A lost treasure from the legendary Ennio Morricone – a soundtrack written for a crime film starring Charles Bronson & Telly Savalas, and handled with all the spare subtlety of his best work! Bruno Nicolai's directing the orchestra on this one – and isolated instruments include electric harpsichord and woodwinds that drift along nicely in the tunes – mixed with some harder arrangements on a few of the album's more driving cuts. Morricone strikes a great balance here – occasionally hitting sweet notes, but then often falling into these dark depths that perfectly fit the bleak world of the film. Tracks include the lovely slow groover "Riassunto", plus the tracks "Rito Finale", "Svolta Definitiva", "Dolcemente Acre", "Norme Con Ironie", "Citta Violenta", "Mille Volte Un Grido" and more. 2LP pressing, with 21 tracks in all. The complete soundtrack on vinyl for the first time! LP, Vinyl record album

A definite New York groove from bassist Teuro Nakamura – and a set that really takes us back to some of the best American/Japanese fusion sessions of the late 70s! Like some of those classics, this one was recorded in the US, with a Japanese player in the lead – bassist Nakamura – and the sound is wonderfully smooth and soulful, with a wickedly spacious take on jazz funk – and this open groove set up by the basslines, which then allow plenty of room for the other musicians to take flight! The album features guitar from Joe Berger, Bill Washer, and William Spaceman Patterson – plus loads of sweet keyboards and Fender Rhodes from Ron Thompson, whose work on the record is almost worth the price of admission! The set also features a bit of soprano sax from Antoine Roney, and some tenor from Jay Rodriguez – and titles include "Bushman Song", "Sequoia Forest", "Sweet Romance", "Midnight Song", and "Certain Doubt". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the rarest soul records of the 70s – recorded in Germany by a bunch of American servicemen on leave, but with a sound that's right out of the Chicago or Detroit groove of the pre-disco years! The group's great with both the funky and soulful material – hitting hard with monster groovers like "Holes In My Shoes" and the jazzy break classic "Windy C", and keeping it sweet and mellow on ballads like "My Little Someone" and "Boarding Pass". The album's got a great sound overall – almost like some of the jazzy soul albums on Fantasy from the mid 70s – and the quality of the vocals and instrumentation is great throughout. Titles include "I Love You", "Bet You Say You Want To Make It With Me", "No More City, No More Country", and "You Keep Me Coming Back". LP, Vinyl record album

Wicked funky fusion from Opa – a Brazilian-inspired set, and one with loads of great electric moments! Although originally from Uruguay, Opa are best known for their Brazilian-tinged albums on the soul/jazz Fantasy records label in Cali during the mid 70s – great placement, given that their sound is a bit like Azymuth – with a similar mix of South American roots and contemporary electric grooves! This album is actually their first – captured in America before their two classics on Fantasy – and featuring a sharp quartet that includes legendary pianist Hugo Fattoruso on keyboards – a great talent who'd already made jazz and bossa records in the 60s – working here with George Osvaldo Fattoruso on drums, percussion, and flute – plus Ringo Thielmann on bass. The core trio is also joined for this record by percussionist Pappo Atiles – and although there's some light vocal touches, they've got that breezy style that was often used in Brazilian jazz at the time – almost more instrumental than vocal. Titles include a great take on Edu Lobo's "Casa Forte" – plus "Back Home (The Inner City)", "Brother Rada", "African Bird", "Goldenwings", "Brooklynville", and "One & One & One Is Two". LP, Vinyl record album

An amazing avant session from the Czech scene of the 70s – and a record that may well be one of the most important to come out of the Eastern Bloc during the decade! Plastic People Of The Universe are a group who managed a legend that went way past their very tight national boundaries – kind of a secret global sense of attention that was spread through the intellectual underground, and forever cemented with this masterpiece of music! The album effortlessly shifts between free jazz, avant experimentation, art rock, and other mode used in these dark and powerful ways – a strong-burning torch that let the world know that Czech innovation was alive and well, even during years of strong Soviet oppression. Instrumentation mixes alto sax, theremin, claviphone, guitar, violin, and double drums – and titles include "The Wondrous Mandarin", "Look At You, All Sound Asleep", "Past My Window", "Constipation", and "Toxica". LP, Vinyl record album

An amazing avant session from the Czech scene of the 70s – and a record that may well be one of the most important to come out of the Eastern Bloc during the decade! Plastic People Of The Universe are a group who managed a legend that went way past their very tight national boundaries – kind of a secret global sense of attention that was spread through the intellectual underground, and forever cemented with this masterpiece of music! The album effortlessly shifts between free jazz, avant experimentation, art rock, and other mode used in these dark and powerful ways – a strong-burning torch that let the world know that Czech innovation was alive and well, even during years of strong Soviet oppression. Instrumentation mixes alto sax, theremin, claviphone, guitar, violin, and double drums – and titles include "The Wondrous Mandarin", "Look At You, All Sound Asleep", "Past My Window", "Constipation", and "Toxica". LP, Vinyl record album

Really unique material from Sun Ra – a pair of recordings that were initially circulated much more strongly than some of his Saturn Records material, thanks to the power of the BYG/Actuel label in the early 70s – but tracks that actually come from a variety of different sessions that Ra himself did with the Arkestra in the late 60s! Tracks are shortish, but very inventive – a well-chosen snapshot of all the new ideas that the group were cooking up during the end of the 60s in New York, with an increased mission to explore the outer reaches of space, and use more electronics than ever before! Ra plays some killer keyboards – moog, spacemaster, and acoustic piano – often with these really eerie tones – and other players include Kwame Hadi on trumpet, Akh Tal Ebah on space dimension mellophone, Ali Hassan on trombone, Marshal Allen and Danny Davis on alto and flute, John Gilmore on tenor, and Pat Patrick on baritone – and the whole group vocalizes at points, joined by other singers who include June Tyson and Art Jenkins. There's also some great use of "strange strings" on the sessions, not to mention a bit of reverb – and tracks on this first volume include "Spectrum", "The Satellites Are Spinning", "Seen III Took 4", "Adventures Of Bugs Hunter", "Legend", and "The Realm Of Lightning". LP, Vinyl record album

A long-lost performance by Sun Ra and the Arkestra – recorded in Amsterdam at the start of the 70s, when the group were brought in by avant saxophonist Hans Dulfer for a special performance! This album marks the first-ever issue of the material, from rediscovered tapes that finally present the group on that night in all of their glory – a horn-heavy version of the Arkestra with Danny Davis, Danny Ray Thompson, Marshall Allen, Pat Patrick, and John Gilmore on reeds – as well as Kwame Hadi and Akh Tal Ebah on trumpets, June Tyson on vocals, and a surprise appearance from Alan Silva on cello, bass, viola, and violin! Ra himself plays moog, rocksichord, piano, and the Spacemaster organ – and the group has plenty of percussion, and a rich sound that really resonates strongly in the legendary venue. Titles include an early reading of "Space Is The Place" – plus "Watusa", "Walking On The Moon", "Paradiso Improviso #1", "We Travel The Spaceways", "Theme From The Stargazers", "The Solar Moog Approach", and "Second Stop Is Jupiter". LP, Vinyl record album

A really important early album from this groundbreaking pianist – a set that initially got plenty of exposure at the time, thanks to its placement on the Infinite Zero label – even though Matthew Shipp's piano work was very far from the mainstream! The trio here is tremendous – and the work of William Parker on bass is especially wonderful, as is the subtle drum handling of Whit Dickey – as the group perform lne long suite of tracks that flow together in haunting patterns of criss crossing lines that describe seem to really bring a sense of spirituality back to the world of improvising music in the early 90s! LP, Vinyl record album

One of the key records that really helped cement the strong reputation of Tatsuro Yamashita in the 70s – served up with the kind of standout material that easily made him one of the most soulful Japanese singers of his time! Yamashita arranged and produced the whole set, which has these warm jazzy backings that include some early keyboard work from Ryuichi Sakamoto – and Tatsuro has an ear for well-produced grooves that almost rival some of the best Cali soul of the period, save for the fact that his lyrics here are all in Japanese! Titles include "Bomber", "Monday Blue", "Love Celebration", "Follow Me Along", "2000 Feet Of Rain", "This Could Be The Night", and "Paper Doll". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the key records that helped cement the Tom Ze legacy back in the day – a set that's unlike any other work of the period from other Brazilian artists – including some of Ze's earlier contemporaries in the Tropicalia scene! There's a great mix of styles going on ranging from some spare percussive tracks, to others that have a smoother production style – and throughout it all, Ze's got that crazy approach to lyricism that marks his vocally striking work from this time. Arrangements are directed by Otavio Basso, with lots of work on both acoustic and electric instruments – keyboards mixed with cavaquinho, guitar mixed with percussion and cuica – on titles that include "Amor De Estrada", "Carta", "Morena", "Menina Jesus", "Na Parada De Sucesso", and "Pecado Rifa E Revista". LP, Vinyl record album

A heavy duty set of rare rock and funk tracks from around the globe – very much the sort of work we've grown to love through the many years of reissues from the Now Again label – the reissue-based arm of the legendary Stones Throw imprint! Now Again has turned us on to more bands than we can count – and they expand that tradition by adding in some obscure groups here with other well-chosen material – including some of the African funk and psych they've really helped introduce to the world in the 21st Century! Titles include "The Out Station" by Image, "Down By The Ocean" by Heaven, "Know Yourself" by Ed Whiting & Joe Lano, "I Am Selfish" by Eye Q, "I Know" by Groep 1850, "Digging" by Trevor McNamara, "December Sequel" by Pat's People, "Let Me Try" by Kaleidoscope, and "Io Prego E Preghero" by Christophe. LP, Vinyl record album

One of best ever albums by The English Beat – and an effort that cemented their status as one of the most creative groups to come out of the ska revival scene! Wha'ppen has lots of fresh instrumentation and experimentation – but that's in service of some tight, insistent songcraft – and they never, ever bury their Caribbean influences. There's a bit more Afro Beat-inspired rhythms and some atmospheric underground pop touches, but it's still got plenty of the Jamaican style we loved about their earlier work, too – on a record that didn't get the acclaim it deserved at the time! Titles include "Monkey Murders", "I Am Your Flag", "Walk Away", "Get A Job", "The Limits We Set", "Dream Home In NZ", and "Drowning". LP, Vinyl record album

An incredible batch of prime garage rock era nuggets from the Peruvian scene – fuzzy gems by the Saicos! The Saicos bring a sense of menace to these tunes – with a guitar tone touched with an eerie vibe, and lead vocals that are really piercing and gravelly in that instills this primordial edge that needs to be heard to be believed – but that balance it off with some moddish, British invasion grooves, too. The overall sound manages to blend both the heavy menace of cult acts like the Monks and the Seeds with the tunefulness of the Animals – and clear precursor the garage punk for decades to come! Titles include "Come On (Ven Aqui)", "Ana", "Demolicion", "Lonely Star (Estrella Solitaria)", "Cememterio", "Te Amo", "Fugitivo De Alcatraz", "Salvaje", "El Entierro De Los Gatos", "Besando A Otra" and "Intensamente". Comes with a great booklet, too! LP, Vinyl record album

The classic critical breakthrough from The Roots – the one that really cemented their legacy as one great hip hop live bands ever, and help paving the way for many fascinating records to come! Do You Want More is a modern hip hop essential, changing the way we looked at hip hop, and certainly one of the most successful efforts at bridging live band playing, sample based beats and smart rhymes. Titles include: "Proceed", "Distortion To Static", "Lazy Afternoon", "Mellow My Man", "I Remain Calm", "Datskat", "What Goes On Pt. 7", "Silent Treatment", "You Ain't Fly", "Do You Want More?!!!??!", "The Lesson Part 2" and "The Unlocking". LP, Vinyl record album

A classic album of vocal tracks from Chet Baker – one that elevates the sound of his earlier small group work with some added backings on some tracks – all at a level that continues the new level of sophistication that Baker brought to jazz on his first few recordings! The mid 50s set is overflowing with key performances from Chet, both on vocals and trumpet – and the core group features wonderful work on piano from Russ Freeman, and this great use of flute by Bud Shank – which seems to underscore some of the moodier currents in Baker's music. Some tracks feature larger arrangements that really elevate the proceedings – handled by Johnny Mandel, Marty Paich, and Frank Campo – and the album's classic Chet all the way through – cool but fragile – summed up in the set's perfect take on the stone classic "Lets Get Lost" – plus titles that include "Just Friends", "Grey December", "I Remember You", "Long Ago & Far Away", "Someone To Watch Over Me", "I Wish I Knew", and "Daybreak". LP, Vinyl record album

Gritty funk from East Of Underground – an uber-obscure LP recorded in 1971 by a group of US Army serviceman at the Armed Forces Network studios in Frankfurt, Germany – originally used as a recruiting tool during the Vietnam war! Given the strength of the set, we wouldn't be surprised if plenty of folks signed up for a tour of duty after hearing it – as the set cooks like some of the best American funk from the indie 45 world at the time. The production is nice and dark – with an echoey quality that makes us guess the album was a live recording – done by American servicemen with the feel of some backroom funk show from the Indy or Ohio scene of the 70s. Some of the tracks are familiar numbers from American hits – but redone here with a nicely gritty feel – and titles include the awesome medley "Bet'Ya Never Lose My Love California Dreamer" – plus "Higher", "Smiling Faces", "Hell Below", "Getting Over", "Popcorn/Santana", "I Love You", "Java Girl", and "Walk On By". LP, Vinyl record album

It's easy for Yumi Seino to be a natural woman with backings this great – really jazzy instrumentation that helps set a style that keeps things moving throughout – and which definitely has the record on the more soulful R&B side of the city pop spectrum! Yumi's voice is great – rich and strong, yet never too overly dramatic – just able to convey the right spirit of the lyric, even when the language is Japanese – helping bring a really sort of universal appeal to the record along with the music. Titles include "Caledonia Love Day", "December", "Les Memories D'Un Con", "Tokyo City Nights", "Airport 4:30pm", and "You & I". LP, Vinyl record album

An amazing Impulse debut from Archie Shepp – easily one of his boldest musical statements ever, and a key announcement to the world that a new generation of modernists was on the rise! The album was co-produced by John Coltrane – who brought Shepp to the label, and almost gets out-done by Archie's sharply crafted musical vision on the set. The style here is that mix of freer lines and tighter conception that Shepp used with the New York Contemporary Five – and players include John Tchicai on alto from that group, plus Roswell Rudd on trombone, Alan Shorter on flugelhorn, Reggie Workman on bass, and Charles Moffett on drums. The lack of piano in the album is striking – and allows for plenty of horn interplay, but in a way that's much more cutting and dark than any of the piano-less horn dates from the 50s. Titles include 4 Coltrane compositions ("Syeeda's Song Flute", "Mr Syms", "Cousin Mary", and "Naima"), as sort of a tribute to Trane – plus Shepp's excellent "Rufus (Swung, his face at last to the wind, then his neck snapped)". LP, Vinyl record album

A triumphant third album from The Smiths – one that really focuses the energy of their previous sets, and helps them find a new sort of sonic perfection! Those haunting guitars are still in all the right places – as are Morrissey's heartfelt lyrics – but there's also a nice balance here between humor and honesty, which may well make the album the most appealing Smiths set to our ears! Titles include "The Queen Is Dead", "Never Had No One Ever", "Vicar In A Tutu", "Cemetery Gates", "Frankly Mr Shankly", and "Some Girls Are Bigger Than Others". LP, Vinyl record album

Terri Walker's every bit as great here as when we first fell in love with her music many years back – so much so that it's hard to believe there's been any passage of years, as the album's got all the freshness and sense of promise of the neo soul generation from back in the day! As before, Terri knows that keeping it lean is her best approach – and the record really benefits from the center placement of her vocals, as she delivers lyrics that are both personal and honest, warm and open. Titles include "I Surrender", "You're Not Coming Home", "Fearless", "I Remember", "Finally Over You", "Rhythm Of Change", and "I'm Not The One". LP, Vinyl record album

Funk from Belgium? Believe it or not, stranger things have happened – and we can promise that if you played these tracks back to back with more familiar grooves from other 70s sources, you'd quickly find that these Belgian grooves are right up there with the best of the bunch! The set's maybe a more sophisticated follow-up to the excellent Funky Chicken collection, which documented some grittier Belgian 70s material a few years back – and this one shows off a wickedly sharp batch of tunes that include funky fusion, sweet sound library numbers, and lots of really inventive cuts that are plenty funk, but often take some great chances too – in ways that almost make us think that the nation's scene was so small that musicians from different genres were often hanging out together, and breaking down lots of musical boundaries in the process! As with the other set, the presentation here is wonderful – not just fantastic music we'd never have discovered otherwise, but also very detailed notes and an overall punch that few other funky compilations can match. Titles on this second vinyl volume include "Guess We'd Better Break Up Now" by Etta Cameron, "Give It Up Or Turn It A Loose" by Philip Catherine, "Riff For Peggy" by Roland Thyssen, "We Love The Policemen" by Hearts Of Soul & Shampoo, "Smoke Signal" by Indian Sound Of Blackfoot, "Inner City Blues" by Leslie Kent, "Chewing Gum Delirium" by Free Pop Electronic Concept, "Akkerwinde" by Lieven, "Concerto For Right Foot & Orchestra" by George Hayes & His Philarpopic Orchestra, "Punktowiec" by Skleroptak, and "Soul Melody" by R Dero. LP, Vinyl record album

A pivotal album for Black Sabbath – a set that further expanded the instrumental palette of their previous work, but all without losing an edge at all – for a record that forever helped cement their role in both the classic and hard rock canons of the 70s! Ozzy is great throughout, and both he and Tony Iommi bring in a bit of keyboard work, but in just the right way – almost adding a more sinister edge to the guitars – echoed by some especially nice acoustic piano at times, particularly on the instrumental cut "Fluff". Titles include the seminal title track "Sabbath Bloody Sabbath" – plus "A National Acrobat", "Sabbra Cadabra", "Spiral Architect", "Looking For Today", and "Killing Yourself To Live". LP, Vinyl record album

A long-overdue recognition of the blues contributions of Willie Dixon – a set that pulls him out of the indie ghetto and pushes him firmly into the mainstream with this key release on Columbia Records! Yet despite that placement, the style is nicely down home – a strong recreation of older Chicago blues modes by producer Abner Spector – one that has Willie singing versions of his classic tunes like "Back Door Man", "The Seventh Son", "Little Red Rooster", "I'm Your Hoochie Coochie Man", and "The Same Thing". LP, Vinyl record album

A sweet UK compilation of some of Nick's best work – and covering the stylistic breadth of it – from the somewhat underappreciated studio band backed gems, to the stripped down and rawly intimate songcraft that cemented his incredible legacy. With the exception of a couple tracks from the posthumous Made To Love Magic collection, Treasury draws pretty equally from each of this iconic Island LPs – so nearly every track is purely classic – so the biggest and only flaw here is that it has 15 incredible tracks, rather than all of them! "River Man", "Cello Song", "Poor Boy", "Hazey Jane II", "Magic", "Place To Be", "From The Morning", "Fruit Tree", "Road", and "Way To Blue". LP, Vinyl record album

The first album in many years from German jazz legends Embryo – and a set that hardly has them missing a beat at all from their famous work of the 70s! Part of the strength of the record might be its placement on Madlib's record label – but from the notes, it seems that all the credit is due to the group themselves – still doing a fantastic job of mixing together global elements and long-drawn jazz explorations – served up here on Fender Rhodes, vibes, guitar, saxes, flute, and plenty of percussion – sometimes with a bit of vocals, but usually in a way that's more chanted or instrument-like – which only seems to further the global explorations in the music! A stunning addition to their legendary catalog – with titles that include "Baran", "Januar", "Alphorn Prayer", "Besh", and "Yu Mala". LP, Vinyl record album

Very cool live material from Dizzy Gillespie – a set that has him working in that groovy blend of Latin with slight funky currents that we love on his best albums from the 70s! The setting here is very open and free, with very extended tracks that really let the rhythms build before the solos come in – a great flow from a quintet that features Mike Longo on piano, Al Gafa on guitar, Earl May on bass, and Mickey Roker on drums – all players who match that special spark and energy that Dizzy brings to the proceedings! Many tracks feature a short spoken announcement, with that wit that Gillespie always has on the stage – and Jon Faddis plays guest trumpet on two tracks as well. Titles include the long cuts "Sunshine", "Brother K", "Ole For The Gypsies", "The Truth", "Manteca", and "The Blues". LP, Vinyl record album

The smashing debut of Van Hunt – a smoky-voiced singer with a really great sound! The album's one of those "instant classics" that grabs us right away – put together with a sweet and seductive feel that's got roots that stretch back past D'Angelo into the 70s work of Al Green – and which has some really great touches on the instrumentation and production, giving the set a nicely trippy feel! Think of this one as neo-psychedelic soul – and get ready to be hearing a lot more from Van Hunt in years to come – because with a sound like this, the guy's gonna break out big! There's loads of compelling little tunes on the set, and titles include "Highlights", "Dust", "Seconds Of Pleasure", "Hello Goodbye", "Down Here In Hell (With You)", "Out Of The Sky", "Hold My Hand", and "Her December". Features bonus material exclusive to this vinyl version! LP, Vinyl record album

Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings celebrate that other big holiday in December – with two very groovy tracks that rival some of the best Christmas soul classics from years back! "8 Days Of Hanukkah" is wonderfully upbeat and swinging – with a vibe that's totally great and positive, and which has Sharon vocally making her way through the eight different days of the holiday! The flipside is more of a "part 2" to the cut – which is more than groovy enough to be worth flipping over the record! 7-inch, Vinyl record

A wonderful Holiday set from Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings – easily one of the coolest albums you'll ever hope to spin in December! The group really recreate the vibe of a classic Christmas soul album – like records from James Brown or Stevie Wonder – and do an excellent job of moving between funky numbers, deeper soul, and some righteous message cuts that remind us that the Holidays aren't always happy for everyone on the planet. And these guys also don't just hang out at Christmas – and instead touch on other December holidays too – in a sweet mix of cuts that features Sharon in the lead on many numbers, plus some great instrumentals from the Dap-Kings too. Titles include "8 Days", "Ain't No Christmas In The Projects", "Big Bulbs", "Funky Little Drummer Boy", "World Of Love", "Got Rest Ye Merry Gents", "Silent Night", "Just Another Christmas Song", and "Please Come Home For Christmas". LP, Vinyl record album

An instant Christmas classic from Samara Joy – a Holiday set that easily matches the strength of her non-seasonal albums from a vocal perspective, but which also brings a fresh sort of energy to the genre as well! The style is mostly jazz, by there's some occasional flourishes that hint at more traditional Christmas modes – balanced nicely throughout, with just the right sort of instrumental shift to make each track really stand out! The record's a short one – only six songs in all – but the quality level is more than enough to keep this one coming out year after year, every December – thanks to tunes that include "Twinkle Twinkle Little Me", "Warm In December", "O Holy Night", "The Christmas Song", "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas", and a bonus live duet on "Christmas Song" with Antonio McLendon. LP, Vinyl record album

An overlooked Christmas album from Cyndi Lauper – recorded a bit after her big hits of the 80s, but still enough in that decade to have the right vintage feel for her voice! There's a few Christmas classics on the record, but there's also some original and unusual songs – which is always great with us – as our favorite sort of Christmas records are the ones where an artist really brings something new to the table! Titles include "Feels Like Christmas", "Three Ships", "In The Bleak Midwinter", "December Child", "Early Christmas Morning", "New Year's Baby", "Minnie & Santa", and "Christmas Conga". LP, Vinyl record album

A legendary live set from Amy Winehouse – a concert performance that helped cement her status as one of the true soul legends of the 21st Century – before she was taken away from us all too soon! A few years before, nobody would have guessed that up-and-coming Amy would have been able to command such a large arena presence – and she manages to do so here while still staying very true to herself, and to the kind of deep soul presentation that always made her such a standout from the pack. Titles include "Rehab", "Me & Mr Jones", "Cupid", "F*ck Me Pumps", "Tears Dry On Their Own", "Monkey Man", "You Know I'm No Good", "Valerie", "Cherry", "Wake Up Alone", "Back To Black", and "Hey Little Rich Girl". LP, Vinyl record album

The incredible second album by The Wipers – a record that cements Greg Sage's status as not only a pioneering figure in Pacific Northwest punk/post punk songcraft, but also as one of the more innovative guitarists in that scene. Youth Of America carries on the surprisingly melodic, yet blazing intensity of the debut, but with richer guitar atmosphere. The 10+ minute title track is the biggest step forward in that regard, but the whole record is a underappreciated gem! Other titles include "Taking Too Long", "Can This Be", "Pushing The Extreme", "When Its Over" and "No Fair". LP, Vinyl record album

A totally cool collection of songs, sound effects, and vintage movie trailers – all pulled from the glory days of the American horror film! The package is a tribute to the old time monster shows that used to travel the theater circuit – a mix of horror movies and live action activity – revived by by the folks at Something Weird in live performances, a great counterpart to all the great films they've given us on DVD over the years! This set brings together the kind of deep knowledge that only fans of these lost b-movie gems could discover – a massive 32 track package that features the songs "The Morgus Creep" by The Daringers, "Cemetary Stomp" by The Essex, "Count Dracula" by The Rockin Continentals, "Haunted House" by Oscar & The Majestics, "The Giggler" by The Pot & The Wildcats, "The Guillotine" by The Executioners, "Transylvania" by The Mysterians, and "Night Beat" by The Night Beats – plus a huge host of film trailers, radio spots, and more! Also features a bonus DVD of the live Something Weird Spook Show. LP, Vinyl record album

Not a live recording from the mighty Animals, but a set that was issued during a year when the group were taking the American stages by storm – put together from extra material that was only issued on their UK debut album, plus UK Animal Tracks material, and a few singles too! The set's hardly a hodge podge, though – as it was a crucial second full length for the US, and a collection of cuts that really cemented the group's reputation at the time – thanks to the strength of cuts that include "Mess Around", "I Believe To My Soul", "Ain't Got You", "Dimples", "She Said Yeah", "I'm Crying", "Boom Boom", "How You've Changed", and "Let The Good Times Roll". LP, Vinyl record album

Amazing early work from Blossom Dearie – quite possibly her best album for Verve, recorded in the mid 50s right after her return from work on the Paris scene! The style here is sprightly and whimsical, yet also fragile and human – a blend that few other singers can pull off as well as Dearie – a trademark sound right from the get-go, and this album's probably the best place to start with Blossom's solo career! Backing is by a small combo that features Ray Brown on bass, Herb Ellis on guitar, and Jo Jones on drums – and Blossom herself plays piano. Titles include "Deed I Do", "You For Me", "Tout Doucement", "Everything I've Got", "Wait Till You See Her", and "A Fine Spring Morning". LP, Vinyl record album

A really great lineup of musicians from the London scene – coming together here in a mix of modes that's both electric and acoustic, jazz and more global-based – all with the far-reaching sounds you might expect from their previous work in groups like Collocutor or Comet Is Coming! There's a freshness here that's wonderful, right from the very first note – players with a jazz sensibility, but who've also drunk up all the criss-crossing modes that have been bubbling up in London in recent years – pushing past conventional rhythms and instrumental placements, and creating an intensity that takes their music to audiences who might never have listened to mainstream jazz! Players include Tamar Osborn on bass clarinet, flute, and soprano sax; Bex Burch on vibes, electronics, and percussion; Danalogue on Fender Rhodes and other keyboards; Al MacSween on prepared and conventional piano; and Sarathy Korwar on drums and tablas – and all the players seem to handle a wide variety of other instruments as well. Titles include "Prepare To Let Go", "Sounds Welcome", "Expand", "It's Complicated", "Murmuration", "How Many Are One", "Bold Dream", and "My Resonance". LP, Vinyl record album

A set that's maybe not the first record from the great John Lee Hooker – but one that definitely helped push him over the top, and forever cement his place in the legend of 20th Century blues! The vibe here is a bit different than some of Hooker's earlier, rawer material – as he gets some soulful backing from members of The Funk Brothers – an early current of Detroit punch, yet still delivered with a sound that's nice and lean – so that Hooker's vocals and raw guitar completely dominate the set! The mix of sharp rhythms and Hooker's lead is heard to great effect on the classic cut "Boom Boom" – a number that may well have set fire to a whole generation of British and American rockers – and other tracks are equally great, and every bit as gritty – with titles that include "Process", "Blues Before Sunrise", "I Got A Letter", and "What Do You Say". LP, Vinyl record album

Not just a wonderful letter, but a love letter to Los Angeles – served up here in a style that maybe makes for one of the most evocative creations we've ever heard from J Rocc! There's a richness here that comes through on the very first track – almost an imagined LA from the past, at a time when the city had a few more problems – but given more than a few contemporary touches along the way, especially when some of the guests step into the mix – work from Koreatown Oddity, Med, Frank Nitt, Budgie, LMNO, and Key Kool – as well as older legends Steve Arrington and Egyptian Lover – whose appearance here really cements some of the 80s elements in J Rocc's conception. Titles include "LA Anthem", "Love & Dope", "Dancing With The Best", "All I Wanna Do (rmx)", "The Changing World", and "Flawless". LP, Vinyl record album

Masta Ace does his inimitable, classic era-schooled, longtime mic master thing in peak form over beats by MF Doom! Coming out at time when Masta Ace was hungry to cement his legacy – as if he had and anything to prove – and Doom was a steady figure in underground hip hop, especially on the production side – it stands up strong alongside some of the better work by either figure. It also includes vocal cameo by Doom along the legendary Big Daddy Kane – plus appearances by Reggie B and Pav Bundy. 15 tracks on the 2LPs including "Son Of Yvonne", "Me And My Gang", "Fresh Fest" feat Reggie B, "Thing I Am" with Big Daddy Kane & MF Doom, "I Did It", "Dedication", "Da' Pro", "Slow Down", "Crush Hour feat Pav Bundy, "Store Frontin'" and more. LP, Vinyl record album

The last slice of work to be released from the incredible Monks – a group of American servicemen who rocked the German scene in the mid 60s – and have gone onto become the stuff of legend over the years! The group's Polydor recordings have been issued and reissued many times – but this shorter batch of tracks features five tunes recorded at the Top Ten Club in the summer of 1967 – evidently the last work that the group did together before breaking up – with a sound that's every bit as amazing as their famous album, if not more adventurous overall! The Monks' approach is very hard to peg – certainly elements of garage and psych, but with a madness that really makes these guys completely unique – maybe even more so here, as they weren't trying to please any execs at a record company. Titles include "I Need U Shatzi", "Yellow Grass", "Julia", "PO Box 3291", and "I'm Watching You" LP, Vinyl record album

A synth-heavy sound library set, and one that really lives up to the cover image of a spaceman on the front – a record that soars through the skies on waves of pulsating sonic energy – lean enough to achieve liftoff, but with enough force to keep on soaring through the cosmos! The keyboards used aren't listed in the notes, but there's definitely an 80s vibe throughout – plenty of elements from those early days of digital keys – when things were very sharp around the edges, yet still had some of the warmth of hand-programmed keyboards too! Titles include "Regulators 2", "Data Load", "Modem", "Digiheart 1", "Fusion Point 3", "Nuclear Radiation 2", and "Atomic Plant 1". LP, Vinyl record album

A killer set from percussionist Anthony Reebop Kwaku Bah – one done with the same sort of genre-crossing vibe as some of his work with the hipper members of the British rock scene – but at a level that's even cooler and groovier than his album for Island around the same time! The set's more of a jazz outing overall – and Reebop's tight skills are matched with a host of Swedish musicians – a lineup that includes Maffy Falay on trumpet, Ulf Andersson on tenor and flute, Bobo Stenson on electric piano, Jan Schaffer on guitar, and Rune Carlsson on drums! Tracks are long, and very groovy – often a bit of funk mixed with freer, more expressive passages – not unlike some of Don Cherry's experiments on the same scene at the time! Schaffer's guitar gets some good placement, and sounds even better here than usual – on cuts that include "Funkum", "Kwaku's Thing", "Africa", "Lovin You Baby", and "200 To 500 Years Ago". LP, Vinyl record album

Never-heard early sounds from the young Lou Reed – early recordings of material that helped cement his fame in the Velvet Underground – uncovered after being lost for almost 50 years! The tracks here are early demos of both songs that the Velvets would famously soon record, and other material that they didn't – done by Lou with help from John Cale on a number of the tracks, and already in a surprisingly dark sort of style – despite the fact that the instrumentation is mostly just a single guitar alongside the vocals! With that approach, there's maybe a slight nod to the Greenwich Village scene in terms of the presentation – and served up that way, you can hear just how strongly the young Reed is already shaking up the scene in New York – almost as if he's using the modes of the folkies as ammunition to mow them all down. The package features never-heard takes of "Heroin", "I'm Waiting For The Man", and "Pale Blue Eyes" – plus "Too Late", "Buttercup Song", "Buzz Buzz Buzz", "Stockpile", "Men Of Good Fortune", and even "Wrap Your Troubles In Dreams". LP, Vinyl record album

Never-heard early sounds from the young Lou Reed – early recordings of material that helped cement his fame in the Velvet Underground – uncovered after being lost for almost 50 years! The tracks here are early demos of both songs that the Velvets would famously soon record, and other material that they didn't – done by Lou with help from John Cale on a number of the tracks, and already in a surprisingly dark sort of style – despite the fact that the instrumentation is mostly just a single guitar alongside the vocals! With that approach, there's maybe a slight nod to the Greenwich Village scene in terms of the presentation – and served up that way, you can hear just how strongly the young Reed is already shaking up the scene in New York – almost as if he's using the modes of the folkies as ammunition to mow them all down. The package features never-heard takes of "Heroin", "I'm Waiting For The Man", and "Pale Blue Eyes" – plus "Too Late", "Buttercup Song", "Buzz Buzz Buzz", "Stockpile", "Men Of Good Fortune", and even "Wrap Your Troubles In Dreams". LP, Vinyl record album

A key moment in the career of Hungarian guitarist Gabor Szabo – a player who'd already been making some great music in the group of Chico Hamilton, but who really cemented his reputation with the sound on this set! Right from the start, Gabor was always a guitarist with something very new, very fresh to offer – an approach that was partly steeped in older European gypsy guitar sounds, but also inflected electrically towards a trippier, more modal, more psychedelic quality – something he'd explore strongly on this sweet little set. The album begins in a bossa mode, then really trips out – as a second guitar weaves lines around Gabor's own – and drums and bass provide a very cool modal groove. Titles include "Los Matodoros", "Corcovado", "O Barquinho", "The Beat Goes On", "Lou-ise", "Space", and "Mizrab". LP, Vinyl record album

Brilliant work from a Long Island group who are really known for just one famous single, but who also managed to cut a few other tracks at the time – all brought together here to make a long-overdue album for the group! "Valley Of Death" is the group's sole single – a great garage reworking of the poem "The Charge Of The Light Brigade", taken into really sinister territory – issued under the name of The Whatever, although the group also existed as The Raincoats and The Lookouts, both of who are featured here – alongside two very cool car dealership songs the group cut for Wolfinger Dodge! Titles include "The Valley Of Death", "More Than Fair", "Conscience", "Stranger", "No More Do I Dream", "You're Mine", "Away From You", and "Talking Out Of Turn" – plus two cool "Wolfinger Dodge" jingles, with surprisingly profane announcements! LP, Vinyl record album