EMI/BGO (UK), 1971.
One of the most creative albums ever from UK composer Neil Ardley – and that's saying a lot, given the complexity of his other work! The set's got a wonderful blend of jazz arrangements and some freer passages – scored by Ardley with some of his most sensitive, most beautiful music ...
Bear Family (Germany),
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Bear Family (Germany),
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Vertigo/Esoteric (UK),
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Made In Germany (Germany),
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Mainstream/Sundazed, Late 1960s. (reissue)
One of the headier groups in the Mainstream Records psychedelic scene of the late 60s – and that's saying a lot, considering the company the act were keeping on the label! December's Children features both a male and female vocalist, each of whom sing a bit solo, but also come together in ...
Reprise/Sundazed, 1966. (reissue)
A very cool later album from Duane Eddy – done at a time when his old wonderproducer Lee Hazlewood was having great success at Reprise – where he invited Eddy for an update of their previous style! Duane's in the lead on guitar, and tunes have a very groovy 60s vibe – with titles ...
Colpix/Sundazed, 1965. (reissue)
An unusual one for Duane Eddy – and pretty darn groovy too – produced by Lee Hazlewood, and with a version of two Hazlewood songs – "Houston" and "Not The Lovin Kind".
Parlophone, 1998. 2LP
The classic debut of Air – one of the fresher avant pop albums of the late 90s to say the least, and one of the best since then, too! Perhaps the greatest achievement here is how they deftly layer such broad influences of the preceding few decades – from soaring string film schools, to ...
Philips/Endless Happiness, 1970. (reissue)
The legendary first album from Kraftwerk – a groundbreaking set recorded when the group was more of a proggish outfit, and still yet to make their mark in the world of electronics! As with early work by Cluster, the instrumentation here is often from more conventional rock sources, but ...
Philips/Endless Happiness, 1970.
Essential early material by Gal Costa! The record is her first after the immediate Tropicalia years, and it's a stunning blend of styles that seems to draw heavily from changes going on in the American rock scene at the time. The core of the music is still steeped in Brazilian elements – ...
Superior Viaduct, 1983. (reissue)
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Organic Music/Black Truffle (Austria), 1984. (reissue)
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Kaleidoscope Sound (UK), 1967. (reissue)
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Parlophone, 1974. (reissue)
David Bowie at his most sinister for the 70s – a landmark set that combines the harder rocking sound of the Ziggy Stardust years with the more sophisticated theatrics of Aladdin Sane – in a style that features some of the darkest, most political work of Bowie's career! There's a depth ...
Parlophone, 1974. (reissue)
David Bowie at his most sinister for the 70s – a landmark set that combines the harder rocking sound of the Ziggy Stardust years with the more sophisticated theatrics of Aladdin Sane – in a style that features some of the darkest, most political work of Bowie's career! There's a depth ...
Purple Pyramid, Late 1970s.
A great package – one that features some wildly experimental work from French electronics whiz Philippe Besombes! First up is the album Libra – tripped out electronics meet progressive rock jamming – all in a weird and wonderful film score from the early 70s! The record's one of ...
Atlantic/Now Sounds (UK),
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Lawson (Japan), (reissue)
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Arista/BGO (UK), 1981.
Gino Vannelli still going strong well into the 80s – hitting this sweet blend of soul, rock, and crossover vibes – all in a style he virtually invented for himself in the 70s! The long perm look may have kept Gino out of crates in later years, but there's a top-quality feel to the ...
Columbia/Esoteric (UK), 1970.
One of those landmark meetings of mighty talents that sounds even better on record than it does on paper – as the set somehow finds this really special space that's completely between all the best early 70s modes of both Terry Riley and John Cale! Cale was really coming into his own at the ...
Fiction/Rhino, 1983. (reissue)
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Bear Family (Germany), Late 1950s/Early 1960s.
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Polydor/Esoteric (UK), 1971.
Julie Driscoll's come a long way from her years with Brian Auger here – stepping out in a freer sound that marks the shift in the British scene from beat group grooving to jazz-rock jamming. The session features a host of likely suspects from that hip side of the scene where avant jazz and ...
Uni/Tune In (UK), Late 60s.
A pair of classics from Strawberry Alarm Clock – back to back on a single CD! First up is their classic Incense & Peppermints – dreamy pop psych from Strawberry Alarm Clock – a great late 60s group who skirted the worlds of Sunshine Pop and more jamming garage rock! This ...
Burchette Brothers/Numero, 1976. (reissue)
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Burchette Brothers/Numero, 1976. (reissue)
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Burchette Brothers/Numero, 1976. (reissue)
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Burchette Brothers/Numero, 1976. (reissue)
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Burchette Brothers/Numero, 1975. (reissue)
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Burchette Brothers/Numero, 1975. (reissue)
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Burchette Brothers/Numero, 1973. (reissue)
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Burchette Brothers/Numero, 1973. (reissue)
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Ebos/Numero, 1972. (reissue)
"Now you can experience transcendental consciousness without spending 10 years in a Tibetan monastery" – or so the liner notes proclaim – a pretty great description of what's bound to happen after making your way through this very trippy album from the early 70s! The set's ...
Ebos/Numero, 1972. (reissue)
"Now you can experience transcendental consciousness without spending 10 years in a Tibetan monastery" – or so the liner notes proclaim – a pretty great description of what's bound to happen after making your way through this very trippy album from the early 70s! The set's ...
Vault, 1969. (reissue)
Late 60s hard blues & psychedelia infused rock from Floating Bridge – a group that sounds clearly indebted to fellow Pacific Northwester Hendrix – but hold their own very well on a hard grooving mix of covers and originals. The group either gigged a ton back in the day or were ...
Vault, 1969. (reissue)
(RSD Essentials pressing – on pink & sky blue splatter vinyl! Quantities strictly limited.)
Vault, 1970. (reissue)
A record with a sound that's as wonderfully swirling as its cover – material from a short-lived Cali group of the early 70s, and one who deliver this set with all the best elements of the big groups of the time – but with a much more laidback vibe! Their harmonies can really be ...
Westbound/ORG, (reissue)
(RSD Essentials pressing – on "purple crush" vinyl! Quantities strictly limited.)
Reprise/Esoteric (UK), 1974.
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Columbia/Esoteric (UK), 1973.
Quite a compelling album from the great and sometimes-overlooked Al Stewart – a set that really showcases the evolution in both his songwriting and subject matter – all at a level that seems wonderfully unconcerned with any sort of chart hit or commercial crossover! At this point, Al's ...
Atlantic (Japan), 1972. 2LP (reissue)
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Warner (Japan), 1971. (reissue)
One of the heaviest albums to ever come from Japan – a wicked batch of tripped-out, fuzzy tunes to rival the hardest rock from the UK at the time! Flower Travellin Band have a basic approach that's build on pounding drums and rumbling basslines – and although the guitars are fierce too ...
Atlantic/Lawson (Japan), (reissue)
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Atlantic (Japan), 1972. (reissue)
A classic record by this important Japanese band, and one that was actually made in Canada, despite the title – at a time when the group were visiting, and managed to create this wonderful record with a very relaxed, organic vibe! Vocals are in English, and lead singer Joe Yamanaka has a ...
Mag/Munster (Spain), 1970. (reissue)
One of our favorite South American rock records of all time – and maybe even one of our favorite rock albums too – a magnificent set by this sublime Peruvian group – done with a sound that's somewhere between late Beatles, early Bee Gees, and ELO in their prime! Yet the ...
Universal/Lawson (Japan), 1979. (reissue)
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Philips/Lawson (Japan), 1984. 2LP (reissue)
Great work from Junko Ohashi – one of those Japanese singers who seem to have a very global appeal, even if you can't understand the lyrics! Ohashi's got an expressive style that reaches back into older modes of vocalization in Japanese pop, but delivers the lyrics with this cool, focused ...
Shanachie, 2004.
Simply incredible work from Swing Out Sister – a group who left the charts decades ago, it seems, but who sound better and better with each passing year! This album may well be their best so far – a swirling blend of soul, jazz, bossa, and 60s mod touches – put together with an ...
Bear Family (Germany), 2CDs
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Strawberry Rain, Mid 70s. (reissue)
It's impossible to simmer down with a groove this great – a wicked blend of African funk and fuzzier psych touches – all served up by Nigeria's legendary Survival! The set was recorded at Ginger Baker's Arc Studios, and has his own blend of rootsy elements, complicated rhythms, and ...
Zambezi/Strawberry Rain, 1976. (reissue)
Plenty of fuzz and plenty of spirit – a wonderful debut from this African group of the 70s – a combo who work here with equal parts of influence from Jimi Hendrix and some of the other Zamrock groups of the time! Lyrics are in English, and have this blue-toned quality that's really ...
Odeon/Life Goes On, 1970. (reissue)
An incredible early album by this legendary Brazilian band with a strong late 60s/early 70s progressive flair! While not as countercultural as Os Mutantes or other Tropicalia artists, Som Imaginario shared with them a sense of pure musical inventiveness, and a love of psychedelic flourishes – ...
Sdban (Belgium), 1970s. 2LP
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Sdban (Belgium), 1970s.
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Gearbox (UK), 2020.
A sharp blend of edgey guitar, offbeat vocals, and lots of other electronic elements – but still served up with plenty of warmth, thanks to the unique approach of Thiago Nassif! Nassif works here with contributions from Vinicius Cantuaria and Arto Lindsay – and in a way, his music is ...
Gearbox (UK), 1971.
Amazing sounds from Nico – material recorded for the BBC during that wonderful early 70s stretch when she had firmly broken from the Velvet Underground, and was really making some mindbending music of her own! The vibe here is a lot like Desertshore – with very spare instrumentation ...
Pass/P-Vine (Japan), 1980. (reissue)
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Jazzman (UK), Late 1950s/Early 1960s.
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Dawn/Wiseraven (Italy), 1970. (reissue)
Titles include "Alibi Annie", "Home Again", "One Way Glass", "Is It Loud?", "Candle Light", "Devil Comin'" and more.
Bellaphon/Kray (Germany), 1977.
Very cool work from Psi – a hip 70s German group who were partly fusion, partly prog – in that special sort of blend shared by a rare few contemporaries – such as Embryo, Perigeo, or Zzebra! As with all three of those groups, the musicians here are clearly schooled in jazz, but ...
Warner/Lawson (Japan), 1983. (reissue)
That's a great 80s sense of design on the cover, and the album's got a nice sort of 80s vibe too – a bit more drum machine beats, basslines, and keyboards than work by some of the jazzier city pop artists of the time – a mode that really seems to bring out the best in the vocals of ...
Philips/Universal (France), 1971.
French rocker Johnny Hallyday hits the 70s, with a sound and style that's a bit funky, and a bit touched by some of the crossover American trends coming out of the LA rock scene. This one's arranged mostly by Mickey Jones and Tommy Brown, who'd done some excellent work with Hallyday on earlier ...