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Did you think that Star Lord launched into space with only one special mixtape from his mom? Think again – as this second volume serves up an equally great array of pop tracks from the past – a mad musical mixup that made the second Guardians Of The Galaxy film every bit as enjoyable as the first! As before, most of these tracks are familiar, but they really sound great together – and hey, for the youngsters hearing them for the first time, they're a perfect path back to the musical genius of the 70s! Tracks include "Brandy" by Looking Glass, "Mr Blue Sky" by Electric Light Orchestra, "Fox On The Run" by Sweet, "Lake Shore Drive" by Aliotta Hayes Jeremiah, "The Chain" by Fleetwood Mac, "Southern Nights" by Glen Campbell, "My Sweet Lord" by George Harrison, "Wham Bam Shang A Lang" by Silver, "Surrender" by Cheap Trick, and "Flashlight" by Parliament. Also includes "Guardians Inferno" – the fake disco tune at the end of the film, with vocals by David Hasselhoff! (Soundtracks, Rock) CD

Don't know "toytown"? We didn't know the reference either, until we heard this totally wonderful set – and it turns out that the word is a great way to describe a unique moment in British music – one that mixes together whimsical psych, playful pop, and a whole host of groovy moments from artists familiar and obscure – woven together here in a massive collection that's filled with stunning surprises all the way through! The initial impulse is to collect cuts that have a slight nostalgia for childhood and innocence – but as with so much British music of the time, that also means that there's plenty of dark currents and spooky surprises along the way – a not-so-innocent quality in many tracks that really keeps things interesting and on edge all the way through! Yet rather than describe the music to death, we just invite you to dive in and swim through the 87 wonderful tracks in the package – work by a variety of artists that includes David Bowie, Timon, Astronaut Alan & the Planets, Idle Race, Wimple Winch, World Of Oz, The Herd, Fire, Jason Quest, Mark Wirtz, The Tots, Gilbert O'Sullivan, Good Time Losers, The Syn, Majority One, Clifford T Ward, Fire, Jigsaw, Kenny Everett, Simon Dupree, Tomorrow, David Matthews, The Riot Squad, Keith West, and a huge amount of other great acts too – all presented in full detail with the great booklet of notes that comes with the package. CD

Mazzy Star's second album and first for Capitol, one of those rare, wonderful moments in the early 90s when a band that had been bubbling just under the popular radar hooked up with a major label and managed to hit both a popular and creative peak! This one really hasn't aged a day since it came out. The songwriting pair of guitarist David Roback and Hope Sandoval – the former transcending pop psych influences as far back as the early 80s in The Rain Parade, the latter with one of the most hauntingly beautiful voices in rock at the time – put together their best, moodiest effort. Includes the breakout hit "Fade Into You", a cool cover of Arthur Lee & Love's then recent "Five String Serenade", "Blue Light", "She's My Baby", "Wasted", "Into Dust", "So Tonight That I Might See", "Mary Of Silence", "Unreflected" and "Bells Ring". CD

A nice later noise pop moment in REM's canon, bringing some electric fuzz to the forefront after the soaring, anthemic alt folk of Automatic For The People! Monster might've been a bit divisive at the time, and maybe it still is after all these years, but it holds up better than a lot of their later work, with catchy vocals sailing over reverb-y guitars. REM changed courses a lot over the years, but this might be one of the their latest daring twists, especially coming out at right after the most popular peak. Includes "What's The Frequency, Kenneth?", "Crush With Eyeliner", "Star 69", "I Don't Sleep, I Dream", "Strange Currencies" and more. CD

Pure mainstream 70s pop genius, the most fully-formed of all early Supertramp albums – and a record that's filled with a surprising amount of great Fender Rhodes moments too! The set's a masterpiece from start to finish – filled with themes of loss and loneliness, but served up by the group with an incredibly redemptive sense of majesty and power – really fresh for the time, and still wonderful all these many years later – despite the fact that so many of these songs have gone onto become classics. The keyboards on the set work perfectly with the oddly-timed rhythms of the tunes – and there's a great blend here between high concept and straight ahead pop – on titles that include "School", "Bloody Well Right", "Asylum", "Dreamer", "Rudy", and "Crime Of The Century". CD

Slayer's fastest, darkest, heaviest album ever – and a defining moment in thrash metal! In the world of heavy rock, there's before Reign In Blood, and after Reign In Blood. Slayer redefined the genre, there's just no getting around it! In the 1980s, when pious or otherwise moral watchdogs were eyeing pop culture for boogeymen, Slayer was more than willing to be the world's scariest band – but beyond the calculated outrageousness, it's simply amazing music – bringing hardcore punk speed into the heavy metal mold. Best metal album ever? Includes "Angel Of Death", "Piece By Piece", "Necrophobic", "Altar Of Sacrifice", "Jesus Saves", "Criminally Insane", "Reborn", "Epidemic", "Post Mortem" and "Reigning Blood". CD

David Bowie's grabbing the cover of Heroes for this surprisingly great album – using the old cover art, then marking it over – in ways that definitely give a hint at the sound underneath! The style's darker and edgier than we've heard Bowie in years – kind of in "Joe The Lion" territory at times – given the fuzzy use of guitar, and raspy touches on the vocals and other instrumentation – almost as if the whole thing's got the same sort of back to basics approach that David found during his years in Berlin. Yet overall, there's more sweet moments too – some surprisingly warm tunes that, while not like contemporary pop hits, may well help remind the world that the Bowie star can still shine brightly in the right setting. Titles include "Dirty Boys", "The Next Day", "If You Can See Me", "Boss Of Me", "Dancing Out In Space", "Love Is Lost", and "Valentines Day". Deluxe CD version features three bonus tracks – "So She", "Plan", and "I'll Take You There". CD

One of those records that was a classic from the moment it was first released – the legendary second effort from the trio of David Crosby, Stephen Stills, and Graham Nash – with added bonus of Neil Young in the mix, which gives the whole thing a current of darkness that's completely mindblowing – especially in comparison to the harmonies of the quartet! These aren't the vocal patterns of the Sunshine Pop generation of a few years before – and CSNY find a way to capture all the darkness of the fading light of the 60s, while finding a special space for more thoughtful, sensitive sounds that never would have gotten a chance a few years before. Every track's a classic – and titles include "Carry On", "Our House", "Almost Cut My Hair", "Deja Vu", "Country Girl", "Everybody I Love You", "Woodstock", and "Teach Your Children". CD

Somehow, someway, Bob Dylan and Columbia Records can keep returning to the well of unreleased material – and draw jaw droppingly brilliant recordings that are mostly unheard to the general population of non Dylan diehard archaeologists! Here lies the fabled Witmark Demos – early recordings of treasured Dylan classics and rarities alike recorded raw and unencumbered, just Dylan's voice, guitar and occasional harmonica or piano – recorded in 1962 for Leeds Music (a few) and M. Witmark & Sons (most of 'em) in the early-to-mid 60s. Dylan was one of the first wave of 60s folk songwriters brought into the Tin Pan Alley machinations, a pretty amazing moment considering that this gruff, nasal voiced figure was soon to revolutionize popular music and there's no way Witmark could have known it. Hey, maybe this kid will make us a few bucks in the urban folk racket, eh? Wow. Of course many of these songs would be recorded by a who's who of 60s & 70s singers of all stripes, but it's always great to here Dylan's own early, raw sketches. Some of the performances come somewhat close to the way Dylan would cut them for his own landmark albums with just a bit more polish, others are close(ish) to how they sounded in earlier Dylan "bootlegs" (officially and not so official), and most of it has never been officially released commercially. Columbia continues the terrific Official Bootleg Series with a thick booklet of rare photos and notes by Colin Escott. Includes versions of "Hard Times In New York Town", "A Hard Rain's Gonna Fall", "Ballad Of Hollis Brown, "Long Time Gone", "Farewell", "Don't Think Twice, It's Alright", "Girl From North Country", "Only A Hobo", "Guess I'm Doing Fine", "Mr Tamborine Man", "I'll Keep It With Mine" and many more. 47 tracks on 2 CDs. CD

Was there a finer moment of 80s pop than this little gem? Maybe not – as the duo are at their most floppy-haired charming throughout – serving up some of the catchiest new romantic material of their generation, including the hits "Shout" and "Everybody Wants To Rule The World" – plus the tracks "Broken", "Listen", "Head Over Heels", "Mothers Talk", and "The Working Hour". CD

The title's maybe a bit misleading – as most folks think of day-glo as a color associated with some of the most throwaway culture of the 80s – but the brightness of the hue definitely marks the big explosion in styles during the key British year of 1978 – a time when the punk revolution of 1977 opened the door for a big range of modes to follow! It might be said that the post-punk years came immediately after the initial days of punk – and they definitely begin here, as hard and fast modes are mixed with more unusual styles that include mod revival moments, electronic experiments, and even some offbeat pop – expressions of humor, anger, and a shifting political landscape – served up as an amazing document of the creative intensity of the time! As with other Cherry Red boxes, the overall package is great – a huge amount of notes to support the 79 tracks within – a diverse array of music from Blue Steam, The Others, UK Subs, The Jam, Monochrome Set, Wreckless Eric, Spizzoil, Public Image Ltd, 999, The Stranglers, Japan, The Only Ones, Magazine, Alternative TV, Slush, Time Machine, Eater, The Bozos, Tyla Gang, Ed Banger, No Sweat, The VIPs, John Cooper Clarke, Scritti Politti, Penetration, Stiff Little Fingers, Alberto Y Los Trios Paranoias, Teardrops, Coventry Automatics, Menace, Bleach Boys, Jilted John, Zones, Electric Chairs, and many more! CD

The 2 great albums by Big Star – back-to-back on CD! #1 Record is simply one of the best rock albums of the 70s – partly remembered as a defining moment in power pop, but to us there's a depth of emotion here that goes way beyond chords and choruses, and sinks into our very souls every time we listen to it! Indespensible Memphis rock, to say the very least. Titles include "Feel", "Ballad Of El Goodo", "In The Street", "The India Song", "When My Baby's Beside Me", "Give Me Another Chance", "Watch The Sunrise" and more. Radio City is also one of 70s rock's finest moments. With Chris Bell out of the picture, one could successfully argue the traits that it lacks from the first album, but this thing stands up as work of genius all its own – with a raw, shambling immediacy to the songs that cut incredibly deep. Amazing stuff all around – totally indispensable! Titles include "O My Soul", "Life Is White", "Way Out West", "You Get What You Deserve", "Mod Lang", "She's A Mover", "Morpha Too", "I'm In Love With A Girl". CD

The legendary 1970 recordings Alex Chilton made at Ardent Studios – recorded in a brief moment after the bust up of the Box Tops and before the debut of Big Star – and a truly powerful precursor to that most iconic of soulful Memphis rock acts! For the longest time, the 1970 sessions were something of a rock & roll holy grail – having been oft-discussed, if rarely heard, by Chilton and Big Star diehards. In the mid 90s, Ardent Records finally released the heart of this collection as 1970 – and here it's done up with even more love and respect by Omnivore, which over the course of just a handful of releases has become one of the very best deep digging reissuers of great, should-be classic soul & rock treasures. The vibe swings from stripped down, soulful rock that sometimes flirts with country rock – those songs featuring gruff, bluesy vocals from Chilton that belie his actual youth, just as greatly as his vox for The Box Tops – to gentler soul pop numbers that truly prefigure the Big Star sound to come. The collection features 20 tracks: all of the material from the long out of print 1970, plus other songs from the period, including demos (these are raw in the right kind of way, as finished as we'd ever want to hear them) and some original mono mixes. Great liner notes by Bob Mehr, a living encyclopedia of Memphis musical knowledge. Includes "Free Again (Original Mono Mix)", "Come On Honey", "Something Deep Inside", "I Can Dig It", "The EMI Song (Smile For Me)", "Every Day As We Grow Closer/Funky National", "I Wish I Could Meet Elvis", "All We Ever Got From Them Was Pain", "Sugar, Sugar/I Got That Feeling", "All I Really Want Is Money", "Jumpin' Jack Flash" and more. CD

A nice later noise pop moment in REM's canon, bringing some electric fuzz to the forefront after the soaring, anthemic alt folk of Automatic For The People! Monster might've been a bit divisive at the time, and maybe it still is after all these years, but it holds up better than a lot of their later work, with catchy vocals sailing over reverb-y guitars. REM changed courses a lot over the years, but this might be one of the their latest daring twists, especially coming out at right after the most popular peak. Includes "What's The Frequency, Kenneth?", "Crush With Eyeliner", "Star 69", "I Don't Sleep, I Dream", "Strange Currencies" and more. CD

Sublime girl group sounds from the great Lee Hazlewood – the complete recordings of Honey Ltd – an obscure Hazlewood project from the end of the 60s! The style here combines all the depths of Lee's own music with some of the sweeter Sunshine Pop sounds you'd expect from the cover – a really unique mix that has these moodier moments coming forth at times that really surprise us – and which takes the music way way past that of any of the girls' hipper contemporaries – especially the similarly-named Honeys! The harmonies are incredible – definitely rooted in jazz, with a complexity that goes way past pop – and in a way, the group remind us a bit of the incredible Third Wave group who recorded for MPS around the same time – although these gals definitely get a more sinister sound from Lee's help in the studio. Songs are mostly originals by the group – penned with some very compelling lyrics – and the album features great arrangements from Ian Frebairn Smith, who really does a great job of mixing the baroque with the groovy! The set features the full rare album by the quartet, plus two single tracks, and some unreleased cuts as well – titles that include "The Warrior", "Silk N Honey", "Come Down", "For Your Mind", "I've Got Your Mind", "Tomorrow Your Heart", "Eli's Coming", "I'm So Glad", "Love The Devil (backing track)", and "Silver Threads & Golden Needles". CD

A great set of tracks by this lost 60s female singer – a lovely-voiced southern US singer who recorded mostly at Chips Moman's Memphis-based American Studios during the late 60s! Sandy works in a style that's part 60s girl pop, part country – with strong production on the vocals, and lots of nice instrumental elements like floating piano and pillowy strings, both of which make Sandy's voice sound even sweeter and sadder. Titles include "Sunglasses", "Come Softly To Me", "The Boy I Love", "Just Out Of Reach", "Born A Woman", "Single Girl", "What A Woman In Love Won't Do", and "Shattered". 23 tracks – and some great notes! (Vocalists, Rock) CD

One of the crowning moments of genius from 10CC – a record that has the duo of Godly & Creme really hitting their stride in the studio, and taking the group into completely different territory than on their first few records! The brilliance of the mega-hit "I'm Not In Love" is very well-known – and the rest of the record follows with a similar sort of sonic intensity, one that holds strong even as the song styles shift throughout – almost with the sort of mini-masterpiece in album format that Trevor Horn would so loudly proclaim at ZTT. The record's both a key part of 70s pop, and one that's also very much apart from the pack – with titles that include "I'm Not In Love", "The Second Sitting For The Last Supper", "The Film Of My Love", "Brand New Day", "Blackmail", "Flying Junk", and the three part "Une Nuite A Paris" suite. CD features two bonus tracks – "Good News" and "Channel Swimmer". CD

A key moment from the late sixties – includes music from Country Joe & the Fish, Canned Heat, Hugh Musakela, Booker t & the MGs, the Mamas & the Papas, Big Brother & the Holding Company, Grateful Dead, the Byrds, and the Jimi Hendrix Experience. CD

A key moment from the late sixties – probably better known now through the film by D.A. Pennebaker – but just as great here in this deluxe box set! The set features music from John Phillips, the Association, Eric Burdon & the Animals, Canned Heat, Country Joe & the Fish, the Steve Miller Band, the Electric Flag, Lou Rawls, Ravi Shankar, Jefferson Airplane, Booker T & the MGs, the Who, Otis Redding, the Jimi Hendrix Experience, the Mamas & the Papas, and more – plus an awesome oversized booklet packed with great photos and notes! CD

A key moment from the late sixties – includes music by the Animals, Paul Butterfield Blues Band, Lou Rawls, and Johnny Rivers. CD

Arguably one of the greatest pop albums of all time – a pure act of genius from Todd Rundgren, and one of the few cases in rock music where two records are actually better than one! The double-length set was Rundgren's third solo effort after the breakup of Nazz – but it's a broad step ahead from the first two, and a strong move into the kind of near-perfect, yet always-human pop that made Rundgren so great in the 70s. Sides one through three of the album were completely done by Todd himself – all instruments, voices, and production handled through the then-new magic of the 16 track studio – and Rundgren's really at his best here, working in the kind of personal modes that make his tunes so great, some of the best of the mainstream singer/songwriter generation. Side four has fuller arrangements and other players coming into the mix, but the core feel of the rest of the record is very nicely preserved – apart from a few tunes that perhaps get a bit too goofy. It's hard to imagine more great pop songs in one album – and the set's overflowing with genius moments that include "Marlene", "I Saw The Light", "I Wouldn't Have Made Any Difference", "It Takes Two To Tango", "Sweeter Memories", "I Went To The Mirror", "One More Day", "Song Of The Viking", and "Hello It's Me". CD