A nice lean set from Barclay James Harvest – a record that gets more to the core of their sound after the larger arrangements of some of their albums for Harvest Records – in a way that also seems to bring out more of an edge in their songwriting, too! The shift is somewhat subtle, but effective – as the quartet manage to find ways to make simple guitar and keyboard lines come across with this flowing vibe that often makes the sum sound way more than its parts – especially when set to the inventive themes covered by some of the album's lyrical topics! The drums are great, too – seemingly stronger than before – and titles include "Negative Earth", "Paper Wings", "The Great 1974 Mining Disaster", "Mill Boys", "Poor Boy Blues", and "Child Of The Universe". LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

A very cool project – one that was initiated by the late Tony Allen in collaboration with Detroit keyboardist/percussionist Jeff Mills – and which is carried forth here by a trio with a really soaring, far-reaching vibe! Percussion is at the core – played both by Mills and by Prabhu Edouard, who adds in all this great work on tablas, which grounds the acoustic side of the record – as Jean Phi Dary plays keyboards along with Mills, and really sends the whole thing climbing to the skies! There's a mix of jazz and broken beat energy going on here – although the beats certainly aren't broken, and we're using that reference to indicate some of the best spiritual inspirations of the 4Hero generation. Yet these guys are definitely onto something new, and very much their own – on titles that include "Rising Water", "Words Of Wisdom", "Peace Pipe", and "Metamorphosis". LP, Vinyl record album

Barclay James Harvest sound almost a bit more melancholy here than on previous records – maybe just because the leadoff hit track "Hymn" has a brooding message on drug deaths – but also because there seems to be a slightly more intense quality to their overall approach! The group are in very comfortable, confident territory – so much so, they can slow things down a bit and move with a brooding sense of soul that almost seems a precursor to the power ballad scene that would emerge a few years later. These tracks are still nicely free of the schmaltz of those – but definitely have a sense of compression that points the way forward – on titles that include "Hymn", "Love Is Like A Violin", "Leper's Song", "Taking Me Higher", "Spirit On The Water", "Sea Of Tranquility", and "Hard Hearted Woman". LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

Titles include "Heart Of Gold", "Old Man", "The Needle & The Damage Done", "Are You Ready For The Country", and "A Man Needs A Maid". LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

Fantastic Isleys from the mid-70s! The record has the group dropping their heavy funk style (which was sounding a bit tired by this point), and picking up a strident soul groove that buoyed their tracks with a spiritual sound that reminds us of some of the best moments from the Brother Brother Brother album! This one includes the incredible song "Harvest For The World", one of the most anthemic soul songs of the 70s – and a monster groover that mixes message-driven vocals with some tight guitar work. Other tracks include "You Still Feel the Need", "Let Me Down Easy", and "People of Today" – and the whole album's one of the group's best from the 70s! LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

A wonderful departure for Kevin Ayers – an album that's a lot lighter and more whimsical than his original fame with Soft Machine! The tunes are extremely playful, and often quite catchy – almost a Donovan-esque blend of folksy roots and jazz inflections – but tuned a bit more towards trippier ends, thanks to instrumentation that includes celeste, electronics, flute, oboe, kazoo, cello, organ, and a wide range of different guitars! David Bedford handled arrangements, and other players on the session include some ex-Soft Machine comrades – like Hugh Hopper and Robert Wyatt! Ayers' vocals are produced with a nicely compressed quality that squeezes them in alongside the instrumentation – and titles include "Joy Of A Toy Continued", "The Lady Rachel", "All This Crazy Gift Of Time", "Eleanor's Cake", and "Girl On A Swing". LP, Vinyl record album

The amazing debut of Be Bop Deluxe – a record that's made up of all sorts of familiar parts, yet somehow really manages to set itself apart as a whole! The young Bill Nelson is at the top of his game here – a hell of a guitarist, which we sometimes forget in his later work – and a vocalist with a sinister edge that gives the record a sense of darkness that matches the compressed production and overall moody vibe – a child of the Bowie/Bolan generation, but one that's a real black sheep of the family too! The strength of the record is impossible to sum up in easy words – but it's there for the hearing, right from the very first note – on titles that include "Jet Silver & The Dolls Of Venus", "Axe Victim", "Love Is Swift Arrows", "No Trains To Heaven", "Jets At Dawn", "Rocket Cathedrals", and "Third Floor Heaven". LP, Vinyl record album

The "air" here might well refer to the charged atmosphere in the arena during the live show that makes up this set from Be Bop Deluxe – a nice summation of everything that Bill Nelson and the group had done on their studio classics from the mid 70s, maybe stripped-down here a bit away from the studio! Yet somehow, the music also has that wonderful sense of compression that the group always got – a way of layering the sound at a level that's maybe post-glam, pre-punk, and without some of the fuller trappings of ELO, with more of a focus on the guitar. The whole approach holds up surprisingly well on stage – and titles include "Shine", "Fair Exchange", "Sister Seagull", "Blazing Apostles", "Life In The Air Age", and "Ships In The Night". LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

Great work from this cool Dutch group – a quratet with lots of piano and organ from bassist Robert Verwey, lead guitar and "mouthorgan" from Ron Meyjes, percussion from Frans Smit, and vocals and flute from Michel Van Dijk! The set's after Jan Akkerman left the group, but they still have a pretty striking progressive sound. LP, Vinyl record album

With "Europa & The Pirate Twins", "Flying North", "Weightless", "Leipzig", "Windpower", "She Blinded Me With Science", "Commercial Breakup", "Urges", "Airwaves", "Radio Silence" and "Cloudburst At Shingle Street". LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

One of the true giants from the Harvest Records prog years – a masterpiece of a trio album, and one that has even more power than most fuller groups of the time! The core lineup features John Gustafson on bass and vocals, Pete Robinson on keyboards, and Mick Underwood on drums – and the trio do a fantastic job of shifting modes from track to track, really keeping things interesting as the subject matter and song length shifts. There's also some nice use of additional strings – arranged by Robinson, handled by Paul Buckmaster – and titles include "Gemini", "Laughin Tackle", "Entropy", "Black Sheep Of The Family", "Good Lord Knows", and "Up On The Ground". LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

Titles include "On The Run", "Money", "Us & Them", "Any Colour You Like", "Brain Damage", "The Great Gig In The Sky", and "Time". LP, Vinyl record album

Titles include "One Of These Days", "A Pillow Of Winds", "Fearless", and "Echoes". LP, Vinyl record album

A great way to enjoy these two sublime early albums from Pink Floyd – in a cool 70s Hipnosis package, to boot! LP, Vinyl record album

A group so great and so groovy, they ended up having a huge influence on the early sound of hip hop – thanks to a wonderfully funky sound at the core of their progressive rock groove! Babe Ruth have this rhythmic impulse that's really amazing – a way of working bass, drums, and percussion together with qualities that go way past just prog rock noodling – and have this focus that really fits the lead vocals and guitar of Alan Shacklock, who also handled all the arrangements for this mighty debut too! Titles include their classic cut "The Mexican" – a famous sample cut from way back, with nice use of acoustic guitar and a Morricone riff too – plus versions of Zappa's "King Kong" and Jesse Winchester's "Black Dog" – and the originals "Wells Fargo", "The Runaways", and "Joker". LP, Vinyl record album

The debut classic from this legendary UK group – with their cool two-part "For Doctor Spock" – plus "Evening Over Rooftops", "The Birth", "Piece Of My Own", "Madhatter", "Getting Hard", and "What Is A Woman For". LP, Vinyl record album

A legendary bit of jazzy prog – with flute and saxes from Dave Arbus, next to lead vocals and bass from Dave Jack, guitars from Jim Roche, and drums and percussion from Jeff Allen – a very cool group! LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

A really cool set from the Danish scene – folksy acoustic work at the core, but expanded with nice use of larger instrumentation, including work by a few jazz musicians too! LP, Vinyl record album

A killer album from Soft Machine – one that's maybe a bit tighter and more rock oriented at times than the jazz workouts of their previous numbered albums – although still all instrumental, and with the kind of top-shelf instrumentation that we've always loved from the group! This time around, the guitar of Allan Holdsworth gets plenty of well-deserved time in the spotlight, and the keyboards of Mike Ratledge are too – while Karl Jenkins serves up some wonderfully sharp lines on reeds – as the group are driven by the heady bass of Roy Babbington, and monstrous drums of John Marshall! The set begins with the blistering five part "Hazard" – followed by other cuts that include "Gone Sailing", "Bundles", "The Floating World", "Four Gongs Two Drums", and "Peff". LP, Vinyl record album

Killer live work from this legendary German group – two side-long jams, with a good blend of guitar, bass, and drums with all sorts of offbeat percussion and effects! And heck, they even sneak in a bit of Pharoah Sanders on the long track "First Jam". LP, Vinyl record album

Excellent group harmony work from this long-running ensemble – a set of tracks that includes "Count Your Blessings", "There's Power In The Blood", "The Harvest Is Past", "Beams Of Heaven", "I Love To Call His Name", and "Sunshine Always Follows Rain". LP, Vinyl record album

A classic set in the best Verve Records mode – as these two mature giants of the tenor sax get lots of room to open up and solo with a great rhythm section at the core! Both Hawkins and Webster have a fantastic sense of tone and timing – and the space of the record really lets you hear the charms of both in equal measure – with backing from Oscar Peterson on piano, Herb Ellis on guitar, Ray Brown on bass, and Alvin Stoller on drums. The best tracks have lots of room – plenty of space so that the tenors aren't "encountering" each other in too close of quarters, with space to express themselves freely – and titles include "Blues For Yolande", "Rosita", "Shine On Harvest Moon", and "You'd Be So Nice To Come Home To". LP, Vinyl record album

It's the end of the 70s, and the Isleys are still going strong – keeping it real by dropping some of the fake funk of a few years before, and going for a smooth soul sound that would be one of their biggest strengths during the early 80s. This sound can be heard to perfection on the tracks "Say You Will" and "Here We Go Again", both wonderful numbers that have this strident groove that's part "Harvest For The World", part compressed guitars and keyboards working in a smooth wall of sound. Those two alone are more than worth the price of the record, and other titles include "Pass It On", "Go All The Way", and "The Belly Dancer" – all done in the Isleys' trademarked "part 1 & 2" style! LP, Vinyl record album

A legendary pairing of talents – as Japanese jazz singer Kimiko Kasai works alongside Herbie Hancock – in a setting that's very much on the soul side of the spectrum! Both Herbie and Kimiko started out with a straighter jazz sound in their early years – but by the end of the 70s, they'd both picked up plenty of influences from R&B – although Kasai's work was largely unknown to American audiences. This set is one of those rare Japanese-only sessions by Herbie at the time – a few of which have gotten released overseas as the decades have gone on – and Hancock is in his best keyboard groove, and also gets additional help on the keys from Webster Lewis – who no doubt brings a strong soul current to the music too. Other musicians include Bennie Maupin on soprano and tenor sax, Paul Jackson on bass, Ray Obeido on guitar, Alphonse Mouzon on drums, and Bill Summers on percussion – in a groove that's like a tighter take on the sound of The Headhunters. Kimiko sings in English – and titles include some great versions of Herbie Hancock tunes – including "Maiden Voyage", "Sunlight", "Butterfly", "Tell Me A Bedtime Story", and "Harvest Time" – plus a great take on Stevie Wonder's "As", the cut "Head In The Clouds", and the funk-steeped opener "I Thought It Was You". LP, Vinyl record album

A cool collection of vocal songs from the world of soundtrack maestro Ennio Morricone – many of which are more unusual than some of his bigger themes, and brought together here as a great addition to the Segreto series! The work runs from the early 60s to the early 70s – and the package mixes together dreamy female vocal numbers, catchy western themes, and plenty more great bits – all at a level that also showcases the way the maestro was working in Italian vocal music during the 60s, before moving more firmly into the world of cinema. The package features 21 rare tracks in all – including one number by a singer who's completely unknown – with titles that include "Splash" by Peter Boom, "Fruscio Di Foglie Verdi" by Trio Junior, "Una Stanza Vuota" by Lisa Gastoni, "Pioggia Sul Tuo Viso" by The Sorrows, "Nuvole" by Jimmy Fontana, "You & I" by King Harvest, "Luce Chiara Per Vergine" by Edda Dell'Orso, "Filastrocca Vietnamita" by Sergio Endrigo, "Metti Una Sera A Cena" by Florinda Bolkan, and "Matto Caldo Soldi Morto Girotondo" by I Cantori Moderni Di Alessandroni. LP, Vinyl record album

An obscure album by a group from Milwaukee – recorded at a time when that city didn't have much of a scene at all – which left these guys to perform in a coffee house for all the songs on the album! The set's got a vibe that's up-close, and more tightly produced than just a local live record – really great acoustics that bring out the personal, folksy qualities of the songs – which get strong direction from group leader Bill Camplin on vocals and guitar. The overall vibe is maybe more Marin County or Woodstock than any Midwestern music of the period – and titles include "Jesse's Mountain Range", "The Harvest", "Old Man", "Hold On", "Save The Life Of A Simple Child", "Red Velvet", and "Can A Star Disappear". LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

A mindblowing first album from ELO – recorded back at a time when the group were taking the "Orchestra" in their name seriously, and when the group included Roy Wood! While Jeff Lynne's nascent pop genius is firmly in place already, the album's also awash in some of Wood's madder, folksier touches – making for a juxtaposition of styles that really amazing. Strings, guitars, oboes, and horns all come together in a post-folk mode that conjures up images of a crumbling England that stretches back to years before the birth of the British Empire! Titles include "First Movement", "Mr Radio", "Manhattan Rumble", "10538 Overture", "Look At Me Now", and "Whisper In The Night". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the most fantastic Pharoah Sanders albums – and one that we'd rate head and shoulders above most of his other work! You rarely see this one, which is a shame, because it's not only a beautiful spiritual masterpiece, but it's also got a sound that's very unique, and a nice shift from the Impulse records too! Pharoah's playing with a small group that includes instrumentation you don't usually hear on his albums – like organ and guitar – but the addition of these instruments is used in a way that augments Pharoah's spiritual style, not suppresses it – in a lineup that includes guitar from Munoz, organ from Jiggs Chase, bass from Steve Neil, drums from Greg Bandy, and percussion from Lawrence Killian – all very unusual players, which furthers the unusual sound of the album! Pharoah vocalizes a bit on a version of "Love Will Find A Way" that has a warm spacey groove, and a nice conga base – and the other tracks on the LP are "Harvest Time" and "Memories Of Edith Johnson". This beautiful package also includes rare material added to the album – two long live takes of "Harvest Time", a tremendous track that features Khalid Moss on electric piano and Pharoah stretching out in Teresa Records soulful modes – plus great notes as well! LP, Vinyl record album

One of the last records made by avant sax legend Albert Ayler – a really mind-expanding album that's unlike anything else he ever did! By the time of the record, Ayler had made a full round trip between the New York and European jazz scenes – leaving important influences wherever he went, and trying desperately to pick up new ones the further he moved on. Here, he's working in a style that's a bit like that of Archie Shepp at the time – still steeped in free jazz and new thing ideals, but infused with a free-thinking approach to the music that allows for bold new styles and sounds. In addition to his own stunning work on tenor, Ayler's also blowing bagpipes and vocalizing a bit next to singer Mary Maria, who does a great recitation on one track of the record. Rhythm is by the two-bass team of Stafford James and Bill Folwell, next to drums by Muhammad Ali – and the whole thing's capped off by guitarist Henry Vestine, who plays in modes that range from bluesy to free. At the time, this one was kind of dismissed as a messed-up mistake that occurred at the end of Ayler's too-short life – but honestly, over the years, this record really really opens itself to us more and more, and we have to say that we think it's one of his most groundbreaking albums! Titles include "Island Harvest", "Drudgery", "Oh Love Of Life", "Masonic Inborn (part 1)", and "A Man Is Like A Tree". LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

Here's the side of 70s Isleys that we like the best – the mellow side! This tasty little collection features some hits by the group, but the best part about it is that it's got a focus on some of the more soulful ballads and laidback material, with less of the harder funky stuff. Tunes include such slow jam classics as "For The Love Of You (parts 1 & 2)", "Summer Breeze", "You Are Love", "Harvest For The World", "Hello It's Me", "That Lady (parts 1 & 2)", and "Hope You Feel Better Love (parts 1 & 2)". LP, Vinyl record album

Titles include "Cirrus Minor", "The Nile Song", "Ibiza Bar", "A Spanish Piece", and "Up The Kyber". LP, Vinyl record album

Kevin Ayers is still in fine form here – maybe a bit less mad than on his early Harvest records, but not that much less! Olli Halsall provides a lot of great guitar – and titles include "Star", "Mr Cool", "The Owl", "Help Me", "Ballad Of Mr Snake", "Everyone Knows The Song", and "Falling In Love Again". LP, Vinyl record album

Eire Apparent have some pretty famous names on the back cover of this debut set – including Jimi Hendrix, who acted as producer – and a young Robert Wyatt, who is credited with "help and encouragement"! Yet the group are more than great enough on their own, even without name-dropping references – and the record's got his nice blend of light psych touches, harder rock guitar solos, and more – all swirled together at a level that almost feels like some of the hipper Harvest or Parlophone albums of the period – maybe no surprise, as the group actually hail from the British Isles. Titles include "Yes I Need Someone", "The Clown", "Mr Guy Fawkes", "Someone Is Sure To Want You", "Let Me Stay", "Morning Glory", "Magic Carpet", and "Captive In The Sun". LP, Vinyl record album

Howard McGhee had a bit of a checkered recording career over the years, but the material he cut for Savoy was some of his strongest – and showed the bop trumpter as one of the more innovative players of his generation, willing to experiment with more interesting arrangements and styles than some of his contemporaries. We're not sure if this 2LP set contains all of Maggie's work for Savoy, but it's got a heck of a lot of stuff, with great notes, and even some unissued material. Titles include "Bass C Jam", "Fiesta", "Belle From Bunnycock", "Royal Garden Blues", "Lady Be Good", "Harvest Time", "Short Life", and "Talk Of The Town". LP, Vinyl record album

An aptly titled album, given how important Urbaniak was to the sound of 70s fusion – and a tightly wrapped batch of tracks that features this Polish violinist really grooving hard on a number of tracks. The general approach here is a keyboard/violin one – with Urbaniak dancing nicely with a range of keyboards played by Adam Mackowicz and Wojciech Karolak, all fiercely jamming, but always with enough space to be funky. Ursula Dudziak sings on a few cuts – and titles include "Good Times Bad Times", "Bahamian Harvest", "Seresta", "Fusion", and "Bengal". LP, Vinyl record album

A late 70s pressing of some classic Verve sides from the 50s, featuring two masters of the tenor, blowing side by side in a couple of small group settings: one with rhythm backing by Oscar Peterson, Herb Ellis, Ray Brown, and Alvin Stoller and the other with Jimmy Jones, Les Spann, Ray Brown and Jo Jones, plus Roy Eldridge and Budd Johnson in the frontline. The best tracks have lots of room – plenty of space so that the tenors aren't butting heads with each other in too close of quarters, with space to express themselves freely. Titles include "Blues For Yolande", "La Rosita", "Shine On Harvest Moon", "You'd Be So Nice To Come Home To", "It Never Entered My Mind", "De-Dar", "Time After Time", "Young Bean" and "In A Mellowtone". LP, Vinyl record album

An album with a subtle approach, but a real richness in sound – maybe a lean take on spiritual modes from years back, delivered mostly on a range of keyboards, bass, and percussion from leader Jake Mehew, but with some strong contributions from other players throughout! This isn't just one of those beats and keys albums that call themselves jazz, but aren't – as Jake's approach is loose, spontaneous, and really has a great way of mixing his own Fender Rhodes and piano with the soprano sax and flute of Joel Stedman, tenor and keyboards of Chris Duffin, and turntables and other elements from NikNak. The title "Freefall" is a bit outside, but most of the rest of the record glows with a wonderfully warm sound – on titles that include "The Black Nation", "Sage", "Astral Coastline", "The Harvest", and "Say What Again". LP, Vinyl record album

Although Blue Note is probably one of the most iconic record labels on the planet, the company's also done a great job of reinventing itself as the years go on – always showing that they've still got an ear for the same sort of new talent that made Blue Note so important back in the day! This time around, the label's following a bit of the spirit of their previous Re:Imagined set, in that they're also working with a fair bit of young artists from the UK scene – but the set list is also maybe a bit less slavish to hits from the Blue Note catalog, which really opens up the overall sound of the record with a mix of very different vocal and instrumental contributions! As before, the scope is great, and the package is a double-length one – with titles that include "Fort Worth" by Binker Golding, "It" by Yazz Ahmed, "Through The Noise" by Nubiyan Twist, "Don't Know Why" by Partheope, "Morning Side Of Love" by Ego Ella May, "Green With Envy" by Oscar Jerome & Oscar #Worldpeace, "Lost" by Daniel Casimir with Ria Moran, "Epistrophy" by Theon Cross, "Feel Like Making Love" by Kay Young, "Harvest Moon" by Maya Delilah, "Infant Eyes" by Reuben James, and "Where Are We Going" by Venna & Marco. LP, Vinyl record album

The album that changed everything for Metallica – catapulting them from patron saints of unrelentingly heavy thrash metal to reluctant (at first, anyway) mainstream superstars! The production is glossier sounding than ever before, and whether that compromised the rawer brutality of their heaviest moments is debatable to this day – but that's countered by the slow-building, incredible songcraft (the shortest one is over 5 minutes long) and all around ambitiously structured material. Includes "Blackened", "Eye Of The Beholder", the game-changing "One", "Harvester Of Sorrow", "To Live Is To Die", "Dyers Eve" and more. LP, Vinyl record album