A tremendous overview of some really important years in British music – a period that sometimes gets overlooked, due to the huge explosion of psych, prog, and other styles – but one that's equally creative in its own sort of way! First off, forget the term "folk rock" – because although that's what this music might be, it's also very different than the pop folk modes that were big on the US scene in the mid 60s – as this folk rock scene instead represented a host of British musicians really retrenching, and finding their own sort of styles – sometimes borrowing bits from the ancient past of England, other times bringing forth a contemporary way of putting over a tune – at a level that might have gotten commercial and overproduced if these guys were working on the American west coast, but which instead has a nicely unadorned quality here. At a time when most American labels (and listeners) were really leaving folk music behind, these artists were able to often work free from the needs of a big commercial hit – and make genius music that's gone on to transform many minds over the decades. The set moves way past the obvious – and features a whopping 60 tracks in all, with lots of notes in the package – and even includes a few never-issued tracks as well. Includes work by Harvey Andrews, Jade, Michael Chapman, Andy Roberts, Mr Fox, Pentangle, Shirley Collins, Prelude, Heron, Mike Cooper, Paul Brett's Sage, Lifeblood, Dando Shaft, Canticle, Jeremy Harmer, Bridget St John, Al Jones, Bill Fay, Fairport Convention, The Woods Band, Matthew's Southern Comfort, The Johnstons, Beau, Richmond, Chimera, Spirogyra, and many others! CD

The second part of this famous concert soundtrack recording, and still with lots of essential material – a full side of Jimi Hendrix performances, plus more from Jefferson Airplain, Crosby Stills Nash & Young, Melanie, Mountain, Canned Heat, Joan Baez, and Butterfield Blues Band – and the audience at the concert singing "Let The Sunshine In" during a rainstorm on Sunday! LP, Vinyl record album

Dylan & The Band's legendary Basement Tapes – those amazing late 60s Woodstock recordings – and an album that was a classic long before it was officially released in the mid 70s! Bootleg after bootleg of some these recordings might have sold enough copies on the grey market in the early 70s to go platinum back in the day, so there's little wonder that Columbia would finally get some kind of official release out there – and it lives up to the legend! Dylan's conversational, seemingly spontaneous lyricism stretches over a good portion of it, with some much more soulful numbers, too – and those are all the more effective with The Band's incredible instrumentation, backing and occasional lead vocals. Here for the first time is a 100% officially-sanctioned release of a wealth of the raw, original Woodstock recordings, painstakingly restored from the original master tapes – but without the overdubs, editing and tinkerings of the mid 70s LP versions, and other tracks that never been officially released in any form! A truly vital document of one of the most legendary woodshedding efforts in rock history. LP, Vinyl record album

A seminal album from the end of the 60s – the triple-length soundtrack to the legendary Woodstock Festival in 1969 – pulled from all the many hours of material recorded for the film of the event! The set list reads not just like a "who's who" of hipness at the time – but also expands to show just how wide the range of sounds was in the underground – strands that move past the obvious rock material that you might expect, and which have the record standing as a great memory to the time – with maybe more diversity than some of the more monolithic memories! Features work by Canned Heat, Arlo Guthrie, Jimi Hendrix, Crosby Stills Nash & Young, Richie Havens, Santana, Ten Years After, The Who, Country Joe & The Fish, Sly & The Family Stone, Joan Baez, Butterfield Blues Band, Joe Cocker, Jefferson Airplane, John B Sebastian – and yes, Sha Na Na. LP, Vinyl record album

A huge package – all the material on the double-length Woodstock and Woodstock 2 albums – plus an hour of unreleased music! Features tracks from Jimi Hendrix, Richie Havens, Tim Hardin, Country Joe McDonald, Canned Heat, The Band, Joe Cocker, Santana, Mountain, The Who, Janis Joplin, and others! CD

One of the few albums ever issued by Ronnie Barron – an artist with a long range of work on the New Orleans scene, ties to Dr John, and even a role in the Woodstock scene of the early 70s – all of which really come through on this well-done set! Barron's got all the roots in his music that you'd guess from that legacy – some Nola moments in the rhythms, and a great ability to add a lot of character to his lyrics – sometimes shifting nicely from track to track, and bringing a lot of funky charm to the whole thing! Titles include "Duke Of Crenshaw", "Happy Happy Happy", "Let It Shine", "Freeway Mama", "Louisiana Flood", and "Don't Let My Husband Catch You". LP, Vinyl record album

A record that's every bit as weird and wild as its cover – and the only album ever recorded by this overlooked band – a late 60s act who were hip enough to be on the lineup at Woodstock, even though they never seemed to crack the big time after that! Yet although Quill were left out of the film version of the concert, their music here is more than heady enough to live up to the famous company in which they traveled – certainly psych, but with some deeper currents on the guitar that almost verge into hard rock at times – at a level that makes us wonder where they might have gone had they hung on a bit longer! Titles include "Thumbnail Screwdriver", "The Tube Exuding", "BBY", "Yellow Butterfly", "Too Late", and "Shrieking Finally". CD

The complete albums of this really unique group – all wrapped up in a single set, with bonus tracks too! First up is the self-titled debut – described on the cover as "Eight high-octane musicians who met and jammed in the great peanut butter octopus that is Los Angeles!" The record's got a really trippy approach that's partially folk rock, partially psychedelic soul, and which also has some great touches of groovy harmony pop and Latinized LA rhythms – all wrapped up in some totally great production overall! The whole thing skims and sings around like some of our favorite sunshiney pop from the time – almost a meeting of Triste Janeiro and Mamas & The Papas – with some great instrumental touches that include cello and electric harpsichord! Female lead vocals on most tracks, but the album also spins out nicely, so that you get plenty of instrumental passages too! Titles include "Why Oh Why", "Motherless Child", "Here We Go Again", "For Pete's Sake", "What's Wrong", "Come Take A Walk", and "In A Rainbow". Next is Just For You – the group's second album – and a really sweet batch of tracks that mix together rock and soul influences with touches of west coast hippy jazz, in a style that's almost an LA answer to Rotary Connection, but without all the baroque arrangements. The set's got a great version of "Compared To What", and the extended jazzy jammer "Just For You" – plus the cuts "Day Song", "Just For You", "Look Out", "Without Me", and "Windlace". Last up is Melon – a great little set from Sweetwater – a rock combo at heart, but one who also bring in a nice sense of soul too! The album follows strongly from other of their Reprise releases – almost funky in parts, with drums that kick in nicely, and a flowing sense of groove that features keyboards, flute, and added percussion that helps to spice things up. Most tracks have vocals, but there's some very strong standout instrumental moments – and titles include "Take It From Splice Boys", "Naturally", "Don't Give A Hoot", "Get It While You Can", "I'm Happy Today", "Rejoice The Smile Of Man", and "Join The Band". 2CD set features 8 bonus tracks – including one recorded at Woodstock! 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

A great look at the farther reaches of the American underground scene in the mid 80s – years after punk and post-punk modes – and a portrait of a whole generation who rose up in their wake, but maybe made music that was something else entirely! 20 years hence, these guys might have been garage rock bands – and while they've got some of that spirit, they've also learned the sharper guitar edges of the late 70s/early 80s scene – but work towards songs that are sometimes more personal, and subjects that are more down to earth. At some level, these groups are America's version of the C86 generation – but more obscure, with less polish, as they were never likely to get the airplay or press of the British scene – which is what makes the music even more compelling, especially as some of these guys were very tied to local scenes. The package is great – with an enormous booklet of notes that's worth the price alone – in support of 28 tracks that include "The Meeting" by Pop Art, "Change" by Holiday, "When Do You Say Hello" by Great Plains, "Say Goodbye" by Riff Doctors, "Misery Me & You" by White Sisters, "Is It You" by The Darrows, "Seven Steps Down" by Salem 66, "Five O'Clock" by Three Hits, "She Collides With Me" by Sex Clark Five, "All My Friends" by Primitons, "All That Stuff" by The Windbreakers, and "Trusted Woods" by The Reverbs. CD