... 78 RPM, Vinyl record

A host of great guitarists, all coming together to pay tribute to one of their own – the mighty Pat Martino, an artist on the strings from his early years in the 60s in organ combos, through his very creative 70s material, into a great run of albums in later years too! Pat's memory is in great company here – on tunes that have a nicely lean vibe, and really allow for plenty of space for guitar solos – sometimes with two artists in the lineup, shifting their sound nicely – sometimes just a single player on the cut, depending on the tune! Most tracks feature the same group on rhythm – Kevin Kozol on keyboards, Dezron Douglas on bass, and Allan Mednard on drums – and titles include "Inside Out" with Adam Rogers and Peter Bernstein, "Black Glass" with Kurt Rosenwinkel, "Line Games" with Fareed Haque, "Joyous Lake" with Nir Felder and Oz Noy, "Noshufuru" with Rez Abbasi and Jeff Miles, "Willow" with Ed Cherry and Sheryl Bailey, "Lament" with Russell Malone, "Country Road" with Jeff Harrison, and "On The Stairs" with Dave Stryker and Paul Bollenback. CD

Quite possibly the greatest moment of genius ever from Black Sabbath – and a genre-changing record that influenced generations! The group are at their lean, raw best here – free from any cliches at all, and working in an incredibly heady brew of fuzzy guitar, romping bass, and dark drums – all topped by the instantly recognizable screech of the young Ozzy Osborne! Guitarist Tony Iommi virtually redefines rock use of the guitar with this record alone – and the Oz follows suit with some of the creepiest vocals set to record ever. Titles include the classics "Paranoid" and "Iron Man", plus "War Pigs", "Planet Caravan", "Electric Funeral", "Hand Of Doom", and "Rat Salad". LP, Vinyl record album

... CD

... 12-inch, Vinyl record

... LP, Vinyl record album

Huge, dark, and heavy – an album of mythical proportions, and that's a lot to say for a mainstream album – especially one that crossed over as big as this one! It would be hard to imagine the modern rock landscape without this album or group, who provided the template for so much music to follow – and the soundtrack to many bong-fueled excursions to the dark side – a huge legacy in sound, but one that may well still be best begun on this landmark self-titled album! Titles include "Black Sabbath", "The Wizard", "Behind The Wall Of Sleep", "NIB", "Wicked World", and "Warning". CD

Huge, dark, and heavy – an album of mythical proportions, and that's a lot to say for a mainstream album – especially one that crossed over as big as this one! It would be hard to imagine the modern rock landscape without this album or group, who provided the template for so much music to follow – and the soundtrack to many bong-fueled excursions to the dark side – a huge legacy in sound, but one that may well still be best begun on this landmark self-titled album! Titles include "Black Sabbath", "The Wizard", "Behind The Wall Of Sleep", "NIB", "Wicked World", and "Warning". LP, Vinyl record album

Play at 33.3 speed for some extra doom and gloom in all Sabbath glory. 7-inch, Vinyl record

Quite possibly the greatest moment of genius ever from Black Sabbath – and a genre-changing record that influenced generations! The group are at their lean, raw best here – free from any cliches at all, and working in an incredibly heady brew of fuzzy guitar, romping bass, and dark drums – all topped by the instantly recognizable screech of the young Ozzy Osborne! Guitarist Tony Iommi virtually redefines rock use of the guitar with this record alone – and the Oz follows suit with some of the creepiest vocals set to record ever. Titles include the classics "Paranoid" and "Iron Man", plus "War Pigs", "Planet Caravan", "Electric Funeral", "Hand Of Doom", and "Rat Salad". CD

A pivotal album for Black Sabbath – a set that further expanded the instrumental palette of their previous work, but all without losing an edge at all – for a record that forever helped cement their role in both the classic and hard rock canons of the 70s! Ozzy is great throughout, and both he and Tony Iommi bring in a bit of keyboard work, but in just the right way – almost adding a more sinister edge to the guitars – echoed by some especially nice acoustic piano at times, particularly on the instrumental cut "Fluff". Titles include the seminal title track "Sabbath Bloody Sabbath" – plus "A National Acrobat", "Sabbra Cadabra", "Spiral Architect", "Looking For Today", and "Killing Yourself To Live". LP, Vinyl record album

A pivotal album for Black Sabbath – a set that further expanded the instrumental palette of their previous work, but all without losing an edge at all – for a record that forever helped cement their role in both the classic and hard rock canons of the 70s! Ozzy is great throughout, and both he and Tony Iommi bring in a bit of keyboard work, but in just the right way – almost adding a more sinister edge to the guitars – echoed by some especially nice acoustic piano at times, particularly on the instrumental cut "Fluff". Titles include the seminal title track "Sabbath Bloody Sabbath" – plus "A National Acrobat", "Sabbra Cadabra", "Spiral Architect", "Looking For Today", and "Killing Yourself To Live". LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

... CD

... CD

Rez Abbasi on guitar, sitar, and percussion, vocals from Kiran Ahluwalia, Gary Versace on organ, and Danny Weiss on drums and tabla. CD

Features Rez Abbasi on fretted and fretless guitar, Neil Alexander on organ, electronics, and synths, and Michael Sarin on drums. CD

Huge, dark, and heavy – an album of mythical proportions, and that's a lot to say for a mainstream album – especially one that crossed over as big as this one! It would be hard to imagine the modern rock landscape without this album or group, who provided the template for so much music to follow – and the soundtrack to many bong-fueled excursions to the dark side – a huge legacy in sound, but one that may well still be best begun on this landmark self-titled album! Titles include "Black Sabbath", "The Wizard", "Behind The Wall Of Sleep", "NIB", "Wicked World", and "Warning". CD

... LP, Vinyl record album

Timeless metal from Black Sabbath and their first album with Ronnie James Dio out front – and we'd honestly put it up there with the best work of all their careers! No disrespect to Ozzy or the early, definitive era of Black Sabbath – those first few album are among the most influential rock & roll albums of all time and Heaven & Hell doesn't reinvent the wheel – but this new phase with another veteran front man is masterclass heavy riffs, soaring vocals and hasn't aged a day. Includes the classic title track and "Neon Knights", "Children Of The Sea", "Wishing Well", "Die Young", "Walk Away" and "Lonely Is The Word". Includes bonus disc with singles and live material! CD

The third album by Black Sabbath – the album that put the heavy in metal – one of the most influential rock albums of all time and a record that finds Sabbath at absolute peak perfection! This is the one that set the Sabbath style in stone, honing in the the heavy riffs, thundering drums and eerie mood perfectly. Includes the ultra classics "Sweet Leaf" and "Children Of The Grave", plus "After Forever", "Lord Of This World", "Solitude", "Into The Void" and the instrumentals "Embryo" and "Orchid". CD

Quite possibly the greatest moment of genius ever from Black Sabbath – and a genre-changing record that influenced generations! The group are at their lean, raw best here – free from any cliches at all, and working in an incredibly heady brew of fuzzy guitar, romping bass, and dark drums – all topped by the instantly recognizable screech of the young Ozzy Osborne! Guitarist Tony Iommi virtually redefines rock use of the guitar with this record alone – and the Oz follows suit with some of the creepiest vocals set to record ever. Titles include the classics "Paranoid" and "Iron Man", plus "War Pigs", "Planet Caravan", "Electric Funeral", "Hand Of Doom", and "Rat Salad". CD

A pivotal album for Black Sabbath – a set that further expanded the instrumental palette of their previous work, but all without losing an edge at all – for a record that forever helped cement their role in both the classic and hard rock canons of the 70s! Ozzy is great throughout, and both he and Tony Iommi bring in a bit of keyboard work, but in just the right way – almost adding a more sinister edge to the guitars – echoed by some especially nice acoustic piano at times, particularly on the instrumental cut "Fluff". Titles include the seminal title track "Sabbath Bloody Sabbath" – plus "A National Acrobat", "Sabbra Cadabra", "Spiral Architect", "Looking For Today", and "Killing Yourself To Live". CD

... CD

A killer collection of the early greatness of prime era Sabbath – great tracks from the first handful of albums of the Ozzy years! If there's a problem with We Sold Our Souls For Rock & Roll, it's that there was too much greatness on the early albums for them to put compilation out that could make everyone happy – but you get "Paranoid", "War Pigs", "Iron Man", "Fairies Wear Boots", "Sweet Leaf", "Sabbath Bloody Sabbath", "Snow Blind", "NIB". "The Wizard" and more. 17 tracks on 2LPs. LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

... CD

... LP, Vinyl record album

... CD

Ted Daniel may be one of the most compelling sound-shapers we've ever heard on the trumpet – a very under-acknowledged musician whose playing of the 70s and 80s continues to really grab us over the years! This unissued live set is from 1981, and it features Ted on a variety of horns – blowing in a special way that both links to more conventional trumpet modes, yet also shows a knowledge of the more open phrasing that some of his generation were using – like Lester Bowie or Leo Smith. Yet unlike some of those artists, Ted's performance, although free, is never that far from the more familiar roots of trumpet expression – a fantastic balance that really comes through beautifully in the music. There's a few unusual approaches here – one track features a trumpet played into a grand piano, another a flugelhorn through a phase shifter – but even these never go too far out. Titles include "Sunny Side Up", "Closer & Closer", "Vicissitudes Of A Lover", "Al Fine", "Ciao Bene", and "Deac's Ceremonial Testimonial". CD

Early 70s work from the ever-evolving Fairport Convention – a set that has the group as a quartet, with Simon Nicol on guitar and dulcimer, Dave Mattacks on drums and electric piano, Dave Pegg on bass and mandolin, and Dave Swarbrick on fiddle and mandolin. The album's one of the most cohesive the group ever recorded – a concept album based on the life of John Babbacombe Lee! LP, Vinyl record album

... CD

Jaw-dropping work from Charles Bradley – a stunning album that's maybe his best so far – and that's saying a hell of a lot, given the quality of his previous work! There's a focus and power here that really puts Charles on top – from the bold statement at the start of the record, to the range of expressive, emotive lyrics all the way through – given superb support in a range of deep soul and funky currents from the likes of Budos Band, Menehan Street Band, Gospel Queens, Saun & Starr, and Sha La Das! Yet none of these guests ever feel like they're sharing the spotlight with Charles – because, like the James Brown Show of the late 60s, all these super-strong talents are working in constellation around Bradley's majesty – a bold soul vision that's never burned this brightly before. Titles include "Ain't It A Sin", "Nobody But You", "Good To Be Back Home", "Things We Do For Love", "Crazy Love", and "Slow Love" – plus a cover of Black Sabbath's "Changes". LP, Vinyl record album

A legendary bit of funky fusion from the French scene of the 70s – the standout set from Cortex, a combo who's very heavy on the keyboards! The tunes have a feel that's quite different than American electric work of the time – funky, but also a bit breezy too – with a strong Brazilian influence in some of the rhythms, and hip use of female vocals alongside the Fender Rhodes – which makes for a double layer of sound that's totally great! There's a bit of alto sax in the instrumentation, but most of the sound comes from the interplay between keyboards, voice, bass, and drums – rolling along in a sound that's stunningly soulful, and which makes the record one of the hippest European dates from the decade. Tremendous all the way through – with tracks that include "Automne", "L'Enfant Samba", "La Rue", "Go Round", "Madbass", "Sabbat", "Mary Et Jeff", and "Chanson D'Un Jour D'Hiver". LP, Vinyl record album

A legendary bit of funky fusion from the French scene of the 70s – the standout set from Cortex, a combo who's very heavy on the keyboards! The tunes have a feel that's quite different than American electric work of the time – funky, but also a bit breezy too – with a strong Brazilian influence in some of the rhythms, and hip use of female vocals alongside the Fender Rhodes – which makes for a double layer of sound that's totally great! There's a bit of alto sax in the instrumentation, but most of the sound comes from the interplay between keyboards, voice, bass, and drums – rolling along in a sound that's stunningly soulful, and which makes the record one of the hippest European dates from the decade. Tremendous all the way through – with tracks that include "Automne", "L'Enfant Samba", "La Rue", "Go Round", "Madbass", "Sabbat", "Mary Et Jeff", and "Chanson D'Un Jour D'Hiver". This CD version includes the bonus track "Jazz Dance". CD

An insane record – and one of the strangest moments in pop music during the early 70s! Coven are best known to most folks for cutting the message-oriented, sweet folk tune "One Tin Soldier" – but here, they change course completely – and offer up a whole album dedicated to the dark arts and satanic pursuits – with a sonic quality that actually beats just about anything ever recorded by Anton La Vey! The record is ostensibly an "anti-witchcraft" album – but it actually comes off as being totally sincere – in a really great way. Some tunes are song-based – like "Coven In Charing Cross", "Black Sabbath", and "Choke Thirst Die" – but the album also has this really long "Satanic Mass", which even features the Lord's Prayer spoken backwards – completely creepy, in a Kenneth Anger magick sort of way! CD

An overlooked gem from the Detroit scene of the early 80s – played by a group who came after the generation of Tribe and Strata Records, but who went on to have some really slow-burning influence in their own sort of way! The music definitely has echoes of the loft and spiritual jazz scenes of the 70s – but the quintet also really open things up with some of the more flexible rhythms that were coming out of New York during the same period, and working with a slight touch of more ambitious structures – of the sort you might have heard on overseas labels recording American jazz musicians during the 80s. Reeds are at the core of the set – playec by the trio of Faruq Z Bey on tenor and alto, Anthony Holland on alto and soprano, and David McMurray on tenor, alto, soprano, and flute – given very creative energy by Tani Tabbal on drums, and Jaribu Shahid on both acoustic and electric bass. Titles include "Xy-Moch", "Zycron", "Zenelog Aintro", "Androgeny", "Kins", and "Xy Moch". LP, Vinyl record album

A wonderful session by Andrew Hill – recorded in 1968, but issued only briefly in 1981 – and out of print for years! The session is a key one in understanding Hill's work – as it's a bridge between the arch modernism of his early Blue Note sides, and the more soul-oriented playing of the Grass Roots album. The set features wonderful frontline work in the trumpet of Charles Tolliver, and tenor and soprano of Joe Farrell – both players who open up the sound at the same time they're giving it a nice bottom – egged on by the rest of the combo, which includes Victor Sproles on bass and Billy Higgins on drums. The album's an enchanting one – not as dark as early years, but still with a compelling vision that's all Hill's own. Titles include "Dance With Death", "Love Nocturne", "Black Sabbath", "Partitions", and "Fish N Rice". LP, Vinyl record album

A really great record with a vibe that's all its own – a stunning blend of spiritual jazz, North Indian music, and some slight contemporary touches – all with a sense of deeper energy that really opens up as the album moves on! There's plenty of great keyboards on the record – a nicely warmer element next to some of the sharper reed lines – supported by some great percussion too! You might hear a bit of a London vibe to the record at points, but that's only because the flute and soprano sax come from Tenderlonious, who spearheads the group alongside guitarist Ali Riaz Baquar – although the whole thing is definitely a group effort, and draws plenty from the tablas of Kashif Ali Dhani, the drums of Qammar Vicky Abbas, sarangi of Zohaib Hassan Khan and the really great range of keyboard sounds from Latarnik – who plays Fender Rhodes, Moog Voyager, Clavinet, and other elements in the set. Titles include "Zari", "Nafs At Peace", "Mosty", "Straight Path", and "Raga Gujri Todi". LP, Vinyl record album

A landmark for folk singer Ella Jenkins, children's music as a genre and the Folkways label! Ella is singing out front of the Urban Gateways Children's Chorus here, gently leading the kids while lifting them to the level of full on collaborators. In some ways, this sets the template for so much of the best children's music to come, especially in the folk style, but in the heart of the civil rights era with such a sweetly inclusive set of songs – from soulful spirituals to sweet novelty sing-a-longs – it's really vital work. Includes "You'll Sing A Song & I'll Sing A Song", "Cadima", "May-Ree Mack", "Did You Feed My Cow?", "Shabbat Shalom", "I Saw", "Sifting In The Sand", "Guide Me" and more. LP, Vinyl record album

A landmark for folk singer Ella Jenkins, children's music as a genre and the Folkways label! Ella is singing out front of the Urban Gateways Children's Chorus here, gently leading the kids while lifting them to the level of full on collaborators. In some ways, this sets the template for so much of the best children's music to come, especially in the folk style, but in the heart of the civil rights era with such a sweetly inclusive set of songs – from soulful spirituals to sweet novelty sing-a-longs – it's really vital work. Includes "You'll Sing A Song & I'll Sing A Song", "Cadima", "May-Ree Mack", "Did You Feed My Cow?", "Shabbat Shalom", "I Saw", "Sifting In The Sand", "Guide Me" and more. LP, Vinyl record album

A real treasure from reedman Maulawi Nurudin – originally recorded as part of the Strata Records scene in Detroit, but done in Chicago in 1973 – and issued here for the first time ever! The vibe here is almost more Tribe Records than some of the other Strata sides – as Maulawi blows tenor and other reeds over these modal grooves with drums from Tani Tabbal, plus bass and keyboards from other unknown musicians – all in a laidback style that's rich and soulful – almost a spiritual jazz take on territory that would later be explored by Grover Washington Jr, especially given Maulawi's use of soprano sax! Titles include great takes on "Maiden Voyage", "People Make The World Go Round", and "I Say A Little Prayer" – plus the originals "Orotunds", "Where Is The Place", and an "Unknown Track". LP, Vinyl record album

A fantastic program of live recordings – all captured at the Museum Of Contemporary Art in Chicago – as part of their 50th Anniversary tribute to the AACM! Roscoe Mitchell works here in a very unusual format – with four different trios, each heard separately – then grouped together in different ways on larger recordings that feature all members in varied formation! The trios feature James Fei on reeds and electronics with William Winant on percussion and vibes; Hugh Ragin on trumpet withTyshawn Sorey on trombone, piano, and percussion; Craig Taborn on piano, organ, and electronics with Kikanju Baku on drums and percussion; and Jribu Shahid on bass and percussion with Tani Tabball on drums and percussion. Mitchell plays a range of reeds and percussion – and some of the percussion used is from the collection of various Art Ensemble Members, being exhibited by the museum. The performances are great – and not only is Mitchell still at the height of his improvisational powers, but he's also got the other musicians working in a spirit that really lives up to the tradition of the AACM! CD

You might know The Morwells as a vocal group, but here there's no singing at all – as the set abstracts rhythms from earlier tunes into a very heady set of instrumental dubs! The core of the sound comes from the bass of Errol Flabba Holt, the drums of Eric Clarke, the guitars of Bingy Bunny, and percussion of Sticky – all mixed up into a large, echoey space by King Tubby – who's clearly the maestro of the proceedings, and really makes some magic with the rhythms! Titles include "Sky Ride", "Morwell's Theme", "Lightning & Thunder", "Jungle Shuffle", "Concord", "Pegasus Rock", "John Bull", and "Jah Star". LP, Vinyl record album

David Murray on tenor saxophone and bass clarinet, Patience Higgins on tenor and soprano saxophone, John Purcell on alto saxophone, James Spaulding on alto saxophone and flute, Don Byron on baritone saxophone and clarinet, Graham Haynes on cornet, Kahlil Henry on flute, Vincent Chancey on French horn, Al Patterson, Craig Harris, and Frank Lacy on trombone, Hugh Ragin, James Zollar, and Rasul Siddik on trumpet, Sonelious Smith on piano, Fred Hopkins on bass, and Tani Tabbal on drums, with Larry McDonald on percussion. CD

A UK label, but a sound library set that features rare French work – credited to composers who include Georges Delerue, Jean-Claude Petit, Paul Piot, and P Rabbath! LP, Vinyl record album

A really enigmatic blend of Mid-East styles and more contemporary modes – and one of the hippest 80s albums from Lebanese artist Ziad Rahbani – a record that seems to cull together all the best albums of previous records, and lift them together to something even more magnificent and new! The songs are often very short, which makes for this almost suite-like approach to the sounds – as keyboards, percussion, and voices move together in these shifting scapes of color and emotion – very vibrant, and at a level that transcends both the boundaries of language, and other expectations you might have from Lebanese pop of the period – as the whole thing has this more ambitious approach that reminds us of both groundbreaking French and Brazilian projects from the 70s that share a similar genre-hopping, style-bending approach. There's a few warm, jazzy moments that really enrichen the set – and titles include "Mashhad Al Serk", "Al Addala", "Hake Ad Ma Baddak Fee", "Mashhad Al Hob", "Kabbaret Dancing", "Al Jeel", "Break", "Al Piano", "Al Muquadenah", and "L'Alan". LP, Vinyl record album

A very cool double-sized issue of Roctober – long-overdue, as we haven't heard from them in a bit – but well worth the wait, as the range of features and mix of material continues to be stunning – a great reminder that, decades back, this magazine was exploring this territory long before newer publications like Maggot Brain and some of its contemporaries! There's way too much to mention in great detail – but we can tell you you'll find interviews with Mavis Staples, Mike Love, Air Supply, Wanda Jackson, Sarah Dash, and Prince – and that's just in the first few pages. Other features include articles on Yoko Ono, Muzak, Kid Stuff Records, Mick Clintrock, obscure Weird Al songs, rare Maison Soul singles, the secret Sex History Of The Cabbage Patch Kids, Roky Erikson, Question Mark, and a host of reviews, obits, and lots lots more! Magazine

One of the greatest in Scientist's early 80s run of essential dub records! In The Kingdom Of Dub find's Scientist working his dub alchemy on a dozen Roy Cousins productions laid down by Sly & Robbie, Santa & Flabba, Ranchie McLean,Pablo Black and Skully. It's an excellent set of deep space dubs – and all the more exciting, given the too rarely heard source rhythms! Includes "18 Drumalie Avenue Dub", "14 Grass Quit Glade Dub", "Chariot Dub", "Thunder & Lightning Dub", "Disciple Dub", "Burning Sun Dub", "Next Door Dub", "11 Guava Road Dub", "Jurusalem Dub" and more. LP, Vinyl record album

A wicked little record, and one that lives up to its Space Invaders theme right from the start – thanks to a host of sweet electronic touches from Scientist, over a set of killer head-nodding dubs from Roots Radics! The group themselves are in totally top form – massive bass from Flabba Holt and drums from Style and Santa – topped with wicked guitar licks, and some sweet organ lines from Winston Wright – but it's clearly Scientist who's the star of the show, for the way he cooks the elements together and comes up with a sound that more than does justice to the extra-cool cover! Familiar elements are nicely abstracted, and juxtaposed with clever shifts in the studio – all to create massive dubs that include "Beam Down", "Red Shift", "Time Warp", "Cloning Process", "Pulsar", "Laser Attack", "Dematerialize", "Fission", "Super Nova Explosion", and "Quasar". 2LP version features bonus vocal tracks – by Wayne Wade, Wailing Souls, Sammy Dread, Linval Thompson, and Johnny Osbourne! LP, Vinyl record album

The self-titled classic by a wonderfully spooky band – a group who work in the most sinister side of the hard rock mode at the start of the 70s, all with a very heady sound that have made them legends over the years – even though this debut never got much circulation at the time! In a way, these guys could easily go head to head with early Black Sabbath at most points – but they also have a way of changing things up, varying the mood in really great ways that make the most of the lead vocals of Keith Bonsor – a singer whose sensitivity is underscored by great work on organ and flute at points too – which temper the fiercer guitar work of John Truba and create a lot of depth in the record. Titles include "New Land", "Now I'm Sad", "Quabala", "I Was Fooling", "Love's Desire", "Give Me Love", "Rolling Thunder", and "Before My Eyes Go Blind". CD features lots of bonus tracks – 8 more tunes that include "Every Inch A Man", "Entrance Of The Devil", "Cat's Eyes", "Dudi Judy", "Evolution", and "Angel Of The Highway". CD

A whole new world of grooves we've never heard before – music from a short stretch on the Italian scene when local artists were really taken with the new developments in Afro Funk, and started to serve up some fresh styles of their own! The music here is maybe a blend of West African sounds and sound library modes – often leaner than the large group ensembles of Fela and some of his contemporaries, which also makes the tracks perfect for the clubs as well – but with a vibe that's sharper and tighter than some of the Afro/disco crossover cuts of the time! The selection of tracks is wonderful, and the whole thing is very revelatory – with titles that include "Why O" by Beryl Cunningham, "Kumbayero" by Weyman Corporation, "L'Unica Chance" by Walter Rizzati, "Amore" by Chrisma, "Tabu Tuba (part 1)" by I Robots, "Africa Sound" by Jean Paul & Angelique, "Contrabbando Di Fagioli" by Ramasandiran Somusundaram, "MAAGO" by Prognosi Riservata, "The Voodoo Lady" by Lara Saint Paul, and "Soul Makossa" by African Revival. CD

A whole new world of grooves we've never heard before – music from a short stretch on the Italian scene when local artists were really taken with the new developments in Afro Funk, and started to serve up some fresh styles of their own! The music here is maybe a blend of West African sounds and sound library modes – often leaner than the large group ensembles of Fela and some of his contemporaries, which also makes the tracks perfect for the clubs as well – but with a vibe that's sharper and tighter than some of the Afro/disco crossover cuts of the time! The selection of tracks is wonderful, and the whole thing is very revelatory – with titles that include "Why O" by Beryl Cunningham, "Kumbayero" by Weyman Corporation, "L'Unica Chance" by Walter Rizzati, "Amore" by Chrisma, "Tabu Tuba (part 1)" by I Robots, "Africa Sound" by Jean Paul & Angelique, "Contrabbando Di Fagioli" by Ramasandiran Somusundaram, "MAAGO" by Prognosi Riservata, "The Voodoo Lady" by Lara Saint Paul, and "Soul Makossa" by African Revival. LP, Vinyl record album

Not the record that introduced the world to the phrase "heavy metal", but instead a much-hyped full length animated feature film – based on the popular sci-fi magazine of the time! The music here has little to do with the story, but there are plenty of great late 70s major label rockers in the lineup – on a set of tracks that includes "I Must Be Dreamin" and "Reach Out" by Cheap Trick, "Heavy Metal" by Sammy Hagar, "Veteran Of The Psychic Wars" by Blue Oyster Cult, "Mob Rules" by Black Sabbath, "True Companion" by Donald Fagen, "Prefabricated" by Trust, "Blue Lamp" by Stevie Nicks, "Crazy" by Nazareth, "Open Arms" by Journey, "Queen Bee" by Grand Funk Railroad, "All Of You" and "Heavy Metal" by Don Felder, "Radar Rider" by Riggs, and "Working In The Coal Mine" by Devo. CD

A jazz funk masterpiece, and THE record by the legendary Don Blackman – the only one issued under his own name for many many years, and a famous little set that's been sampled endlessly over the years, and for good reason! The vibe here is one that's barely been matched again – a blend of 70s fusion, bassy funk, and even tighter riffing – all put together with a greater depth and sense of soul than most other records of its type. Blackman's a GRP contemporary of Bernard Wright, Tom Browne, and Weldon Irvine – and there's bits of all their sound in the work here, but somehow Don does it even better – hitting these grooves, notes, and lines that seem to fall from the heavens – and which still stand as some of the hippest music of his generation. A record to file proudly next to your copies of Ramp and James Mason – and like those gems, the kind of record that only happens once in an artists career! Titles include "You Ain't Hip", "Yabba Dabba Do", "Heart's Desire", "Deaf Hook Up Connection", "Never Miss A Thing", and "Holding You Loving You", and "Since You Been Away So Long". CD

Early King Records material by Champion Jack Dupree – a hell of a pianist, and a heck of a great singer too – working almost as a raconteur on some of the best songs on this collection! The music has deep roots in New Orleans, where Jack must have really honed his piano skills – but there's also a more northern, more urban presentation of the music on these cuts – a strong current of wit that comes in the way that Jack puts over a tune, and a great mix of jazzy phrasing in both his piano and the electric guitar that sometimes provides strong accompaniment. Jack's vocals are almost more commentary than traditional lyrics – often with an undercurrent of raunch – and titles include "That's My Pa", "Failing Health Blues", "Big Leg Emma's", "Two Below Zero", "Camille", "Me & My Mule", "She Cooks Me Cabbage", and "Silent Partner". CD

Naked guys on motorcycles – and that's just on the front cover – a great indication that you're really in for something special from this legendary Japanese band! Flower Travellin Band are one of those combos who clearly started out with an inspiration in blues, but quickly take things out to much trippier territory – long jams that are more psych than anything else at points, especially when the guitars get really freaky and fuzzy! There's almost a heady Bay Area vibe to the whole thing – although the record has some sinister currents that would have really freaked out an acid-dropping hippie – all of which makes for the kind of record that never loses its power over the decades. Titles include "Black Sabbath", "Twenty First Century Schizoid Man/Anywhere", "Anywhere/Louisiana Blues", and "House Of The Rising Sun". LP, Vinyl record album

A really tremendous batch of dark-themed tunes from the American underground of the 70s – a treasure trove of under-discovered acts who were all inspired by the deeper brooding of the Led Zep and Black Sabbath generation! Unlike later manifestations from the indie scene, the work here isn't really heavy metal – and instead has this more complex approach – ready and able to spin out their own tales and stories in the space of a full length concept album, guided by their own unique myths and mysteries – even though most of these tracks only ever saw the light of day on 7" singles, as the bands mostly never got the chance to serve up a full-length set. Leave it to Numero to do a perfect job of bringing this underground together through their vivid notes and great images for the set – and no surprise, there's some occasional funky touches on a few of the tunes – especially on the drums. This is the kind of stuff the stoners in your high school wish they were hip enough to know about – and titles include "Warlord" by Wrath, "Twelve O'Clock Satanial" by Air, "Sealed In A Grave" by Triton Warrior, "Dark Days" by Space Rock, "Sweet Child" by Gorgon Medusa, "Cry For The Newborn" by Hellstorm, "Tasmania" by Stoned Mace, and "Seance" by Wizard. CD

An insane record – and one of the strangest moments in pop music during the early 70s! Coven are best known to most folks for cutting the message-oriented, sweet folk tune "One Tin Soldier" – but here, they change course completely – and offer up a whole album dedicated to the dark arts and satanic pursuits – with a sonic quality that actually beats just about anything ever recorded by Anton La Vey! The record is ostensibly an "anti-witchcraft" album – but it actually comes off as being totally sincere – in a really great way. Some tunes are song-based – like "Coven In Charing Cross", "Black Sabbath", and "Choke Thirst Die" – but the album also has this really long "Satanic Mass", which even features the Lord's Prayer spoken backwards – completely creepy, in a Kenneth Anger magick sort of way! LP, Vinyl record album

Modern electronic grooves from Funkadiba – a duo that features the legendary Daniele Baldelli, the DJ reknowned for his contributions to the famous Cosmic nightclub! The styles here are definitely an update of that classic Cosmic groove – lots of spare, stark beats mixed with synth and keyboard parts – but usually handled with a slightly warmer feel overall – one that almost shifts back from the 80s roots to grab a bit more 70s funk too – which is mixed in with the rhythms to deepen the soul of the cuts nicely! Titles include "Dirty Sun", "Countdown", "I Must Feel Better", "Barabba Funk", "Funka Takin Over", and "Skippy & The Funky Boys". CD

A wonderful session by Andrew Hill – recorded in 1968, but issued only briefly in 1981 – and out of print for years! The session is a key one in understanding Hill's work – as it's a bridge between the arch modernism of his early Blue Note sides, and the more soul-oriented playing of the Grass Roots album. The set features wonderful frontline work in the trumpet of Charles Tolliver, and tenor and soprano of Joe Farrell – both players who open up the sound at the same time they're giving it a nice bottom – egged on by the rest of the combo, which includes Victor Sproles on bass and Billy Higgins on drums. The album's an enchanting one – not as dark as early years, but still with a compelling vision that's all Hill's own. Titles include "Dance With Death", "Love Nocturne", "Black Sabbath", "Partitions", and "Fish N Rice". CD features a bonus alternate take of the title cut. CD

Hard riffing from Scotland's Iron Claw – a group who owe plenty to the best early work of Black Sabbath, but also take off nicely in their own direction as well! The guitar work is frenetic, the bass nice and fuzzy, and there's a sense of darkness that really comes through in the vocals too – a sinister groove that was years ahead of its time, and never got full exposure back in the 70s. This collection brings together the group's rare studio sessions – with titles that include "Clawstrophobia", "Mist Eye", "Sabotage", "Crossrocker", "Skullkrusher", "Let It Grow", "Rock Band Blues", "Lightning", "Knock Em Dead", "Devils", and "Winter". LP, Vinyl record album