An especially-grooving single by A Certain Ratio – one that takes the bass-heavy street funk of "Knife Slits Water", and serves it up in an even moodier mix on the a-side! The original tune is great enough for our ears – and was one of our favorite Factory Records moments on ... (Soul) read more12-inch, Vinyl record
(UK pressing in the die-cut cover, with light edge wear, mild corner bends.)
King Sunny Ade —
Ade Special ... CD Island (Japan), Early 80s. Used ...
Out Of Stock
A great little 90s album from pianist Monty Alexander – done for the short-lived Jamaica Jazz segment of Island Records, and in a mode that's a bit different than some of the straighter jazz records that Alexander had been cutting for years! Monty's Caribbean roots were never a secret, and ... (Jazz) read moreCD
An incredibly wonderful record from The Art of Noise – their first full LP, following the ep Into Battle With – and a much more open-ended array of beats, sounds, and that wonderful chunky Trevor Horn production! The album's got versions of some of the older singles – like "B ... (Soul) read moreLP, Vinyl record album
(Red label pressing. Cover has ring and edge wear.)
Kevin Ayers, Brian Eno, John Cale, Nico & others —
June 1, 1974 ... LP Island, 1974. Near Mint- ...
Temporarily Out Of Stock
A British art rock jam session, more or less, pulled together by Soft Machine bassist Kevin Ayers, who recruited Eno, John Cale and Nico, former bandmate Robert Wyatt, the enigmatic Rabbit (John Bundrick) on keyboards – more well known for his work with the Who – plus Mike Oldfield on ... (Rock) read moreLP, Vinyl record album
Bronco —
Country Home ... LP Island, 1970. Near Mint- Gatefold ...
Temporarily Out Of Stock
A fantastic album of funky folk, or folky funk – but maybe no surprise, since the great Jess Roden is in the group on vocals! Roden always seems to be attached to music that finds its own sort of groove – and that's definitely the case here, as acoustic instrumentation is used in ways ... (Rock) read moreLP, Vinyl record album
(US pink rim label pressing. Includes the Island inner sleeve. Cover has a cutout hole and small split in the top seam.)
By All Means —
Beyond A Dream ... CD Island/Universal (Japan), 1989. New Copy ...
Out Of Stock
By All Means kick off this set with a cover of Marvin Gaye's classic "Let's Get It On" – but they also announce their special sound right from the very first note too – a laidback groove that's in that perfect late 80s mellow soul mode, with just a hint of new jack elements in ... (Soul) read moreCD
By All Means —
By All Means ... CD Island/Universal (Japan), 1988. New Copy ...
Out Of Stock
Warm soul from By All Means – a key group in the quiet storm soul years of the mid 80s – one that's equally well-suited to mellow numbers and more upbeat groovers! The trio features two male vocalists and one female – Jimmy Varner, Billy Sheppard, and Lynn Roderick – but ... (Soul) read moreCD
John Cale —
Island Years ... CD Island, 1974/1975. Used 2 CDs ...
Out Of Stock
Great mid 70s work from Jimmy Cliff! Recorded not long after his landmark Harder They Come LP, this one's got the same soulful sound that put that album over the top – and and a rawly emotional intensity that really packs a strong punch. It's an incredible set – and if The Harder They ... (Reggae) read moreLP, Vinyl record album
Jimmy Cliff & Others —
Harder They Come ... LP Island, 1972. Very Good+ Gatefold ...
Out Of Stock
A record that's not only a landmark in Jamaican music – but also a set that was to reggae what Curtis Mayfield's Superfly was to 70s soul! In other words, the set not only raised the bar for all the competition, it also ended up in a lot more record collections than most of them too – ... (Reggae) read moreLP, Vinyl record album
(Mango/Capitol pressing, with Wally etch. Cover has light wear & aging.)
Betty Davis —
Nasty Gal ... LP Island, 1975. Very Good- ...
Out Of Stock
The biggest-label release ever cut by 70s funk legend Betty Davis – but a set that's every bit as hard and heavy as the indie dates that preceded it! Davis is at the top of her form here – bad-stepping amidst the heavy drums and freaked-out guitars that easily made her one of the ... (Soul) read moreLP, Vinyl record album
(Black label pressing with GOL etch. Includes the printed inner sleeve. Cover has some ringwear, edge wear, and lightly bent corners.)
One of our favorite albums ever from the legendary Paco De Lucia – and a set that really has the guitarist coming into his own – stepping past even his rich flamenco roots, and coming up with a new style that's practically a genre unto itself! Paco's sense of imagination here is ... (Global Grooves) read moreLP, Vinyl record album
Mostly instrumental tracks from hip hop djs and producers including Rob Swift, Prince Paul, DXT, Invisible Scratch Pickles, Q-Bert, DJ Krush, New Kingdom, all overseen by Bill Laswell. Much better than your average Axiom stuff. Cover art by Rammellzee. 14 tracks in all, including "Reanimati ... (Hip Hop) read moreCD
One of the best ever albums from maestro Will Downing – a smooth rolling, impeccably arranged gem of an album from the early 90s – with a timeless sound that's as fresh and breezy as ever! The production is immaculate, without losing any of the warmth and emotion – a clean ... (Soul) read moreCD
Godlike work from the legendary Nick Drake – and exactly the kind of record that's made him a continuing legend over the years! The style is completely its own – not really folk or rock, but not really jazz either – yet served up with plenty of jazzy phrasing that's helped keep ... (Rock) read moreCD
Includes the albums "Five Leaves Left", "Bryter Layter", "Pink Moon", and the compilation "Time Of No Reply". (Rock) CD
Nick Drake —
Pink Moon ... CD Island, 1972. New Copy ...
Temporarily Out Of Stock
A beautiful treasure from the legendary Nick Drake – the last album he ever recorded – and a set that may well be his most personal as well! The sound here is even more stripped-down than before – often just vocals and acoustic guitar, but used together in ways that are really ... (Rock) read moreCD
Brian Eno at the crux of his career – hanging perfectly between the guitar-heavy glam of earlier years, and the spacey electronics of later material – both of which he presents wonderfully on the record! The album is one of his last to feature real rock songs, with the kind of vocals ... (Rock) read moreLP, Vinyl record album
Paid In Full, indeed. Eric B & Rakim's seminal album still pays off in so many ways, and it was such a vital link between the party rockin' style of the old school and the terse, hard-hitting beats and rhymes of what was then the new school, we can't even come up with the words for the praise ... (Hip Hop) read moreCD
Melissa Etheridge —
Melissa Etheridge ... LP Island, 1988. Near Mint- ...
Temporarily Out Of Stock
Fairport Convention —
Full House ... CD Island/Ryko, 1970. Used ...
Temporarily Out Of Stock
A full house, and a strong change for Fairport Convention – working here without founder Ashley Hutchings or vocalist Sandy Denny – but finding their way forward through the new strengths of Richard Thompson! Thompson contributed more songs to this album than before, and also joins the ... (Folk/Country) read moreCD
Live material from Fairport Convention – recorded in London and Sydney, and marking the return of Sandy Denny to the group! Denny's sweeter vocals help the group shake off some of the darker moods of the few previous records – and although there's a bit of the power of early albums ... (Folk/Country) read moreLP, Vinyl record album
The record where it all really came together for Fairport Convention – the point at which the already-great group really stepped forward to become something totally unique! By this point all the key elements are firmly in place – sublime vocals from the great Sandy Denny, amazing ... (Folk/Country) read moreLP, Vinyl record album
A pivotal album from Fairport Convention – hardly the "holiday" you might expect from the title, and instead a set that has the group really reaching out for some new ideas and styles in their music! Sandy Denny is firmly in place here – taking the lead on most numbers – ... (Folk/Country) read moreCD
A very cool set of work – a box set that brings together six different pic sleeve singles from Roxy Music legend Bryan Ferry – most of which were not issued in the US! The images alone are great – shots of Ferry in his youth, including a few images with a surprisingly slick ... (Rock) read more7-inch, Vinyl record
Frankie Goes To Hollywood —
Liverpool ... LP Island, 1986. Sealed ...
$9.99
Arguably one of the greatest concept albums of the 80s – and the only really strong full length album cut by Frankie Goes To Hollywood! At the time of the set, the group was riding high on the success and controversy of their singles "Relax" and "Two Tribes" – but ... (Soul) read moreCD
Dean Fraser —
Pumpin' Air ... LP Island (UK), 1984. Very Good ...
Out Of Stock
Reggae reeds from Dean Fraser – with some nice Fender Rhodes and keyboard too – recorded at Dynamic Sounds and Aquarius, with titles htat include "Rent A Car", "Redemption Song", "Stop Look Listen", "For The Love Of You", "I'll Always Love ... (Reggae) read moreLP, Vinyl record album
An overlooked gem from that key moment when Island Records was pushing into some of the farther reaches of the UK scene – and turning out some really interesting records like this in the process! Luther Grosvenor worked in Spooky Tooth, but he's got a quality here that's very different than ... (Rock) read moreCD
An overlooked gem from that key moment when Island Records was pushing into some of the farther reaches of the UK scene – and turning out some really interesting records like this in the process! Luther Grosvenor worked in Spooky Tooth, but he's got a quality here that's very different than ... (Rock) read moreCD
Early work from Gwen Guthrie – produced by Sly & Robbie, but with a sweet modern soul sound that's got a lot less of their influence than you'd guess! The sound is much more New York than Jamaica – and that's probably due to some great instrumental backing on keyboards by the likes ... (Soul) read moreCD
Three overlooked albums by British singer Mike Harrison – all brought together in a single set! First up is the self-titled Mike Harrison – a wonderful solo debut from the singer who made Spooky Tooth sound so great on their albums, maybe even sounding better here on his own! The ... (Rock) read moreCD
The self-recorded 4 Track Demos for the Rid Of Me LP, an album eventually recorded by Steve Albini as one of the most surprisingly raw major label debuts of the early 90s – at a time when the majors were signing indie artists and putting out bigger sounding, more accessible versions of them, ... (Rock) read moreCD
The one that catapulted PJ Harvey from a critical favorite to something of a popular favorite on both the US and UK – and her most remarkable creative stride to date! At the time, it felt like this was the one where Polly Harvey made a conscious choice to go "big" with sound, ... (Rock) read moreLP, Vinyl record album
PJ Harvey is one of those artists who you'd really like to be a fly on the wall and bear witness to the makings of her best work, and if any her albums would be among the more vital on a more skeletal lavel – any mid 90s era modern classic in general, really – it'd be her To Bring You ... (Rock) read moreLP, Vinyl record album
Seminal sounds from The Heptones – and a record that really helped the older trio style of Jamaican music find a new home in the 70s roots reggae years! The vocals here are every bit as much in harmony heaven as reggae trios from a few years before – but there's also a tighter, more ... (Reggae) read moreLP, Vinyl record album
(US black label Island pressing. Includes the printed inner sleeve. Cover has light wear.)
A sweet set from the early years of the UK funk scene – the smoking debut from Hi Tension, and a set that's filled with sharp numbers throughout! There's a strong jazzy undercurrent to the music – a bit like some of the sounds you might hear from the Fantasy Records scene – no ... (Soul) read moreCD
A great 70s set from Paul Horn – played in a style that's a lot straighter than most of his work from the decade! The style here almost recalls the Paul Horn of earlier jazz years – mellow and laidback, with a real sense of space and sound that's influenced clearly by bossa nova and ... (Jazz) read moreLP, Vinyl record album
(Yellow label pressing. Includes the booklet. Cover has light wear.)
One of the strangest records ever from Ashley Hutchings – a set that's even more ancient-sounding and enigmatic than his music with Fairport Convention and Albion Band! In a sense, the album follows the spirit of both groups, and their effort to plumb the past and fuse it with the present ... (Folk/Country) read moreCD
Jade Warrior —
Kites ... LP Island, 1976. Near Mint- ...
Out Of Stock
One of the most ambitious records ever from Jade Warrior – a set that expands their core sound in a wonderful way, with all sorts of great guests who really add a lot to the music! As before, the duo of Tony Duhig and Jon Field are at the core – guitar, flute, and plenty of percussion ... (Rock) read moreLP, Vinyl record album
Four important albums from Jade Warrior – all brought together here in a single set! Floating World is the first album in Jade Warrior's mid-70s run for Island Records – and a set that marks a key shift for the group – a moment when they leaned even more heavily into their ... (Rock) read moreCD
Miles Jaye —
Miles ... CD Island/Universal (Japan), 1987. New Copy ...
$12.9914.99
Miles Jaye once played the cop in the Village People, but don't hold that against him – because by the time of this debut set, he'd really crafted his style as a soul singer – which makes the record a key part of a new trend in male soul for the late 80s! Jaye's got a cool, ... (Soul) read moreCD
Miles Jaye —
Miles ... LP Island, 1987. Very Good+ ...
Out Of Stock
Miles Jaye once played the cop in the Village People, but don't hold that against him – because by the time of this debut set, he'd really crafted his style as a soul singer – which makes the record a key part of a new trend in male soul for the late 80s! Jaye's got a cool, ... (Soul) read moreLP, Vinyl record album
Grace Jones —
Island Life ... CD Island, Late 70s. Used ...
Out Of Stock
Nicely selected collection of tracks from Grace Jones' years at Island Records – when she was a genre-bending club queen who turned out some pretty fantastic cuts. A few numbers on here don't hold up that well these days, but we're surprised at how fresh some of this material sounds – ... (Soul) read moreCD
One of Grace Jones' best albums – recorded at a point when she was really beginning to stretch the boundaries of club music, crossing over with the early 80s post-punk/post-disco crowd through a melange of sounds that was all her own. The oveblown diva mode of her disco years is gone by this ... (Soul) read moreLP, Vinyl record album
Grace Jones —
Muse ... LP Island, 1979. Very Good+ Gatefold ...
Out Of Stock
Great work from Grace Jones – still riding high on a disco wave here, but also finding her own space and sound too! The mighty Tom Moulton produced, ensuring some great sound for the set – and arrangements are by Thor Baldursson and John Davis, both of whom bring in nice sense of ... (Soul) read moreLP, Vinyl record album
One of our favorite albums ever from Grace Jones – a record that has her shedding some of the disco excesses of earlier years, and moving into a great blend of sounds that really showcases the energy of the New York scene from which she sprang! The album was recorded in Nassau, with help ... (Soul) read moreLP, Vinyl record album
(Includes the black inner sleeve.)
Grace Jones —
Portfolio ... LP Island, 1976. Very Good+ Gatefold ...
Out Of Stock
A landmark little record from Grace Jones – a set that started off as one of those "hey, let's see if this model can sing" sort of records – but which has gone onto become an enduring classic! Most of the tunes are older ones, but they're remade with a soaring Sigma Sound ... (Soul) read moreLP, Vinyl record album
Pretty nice later work from Grace! Although we prefer the percolating disco meets reggae records Grace Jones cut with Sly & Robbie to this later effort – but there's no denying that on a couple of numbers she really clicks with producer Trevor Horn's slick sheen. With "Ladies & ... (Soul) read moreLP, Vinyl record album
A pivotal album from Grace Jones – and a record that has her shedding some of her fuller styles from the disco years, and moving into some of the darker, colder grooves we always love the best! The title track is reason alone to buy the record – a remake of The Normal's "Warm ... (Soul) read moreLP, Vinyl record album
(Later pressing in the blue cover, with light wear.)
An excellent early album by funky guitarist Ronny Jordan! Back when everyone seemed to have lost their groove, Ronny emerged with a strong single-note style that reminded us a heck of a lot of Grant Green or Melvin Sparks. This record features some great backings behind Ronnie's guitar, arranged ... (Jazz) read moreCD
Remi Kabaka —
Son Of Africa ... LP Island/BBE (UK), 1976. New Copy 2LP Gatefold (reissue)...
$34.9939.99
A really funky set from the UK scene of the 70s – an album that mixes West African roots with some of the hipper elements going on in London at the time – a city where Remi Kabaka had been lending his talents to a variety of different records over the years! The set was issued by ... (Global Grooves) read moreLP, Vinyl record album
Remi Kabaka —
Son Of Africa ... CD Island/BBE (UK), 1976. New Copy ...
Out Of Stock
A really funky set from the UK scene of the 70s – an album that mixes West African roots with some of the hipper elements going on in London at the time – a city where Remi Kabaka had been lending his talents to a variety of different records over the years! The set was issued by ... (Global Grooves) read moreCD
The second album from Kid Creole & The Coconuts – a mad mix of grooves with a very unique style! The album follows August Darnell's pattern of blending 20s retro styles with early 80s dancefloor trends, touched with elements of the exotic – in keeping with the record's title – ... (Soul) read moreCD
Killers —
Hot Fuss ... CD Island, 2004. Used ...
Out Of Stock
Osamu Kitajima —
Osamu ... LP Island, 1977. Very Good+ ...
Out Of Stock
A great mix of modes from Osamu Kitajima – a set that's still got some of the exotic elements of his other material, but which also brings in a stronger fusion component too – mixing Kitajima's work on guitar and koto with plenty of Fender Rhodes and other great electric touches! The ... (Jazz) read moreLP, Vinyl record album
(Cover has light wear, aging, and a small trace of a price sticker.)
(Black label pressing. Cover has a cut corner and light wear. Vinyl has a press flaw that plays with a short click for a few spins during "Tuesday Morning" and "Time Away".)
A short-lived group, but a great one too – a quartet that features post-Free work from guitarist Paul Kossof and drummer Simon Kirke – each of whom sing a bit too! But the real strength of the album comes from the wicked keyboard work of John Rabbit Bundrick – who also sings a ... (Rock) read moreLP, Vinyl record album
Titles include "Big Heart", "Hair Street", "Fat House", "The Punch & Judy Tango", "Map Of Bubbles", and "They Were Insane". (Jazz) LP, Vinyl record album
(Cover has light wear, but looks fantastic overall.)
With John Lurie on alto saxophone, Evan Lurie on piano, Roy Nathanson on reeds, Curtis Fowlkes on trombone, Marc Ribo on guitar & banjo, Erik Sanko on bass, EJ Rodriguez on percussion & Dougie Bowne on drums. (Jazz) LP, Vinyl record album