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The shadow of Hank Williams still looms large in country music well into the 21st Century – but it had an especially strong force in the years after his too-early death – as you'll hear here in a great selection of covers, tributes, and other songs that continue the short-but-strong legacy of revolution that Hank brought to country music! Some of the cuts here are pop numbers, and show the way that Williams' original tunes found many different audiences in the 50s – yet most are pure country, and are way more than straight remakes of originals by the legend. As always with Bear Family, the package is great – filled with images and detailed notes on all the tracks and artists – served up on 33 tracks that include "Kaw-Liga" by Rusty & Doug Kershaw, "Calling You" by Hank Williams Jr, "I'm A Long Gone Daddy" by Bobby Helms, "Move It On Over" by Richard Hayes, "I Saw The Light" by Rose Maddox, "Honky Tonkin" by Audrey Williams, "I Just Don't Like This Kind Of Livin" by Johnny Horton, "Mind Your Own Business" by Ted Daigle, "Lost Highway" by Skeets McDonald, "Cold Cold Heart" by Louis Armstrong, "Lovesick Blues" by Rex Griffin, "Baby We're Really In Love" by Don Gibson, and "Half As Much" by Tennessee Ernie Ford. (Folk/Country, Rock) CD

Few songwriters have had such a lasting impact on modern music as Leonard Cohen – an incredible songsmith when he first emerged in the late 60s, and one who continued to create songs at the top of his game for many years after! And although Cohen's own recordings are the stuff of legend – essential to any collection of hip, thoughtful music – many others have picked up his tunes and really done great things with them – a fair bit of whom are included in this set! The package has an unusual scope – in that it includes selections by some of the artists recording right when Leonard was getting his start on record – then jumps forward to the 21st Century, to showcase a number of more contemporary recordings that show just how timeless Cohen's lyrics can be. As always with Ace, the presentation is wonderful – with detailed notes on all the selections – and titles include "So Long Marianne" by Noel Harrison, "Joan Of Arc" by Anna Calvi, "Show Me The Place" by The Webb Sisters, "Anthem" by Father John Misty, "The Stranger Song" by Emmylou Harris, "Blue Alert" by Madeleine Peyroux, "Closing Time" by Fairport Convention, "A Thousand Kisses Deep" by Ann Wilson, "Nightingale" by Anjani, "Is This What You Wanted" by Last Shadow Puppets, "Story Of Isaac" by Judy Collins, "Here It Is" by Jonathan Richman, and "You Know Who I Am" by Mama Cass. CD

Sweet folksy pop from the glory days of A&M! Evie Sands has a voice that's emotive in a folk rock way, but which is here produced with smoother west coast arrangements that are more in an LA mode – which makes for a very cool mix of modes! The overall sound of the album is very hip – with that cool late 60s approach that never gets picked up by oldies stations, and which is only the province of records like this – odd mis-shots in the pop economy that often got cut out as soon as they were produced, shunned by an uncaring record buying public – but waiting to be discovered by your ears all these many years later. Titles include "Crazy Annie", "It's This I Am", "Shadow Of The Evening", "Close Your Eyes, Cross Your Fingers", "Any Way That You Want Me", "One Find Summer Morning", and "I'll Hold Out My Hand". Also includes the bonus track "Maybe Tomorrow". CD

Shoes maybe look a bit too new wave on the cover, but still sound perfect within – very much in charge of that perfect yet understated approach to a tune that has gone on to make them legends in all the many years since this album was released! The group were never out to change the world, and maybe that held them back at the time – but they were also never trying for big chart success, or too-slick modes – and there's a wonderfully honest, down to earth approach to the songwriting and production that clearly sets the stage for all the bigger late 80s groups that would follow in their wake. Nearly every tune is a completely catchy mofo – and titles include "Curiosity", "In Her Shadow", "Double Talk", "The Summer Rain", "Under The Gun", "The Tube", and "What Love Means". CD

There's no denying that Hunky Dory is one of the most significant albums ever in the catalog of David Bowie – a real turning point that pushed both his songwriting and performance to a whole new level! Here, that album is presented in a stunning amount of context – 4CDs worth of material that sets up the record, plus blu-ray audio of more content too – all included with a 100 page book of liner notes, memorabilia, and rare photos too – plus a replica of the young Bowie's notebook for the project – all making for an insane tribute to the record! CD1 features songwriting demos that include many rare cuts – including "Shadow Man", "Looking For A Friend", "Tired Of My Life", "Right On Mother", "How Lucky You Are", and "King Of The City". CD2 features John Peel performances from June of 1971 – mono and stereo takes on "Almost Grown", "Kooks", "Supermen", "Looking For A Friend", "Song For Bob Dylan", and "It Ain't Easy". CD3 features more BBC material – a 1971 Bob Harris Sounds Of The 70s show, and then a 1971 Live Friars performance – with cuts that include "Amsterdam", "Eight Line Poem", "Looing For A Friend", "Oh You Pretty Things", "Buzz The Fuzz", and "Waiting For The Man". CD4 features alternate mixes and singles – Bowpromo mixes of album tracks, then early mixes and mono mixes, and alternate mixes discovered in 2021. Blu-ray disc features a full 2015 remaster of the core album – plus alternate mixes found in 2021, and the 1971 Sounds Of The 70s show too! CD

The third album from symphonic rock pioneer Mike Oldfield – at this point unable to steer his way out of the engulfing shadow of his massive Tubular Bells album of a couple years earlier – yet still bearing fruit creatively, as Ommadawn is his third excellent and pretty much unprecedented album of layered instrumental mood rock grandeur in a row! It's not only his third album, it's his third 2 part, single piece epic in a row that's woven from acoustic, electric, classic and modern instrumentation – with a choir and and folk instrumentation keeping in something of an earthy realm, even with synthezisers and more otherworldly touches. Influences from Irish folk to African percussion, it's uncompromising, intricate and interesting to this day! This 2010 CD version features new stereo mixes by Oldfield, bonus tracks, and nice booklet of notes. Bonus tracks include "In Dulce Jubilo" and "Portsmouth" (both A-sides of singles), "First Excursion" and Argiers". CD

Three classic albums from Shoes, plus bonus tracks, and a full CD worth of rare material too! First up is Present Tense – a power-pop classic from Shoes – their first full length for Elektra Records, and a set that stands with all the best end of 70s gems from either coast! The songs are impeccable, and the group do a fantastic job of blending sharper guitars with really great lyricism – a mode that maybe makes the Illinois group a strong precursor for territory that The Replacements wouldn't hit until many years later – and which makes just about every track on the album a precious nugget that just gets better and better with time! Titles include "Now & Then", "Every Girl", "I Don't Wanna Hear It", "Three Times", "In My Arms Again", and "Too Late". On Tongue Twister, Shoes continue the brilliance of their first album for Elektra – serving up the kind of music that was so well-done, so subtle, it was maybe missed by most of the world at the time – even though it's gone onto the status of classic, thanks to legions of fans and critics! Shoes have a way with a tune that's unlike anyone else – maybe that compressed charm of Big Star, but fused into the sharper modes of the power pop years – but without any of the too commercial modes of some of the bigger groups of the time. Instead, the whole thing feels like you've just stumbled upon a brilliant band, playing in a backroom bar – which, unfortunately, is how Shoes spent too much of their career. Titles include "Only In My Sleep", "She Satisfies", "Found A Girl", "Hate To Run", "When It Hits", "Yes Or No", "Your Imagination", and "Girls Of Today". On Boomerang, Shoes maybe look a bit too new wave on the cover, but still sound perfect within – very much in charge of that perfect yet understated approach to a tune that has gone on to make them legends in all the many years since this album was released! The group were never out to change the world, and maybe that held them back at the time – but they were also never trying for big chart success, or too-slick modes – and there's a wonderfully honest, down to earth approach to the songwriting and production that clearly sets the stage for all the bigger late 80s groups that would follow in their wake. Nearly every tune is a completely catchy mofo – and titles include "Curiosity", "In Her Shadow", "Double Talk", "The Summer Rain", "Under The Gun", "The Tube", and "What Love Means". 4CD set features a huge amount of bonus material – 8 track demo versions of all three albums, added to their discs – and a bonus CD of 18 more rare tracks – all in a box, with a big booklet of notes! CD

Slightly easy, slightly baroque, and with a sound that's somewhere near Free Design, The Mamas & The Papas, and other groups of the time – The Clique were one of the many groovy lost pop bands that came out of the west coast during the 60s. The record boasts the original version of the track "Superman", which went to become a big hit for R.E.M. about 20 years later. There's lots of other nice groovy original material, like "Sugar On Sunday", "Shadow Of Your Love", "Judy, Judy, Judy", and a cool version of the Bee Gees "Holiday". 17 tracks, with extra cuts, and good liner notes on the band. (Now Sound, Rock) CD

Loads of late 60s classics from the Rolling Stones – served up in a special set dedicated to the late Brian Jones! The music here really shows the darkening side of the Stones' sound – and titles include "Paint It Black", "Have You Seen Your Mother Baby Standing In The Shadow", "2000 Light Years From Home", "Mother's Little Helper", "She's A Rainbow", "Let's Spend The Night Together", and "Street Fighting Man". CD

One of the best-remembered albums from the great Tom Rush – a set that gave the world his well-recorded title track (and the classic "No Regrets"), and which also has Tom really reaching out with a proud new style! The record expands the core sound of Rush in ways that roughly echo some of the early Tim Hardin material at Verve – still bluesy folk at the core, but with arrangements that are slight, but sophisticated – in ways that unlock all these great moods and colors in the songs that you never would have gotten if Rush were just singing and playing guitar on his own! Paul Harris handles the charts, and things are light, but well-pointed – a really beautiful inflection of the vocals and guitar at the core of the performance, often with a very moody style. Titles include "The Circle Game", "Rockport Sunday", "No Regrets", "Tin Angel", "Urge For Going", "Something In The Way She Moves", and "Shadow Dream Song". (Folk/Country, Rock) CD

The third album from symphonic rock pioneer Mike Oldfield – at this point unable to steer his way out of the engulfing shadow of his massive Tubular Bells album of a couple years earlier – yet still bearing fruit creatively, as Ommadawn is his third excellent and pretty much unprecedented album of layered instrumental mood rock grandeur in a row! It's not only his third album, it's his third 2 part, single piece epic in a row that's woven from acoustic, electric, classic and modern instrumentation – with a choir and and folk instrumentation keeping in something of an earthy realm, even with synthezisers and more otherworldly touches. Influences from Irish folk to African percussion, it's uncompromising, intricate and interesting to this day! CD

Richard Torrance has a beard on the back that's not unlike that of Kenny Loggins or one of the Doobie Brothers – and on this overlooked late 70s gem, he's in very similar territory – well-crafted music that's right up there with the best of the AOR generation, yet like most of Richard's records, a set that never fully got its due! That doesn't stop the whole thing from really pushing forward on all burners – strong original tunes by Torrance, sharp LA production by Carter, and nice support by a studio group. Titles include "Desert Lady", "Long Lonely Nights", "Get Into The Music", "Real Love", "Secrets Of Your Soul", and "Got No Shadow". CD

Another fine effort from the Chicago Underground Duo – multi-instrumentalists Chad Talyor and Rob Mazurek – and like the duo's earlier work on Thrill Jockey, it's a wonderful listen, that traipses through elements of Don Cherry-like jazz experimentation, and percussive, minimalist avant rock! The sound is uncategorizable in the best sense, and the duo has chops that devour most of their contempories. Another great one! Mazurek works on cornet, organ, celest, piano, harpsichord and more, and Taylor is drums, perussion, gongs vibe and more. Tracks include "In Praise Of Shadows", "Falling Awake", "The Glass House", "Cities Without Citadels", "Pangea", "Funeral Of Dreams" and "The Light Between". (Jazz, Rock) CD

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Covers from Ritchie Blackmore, Brian May, Tony Iommi, Steve Stevens, Hank Marvin, Peter Green Splinter Group, Neil Young & Randy Bachman, Mark Knopfler, Peter Frampton, Keith Urban, Andy Summers, and Bela Fleck & The Flecktones. CD

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A great second chapter for Shadows Of Knight – post-Dunwich material cut by the seminal garage group, and easily some of the hardest-hitting work to come out on the Buddah label in the late 60s! There's plenty of fuzz on the guitars here – that hard-strutting sound you'd know from the Shadows' bigger hits – and the production is nice and raw too, with a gritty, garagey sound that's quite different from the usual sweet Buddah pop sides of the period. The group seemed to have picked up even more of a groove in their label shift, and there's some mighty nice drums propelling some of the best numbers here – a massive batch of tracks that includes "Follow", "Back Door Man", "Bluebird", "Under Acoustic Control", "Alone", "Times & Places", "Uncle Wiggley's Airship", and "I Am What I Am". CD also features a bonus 45 version of "Shake" – and the tracks "My Fire Department Needs A Fireman" and "Run Run Billy Porter". CD

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Rare English language recordings from the sublime Francoise Hardy – music that's every bit as wonderful as her famous French recordings – and even more compelling to our Anglo-styled ears! The vocals are wonderful – sung with this sense of darkness that's almost got an echo of Nico at points, given the accent – set to backings that balance this darkness with a bit more light, but never in ways that are overly poppy – and which definitely continue that more sophisticated style that Hardy always brought to her music! There's less "yeh yeh" to the tracks than a few years before – and Francoise is definitely digging deeper music at this point in her career – sometimes with a breathy brilliance that's a bit like Jane Birkin too. Titles include "Bown Bown Bown", "Till The Morning Comes", "Loving You", "In The Sky", "Midnight Blues", "Magic Horse", "Song Of Winter", "Strange Shadows", "Ocean", "The Garden Of Jane Delawney", "Sometimes", "Let My Name Be Sorrow", "Times Passing By", "I Just Want To Be Alone", and "Suzanne". (French, Rock) CD

Tracks include "Dune" and "Shadows Of Ignorance". CD

A different slice of music from Steve Young than you might know from his classic Seven Bridges Road – but a set that's equally great in its own sort of way! The album's from a time when Young was really stepping out of the shadows a bit – maybe feeling himself more as a singer, but also still a hell of a songwriter too – and while the album's got some country touches around the edges, there's also a more straightforward approach to the presentation of the music. Yet, since the whole thing was produced by Rounder Records, there's nothing slick or commercial at all – none of the too-polished modes that might have happened had Steve cut these songs with a major label – which means that the record really gets to the heart and clarity of the man's genius. Titles include "No Expectations", "The Contender", "To Satisfy You", "Top Of The World", "River & The Swan", "They Call It Love", and "Wild World". (Folk/Country, Rock) CD

A really fantastic collection – one that seems to find a special place that's all its own – a bit folk funk, a bit jazzy soul, a bit something else that we can't define at all – all sewn together through a wonderfully well-chosen batch of cuts that we might never have heard otherwise! Paul Hillery uses words next to each of the titles to describe the tunes, ala an older sound library record – like "canyon cool", or "susurrations of the sea", "ethno-fusion", "swelling cellos", and so on – all light ways of getting at the vibe of the album's beautiful mix of laidback vocals and easygoing instrumentation – definitely music that's perfect for spending some time with the setting sun! Titles include "Fields Of Green" by Carm Mascarenhas, "Colorado Red Sky" by MCF, "Mojafe" by Hardin & Russell, "Be With Me" by Pat Rahming, "Wet Dreams" by Floyd Hunchback Group, "Surfer Girl" by Persona La Ave, "In Passing" by Kimberle, "Over & Over" by Andy Davis, "Playin Your Game" by Blaine L Reininger, "The Shadows Dance" by Graeme Gash, "It All Comes Around" by Parker MacDonnell, and "The Light" by Reggio. (Funky Compilations, Rock) CD

A legendary set from the Canadian 60s underground – a landmark record from a group who've gone onto become huge over the years with psych collectors, even though they never cracked the charts (or the US market) at the time! The set's way more than just another obscure rock release – as it's got a sharpness, tightness, and sense of songcraft that matches some of the bigger names in the US scene at the time – put together with a style that knows when to open up, but never loses itself in self-indulgence either. There's some surprisingly strong harmonies throughout the tunes – which often have a fuzzy, rollicking edge, but without losing sight of the sunny groove – and titles include "Epistle To Paradise", "Shadows Of Your Mind", "Art's A Happy Man", "Bridge Under A Sky", the epic centerpiece "You Don't Care", "Face Behind The Sun", "Dainty General Rides", and "Civilization Machine". CD

A wealth of wonderful work from the key years of the British Invasion – including a fair bit of groups who never really crossed the Atlantic to invade our shores at the time! Liverpool is best known as the home of The Beatles, but during the early 60s, the city was host to a huge wave of creative activity – as were nearby cities in the north of England – and as you'll hear in this set, there was no end to the range of groups making killer records over the space of number of years! Some of the work here will ring your ears with familiar tones from UK 60s rock, yet in ways that are different than the mod styles down in London, there's plenty of overlooked gems here to discover – and given that the box set goes well into the second half of the 60s, there's plenty of tracks here that are way different than just the work that grew up in the shadows of the fab four! The package has that fantastic presentation we love from the Grapefruit/Strawberry label – really well-chosen cuts, supported by very detailed notes – a massive 93 tracks in all, with work from The Perishers, Quotations, Satin Bells, Cilla Black, Billy J Kramer & The Dakotas, Wimple Witch, Selftons, 23rd Turnoff, Tony Jackson & The Vibrations, The Mojos, Gerry & The Pacemakers, Wailing Howie Casey & The Seniors, Lee Curtis & The All-Stars, The Big Three, The Kinsleys, Wellington Wade, and dozens of others! CD

Raw work from the American underground of the 60s – material that predates punk by more than a decade, but which really sets the scene for the kind of searing, sneering attitude that really burst forth at the end of the 70s! The work is from a variety of scenes, although is especially heavy on the west coast – tracks recorded as a great antidote to more polished pop of the time, especially the sort that was trying to pass itself off as rock, but which was really a much more watered-down vibe. The "garage" in the title doesn't really do the music justice – as many of these acts are great musicians, given a key opportunity to really showcase their sound – and some of these tracks were surprising hits, although many others are under-discovered gems. The set is put together in the best style of the Strawberry label – a nice box, and plenty of notes on the tracks within – a whopping 94 titles in all, with work from The Unusuals, Dimensions, Shadows Of Knight, We The People, The Standells, Rationals, Other Half, Rangers, Strangeloves, Barbarians, Castaways, Remains, McCoys, Mad Hatters, Love, Mojo Men, Rocky & The Riddlers, Chris Morgan & The Togas, Limey & The Hanks, Echoes Of Carnaby Street, Don & The Goodtimers, Bobby Fuller Four, Seeds, Merrell & The Exiles, New Yorkers, Bedlam Four, Jackals, and dozens of others. CD

Groovy 60s pop – a mix of the harmony style of groups like Harper's Bizarre, with some of the more garagey sounds of groups like The Shadows Of Knight. The album's got a great jangly quality – especially on the guitars, which are produced with a nice sharp edge that offsets that sweetness of the vocals. Titles include "Hey Joe", "Sugar & Spice", "July", "I Wanna Meet You", and "Ben Franklin's Almanac". 18 tracks in all! CD

There have been plenty of surf rock collections over the years, but this may be one of the coolest – as it spreads its scope far past the sunny beaches of southern California, to embrace a wider range of artists who helped the music find its own formation in the pre-60s years, as well as some other 60s proponents who then took surf-styled guitar overseas! As always with the Fremeaux label, there's a thoughtfulness to the package that really stands out, and which is carried through in the notes, which are in both English and French – great support for the package of 48 tracks that includes work from Dick Dale, The Spotnicks, John Barry, Link Wray, The Revels, Jesters, Shadows, Excellents, Lewis Reed, Rivingtons, Dion, Eddie Cochran, Bo Diddley, Jimmie Lane, Pee Wee King, Merle Travis, Sol Hoopii, and others. CD

Bob Dylan and his incomparable band take on old school pop standards for the second album in a row – and it's a real charmer! Fallen Angels has a lot in common with the preceding Strangers In The Night, as they're again taking on songs recorded by, and in some cases popularized by Sinatra, but this one goes a bit deeper into the classic American songbook – and it's all the better for it. Dylan's reputation as a songwriter is borderline biblical, while his reputation as a conventionally gifted singer is, well...something else – so there's a sly allurement here that's not lost on the headliner. He's paying earnest tribute to the songs themselves – which in the course of pop history have been overshadowed by the voices singing them – and on that front, it's masterful! Still, Dylan's raspy croon is pretty darn charismatic itself on this material, making it another late career gem. Longtime Dylan players Charlie Sexton, Stu Kimball, Tony Garnier, George Recile and Donnie Herron make the instrumental magic happen, along with newer Dylan player (though longtime session guitar ace) Dean Parks – but extra credit to Herron, whose steel guitar sound makes it extra special. Includes "Young At Heart", "Maybe You'll Be There", "Polka Dots & Moonbeams", "All The Way", "Skylark", "Nevertheless", "All Or Nothing At All", "It Had To Be You", "Melancholy Mood", "That Old Black Magic" and "Come Rain Or Come Shine". CD

The early roots of The Guess Who – served up here in a double-length collection of material that's overflowing with great cuts before their famous years on RCA! The group's sound is already pretty strongly formed here – thanks to vocals and piano from Burton Cummings, and guitar work from Randy Bachman – maybe in more familiar garage territory on a number of cuts, but definitely finding that special sort of approach by the middle of the set – especially once Cummings discovers the more soulful, expressive side of his vocals. The set's got 28 tracks in all – put together by Bachman himself – and titles include "Friends Of Mine", "Maple Fudge", "Of A Dropping Pin", "We're Coming To Dinner", "Sitar Saga", "Miss Felicity Grey", "There's No Getting Away From You", "Croyez Moi", and "Shadows Cross The Shadows". CD

Titles include "Tuesday's Dead", "How Can I Tell You", "Morning Has Broken", "Peace Train", and "The Wind". Super Deluxe Edition includes the original album, demos, alternate mixes, and two CDs of live material – plus a Blu-ray with 1977 animated Moonshadow movie, a 2020 live performance, and hi-res audio mix of the original album – all packaged in a heavy slipcover with a fancy hardover book! CD

The start of rock and roll was a bit different in the UK than it was over here – still with the requisite inspiration from R&B and other American styles, but also inflected with some elements from the colonial scene, the world of music hall, jazz, and other instrumental styles – in ways that made for a slightly different genesis than you might expect! This well-done 3CD package traces the roots in a really great way – especially on the first CD, which features initial postwar moments of musical inspiration, from artists who include Ray Ellington, Ken Colyer, Alma Cogan, Art Baxter, Marty Wilde & The Wildcats, Tommy Steele, Terry Wayne, Lonnie Donegan, Lita Roza, and even a young Alexis Korner! CD2 has things coming together a bit more with a pop-styled polish – work from Cliff Richard, Vince Taylor, Johnny Kidd, Sally Kelly, and Billy Fury – plus later tracks from a few of the artists on CD1. And CD3 sends it home from the early 60s years right before the British Invasion – lots more from Billy Fury, and other cuts from Screaming Lord Sutch, The Shadows, Outlaws, Tornadoes, Blues Incorporated, and even The Beatles. 72 tracks in all – with notes in English and French! CD

One of the coolest collections we've heard from Keb Darge in years – not the funk and soul he first gave us when he started putting compilations together, nor the rockabilly and R&B from more recent years – and instead a fantastic array of rare late 60s garage rock and freaky fuzz singles! The set's tone in collaboration with Cut Chemist – another DJ we'd never expect to know this music so well – and together, the pair turn their talent for rare record digging to an arena that never seems to get old – the under-underground of the pre-hippy years, with a stunning selection of tracks by artists who worked in the deep shadows beneath bigger acts like Count Five, The Seeds, or Standells. Half the record is collected by Cut Chemist, the other by Keb – and the package features a whopping 30 tracks in all, most of which we'd never heard before! Titles include "Cry" by The Malibus, "Cuttin Grass" by Caretakers Of Deception, "Project Blue" by The Banshees, "Slander" by Ty Wagner, "Suzy Creamcheese" by Teddy & His Patches, "Nowadays People" by Captain Crunch & The Crew, "Go On Leave" by Red Beard & The Pirates, "In & Out" by Larry & The Blue Notes, "Why Am I Alone"by The Choab, "Can It Be" by The Savoys, "Modman" by The Spacemen, "Baby Go" by The Avantes, "Just Let Me Be" by The Outsiders, and "Come On Baby & Stick Around" by Al's Untouchables. CD