A great late 80s return to form for Lou Reed – a record set in a New York that's a bit different than the gritty one of his youth, but which is captured here by Lou with that vivid sense of songwriting that always made his urban themes some of the best in rock and roll! The set's designed to be listened to straight through – like a book or a movie, Lou mentions in the notes – and the songs are set to well-crafted guitar work mostly by Reed, augmented with work from Mike Rathke – delivered in a vocal style that's found a newly-confident way of moving between singing and speech. Titles include "Dirty Blvd", "Endless Cycle", "Busload Of Faith", "Sick Of You", "Hold On Mr Waldheim", "Xmas In February", "Strawman", "Dime Store Mstery", "Romeo Had Juliette", and "The Last Great American Whale". LP, Vinyl record album

Fantastic stuff – and a record that may well be the greatest ever from the mighty Serge Gainsbourg – high praise indeed, considering the greatness of Gainsbourg's other music! The album is one long suite built around a spare, electric bass-driven theme – a slow funk riff that's been sampled countless times over the years, and which has gotten the album continuous play on both sides of the Atlantic for many many years. The mighty Jean-Claude Vannier handles the arrangements, and Serge mutters the lyrics over the top, in a raspy loud whisper – while the funky rhythms dart in and out of odd washes of sound, and unusual eerie sounds. There's a very strong soundtrack feel to the album, as waves of music envelop the lyrics – tripped out in funky beats that have become legendary over the years, thanks to some very famous samples! Titles include "En Melody", "Cargo Culte", "Ballade De Melody Nelson", "Valse De Melody", "Ah! Melody", and "L'Hotel Particulier". Great new LP reissue package – with 180 gram vinyl, notes, an interview, and even lyrics in English & French! LP, Vinyl record album

Man, these guys are really opening up their sound a lot with this release – moving into the heavier, harder rock territory that would bring them big fame in the 70s! The whole thing's a lot more tripped-out than before – none of the sweeter, lyrical modes of the group's earliest hits – and instead, a lot more moody numbers that really brood nicely on heavy basslines, fuzzy guitar, and some arch vocals sung in English throughout, despite the Dutch origins of the band. Why this one didn't rock the UK and US scenes bigger at the time is a mystery – but the record's ripe for rediscovery now, and filled with great cuts that include "The Truth About Arthur", "Who Cares", "Mr Fortune's Wife", "Must I Cry", "Magnificent Magistral", "I've Just Lost Somebody", "Sam & Sue", and "Crystal Heaven". LP, Vinyl record album

Kurt Elling has been one of the greatest jazz singers of the past few decades, yet he's always pushing his music too – moving past the overdone styles that tend to hold back other singers, with an ear that's very open to new settings, and new possibilities for his magnificent voice! Here, he works alongside guitarist Charlie Hunter – in a quartet that also features DJ Harrison on keyboards and Corey Fonville – in a style that's plenty jazzy, but which has some nice funky currents at times – elements that really help Kurt change things up in these really amazing ways! Titles include a remake of the Bob Dorough/Multiplication Rock classic "Naughty Number Nine", Joni Mitchell's "Black Crow", and a transformation of Ornette Coleman's "Lonely Woman" – plus original tunes "Bounce It", "Little Fairy Carpenter", and "Not Here Not Now". LP, Vinyl record album

A classic 70s soul soundtrack – and a dream of a combination! Curtis Mayfield wrote the soundtrack and produced the album – and the result is a killer batch of 70s soul tracks that matches Aretha's strong vocals with the hip Curtom sound of Chicago! Aretha was still doing pretty well at this point, but the album really gave her a push – and the super-hip setting let her record some of her best work of the 70s. If you own only one Aretha Franklin album from the 70s, it should probably be this one – as the mixture of soul, funk, and soundtrack grooves is great, and a refreshing change from some of the cliches that could show up on other records. Features the sublime "Something He Can Feel", plus "Loving You Baby", "Look Into Your Heart", "Sparkle", and Jump". LP, Vinyl record album

Some of the most beautiful work we've ever heard from this legendary pianist – and that's really saying a lot, given how many beautiful records Abdullah Ibrahim has given us over the years! The set expands from Ibrahim's solo performance for Gearbox Records, and takes things into a trio – but a different format than the usual piano trio mode – as bassist Noah Jackson also plays cello, and instead of drums the group's third member is Cleave Guyton Jr, who blows both flute and piccolo in very unique ways! The setup really changes the usual approach that you might know from Abdullah, in a way that shows just how fluid and open his ideas are even at this point in his career – a time when so many others would be content to just rehash the past. All material was recorded live at the Barbican in London – but the first half uses the wide expanse of the room without an audience present, and the second then presents different songs recorded live with a full concert setting. Titles include "Nisa", "The Wedding", "Mindif", "Water From An Ancient Well", "Blue Bolero", "Skippy", "Giant Steps", "Barakat", "Tsakwe", "Krotoa/Crystal Clear", and "Ishmael". LP, Vinyl record album

Warmly hypnotic work from this great Moroccan group – a set of long tracks that mix together percussion, acoustic strings, and chanted vocals – all swirling together with a vibe that's as spiritual as it is timeless! The set was recorded in the 70s, but the only aspect of that decade you'll hear might be the quality of the recording – as the instrumentation and vocals are crystal clear throughout, and come across with a power that almost brings a trance-like quality to the entire album! We don't know much about these guys, but that hardly matters, given the power of the album on its own – on tracks that include "El Hassada", "Ghir Kouhdouni, "Youm Malkak", and "Lahmami". LP, Vinyl record album