A hell of a package – two key albums from Gang Of Four, plus lots of other rare material from these crucial years! At the core of the package is the classic album Entertainment – one of the greatest debut albums of all time – a record that hit the world like a comet when it was released, and which will continue to burn brightly for many decades to come! There's few groups who get things so right as Gang Of Four on this set – balancing the sharp edges of UK punk with a deeper political sense – but one that puts its message across in these short, sharp, shocks that are often given an extra punch by some surprisingly strong basslines! The mix of rawness, message, and surprising groove really sets this one apart from the pack – and that includes the work by legions of groups who've tried to imitate it over the years. Tracks include "Ether", "Natural's Not In It", "Not Great Men", "Damaged Goods", "Return The Gift", "Guns Before Butter", "Glass", and "Contract". Solid Gold is a stunning second set from the mighty Gang Of Four – and a record that's got all the power and politics of their famous Entertainment debut! The set's got some wonderfully heavy basslines amidst the scratchy guitar that makes the group so great – but nothing's too polished, certainly not as in their crossover club modes to come – and the call/response vocal style of Andy Gill and Jon King is tremendous – a very fresh way to deliver the message, and one that's still never been matched all these many years later. Titles include "Paralyzed", "What We All Want", "Why Theory", "If I Could Keep It For Myself", "Cheeseburger", "The Republic", "Outside The Trains Don't Run On Time", "In The Ditch", "A Hole In The Wallet", and "He'd Send In The Army". Next, you get an exclusive Singles album – the first-ever LP collection of all the early singles and b-sides – including tracks from the EP releases Yellow, Damaged Goods, and Another Day Another Dollar. Next is an another exclusive vinyl release – the 2LP set recorded Live At The American Indian Center 1980. Plus, the box features a 100 page full-color, hardcover book – with rare photos, contributions from group members, original artwork, and rare posters – plus essays from Greil Marcus, Michael Stipe, Jon Langford, and others. Also includes posters, flyers, and ephemera! CD

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A huge dip into the history of hip hop – in a set that's something of a groundbreaking effort from the folks at the Smithsonian! If we're honest, we'll tell you that we're old enough to remember a time when folks thought that hip hop was just a fad – when it was a musical style that would disappear in just a few short years. But now, all these many decades later, the form has had such an impact on American culture that the Smithsonian Institute is giving it some official sort of due – something we never would have believed back in the 80s! The package is huge – 9CDs with a whopping 129 tracks in all, and a 300 page book that supports the recordings with an insane amount of notes, photos, and all sorts of other information – alongside a track list that was put together by folks who include Questlove, 9th Wonder, Chuck D, Jeff Chang, and MC Lyte! The set is especially great on old school tracks up through the golden era hip hop years – but also moves into the 21st century too – and artists include Treacherous Three, Afrika Bambaataa, Fearless Four, Cold Crush Brothers, Herbie Hancock, Run DMC, Fatback, Sugarhill Gang, Kurtis Blow, Funky Four +1, T La Rock, Schoolly D, Beastie Boys, Kool Moe Dee, LL Cool J, Eric B & Rakim, Mantronix, Stetsasonic, Audio Two, Big Daddy Kane, MC Lyte, Marley Marl, Tone Loc, Jungle Brothers, NWA, Public Enemy, Slick Rick, 3rd Bass, De La Soul, Queen Latifa, DOC, 2 Live Crew, Dr Dre, Sir Mix A Lot, Digable Planets, Positive K, Pete Rock & CL Smooth, Naughty By Nature, Black Sheep, Tribe Called Quest, Geto Boys, Pharcyde, 2Pac, Warren G, Gang Starr, Notorious BIG, and many many more! CD

The Beatles weren't just the biggest recording act on the scene in the mid 60s, they were also probably the most influential from a songwriting perspective too – such that countless other groups, singers, and musicians picked up their songs and gave them a try, including some tracks that The Beatles never recorded themselves! These aren't just hack cover versions, though – as the artists here clearly love the Fab Four, and are dedicated to unlocking ways that the music inspires them, and makes them seek their own expressions too – expressions that are presented here in full force, in a very cool package that mixes up rock, soul, jazz, folk, and other styles too – all in a massive 85 track set, with very detailed notes. Artists include Jackie Lynton, Marilyn Powell, The Merseymen, Dick Rivers, Mary Wells, Duffy Power, The Coterie, Mark Wynter, Strawberry Fair, Brotherhood, The Buckinghams, Madeline Bell, The Transatlantics, Count Basie, Jimmy James, Spanky & Our Gang, Zoot, Junior Parker, Jackie Trent, The Four Preps, PJ Proby, Mae West, Five Man Electrical Band, Dave Baby Cortez, and many others. CD

Four albums from this wonderful group – all brought together in a single set! First up is the self-titled Spanky & Our Gang – the first, and perhaps the most conventional album by the group, but still pretty darn insane! Spanky & Our Gang are a strange mix of 60s styles – with bits of We Five, bits of Harpers Bizarre, bits of The Association – but a totally strange and totally fun approach to pop that's very much their own. Cuts on the album are a mix of originals and covers – and highlights include the incredible "5 Definitions Of Love" by Bob Dorough, "Distance" by Joe Renzetti, "Commercial" by the band, and the track "It Ain't Necessarily Bird Avenue". Great groovy stuff – and with arrangements by Renzetti, Dorough, and Stuart Scharf. Like To Get To Know You is a tiny little pop masterpiece was produced and arranged by Stuart Scharf and the great Bob Dorough, and is filled with one of the grooviest approaches to pop we've heard in ages. The album includes the sublime hit "Like To Get To Know You", set in a very different LP setting – plus great versions of "Suzanne" and "Everybody's Talkin", and the cuts "Stardust", "The Swingin Gate", and "My Bill". Anything You Choose is the third movement in the fantastic pop symphony that is Spanky & Our Gang! The record's perhaps their oddest to date – and mixes groovy vocal stylings with some fairly advanced production approaches that work perfectly with the incredible songs written by Stuart Scharf and Bob Dorough. The voices swirl about in a mad rush – interweaving lines of melody and poetry, punctuated by strange sounds, spacey airy instrumentation, and wonderful little rhythms. Titles include "Anything You Choose", "1-3-5-8", "Without Rhyme Or Reason", "Give A Damn", and "Nowhere To Go". Live is an unusual album from this groovy group – especially given that most of their famous work was in the studio – and done with really inventive arrangements and production! Yet those qualities still come through here, even in a live setting – as the record's got this stripped-down approach that shows just how much of the group's own inventive vocal interplay and harmonies were part of their fantastically groovy style! Titles include "Wasn't It You", "Dirty Old Man", "The Klan", "Nagasaki", "Amelia Earhart's Last Flight", and "That's What You Get For Lovin Me". CD

A killer look at one of our favorite scenes in the UK in the punk years and beyond – the city of Leeds, home to a surprising amount of really fantastic groups – some of whom were initially united in a scene-based style, many more who later exploded in a range of very groovy modes that were all their own! The title's taken from a song by The Mekons – back when they shared a lot with Gang Of Four – and in addition to those two great groups, the package features material by a startling array of others – groups who really run the gamut once the 80s moves on – in a lineup that includes Cassandra Complex, Three Johns, Vicious Pink, Deja Vu, The Hollow Men, Wedding Present, The Mission, Son Of Sam, Age Of Chance, Edsel Auctioneer, Pale Saints, Snapdragons, Sisters Of Mercy, Soft Cell, Girls At Our Best, Scritti Politti, The Neats, Jerks, and many others. As you'll guess from the groups, there's a great range of punk, indie, and industrial material here – plus some noisy bits as well – and the whole thing's presented with a great booklet of notes on everyone included, and the scene in Leeds as well. CD

A set that really expands the legend of Factory Records – the famous label who gave the world New Order, Joy Division, A Certain Ratio, and other important post-punk bands – as the set focuses on the equally legendary Hacienda nightclub, which the label opened in Manchester in 1982! Manchester was already a city with a hell of a music scene – but at the Hacienda, all sorts of sounds and styles mixed together – in a spirit that was similar to some of the energy on the New York scene at the time, particularly at a club like Danceteria – where the quest for the new took clubbers way past standard genre designations! The Fac 51 in the title was Factory's way of giving the club a catalog number that was in keeping with its record releases at the time – and the beautiful package features plenty of information on the club and the scene – along with 65 tracks by artists who include Gang Of Four, Section 25, Defunkt, Heaven 17, Medium Medium, The Birthday Party, Kurtis Blow, Shalamar, Barry Gray, Simple Minds, Rockers Revenge, 23 Skidoo, Royal Family & The Poor, Josef K, John Cooper Clarke, Stockholm Monsters, Swamp Children, Iggy & The Stooges, Sugarhill Gang, Laura Lee, Temptations, Trio, Bow Wow Wow, Valentine Brothers, Soft Cell, The Associates, Loose Joints, Suicide, Pale Fountains, and many others. CD

A stunningly huge look at the post-punk scene in the UK from the late 70s into the start of the 80s – served up here in an overview of bands both classic and obscure, which makes for a package that's filled with surprises throughout! The work here all comes from a time right after the initial explosion of punk rock opened the door for groups to experiment in a variety of ways – not just short sharp songs, but work that includes electronic experiments, reggae influences, moody minimalism, and industrial noise – all coming together in a way that made these years such an exciting time to be listening to music! The package features a massive 105 tracks on 5CDs, along with a very hefty booklet of notes on all the groups and tracks included – a lineup that includes The Birthday Party, Robert Wyatt, The Cure, The Flowers, Art Attacks, Subway Sect, Spizzoil, O Level, Glaxo Babies, Crazies, Public Image Ltd, Occult Chemistry, Again Again, The Slits, Disco Zombies, Nightingale, 23 Skidoo, Five Or Six, Kan Kan, The Membranes, Apartment, Soft Boys, Swell Maps, Gang Of Four, Tubeway Army, Throbbing Gristle, Section 24, and dozens of others. CD

Not just key early punk work from both sides of the Atlantic, but important punk precursors too! 100 tracks in all, and a big booklet of notes! Music from the Ramones, the Clash, the Saints, the Damned, the Buzzcocks, Iggy & the Stooges, Wire, New York Dolls, the Fall, Patti Smith, Richard Hell & the Voidoids, the Boys, the Dead Boys, Suicide, Devo, X, the Boomtown Rats, Fear, Gang Of Four, and much more. CD

8 Bold Souls have been one of the most consistent (and compelling!) jazz units working in Chicago over the past 20 years – and thanks to the notable leadership of reed player Ed Wilkerson, the group has continued to grow and flourish, bridging a gap between an older AACM south side tradition, and the younger underground players on the north side. No surprise, then, that this album came out on the indie/post-rock stronghold Thrill Jockey – but don't let that put you off if you're a real jazz fan, because Wilkerson's vision is clearer and purer than ever, and the set bristles with excitement through a batch of sparkling original compositions written in a vaguely Mingus-y style. Titles include "Pachinko", "Gang Of Four", "Brown Town", and "Odyssey". CD

A brilliant bit of work from the UK scene of the early 80s – a group formed out of the ashes of The Prefects, and driven strongly by the uniquely bristling energy of frontman Robert Lloyd! The record's got lots of fantastically jagged moments – punk into post-punk, but without the freer frenzy of The Fall – maybe more the well-rooted basslines of Gang Of Four, although the style of The Nightingales is very different! Lloyd's vocals and presence are wonderful – and the songs are laced together with all these fast, jagged guitar lines that are fantastic – a bit like those from the Ron Johnson label scene to come. Tracks include "Blood For Dirt", "Start From Scratch", "One Mistake", "It Lives Again", "Joking Apart", "Yeah, It's OK", "Under The Lash", "Blisters", "Don't Blink", "Elvis The Last Ten Days", and "Make Good". CD

A set that definitely lives up to the intrigue promised in the title – an alternative look at British music in the 80s, served up with some more experimental, unusual tracks that go way past the pop hits of the time! There's still some names here you might know, but there's also work from plenty of the hipper indie labels who kept things interesting – especially in the territory of companies like Factory, Rough Trade, and 4AD – who each get some space within! As with other sets done by Steven Wilson, there's some detailed notes that make the overall package a delight throughout – a cool book-styled cover with 80 pages of notes within – and a total of 58 tracks in all, work by Dif Juz, Cardiacs, A Certain Ratio, Perennial Divide, Cocteau Twins, Twelfth Night, This Heat, Ultravox, Durutti Column, Punishment Of Luxury, The Stranglers, Magazine, Bill Nelson's Red Noise, No Man, Slab, In Camera, Swell Maps, Gary Numan, The Sound, Crispy Ambulance, Dali's Car, Scott Walker, David Sylvian, The Shamen, This Mortal Coil, Associates, Section 25, Gang Of Four, PIL, Robert Fripp & The League Of Gentlemen, and Dead Can Dance. CD

Music from Ray Noble And His Orchestra, Louis Armstrong And His Orchestra, The Chicago Rhythm Kings, McKenzie And Condon's Chicagoans, Bob Crosby's Bob Cats, The Teddy Wilson Quartet, Bessie Smith, Bix Beiderbecke And His Gang, The Rhythmakers, Pee Wee Russell's Hot Four, Benny Goodman And His Orchestra, Jelly Roll Morton And His Orchestra, and more. CD

Ice T's fourth album. 24 tracks, including "New Jack Hustler", "Straight Up Nigga", "OG Original Gangster" and "Lifestyles Of The Rich & Infamous". CD

An overlooked gem from the German scene of the 80s – at a time when the prog and free jazz experiments of the previous decade had calmed down a bit, yet German musicians were still coming up with lots of new and amazing ideas! Here, there's definitely a bit of inspiration from Brazilian music, but mixed with some of the new generation of vocals from jazz singers like Karin Krog or Monica Zetterlund – handled by singer Beate Kynast on the record, in a way that's light years away from more traditional jazz vocals! There's a fluid, soaring sensibility to the music – modal mixed with post-bossa rhythms, on instrumentation that includes trumpet from Robert Schulte Hemming, alto and flute from Wolfgang Puschnig, keyboards and piano from Martin Kubert, drums from Peter Wirth, and bass from Rudi Engel. Instrumentation has a warm blend of acoustic and electric elements – very much like some of the best Nabel releases, or the sort of work later compiled in the Glucklich series – on titles that include "Rush Hour", "Impressions Of Autumn", "Bluze", "Number Four", Lament", and "Scarcely Had We Left The House". CD

Benchmark west coast gansta – and one of the hardest hitting albums of the era in any genre! We're not gonna lie, we played this record to death when it came out – and it still holds up better than most of the material put out by former NWA's, and most of the West Coast sound-alikes that popped up later. For better and for worse, the start of an era – with undeniable strength and a production style that'll never get old! Features "Straight Outta Compton", "Express Yourself", "Dopeman (rmx)", "I Ain't The One", the title track, "Gangsta Gangsta" and the only record ever condemned by the FBI, "F*ck Tha Police" and more. Four bonus tracks – Express Yourself (Extended 12" Mix), Bonus Beats, Straight Outta Compton (Extended 12" Mix), and "A Bi**h is a B**ch". CD

A tight collection of uptempo funk and disco-driven soul tunes – with a selection that goes way past the usual dancefloor favorites! We're not sure how to read the title (which seems to have some sort of "inside take" on black culture in America) so we'll write that off to the overzealous imagination of the British compilers of the set – but we will say that the package includes some great numbers that we wouldn't have thought of otherwise, including a few previously unissued tunes by artists on the Westbound label! The groove is upbeat on most tracks, with plenty of jazzy flourishes and a soulful approach to disco. Titles include "Disco Booty" by Melvin Sparks, "Love Don't Come Easy" by New Jersey Connection, "I Need Somebody To Love Tonight" by Sylvester, "Free Man" by South Shore Commission, "Everything's Gonna Be Alright" by The Clark Sisters, "Latin Disco" by The Counts, "Alvin Stone (The Birth & Death Of A Gangster)" by Fantastic Four, "Moon Trek" by Mike Theodore, "Sadie" by Joe Bataan, "Sure Can't Go To The Moon" by CJ & Co, and "The Magic Man" by King Errison. CD

A fantastic lost legacy in European free improvisation – the complete works of a group who were first known as Modern Jazz Quintet Karlsruhe, then later as Fourmenonly – presented here in a beautiful 3CD set! First up is the album Trees – issued on a small label in 1968, but a set that matches the groundbreaking energy of the early work on FMP – played by a group that features Helmuth Zimmer on piano, Wilfreid Eichorn on tenor and soprano sax, Claus Buhler on bass, Rudi Thielmann on drums, and Herbert Joos on flugelhorn, Mellophon, piston, and percussion! The group have a melodic vibe at the core – often feeling out the initial space as a unit, then exploding with sound and color – and really making especially great work of the talents of Joos and Eichorn – players who work together with great power, driven on by the others. Titles include "Lonely Time", "Trees", "Schnee Verbrennt", "Change Of Beauty", and "The Devil Is Green Blue Yellow". CD also features a bonus unreleased improvisation too! Next is Position 2000 – a record of even longer improvisations, and one that shows the quintet really developing their sound – strongly aware of the farther reaches, but always beginning in some more colorful passages that almost have a melody, before exploding out with very vibrant energy! The lineup is the same as on the debut – with Herbert Joos on flugelhorn, mellophone, Indian flute, and percussion – and Wilfried Eichorn on tenor, soprano sax, bass clarinet, flute, and percussion – alongside Helmuth Zimmer on piano, Klaus Buhler on bass, and Rudi Thielmann on drums. Titles include "The Sun Is Coming Over", "Position 2000", and "Where Love Forever Shines". CD also features an unreleased improvisation. For the next album, bassist Buhler has departed the group – who are renamed Fourmenonly! Their first record is a brilliant set of free jazz from the German scene of the 70s – very different than other work of the time, in that there's maybe more of a future-thinking balance between sounds and silence, frenzy and fragility – all served up by a quartet that features Herbert Joos on trumpet and flugelhorn, Wilfried Eichhorn on tenor and soprano sax, Helmuth Zimmer on piano and percussion, and Rudi Theilmann on drums and percussion. Titles include "Viridiana/Ich Und Meine Bruder/Compulsion" and "Count Down/Excess". On the album Eight Science Fiction Stories, the Fourmenonly lineup is expanded by trombonist Wolfgang Czelusta – and perform some fantastic work billed as "science fiction stories", all composed by Herbert Joos. The sound is as revolutionary as on the group's earliest material, but also maybe more compact as well – nicely focused, with especially strong emphasis on the interplay between Czelusta on trombone, Wilifried Eichorn on bass clarinet, flute, and oboe, and Herbert Joos on flugelhorn, trumpet, and mellophone. The piano of Helmuth Zimmer is amazing – almost Cecil Taylor-like in intensity at times – and drummer Rudi Theilmann does a great job of moving from passages of full-on power to more spacious percussion. Titles include "Lucifer Is Marching On", "Dead Season", "The Beauty Without A Face", "Departure", "Plastic Happiness", and "Space Wall". CD

Tracks from Kruder & Dorfmeister, Shantel, Turntable Terranova, The Righteous Men, Four Ears, Doppelganger, Fauna Flash, Third Electric, Kreidler, Impulse, and more. CD