A really great idea for a book on records – and one that's completely different than most that we've seen before! Unlike other books of this nature, which are filled with "essential" or "classic" records – this book is full of flops, or records that never really hit the heights, but which are pretty darn great overall! In the eyes of the authors – and our eyes too – all of these records are under-acknowledged gems – some by big names, others by more obscure artists – lots of which never got their full due at the time. The book is filled with some of our favorite records of all time – which is a big hats off to the long list of contributors, who include Miriam Linna, Steve Shelly, Peter Holsapple, Russ Titelman, Marshall Crenshaw, Bob Irwin, Lenny Kaye, and many others – who've come up with a set of essays on titles that include The Living Legend by Baby Huey, Gene Clark & The Gosdin Brothers, Continued by Tony Joe White, Delta Sweete by Bobby Gentry, Entertainment by Family, Desertshore by Nico, Young Mod's Forgotten Story by The Impressions, Roots by The Everly Brothers, Rock Bottom by Robert Wyatt, and lots lots more! The book is filled with records that we love, and that we'd now call classic – served up in a hefty softcover edition that's almost 400 pages in length, with black and white images throughout. Book

A second great dip into the world of "flop" albums from the past – records that maybe didn't dent the charts or make anyone a fortune at the time – but which have gone on to become the stuff of legend over the years! These aren't crappy records or total dreck – and instead, many are musical masterpieces that weren't appreciated when they were released, but which have grown to gain huge respect as the decades have moved on – albums by The Kinks, Lee Dorsey, Fred Neil, Dead Boys, Gang Of Four, Roxy Music, Willie Nelson, and dozens of others – each summed up here in an essay that runs a few pages for each record – along with images of the covers in black and white, and other pertinent details as well! The book is arranged chronologically – records from 1963 through 1989 – and this edition is 392 pages, with mostly black and white images, and a few color ones as well. Book

First volume of this rare recording of live material by Bob Dylan – issued here with no label in a plain white cover! LP, Vinyl record album

... 12-inch, Vinyl record

Clean edited freestyles over "Looking At The Front Door", "Who Got Da Props", "Warm It Up Kane", and "Children's Story" – essentially remakes of the original tracks from Black Rob's perspective! 12-inch, Vinyl record

... 12-inch, Vinyl record

... 12-inch, Vinyl record

... 12-inch, Vinyl record

With Busta Rhymes on the remix. 12-inch, Vinyl record

"Bah Na Na Na!" liberally samples Vince Guaraldi's "Linus & Lucy". 12-inch, Vinyl record

A nice slice of the Brooklyn underground, produced by Kenny Dope. 12-inch, Vinyl record

... LP, Vinyl record album

Answer record 50 Cent's "How To Rob" by the former Onyx MC, done in full beat jacking mode. 12-inch, Vinyl record

... 12-inch, Vinyl record

Produced by Timbaland. 12-inch, Vinyl record

... 12-inch, Vinyl record

Raw rockabilly from Arkansas – with work by Bobby Brown & The Curious, plus Johnny Moore, K Owens, Chuck Comer, Earl Smith, and Bill Duniven! LP, Vinyl record album

Reworks of Mulatu Astatke's "Yegelle Tezeta" and Oscar Sulley's "Bukom Mashie"! 12-inch, Vinyl record

With Nas and Joe. 12-inch, Vinyl record

With Pak Man. 12-inch, Vinyl record

... 12-inch, Vinyl record

With Jadakiss and Left Gunz in "Diamond In Da Ruff". 12-inch, Vinyl record

AWB's first for Atlantic – and a nice slice of funk that proves that they can mix it up with the best groups of the 70s! The record's got plenty of sweet electric keyboards over smooth funky basslines – and as the years go by, the band's white boy vocals don't sound nearly as bad as we remember them. And besides, when they play their instruments so nicely – how can you hold the singing against them? Includes the killer classic "Pick Up The Pieces", sampled more times than we can remember – plus "You Got It", "Just Wanna Love You Tonight", "Person To Person", and a nice remake of the Isley Brothers' "Work To Do". LP, Vinyl record album

An obscure soul set on the legendary Sun Records label – raw vocals from Frank Ballard, done in a style that still has a few older R&B currents in the mix, but which is definitely pointed strongly towards a 60s groove! Backings are by the band of tenorist Phillip Reynolds, and the sound here is a lot more in the King Records mode than you'd expect from Sun – plenty of grit in the grooves, and with some great work on piano, guitar, and tenor next to the vocals! Frank earlier sung with tenor man Curtis Amy, but he's really at the top of his game here – and titles include "Trouble Down The Road", "Rollin In", "After Hours", "Do Wa Diddi", "Is Anybody There", and "Just Leave It With Me Baby". LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

A really cool Canadian group from the 60s – an all-native lineup of members from the Tsimshian Nation – but working here in a raw garagey style that's totally great! The drums are lean and powerful, guitar follows suit, and vocals often have a surprisingly charming quality – tuneful, and harmonized with a nice sort of sweetness at times. The group famously recorded on Wisconsin's powerhouse Cuca label, home to some great raw singles back in the day – and this set brings together their rare 45 for that label, plus rare demos and unissued material – in their first-ever full length set, with titles that include "Don't Let It Bother You", "Do Lord", "I Won't Be Around", "The Sun Is Shining", "Ebony Eyes", "You Don't Need Me Anymore", "Don't You Leave Me Behind", "I Shouldn't Have Did What I Done", and "I Need Your Lovin". LP, Vinyl record album

A really cool look at a label that was maybe one of the hippest things the Beatles ever did – the short-lived Zapple imprint – which was part of their main Apple label, but dedicated to more experimental work from a variety of musicians and writers! The imprint is perhaps best remembered as the home of more avant recordings by John & Yoko, and by George Harrison – but it also presented material by Allen Ginsberg, Charles Bukowski, Charles Olson, Lawrence Ferlinghetti, and other key underground figures – a legacy that would have been enormous, had it continued. The book is put together by Zapple label manager Barry Miles – and includes loads of photos and images too – studio shots, ads, and a lot more elements that help bring this lost label to life once again! 272 pages, hardcover, with some black and white images. Book

Older Charlie Parker material – originally recorded as 78rpm releases for Savoy, packaged up here in full LP form, along with alternate takes and a great cover, in the years after his early death! Players include Miles Davis on trumpet, Tiny Grimes on guitar, Dizzy Gillespie on trumpet and piano, Duke Jordan and John Lewis on piano, and Max Roach on drums – and titles include "Red Cross", "Sippin At Bells", "Little Willie Leaps", "Donna Lee", "Chasing The Bird", and "Half Nelson". LP, Vinyl record album

A tremendous record from one of the hippest soul singers ever – and an album that has Gil Scott-Heron really pushing forward after his initial classics for the Flying Dutchman label! There's less spoken material here and more sung passages – as Gil's really discovering his confidence as a singer, moving effortlessly between jazz and soul – and getting superb accompaniment from Brian Jackson, who plays both acoustic and electric piano next to Gil's electric. Backings are spare – just bass and drums – and it's no surprise that the album was released on the legendary Strata East label, as it rivals the rest on that imprint for righteous spiritual power! Titles include Gil's classic "The Bottle" – which went on to become a huge hit in many versions – plus the beautiful "Your Daddy Loves You", heard here in the original version – and the tunes "Peace Go With You Brother", "Back Home", "Rivers Of My Fathers", and "A Very Precious Time". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the last truly outside albums recorded by Archie Shepp in the 70s – a French performance that's very similar to the open-ended, freely-blown recordings he did for the BYG/Actuel label a few years before! The record captures Shepp in territory that's different than some of the more structured recordings and sets of standard material he'd soon be giving the world – and he blows tenor with unbridled energy on long live tracks – working with a very cool group that includes the great Charles Greenlee on trombone, plus Dave Burrell on piano, Cameron Brown on bass, and Beaver Harris on drums! The band plays with a perfect style that matches freer soloing with soulful modal rhythms – and as a French-only release, it's one of the more obscure Archie Shepp sessions from the period. Titles include "Hipnosis", "U-Jaama", "African Drum Suite", and the amazing "Blues For Don L Duck". LP, Vinyl record album

A gorgeous visual celebration of the legacy of Motown – a huge full-color book that features rare photographs, magazine ads, record jackets, labels, and lots lots more – all presented with a history of the label as well! And yes, there have been plenty of books written about the legendary soul music label – but this one really knocks it out of the park with its huge selection of images – countless photos that we've never seen before, and all sorts of images and ephemera that really trace the history of the label in a way that's almost more detailed than the text inside. This heavy softcover edition is 400 pages in length, full color throughout – and a must for any fan of Motown! Book

A well-recorded set from the 60s, done with a very rootsy vibe – with some guest work from Big Willie on washboard, and some spoken material on side two! LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

... 7-inch, Vinyl record

... 7-inch, Vinyl record

... LP, Vinyl record album

About as classic as you can get from these Rockford rockers – with cuts that include "Hello There", "Southern Girls", "Downed", "Big Eyes", "You're All Talk", "Oh Caroline", and "I Want You To Want Me" LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

An excellent set by BB King – one of his best from the 60s, and a smoking live set recorded at Chicago's legendary Regal Theatre! The enthusiasm at the venue shows that BB's Memphis-honed style is a perfect fit for the electrified Chicago sound of the 60s – and the recording really brings out some wonderful responses from the audience – making the record a blues equivalent of James Brown's famous Live At The Apollo set! The record features introductions by Chicago DJs Pervis Spann and E Rodney Jones – and tracks include "Every Day", "Please Love Me", "Worry Worry", "Woke Up This Morning", "Help The Poor", and "You Upset Me Baby". LP, Vinyl record album

Beautiful 50's material from Jimmy, and some of the best recordings you could ever find by him! The style is classic, with Jimmy's light wispy voice floating over the top of melancholy arrangements of tracks like "Address Unknown", "It's Over", "Am I Wrong", and "I'll Never Deceive You". Sure, his revival years have been pretty good – but this is the real deal, and the record's darn hard to find! LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album