Percussionist Phillip Wilson's got his name on the cover, but the set's a very collaborative outing with trumpeter Olu Dara – recorded in Paris by Jef Gilson with a very free-thinking, open style that bridges both American and European modes of free jazz at the time! Wilson plays both a conventional drum kit and assorted percussion instruments – although not a huge range – and Dara brings a real sense of "voice" to the proceedings, both with his phrasing on the trumpet – often in a gritty, "mouthy" mode – and his occasional vocalizations through the horn – both of which evoke the more spiritual currents of the New York scene in the 70s. There's mindblowingly creative spirit to the music throughout – that best Hat Hut sound from the first few years of the label – and titles include "Call Call The So", "Double Click", "The Chad", "Elephant Bossa", "Olu 1", and "Lester 3". CD

One of the most important indie labels of the postwar years – heard here in a flurry of great tracks that really show them at their finest! This excellent double-length set brings together magical moments from a time when the Flair imprint was really hitting on all burners – recording key vocal, instrumental, blues, and doo wop tracks that would go onto have a huge impact on generations to come – mixed here with a host of titles that haven't been on CD before! The package digs deeper than any look at Flair we've ever seen – and that's saying a lot, given that Ace Records was already giving the label their due a few decades before – and all the new material sits strongly next to classics that make the 50 track collection one of the best R&B collections from the 78rpm era that we've heard in a long long time. Titles include "She Wants To Rock" and "Getting High" by The Flairs, "Loosely" and "Cuban Get Away" by Ike Turner, "Chop House" by Blinky Allen, "Quit Hangin Around Me" by Saunders King, "Early In The Morning" and "Can't Stop Lovin" by Elmore James, "Hello Baby" and "Baby Beat It" by Big Duke, "Midnight Hours Journey" by Johnny Ace, "Night Howler" by Billy Gale, "You Better Hold Me" by James Reed, "I've Got The Feeling" by Baby Parham, "This Time It's Real" by Ricky & Jennell, "Send Him Back" by Shirley Gunter, "An Angel Cried" by Anna Marie, "Blue Mambo" by Bobby Rey, and "Love Me Love Me Love Me" by The Chimes. CD

A glorious batch of unearthed soul and funk from the early 70s central Ohio scene – the storming singles of Prix label – culled from ultra rare 45s plus previous unreleased gems! Prix was the imprint started to release work captured at Columbus's Harmonic Sounds studios commercially – pummeling funk, uptempo harmony soul, some heavy organ groovers and beyond – work by the Royal Esquires, Eddie Ray, Joe King, Marion Black and others. Most of the tracks were cut in the first few years of the 70s – at a time when when central Ohio was producing soul and funk as mighty as the bigger midwestern cities of Detroit, Memphis and Chicago – standing just as tall even if it didn't get over as well in the marketplace! 19 tracks in all – 11 of which were issued as Prix 45s in the early 70s, plus 8 more tracks that were never officially released – culled from finished masters, demos and other studio material that was only recently discovered! Titles include "Wait A Minute", "You Got Me" and more by Eddie Ray, "Mystic" and "Mister Kidneys" by OFS Unlimited, "Speak On Up" and "Your My Everything" by Joe King, "Ain't Gonna Run" by Royal Esquires, "Listen Black Brother" by Marion Black, "Melon Jelly" by Soul Ensemble, "I'm Gonna Gitcha" by Chip Willis & Double Exposure and more, plus 4 "extended play" bonus tracks by Eddie Ray, Harmonic Sounds Band and Penny & The Quarters. CD

A huge amount of 12" singles, stuffed into one mighty nice 4CD set – maybe not the greatest of all time, but still pretty darn wonderful overall! The set does an especially great job of looking at a late 70s moment when some of the hipper soul artists were able to get the extra space of a 12" single to really open up their sound – grooves that move past the shorter space of a 7", and really do plenty in the process – often in ways that are much more interesting than some of the overplayed disco of the time. There's 43 long grooves on the set – all 12" singles – and titles include "Space Age" by Jimmy Castor, "You Are A Star" by Aquarian Dream, "Flashlight" by Parliament, "Good Times" by Chic, "Ten Percent" by Double Exposure, "I Should've Loved Ya" by Narada Michael Walden, "Fantastic Voyage" by Lakeside, "You're My Occupation (ext)" by Chaz Jankel, "Expansions" by Lonnie Liston Smith, "And The Beat Goes On" by the Whispers, "You Got The Floor" by Arthur Adams, "Do It Any Way You Wanna (Tom Moulton mix)" by People's Choice, "Do What You Wanna Do" by T-Connection, "Twilight (inst)" by Maze, "You + Me + Love" by Undisputed Truth, "More Bounce To The Ounce (parts 1 & 2)" by Zapp, "Now That We Found Love (disco mix)" by Third World, "Hi Tension" by Hi Tension, "Dancing In Outer Space" by Atmosfear, "Money's Too Tight To Mention" by Valentine Brothers, "Searching" by Change, and "Running Away" by Roy Ayers. CD

A heavy package of treasures from the vaults of Studio One – tracks from the early days of the label that really illustrate the special touch that Studio One had right from the start! The work here is some of the most soulful from the early years of reggae – Jamaican music that's clearly drawn strong inspiration from American work, but which is already really finding its own sort of special groove – mellow burning rocksteady, early reggae, and more – still sounding every bit as righteous and powerful as it did back in the day! This double-length set brings together both volumes of the original compilations – and titles include "Peeping Tom" by Brentford All Stars, "Honey Come Back" by Jerry James, "Get You Off My Mind" by Larry Marshall, "I'll Be Waiting" by Alton Ellis, "Got To Be Sure" by Horace Andy, "My Eyes" by John Holt, "He Don't Love You" by Larry Williams, "Psychedelic Rock" by Ernest Ranglin, "Life" by Hortense Ellis, "Always Something There To Remind Me" by Winston Francis, "Old Time Saying" by Burning Spear, "Riddle I This" by Dennis Alcapone, "Feel Good All Over" by King Sporty, "Zion Higher" by Burning Spear, and "Home Home Version" by Dennis Alcapone & Ken Boothe. CD

That's Miles Davis and Jeanne Moreau on the cover – and image is a perfect summation of what makes this period in film music so unique! The set brings together music from the French new wave of the late 50s and early 60s – a time when revolutionary directors were putting fresh new images on screen, and also turning to lots of new ideas for their music, too – using jazz musicians like Miles to create some of their soundtracks, and also moving past some of the more overblown orchestral styles that had dominated most of the world of film scores during the postwar years. Much of the work used by these directors was in a style that was closer to the people, and more fitting for the sorts of themes in the films – and this 3CD collection features a wonderful array of different modes from the period. Many films are included here with a few selections from their famous soundtracks – and the 3CD package includes work from Tires Sur Le Pianiste (Shoot The Piano Player) by Georges Delerue, A Bout De Souffle (Breathless) by Marial Solal, L'Eau A La Bouche by Serge Gainsbourg, A Double Tour by Paul Misraki, Les Liaisons Dangereuxes by Art Blakey with Barney Wilen, La Tete Contre Les Murs by Maurice Jarre, Le Bel Age by Georges Delerue, Les Bonnes Femmes by Paul Misraki, Jules Et Jim by Georges Delerue, Lola by Michel Legrand, Les 400 Coups (400 Blows) by Jean Constantin, Une Femme Est Une Femme by Michel Legrand, Zazi Dans Le Metro by Fiorenzo Carpi, Ascenseur Pour L'Echafaud by Miles Davis, and Cleo De 5 A 7 by Michel Legrand. CD

Hardbop godfather Art Blakey cut some fantastic work in the studio with his Jazz Messengers group – but in a live setting, the group sometimes sound even more amazing than on record – and that's definitely the case with this unreleased live date from the early 60s! Art has a really seminal version of the group here, with three key young stars in the lead – Lee Morgan on trumpet, Wayne Shorter on tenor, and Bobby Timmons on piano – all players who, along with bassist Jymie Merritt, helped Blakey craft some of the most memorable albums in the Blue Note catalog at the time. Yet here, as things are live, the tunes are even more stretched out – which means a lot more work from Art on the drum kit, in solos that are totally mindblowing, and really get at the complexity he can bring to his percussion – plus more pronounced work from Merritt, who's always been a hell of a bassist, but never fully gets his doe. The whole thing is fantastic – a double-length set with great sound, rescued from the vaults – with tunes that include "Now's The Time", "Blues March", "Moanin", "Dat Dere", "Night In Tunisia", "Round Midnight", and two takes on "The Theme". CD

A legendary bit of funky fusion from the French scene of the 70s – the standout set from Cortex, a combo who's very heavy on the keyboards! The tunes have a feel that's quite different than American electric work of the time – funky, but also a bit breezy too – with a strong Brazilian influence in some of the rhythms, and hip use of female vocals alongside the Fender Rhodes – which makes for a double layer of sound that's totally great! There's a bit of alto sax in the instrumentation, but most of the sound comes from the interplay between keyboards, voice, bass, and drums – rolling along in a sound that's stunningly soulful, and which makes the record one of the hippest European dates from the decade. Tremendous all the way through – with tracks that include "Automne", "L'Enfant Samba", "La Rue", "Go Round", "Madbass", "Sabbat", "Mary Et Jeff", and "Chanson D'Un Jour D'Hiver". This CD version includes the bonus track "Jazz Dance". CD

A legendary bit of funky fusion from the French scene of the 70s – the standout set from Cortex, a combo who's very heavy on the keyboards! The tunes have a feel that's quite different than American electric work of the time – funky, but also a bit breezy too – with a strong Brazilian influence in some of the rhythms, and hip use of female vocals alongside the Fender Rhodes – which makes for a double layer of sound that's totally great! There's a bit of alto sax in the instrumentation, but most of the sound comes from the interplay between keyboards, voice, bass, and drums – rolling along in a sound that's stunningly soulful, and which makes the record one of the hippest European dates from the decade. Tremendous all the way through – with tracks that include "Automne", "L'Enfant Samba", "La Rue", "Go Round", "Madbass", "Sabbat", "Mary Et Jeff", and "Chanson D'Un Jour D'Hiver". This CD version includes the bonus track "Jazz Dance". CD

One of the most striking Don Pullen albums of the 80s – a beautifully open session that has the pianist co-leading a version of the 360 Experience group of drummer Beaver Harris – with an excellent lineup that also features Ricky Ford on tenor sax, Hamiet Bluiett on baritone, and Buster Williams on bass! The mix of players is unusual, and the sound here is as well – a record that easily steps between freer moments and more tuneful passages – imbued with the creative spirit of the loft jazz generation, but also taken a step further too – possibly via the album's production work by Hal Willner. There's some truly majestic moments on the album – and the whole thing is a great demonstration of the way that the farther fringes of the jazz universe were finding even more focused expression in the 80s – during a time when records like this really helped give musicians a great outlet for their new ideas. The set begins with the very long "Goree", which has additional work by Candido on percussion – and other tracks include "Land Of The Pharoahs", "Double Arc Jake", and "Newcomer". CD

Thundering funk from the early 70s Detroit scene – and the complete work of The Propositions, a group who only ever managed to issue a few singles at the time! Due to a typo on the label of one single, the Propositions were also sometimes known as the Prepositions – but whatever the name, the band is pretty darn funky – as you'll hear in this excellent little set. Years back, the folks at Luv N Haight collected together the group's rare singles to make something of a full LP – but now, years later, they've gone back in the vaults and have come up with a huge amount of unreleased work to add to the mix – making for an overstuffed, double-length set that's filled to the rafters with great tunes. Most tracks are in a stone funky 45 mode – but they also groove out a bit longer than the usual single, and give the band plenty of room to roll around some great basslines and horn bits, which are in turn supported by some really wicked work on guitar, organ, and keyboards! Most tunes are instrumentals, and titles include "Funky Disposition", "Live Funk Session", "Do Whatever Turns You On (parts 1 & 2)", "Groovin For The Groove", "Something Different (long edit)", "Sweet Lucy", "Vamping", "Africana", "Free & Easy", "Bad Seed", "You've Been Chose", and "Kool Twist (live garage session 2)". 2CD package is filled with gems – a total of 20 tracks in all! CD

Three classic albums from Shoes, plus bonus tracks, and a full CD worth of rare material too! First up is Present Tense – a power-pop classic from Shoes – their first full length for Elektra Records, and a set that stands with all the best end of 70s gems from either coast! The songs are impeccable, and the group do a fantastic job of blending sharper guitars with really great lyricism – a mode that maybe makes the Illinois group a strong precursor for territory that The Replacements wouldn't hit until many years later – and which makes just about every track on the album a precious nugget that just gets better and better with time! Titles include "Now & Then", "Every Girl", "I Don't Wanna Hear It", "Three Times", "In My Arms Again", and "Too Late". On Tongue Twister, Shoes continue the brilliance of their first album for Elektra – serving up the kind of music that was so well-done, so subtle, it was maybe missed by most of the world at the time – even though it's gone onto the status of classic, thanks to legions of fans and critics! Shoes have a way with a tune that's unlike anyone else – maybe that compressed charm of Big Star, but fused into the sharper modes of the power pop years – but without any of the too commercial modes of some of the bigger groups of the time. Instead, the whole thing feels like you've just stumbled upon a brilliant band, playing in a backroom bar – which, unfortunately, is how Shoes spent too much of their career. Titles include "Only In My Sleep", "She Satisfies", "Found A Girl", "Hate To Run", "When It Hits", "Yes Or No", "Your Imagination", and "Girls Of Today". On Boomerang, Shoes maybe look a bit too new wave on the cover, but still sound perfect within – very much in charge of that perfect yet understated approach to a tune that has gone on to make them legends in all the many years since this album was released! The group were never out to change the world, and maybe that held them back at the time – but they were also never trying for big chart success, or too-slick modes – and there's a wonderfully honest, down to earth approach to the songwriting and production that clearly sets the stage for all the bigger late 80s groups that would follow in their wake. Nearly every tune is a completely catchy mofo – and titles include "Curiosity", "In Her Shadow", "Double Talk", "The Summer Rain", "Under The Gun", "The Tube", and "What Love Means". 4CD set features a huge amount of bonus material – 8 track demo versions of all three albums, added to their discs – and a bonus CD of 18 more rare tracks – all in a box, with a big booklet of notes! CD

A fantastic CD collection – one that brings together all five volumes of Stereolab's Switched On albums in one set – a huge collection of unusual material and rare singles! On the original Switched On record, moog, fuzz, and farfisa have never sounded so great together – and although these guys drank deep of the well of 60s pop magic before making this modern-day classic – they also come off sounding pretty darn original on their own! When this gem of a record first hit the world, it was as if all of us were hearing music from the cosmos for years, but could never find a way to make it part of our everyday lives. Then along come Tim Gane, Laetitia Sadier, and crew – and completely change the world for the better! An album that no home should be without – with titles that include "Contact", "Super-Electric", "Doubt", "Brittle", "Au Grand Jour", "The Way Will Be Opening", and "Changer". Refried Ectoplasm is the second in the holy trinity of "switched on" albums from Stereolab – a set that collects together all the unusual recordings and other side bits the group were doing in the early years of their career – standing strong as a testament to their non-stop efforts to forever push the boundaries of electric fuzzy pop! The vocals Laetitia Sadier are completely sublime – almost a bridge between the darker modes of the previous pop generation and all the new ideas of the world to come – when the rest of rock music would finally catch up to these guys, and realize that the best path to the future is through the past! Titles include "Farfisa", "John Cage Bubblegum", "Tempter", "Exploding Head Movie", "French Disko", "Harmonium", "Revox", "Mountain", and "Sadistic". By the time of Aluminum Tunes (Switched On Vol 3) – it had only been a few years since the previous Switched On set, but Stereolab had already created so much musical magic, they needed a double-length record to keep the whole thing intact! The sound here is somehow getting even more dreamy and wonderful – definitely showing their work with the mighty Sean O'Hagan, and also really opening up into all the many musical ideas that Tim Gane was picking up from his never-ending search for unusual records! The 60s swirl through time and space, and make the future sound even better than we could have imagined it – while the Channel is drained, and England and France become one in a genius marriage of pure pop modes. Titles include "The Extension Trip", "How To Play Your Internal Organs Overnight", "Space Moment", "Iron Man", "The Long Hair Of Death", "One Note Samba/Surfboard", "Percolations", "1000 Miles An Hour", "Klang Tone", and a great take on the theme to "Get Carter". Switched On 4 is full of fantastic sounds from Stereolab – an assortment of rare singles and other unusual recordings that were mostly issued on their own Duophonic label, and which are far more obscure than their bigger label albums during the same period! Even though Stereolab gave the world some undeniable classics in the late 90s and early 00s, they were also working endlessly, and seemed to record more than they could ever fit on a full length set – which resulted in all the cool singles, limited releases, and other material included here – not dusty tapes pulled from the archives, but beautiful work that often returns the group to all the space age charms of their first few records! The package is huge – 25 tracks in all, of varying length – and titles include "Barok Plastik", "Calimero", "Fried Monkey Eggs (voc)", "Solar Throw Away", "Variation One", "Monkey Jelly", "Explosante Fixe", "Jump Drive Shut Out", "The Super-It", "L'Exotisme Interieur", "Pandora's Box Of Worms", "Retrograde Mirror Form", "Nomus E Phusis", "I Feel The Air Of Another Planet", "Outer Bongolia", and "Intervals". Includes tracks from Duophonic 45s, Underground Is Coming EP, Moog, First Of The Microbe Hunters, and work from compilations, unreleased tracks, and even a collaboration with Brigitte Fontaine! Switched On 5 is maybe the coolest entry so far in this really wonderful series – a set that's overflowing with rare and unusual work from Stereolab – most of it done at a time when the group were riding high on a major label, but still managed to issued a huge amount of music on their own, and work in a variety of collaborative settings too! One of our favorite is their work with Nurse With Wound, and tracks from that partnership begin this set – which then moves into rare singles, work with artists, compilation contributions, and plenty more – all with the usual Stereolab charm, but often with a nicely different vibe too! Titles include "Simple Headphone Mind", "Symbolic Logic Of Now", "Magne Music", "Forensic Itch", "Spool Of Collusion", "Robot Riot", "Trippin With The Birds", "Cybele's Reverie (live)", "Nth Degrees, "Refractions In The Plastic Pulse (Autechre Feebate mix)", and "Plastic Mile (original version)". CD

Incredible music from the key cultural year of 1966 – all hand-selected by the mighty Jon Savage! From punk to soul to plenty of places in between, when Savage has something to say we're always more than willing to listen – and this time around he really opens up our ears with a double-length collection of 48 tracks all recorded during a single year, each of which represents a key cultural shift at the time! The package isn't hits from the charts, or underground psych – and instead brings together smoking instrumentals, rare soul, proto-punk, trippy folk, and lots more – some familiar tracks, a few classics, and lots more obscure gems – all nestled together at a level that may well rewrite your understanding of the 60s. Forget the summer of love, because 1966 is the year when lots more happened – as Savage outlines in his massive track selection and great notes for the package. Titles include "Love At Psychedelic Velocity" by The Human Expression, "The Spy" by The Guys From Uncle, "Night Time" by The Strangeloves, "Nothing Comes Easy" by Sandie Shaw, "Greetings" by The Monitors, "I'll Be Your Mirror" by The Velvet Underground, "One Of These Days" by The Rooster, "You Better Believe It Baby" by Joe Tex, "7 & 7 Is" by Love, "Do You Come Here Often" by The Tornados, "Love's Gone Bad" by Chris Clark, "In The Past" by We The People, "One Hour Cleaners" by The Blue Things, "Foolish Woman" by Oxford Circle, "Hang On To A Dream" by Tim Hardin, "Batman" by Link Wray, "You Keep Me Hangin On" by The Supremes, "I'm A Boy" by The Who, "Come On Back" by Paul & Ritchie, and lots lots more! CD

Maybe one of the most hard-burning performances ever recorded by this legendary South African jazz combo – a set dedicated to trumpeter Mongezi Feza, a key member of the group who'd passed away just a short time before the recording! The session was done in London, right after all four remaining members had come together for a memorial for Mongezi – and throughout the set, you can feel the raw emotion that's driving the performance – bold, freewheeling and very expressive sounds from the lineup of Dudu Pukwana on alto sax, Chris McGregor on piano, Johnny Dyani on bass, and Louis Moholo on drums – all players who pick up extra percussion and vocalize at points – almost in the tradition of the AACM, but more emotive too. The set features a double-length performance, titled "Blue Notes For Mongezi" – divided into four movements. CD

A killer collection of work from a group who are very near and dear to our hearts – a soulful combo who emerged from the UK scene at the end of the 80s, and really helped bring back a classic sort of warmth to soul music! Brand New Heavies were a funk combo at the core, but they were also graced with two great female singers – initially Jay Ella Ruth, then the mighty N'Dea Davenport, the singer who really helped the group soar over here on the US scene! These days, well-crafted, non-programmed soul music is a common thing – but were it not for BNH, and their contemporaries Incognito, the style might have fallen out of favor altogether – especially during that early 90s era when R&B was still pretty heavy on keyboards, samples, and beats! This double-length set is filled with classics from the group – titles that include "Spend Some Time", "Don't Let It Go To Your Head", "Never Stop", "Dream Come True", "Saturday Nite", "People Get Ready", "You Are The Universe", "Midnight At The Oasis", "Mind Trips", "You Can Do It", "Brother Sister", and their great take on "Apparently Nothin" – and their hip hop cut "Bonafied Funk" with Main Source and Large Professor. 2CD set comes with a full bonus disc of remixes including "Stay This Way (Bob Sinclar rmx)", "Dream Come True (Heavies mix)", "Back To Love (GP club mix)", "Close To You (Masters At Work rmx)", "Saturday Nite (full intention club)", "You Are The Universe (Tuff Jam's 2 in 1 rmx)", and "Sometimes (Monsieur D's underground behavior mix)". CD

Mighty nice work from The Brother Boys – a contemporary group, but one who've got a sound that's very steeped in older folk and country styles – all at a level that makes them a perfect group to focus on in this excellent series! As you might guess from their image on the cover, the group work heavily with acoustic instrumentation – in ways that move forward from postwar bluegrass and hillbilly styles, but which often have some of the sensitivity of the hipper country-inspired singer/songwriter scene – with echoes of Gene Clark or Gram Parsons from time to time! The double-length package features lots of work from the group's earliest years, and later material too – a total of 51 tracks that include "Pinto Pony", "Blue Days Black Nights", "Two Men", "Majestic", "The Diamond Stream", "Blue From Now On", "Band Box", "Moosnhine Grin", "I Just Roll Along", "Conversation With Death", "The Ramshackle Shack", "Crazy Heart", "Darkest Day", and "Gonna Row My Boat". CD

The birth of a legend – a smoking double-length collection of early work from Paul Butterfield and his Blues Band – a group that forever changed the sound of rock in the 70s, thanks to the way in which they really pushed their blues influences into great new territory for the psych and harder rock crowd! Butterfield was the real deal, right from the start – a young kid playing in Chicago blues bars on the south side, which gave him plenty of experience by the time he banded together with the key musicians who'd help him forge his groove – Mike Bloomfield and Elvin Bishop, both masters of guitar whose work alongside Butterfield's vocals and harmonica really helped the music cook. Other players come into the mix along the way too, including the great Nick Gravenites – and the group sometimes add in more horns to further expand the soulful sound of their music. Titles include "Look Over Yonder's Wall", "Walkin Blues", "East West", "Spoonful", "One More Mile", "Mary Mary", "Born In Chicago", "Love March", "Last Hope's Gone", and "One More Heartbeat". CD

A massive double-length live album from the Griffith Park project of Chick Corea and Stanley Clarke – one that expands wonderfully on the warmth and soul of their first studio album! Like that classic, this one features an all-acoustic lineup that has Corea on piano and Clarke on upright bass, both playing with a wonderful sense of imagination and creativity – in ways that are quite different than their better-known electric work of a few years before. Joe Henderson's tenor and Freddie Hubbard's trumpet are both great too – played with some sharp modern tones at a few points, but mostly in that flowing, soulful style that both players were hitting at the time. Lenny White's drums are light years away from his mid 70s fusion work – sharply focused, but always with a nod towards his mighty range of timings – and all players come together beautifully, with almost the same sort of blend of freedom and focus as the VSOP group. Tracks are all quite long, and titles include "Happy Times", "October Ballad", "Why Wait", "Guernica", and "I Mean You". CD

The complete recordings of July – a set that features their rare original album, unreleased tracks, and lots of surprisingly great later material too! First up is the self-titled July album from 1968, presented in both mono and stereo mixes – the debut album from July – a group who only gave the world this gem of a record back at the end of the 60s – but who've gone on to become legendary, based on the strength of the set! The whole thing is a real standout in the psych scene of the UK – well-crafted songs that are tight, but groovy and loose at the same time – tuneful, but filled with experiments – and produced with just the right sort of inventive qualities to make the special flourishes and individual moments of genius really come to light! There's so many great things going on here – an all-rich, no-filler record that's filled with gems that include "My Clown", "Dandelion Seeds", "Jolly Mary", "Hallo To Me", "You Missed It All", "The Way", "To Be Free", "Crying Is For Writers", "I See", and "A Bird Lived". Next is Second Of July – a great counterpart to the legendary self-titled album from July – material recorded in a private setting, to predate that psych masterpiece – but every bit as stunning overall! The quality of this work goes way beyond its origins as demo material – as the sound is wonderful, the musical ideas very rich, and overall psychedelic conception is amazing! There's no overindulgence, but also no easy pop psych modes either – and it's really incredible how much these guys can pack into a short song – from unusual guitar lines, to freewheeling rhythms, and trippy ideas in the lyrics. Many numbers have a sweet groove underneath, and are slightly freakbeatish – but there's also a much more unique feel to the record as well. Tracks include "Dandelion Seeds", "You Missed It All", "My Clown", "Friendly Man", "I See", "The Girl In The Cafe", and "Move On Sweet Flower". The box set then moves into two later albums from a re-formed group – Temporal Anomaly and Resurrection – both of which feature material conceived over a number of years, issued on Resurrection in 2013, and on Temporal Anomaly here for the first time ever. Tracks are great – still very much in the spirit of the classic material, and produced with a nicely understated vibe. Last up is The Wight Album – a recent project from July – still sounding surprisingly great after all these years! At this point, the group is a duo – original members Peter Cook and Tom Newman – but they really manage to craft some great sounds here, with a style that ties back to their initial recording in 1968, and which features some of the successful flourishes of their revived activity from about a decade ago! The tunes are way better than any sort of younger attempt at material like this – mostly because there's a nicely understated, although still quite psychedelic, approach to the whole thing – maybe a reminder that with the best psych records, charm is every bit as important as fuzz. Titles on the double-length set include "The Traveler", "Sophie", "Special Guy", "Henry's Squirrel", "Seeking The Hacksaw Blades", "The Game", "What's Gonna Be", "Disco Klingon", "Mods Of Ryde", "It's Up To Me", and "Once When We Was Free". CD

A fantastic record from Prince – a double-length set that came out at a time when the purple one was brimming over with energy and new ideas – and a step slightly in the direction of more socially conscious material! Everything that was great about Prince before the record is completely intact – his amazing ability to create funky grooves, slinky sensuality, and songs that are so catchy, they can win over audiences on both sides of the fence. But there's also some deeper elements here going on too – maybe more space for thoughtful presentation spread out over the 2LPs that comprised the original record – at a level that's only more confirmation of the never-ending genius of prince! Titles include the great title cut "Sign O The Times" – plus "Strange Relationship", "Slow Love", "It's Gonna Be A Beautiful Night", "Adore", "Ballad Of Dorothy Parker", "Housequake", "U Got The Look", "If I Was Your Girlfriend", "I Could Never Take The Place Of Your Man", "The Cross", "Hot Thing", and "Starfish & Coffee". 2020 version – remastered for the first time ever! 3CD version features lots of bonus tracks – single mixes and edits – all remastered – tracks that include "U Got The Look (long look)", "Shockadelica (12" long version)", "Hot Thing (ext rmx)", "Hot Thing (dub rmx)", "I Could Never Take The Place Of Your Man (fade)", "La La He He Hee (highly explosive)", "If I Was Your Girlfriend (edit)", "Housequake (7 minutes moquake)", and "Sign O The Times (edit)". CD

A brilliant double live album by Bill Withers – different than his studio work, and every bit as essential! The album's similar to Curtis Mayfield's double live album around the same time – in that it's got Bill in front of a very enthusiastic crowd, playing in a stripped down way that creates a wonderfully intimate feel – even more so than his studio albums, with a deeply acoustic vibe! Some of the tracks here are even more soulful than their more famous versions – and Bill opens up warmly in front of the Carnegie crowd with a hip small combo behind him. Titles include "For My Friend", "World Keeps Going Around", " "Grandma's Hands", "Use Me", "Harlem/Cold Baloney", "Better Off Dead", "Hope She'll Be Happy", and "Ain't No Sunshine". CD

A massive overview of Shelby Singleton's SSS family of labels – a key force in the sound of southern soul at the end of the 60s! Singleton first came to fame for his production work at Mercury – but by the time of these recordings, he was stepping out on his own in a great blend of styles that brought together the growing sound of 60s soul with some of the rootsier and more down-home influences in the south at the time. Shelby was based in Nashville, and offered up an approach to southern soul that was a bit different than that coming out of Memphis or Muscle Shoals – one that allowed for a bit of freedom in the way things were played out, and which often featured some nice country elements coming into the mix. The set features work from the SSS, Minaret, and Silver Fox labels – a great assortment of rare singles and album tracks that includes "He Made A Woman Out Of Me" by Betty Lavette, "I Have No One" by Big John Hamilton, "Everybody's Clown" by Johnny Dynamite, "Cummins Prison Farm" by Calvin Leavy, "I Can't Use You" by Double Soul, "Lonely For You Baby" by Sam Dees, "Blue Diamonds" by Double Soul, "I'm Getting It From Her" by Big John Hamilton, "Mama's Got The Wagon" by Mickey Murray, "A Shell Of A Woman" by Doris Allen, "Crying In The Streets" by George Perkins & The Silver Stars, and "So Deep In Love" by Eddy Giles. CD

Beautiful sounds from Joanna Brouk – an artist who was sometimes lost amidst the new age scene of the 80s, but one who's got a much deeper, more intellectual approach overall! True, Brouk's music does have a certain meditative spirit – but she also was a student of Terry Riley and Robert Ashley, and drank deep of the new compositional spirit of the time – especially in the work of Riley, which is often reflected here, but in a more contemplative way than his own recordings. Music sometimes features a core line on flute, opening up and unfolding slowly – and there's also some nice piano, and even a bit of conch shell and Orca sounds too. Double-length set features the usual strong Numero Group level of notes and history – and contains 22 tracks in all, some of which were only ever issued on cassette! CD

One of the most haunting album ever recorded by pianist Keith Jarrett – a set of improvisations that were mostly recorded in a single take, but which have Jarrett working on clavichord – an instrument that creates a very different feeling than his more familiar piano! At some level, the album resonates a bit with some of Keith's recordings of early music at the time – but these aren't compositions, just nineteen numbered selections that all take off on the unique properties of the clavichord – using the stark strings of the instrument in maybe more close-up and personal modes than some of Jarrett's more robust piano, almost with more of a sense of intimacy overall. A really beautiful double-length set – and a unique chapter in the career of this legendary musician! CD

A double-length collection of work from Pedro Lima – maybe not the biggest name in global music, but a really key figure in his home nation of Sao Tome E Principe! Pedro's got a voice that's both sweet and down to earth at the same time – perfect for the well-crafted rhythms of the tunes, which are heavy on acoustic percussion and electric guitar on most of these numbers – but also shift slightly as the years move on! Yet much of the music is still nicely spare and free of some of the more polished, commercial modes that were coming into play during the big rise of the world music years – still always with a strong focus on the lyrics and message that made Pedro way more than just a singer on his scene, with a political and cultural legacy that's built up strongly from the tracks on the set. The collection features a few unreleased numbers too – and titles include "Balanca Cunxenca", "Non Conveta Qua", "Glavi Funcon", "Floli Xacla", "Meu", "Subocha", "Ami Cu Manu Mu", "Philomene", "Inen Mina Fleguedja", and "Sueste". CD

Foundation is right, in more than one sense of the word! The Brentford Avenue stalwarts are showcased here on a nice double album compilation of classic and groundbreaking early ska and rocksteady tracks that would become the template for so much Jamaican music to follow. The team of Coxsone Dodd with Don Drummond, Lloyd Brevett, Tommy McCook, Jackie Mittoo, Roland Alphonso, Jerry Hinds, Dizzy Moore and Johnny Moore was unstoppable– and it's hard to imagine where the reggae sound would be without this seminal music! 32 tracks in all, including "Dick Tracy", "Alley Pang", "Christine Keeler", "Fidel Castro", "Beardsman Ska", "Third Man Ska", "Simmer Down", "Exodus", "King Solomon", 'Eastern Standard Time", "I Should Have Known Better", "Hot Cargo", "Black Sunday", "Ska La Parisienne", "Don D Lion", "Third Man Ska", "Nimrod", "Cleopatra", "Addis Ababa", "Silver Dollar", "Killer Diller", "Naked City" and "Ringo's Theme". CD

A massive double-header – one that features the first two Sylvester albums for Fantasy Records! First up is the self-titled Sylvester – a reworking of his older groove into one that we love more than any other that he ever used – a smooth modern soul style, not really disco, but with a driving approach that would certainly have worked well in the clubs! You gotta give Syl credit here – as it would have been easy for him to turn up the camp a lot in the 1977 disco days – but instead he's sticking strong to his soul impulses, and has come up with a wonderful album of tracks that's like the first Luther album – one that you can enjoy whatever your take on the man, without any introduction to his person or persona. Of course, a big part of the credit also goes to Harvey Fuqua – who's reemerged here from his years at RCA to produce the record – showing his always strong ability to seek out new talent, and bring out the best in them. Titles include "I Tried To Forget You", "Tipsong", "I Been Down", "Loving Grows Up Slow", "Never Too Late", and "Over & Over". Step II is probably Sylvester's biggest album for Fantasy – and for good reason too! The set pushes onto the dancefloor a bit more than before – often with some slight keyboard touches that hint at the Patrick Cowley years, but with none of the coldness of those records at all. The great Harvey Fuqua's producing here with Syl, and the sound is rich and bold – an even more prideful statement than Sylvester's first album on Fantasy. Two Tons Of Fun deliver some great backup vocals, and Cowley lays down a bit of keyboards – and titles include the all-time disco classic "You Make Me Feel Mighty Real", plus "Dance (Disco Heat)", "Just You & Me Forever", "Grateful", and "I Took My Strength From You". CD

The fourth fantastic chapter in this wonderful trip through the 60s – headed up by author Jon Savage, as a great soundtrack to his documents of the time! If you know Savage at all, you'll know to expect something different and fresh – an unusual take on the period, and one that goes way past the chart hits and overplayed oldies – to instead uncover currents of cultural activity at a much deeper level! And sure, there's a number of familiar songs here – but they're mixed with lesser-known gems, and presented in this great double-length package that features 48 tracks in all – all with notes from Savage himself. Titles include "Talkin About The Good Times" by Pretty Things, "Eastern Organ" by Brother Dan All Stars, "Hard To Handle" by Otis Redding, "Freedom Train" by James Carr, "Say It Loud (part 1)" by James Brown, "Omnibus" by The Move, "Sunshine Help Me" by Spooky Tooth, "Everydays" by Buffalo Springfield", "How Does It Feel To Feel" by The Creation, "Dear Delilah" by Grapefruit, "Machines" by Lothar & The Hand People, "Tomorrow Street Puzzle" by Fairport Convention, "I Got A Line On You" by Spirit, "Kick Out The Jams (preview pressing)" by MC5, "World In A Jug" by Canned Heat, "Classical Gas" by Mason Williams, "Honey Chile" by Martha Reeves & The Vandellas, "Danse A La Musique" by The French Fries, "Israelites" by Desmond Dekker, and "Why Does It Feel So Right" by The Shades Of Jade. CD

A second chapter of rare prog rock from the East German scene – material that's much more obscure than the bigger Krautrock names from the West – who got a lot more circulation at the time, and plenty of attention as the years moved on! That's definitely not the case with these artists – as much of the work here never made it past the Iron Curtain back in the day – and together, the tracks on the set not only showcase a very strong scene that was happening in the GDR, but also follow proggish inclinations that seemed to last a lot longer into the 80s than most of the work from Western Europe. The package is every bit as revelatory as the first volume – a double-length set with cuts from Karat, Bayon, Prinzip, Kleeblatt, Passion, ZOE Band, Karussell, City, Electra, Stern Combo Meissen, Lift, Transit, and many others we'd not heard before! CD

A deep double-dip into the legendary TK Records catalog of Miami Soul – and one that offers up a very different version of the label than you might know from the hits! This 2CD set follows in the best tradition of the Free Soul series from Japan – which means that the collection is filled with unusual tracks that we might have missed otherwise, alongside other numbers that we do know, but which seem to have a really special vibe in this setting – an unpacking of the TK catalog from top to bottom, with a special focus on warmer, more unusual bits of funk and soul. Titles include "Jolie" by Lattimore, "Don't Waste My Time" by Jerry Washington, "Keep It Up" by Milton Wright, "You Knock Me Out" by Wildflower, "Cramp Your Style" by All The People, "I Can't Leave Your Love Alone" by Willie & Anthony, "Street Love" by Spats, "Concrete Jungle" by Little Beaver, "Good Good Lovin" by Charles Johnson, "90% Of Me Is You" by Vanessa Kendrick, "I Got Bills To Pay" by Johnny K, "You Can Be A Lady" by JP Robinson, "Love Is A Simple Thing" by Leon Ware, "Island Girl" by Lew Kirton, "Share Your Love" by Herman Kelly & Life, "Ain't Nothin Wrong" by KC & The Sunshine Band, "What Would Your Mama Say" by Facts Of Life, "Jazz Freak" by Paulette Reaves, "Let's Make A Baby" by Funky Brown, "The Love We Had Stays On My Mind" by Freddy Henry, and "How Long" by Brandye. CD