... LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

A really cool set, one that's led and produced by singer/guitarist Lee Jackson – in the midst of lots of other guitars, both acoustic and electric – all recorded with a nicely spacious vibe, and blended with organ, mellotron, and percussion! There's a great psych folk vibe to the set – very unique! LP, Vinyl record album

Early early work by Bob James – recorded years before his classic 70s sides on electric piano, and in a brightly modern mode that recalls the spirit of Steve Kuhn and Paul Bley at the time! The set's a trio session – produced by Quincy Jones, who'd heard the young James and rushed him into the studio. Bob's playing in a group that includes Ron Brooks on bass, and the great Bob Pozar on drums – who went onto do some of his own excellent avant work in later years. The tracks are relatively straight, but have some nice jagged edges at times – and light experimentation that makes the set way more than just a standard piano trio session! Titles include "My Love", "Moment's Notice", "Quest", "Trilogy", "Nardis", and "Birk's Works". LP, Vinyl record album

Features work by Gene Krupa, Oscar Peterson, a trumpet battle with Roy Eldridge and Charlie Shavers, and the classic "Jam Session Blues" – all packaged in a box with a David Stone Martin cover! LP, Vinyl record album

Heavy swinging material from Krupa – working here in a loud and frenetic trio format, with Teddy Napoleon on piano and Charlie Ventura on tenor. Gene's working all the bass himself on the drums, and the album's got that pyrotechnic feel of the best JATP sets. Titles include "Dark Eyes", "Idaho", "Body & Soul", and "The Man I Love". LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

A really unusual performance for this Japanese-only album – one in which Philly Joe Jones is joined by two other drummers, Al Foster and Billy Hart – in a lineup that also includes Atlee Chapman on trombone, Charles Bowen on tenor and soprano, Brian Smith on bass, and Walter Davis Jr on piano. All tracks are nice and long – and titles include "Killer Joe", "Strollin", "Bolivia", and "Round Midnight". LP, Vinyl record album

Perhaps THE greatest Quincy Jones album of the 60s – a hard-swinging batch of big band bossa tunes – and one of the greatest American takes on the bossa sound ever! Quincy really brings a lot of soul to the set – syncopating the bottom end of the tunes to really bring out the rhythms, and working with a jazzy flourish of horns that creates all these quick and clever little turns in the tunes! The sound's been heard most famously on the incredible track "Soul Bossa Nova" – an original by Quincy for the set, which has gone onto much greater fame through its use in the film Austin Powers, and a bazillion TV commercials! But the whole album's great too – and other tracks include "Serenata", "Lalo Bossa Nova", "Boogie Bossa Nova", and "Chega De Saudade". LP, Vinyl record album

A nice one by Quincy! Although the material here isn't funky like his 70's work, it does show Quincy as a strong composer of serious thriller-type material – working in a style that produces a nice amount of tension and mood, and which still has some nice touches of jazz. The group is filled with strong jazz players like Freddie Hubbard, Anthony Ortega, Oliver Nelson, Elvin Jones, and others – and the album features a vocal version of the theme by Marc Allen, plus a crazy spoken bit from the movie, by Rod Steiger! Other titles include "Harlem Drive", "Naked Truth", "Rack 'Em Up", and "Death Scene". LP, Vinyl record album

Quincy Jones meets Henry Mancini – and the result is an album that's as groovy as it is jazzy – every bit as wonderful as you might expect, and with a few surprising touches as well! Given that Mancini's tunes are already pretty darn great on their own – and plenty jazzy too – it's amazing to hear Quincy transform them for the record, bringing in some of the styles that would show up even more strongly in his own 60s soundtrack work – clever instrumental twists, occasional electric moments, and a growing sensitivity we never would have expected in his music a decade before. There's loads of lovely reeds – courtesy of Jerome Richardson, Seldon Powell, Zoot Sims, and Roland Kirk – and other players include Gary Burton on vibes, Mundell Lowe on guitar, Toots Thielemans on harmonica, and Phil Krauss on percussion. Titles include "Baby Elephant Walk", "Charade", "Dreamsville", "Bird Brain", "Days Of Wine And Roses", "Mr Lucky", "Pink Panther", "Moon River", "Peter Gunn", and "Odd Ball". LP, Vinyl record album

Very groovy stuff from Quincy – a mix of jazz, soundtrack, and popular themes, all done in that soulful swinging style that Quincy virtually helped invent back in the 60s! The album's got plenty of great groovers that take a popular tune and kind of turn it on its ear – takes on tracks like "What's New Pussycat", "Non-Stop To Brazil", "The In Crowd", "Mack The Knife", "The Gentle Rain", and "Satisfaction" – all of which are souped-up by Quincy, and done in a rhythmic style that takes them past familiar versions you might know. The album also features the very groovy "Blues For Trumpet & Koto" – a slightly exotic number that we really like! LP, Vinyl record album

A very groovy set of short jazzy numbers from Quincy – a consummate expression of all the work he'd forged in the 60s on soundtracks and other jazz sides for Mercury! The album features Quincy working through a lot of soul numbers – jamming on them instrumentally with players that include Jerome Richardson, Bobby Bryant, Plas Johnson, Ray Charles, Carol Kaye, and Ben Tucker – plus a nice brace of percussion from Ray Bryant and Gary Coleman. Titles include "Boss Bird", "Papa's Got A Brand New Bag", "I Got You (I Feel Good)", "Mohair Sam", and "Baby Cakes". LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

The standout classic from Junior Giscombe – one of the more unique soul artists of his generation! The set's probably best known for its huge hit single "Mama Used To Say" – a killer cut with an incredibly catchy hook, and a groove that's lasted for years on 80s groove dancefloors – but the whole album's pretty darn wonderful overall, with slight twists and turns that are quite different than other mainstream soul sets of its type. Junior did the record in collaboration with producer Bob Carter, who also plays a fair bit of keyboards on the set – bringing in an airy, open feel that matches Junior's vocals wonderfully – in a sound that's somewhat sweeter than other male soul of the early 80s, but never in a way that's too soft or sleepy. Titles include "Mama Used To Say", "Too Late", "I Can't Help It", "Let Me Know", "Down Down", "Love Dies", "I Can't Help It", and "Darling You (Don't You Know)". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the rarest Roland Kirk albums – and a great one! The record features Kirk in his prime early years – before he got totally nutty, and when he would still play straight soul jazz/hard bop, but with kind of a mad twist, and with strange instrumentation. Horace Parlan's on piano, and his work on the keys, as always, is a real treat – and it keeps the album grooving along at a nice pace. Most tracks are originals, written with Kirk's unique sense of whimsy and humor – and titles include "Blues For C&T", "Hip Chops", "Gifts & Messages", "Vertigo Ro", and "Where Does The Blame Lie?" LP, Vinyl record album

A hell of a record from the young Roland Kirk – one of his first for Mercury Records, and the start of a great run of genius in the 60s! Kirk is mindblowing here – playing tenor, flute, manzello, and stritch – often at the same time, as pictured on the cover – a mode that's no gimmick at all, but which instead shows this wonderfully sophisticated understanding of sound and resonances between the reed instruments! And as always with Kirk, there's a strong current of soul in the music too – emphasized here by backing work from players who include Richard Wyands or Hank Jones on piano, Art Davis or Wendell Marshall on bass, and the great Charlie Persip on drums. Titles include the sublime modal number "We Free Kings" – plus "Three For The Festival", "The Haunted Melody", "You Did It You Did It", "Sack Full Of Soul", and "Moon Song". LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

From their inception in late 1956, Ramsey Lewis and his famous Young/Holt-era trio were destined for great jazz fame. This 1958 session on Mercury (then based in the group's native Chicago) catches the trio right at the beginning – when they were taking tunes that were pretty well known, and turning them into tight, jaunty, often comically-tinged soul jazz numbers that were very popular with the folks at the downtown clubs. As proof of that, the album features Lewis-arranged versions of many familiar favorites – including "Dark Eyes", "Come Back To Sorrento", "Greensleeves", and "Sometimes I Feel Like A Motherless Child". Also includes a few originals – like "We Blue It" and "Soul Mist". LP, Vinyl record album

A fantastically jamming album – one with searing guitar from Fred Walk, who also plays electric sitar – and vocals and organ from Stephen Miller, a very soulful talent! Plus, Larry Easter serves up these cool lines on tenor, soprano sax, and flute – sometimes sounding like they've been electrically processed – on titles that include "Protect & Serve/Bad Things", "Fast Days", "Cave Song", "Moon Food", and "Lower Lemons". LP, Vinyl record album

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Titles include "Legend Of The One-Eyed Sailor", "Lullaby For Nancy Carol", "El Gato Triste", "Land Of Make Believe", and "As Long As We're Together". Features vocals by Esther Satterfield! LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

Bennie Maupin's first LP for Mercury, and a great bit of spiritual funky jazz that recalls a lot of the sound of his work with The Headhunters. The first track, "It Remains to Be Seen", is an excellent groover, with some very dark keyboard work by Patrice Rushen, and the rest of the tracks are pretty great too. Pat Gleeson produced and plays synth on the LP, and the cuts include "Quasar", "You Know the Deal", "Water Torture", and "Lament". LP, Vinyl record album

A really great solo album from Clyde McPhatter – nicely different than his earlier solo work for Atlantic! The ex-lead Drifter gets a sort of "Spanish Harlem" treatment as he sings this great album of city songs for Mercury, including "My Block", "Deep in the Heart of Harlem", and "Three Rooms with Running Water", all of which are exclusive (we think) to this album. Great stuff, and maybe our favorite post-Atlantic album by Clyde! Arranged and produced by Alan Lorber, with a nice sound that's missing from some of his later pop efforts. LP, Vinyl record album

A wonderfully moody album from singer Helen Merrill – recorded with backing by pianist John Lewis, in an overall feel that's got some of the styles that Lewis forged with the Modern Jazz Quartet! The tunes are familiar ones, mostly, but arranged in a style that's got wonderfully sad and somber touches – really bringing out the best of the dark qualities in Merrill's vocals. Backing is by a quartet with Lewis, Richard Davis, Hubert Laws, and Connie Kay – and titles include "Close Your Eyes", "I Didn't Know What Time It Was", "The Singer", "Yesterdays", "How Long Has This Been Going On", "Mad About The Boy", and "Django". LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

One of the most soulful sets ever recorded by the Buddy Miles Group – a really searing set of live performances from 1971, often done in a way that has the band stretching out and jamming heavily! The core group seems a bit bigger than usual – with a lineup that includes guitar and organ alongside some heavier tenor, alto, trumpet, and trombone. The horns come on strong, but are offset by lots of searing guitar from Charlie Karp – and Buddy, as usual, is a real monster on the drum kit. There's plenty of instrumental moments here that cook with funky soul intensity – and titles include "Wrap It Up", "Joe Tex", "Take It Off Him & Put It On Me", "Down By The River", "Place Over There", "The Segment", and "Them Changes". LP, Vinyl record album

A really fantastic album from drummer Buddy Miles – an artist that many folks know for his key rock work in the Band Of Gypsys group of Jimi Hendrix, but a musician with an equally great ear for soul and funk as well! Miles began in Electric Flag, and certainly has ties to the world of psych – and here, he mixes funkier currents with lots of strong trippy guitar from Marlo Henderson – a player we don't know that well, but who adds some great lines that are a lot like some of the Phil Upchurch contributions over at Chess/Cadet at the same time. Miles sings on most numbers, with that nicely honest vocal approach we love so much – but there's a few instrumental moments too, and the set's got some great use of horns throughout, which brings in some southern funky currents too. Titles include "Joe Tex", "Place Over There", "The Segment", "Don't Keep Me Wondering", "Sudden Stop", and "That's The Way Life Is". LP, Vinyl record album

A landmark crossover album – featuring Buddy Miles' mixed Freedom Express group, and a heavy jazz-rock sound that would soon dominate the charts with other groups. Buddy's drums are super-heavy, even if his vocals always get us the wrong way. Includes the original recording of "Them Changes", plus "Memphis Train", "Your Feeling Is Mine", "Dreams", and "Down By The River". One for the Fillmore crowd! LP, Vinyl record album

Pure crossover genius from Buddy Miles – a great mix of funky soul and rockish touches – and the kind of record that easily put Buddy in the same camp as Sly Stone or The Isley Brothers with mainstream audiences of the time! Tracks here are a bit longer and more jamming than work by either of those two artists – with the kind of heavy guitar and horns that played heavily to the Fillmore crowd – but the overall sound of the record is a fair bit more soulful and even funkier than some other Miles' efforts from the earlier years too, with plenty of his tight drums in the mix! Titles include a great 12 minute reading of the title track "We Got To Live Together" – plus "Take It Off Him & Put It On Me", "Runaway Child", "Walking Down The Highway", and "Easy Greasy". LP, Vinyl record album

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Titles include "Lean On Me", "Then We Can Try Again", "Never Can Say Goodbye", "New World Coming", and a few medley tracks. LP, Vinyl record album

A pretty obscure session by Gerry – recorded in 1955, and featuring Jon Eardly on trumpet, Zoot Sims on tenor, and Bob Brookmeyer on trombone. Gerry actually plays a bit of piano, in addition to his usual baritone – and the set bubbles with a lightly swinging, slightly modern feel that's nice and clean. Titles include "Makin Whoopee", "Demanton", "La Plus Que Lente", and a pretty great "Duke Ellington Medley". LP, Vinyl record album

A groovy bit of pop from this great 60s Chicago group! LP, Vinyl record album

"I need a fix – and a kiiiiiiiiiissssssss!" What can we say? Johnny Thunders, David Johansen and the boys reinvented the wheel with the of wildly hedonist glam skronk spun on this still incredible debut record. Both records they made for Mercury are incredible, but this is the bonafide masterpiece. It's a classic purely on a primal rock 'n' roll level, but it's also one of rock's greatest examples of style equaling substance! The Dolls brought glammer to the gutter and vice versa, and this is no doubt their greatest moment! Includes "Personality Crisis", "Looking For A Kiss", "Trash", "Frankenstein", "Pills", "Bad Girl", "Private World" and "Jet Boy". Produced by Todd Rundgren and engineered by Jack Douglas – the former a legend in his own right, the latter whose name appears on so many great records that range from other proto-punk and punk-era classics (Patti Smith Group, The Runaways) to the trashier side of the mainstream (prime early Cheap Trick, Aerosmith and Alice Cooper). LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

A classic set of comedy from this important Chicago duo – very witty, and very sharp! LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

An overlooked bit of mid 70s funk from the Ohio Players – cut right at the height of their brilliant Mercury years! The album's got a smooth and slinky finish that has the band tightening up a lot from their Westbound years – going for a compressed spacey soul sound on some of the album's mellower numbers, in a style that's equally as mindblowing as their heavier funk. This approach makes for some really nicely tripped-out tunes that have some nice jazzy touches – expanding the group's sound way past the hits, into some complicated grooves that are plenty darn nice! Titles include "Contradiction", "Who'd She Coo?", "Far East Mississippi", "Tell The Truth", "My Life", "Bi-Centennial", and "My Ladies Run Me Crazy". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the biggest albums ever for Ohio Players – a set that took their earlier funk sound and targeted firmly at the mainstream with a lean, mean groove that a million other groups copied at the time! There's still plenty of the soul of the early years in the group's approach here – and sometimes, the mellower tracks show a wonderful talent for harmonies coming even more fully to the top. But the real appeal of the record has always been the bold, bassy grooves that hit strongly just as ensemble funk was exploding in the mainstream during the early years of disco – making plenty of space for the Players and their contemporaries to grab up new audiences who never would have touched a record like this five years before! There's plenty of grit in the grooves on the best numbers – a style that's maybe not as dirty as on Westbound, but still more than enough to make any real funk fan proud. Titles include "Fire", "Together", "Together/Feelings", "It's All Over", "Runnin' From the Devil", "Smoke", "What The Hell", and "I Want To Be Free". LP, Vinyl record album

A legendary album from The Ohio Players – a set that's famous not just for its sexy cover, but for the way the group managed to set a whole new standard for mainstream funk at the time! The group started out in the farther reaches of the Midwest underground, and previously had brought some nice psychedelic elements to their music – which here are more focused and folded into a sound that's wonderfully tight, yet still filled with plenty of imagination – a sense of funk that would be beaten down into a more formulaic mode by groups in years to come, but which here is still wonderfully fresh! Most folks go for their big hit "Love Rollercoaster", but we've always been partial to the smooth, mellow funky track "Sweet Sticky Thing", served up here in the cool long version, which has a groove that builds and builds – a completely sublime journey in sound! The whole album's great, though – and other cuts include "Honey", "Fopp", "Let's Love", "Ain't Givin' Up No Ground" and "Alone". LP, Vinyl record album

While there was no naked bald lady on the cover of Jass-Ay-Lay-Dee, it is actually a move back towards the sweatier funk sounds of their more classic LPs. There's some tight playing and solid songwriting going on here, too, with a bit less of the smooth, sultry grooves with funky touches that stood out on their work earlier in the 70s.Includes the title track, plus "Funk O Nots", "Sleepwalkin", "Nott Enuff", "Time Slips Away/Shoot Your Shot" and "Dance (If Ya Wanta)". LP, Vinyl record album

A lesser-known 70s album by The Ohio Players – tunes recorded for the soundtrack of the late blacksploitation film Mr Mean, but also very much in the tight funk format of the group's Mercury work! Tracks are nice and long overall – almost in a stretched-out take on the soundtrack mode, so that there's more "chase" numbers than usual. The real highlight is the sweet sticky tune "Good Luck Charm" – sweetly tripping across a 9 minute ballad mode that's got plenty of spacious mellow grooving underneath. Other tracks include the short percussive "The Controller's Mind", plus "The Big Score", "Mr Mean", "Magic Trick", and the flute-funk "Speak Easy". LP, Vinyl record album

Great work from the Ohio Players – and proof that moving to a big label could be a good thing for a funky group! This was the band's first album for Mercury – and although one might have the temptation to say that the label cut down the radical funk sound of the trippy Westbound years, the move also taught the band to sharpen up their act, and get out of the repetitive sloppy groove into which they'd been lapsing during the past few years. The record's a lot smoother than earlier work – with a polished funky sound that would soon push the band right up there with Earth Wind & Fire at the top of the soul charts. And although there's familiar funky numbers like "Skin Tight", "Jive Turkey", and "Streakin Cheek To Cheek" – the best moment on the entire album is the wonderful spacey soul number "Heaven Must be Like This", a seven minute mellow groover that's got a sophisticated jazzy soul style, with voices and piano soaring into the heavens, in a way that always still sends chills down our spine! That cut shows the band's tremendous growth – and it's one of their best-ever! LP, Vinyl record album

The only major label session cut by Chicago 80s groove trio Omni – done with a tighter feel than some of their indie work, but still pretty nice! The set's pretty heavy on electric drums, bass, and keys – but the strongest suit of the group is still their vocals – which come to the forefront strongly on the album's mellower numbers. Includes the Herbie Hancock-styled "Roctron", plus the cuts "Let Me Run It", "All For The One", "Only The Beginning", and "On & Off". LP, Vinyl record album

A really obscure record, but a great one too – a laidback set that's got almost a Marin County sort of vibe – echoes of some of the acoustic modes of that scene, and used in styles that move nicely past folk or roots rock modes – especially when blended with some of the right electric guitar moments! The vocals and song structures are really unique – and the set is one of those great lost treasures from these years when Mercury Records was willing to experiment a bit. LP, Vinyl record album

Oscar Peterson's trio is augmented here by a famous guest – trumpeter Clark Terry, whose horn adds a nice bit of punctuation to the set, and makes the record a strong standout in the 60s catalogs of both players! The addition of Terry to the record is a great one – as Clark's rising fame at the time merges nicely with the popularity of the Peterson group – and since both players share a talent for mixing earthy moments with tighter playing, the whole thing comes off pretty darn nicely! Peterson's piano is supported by rhythm work from Ray Brown on bass and Ed Thigpen on drums – and Terry not only plays trumpet and flugelhorn, but also vocalizes a slight bit too – sometimes at the same point he's playing his horn! Titles include "Mumbles", "Mack The Knife", "Jim", "Blues For Smedley", "Brotherhood Of Man", and "Incoherent Blues". LP, Vinyl record album

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A sweet 70s Wayne Henderson-produced set – quite a different groove for Esther, thanks to Henderson's warm jazzy inflections! The record's got a bit of club in the mix, but also has a deeper feel, too – a vibe that references Esther's work in jazz, but points her voice in a whole new direction – balancing mellow cuts with some more uptempo material. Phillips is wonderful in the setting – really working with an artist who understands the growing sophistication of her sound – and titles include "The Man Ain't Ready", "Native New Yorker", "SOS", "Pie In The Sky", and the classic "If I Fall In Love By Morning". LP, Vinyl record album

A sweet groover from Esther Phillips – done in a style that's much more club-oriented than before, but which we find ourselves liking quite a lot! Given that Esther had explored other modes quite thoroughly on other 60s and 70s sessions, the change here is actually a nice one – and the overall presentation is handled with a good sense of class and poise by Harvey Mason, who produced the session, and gives the record a sound that's hip enough to make it work. Esther sound especially great on the album's sweet stepper "Bedtime Stories", but other cuts are nice too – and titles include "Our Day Will Come", "Oo Oop Oo Oop", "Love Makes A Woman", "Mr Melody", and "I'll Close My Eyes". LP, Vinyl record album

The cover might be a bit "on the nose" – but the album itself has some really nice tracks, thanks in part to production and arrangements by Pee Wee Ellis, who always managed to get the best out of Esther during the 70s! The groove's got a lot top shelf clubby soul and easygoing funky swagger – and Esther sounds great out front! Tracks include "Into The Mystic", "Love Addict", "If I Loved You", "In A Soft & Subtle Way", "My Prayer", and "Somewhere Along The Line". LP, Vinyl record album

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A brilliant record – Kenny Rankin's first, and a really unique mix of styles that's completely different from his more famous later albums! The album has a gentle folksy style with touches of jazz – a bit like some of Tim Hardin's work for Verve, but without as much of a sad loser finish. Arrangements are by the great Artie Schroeck, and they're a mix of jazz, strings, acoustic guitar – all wrapped up in the light and breezy style of Artie's great late 60s work on Verve. Rankin's voice has a really unique quality – sparkling with a harmonic mode that's got definite ties to folk, but bubbling with the jazzy phrasing that you'd expect to hear more from Tim Buckley or Nick Drake. Titles include "Cotton Candy Sandman", "The Dolphin", "Every Passing Moment", "In Never Changes", "Song For A Winter's Night", "The Girl I Left Behind", and "Minuet". LP, Vinyl record album

A nice range of Buddy Rich work from the postwar years! LP, Vinyl record album

A legendary meeting of these two jazz talents – and knowing the famous temper of Buddy Rich, this probably really was a battle of the drummers! Kidding aside, though, the set's a very unusual one for Buddy – as the group here features players normally associated with Max Roach – a very cool lineup that includes Julian Priester on trombone, Tommy Turrentine on trumpet, and Stanley Turrentine on tenor – all of whom keep things cool, and bring in some great solo moments when needed! Rich also brings a few of his key men to the set, too – including Phil Woods on alto and Willie Dennis on trombone – on titles that include "Sleep", "The Casbah", "Limehouse Blues", and "Big Foot". LP, Vinyl record album

Incredible material from Max's "plus 4" group that included Ray Draper, George Coleman, Booker Little, and Art Davis! The band at the time was forging a haunting mix of hardbop and lyrical modernism, and was driven by Max's progressive vision and rich talent for selecting just the right players for just the right moments. This Newport set by the group is far better than most of the other late 50s Newport snoozers, and it catches them playing some nicely open-ended versions of tracks like Kenny Dorham's "Villa", Booker Little's "Minor Mode", and Eddie Vinson's "Tune Up". Also features a nice extended version of "Love For Sale". LP, Vinyl record album

A killer batch of hardbop tracks – no-nonsense, straight-ahead, and with all the fire of Roach's work with Clifford Brown! The set was recorded a few years after the untimely death of the Brown/Roach group – and although the album's got "Charlie Parker" in the title, there's a lot more going on here than just a bop revival mode. Players include Kenny Dorham, Hank Mobley, and George Coleman – and the album's got that Prestige Records feel from the late 50s, similar to some of Mobley's own work for that label at the time. Titles include "Yardbird Suite", "Confirmation", "Koko", "Billie's Bounce", and "Au Privave". LP, Vinyl record album

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A massive live document of the power of Rush in their early years – mostly just guitar, bass, and drums – but used with intensity and imagination on titles that include "Bastille Day", "Anthem", "Bytor & The Snow Dog", "Fly By Night/In The Mood", "Lakeside Park", "Working Man/Finding My Way", "Something For Nothing", and even a full rendition of the "2112" opus! LP, Vinyl record album

The second great live album from Rush – with versions of "La Villa Strangiato", "Tom Sawyer", "Spirit Of Radio", "Red Barchetta", "Passage To Bangkok", "YYZ", "Closer To The Heart", and "Jacob's Ladder". LP, Vinyl record album

Maybe the first true moment of genius from this Canadian trio – with the sublime title cut, plus "Best I Can", "Rivendell", "In The End", "Anthem", and the epic "By-Tor & The Snow Dog". LP, Vinyl record album

An early 80s classic from Rush – a set that continued their new love of keyboards, but which also still followed with all the strengths of their late 70s greatness! The drumming of Neil Peart is superb throughout, Alex Lifeson still gets in plenty of fantastic guitar, and Geddy Lee really knocks it out of the park to bring that special sort of magic to the lyrics. The record continues that more personal, down to earth approach to subject matter that made Permanent Waves so great – less high concept, more daily life, but still plenty of that cosmos-searching magic from their mid-70s run onwards! Titles include "The Camera Eye", "Limelight", "YYZ", "Red Barchetta", "Tom Sawyer", and "Vital Signs". LP, Vinyl record album

A standout performance from organist Marcel Dupre – one of the leading soloists of the Mercury Living Presence series, heard here in the company of Paul Paray and the Detroit Symphony! The performance of "Symphony No 3 In C Minor (op 78)" by Saint-Saens is wonderfully vivid – organ used to new heights of color, without some of the darker, moodier qualities from earlier compositional generations – all of which is brought out even more strongly by the excellent recording. LP, Vinyl record album

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Titles include "Lovedrive", "Holiday", "Can't Get Enough", "Is There Anybody There", "Coast To Coast", "Always Somewhere", "Loving You Sunday Morning", and their classic "Another Piece Of Meat". LP, Vinyl record album

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This 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". LP, Vinyl record album

The first, and perhaps the most conventional album by Spanky & Our Gang – but still pretty darn insane! The group 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. LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album