A beautiful album of laidback psych from early 70s Brazil – the sort of more personal, more introspective work that some of the artists on the scene were cutting after the more experimental modes of the Tropicalia years! Guilherme Lamounier has a gentle sort of majesty in his music – very much in keeping with his image on the cover – stepping out in a trippier take on singer/songwriter modes, with his own vocals, guitar, and piano as the main focus on the tunes – touched nicely with keyboard work from Wagner Tiso, flute from Oberdan Magalhaes, and guitar from Lanny Gordin – artists used in these very sparing ways to spice up the sound, and give the record a loftier vibe than if Guilherme were just recording on his own. Lyrics are all in Portuguese, but the songs have a very universal appeal – a great sense of structure and building up energy – on titles that include "Freedom", "Mini Neila", "Patricia", "Passam Anos Passam Anas", "Amanha Nao Sei", "Capitao De Papel", and "Ols Telhados Do Mundo". (Brazil, Rock) LP, Vinyl record album

The coolest of all the Mad Magazine records from the early days – a set done in collaboration with Big Top Records, as sort of a parody of the rock and roll that label was putting out at the time! Most songs are surprisingly strong rock numbers, but the lyrics are often jokes about the usual themes handled at the time – but given the level of presentation and strength of the overall record, the whole thing maybe just serves to remind us how important novelty records were to the birth of rock and roll! Titles include "She Got A Nose Job", "Let's Do The Pretzel", "Throwing The High School Basketball Game", "Someone Else's Dandruff", "When My Pimples Turned To Dimples", and "Blind Date". LP, Vinyl record album

Genius, pure genius! (Have we said that about Lee too many times before?) The work of Lee Hazlewood is beyond description – a bit of vocals, a bit of country, a bit of lounge, and a bit of rock – all wrapped up with a sinister edge that has you believing that this was the man who used to refer to his frequent musical partner as "Nasty" Sinatra over the headphones during recording sessions! The set features 35 tracks from Lee's obscure years at MGM records – wonderful vocal tunes that rank with some of his best ever, plus a few weird instrumentals, recorded by Lee Hazlewood's Woodchucks. Insanely wonderful stuff – records that we come back to again and again and again over the years – finally presented in their entirety, with a great set of notes on the music! Tracks include "Hands", "Mannford Oklahoma", "This Town", "Sand", "Child", "Little War", "Fort Worth", "Summer Wine", "I Move Around", "After Six", "Batman", "Summer Nights", "Suzi Jane Is Back In Town", "In Our Time", "When A Fool Loves A Fool", and "So Long Babe". (Vocalists, Rock) CD

A wonderful package – four full albums by one of the most unique groups of their time! First up is These Things Too – the first Reprise album from Pearls Before Swine – a bit more straight ahead and folksy than their work for ESP – but in a really great way, one that lets you hear the best of Tom Rapp's amazing songs and vocals! The album follows in a tradition that includes Tim Buckley, Tim Hardin, Leonard Cohen, and Fred Neil – but it's also got a really unique style that's the unique province of Tom Rapp – the main force behind the group, and the voice on all of the tunes. Rapp's vision was quite unique for the time – not nearly as revolutionary or personally preoccupied – more sad at the fading world, and granted with a unique ability to paint any subject in shades of blue. Titles include "Wizard Of Is", "Frog In The Window", "Footnote", "Look Into Her Eyes", "These Things Too", and "Mon Amour". Use Of Ashes is an incredibly beautiful album from Pearls Before Swine – one that uses light orchestrations to create a baroquely folksy sort of feel – easily elevating the album past previous efforts, into classic territory we'd rank with the best from Nick Drake or Leonard Cohen! The whole album's great – with fragile and haunting songs from Tom Rapp, all supported by sparsely arranged instrumentation that includes harpsichord, flute, oboe, cello, and dobro. Genius throughout – and a clear inspiration for music still being made 30 years later – with classic tracks that include "The Jeweler", "Rocket Man", "Song About A Rose", "The Old Man", "When The War Began", and "From The Movie Of The Same Name". Next is Beautiful Lies You Could Live In – one of the most perfectly formed albums ever recorded by Tom Rapp's enigmatic group Pearls Before Swine – a record that does an incredible job of skirting between Rapp's earthy sense of the planet's passing, and his ambitions for larger forums of expression. The core group is lightly folksy – with strong use of acoustic guitar that goes far beyond any folk rock cliches – plus some additional arrangements that feature contributions from the team of Bob Dorough and Stu Scharf, who seem to have a habit of appearing on under-discovered gems like this one, and making them sound all that more hip! The whole thing's great – filled with beautiful songs that should have been as over-recorded as the best by Tim Hardin or Leonard Cohen – with titles that are even better, too! Tracks include "Snow Queen", "A Life", "Butterflies", "Simple Things", "Freedom", "She's Gone", and "Island Lady". Last up is City Of Gold – a return to folksier forms for Tom Rapp and Pearls Before Swine – working here in territory that's very different than some of the baroque light arrangements used on previous records. Rapp's emerging as a more confident singer/songwriter – recording in an almost Dylan-like setting, but with more of the irony of Leonard Cohen, and as always, working in a timeless idiom that's still beginning to be understood more than 30 years after its inception. Beautiful work throughout – as earthy as it is majestic – and with titles that include "My Father", "The Man", "Once Upon A Time", "City Of Gold", "Nancy", and "Wedding". CD

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

A heck of a great girl group from the 60s – one who never got much play on our side of the Atlantic, but who were one of the most unique UK groups of the time! For one thing, the quartet didn't just sing to studio backings – they also played their own instruments too – which made them more in the mode of some of the mod male British acts of the time than some of the more polished Brit pop female singers! Not that they didn't get great help in the studio, though – as some of these cuts feature top production efforts from giants like Alan Price and Shel Talmy – both of whom never get in the girls' way, and just find a mode to let their sound shine even more strongly on record! Goldie & The Gingerbreads never got the full fame they deserved – save for a few singles issued on Decca and smaller labels – but they did record plenty for a brief stretch, as you'll hear here in a selection of 20 tracks that includes a few unissued tracks done for Atlantic Records as well. Titles include "That's Why I Love You", "Can't You Hear My Heartbeat", "Look For Me Baby", "The Skip", "VIP", "Bye Bye Baby", "What Kind Of Man Are You", "Something Beautiful", "Chew Chew Fee Fi Fum", "Little Boy", and "Sporting Life". CD

A heck of a great girl group from the 60s – one who never got much play on our side of the Atlantic, but who were one of the most unique UK groups of the time! For one thing, the quartet didn't just sing to studio backings – they also played their own instruments too – which made them more in the mode of some of the mod male British acts of the time than some of the more polished Brit pop female singers! Not that they didn't get great help in the studio, though – as some of these cuts feature top production efforts from giants like Alan Price and Shel Talmy – both of whom never get in the girls' way, and just find a mode to let their sound shine even more strongly on record! Goldie & The Gingerbreads never got the full fame they deserved – save for a few singles issued on Decca and smaller labels – but they did record plenty for a brief stretch, as you'll hear here in a selection of 16 tracks that includes a few unissued tracks done for Atlantic Records as well. Titles include "That's Why I Love You", "Can't You Hear My Heartbeat", "Look For Me Baby", "The Skip", "VIP", "Bye Bye Baby", "What Kind Of Man Are You", "Something Beautiful", "Chew Chew Fee Fi Fum", "Little Boy", and "Sporting Life". LP, Vinyl record album

A seminal set from 70s Pink Floyd – a set that took all the energy of Dark Side Of The Moon, and refined it into an even more complex sonic setting! The songs here move out spaciously – still very unified as an overall album, but often with all of these longer-form musical ideas, and mature textural elements that really show the progression the group had made in just a few short years – almost as if they were revisiting the open-ended feel of their immediate records after the departure of Syd Barrett – but with a massive amount of new information about the possibilities of the recording studio, and their own skills as musicians. The whole thing's wonderful – always taken better as a whole than in just small slices – and titles include "Shine On You Crazy Diamond", "Welcome To The Machine", "Have A Cigar", and "Wish You Were Here". LP, Vinyl record album

Wonderful work from the early Thin Lizzy trio lineup – a record that has all the power of their later records, but which also mixes in some airier moments that really help shape the sound! These guys are already setting themselves apart from their psych or blues rock predecessors – thanks to Phil Lynott's wonderful vocals and unique approach to a tune – which gives the record loads of great moments that don't always get their due! Titles include "The Rise And Dear Demise Of The Funky Nomadic Tribes", "Sarah", "Brought Down", "Chatting Today", and "Shades Of A Blue Orphanage". LP, Vinyl record album

A massive look at the huge legacy of North American punk in the late 70s – culled together from scenes in New York, Ohio, Boston, and LA – plus other surprising spots around the country – as artists were working separately, but together, to completely reinvent both the sound of the nation, and the way that records were made! Because of the geographic range of the scenes, US and Canadian acts had a great sense of variety – the sometime wit of LA, the noisier experimentation of Ohio, oddball creations of San Francisco, and searing artistic side of New York – all brought together here with a range of other styles too. The package is great, and includes so many artists we'd forgotten about, next to giants of the field who are still completely crucial today – brought together in a book-style package with 130 tracks and very detailed notes – in support of work from groups who include X, Adolescents, Flesh Eaters, Lyres, The Jetsons, Slickee Boys, Feelies, Bush Tetras, Suburban Lawns, Mission Of Burma, The Bizarros, Nervous Rex, The Dickies, Pagans, The Last, Mars, Devo, Destroy All Monsters, Avengers, Residents, Pere Ubu, Suicide, and dozens of others! CD

One of the greatest records of all time – and don't you forget it! Despite the countless lines of type that have been written about this record, nothing does it full justice like an all-through listen – something we're reminded of every time we put this one on the turntable, which is a heck of a lot over the years! Brian Wilson busted his ass making this little gem – and the rest of the world, and the band, were never the same again – awash in harmonies that most other groups tried to match, set to themes of young loss, longing, and frustration that really mark an emotional development – not just in the Beach Boys, but in pop music in general. And although some of the tracks are ones you've heard a million times on oldies stations, they somehow resonate together much more strongly here – taking on new meaning as the smaller elements of each song come into constellation with each other – creating a complicated tapestry of feelings set to near-godlike orchestrations. Titles include "God Only Knows", "Caroline No", "Pet Sounds", "I Just Wasn't Made for These Times", "Wouldn't It Be Nice", and "You Still Believe In Me". LP, Vinyl record album

A lost treasure from the mid 80s Chicago rock scene – the self-titled, self-released first record from Green – with ultra catchy power pop melodies and an excitability that's as infectious as anything that came out of the Chi and other midwestern cities at the time! Green has both a sweetness and rawness that's in line with indie groups that made bigger waves nationally – and might be altogether better. Please don't take us for shameless home team flag wavers here, Green was the real thing, we can't think of a reason beyond bad luck that this record isn't mentioned in the same breath as other great records by groups such as The Replacements. And unlike some of our favorite albums from Chicago underground rock bands of the time, the lean, clear, but no frills production sounds just right to our ears. A total gem ripe for discovery! Titles include "Gotta Getta Record Out", "She's Not A Little Girl Anymore", "Technology", "Baby Why?", "If You Love Me", "For You", "Hurt You", "She, Probably", "Big In Japan" and more. This CD version includes 7 bonus tracks originally from the The Name Of The Band Is Green EP, which was never on CD before now, with EP versions of some album tunes plus "Something About You", "Autograph" and "Away From The Pulsebeat". CD

A seminal set from 70s Pink Floyd – a set that took all the energy of Dark Side Of The Moon, and refined it into an even more complex sonic setting! The songs here move out spaciously – still very unified as an overall album, but often with all of these longer-form musical ideas, and mature textural elements that really show the progression the group had made in just a few short years – almost as if they were revisiting the open-ended feel of their immediate records after the departure of Syd Barrett – but with a massive amount of new information about the possibilities of the recording studio, and their own skills as musicians. The whole thing's wonderful – always taken better as a whole than in just small slices – and titles include "Shine On You Crazy Diamond", "Welcome To The Machine", "Have A Cigar", and "Wish You Were Here". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the greatest records of all time – and don't you forget it! Despite the countless lines of type that have been written about this record, nothing does it full justice like an all-through listen – something we're reminded of every time we put this one on the turntable, which is a heck of a lot over the years! Brian Wilson busted his ass making this little gem – and the rest of the world, and the band, were never the same again – awash in harmonies that most other groups tried to match, set to themes of young loss, longing, and frustration that really mark an emotional development – not just in the Beach Boys, but in pop music in general. And although some of the tracks are ones you've heard a million times on oldies stations, they somehow resonate together much more strongly here – taking on new meaning as the smaller elements of each song come into constellation with each other – creating a complicated tapestry of feelings set to near-godlike orchestrations. Titles include "God Only Knows", "Caroline No", "Pet Sounds", "I Just Wasn't Made for These Times", "Wouldn't It Be Nice", and "You Still Believe In Me". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the strangest records you'll ever buy! Even on our storied pages this one's a bit of anoddball to describe – kind of a sound play of words, songs, noises, and lots of odd effects – an effort of classic rock proportions, but the brainchild of Lol Creme and Kevin Godley after their departure from pop group 10CC. It's nearly impossible to believe how a record like this got made – especially in the year that punk was taking over the British record industry – but the fact that it became an instant cutout may say a lot about its ill-chosen release. Whatever that history, though, the album's a near-legendary one now – some where between Ivor Cutler-esque sound poetry and some of the weirder pop of British mid 70s groups. Peter Cook wrote and performed all the spoken bits on the record, and Sarah Vaughan even makes a guest appearance! LP, Vinyl record album

The early 70s compilation of earlier Van Morrison tracks for Bang Records – often criticized over the years for repackaging earlier material, but to listen to it decades later we just think about how incredible the songs are – looser, longer and soul stirring material from one of popular music's greatest voices. With the exception of the set closing, jukebox classic version of "Brown Eyed Girl", most of the songs are on the longer side, with more shades of soul in the sound thanks to sweet backing vocals by The Sweet Inspirations. Includes "He Ain't Give You None", "Beside You", "It's All Right", "Madame George", "TB Sheets", "Who Drove The Red Sports Car?", "Ro Ro Rosey" and "Brown Eyed Girl" (original hit 45 version). CD

A surprisingly strong collection of country cuts from a very unusual scene – material recorded for the tiny Cuca Records label in Wisconsin – a company who was more likely to open their doors to just about anyone, than they were to carefully pick who got to record in their studio! Yet because of that approach, Cuca was able to capture some fantastic sounds that would have otherwise been lost to more commercial concerns – music that here represents an underground of country singers and late rockabilly acts from the scene in southern Wisconsin – all artists with the kind of twang and subject matter you'd be much more likely to discover down in Tennessee! As usual with Numero Group, the record is as musically great as it is culturally compelling – put together with plenty of care, and a stunning set list that includes "Happy Don't Last Forever" by Nancy Lee Jordan, "Little Hero" by Dixie Drifter, "Cardinal" by John D Curnow, "Six Foot Down" by Gene Ski & The Troubadours, "There's A River" by Sam Podnay, "Hello Houston" by Johnny Madrid, "Wanderer" by The Lavenders, "Challenge" by Larry Phillipson, "Run Little Girl" by Harrison Two, "Heaven Help The Working Girl" by Janet Kaye, "Trouble Sweet Trouble" by Curley Fields & The Kentuckians, and "When I See You" by Rog Winters & The Plainsmen. (Folk/Country, Rock) LP, Vinyl record album

One of the greatest records of all time – and don't you forget it! Despite the countless lines of type that have been written about this record, nothing does it full justice like an all-through listen – something we're reminded of every time we put this one on the turntable, which is a heck of a lot over the years! Brian Wilson busted his ass making this little gem – and the rest of the world, and the band, were never the same again – awash in harmonies that most other groups tried to match, set to themes of young loss, longing, and frustration that really mark an emotional development – not just in the Beach Boys, but in pop music in general. And although some of the tracks are ones you've heard a million times on oldies stations, they somehow resonate together much more strongly here – taking on new meaning as the smaller elements of each song come into constellation with each other – creating a complicated tapestry of feelings set to near-godlike orchestrations. Titles include "God Only Knows", "Caroline No", "Pet Sounds", "I Just Wasn't Made for These Times", "Wouldn't It Be Nice", and "You Still Believe In Me". Also includes the bonus track "Hang On To Your Ego". CD

A seminal set from 70s Pink Floyd – a set that took all the energy of Dark Side Of The Moon, and refined it into an even more complex sonic setting! The songs here move out spaciously – still very unified as an overall album, but often with all of these longer-form musical ideas, and mature textural elements that really show the progression the group had made in just a few short years – almost as if they were revisiting the open-ended feel of their immediate records after the departure of Syd Barrett – but with a massive amount of new information about the possibilities of the recording studio, and their own skills as musicians. The whole thing's wonderful – always taken better as a whole than in just small slices – and titles include "Shine On You Crazy Diamond", "Welcome To The Machine", "Have A Cigar", and "Wish You Were Here". CD

A treasure trove of greatness from British folk rock legend John Renbourn – all of his late 60s solo work, done before moving on to greater fame in Pentangle! First up is There You Go – a rare one from singer Dorris Henderson and future Pentangle founder John Rensbourn! Florida born, LA raised singer Dorris Henderson moved to London in 1965 and was soon singing London's folk clubs, where she met Rensbourn. A solid mix of traditionals and then contemporary folk songs – stripped down and honest takes on "Saly Free And Easy", "Cotton Eyed Joe", "Mr Tamborine Man", "Going To Memphis", Something Lonesome", "Mist On The Mountain" and more. This edition includes bonus tracks from a rare 45 – "Hangman" and "Leaves That Are Green". Next is the self-titled John Renbourn from 1965 – a set that would not only establish John's legacy for years to come, but also have a very strong impact upon the role of the guitar on the British scene too! The album's definitely in a mode that owes something to an American folk legacy – but it also really breaks from the past with unusual phrasings and colorings in Renbourn's guitar – certainly with an ear towards ancient English modes, but also at once very fresh and contemporary – a strong precursor to the waves of new acoustic talents that would flow from the UK a few years later, but maybe even more revolutionary – given that John's mostly just working here with his guitar and voice. Bert Jansch adds guitar to a few tracks – and titles include "Song", "Down On The Barge", "Plainsong", "Judy", "Beth's Blues", "Blue Bones", "Train Tune", "Winter Is Gone", and "Noah & Rabbit". Bert & John is a hell of a collaboration between British legends Bert Jansch and John Renbourn – both working here together to completely redefine the sound of their music for the generation to come! This one album may well hold all the sense of subtle power and possibility that was about to flower in the Brit movement often known as "acid folk" – that reworking of older aesthetics with modern conceptions, and doing so mostly with their work on acoustic guitar – quite a feat, given the stripped-down instrumentation of the set! Bert sings a bit – in that incredible style of his – but the real attraction here is the guitar interplay, which is always fresh, never hokey, neither familiar American folk nor forced singer-songwriter backup material. Titles include a wonderful reworking of Charles Mingus' "Goodbye Pork Pie Hat" – plus "Red's Favourite", "Orlando", "Soho", "Piano Tune", "East Wind", "After The Dance", and "The Time Has Come". Another Monday is maybe the most obscure album in the collection – a set that is mostly instrumental, with some completely fantastic work by Renbourn on guitar – but which also features a bit of guest vocals from singer Jacqui McShee – whose warmer presence next to John really makes for a nice pairing. The album's as powerful as it is subtle, really beautiful in its sense of variety – with titles that include "Buffalo", "One For William", "Lost Lover Blues", "Another Monday", "Day At The Seaside", "Nobody's Fault But Mine", and "Waltz". Watch The Stars is another great collaboration with Dorris Henderson – an American singer, but one who moved to London in the 60s – where she cut this rare gem with guitarist John Renbourn! The album's got a righteous vibe that's hipper than the usual folk set – with some traditional tunes and some contemporary material – recorded with that amazing phrasing that made Renbourn's guitar so distinct right from the start, with lots of those jazzy currents we love so much – and which really fit the creative vocal approach of Henderson! Dorris also plays some autoharp, and there's a bit of bass in the backings – although overall the main focus here is on Renbourn's guitar and Henderson's vocals. Titles include "Come Up Horsey", "God Bless The Child", "Watch The Stars", "30 Days In Jail", "Mosaic Patterns", "Tomorrow Is A Long Time", and "There's Anger In This Land". Sir John A Lot Of is perhaps one of the best-known albums from British guitar legend John Renbourn – as it was issued widely in the US, and kept in print for a surprisingly long time over the years! The approach here is slightly different than Renbourn's previous records – a bit in the image presented by the cover, although with maybe not as slavish a sound – as John just uses the whole thing to go a bit more ancient than before, in ways that echo the time travel that the whole British folk scene was taking as the 70s approached. The tunes are done in ways that are really beautiful – still lots of the incredible guitar work that made Renbourn such a standout on the scene – plus flute from jazzman Ray Warleigh, who's very different here than usual – and spare use of finger cymbals, African drums, and glockenspiel by Terry Cox. Titles include "Morgana", "Transfusion", "The Trees They Do Grow High", "Sweet Potato", "Seven Up", and "White Fishes". 6CD box features all records in original artwork sleeves, with a booklet of notes – and bonus tracks that include "Message To Pretty", "The Waggoner's Lad", "Lucky Thirteen", "Blues Run The Game", "The Wildest Pig In Captivity (alt)", "Can't Keep From Crying", "Transfusion (alt)", and "The Leaves Are Green". (Folk/Country, Rock) CD