A large group with reeds, flutes, trumpet, piano, keys, harp, guitar, cello, and percussion! CD

The long-gestated follow up to the breakout Lord Willin' record by Clipse! Hell Hath No Fury may have been on ice for years, but it appeared as an instant classic, WAY up at the top of the list of greatest hip hop LPs of the mid 00s. The Neptunes beats are very spare and chilly, despite the fiery title – while the Pusha T & Malice style of precise storytelling and detached deliveries probably make them one of the most natural duos in the game. A gritty rap masterpiece. Tracks include "We Got It For Cheap", "Momma I'm So Sorry", the masterful "Mr Me Too" feat Pharrell, "Wamp Wamp (What It Do)" feat Slim Thug, "Dirty Money", "Ride Around Shining" feat the Re-Up Gang, "Key's Open Doors", "Chinese New Year" feat Rosco P Coldchain, "Nightmares" feat Pharrell & Bilal and more. LP, Vinyl record album

... 12-inch, Vinyl record

William Hooker on drums, Claude Lawerence on alto saxophone, Charles Compo on tenor and soprano saxophone, Masahiko Kono on trombone, and Donald Miller on guitar. CD

Rare lost work from one of the grooviest groups to work with UK production genius Joe Meek – instrumental combo The Tornados, a guitar-heavy group who were to England what The Ventures were to the US! Meek's production talents really opened up the sound of the group – taking their guitars and giving them all sorts of weird, space age sort of touches – but also keeping things rocking and catchy throughout, a blend that's always made The Tornados so great! Yet the group never issued that much music back in the day – which makes this 5CD package a real treasure trove of material to add to their catalog – lost session tapes that not only showcase their instrumental skills, but also Meek's different approaches to some tunes – as a number of cuts here are done in different variations, with different effects! The package features material from the sessions for the albums Telstar and Away From It All – plus two more CDs' worth of sessions for singles – and a full final CD of unreleased material and curiosities. CD

A slightly overlooked film score by the great John Williams – but a true classic that's every bit as great as his wildly famous work of the late 70s for bigger films! Williams is at the height of his powers here – really transforming modern film orchestrations in ways that strongly shake off any lingering modes from the 50s and 60s – very serious from a compositional perspective, and able to embrace a rich range of new ideas for orchestra – yet also able to come across with a lean, focused sort of energy that never has the soundtrack overwhelming the image on the screen – just rising to meet its needs in all the best ways. Titles include "For Gillian", "Vision On The Stars", "Hester's Theme & The House", "Gillian's Escape", and "The Search For Robin". CD

... CD

Features music by Tarheel Slim, Wilbert Harrison, Buster Brown, Elmore James, Sam Myers, Lee Dorsey, King Curtis, Dr. Horse, Joe Haywood, Dee Dee Ford, and more! CD

The long-gestated follow up to the breakout Lord Willin' record by Clipse – announced in fall 2003 – finally released in late 2006! Hell Hath No Fury may have been on ice for 3 years, but it appeared as an instant classic, WAY up at the top of the list of greatest hip hop LPs of the mid 00s. The Neptunes beats are very spare and chilly, despite the fiery title – while the Pusha T & Malice style of precise storytelling and detached deliveries probably make them the most natural duo in the game. A gritty rap masterpiece. Tracks include "We Got It For Cheap", "Momma I'm So Sorry", the masterful "Mr Me Too" feat Pharrell, "Wamp Wamp (What It Do)" feat Slim Thug, "Dirty Money", "Ride Around Shining" feat the Re-Up Gang, "Key's Open Doors", "Chinese New Year" feat Rosco P Coldchain, "Nightmares" feat Pharrell & Bilal and more. CD

... LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

Amazing early work from Gladys Knight & The Pips – proof that they already had a great thing going long before their later fame on Motown and Buddah! The tracks here were recorded in the early 60s for the Fury record label – and they show the group coming on strong with a very sharp edge – a style that's still got some traces of R&B at points, but which really sets a new standard for mixed male/female soul groups for the 60s! Gladys' lead vocals are nice and bold – and a lot less cliched than later – and The Pips do their thing with a wonderfully harmonic flair in the background. Titles include their big early single "Letter Full Of Tears" – plus "Operator", "Every Beat Of My Heart", "Room In Your Heart", "Stop Running Around", "What Shall I Do", "Morning Noon & Night", and "I Can't Stand By". LP, Vinyl record album

... 7-inch, Vinyl record

A simply amazing session by pianist Joe Bonner – arguably his best ever! The album is one of a rare few that were cut for the Japanese Why Not label during the mid 70s, and like the others in the series, it features an American spiritual jazz player working far far past his usual mode. Bonner's in amazing form in a trio with Clint Houston and Billy Hart, and the tracks are filled with a fire and energy that you won't find on most of his American recordings from the time – as Bonner runs up and down the keys in a fury of passion, blending perfectly with Houston's deep soulful basslines, and Hart's dancing lyrical drums. Titles include "Triangle", "The Wind & The Rain", "Vega", "Mr PC" and "Invitation". CD

An early full length album from the great Arthur Crudup – and one that wasn't cut until after he'd had years on the scene, including some work that was a key inspiration for Elvis Presley and others of his generation! The set's done in a nice raw style – that grittier side of the Fire/Fury label, with a vibe that's much more southern than you'd expect from the legendary New York imprint – really just Crudup on vocals and lean electric guitar, but with a nicely skittish drummer urging things on in a great way too! Titles include "Look On Yonder Wall", "Ethel Mae", "Greyhound Bus", "Coal Black Mare", "Dig Myself A Hole", and a great version of "That's Alright". LP, Vinyl record album

A cool cooker from the great Lou Donaldson – and a record that's ever bit as tasty as its cover! Lou's really hitting his soul jazz stride here – stepping off his 50s bop years, and moving into a more gutbuckety groove that's delivered with wonderful accompaniment from a quartet that features Grant Green on guitar, John Patton on Hammond, and Ben Dixon on drums! The style is loose and open – and tracks are long, with tight solos, especially from Patton and Green, always a winning combination – really stepping out here with an early raw fury! Titles include "Caracas", "Bad John", "Holy Ghost", and "Good Gracious!". Nice cover, too, with a photo of Lou checking out a sexy model, while speaking the title! CD

No sophomore slump for the second Eric B & Rakim album – benchmark hip hop of the first order and up there with the best of all time! Following up Paid In Pull was no easy task, and the appropriately titled Follow The Leader makes it look easy, completing one of the great one-two punches in hip hop history by bring in a richer, fuller, more skillfully creative sound, without sacrificing the dense, hard hitting, sparely funk greatness of the debut. Includes the awesome title track, plus "Lyrics Of Fury", "Microphone Fiend", "The R", "Musical Massacre", "No Competition", "Just A Beat", "Eric B Never Scared", "Put Your Hands Together", "To The Listeners" and "Beats For The Listeners". LP, Vinyl record album

The complete work from a short but wonderful stretch of recording – a series of sides done for the Fire/Fury record label – which match the genius talents of Lightnin Hopkins and the soulful production of Harlem's great Bobby Robinson! The mix of modes is great – and rather than go for an uptown version of Hopkins' music, Bobby seems to understand it even more than most producers – and really allow the strings of the guitar to resonate with this chromatic, almost sparkling sort of quality – sounding fantastic next to the raw growl of the man himself! The record is still as classic as can be for Lightnin – no added instrumentation or arrangements – and titles include "Coffee For Mama", "Black Mare Trot", "Glory Bee", "Shine On Moon", "Santa", and "Have You Ever Loved A Woman". CD features 18 tracks in all – the full Mojo Hand album, plus material from singles too! CD

A strong effort from the mid 00s revitalized Prince – one that doesn't approach the greatness of the best material, but a graceful and consistent gem nonetheless! As it was done on his big ol' comeback album, Musicology, Prince takes strides to revisit his classic styles on the different tunes, but it doesn't come off as a simple rehash. Each song pretty much finds Prince in a different mode that can be found on a previous LP, but it works because it's so engaged and warm. Latter day Prince really only turns us off when he strains too hard to do something new, and succeeds in our eyes when he simply makes with his trademark pop funk signature sounds we know and love. Notice that no one really succeeds at ripping Prince off? It's because it can't be done. Tracks include "3121", "Lolita", "Te Amo Corazon", "Black Sweat", "Incense And Candles", "Satisfied", "Fury", "The Word", "Beautiful, Loved And Blessed", "The Dance" and "Get On The Boat". CD

A funky soul double-header – one that features live material both by Osaka Monaurail and the legendary Marva Whitney! The set starts out with a few tracks by OM – playing in that razor-sharp, James Brown-inspired groove that we love so much – easily the greatest contemporary JB-driven funk we can think of! Singer Ryo Nakata throws in a bit of vocals over the group's instrumental grooves – but then steps aside so that Marva Whitney can take center stage for the remaining three-fourths of the album – singing with the same raw fury as on her recent studio set with Osaka Monaurail! The sound here is incredible – easily some of the best funk-revival work we can think of, and the sort of record that should make Marva plenty proud after all these years. Titles include "New New Type Thing", "Evil", "I Made A Mistake", "It's My Thing", "Your Love Was Good For Me", "Things Got To Get Better", "What Do I Have To Do", and "Daddy Don't Know About Sugar Bear". CD

A great look at the lesser-known side of the Harlem soul empire of producer Bobby Robinson – best known for his work on the Fire and Fury labels, but also heard here on a host of rare singles for Enjoy, Vest, and other smaller imprints! There's plenty of records here that mark Robinson as having a key ear for funk way before most other talents on the scene – and there's plenty of tracks here that take conventional soul artists and set them up in a nicely gritty mode – perfect for the format of a 45rpm 7" single – especially on some of the cuts here that spill out over both sides of the wax! The set features 28 tracks in all – many of which we've not seen on other collections – and titles include "Baby Baby I Love You" by The Hootenaires, "Ain't Nobody's Business" by Mary B, "Don't Make Me Cry" by Ti Mattison, "Count The Tears" by Jimmy Armstrong, "Memphis" by The Dan Dees, "My Darkest Hour" by Titus Turner, "Talk To Me Baby" by Joe Haywood, "Soul Express (parts 1 & 2)" by The Ramrods, "Hot Potato (parts 1 & 2)" by The Rinkydinks, "The Squeeze (parts 1 & 2)" by Horace Coopoer & Band, "Bank Of Love" by Janet Calloway, "Just A Little Bit Of True Love" by Betty Boothe, "What Ya Gonna Do" by Noble Watts & June Bateman, and "Dig Yourself" by Les Cooper & The Soul Rockers. CD

With selections by The Rolling Stones, Them, Tom Jones, The Zombies, Kathy Kirby, Mike Leander Orchestra, Unit 4 + 2, Bern Elliott, The Bachelors, Lulu & The Luvers, Johnny Howard Band, Billy Fury, The Applejacks, and Dave Berry. LP, Vinyl record album

A cool cooker from the great Lou Donaldson – and a record that's ever bit as tasty as its cover! Lou's really hitting his soul jazz stride here – stepping off his 50s bop years, and moving into a more gutbuckety groove that's delivered with wonderful accompaniment from a quartet that features Grant Green on guitar, John Patton on Hammond, and Ben Dixon on drums! The style is loose and open – and tracks are long, with tight solos, especially from Patton and Green, always a winning combination – really stepping out here with an early raw fury! Titles include "Caracas", "Bad John", "Holy Ghost", and "Good Gracious!". Nice cover, too, with a photo of Lou checking out a sexy model, while speaking the title! CD

Two early 60s albums from the team of Gene Ammons and Sonny Stitt – both recorded in Chicago! Boss Tenors is a head to head classic from Jug & Stitt that perfectly captures the joy and fury of their live performances from years before! The record was cut here in our hometown with a very hard rhythm section that includes John Houston on piano, Charles Williams on bass, and George Brown on drums – and it's way heavier than the usual Verve "meeting of the masters" session, and feels more like a record that should have been issued on Prestige or Argo. Both players are impeccable, and the solos stretch out for a long long very live time. Titles include "Blues Up & Down", "The One Before This", and "Counter Clockwise" – but these guys even groove amazingly on standards like "Autumn Leaves" and "No Greater Love". The second album, Dig Him, is one of those overlooked Argo sessions and features great straight-ahead blowing from Stitt and Jug! The album's a quintet session, with John Houston piano, Buster Williams bass, and George Brown drums providing all the rhythm. But the real focus is on the twin-sax frontline – with Sitt taking up the alto on a few numbers, but mostly blowing tenor head to head with Jug. Recorded in 1961 during Jug's great year of contract-breaking – and issued later in the 60s by Prestige under a different title. Titles include "A Mess", "Water Jug", "New Blues Up & Down", "Red Sails In The Sunset", and "A Pair Of Red Pants". CD

A simply amazing session by pianist Joe Bonner – arguably his best ever! The album is one of a rare few that were cut for the Japanese Why Not label during the mid 70s, and like the others in the series, it features an American spiritual jazz player working far far past his usual mode. Bonner's in amazing form in a trio with Clint Houston and Billy Hart, and the tracks are filled with a fire and energy that you won't find on most of his American recordings from the time – as Bonner runs up and down the keys in a fury of passion, blending perfectly with Houston's deep soulful basslines, and Hart's dancing lyrical drums. Titles include "Triangle", "The Wind & The Rain", "Vega", and "Invitation". CD

A study in brown, and a study in hardbop too – a seminal album of 50s jazz that forever went on to set the tone for the music! The album was one of a few that trumpeter Clifford Brown cut as his star was strongly rising, before a tragic early accident took his life – and it's a masterpiece of bop modernism, done with the co-leadership of drummer Max Roach – with an equally well-matched group that includes Harold Land on tenor, George Morrow on bass, and Bud Powell's brother Richie on piano. Tracks are short, and played with great boppish fire and fury – virtually the blueprint for the hardbop sound of the 50s, and one of the strongest expressions from this important, but short-lived group. Titles include "Gerkin For Perkin", "Sandu", "Jacqui", "Swingin", and the great "Land's End". CD

A study in brown, and a study in hardbop too – a seminal album of 50s jazz that forever went on to set the tone for the music! The album was one of a few that trumpeter Clifford Brown cut as his star was strongly rising, before a tragic early accident took his life – and it's a masterpiece of bop modernism, done with the co-leadership of drummer Max Roach – with an equally well-matched group that includes Harold Land on tenor, George Morrow on bass, and Bud Powell's brother Richie on piano. Tracks are short, and played with great boppish fire and fury – virtually the blueprint for the hardbop sound of the 50s, and one of the strongest expressions from this important, but short-lived group. Titles include "Gerkin For Perkin", "Sandu", "Jacqui", "Swingin", and the great "Land's End". LP, Vinyl record album

Features the rare Fire/Fury recordings of Elmore James – 50 tracks in all! CD

A soaring session of spiritual jazz piano – and one of the only albums as a leader cut by Donald Smith – best known to most folks as the brother of Lonnie Liston Smith, and a member of the Cosmic Echoes! The sound here is much more hard-edged than you might guess – starting somewhere in the McCoy Tyner realm of post-Coltrane piano lines, but also taking off at times with a fury that reminds us of Cecil Taylor – extremely deft and inventive, and spurred on by some great rhythm work from the team of Cecil McBee on bass and Jack DeJohnette on drums! A few moments get a bit more introspective, balancing things out nicely – and McBee's bass is a wonderful addition to the set, as he plays with the power and soulfulness he brought to the best Strata East sessions of the early 70s. Titles include "Mystic Man", "Stillness", "To Yaisa & Wanda With Luv", and "The Magnetic A". CD

The second album White Stripes and the first where they really start to show a ton of range, not that they were really as pigeonholed as garage rock and punk blues earlier on as some thought, but really doing a ton more here in both mood and instrumentation, without ever obscuring the rawer roots. If the hype got a little unbearable back in the day as the mainstream latched out with such a fury, in hindsight, they really were pretty incredible and worth getting excited about! Includes "You're Pretty Good Looking (For A Girl)", "Little Bird", "Apple Blossom", "I'm Bound To Pack It In", "Truth Doesn't Make A Noise", "Sister Do You Know My Name?", "Let's Build A Home", "Jumble Jumble", "Why Can't You Be Nicer To Me", "Your Southern Can Is Mine" and more. CD

The start of rock and roll was a bit different in the UK than it was over here – still with the requisite inspiration from R&B and other American styles, but also inflected with some elements from the colonial scene, the world of music hall, jazz, and other instrumental styles – in ways that made for a slightly different genesis than you might expect! This well-done 3CD package traces the roots in a really great way – especially on the first CD, which features initial postwar moments of musical inspiration, from artists who include Ray Ellington, Ken Colyer, Alma Cogan, Art Baxter, Marty Wilde & The Wildcats, Tommy Steele, Terry Wayne, Lonnie Donegan, Lita Roza, and even a young Alexis Korner! CD2 has things coming together a bit more with a pop-styled polish – work from Cliff Richard, Vince Taylor, Johnny Kidd, Sally Kelly, and Billy Fury – plus later tracks from a few of the artists on CD1. And CD3 sends it home from the early 60s years right before the British Invasion – lots more from Billy Fury, and other cuts from Screaming Lord Sutch, The Shadows, Outlaws, Tornadoes, Blues Incorporated, and even The Beatles. 72 tracks in all – with notes in English and French! CD

A great look at the lesser-known side of the Harlem soul empire of producer Bobby Robinson – best known for his work on the Fire and Fury labels, but also heard here on a host of rare singles for Enjoy, Vest, and other smaller imprints! There's plenty of records here that mark Robinson as having a key ear for funk way before most other talents on the scene – and there's plenty of tracks here that take conventional soul artists and set them up in a nicely gritty mode – perfect for the format of a 45rpm 7" single – especially on some of the cuts here that spill out over both sides of the wax! The set features 28 tracks in all – many of which we've not seen on other collections – and titles include "Baby Baby I Love You" by The Hootenaires, "Ain't Nobody's Business" by Mary B, "Don't Make Me Cry" by Ti Mattison, "Count The Tears" by Jimmy Armstrong, "Memphis" by The Dan Dees, "My Darkest Hour" by Titus Turner, "Talk To Me Baby" by Joe Haywood, "Soul Express (parts 1 & 2)" by The Ramrods, "Hot Potato (parts 1 & 2)" by The Rinkydinks, "The Squeeze (parts 1 & 2)" by Horace Coopoer & Band, "Bank Of Love" by Janet Calloway, "Just A Little Bit Of True Love" by Betty Boothe, "What Ya Gonna Do" by Noble Watts & June Bateman, and "Dig Yourself" by Les Cooper & The Soul Rockers. CD

Two early 60s albums from the team of Gene Ammons and Sonny Stitt – both recorded in Chicago! Boss Tenors is a head to head classic from Jug & Stitt that perfectly captures the joy and fury of their live performances from years before! The record was cut here in our hometown with a very hard rhythm section that includes John Houston on piano, Charles Williams on bass, and George Brown on drums – and it's way heavier than the usual Verve "meeting of the masters" session, and feels more like a record that should have been issued on Prestige or Argo. Both players are impeccable, and the solos stretch out for a long long very live time. Titles include "Blues Up & Down", "The One Before This", and "Counter Clockwise" – but these guys even groove amazingly on standards like "Autumn Leaves" and "No Greater Love". The second album, Dig Him, is one of those overlooked Argo sessions and features great straight-ahead blowing from Stitt and Jug! The album's a quintet session, with John Houston piano, Buster Williams bass, and George Brown drums providing all the rhythm. But the real focus is on the twin-sax frontline – with Sitt taking up the alto on a few numbers, but mostly blowing tenor head to head with Jug. Recorded in 1961 during Jug's great year of contract-breaking – and issued later in the 60s by Prestige under a different title. Titles include "A Mess", "Water Jug", "New Blues Up & Down", "Red Sails In The Sunset", and "A Pair Of Red Pants". CD

The Kay Bank studios were located in the Twin Cities during the 60s – quite far from the oceans on both coasts, and even from the Great Lakes mentioned in the title – yet that didn't stop them from turning out a surprisingly great array of surf rock singles at the time! The music here resonates strongly with both the warmer surf instrumentals down in Cali, and some of the guitar instrumentals from the Pacific Northwest – recorded with just the right amount of echo to bring out the best in the driving guitar lines and bass – and often urged on strongly by some mighty nice drums! As you can guess, the tracks within are plenty rare – and although a few were issued as small indie label singles, most of the material here never came out at the time – served up in a set of tracks that includes "Disintegration" by The Readymen, "Caliente" by The Marauders, "Heaven's Devil" by The Boss Tweeds, "Girl Don't Tell Me" by The Satisfactions, "Za Boo" by The Valients, "Bird Gasp 65" by The Trashmen, "Little Queenie (inst)" by The Furys, "Surf Beat" by The Chancellors, and "80 Foot Wave" by The Vaqueros. CD features 6 more bonus tracks too! CD

Lux and Ivy serve up a whole host of records from death row – not the famous hip hop label, but the end of the line for those that pay the ultimate price for their crimes – served up here in a weird and wild blend of rare 45s from the postwar years! The music here is almost in Bear Family territory, but a bit wider – rock, blues, rockabilly, country, and other styles all mixed together – with a really wonderful blend of offbeat singles that we might never have heard otherwise! The set's one of the best Lux & Ivy collections in awhile – and features 28 tracks that include "Death Row" by Jimmy Minor, "Big Mouth Bill" by Phil McLean, "The Legend Of The Birds & Bees" by Hank Hornsby, "So Tuff" by The Furys, "Down In The Basement" by King Coleman, "Devil Is A Busy Man" by Sunnyland Slim, "Stack A Records" by Tom Tall, "The Last Drag" by The Voxpoppers, "Rompin" by Jerry Warren, "Ragged & Hungry" by Lightning Junior & The Empires, "The Plea" by The Chantels, and "Crash Out" by Jaycee Hill. CD

The Kay Bank studios were located in the Twin Cities during the 60s – quite far from the oceans on both coasts, and even from the Great Lakes mentioned in the title – yet that didn't stop them from turning out a surprisingly great array of surf rock singles at the time! The music here resonates strongly with both the warmer surf instrumentals down in Cali, and some of the guitar instrumentals from the Pacific Northwest – recorded with just the right amount of echo to bring out the best in the driving guitar lines and bass – and often urged on strongly by some mighty nice drums! As you can guess, the tracks within are plenty rare – and although a few were issued as small indie label singles, most of the material here never came out at the time – served up in a set of tracks that includes "Disintegration" by The Readymen, "Caliente" by The Marauders, "Heaven's Devil" by The Boss Tweeds, "Girl Don't Tell Me" by The Satisfactions, "Za Boo" by The Valients, "Bird Gasp 65" by The Trashmen, "Little Queenie (inst)" by The Furys, "Surf Beat" by The Chancellors, and "80 Foot Wave" by The Vaqueros. LP, Vinyl record album