An amazing record! This one's probably our favorite Isley Brothers album of all time – and it's a perfect blend of all the styles they were into at the time – heavy funk, sweet soul, folksy rock, and rolling uptempo grooves! The Brothers handle all styles equally well, and the album's a real delight as it skips effortlessly from track to track – always bringing a fresh sound to the experience of listening, and continuing to delight us year after year with the Isley's greatness! Includes the classic extended cut "Love Put Me On the Corner", a baroque soul symphony in itself; an amazing remake of "It's Too Late" that's way different than the original; the middle-class anthem "Work To Do"; and the funky cuts "Pop That Thang" and "Layaway". CD

... 12-inch, Vinyl record

One of those records that we remember dismissing at the time – but honestly, it really lives up to repeated listenings in later years! Sure, Michael Jackson's no longer working with Quincy Jones – and instead goes for Teddy Riley and some other (then) contemporary producers – but that all makes for a very solid 90s crossover vibe – perfect for radio play a the time, not to mention heavy video rotation too – and definitely still another jewel in the crown of the King of Pop! Titles include "Remember The Time", "Why You Wanna Trip On Me", "In The Closet", "Jam", "Dangerous", "Gone Too Soon", "Will You Be There", "Black Or White", "She Drives Me Wild", and "Can't Let Her Get Away". CD

One of those records that we remember dismissing at the time – but honestly, it really lives up to repeated listenings in later years! Sure, Michael Jackson's no longer working with Quincy Jones – and instead goes for Teddy Riley and some other (then) contemporary producers – but that all makes for a very solid 90s crossover vibe – perfect for radio play a the time, not to mention heavy video rotation too – and definitely still another jewel in the crown of the King of Pop! Titles include "Remember The Time", "Why You Wanna Trip On Me", "In The Closet", "Jam", "Dangerous", "Gone Too Soon", "Will You Be There", "Black Or White", "She Drives Me Wild", and "Can't Let Her Get Away". CD

Arguably the last true moment of genius in Michael Jackson's career – a record that sold a bazillion copies around the world – and for plenty good reason! Michael's still working here with Quincy Jones – in territory that steps nicely from the Off The Wall groove, into territory that's somewhat more poppy, but still quite soulful overall. And yes, the success of the album meant that cuts like "Billie Jean", "Thriller", and "Beat It" got plenty of play – thanks to both heavy radio and video rotation – but a few decades later, there's still a tremendous amount of depth here – on great cuts like "Human Nature", "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin", and "PYT" – which all hold up nicely! CD

Remix by Frankie Knuckles. 12-inch, Vinyl record

Early work by Jamal, recorded back when he was really turning heads with his sophisticated approach to the piano. The album's all trio material – played in Jamal's piano/bass/guitar drumless format, which leaves the notes just floating in air, swirling around in smoky clouds of imagination. Titles include an early reading of "Poinciana", plus "Ahmad's Blues", "Aki & Ukthay", "Billy Boy", and "Pavanne". LP, Vinyl record album

... 12-inch, Vinyl record

Includes 44 tracks on 2 CDs and features duets with Johnny Paycheck, Tammy Wynette, and Merle Haggard. CD

George Jones sings with a big array of top-shelf talents – Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings, Johnny Paycheck, Mavis Staples, Emmylou Harris, James Taylor, Tammy Wynette, Linda Ronstadt, and even Elvis Costello! LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

... CD

... CD

Includes "I Feel The Earth Move", "Smackwater Jack", "Tapestry", "Natural Woman", "Beautiful", and "You've Got A Friend". CD

A fantastic record from this Mexican/American combo from Salinas – a group who were championed by Doug Sahm, who also produced the set – and have a sound that's a nice bridge between Cali and Texas! The whole thing's great – a very unique album. LP, Vinyl record album

... 12-inch, Vinyl record

... CD

... CD

... CD

... CD

... LP, Vinyl record album

Sweet funky work from Mtume – a set that's nicely heavy on the keyboards, and which really set a new standard in 80s groove at the time! The keyboards are great, and the basslines are too – and Mtume's jazz roots are still nicely in place here – bringing a bit more sophistication to the tunes than some of his contemporaries, and keeping things catchy and swinging throughout. The set's one of the mighty Mtume/Lucas productions of the time – and titles include the groovy "Juicy Fruit", plus "Hips", "Would You Like To Fool Around", "Green Light", "Hip Dip Skippedabeat", and "Ready For Your Love". LP, Vinyl record album

A massive crossover from Johnny Nash – a record that gave the 70s the chart-topping title hit, and which helped Johnny mix his Caribbean roots with contemporary soul! The set's a huge change from the sometimes-faltering styles Nash had tried in the 60s – often a bit more mainstream than he was able to do well, which is why the deeply personal approach of this album's such a striking contrast. Nash arranged and produced himself, and really hits a vibe here that stands out even from his other 70s recordings – beautifully balanced, on titles that include "Comma Comma", "Guava Jelly", "Stir It Up", "I Can See Clearly Now", "We're All Alike", "How Good It Is", "Cream Puff", and "You Poured Sugar On Me". LP, Vinyl record album

Includes bonus live tracks, plus the outtake "Magic Party". CD

... Cassette

This is the one that really nailed it for Jaco Pastorious – a brilliant showcase for all his many talents on the bass, and a key illustration of the way that he influenced an entire generation! Sure, Jaco in Weather Report was already pretty darn great – but here, on his own, he really gets to sparkle – jamming hard with heavyweights on some funky numbers, sliding out in spacey territory on mellow cuts, and even trying out a few more experimental moments that are far beyond what most other bassists might imagine for a debut of this nature. Players on the date include Herbie Hancock on keyboards, Don Alias on percussion, Lenny White on drums, Hubert Laws on flute, and Randy Brecker on trumpet – and titles include "Portrait Of Tracy", "Donna Lee", "Continuum", "Okonkole Y Trompa", "Kuru/Speak Like a Child", "Opus Pocus", and "Come On Come Over". LP, Vinyl record album

This is the one that really nailed it for Jaco Pastorious – a brilliant showcase for all his many talents on the bass, and a key illustration of the way that he influenced an entire generation! Sure, Jaco in Weather Report was already pretty darn great – but here, on his own, he really gets to sparkle – jamming hard with heavyweights on some funky numbers, sliding out in spacey territory on mellow cuts, and even trying out a few more experimental moments that are far beyond what most other bassists might imagine for a debut of this nature. Players on the date include Herbie Hancock on keyboards, Don Alias on percussion, Lenny White on drums, Hubert Laws on flute, and Randy Brecker on trumpet – and titles include "Portrait Of Tracy", "Donna Lee", "Continuum", "Okonkole Y Trompa", "Kuru/Speak Like a Child", "Opus Pocus", and "Come On Come Over". CD features 2 bonus tracks – "Used To Be A Cha Cha" and "6/4 Jam". CD

... LP, Vinyl record album

... CD

Anthemic early 90s rock from Pearl Jam – one of the biggest debuts of all time and for good reason! Ten has a big, classic rock-reared sound, but done with such forthright sincerity and for the time, completely refreshing lack of macho posturing, it really was the perfect formula for a breakout smash in its era and it's worthy of its legacy – especially in retrospect! One classic song after another including "Once", "Alive", "Jeremy", "Why Go", "Black", Release", "Porch", "Oceans", "Garden", "Deep" and "Release". LP, Vinyl record album

... CD

A return to grittier, more focused rock by Pearl Jam after taking a surprisingly loose approach on the underrated No Code – definitely among their finer records to come after the post-grunge boom years earlier in the decade! Pearl Jam is arguably at their best when they're balancing a genuine love for creatively daring rock with an unabashed love for fist-pumping scream along anthems, and they unyieldingly nail that on Yield. A late 90s rock classic. Includes "Brain Of J", "Faithfully", "No Way", "Given To Fly", "Wishlist", "Pilate", "Do The Evolution", "MFC", "Low Light", "In Hiding", "Push Me, Pull Me", "and "All Those Yesterdays". CD

Two early 70s classics from Poco – back to back in a single set! Deliverin is a great live album from Poco, one that has the group sounding nicely different than the warmth of their studio albums – in front of a crowd that's clearly going nuts for their special blend of country and rock elements! The setting gives Poco an edge that really gets at the newness of the sound at the time – very different than a few years later, when it was more arena-filling fare – and almost in the territory of a Flying Burritos live set from the same time. Timothy B Schmidt's vocals are great – and titles include "C'Mon", "You'd Better Think Twice", "Man Like Me", "I Guess You Made It", "Hear That Music", and two great medley tracks – "Hard Luck/Child's Claim To Fame/Pickin Up The Pieces" and "Just In Case It Happens/Grand Junction/Consequently So Long". CD

... CD

... CD

Terry Reid's second album – a masterpiece of psyche pop with a sound that's pretty darn great! Terry's clearly heard a fair bit of Donovan in his time, but he's also working in a mode that strings together all the best bits from The Byrds, The Hollies, and The Zombies – into a powerful pop pastiche that's finally getting wider recognition. Titles include "May Fly", "Silver White Light", "Super Lungs (Supergirl)", "Rich Kid Blues", and "Stay With Me Baby". LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

... CD

Maybe our favorite-ever album from Minnie Riperton during the 70s – a sweet, smooth jazzy gem that really makes some of the best use of her vocals! There's a sophistication here that's a great 70s counterpart to Minnie's earlier work with Charles Stepney – served up here in a very different style, but one that really sets Riperton apart from any of her contemporaries – in a unique blend of soul, jazz, and much deeper spirits – all handled with the sense of pride and style you'd expect from Minnie's image on the cover! All tracks were co-written by Riperton and Richard Rudolph – and a few get some great help from Leon Ware too. Titles include the massive track "Baby, This Love I Have" – a slow funk number that's be sampled many times over the years – plus the spacey tunes "Minnie's Lament", "Inside My Love", and "Alone In Brewster Bay", remade from Minnie's first LP – and the titles "Simple Things", "Feeling That Your Feeling's Right", and "Don't Let Anyone Bring You Down". LP, Vinyl record album

Has there ever been anyone as lovely as Sade? We think not – and from the time she first hit our ears in the 80s, it was the start of an instant love affair that's continued for decades! Sade really brought something new to music at the time – a return to older styles of acoustic and jazz-based instrumentation, at a time when so many soul singers were mostly working with beats, keyboards, and samples – and a breathy voice that was instantly unique, and which kept on captivating us for years of recordings. This best of collection dates from the mid 90s – and provides an excellent sampling of tracks from Sade's albums Diamond Life, Promise, Stronger Than Pride, and Love Deluxe – titles that include "No Ordinary Love", "Like A Tattoo", "Cherish The Day", "Kiss Of Life", "Your Love Is King", "Hang Onto Your Love", "Sweetest Taboo", "Is It A Crime", and "Nothing Can Come Between Us". LP, Vinyl record album

Live magic from Sade – an artist who only seems to captivate us more as the years go on! This recent performance is a great illustration of Sade's continuing strength in soul music – as she's already great enough on the CD included in the package, but really shines brightly on the visual component as well – a DVD performance that's even longer than the CD – and both are filled with great live interpretations of Sade gems from years back. The film is beautifully shot, and the music is very well-recorded – and titles include "In Another Time", "Love Is Found", "Skin", "Kiss Of Life", "All About Our Love", "The Moon & The Sky", "Pearls", "No Ordinary Love", "Cherish The Day", "Soldier Of Love", "Smooth Operator", "Paradise/Nothing Can Come Between Us", and "The Sweetest Taboo". DVD features bonus features too! CD

Two excellent tracks from Sade's Stronger Than Pride album, with Paradise given a rather 80s sounding remix, that still lets the groove of the original shine through. 12-inch, Vinyl record

A long mix of Sade's excellent groover "Paradise" – a warmly bubbling tune that features her great vocals cascading over the top of gently percolating rhythms! There's a definite dancefloor groove here – but one that's still laidback and mellow – maybe not as jazzy as before, but still better than most of what was going on in the mainstream at the time! "Super Bien Total" is plenty jazzy, though – almost a bit of R&B fusion at times – with great keyboards and sax, all grooving together in instrumental interplay! 12-inch, Vinyl record

Here's one extension we can go for! "Sweetest Taboo" is one of Sade's greatest cuts ever – a lightly jazzy number with an infectious hook that sounds great rolling over and over again on this special 12" version! There's not much difference here than the original – but the whole thing's nice and long, really keeping the groove going! "You're Not The Man" is mellower, and a great little ballad – almost torch jazz at times, and sung beautifully by Sade! 12-inch, Vinyl record

... 12-inch, Vinyl record

... 12-inch, Vinyl record

With Mos Def on the Head Nod remix. 12-inch, Vinyl record

... CD

Killer early work from Horace Silver – and a rare non-Blue Note session from the 50s! The album's Horace's only date for Columbia, and it's got a feel that's similar to some of the Jazz Messengers' hardbop recordings for the label at the time – cooking with a soulful intensity at the bottom, yet taking off with some tremendously well-carved solos on the top! The group's an all-star ensemble that includes some of the best harbop players of the time – Hank Mobley on tenor sax, Donald Byrd and Joe Gordon on trumpet, Doug Watkins on bass, and Kenny Clarke and Art Taylor on drums – all grooving together with Horace as if they'd been backing him up for years. Titles include great originals "Silver's Beat", "Shoutin' Out", and "Hank's Tune – plus versions of "I'll Know" and "The Night Has A Thousand Eyes". LP, Vinyl record album

The kind of funky bluesy rock album featuring Gary Moore – produced with a very raw jamming sound that lets the band's heavy drum sound come out nice and strong. Tracks include "Mad Dog Woman", "Virgo Daughter", "After I'm Gone", "For Those Who Do", and "Unco-Up Shwowband Blues". LP, Vinyl record album

Classic funkiness from Sly & The Family Stone – an album that really pushed them to the top of their game, and exploded on the late 60s scene like a righteous funky bomb! The title cut's a mega-hit that you'll recognize right away – but the whole album's great, and is filled with the simple, joyous energy that made Sly's groove one of the freshest of his generation – and which helped foist all the great work going on in the 60s underground firmly into the light of a much wider mainstream audience. The messages are subtle here, but the group are already doing their part to change the world bit by bit – and the funky rhythms at the bottom assure that they'll be doing it ass by ass on the dancefloor! Titles include "Dance to The Music", "Ride The Rhythm", "Higher", "Don't Burn Baby", and the 12 minute "Dance To The Medley", with the groovy "Music Lover" passage! LP, Vinyl record album

Sly's leaping into the air on the cover of this one – and for good reason too, given the overall groove of the set! The album's a bit more stripped-down and upbeat than the previous few – almost more of a return to the simple funky style of the first albums, but with a slightly more electric sound than before – especially in the keyboards, which almost slide into the mix here with a Stevie Wonder-like quality. The electricity bubbles and brews wonderfully at the bottom of the rhythms – charging things up a bit, but still hanging back with a super-cool, laidback quality that few other groups could muster! There's a great sense of balance here that's brilliant – and which makes the album one of Sly's undisputed masterpieces from the Columbia years. Titles include the incredible "If You Want Me To Stay" – one of our favorite Sly Stone cuts ever – plus "Keep on Dancin", "Babies Making Babies", "Que Sera Sera", "If It Were Left Up To Me", "In Time", and "Let Me Have It All". CD's got 5 bonus tracks too – including alternate mixes of "Frisky", "Skin I'm In", "Keep On Dancin", "Babies Makin Babies", and "Let Me Have It All". CD

Almost a "greatest hits" of greatest hits albums – one of those collections that almost sold more copies than all the full albums by the artist – forever earning Sly & The Family Stone a place in record collections around the globe! All the hits are here, laid out back to back in all their righteous goodness – never a single spot of filler, and all-classics, all the way through! Titles include "Thank You Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin", "Life", "Everyday People", "I Want To Take You Higher", "Everybody Is A Star", "Dance To The Music", "Hot Fun In The Summertime", and "Sing A Simple Song". All funky – all classic! CD

An almost all-jazz release by Soft Machine – and a tasty bit of proggish tunes with a spare electric modal groove. Robert Wyatt's still on drums, and the rest of the group features Hugh Hopper on bass, Mike Ratledge on organ and piano, and Elton Dean on saxes. Titles include "Teeth", "Kings & Queens", and the "Virtually" suite, which takes up all of side two. CD

... LP, Vinyl record album

A record that begins with a question, and follows through with a sublime mix of social politics and spiritual energy! Pops Staples asserts himself a bit more than before with his songwriting here – including the title classic "Why (Am I Treated So Bad)", which went onto become one of THE anthems of the Civil Rights era! That energy follows in more original songs by Pops, and in his great reworkings of older traditional numbers – on a set that also has the group working with producer Billy Sherrill, who seems to give them even more power than before, but without commercializing their music at all. Titles include "Why", "I've Been Scorned", "I'm Gonna Tell God", "Move Along Train", "Step Aside", "King Of Kings", "What Are They Doing", and "Will The Circle Be Unbroken". LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

There's nothing slow about this mid 70s album from Steppenwolf – a set that has the group really coming back into the fray, after John Kay had left for a bit and recorded as a solo act! All the raw power of the group is still very much at play here – plenty of searing guitars, at that level that made Steppenwolf such a key precursor to the hard rock sound of the 70s – maybe answered to by the group themselves here, who felt a need to reform and show the younger acts how things were done! But there's also some fuller production at times too – touches of soul inspiration that hit a few of the songs, but without ever knocking the guitars out too much – on titles that include "Get Into The Wind", "Children Of The Night", "Smokey Factory Blues", "Morning Blue", "A Fool's Fantasy", and "Gang War Blues". CD

One of those records that kind of snuck under the radar at the time – but which has gone onto become a crucial part of soul music from the 90s, and a record that's one of the blueprints for the neo soul generation to come! Sweetback are a trio of musicians who provided important backing for Sade – the kind of warm, classic-styled soul grooves that made her a standout right from the start – and which also inspired a whole generation of musicians to leave behind some of the more electronic modes they were using in the 80s. The set really marks a shift back towards warmer, jazzier, more human sounds of soul music in the 90s – and in addition to great instrumentation by the core trio, the set also features some early vocals from Amel Larrieux, plus work from Maxwell too. Titles include "You Will Rise", "Au Naturel", "Walk Of Ju", "Softly Softly", and "Sensations". CD

A beautiful collection of early important work from Jack Teagarden – and one of the best vinyl portrayals of his genius from these key years! Teagarden's trombone work is amazing – the sort that set the tone for countless players to come – and there's also a lot of warmth and wit in the recordings as well. 48 tracks in all – with notes, and a lot better sound than some scratchy ol' 78s! LP, Vinyl record album

... 7-inch, Vinyl record

Includes 30 tracks on 2 CDs. CD

You can never get too much Luther Vandross! Never Too Much is his debut album for Epic, and even here in the early 80s, a time when things were getting a little too glossy in a lot of the major label soul sessions, Luther skips it nice and truly soulful here, and managed to ride that realness to huge mainstream popularity. Luther produced, and his style's changed nicely from uptempo clubby to sophisticated soulful, with plenty of warm touches that still sound good today. Titles include "She's A Super Lady", "Never Too Much", "Don't You Know That?", and "A House Is Not A Home", "You Stopped Loving Me" and title title track. LP, Vinyl record album

... 12-inch, Vinyl record

... CD

... CD

... CD

... CD

Titles include "Careless Whisper", "Wake Me Up Before You Go Go", "Everything She Wants", "Credit Card Baby", "Freedom", and "Heartbeat". LP, Vinyl record album

... CD

... LP, Vinyl record album

... CD

Titles include "Entrance", "Tobacco Road", "Jimmy's Gospel", "A Different Game", "Peace Pipe", and "Back In The Blues". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the most wonderful Phil Woods albums ever! No kidding – this is amazing! Woods played on lots of other records – and often in settings that made you wonder why people thought he was so great – but on this one, he's totally in the spotlight, fronting a mellow easy quartet that lets him play some incredible solos that go places we couldn't even imagine! The whole album's a fantastic treat – deeply soulful and introspective in a way that you can hardly imagine from most of Woods' other work in the 50s – and done with a rare energy that's made it one of our favorite albums for years. Every track sparkles – and the album's filled great tracks like "Gunga Din", "Waltz For A Lovely Wife", "Squire's Parlor", "I Love You", and "In Your Own Sweet Way". CD

One of the most wonderful Phil Woods albums ever! No kidding – this is amazing! Woods played on lots of other records – and often in settings that made you wonder why people thought he was so great – but on this one, he's totally in the spotlight, fronting a mellow easy quartet that lets him play some incredible solos that go places we couldn't even imagine! The whole album's a fantastic treat – deeply soulful and introspective in a way that you can hardly imagine from most of Woods' other work in the 50s – and done with a rare energy that's made it one of our favorite albums for years. Every track sparkles – and the album's filled great tracks like "Gunga Din", "Waltz For A Lovely Wife", "Squire's Parlor", "I Love You", and "In Your Own Sweet Way". LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

... 7-inch, Vinyl record

... LP, Vinyl record album