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Very experimental work from this loose Canadian collective of the late 60s – but a set that's filled with some surprisingly cool touches too! The album's almost more of a "happening" in the studio at times – with free-flowing energy between jazz musicians, rockers, poets, electronocists, and more experimentally sonic scientists – shifting styles quickly from track to track, but occasionally hitting some straighter, funkier moments that are totally great – almost a more tripped-out version of some of the French electronique work we love so much from the 60s – and a record that's mindblowingly beautiful in its sense of freedom and creativity. The whole thing's a sonic trip through incredibly fresh territory – never too overindulgent, and beautifully balanced both in sound and execution. Titles include "Ode A L'Affaire", "J'Ai Perdue 15 Cents Dans Le Nez Froid", "Finale", "Viens Danser Le OK La", "Agnus Dei", "Desafinado", "She's Leaving Home", and "Intermezzo". LP, Vinyl record album

... 12-inch, Vinyl record

A crossover classic from Level 42 – a set that catapulted the soulful British group into international stardom! The tunes are catchy, filled with electro bits, and produced with some great bubbling touches from Wally Badarou – whose hand in the studio really keeps things from ever getting too cheesy, despite the commercial fame of the set. There's a balance here that's hard to describe, but it's one that's allowed the record to hold up well over the years – almost waiting to be rediscovered by a younger generation who'd appreciate whole other aspects in the music. Titles include "World Machine", "Physical Presence", "It's Not The Same For Us", "Lying Still", "Coup D'Etat", "Dream Crazy", and "Good Man In A Storm". (Soul, Rock) CD

A crossover classic from Level 42 – a set that catapulted the soulful British group into international stardom! The tunes are catchy, filled with electro bits, and produced with some great bubbling touches from Wally Badarou – whose hand in the studio really keeps things from ever getting too cheesy, despite the commercial fame of the set. There's a balance here that's hard to describe, but it's one that's allowed the record to hold up well over the years – almost waiting to be rediscovered by a younger generation who'd appreciate whole other aspects in the music. Titles include "World Machine", "Physical Presence", "It's Not The Same For Us", "Lying Still", "Coup D'Etat", "Dream Crazy", and "Good Man In A Storm". (Soul, Rock) LP, Vinyl record album

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Filled with those soulful-oriented grooves that make the band sound a lot better to our ears than most other rock acts from the time. Titles include "Man Woman Child", "Reincarnate Nation", "Be Here Now", "White Buffalo", "Going Down Town", and "Mighty Waters". LP, Vinyl record album

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Great work from Maneige – a French Canadian group who work in an instrumental mode that's partly jazz, and partly prog – but very much their own sort of vibe! The group had already cut some other excellent records before this one, and they're razor-sharp throughout – tight, but never in any sort of smooth fusion way – in part because the music has a great sense of humanity, which comes especially from the flute and alto work of Alain Bergeron, whose solos really hang in the special space that the group created. There's both a drummer and percussionist on the set – next to piano, guitars, and bass – and those added elements really help give the music an organic quality, and offset the electric instrumentation. Titles include "Bagdad", "Celebration", "La Noce", "Miro Vibro", "Troizix", and "L'Envol Des Singes Latins". LP, Vinyl record album

Maneige maybe have a bit more fusion here than on their earliest albums, but they still also offer up plenty of instrumental rock elements as well – tight work from all the members of the group, often focused in a rhythmic way, and with breakout solos on guitar and alto sax! Some of the more sensitive qualities of their first few records are traded in for moments that are more compact, and really show the evolution of the members as musicians – yet the group also stay true to their sound by letting a few nice mellow moments flow into the mix as well. Titles include "Mambo Chant", "Douce Amere", "Time Square", "11 Julliet", "Les Folleries", "La Fin De L'Histoire", and "Le Gai Marvin". LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

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Quite possibly the best of the solo Phil Manzanera projects – a wonderfully tight album that's surprisingly soulful and funky at times! Phil gets some great studio help from Eno and Godley & Creme – the latter two of who can really be felt on the record's well-penned lyrical numbers – sung by Simon Ainley with these great compressed vocals! LP, Vinyl record album

John Mayall's definitely getting back to his roots here – and he's also getting help from an all-star cast as well! Mayall's vocals and piano are in fine form – almost with a rough-edged Blues Breakers sort of vibe, but sometimes a bit funkier too – in ways that strongly show the evolution of the older Brit blues groove into some hipper, more soul-drenched territory. Players on the record are a range of familiar names – including Eric Clapton on guitar, Johnny Amond on sax and flute, Harvey Mandel on guitar, Sugarcane Harris on violin, and Keef Hartley on some especially nice drums. Titles include "Prisons On The Road", "Groupie Girl", "My Children", "Home Again", "Blue Fox", "Boogie Albert", "Unanswered Questions", "Goodbye December", "Force Of Nature", and "Dream With Me". CD also features bonus tracks too – including "Accidental Suicide (1988 rmx)", "Force Of Nature (1988 rmx)", "Boogie Albert (1988 rmx)", "Television Eye (1988 rmx)", "Looking At Tomorrow (1988 rmx)", "Mr Censor Man (1988 rmx)", and "Home Again (1988 rmx)". LP, Vinyl record album

The title certainly gets it right – as the album definitely brings a bit of jazz into the mix for the great John Mayall – given that the set features strong work from funky jazz heavyweights Blue Mitchell on trumpet and Freddy Robinson on guitar! Both are musicians that we love for their late 60s records on their own, and they work mighty nicely here with Mayall in a live setting – alongside heavy saxes from Clifford Solomon, and lots of great guitar, harmonica, and piano from John Mayall himself! The style is still more blues than jazz, but definitely shows an expanding style past the more slavish roots of Mayall's early years – especially reflecting his new interaction with the American scene after the breakup of the Blues Breakers. The first side of the album features a live set from Boston – and includes "Country Road", "Mess Around", "Good Time Boogie", and "Change Your Ways" – side two is from New York shows, and features three longish tracks – "Dry Throat", "Exercise In C Major", and "Got To Be This Way". CD

The title certainly gets it right – as the album definitely brings a bit of jazz into the mix for the great John Mayall – given that the set features strong work from funky jazz heavyweights Blue Mitchell on trumpet and Freddy Robinson on guitar! Both are musicians that we love for their late 60s records on their own, and they work mighty nicely here with Mayall in a live setting – alongside heavy saxes from Clifford Solomon, and lots of great guitar, harmonica, and piano from John Mayall himself! The style is still more blues than jazz, but definitely shows an expanding style past the more slavish roots of Mayall's early years – especially reflecting his new interaction with the American scene after the breakup of the Blues Breakers. The first side of the album features a live set from Boston – and includes "Country Road", "Mess Around", "Good Time Boogie", and "Change Your Ways" – side two is from New York shows, and features three longish tracks – "Dry Throat", "Exercise In C Major", and "Got To Be This Way". LP, Vinyl record album

Bill Cosby introduces this hip little live set from the John Mayall group – which is fitting, as there's definitely a bit of an LA groove on the set! Mayall's still in very bluesy territory, but he also gets some great soul jazz support too – from players who include Charles Owens on flute and soprano sax, Ernie Watts on tenor, and even the great Fred Jackson on baritone! Keef Hartley adds in some mighty heavy drums, but the group's further expanded by even more American players too – including Blue Mitchell on trumpet and Freddie Robinson on guitar – both players who definitely leave their mark on the set. There's some great electric piano too – and titles include the classic "Keep Our Country Green" – plus "Christmas 71", "Things Go Wrong", "Do It", "Moving On", "Red Sky", "Reasons", "High Pressure Living", and "Worried Mind". LP, Vinyl record album

An album that definitely lives up to its title – as the set is definitely a turning point in the career of John Mayall, and the debut of brand new lineup that helped move his music past a the straighter sound of American blues! There's still plenty of blues at the core – and great vocals and harmonica from the leader – but the lineup also features no drums at all, which gives very open space to freeplay between the acoustic guitar of Jon Mark, the bass of Steve Thompson, and the wicked work of Johnny Almond on tenor, alto, and flute! The jazzy elements that Almond brings to the music are wonderful – and really open up the sound, and showcase a whole new side of Mayall's talents too – as the group here play live at the Fillmore East, on titles that include "The Laws Must Change", "California", "I'm Gonna Fight For You JB", "Room To Move", and "Saw Mill Gulch Road". LP, Vinyl record album

Definitely a USA union from John Mayall – given that he's got great American work here from Harvey Mandel on guitar and Don Sugarcane Harris on violin! LP, Vinyl record album

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Tracks include "Moondance", "Bright Side Of The Road", "Baby Please Don't Go", "Sweet Thing", "And It Stoned Me", "Domino", "Wild Night", and "Queen Of The Slipstream" – 20 tracks total. CD

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Van Morrison at the height of his solo powers – working here in an extended live set that opens up with all the genius for vocal expression and inflection he developed during his initial solo years at Warner Brothers! The setting is perfect to show the growing confidence Morrison has in his talents – an unbridled sense of soul that comes on even more strongly on some of these versions than on earlier takes of the tunes in the studio – especially as they mix with a few great covers here that further illustrate the wide range of inspirations that Van brings into his music. Backing is by a tight, soulful combo – and tracks include "Domino", "Wild Children", "I Believe To My Soul", "I Just Want To Make Love To You", "These Dreams Of You", "Into The Mystic", "Warm Love", "Saint Dominic's Preview", "Bring It On Home To Me", "Listen To The Lion", "Gloria", "Cyprus Avenue", "Caravan", and "Take Your Hand Out Of My Pocket". CD

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A much rootsier album than you'd guess from the cover image – maybe the only set we've ever seen from this mighty nice acoustic rock act from the early 70s! The music has a laidback, easy feeling – not folk or singer/songwriter, though – as these guys work in some wonderful harmonies that come across like a more down to earth version of America or CSNY – especially alongside the acoustic guitar used to great effect! The lack of slick production really makes the record great – an under-discovered gem that's all that much better since it never touched the charts – with cuts that include "Time", "Matinee Movie", "I Seen The Glory", "My Heart Song", "Mississippi Streams", "Feelings To Hide", and "Rosemary May". CD

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The second set of madness from the legendary Os Mutantes – and like the first, an album done in close collaboration with arranger/producer Rogerio Duprat, whose talents add a new level of genius to the record! The album's got a compelling mix of styles that strikes out on the very first tune – a playful pastiche that's partly postmodern, partly psychedelic, and still tremendously powerful decades later – even if you can't understand most of the lyrics! Styles are just about impossible to pin down, but that's what makes the record so unique and essential – and if you ever needed one album to convince you of the mindblowing energy taking place during the Tropicalia years, this one may well be it! A few tracks are written by Tom Ze, and titles include "Dom Quixote", "Dia 36", "Magica", "Rita Lee", "Algo Mais", "Qualquer Bobagem", and "Fuga No II". (Brazil, Rock) CD

The fantastic debut of the Pink Fairies – easily one of the shaggiest, headiest bands on the UK scene at the start of the 70s – and a group who rose from the ashes of the equally important Deviants! The record's an unusual mishmash of modes – a set that confidently swaggers between psych, hard rock, and maybe even a bit of proto-punk – very confident in its approach, and coolly compressed in the production, but never in the slick style that would dominate British rock more strongly in the mid 70s. The Fairies aren't afraid to let their freak flag fly, but they're also clearly moving past hippiedom too – on titles that include "War Girl", "Do It", "Say You Love Me", "Tack One Side Two", "Thor", "Uncle Harry's Last Freakout", and "The Dream Is Just Beginning". CD

Lots of eerie electronics! LP, Vinyl record album

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Ronnie James Dio's final album fronting Ritchie Blackmore's Rainbow – and one of the better albums from that 70s hard rock/proto metal behemoth! It's got 2 tracks per side, each with a shorter song and a more epic rocker – lumbering, catchy, and heavy rock that's a helluva lot of fun all these years later! Dio's at his 70s best here, too, before going all out with the sword-wielding macabre sagas, but the Rock God anthems were in full force with Rainbow. Includes "Lady Of The Lake", "Gates Of Babylon" The Shed (Subtle)" and "Rainbow Eyes". LP, Vinyl record album

Titles include "Kill The King", "Man On The Silver Mountain", "Starstruck", "Catch The Rainbow", "Mistreated", and "Sixteenth Century Greensleeves". LP, Vinyl record album

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Dynamic jazz rock from the French scene of the 70s – combo with a strong penchant for stretching out strongly on organ and guitar – but one that also has a few more sensitive, folksy moments as well! The tracks shift nicely between longer numbers and shorter ones – the shorter tracks usually a bit more up-close and personal, with gentle vocals from Rose Podwojny – and the longer numbers usually hit more of a progressive feel, with some especially nice mellotron work at a few points. Titles include "Vision", "Never Good At Sayin Goodbye", "Underground Session", "Old Dom Is Dead", "To Take Him Away", and "Metakara". CD

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A great German set from the 60s – nice and raw, almost garagey, but also really trying for a Brit vibe as well! Titles include "Misconception", "Nobody Cares About Me", "I'm On The Outside Looking In", "Days", "Oxford Street 43", and "I'm Ready For The Show". LP, Vinyl record album

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Stark, simple early work from Siouxsie & The Banshees – a set recorded when the punk scene that birthed them was only a few years old – but which already has them seeking out a great new sound of their own! Some of the songs here have a short, sharp approach – but others have a slower, spookier vibe – a bit like the same shift that John Lydon took when he formed Pil after the Sex Pistols – but with an obviously different pitch! Production is relatively simple and straightforward – leaving most of the energy to come from the fantastic guitars and Siouxsie's lead – on titles that include "Jigsaw Feeling", "Pure", "Carcass", "Helter Skelter", "Mirage", "Nicotine Stain", "Metal Postcard", and "Suburban Relapse". LP, Vinyl record album

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All the classics – including "Big Bottom", "Sex Farm", "Stonehenge", "Listen To The Flower People", and "Hell Hole". (Soundtracks, Rock) LP, Vinyl record album

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Say what you want, we love this album! When it came out, we were such big Jam fans that we could never forgive Paul Weller – but now, nearly 20 years later, we're stunned at how great some of the soul songs on the album are. Sure, you've got to throw away about half the tracks – because they're silly early 80s bad funk numbers – but the remaining half is way more soulful than you'd remember, with a sweet, sincere, compressed sound that's made all the better by jazzy touches from Mick Talbot and Steve White. Includes the classics "My Ever Changing Moods", "You're The Best Thing", "Blue Cafe", "Paris Match", and "Dropping Bombs On The White House". This is the original UK version of the album issued in the US as My Ever Changing Moods. (Rock, Rock) LP, Vinyl record album

Say what you want, we love this album! When it came out, we were such big Jam fans that we could never forgive Paul Weller – but now, nearly 20 years later, we're stunned at how great some of the soul songs on the album are. Sure, you've got to throw away about half the tracks – because they're silly early 80s bad funk numbers – but the remaining half is way more soulful than you'd remember, with a sweet, sincere, compressed sound that's made all the better by jazzy touches from Mick Talbot and Steve White. Includes the classics "My Ever Changing Moods", "You're The Best Thing", "Blue Cafe", "Paris Match", and "Dropping Bombs On The White House". This is the original UK version of the album issued in the US as My Ever Changing Moods. (Rock, Rock) CD

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