A new level of pride and power for The Impressions – as you might guess from the bold statement of the title track! It may seem hard to believe from the perspective of the 21st Century, but back in the mid 60s, a message like "We're A Winner" was quite a strong one – a new anthem of righteous identity that was one of the first truly political statements from a young Curtis Mayfield, and a great precursor of the genius to come in the 70s! But even at this early state, there's still plenty of genius going on – not just in Mayfield's sublime songwriting, but also in the harmonies of the group, and the beautiful treatment they get in the studio from arranger Johnny Pate. The album's one of their key classics from the ABC years – and titles include "We're A Winner", "Moonlight Shadows", "Nothing Can Stop Me", "I'm Gettin Ready", "Let Me Tell The World", and "Little Brown Boy". LP, Vinyl record album

A 60s LP that compiles Julia's earlier sides for Capitol – a mixture of jump blues, swing, and R&B, recorded with players that include Red Norvo, Benny Carter, Vic Dickenson, and Baby Lovett – all killer work from the early years of the labgel! Titles include "Last Call For Alcohol", "After Hours Waltz", "King Size Papa", "Snatch It & Grab It", "You Ain't Got It No More", and "Crazy World". LP, Vinyl record album

A record that no hip hop home should be without – the debut album from Main Source, but a set that's more than strong enough to stand next to the best from contemporaries like De La Soul, Tribe Called Quest, and Black Sheep! Like all three of those groups, these guys have a way of bringing together fresh rhythms and samples, sharp-edged writing, and a keen sense of wit – all part of that next-generation level of intellectual hip hop that made them so groundbreaking at the time – and which still makes this album a fantastic delight all these many years later! The album introduced the world to the genius of Large Professor – and continues to shine for decades, thanks to tunes that include "Snake Eyes", "Looking At The Front Door", "Live At The Barbecue", "Just A Friendly Game Of Baseball", "Peace Is Not The Word To Play", "Watch Roger Do His Thang", "He Got So Much Soul (He Don't Need No Music)", and "Just Hangin Out". LP, Vinyl record album

A short detour in the 60s career of Chet Baker – one that we sure like a heck of a lot! This side is one of a couple that were recorded as an answer to the big success of Herb Alpert & The Tijuana Brass – with Chet's trumpet was backed by jaunty, brassy arrangements penned by Jack Nitzsche, and George Tipton. And while it might be easy to dismiss the tunes as copycat sound-a-likes, they're really not – as Nitszche brings in a much fuller groove to most of the numbers than Herb Alpert ever did – more of a sunny LA pop feel that has the whole group really gliding along on bold waves of sound all topped off by Baker's horn – sounding stronger and more confident here than on many of his other recordings of the 60s! Some numbers have a Latin undercurrent while others lean towards mainstream pop – a style that's bolder than A&M's approach to Tijuana – and one that explodes with some youthful LA energies! 12 tracks in all, including "Happiness Is", "Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down)", "The Phoenix Love Theme (Senza Fine)", "On The Street Where You Live", 'Armen's Theme", "You Baby" and "It's Too Late". LP, Vinyl record album

Moby Grape's self-conscious, but hardly less groovy late 60s excursion into loose, free form and largely instrumental psychedelia – the sweet and therefore appropriately titled Grape Jam! GJ is really a world away from their earlier rock regalia – with superstar special guests Al "How Does It Feel" Cooper and Mike Bloomfield brought in the flesh out the open-ended sounds. The sounds roll from walloping instrumental rock, to bluesier jams, to some driving nearly funky bits! Titles include "Never", "Boysenberry Jam", "Black Currant Jam", "Marmalade" and "The Lake". LP, Vinyl record album

The session's billed as "very personal treatments of great standards" – and it's a great twist on familiar material, all given the Thelonius touch! There's less of Monk's creative composition and angular group arrangements going on here – and instead, the album's almost a rewriting of 40 years of popular compositions, all taken into the modern world of Monk's piano. The group's a trio, with Oscar Pettiford on bass and Art Blakey on drums – and titles include nicely reworked versions of "Just You Just Me", "Memories Of You", "Liza", "Darn That Dream", and "Tea For Two". LP, Vinyl record album

Late 50's session in which Gerry Mulligan and Chet Baker try to recreate the sound that made them a legend on the West Coast in the first place. Cool breezy renditions of a number of standards, held down by the drumming of Dave Bailey and the bass of Henry Grimes, which is a nice treat on an album like this! Titles include "Reunion", "Travelin Light", "Surrey With The Fringe On Top", and "Stardust". LP, Vinyl record album

One of David Murray's straighter sides from the early 80s – and exactly the kind of record to prove to the world that he could be a strong tenor traditionalist while still bringing an inventive sound to play! Murray's tone is deep and soulful, and often quite lyrical – set nicely in a quartet that features warm piano from John Hicks, bass from Reggie Workman, and drums from Ed Blackwell. The Workman/Blackwell component ensure that things still have an edge at times, even when swinging – and the tunes are a mix of Murray originals and a few standards. Titles include "Morning Song", "Light Blue Frolic", "Off Season", "Duet", "Body and Soul", and "Jitterbug Waltz". LP, Vinyl record album

An early gem from singer Freda Payne – recorded back in the days when she was a jazz vocalist, years before her famous hits as a soul artist in the early 70s! The album's a darkly-tinged session with arrangements by Manny Albam – done in the late nite mode that you'd expect from the title, and featuring the kind of sad songs that you'd hear on an album from the time by Lorez Alexandria. The highlight of the album is a great vocal reading of Ornette Coleman's "Lonely Woman" – and other tracks include "Out Of This World", "Sweet September", "Blue Piano", and "After The Lights Go Down Low". LP, Vinyl record album

An important early live show for Nina Simone – a move from the world of small nightclubs (as mentioned in the title of her first record), to the classy Town Hall venue – working in front of an audience filled with left-leaning listeners who were the perfect crowd to get the unique bag she was working on at the time! The performance is a great one – mellow, moody, and a bit folksy – with Nina singing and playing piano with power that really rings out in the larger space – really egged on by the enthusiastic response of the audience. Titles include her classic reading of "Black Is The Color Of My True Love's Hair", plus "The Other Woman", "Under The Lowest", "Summertime", "You Can Have Him", "Wild Is The Wind", "Return Home", and "Cotton Eyed Joe". LP, Vinyl record album

Slick Rick's first solo album – one of the vital early front-to-back hip hop albums of the late 80s Def Jam prime era – and up there with the best ever! MC Ricky D introduced the world to a whole new rap style on Doug E Fresh's "The Show" and by the time this album dropped the world was more than ready for a full set of his unique flow. There's no other voice like Slick Rick's, with a skewed sense of humor even at it's most profane, which makes it all the more disarming when he gets serious for a minute. He proves himself the master of the storytelling rap of the period, and the Hank Shocklee, Eric Sadler and Jam Master Jay production is top tier, too. Includes "Treat Her Like A Prostitute", "Children's Story", "The Ruler's Back", "Mona Lisa", "Hey Young World", "Teenage Love" and more. Remastered 30th Anniversary edition – classic original tracklist on 2LPs! LP, Vinyl record album

Steely Dan really hitting the heights – moving into hipper, more sophisticated territory than before – pushing the envelope with both their music and lyrics, which are completely sublime! It's hard to put our finger on the magic of this one, but it's the perfect summation of everything that's come before, with a bit of a nod towards the future – yet all with a simple, song-based charm that we really love. The Becker and Fagan team get some key studio help here – showing a move away from previous group-based recordings – and Phil Woods turns in some especially nice work on his sublime solo for "Doctor Wu". Other tracks include "Black Friday", "Bad Sneakers", "Any World That I'm Welcome To", "Your Gold Teeth II", "Daddy Don't Live In That New York City No More", "Throw Back The Little Ones", and "Everyone's Gone To The Movies". LP, Vinyl record album

Maybe the first-ever album to be issued under the name of the great Charles Stepney – even though the artist/musician/producer/songwriter had a huge role in the careers of Chicago contemporaries like Minnie Riperton, Ramsey Lewis, and Earth Wind & Fire! This set brings together recordings that Stepney made on his own, often in his home studio – many of which are songs that never saw the light of day on some of his bigger-name projects, next to others that feature melodies you might recognize, but done in these sweet jazzy instrumentals that are totally great! Most of the set features Charles on a variety of keyboards Rhodes, piano, and even some cool moogy bits – plus some vibes from time to time – often set to spare early electric drum machine rhythms – in a style that makes you feel like you've stumbled upon Timmy Thomas doing an all instrumental jam session in the early 70s. Given that Stepney first got his start as a jazz musician – playing piano and vibes on some great early 60s sessions – the keyboard work is superb, and the record stands as a completely different testament to his genius – with titles that include "Funky Sci Fi", "Gotta Dig It To Dig It", "Daddy's Diddies", "Rubie Charles", "Notes From Dad", "Black Bold", "Gimme Some Sugar", "No Credit For This", "Imagination", "Look B4U Leap", "Mini Mugg", "Denim Groove", and "That's The Way Of The World". LP, Vinyl record album

Prime psych folk material from Unspoken Word – a late 60s combo that blends acoustic and electric grooves, and a spiritual lyricism – with the free flowing adventurous in the sophisticatedly crafted tunes! The core group is just vocals, guitar, bass, keyboard and drums – the songs are arranged as kind of moody little suites that build from intimate, even minimalist parts into a more grand approach with additional choral vocals and busier electric bits. Groovy and melodic psych folk tunes! Titles include "Anniversary Of My Mind", "For The World", "Waking Up", "Moving Day", "After The Badge", "After The Before", "Distant, Oh So Far", "Rossby", "Flock Of Birds", "Sunday Suit Of Clothes", "We're Growing" and more. LP, Vinyl record album

Great work from Adam Wade – a slightly overlooked singer of the 60s, and one who steps out here in a great mix of soul styles and fuller vocal modes! Wade often has the kind of mature sophistication that could rival Johnny Mathis – and a number of cuts here are certainly cut from a similar mode – but as with other work on the Coed Records label, there's a larger ear for the wider range of listeners in the period – which means that Wade also steps out as a smooth swinger, maybe kind of a precursor to the Marvin Gaye generation. Arrangements are handled by Fred Weismantel and Joe Lipman – and titles include "First Love", "Just In Time", "A Moment Of Madness", "Ruby", "Around The World", "I'm Wise", "Fascination", and "So In Love". LP, Vinyl record album

With selections by Lambert Hendricks & Ross, Charles Kynard & Buddy Collette, Roy Haynes, Gerald Wilson, Les McCann, Gil Evans, Laurindo Almeida & Bud Shank, and others. LP, Vinyl record album

It's easy to wake up with grooves this great – a searing back of 70s Afro Rock gems that are also surprisingly funky, too! The tunes here do a wonderful job of mixing psych currents and headier rhythms – a great blend of the burning Afro Funk trends that were happening in Nigeria at the time, but with much richer, trippier work on the guitar and vocals – and some of the freaky, fuzzy basslines too! If some Afro Funk acts drew strong influence from the sharp soul of James Brown, these groups all seem to drink deep from the same musical well as Funkadelic at their freaked-out early best – which means that they've got no trouble throwing in a psych guitar riff alongside soulful vocals and funky rhythms – all with a sound that's completely sublime. As with the great first volume in this series, this edition comes with a special heavy book on the music – filled with detailed notes and lots of photos – alongside a great set of tracks that include "Wake Up You" by Waves, "Love" by Question Mark, "Baby Rock" by Jay U Experience, "Life In Cannan" by Ceejebs, "Who Made The World" by The Identicals, "Awa Lani Arawa" by Kukumbas, "Life Will Move" by The Believers, "The Feelings" by Tony Grey & The Black 7, "I Want A Break Thru" by The Hykkers, and "In The Jungle (voc)" by The Hygrades. LP, Vinyl record album

A great little James Bond soundtrack – written for one of the lesser-remembered Bond films, but filled with nice moments! There's a darker, moodier feel here than on some of Barry's other Bond scores – lots of stretched out tracks that have a bit more space than usual, and odd instruments punctuating the themes with an eerie, other-worldly edge that almost reminds us of some of the best Italian thriller work from the time. Nancy Sinatra sings a very moody title track – and other tunes include "Takana's World", "The Wedding", "Mountains & Sunsets", "A Drop In The Ocean", "Bond Averts World War Three", and "The Death Of Aki". LP, Vinyl record album

Seminal work from Dr John – one of his key late 60s albums that set the world on fire at the time – and which still stand as some of the doctor's greatest achievements! The approach here is a fantastic abstraction of older New Orleans roots – not nearly as rigid as in some of John's later music, and really used here just as a leaping-off point for these cool tripped-out explorations – often with a style that's got a very heady quality. The arrangements are wonderful – and bring in some off-kilter jazziness to inflect John's rootsy style with a sound that shows that he was opening his ears to all that was around him at the time – all the best elements he was picking up in Nola and Cali, fused into something really unique! Titles include "Black Widow Spider", "Barefoot Lady", "Twilight Zone', and "The Lonesome Guitar Strangler". LP, Vinyl record album

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One of a few rare albums recorded as a leader from bassist Cleveland Eaton – a player who first rose to fame with Maurice White in the second Ramsey Lewis trio – and one who gave the world some amazingly hip records on the Black Jazz label in the 70s! This set is a unique effort for the label of Philly soul team of Gamble & Huff – yet the set was recorded in Chicago, and has a wickedly funky vibe that's very much like the coolest Chess/Cadet material of the period – nice fuzzy touches around the edges, and some righteous soul currents too! There's plenty of great Chicago players on the session – Odell Brown on Fender Rhodes, Artee Duke Payne on tenor and flute, and Morris Jennings on drums – on titles that include "Keep It Funky", "Slipping Into Darkness", "Here Comes Funky Lou", "Day Dreaming", "Ah Movin On", and a nice cover of "People Make The World Go Round". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the most monumental debuts in rock history – a record that hit the world like a led zeppelin, and left an impression for years to come! Led Zeppelin pretty much took over rock right from the beginning – which isn't too surprising, given that Jimmy Page had an in-demand guitar heavy for years already – but the power of this debut is still astonishing after all these years – a blistering blend of bluesy roots, psych fuzz, and razor-sharp instrumental dexterity! The whole thing's a gem – and titles include "Good Times Bad Times", "Babe I'm Gonna Leave You" "You Shook Me", "Dazed And Confused", "Your Time Is Gonna Come", "Black Mountain Side", and "I Can't Quit You Baby". LP, Vinyl record album

5 years after they made their first set of groundbreaking Braziliany jazz tracks together, Bud Shank and Laurindo Almeida went back into the studio to record another great batch for Pacific Jazz. That second set of sessions is captured here in its entirety, and it features Shank and Almeida playing with the looser rhythm team of Gary Peacock and Chuck Flores on a number of short groovy tracks that clearly had a big influence on the bossa generation. Titles include "Frio y Color", "Sunset Baion", "Harlem Samba", "Blowing Wild", "Xana-Lyn", and "Serenade For Alto". LP, Vinyl record album

The fantastic third album from Common – the record that really catapulted him on his way to stardom, yet a set that still retains all the best aspects of his early days in Chicago! Part of that quality comes from the superb production of No ID, who gets a bit of local help from Dug Infinite and Twilite Tone – all talents who have that special, sophisticated vibe that was really starting to flow from Chicago out to the rest of the world – and which here is perfect for the well-crafted lyrics from Common! The balance is great – never too hard or heavy, yet also not trying to ape either a west coast quirky or New York native tongues approach. This time around, there's also plenty of guests on board, of the sort that Common would soon be rubbing shoulders with on a regular basis – a lineup that includes The Roots, Q-Tip, Erykah Badu, Canibus, Black Thought, Lauryn Hill, and De La Soul. Yet throughout, the vibe is Common's and Chicago's – something that's always made us very proud to be from the same scene at the same time. Titles include "1 2 Many", "Reminding Me Of Sef", "Invocation", "Stolen Moments", "My City", "Real Nigga Quotes", and "Retrospect For Life". LP, Vinyl record album

Silly title – but a great album, with Cugie playing relatively straight Latin versions of 60s pop hits. A few of the tunes are a bit silly, but there's less of the goofiness that "caricatures" might imply. Titles include "Papa Loves Mambo", "Night Train", "Fly Me to The Moon", "Smoke Gets In Your Eyes", "Desafinado", "The Continental", "Witchcraft", and "I've Got The World On A String". LP, Vinyl record album

A glorious send off from J Dilla – with some of the most soulful productions Dilla's ever laid down – and appearances by Common, D'Angelo, Pharoahe Monch, Madlib, MED, Black Thought and others! It's impossible to listen to The Shining without considering the sad circumstances surrounding its release, and all too easy to over praise, but this record is filled timelessly inventive production – and passionate rhymes from the honored guests. A lot of the more leftfield, abstract touches that create most of the character on the Donuts LP are really on the outskirts of the sound here – a much richer, deeper, funky drum influenced batch of sounds. We're speechless. There's one more official posthumous LP in the can, and thank goodness for that. Tracks include in-your-f**kin' face intro "Geek Down" with Busta Rhymes, "E=MC2" feat Common, "Love Jones", "Love" feat Pharoahe Monch, "Baby" feat Madlib & Guilty Simpson, "So Far To Go" feat Common & D'Angelo (come back D', the world needs you), "Jungle Love" feat MED & Guilty Simpson, "Dime Piece (Remix)" feat Dwele, "Love Movin'" feat Black Thought and "Won't Do". LP, Vinyl record album

Although the Anita Kerr singers were not often the swinginest group in town, this LP has them doing a nice selection of Bacharach material, including "What's New Pussycat?", "Are You There (with Another Girl)", and "Windows of the World". LP, Vinyl record album

The title says it all – as Yusef Lateef works here in that wonderful mixture of hardbop, soul jazz, and Eastern stylings that he brought to all of his best early sessions as a leader! Lateef himself is playing tenor, flute, and oboe – which he uses to craft these eerie snakecharmer lines that work perfectly with the modal grooves of the tracks – very unusual rhythms for the time, and a real precursor to some of the world jazz experiments to come from overseas. The rest of the group features pianist Barry Harris, drummer Lex Humphries, and bassist Ernie Farrow, who also plays a strange instrument called a rabat – which further adds to the charm of the record. Titles include "Plum Blossom", "Purple Flower", "Three Faces Of Balal", and "Chinq Miau". LP, Vinyl record album

Only an EP, but a set that's had maybe more impact than thousands of other full length records over the years! Come On Pilgrim gave the world a mighty strong taste of The Pixies – eight tracks that forever put Black Francis and the group on the map, with a sound that's raw, but focused – really heralding a whole generation of new groups to come! Yet here, at the source, things sound better than ever – on titles that include "Caribou", "Vamos", "Ed Is Dead", "The Nimrod's Son", "I've Been Tired", "Levitate Me", and "Isla De Encanta". LP, Vinyl record album

A fantastic return to the Braziliance territory crafted by these two legendary musicians – Bud Shank blowing alto over bossa-styled arrangements from Laurindo Almeida – in a manner that was years ahead of similar work by Stan Getz and others! LP, Vinyl record album

A landmark compilation – the first to prove to the world that the French knew as much about funk as the Brits! We still get a lot of requests for this one, believe it or not – but it's long out of print, and we can only find it used. Titles include "Chitlin Strut" by The Backyard Heavies, "Funky Belly" by Warren Lee, "Here Comes The Streaker" by High Voltage, "The Jed Clampett" by Sisters & Brothers, "Is It Something You've Got" by Tyrone Davis, "Funky Thing" by Larry Ellis & The Black Hammer, and "Jason Pew Mosso" by The Interpretations. LP, Vinyl record album

It's easy to wake up with grooves this great – a searing back of 70s Afro Rock gems that are also surprisingly funky, too! The tunes here do a wonderful job of mixing psych currents and headier rhythms – a great blend of the burning Afro Funk trends that were happening in Nigeria at the time, but with much richer, trippier work on the guitar and vocals – and some of the freaky, fuzzy basslines too! If some Afro Funk acts drew strong influence from the sharp soul of James Brown, these groups all seem to drink deep from the same musical well as Funkadelic at their freaked-out early best – which means that they've got no trouble throwing in a psych guitar riff alongside soulful vocals and funky rhythms – all with a sound that's completely sublime. Titles include "Wake Up You" by Waves, "Love" by Question Mark, "Baby Rock" by Jay U Experience, "Life In Cannan" by Ceejebs, "Who Made The World" by The Identicals, "Awa Lani Arawa" by Kukumbas, "Life Will Move" by The Believers, "The Feelings" by Tony Grey & The Black 7, "I Want A Break Thru" by The Hykkers, and "In The Jungle (voc)" by The Hygrades. LP, Vinyl record album

Killer work from the same sessions that gave the world Cannonball Adderley's classic Black Messiah album – live material from an extended stretch as the Troubadour club in LA – featuring a very righteous, freewheeling version of Cannonball's group! The lineup features some wonderful work on Fender Rhodes from George Duke – who brings a more soulful, spiritual current to the proceedings than Joe Zawinul did in earlier years – a really commanding presence that hints at his brewing solo fame, and which is a very welcome addition to the core lineup, which also includes Cannon on soprano and alto, and brother Nat on cornet! The performance also fetaures some great guest work from Ernie Watts on tenor and Airto on percussion – who really help round out the long tunes on the set. David Axelrod produced – leaving some nice room for Adderley's key spoken bits – and titles include the 12 minute groover "The Brakes", plus "Oh Babe", "Music You All", and "Capricorn" – plus a sweet take on "Walk Tall", which really has Duke stomping away on the Rhodes! LP, Vinyl record album

One of the three great collaborations between David Bowie and Brian Eno – and possibly the ultimate statement from his years in Berlin! The album's got some tunes that still show some of the guitar power of the early 70s Bowie – but it's also got some of the beautiful spacier moments brought forward on Low – and which are every bit the Brian Eno of Another Green World. The balance is beautiful – stark and dark on one half, then airy and spacious on the next – handled without any sense of gimmickry, and a bold mainstream experiment that still resonates strongly today. Titles include "Beauty & The Beast", "Joe The Lion", "Heroes", "Sons Of The Silent Age", "Blackout", "V-2 Schneider", "Sense Of Doubt", "Moss Garden", "Neukoln", and "The Secret Life Of Arabia". LP, Vinyl record album

A definite mother from James Brown – the kind of all-funky album that few of his contemporaries could ever hope to match! If you've ever doubted the sheer raw power of James at the end of the 60s, the first few notes of this one will definitely make you a convert – and the stretched-out grooves as the album rolls on will pull you even further into the fold. Most tracks roll on with that improvised studio jamming style that James was hitting at the time – a pre-JBs mode that's not as long as later years, but which still makes you feel that there probably was plenty more recorded on the dates that didn't make it into the two-part versions of the tracks! And although James is singing on most numbers, the real focus is more on the band – hitting hard, vamping sharp, and grooving massively under shouted calls and directions from Brown. Titles include two great instrumentals – "Popcorn With a Feeling" and "Top of the Stack" – plus "Little Groove Maker Me (parts 1 & 2)", "Mother Popcorn (parts 1 & 2)", "Mashed Potato Popcorn (parts 1 & 2)", "Any Day Now", "You're Still Out Of Sight", and "I'm Shook" – as well as the great mellower number "If I Ruled The World" – redone here as an African-American anthem of pride and power! LP, Vinyl record album

An essential bit of 70s jazz funk – one of the key Blue Note collaborations between trumpeter Donald Byrd and producer/arranger Larry Mizell – the man who helped set a whole new standard for soulful sounds at the time! The approach here is quite similar to the pair's work on Places & Spaces – tight, but loose at the same time – with Donald delivering solos that are very different than his work from the 60s, while Mizell finds this way to mix together all sorts of instruments, at so many different levels – but with a clarity that's mindblowing. Most tracks have a nice groove, a few points feature a touch of vocals – and titles include the classic, and oft-sampled "Think Twice" – plus "We're Together", "Makin It", "Rock & Roll Again", "I Love The Girl", and "You Are The World". LP, Vinyl record album

A stone classic – not just from Sam Cooke, but in the genre of "best of" records too! The set's overflowing with classic singles from the legendary soul singers – almost the perfect record to start with if you've ever wanted to sample Sam's genius – that amazing voice, intimate sense of presentation, and undeniably mature, masculine sound that forever changed the face of soul music! Every track's a winner – and titles include "Only Sixteen", "You Send Me", "Cupid", "Chain Gang", "Having A Party", "Twistin The Night Away", "Wonderful World", "Summertime", "Everybody Loves To Cha Cha", "For Sentimental Reasons", "Sad Mood", and "Bring It On Home To Me". LP, Vinyl record album

The Crystals twist uptown, and take their groove to a whole new region in the process! The album's title is very apt, as the whole thing is a real blueprint for the uptown soul sound of the 60s – swirling strings, soulful vocals, and rhythms that have enough punch to keep things moving – even on the mellower moments – all crafted perfectly by the young Phil Spector! There's hardly any real twist tunes on the record – which is great by us, as it means that instead of gimmicky dance numbers, The Crystals really get to sparkle in the kind of heartbreaking soul numbers they've always done so well! Titles include the chilling "Please Hurt Me" – a classic from the Goffin/King team – plus "There's No Other (Like My Baby)", "What A Nice Way To Turn Seventeen", "Frankenstein Twist", "Gee Whiz", "Another Country Another World", "Uptown", and "I Love You Eddie". LP, Vinyl record album

A short, brilliant blast of creative wordplay from Earl Sweatshirt – who'd been riding a peak for years leading up the Feet Of Clay and shows no signs of coming down – with production by ES himself, Alchemist, Ovrcast and a Mach Hommy, all tasked with providing a moody, headnodding backdrop for such a distinctive figure, and they pull it off perfectly. The vinyl version of Feet Of Clay plays longer than the earlier digital releases, but it still has the short and sweet feeling of being dropped into a strangely lyrical dream and lifted out before you wake up. 9 tracks that for the most part find Earl in peak unfiltered stream of consciousness flow from beginning to end, each track seamlessly floating to the next. Includes "74", "East", "Mtomb" feat L.Ive, "OD", "El Toro Combo Meal" feat Mavi, "Tisk Tisk/Cookies" and "4N" feat Mach Hommy, "Ghost" and "Whole World". LP, Vinyl record album

Early prog jazz genius from the mighty Embryo – and an album that perfectly fuses their love of world rhythms and electric jamming grooves – at a level that made them one of the coolest groups on the European scene at the time! Core work here is by a trio – and the percussion by Edgar Hofmann ranges from playful to hypnotic – with heavy drums and basslines crafting some incredible rhythms that spin out strongly – sometimes jamming, sometimes a bit looser – and often topped with great work on flute by Hansi Fischer, and this ultra-cool Leslie piano played by Christian Burchard – which has a nice fuzzy sound. The album's got lots of other sweet organ and mellotron lines – and Hofmann also plays soprano sax and violin as well – on titles that include "Tausendfussler", "Time", "Revenge", "Espagna Si Franco Finished", "Try To Be", and "Change". LP, Vinyl record album

Born in Mississippi, raised in Tennessee, but recorded in California with some mighty great grooves! The album's a great mix of the rootsy blues of John Lee Hooker and some of the best production modes ABC Records was using at the time – no hoke or attempt to dampen the energy of the core music – but just the key addition of fresh elements from players who include Clifford Coulter on piano, Sugarcane Harris on violin, Oscar Brashear on trumpet, Mel Brown on bass, George Bohannon on trombone, and John Klemmer on electrified sax with effects! These players all have a great ear for messing up jazz, blues, soul, and funk – and help Hooker to make the set one of his hippest ever – a record that nods strongly at the new generation, yet never panders to it at all. Titles include "Younger Stud", "King Of The World", "Tell Me You Love Me", and "Going Down". LP, Vinyl record album

A fantastic set from the late 80s – one of the first records to really herald the new generation to come with De La Soul and Tribe Called Quest – served up by Native Tongues partners The Jungle Brothers! While this set never got the major label push that debuts by the other groups would have, the set was an instant sensation in the world of hip hop – the start of a new level of wit and wisdom – urban sensibility able to look back at itself, almost a postmodern commentary on the then-short history of hip hop! Production is great – and the JBs not only reworked use of classic samples, but also added a newly jazzy sensibility – on titles that include "On the Run", "Straight Out the Jungle", "Black Is Black", "Braggin & Boastin", "Behind The Bush", "Because I Got It Like That", and the classic "Jimbrownski". LP, Vinyl record album

The second album from Kendrick Lamar, and the one that really helped bring his talents to the rest of the world – and maybe mark a whole new generation of hip hop in the process! At some level, Lamar is in the same territory as many of the south Cali rappers before him – with tales of rough life on the mean streets – but his approach here is very different, both in terms of the personal quality in the lyrics and the subtle drama in his presentation – and the lean production, which seems to strip things bare, and avoid the thuggish cliches that might celebrate such a background. Even the title alone hints at the tension that's made the record so durable over the years – and titles include "Bitch Don't Kill My Vibe", "The Art Of Peer Pressure", "Money Trees", "Poetic Justice", "MAAD City", "Singing About Me I'm Dying Of Thirst", "Real", and "Compton". Deluxe edition vinyl 3 bonus tracks: "The Recipe" with Dr. Dre, "Black Boy Fly" and "Now Or Never" with Mary J Blige. LP, Vinyl record album

A fantastic funky classic from Brother Jack McDuff – a set that's a key part of his evolving style of the late 60s – as Jack leaps from straight organ jazz to a world of wonderful grooves! The set features some larger arrangements from McDuff and the great Richard Evans – definitely in the best Chess/Cadet studio style of the time – moving towards a level of sophistication that really pushes past standard organ jazz from a few years before! Titles include "Black Is", "Hold It For a Minute", "Two Lines", "Summertime", "Jelly Jam", "The Pulpit", "Win Lose Or Draw", and "You Sho Walk Funky". LP, Vinyl record album

A landmark blend of gospel spirit and 70s soul – and one of the greatest moments ever from The Mighty Clouds Of Joy! Like so many other soul artists before them, these guys have voices that are steeped in the best traditions of gospel – but rather than giving up their roots and going secular, they just cut this set with the best Philly soul help of the time – arrangements from Wade Marcus, and a smoking Sigma Sound lineup that includes work from Norman Harris, Vince Montana, Bobby Eli, Ronnie Baker, and Earl Young – all of whom give the record the vibe of the best Philly International material from the time! Dave Crawford produced, but the set almost feels more Gamble & Huff than anything else – as the quintet's vocals really soar on tracks that include "Stoned World", "Time", "Mighty Cloud Of Joy", "The Master Plan", and "Heart Full Of Love". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the rarest albums on the Groove Merchant label – and one of the best! Ramon Morris has a sweet tone on the tenor that works very well with the electric piano in his tight little combo – grooving with a style that's like the best Black Jazz funk records of the time – mixing together bright notes, funky rhythms, and plenty of great chord changes! Cecil Bridgewater's on trumpet, and the band has a really righteous feel – with lots of real soul and thoughtful playing mixed into the jazz funk grooves of the record. Massive – with titles that include "Sweat", "Lord Sideways", "Sweet Sister Funk", and a nice version of "People Make The World Go Round". LP, Vinyl record album

A great full length album from Motown's mighty Jimmy Ruffin – and a set with a lot deeper soul sound than you'd guess from the "top ten" in the title! The music's not commercial, but some of the sharpest Motown soul of the time – the kind of work that made the young Jimmy as important a solo male act to Motown as Marvin Gaye – thanks to a wonderfully crackling, raspy style of singing that makes any tune really stand out strongly. Some of the numbers here are originals associated with Ruffin, and others are 60s hits by others – but completely remade by Jimmy with his wonderful approach – and titles include the classic "What Becomes Of The Brokenhearted", plus "I've Passed This Way Before", "Gonna Give Her All The Love I've Got", "World So Wide Nowhere To Hide", "Black Is Black", "Bless You", "How Can I Say I'm Sorry", and "As Long As There Is Love". LP, Vinyl record album

A groovy soundtrack to this hip surf film directed by Bruce Brown – filled with great little instrumentals that go way past the obvious! Brown had previously used jazz players for some of his films – including Bud Shank, who cut some great stuff for earlier soundtracks – but this set's got him working with The Sandals, a younger guitar-driven group with a cool style of scoring – partly surf instrumentals, but partly mod and groovy too! The Sandals move way past the stock surf riffs of chart surf groups – and they really do a great job with the changing moods and scenes of the film – fitting the many scenes of surfing on the screen. Titles include "Jet Black", "TR 6", "Scrambler", "6 Pak", "Driftin", "Good Greeves", and "Decoy". LP, Vinyl record album

A gem of a 50s album from Frank – well-themed and swinging, with a batch of travel-related tunes that really groove nicely! Billy May handled the arrangements on this one, and he gives the record a nice jazzy finish that fits the globe-trotting tunes well – taking Frank around the world in a song, and returning him home peacefully by the end of the set. Titles include the great originals "Come Fly With Me" and "It's Nice To Go Traveling" – plus "Isle Of Capri", "Around The World", "April In Paris", and "Brazil". LP, Vinyl record album

The rare first solo album from Gary Walker of the Walker Brothers – originally released only in Japan in 1968 – compiled on CD with some equally rare singles! Gary's solo work really is a world away from the baroque noir of his "brother" Scott's solo LPs of the 60s – a buzzing, melodic batch of chiming psychedelic pop with strong harmonies from his Rain band members – which included a pre-Badfinger Joey Molland. Titles include "Magazine Woman", "The Sun Shines", "Doctor Doctor", "I Can't Stand To Lose You", "Market Tavern", "Spooky", "The View", "If You Don't Come Back", Thoughts Of An Old Man", "Francis", "I Promise To Love You" and more. LP, Vinyl record album

Amazing! Although Scott Walker had issued one solo album before this one, Scott 2 is the record that really has his true genius beginning to shine through! The record still features Scott singing dark moody takes on 60s pop tunes – like "Best Of Both Worlds" and "Black Sheep Boy" – plus the usual round of Brel tunes – including "Jackie" and "The Girls & The Dogs", but it's also got some of his best songwriting ever, etched out in incredible original compositions like "The Amorous Humphrey Plugg", "The Girls From The Streets", and "Plastic Palace People". Those three songs alone might have been enough if Scott had stopped there in his career – as they're perfectly realized visions that match the world of Brecht, Bergman, and Sartre he'd been steeping himself in. Orchestrations are sublime on all tracks, and the record's one we'll treasure forever! LP, Vinyl record album

Later work from guitar genius T-Bone Walker, but still very much in the style of his best R&B work! The album features small group backings that do the best to bring out the jazzier side of T-Bone's style – one that was a direct influence on countless jazz funk guitarists in later years – and players include Plas Johnson, Earl Palmer, Lloyd Glenn, and Barney Kessell playing some second guitar. Titles include "T Bone Blues", "Papa Ain't Salty", "Two Bones & A Pick", "Mean Old World", "T Bone Shuffle", and "Blues For Marili". LP, Vinyl record album

The early 70s mix of medieval themes and more 70s rooted jams – Argus by Wishbone Ash! If you haven't heard this one, and you're expecting battle axes, swords and early metal bombast. . .well, there's some of that. But Wishbone Ash were restless cats, and there's longwinded acoustic passages and all kinds of early 70s rock going on here! Dig that Hipgnosis cover art, too. Titles include "Time Was", "Sometime World", "Warrior", "Throw Down The Sword", "Blowin Free" and more. LP, Vinyl record album

Second volume recruiting contemporary jazz artists reworking rap songs as modern smooth jazz. We're not certain if the world needs a smooth jazz version of Nelly's "Hot In Herre" or Ludacris' "Roll Out (My Business)", but we guess everything has it's place. 12 tracks in all, including a medley called "Here They Come", stringing together bits and pieces of Black Sheep's "The Choice Is Yours", Digable's "Rebirth Of Slick (Cool Like Dat)", Busta's "Wooh Hah! Got You All In Check" and Tribe's "Award Tour", plus versions of "Electric Relaxation", "Still Not A Player" and more. LP, Vinyl record album

Not the first famous Twin Peaks soundtrack – but instead a big collection of all the cool tunes that David Lynch pulled together for the reboot of the series in 2017! Titles include "The World Spins" by Julee Cruise, "Snake Eyes" by Trouble, "My Prayer" by The Platters, "Shadow" by Chromatics, "Green Onions" by Booker T & The MGs, "Wild West (roadhouse mix)" by Leslie, "Out Of Sand" by Eddie Vedder, "Sharp Dressed Man" by ZZ Top, "I've Been Loving You Too Long (live)" by Otis Redding, "Lark" by Au Revoir Simone, "Twin Peaks Main Theme (edit)" by Angelo Badalmenti, "Tarifa (roadhouse mix)" by Sharon Van Etten, and "She's Gone Away" by Nine Inch Nails. LP, Vinyl record album

The breakout record from Lizzo – a set that's even more musically striking than its instantly-iconic cover image! The record bristles with an energized take on contemporary R&B, mixed with just the right dose of hip hop – and although Missy Elliott guests on one track, Lizzo's clearly showing the world that she's ready to take the mantle from the queen, with a much more honest, upfront songwriting approach – on titles that include "Boys", "Lingerie", "Heaven Help Me", "Exactly How I Feel", "Tempo", "Crybaby", "Soulmate", "Like A Girl", and "Cuz I Live You". LP, Vinyl record album

Amazing sounds from Frank Zappa – and a record that showed the world that he was also one hell of an arranger too! The album's got all the offbeat, tripped-out qualities that you'd expect from late 60s Zappa – but at times, it's also got this tightness that's really amazing – almost as if Frank's showing the world that he can easily do the same things as the studio wizards of LA pop – but chooses to keep most of his efforts on the wrong side of the tracks! There's plenty of larger backings at points – handled by some of the cream of the crop of the LA studio and jazz scene – but other moments are pretty darn raw, and have a gritty, almost homemade sound collage feel. LP, Vinyl record album