Blue-eyed soul from the legendary Mitch Ryder – and pretty darn gritty at that – steeped in styles borrowed from Memphis and Muscle Shoals, and given a bit of a color-blind twist on the Detroit scene of the late 60s! Mitch clearly loves the motor city sound of the 60s, but also takes things to farther points south, too – using elements that would be right at home on Stax or Atlantic Records, and coming up with a crossover sound that had his recorded almost ending up in more soul collections over the years than rock ones! Production is by pop maestro Bob Crewe, but it's surprisingly unadorned compared to some of Crewe's other work of the time – and the album bristles with sock-soul instrumentation from the Detroit Wheels, and loud, proud vocals from Mitch. There's a bit of garaey guitars in the mix, too – making for a mighty nice hybrid of styles – and titles include "Shakin With Linda", "You Get Your Kicks", "Any Day Now", "I Need Help", "Little Latin Lupe Lu", "Walkin The Dog", "I Had It Made", and the classic "Breakout". LP, Vinyl record album

A mad mix of loud guitar, wild samples, and heavy Brazilian percussion – all nicely topped with the soulful vocals of Chico Science! The record's one of the group's earlier ones, and it's filled with a sense of raw power and experimentation that easily demonstrates why the band grabbed so much attention so quickly. Forget all those cliches you keep hearing about the postmodern power of Tropicalia – this stuff's equally as complex, and filled with bits and pieces you wouldn't even imagine! Titles include "Da Lama Ao Caos", "Salusatiano Song", "Riso Flora", "Coco Dub", "Rios, Pontes & Overdrives", and "A Cidade", which has a nice little snippet from Mark E Smith! (Brazil, Rock) CD

A mad mix of loud guitar, wild samples, and heavy Brazilian percussion – all nicely topped with the soulful vocals of Chico Science! The record's one of the group's earlier ones, and it's filled with a sense of raw power and experimentation that easily demonstrates why the band grabbed so much attention so quickly. Forget all those cliches you keep hearing about the postmodern power of Tropicalia – this stuff's equally as complex, and filled with bits and pieces you wouldn't even imagine! Titles include "Da Lama Ao Caos", "Salusatiano Song", "Riso Flora", "Coco Dub", "Rios, Pontes & Overdrives", and "A Cidade", which has a nice little snippet from Mark E Smith! (Brazil, Rock) LP, Vinyl record album

The title's no lie, as the set's filled with all the singles issued by Soundgarden during their legendary run – titles that include "Black Hole Sun", "Loud Love", "Jesus Christ Pose", "Flower", "Nothing To Say", "Hands All Over", "Ty Cobb", "Bleed Together", "Spoonman", "The Day I Tried To Live", "Rusty Cage", "Get On The Snake", "Outshined", "Fell On Black Days", "Pretty Noose", "Burden In My Hand", and "Blow Up The Outside World". CD

The early 70s glam masterpiece from T Rex – setting the standard for the sounds to come – and pop landmark status aside, it's probably the best album Bolan, Mickey Finn and the group ever cut! On Electric Warrior, T Rex resurrects the primitive spirit of the seediest rock of their predecessors, with a sound that's loud and anthemic. They hide sax, fluegelhorn and classical-styled strings under loud guitars, making this some of prettiest sleaze of the 70s! Classic! Includes the classics "Jeepster", "Bang A Gong (Get It On)", "Life's A Gas", "Monolith", "Planet Queen, "Girl" and more. CD

Titles include "Alibi Annie", "Home Again", "One Way Glass", "Is It Loud?", "Candle Light", "Devil Comin'" and more. LP, Vinyl record album

Uncle Tupelo's excellent, unfussy, fairly timeless final album – with equally good songs written by Jay Farrar and Jeff Tweedy that sound great together even if it's pretty clear in retrospect that they were soon to split up for good. The difference between Uncle Tupelo's loud guitar ragers and folk and roots infused songcraft got a lot more seamless over their years as a band, and on Anodyne they tend to let their rootsier influences shine a little brighter without sacrificing the grit and muscle of the more electric material. This one notably features John Stirratt and Ken Coomer, soon to join Tweedy in Wilco. Includes "Slate", "Acuff-Rose", "The Long Cut", a cover of Doug Sahm's "Give Back The Key To My Heart" featuring Sahm himself on vocals, "Chickamauga", "Anodyne", "15 Keys", "High Water", "Steal The Crumbs" and more. CD

Rockin raw soul from the great Andre Williams – and one of his best comeback records of recent years! The set was recorded live in Holland (hence the title), and Andre's got a backup band that's equal parts heavy guitar rock and sockin soul – recorded here with a very dark sound that almost makes it feel like Andre's fronting the Cog Sinister-era Fall! Guitars are all pretty darn loud, and the set features new and old tracks alike – with titles that include "I Can Tell", "You Got It & I Want It", "Pussy Stank", "Jail Bait", "Car With The Star", and "I Don't Know Why". LP, Vinyl record album

In pretty much any bio of the pioneering art punk band Wire you'll read about how between 1977 and 1979, the group made three of the best, most forward looking rock albums of the era. First they perfected punk rock (Pink Flag), a year later they opened the doors to the more melodic new wave (Chairs Missing), and followed that up by introducing experimental electronics and metronomic beats (154), clearing the way for the aggro-post-punk-dance music of the early 80s. 10 years from now, there will probably be an addendum to all of those bios, stating that in 2002/2003 Wire finally returned to form – and they were as great as they ever were! We love our hyperbole around here, there's no denying that, but we really can't overstate how amazing Send is for Wire fans. As much as they've been around in various forms, Colin Newman and co. have not sounded this vital since 1979. None of the million billion indie rock kids emulating the old boys are even in the same universe, despite what your local hipster papers and zines might say. The album is basically a collection of the comeback EPs Wire self-released in 2002 – Read And Burn 1 & 2 – plus four newer, equally ferocious tracks. The first half kind of serves as the logical 2002/3 equivalent of their razor melody guitar sound of the late 70s, and the second half adds the aggro/electro beat-driven stuff that was bastardized by others (and at times by Wire themselves) all through the 80s and 90s. The whole thing is consistent, aggressive as all-get-out, and a stunningly loud comeback that we never saw coming. It's all the more rewarding because of it. "In The Art Of Stopping", "Mr. Marx's Table", "Being Watched", "The Agfers Of Kodack", "Nice Streets Above", "Spent", "Read And Burn", "You Can't Leave Now", "Half Eaten", "99.9." CD

The fourth fantastic chapter in this wonderful trip through the 60s – headed up by author Jon Savage, as a great soundtrack to his documents of the time! If you know Savage at all, you'll know to expect something different and fresh – an unusual take on the period, and one that goes way past the chart hits and overplayed oldies – to instead uncover currents of cultural activity at a much deeper level! And sure, there's a number of familiar songs here – but they're mixed with lesser-known gems, and presented in this great double-length package that features 48 tracks in all – all with notes from Savage himself. Titles include "Talkin About The Good Times" by Pretty Things, "Eastern Organ" by Brother Dan All Stars, "Hard To Handle" by Otis Redding, "Freedom Train" by James Carr, "Say It Loud (part 1)" by James Brown, "Omnibus" by The Move, "Sunshine Help Me" by Spooky Tooth, "Everydays" by Buffalo Springfield", "How Does It Feel To Feel" by The Creation, "Dear Delilah" by Grapefruit, "Machines" by Lothar & The Hand People, "Tomorrow Street Puzzle" by Fairport Convention, "I Got A Line On You" by Spirit, "Kick Out The Jams (preview pressing)" by MC5, "World In A Jug" by Canned Heat, "Classical Gas" by Mason Williams, "Honey Chile" by Martha Reeves & The Vandellas, "Danse A La Musique" by The French Fries, "Israelites" by Desmond Dekker, and "Why Does It Feel So Right" by The Shades Of Jade. CD

The fourth fantastic chapter in this wonderful trip through the 60s – headed up by author Jon Savage, as a great soundtrack to his documents of the time! If you know Savage at all, you'll know to expect something different and fresh – an unusual take on the period, and one that goes way past the chart hits and overplayed oldies – to instead uncover currents of cultural activity at a much deeper level! And sure, there's a number of familiar songs here – but they're mixed with lesser-known gems, and presented in this great double-length package that features 48 tracks in all – all with notes from Savage himself. Titles include "Talkin About The Good Times" by Pretty Things, "Eastern Organ" by Brother Dan All Stars, "Hard To Handle" by Otis Redding, "Freedom Train" by James Carr, "Say It Loud (part 1)" by James Brown, "Omnibus" by The Move, "Sunshine Help Me" by Spooky Tooth, "Everydays" by Buffalo Springfield", "How Does It Feel To Feel" by The Creation, "Dear Delilah" by Grapefruit, "Machines" by Lothar & The Hand People, "Tomorrow Street Puzzle" by Fairport Convention, "I Got A Line On You" by Spirit, "Kick Out The Jams (preview pressing)" by MC5, "World In A Jug" by Canned Heat, "Classical Gas" by Mason Williams, "Honey Chile" by Martha Reeves & The Vandellas, "Danse A La Musique" by The French Fries, "Israelites" by Desmond Dekker, and "Why Does It Feel So Right" by The Shades Of Jade. CD

... 7-inch, Vinyl record

... 7-inch, Vinyl record

... LP, Vinyl record album

A long-overdue package – one that finally brings together all the many strands of music from underground Cali rock legend Merrell Fankhauser! CD1 features some of Merrell's earliest music – a host of early singles by Merrell & The Exiles, some of which were issued on the Glenn and Golden Crown labels – mixed here with rare unissued titles too – for a whopping 19 tracks that offer up a rare look at Fankhauser's earliest years! CD2 features the classic Fapardokly record – a lost bit of legend from the west coast scene of the 60s – and a record that's maybe best-known as a showcase for the early genius of Merrell Fankhauser – who wrote most of the songs on the set, a good number of which were actually recorded for the record by his previous group, The Exiles! Yet despite that little bit of trivia, there's a great vibe going on here – a seminal shift in the Cali scene from garagey work to trippier modes – served up beautifully on titles that include "Glass Chandelier", "Suzie Cryin", "Tomorrow's Girl", "Lila", "Mr Clock", "No Retreat", "Gone To Pot", "When I Get Home", "Supermarket", and "The Music Scene". CD3 features the album Things, recorded by Merrell Fankhauser & HMS Bounty – a perfect blend of Fankhauser's earlier garage rock modes and latter trippier styles! The tunes are short and wonderfully tuneful – produced at Gold Star studios, with a simple, straightforward style that makes all the deftness of the songwriting come through even more – an approach that, although supposedly steeped in Pacific Ocean inspiration, almost feels more like that great moment when some UK groups of the mid 60s were tripping out, but not too much. Titles include "Lost In The City", "Your Painted Lives", "In A Minute Not Too Soon", "A Visit With Ashiya", "The Big Gray Sky", and "Rich Man's Fable". CD4 features MU – an incredible record, and one that really lives up to all its well-deserved legend over the years – one of those sets that's not just rare, but which has all the chops to really deliver the goods! A few short years before, Merrell Fankhauser was recording garage and psych on the LA scene – but here, he steps off the latter with a bit of post-60s hangover – working with a current of darkness that really changes things up, while still providing a great outlet for his legendary work on guitar – and his mindblowing sense of a lyric! Titles include "Ballad Of Brother Lew", "Eternal Thirst", "Too Naked For Demetrius", "Mumbella Baye Tu La", "The Clouds Went That Way", and "Nobody Wants To Shine". CD5 features MU's The Last Album – 20 more tracks recorded in 1974, but unissued for many years – and CD6 features the legendary Maui album from the enigmatic Merrell Fankhauser – a self-released set that drew inspiration from his time in Hawaii – even though the set was mostly recorded in LA and San Francisco! The tunes are beautiful – nicely evolved from Merrell's psych of earlier years, with a much more personal vibe – yet all without some of those west coast cliches that were creeping into more mainstream music of the period. You might get the vibe partly right if you could maybe imagine a more personal singer/songwriter take on the AOR vibe of the period – with leaner, better instrumentation and unslick production – but that's also only part of the picture too! Titles include "On Our Way To Hana", "Make A Joyful Noise", "Garden In The Rain", "Waterfall", "The Source", "Sail It Over The Ocean", and "We Were All Free". Box set features a very detailed book of notes – bonus tracks added to most of the albums, and a massive 95 tracks in all! CD

... CD

... LP, Vinyl record album

A key album in the legendary early years of Gong – that mythical moment when the group was almost more like a cult or a commune than just another rock band on the scene! The set has the group very firmly ensconced in their French country home, where the record was recorded – with a mindblowing lineup that includes the great Daevid Allen on vocals and guitar, Didier Malherbe on tenor and soprano sax, Gilli Smyth on second vocal, Steve Hillage on guitar, and Pierre Moerlen on drums and percussion – plus lots of other surprises along the way. Titles include "Selene", "Other Side Of The Sky", "Castle In The Clouds", "Oily Way", "Flute Salad", and "I Never Glid Before". LP, Vinyl record album

A key album in the legendary early years of Gong – that mythical moment when the group was almost more like a cult or a commune than just another rock band on the scene! The set has the group very firmly ensconced in their French country home, where the record was recorded – with a mindblowing lineup that includes the great Daevid Allen on vocals and guitar, Didier Malherbe on tenor and soprano sax, Gilli Smyth on second vocal, Steve Hillage on guitar, and Pierre Moerlen on drums and percussion – plus lots of other surprises along the way. Titles include "Selene", "Other Side Of The Sky", "Castle In The Clouds", "Oily Way", "Flute Salad", and "I Never Glid Before". LP, Vinyl record album

Features the classic "Got My Mind Set On You" – plus "Cloud Nine", "Just For Today", "When We Was Fab", "Devil's Radio", "Breath Away From Heaven", "Fish In the Sand", and more! CD

Features the classic "Got My Mind Set On You" – plus "Cloud Nine", "Just For Today", "When We Was Fab", "Devil's Radio", "Breath Away From Heaven", "Fish In the Sand". Guests include Ringo Starr, Eric Clapton, Elton John, and more. Produced by Jeff Lynne. LP, Vinyl record album

Features the classic "Got My Mind Set On You" – plus "Cloud Nine", "Just For Today", "When We Was Fab", "Devil's Radio", "Breath Away From Heaven", "Fish In the Sand", and more! CD

A beautiful package of rare work from the archives – two never-released recordings, brought together in a cool book-style package! First up is Living City – breathtakingly organic sounds from Jon Hassell – performing here live, and at a level that's a nice evolution from his studio modes in the earlier part of the 80s – with all sorts of long-blown lines, and nicely complex elements in the sound! Hassell handles both his famous electrified trumpet and keyboards, with a group that includes keyboards, guitar, bass, and percussion samples – all mixed live by Brian Eno, who definitely adds a darkness to the whole proceedings – recalling the Fourth World experiments that he and Hassell had done about a decade before, but with a quality that really respects all the growth that Jon went through as an artist in the intervening years. Titles include "Ituri", "Alchemistry", "Mashujaa", "Paradise Now", "Nightsky", and "Adedara Rising". Next is Psychogeography – very heady work from Jon Hassell – a set that almost seems to showcase his skills as a producer as much as it does his always-creative work on trumpet and keyboards! The sound here is often very layered and dense – maybe Hassell's own take on the noisier territory of Miles Davis electric imports of the 70s – but warmer, and with more of the organic elements that we love in some of Jon's other material. The recordings have never been issued – and are reworked elements of some material that went into the City/Works Of Fiction album – but with a quality that's very different than that. Tracks are shorter than some of Hassell's ususal work, which only increases their density – as Jon plays with work from a group that uses guitar, bass, keyboards, and plenty of live and sampled percussion. Titles include "Cityism Superdcub", "Harambe", "Freeway", "Midnight", "Favela", "Waterfront District", "Cloud Shaped Time", and "Emerald City". CD

... LP, Vinyl record album

Four important albums from Jade Warrior – all brought together here in a single set! Floating World is the first album in Jade Warrior's mid-70s run for Island Records – and a set that marks a key shift for the group – a moment when they leaned even more heavily into their interest in global sounds, dropped most of their vocals, and used their impeccable instrumentation to take off in really amazing ways! The core duo of Tony Duhig's guitar and Jon Field's flute serve up most of the instrumentation here – and both players handle plenty of percussion too – yet there's a richness to the record that's undeniable too, which is a great testament to the way the pair make really special music together! Martha Mdenge serves up some guest vocals on the final track "Quba", the group take on the legendary "Monkey Chant" of Balinese music, and other titles include "Red Lotus", "Clouds", "Mountain Of Fruit & Flowers", "Waterfall", and "Easty". Kites is one of the most ambitious records ever from Jade Warrior – a set that expands their core sound in a wonderful way, with all sorts of great guests who really add a lot to the music! As before, the duo of Tony Duhig and Jon Field are at the core – guitar, flute, and plenty of percussion – but augmented here with all sorts of cool contributions by guests who include Fred Frith on violin, Gowan Turnball on saxes, and Jeff Westley on electric piano – plus Clodagh Simonds on a bit of vocals – all really bringing a new sort of majesty to the sort of music that the group delivered on their previous record – but without losing the sense of intimacy either. Titles include "Towards The Mountains", "Wind Song", "The Emperor", "Songs Of The Forest", "Quietly By The River Bank", and "The Last Question". Waves is a key moment in the continuing evolution of Jade Warrior – and a set that nicely moves the group from the prog styles of their roots, into leaner territory that's almost jazz-based at times! Some of the group's contemporaries were making such shifts, but usually in a way that was more heavy handed – where the lightness that Jade Warrior had on previous records really guides the music here – as they work with their core combination of keyboards, flute, guitar, and plenty of percussion – with additional work from Dave Duhig on lead guitar, Maggie Thomas on alto recorder, and Steve Winwood on moog, piano, and keyboards! There's a bit of vocals on the record from a female singer – but most of the tracks just have this gentle instrumental flowering – moving through an album-length suite that includes the tracks "Caves", "Groover", "River To The Sea", "Song Of The Last Whale", "The Sea", and "Wave Birth". Way Of The Sun is a set that's got a few sharper edges than some of the previous records by Jade Warrior – yet one that still hangs nicely in that Eastern-inspired blend of jazz and prog that made their Island Records years so great! As before, the album works as a unified whole – each track crucial to the overall feel of the set – with plenty of excellent work on flute from Jon Field, amidst more conventional guitar, keyboard, and percussion. There's some occasional nice guest moments on flugelhorn, harp, and saxes – and titles include "Sun Ra", "Dance Of The Sun", "Heaven Stone", "Moontears", "Sun Child", "Carnival", and "Death Of Ra". CD

A classic run of records from Waylon Jennings – brought together in a single package! First up is Lonesome Onry & Mean – a pivotal album for Waylon Jennings – the record where he really found the new direction that would finally get him the fame he deserved – delivered in a way that's free from all the later cliches, and which also ties Waylon pretty strongly to the hipper currents of the underground – especially that point where singer/songwriter genius intersected with country! The production is his own, and vastly different than the late 60s records – even though we love those to death too – and that magical Jennings vocal approach does fantastic things to tunes by Steve Young, Mickey Newbury, Kris Kristofferson, and others! Titles include the fantastic "Lonesome Onry & Mean", plus "Good Time Charlie's Got The Blues", "Freedom To Stay", "Lay It Down", "You Can Have Her", "Pretend I Never Happened", "San Francisco Mabel Joy", "Sandy Sends Her Best", and a great take on "Me &Bobby McGee". Honky Tonk Heroes is genius material from Waylon Jennings – one of those career-defining records from the early 70s that completely put him on top, and heralded a whole new generation in country music! The set's maybe equally noteworthy as a showcase for the up-and-coming Billy Joe Shaver, who wrote much of the songs on the record – and it's also a great showcase for the important production talents of Tompall Glaser, who really gets the spirit of the music right! Titles include great versions of "Honky Tonk Heroes", "Old Five & Dimers Like Me", "Ride Me Down Easy", "Black Rose", "Willy The Wandering Gypsy & Me", "Omaha", and "Ain't No God In Mexico". This Time is one of those Waylon Jennings records from a time when he could do no wrong – fighting the stronger powers at RCA to really find his voice – recording at the studio of Tompall Glaser, with great production help from Willie Nelson – who was enjoying his own transformation at the time too! As with the previous two gems from this period, the choice of material and presentation is great – songs by Willie, JJ Cale, and Billy Joe Shavers – in a set of titles that include "Heaven Or Hell", "It's Not Supposed To Be That Way", "This Time", "Pick Up The Tempo", "If You Could Touch Her At All", "Walkin", "Slow Rollin Low", "Louisiana Woman", and "Slow Movin Outlaw". Ramblin Man is Waylon Jennings at peak mid 70s perfection! Ramblin' Man fits in stylistically with the gruff honky tonk hero mode he first fully realized a couple albums earlier, but he's still fiercely blazing trails here, pairing his gruff lead vocals with sweeter female harmonies on some tracks, changing the groove from laidback swagger to fast-paced honky tonk, working in some tender ballads with the gruffer numbers...Waylon at his best. Starts up with the eternal title track and equally classic "Rainy Day Woman" and hardly lets up in greatness from there, with "Cloudy Days", "The Hunger", "It'll Be Her", a great cover of the Allman Brothers' "Midnight Rider", "Memories Of You And Me", "Amanda" and more. Features bonus tracks too – "Laid Back Country Picker", "The Last One To Leave Seattle", "Big Big Love", "Got A Lot Going For Me", "The Last Letter", and "The One I Sing My Love Songs To". (Folk/Country, Rock) CD

The album that really broke Jethro Tull out of the prog rock underground and into the mainstream – and a set that showed that the group weren't just a combo with creative use of flute, but a band that could really rock off their ass when they wanted to! Previous records were all pretty great, but there's definitely something special in the air with this one – an extra-amped version of the group that even seems to have Ian Anderson's flute blowing out all stops, and his vocals sounding even more menacing than before! Martin Barre's maybe the real master, though – searing on guitar, and punctuating all of Anderson's efforts with his own mad energy – on titles that include the classic "Aqualung", plus "Wondering Aloud", "Cheap Day Return", "Cross Eyed Mary", "My God", "Slipstream", "Locomotive Breath", "Wind Up", and "Mother Goose". CD

The album that really broke Jethro Tull out of the prog rock underground and into the mainstream – and a set that showed that the group weren't just a combo with creative use of flute, but a band that could really rock off their ass when they wanted to! Previous records were all pretty great, but there's definitely something special in the air with this one – an extra-amped version of the group that even seems to have Ian Anderson's flute blowing out all stops, and his vocals sounding even more menacing than before! Martin Barre's maybe the real master, though – searing on guitar, and punctuating all of Anderson's efforts with his own mad energy – on titles that include the classic "Aqualung", plus "Wondering Aloud", "Cheap Day Return", "Cross Eyed Mary", "My God", "Slipstream", "Locomotive Breath", "Wind Up", and "Mother Goose". LP, Vinyl record album

Early work from The Litter – the Minneapolis psych quintet who first broke big on their Emerge album for ABC/Probe – but who are heard here a year earlier, with a sound that's maybe even more trippy and powerful overall! The back of the album carries the message "play at the loudest volume your equipment, ears, and neighbors will permit" – and that tip's definitely a good one – as the louder the record, the more the fuzzy guitars and freaky vocals will blow you away, although these guys are already pretty darn persuasive even at a lower volume too! Titles include "Apologies To 2069", "Here I Go Again", "Under The Screaming Double Eagle", "Kaleidiscope", "Mindbreaker", and "She's Not There". LP, Vinyl record album

Rough-edged rock and roll from the Peruvian scene of the 60s – a set cut at a time when the scene was still very much in love with the R&B-influenced style of the UK beat groups, and less concerned with some of their later, more psychedelic directions! There's a nicely garagey quality to many of the tunes here – not just from the muddy drumbeats, fuzzy guitar, and bass – but also from the way that the lead vocals are recorded – often much louder than the instrumentation, blowing the sound way into the red. There's a few more psych-oriented moments – really just hints of what's to come, and less all-out jams – and titles include "Mira Tu", "Vallery", "Solo Pido Amor", "La Punta De Mi Lengua", "Charo", "Se Que No Cambiaras", "Abrazame Baby", and "Solo Estoy". LP, Vinyl record album

(Folk/Country, Rock) LP, Vinyl record album

(Folk/Country, Rock) CD

... LP, Vinyl record album

A cool set of stripped down versions of John D Loudermilk tunes that he cut for Warner Bros in the early 70s – including some of his greatest songs! Other versions of many of these tunes were recorded for earlier LPs on RCA with bigger, weirder arrangements – but they're still plenty eccentric here with acoustic guitar, harmonica and whistling! Includes "Ricky's Tune", "When I Was Nine", "Abilene", "Google Eye", "Tobacco Road", "The Jones'", "Lord Have Mercy", "The Habit" and "I Wanna Live". (Folk/Country, Rock) LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

Love's first album – a seminal bit of Sunset Strip rock, and every bit as powerful today as it was in the 60s! The style's a bit sharper-edged than the group's classic and more familiar Forever Changes set, but it's still pretty darn great – a completely fresh batch of guitar-heavy tunes that bristle with a sound that's a lot more sinister than some of the group's contemporaries. There's a few folksy or bluesy elements in the mix, but they're almost used in a way that parodies bigger acts of the time – turning the familiar into the freaky, all with a sense of power that's simply mindblowing. Titles include the group's excellent version of Burt Bacharach's "My Little Red Book", plus "Hey Joe", "Emotions", "A Message To Pretty", "Mushroom Clouds", "And More", and "Coloured Balls Falling". LP, Vinyl record album

... CD

An unimpeachable metal masterpiece! Master Of Puppets is one of the rare cases when the critical and popular consensuses match right up and are both right on the money – there's just no arguing against this being considered one of the greatest, most influential, and surprisingly timeless metal albums of all time – and it built that reputation organically, fan by fan, without radio or music videos to hype it. All the more impressive for the few disarmingly quiet moments and borderline pretty instrumental passages before the heaviness comes walloping back in. All classic songs on this one: "Battery", "Master Of Puppets", "The Thing That Should Not Be", "Welcome Home (Sanitarium)", "Disposable Heroes", "Leper Messiah", "Orion" and "Damage, Inc.". LP, Vinyl record album

Joni Mitchell's second album, and the one where she really seemed to find her voice – quickly moving past the more folk-styled music of her roots, into that special territory that was very much her own! The album has some incredibly deep songwriting for such a young artist – tunes that are unabashedly full of love, wonder, and worry – graced with acoustic guitar and those amazing vocals – exploding into sunshine and life with a power that still holds up strongly after all these years! Stephen Stills plays bass and guitar on the record, but Joni clearly doesn't need any superstar help at all – as she shines brilliantly on titles that include "Both Sides Now", "I Don't Know Where I Stand", "Chelsea Morning", "Tin Angel", "That Song About The Midway", "Songs To Aging Children Come", and "I Think I Understand". CD

Joni Mitchell's second album, and the one where she really seemed to find her voice – quickly moving past the more folk-styled music of her roots, into that special territory that was very much her own! The album has some incredibly deep songwriting for such a young artist – tunes that are unabashedly full of love, wonder, and worry – graced with acoustic guitar and those amazing vocals – exploding into sunshine and life with a power that still holds up strongly after all these years! Stephen Stills plays bass and guitar on the record, but Joni clearly doesn't need any superstar help at all – as she shines brilliantly on titles that include "Both Sides Now", "I Don't Know Where I Stand", "Chelsea Morning", "Tin Angel", "That Song About The Midway", "Songs To Aging Children Come", and "I Think I Understand". LP, Vinyl record album

Joni Mitchell's second album, and the one where she really seemed to find her voice – quickly moving past the more folk-styled music of her roots, into that special territory that was very much her own! The album has some incredibly deep songwriting for such a young artist – tunes that are unabashedly full of love, wonder, and worry – graced with acoustic guitar and those amazing vocals – exploding into sunshine and life with a power that still holds up strongly after all these years! Stephen Stills plays bass and guitar on the record, but Joni clearly doesn't need any superstar help at all – as she shines brilliantly on titles that include "Both Sides Now", "I Don't Know Where I Stand", "Chelsea Morning", "Tin Angel", "That Song About The Midway", "Songs To Aging Children Come", and "I Think I Understand". LP, Vinyl record album

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A supergroup of sorts, with members from bigger earlier British groups – working here with the great Felix Pappalardi at the production helm for their one and only release! The album mixes upbeat romping tunes that have that catchy UK pop mode of the period with a few mellower moments – all the kind of cuts that almost could have made this one a crossover success, but which likely fell between the cracks as one of the many overlooked projects on the Private Stock label. Titles include "The Right Time", "Miracle Mile", "Dark Cloud", "You can Do It", "Little Darlin", and "Once Again A Love Song". CD

A gem of an album from Randy Newman – a masterpiece of understated with from the mid 70s, and one of his most fully-conceived records for Warner Brothers! The album offers up a vision of the south, past and present, through Newman's eyes – eyes that are partially clouded by the distance of the scene seen from the vantage point of smoggy LA, but which still manage to pull out various strands of life with surprising poignancy. It's easy to write this one off as some sort of slap against the face of the backward south in the 70s, but Newman actually approaches his subjects with some sort of subtle tenderness – not nearly as mean as you might think on first listen, as evidenced by the beautiful orchestrations he penned for the sessions. Titles include "Birmingham", "Marie", "Rednecks", "Louisiana 1927", "Rollin", "Back On My Feet Again", and "Wedding In Cherokee County". CD

The incredible start of Pere Ubu – music that burst onto the world from the Ohio scene of the mid 70s – at a time when nobody might have expected such fervent sounds to be coming from the Midwest! David Thomas and the group are years ahead of their time with this material – channeling some of the more staid arty rock of the period with early punk energy that had yet to be given a name – all with a mix of avant phrasing and wit that's much more like UK work of the post-punk generation to come! The package is a stunning tribute to this important explosion of sound – and features the full first two albums, The Modern Dance and Dub Housing – plus a full live at Max's Kansas City concert from 1977 – and the totally amazing Hearpen singles, including "30 Seconds Over Tokyo", "Heart Of Darkness", "Final Solution", "Cloud 149", "Street Waves", "Modern Dance", and "Heaven". Comes in a nice booklet with notes, too! CD

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A mindblowing contribution to the early catalog of Pink Floyd – served up here in a special series of CD/DVD combinations that bring together rare recordings, unusual mixes, different versions, live tracks, and some beautiful film performances too! This 1972 package features a full CD of Obscured By Clouds, presented in a completely new 2016 remix – as well as Live At Pompeii, again in a new 2016 stereo remix – plus an alternate take of "Careful With That Axe Eugene". DVD/Blu-Ray features footage from the recording session for Obscured By Clouds in France, Live At Pompeii with the newly remixed sound, a concert/news report from France Poitiers/Autour Du passage, the Roland Petit Pink Floyd Ballet from France, and two tracks performed at Brighton Dome in the UK. Also features cool bonus replica memorabilia too! CD

A tripped-out Floyd classic – with cuts that include "Obscured By Clouds", "Childhood's End", "Stay", "Absolutely Curtains", "Free Four", and "Wots Uh The Deal". CD

A legendary set from the Canadian 60s underground – a landmark record from a group who've gone onto become huge over the years with psych collectors, even though they never cracked the charts (or the US market) at the time! The set's way more than just another obscure rock release – as it's got a sharpness, tightness, and sense of songcraft that matches some of the bigger names in the US scene at the time – put together with a style that knows when to open up, but never loses itself in self-indulgence either. There's some surprisingly strong harmonies throughout the tunes – which often have a fuzzy, rollicking edge, but without losing sight of the sunny groove – and titles include "Epistle To Paradise", "Shadows Of Your Mind", "Art's A Happy Man", "Bridge Under A Sky", the epic centerpiece "You Don't Care", "Face Behind The Sun", "Dainty General Rides", and "Civilization Machine". CD

One of the greatest moments ever from Psychic TV – and a really stunning surprise after the breakup of Throbbing Gristle! Genesis P Orridge and Peter Cristopherson go in a completely different direction here – a mode that still holds onto some of the noise lessons learned in TG, but which also shows this incredible love of both more complicated pop modes from the 60s, and some of the farther reaches of minimalism as well! The album sports these tremendous ballads with eerie vocals by Genesis – including "The Orchids" and "White Nights" – which are both eerie recastings of an older mode of UK pop love songs – and there's other tracks that maybe echo a bit of Meredith Monk, or some of the underground experimentalists on the Lovely Records scene – including bits that have weird phone rings, dog barks, and other great touches. A spare and subtle use of noise and darker sounds wends its way throughout – but never with the heavier handed touches of later years – and titles include "Hymn 23", "The Orchids", "Botanica", "Iron", "Glove", "Always Is Always", "White Nights", "Finale", "Eleusis", "Medmenham", "Ancient Lights", "Proof On", "Eden 1 Eden 2 Eden 3", "Clouds Without Water", "Black Moon", "Silver And Gold", "In The Nursery", and "Circle". LP, Vinyl record album

The second great chapter in the career of this UK club act – a set that features three full albums and an insane amount of bonus tracks – many of which have never been on CD, or even released at all! Rah Band were a great group at putting forward an electric sound for the clubs – and in this stretch of records from the late 80s, they changed their sound to nicely fit the time – more 80s soul, but still with all the sweet electric elements that made them so great in the first place. Given that Rah Band were almost precursors to 80s electro soul, their work here is right at front of the pack for the time – as you'll hear on the full albums Mystery, Something About The Music, and World Keeps on turning – each presented here with rare tracks and remixes as bonus tracks – alongside 2 more CDs that add in additional material, including some 80s work – a whopping 30 more rare cuts as well! (Soul, Rock) CD

The Ramones really caught their classic recorded sound for the first time on Leave Home – the second of their three perfect late 70s milestones. As amazing as the debut is, its two-channel shrieking buzz saw sound bowed nicely to the slightly more digestible but just as cathartic roar of the follow ups. Titles include "California Sun", "Glad To See You Go", "Suzy Is A Headbanger", "Pinhead", "What's Your Game", "Gimme Gimme Shock Treatment", and "I Remember You". Also included on the CD are "Babysitter" and the great "Carbona Not Glue" – previously left off all but the first vinyl pressing to accommodate the minor hit they had in "Rock 'N' Roll High School". The bonus material on this Rhino edition consists of a 16 track, 1976 live recording from the Hollywood Roxy – not bad for a record that only had 15 tracks to begin with! The live set is heavy on tracks from the debut, and includes "Loudmouth", "Beat On The Brat", "Chain Saw", "53rd & 3rd", "Today Your Love, Tomorrow The World", "Now I Wanna Sniff Some Glue", and "Havana Affair". CD