A surprisingly rich anthology – given that the group Five Day Rain issued no music at all during their short time in existence! Yet the creation of some white label promo records for the group's own use led to their rediscovery many years later – at a time when maybe the world was ready to hear their tuneful blending of psychedelic, harmonic, and hard rock modes – first forged in the group Iron Prophet, and served up as Five Day Rain with an expanded lineup who also were issuing music on singles as Studd Pump too! Yet it's the core work by Five Day here that's wonderful – music that is already pretty amazing in the raw, stripped-down form of the white label record's material – and which makes us wonder what would have happened if they'd ever gotten full treatment by a label like Vertigo or Harvest. This massive 2CD set features the best surviving versions of the white label LP tracks, plus unissued material, demos, and other rare material – including their Studd Pump single as well. Titles include "Good Year", "Leave It At That", "Fallout", "Marie's A Woman", "Too Much Of Nothing", "Don't Be Misled", "Sea Song", "Reason Why", "Antonia", "The Boy", "Wanna Make Love To You", "Dartboard", "Do Don't Worry", "Miss Elizabeth", "Floating", "Spare The Children", and even a version of "Sunny". CD

A trilogy of albums from this unique group – presented here with all their original artwork, and a bit bonus booklet of notes and images too! First up is Love & Poetry – the killer debut of this heady power trio from the British Isles – one who've got some of the same harder rock leanings as some of the other lean groups of their time, but who also seem to manage to hang onto some psychedelic fuzziness too – a fantastic approach that's always made Andwella such a unique group! The bass is nicely brooding, drums are plenty hard, and the great UK reedman Bob Downes adds a bit of sax and flute to the record. There's a wonderfully unique vibe throughout – and titles include "Clockwork Man", "Man Without A Name", "Sunday", "Andwella", "High On A Mountain", "Shades Of Gray", and "Take My Road". World's End is a set that begins with one of the greatest funky rock tracks ever – then leaps into the fray with a whole host of wonderful tunes! That track is the mighty "Hold On To Your Mind" – well worth the price of the album alone, and a tune that takes all the funky energy of the freakbeat scene, and moves it into more sophisticated rock territory! The rest of the record continues the shift to sophistication that makes this second album from Andwella so great – really well-penned songs that manage to do a lot with a little, use familiar instrumentation in unusual ways, and there's some nice use of flute, piano, and organ along the way – deepening their sound in all the best ways. Titles include "Hold On To Your Mind", "Just How Long", "Michael Fitzhenry", "Lady Love", "I'm Just Happy To See You Get Her", and "World's End (parts 1 & 2)". On the cover of People's People, Andwella are looking a bit shaggier and more mature, and they're sounding that way too – really pushing their vocals with more soulful qualities than before, which are a perfect fit for the searching qualities of the music! There's almost a US roots current to the record at times – the sort of vibe that should have made an already-great band even better – and which really takes Andwella on a surprisingly long musical journey in just a very short span! Titles include "She Taught Me To Love", "World Of Angelique", "Saint Bartholomew", "Are You Ready", "Lazy Days", "Behind The Painted Screen", and "Four Days In September". LP, Vinyl record album

To most ears, trumpeter Jon Hassell first burst on to the world through his experiments with Brian Eno on EG Records, or maybe his 80s work on ECM – but here, on his debut for the small avant label Lovely Music, it's clear that Jon's already in complete control of his sound – and is ready to become the kind of performer that would captivate listeners for decades to come! Hassell's horn has that special sort of effect quality on most numbers here – spacey, but never slick – and electrified, but far from any sort of Miles Davis mode – especially considering that the music is full of earthy, organic percussion from Nana Vasconcelos and some other players, who balance out the set's work on Fender Rhodes, Arp, and Serge synthesizer. The spirit of the set is very much in Hassell's classic "fourth world" recordings – and titles include "Toucan Ocean", "Hex", "Blues Nile", "Vernal Equinox", and "Caracas Night September 11, 1975". LP, Vinyl record album

Iggy's first proper solo record, and a strange morass of junkie desperation and guttural punk funk! The Idiot is the ultimately the culmination of a very smart decision to move away from the guitar roar of the Stooges and closer to the sounds his longtime champion David Bowie was experimenting with at the time, with a little bit of Lou Reed for good measure – but make no mistakes, this is Iggy's show. It's as fascinating overall as it is impressive on a more visceral level, with heavy bass rhythms and keys intergral to the sound, and weary latenight storytelling that trips you out on contact. All tunes co-written by Bowie, who would go on to make a lot of money off "China Girl" a few years into the 80s when the world was more ready for it, plus the classic "Nightclubbing", "Sister Midnight", "Baby", "Dum, Dum Boys", "Tiny Girls" and "Mass Production". CD

A trilogy of albums from this unique group – presented here with all their original artwork, and a bit bonus booklet of notes and images too! First up is Love & Poetry – the killer debut of this heady power trio from the British Isles – one who've got some of the same harder rock leanings as some of the other lean groups of their time, but who also seem to manage to hang onto some psychedelic fuzziness too – a fantastic approach that's always made Andwella such a unique group! The bass is nicely brooding, drums are plenty hard, and the great UK reedman Bob Downes adds a bit of sax and flute to the record. There's a wonderfully unique vibe throughout – and titles include "Clockwork Man", "Man Without A Name", "Sunday", "Andwella", "High On A Mountain", "Shades Of Gray", and "Take My Road". World's End is a set that begins with one of the greatest funky rock tracks ever – then leaps into the fray with a whole host of wonderful tunes! That track is the mighty "Hold On To Your Mind" – well worth the price of the album alone, and a tune that takes all the funky energy of the freakbeat scene, and moves it into more sophisticated rock territory! The rest of the record continues the shift to sophistication that makes this second album from Andwella so great – really well-penned songs that manage to do a lot with a little, use familiar instrumentation in unusual ways, and there's some nice use of flute, piano, and organ along the way – deepening their sound in all the best ways. Titles include "Hold On To Your Mind", "Just How Long", "Michael Fitzhenry", "Lady Love", "I'm Just Happy To See You Get Her", and "World's End (parts 1 & 2)". On the cover of People's People, Andwella are looking a bit shaggier and more mature, and they're sounding that way too – really pushing their vocals with more soulful qualities than before, which are a perfect fit for the searching qualities of the music! There's almost a US roots current to the record at times – the sort of vibe that should have made an already-great band even better – and which really takes Andwella on a surprisingly long musical journey in just a very short span! Titles include "She Taught Me To Love", "World Of Angelique", "Saint Bartholomew", "Are You Ready", "Lazy Days", "Behind The Painted Screen", and "Four Days In September". LP, Vinyl record album

An obscure solo set from Andy Desmond – once a member of Gothic Horizon, but clearly an artist ready to break out on his own – given the sound and scope of the record! The set mixes acoustic elements with some larger arrangements handled by John Gosling, who also co-produced the set with Dave Davies – who also plays some guitar on the record too – bringing in some of the more subtle charms of his own solo work. Desmond's got a very particular style – one that almost feels as if it's reaching for some bigger crossover world, but which in this setting is much more down to earth, so that his charms are never too overwhelmed. Maybe the vibe is a bit like early Gerry Rafferty solo work, before the AOR hits – but you can be the judge, on titles that include "She Can Move Mountains", "In your Life", "Why Not Write Me A Letter", "Annie", "So It Goes", and "Beware". CD

The second part of Guns N' Roses' twin follow-up to the mindblowing and untoppable success of Appetite For Destruction! Use Your Illusion II has more piano, stadium-ready ballads and overall moodier takes on Guns' distinctive brand of LA sleaze rock – along with another surprising classic rock cover tune – their respectful Dylan's "Knockin' On Heaven's Door". Ultimately the record is kind of a weird mix of soul-baring hard rock ballads, straight forward rockers, and angry revenge tunes by this most uncontrollable band of rich misfits! Includes "Cival War", "14 Years", "Yesterday", "Get In The Ring", "Shotgun Blues", "Pretty Tied Up", "Locomotive", "Estranged", "You Could Be Mine", "My World" and more. (Cassettes, Rock) Cassette

The second part of Guns N' Roses' twin follow-up to the mindblowing and untoppable success of Appetite For Destruction! Use Your Illusion II has more piano, stadium-ready ballads and overall moodier takes on Guns' distinctive brand of LA sleaze rock – along with another surprising classic rock cover tune – their respectful Dylan's "Knockin' On Heaven's Door". Ultimately the record is kind of a weird mix of soul-baring hard rock ballads, straight forward rockers, and angry revenge tunes by this most uncontrollable band of rich misfits! Includes "Civil War", "14 Years", "Yesterday", "Get In The Ring", "Shotgun Blues", "Pretty Tied Up", "Locomotive", "Estranged", "You Could Be Mine", "My World" and more. CD

A landmark batch of work from the British jazz scene – the complete early run of recordings from Colosseum, maybe the greatest jazz-rock group of their time! The combo grew out of earlier work in the beat group generation – informed strongly by American jazz and R&B, but already on the forefront of the new prog generation – driven by the mighty drums of Jon Hiseman and topped with the sax and reed work of Dick Heckstall-Smith – both fantastic players who really gave the group their grounding! The lineup shifts a bit throughout this set, and maybe gets even better as the records go on – with later work from Chris Farlowe on vocals, whose soulful style is a perfect match to the groove-heavy sound of the group. Back in the days when we didn't like prog at all, and were more focused on jazz and funk, we still had a very soft spot for Colosseum – and it's no surprise that some of these records are always found in the collections of funk fanatics around the world. The 6CD set features the full albums Those About To Die Salute You, Valentyne Suite, Grass Is Greener, Daughter Of Time, and Colosseum Live – almost all of which are presented here with bonus tracks – alongside a full bonus CD of rare studio and live recordings too! There's also a huge booklet of notes – and this package is the comprehensive take on this legendary group. CD

Joni's third beautifully-voiced, gorgeously-composed album for Reprise, following up on her already solid standard of taking a significant step forward in craft and spirit from one album to next! Joni has this perfect way of making you feel like she's singing only for you, but in a way that's big and open enough for the whole world to listen in. The arrangements and production are so good here, too, bringing in lightly jazzy sax, clarinet and flute without compromising on the intimate nature of the songs. Titles include "Morning Morgantown", "For Free", "Conversation", "Ladies Of The Canyon", "The Arrangement", and "The Priest". LP, Vinyl record album

Nothing too peaceful here – at least not in a sleepy sort of way – as The Rascals are really hitting on all burners, and starting to mix a bit of funk in with their groove! The record's a great extension of the group's last work on Atlantic – and it takes that already-righteous territory, and furthers it a bit more with some heavy rhythms on the bottom, and nicely jamming guitar work on the top! There's a great sense of soul that informs the whole album – even at some of the more rockish points – and titles include the excellent side-long cut "Peaceful World", a long instrumental workout with a nice slow bubbling funky sound that's almost in the style of Chicano rock. The albumf eatures guest work from jazz players like Hubert Laws on flute, Alice Coltrane on harp, Garnett Brown on trombone, Joe Garrell on tenor sax, and Joe Newman on trumpet – and other titles include "Little Dove", "Visit To Mother Nature Land", "Happy Song", "Icy Water", "Sky Trane", and "In & Out Of Love". LP, Vinyl record album

A huge amount of material from Tommy James & The Shondells – a group that most people know for a string of jingle-jangle gems in the 60s, but who kept on making some really wonderful music over the course of the 11 albums included in this set! The group at the start were already pretty darn amazing – able to create the kind of catchy, groovy tunes that really exploded out of AM radio in the mid 60s – but as the years went on, Tommy moved into headier territory, and started to stretch out from the pop psych sound of "Crimson & Clover" – one of his last great hits, but also the gateway to all the wonderful music heard here in the second half of the set! The collection is a real ear-opener – and includes lots of music that hasn't been on CD in any form for years (or vinyl for that matter too!) – plus bonus tracks on most of the records, and other rare material – all bundled up with a heavy booklet of notes. 140 tracks in all – and the albums Hanky Panky, It's Only Love, I Think We're Alone Now, Gettin Together, Mony Mony, Crimson & Clover, Cellophane Symphony, Travelin, Tommy James, Christian Of The World, My Head My Bed & My Red Guitar – and bonus tracks and singles too! CD

Joni's third beautifully-voiced, gorgeously-composed album for Reprise, following up on her already solid standard of taking a significant step forward in craft and spirit from one album to next! Joni has this perfect way of making you feel like she's singing only for you, but in a way that's big and open enough for the whole world to listen in. The arrangements and production are so good here, too, bringing in lightly jazzy sax, clarinet and flute without compromising on the intimate nature of the songs. Titles include "Morning Morgantown", "For Free", "Conversation", "Ladies Of The Canyon", "The Arrangement", and "The Priest". LP, Vinyl record album

A fantastic first album from Pete Townshend – one that showed the world that he was a hell of a force to be reckoned with, even away from The Who! There's some elements here that link back to Pete's work with the band, but the music here is already showing lots of new ideas brewing in his solo space – some of the greater sensitivity of Townshend's solo voice – which might not always get showcased when Roger Daltrey was taking the lead – and also some different musical strands that might not have been right for The Who. Ronnie Lane takes the lead on "Evolution" – which you'll recognize from the world of The Faces – and other titles include the original acoustic version of "Pure & Easy", plus "Nothing Is Everything (Let's See Action)", "Time Is Passing", "Forever's No Time At All", "There's A Heartache Following Me", "Content", "Parvardigar", and "Sheraton Gibson". LP, Vinyl record album

A deep deep dive into the farther reaches of the California scene in the late 60s – music that's completely wonderful all the way through, and presented with a level that really blows away some of the less-official collections on the market! If you know the hit sounds of the time, you'll know a bit of what to expect here – but the selection of cuts goes way way deeper, put together by Alec Palao, a guy we'd already trust with anything Cali from the 60s – and who really knocks himself out with this set! If you dig Beach Boys, Mamas & Papas, and the Byrds, you'll find plenty of new sounds here to fall in love with – and as usual with Ace, the whole thing comes with superb notes, and even features a few unreleased tracks – including two rare cuts by Third Wave, who recorded one album for MPS! Titles include "Niki" and "Three Kingfishers Ferris Wheel" by Third Wave, "Go Try & Put Out The Sun" by The Forum, "Soul Sunrise" by JP Rags, "A Thousand Faces" by The Thousand Faces, "Out In The Open" by The Justice League, "Meadows & Flowers" by Curt Boettcher, "Richard & Me" by Evergreen Tangerine, "Someday Sunday" by The Gettysburg Address, "Lazy Bones" by The Tricycle, "Sugar Stone" by The Candy Company, "The Life You Lead" by A Small World, "Summer Flower" by Crystal Set, and "Until Now" by Augie Moreno. CD

Maybe the greatest album ever from Thin Lizzy – at least in terms of the group's mainstream acceptance by the rest of the world! The group had already been going for years by the time of this set – with the amazing bass and vocals of Phil Lynott to mark their very distinct sound – and the guitar of Scott Gorham really rising in the lead, giving the group the sharpness to really mix the richest sort of instrumental force with their already-powerful lyrics and rhythms! The result is a classic rock masterpiece through and through – a record that gave the world huge hits like "Jailbreak" and "The Boys Are Back In Town" – but which is filled with gems that include "Angel From The Coast", "Cowboy Song", "Warriors", "Emerald" and "Fight Or Fall". LP, Vinyl record album

Completely wonderful work from Georgie Fame – a stone cooking collection of his mid 60s mod recordings for Columbia Records in the UK – a unique combination of jazz, soul, and R&B – all delivered with a style so original, it can only be dubbed Fame-like! Georgie's approach really digs deep on the American scene – a bit of New Orleans soul, a dose of New York soul jazz, all filtered together with a London appreciation of the best elements of both, and delivered with a tightness that almost beats out most US recordings that even try to come close! The collection does a great job of avoiding material already compiled on the Polydor Fame set from years back – and really goes for upbeat, hard-grooving numbers that show why Georgie's music had such a big role in the hippest sides of the London scene of the 60s. Titles include "Sweet Thing", "Something", "Point Of No Return", "Lil Darlin", "El Bandido", "Dawn Yawn", "Music Talk", "Outrage", "It's Got The Whole World Shakin", "Move It On Over", "Last Night", "The World Is Round", and "See Saw". (Vocalists, Rock) CD

A fantastic CD collection – one that brings together all five volumes of Stereolab's Switched On albums in one set – a huge collection of unusual material and rare singles! On the original Switched On record, moog, fuzz, and farfisa have never sounded so great together – and although these guys drank deep of the well of 60s pop magic before making this modern-day classic – they also come off sounding pretty darn original on their own! When this gem of a record first hit the world, it was as if all of us were hearing music from the cosmos for years, but could never find a way to make it part of our everyday lives. Then along come Tim Gane, Laetitia Sadier, and crew – and completely change the world for the better! An album that no home should be without – with titles that include "Contact", "Super-Electric", "Doubt", "Brittle", "Au Grand Jour", "The Way Will Be Opening", and "Changer". Refried Ectoplasm is the second in the holy trinity of "switched on" albums from Stereolab – a set that collects together all the unusual recordings and other side bits the group were doing in the early years of their career – standing strong as a testament to their non-stop efforts to forever push the boundaries of electric fuzzy pop! The vocals Laetitia Sadier are completely sublime – almost a bridge between the darker modes of the previous pop generation and all the new ideas of the world to come – when the rest of rock music would finally catch up to these guys, and realize that the best path to the future is through the past! Titles include "Farfisa", "John Cage Bubblegum", "Tempter", "Exploding Head Movie", "French Disko", "Harmonium", "Revox", "Mountain", and "Sadistic". By the time of Aluminum Tunes (Switched On Vol 3) – it had only been a few years since the previous Switched On set, but Stereolab had already created so much musical magic, they needed a double-length record to keep the whole thing intact! The sound here is somehow getting even more dreamy and wonderful – definitely showing their work with the mighty Sean O'Hagan, and also really opening up into all the many musical ideas that Tim Gane was picking up from his never-ending search for unusual records! The 60s swirl through time and space, and make the future sound even better than we could have imagined it – while the Channel is drained, and England and France become one in a genius marriage of pure pop modes. Titles include "The Extension Trip", "How To Play Your Internal Organs Overnight", "Space Moment", "Iron Man", "The Long Hair Of Death", "One Note Samba/Surfboard", "Percolations", "1000 Miles An Hour", "Klang Tone", and a great take on the theme to "Get Carter". Switched On 4 is full of fantastic sounds from Stereolab – an assortment of rare singles and other unusual recordings that were mostly issued on their own Duophonic label, and which are far more obscure than their bigger label albums during the same period! Even though Stereolab gave the world some undeniable classics in the late 90s and early 00s, they were also working endlessly, and seemed to record more than they could ever fit on a full length set – which resulted in all the cool singles, limited releases, and other material included here – not dusty tapes pulled from the archives, but beautiful work that often returns the group to all the space age charms of their first few records! The package is huge – 25 tracks in all, of varying length – and titles include "Barok Plastik", "Calimero", "Fried Monkey Eggs (voc)", "Solar Throw Away", "Variation One", "Monkey Jelly", "Explosante Fixe", "Jump Drive Shut Out", "The Super-It", "L'Exotisme Interieur", "Pandora's Box Of Worms", "Retrograde Mirror Form", "Nomus E Phusis", "I Feel The Air Of Another Planet", "Outer Bongolia", and "Intervals". Includes tracks from Duophonic 45s, Underground Is Coming EP, Moog, First Of The Microbe Hunters, and work from compilations, unreleased tracks, and even a collaboration with Brigitte Fontaine! Switched On 5 is maybe the coolest entry so far in this really wonderful series – a set that's overflowing with rare and unusual work from Stereolab – most of it done at a time when the group were riding high on a major label, but still managed to issued a huge amount of music on their own, and work in a variety of collaborative settings too! One of our favorite is their work with Nurse With Wound, and tracks from that partnership begin this set – which then moves into rare singles, work with artists, compilation contributions, and plenty more – all with the usual Stereolab charm, but often with a nicely different vibe too! Titles include "Simple Headphone Mind", "Symbolic Logic Of Now", "Magne Music", "Forensic Itch", "Spool Of Collusion", "Robot Riot", "Trippin With The Birds", "Cybele's Reverie (live)", "Nth Degrees, "Refractions In The Plastic Pulse (Autechre Feebate mix)", and "Plastic Mile (original version)". CD

Maybe the greatest album ever from Thin Lizzy – at least in terms of the group's mainstream acceptance by the rest of the world! The group had already been going for years by the time of this set – with the amazing bass and vocals of Phil Lynott to mark their very distinct sound – and the guitar of Scott Gorham really rising in the lead, giving the group the sharpness to really mix the richest sort of instrumental force with their already-powerful lyrics and rhythms! The result is a classic rock masterpiece through and through – a record that gave the world huge hits like "Jailbreak" and "The Boys Are Back In Town" – but which is filled with gems that include "Angel From The Coast", "Cowboy Song", "Warriors", "Emerald" and "Fight Or Fall". CD

The second album from Can – and one that the group maybe likes to think of as more of a bridge between Monster Movie and Tago Mago – tracks done for a variety of film projects, but which also still really show the quick evolution of the group at the time! Some of the work still features original singer Malcolm Mooney, and others feature the new rising star of Damo Suzuki – but what might be most striking here is the drum work of Jaki Liebezeit, who already seems to be pushing forward with that rhythmic pulse that would soon make the early 70s Can so amazing – recorded with stark brilliance and blended with edgey percussion, at a level that makes most of the tracks unlike anything else the world had ever heard before! Of course, there's still plenty of tremendous bass from Holger Czukay, guitar from Michael Karoli, and keyboards from Irmin Schmidt – all of whom sound amazing here – on titles that include "Mother Sky", "Deadlock", "Tango Whiskeyman", "Don't Turn The Lights On Leave Me Alone", "Soul Desert", and "She Brings The Rain". CD

A pair of records from this overlooked UK group – back to back in a single set! The self-titled Paladin album has an unassuming cover, but a sound that comes through nice and bold – served up by a group of players who'd already cut their teeth on work in other acts in the years before, and who come together with a well crafted vibe from the start! There's lots of great organ on the record from Peter Solley, and Keith Webb's drums are nice and strong too – and titles include "Carry Me Home", "Third World", "Bad Times", and the long "Dance Of The Cobra" – and a nice take on the Lalo Schifrin tune "The Fakir". Next is Charge – a record with a stunning cover by the great Roger Dean – and a stunning sound to match – one of the few sets ever issued by Paladin, a group who are a bit more hard-rocking than the Yes-like cover image might imply – but who also let loose with some great prog touches as well! The blend is maybe perfect for the group's placement on the Bronze label – an imprint that always seemed to bring out a bit more bite in its music – and while there's some long keyboard and organ solos, those are also balanced with some really searing guitar parts that ramp things up nicely. Titles include "Give Me Your Hand", "Well We Might", "Good Lord", "Mix Your Mind With The Moonbeams", "Watching The World Pass By", and "Get On Together". CD features the bonus track "Sweet Sweet Music". CD

The second album from Can – and one that the group maybe likes to think of as more of a bridge between Monster Movie and Tago Mago – tracks done for a variety of film projects, but which also still really show the quick evolution of the group at the time! Some of the work still features original singer Malcolm Mooney, and others feature the new rising star of Damo Suzuki – but what might be most striking here is the drum work of Jaki Liebezeit, who already seems to be pushing forward with that rhythmic pulse that would soon make the early 70s Can so amazing – recorded with stark brilliance and blended with edgey percussion, at a level that makes most of the tracks unlike anything else the world had ever heard before! Of course, there's still plenty of tremendous bass from Holger Czukay, guitar from Michael Karoli, and keyboards from Irmin Schmidt – all of whom sound amazing here – on titles that include "Mother Sky", "Deadlock", "Tango Whiskeyman", "Don't Turn The Lights On Leave Me Alone", "Soul Desert", and "She Brings The Rain". CD

It's definitely a computer world when you're inside the mind of Kraftwerk – the machine made man, given a wonderful showcase here for the new decade! The sound is maybe a bit leaner and even more electronic than before – with the introduction of some digital elements, and a mix of beats and keyboards that was already showing the nascent hip hop scene that the German quartet were still ahead of the pack when it came to grooves like this! Did these guys invent electro soul? Hearing a record like this it's hard not to think so – thanks to tracks that include "Computer Love", "Computer World", "Pocket Calculator", "Home Computer", "Numbers", and "It's More Fun To Compute". CD

Southern rock meets southern soul – all in this groundbreaking set from the team of Delaney and Bonnie Bramlett! The quality quotient here is quite high – light years beyond so many later folks who tried for this territory, but then slicked it up for radio airplay – and in another world, both singers might have been just cutting gritty 45s for a colorblind local audience – had Elektra Records not given them such a great shot with this classic! The already great Bramlett core sound gets strong support here from studio stalwarts like Bobby Whitlock, Bobby Keys, and Jim Price – and Leon Russell and Rita Coolidge also lend their talents to the proceedings too – on titles that include "Get Ourselves Together", "Ghetto", "Love Me A Little Bit Longer", "Soldiers Of The Cross", "Dirty Old Man", and a great take on "Do Right Woman". CD

Great groovy pop from the Italian scene of the 60s – a wealth of rare singles from female singers, almost all of whom we've never heard before! We'll confess to a long love and deep knowledge of female French singers from the time – but also admit a strong ignorance about most Italian pop, which always seems a bit harder to find – especially collected together in sets like this for the English-speaking world. And while we totally love the French sets from Ace Records, we almost dig this one even more – as the whole thing's so fresh, so groovy that each new tune is a real delight – as bold orchestrations mix with mod rhythms, rockish instrumentation, and some totally cool Italian lyrics sung by a batch of female singers who've definitely got us already digging for more. Titles include "Baluba Shake" by Brunetta E I Suoi Balubas, "Il Mio Posto Quale" by Ornella Vanoni, "Sono Qui Con Voi by Caterina Caselli, "Un Amore Inutile" by Isabella Ianetti, "La Notte E Fatta Per Rubare" by Catherine Spaak, "Il Geghege" by Rita Pavone, "Ragazzo Triste" by Patty Pravo, "Se Telefonando" by Mina, and "Questa Sinfona" by Carmen Villani. CD

A set that really expands the legend of Factory Records – the famous label who gave the world New Order, Joy Division, A Certain Ratio, and other important post-punk bands – as the set focuses on the equally legendary Hacienda nightclub, which the label opened in Manchester in 1982! Manchester was already a city with a hell of a music scene – but at the Hacienda, all sorts of sounds and styles mixed together – in a spirit that was similar to some of the energy on the New York scene at the time, particularly at a club like Danceteria – where the quest for the new took clubbers way past standard genre designations! The Fac 51 in the title was Factory's way of giving the club a catalog number that was in keeping with its record releases at the time – and the beautiful package features plenty of information on the club and the scene – along with 65 tracks by artists who include Gang Of Four, Section 25, Defunkt, Heaven 17, Medium Medium, The Birthday Party, Kurtis Blow, Shalamar, Barry Gray, Simple Minds, Rockers Revenge, 23 Skidoo, Royal Family & The Poor, Josef K, John Cooper Clarke, Stockholm Monsters, Swamp Children, Iggy & The Stooges, Sugarhill Gang, Laura Lee, Temptations, Trio, Bow Wow Wow, Valentine Brothers, Soft Cell, The Associates, Loose Joints, Suicide, Pale Fountains, and many others. CD

Southern rock meets southern soul – all in this groundbreaking set from the team of Delaney and Bonnie Bramlett! The quality quotient here is quite high – light years beyond so many later folks who tried for this territory, but then slicked it up for radio airplay – and in another world, both singers might have been just cutting gritty 45s for a colorblind local audience – had Elektra Records not given them such a great shot with this classic! The already great Bramlett core sound gets strong support here from studio stalwarts like Bobby Whitlock, Bobby Keys, and Jim Price – and Leon Russell and Rita Coolidge also lend their talents to the proceedings too – on titles that include "Get Ourselves Together", "Ghetto", "Love Me A Little Bit Longer", "Soldiers Of The Cross", "Dirty Old Man", and a great take on "Do Right Woman". CD

A record that blew the world away when it was first released – and still continues to delight all these many years later! Brian Eno had first rose to fame in Roxy Music – where his sonic sensibilities and ear for electronic experimentation really added a lot to their initial albums – and here, on his own, he's in somewhat side-stepped territory – mixing things up in the art/glam generation of Roxy and Bowie, but also already showing a darkness that really sets him apart from the pack! The first three songs alone are a hell of a statement from any musician in the 70s, and the titles alone almost get at their impact – "Needles In The Camel's Eye", "The Paw Paw Negro Blowtorch", and "Baby's On Fire" – all songs that offer a rare blend of ferocity and humor that wouldn't emerge elsewhere until the punk movement. Yet Eno's hardly the forerunner of punk, but he's also not glam, metal, or anything else – a supremely impactful artist with this record, completely in his own space – like a rare breed that might include The Velvet Underground, Gram Parsons, or Bowie. Titles include "Needles In The Camel's Eye", "The Paw Paw Negro Blowtorch", "Baby's On Fire" "Blank Frank", "Some Of Them Are Old", "Cindy Tells Me", "On Some Faraway Beach", and "Dead Finks Don't Talk". CD