to a trio for this early 80s album, but that smaller lineup seems to allow even more space for instrumental interplay and well-crafted solos – served up by Radim Hladik on guitars, Vladimir Cech on drums and percussion, and Lesek Semelka on Moog and Korg keyboards, plus vocals as well! The production is clean, but never commercial – just really letting the longform tunes spin out with plenty of well-played lines – on titles that include "Triatricet", "Obcasna Panska Jizda", "Kohoutek Kamaradstvi Dokapava", and "Avignonske Slecny Z Prahy". CD features 6 bonus tracks – including "Nezna", "Zahada Jmeli", and "Doktor". CD

A prog classic from the Czech scene at the start of the 70s – music from a moment when things were really pushing the cultural barriers in the new freedoms of the time! Blue Effect blend core jamming with some larger arrangements that appear from time to time – all given a sense of power and majesty that really transcends the boundaries of language, soaring out with a vibe that's right up there with the best non-English work on the Euro scene at the time! The set was issued with translated lyrics in some territories, but this is the original album – with titles that include "Osamela Ulice", "Kamenne Blues", "Destivy Den", "Kde Je Ma Hvezda", "Fenix", and "Pamet Lasky". CD features 5 bonus tracks – including "Grave Of The Sun", "Life", and "Gray Hair". CD

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An amazing second chapter for The Music Machine – working here with the last name of leader Sean Bonniwell in their name – in a groove that's even weirder and wilder than before! The group take on an odd new sound here – still the heady brew of fuzz and Hammond on their original garagey recordings from LA – but with a mode that also really lets Bonniwell's offbeat character come to the forefront – both in the odd lyrics, and his stark presentation in the lead – a Sunset Strip sense of personality that's almost up there with Kim Fowley at times! The record's definitely one of the weirder, more edgey sides cut for Warner Brothers in the mid 60s – and titles include "Astrologically Incompatible", "Double Yellow Line", "The Trap", "Soul Love", "Bottom Of The Soul", "Me Myself & I", and "The Eagle Never Hunts The Fly". CD features an insane 49 tracks in all – the full 14 track album, other Warner singles, and demos and rare material that includes solo tracks by Sean Bonniwell too! CD

Genius, pure genius from a young David Bowie – an album that we've always treasured as much as Ziggy Stardust! This set's pre-Hunky Dory, pre-Space Oddity – and it's an amazing little record that's almost completely devoid of guitars – instead using weird woodwinds (lots of oboe!), soaring strings, and offbeat orchestrations to carry off the tunes – all of which are as weird, mad, and wonderful as anything Bowie wrote in later years! The subject matter of the songs is almost a dark reflection of the picture postcard England that you'd find in work by The Kinks – the local pederast, weird guy who lives with his mum, old military geezer who can't get out of the past, cross-dressing soldiers, a gravedigger about to meet his death, and hip Londoners gallivanting all over town – all delivered with a sharpness that's stunning. We honestly think the record is flawless – incredibly complicated instrumentally, but incredibly groovy too – with all the edge you'll always love in Bowie, but in a fresh young flavor too. Years back, as young Bowie-heads, we always passed this one by – assuming it was unformed early roughness – but it's not, and is an incredible album that would have been more than enough for any other artist to build a career on. Titles include "Uncle Arthur", "Sell Me A Coat", "Rubber Band", "Love You Till Tuesday", "There Is A Happy Land", "When I Live My Dream", "Maids Of Bond Street", "We Are Hungry Men", "She's Got Medals", and "Please Mr Gravedigger". LP, Vinyl record album

A mega-hit for David Bowie – and an album that reduced some of the complexity of previous efforts, yet still managed to hold onto all that was great! There's definitely some massive chart material here, but the tunes are still some of the best of their time, pop-wise – tracks that bring forward the best dark corners of the Bowie mythos, and refine them slightly for a new generation – always in tunefully compelling ways. And despite the crossover fame of the set, it holds up surprisingly well over the years – possibly because of that status. Did you know that Stevie Ray Vaughan plays guitar on this album? Titles include "Modern Love", "China Girl", "Let's Dance", "Without You", "Criminal World", and "Cat People" (in a different take than the soundtrack version.) LP, Vinyl record album

The Thin White Duke turns to the east – and gets a whole new sound with help from Brian Eno! The album is an amazing departure from some of David Bowie's previous work – a set that's sparer, more spacious, and which is often instrumental – quite a statement, given Bowie's reputation as a songwriter at the time! It's almost like Bowie's shaking off all the confused stardom of the previous parts of the 70s – and is stepping forward as a new being from a new space – cleaner, leaner, and simpler than before – but hardly evacuated of soul at all, certainly not as much as you might guess from the Man Who Fell To Earth image on the cover. Titles include "Speed Of Life", "Be My Wife", "A New Career In A New Town", "Warsawza", "Art Decade", "Weeping Wall", and "Sound & Vision". LP, Vinyl record album

A key blend of two chapters in David Bowie's career – his guitar-heavy groove with the Spiders From Mars, and his 60s roots in mod London! The tracks here all date from the mid 60s, and are Bowie's homage to that period in his life – but they're all played with a glammish 70s sensibility, and some definite Ziggy Stardust elements in the way the guitars come into the mix. Given Bowie's rise as a key songwriter of his time, the step back to an album of all covers is a surprising, but genius move – and the execution of the tunes here comes off brilliantly – with plenty of personal spirit that keeps them from being simple rehashes of hits! Tracks include "See Emily Play", "Friday On My Mind", "I Can't Explain", "Everything's Alright", "Don't Bring Me Down", "Shapes Of Things", and "Here Comes The Night". LP, Vinyl record album

A key blend of two chapters in David Bowie's career – his guitar-heavy groove with the Spiders From Mars, and his 60s roots in mod London! The tracks here all date from the mid 60s, and are Bowie's homage to that period in his life – but they're all played with a glammish 70s sensibility, and some definite Ziggy Stardust elements in the way the guitars come into the mix. Given Bowie's rise as a key songwriter of his time, the step back to an album of all covers is a surprising, but genius move – and the execution of the tunes here comes off brilliantly – with plenty of personal spirit that keeps them from being simple rehashes of hits! Tracks include "See Emily Play", "Friday On My Mind", "I Can't Explain", "Everything's Alright", "Don't Bring Me Down", "Shapes Of Things", and "Here Comes The Night". LP, Vinyl record album

An amazing departure for David Bowie – hardly the kind of record you would expect from his oboe-filled tunes of a few years before – and really the start of the groundbreaking, earthshaking, reinventionist era of his genius! There's a spacious, soaring quality to Space Oddity that's every bit the kind of magical music you might hope for in a set recorded at the close of the 60s – a shift into new modes, new sounds that seem to suck up all the best influences in rock from the previous few years, but fuse it into a new cosmic vision for the next decade. And while others might stumble on cliche with the weight of such a task, Bowie pulls it off brilliantly – mixing his fuzzier feelings with some of his more personal leanings – and showcasing a newly deep sense of songwriting here that's really amazing. Some tunes have the sensitivity of work on Hunky Dory, while others burn with the fire of Man Who Sold The World – all in a balance that never sounds schizophrenic at all. Titles include"Space Oddity", "Memory Of A Free Festival", "God Knows I'm Good", "Cygnet Committee", and "Unwashed & Somewhat Slightly Dazed". LP, Vinyl record album

Ex-Yardbirds with singer John Fiddler, with guest appearances by Jeff Beck and Rory Gallagher! LP, Vinyl record album

A masterpiece of new music for guitar from the legendary Glenn Branca – a set that both draws on all the minimal experiments on the New York scene of the 70s, and the big wave of underground music at the end of the decade! Branca effortlessly fuses the rock and compositional communities here – working with Lee Ranaldo of Sonic Youth, and artist Ned Sublette – in a fierce set of tunes that blend four guitars, electric bass, and drums – all with an instrumental frenzy that matches some of the best early jams from Sonic Youth. Branca's approach is less freeform, but has very much the same intensity – and titles include "Lesson No 2", "Structure", "The Ascension", and "Spectacular Commodity". (Out Sound, Rock) LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

(Cassettes, Rock) Cassette

Georgeous and richly emotion instrumental textures from Richard Skelton's working again as A Broken Consort – crafting layers of atmospheric, evocative mood on Crow Autumn! Skelton's earlier limited edition 2 part alternate version was released on his own Sustain-Release label, and giving it a broader platform and reworked presentation is the Tompkins Square label, home to long lost relics and modern treasures like this one alike. Skelton makes a unique layer of sounds from acoustic, organic instrumention, and it's wonderful, compelling stuff. Titles include "Day Reveals", "A Mercy Kill", "Like Rain", "Mountains Ash", "The River", "Beneath" and "Leaves". CD

One of those 70s records that has everything going for it, but somehow never got a chance to get off the mark – well-written and catchy tunes, a tight approach to production that's also somehow fresh, and a sense of personality that marks this second set by the band to be one where they're really hitting their stride! The record's of the AOR generation, but it's also got a sense of individuality that really shines through – never too polished, but also not an indie effort as well – and some nice echoes of the kind of cuts that would have peaked on British radio a few years before. Titles include "Confident Man", "Coaltown", "As A Lover I'm A Loser", "Alone Tonight", "Good To Me", "Free & Easy", and "Faith In The Family". CD

A surprisingly wonderful solo album from Jack Bruce – one that's got a tighter approach to the songwriting, and done in a strange jazz-rock-folk style that at times recalls the early work of Roy Wood, or some of the later work of Tim Hardin. The album's got a strangely personal feel – as Bruce stretches himself a bit more on the lyrics, and goes for a few passages that are more intimate than one might expect from other work. The result is possibly his most cohesive album overall, and a real treat to anyone with ears for a solid jazz rock outing! Titles include "Folk Song", "Morning Story", "There's A Forest", "Can You Follow", "Victoria Sage", "Letter Of Thanks", and "Post War". LP, Vinyl record album

With Allan Holdsworth (guitar), Dave Stewart (keyboards), and Jeff Berlin (bass). LP, Vinyl record album