Lean later work from Philippe Doray and his anti-social associates – material that draws heavily on some of the cold wave electronics of the early part of the 80s, and which also has some of the playful presence of the German new wave too! The music is definitely out of time – very different than anything recorded in the French mainstream of the mid-80s – and delivered with a style that clearly knows the darker reaches of the sonic spectrum, but which never lingers there too long. Doray handles a variety of keyboards and synth, and since both straight and with a vocoder – alongside contributions from others on guitars, keyboards, saxes, and flute. Titles include "Flash Back", "Le Petit Geant", "Aurora Day (edit)", "Choc D'Amour", "Le Composant Compositeur", and "Secoue Le Flipeur". LP, Vinyl record album

An overlooked third album from Down To The Bone – a set that maybe didn't take the world by storm as much as their first two, but which still has the group very much in fine formation! All the best previous elements are in place here – that strong mix of funky jazz instrumentation with contemporary rhythmic production – almost a blend of some of the funkier club styles of the time with more mainstream fusion, at a level that made these guys both a hit on the dancefloors and for kicking back at the crib! Titles include "The Backburner", "Righteous Reeds", "Sound As A Pound", "Bridgeport Boogie", "The Lowdown", and "Black Choice". CD

One of the most creative club acts of the 70s – the mighty Dr Buzzard's Original Savannah Band! Before starting his Kid Creole & the Coconuts combo, August Darnell worked to great fame with Dr Buzzard's Original Savannah Band – kind of a campy, jazzy ensemble – one that worked with a 20s aesthetic over a disco groove! There's a fair bit of acoustic instrumentation in the rhythms, and lots of those choppy, scratchy lines that we love so much in the Kid Creole work – all of which makes for a very nice change from the usual, especially in the late 70s mainstream. Darnell and Cory Daye are the main vocalists, and Darnell wrote all the lyrics for the album – on titles that include "Cherchez La Femme", "I'll Play The Fool", "Sour And Sweet", "We Got It Made", "Hard Times", "Sunshower", and "Betcha The Love Bug Bitcha". CD

One of the most creative club acts of the 70s – the mighty Dr Buzzard's Original Savannah Band! Before starting his Kid Creole & the Coconuts combo, August Darnell worked to great fame with Dr Buzzard's Original Savannah Band – kind of a campy, jazzy ensemble – one that worked with a 20s aesthetic over a disco groove! There's a fair bit of acoustic instrumentation in the rhythms, and lots of those choppy, scratchy lines that we love so much in the Kid Creole work – all of which makes for a very nice change from the usual, especially in the late 70s mainstream. Darnell and Cory Daye are the main vocalists, and Darnell wrote all the lyrics for the album – on titles that include "Cherchez La Femme", "I'll Play The Fool", "Sour And Sweet", "We Got It Made", "Hard Times", "Sunshower", and "Betcha The Love Bug Bitcha". LP, Vinyl record album

A bit of a change for Dr John, but a nice one too – a set that's somewhat more mature than some of his Atco albums, but in a really nice way! The album features fuller backings from Claus Ogerman, but a core groove that's still nice and soulful – jazzy leanings from a combo that includes Dr John and Richard Tee on keyboards, John Tropea on guitar, Will Lee on bass, and Steve Gadd on drums – the latter of whom kicks in a nice groove at the bottom of most numbers, making a subtle undercurrent of older funk amidst the smoothness. Ogerman's backdrops are never too excessive, and help the Dr break out of some of his older modes in a good way – not rehashing the same New Orleans ideas, but taking them instead to cooler California territory – a bit in the way that Allen Toussaint was doing on his best mainstream work of the 70s. Titles include "Dance The Night Away With You", "Rain", "Wild Honey", "Street Side", "Snake Eyes", "Fire Of Love", and "City Lights". LP, Vinyl record album

Seminal work from Bob Dylan – one of his early electric sides, and a record that moved the singer from folk stardom to an even more explosive force in the mainstream! This is the record that forever made Dylan as influential on rock music as he was on underground styles – and the whole thing is a perfect blend of the complexity of his earlier songwriting with some tunes and messages that made his politics even more powerful than ever! The album's brimming over with genius – nearly every cut is a classic – and titles include "Subterranean Homesick Blues", "Maggie's Farm", "Mr Tambourine Man", "Gates Of Eden", "It's All Over Now Baby Blue", "It's Alright Ma", "Love Minus Zero/No Limit", "She Belongs To Me", and "Bob Dylan's 115th Dream". CD

A really beautiful album of harmony soul – and a set that we'd already love for its music, even if the group didn't have an interesting story! Edge Of Daybreak are part of a small sub-culture of 70s soul groups – an ensemble who existed behind prison bars, like Power Of Attorney or The Escorts – and like both of those groups, they've got an amazingly strong sound – one that goes way beyond their incarcerated status, and which should have made them (like the other two) worthy of greater attention in the outside world! The material was recorded in 1979, but it's got a fragile early 70s vibe – maybe because that was the last time these guys heard work in the mainstream – and the voices come together with a style that's proud, but quite heartbreaking at times too – a bit like The Whatnauts on their best ballad material. If you dig harmony soul, you'll find plenty to love here – especially if you like early 70s material from Philly and New Jersey – and don't even worry about the behind bars gimmick, because the record has way more to offer than that! Titles include "Let Us", "Eyes Of Love", "I Wanna Dance With You", "Bring Me Down", "Edge Of Daybreak", and "Your Destiny". CD

Not the Prince music from the first Batman film – but all those other sounds that were used in the movie, penned and produced at a surprisingly strong level by Danny Elfman – who shows the world that he's got a lot more to offer than just his previous work in the group Oingo Boingo! This isn't a rock soundtrack by a fading talent from the mainstream – and instead, it's one of Elfman's first full forays into scoring – performed by the Sinfonia of London with a richness that's given the music maybe a more enduring quality than the film! Titles include "Birth Of A Penguin", "The Lair", "Selena Transforms", "Cat Suite", "Rise And Fall From Grace", "The Children's Hour", and "Final Confrontation". CD

Don Elliott puts down his mellophone and starts to sing – and the results are a surprisingly strong set that's one of his standouts of the 50s! Don's got a limited range, but more than makes up for it with his sense of personality – a mode that's a bit like Jackie Paris or Matt Dennis at the time, with qualities that are quite far from mainstream male pop vocals of the period! Backing is by a core cool combo that includes Billy Byers on trombone and Hal McKusick on alto and flute – and the tunes have a sweet modern quality that's mighty fresh. Titles include "Ooh Baby It Scares Me", "I Hadn't Anyone Til You", "Every Time", "Let's Fall In Love", "Whatever Happened To You", and "Looking For A Boy". LP, Vinyl record album

A very different album than most of the other records issued on the Flying Dutchman label at the start of the 70s – not funk, or jazz, or soul material – and instead a stunning hard rock monster that's every bit as revolutionary as titles in those other genres on the label! The group are definitely working with some heavy equipment here – fierce drums, fuzzy guitar, monstrous basslines – all wrapped together at a level that's got some echoes of the new UK hard rock scene, but also maybe some of the slight fuzzier touches around the edges from some of the US underground groups recording for Mainstream. Titles include "97 Days", "Lazy Livin", "Bye Bye Baby", "Shadows Of Life", "She's Gone", "First Time Last Time", and a pretty freaky cover of "Gimme Some Lovin". LP, Vinyl record album

A really great record, and maybe one of the few hip hop soundtracks to get at the real feel of the music on the streets – maybe no surprise, as the film for which it was created did the same thing! This isn't a fluffed-up Hollywood take on hip hop, with mainstream soul thrown into the mix – as the record was put together by Fab 5 Freddy and Chris Stein – the latter of whom really invests in his hip hop cred away from Blondie, and also provides some cool guitar bits and effects in the music too! There's some great freestyle bits and turntable tracks that really get at the underground side of the music that was alive and well at the time – and titles include "Wild Style Theme Rap 1" by Grandmaster Caz & Chris Stein, "Basketball Throwdown" by Cold Crush Bros & The Fantastic Four, "Stoop Rap" by Double Trouble & Rodney Cee, "Rammellzee & Shock Dell at the Amphitheatre" with Grandmixer DST, "Wild Style Subway Rap 2" by Grand Master Caz & Chris Stein, and "Cold Crush Brothers At The Dixie". LP, Vinyl record album

The Faces gave us a handful of fantastic records during the early 70s – but alongside those studio sets, their antics as a live group were even more stunning – as you'll hear on some of this material recorded for the BBC at the time! The tunes aren't as totally freewheeling and over the top as their work on stage, but are still pretty great – and show that rawness at the core that has continued to give the group power that's lived on for many years, even past the more mainstream career of Rod Stewart too! Stewart is incredible here on vocals – and the rest of the group are impeccable instrumentally – and this set adds in more material than previous BBC vinyl releases – to present all the work the group recorded for the network during their time together. Titles include "Country Comfort", "Had Me A Real Good Time", "Maybe I'm Amazed", "Miss Judy's Farm", "Stay With Me", "Love In Vain", "Wicked Messenger", "Oh Lord I'm Borrowed Off", and "Around The Plynth/Gasoline Alley". LP, Vinyl record album

A really unique album by John Fahey – issued during a short stretch of initial mainstream approval, and a brief time of recording for Warner Brothers! Some of the album's quite different than the spare, solo Fahey you might know – and mixes his legendary guitar work with more elaborate elements than usual – additional instrumentation that includes bass, banjo, clarinet, piano, trombone, and fiddle – but all used at a level that really supports John's presence, not occludes it. Other tracks return to spare acoustic steel string guitar – creating an evocative balance that's mighty nice. Titles include "Funeral Song For Mississippi John Hurt", "Texas & Pacific Blues", "Dixie Pig Bar B Q Blues", "Lord Have Mercy Song", and "Deep River". LP, Vinyl record album

A pair of wonderful albums from the great John Fahey – back to back on a single CD! First up is Rivers & Religion – a really unique album by John Fahey – issued during a short stretch of initial mainstream approval, and a brief time of recording for Warner Brothers! Some of the album's quite different than the spare, solo Fahey you might know – and mixes his legendary guitar work with more elaborate elements than usual – additional instrumentation that includes bass, banjo, clarinet, piano, trombone, and fiddle – but all used at a level that really supports John's presence, not occludes it. Other tracks return to spare acoustic steel string guitar – creating an evocative balance that's mighty nice. Titles include "Funeral Song For Mississippi John Hurt", "Texas & Pacific Blues", "Dixie Pig Bar B Q Blues", "Lord Have Mercy Song", and "Deep River". After The Ball is a set with a disco ball on the cover, but a record that fits right in with the best early 20th century aesthetic in the work of John Fahey – particularly his way of reiimagining older musical traditions! There's a bit of added instrumentation on the record – two tracks that have some slight trad jazz flourishes – but overall, the album's mostly a solo effort with loads of wonderful guitar work from John – still as creative and as complicated as in his best recordings for Takoma! Other added instrumentation sometimes expands the sound with mandolin or banjo, but again in very sensitive ways – and titles include "Bucktown Stomp", "Om Shanthi Norris", "Beverly", and "Horses". CD

A pair of wonderful albums from the great John Fahey – back to back on a single CD! First up is Rivers & Religion – a really unique album by John Fahey – issued during a short stretch of initial mainstream approval, and a brief time of recording for Warner Brothers! Some of the album's quite different than the spare, solo Fahey you might know – and mixes his legendary guitar work with more elaborate elements than usual – additional instrumentation that includes bass, banjo, clarinet, piano, trombone, and fiddle – but all used at a level that really supports John's presence, not occludes it. Other tracks return to spare acoustic steel string guitar – creating an evocative balance that's mighty nice. Titles include "Funeral Song For Mississippi John Hurt", "Texas & Pacific Blues", "Dixie Pig Bar B Q Blues", "Lord Have Mercy Song", and "Deep River". After The Ball is a set with a disco ball on the cover, but a record that fits right in with the best early 20th century aesthetic in the work of John Fahey – particularly his way of reiimagining older musical traditions! There's a bit of added instrumentation on the record – two tracks that have some slight trad jazz flourishes – but overall, the album's mostly a solo effort with loads of wonderful guitar work from John – still as creative and as complicated as in his best recordings for Takoma! Other added instrumentation sometimes expands the sound with mandolin or banjo, but again in very sensitive ways – and titles include "Bucktown Stomp", "Om Shanthi Norris", "Beverly", and "Horses". CD

The wonderful voice of Marianne Faithfull in all its 60s glory – set up here with sublime arrangements from Mike Leander, in a style that's unlike just about anything else we can think of! Marianne's got a bit of a trill – as you might hear in female folk singers of the decade – but the overall presentation is something completely different altogether – kind of a dark recasting of the usual pop modes you might hear from Leander, with all these blue undertones and weird intonations that kind of point the way towards moodier female singers to come at the end of the 60s – but still with enough ties to the mainstream to make Faithfull's music even more powerful! The balance is hard to describe in words, but hits you right away from the very first note – and titles include "Counting", "Ne Me Quitte Pas", "In The Night Time", "Tomorrow's Calling", "With You In Mind", "I'm The Sky", "Lucky Girl", and "I Have A Love". LP, Vinyl record album

A long-overdue package – one that finally brings together all the many strands of music from underground Cali rock legend Merrell Fankhauser! CD1 features some of Merrell's earliest music – a host of early singles by Merrell & The Exiles, some of which were issued on the Glenn and Golden Crown labels – mixed here with rare unissued titles too – for a whopping 19 tracks that offer up a rare look at Fankhauser's earliest years! CD2 features the classic Fapardokly record – a lost bit of legend from the west coast scene of the 60s – and a record that's maybe best-known as a showcase for the early genius of Merrell Fankhauser – who wrote most of the songs on the set, a good number of which were actually recorded for the record by his previous group, The Exiles! Yet despite that little bit of trivia, there's a great vibe going on here – a seminal shift in the Cali scene from garagey work to trippier modes – served up beautifully on titles that include "Glass Chandelier", "Suzie Cryin", "Tomorrow's Girl", "Lila", "Mr Clock", "No Retreat", "Gone To Pot", "When I Get Home", "Supermarket", and "The Music Scene". CD3 features the album Things, recorded by Merrell Fankhauser & HMS Bounty – a perfect blend of Fankhauser's earlier garage rock modes and latter trippier styles! The tunes are short and wonderfully tuneful – produced at Gold Star studios, with a simple, straightforward style that makes all the deftness of the songwriting come through even more – an approach that, although supposedly steeped in Pacific Ocean inspiration, almost feels more like that great moment when some UK groups of the mid 60s were tripping out, but not too much. Titles include "Lost In The City", "Your Painted Lives", "In A Minute Not Too Soon", "A Visit With Ashiya", "The Big Gray Sky", and "Rich Man's Fable". CD4 features MU – an incredible record, and one that really lives up to all its well-deserved legend over the years – one of those sets that's not just rare, but which has all the chops to really deliver the goods! A few short years before, Merrell Fankhauser was recording garage and psych on the LA scene – but here, he steps off the latter with a bit of post-60s hangover – working with a current of darkness that really changes things up, while still providing a great outlet for his legendary work on guitar – and his mindblowing sense of a lyric! Titles include "Ballad Of Brother Lew", "Eternal Thirst", "Too Naked For Demetrius", "Mumbella Baye Tu La", "The Clouds Went That Way", and "Nobody Wants To Shine". CD5 features MU's The Last Album – 20 more tracks recorded in 1974, but unissued for many years – and CD6 features the legendary Maui album from the enigmatic Merrell Fankhauser – a self-released set that drew inspiration from his time in Hawaii – even though the set was mostly recorded in LA and San Francisco! The tunes are beautiful – nicely evolved from Merrell's psych of earlier years, with a much more personal vibe – yet all without some of those west coast cliches that were creeping into more mainstream music of the period. You might get the vibe partly right if you could maybe imagine a more personal singer/songwriter take on the AOR vibe of the period – with leaner, better instrumentation and unslick production – but that's also only part of the picture too! Titles include "On Our Way To Hana", "Make A Joyful Noise", "Garden In The Rain", "Waterfall", "The Source", "Sail It Over The Ocean", and "We Were All Free". Box set features a very detailed book of notes – bonus tracks added to most of the albums, and a massive 95 tracks in all! CD

Sweet mainstream grooving from Richard Dimples Fields – the 70s indie artist who really struck big with these early 80s albums for Boardwalk! The style here is a mix of mellow soul and more upbeat numbers – very much the kind of blend that Fields' served up best back on his own label in the 70s, but which is re-presented here with a more professional, more contemporary soul vibe. There's a sweetness to Richard's vocals that's quite different than most of his contemporaries – an earnestness that makes even the most poppy numbers sound pretty great – and which almost sound better here than they did in the old days. Titles include "Don't Ever Stop Chasing Your Dreams", "Butter", "People Treat You Funky", "You Shouldn't Have Made It So Good", "You Send Me", and a nice version of "Moody's Mood For Love". CD

An early 80s classic from Richard Dimples Fields – one of the most unique talents in soul music of his generation – with an appeal that's both down home, and smoothly sophisticated at the time! In a way, Fields' music represents many changes his audience was going through at the time – classing things up a bit, and heading into the mainstream – yet still very much concerned about the same issues and challenges of years past. The approach is almost southern soul by way of southern California – rough edges polished out, but still earthy enough to hang out with the crowd from back home. Almost all titles are originals, and Richard handled most of the production too – on tracks that include "If It Ain't One Thing It's Another", "After I Put My Lovin On You", "Baby Work Out", "Mr Look So Good", "Taking Applications", and "A Freak On The Side". CD

An early 80s classic from Richard Dimples Fields – one of the most unique talents in soul music of his generation – with an appeal that's both down home, and smoothly sophisticated at the time! In a way, Fields' music represents many changes his audience was going through at the time – classing things up a bit, and heading into the mainstream – yet still very much concerned about the same issues and challenges of years past. The approach is almost southern soul by way of southern California – rough edges polished out, but still earthy enough to hang out with the crowd from back home. Almost all titles are originals, and Richard handled most of the production too – on tracks that include "If It Ain't One Thing It's Another", "After I Put My Lovin On You", "Baby Work Out", "Mr Look So Good", "Taking Applications", and "A Freak On The Side". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the great Pablo Records efforts to revisit the jazz sound of the 50s – but in fresh new ways allowed by the freer recording modes of the 70s! The album features Ella Fitgerald and Joe Pass, plus nobody else – just voice and guitar coming together in quiet, introspective ways that are completely sublime, and a very nice change from some of Ella's fuller band recordings of the few years before this album. And far from being sleepy, the intimacy of the record almost seems to set a new kind of fire – one that comes from the gentle persona of Ella, which is a far cry from the glass-breaking singer that she'd come to be known as in the mainstream! Titles include "Take Love Easy", "Once I Loved", "Lush Life", "You're Blase", "A Foggy Day", "I Want To Talk About You", and "You Go To My Head". CD

One of the great Pablo Records efforts to revisit the jazz sound of the 50s – but in fresh new ways allowed by the freer recording modes of the 70s! The album features Ella Fitgerald and Joe Pass, plus nobody else – just voice and guitar coming together in quiet, introspective ways that are completely sublime, and a very nice change from some of Ella's fuller band recordings of the few years before this album. And far from being sleepy, the intimacy of the record almost seems to set a new kind of fire – one that comes from the gentle persona of Ella, which is a far cry from the glass-breaking singer that she'd come to be known as in the mainstream! Titles include "Take Love Easy", "Once I Loved", "Lush Life", "You're Blase", "A Foggy Day", "I Want To Talk About You", and "You Go To My Head". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the great Pablo Records efforts to revisit the jazz sound of the 50s – but in fresh new ways allowed by the freer recording modes of the 70s! The album features Ella Fitgerald and Joe Pass, plus nobody else – just voice and guitar coming together in quiet, introspective ways that are completely sublime, and a very nice change from some of Ella's fuller band recordings of the few years before this album. And far from being sleepy, the intimacy of the record almost seems to set a new kind of fire – one that comes from the gentle persona of Ella, which is a far cry from the glass-breaking singer that she'd come to be known as in the mainstream! Titles include "Take Love Easy", "Once I Loved", "Lush Life", "You're Blase", "A Foggy Day", "I Want To Talk About You", and "You Go To My Head". CD

Roberta Flack at her most masterful – balancing righteous soul at it's most spiritually resonant and more mainstream accessible melodies – from her classic years at Atlantic when she was forging a whole new sound that was a unique blend of soul, jazz, and spiritualism. Each of Roberta's preceding albums on Atlantic were increasingly incredible – and this one caps of a pretty incredible late 60s to early 70s run of top quality work. Includes the ever-fresh title cut, remade later by The Fugees in a version that cemented it's status with the next generation – plus a great version Leonard Cohen's "Suzanne", "River", "No Tears (In The End)", "I'm The Girl", "When You Smile" and "Conversation Love". LP, Vinyl record album

Smooth stepping grooves from The Floaters – still very much in the nicely compressed mode of their more famous debut, and getting some nice production help here from Eugene McDaniels! There's a righteous punch to the record that really shows the influence of McDaniels – a way of keeping things hip, even when hovering near the mainstream – and although the groovers are great, we actually think that the best cuts are the mellow ones – tunes that move in a lightly gliding, almost spacey way – one that has the group's voices crackling nicely with an honest approach that we really love! There's a warmth to these tunes that's undeniable – and titles include "Levitation", "Woman Love/You Are My Lady", "Brand New Lite", "Made Up My Mind", "The Best Of Our Love", "Go Down To The Disco", and "Sweet Lady September". LP, Vinyl record album

A true late 60s rock masterpiece – and like albums by Love and The Velvet Underground, a set that barely made a mainstream impact at the time – but which has gone on to be the stuff of influence and legend over the decades! The album's the first from Gram Parsons and the group – one of only two they would cut together – and the whole thing is a perfect blend of rough-edged rock and country influences rising up from the LA scene – all those glimmers of brilliance that Parsons had brought to the Byrds and other projects, maybe given their full flowering here in a mode that's unabashed about its country music influences – maybe even more so than some of Gram's later solo work. Sneeky Pete Kleinow's steel guitar really adds a lot – but so does the presence of Chris Hillman on guitar and mandolin, and Chris Ethridge on bass and piano. Titles include the brilliant "Sin City" – a track we'll love until we die – plus "Christine's Tune", "Do Right Woman", "Dark End Of The Street", "My Uncle", "Wheels", "Juanita", "Hot Burrito No 1", "Hot Burrito No 2", "Do You Know How It Feels", and "Hippy Boy". LP, Vinyl record album

Cool Italian work from Carlo Fontana – a singer with a soulful style that's right at home in some of the Italo Disco tracks on the set, but which also works well with other modes too! Carlo knows how to space out his words – never getting as over-emotive as more mainstream Italian pop singers, and instead echoing the groove in the way he puts over a tune – which makes for some mighty nice music with a very universal appeal! The legendary Tullio De Piscopo handled arrangements on a number of cuts – and titles include "La Musica Del Sud", "Amica Luna", "Malatia", "Tu Chi Sij", "Bella Signora", "E Voglie A Te", and "Amanti". LP, Vinyl record album

Beautiful 70s work from the great Frank Foster – material from that time when he'd split with the Count Basie group to go into a completely different direction – cutting spiritual records like this, and his better-known Loud Minority album for Mainstream records! The session was only ever issued in Japan – and it's got Foster really hitting new heights – picking up some of the spiritualism of his experience with Elvin Jones, but working his own sort of magic – with a personal charm that's echoed by the image on the cover. Frank blows saxes and arranged the set with a warmly angular group – in a larger group that also includes Cecil Bridgewater on trumpet, Thad Jones on flugelhorn, Jerry Dodgion on alto and flute, Walter Norris on piano, George Mraz on bass, and Mel Lewis on drums. Titles include "Shitsu Mon", "Tan Kyu", "Cecilia Is Love", and "Now That She's Away". CD

Gorgeous sounds from Xenia Franca – a Brazilian soul singer with a sound and style that should make her huge, if the world has any justice – but who's also more than great enough as the kind of special discovery that keeps us searching for unusual music from around the globe! Xenia's got a voice that's incredible – every bit as rich and powerful as any American female soul singer in recent years, but set to arrangements and instrumentation that are more inventive than anything in the mainstream – and which seem to get a special sort of crispy crackle from the Portuguese in the lyrics. We loved her first album, but this one is even more amazing – with titles that include "Magica", "From The Heights", "Ancestral Infinito", "Futurivel", "Interstelar", and "Animus X Anima", which features a guest appearance from Arthur Verocai! CD

An excellent serious score from Gerald Fried – very different than some of his sci fi or TV work, and handled with a depth that really fits the material! Fried's very much in the social realism mode of the period – not above using whimsy when needed for the lighter moments, but often going for some of the right light scoring with elements that are modern enough to evoke deeper emotion in a subtle way, very different from more mainstream Hollywood gloss. The film's a lost classic of American independent cinema, and Fried's score really fits the material – presented here in a package that includes 24 tracks in all – including a vocal performance of the theme "One Potato Two Potato" by Alan Arkin, and a short commentary by Fried. CD

One of our favorite Funkadelic albums ever – a tightly grooving classic that never lets up at all! There's a sense of perfection to everything here – one that really gets the group past their tripped-out early years, and firmly into the sublime territory George Clinton hit with Parliament – an amazing sound that's wrapped up perfectly on every single track – grooves that definitely raised the bar for a huge amount of mainstream funk acts who were popping up at the time. Production is never too slick, and there's still lots of tasty guitar licks wrapped up in the mix – and titles include the classics "Freak Of The Week" and "Not Just Knee Deep" – plus "Field Maneuvers", "Holly Wants To Go To California", and "Foot Soldiers". CD

One of our favorite Funkadelic albums ever – a tightly grooving classic that never lets up at all! There's a sense of perfection to everything here – one that really gets the group past their tripped-out early years, and firmly into the sublime territory George Clinton hit with Parliament – an amazing sound that's wrapped up perfectly on every single track – grooves that definitely raised the bar for a huge amount of mainstream funk acts who were popping up at the time. Production is never too slick, and there's still lots of tasty guitar licks wrapped up in the mix – and titles include the classics "Freak Of The Week" and "Not Just Knee Deep" – plus "Field Maneuvers", "Holly Wants To Go To California", and "Foot Soldiers". LP, Vinyl record album

One of our favorite Funkadelic albums ever – a tightly grooving classic that never lets up at all! There's a sense of perfection to everything here – one that really gets the group past their tripped-out early years, and firmly into the sublime territory George Clinton hit with Parliament – an amazing sound that's wrapped up perfectly on every single track – grooves that definitely raised the bar for a huge amount of mainstream funk acts who were popping up at the time. Production is never too slick, and there's still lots of tasty guitar licks wrapped up in the mix – and titles include the classics "Freak Of The Week" and "Not Just Knee Deep" – plus "Field Maneuvers", "Holly Wants To Go To California", and "Foot Soldiers". CD

Peter Gabriel at the top of his solo game – tight, focused, and coming across with a nice sort of edge – one that really sits nicely in the same late 70s generation that includes Bowie in Berlin, early Talking Heads, and some of the darker-minded work on the left side of the mainstream at the time! The guitars have a nice edge, but never dominate – and Gabriel's vocals are totally great – soaring with majesty, but never overblown, and deeply personal in all the right spots – but without any fake soul modes. Instrumentation is right on the money – processed nicely, but never overproduced – and hell, players on the album even include Brit jazz legend Dick Morrisey on a handful of tracks! Titles include "No Self Control", "I Don't Remember", "Biko", "Intruder", "And Through The Wire", and "Games Without Frontiers". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the most successful albums ever from guitarist Eric Gale – a laidback understated player whose mellow sound had a tremendous influence on mainstream jazz funk in the 70s! The album takes off from the late 60s CTI and Verve sessions by Wes Montgomery – and features Gale riffing out chromatically over tightly woven arrangements by Bob James, who also plays keyboards on the set. There's no standout funky numbers on the record, but it's got a great conception overall – with lots of dreamy grooves that sound very nice! Titles include "Forecast", "Tonsue Corte", "White Moth", "Cleopatra", and "Dindi". LP, Vinyl record album

One of those really great records from a time on the UK scene when some groups were effortlessly mixing jazz and rock elements up in the mix – but in ways that are very different than some of the more familiar jazz rock modes of the mainstream! Gaillard have plenty of strong horn solos on this set – not in a brassy bigger lineup, but as a way of bringing in tenor, trumpet, or other instruments where you might normally have a guitar solo – also blown with qualities that show that the musicians in the group are doing a lot more than just flavoring in the tunes! Players include Tony Roberts on tenor and flute, Lyle Jenkins on tenor and baritone, Dave Caswell on trumpet, and even the great jazz musician Harry Beckett on flugelhorn – and the record also sports some nice sitar, Hammond, and electric piano as well. Geoff Brown and Andy Abbott handle vocals – and titles include "Open Up Your Mind", "Something's Going On", "Premonition", "In Your Minds Eye", "Winter Spring Summer", "Ask For Nothing", and "New Dawn Breaking". CD

Mean, lean grooves from The Gap Band – a legendary batch of mainstream funk from the end of the 70s – and a record that really has the trio working at the top of their game! There's a wonderful balance here between funky numbers and mellow ones – the latter of which really help pace the record nicely, giving it a depth that takes the group way beyond the cliches of some of their contemporaries, and firmly establishing the Gap Band as one to watch for the 80s! Titles include the massive "I Don't Believe You Want To Get Up & Dance" – with its classic "Oops Upside Your Head" refrain – plus "Who Do You Call", "No Hiding Place", "Steppin Out", "You Are My High", and "Party Lights". LP, Vinyl record album

The Gap Band are definitely Jammin on this sweet little set from the early 80s – hitting that fierce funk mode they do so well, with lots of snapping lines at the bottom of the rhythms! The style is trademark Gap all the way through – a percolated approach to funk that's tight, but never too slick – in a groove that's different than some of their other mainstream counterparts at the time – hard to describe accurately, but almost with a touch of jazz in the mix! Charlie Wilson handles most of the lead vocals, with support from brothers Robert and Ronnie – and Ronnie produced most of the set. Titles include "Where Are We Going", "Shake A Leg", "Jam The Motha", "Someday", "You're Something Special", "I'm Ready", "You're My Everything", "Smile", and "Jammin In America". CD also features the bonus track "Party Train (special dance mix)". LP, Vinyl record album

Simple and soulful elegance from the great Red Garland – prime mid-50s material for Prestige, recorded here with incredible backing from Paul Chambers and Art Taylor! The tightness of the trio is amazing – but never so much so that it gets in the way of Red's warmly introspective modes on the keys – a sound that's never overindulgent, nor as flowery as some of his mainstream contemporaries – and which really paves the way towards a rhythmic sensitivity that influenced generations of later players on the instrument. The tracks are a bit shorter than on some later Garland dates, but that shortness only further illustrates the sublime economy of the group. Titles include "What Is This Thing Called Love", "September In The Rain", "Constellation", "My Romance", "Blue Red", "A Foggy Day", and "Makin Whoopee". CD

Simple and soulful elegance from the great Red Garland – prime mid-50s material for Prestige, recorded here with incredible backing from Paul Chambers and Art Taylor! The tightness of the trio is amazing – but never so much so that it gets in the way of Red's warmly introspective modes on the keys – a sound that's never overindulgent, nor as flowery as some of his mainstream contemporaries – and which really paves the way towards a rhythmic sensitivity that influenced generations of later players on the instrument. The tracks are a bit shorter than on some later Garland dates, but that shortness only further illustrates the sublime economy of the group. Titles include "What Is This Thing Called Love", "September In The Rain", "Constellation", "My Romance", "Blue Red", "A Foggy Day", and "Makin Whoopee". LP, Vinyl record album

Long tracks and plenty of room to move around – a perfect setting for the classic sound of the Red Garland Trio on Prestige! Despite the title, the album's not so much groovy as it is lyrically beautiful and filled with sensitivity – a key bridge between piano players of the mainstream in the years before Garland, and some of the bigger, bolder names that would rise up during the 60s soul jazz years. Rhythm is by Paul Chambers on bass and Art Taylor on drums – and the longer tracks give Chambers plenty of room to express his unique talents on the bass. Titles include "Gone Again", "Hey Now", "Will You Still Be Mine", "What Can I Say Dear", and "C-Jam Blues". LP, Vinyl record album

Long tracks and plenty of room to move around – a perfect setting for the classic sound of the Red Garland Trio on Prestige! Despite the title, the album's not so much groovy as it is lyrically beautiful and filled with sensitivity – a key bridge between piano players of the mainstream in the years before Garland, and some of the bigger, bolder names that would rise up during the 60s soul jazz years. Rhythm is by Paul Chambers on bass and Art Taylor on drums – and the longer tracks give Chambers plenty of room to express his unique talents on the bass. Titles include "Gone Again", "Hey Now", "Will You Still Be Mine", "What Can I Say Dear", and "C-Jam Blues". LP, Vinyl record album

An unusual little concept record from Gentle Giant – one based around the story of three childhood friends each going their own separate ways – but served up with enough of the group's usual jazzy flair to keep things interesting! As on other records from the time, there's almost a fusion inspiration going on here – really jamming guitar and keyboard parts – sometimes at a level that matches the bigger mainstream groups of the time, but more often in the prog hinterlands, especially on the vocal parts, which have a flowing quality that really matches the keyboards. Titles include "Prologue", "Schooldays", "Peel The Paint", and "Mister Class & Quality". LP, Vinyl record album

A legendary record from one of the most unique Latin groups of their time! In an early 70s world where many Latin combos were going for class and poise, the Ghetto Brothers moved in another direction entirely – working here with a fair bit of electric guitar alongside more familiar Latin rhythms – all to push along some wonderfully soulful vocals! The record's got a very different feel than most east coast Latin work of the time – one that's a bit like some of the Chicano soul of the west coast, but not nearly as smooth, and with a definite nod towards both funk and singer/songwriter work of the mainstream! The guitar's really upfront in the mix – riffing off at the start of most tracks – and the vocals have a slightly sweet quality, supported by harmonies from the rest of the group at times – making for a wicked blend of modes that's extremely compelling. A record that's as filled with soul and feeling as it is with hard-edge groovers – featuring titles that include "You Say You Are My Friend", "Ghetto Brothers Power", "I Saw A Tear", "Girl From The Mountain", "There Is Something In My Hearth", "Got This Happy Feeling", and "Viva Puerto Rico Libre". CD

A legendary record from one of the most unique Latin groups of their time! In an early 70s world where many Latin combos were going for class and poise, the Ghetto Brothers moved in another direction entirely – working here with a fair bit of electric guitar alongside more familiar Latin rhythms – all to push along some wonderfully soulful vocals! The record's got a very different feel than most east coast Latin work of the time – one that's a bit like some of the Chicano soul of the west coast, but not nearly as smooth, and with a definite nod towards both funk and singer/songwriter work of the mainstream! The guitar's really upfront in the mix – riffing off at the start of most tracks – and the vocals have a slightly sweet quality, supported by harmonies from the rest of the group at times – making for a wicked blend of modes that's extremely compelling. A record that's as filled with soul and feeling as it is with hard-edge groovers – featuring titles that include "You Say You Are My Friend", "Ghetto Brothers Power", "I Saw A Tear", "Girl From The Mountain", "There Is Something In My Hearth", "Got This Happy Feeling", and "Viva Puerto Rico Libre". LP, Vinyl record album

A legendary record from one of the most unique Latin groups of their time! In an early 70s world where many Latin combos were going for class and poise, the Ghetto Brothers moved in another direction entirely – working here with a fair bit of electric guitar alongside more familiar Latin rhythms – all to push along some wonderfully soulful vocals! The record's got a very different feel than most east coast Latin work of the time – one that's a bit like some of the Chicano soul of the west coast, but not nearly as smooth, and with a definite nod towards both funk and singer/songwriter work of the mainstream! The guitar's really upfront in the mix – riffing off at the start of most tracks – and the vocals have a slightly sweet quality, supported by harmonies from the rest of the group at times – making for a wicked blend of modes that's extremely compelling. A record that's as filled with soul and feeling as it is with hard-edge groovers – featuring titles that include "You Say You Are My Friend", "Ghetto Brothers Power", "I Saw A Tear", "Girl From The Mountain", "There Is Something In My Hearth", "Got This Happy Feeling", and "Viva Puerto Rico Libre". This great deluxe edition from Truth & Soul comes inside a beautifully done, 80-page booklet – full of rare photos of the band in action and behind-the-scenes – plus richly detailed notes. CD

Essential work from The Gladiators – exactly the kind of group that did so well in the early Studio One approach! The group are in a familiar mode – a Jamaican soul trio with a strong lead, and warm harmony backup – but there's also maybe a bit more of an edge going on here – partly from the deep, dark rhythms on the tunes – which often have a bottom end that really offsets the vocals – but also maybe just because of the overall badass vibe of the group, as you'd guess from their image on the cover! The Gladiators are to Jamaican music what the grittier New Jersey soul acts were to the mainstream soul market in the US at the same time – as you'll hear on titles that include "Hello Carol", "Rainy Night In Georgia", "Love And Meditation", "On The Other Side", "Jah Go Before Us", "Roots Natty Roots", "Peace Truce", "My Thoughts", and "Downtown Rebel". Reissue features bonus tracks – "Serious Thing", "Jah Jah (version)", "Serious (version)", "Culture", "Rearrange", "Peace Truce", and "Roots Natty/Natty Chalawa (disco mix)". CD

A classic James Brown sample starts the groove on this early 90s set – and really stakes the pace for the rest of the funky soul to follow! The Good Girls do a great job of moving between new jack rhythms and some even more expansive modes on the set – including some of those great warmer styles that were coming into mainstream R&B as the 90s moved on – not retro at all, but a new embrace of some of the fuller, richer modes of the 70s – really balanced out here in a great way with the more contemporary elements. Vocals are especially nice on those tracks – and titles include "Just Call Me", "Can You Keep Him", "Let Me Love You", "Love In Love's Hands", "Future", "I'm Coming Back", "Runnin From Love", "Since I Fell For You", and "Nothing" – plus "Just Call Me (John's backdoor boogie remix edit)". CD

Not just disco nights, but some great mellow moments too – a wonderfully well-rounded classic from this great quartet – as tight and groovy as it is cool and classy! By the time of this debut, the group had already had plenty of 70s soul experience as The Rhythm Makers – a previous name for the lineup, and a combo with a great reputation for dancefloor grooves that were tight, but never too uptight – kind of the best funky soul styles of the time! This album definitely continues that tradition, with a sound that's leaner than most mainstream disco of the time – and really well put-together, in a way that also has them slowing down to hit some great ballads and mellower steppers too. The album features the massive disco title cut – "Disco Nights" – and a beautiful reworking of Billy Stewart's classic "I Do Love You" – with a sound that's faithful to the original, but a sweet stepping groove that's made it a favorite for years! Other cuts include "Boogie Oogie Oogie", "Spirit", "Make My Dreams A Reality", "It's Your Love", "I Do Love You", and "Wonderful". LP, Vinyl record album

A record that has Dave Grusin elevating a bit more into the jazz/soul mainstream – as the set has the keyboardist working with a few more crossover modes than before, but all in a way that seems to demonstrate his many years in various kinds of music! The album was a key entry in the new sound of fusion during the mid 80s – maybe a bit sharper than later smooth jazz, but with efforts from some leading lights of that generation to come – including David Sanborn and Marcus Miller. Phoebe Snow sings a bit on the record – which might provide her with one of her more exciting settings in years – and titles include "Power Wave", "Thankful N Thoughtful", "Night Lines", "Tick Tock", "Bossa Baroque", and "Secret Place". LP, Vinyl record album

A real oddity from George Harrison – a record of abstract electronics, cut right around the same time as his bigger mainstream solo hits! The record is a highly experimental one – a session that has Harrison working with Bernie Krause, and exploring territory that's much more in the late 60s Limelight Records mode than it is that of Apple – which is quite possibly why the label is listed as "Zapple", not "Apple"! Each tune takes up a full side of the album – and builds slowly out of soundshapes and textures, very much in the manner of some of the best work from the academic electronic music centers in the US at the time. And while the album may be a bit loose and unfocused overall, it's actually got a really appealing quality that we love a lot – a sense of free and naive exploration that's pretty great. Titles include "Under The Mersey Wall" and "No Time Or Space". LP, Vinyl record album

Richie Havens is way past the folksy mode of his roots by this point – working in a set of smooth arrangements by William Smitty Smith and Booker T – a style that mixes electric touches with Havens' still-raspy vocals, an approach that's a bit like that used on some of Bill Withers Columbia Records, put possibly even a bit more mainstream here. The real issue almost seems to be the choice of songs – as the record features covers that occasionally seem a bit ill-placed, but which come off as nice oddities at the best moments – like Richie's versions of "Do It Again" and "Long Train Running". Other titles include "We Can't Hide It Anymore", "I Was Educated By Myself", "Daughter Of The Night", and "If Not For You". LP, Vinyl record album

Michael Henderson definitely does it all here – mixing jazz and soul and funk with his own strong sense of personality – all at a level that's head and shoulders above most of his contemporaries! Henderson's that rare breed in soul music – part of an elite 70s lineup who were rooted in jazz, able to sing soul, and yet still keep all the depth of their roots in their grooves! At times, Henderson sings with the poise and class of a jazz vocalist – at others, he's got the sensual slink of a R&B giant – always amidst instrumentation that goes way past the obvious, and avoids any of the commercial cliches that were plaguing mainstream soul at the time. There's a really timeless feel to the record – the sort that's kept Henderson at the top of the hip soul stacks for years – and titles include "Wait Until The Rain", "In The Summertime", "Riding", "To Be Loved", "I Do It All", and "Playing On The Real Thing". LP, Vinyl record album

Nona Hendryx at the height of her 80s glory – looking mighty fierce in a fencing costume on the cover! As with her previous set, this one's done with heavy help from Material – who bring in a beat heavy sound that's kind of a mainstream variation on the underground New York groove they'd had a few years before. Francois K helps a bit on the mixing, and you can definitely hear some of his playful touches – the sorts of sounds that helped a record like this build a bridge between the clubs and the streets, from Danceteria to the mainstream! Musicians include Bernie Worrell on keyboards and Bill Laswell on bass and tapes – and titles include "To The Bone", "Electricity", "I Sweat", "Soft Targets", "I Want You", "Ghost Love", and "The Life". LP, Vinyl record album

Nona Hendryx at the height of her 80s glory – looking mighty fierce in a fencing costume on the cover! As with her previous set, this one's done with heavy help from Material – who bring in a beat heavy sound that's kind of a mainstream variation on the underground New York groove they'd had a few years before. Francois K helps a bit on the mixing, and you can definitely hear some of his playful touches – the sorts of sounds that helped a record like this build a bridge between the clubs and the streets, from Danceteria to the mainstream! Musicians include Bernie Worrell on keyboards and Bill Laswell on bass and tapes – and titles include "To The Bone", "Electricity", "I Sweat", "Soft Targets", "I Want You", "Ghost Love", and "The Life". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the most unusual entries in this amazing set of releases from the Habibi Funk label – a set that's definitely what's promised in the title – in that Ibrahim Hesnawi delivers a really unique take on the sound of Kingston! The music is certainly in a rhythm that echoes conventional reggae, but the instrumentation is often nicely different, with ties to some of the more mainstream Mid-East modes of the period, especially on the keyboards – a quality that's also echoed in the lyrics here, which on most tracks are in Libyan Arabic, with phrasing that's miles away from the world of Bob Marley and Jimmy Cliff! Titles include "Only World", "Tayr Al Salma", "Kesati", "Enti", "Watany Al Kabir", "Tendme", and "Fouhi Ya Nesma". CD

One of the most unusual entries in this amazing set of releases from the Habibi Funk label – a set that's definitely what's promised in the title – in that Ibrahim Hesnawi delivers a really unique take on the sound of Kingston! The music is certainly in a rhythm that echoes conventional reggae, but the instrumentation is often nicely different, with ties to some of the more mainstream Mid-East modes of the period, especially on the keyboards – a quality that's also echoed in the lyrics here, which on most tracks are in Libyan Arabic, with phrasing that's miles away from the world of Bob Marley and Jimmy Cliff! Titles include "Only World", "Tayr Al Salma", "Kesati", "Enti", "Watany Al Kabir", "Tendme", and "Fouhi Ya Nesma". LP, Vinyl record album

Groove Holmes and Gerald Wilson – a wonderful combination on this late 60s session – in a style that's everything great about mainstream LA jazz at the time! Wilson really has a way with the charts on the session – and although the group is large, they've got a lean, clean sound that bounces along nicely – slightly funky at times, always soulful at others – a perfect backdrop for the well-played Hammond lines that Groove brings to the set! The album's not as much of an all-out organ wailer as some of Holmes' albums for Prestige – but that's a-ok with us, because Wilson's group features some other great players too – including Dennis Budimir on guitar, Tony Ortega and Arnie Watts on saxes, and Paul Humphrey on drums! Titles include "Dreams Of The Everyday Housewife", "High Blues Pressure", "Listen Here", "Oklahoma Toad", "Rhythm & Groove", "In & Out", and "Isole Natalie". LP, Vinyl record album

A set that's one of the more obscure Lightning Hopkins albums of the 60s – as it was issued on the short-lived label Candid, an imprint that was mostly known for modern jazz! Yet the approach here is wonderfully faithful to the music that Hopkins does best – a well-recorded solo date that's handled in ways that are similar to some of the Prestige Records blues albums of the time – maybe in part because as things went mainstream and more commercial, it was up to some of the jazz labels to preserve a more stripped-down sound! Hopkins sings and plays guitar – and even handles a bit of piano too – on titles that include "Take It Easy", "Mighty Crazy", "Trouble Blues", "Wonder Why", "Mister Charlie", and "I've Had My Fun If I Don't Get Well No More". LP, Vinyl record album

A completely wonderful album from Haruomi Hosono – a real watershed not just in his own career, but in the development of mainstream Japanese music too! The set's got the sophistication of the best of the singer/songwriter underground in the US – not just in the lyrical presentation, which you might not be able to understand – but also in terms of the overall production, arrangements, and instrumentation – which seem to echo some of the hippest currents of that LA underground that often found its greatest flowering in those under-sold albums on Warner Brothers during the late 60s. Hosono's vocals are wonderful – completely charming, even if you can't grasp the language – and the album's a much-treasured set from the Japanese 70s scene. LP, Vinyl record album

Smoking Motown work from Thelma Houston – a great 70s set that catches the singer at the top of her groove! The album's polished, but never in a too-commercial way – and the grooves acknowledge the growing role of the dancefloor in mainstream soul, yet also mostly stay away from some of the disco cliches of the time – thanks to sophisticated work by arrangers Art Wright, Paul Riser, and Michael Smith! Although we should also point out that this is the record that gave Houston one of her bigger hits – the key crossover track "Don't Leave Me This Way" – nestled nicely amidst other great numbers like "Don't Know Why I Love You", "Any Way You Like It", "If It's The Last Thing I Do", and "Don't Make Me Pay". LP, Vinyl record album

4 mixes of this classic bit of Detroit Techno – going over the top, into the mainstream, thanks to the lasting genius of Kevin Saunderson! 12-inch, Vinyl record

The record that really put INXS over the top – and a set that virtually defined the sound of mainstream rock for the second half of the 80s! The tunes still have plenty of guitars, but have also borrowed lots of beats and rhythms from modern dance and club modes – fused together by the mixing of Bob Clearmountain into a razor-sharp groove. Titles include "Guns In The Sky", "Kick", "Mystify", "Never Tear Us Apart", "Calling All Nations", "Tiny Daggers", "Meditate", "Need You Tonight", "New Sensation", "Devil Inside", "Wild Life", and "The Loved One". LP, Vinyl record album

The record that really put INXS over the top – and a set that virtually defined the sound of mainstream rock for the second half of the 80s! The tunes still have plenty of guitars, but have also borrowed lots of beats and rhythms from modern dance and club modes – fused together by the mixing of Bob Clearmountain into a razor-sharp groove. Titles include "Guns In The Sky", "Kick", "Mystify", "Never Tear Us Apart", "Calling All Nations", "Tiny Daggers", "Meditate", "Need You Tonight", "New Sensation", "Devil Inside", "Wild Life", and "The Loved One". LP, Vinyl record album

A late 80s set from Motown, but one that has all the sorts of street soul modes you'd be more likely to hear on the Sleeping Bag label – super-fresh touches that come from the world of hip hop, all used in really great ways to kick up the groove on the record! There's plenty of the chunky beats that you'd hear behind Sybil, but Joyce's have more of a hip hop crackle at times, even more than work from the new jack stars of the mainstream! The record has a few mellower moments, and titles include "Go Go Girl", "Maximum Thrust", "Guardian Angel", "Mr DJ", "I'm Available", "She's Not My Lover", "I Love You", and "Let's Do It". CD

Mid 70s genius from the Isley Brothers – a record that has them firmly hitting their superstar mode with a fantastic blend of mellow soul and guitar-heavy funk! The record's got a sense of class, care, and poise that's head and shoulders above most of the group's contemporaries – an ability to rock out one minute, then slow things down for a beautiful ballad the next – all while maintaining enough credibility to still hold onto older fans, yet also reach out to a much bigger audience in the mainstream. Titles include the sublime "Ain't I Been Good To You (parts 1 & 2)", a long track with a sinister bassline and a dark groove that really makes it great, a great cover of "Hello It's Me" that's even better than the original, and the key mellow cuts "Lover's Eve" and "Brown Eyed Girl" – plus "Live It Up (parts 1 & 2)", "Need A Little Taste Of Love", and "Midnight Sky (parts 1 & 2)". LP, Vinyl record album

A great follow up to Mille Jackson's classic Caught Up album – but one that's also a key turning point too! The theme here is the same as the album before – with tunes that have a woman "caught up" in love and all of its tangles – but the sound is also bolder, more positive, and somehow more righteous than before – with Millie stepping from the weepy shadows very firmly into the mainstream – making a bold move forward for women in general in the process! Production is still by southern soul whiz Brad Shapiro – but he's also brightened things a bit too, in keeping with Millie's bolder spirit – shaking off some of the earthier tones of the music, and hipping things up slightly with some more modern instrumentation. Millie's vocals are completely wonderful throughout – rasping with that badass style that would later explode even more strongly – and there's lots of spoken bits that make the tunes sound even more personal – as if you're listening at the door, or tapping the phone while Millie's talking to her man! Titles include "Loving Arms", "Do What Makes You Satisfied", "Making The Best Of A Bad Situation", "The Memory Of A Wife", "Leftovers", and "Tell Her It's Over". Expanded CD features 2 bonus tracks – "The Memory Of A Wife (rehearsal version)" and "How Can I Make Sweet Love To You If You Won't Stand Still", which is an earlier version of "One Night Stand". CD

One of the greatest mainstream 70s efforts from Lee Scratch Perry – a wonderful collaboration with Jah Lion – who serves up rhymes of knowledge and wisdom over some dubby genius from Scratch himself! The album skews towards the roots side of the spectrum, but has a looser, more open vibe too – as Jah Lion (aka Jah Lloyd) really lets his words space out amidst the fantastic production – really waiting his time for the rhythms to flow, then letting his vocals come in right on the money! The whole thing is great – virtually a blueprint for the entire On-U Sound label – with titles that include "Wisdom", "Dread In A Jamdong", "Flashing Whip", "Black Lion", "Fat Man", "Black Lion", "Little Sally Dater", "Hay Fever", and "Colombia Colly". LP, Vinyl record album

A mellow mainstream fusion classic from the 70s – one that paired the gentle guitar of Earl Klugh with the sweet keyboards of Bob James – in a set that's filled with plenty of warm and laidback touches! The mode here takes off some of the darker edges from James' earlier sound, and softens it nicely with Klugh's colorful approach to the guitar – a slightly tropical mode at times, and one that dances breezily along with help from Ralph MacDonald, Ron Carter, Harvey Mason, and Gary King. Titles include the lovely "Mallorca", plus "I'll Never See You Smile Again", "Kari", "The Afterglow", "Love Lips", and "Winding River". LP, Vinyl record album

Think what you might about Rick James, this is actually a pretty darn funky album – with lots of tight bass-heavy grooves! Rick's working here with the Stone City Band, in a style that's leaner and less commercial than some of his later work – going for a mainstream funk approach, but still leaving enough roughness around the edge to make the album appealing to our ears. In a way, the sound here is kind of a tightening up of Fantasy Records funk, given a few P-Funk twists – slick, but never too slick to groove soulfully! Titles include "Bustin Out", "Love Interlude", "High On Your Love Suite", "Spacey Love", "Cop N Blow", and "Fool On The Street". LP, Vinyl record album

Rick James hits a smoother sort of style here – one that's almost a compressed take on the mainstream version of funk first crafted on his earlier records, fused into a more radio-friendly approach for the Prince generation! The sound's actually not that bad – and the record has an appeal (albeit a dated one) as a relic of crossover soul from a time that's fading more and more from the collective memory. Rick's still writing, arranging, and producing the whole set – and titles include "Glow", "Melody Make Me Dance", "Can't Stop", "Spend The Night With Me", "Somebody", "Moon Child", "Sha La La La La", and "Rock & Roll Control". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the all-time great Rick James albums – a return to funkier sounds for Rick that worked both artistically and commercially – and actually got over far better than his more blatant attempts at crossover material on other records! The mix here is perfect – a true summation of all that made Motown great at the time, and the special sort of energy that made Rick one of the freshest mainstream talents at the end of the 70s! The record put a lot of money in Barry Gordy's pockets, and for good reason too – given that the set includes the classic hit "Super Freak" – plus "Give It To Me Baby", "Ghetto Life", "Make Love To Me", "Below The Funk (Pass The J)", and "Fire & Desire" – all done in that compressed pop-funky style that James kind of took from Bootsy Collins and manage to successfully soup up for the masses! CD also features the bonus tracks "Give It To Me Baby (12" mix)" and "Super Freak (12" mix)". CD

One of the most legendary bluesmen of the early 78rpm generation – heard here in a wonderfully-recorded set from 1964! The session came at a time when Skip James was hardly getting any mainstream attention, but had been rediscovered by a younger generation – which led to the fledgling Adelphi Records bringing him into the studio and really letting him do his thing! There's no attempt at commercialism here at all – as the tracks are spare, of varying length, and have James letting that amazing vocal style loose – soaring out with a heavenly sound at some moments, and hewing to the rhythms of his guitar at others – given reverent production treatment by the young John Fahey. Titles include "Broke & Hungry", "Crow Jane", "Cypress Grove Blues", "Black Gal", "Drunken Spree", "Illinois Blues", "Look Down The Road", and "Bad Whiskey". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the most legendary bluesmen of the early 78rpm generation – heard here in a wonderfully-recorded set from 1964! The session came at a time when Skip James was hardly getting any mainstream attention, but had been rediscovered by a younger generation – which led to the fledgling Adelphi Records bringing him into the studio and really letting him do his thing! There's no attempt at commercialism here at all – as the tracks are spare, of varying length, and have James letting that amazing vocal style loose – soaring out with a heavenly sound at some moments, and hewing to the rhythms of his guitar at others – given reverent production treatment by the young John Fahey. Titles include "Broke & Hungry", "Crow Jane", "Cypress Grove Blues", "Black Gal", "Drunken Spree", "Illinois Blues", "Look Down The Road", and "Bad Whiskey". LP, Vinyl record album

There really wasn't anything exactly like Jane's Addiction on a major label in their late 80s, very early 90s prime – and this first of 2 classic Warner albums from that early peak stand the test of time. Nothing's Shocking, then and now, is a strange mix of psychedelia and hard rock, weird enough to earn fans from the artier indie and college radio underbelly, and reach more mainstream hard rock fan – which really paved the way for 90s rock in ways they might not get enough credit for these days. The sound doesn't really get old, either. Includes the classic "Jane Says", plus "Idiots Rule", "Mountain Song", "Summertime Rolls", "Ted Just Admit It", and "Had A Dad". LP, Vinyl record album

There really wasn't anything exactly like Jane's Addiction on a major label in their late 80s, very early 90s prime – and this first of 2 classic Warner albums from that early peak stand the test of time. Nothing's Shocking, then and now, is a strange mix of psychedelia and hard rock, weird enough to earn fans from the artier indie and college radio underbelly, and reach more mainstream hard rock fan – which really paved the way for 90s rock in ways they might not get enough credit for these days. The sound doesn't really get old, either. Includes the classic "Jane Says", plus "Idiots Rule", "Mountain Song", "Summertime Rolls", "Ted Just Admit It", and "Had A Dad". CD

A big one for Al Jarreau – a record that has a groove that's a bit more mainstream than some of Al's previous records, but which still leaves plenty of space for his amazing vocals! Jarreau's working again with producer Jay Graydon, who pitches the instrumentation towards more electric-sounding levels than before – more of the rhythms and keyboard parts you'd guess from the album's date, although still at a level that's warmer than some of Al's more commercial contemporaries. Titles include "Raging Waters", "Imagination", "Murphy's Law", "Tell Me", "After All", "High Crime", and "Let's Pretend". LP, Vinyl record album

Jefferson Airplane's weirder follow-up to Surrealistic Pillow – and a pretty incredible record – concentrating their sprawling psychedelic impulses into fairly succinct 3 to 4 minute songs, for the most part! It's a creative approach,and it's a brave record. If Surrealistic Pillow lured the mainstream into the rabbit hole, this one is the tripped out tea party inside! Only a couple of tunes roll past the 5 minute mark, so it never gets too far out, and it's got plenty of chugging, bluesy rock to keep it neat. Includes "The Ballad Of You & Me & Pooneil", "Young Girl Sunday Blues", "Martha", "Wild Tyme", "Two Heads", "Watch Her Ride", "Won't You Try/Sunday Afternoon"and more. CD

A huge record in its day and it hasn't aged a minute since! On Psychocandy the Reid brothers took all the underground Brit indie psych revival modes and filtered them through the Velvet Underground at their noisiest, then paired melodies learned from sources as sweet as 60s Wall Of Sound pop and the Beach Boys to ferociously fuzzy guitars – and stunning found a way to spring this onto to fringes of the mainstream on both sides of the Atlantic! Hugely influential – a record that points the way towards sounds so many would soon follow. Titles include "In A Hole", "The Hardest Walk", "Taste The Floor", "Just Like Honey", "Never Understand", and "You Trip Me Up". DualDisc audio is advanced resolution 96khz/24 bit stereo sound and Dolby stereo sound. CD

The album that really broke Jethro Tull out of the prog rock underground and into the mainstream – and a set that showed that the group weren't just a combo with creative use of flute, but a band that could really rock off their ass when they wanted to! Previous records were all pretty great, but there's definitely something special in the air with this one – an extra-amped version of the group that even seems to have Ian Anderson's flute blowing out all stops, and his vocals sounding even more menacing than before! Martin Barre's maybe the real master, though – searing on guitar, and punctuating all of Anderson's efforts with his own mad energy – on titles that include the classic "Aqualung", plus "Wondering Aloud", "Cheap Day Return", "Cross Eyed Mary", "My God", "Slipstream", "Locomotive Breath", "Wind Up", and "Mother Goose". CD