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Beach Boys karaoke – or kind of a "music minus one" album – but whatever the case, the set's a pretty unique outing in the field of 60s pop! The record's exactly what the title promises – a "stack o tracks" from the group's earlier records – rhythm parts, some instrumental bits – all laid out with key guitar parts missing and no vocals at all – so that you can pick up your instrument and play along with the record – and maybe get your friends to harmonize too! At the time, the approach seemed somewhat crazy – but after spending decades tracking down Smile-era bootlegs of Brian Wilson studio tracks just like this, the record's got a surprising sort of brilliance – almost as if Brian had guessed there's be a market for his "studio progress" sort of material. Titles include "Darlin", "Salt Lake City", "Wild Honey", "Catch A Wave", "Wouldn't It Be Nice", "Surfer Girl", "God Only Knows", "Little Honda", and "Let Him Run Wild". LP, Vinyl record album

Steely Dan really hitting the heights – moving into hipper, more sophisticated territory than before – pushing the envelope with both their music and lyrics, which are completely sublime! It's hard to put our finger on the magic of this one, but it's the perfect summation of everything that's come before, with a bit of a nod towards the future – yet all with a simple, song-based charm that we really love. The Becker and Fagan team get some key studio help here – showing a move away from previous group-based recordings – and Phil Woods turns in some especially nice work on his sublime solo for "Doctor Wu". Other tracks include "Black Friday", "Bad Sneakers", "Any World That I'm Welcome To", "Your Gold Teeth II", "Daddy Don't Live In That New York City No More", "Throw Back The Little Ones", and "Everyone's Gone To The Movies". LP, Vinyl record album

An obscure album by a group from Milwaukee – recorded at a time when that city didn't have much of a scene at all – which left these guys to perform in a coffee house for all the songs on the album! The set's got a vibe that's up-close, and more tightly produced than just a local live record – really great acoustics that bring out the personal, folksy qualities of the songs – which get strong direction from group leader Bill Camplin on vocals and guitar. The overall vibe is maybe more Marin County or Woodstock than any Midwestern music of the period – and titles include "Jesse's Mountain Range", "The Harvest", "Old Man", "Hold On", "Save The Life Of A Simple Child", "Red Velvet", and "Can A Star Disappear". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the crowning achievements of The Turtles – a set that features all original material by members of the group, and stellar production by Ray Davies of The Kinks! The set's the only full length that Davies ever handled – and it's obvious the group really rose to the occasion for the honor – hitting territory that's nicely sophisticated, yet which still has the sharpness of their earlier material too – a bit like the territory that Ray was hitting at the time with his own music. The songs are both a lot more personal, and have some deeper currents too – as The Turtles, like so many other west coast pop acts, were really maturing at the end of the 60s. Titles include "She Always Leaves Me Laughing", "Somewhere Friday Night", "Dance This Dance", "You Don't Have To Walk In The Rain", "Bachelor Mother", "Love In The City", and "House On The Hill". LP, Vinyl record album

There's few cases where we want the clock to stop in music – but in the case of Belle & Sebastian, we'll gladly make an exception – as the group deliver all the completely charming, well-crafted songs here that we've always loved in their work – instantly appealing, and with that undeniable quality that has you instantly knowing the music as it unfolds! Titles include "Deathbed Of My Dreams", "If They're Shooting At You", "Young & Stupid", "Sea Of Sorry", "Working Boy In New York City", "Do It For Your Country", and "Reclaim The Night". LP, Vinyl record album

There's few cases where we want the clock to stop in music – but in the case of Belle & Sebastian, we'll gladly make an exception – as the group deliver all the completely charming, well-crafted songs here that we've always loved in their work – instantly appealing, and with that undeniable quality that has you instantly knowing the music as it unfolds! Titles include "Deathbed Of My Dreams", "If They're Shooting At You", "Young & Stupid", "Sea Of Sorry", "Working Boy In New York City", "Do It For Your Country", and "Reclaim The Night". LP, Vinyl record album

Arguably one of the greatest rock and roll albums of all time – and the key flowering of the partnership between David Bowie and Mick Ronson! The guitars here are heavy – so much so that the record's always crossed over big with crowds who are always suspicious of Bowie's artier work of the 70s – and represented a crucial moment when his groundbreaking music also found a large mainstream audience as well. And despite the fact that Ziggy's an androgynous space rocker with a spurious pedigree, the manufactured posturing of the album's come to be taken quite literally over the years – a vivid text of alienation, expression, and redemption – served up beautifully over a host of classic tracks that include "Five Years", "Soul Love", "Moonage Daydream", "Suffragette City", and "Ziggy Stardust" – all further proof of Bowie's 70s ability to slide in wherever he wanted with ease! LP, Vinyl record album

Recorded live at the Brooklyn Academy of Music, New York City, February 7-10, 1983. A HUGE amount of material! Includes the tracks "Say Hello", "Walk The Dog", "Violin Solo", "Closed Circuits", "For A Large And Changing Room", "Pictures Of It", "Language Of The Future", "Reverb", "If You Can't Talk About It, Point To It", "City Song", "Finnish Farmers", "Democratic Way", "Private Property", "Neon Duet", "Difficult Listening Hour", "So Happy Birthday", "Dance Of Electricity", "Sax Duet", "Born, Never Asked", "From The Air", "Beginning French", "Talkshow", "Cello Solo", "Blue Lagoon", "Stiff Neck", "Hothead", "Telephone Song", "Sweaters", "We've Got Four Big Clocks", "I Dreamed I Had To Take A Test", "Big Top", "It Was Up In The Mountains", "Big Science", "Red Map", "Strike", "False Documents", and many, many more! LP, Vinyl record album

An overlooked early 80s gem from Thomas Dolby – a beautifully mellow album that comes across with less of the quirky pop touches of his earlier work! The Dolby heard here is almost in an Eno/Green World mode – mixing electronics with evocative lyrics – at a level that's a few notches up from soundscape mode, but which is also as concerned with the overall colors and shapes of the music as it is with the lyrics. But the lyrics themselves are the biggest surprise – often quite personal and intimate, with a Prefab Sprout-esque pop quality from time to time, but stronger soul qualities overall. And to our groove-tuned ears, Dolby's electronics here are really a cut above – echoing with some electro styles, but also in a more sophisticated mode that transforms Kraftwerk into more effective pop. Titles include "Dissidents", "The Flat Earth", "Screen Kiss", "White City", "Mulu The Rain Forest", "I Scare Myself", and "Hyperactive". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the fantastic early Capitol albums from the young Wanda Jackson – music cut when she was much more of a rockabilly artist than a country singer – with a raw vibe that maybe set a whole new standard for female work in postwar pop music! Jackson's as bold here as any of her male contemporaries – but is also able to match raspy charmp with some sweeter elements – balancing things out beautifully, as she storms with her own tunes, and also transforms others. A young Roy Clark is in the group on some sweet electric guitar – and titles include "There's A Party Goin On", "It Doesn't Matter Anymore", "Lonely Week-Ends", "Kansas City", "Fallin", "Hard Headed Woman", "Tongue Tied", "Sparkling Brown Eyes", and "Man We Had A Party". (Folk/Country, Rock) LP, Vinyl record album

The only solo album ever from William Lyall – an artist with ties to 70s UK pop giants Pilot and The Bay City Rollers – although don't hold that latter reference against him, as the music here is much like his work in Pilot! As with that group, the songs here are wonderfully sharp and compressed – well-crafted UK pop with that cool sense of production that could make a tune like "Magic" crackle and spark at a level that's different than so many US hits of the time – a quality that's even better when you start to listen to William's great work on keyboards too. Phil Collins played drums on a number of tracks, Paul Buckmaster delivers some great orchestrations at points – and titles include "Playing In The Sand", "Us", "Reasons", "Maniac", "The Deeper You Get", "Sleep", "Don't Be Silly", and "Supertrader". LP, Vinyl record album

Beautiful work from The Box Tops – a set that has the group moving way past their early hits, and finding this really sort of special place in the world of up-and-coming artists in the 60s! The Box Tops were maybe one of the first Memphis rock groups to really put together all the great elements that were bubbling in that city's scene during the 60s – the unique hybrid of soul, country, R&B, and other influences that were filtering into groups via the cross-cultural vibe of the city. That quality really comes through here – partly in the group's performance and the lead vocals of Alex Chilton, partly in the great production by Dann Penn, who also wrote a number of tracks with Spooner Oldham, and partly in the way that fuller arrangements are used to underscore some more soulful touches in the music. Titles include "Sandman", "Choo Choo Train", "I'm Movin On", "People Gonna Talk", "She Shot A Hole In My Soul", "I Met Her In Church", "I Can Dig It", and "If I Had Let You In". LP, Vinyl record album

An amazing little record – easily one of the coolest albums ever on the legendary Ovation label – and a set that has the small imprint almost hitting the heights of their Chicago neighbor Cadet Records! The core sounds here are from the folksy duo of Chuck Hollins and Dave Starr – but their music is really expanded with some key studio touches – jazzy inflections from session players, some slight fuller arrangements – and an overall vibe that carries the same sense of hope and new voice that you'd find in records by Terry Callier or Rotary Connection! The dawn of the 70s was a great time to push the boundaries of what could be done with folk and psychedelic trappings, and these guys really find a great little space – balancing trippy lyricism, lots of ethereal atmosphere, and a few heavily percussive jams! Titles include "Talking To Myself", "Krishna Dov", "Cry Baby Cry", "Twin City Prayer", "John Hurt", "Hard Headed Women", "Lovable", "Digress", "Staying High", "Sidewalk's Talkin'", and "Feelin' Good". LP, Vinyl record album