Fuzzy and genuinely well-crafted private press grooves from the Emerson brothers – with crazy good hooks, some surprisingly solid musicianship – and songs that range from straight-up catchy, though fuzz-drenched rock, to funk and soul! Donnie Emerson is the lead singer, guitarist and bass player, along with some synth – and on the best tunes, he's got a confident, laidback and warm style on vocals that truly doesn't feel the voice of a kid still in his teens – with brother Joe on drums and other friends on backing vocals here and there. Here's a record that profoundly transcends the private press novelty and the goofy jumpsuits they're rocking on the front cover! Includes "Good Time", "Give Me The Chance", "Baby", the instrumental groover "Feels Like The Sun", "Love Is", "Don't Go Lovin' Nobody Else", "Dream Full Of Dreams" and "My Heart". CD

A stone 70s classic from Carlos Santana's lesser-known brother – a set that effortlessly brings together Latin and soul, often with the same sort of vibe as the Coke Escovedo records on Mercury from the same time! Jorge plays guitar, but lead vocals are from Richard Bean (of Malo and Sapo fame) – often in a sweetly crackling style that's kind of a smoother 70s update of Latin Soul modes from a few years before. Tunes are all lively, with nice hooks – never too uptempo, and carried off with a jazzy edge on most numbers. Titles include "Sandy", "Seychells", "Nobody's Perfect", "Love The Way", "We Were There", and "Tonight You're Mine". (Soul, Rock) CD

Jaunty rock by We The People – not to be confused with the early 70s soul act of the same name! Titles include "Beginning Of The End", "Too Much Noise", "My Brother The Man", "Free Information", "In The Past", "Alfred What Kind Of Man Are You", "You Are The Color Of Love", and "St Johns Shop". CD

A mighty nice collision of sounds – and one that really gets at the special spirit of music on the left side of the scene at the start of the 80s! Sure, punk broke things open in the late 70s – but a few years later, that initial shock gave way to a much more fluid, experimental sort of scene – one in which different sounds and styles could resonate with each other in a really great way – some barriers between rock and soul forever taken down, and the door from the artier side of the spectrum open to bring some fresh ideas into the mainstream! Writer Jon Savage was a very important part of the scene at the time – and here, he recalls the musical moment not just with a great array of tracks that leap between genres, but also with well-penned notes that get at the thought behind the tunes included on the 35 track set. Titles include "Hydraulic Pump (part 2)" by P Funk All Stars, "We're So Cool" by Au Pairs, "Planet Rock" by Afrika Bambaataa & The Soul Sonic Force, "Don't Make Me Wait" by NYC Peech Boys, "Poor Old Soul (part 2)" by Orange Juice, "Sound Of The Crowd" by Human League, "Underground" by The Bizarros, "Twist & Crawl" by The Beat, "These Days" by Joy Division, "The Apartment" by Giorgio Moroder, "She's Lost Control" by Grace Jones, "More Bounce To The Ounce" by Zapp, "Flight" by A Certain Ratio, "Euthenics" by Modern Eon, "Too Many Creeps" by Bush Tetras, "How We Gonna Make The Black Nation Rise" by Brother D with Collective Effort, "Mack The Knife" by Psychedelic Furs, "Pictures" by Josef K, "Adventures On The Wheels Of Steel" by Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five, "Art On 45" by Royal Family & The Poor, and "Our Love" by Donna Summer. CD

A beautiful mixing of modes – Jim Capaldi's Traffic-bred, London-styled vocals, and the sweet southern soul grooves of Muscle Shoals – all wrapped together with a sound that's even tighter than Capaldi's debut album! Jim's a big edgier here overall – both in the way he delivers the vocals, and in the lyrics of the tunes – and his singing's underscored perfectly by help from Jimmy Johnson on guitar, Barry Beckett on piano and organ, David Hood on bass, and Roger Hawkins on drums – all of whom create the right sort of warm Muscle Shoals vibe to make Capaldi's music sound wonderfully soulful. Steve Winwood plays a bit of guest organ on the set, and may well help with backing vocals – and titles include the funky "Low Rider" (different than the War tune) – plus "We'll Meet Again", "Summer Is Fading", "My Brother", "It's Alright", and "Yellow Sun". LP, Vinyl record album

A graceful collaboration between the ever-eclectic Elvis Costello and New Orleans legend Allen Toussaint – with Elvis's current backing group The Imposters providing a tight rhythmic backdrop that's punctuated by the Crescent City Horns! Toussaint's work as a producer/arranger/ace songwriter needs no introduction, and he and Costello & co. run through many great tracks from Toussaint's songbook in a sometimes mellow soul feel, and sometimes with some light Crescent City funk. Toussaint & Costello co-penned a number of new tracks for the set – mostly with an uplifting gospel soul inflection that's very nice! Tracks include "On Your Way Down", "Nearer To You", "Tears, Tears And More Tears", "The Sharpest Thorn", "Who's Gonna Help Brother Get Further?", "The River In Reverse", "Freedom For The Stallion", "Ascension Day", "All These Things", "Wonder Woman" and more. (Soul, Rock) CD

Fuzzy and genuinely well-crafted private press grooves from the Emerson brothers – with crazy good hooks, some surprisingly solid musicianship – and songs that range from straight-up catchy, though fuzz-drenched rock, to funk and soul! Donnie Emerson is the lead singer, guitarist and bass player, along with some synth – and on the best tunes, he's got a confident, laidback and warm style on vocals that truly doesn't feel the voice of a kid still in his teens – with brother Joe on drums and other friends on backing vocals here and there. Here's a record that profoundly transcends the private press novelty and the goofy jumpsuits they're rocking on the front cover! Includes "Good Time", "Give Me The Chance", "Baby", the instrumental groover "Feels Like The Sun", "Love Is", "Don't Go Lovin' Nobody Else", "Dream Full Of Dreams" and "My Heart". LP, Vinyl record album

An incredible collection of work from the great John Cameron – kind of a secret hero on the British scene of the late 60s and early 70s – as most of his work was done for bigger artists at the time, or came out on obscure sound library sessions! Yet despite that obscurity, Cameron was a true hero of the time – a jazz musician who was able to bring a fresh sensibility to the studio when supporting the work of key artists on their important records – maybe most famously in collaboration with Donovan, but heard here working with a variety of different rock, folk, soul, and other artists – all of whom really benefit from the John Cameron touch! We've always loved Cameron's work in the studio, are always thrilled to see his name on a record – and this collection is maybe the first to really showcase his contributions to the world in a really unified way – all with the usual Ace Records strong attention to details and great liner notes too. Titles include "Barnes Bridge" by Harold McNair, "Willow's Harp" by World Of Oz, "Boat Trip" by Gordon Haskell, "Ding Dong The Wicked Witch Is Dead" by Julie Felix, "The Observation" by Donovan, "Avenues & Alleyways" by Tony Christie, "Everybody Needs Somebody" by The Fascinations, "Isn't This Where We Came In" by Lionel Bart, "A Road To Nowhere" by Lesly Duncan, "Open Your Window" by Ella Fitzgerald, "Primrose Hill" by Kathe Green, "Cleopatra Jones" by Bobby Harrison, and "Brother" by CCS – plus "Half Forgotten Daydreams", "Heat Haze", and "Kes" by Cameron himself. CD

Creedence Clearwater Revival may not have actually been born on the bayou – they were long-timers in the San Francisco scene of the 60s – but they do a hell of a job of reinventing swamp rock on this second stunning album! The quartet are a masterpiece of spare, unbridled power – the tremendous guitar and vocals of John Fogerty, strong rhythm guitar support of brother Tom, driving drums of Doug Clifford, and rolling bass of Stu Cook – all forged into a sound that's maybe more perfectly a summation of the blend of blues, funk, rock, and soul than some of the groups of the south were turning out at the time. Tracks include the huge hits "Born On The Bayou" and "Proud Mary" – sitting nicely alongside even more compelling numbers like "Bootleg", "Graveyard Train", "Penthouse Pauper", and "Keep On Chooglin". LP, Vinyl record album

Creedence Clearwater Revival may not have actually been born on the bayou – they were long-timers in the San Francisco scene of the 60s – but they do a hell of a job of reinventing swamp rock on this second stunning album! The quartet are a masterpiece of spare, unbridled power – the tremendous guitar and vocals of John Fogerty, strong rhythm guitar support of brother Tom, driving drums of Doug Clifford, and rolling bass of Stu Cook – all forged into a sound that's maybe more perfectly a summation of the blend of blues, funk, rock, and soul than some of the groups of the south were turning out at the time. Tracks include the huge hits "Born On The Bayou" and "Proud Mary" – sitting nicely alongside even more compelling numbers like "Bootleg", "Graveyard Train", "Penthouse Pauper", and "Keep On Chooglin". CD

A groovy little collection that features a few previously-unissued tracks from the great early years of Hall & Oates at Atlantic Records – plus a few tracks from other label releases as well! The unissued numbers are all from 1973, and done with Arif Mardin's help in the studio – in this warmly swirling groove that really illustrates the way that Hall & Oates were able to pick up the best aspect of Philly soul production, and turn them towards their own blue-eyed lyrics and vocals. These cuts include "It's Uncanny", "I Want To Know You For A Long Time", and "Love You Like A Brother". The set then features some great material from the early Atlantic albums – including "Las Vegas Turnaround", "Can't Stop The Music", "She's Gone", "Lilly", "When The Morning Comes", and "70s Scenario". LP, Vinyl record album

A mighty nice collision of sounds – and one that really gets at the special spirit of music on the left side of the scene at the start of the 80s! Sure, punk broke things open in the late 70s – but a few years later, that initial shock gave way to a much more fluid, experimental sort of scene – one in which different sounds and styles could resonate with each other in a really great way – some barriers between rock and soul forever taken down, and the door from the artier side of the spectrum open to bring some fresh ideas into the mainstream! Writer Jon Savage was a very important part of the scene at the time – and here, he recalls the musical moment not just with a great array of tracks that leap between genres, but also with well-penned notes that get at the thought behind the tunes included on the 35 track set. Titles include "Hydraulic Pump (part 2)" by P Funk All Stars, "We're So Cool" by Au Pairs, "Planet Rock" by Afrika Bambaataa & The Soul Sonic Force, "Don't Make Me Wait" by NYC Peech Boys, "Poor Old Soul (part 2)" by Orange Juice, "Sound Of The Crowd" by Human League, "Underground" by The Bizarros, "Twist & Crawl" by The Beat, "These Days" by Joy Division, "The Apartment" by Giorgio Moroder, "She's Lost Control" by Grace Jones, "More Bounce To The Ounce" by Zapp, "Flight" by A Certain Ratio, "Euthenics" by Modern Eon, "Too Many Creeps" by Bush Tetras, "How We Gonna Make The Black Nation Rise" by Brother D with Collective Effort, "Mack The Knife" by Psychedelic Furs, "Pictures" by Josef K, "Adventures On The Wheels Of Steel" by Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five, "Art On 45" by Royal Family & The Poor, and "Our Love" by Donna Summer. CD

The title's certainly got it right – as the set's overflowing with killer UK tracks from a time when the scene was heavily influenced by American soul, jazz, blues, and R&B – served up here on a host of singles that go way past the bigger names of that generation, and which really show the diversity and complexity of the underground groups who were making London hum in the mid 60s! And despite a strong influence from America, most of these acts aren't just aping music from our shores, and instead are already taking it to new and exciting places – using core elements in very different ways, at a level that would end up being a path forward for prog, psych, and other styles to come! The limited 2LP set features 34 tracks in all – and titles include "Oh Yeah" by The Others, "Unchain My Heart" by Trendbender Band, "Work Song" by James Royal, "I Still Want You" by Mickey Finn & The Blue Men, "Things She Says" by The In Crowd, "Crawdaddy Simone" by The Syndicats, "That Driving Beat" by The Favourite Sons, "I Take What I Want" by The Artwoods, "Number One" by Stormsville Shakers, "See Saw" by The Union, "Ain't Love Good" by Lucas & The Mike Cotton Sound, "Gotta Brand New Man" by Barry St Loun, "Last Night" by Laurel Aitken & The Soul Men, "Turn On Your Lovelight" by Wynder K Frog, "Something For Nothing" by Carl Douglas & The Big Stampede, "Good Lovin Never Hurt" by The Soul Brothers, "Hold On" by Ruperts People, and "She's A Girl" by The Attraction. LP, Vinyl record album

An excellent collection of rare female soul from the 60s – a set that not only features overlooked 45rpm singles from Warner Brothers at the time – but also some great gems from their famous Loma Records imprint too! If you think you know this territory, think again – as there's a huge amount of tracks here that are completely fresh to our ears – the kind of material that a label as big as Warner was able to cut with their ample staff and studio time, then never did a think to promote the singles at all – leaving a space of decades before all these 7" gems were finally able to get exposure on a set like this! The package moves between catchy group soul and deeper-burning solo material – and the whole thing's done with the usual high quality we love from Ace, from the sound quality right down to the notes in the book. Titles include "There He Goes" by The Royalettes, "We Can Find That Love" by Vickie Baines, "He's Good" by Barbara Jackson, "Contact" by Three Degrees, "Wounded" by The Cookies, "My Soul Concerto" by The Apollas, "I Taught Him (part 1)" by Gloria Scott & The Tonettes, "All Because I Love Somebody" by Barbara English, "Don't Come A Knockin" by Mary Lee Whitney, "Here I Come" by Joyce Alexander, "Jive Jimmy" by The Socialites, "The Reason Why" by The Dolls, "Bright Lights" by Delilah Kennebreuw, and "Oh Eddy My Baby" by Brenda Hall. (Soul, Rock) CD

A rock/soul outing from Gale Force – a group comprised of brothers Len and Ken Gale, hence the name! The set's an odd one – as it was produced by Wayne Henderson during the height of his glory days at Fantasy, and features keyboards by Bobby Lyle – so you'd guess that it would have some sort of a jazz funk component. But overall, it's a pretty strict rock outing – although not without some soulful charms – as the brothers seem to pick up the Fantasy Records groove where Creedence left off – going for compressed and rhythmic tunes that almost have a Steve Miller style at times. Titles include "Reach On Out", "I Was Made To Love Her", "Amourena", "Turn On The Blue Lights", and "Let My Love In". LP, Vinyl record album

An incredible concept album from the South African scene of the early 70s – a record that mixes rootsy percussion with plenty of freak and fuzz – all in a style that seems to take UK psychedelic inspirations and forge them into a very unique Johannesburg expression! Acoustic elements are every bit as important to the music as the electric ones – creating this earthy vibe that's very different than Anglo records of its type – and the soulful vocals from singer Dave Ornellas really send things over the top! The album begins with a seventeen minute, side-long track that's completely beautiful – and side two moves on with similar beauty, on a set of shorter tracks that balance things out nicely. Titles include "African Day", "Here Comes The Sun", "Look Up Brother"," Kissed By The Sun", "Happy Man", and "Love Song". LP, Vinyl record album

The Beatles weren't just the biggest recording act on the scene in the mid 60s, they were also probably the most influential from a songwriting perspective too – such that countless other groups, singers, and musicians picked up their songs and gave them a try, including some tracks that The Beatles never recorded themselves! These aren't just hack cover versions, though – as the artists here clearly love the Fab Four, and are dedicated to unlocking ways that the music inspires them, and makes them seek their own expressions too – expressions that are presented here in full force, in a very cool package that mixes up rock, soul, jazz, folk, and other styles too – all in a massive 85 track set, with very detailed notes. Artists include Jackie Lynton, Marilyn Powell, The Merseymen, Dick Rivers, Mary Wells, Duffy Power, The Coterie, Mark Wynter, Strawberry Fair, Brotherhood, The Buckinghams, Madeline Bell, The Transatlantics, Count Basie, Jimmy James, Spanky & Our Gang, Zoot, Junior Parker, Jackie Trent, The Four Preps, PJ Proby, Mae West, Five Man Electrical Band, Dave Baby Cortez, and many others. CD

A wonderful look at the 60s scene in East LA – filled with cuts from some of the underground groups who made the area one of the hippest hotbeds of music at the time! There's a great blend of soul, R&B, and Latin elements bubbling under in most of these tracks – echoes of east coast modes, but touched with some of the styles that would show up more strongly in later Chicano rock – still at a very early level here. Harmony soul modes get plenty of play – and titles include "Come Swim With Me" by Little Ray, "My Heart Cries" by The Romancers, "Get Your Baby" by The Premiers, "Nau Ninny Nau" by Cannibal & The Headhunters, "Hector (part 1)" by Village Callers, "Rainbow Stomp (part 1)" by The Mixtures, "Please Answer" by The Heartbreakers, "One Like Mine" by The Salas Brothers with The Jaguars, "My Girl" by Phil & Del with The Mixtures, and "Destiny" by Larry Tamblyn. (Soul, Rock) CD

Pure crossover genius from Buddy Miles – a great mix of funky soul and rockish touches – and the kind of record that easily put Buddy in the same camp as Sly Stone or The Isley Brothers with mainstream audiences of the time! Tracks here are a bit longer and more jamming than work by either of those two artists – with the kind of heavy guitar and horns that played heavily to the Fillmore crowd – but the overall sound of the record is a fair bit more soulful and even funkier than some other Miles' efforts from the earlier years too, with plenty of his tight drums in the mix! Titles include a great 12 minute reading of the title track "We Got To Live Together" – plus "Take It Off Him & Put It On Me", "Runaway Child", "Walking Down The Highway", and "Easy Greasy". (Soul, Rock) LP, Vinyl record album

Classic tracks from one of the greatest songwriting teams in soul music during the 60s and 70s – the legendary trio of Brian Holland, Lamont Dozier, and Eddie Holland – two of whom started out as soul singers, and all three of whom left behind a huge legacy on the Detroit scene! And while the trio were a famous part of Motown before moving off to start their own HDH family of labels, the work here also expands past those roots and includes some other gems that really show the wide reach of their music – including some non-soul titles that stack up here as a real surprise! As always with Ace Records, the notes tell the huge story behind the music, along with a great set of vintage images – and the package features 24 tracks in all, with titles that include "Band Of Gold (unedited alt version)" by Freda Payne, "There's A Ghost In My House" by The Fall, "New Breed Kind Of Woman" by Lamont Dozier, "Come & Get These Memories" by Laura Nyro, "Leaving Here" by Eddie Holland, "Come See About Me" by Barbara Mason, "Helpless" by Kim Weston, "A Love Like Yours" by Dusty Springfield, "You Keep Me Hanging On" by Vanilla Fudge, "This Old Heart Of Mine" by Bettye Swann, "Take Me In Your Arms" by Isley Brothers, "Don't Do It" by The Band, "Love's Gone Bad" by Chris Clark, "How Sweet It Is" by Brenda Lee, and "Where Did Our Love Go" by Donnie Elbert. (Soul, Rock) CD

The legendary Chess Records is best known as a home to important blues, soul, and gospel records from the postwar years – but back in the 50s, the label also did a pretty great job with the harder side of the rock and roll spectrum too! Maybe that's no surprise, given that the Chess Brothers always had a great ear for new and unusual music – to a point where they sometimes issued work that wasn't recorded in their Chicago studios, which is the case with a fair bit of the cuts on this collection – many of which hail from points farther south, from territory that was bristling with new energy from rockabilly pioneers at the time! There's a few more familiar Chess artists mixed in here with more obscure artists who only issued singles for the label – and the massive 33 track package comes with very detailed notes on all the tracks within. Titles include "Run Rose" by Billy Miranda, Good Morning Little Schoolgirl" by Don & Bob, "The Story Of My Life" by Big Al Downing, "So Long Goodbye" by JC Hill, "Baby Bye Bye" by Dickie & The Gees, "Make Believe Wedding Bells" by Dick Glasser, "I Found My Girl" by The Kents, "6:15" by The Galaxies, "I Am Ready" by Bobby Dean, "See You Soon Baboon" by Dale Hawkins, "No More" by Bobby Charles, and That's All You Gotta Do" by Jack Ford. CD

The classic box set featuring so many of the biggest, best, and brightest pop, rock & soul singles of the late 50s and on through the 60s – those ubiquitous, but no less incredible productions from that crazy genius Phil Spector! Back To Mono features many of the best known numbers by the Ronettes, the Righteous Brothers, Darlene Love, the Checkmates, the Crystals and many more – all of it with the appropriately dubbed Wall Of Sound that made Phil Spector the most famous producer of all time! We'd love to see an addendum someday featuring a set of Spector's productions for those idiosyncratic superstars of the 70s (the Ramones, Leonard Cohen, the post-Beatles) – but as a snapshot of an era, this box can hardly be beaten! 60 tracks on the the main 3CDs in the set – plus a 4th CD featuring the classic Christmas Gift For You From Phil Spector album from 1963! Titles include "To Know Him Is To Love Him" by the Teddy Bears, "Spanish Harlem" by Ben E King, "I Love How You Love Me" by Paris Sisters, "He's A Rebel" by the Crystals, "(Today I Met) The Boy I'm Going To Marry" by Darlene Love, "Be My Baby" by the Ronettes, "Hold Me Tight" by the Treasures, "You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'" by the Righteous Brothers, "River Deep Mountain High" by Ike & Tina, "Love Is All I Have To Give" by Checkmates and tons more – plus the immortal holiday disc featuring the Ronettes, Bob B Soxx & The Blue Jeans, Crystals, Darlene Love and more! All that, and a thick, nearly 100 page booklet! CD

That's a young Isaac Hayes on the cover, sitting at the piano next to David Porter – his key songwriting partner at Stax Records in the 60s – at a time before both artists had gone onto their own solo recordings for the label! The Hayes/Porter team gave Stax some of their best songs during the second half of the 60s – often numbers that have a hip, hard-grooving style that really pushed the boundaries of Memphis soul – and as you'll hear here, the duo's work was not just recorded for their main label, but also handled by a wealth of other artists too – mostly soul singers of the late 60s, but also featured here on a few later tracks as well. Those later cuts are ever bit as soulful as the 60s material that makes up most of the collection – and the package also features some unissued numbers too –served up here in a list of 24 titles that include "Can't Trust Your Neighbor" by Freddie King, "60 Minutes Of Your Love" by Homer Banks, "I'll Understand" by Edwin Starr & Blinky, "Left Over Love" by Ruby Johnson, "Hold On I'm Coming" by The Righteous Brothers, "You Got Me Hummin" by The Hassles, "I'm Dedicating My Life" by Danny White, "Love Is After Me" by Charlie Rich, "Your Good Thing" by Mable John, "You Don't Know Like I Know" by Keith Powell & Billie Davis, "Wrap It Up" by Archie Bell & The Drells, "Baby" by Rachel Sweet, "As Long As I've Got You" by The Emotions, "I Take What I Want" by The Bishops, "The Sweeter He Is (parts 1 & 2)" by Soul Children, and an unreleased alternate of "Toe Hold" by Johnnie Taylor. (Soul, Rock) CD

Pop soul from the Alessi brothers – bright, upbeat and glossy groovers that sound sweeter that we would have imagined all these years – with tight songcraft, hooks you can't shake if you try, and played by some all star musicians - Larry Carlton, Tom Scott, Ernie Watts, Lenny Castro and more! Christopher Cross is also on the album, and he blew up pretty big for a little while around this time, and Long Time Friends are just as unshakable as his huge hit! Titles include "Jagged Edge", "I'm Gonna Tell Her Tonight", "How Long, How Much", "Still In Love", "Forever", "Long Time Friends" and more. (Soul, Rock) LP, Vinyl record album

A pair of early records from Hour Glass – back to back in a single set! First up is the self titled Hour Glass album – fantastic early work from Gregg And Duane Allman – a set that's nothing at all like their Allman Brothers material, but which has a wonderful style nonetheless! At some level, there's a very strong soul current running through the music – as the group mix in songs by Curtis Mayfield, Deon Jackson, and others with some headier rock material – all set up in these arrangements by Dallas Smith that seem to begin in uptown soul, then push things into more psychedelic territory! The blend is great, and makes for a really wonderful record – on titles that include "I've Been Trying", "No Easy Way Down", "Out Of The Night", "Nothing But Tears", "Heartbeat", and "Silently". Power Of Love is an excellent second set from Hour Glass – the pre-Allman Brothers Band that featured both Duane and Gregg Allman, the latter of whom is really coming into his own on the record! Unlike the group's debut, this one features a lot more original material by Gregg – and guitars that start to crackle in that sweetly cresting style that would become the group's hallmark, and which would have an undeniable influence on the sound of rock in the 70s. At some level, the whole thing's an early southern effort to answer the sounds of the Bay Area scene – and comes off beautifully, thanks to titles that include "To Things Before", "I'm Not Afraid", "Home For The Summer", "Down In Texas", "Now Is The Time", and "Going Nowhere". LP, Vinyl record album

Four heavy classics from Buddy Miles – all together in a single set! First up is Expressway To Your Skull – a super tripped-out blend of rock, funk, and soul – easily one of Buddy Miles' most mindblowing albums – and a classic that never lets up at all! Buddy's leading the whole group on drums – really kicking things large from behind the kit – while the rest of the group jams in a heavy style that's got plenty of fuzzed-out guitar and jazzy horn riffs – virtually a blueprint for countless other rock funk groups that copped Buddy's style in years to come. The drums alone are worth the price of admission – but the whole album's so right, tight, and outta sight that it's been a favorite in our crates for years! Titles include "Train", "Let Your Lovelight Shine", "Don't Mess With Cupid", "Funky Mule", and "Wrap It Up". Electric Church is filled with bluesy soul from Buddy Miles – an album that was half-produced by Jimi Hendrix, and which showcases the really crowd-pleasing side of Miles' sound! Tracks are a mix of soul covers and original numbers – done in a mode that puts plenty of guitar out front in the mix, and which uses Buddy's screaming vocals a bit more than his heavier drums. Horns are used on most numbers to give them a bit of southern soul inflection, and titles include a great live jamming take on "Wrap It Up", the funky "Destructive Love", and the cuts "Cigarettes & Coffee", "Miss Lady", "Texas", and "My Chant". Them Changes is a landmark album of crossover funk – fuzzed out rock, soul, and jazzy licks all coming into play together – held totally tight by drummer Buddy Miles, the undisputed king of his scene! Buddy's drums are super-heavy – holding down his Freedom Express group with a heavy jazz-rock sound that would soon have a huge influence on other groups. Includes Buddy's original version of "Them Changes" – a tune that was instantly covered by everyone at the time – plus the cuts "Memphis Train", "Your Feeling Is Mine", "Dreams", and "Down By The River". Last up is We Got To Live Together – pure crossover genius from Buddy Miles – a great mix of funky soul and rockish touches – and the kind of record that easily put Buddy in the same camp as Sly Stone or The Isley Brothers with mainstream audiences of the time! Tracks here are a bit longer and more jamming than work by either of those two artists – with the kind of heavy guitar and horns that played heavily to the Fillmore crowd – but the overall sound of the record is a fair bit more soulful and even funkier than some other Miles' efforts from the earlier years too, with plenty of his tight drums in the mix! Titles include a great 12 minute reading of the title track "We Got To Live Together" – plus "Take It Off Him & Put It On Me", "Runaway Child", "Walking Down The Highway", and "Easy Greasy". (Soul, Rock) CD

One of those great later albums from the Rascals – recorded after their early hit years on Atlantic, at a time when the group was tripping out a bit, and actually picking up a lot more funk and rock touches! The sound of the record is surprisingly appealing to our ears, with some great funky bits that creep out from time to time – amidst a set of tracks that bubbles with a nice crossover style – all in the same soulful-leaning modes of the group's earlier work, but with a headier sound overall! Titles include "Jungle Walk", "Brother Tree", "Echoes", "Hummin Song", "Lucky Day", and "Saga Of New York". LP, Vinyl record album

An amazing second chapter for The Music Machine – working here with the last name of leader Sean Bonniwell in their name – in a groove that's even weirder and wilder than before! The group take on an odd new sound here – still the heady brew of fuzz and Hammond on their original garagey recordings from LA – but with a mode that also really lets Bonniwell's offbeat character come to the forefront – both in the odd lyrics, and his stark presentation in the lead – a Sunset Strip sense of personality that's almost up there with Kim Fowley at times! The record's definitely one of the weirder, more edgey sides cut for Warner Brothers in the mid 60s – and titles include "Astrologically Incompatible", "Double Yellow Line", "The Trap", "Soul Love", "Bottom Of The Soul", "Me Myself & I", and "The Eagle Never Hunts The Fly". CD features an insane 49 tracks in all – the full 14 track album, other Warner singles, and demos and rare material that includes solo tracks by Sean Bonniwell too! CD

The jury is sometimes out on the Mick Jagger on-screen performance in the Nicolas Roeg film Performance – but the soundtrack is something pretty separate entirely, and really says a lot more about the spirit of late 60s Warner Brothers Records in LA than it does the arthouse cinema scene in England! The great Jack Nitzsche composed a number of instrumental tracks for the score – maybe his first time in this mode, and prefacing some later 70s successes to come – with titles that include "Rolls Royce & Acid", "Harry Flowers", and "Natural Magic". Other Warner talents get a hand in the music too – as Randy Newman conducted all of Nitzsche's charts, and also sings "Gone Dead Train" – while Ry Cooder delivers bottleneck solos on "Get Away" and "Powis Square". There's also some nice soul-based moments – the cut "Wake Up N*ggers" by The Last Poets, and "Poor White Hound Dog" and "Performance" by Merry Clayton. And yes, Mick does get to sing on one tune – the album's "Memo From Turner" – and the set is completed by Buffy St Marie work on "The Hashishin" and "Dead Dead Red". (Soundtracks, Rock) LP, Vinyl record album

The last of Van Dyke Parks' classic early trio of albums for Warner Brothers – and possibly the straightest of the bunch! Parks continues the exploration of ersatz Americana explored on his previous two records – but his approach here is sometimes a bit gentler, almost sentimental at times – as if he's been pulled more strongly into the matrix of history and geography that's always informed his work. Production is still great – although not handled by Van Dyke this time around – and instrumentation includes a fair bit of steel drums, showing Parks' continuing love of the form. (He was one of the instrument's biggest mainstream champions in the early 70s.) Titles include "Soul Train", "Cannon In D", "You're A Real Sweetheart", "Another Dream", "Pass That Stage", "City On The Hill", "Iron Man", and "Love Is The Answer". LP, Vinyl record album

Both albums complete on one CD! First up GP – a mindblowing solo debut from Gram Parsons – music that's nicely different than his work with both the Flying Burrito Brothers and The Byrds, and which shows Gram really stepping out into the role of a 70s superstar – to which he would have ascended, were he not taken from us all too soon! There's a fragility to the record that's wonderful, even when things are tight – a quality echoed by vocals from Emmylou Harris, and which comes through especially strongly on Parsons' on tunes. Backing features all sorts of country studio greats – including James Burton on guitar and dobro, and Buddy Emmons on steel guitar – and titles include the completely sublime "She" – a cut that should have been a 70s classic – plus "Still Feeling Blue", "We'll Sweep Out The Ashes In The Morning", "Streets Of Baltimore", "That's All It Took", and "Cry One More Time". Next is Grievous Angel, one of the most beloved country rock albums of all time! This album is likely to have cemented Gram's legacy even if he didn't pass away before it's release – it's really that good – mixing mournful honk tonk laments, bleary-eyed barroom rockers and soul searching lyricism in a way that was pretty damn distinctive in the 70s. It's bookended by the (arguably) 2 greatest songs he ever wrote, "Return Of The Grievous Angel" and "In My Hour Of Darkness", plus "Love Hurts", "Brass Buttons", "$1000 Wedding", a rockin' cover of Tom T Hall's "I Can't Dance" and "Hickory Wind". And for all the praise we just heaped on Gram Parsons in the preceding sentences, there's no discounting the importance of co-singer and ""In My Hour Of Darkness" co-writer Emmylou Harris, who's like the beautifully voiced angel on Gram's shoulder. CD

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". LP, Vinyl record album