The cut here is "Make It In Life" with Group Home stepping up the lyrics and add more energy to the vocal style since their days on Payday, plus some nice dense production by Agallah. A tale of giving up the thug life, complete with vocal samples from Louis Farrakhan. Production on "Stupid Muthaf*ckas" by the Alchemist. 12-inch, Vinyl record

Golden era Premier production! 12-inch, Vinyl record

... 12-inch, Vinyl record

... 12-inch, Vinyl record

With Brian McKnight and Joe. "Coming Back Home" is remixed by Freddy Bastone and Jeff Bernstein. "Brand New Dance" produced by Masters At Work. 12-inch, Vinyl record

A rare slice of Nujabes – his reworking of the Samurai Champloo theme, but in this really stripped down, moody instrumental – very nice piano solo in the middle, over beats that move back and forth with the "phase" you might expect! "Rainy Way Back Home" has more of that great piano over beats – one of the real trademark Nujabes moves – but also has maybe a bit more hip hop kick at the bottom, and these buried snippets of what sound like turntable work! "Horizon" is great too – longer than both, really jazzy on the piano tip, and with this kicking rhythm that almost likes the whole cut sound like some of the clubby jazzy piano groups that have sprung up on the Tokyo scene after the passing of Nujabes! 12-inch, Vinyl record

... 12-inch, Vinyl record

... 12-inch, Vinyl record

We've never been sure if Johnny Chingas ever cut a record for Columbia, because we've only known this one on 12" single version, but the cut's strong enough that we'd love to find one if it's out there. A very nice mellow soul groove, with some touches of 80's production, and a sweet soul track about the virtues of the telephone. Nice stuff, and with an instrumental b-side! 12-inch, Vinyl record

... 12-inch, Vinyl record

... 12-inch, Vinyl record

... 12-inch, Vinyl record

No mixed feelings from us, this an excellent mid 70s soul tune – magical stuff from mid 70s South Carolina combo Mixed Feelings! "Sha La La" is a wonderful tune with a vamping guitar groove mirrored by some really sweet keys, and tight drum work for instrumentation – but the best part about it is the interplay between lead vocalist Arthur Donaldson, formerly of The Royals, and his female backing vocalists – a rapport that shows love for earlier doo wop, in the middle of an overall sound that's right at home anywhere in the 70s! An exceptional number reintroduced by the always tasteful Soul Cal label! 12-inch, Vinyl record

One of Prince's biggest tunes ever – and a track that still sounds surprisingly great to our ears these days – funky, chunky, and completely catchy – with a hook that shouldn't go over so well, but really sends the tune home time and time again! "17 Days" is great too – a deeper, almost story-type cut that points the way towards some of Prince's music on albums to come – but still with all the fantastic groove of the Purple Rain era! If you ever needed the kind of cut to show you what Prince did that was so special, "17 Days" might be the one. 12-inch, Vinyl record