Paul Weller returns to a major label (a return in the US, anyway) with a set of covers – featuring the husky-voiced Weller in fine form on a far-reaching set of tracks! We're consistently impressed with Paul's solo albums, particularly 2003's sadly under appreciated (in the US, anyway) gem Illumination, so it was a bit of a downer to hear that his return to the big leagues on this side of the pond is a covers album – but it's actually a worthy endeavor! It's mostly done in Paul's stripped-down soul revival mode, reigning in some pretty disparate source material to the style. Tracks include "If I Could Only Be Sure", "Wishing On A Star", "Don't Make Promises", "Close To You", "Early Morning Rain", "Hercules", "All Along The Watchtower" and more. CD

One of the most awe-inspiring Nuggets sets yet – a massive ode to the late 60s San Francisco scene – a wide, wide breadth of amazing singles from a disparate selection of acts – bound by a 120-page hardcover, richly illustrated book! Love Is The Song We Sing isn't at all the lumbering box of hippie nostalgia you might be expecting – it's weighted very heavily in leftfield obscurities, out numbering the big hits by at least 10-to-1 – with harshly buzzing tunes, groovy psychedelia, and topical folk tunes alike. The book is full of great photos, in buoyant color and stately black & white, with notes on each individual track, an essay & track commentary by Alec Palao, a piece by early Rolling Stone figurehead Ben Fong Torres, and an additional piece by Gene Sculatti. This is one of the best Rhino boxes we've ever seen, and that's saying something, isn't it – with amazing songs by Dino Valente, Country Joe & The Fish, Blue Cheer, Sly Stone, Ace Of Cups, Count Five, Moby Grape, Beau Brummels, Flamin' Groovies and many more! Disc one "Seismic Rumbles" includes "Let's Get Together" by Dino Valente, "You Were On My Mind" by We Five, "Number One" by Charlatans, "Can't Come Down" by Warlocks, "She's My Baby" by Mojo Men, "Human Monkey" by Frantics and loads more. Disc 2 "Suburbia" includes "Psychotic Reaction" by Count Five, "Foolish Woman" by Oxford Circle, "Rubiyat" by Immediate Family, "Hearts To Cry" by Frumious Bandersnatch and more. Disc 3 "Summer Of Love" includes "Carl Street" by Mystery Trend, "Superbird" by Country Joe & The Fish, "White Rabbit" by Jefferson Airplane, "Summertime Blues" by Blue Cheer, "Underdog" by Sly & The Family Stone, "Loading Zone" by Bells and lots more. Disc 4 "The Man Can't Bust Our Music" includes "Evil Ways" by Santana, "Revolution" by Mother Earth, "I'm Drowning" by Flamin' Groovies, "Dark Star" (single version) by Grateful Dead, "Get Together" by The Youngbloods and more. 77 tracks on 4CDs! CD

Fantastic! The lost link in the Chicago soul scene of the 60s was Baby Huey – and he was a pretty darn big link too, if you've ever seen him in pictures! Weighing in at about 300 pounds, Baby Huey was sort of a rockin' soul star who played clubs on both sides of the city, to audiences of all types – working in a party-styled blend of funk, rock, and soul that was one of the most powerful grooves going down in the Windy City at the time! Huey sadly passed away at a very young age, leaving only this full album as his legacy – a great batch of hard-hitting soul tracks that are among some of the funkiest work ever recorded for the legendary Curtom label! The set includes Huey's classic version of "Mighty, Mighty", a club favorite from the live shows – plus the excellent Curtis Mayfield tune "Hard Times", famous as an oft-used sample track! Other titles include "A Change Is Going To Come", "California Dreamin", "Running", and "Mama Get Yourself Together". CD

Rare work by Curt Boettcher – recorded as a solo project by the Millenium mainman for Elektra in the early 70s. The album came out briefly, and almost died upon release – but it's a great batch of tracks that ranks with the best of the 70s rock underground – including work by Big Star, Terry Reid, and Emmitt Rhodes. The sound here is very different than Boettcher's Millenium work – still heartfelt and somewhat gentle, but also with touches of countrified instrumentation, and a rawer overall sound than you'd expect from the sweetness of Curt's pop in the 60s. Gary Usher helped produce the set, and titles include "Without Her", "Bobby California", "Love You Yes I Do", "Such A Lady", "I Love You More Each Day", and "Lay Down". CD

The legendary 1970 recordings Alex Chilton made at Ardent Studios – recorded in a brief moment after the bust up of the Box Tops and before the debut of Big Star – and a truly powerful precursor to that most iconic of soulful Memphis rock acts! For the longest time, the 1970 sessions were something of a rock & roll holy grail – having been oft-discussed, if rarely heard, by Chilton and Big Star diehards. In the mid 90s, Ardent Records finally released the heart of this collection as 1970 – and here it's done up with even more love and respect by Omnivore, which over the course of just a handful of releases has become one of the very best deep digging reissuers of great, should-be classic soul & rock treasures. The vibe swings from stripped down, soulful rock that sometimes flirts with country rock – those songs featuring gruff, bluesy vocals from Chilton that belie his actual youth, just as greatly as his vox for The Box Tops – to gentler soul pop numbers that truly prefigure the Big Star sound to come. The collection features 20 tracks: all of the material from the long out of print 1970, plus other songs from the period, including demos (these are raw in the right kind of way, as finished as we'd ever want to hear them) and some original mono mixes. Great liner notes by Bob Mehr, a living encyclopedia of Memphis musical knowledge. Includes "Free Again (Original Mono Mix)", "Come On Honey", "Something Deep Inside", "I Can Dig It", "The EMI Song (Smile For Me)", "Every Day As We Grow Closer/Funky National", "I Wish I Could Meet Elvis", "All We Ever Got From Them Was Pain", "Sugar, Sugar/I Got That Feeling", "All I Really Want Is Money", "Jumpin' Jack Flash" and more. CD

Five classic albums from Earth Wind & Fire – all packaged together in cool LP-styled sleeves – with some great bonus tracks too! First up is That's The Way Of The World – Earth Wind & Fire's ultimate moment of the 70s – and a perfect blending of all their influences that stands as a lasting tribute to their super-huge effect on soul music! The record features all aspects of the band coming into perfect cohesion – and titles include "Shining Star", "That's The Way Of The World", "Reasons", "Africano", "See The Light", and "Happy Feelin". Gratitude is one of Earth Wind & Fire's greatest from the mid 70s – a very tight batch of grooves that proves that Maurice White & Co. could play just as well on stage as they could in the studio – and the noise of the crowd going wild is enough to confirm that! Titles include their classic version of Skip Scarborough's "Can't Hide Love", plus the mellow jams "Yearnin' Learnin'" and "Reasons", the funky "Shining Star", and a great cover of "Sun Goddess", which was also done by Ramsey Lewis with the group. Spirit is a perfect example of the way that Earth Wind & Fire could tighten things up, yet still keep them real – holding onto the deeply spiritual side that first made them great – but also focusing their energy towards a wider audience that showed their influence for years! Titles include the instrumentals "Biyo" and "Departure", plus the vocal tracks "Earth Wind & Fire","Burnin Bush", "Spirit", "Imagination", and "Getaway", all produced to perfection by Maurice White and Charles Stepney! All N All is a stellar blend of jazz, funk, and soul, all done in that perfect style they'd hit by the mid 70s. And even though this one was a monster album, of the type that you see in everyone's record collection from the time, it's still got a freshness that we always forget about – and lots of nice twists and turns that show that the band hadn't lost their more sophisticated roots. Case in point is the wonderful "Brazilian Rhyme", a short little groover that you'll instantly recognize as a sample from the first Tribe Called Quest album. Other tracks include "Jupiter", "In The Marketplace", "Magic Mind", "Runnin", "Be Ever Wonderful", and "Serpentine Fire". I Am is a megahit album from Earth Wind & Fire – a record that spawned 2 of their biggest numbers ever – the mellow classic "After The Love Has Gone", and the club classic "Boogie Wonderland"! The rest of the album is equally great to follow in the strength of those two numbers – and like always for EWF, even when the group's hitting the charts big, they're still righteous as can be – with lots of great undercurrents that reflect their earlier years in jazzier styles! Other titles include "Star", "Wait", "You & I", "In The Stone", and "Can't Let Go". Plus, this set also features bonus tracks on the Gratitude, Spirit, and I Am albums too! CD

The second anniversary of Gladys Knight & The Pips on Buddah Records – an album that really shows the new level of depth the group were able to hit at the label! A key factor on the album is work by Eugene McDaniels – who produced the record, and wrote a good number of tracks too – really pushing Gladys and the group into righteous territory they wouldn't have touched a few years before – a deeper groove that really matches some of their best soundtrack material of the mid 70s! Gladys really stretches out wonderfully with her leads – and the Pips provide just the right sort of warm backdrop to hold things together. Titles include "Street Brothers", "At Every End There's A Beginning", "Summer Sun", "Feel Like Making Love", and "Money". After hitting big as a singer on the soundtrack for Claudine, Gladys Knight finally got her chance in front of the camera for Pipe Dreams – a record that featured her both as the star on film and on the soundtrack! The styles here are a bit more wider-ranging than the usual 70s soundtrack of this type – a bit of ballad soul, mellow numbers, and more – arranged by Dominic Frontiere and Michael Masser in styles that are a bit like some of Knight's own albums of the time. We like especially the jazzy vocalesey number "Pot Of Jazz", a nice number that deserves further discovery on a compilation – and other cuts include "Find A Way", "Follow My Dreams", "So Sad The Song", and "Alaskan Pipeline". CD

The Monkees in their groovy, giddy prime – and a nice little album that leaves the silliness of the TV show aside for a catchy and credible batch of late 60s group pop – with a nice mix LA studiocraft and touches of psych tinged country rock for which they still don't get enough credit! The main album is perhaps best known for the big hit "Pleasant Valley Sunday" – but the rest of the tracks have the boys continuing to take on the style of post Rubber Soul acoustic Beatles, plus some much more adventurous bits of early psychedelic pop! Album tracks include "Salesman", "She Hangs Out", "The Door Into Summer", "Love Is Only Sleeping", Nilsson's "Cuddly Toy", "Hard To Believe", "What Am I Doing Hanging 'Round", "Daily Nightly", "Don't Call On Me" and "Star Collector". With seven bonus tracks. CD

The Neptunes' first release as NERD! The music and verses are completely different from their big hits productions for others in the early 00. All these years later, we're still not sure what they're up to here – are they serious and making music they love or thumbing their noses at the music industry with a huge inside joke? Either way, it's good to hear some dope original hip hop that doesn't fit into any of the normal club/radio/underground/abstract hip hop categories. Includes "Lapdance", "Things Are Getting Better", "Brain", "Provider", "Truth Or Dare" (feat. Kelis & Pusha T), "Tape You", "Run To The Sun", "Baby Doll", "Am I High" (feat. Malice), "Rock Star", "Bobby James", "Stay Together". NOTE: This is the "Live" US version with a nice range of styles – with live band accompaniment by the band Spymob – and sounds from a lighter funky soul style, to rough, guitar and drums heavy rap rock (in a good way – not that played out, rap metal way). CD

Prince got tagged to do the music for the big breakout Batman film from Tim Burton – and the performances here are definitely not the stuff of The Dark Night – and in fact, maybe nothing like you'd expect from Batman at all – even though the music does make a nod or two towards the cowled crusader with some samples! It's clear that Prince just had a fun time putting the whole thing together – and like many other star soundtracks from the 90s, the feel of the music is very much its own thing – which is probably why the record was such a hit, and maybe has had a lot more endurance than the film! Titles include "The Future", "Electric Chair", "Vicki Waiting", "Partyman", "Scandalous", and "Batdance". CD

Two of the best Nelson Riddle instrumental albums for Capitol Records – both of them nice and jazzy! Let Yourself Go is totally great – a set that soars out with the fire and energy of some of the best jazz-based big band albums of the 50s – with plenty of room for strong solos from the individual players (who sadly aren't named in the notes, but who are most likely the cream of the crop of the west coast!) In keeping with the Riddle vibe, there's some great twists and turns in the music – but hardly ever in a way that's just gimmick for gimmick's sake. Titles include "You're An Old Smoothie", "Let's Face The Music & Dance", "You Are My Lucky Star", "Let Yourself Go", "Darn That Dream", and "I Can't Escape From You". C'Mon Get Happy is a wonderful album too – a set that's almost like soundtrack jazz at its best – well conceived, and tightly arranged – but with some strong moments of individual instrumentation! There's a slight touch of sweetness at times, but never in a way that's too string-heavy – and instead, the emphasis here is mostly on the horns, which burst out with a great sense of power and sound. Titles include "Rain", "Diga Diga Doo", "Get Happy", "Time Was", "Without A Song", "Jeannine", and "September In The Rain". CD

A wonderful album from George Russell – a refreshing change from his overly-academic modernist work – and a brilliant bit of new ideas with some very down to earth expression! The session's an unusual one – a musical portrait of New York City, performed with an all-star cast who really flesh out the ideas in the music – linked together with these fantastic spoken bits by Jon Hendricks – patter about the city and the scene that really make the whole thing come alive! The lineup is virtually a who's who of modern jazz at the moment – John Coltrane and Benny Golson on tenors, Art Farmer on trumpet, Bill Evans on piano, Hal McKusick and Phil Woods on alto, and Max Roach on drums – coming together under some of the clearest leadership that George Russell has ever provided. The whole thing is great – and titles include "Manhattan", "Big City Blues", "Manhattan-Rico", and "A Helluva Town". CD

Organist Don Patterson was one of the greatest things to happen to alto giant Sonny Stitt in the 60s – and this set features 2 of the pair's greatest albums together! Both Night Crawler and The Boss Men are spare affairs – with Patterson on alto, Stitt on sax, and drummer Billy James providing the only other accompaniment, as the players stretch out in lean long solos that show the best of their playing. There's a total of 14 tracks in all on the set – a mix of hard groovers and mellower cuts – and titles include "Night Crawler", "Star Eyes", "Diane", "What's New?", "Easy To Love", "Big C's Rock", "42639", and "Answering Service". CD

A super-huge solo set from Martha Wash – made a number of years after her fame in The Weather Girls, and at a time when she had really emerged as an important voice in dance music after a big cut with C&C! By this point, Wash had plenty of recording experience under her belt – and she knocks it out of the park with vocals that are disco-trained, but much richer in soul content overall – certainly more so than some of her other contemporaries on the early 90s club scene. The album features help from a huge amount of studio talent, but it's clear that Wash is the shining star in the lead – really blowing away so much of the work from the "sound system with singer" generation of club – on cuts that include "Leave A Light On", "Give it To You", "Runaround", "Things We Do For Love", "So Whatcha Gonna Do", "Someone Who Believes In You", "Just Us", "Hold On", "When It's My Heart", and "Carry On". CD

Fantastic! The lost link in the Chicago soul scene of the 60s was Baby Huey – and he was a pretty darn big link too, if you've ever seen him in pictures! Weighing in at about 300 pounds, Baby Huey was sort of a rockin' soul star who played clubs on both sides of the city, to audiences of all types – working in a party-styled blend of funk, rock, and soul that was one of the most powerful grooves going down in the Windy City at the time! Huey sadly passed away at a very young age, leaving only this full album as his legacy – a great batch of hard-hitting soul tracks that are among some of the funkiest work ever recorded for the legendary Curtom label! The set includes Huey's classic version of "Mighty, Mighty", a club favorite from the live shows – plus the excellent Curtis Mayfield tune "Hard Times", famous as an oft-used sample track! Other titles include "A Change Is Going To Come", "California Dreamin", "Running", and "Mama Get Yourself Together". CD

Features work with Stanley Turrentine, Harry "Sweets" Edison, Kenny Burrell, Ron Eschete, Ray Brown, and his own All Star Big Band. CD

A really cool later album from the great Jack McDuff – nicely stepping out from some of the multi-keyboard modes he forged for Chess Records in the 70s, and still working with a combo here that he calls the Heating System! The group has some key all-star talent – including work from Joe Farrell on saxes and Phil Upchurch on guitar – but it's also noteworthy in that it features early work from Garrick King on drums, a player who was perfect for the sort of rhythms that McDuff forged in the 60s with drummer Joe Dukes! Jack himself handles a variety of key, plus organ – and there's some soulful fusion elements in the mix too, including a bit of vocals – giving the record a feel that's a lot like some of the Charles Earland work for Columbia at the same time. Titles include "Say Sumpin Nice", "Night Fantasies", "Pocket Change", and "Tunisian Affair". CD

Paul Simon's mid 80s landmark – a record that brought together Simon's unique voice and pop folk songwriting skill with South African, Chicano, zydeco other global musical styles – held together by some of the best songs Simon ever put together! With lesser material, this would feel like the well-intentioned "world music" album by an aging star, but Simon transcends that in a big way with catchy, intelligent songs and expert production. Includes "The Boy In The Bubble", "Graceland", "Diamonds On The Soles Of Her Shoes", "You Can Call Me Al", "Under African Skyes", "All Around The World Or The Myth Of Fingerprints" and more. Includes DVD of Under African Skies. CD

One of the most wonderfully lyrical records ever cut for Blue Note – and a shimmering early showcase for the genius of trumpeter Thad Jones! Jones is maybe best remembered for his work in bigger groups, but at the start of his career he's a lyrical genius – as you'll hear on this sublime session that also features tremendous tenor from Billy Mitchell – a player who was also often lost in larger groups, but who really shines wonderfully here next to Thad! The pair are perfect together, and move seamlessly through the session, trading solos with incomparable ease – yet never getting too perfect, and never lacking the humanity that makes a record like this so great. Barry Harris plays some wonderful piano – and the tracks include "If I Love Again", "Thedia", "If Someone Had Told Me", and "April In Paris". CD features 2 bonus tracks – "I've Got A Crush On You" and "Something To Remember You By". CD

Features Maynard Ferguson & the Big Bop Nouveau Band, the Bill Holman Big Band, the Bob Florence Limited Edition, the Lighthouse All-Stars, the Buddy Childers Big Band, the Lee Konitz Quartet, the Bob Cooper Quartet, the Tom Talbert Jazz Orchestra, the Bud Shank Quartet, and the Mark Masters Jazz Orchestra. CD

Here's where it all happens – the huge culmination of all the years of heavy funk and psychedelic soul created by George Clinton and the P-Funk empire – fused into an amazingly tight groove that helped win over much bigger audiences than ever before! The album title and cover are very fitting – as George Clinton launches the mothership, forges his classic space-funk image, and blows the P-Funk empire into an arena-filling mega-star act – all with grooves that are still some of the tightest, sharpest funk you'll ever hear – all these many decades later. The instrumentation is razor-sharp – played by giants like Fred Wesley, Maceo Parker, Bootsy Collins, and Bernie Worrell – and the lyrics still have all the edginess and naughtiness of the earlier years – tied together wonderfully to make a very unified album, and one that's full of classics too! Titles include "Mothership Connection (Star Child)", "Night Of The Thumpasorus Peoples", "P-Funk (Wants To Get Funked Up)", "Handcuffs", "Give Up The Funk (Tear The Roof Off The Sucker)", and "Unfunky Ufo". CD

One of Oscar Peterson's biggest records ever – one of those albums we turn up time and time again when digging through classic jazz collections – and for good reason too, given the lasting power of the set! The album's got a rock-solid sound that's filled with soul – almost a bit more down and dirty than some of Peterson's earlier work, very much in the spirit of the group's hit performance of the title track. In a way, the album's almost Oscar's answer to some of the rising younger stars in the soul jazz scene – and is proof that the master still can do things as great as the artists he inspired. Ray Brown is on bass and Ed Thigpen is on drums – and tracks include "Bag's Groove", "Georgia On My Mind", "Easy Does It", "Band Call", and "Night Train". CD

One of Jimmy Smith's biggest albums of the 60s – and a classic Verve pairing of his lean Hammond organ solos with the fuller, hard-swinging arrangements of Oliver Nelson! Nelson is working here at the height of his powers – backing Smith with a large group, but in a way that only seems to free him up to solo even more – pushing the tunes with an undeniable power from the all-star band, as Jimmy takes off on flights of soulful fancy over the top! Side two features some more stripped-down solo work – in the manner of Jimmy's later Blue Note sides – and the set includes the hit single "Walk On The Wild Side", plus the tracks "Bashin", "Step Right Up", and "Beggar For The Blues". CD

While the original Island issue of the album Funky Kingston here in the states was actually a compilation of tracks from the original Jamaican and UK issues of the album by that title and the In The Dark LP cut the same year, this two-for-one CD reissue finally sets the record straight, packaging both fine, funky LPs on one CD! While the In The Dark set had a slightly more funky edge to it, we're making no bones here, as all the numbers here are sweet soulful reggae at its best, making it no wonder why Toots & The Maytals were to become one of reggae's biggest international stars. 21 tracks in all, including "Funky Kingston", "In The Dark", "Take Me Home Country Roads", "Time Tough", "54-46 Was My Number", "Pressure Drop", "Sit Right Down", "Having A Party", "Revolution", "Love's Gonna Walk Out On Me" and "Fever". CD

A big moment for a guy who started out in Aphrodite's Child! Features the epic "Chariots Of Fire" theme, beloved of beach runners everywhere! CD

A slightly overlooked film score by the great John Williams – but a true classic that's every bit as great as his wildly famous work of the late 70s for bigger films! Williams is at the height of his powers here – really transforming modern film orchestrations in ways that strongly shake off any lingering modes from the 50s and 60s – very serious from a compositional perspective, and able to embrace a rich range of new ideas for orchestra – yet also able to come across with a lean, focused sort of energy that never has the soundtrack overwhelming the image on the screen – just rising to meet its needs in all the best ways. Titles include "For Gillian", "Vision On The Stars", "Hester's Theme & The House", "Gillian's Escape", and "The Search For Robin". CD

A hell of a singer, working here with some wonderful grooves from Timo Lassy – an artist we've really loved for his own jazzy projects in the past! Joyce Elaine Yuille has this style that's very classic, and very groovy – jazz-based, with a nice rasp in her voice that really brings out some of the more soulful qualities in the music – and able to write her own lyrics, too – which makes for a wonderful record that's full of fresh sounds at every turn! Lassy's music is wonderful too – tightly snapping on the rhythms, but never forced – and with a jazz current that's a nice change from other contemporary soul production, which might have been added to the record with a bigger label. But clearly, the real star of the show is Joyce – a talent that will definitely be huge in years to come – a rock-solid singer and songwriter who may well turn out to be the female equivalent of Gregory Porter. Titles include "Come With Me", "Tryin Times", "Chaos", "It's Madness", "Make Right", "Welcome To My World", "Follow The Sun", and "Late I Rise". CD

Think you know the sound of Atlantic Records in the 60s? Think again – because this stunning series opens the vault to a huge amount of rare treasures from the legendary label! The package is amazing – and offers up rare tracks that were mostly only issued by Atlantic on singles – including some on the other imprints associated with the company – some by names we never even knew recorded for the label, others by bigger names, but represented here by obscure material that goes way past their hits – and which is ultra cool because of that. There's also a fair bit more deep soul than you might expect from the usual Atlantic mix – tremendous vocals, and often in less hit-heavy modes – which makes the whole thing a great revelation – and just one more reason to bow down and give even more expect to one of the key companies who helped soul music find a home in the 60s. Plus – as if that's not enough – the whole thing comes in a very cool 7" gatefold package – which emphasizes the from-singles nature of the collection. Volume 3 is overflowing with amazing sounds from the heart of the 60s – rare 45rpm tracks by Atlantic stars, Stax artists, and a few lesser-knowns too. Titles include "Hello Stranger" by The Capitols, "Help Me (parts 1 & 2)" by Ray Sharpe, "Long Distance Love" by Ted Taylor, "Lonely Soldier" by Mike Williams, "How Can You Babysit A Man" by Ned Towns, "Keep Looking" by Solomon Bourke, "I'm Sorry" by Fred Lowrey, "Please Uncle Sam" by The Charmels, "Share What You Got" by William Bell, "Reputation" by The Four Shells, "Me & My Baby" by Mary Wells, "Got No One" by The Delcardos, "Weak Spot" by Ruby Johnson, "Good Love Bad Love" by Eddie Floyd, "Bingo" by Ned Towns, "I Had A Dream" by Johnny Taylor, "I Can't Take It" by Ray Sharpe, "You Can't Love Them All" by The Drifters, "Believe It Or Not" by Rex Garvin & The Mighty Cravers, "Patch My Heart" by The Mad Lads, "She's The One I Love" by The Delcardos, "Find Me Somebody" by Bobby Womack, "Hello Stranger" by The Capitols, "So Much Love" by Ben E King, "Help The Bear" by Ted Taylor, and "I Feel A Sin Coming On" by Solomon Burke. CD

A truly incredible collection – even more wonderful than we might have guessed from the title and cover – and both of those are already pretty darn appealing! This package might well be the most comprehensive we've ever seen on the early days of punk in England – a package that goes way past the big names, way past the classic cuts, and really digs deep into the huge explosion of indie labels that fueled the scene – creating a legacy of rare singles and amazing sounds that the British scene hadn't seen in years! If you dig the Sex Pistols or Clash, there's dozens of other tunes here to love – some by artists you'll know from later fame, represented here on very early tracks – and lots more from acts who maybe only gave the world a handful of brilliant singles. The presentation is as stunning as the music – 111 tracks on 4CDs, inside a heavy 64 page book-style jacket – with page after page of notes on each song and band, and lots of images as well. Consider this whole thing an overdue primer on all the punk you missed – even if you lived back in the day – and lose yourself in the huge array of tracks by groups who include The Radiators From Space, Puncture, Some Chicken, The Panik, The Only Ones, Suspects, Tueway Army, The Boys, Acme Sewage Co, Raped, Bazoomis, Menace GLC, Sids, Rudi, Art Attack, Angelic Upstarts, Mean Street, Poison Girls, Chelsea, Demon Preacher, Leyton Brothers, The Dole, Riff Raff, The Tights, Social Security, Nicky & The Dots, No Way, The Wall, Hollywood Brats, Disco Zombies, Spizzoil, Horrorcomic, The Cravats, and lots lots more! CD

A great great great collection of rare soul tracks – all pulled from the east LA powerhouse Rampart Records – a key force for fresh sounds in the 60s! Rampart was at a crossroads between soul and Latin scenes in the larger Los Angeles area – and as such, was able to grab music from both sides of the fence – including artists who had this amazing power to reach out for new styles to bridge previous gaps between different audiences! Make no mistake, the sound here is soul throughout – but it's also soul that helped set the stage for a bigger wave of soul, rock, and Latin changes to come from LA at the start of the 70s – and the positive force of this music is stunning, especially when taken together in a big serving like this. Titles include "Come Swim With Me" by Little Ray, "Girl I Love You" by Ron Holden, "Tracy" by Barry White & The Atlantics, "I'm In Love With Your Daughter (part 1)" by Thee Enchantments, "Hey Joe Where You Gonna Go" by Sammy Lee & The Summits, "The Panther" by The East Bay Soul Brass, "Listen To The Wise Man" by East Side Kids, "Poquito Soul" by One G Plus 34, "Evil Ways" by The Village Callers, "One Like Mine" by The Salas Brothers, "I Had A Strange Dream" by Four Tempos, and "Chinese Checkers" by The Mixtures. CD

A very groovy set of tracks – and one that comes packaged with its own roulette wheel in the cover! The package goes for an all-Vegas style of vocal tracks – swinging and upbeat numbers that make you feel like you're in the set of the original Oceans Eleven, or following Fredo around in Godfather 2. There's a total of 20 tracks in all, and titles include "Games People Play" by Mel Torme, "Who's Got The Action" by Dean Martin, "Lucky Day" by Judy Garland, "I'm Shooting High" by Nat King Cole, "Something's Comin" by Vic Damone, "With Plenty Of Money & You" by Count Basie & Tony Bennett, "Shangri La" by Wayne Newton, "Big Spender" by Peggy Lee, "Night & Day" by Steve Lawrence, "Ain't That A Kick In the Head" by Sammy Davis Jr, and "This Could Be The Start Of Something" by Jack Jones. Packaging has a great roulette wheel with moving ball surrounded by green velvet. CD

The second smash hit record in a row by Toni Braxton, and one of biggest and best of the mid 90s – the secret was out by this point to say the least! If the pressure was high to match the sales and creative strengths of the self-titled solo debut, Toni, composer/producer Babyface and producer LA Reid rise to the challenge with unforgettable songcraft and a built-to-last production aesthetic, carried to the heavens by Toni's voice. She's at her peak here, bringing a soulful resonance and all around depth to every note, whether it's on a chart ready pop soul confection, or a richly emotional ballad. Perhaps Toni's biggest moment as a superstar, but she personifies realness throughout! Includes "Come On Over Here", "You're Making Me High", "There's No Me Without You", the eternal "Un-Break My Heart", "Talking In His Sleep", "I Don't Want To", "Let It Flow", "In The Late Of Night" and more. CD

One of the biggest records ever from Deele – thanks to the presence of LA and Babyface – who were a key part of the group at the time! The heavier funk styles of previous records are left behind – and the group have realized that they really shine best in mellower modes – the kind of ballads and love songs that still had a nice punch at the bottom, thanks to the LA/Babyface style – but which also really made the best use of Dee's sweet vocal approach! The shift tuned out to be a great one for the group – the start of bigger soul trends to come – and titles include "Two Occasions", "Shoot Em Up Movies", "Eyes Of A Stranger", "Can U Dance", "She Wanted", "So Many Thangs", and "Hip Chic". CD

2 exotica classics on one CD! Quiet Village is an undisputed classic in the exotica field, and the record that yielded Denny his biggest hit – the title reworking of "Quiet Village", written by Les Baxter a few years earlier. The rest of the record's pretty darn nice, too – with Denny's trademark piano/percussion style firmly in place – and we can't think of a better way to start off a collection of exotic 50s tunes. Titles include "Sake Rock", "Martinique", "Tune From Rangoon", and "Pagan Love Song". Enchanted Sea is another great classic by Denny – with a nice approach that has sort of a drifting South Seas feel! The record is one of his last good ones for Liberty, and has lots of nice tracks like "My Isle Of Golden Dreams", "Beyond The Reef", "Flotsam & Jetsam", and "Cross Current". Nice sexy cover, too! CD

The complete collection of Hag's 60s singles at Capitol – with some of his most legendary songs – along with some equal treasures that just didn't hit as big on the charts! It's a pretty tightly-focused set that starts with the formative, Bakersfield honky tonk-honed style of the earlier singles and segues pretty early to his popular and creative peaks as both a performer and songwriter! That smoky smooth voice is as great as it would ever be during this period, and he really starts showing his storytelling excellence on these songs, too. To this day, Haggard doesn't get the credit he deserves for his empathetic songcraft – and many of his best songs are in this set! 28 tracks in all: "I'm Gonna Break Every Heart In Can", "Falling For You", "Swinging Doors", "The Bottle Let Me Down", "Silver Wings", "Branded Man", "Sing Me Back Home", "The Fugitive", "You'll Never Love Me Now", "If I Had Left It Up To You", "Someone Told My Story", "I Take A Lot Of Pride In What I Am", CD

The Heads Of State are a very heady quartet – an all-star group that features Gary Bartz on alto, Larry Willis on piano, Buster Williams on bass, and Al Foster on drums – about as great of a lineup as we might hope for! The setting is one that seems to have Bartz very strongly out in the lead – handling his alto almost with the depth of a tenor, at a level that takes us back to some of those great 90s sessions that had him really getting back to basics – honing his solo skills in very different ways than his bigger dates of the 70s – starting a maturation process that's still going on strongly with records like this. Willis is a delight, too – very sensitive at the right moments, but boldly modal at others – and a perfect fit for the round, warm tones of Buster Williams – and the always-tight timing of Al Foster. Titles include the Bartz originals "Uncle Bubba" and "Soulstice" – plus takes on "Impressions", "Capuchin Swing", "Summer Serenade", "Lotous Blossom", and "Search For Peace". CD

A real standout in the early career of trumpeter Freddie Hubbard – a very unique session that has him working with some larger arrangements in the background – blowing these magical solos over the top, while still hitting a great edge with the rest of the musicians as well! There's a sound here that's unlike anything else we can think of – including other big band trumpet dates of the time – partly because the set features a fair bit of arrangements by Wayne Shorter – a very rare side of his talents, but one that's equally as soulful as his sublime small group albums of the time. The record has an undeniable depth right from the start – magical, mystical, and very soulful – with a group that includes Eric Dolphy and Wayne Shorter on saxes, Curtis Fuller on trombone, Cedar Walton on piano, and Reggie Workman on bass. Tracks include "Chocolate Shake", "Thermo", "Clarence's Place", and "Aries". CD

Stunning early sounds from the legendary George Jones – material recorded in the years before his bigger fame on the Musicor and Epic labels – and tracks that show that Jones was already a hell of a well-developed talent right from the start! The cuts here sparkle with that trademark George Jones vocal sound – but also have a nice sort of an edge, as George hasn't settled down into that totally smooth approach of later years – and instead here moves between rocking moments and more twang-heavy tunes – served up on an assortment of singles and rare tracks recorded for the Mercury, Starday, and Dixie labels. Titles include "Too Much Water", "Seasons Of My Heart", "Gonna Come Get You", "I'm Ragged But I'm Right", "Eskimo Pie", "No No Never", "Play It Cool", "Take The Devil Out Of Me", "Just One More", and "No Money In This Deal". A hell of a collection – 29 tracks in all! CD

2 Eric Kloss albums back to back on a single CD – both under-discovered, and both totally great! Sky Shadows is one of the late 60s killers for Prestige by reedman Kloss – sublime material that was every bit as great as some of the bigger-name work for the label, but never really got its due! Kloss is sharper and more focused here than in later years – starting with a hardbop groove, but really reaching out with some inventive sounds of his own, and some great changes from the group! The inventive ensemble features Pat Martino on guitar, Jaky Byard on piano, Bob Cranshaw on bass, and Jack DeJohnette on drums – and titles include "Sky Shadows", "January's Child", "The Girl With The Fall In Her Hair", and "In A Country Soul Garden". In The Land Of Giants is a crackling bit of modernist free play, with a very soulful edge – and the group includes Booker Ervin, Jaki Byard, Richard Davis, and Alan Dawson all joining Kloss as he hits his mid-period "exploratory" stage. His alto is super-crisp here, and although he's reaching out a bit more than on earlier albums, he never manages to lose the swing that made him sound so great right out of the box. Tracks include "So What", "When Two Lovers Touch", and "Sock It To Me Socrates". CD

The extremely successful union of two of Atlantic's biggest funky jazz stars, caught live in Switzerland, with the amazing Benny Bailey sitting in on trumpet. The tracks are long and funky, and are virtually a blueprint for pop soul jazz playing of the time – mixing slinky rhythms with some breakout solos that show that all players are still deeply committed to a strong jazz sound. Titles include "Cold Duck Time", "The Generation Gap", "Kathleen's Theme", and their great version of "Compared To What", with the famous vocal by Les that made the track a soul jazz vocal hit! CD also features the bonus track "Kaftan". CD

One of the greatest discoveries of mid 80s Blue Note – a key group filled with bold young players who'd really go onto make some big waves in jazz for years to come! The musicians state their presence strongly right from the start – with just the sort of energy you'd expect from a group that features Kenny Garrett on alto, Ralph Bowen on tenor, Michael Philip Mossman on trumpet, Harry Pickens on piano, Robert Hurst on bass, and Ralph Peterson on drums – all players who also get to express themselves strongly on the host of original compositions on the set! Tunes are on fire with new voices and new ideas – much more hard-burning than you might expect – and titles include "RH Factor", "Output", "Reunited", "OTB", "Blue Hughes", and "Git In There". CD

A fantastic Art Pepper album – from his best period! The album's one of those smaller-label, mid 50s gems that Art cut in LA during some of his "troubled years" – all sessions that are great musically, but which are often overshadowed by some of Pepper's more famous work for bigger, more enduring labels. If you're at all a fan of Pepper, though, don't pass this one up – because the album's got a razor-sharp edge that's really wonderful – a keen exploration of tone that we'd rank right up there with a rare few Pepper albums of the time – and which is carried off here with an approach that's disarmingly easy-going, but very carefully placed on every note. Marty Paich's the real leader of the group on piano – even though we think Art's the star of the set – and bass is by Buddy Clark, and drums by Frank Capp. Titles include "Abstract Art", "All The Things You Are", "Marty's Blues", and "Pitfall". CD

Here's where it all happens – the huge culmination of all the years of heavy funk and psychedelic soul created by George Clinton and the P-Funk empire – fused into an amazingly tight groove that helped win over much bigger audiences than ever before! The album title and cover are very fitting – as George Clinton launches the mothership, forges his classic space-funk image, and blows the P-Funk empire into an arena-filling mega-star act – all with grooves that are still some of the tightest, sharpest funk you'll ever hear – all these many decades later. The instrumentation is razor-sharp – played by giants like Fred Wesley, Maceo Parker, Bootsy Collins, and Bernie Worrell – and the lyrics still have all the edginess and naughtiness of the earlier years – tied together wonderfully to make a very unified album, and one that's full of classics too! Titles include "Mothership Connection (Star Child)", "Night Of The Thumpasorus Peoples", "P-Funk (Wants To Get Funked Up)", "Handcuffs", "Give Up The Funk (Tear The Roof Off The Sucker)", and "Unfunky Ufo". CD features a bonus version of "Star Child", a promo radio version! CD

Elliott Smith's masterful first album for the majors – and one of the most creatively fruitful leaps from the indie rock realm to the big leagues of the 90s – or ever! At his earlier solo best, Elliott managed to make really powerful, emotionally resonant songs in rawer, starker settings – so it was fair to wonder if a Dreamworks budget and mainstream studio production set up would squander the intimacy. It didn't! The rawness and realness of his songwriting is really strengthened by the somewhat bigger, beautiful production and arrangements. A genuine classic. Includes "Sweet Adeline", "Tomorrow Tomorrow", "Waltz # 2 (Xo)", "Independence Day", "Bottle Up & Explode", "I Didn't Understand", "Amity", "Baby Britain" and more. CD

An amazing collection of 70s soul tracks – sweet, mellow, laidback, and including loads of numbers that have been buried for years! The focus here is not on obscure groups, but on lesser-known album tracks by bigger names – including many chillout numbers that have a sweet jazzy feel, and which might have gotten eclipsed by some of the artists' bigger hits. ?uestlove of the Roots put the set together, and the whole set's got the deep soulfulness of his own work with that group – track after track of mellow 70s soul, jazzy riffs, spacey instrumentation, and warm vocals effortlessly sliding together! Titles include "Star Of The Story" by Heatwave, "Be My Girl" by Michael Henderson, "Clover" by Earth Wind & Fire, "Before The Dawn" by Patrice Rushen, "Can We Pretend" by Bill Withers, "That's What Friends Are For" by Deniece Williams, "Next To Nature" by Jean Claude Toran, "Glowin" by The Rationals, "Magic In Your Eyes" by Rufus & Chaka Khan, "Sensuality (parts 1 & 2)" by The Isley Brothers, "Sienna" by Stanley Cowell, "Quiet Storm" by Smokey Robinson, "Wheels Of Life" by Gino Vannelli, and "Gotta Find A Lover" by Roy Ayers. CD

A great look at the huge second wave of UK punk after the bigger labels were leaving the music behind at the end of the 70s – a bold surge of independent sounds from the underground, including a fair bit of work that was really pushing the boundaries of the music and its politics at the time! Some of these groups are strongly in the spirit of 1977, others are even more radical, and still others are maybe more rough around the edges with an agenda that's a bit hard to figure out – a bit like the way that the LA hardcore scene was changing at the time too. The package provides a huge amount of detail on the moment – a lavish book-style set with pages of notes on the groups and their music, and lots of great images too – all to support a whopping 117 tracks by the likes of Urban Dogs, Anthrax, Anti Pasti, Poison Girls, Cockney Rejects, The Toy Dolls, Blitz, The Ejected, Chelsea, Rudi, GBH, 4 Skins, Charge, Vice Squad, The Mob, UK Subs, Blitzkrieg, The Insane, Damned, Erazerhead, The Samples, Chaotic Dischord, The Adicts, Anti-Nowhere League, Angelic Upstarts, Rabid, Violators, Crash TV, Icons Of Filth, Ultra Violent, Omega Tribe, Subculture, Criminal Justice, and dozens of others! CD

An amazing return to form for this legendary collection – filled with never-heard numbers, pulled from the 60s and 70s vaults of Motown Records! Even if you think you've got plenty of Motown in your collection already, you'll find plenty more here to love – totally fresh tracks by some of the label's biggest artists, plus some other gems by lesser-known stars – all of which have all the punch, power, and sparkle of classic Motown at its best! The 2CD set is brimming over with greatness – and we're honestly stunned that they can still come up with so many unreleased gems, even after three previous volumes in the collection. Titles include "Kidnapped" by The Blackberries, "Keep On Tryin" by The Fantastic Four, "My Baby Moves Me" by Brenda Holloway, "Your Kiss Kiss" by Marvin Gaye & Oma Heard, "Miss Lonely Heart" by The Vandellas, "You Gave Me Love To Live For" by Debbie Dean, "Head Over Heels In Love With You Baby" by The Spinners, "I'd Cry" by Chuck Jackson, "Twin Brother" by Eddie Holland, "Daddy Cool" by Oma Heard, "Three Time Loser" by Marvin Gaye, "The Girl I've Chosen To Be My Bride" by Joe Stubbs, "A Bird In The Hand" by Gladys Knight & The Pips, "Somebody's Waiting For Me" by The Contours, "Only A Lonely Man Would Know" by Ivy Joe Hunter, "The House That Jack Built" by JJ Barnes, "The Philly Dog" by Earl Van Dyke, and "Why Don't You Come Home" by Stevie Wonder. CD

A deep dive into the vaults of the legendary Stax Records – the Memphis label who helped usher in a whole new sound in soul music during the 60s, and was still going strong in the early part of the 70s! In the final years, Stax was hitting big with a number of stars, but also recording a bit more than they got the chance to issue at the time – all top-quality work, often with the key songwriters and studio talent behind the hits – some of which was lost to the sands of time, due to financial troubles in the label's last few years. Yet those rare gems live again here – as Ace/Kent do a superb job of dipping into the legacy of rare and unreleased material from this period – a good deal of which shows Stax moving the bar even further, by advancing the styles of southern soul with newly sophisticated modes. If you know the last few Soul Children records on Stax, you'll get the vibe here – spun out on a great run of 20 tracks that include "I'm Too Old To Play" by Jimmy Hughes, "How Can I Win Your Love" by Eddie Floyd, "I'm Tired" by Mavis Staples, "Come Get From Me (parts 1 & 2)" by David Porter, "You Need Love" by Chuck Brooks, "Ain't No Way" by Shirley Brown, "Did You Hear Yourself (part 1)" by Randy Brown & Company, "Ain't Nobody Like My Baby" by Lee Sain, "I'll Do Anything For Your Love (single edit)" by William Bell, "Standing In The Safety Zone" by Soul Children, "We've Got Love On Our Side" by Bettye Crutcher, "Guilty Of Loving You" by Veda Brown, "Let's Make A Deal" by Frederick Knight, and "A Smile Can't Hide A Broken Heart" by Ollie & The Nightingales. CD

A slightly gentler album than the first Captain Beyond outing – but one that really has the group stretching out their wings wonderfully! The set's recorded both in Macon and Sausalito – and really has a vibe that indicates that mix – a core southern rock element, handled with the soulful undercurrents of early 70s Capricorn Records – but given some freer-thinking elements at times from the Bay Area scene! The drums power through nicely at some of the best points – but even the laidback tunes are pretty darn great – and we honestly never can understand why Captain Beyond weren't as big as some of their contemporaries from the southern scene. Titles include "Starglow Energy", "Evil Men", "Drifting In Space", "Bright Blue Tango", "Everything's A Circle", and "Voyages Of Past Travelers". CD

An album that's often overlooked amidst some of the bigger "songbook" Verve sessions by Ella Fitzgerald – yet a really special record that shows off a side of Ella that's not ever captured this well on other records! The record was also initially billed as tied into the book and film Let No Man Write My Epitaph – but there's nothing soundtrack-like at all about the performance, as Fitzgerald works with only backing from pianist Paul Smith – a player who sounds wonderful next to the singer, and brings just the right sort of inflections to open up Ella's vocals for the date! There's a spare quality that's completely captivating – proof that Fitzgerald was a hell of a jazz singer at the core, even when her star was rising on the international scene – maybe even more compelling without any large arrangements at all, as she takes on superb material that includes versions of "Misty", "Black Coffee", "Angel Eyes", "I Cried For You", "Who's Sorry Now", "September Song", "Then You've Never Been Blue", and "Reach For Tomorrow". CD

Illinois Jacquet was one of those players who never stopped going as the decades moved on – a tenorist who started in the bigger jumping bands of the swing generation, but one who was able to grow and shift over the years, and continue to hone his craft! This late date from Switzerland shows Jacquet in fine fine form – blowing strongly in a quartet with Hank Jones on piano, George Duvivier on bass, and JC Heard on drums – all players who have an effortless swing that works well with Illinois' solo skills. Tracks are short, and mighty tight – and titles include "I Wanna Blow Now", "Jack The Bear", "The King", "Cute", "The Very Thought Of You", "In A Sentimental Mood", "George's Blues", and "I Can't Get Started". CD