With selections by Eddy Arnold, Lefty Frizell, Ray Price, Hank Snow, Kitty Wells, Ernest Tubb, Patsy Cline, Chet Atkins, Elvis Presley, Jim Reeves, Marty Robbins, Loretta Lynn, Johnny Cash, Buck Owens, Roger Miller, Merle Haggard, Dolly Parton, and Kris Kristofferson. LP, Vinyl record album

40s recordings of 20s jazz numbers – with titles that include "Wang Wang Blues", "Trouble In Mind", "The Mooche", and "Deed I Do". LP, Vinyl record album

With selections by numerous groups including The Students, Rainbows, Collegians, Charts, Love Notes, Kodaks, Lewis Lymon & The Teenchords, Silhouettes, Perfections, El Dorados, Dells, Little Bobby Rivera & The Hemlocks, and many more. LP, Vinyl record album

Includes selections by Gerry & The Pacemakers, Billy J Kramer & The Dakotas, Swinging Blue Jeans, Cilla Black, Freddie & The Dreamers, and The Hollies. LP, Vinyl record album

A really wonderful collection from a time when the Italian scene was really on fire – getting past some of the more standard modes of Italo Disco of the 80s, and really stepping forward with some of the most soulful, uplifting sounds of house music! Given the way the earlier Italian work influenced the grooves in Chicago and New York clubs, the cultural exchange makes even more sense going the other way around – and the well-chosen cuts on this set represent the cream of the crop from this moment – really well-conceived, well-produced cuts that have a surprisingly soulful vibe throughout. Titles include the previously unreleased cuts "London (orig mix)" by Ricky Montanari & Davide Ruberto, and "Melt The Sun" by Ivan Iacobucci – plus "Let's Face The Music" by Night Communication, "Switch Back" by Green Baize, "Get Up" by Mental Detector, "So In Love With You (club)" by Sound Set, "Make My Move (Tira dub)" by Workin Happily, "Give You Myself (Ethos Mama dub)" by Sima, and "In Total Darkness (irregular dub)" by More Heavy Soul. LP, Vinyl record album

Frantically funky club from Lagos – an amazing collection of post-Fela work from the Nigerian scene, lots of it with the kind of uptempo grooves you'd expect from the "disco" in the title! Yet the sound here is hardly the type you'd find over at Studio 54 – as most cuts here still veer more strongly towards Afro Funk than glittery disco – lots of heavy percussion, bumping basslines, and rough production – the kind of gritty grooves that makes tracking down records like this so great! There's definitely a bit more tightness in the instrumentation than a few years before – but things are never slick or commercial – and the overall feel is almost like some of the Banda Black Rio or Uniao Black funk coming from Brazil at the same time. Titles include "Hang On" by Nana Love, "Boogie Trip" by Doris Ebong, "Bad City Girl" by Grotto, "Don't Put Me Down" by Pogo Ltd, "Everybody Get Down" by Asiko Rock Group, "Boogie Train" by Paradise Stars, "Take Life Easy" by Christy Essien, "Boredom Pain" by MFB, and "Rover Man" by Emma Dorgu. LP, Vinyl record album

There have been lots of Lowrider soul compilations on the market over the years – documenting the great of of mellow cuts on the LA scene of the 60s – particularly the kind that could move slow, but with a heavy groove at the bottom – perfect for chilling out in the back of a car on an endless summer night! Yet few have ever done the job as well as this collection – because in the hands of Ace/Kent Records, the music finally gets proper historical context – moved past the jargon of the East LA in crowd, and presented with great sound, and the kind of detailed notes that really get at the special qualities that made the west coast soul scene so different than the east in the 60s! The set list is superb – fantastic mellow soul tracks that are perfect, even if you don't care about this history – and the set features 14 titles that include "Someone" by The Lovers, "Here It Comes" by The Persians, "That's The Way Our Love Is" by The Radiations, "It's Not That Easy" by Reuben Bell & The Casanovas, "No Doubt About It" by The Esquires, "What Am I Going To Do" by the Houston Outlaws, "So Much In Love" by The Exceptions, "Please Say It Isn't So" by Lee Williams & The Cymbals, "Somebody Please" by The Vanguards, "Someone" by The Lovers, "Follow Your Heart" by The Manhattans, and "Settle Down" by Little Ben & The Cheers. LP, Vinyl record album

An incredible collection – and one that fills in a crucially under-documented side of the New York dancefloor generation – the wealth of special mixes and edits that were made for that city's important DJs for their own use in clubs! The package sorts through a mountain of never-issued acetates, and goes way past conventional disco or rare club collections – to showcase the special mixing talents these DJs brought to their re-presentation of the material – which was usually done on tape, then pressed onto acetate discs for their own private use! Those rare treasures are brought forth here – in a beautiful package that's also overflowing with fantastic notes that finally give this lost history its due – all handled by Al Kent – who's a hell of a mixer himself, as well as an underground club historian. Vinyl part 1 features five different records, all with lots of space for the tunes to stretch out – and titles include "I Just Wanna Say I Love You (John Luongo rmx)" by Leon Collins, "What About Love (Tony Gioe rmx)" by Marboo, "Ten Percent (Walter Gibbons Sunshine Sound acetate edit)" by Double Exposure, "Inside America (Rick Gianatos disco queen acetate edit)" by Juggy Murray Jones, "Dancing Free (John Luongo rmx)" by Hot Ice, "Black Water Gold (Sunshine Sound acetate edit)" by The Sunshine Band, "Magic Bird Of Fire (Francois Kevorkian Sunshine Sound acetate edit)" by Salsoul Orchestra, "It's Good For The Soul (Jay Negron Sunshine Sound acetate edit)" by Salsoul Orchestra, "My Love Is Free (Walter Gibbons disco madness rmx)" by Double Exposure, "Reaching Out For Happiness (Jonathan Fearing rmx)" by Fay Hauser, "Let Me Be Your Fantasy (Tom Savarese rmx)" by Love Symphony Orchestra, "The Beat Goes On & On (Jim Burgess rmx)" by Ripple, "I Wanna Be Near You (John Morales Sunshine Sound acetate edit)" by Ruby Andrews, "I've Been Looking For Somebody (Walter Gibbons rmx)" by TC James & The Fist O Funk Orchestra, "The Disco Scene (Rick Gianatos rmx)" by Lake Shore Drive, "Bumpsie's Whipping Cream (Tom Savarese rmx)" by TC James & The Fist O Funk Orchestra, and "Janice (Bobby DJ Guttadoro rmx)" by Skip Mahoney. LP, Vinyl record album

An incredible collection – and one that fills in a crucially under-documented side of the New York dancefloor generation – the wealth of special mixes and edits that were made for that city's important DJs for their own use in clubs! The package sorts through a mountain of never-issued acetates, and goes way past conventional disco or rare club collections – to showcase the special mixing talents these DJs brought to their re-presentation of the material – which was usually done on tape, then pressed onto acetate discs for their own private use! Those rare treasures are brought forth here – in a beautiful package that's also overflowing with fantastic notes that finally give this lost history its due – all handled by Al Kent – who's a hell of a mixer himself, as well as an underground club historian. Vinyl part 2 features five full records – all with lots of space for the tracks to stretch out – and titles include "My Number's Up (Tee Scott rmx)" by The Salsoul Orchestra, "The Love Bug Done Bit Me Again (David Todd rmx)" by Skyliners, "LA Sunshine (Robert Ouimet rmx)" by Aura, "Love Has Come My Way (Jim Burgess rmx)" by Tony Valor Sound Orchestra, "Handsome Ma (Bobby DJ Guttadoro rmx)" by Sparkle Tuhran & Friends, "Love Thang (Tee Scott rmx)" by First Choice, "Burn Me Up (Jellybean Benitez edit)" by Kay Gees, "Love Is The Message (Tee Scott rmx)" by Brooklyn Express, "Changes (Jellybean Benitez rmx)" by Chain Reaction, "J'Ouvert (Frank Sestito rmx)" by John Gibbs & The Jam Band, "By The Way You Dance (Bobby DJ Guttadaro rmx)" by Bunny Sigler, "It's Good For The Soul (Walter Gibbons disco madness version)" by Salsoul Orchestra, and "It's A Better Than Good Time (Walter Gibbons rmx)" by Gladys Knight & The Pips. LP, Vinyl record album

One of those few classic cases where a compilation of tracks was maybe even more influential than the original music itself – as this early 70s collection of 60s material turned out to shape and influence generations for decades to come! Guitar genius Lenny Kaye put the set together famously for Elektra Records in 1972 – as a reminder that, just a few years before, there were some amazing sounds that were not only brewing up in local indie scenes around the country, but also on the radio as well – even though most of those groups had been pushed into relative obscurity by the rise of soft rock, hard rock, and classic rock of the early 70s! The package is a return to the pre-prog years, with an especially strong ear for garage-tuned tracks that would go on to shape later punk, 80s indie, and lots more underground sounds in the future. Titles include "I Had Too Much To Dream (Last Night)" by Electric Prunes, "Dirty Water" by the Standells, "Respect" by Vagrants, "No Time Like The Right Time" by Blues Project, "Invitation To Cry" by Magicians, "You're Gonna Miss Me" by Thirteenth Floor Elevators, "Psychotic Reaction" by Count Five, "Baby Please Don't Go" by Amboy Dukes, "My World Fell Down" by Sagittarius, "Open My Eyes" by Nazz, "It's A Happening" by The Magic Mushrooms, "Lies" by The Knickerbockers, "Oh Yeah" by Shadows Of Knight, "Sit Down I Think I Love You" by The Mojo Men, "Just Like Romeo & Juliet" by Michael & The Messengers, "Hey Joe" by The Leaves, and "Farmer John" by The Premiers. LP, Vinyl record album

One of those few classic cases where a compilation of tracks was maybe even more influential than the original music itself – as this early 70s collection of 60s material turned out to shape and influence generations for decades to come! Guitar genius Lenny Kaye put the set together famously for Elektra Records in 1972 – as a reminder that, just a few years before, there were some amazing sounds that were not only brewing up in local indie scenes around the country, but also on the radio as well – even though most of those groups had been pushed into relative obscurity by the rise of soft rock, hard rock, and classic rock of the early 70s! The package is a return to the pre-prog years, with an especially strong ear for garage-tuned tracks that would go on to shape later punk, 80s indie, and lots more underground sounds in the future. Titles include "I Had Too Much To Dream (Last Night)" by Electric Prunes, "Dirty Water" by the Standells, "Respect" by Vagrants, "No Time Like The Right Time" by Blues Project, "Invitation To Cry" by Magicians, "You're Gonna Miss Me" by Thirteenth Floor Elevators, "Psychotic Reaction" by Count Five, "Baby Please Don't Go" by Amboy Dukes, "My World Fell Down" by Sagittarius, "Open My Eyes" by Nazz, "It's A Happening" by The Magic Mushrooms, "Lies" by The Knickerbockers, "Oh Yeah" by Shadows Of Knight, "Sit Down I Think I Love You" by The Mojo Men, "Just Like Romeo & Juliet" by Michael & The Messengers, "Hey Joe" by The Leaves, and "Farmer John" by The Premiers. LP, Vinyl record album

The second heady dip into the under-discovered underground of the late 60s – and a package that's every bit as ear-opening as the first Nuggets volume! As with that classic, there's material here that really shows the full spectrum of the American scene in the mid 60s – music that's bristling with new energy and excitement in the years before Woodstock, and done with a vibe that's heady, but never too heady – with a surprising amount packed into a very small space on plenty of these tunes! The set features a whopping 28 titles in all – and tracks include "Run Run Run" by The Gestures, "It's Cold Outside" by The Choir, "Free As The Wind" by The Myddle Class, "You Must Be A Witch" by The Lollipop Shoppe, "Blackout Of Gretely" by Gonn, "Spider & The Fly" by The Monocles, "Action Woman" by The Litter, "Talk Talk" by Music Machine, "Open Up Your Door" by Richard & The Young Lions, "I See The Light" by The Five Americans, and "Whatcha Gonna Do About It" by The Evil. LP, Vinyl record album

A fantastic explosion of funk, soul, and club – put together at a level that may well even top the first Supafunkanova collection! As before, the cuts here are all super-rare and obscure – but all kick heavy ass when it comes to tight rhythms and catchy clubby grooves – never straight disco or mainstream boogie – but borrowing plenty from the mainstream to turn out cuts with a really raw, underground vibe! There's a slight touch of hip hop in the mix – more that old school skating mode – and the whole thing definitely shows Joey's decades in cutting great cuts for the dancefloor – and his big love of the best groups from the hinterlands. 2LP set features the titles "Drive Me Insane" by Airplay, "Betcha Got A Dude On The Side" by Star Quality & Class, "Cool Out" by Magnum Force, "Spunk In The Funk" by Blue Denim Band, "Walk" by Sam Culley Band, "Sound Reason (Joey Negro edit)" by Splash, "Making Love Will Keep You Fit" by Brenda Harris, "Let's Get High" by Nice & Tight Band, "Easton Assassin" by Sunburst Band, and "Super Stimulus" by Stimulus. LP, Vinyl record album

A soaring set from Leon Bridges – a full length second album that's every bit as classic as his debut, but in a completely different way! Where Coming Home was maybe Leon's answer to the generation of Marvin Gaye and Sam Cooke, Good Thing is more of a nod to the era of Maxwell and D'Angelo – but, as before, coming across with a vibe that's completely Bridges' own – this ebullient, bubblingly soulful quality that's completely sublime – and which has Leon's voice fitting perfectly with the mellow grooving beats, keyboards, and guitar. The singer's voice is maybe even better than before – sure to win over an even new wave of ears – and titles include "If It Feels Good Then It Must Be", "Bet Ain't Worth The Hand", "Bad Bad News", "Shy", "Beyond", "Forgive You", "Lions", "You Don't Know", and "Georgia To Texas". LP, Vinyl record album

There's nothing orthodox about this 70s dub gem from Erroll Brown – as the album's an unusual set from start to finish – even in an era when so many dub records were being produced! There's an extra-raw sound to the whole thing – which might be hinted at by its cover image – and the sounds are very far from any sort of referent in vocal work in Jamaican music – with tracks that seem to exist entirely on their own, in a wave of echo, bubbling basslines, and slow-riffing guitars! Titles include "Gold Toot Style", "Black Forest Rock", "Roots Rockas", "Macka Dub", "First World Dub", "African Roots Style", and "Cold Sweat". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the greatest albums by this super-stylized funkster from Chicago! Captain Sky followed very firmly in the P-Funk footsteps – using lots of bass and rocking rhythms to carve out a space-themed groove that had plenty of cool touches! And more than that, the Captain's style was equally well suited to the emerging 80s groove era – and worked well with a nice dose of slight electric touches – not totally wikki-wikki, but certainly setting the stage for that sound! Titles include "Elementary School Of Funk", "Sir Jam A Lot", "Trace Of Love", "Bubble Gum (I Chewz You)", "Tootsie Rock", and "Let Me Come Inside". LP, Vinyl record album

A near-lost chapter in the career of Jean Carn – her one and only album recorded for Motown, cut in the early 80s with production by Norman Connors! Oddly, although Connors was the first producer to give Jean Carn a chance back in the 70s as a smooth soul vocalist – finding her voice a perfect fit for his warm and jazzy arrangements – here, he's going for a style that's a bit more conventionally soul-based, with more guitars and mainstream production than you'd expect. Jean's still pretty great, though, showing why she was one of the best female soul artists of the modern soul era – on tunes that include "My Baby Loves Me", "Don't Let Me Slip Away", "Steady On My Mind", "Completeness", and "Better To Me". LP, Vinyl record album

Proof that blues rock can be turned towards a useful end – and a landmark album from one of the greatest Brit groups of the post-beat era! CCS (Collective Consciousness Society) were more of a studio project than anything else – but their first few records sparkled with a groove and energy level that surpassed most other work going at the time – thanks to large backings from arranger Johnny Cameron, of Brit Easy and soundtrack fame – working here with UK bluesman Alexis Korner in a format that mixed big funky backings with Korner's down-home blues rock! The Cameron touches really help get away from any blues cliches of the genre – and the inclusion of jazz players like Harry Beckett, Henry Lowther, Kenny Wheeler, and Ray Warleigh makes for a really hip approach to instrumentation that goes way beyond simple studio support. Most tracks are instrumental, but the set does include some vocals – and the group scored a standout hit with the album's cover of "Whole Lotta Love", and followed up with other covers that include "Satisfaction", "Living In the Past", "Wade In The Water", and "Bom Bom". Also includes the original tracks "Waiting Song", "Dos Cantos", and "Lookin For Fun". LP, Vinyl record album

The sweetly grooving first album from Central Line – one of the few British soul groups to really kick it in the early 80s scene – with a catchy dancefloor sound that both encapsulates the era and lays down a killer groove for the ages! The album is a blend of bass riffing, keyboards, group vocals and nice electro touches – always done with a truly soulful approach as a perfect counter balance to the breezy electronics! Upbeat and fresh early 80s modern soul that holds up better than most huge hits of the time! Titles include the killer opener "Walking Into Sunshine", plus "Don't Tell Me", "Shake It Up", "Breaking Point", and "I Need Your Love". LP, Vinyl record album

A seminal set from Cheap Trick – a group who had already cut some excellent studio albums before this one, but who somehow finally reached huge fame in the mainstream with this classic concert release! The album is one of the greatest, most iconic live rock records of its era – in which the to that point under-appreciated Cheap Trick (in the US at least – as you can hear the wild screams, they had the love elsewhere) midwestern powerpop progenitors FINALLY broke through and cemented their legend! LP, Vinyl record album

Chicago's second album – not as familiar as the first, and with some really great moments! The group is working here in the same extended-length format as on their debut, going for some more complicated tunes spread across the album's double length – jazzy riffing still firmly in place, and going for some vocal moments that almost have a nice Brother-era Beach Boys sound to them. Includes the great "Make Me Smile", plus the cuts "Poem For The People", "In The Country", "Wake Up Sunshine", "25 Or 6 To 4", "To Be Free", "Fancy Colours", "West Virginia Fantasies", "Where Do We Go From Here", and "Memories Of Love". More grooves than you might remember, too! LP, Vinyl record album

The birth of modern jazz guitar – seminal sides recorded by Charlie Christian, working in small group format with Benny Goodman, Lionel Hampton, Fletcher Henderson, and even a bit of Basie. Christian's tone on the instrument is fantastic – and even though the style of the tracks is more in the swing era mode, there's a direct line between his playing and later work by Grant Green and other 60s jazz guitar giants. Titles include "Six Appeal", "Gilly", "Waiting For Benny", "Seven Come Eleven", "Airmail Special", "Breakfast Feud", and "Wholly Cats". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the greatest jazz-meets-classical albums from pianist Eugen Cicero – thanks to a good amount of Rokoko in the grooves! The more flowery, flourishing style of the Rokoko era proves to be a perfect foil for Cicero's incredible approach to the keys – one that lets him bring even more complicated touches to the piano, while still working with tightly jazzy rhythms from the team of Peter Witte on bass and Charlie Antolini on drums! Witte and Antolini are great throughout – keeping things tight and focused, and making the record way more than a virtuostic exploration of classical themes. As much a jazz record as the best Swingle Singers sides from the 60s – with titles that include a great original called "Bach's Softly Sunrise", plus Bach's "Solfeggio C Moll", Couperin's "L'Adoslecente", and Scarlatti's "Sonate C-Dur". LP, Vinyl record album

An excellent Clarke Boland Big Band LP – very much in the spirit of the group's best work of the era – one that uses the blues of the title merely as springboard for their ebullient big band groove! The album featuring a stellar array of soloists, including Tony Coe on clarinet, Sahib Shihab on flute, Ake Persson on trombone, Benny Bailey on trumpet, and others – on top of stellar work from the leaders! The tunes are wonderful throughout – tightly jazzy, played in a full on big band mode, but with plenty of breakout solos that really showcase the excellent talents in the group! Cuts include "At Ronnie's", "The Wildman", and Francy Boland's "All Blues" suite. LP, Vinyl record album

The standout classic from Curtom disco diva Linda Clifford – and an album that showed that Chicago could rival Philly in the clubby groove department! Linda has a proud presence that really matches that of her better-known sisters in the City Of Brotherly Love – and she's singing here with a strong sense of personality that really sets the album apart from other female disco albums of the era. One of the greatest examples of this is her stunning "Runaway Love" – which has a bad-rapping, almost Marlena Shaw-esque monologue in the middle – but other tracks are equally nice, and include "Gypsy Lady", "If My Friends Could See Me Now", "Broadway Gypsy Lady", "You Are You Are", and "I Feel Like Falling In Love Again". Arrangements are by Gil Askey – who also produced the set in collaboration with Curtis Mayfield! LP, Vinyl record album

Leonard Cohen's debut for Columbia, one of the most astounding first albums of its era, and to this day a towering achievement in both songwriting and myth making! The production is that perfectly haunting mix of sparseness and grandeur, with Cohen's lyricism piercing and penetrating wonderfully – his voice never sounded better, and this is certainly one of the great "lightening in a bottle" efforts that was hard to top by Cohen or anyone else in the more poetic upper levels of pop music. Includes ""Suzanne", "Master Song", "Winter Lady", "The Stranger Song", "Sisters Of Mercy", "So Long, Marianne", "Hey, That's No Way To Say Goodbye", "Stories Of The Street", "Teachers" and "One Of Us Cannot Be Wrong". LP, Vinyl record album

Early sides by Nat King Cole, recorded in the pre-Capitol years – and done in a mixture of vocal and instrumental modes, with trio backing that featured Oscar Moore on guitar and Wesley Prince on bass. The tunes are still very much solid early Nat at his best – a lightly blended mix of blues and jazz, revolutionary at the time, and still refreshing for any era! Titles include "I Like To Riff", "Call The Police", "This Side UP", "Babs", and "Are You Fer It". LP, Vinyl record album

Mon Rivera gets a great revival here during the height of the 70s salsa era – thanks to backings from Willie Colon, and a sound as solid as any of the best on Fania Records at the time! The album has Willie working with a tight combo that's heavy on trombone, piano, and percussion – backing up Mon's lead vocals, and also featuring Rivera a bit on guiro. The tunes are mostly lively bombas or plenas – romping around with a lot of joyous energy – with arrangements from Mon, Willie, and Jorge Millet. Titles include "Mosaico", "Baila Mi Bomba", "Pena De Amor", "Ya Llego", "La Humanidad", and "Si Te Vas". LP, Vinyl record album

John Coltrane returns to the Village Vanguard – but his sound here is a lot more far-reaching than a few years before! The album's a great counterpart to the first Vanguard session – as it takes all of the bold, soaring energy of that date, and balances it with the newly introspective sound of the later Coltrane years – plus some of the freedoms learned from the Love Supreme era. The group here showcases the new territory explored by Coltrane – with Trane himself on tenor, soprano, and a bit of bass clarinet (echoing earlier Dolphy), plus Pharoah Sanders on additional tenor, Alice Coltrane on piano, Jimmy Garrison on bass, and Rasheid Ali on drums. The album only features 2 long tracks – an incredibly soulful version of "Naima", and a very firey version of "My Favorite Things", but one that begins with a haunting bass solo by Garrison! LP, Vinyl record album

Essential old school Elvis Costello from the peak years of the Attractions era! Trust is one of the earliest albums in which Costello started to shake the punkish roots off just a bit, adding a bit more of his sock soul influences into his patented power pop. Tracks include "Clubland", "Lover's Walk", "You'll Never Be A Man", "Pretty Words", "Watch Your Step", "New Lace Sleeve", and "From A Whisper To A Scream". LP, Vinyl record album

Perfect early work from The Cure from the heart of the late 70s post-punk era – music that's short, sharp, and surprisingly powerful after all these years! The trio here has all the best sharp edges that made them a real standout in the post-punk years – and Robert Smith reminds us that although his vocals have gone onto be the stuff of legend, it may well have been his guitar work that first got him noticed! Really just guitar, bass, and drums – but used extremely well – on titles that include "Another Day", "Subway Song", "10:15 Saturday Night", "Accuracy", "Grinding Halt", "Three Imaginary Boys", "It's Not You", and "So What". LP, Vinyl record album

Perfect early work from The Cure from the heart of the late 70s post-punk era – music that's short, sharp, and surprisingly powerful after all these years! The trio here has all the best sharp edges that made them a real standout in the post-punk years – and Robert Smith reminds us that although his vocals have gone onto be the stuff of legend, it may well have been his guitar work that first got him noticed! Really just guitar, bass, and drums – but used extremely well – on titles that include "Another Day", "Subway Song", "10:15 Saturday Night", "Accuracy", "Grinding Halt", "Three Imaginary Boys", "It's Not You", and "So What". LP, Vinyl record album

Daft Punk's epic second live album – an uncommon feat for an electronic act of their era, in that they had that kind of pop or rock cache to build a reputation as a must see live "band', without compromising their club floor shaking genius – and a bit of a classic in its own right. This one came a decade after their first, and again somehow harnessing the show's energy in perfect form and blasting it outta the speakers – and it includes Robot Rock", "Oh Yeah", "Steam Machine", "Brainwasher", "Superheroes", "Rock N Roll", "Alive", "Da Funk", "One More Time", "Prime Tiem Of Your Life", "Short Circuit" and more. LP, Vinyl record album

The weird, ambitious double album by The Damned! The Damned is definitely one of the more unpredictable punk bands of the era, and they upped the ante on The Black Album, with some creatively restless material on all 4 sides – which is ambitious in and of itself, given the less-is-more ethic followed by a lot of the seminal punks of the era. It's got some loud-fast "traditional" punk, darker,plus some darker, stranger cuts – including one that fills a side alll by itself in "Curtain Call" – plus a 4th side of live tracks. Includes ""Wait For The Blackout", "Lively Arts", "Silly Kids Games", "Drinking About My Baby", "Twisted Nerve", "Hit Or Miss", "Dr. Jeckyll And Mr. Hyde","13th Floor Vendetta", "Therapy", "New Rose", "I Just Can't Be Happy Today" and more. LP, Vinyl record album

A wonderful live set from the Seven Steps-era Miles group – with rhythm by Herbie Hancock, Ron Carter, and Tony Williams – and tunes that are all in that transformative mode that really showed Miles hitting a new voice at the time! Tenorist George Coleman's playing with the group on the set – proving again that he's got a depth that few people ever seem to give him credit for – and that it wasn't just Wayne Shorter who made the 60s Davis quintet so great. Titles include "Autumn Leaves", "All Of You", "Walkin", and "Joshua". LP, Vinyl record album

One of our 50s favorites by Miles Davis – and a record that offers the same twin-sax sound as his classic Kind Of Blue – with both John Coltrane and Cannonball Adderley working alongside Miles in the group! Rhythm here is by the Prestige-era trio of Red Garland on piano, Paul Chambers on bass, and Philly Joe Jones on drums – but it's the two saxophonists who really help Davis shape the feel of the record, pushing things past the initial Coltrane/Davis groove with a really wonderful sense of space and sound! Titles include the classic "Milestones", plus "Two Bass Hit", "Dr Jeckyll", and "Sid's Ahead". LP, Vinyl record album

One of our 50s favorites by Miles Davis – and a record that offers the same twin-sax sound as his classic Kind Of Blue – with both John Coltrane and Cannonball Adderley working alongside Miles in the group! Rhythm here is by the Prestige-era trio of Red Garland on piano, Paul Chambers on bass, and Philly Joe Jones on drums – but it's the two saxophonists who really help Davis shape the feel of the record, pushing things past the initial Coltrane/Davis groove with a really wonderful sense of space and sound! Titles include the classic "Milestones", plus "Two Bass Hit", "Dr Jeckyll", and "Sid's Ahead". LP, Vinyl record album

A third helping of stellar early duo work from Declaime (aka Dudley Perkins) and Madlib! While they need no introductions, the former is one of Southern California's most distinctive voices and the latter one of its most legendary beatsmiths, so it's wonderful to have such a surprisingly deep reservoir to release after all these years. Again culled from cassettes and DAT tapes filled with material that for the most part languished unreleased, it sounds as fresh now as it would've in the bedrock 90s era! Includes "Ill Minded", "Laff Now, Cry Later", "Too Much Clout", "Next Episode" with Skam, "Rollem Right", "Soitissaid '93", "Come With The Ill Grammer" feat Rocc C and more. 11 tracks in all. LP, Vinyl record album

A sweet bouncy groover – one of the rare albums of modern soul cut by the group Delegation! The group in this incarnation are a trio – Ray Patterson, Ricky Bailey, and Bruce Dunbar on vocals – stripped-down harmonically, a perfect fit for the album's groove-heavy arrangements. The album's got the same warm finish, with a touch of jazz, that you might find in some of the Arista modern soul albums from the same era – infused with a bit more of a club approach on a few of the more uptempo cuts. Titles include "Blue Girl", "Heartache No 9", "One More Step To Take", "Sho Nuff Sold On You", "Darlin", "You & I", "Stand Up", and "Put A Little Love On Me". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the undisputed masterpieces LPs of 70s soul! William De Vaughn may never be remembered for anything else – and the poor guy will always be mistaken for Curtis Mayfield by record shoppers everywhere – but he really out-Curtised Curtis on the super-dope original version of "Be Thankful For What You Got", one of those righteous soul tunes that everybody knows, everybody loves, but which was recorded by an artist that nobody can remember. Get this one, and you'll remember William De Vaughn as a genius for the rest of your life – not only for the full 7-minute version of "Be Thankful", which has a great conga breakdown in the middle, but also for other original tunes like "Blood is Thicker than Water", "You Can Do It", and "Give the Little Man a Great Big Hand". Very righteous, and with a deep soul groove that was hardly matched by other albums of the era! LP, Vinyl record album

The era that catapulted cult heroes Devo into pop culture history – with bubblier synths, catchier hooks, and crazier multimedia shenanigans than ever before from these pioneers of the video era – and time capsule pop angle aside, it's still one of the best and most innovate albums of its time! It's pretty hard to imagine the early 80s without Devo, but the group and this record is just as amazing decades later, since there was never anyone else like them! Includes "Girl U Want", "It's Not Right", "Whip It", "Freedom Of Coice", "Cold War", "Don't You Know", "Gates Of Steel" and more. LP, Vinyl record album

A mellow masterpiece of sunshine country rock from Dillard & Clark – a duo that featured Gene Clark of the Byrds and Doug Dillard of the Dillards – in a wonderful blend of Cali longhair harmonies, back porch psych, and expert Byrds-y tunefulness! Dillard provides lots of great banjo and some chirping fiddle – along with mandolin and chiming acoustic guitars that bring a bit of bluegrass into the sound – but the record has California written all over it thanks to the vocal harmonies and wistful tune craft. Really close to perfection – and deserves as much praise as the better known country rock benchmarks of the era – including the early two classics by Flying Burrito Brothers. Tracks include "Out On The Side", "She Darked The Sun", "Train Leaves Here This Mornin", "With Care From Somewhere", "Git It On Brother", "In The Plan", and "Don't Come Rolling". LP, Vinyl record album

Fantastic soundtrack work for the Stranger Things series from Netflix – a narrative set in the early 80s, and scored here with a sound that really gets that era right! This isn't schlocky 80s keyboard work, nor some sort of easy retro motif – and instead, the team of Kyle Dixon and Michael Stein go for sort of the coolest moods and styles that were being used in film scores during the time – especially the spare keyboards and careful electronics that were just right for a sci-fi or sophisticated horror story! The keyboards all feel very vintage, but not in an "easy" way – and titles on this first volume include "Lay Z Boy", "Nancy & Barb", "Kids", "Hawkins", "The Upside Down", "Lamps", "Fresh Blood", "Photos In The Woods", and "Hanging Lights". LP, Vinyl record album

A set that's almost a back to basics effort for DJ Shadow, yet one that's also a strong step forward too – basic in that it's a record that's almost all instrumental, with no guests at all – but forward because it's got a leaner groove, and a style that shows just how far Shadow has moved past the more hip hop/turntablist style of his roots! There's almost a cinematic vibe to the music at times – a mode that fits the action adventure of the title, with plenty of cuts that would be right at home on classic soundtracks, especially of the 80s crime/cop/action style – served up with just the right sorts of beats, basslines, and keyboards to echo that era! Titles include "A Narrow Escape", "You Played Me", "Time & Space", "Forever Changed", "She's Evolving", "Reflecting Pool", "Free For All", "Ozone Scraper", and "Witches Vs Warlocks". LP, Vinyl record album

DMZ's badass self-titled set for Sire from '78 – buzzsaw guitars, driving rhythms, manic vocals and eerie organs – an incredible combination of 60s garage inspiration and ferocious punk-era urgency! DMZ migh have been weird fit at a Sire label that at the time was struggling to get The Ramones and Richard Hell into the mainstream – but boy, is it ever worthy stuff! Includes "Mighty Idy", "Bad Attitude", "Watch For Me Girl", "Cinderella", "Don't Jump Me Mother", "Destroyer", "Out Of Our Tree", "Border Line", "Do Not Enter" and "From Home". LP, Vinyl record album

The album where things really come together for The Dream Syndicate – a set that has the band effortlessly fusing psychedelic inspirations with tighter punk-era energy, all at a level that would become a touchstone for other artists for many years to come! The presentation and production is as understated as the cover – and the record allows for fantastic focus on the guitars and vocals of Steve Wynn, and the equally great vocal contributions of the young Kendra Smith – whose work on bass is also pretty tone-setting too. The whole thing is a great way of paying forward influences from the Velvets and Big Star, while also forging new west coast territory in the 80s – on titles that include "Tell Me When It's Over", "Definitely Clean", "That's What You Always Say", "Wen You Smile", "Until Lately", and "The Days Of Wine And Roses". LP, Vinyl record album

Dudley's second full length for Stones Throw under his own name – third overall, counting his debut as Declaime – and one of the most surefooted, soul-steeped Madlib productions of the era! Again, Madlib wisely leans on warm funk and soul beats and samples to back Dudley, but it's a little lighter on the murk and grit this time, better to match Dudley's more confident vocals. Dudley's voice leads the way with a charismatic mix of laidback singing and rhymes. Great stuff – a low key masterclass in funky hip hop soul! 13 tracks in all, including "Funky Dudley", "The Last Stand", "Dear God", "Come Here My Dear", "Testin' Me", "Get On Up", "Dolla Bill", "That's The Way It's Gonna Be" and "Separate Ways". LP, Vinyl record album

Memphis power pop from Van Duren – insistent and nearly as catchy as the midwest and west coast practitioners of the era – but with a bit more of an elastic, loose limbed, and measured approach to the songwriting! It's tough to get around a Big Star comparison given the Memphis roots, and tougher still given that the closing track was co-authored by Jody Stephens – but Van Duren really does his own thing. It's simply straight up, sharply tuneful stuff that was probably too genuine to make a huge commercial impact at a time when non-punk or post punk guitar pop was becoming fairly insipid. More than worth the while – very nice work! Tracks include "Chemical Fire", "This Love Inside", "Oh Babe", "Waiting", "Grow Yourself Up", "Positive", "New Years Eve", "So Good To Me (For The Time Being)", "Yellow Light", "The Love That I Love" and more. LP, Vinyl record album

Great funk from one of the true legends of his time! Dyke and The Blazers specialized in James Brown-influenced super heavy soul funk, LA style – and their recordings from the late 60's are some of the most archetypal funky tracks from that era! This full album is one of the group's few – as Dyke worked most of his magic on funky 45s, not full LPs. The set does a good job of keeping the funky 45 spirit, though – and it's filled with great numbers that include "We Got More Soul", "Uhh", "The Wobble", "Funky Broadway (parts 1 & 2)", "Funky Walk (parts 1 & 2)", "My Brothers & Sisters Day Is Comin", and "Let A Woman Be A Woman, Let A Man Be A Man". LP, Vinyl record album

A live document of the mid 70s Rolling Thunder Revue era! The best of it recasts classic Dylan songs as well as ones from the then recent Blood On The Tracks as raucous rock & roll tunes, which might've puzzled a lot of longtime fans, critics, and maybe even casual concertgoers at the time, but like so many initially confusing creative left turns in Dylan's career, it's a lot more fascinating in retrospect. Includes a rave-up version of "Maggie's Farm", plus "Shelter From The Storm", "Idiot Wind", "I Threw It All Away", "Stuck Inside Of Mobile With The Memphis Blues Again", "Lay Lady Lay", "You're A Big Girl Now" and more. LP, Vinyl record album

A great version of moogy pop from the moog pop era of the late 60s – served up with a slightly sexy vibe, as you might guess from the title and the cover! The set's got a great electronic take on the Serge Gainsbourg classic "Je T'aime Moi Non Plus", plus versions of "Stella By Starlight", "Goin Out Of My Head", "The Look Of Love", "Like A Lover", and "This Guy's In Love With You". A nice groove, and slightly funky in a very groovy way! LP, Vinyl record album

A great snapshot of jazzy London in the years before the acid jazz explosion of the late 80s – and a surprisingly great soundtrack that's stood the test of time much more than the actual film! The music here represents a jazz-based undercurrent of the London scene that was already turning its ears back in time – to a pre-mod era of the late 50s, which is the setting for Colin McInnes original novel used for the film – portrayed here in a pastiche of vocal and instrumental songs that often have a fair bit of classic touches! Gil Evans was brought in for most of the instrumentals, and turns out some really sparkling charts that have all the charm of his best work of the 50s – and other contemporary artists do a pretty great job themselves – at least on the more jazz-based numbers. Evans numbers include "Va Va Voom" – and the better jazzy tunes includes the excellent "Killer Blow" by Sade, plus "Have You Ever Had It Blue" by The Style Council, "That's Motivation" and "Absolute Beginners" by David Bowie, "Rodrigo Bay" by Working Week, "Selling Out" by Slim Gallard, and "Riot City" by Jerry Dammers. LP, Vinyl record album

A great snapshot of jazzy London in the years before the acid jazz explosion of the late 80s – and a surprisingly great soundtrack that's stood the test of time much more than the actual film! The music here represents a jazz-based undercurrent of the London scene that was already turning its ears back in time – to a pre-mod era of the late 50s, which is the setting for Colin MacInnes original novel used for the film – portrayed here in a pastiche of vocal and instrumental songs that often have a fair bit of classic touches! Gil Evans was brought in for most of the instrumentals, and turns out some really sparkling charts that have all the charm of his best work of the 50s – and other contemporary artists do a pretty great job themselves – at least on the more jazz-based numbers. Evans numbers include versions of Charles Mingus' "Boogie Stop Shuffle" and "Better Git It In Your Soul", plus his own "Va Va Vaoom" – and the better jazzy tunes includes the excellent "Killer Blow" by Sade, plus "Have You Ever Had It Blue" by The Style Council, "That's Motivation" and "Absolute Beginners" by David Bowie, "Rodrigo Bay" by Working Week, "Selling Out" by Slim Gaillard, and "Riot City" by Jerry Dammers. LP, Vinyl record album

Sublime country rock and superb vocals from the Everly Brothers – an album as close to our hearts as the much more hipster-celebrated work of the era by Gram Parsons, the Byrds and others! The Everlys grasped onto their significance throughout the 60s by hopping from trend to trend with little success – but they finally nailed it in 1968 with this effort. (Artistically, if not commercially.) The boys apply their staggering harmonies to country and country-ish material, adding their own unique spin to the tunes – and earnestly work in some montages of their family radio shows from the early 50s! It's easily their most endearing work of the 60s. Produced by Lenny Waronker with strings by Nick DeCaro. Includes wonderful versions of Jimmie Rodgers' "T For Texas", "Shady Grove", Randy Newman's "Illinois", Ray Price's "You Done Me Wrong", Merle Haggard's "Mama Tried" and "Sing Me Back Home", plus "Ventura Boulvard" and "Turn Around" written by Ron Elliot of Beau Brummels. LP, Vinyl record album