Way more than the disco cash-in some folks thought at the time – and a surprisingly classic set that perfectly sums up the late 70s Stones ethos – and, in a way, the vibe of a changing New York! Titles include "Miss You", "Beast Of Burden", "Shattered", "Imagination", "Lies", "Far Away Eyes" and "When The Whip Comes Down". LP, Vinyl record album

Titles include "Love Is Strong", "You Got Me Rocking", "Sparks Will Fly", "The Worst", "New Faces", "Baby Break It Down", "Suck On The Jugular", "I Go Wild", "Brand New Car", and "Moon Is Up". CD

An all-star group – featuring John SCOfield, Joe LOvano, Dave HOlland, and Al FOster, hence the unusual name of the ensemble – all grooving in an angular mode that recalls the current Blue Note sound at its freshest. Lovano's edgey tenor and soprano work really make the session hold together nicely, as he's got a tone here that almost reminds us of George Braith back in the days when he was recording for Blue Note himself – especially on some of his organ-based sessions. Scofield's guitar is in that cleaner, leaner sound he's using these days – which is a good match for Foster's spare work on rhythm. Titles include "Oh", "Right About Now", "Brandyn", "Faces", "Oh I See", "In Your Arms", and "Shorter Form". CD

An all-star group – featuring John SCOfield, Joe LOvano, Dave HOlland, and Al FOster, hence the unusual name of the ensemble – all grooving in an angular mode that recalls the current Blue Note sound at its freshest. Lovano's edgey tenor and soprano work really make the session hold together nicely, as he's got a tone here that almost reminds us of George Braith back in the days when he was recording for Blue Note himself – especially on some of his organ-based sessions. Scofield's guitar is in that cleaner, leaner sound he's using these days – which is a good match for Foster's spare work on rhythm. Titles include "Oh", "Right About Now", "Brandyn", "Faces", "Oh I See", "In Your Arms", and "Shorter Form". LP, Vinyl record album

A wonderful meeting between three classic French jazz musicians – the kind of set from their scene that we haven't heard done this well in years – and a record that really reminds us of the best moments of the French trio explosion that took place towards the end of the 90s! As with some of those records, there's this intimacy between the players that's wonderful – an ability to quietly suss out sonic opportunities one minute, then soar boldly together the next – all with a sense of color and motion that's very dynamic, but never in a way that seems gimmicky, forced, or just done to call attention to itself. The lineup features Herve Sellin on piano, Jean Paul Celea on bass, and Daniel Humair on drums – and titles include "The 3 Faces", "New Stories", "Contemporis", "Avant Propos", "What's The Point", and "Humelinea". CD

A rare gem from Archie Shepp – really wonderful, and still pretty darn spiritual! The record features 2 long tracks – "Lybia" and "My Heart Cries Out To Africa" – each a side long, and each with a soulful fire missing from many of Shepp's other recordings from the time (save for a few gems, like Sea Of Faces). The group is a quintet, and features Charles Greenlee on trombone, Dave Burrell on piano, David Williams on bass, and Beaver Harris on drums. Very nice stuff! LP, Vinyl record album

A great dip back into the archives of Shindig magazine – with a limited edition that brings back some of the best interviews and features the publication did in years back – all laid out with new graphics, and often re-edited and expanded as well! Shindig often covers both big names and small from the 60s and 70s – but this issue is all heavy-hitters – with coverage on Frank Zappa, The Monkees, The Who, David Bowie, Small Faces, Kinks, Rolling Stones, Donovan, Captain Beefheart, Mott The Hoople, and others – all presented with loads of great photos and images, and no ads at all! Magazine

A real turning point for Rod Stewart – but a record that still holds onto all the wonderful sides of his work with the Faces, too! Includes the sublime "Mandolin Wind" – plus "Every Picture Tells A Story", "That's All Right Mama", "Reason To Believe", "Losing You", and "Maggie May". LP, Vinyl record album

Genius, pure genius – and a record that will completely revise your thinking about Rod Stewart – a set that will blow away all the cliches you might know from later years, and will have you re-examining his early years in all their glorious brilliance! The sound is amazing right from the start – heavy on acoustic instrumentation that offers up a much rootsier side of Stewart than his work with The Faces or Jeff Beck – yet at a level that still packs a hell of a lot of punch, thanks to these incredible drums that get the whole thing going right from the start – urging on the vocals to a crackling charm that's even more powerful here away from any big chart hits. Even familiar tunes are completely remade by the godlike early Rod – as you'll year on tracks that include "Only A Hobo", "Gasoline Alley", "My Way Of Giving", "Cut Across Shorty", "Lady Day", "Jo's Lament", and "Country Comforts". CD

Genius, pure genius – and a record that will completely revise your thinking about Rod Stewart – a set that will blow away all the cliches you might know from later years, and will have you re-examining his early years in all their glorious brilliance! The sound is amazing right from the start – heavy on acoustic instrumentation that offers up a much rootsier side of Stewart than his work with The Faces or Jeff Beck – yet at a level that still packs a hell of a lot of punch, thanks to these incredible drums that get the whole thing going right from the start – urging on the vocals to a crackling charm that's even more powerful here away from any big chart hits. Even familiar tunes are completely remade by the godlike early Rod – as you'll year on tracks that include "Only A Hobo", "Gasoline Alley", "My Way Of Giving", "Cut Across Shorty", "Lady Day", "Jo's Lament", and "Country Comforts". LP, Vinyl record album

Genius, pure genius – and a record that will completely revise your thinking about Rod Stewart – a set that will blow away all the cliches you might know from later years, and will have you re-examining his early years in all their glorious brilliance! The sound is amazing right from the start – heavy on acoustic instrumentation that offers up a much rootsier side of Stewart than his work with The Faces or Jeff Beck – yet at a level that still packs a hell of a lot of punch, thanks to these incredible drums that get the whole thing going right from the start – urging on the vocals to a crackling charm that's even more powerful here away from any big chart hits. Even familiar tunes are completely remade by the godlike early Rod – as you'll year on tracks that include "Only A Hobo", "Gasoline Alley", "My Way Of Giving", "Cut Across Shorty", "Lady Day", "Jo's Lament", and "Country Comforts". CD

Incredible! The record's one that will blow away all your previous understandings of Rod Stewart – a wicked reinterpretation of the Faces sound, done with heavily acoustic instrumentation and really wonderful production. Includes Rod's landmark take on "Handbags & Gladrags" – plus "Man Of Constant Sorrow", "Cindy's Lament", "An Old Raincoat Won't Ever Let You Down", and "I Wouldn't Change A Thing". LP, Vinyl record album

Incredible! The record's one that will blow away all your previous understandings of Rod Stewart – a wicked reinterpretation of the Faces sound, done with heavily acoustic instrumentation and really wonderful production. Includes Rod's landmark take on "Handbags & Gladrags" – plus "Man Of Constant Sorrow", "Cindy's Lament", "An Old Raincoat Won't Ever Let You Down", and "I Wouldn't Change A Thing". CD

2CDs – and a motherlode of classic work by The Temptations! The set focuses on the group's groundbreaking work with producer Norman Whitfield at Motown – sides from the late 60s and early 70s that were some of the most righteous to ever come out of the motor city! Whitfield had a really magical style that was perfect for the group – taking their older group style, and souping it up with heavy bass, rumbling drums, and lots of fuzzy guitar licks – all of which made for a sound that was instantly psychedelic, and massively righteous! The set includes 2 previously unreleased longer takes of "Psychedelic Shack" and "Ball Of Confusion" – plus 22 other classics that include "Slave", "Message From A Black Man", "I Can't Get Next To You", "Don't Let the Joneses Get You Down", "Cloud Nine", "Runaway Child", "Love Can Be Anything", "Smiling Faces Sometimes", "Ungena Za Ulimengu", "Masterpiece", "Ain't No Justice", "1990", "Funky Music Sho Nuff Turns Me On", "Take A Stroll Thru Your Mind", "Plastic Man", and "War". CD

A fantastic first album from Pete Townshend – one that showed the world that he was a hell of a force to be reckoned with, even away from The Who! There's some elements here that link back to Pete's work with the band, but the music here is already showing lots of new ideas brewing in his solo space – some of the greater sensitivity of Townshend's solo voice – which might not always get showcased when Roger Daltrey was taking the lead – and also some different musical strands that might not have been right for The Who. Ronnie Lane takes the lead on "Evolution" – which you'll recognize from the world of The Faces – and other titles include the original acoustic version of "Pure & Easy", plus "Nothing Is Everything (Let's See Action)", "Time Is Passing", "Forever's No Time At All", "There's A Heartache Following Me", "Content", "Parvardigar", and "Sheraton Gibson". LP, Vinyl record album

The first three albums by Undisputed Truth – finally on CD, with bonus tracks too! First up is the amazing debut of Undisputed Truth – one of the coolest new Motown groups of the 70s – and one of the few that really continued the experimental legacy of the label in the late 60s! As with the Temptations during their psychedelic years, Undisputed Truth are handled by superproducer Norman Whitfield – who does a fantastic job of mixing deeper ideas and righteous themes with some of the soaring soul that was the Motown stock in trade – a wonderful blend that made these guys one of the best groups poised to push the label into the new decade! Titles include the huge hit "Smiling Faces Sometimes", plus lots of covers of cool tracks like "California Soul", "Like A Rolling Stone", "Ball Of Confusion", and "You Got The Love I Need". Law Of The Land is an unstoppable groove from The Undisputed Truth – a group who worked with Norman Whitfield in the same psychedelic soul territory as The Temptations – and who arguably got the sound across even better than them! This set's not as much of a bit hit as the group's other records from the time – but that makes it sound even fresher and more fierce – loads of those hard-rolling basslines you'd expect from Whitfield's production – and some soaring arrangements from Paul Riser and David Van DePitte, both of whom give the album a sense of majesty to match its inherent righteousness. Titles include "Law of The Land" and "Mama I Got A Brand New Thing" – plus covers of Temps tunes "Papa Was A Rolling Stone" and "Just My Imagination" – and other covers that include "Love & Happiness", "If I Die", "Feelin' Alright", and "Killing Me Softly", done in the full soul mode of the group. Down To Earth features Undisputed Truth at the height of their powers – still working in the psychedelic soul style they forged with Norman Whitfield at the end of the 60s – but with a groove that's tighter and sharper than ever before! We might well call the record the funkiest the group ever cut – as Whitfield's production really brings the rhythms into strong focus, while still letting the righteous message in the lyrics shine through in the group's strong sense of interplay – that back/forth between male and female vocals that really helps the group create a sense of social conversation. Titles include the Whitfield originals "Help Yourself", "Big John Is My Name", "Save My Love For A Rainy Day", and "Law Of The Land" – but the best tracks might be their covers, like "Love & Happiness" and "Our Day Will Come", both totally remade here into great new versions! CD features 6 more bonus tracks – including "Let's Go Back To Day One" and "Gonna Keep On Tryin Till I Win Your Love" – plus single edits of "What's Going On", "What It Is", "You Make Your Own Heaven & Hell", and "Law Of The Land". CD

A great overview of one of Motown's hippest soul groups! The Undisputed Truth were the brainchild of Norman Whitfield – and the group were the perfect platform for the "right on" soul that Whitfield was starting to craft in Detroit at the end of the 60s. Whitfield mixed the group's male/female vocal style with a wealth of work on heavy bass, echoey drums, and fuzzy guitars – often having them sing songs with hipper, more contemporary themes, in the same mode as the political conscious soul he'd been working on with The Temptations. This 19 track set is a wonderful collection of the best Motown moments by The Undisputed Truth – with a strong selection of tracks that includes "Smiling Faces Sometimes", "Girl You're Alright", "Law Of The Land", "Help Yourself", "Higher Than High", "Let's Go Back To Day One", "You Got The Love I Need", "You Make Your Own Heaven & Hell", "Papa Was A Rolling Stone", "What's Going On", "I'm A Fool For You", "Spaced Out", and "UFO's". CD

Searingly spiritual work from David S Ware – a set that definitely draws on the gospel reference in the title, but in ways that are far from any sort of easy cliches! Ware blows tenor boldly here – drawing on a rich legacy from John Coltrane through Billy Harper, all focused sharply into his own dynamic musical vision – and that of his classic quartet with Matthew Shipp on piano and William Parker on bass! Ware's tones really dominate the record – especially given that the production brilliantly brings out all their sharpest edges and raspier moments – but Shipp's elliptical piano is a treat too, and nicely offsets some of Ware's sense of freedom. Susie Ibarra completes the group on drums – and titles include "Wisdomsphere", "Inner Temple", "The Stargazers", "Wisdom Through Time", and "Eternal Faces Of Braham". CD

The stunning second album from We All Together – a relatively obscure group from Peru, but one with a brilliance that matches our favorite UK and California pop of the late 60s! These guys clearly love the Beatles, but also have open ears for some of the hipper strands that were floating out of the A&M Studios at the end of the 60s – and singing in English throughout, they've got an amazing way with an original tune, and mix acoustic piano and light guitar with completely transcendent production – simple, but marvelously effective in the way it lifts the whole proceedings into the heavens! Titles include "Ozzy", "Cloudy Night", "Silly Roadman", "Who Knows", "Little Boy", "Persons & Faces", "Follow Me If You Can", and "Beautiful People". CD

The stunning second album from We All Together – a relatively obscure group from Peru, but one with a brilliance that matches our favorite UK and California pop of the late 60s! These guys clearly love the Beatles, but also have open ears for some of the hipper strands that were floating out of the A&M Studios at the end of the 60s – and singing in English throughout, they've got an amazing way with an original tune, and mix acoustic piano and light guitar with completely transcendent production – simple, but marvelously effective in the way it lifts the whole proceedings into the heavens! Titles include "Ozzy", "Cloudy Night", "Silly Roadman", "Who Knows", "Little Boy", "Persons & Faces", "Follow Me If You Can", and "Beautiful People". LP, Vinyl record album

Lucinda Williams second album for Folkways – and the first to feature her own material – introducing one of the best Americana singer songwriters of the past few decades! Happy Woman Blues has an apt title, and although there's plenty of heartache in her radiating from her vocal chords and in her words, it's done with passionate, unflinching confidence and charisma the brings a smile to our faces as wide as the one she's wearing in the cover photo. More of a honky tonk record than a blues record, and a great one! Essential! Titles include "Lafayette", "Lost It", "Maria", "Happy Woman Blues", "Rolling Along", "Howlin At Midnight", "Hard Road", "Louisiana Man" and more. CD

An excellent set of funky jazz tracks from the legendary MPS label! The folks at Crippled Dick have outdone themselves this time – and have even surpassed their previous set of MPS grooves by collecting a totally excellent batch of cuts, most of which haven't ever been reissued before! If you pay attention to jazz funk at all, you'll know that the German-based MPS label is one of the world's best sources for incredible grooves – and the label had a 20 year tradition of mixing musics from many different sources, and for delivering some of the most groundbreaking funk of the 20th century! Titles on this stunning set include "Titty Chickie Fitterbug" by Jasper Van't Hof, "Faces In Reflection 2" by George Duke, "Scratches" by Charly Antolini, "Knock Out" by Dieter Reith, "Miss Maggie" by Rolf Kuhn, "Powerstart" by Roland Kovac, "Baiafrock/Volker" by The New Dave Pike Set, "Volcano's Daughter" by Nelson Riddle, and "Bulgarian Beans" by Rimona Francis. LP also contains the bonus cuts "Sarava" by Baden Powell, "The World Is A Ghetto" by George Shearing, and "Grand Nite For Swinging" by Mary Lou Williams. LP, Vinyl record album

The second volume of the soundtrack to the film Dead Presidents. Like the first volume, this is a whopping batch of classic 70s soul tracks – including "Right On For The Darkness" and "We The People Who Are Darker Than Blue (Live)" by Curtis Mayfield, "I Got The Feelin" and "Ain't That A Groove" by James Brown, "Smiling Faces Sometimes" by The Undisputed Truth, "Cowboys To Girls" by The Intruders, "Keep On Pushing" and "(Man Oh Man) I Want To Go Back" by The Impressions, "I Was Made To Love Her" by Stevie Wonder, "When Something Is Wrong With My Baby" by Sam & Dave, "Never Gonna Give You Up" by Jerry Butler and "Just My Imagination (Running Away With Me)" by The Temptations. CD

A killer collection of east coast soul from the 70s – work that originally appeared on a handful of different labels, but which was all put together by Robert Hosea Williams – an unsung producer working out of a small studio in Silver Springs – with an incredible ear for up-and-coming talent! The music here is totally deep and righteous throughout – the hippest of the indie label scene on the east coast – and work that really lives up to the progressive, righteous reference you'd get from the Red, Black, & Green in the title! There's plenty of group soul here – of a type that mixes older harmony modes with hipper 70s references – creating a really badass approach to soul music that's simply mindblowing – and way different than the mainstream variants that were hitting the charts at the time. The whole thing's great – one of the best Numero comps in years – and titles include "Phoney People" and "I Really Really Love You" by Father's Children, "Sleepwalking" and "Let's Do It Over" by The Summits, "Don't Worry About The Joneses" and "We're Two Fools In Love" by Dysons Faces, "Day By Day" and "It Must Be Love" by The Exceptions Featuring Mark Greene, "Town Called Nowhere" and "I Need Your Love" by Skip Mahoney & The Casuals, and "Summer In The Parks" and "Generation" by East Coast Connection. CD

A set that definitely lives up to its title – as it's kind of an extra dose of soulful tracks from the vaults of the many reissue projects handled by the Numero Group over the years! The collection brings together upbeat soul groovers, warm modern soul gems, and a few funkier cuts – in a mix that really rewrites any understanding that you might have of uptempo soul in the 70s – underground grooves that are quite far from the slicker disco of the charts, and which together make for a set that could easily pack the dancefloor! Titles include "Deep In Your Heart" by Young Divines, "I Love You" by Karriem, "Main Squeeze" by Nate Evans, "Love Explosion" by Donnell Pittman, "Love Is On The Way" by Bill Spoon, "Try My Love Again" by Syl Johnson, "Lift This Hurt" by Elvin Spencer, "We're Two Fools In Love" by Dyson's Faces, "No Matter" by La'Fez, "Guilty" by Jackie Stoudemire, "I Think It's Time" by Alice Swoboda, "I'll Never Say No" by The Summits, "Cosmos Third Eye" by Cosmos Universal Band, and "Standing By Love" by Eula Cooper. CD

A deep deep look at a side of the British 60s scene that didn't always make big waves here in the US – but one that had a huge influence on UK sounds for years to come! The mighty book-like package documents the rich stream of sounds that exploded during the beat group years – a moment that was partly graced by some of the names that we'd know here as the Brit Invasion, but which soon moved off into much more expansive sounds that include mod moments, freakbeat grooves, and a fair bit of tunes influenced by American jazz and soul! The 6CD set features a whopping 165 tracks in all, plus a huge booklet of notes – and a number of the tracks are pulled from the Pye Records catalog – one of the most important Brit labels of the period – but the set also includes lot of bits from elsewhere too. Includes work by The Rogers, Marmalade, The Baskervilles, The Web, The Mighty Atoms, Glenda Collins, The Mike Stuart Span, Bobbi Rio & The Revelles, Carl Wayne & The Vikings, The Mike Cotton Sound, Ray Singer, Marilyn Powell, Just Four Men, Twinkle, Tony Jackson, The Cops N Robbers, Major Rowley, Paddy Klaus & Gibson, David Bowie & The Lower Third, The Lancastrians, New Faces, The Limeys, Mick & Malcolm, Kind, Episode Six, and many others! CD

With Fleetwood Mac, Small Faces, Nice, Humble Pie, Eric Clapton & Jimmy Page, & more. LP, Vinyl record album

A really cool collection – one that's maybe best summed up by the word "ecstatic" in the title – as the package presents a blend of work from artists who easily skirt both the spiritual and secular side of soulful music, united together with a very joyous, uplifting vibe in their sound! This isn't classic gospel from the years when you might hear a guitar or organ behind a small group of harmonizing vocals – and instead, much of this work was created at a time when soul music had already been going strong for years – and while gospel might have initially helped in the formation of soul, it's clear that things are also moving the other direction in these tracks – as many of these artists borrow from the power of righteous soul styles, and use it to inflect their joyous message with a great new energy! Titles include "Everything Is Gonna Be Alright" by Keith Barrow, "Is There Anybody Here" by The Alvin Darling Ensemble, "Trouble's Brewin" by The Meditation Singers, "Satisfied" by Andre Crouch & The Disciples, "Let Your Feet Down Easy" by Dorothy Norwood, "If You Believe Your God Is Dead" by Swan Silvertones, "The Upper Way" by The Violinaires, "Elijah" by Roscoe Robinson, "Till I've Got This Feelin Of Love" by Dyson's Faces, and "Nothing Can Stop Me Now" by Destiny. CD

A really cool collection – one that's maybe best summed up by the word "ecstatic" in the title – as the package presents a blend of work from artists who easily skirt both the spiritual and secular side of soulful music, united together with a very joyous, uplifting vibe in their sound! This isn't classic gospel from the years when you might hear a guitar or organ behind a small group of harmonizing vocals – and instead, much of this work was created at a time when soul music had already been going strong for years – and while gospel might have initially helped in the formation of soul, it's clear that things are also moving the other direction in these tracks – as many of these artists borrow from the power of righteous soul styles, and use it to inflect their joyous message with a great new energy! Titles include "Everything Is Gonna Be Alright" by Keith Barrow, "Is There Anybody Here" by The Alvin Darling Ensemble, "Trouble's Brewin" by The Meditation Singers, "Satisfied" by Andre Crouch & The Disciples, "Let Your Feet Down Easy" by Dorothy Norwood, "If You Believe Your God Is Dead" by Swan Silvertones, "The Upper Way" by The Violinaires, "Elijah" by Roscoe Robinson, "Till I've Got This Feelin Of Love" by Dyson's Faces, and "Nothing Can Stop Me Now" by Destiny. LP, Vinyl record album

From the end of the 70s onward, the Italian Black Saint record label offered up some of the most high quality spiritual and avant jazz of the time – really taking over where American record companies had dropped the ball, and allowing a huge wave of new energy from both older musicians and a younger generation who might never have gotten the right level of exposure, had Black Saint (and related Soul Note imprint) stepped into the scene! This package offers up some of the coolest cuts from Black Saint – and has an especially strong focus on the work that the label did to carry forward older spiritual sounds, especially those first unlocked on Impulse Records – a legacy that really comes through strongly here. Titles include "Love On A Far Away Planet" and "Mayan Temples" by Sun Ra, "Song For Mozambique/Sea Of Faces" by Archie Shepp, "Guitar Vibes" by Karl Berger, "Tap Dancer" by Oliver Lake, "Ode To The Flower Maiden" by John Carter, "Mama Marimba" by Joseph Jarman and Donh Moye, "Sixth Sense" by Don Pullen, "Hattie Wall" by World Saxophone Quartet, "Laja" by Muhal Richard Abrams, and "Metamusician's Stomp" by Andrew Cyrille & Maono. LP, Vinyl record album

Featuring Small Faces, PP Arnold, John Mayall, Chris Farlowe, The Nice, and more! LP, Vinyl record album

An explosion of groundbreaking sounds from the 60s – all records issued in the magical year of 1965 – with a fresh vibe that would influence years of soul, psych, and garage styles to come! Jon Savage has already given us two other great year-based collections on Ace, but this one might be one of his most impressive – given that most folks tend to overlook the musical power of 1965, in favor of bigger explosions later in the 60s – but all of which were inspired by these earlier moments of fire! You'll definitely recognize some of the tunes here, but with his usual genius, Jon Savage has a way of mixing the familiar with the obscure – coming up with new ways to put everything together, and really opening up our ears in the process. As with previous volumes, the notes are huge – with plenty of details on the sounds within – and the 2CD package features a whopping 48 tracks in all – with titles that include "You've Got To Hide Your Love Away" by The Silkie, "Concrete & Clay" by Unit Four Plus Two, "I'll Feel A Whole Lot Better" by The Byrds, "Buttermilk (part 1)" by Sly, "Boot Leg" by Booker T & The MGs, "Fortune Teller" by Tony Jackson with The Vibrations, "That's The Way It's Got To Be" by The Poets, "Come & Stay With Me" by Marianne Faithful, "See My Friends" by The Kinks, "Too Many People" by The Leaves, "I've Got Mine" by The Small Faces, "The Duck" by Jackie Lee, "The Story Of John Hardy" by Sir Douglas Quintet, "We Sell Soul" by The Spades, "Blow Your Mind" by The Gas Co, "You Just Gotta Know My Mind" by Karen Verros, "Can You Hear Me" by Lee Dorsey, "London Town" by Pretty Things, "Are You A Boy Or Are You A Girl" by The Barbarians, "I'm Alive" by The Hollies, "Leaving Here" by The Birds, and "Twine Time" by Alvin Cash & The Crawlers. CD

An explosion of groundbreaking sounds from the 60s – all records issued in the magical year of 1965 – with a fresh vibe that would influence years of soul, psych, and garage styles to come! Jon Savage has already given us two other great year-based collections on Ace, but this one might be one of his most impressive – given that most folks tend to overlook the musical power of 1965, in favor of bigger explosions later in the 60s – but all of which were inspired by these earlier moments of fire! You'll definitely recognize some of the tunes here, but with his usual genius, Jon Savage has a way of mixing the familiar with the obscure – coming up with new ways to put everything together, and really opening up our ears in the process. As with previous volumes, the notes are huge – with plenty of details on the sounds within – and the 2CD package features a whopping 48 tracks in all – with titles that include "You've Got To Hide Your Love Away" by The Silkie, "Concrete & Clay" by Unit Four Plus Two, "I'll Feel A Whole Lot Better" by The Byrds, "Buttermilk (part 1)" by Sly, "Boot Leg" by Booker T & The MGs, "Fortune Teller" by Tony Jackson with The Vibrations, "That's The Way It's Got To Be" by The Poets, "Come & Stay With Me" by Marianne Faithful, "See My Friends" by The Kinks, "Too Many People" by The Leaves, "I've Got Mine" by The Small Faces, "The Duck" by Jackie Lee, "The Story Of John Hardy" by Sir Douglas Quintet, "We Sell Soul" by The Spades, "Blow Your Mind" by The Gas Co, "You Just Gotta Know My Mind" by Karen Verros, "Can You Hear Me" by Lee Dorsey, "London Town" by Pretty Things, "Are You A Boy Or Are You A Girl" by The Barbarians, "I'm Alive" by The Hollies, "Leaving Here" by The Birds, and "Twine Time" by Alvin Cash & The Crawlers. CD

The first volume in the Motown Remixed project – and a vinyl EP that features 4 strong hip hop tracks! The sound here is a lot more soul-based than you'd expect – and really mostly just takes the older tunes and pumps them up with some more contemporary beats and bass, while still keeping the regular vocals in place – a good move in our book! Titles include "I Want You Back (Z-Trip rmx)" by Jackson 5, "I Heard It Through The Grapevine (Randy Watson Experience mix)" by Gladys Knight & The Pips, "ABC (Salaam Remi extended krunk-a-delic party mix)" by Jackson 5, and "Smiling Faces Sometimes (Futureshock main ingredient mix)" by Undisputed Truth. Also contains Z-Trip bonus beats! LP, Vinyl record album

With performances by Rory Gallagher, Strider, Greenslade, Status Quo, The Faces, Andy Brown, Lesley Duncan, and Tim Hardin. LP, Vinyl record album

Music by Foghat, Deep Purple, Foreigner, Faces, Alice Cooper, Boston, Grand Funk Railroad, Jefferson Starship, Kiss, Blue Oyster Cult, Mott The Hoople, and more – 40 tracks total. CD

Music from Slim Harpo, Bo Diddley, Mose Allison, Eddie Cochran, Johnny Kidd & The Pirates, Jimmy Reed, Benny Spellman, The Yardbirds, Small Faces, The Action, The Creation, The Impressions, Booker T. Jones, and The Who. CD

A deep deep dive into the farther reaches of the California scene in the late 60s – music that's completely wonderful all the way through, and presented with a level that really blows away some of the less-official collections on the market! If you know the hit sounds of the time, you'll know a bit of what to expect here – but the selection of cuts goes way way deeper, put together by Alec Palao, a guy we'd already trust with anything Cali from the 60s – and who really knocks himself out with this set! If you dig Beach Boys, Mamas & Papas, and the Byrds, you'll find plenty of new sounds here to fall in love with – and as usual with Ace, the whole thing comes with superb notes, and even features a few unreleased tracks – including two rare cuts by Third Wave, who recorded one album for MPS! Titles include "Niki" and "Three Kingfishers Ferris Wheel" by Third Wave, "Go Try & Put Out The Sun" by The Forum, "Soul Sunrise" by JP Rags, "A Thousand Faces" by The Thousand Faces, "Out In The Open" by The Justice League, "Meadows & Flowers" by Curt Boettcher, "Richard & Me" by Evergreen Tangerine, "Someday Sunday" by The Gettysburg Address, "Lazy Bones" by The Tricycle, "Sugar Stone" by The Candy Company, "The Life You Lead" by A Small World, "Summer Flower" by Crystal Set, and "Until Now" by Augie Moreno. CD

Label sampler with cuts by Faces, Captain Beefheart, Halfnelson, Malo, Dionne Warwick, Little Richard, Kenny Young, America, Ry Cooder, Peter Yarrow, Judy Collins, Doug Kershaw, Jerry Garcia, Crazy Horse, and Tracy Nelson. LP, Vinyl record album

One of those amazing obscure records that seems to come out of nowhere – sounding nothing like most of the mainstream work of the time, with a power that might have shaped the world of music for years to come – if the album hadn't been issued in a tiny pressing of only 60 copies! There's a darkness here that's mindblowing – not just in the vocals, and the weird echoey way they've been recorded – but also in the overall instrumentation and pacing of the record – kind of a melancholy, slow progression that almost prefaces 80s styles on 4AD, but with a much rougher feel overall! Any psyche impulses are broken down into much sparer, earthier sounds – and there seems to be a bit of electronics in the mix – or is it just noise from the guitar? Yet lyrical themes are up-close and personal too – almost chance-taking in their earnestness, without the somberness of the instrumentation. All of this makes for a sublime mix – and a record that's as captivating as it is rare. Titles include "Lonely Again", "I Want To Love You", "Goodbye Sunshine", "Candleman", and "Seagulls" – and 2CD set features a whopping 23 bonus tracks – a huge amount of unreleased material, and a few other singles by the group. CD

The first official release of this debut solo album from Tiombe Lockheart – originally distributed via shows when she was a member of the Platinum Pied Pipers, and still a completely winning bit of spacey soul – with a vibe that really prefaces so much energy on the west coast in more recent years! Tiombe gets help on beats from Bilal, drums from Otis Brown Jr, and piano from Robert Glasper – but it's also very clear that the music is all very much her own – this spacey melange of influences from hip hop and soul, woven together in very deep textures, and topped with her beautifully crispy vocal approach! Titles include "California Dreaming", "Tip Of My Tongue", "You Need Me", "Mr Johnnie Walker", "Working Girls Suicide", "Sexy Suzy On A Sunday 1.5", and "GP". LP, Vinyl record album

A classic take on the "Batman" hit of the 60s – one that moves the tune from camp TV theme to sweet rock instrumental territory – in a manner that prefaces later takes on the tune by The Who and The Jam! The track may well be the biggest ever by The Marketts – and showcases their ability to step way past the usual surf instrumental modes of the time – and work within the larger studio genius of Warner Brothers to create some very groovy sounds! Dick Glasser heads up production – and moves the music into territory that's still instrumental, yet much more varied than usual for a rock album of the type – almost soundtrack-oriented in points, but mostly handled in a small combo mode. In addition to the "Batman" hit, other titles are all caped crusader-related – and include "Dr Death", "The Joker", "Bat Cape", "Cat Women", "Bat Cave", and "Bat Signal". LP, Vinyl record album

Sweet instrumentals from the Japanese minimal scene of the 80s, but work that's sometimes got some warmer touches than other material of the time – maybe a slight new age sensibility at points, but touched with a sentimental sense of melody that almost prefaces some of the later Ghibli modes! Akira Mitake plays all instruments – almost all electric, but with modes that resonate with an acoustic sense of space – especially on some piano bits, and occasional elements that almost feel like harp, or maybe a keyboard harp! Titles are all in Japanese, and they're all instrumental – and the album's got a spacious vibe that's very much in keeping with its cover. LP, Vinyl record album

One of the greatest albums on ESP – and a darkly-tinged document that points strongly towards the future of jazz at the end of the 60s! The album's one of the most focused of the early ESP years – and it features drummer Sunny Murray stepping out strongly as a leader – working with players who include Jacques Coursil on trumpet, Byard Lancaster and Jack Graham on alto saxes, and Alan Silva on bass – all with an intensity that prefaces some of the players' later freedoms on the French scene at the end of the decade, and modes to come during the loft jazz years of the 70s! The horns are never too free, and they come together in a flurry of sharp edges that reminds us a bit of sound structures in Archie Shepp's work at the time – but almost more organic and open overall. Titles include "Phase 1234", "Hilariously", "Angels & Devils", and "Giblet". Plus, the CD also features over 30 minutes of bonus interview material! CD

A seminal collection of work from the earliest years of the London punk scene in the 70s – material by a pre-Clash group that famously featured Joe Strummer, working at a level that definitely prefaces all the greatness to come! The style here is certainly in the gritty, short, heavy punch of early UK punk – but there's also a compelling strand that traces back to early rock and roll as well – bits of 50s and 60s influence working through the music, showing just how deep of roots Strummer and the Clash would later draw from. There's less reggae influence than later, but it's still somewhere there in the mix – especially on the live tracks – and titles are a mix of studio recordings plus live cuts – with titles that include "Letsgetabitarockin", "Surf City", "Silent Telephone", "Keys To Your Heart", "Hideaway", "Sweety Of The St Moritz", "Keep Taking The Tablets", "Lonely Mother's Son", and "Shake Your Hips". CD

One of the rarest free jazz albums of the European 60s scene – a set that was originally intended for release by Sonet Records, pressed up in test records for the musicians, then denied release because they felt that they'd already moved past the performance! Yet in the space of over 50 years, the music still sounds remarkably fresh – an early, striking, and stunning example of the way that the European avant jazz scene was not only overtaking the American one, but also providing the kind of energy that would be a key inspiration for artists like Albert Ayler or Cecil Taylor! Pianist Tom Prehn offers up a lot of the latter here – boundless piano lines that leap forward into space with a frenzied, yet tuneful approach – followed by tremendous tenor from Frits Krogh, a player we don't know at all – but who blows powerfully and soulfully, at a level that maybe even prefaces some of John Coltrane's more outside material to come. The rest of the group features Poul Ehlers on bass and Finn Slumstrup on drums – and the album features the full "Axiom (parts 1 & 2)" performance from the Sonet album – plus a more contemplative number titled "Percussive Anticipations", recorded by the same group in 1966, and appearing here for the first time ever! CD

Chef Raekwon cooks up one of finest hip hop albums in history – a standout moment in the Wu Tang canon and the 90s in general! Given Ghostface's presence throughout, the prime RZA production and other top shelf guests, you could almost call this one a Wu Tang Clan album, if not for Raekwon's incredible leadership behind the mic. Guests include Nas, Method Man, Inspektah Deck and more from the Wu Tang family. An absolute standard-bearer! Titles include "Knuckleheadz", "Knowledge God", "Criminology", "Incarcerated Scarfaces", "Guillotine (Swords)", "Glaciers Of Ice", "Ice Cream", and more! LP, Vinyl record album

Sir Lord Baltimore may have a British-sounding name – but the group are a trio from Brooklyn, and serve up a blistering pre-metal version of hard rock that maybe blows away some of their English contemporaries at the time! There's a tremendous amount of power going on here – heavy bass from Gary Justin, searing guitars from Louis Dampier, and monstrous drums from John Garner, who somehow manages to also give out these raw, eerie vocals while also completely destroying the drum kit – all with energy that really prefaces a metal generation to come – but with a stripped-down vibe that's completely free of hoke. On the second album the group expands to a quartet, which makes for an even heavier sound than their first album – and the whole thing is one of those lost gems from a group who got a great shot in the studio from a big label – who then let the record languish, as they never knew how to promote it! Titles include "Man From Manhattan" plus "Where Are We Going", "Chicago Lives", "Loe And Behold", "Woman Tamer" and "Caesar LXXI". CD

Some sweet Liquid Sounds from pianist Paul Smith – one of the grooviest players to recorded for Capitol Records in the 50s! At some level, Smith has a sound that really prefaces lots that would go on in the west coast scene of the 60s – an approach to jazz that's still somewhat composed, but which has a breezier feel than most of the other players of his time – openly swinging with a lightness that's mighty nice, in ways that never get too stiff or stodgy. Think of this one as a precursor to Verve Records grooves from a decade later – and you'll see what we man – as Paul's piano moves nicely with guitar from Tony Rizzi, flute from Julie Kinsler, alto from Ronny Lang, and clarinet from Abe Most and Willie Schwartz. Titles include "Little Slam", "The Gnat", "Betsy Moo", "No Trump", and "Why Shouldn't I". LP, Vinyl record album

An onslaught of fuzz from the reformed version of Spooky Tooth – a group that has Gary Wright very firmly back in the lead on vocals, and the new addition of Mick Jones on guitar – whose lead lines give the group a whole new sense of power! Wright and Jones worked together in Wonderwheel, and are a perfect pair here – with Mick's well-crafted lines underscoring Wright's vocals perfectly – all at a level that prefaces some of the bigger arena rock to come by a few years, but which also falls into none of its cliches at all! Wright's ear for a well-penned tune is still very firmly intact – and the rest of the group deliver some mighty heavy energy on the rhythms – on titles that include "Old As I Was Born", "Wild Fire", "Holy Water", "Times Have Changed", "Moriah", and "Cotton Growing Man". LP, Vinyl record album

A pair of Spooky Tooth classics – back to back in a single package! You Broke My Heart is an onslaught of fuzz from the reformed version of Spooky Tooth – a group that has Gary Wright very firmly back in the lead on vocals, and the new addition of Mick Jones on guitar – whose lead lines give the group a whole new sense of power! Wright and Jones worked together in Wonderwheel, and are a perfect pair here – with Mick's well-crafted lines underscoring Wright's vocals perfectly – all at a level that prefaces some of the bigger arena rock to come by a few years, but which also falls into none of its cliches at all! Wright's ear for a well-penned tune is still very firmly intact – and the rest of the group deliver some mighty heavy energy on the rhythms – on titles that include "Old As I Was Born", "Wild Fire", "Holy Water", "Times Have Changed", "Moriah", and "Cotton Growing Man". Witness is a further deepening of the Spooky Tooth sound – on an album that seems to have a headier approach to the lyrical themes, which is also echoed by the vocals of Gary Wright, and the energy of the rest of the group! These guys are still a blues-influenced rock group at the core – and are still hardly a progressive group at all – but they've also really opened up their palette on the tunes, and find ways of giving more than just the full-on fuzz of previous records, while still using that element to kick things in gear at all the right places! Titles the surprisingly funky "Ocean Of Power", plus "As Long As The World Keeps Turning", "Wings On My Heart", "Pyramids", "Dream Me A Mountain", and "Sunlight Of My Mind". CD

Searing sounds from the Japanese scene at the start of the 70s – music that's equal parts noise and equal parts free jazz – served up on some freaky, fuzzy guitar from Masayuki Takayanagi – and a mix of alto sax, harmonica and bass clarinet from Karou Abe! Abe's a lot noisier here than on some of his later records – and maybe has to be, too – to match the frenetic sounds from Takayanagi's guitar – at a level that prefaces so much later electronic noise improvisation to come – as both musicians come together on two long, improvised tracks. Yet the intensity also abates a bit at points – making for a richer balance of tones as the set goes on – even though we'd guess that if Takayanagi had his way, the whole thing would be full-on, all the way through! CD

Ruben Turba on amplified surfaces, electronics, and recordings and Minami Saeki on voice, viola, and objects. CD

A legendary album from the Brit psych scene at the end of the 60s – and one of the few records from that time that's still completely mindblowing all these many years later! Twink is John Alden, who'd had already had years of work behind him before putting together this set – including stints with Tomorrow and Pretty Things – and the direction here is very different than most of what was taking place at the time – much looser and more experimental, as the album seems to leap into very heady territory right from the start! There's no effort at putting out an easy single or crossover hit – and instead, some of these tunes have a sonic complexity that almost prefaces later more experimental work from the British scene, including the 80s industrial years – with one number that's just kind of a weird melange of voices, and another that's a lot of noise on drums, sitar, tablas, and effects – as well as a "pixie horn"! A few of the more vocal numbers – like the standout "Suicide" or "Three Little Piggies" – almost feel like work from Wicker Man – and other titles include "The Coming Of The One", "Ten Thousand Words In A Cardboard Box", "Fluid", "Dawn Of The Magic", "The Sparrow Is A Sign", and "Mexican Grass War". 2CD version features the full album in mono, then stereo – plus bonus tracks that include alternate versions of "Fluid", "Suicide", "10,000 Words In A Cardboard Box", "Dawn Of Magic", and "Rock An Roll The Joint". CD

A really cool blend of voice and electronics – years ahead of its time, and with a vibe that maybe prefaces some of the European industrial work to come at the end of the 70s! Ruth White is well known for her electronic experimentation – right up there with the work of Pierre Henry at the same time – but for this release, she also adds a bit of her own voice too – readings of words from the poems of Charles Baudelaire, but processed in ways that really emphasize some of the darkness in the lines in a really great way! White does all sorts of cool things with her voice, in ways that are again years ahead of their time – and titles include "Owls", "The Cat", "Spleen", and "The Litanies Of Satan". CD

Sweet 70s work from saxophonist Pete Yellin – a set that's almost as noteworthy for its electric piano lines by Hal Galper as it is for Yellin's solos on alto and flute! Galper's warm keys really help add a lot to the session – bringing in a slightly righteous tone, even when tunes are mellow – and further enforcing the harder edges of the funkier numbers as well. In the Mainstream Records mode, the band is largeish, and tightly arranged – but never in a way that's too stiff or commercial. A nice dark undercurrent surfaces on most of the tunes, and titles include "You Are The Sunshine Of My Life", "Tojo", "My Friend", "Norma", and "It's The Right Thing". CD

A killer selection of Spanish female pop – music that echoes British and French female work of the time, but which often has a different vibe as well! Part of that difference is the Spanish language of the lyrics, which seems to encourage some differences in the rhythms – but there's also some nice shifts in production, arrangements, and overall presentation – as the music moves from 60s soul-inspired mod modes, through 70s perfect pop gems, to some later numbers that show a bit of an influence from the dancefloor! Actually, most of these tracks are pretty upbeat and grooving, and would be right at home in a set for dancers – in a heady lineup of 24 tracks from artists who include Los Antifaces, Marion, Soledad Miranda, Teresa Maria, Franciska, Marian Conde, Elvira, Dolly, Eros, Nena Catherine, Doris Y Rossie, and others you're not likely to find in your local record racks! Titles include "Mas" by Enterprise, "Si Un Chico Fuera Yo" by Marion, ""Mairandote" by Suzie, "Mucho Mas" by Teresa Maria", "No, No, No" by Elvira, "Listen Here" by Dolly, "Casa Forte" by Doris Rossie and lots more. LP, Vinyl record album

A really heady set of tracks from the American scene – music that effortlessly bridges the 60s sounds of garage, blues rock, and psych – and prefaces some of the metal and more guitar-heavy modes to emerge later on in the 70s! The work here definitely shares more with the sounds of the 60s, but also really captures the music at a moment when things were really transforming – groups were getting past a slavish presentation of their influences, finding bold new modes of expression, and really letting their freak flag fly with fuzzy brilliance throughout – all at levels that were also different than some of the longer-spun modes of the European progressive world. As with other Grapefruit packages, the distillation of a sound and scene here is wonderful – and supported with very detailed notes too – in a package that includes 62 tracks in all - with work from Bang, Sudden Death, Dust, Arthur Lee, Boomerang, Cactus, Grand Funk, The Flow, Head Over Heels, Sir Lord Baltimore, ZZ Top, Brigade, Fuse, Conception, Morgen, Coven, Alice Cooper, Nazz, Stack, Spirit, Kim Fowley, SRC, Mass Confusion Rock Band, Society's Children, Omnibus, Wildwood, Human Beinz, The Sound Barrier, Fever Tree, and many others! CD

A really heady set of tracks from the American scene – music that effortlessly bridges the 60s sounds of garage, blues rock, and psych – and prefaces some of the metal and more guitar-heavy modes to emerge later on in the 70s! The work here definitely shares more with the sounds of the 60s, but also really captures the music at a moment when things were really transforming – groups were getting past a slavish presentation of their influences, finding bold new modes of expression, and really letting their freak flag fly with fuzzy brilliance throughout – all at levels that were also different than some of the longer-spun modes of the European progressive world. As with other Grapefruit packages, the distillation of a sound and scene here is wonderful – and supported with very detailed notes too – in a package that includes 62 tracks in all - with work from Bang, Sudden Death, Dust, Arthur Lee, Boomerang, Cactus, Grand Funk, The Flow, Head Over Heels, Sir Lord Baltimore, ZZ Top, Brigade, Fuse, Conception, Morgen, Coven, Alice Cooper, Nazz, Stack, Spirit, Kim Fowley, SRC, Mass Confusion Rock Band, Society's Children, Omnibus, Wildwood, Human Beinz, The Sound Barrier, Fever Tree, and many others! CD