Lots of bonus tracks – 10 more added to the original album! CD

One of Nick Lowe's best albums – the follow up to Jesus Of Cool, and another all-time classic that's especially incredible given how busy Lowe was as a producer at the time! It's a showcase for Nick's brilliance and breadth as a songwriter, with both charming and wickedly barbed guitar pop, country rock and beyond. It takes a particular genius to effortlessly span genres and to not have the results turn into a mess, and Nick Lowe is as particular as anyone. Includes "Cruel To Be Kind", "Cracking Up", "Big Kick, Plain Scrap", "Born Fighter", "Skin Deep", "Switchboard Susan", "Dose Of You", "Love So Fine" and more, plus the bonus track "Basing Street". CD

Mundell Lowe on guitar, Mike Wofford on piano, Bob Magnusson on bass, and Nick Ceroli on drums. CD

With Bob Magnusson on bass and Nick Ceroli on drums. CD

A massive set, and one that features way more material than this legendary group released back in the day – all the full albums from Brinsley Schwarz, plus unissued studio material and other rarities too! The group were named after their guitarist, Brinsley Schwarz – but the group also featured key work from a young Nick Lowe, sounding wonderful here before going out as a solo act – and, with Schwarz, really helping to craft that smaller group, pub rock-styled approach that was such a strong antidote to prog and classic rock excesses of the period! There's a very down to earth vibe on many of these cuts – not entirely the roots rock of the US scene, but not far off – and also already echoing some of that tunefulness that Lowe would continue in his own recordings and productions – almost a secret evolution of a mod aesthetic, but hidden amidst other 70s trappings. Maybe we're pitching it wrong – but the records don't lie, and have plenty to tell here – full albums Brinsley Schwarz, Despite It All, Silver Pistol, Nervous On The Road, Please Don't Ever Change, The New Favourites Of Brinsley Schwarz, and It's All Over Now – plus dozens of bonus tracks, both live and studio – including work as The Brinsleys, The Hitters, and Limelight. 132 tracks on 7CDs, with very detailed notes! CD

An album with a very mod-looking cover – and a set that's also overflowing with lots of mod-styled tracks to match – a cool current of soul from the 60s, but still handled with the sharper 70s vibe of young Attractions! Production is by Nick Lowe – and although The Jam were also turning towards more soul-styled sounds at the time, Elvis and Lowe may well have done them one better with this set. Titles include "Love For Tender", "Opportunity", "The Imposter", "Secondary Modern", "King Horse", "Possession", "High Fidelity", "Riot Act", "Human Touch", "Beaten To The Punch", and "I Can't Stand Up For Falling Down". Remastered with 10 bonus tracks. CD

Prime Elvis Costello work from his early run with The Attractions – a set that's overflowing with tunes that are catchy yet biting, and which get superb production from Nick Lowe! Titles include "Oliver's Army", "Green Shirt", "Party Girl", "Good Squad", "Moods For Moderns", "Two Little Hitlers", "Accidents Will Happen", "Senior Service", and "What's So Funny Bout Peace Love & Understanding". LP, Vinyl record album

With Nick Lowe! LP, Vinyl record album

With guests Nick Lowe and the Stray Cats! LP, Vinyl record album

The fun fun soundtrack to Rock 'N' Roll High School – that gloriously, knowingly trashy Roger Corman produced movie vehicle for the Ramones! Of course The Ramones are all over the soundtrack, but it's got a bunch of 70s new wave and hard rock from Devo, Eno, Nick Lowe, Todd Rundgren and more – even a version of the title track by PJ Soles in character as Riff Randell. Includes "Rock N Roll High School", "I Want You Around", a medley of "Blitzkrieg Bop", "Pinhead", "California Sun" and more by The Ramones, "Come Back Jonee" by Devo, "Energy Fools The Magician" by Eno, "So It Goes" by Nick Lowe, "School Days" by Chuck Berry, "School's Out" by Alice Cooper and more. LP, Vinyl record album

With selections by Alberto Y Lost Trios Paranoias, Ian Dury, Nick Lowe, The Damned, Elvis Costello, Motorhead, Wreckless Erick, The Adverts, and Mick Farren & The Deviants. LP, Vinyl record album

Includes songs by Tab Hunter, Pat Boone, Nick Todd, the Dell-Vikings, Jim Lowe, Ronnie Love & his Orchestra, Jimmy Dee & the Offbeats, the Shields, and more – 14 tracks total. CD

A compilation of early recordings by Rod Stewart, Billy Joel, David Bowie, Linda Ronstadt, Dave Edmunds, Boz Scaggs, Warren Zevon, Jeff Lynne, Willie Nelson, Nick Lowe, and Greg & Duane Allman. LP, Vinyl record album

Features work by Madness, Lena Lovich, Nick Lowe, The Adverts, Wreckless Eric, The Yachts, The Belle Stars, Elvis Costello, Richard Hell, and many others! CD

Prime Elvis Costello work from his early run with The Attractions – a set that's overflowing with tunes that are catchy yet biting, and which get superb production from Nick Lowe! Titles include "Oliver's Army", "Green Shirt", "Party Girl", "Good Squad", "Moods For Moderns", "Two Little Hitlers", "Accidents Will Happen", "Senior Service", and "What's So Funny Bout Peace Love & Understanding". LP, Vinyl record album

With Nick Lowe on "Baby, It's You". 12-inch, Vinyl record

19 songs from Eddie & The Hot Rods, Nick Lowe, Wreckless Eric, The Motors, Tom Robinson Band, Kursaal Flyers, Squeeze, The Only Ones, XTC, The Boys, and more. CD

Prime Elvis Costello work from his early run with The Attractions – a set that's overflowing with tunes that are catchy yet biting, and which get superb production from Nick Lowe! Titles include "Oliver's Army", "Green Shirt", "Party Girl", "Good Squad", "Moods For Moderns", "Two Little Hitlers", "Accidents Will Happen", "Senior Service", and "What's So Funny Bout Peace Love & Understanding". Lots of bonus tracks too! CD

Easily the grooviest album that Eydie Gorme ever cut – a set that's well known for its classic title track, but which is filled with breezy bossa numbers throughout! Few other American singers ever got the light, lively spirit of bossa this right back in the 60s – and although Eydie could sometimes be an overly-expressive singer on other records, she's got a compact touch here that's perfect for the jazzy arrangements of Nick Perito and Billy May – which themselves often use a bit of Hammond organ from Dick Hyman to give the tracks lots of Walter Wanderley-ish sort of grooves! Other instrumentalists include Pacheco on flute and Mundell Lowe on guitar – and titles include the classic "Blame It On The Bossa Nova", plus "The Coffee Song", "The Message", "One Note Samba", "The Gift", "Almost Like Being In Love", "Moon River", "Desafinado", and "Dansero". LP, Vinyl record album

The second album from Principal Edwards Magic Theatre – and arguably even better than the first, thanks to some really focused production from Nick Mason! The sound here has more of the building elements of psychedelia you'd expect from Mason's history with Pink Floyd – and a bit less of the flowery looseness of Principal Edwards' debut – and the new focus is a really welcome addition, as it helps the group find a new level of power in their music they might never have attained! There's still plenty of folksy instrumentation and trippy themes in the tunes – but the guitars are more electric, the studio tricks more dynamic, and the overall record is a much more pleasing bit of ear candy that stands up well to the test of time. Titles include "Freef", "Total Glycerol Esther", "Mc Alpine's Dream", and "Asmoto Running Band". LP, Vinyl record album

An assortment of tracks recorded together under the Downbeat name, but which was really designed to showcase the budding jazz talents on late 50s Dot Records! The set kicks off with a big band, Basie-ish number – "Blues Over Easy", performed by Manny Alban and jazz greats that include Nick Travis, Gene Quill, and Jerome Richardson. Next up is the Tony Scott quintet with Jimmy Knepper – on a version of "Scrapple From The Apple" – followed by 2 tracks by Steve Allen – one trio, one with a quartet with Georgie Auld – "Rose Room" and "The Fast Thing In C". Paul Horn follows up with "Give Me The Simple Life" – and the set's completed by "Dougy's Buggy" performed by the Don Elliott Quintet, with Elliott on trumpet and vibes, plus bass clarinet by Hal McKusick. CD

Where the girls are is right here – served up in a beautiful blend of rare tracks from the mid 60s – almost all of them in a female group mode, at a time when that style was really hitting new heights in American popular music! The work here is a mixture of rock and soul, and almost all of it features female harmonies set to sublime pop production – modes that range from west coast dreamy to Brill Building groovy – all laid out in an extended track list that also includes a few never-issued tracks as well! This series has been running for quite some time, but it's always a great one – and we're amazed at how the folks at Ace keep turning up nuggets we never would have heard otherwise – all presented with wonderful sound, and full notes to support the whole collection – a lot more than you can say for dodgier sets on the market. Titles include "Billy Sunshine" by Evie Sands, "With A Kiss" by The Bluezettes, "Don't Forget" by The Murmaids, "That's The Way It Is" by The Sweet Three, "Moon Walking" by The Blossoms, "More Than A Friend" by The Wooden Nickels, "On A Rainy Night" by The Flowers, "What Did You Do Last Night" by The Drake Sisters, "I Can Tell I'm Losing Your Love" by Lena Calhoun & The Emotions, "You Better Stop It" by The Lovelites, "Ballyhoo" by Ramona King, "Bad Boy" by Christine Cooper, and "Baby I Miss You" by The Popsicles. CD

Plenty of percussive groovers from Pupi Campo – and titles include "Earl Wilson Mambo", "Mambonick", "Wha Hoppen", "Negra Consentida", "Son De La Loma", and "Mambo Rhapsody". LP, Vinyl record album

Fantastic early work from Gil Evans – emerging here in this early session as an already far-thinking modernist. The tracks are shorter and less ambitious than some of Evans' work on Impulse, but the group is excellent – and even in a shorter format, the conception of the work still contains plenty of rich new ideas. Players include Louis Mucci, John Carisi, Steve Lacy, Willie Ruff, Paul Chambers, Nick Stabulis, and "Zeke Tolin" on alto, who is certainly a more famous player under a fake name. Titles include "Ella Speed", "Big Stuff", "Jambangle", "Nobody's Heart", and "Remember". LP, Vinyl record album

A surprisingly wonderful solo set from Steve Lawrence – recording away from Eydie Gorme here, but sounding plenty great on his own! Lawrence has a wide-ranging vocal style that really comes out in this album – an ability to swing a tune with a simple turn of a phrase, and a way of putting over a ballad that makes us wonder why he never shined more brightly as a solo romantic act on his own. Nick Perito contributed some equally dynamic arrangements to the set – matching Steve's finger-snapping swing on the upbeat numbers, but sitting back nicely to let the vocals dominate on the mellower ones –and although the tunes are mostly familiar ones, they're given a new sort of energy here. Titles include "Hooray For Love", "All About Love", "Isn't It A Pity", "Too Late Now", "Love Is A Season", "Blah Blah Blah", and "Lover In The House". LP, Vinyl record album

A beautiful double-length package of work from drummer Louis Moholo – a 2CD set that features one record from recent years, and a key classic from the 70s! Spirits Rejoice is one of the strongest 70s statements from ex-Blue Notes drummer Moholo – recorded in the company of fellow expatriots and UK avant jazzers that include Johnny Dyani, Evan Parker, Kenny Wheeler, Nick Evans, Radu Malfatti, and Harry Miller. The album shifts easily between strongly rhythmic passages that show Moholo's roots in the South African jazz scene, and other, freer sections that also illustrate his importance in the European avant scene of the 70s – and overall, the record's got a beautifully soulful quality that guides it well through all of these moments. Titles include "Wedding Hymn", "Khanya Apho Ukhona", "Ithi Gqi", "Amaxesha Osizi", and "You Ain't Gonna Know Me". That record is followed here by 1995's Bra Louis Bra Tebs – a session with a similar style, especially in its use of African-inspired rhythms – but one that also features a different lineup, and some great use of vocals! Francine Luce sings on a number of the album's best tracks – in a style that's almost an avant-tuned approach to vocalese, and which seems to carry echoes of Norma Winstone – a voice that's dreamy one minute, challenging the next – and often used as a key instrument in the combo's lineup of tenor, alto, trumpet, piano, bass, and drums. Titles include "Utshaka", "Maybe Of Cause", "Moegoe", "Sonke", and "Lakutshona Ilanga". CD

An incredibly beautiful set of work from Arthur Russell – one of the few records to be issued under his own name during his tragically short life – and a hauntingly spare blend of vocals, hand percussion, and solo cello – recorded with more than enough echo to live up to the title! The style is incredibly hard to peg – at times delivered with an almost Nick Drake-like approach that's extremely personal, but also sharing some styles with the mellower work of Suicide and other New York art rock groups from Russell's generation. Russell's voice billows out in a field of echo, directed almost imperceptibly by resonant notes on an electrified cello, and bumped along by muted rhythms that have almost no "attack" but lots of delay. One thing is extremely clear: that the album, which virtually died upon release back in the 80s, was years ahead of its time – and has a quality that easily ranks it as one of the most inventive recordings of its decade. The whole thing's as surprisingly appealing as it is experimental, and this extra-deluxe package features a number of additional tracks. Titles include "Wax The Van", "Tone Bone Kone", "Answers Me", "Being It", "She's The Star/I Take This Time", "Tree House", "See Through", "Lucky Cloud", "Happy Ending", "Tower Of Meaning/Rabbit's Ear/Home Away From Home", and "Our Last Night Together". CD

A very hip gospel group – and one that features a young Nick Ashford and Valerie Simpson! LP, Vinyl record album

Only an EP, but one that packs plenty of punch – thanks to strong production from Blockhead on most of the tracks, with help from El-P and Aesop Rock himself! The set begins with the iconic "Daylight", followed by the counterpart "Night Light" – then runs through a no-skit, all-tight set of tracks that more than makes up for the shortness of the set. Vast Aire guest on "Nickel Plated Pockets" – and other cuts include "Bracket Basher", "Forest Crunk", "Alchemy", and "Maintenance". LP, Vinyl record album

Drummer Shinnosuke Takahashi has a hell of a combo here – a group who can swing one minute, step outside the next, and then hit more sensitive spare passages too – maybe no surprise, given that one of the key members of the group is the legendary pianist Yosuke Yamashita, who has a few really standout moments in the set! The group also features nicely sharp-edged work on alto from Atsushi Ikeda, and bass from Kengo Nakamura – the last of whom is a player we don't know much, but who can be bold or sensitive, depending on the moment. Titles include a great take on Ornette's "Ramblin" – plus "Bird Food", "African Flower", "Big Nick", "Straight Up & Down", and "Blues 4 Us". CD

One of the most modern moments from Don Elliott in the 50s – a twin-trumpet album that's awash in counterpoint experiments of the time! Trumpeter Rusty Dedrick joins Don in the frontline – working together in tight head arrangements that have a strong chamber feel to them, but then opening up into more fluidly expressive solos that are the main strength of the set. Other players include Mundell Lowe on guitar, Eddie Safranski on bass, and Don Lamond on drums – as well as Dick Hyman, who handled all the arrangements and wrote a good number of the tunes! Titles include "Mine", "Vampire Till Ready", "Your Own Iron", "Dominick Seventh", "The Bull Speaks", and "Henry's Mambo". CD

Slinky Hammond organ grooves and feverish boogaloo soul from Kansas City combo Chris Hazlelton's Boogaloo 7 – their first full length studio set after a series of great singles and live album – totally living up to our high expectations! Hazelton is on the Hammond at the center of the sound, giving it a classic jazz funk foundation – but he's a generous bandleader, giving the group plenty of space to shine – with Pat Conway on conga & percussion, Brett Jackson, Nick Rowland & Zak Pischonotte on saxes, Matt Hopper on guitar, Danny Rojas on drums and others. Titles include a nice take on Melvin Sparks's "Bambu", the Hazleton originals "Fryin' Pan", "Turnin' Up The Burner", "The Basement Beat", "Tru-Galu" plus killer cover of Sharon Jones & The Dap-King's modern classic "100 Days, 100 Nights". CD

A rare rocker from Jamul – a group who are somewhere right on the cusp between blues rock and hard rock territory – working with equal amounts of both in this obscure debut! The record's a great illustration of the way that so many groups who grew up playing blues rock in bars during the 60s were discovering styles that were forming into hard rock at the start of the 70s – guitar lines informed by older modes, but played with a heck of a lot more power – and vocals that push things a bit more than any blues singer might – to the point where they often hit a rasping sort of frenzy! There's still a bit of the old modes here – occasional harmonica lines and slower numbers – but it's the heavier tunes that really shape the record. Titles include "Ramblin Man", "Valley Thunder", "All You Have Left Is Me", "I Can't Complain", "Nickel Thimble", and "Sunrise Over Jamul". LP, Vinyl record album