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 style that's unlike anyone else we can think of – not afraid to really run up with expressive passages when needed, but also sometimes nestled right down next to the fuzzy guitar and heady bass – which occasionally have echoes of some of the new hard rock modes of the UK, but with more of a sense of space between the notes, which Joe is more than happy to fill in a really great way! Guitarist Hideki Ishima also plays a bit of sitar – and titles include "Spasms", "Heaven & Hell", "That's All", "Hiroshima", "Aw Give Me Air", "Kamikaze", and "Unaware". LP, Vinyl record album

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, they're often used with some slight exotic phrasings at times – styles that have a slight Eastern flavor that really adds to the record. The vocals are really wailing too – banshee-styled, but also with some bluesy undertones – and the album is essentially one long track, broken up into different sections with a different feel. LP, Vinyl record album

Stunning work from the great Dale Hawkins – a singer you may only know from the title track of this collection, but one who made some of the hardest, fiercest rock and roll on Chess Records in the 50s! Dale hailed from Louisiana, where much of this music was cut – but he also worked with Chess up in Chicago, where he seems to have picked up some slight bluesy currents in his rhythms – especially on the tracks that feature musicians like Roy Buchanan on guitar and Lafayette Leake on piano! Yet even on his own, and even on the early material recorded in Shreveport, Hawkins has a hell of a sound – a blend of R&B and rockabilly that was forged way down in the swamps, and came back bubbling up with a hell of a lot of power! Songs include "Liza Jane", "Susie Q", "My Babe", "Yea-Yea (Class Cutter)", "Four Letter Word (Rock)", "Little Pig", "Boy Meets Girl", and more – 30 tracks total, including 8 unissued numbers! CD

A killer album of crossover soul from the mid 70s – one that dropped like a bomb when it hit, and gave this UK group a number of big hits in America! Keyboardist Rod Temperton wrote all the tracks on the album – and he's got keen talent for both funky numbers and ballads. If soul stations played album side specials the way that classic rock stations do, side one would be in heavy rotation – as it kicks off with the funky title cut, rolls into the hit "Boogie Nights", cuts to the sample classic "Ain't No Half Steppin" (forever made famous by Big Daddy Kane), and steps into the moody ballad "Always & Forever". It's hard to beat that lineup, but side two does a pretty good job – and includes a similar mix of titles like "Super Soul Sister", "All You Do Is Dial", and "Sho'nuff Must Be Love". This great version includes a full LP of bonus tracks – including "Turn Out The Lamplight", "Special Offer", "Slip Your Disc To This", "Boogie Nights (12" disco version)", "Ain't No Half Steppin (single version)", and "Always & Forever (single version)". LP, Vinyl record album

Rare rock from the Japanese scene of the postwar years – but sounds that definitely have a universal appeal overall! Masaaki Hirao is way more than just a novelty remake of American rockers of the time – as he's got a sharp-edged sound that easily rivals the best we had to offer here in the US – the charm of Elvis, the propulsion of Johnny Burnette, and the offbeat appeal of Buddy Holly! Yet the sounds here are often quite their own thing, too – especially on the Japanese language numbers which make up most of the set, and which have Masaaki stepping away from straight American cover versions, and really doing some great things on his own. The guitar lines are especially great – recorded with brilliant twang and echo that really matches the power of the vocals – and the set features some mighty nice live tracks that are even more biting than the studio material! 10 cuts in all – including "Lawdy Miss Clawdy", "Hoshi Wa Nandemo Shitteiru", "Isuki No Komoriuta Rock", "Crazy Love", "Ooh My Soul", "Jenny Jenny", "Miyo Chan", and "Blue De Memphis". LP, Vinyl record album

A really great chapter in the career of Madlib, and one that shows the really diverse musical inspirations that have informed his contributions to hip hop – served up here in a set of instrumentals based on samples from rare rock tracks from a hip variety of sources! For the project, Madlib dug deep into the worlds of psych, prog, and other scenes from years back – shuffled, restacked, and presented with that denseness that makes Madlib's production so great – and which likely also hides some of the sources for the music as well! The CD version compiles every track from the Part 1 and Part 2 vinyl releases, and more – no tracklist, but who cares – it's all about the experience. Madlib in mix master mode, blending diverse, seemingly disparate material into a distinctive whole – to put it succinctly, it's Madlib at his best! 48 tracks on 2CDs! CD

Dave Mason's first solo album – and a pretty a great one! Alone Together wasn't a huge hit back in the day, but man is a ever a pleasing set. It's rich with blues & soul steeped lead vocals and sweet backing harmonies and bed of acoustic guitars at the core of most of the tunes – sometimes with a driving intensity, others with a lightly gliding pace. The production is a nice mix of blue-eyed blues and southern skewing wah wah rock – with great musicians in the mix, from Leon Russell to Eric Clapton. Tracks include "Only You Know And I Know", "Can't Stop Worrying, Can't Stop Loving", "Waitin' On You", "Shouldn't Have Took More Than You Gave", "World In Changes", "Sand And Deep As You", "Just A Song" and "Look At You, Look At Me". LP, Vinyl record album

Classic early 80s material by this legendary group of New York heavies that featured James Blood Ulmer, David Murray, Amin Ali, and Ronald Shannon Jackson. The prototype for the Vernon Reid/Melvin Gibbs Black Rock sound gets laid by these jazzy dudes fusing free loft style east coast blowing with extroverted rock influenced rhythms, funky vamping and skittering rhythms that collide in a way that supports the title of this album. 4 relatively long tracks: "Time Table", "Big Tree", "Baby Talk", and "Sound Check". LP, Vinyl record album

A seminal collection of work from the earliest years of the London punk scene in the 70s – material by a pre-Clash group that famously featured Joe Strummer, working at a level that definitely prefaces all the greatness to come! The style here is certainly in the gritty, short, heavy punch of early UK punk – but there's also a compelling strand that traces back to early rock and roll as well – bits of 50s and 60s influence working through the music, showing just how deep of roots Strummer and the Clash would later draw from. There's less reggae influence than later, but it's still somewhere there in the mix – especially on the live tracks – and titles are a mix of studio recordings plus live cuts – with titles that include "Letsgetabitarockin", "Surf City", "Silent Telephone", "Keys To Your Heart", "Hideaway", "Sweety Of The St Moritz", "Keep Taking The Tablets", "Lonely Mother's Son", and "Shake Your Hips". CD

The third Ramones album, one that a sizeable chuck of the most zealous fans believes to be their very best – and they might be right! As rightfully heralded as the self-titled debut is for being the trailblazing blast and unimpeachable punk rock epiphany that it is, The Ramones really their found and perfected their signature studio sound on the follow up Leave Home and perhaps perfect it here Rocket To Russia. Song by song, they somehow concentrate 30 years of the best, rawest, most exciting rock & roll of their forbears into two and a half minutes of beautiful primal energy that still manages to qualify as ear candy. As amazing as ever! Tracks include "Rockaway Beach", "Sheena Is A Punk Rocker", "Why Is It Always This Way", "Surfin Bird", "Do You Wanna Dance", and "Cretin Hop". LP, Vinyl record album

Lou Reed at his mid 70s live peak! Volumes have already been and will continue to be written about Lou's output in the 70s, and rightly so. This set is particularly amazing in that it follows the artful highpoint/financial failure that is Berlin – so Lou is doing the rock & roll star thing here, kinda given the people what they want in a way. What's so amazing here is that it doesn't feel like a cash-in, it's crazy good and geniunely passionate stuff! The blazing guitars don't hurt, nor does the fact the the set is heavy with Velvets-era faves. Includes "Intro/Sweet Jane", "Heroin", "White Light/White Heat", "Lady Day" and "Rock N' Roll". LP, Vinyl record album

A huge amount of material from The Rockin Berries – one of the great almost-rans of the UK scene in the 60s – a group who should have stormed our shores during the British Invasion, but somehow got left off the boat! The group's got everything shared by all their best contemporaries – a great way with a tune, an ear for a catchy hook, and a way of mixing harmonized vocals with harder rocking moments at a level that means that there's plenty at the core, and the combo need no sweetening up in the studio! They also have two lead singers – Clive Lea and Geoff Turton – who sound great when harmonizing together, and can also split off and really let the group cover a nice range of material. Both of the albums here were produced by Brit sound maestro John Schroeder – Rockin Berries In Town and Life Is Just A Bowl Of Berries – and the set also features 36 more bonus tracks from singles and EP releases at the time – 60 tracks in all! CD

One of the strangest acts to come from Motown in the early 80s – and almost more of a new wave record than a soul one! The standout hit here is the title track "Somebody's Watching Me" – an odd electro tune that has Rockwell speaking/singing these paranoid lyrics with a vague British accent – but which has Michael Jackson coming in on the chorus to warm up the tune! Sadly, Michael's gone for the rest of the record – so Rockwell takes center stage with tunes that have a soul-based take on styles heard more familiarly by Human League or Ultravox at the time – and which display the real Anglophile bent in American pop at the time. Still, there's a few nice electro moments – and titles include "Obscene Phone Caller", "Change Your Ways", "Runaway", "Wasting Time", and "Knife". LP, Vinyl record album

Seompi may not have been the first group to bring some wilder sounds to the scene down in Texas – but they're definitely one that are years ahead of their time, and work with a doom-heavy approach here that's very different than more conventional psych and fuzz! There's a very heady vibe to most tracks – darker even than hard rock, with moody production that makes the vocals and guitars sound especially spooky – which is maybe why most of these tracks were never issued at the time. Titles include "Summer's Comin On Heavy", "Almost In The Whole", "Slide Slide", "Lay On The Floor", "Awol/Elijah", "Question Of Nobility", and "We Have Waited". LP, Vinyl record album

An overlooked female singer/songwriter from the start of the 70s – one with a sound that's decidedly more underground than some of her contemporaries! Kathy Smith has a sound that's sometimes as sweet as some of the pop folk females of the time, yet she's backed with music that's usually a bit more personal, and almost boozy at times – kind of an intimate, late night small combo approach that's almost to her style of music what a piano trio might be to vocal jazz. That's not saying that Kathy's jazzy at all – as there's a decidedly rock feel here – but there's a mature, sophisticated vibe that's totally great – warmly expressive without sounding cliched. Titles include "End Of The World", "A Vision Of Two Saints", "Topanga", "What Nancy Knows", "Blackbird & The Pearl", "Circles Of Love", and "If I Could Touch You". CD

Sweet percolated soul from Suave – a singer who makes plenty of use of the new beats that were bubbling up in contemporary R&B – all to give his music a nicely crackling edge! The record's a great step forward from some of the clunkier 80s efforts of its style – in part because hip hop production had shifted into more sophisticated territory, which was also having an effect on mainstream soul – maybe not in a De La or Tribe sort of way, but certainly tying American work like this to some of the hipper currents of British soul. Titles include "Perfect", "Foolin Around", "Dog Me Out", "Got Me Goin", "Special Lady", "Shadows Of Time", "One & Only Lover", "Rocked Your Boots", and "Forever & A Day". CD

The Vaqueros created music hundreds of miles from the ocean – working in the Twin Cities in the 60s – but that didn't stop them from creating some mighty nice surf numbers at the time, which were then mixed with more rocking numbers that sported a very cool female singer in the lead! That singer is Linda Anderson, who's almost got a rockabilly inspiration, but a few years too late – a style that makes for a really unique combination with the excellent surf-styled guitar work of the group – who shine equally well on their own when Linda's not in the lead! The tracks here were all unearthed from the Kay Bank archives – and titles include "Growing Pains", "69", "Don't You Dare", "80 Foot Wave", "Space Journey Ranger 7", "Birds & The Bees", "Island In Paradise", and "Soft Summer Rain". LP, Vinyl record album

A totally killer sound library set – every bit as funky as others that have been issued under the Afro Rock title – but a lot more obscure! The group here has wicked bass and plenty of percussion next to the drums – and the top of the sound also has some horn work that underscores more contemporary soul touches – as the whole thing holds together like some of the best Afro-inspired work on the London scene at the time, with maybe some keyboard touches that feel like they're lifted out of the Bay Area or East LA! The whole thing is a wonderfully rhythmic, totally funky party – and titles include "Facade", "Renegade", "Megaton", "Boss", "Nsambei", "Cult", "Green Hell", and "Waboco". LP, Vinyl record album

A trio of overlooked albums from UK group Vinegar Joe – packaged here with bonus tracks as well! First up is the group's debut, Vinegar Joe – a record with a UK blend of roots rock and deeper blues currents – but served up in that 70s style that takes all the best elements way past their familiar incarnations! The group sports two singers – a young Robert Palmer and female vocalist Elkie Brooks – and although Palmer would soon emerge as a more pop-oriented artist, he's got plenty of soulful chops here – but maybe still only second to Elkie, who soars out with the sort of inspiration that must have touched Janis Joplin as well. Titles include "Circles", "Leg Up", "See The World", "Never Met A Dog", "Live A Little Get Somewhere", and "Avinu Malkenu". Next up is Rock & Roll Gypsies – a record with a really wonderful sound – tight, but never too polished – maybe that UK love of American soul inspirations that folks know more famously in work by artists like Joe Cocker or Traffic, but which is served up here with a really unique feel by the overlooked Vinegar Joe! The group sports a fantastic lead female vocalist in Elkie Brooks, who'd later go on to make some great records on her own – and a young Robert Palmer rounds out the lyrics with a quality that's so different than his later work, and maybe even more soulful overall. Titles include "Falling", "It's Gettin To The Point", "Buddy Can You Spare Me A Line", "Angel", "No One Ever Do", "Forgive Us", and "Charley's Horse". Last up is Six Star General – the third album from Vinegar Joe, and a set that we're not sure got the same global circulation as the earlier albums – which is a real shame, as the group here are maybe even more focused on their sound than before! By this point, Robert Palmer has left the group, but the wonderful Elkie Brooks is still in the lead on guitar – and the group have impeccable instrumentation from Jim Mullen on guitar, Keef Harley on drums, and Mike Deacon on keyboards. Titles include "Proud To Be", "Black Smoke Rising From The Calumet", "Let Me Down Easy", "Fine Thing", "Lady Of The Rain", and "Dream My Own Dreams". Also features bonus tracks "Speed Queen Of Ventura", "Long Way Round", and single versions of "Black Smoke Rising From The Calument" and "Rock & Roll Gypsies". CD

Soul Jazz have done it again! As with their classic NuYorica, Strata East, and Black Jazz comps, this one's a definitive sampling of rare funky stuff that you'll never find otherwise. The set brings together 14 classic Jamaican tracks from the 60's and 70's – and unlike a lot of the other weak-ass reggae comps out there, every cut on here is a winner (or if you prefer, 100% Dynamite!) Great cuts include "Armageddon Time" by Willie Williams, "Stereo Freeze" by Jackie Mittoo, "Granny Scratch Scratch" by Sound Dimension, "Popcorn" by The Upsetters, and lots more! There's also some great Jamaican covers of American funky soul classics – like The Marvels' version of "Rock Steady", and Phyllis Dillon's great remake of Marlena Shaw's "Woman of the Ghetto". Lots more goodies, and the usual Soul Jazz high standard – which is 100% Dynamite! LP, Vinyl record album

Pure dynamite throughout – a really killer batch of cuts that easily steps between 60s and 70s styles in Jamaican music – shaking things up with soulful late 60s numbers, funky 70s gems, and some dubbier tracks from a time when production styles really opened up! As with other volumes in this excellent series, the choice of cuts is wonderful – really well-chosen tracks that go past the hits, but also feature some numbers that have become underground classics over the years – but all at a level that's got a lot more bite than some of the oft-played reggae that's been keeping dorm rooms running for decades. There's a total of 14 tracks in all – and titles include "Rocker's Rock" by Augustus Pablo, "No No No" by KC White, "Ring The Alarm" by Tenor Saw, "One Two" by Sister Nancy, "Woman Of The Ghetto" by Kim Harriott, "Heatwave" by Johnny Organ, "King Tubby Dub" by Tommy McCook & The Agrovators, "Earthquake" by Jackie Mittoo, and "Ready Or Not" by Johnny Osborne. CD

Pure dynamite throughout – a really killer batch of cuts that easily steps between 60s and 70s styles in Jamaican music – shaking things up with soulful late 60s numbers, funky 70s gems, and some dubbier tracks from a time when production styles really opened up! As with other volumes in this excellent series, the choice of cuts is wonderful – really well-chosen tracks that go past the hits, but also feature some numbers that have become underground classics over the years – but all at a level that's got a lot more bite than some of the oft-played reggae that's been keeping dorm rooms running for decades. There's a total of 14 tracks in all – and titles include "Rocker's Rock" by Augustus Pablo, "No No No" by KC White, "Ring The Alarm" by Tenor Saw, "One Two" by Sister Nancy, "Woman Of The Ghetto" by Kim Harriott, "Heatwave" by Johnny Organ, "King Tubby Dub" by Tommy McCook & The Agrovators, "Earthquake" by Jackie Mittoo, and "Ready Or Not" by Johnny Osborne. LP, Vinyl record album

An imagined take on the Mid-East scene – not authentic tracks, but a mix of postwar recordings in a variety of styles – most of which mix rocking rhythms with the kind of exotic touches that fed fantasies back in the day when the area was known as Asia Minor! As with other "destination" series collections, the mix of work here is wonderful – all sorts of cool and unusual tunes, of the sort you might have found in The Cramps' record collections – music that moves between rock and soul, instrumental and vocal, jazz and exotica – as they chart a path for a desert caravan to follow! 32 tracks in all – and titles include "Pasha" by The Ramrocks, "Rockin In Bagdad" by Jerry Reid, "Turkish Doghouse Rock" by Kent Westberry, "Ali Baba" by Dave & The Customs, "Ali Baba's Boogie" by Preston Love", "Camel Walk (part 1)" by The Saxons, "Ali Ben Ghazi" by Jack Hammer, and "Habibi Twist" by The Latins. CD

Fantastic west coast blues from the 60s, none of issued at the time – collected together here in a set that really shows the continuing evolution of the sound of LA! During the 60s, the city's blues took on some of the transformations that were happing in Chicago – with similar roots in a southern scene that moved into a hipper, more urban environment – where blues phrasing was more electrified, and mixed with influences from soul and jazz – often with some funky hybrids along the way! All the cuts here were recorded by Kent Records – the clear black music powerhouse of the west coast at the time – and half were issued on rare Japanese CDs in the 90s, the other 12 appear here for the first time ever – and as usual with Ace, the presentation, notes, and sound quality are wonderful. Titles include "Mama Said" and "Hey Baby" by Willie Headen, "Address In My Hand" and "Soul Blues" by Willie Garland, "Christine" and "Baby Don't Tear My Clothes" by Model T Slim, "Blues Pain" by Lowell Fulson, "You Told Me A Lie" by Smokey Wilson, "Before Day" by Big Mama Thornton, and "Rocks In My Pillow" and "Let Me Play With Your Poodle" by Long Gone Miles. CD

Fantastic sounds from the rocksteady years in Jamaica – tracks that are a fair bit more rare and obscure than some of the bigger singles that circulated at the time – even though they feature a fair bit of the same artists and musicians! The work here all came from the studios of Federal Records – one of the first indies in Kingston, headed by the visionary Ken Khouri – who put things together and learned the process as he went – which often made for a very organic approach to the music! Khouri handled a lot of other Jamaican styles in the years before these sides – but he really seems to have hit his stride with rocksteady – coming up with a perfect balance between the new rhythms, the sharp instrumentation, and the soulful styles of the singers. Titles on this second volume include "Real Gone Sweet" by The Tartans, "Walk On By" by The Zodiacs, "We Gonna Make It" by The Termites, "Fountain Bliss" by The Dynamites, "This Music Got Soul" by Hopeton Lewis, "Batman (early take rehearsal)" by Lynn Taitt & The Jets, "I Don't Want Trouble" by Hopeton Lewis, "Rolling Rolling" by The Tartans, "Lester Sterling Special" by Lester Sterling, "Take Me Back" by Henry Buckley, and "Sounds Of Silence" by Roland Alphonso. LP, Vinyl record album

An under-documented side of the British folk scene of the 70s – recordings made by producer Bill Leader for his small Trailer Records imprint – done in the spirit of Leader's better-known work for Topic and Transatlantic in the 60s, but with an overall feel that's surprisingly intimate for the time! Despite the "leave-taking" in the title, the sound here is extremely folksy – no string overdubs, psychedelic influences, or rock-based instrumentation – and instead a mostly acoustic, stripped-down style that's a real return to folk roots. Many tracks have a strong focus on the voice, with just a bit of added guitar or percussion – and we'll be honest in saying that we'd never heard most of these artists before this set! Titles include "Never The Same" and "To Make You Stay" by Lal Waterson, "Annachie Gordon" and "Annan Water" by Nic Jones, "Adieu To Judges & Juries" by Dorothy Elliott, "The Kid On The Mountain" by Alastair Anderson, "Jock O Hazeldean" by Dick Gaughan, and "Niel Gow's Lament For His Second Wife" by Aly Bain. LP, Vinyl record album

Not really blues, but not really soul either – a wonderful mix of modes that's come to be known as the popcorn sound of the early 60s! The style's hardly "pop" at all – and instead, these tunes are plenty gritty throughout – more like numbers you'd hear blasting out of a backroom jukebox, or on the decks of some deep soul DJ dedicated to serving up a rough-edged groove! Lots of these numbers might be called post-R&B – as they still have some of the styles of the 50s, mixed with the tighter punch of the newborn soul sound – and the set's a wonderful illustration of this magical moment in music, finally getting some credit after all these years. CD features loads of tracks we'd never heard before – and titles include "Don't Knock It" by Sinner Strong, "You Lied" by Marva Josie, "Mr Lonely" by Freddie North, "When You See Me Hurt" by Carl Lester & The Show Stoppers, "Well I Done Got Over It" by Bobby Mitchell, "I'm Comin Home" by Bobby John, "I Ain't Talkin" by Pat Hunt, "This Little Lester" by James Wayne, "Why Oh Why" by Austin Taylor, "Rockin Bed" by Valerie Carr, and "I'm Hurted" by Mamie Perry. CD

A fantastic introduction to one of the most confusing British styles of the 70s – the huge pub rock moment that preceded punk, and which offered up a stripped-down approach to the music that helped set the scene for plenty of later changes to come! The name is a bit tricky to explain – much of these bands did play pubs and smaller venues, but they also represented a shift amidst the rising tide of arena rock and overblown concept albums – artists who were maybe getting back to basics with tight, sharp songcraft, and the kind of hooks that first made rock and roll so great in the first place – but also served up with all the sense of variety that had crept into the music from the start! There are a few big names that have always been associated with pub rock – but this set is the first we've seen to really showcase the true scope of the music – with 71 tracks in a nice slipcase with detailed notes - work by Chris Spedding, Moon, Legend, Wild Angels, Dr Feelgood, Flip City, Byzantium, Razorbacks, Chaz & Dave, Fox, Count Bishops, Mott The Hoople, Ducks Deluxe, Kiburn & The High Roads, National Flag, Jona Lewie, Roogalator, Deep Feeling, Status Quo, Steve Ellis, STray, The Pirats, Squeeze, Merton Parkas, Inmates, Ian Gomm, and many others! CD

The Nigerian scene might be best-remembered as a hotbed of Afro Funk in the 70s – but during the same key stretch, the nation also gave rise to a heady rock underground, too – one that often mix psychedelic inspirations with some of the soul and funk that were coming from the bigger names on their scene at the time! In other words, there's plenty of guitars here – but also plenty of groove – basslines that really get the tunes going, and a mix of funky drums and rootsy percussion that make the music way more than just standard rock of the time – and even a lot groovier than some of the Zamrock or South African sounds that got a bit more exposure. The package is as great as the sound within – a big book that's filled with detailed notes on the music, the scene, and the tumultuous Nigerian politics of the period – plus lots of photos and images as well! The collection features 18 tracks in all – titles that include "Mother" by Waves, "Never Never Let Me Down" by Formulars Dance Band, "Keep On Moving" by The Hygrades, "Everybody Likes Something Good" by Ify Jerry Krusade, "Onye Ije" by The Strangers, "Stone The Flower" by The Hykers, "Never Too Late" by The Apostles, "Tell Me" by PRO, "Float" by Tirogo, "I Can't Be Satisfied" by Founders 15, and "Ballad Of A Sad Young Woman" by Wrinkar Experience. CD

The Nigerian scene might be best-remembered as a hotbed of Afro Funk in the 70s – but during the same key stretch, the nation also gave rise to a heady rock underground, too – one that often mix psychedelic inspirations with some of the soul and funk that were coming from the bigger names on their scene at the time! In other words, there's plenty of guitars here – but also plenty of groove – basslines that really get the tunes going, and a mix of funky drums and rootsy percussion that make the music way more than just standard rock of the time – and even a lot groovier than some of the Zamrock or South African sounds that got a bit more exposure. The package is as great as the sound within – a big book that's filled with detailed notes on the music, the scene, and the tumultuous Nigerian politics of the period – plus lots of photos and images as well! The collection features 18 tracks in all – titles that include "Mother" by Waves, "Never Never Let Me Down" by Formulars Dance Band, "Keep On Moving" by The Hygrades, "Everybody Likes Something Good" by Ify Jerry Krusade, "Onye Ije" by The Strangers, "Stone The Flower" by The Hykers, "Never Too Late" by The Apostles, "Tell Me" by PRO, "Float" by Tirogo, "I Can't Be Satisfied" by Founders 15, and "Ballad Of A Sad Young Woman" by Wrinkar Experience. LP, Vinyl record album

It's easy to wake up with grooves this great – a searing back of 70s Afro Rock gems that are also surprisingly funky, too! The tunes here do a wonderful job of mixing psych currents and headier rhythms – a great blend of the burning Afro Funk trends that were happening in Nigeria at the time, but with much richer, trippier work on the guitar and vocals – and some of the freaky, fuzzy basslines too! If some Afro Funk acts drew strong influence from the sharp soul of James Brown, these groups all seem to drink deep from the same musical well as Funkadelic at their freaked-out early best – which means that they've got no trouble throwing in a psych guitar riff alongside soulful vocals and funky rhythms – all with a sound that's completely sublime. As with the great first volume in this series, this edition comes with a special heavy book on the music – filled with detailed notes and lots of photos – alongside a great set of tracks that include "Wake Up You" by Waves, "Love" by Question Mark, "Baby Rock" by Jay U Experience, "Life In Cannan" by Ceejebs, "Who Made The World" by The Identicals, "Awa Lani Arawa" by Kukumbas, "Life Will Move" by The Believers, "The Feelings" by Tony Grey & The Black 7, "I Want A Break Thru" by The Hykkers, and "In The Jungle (voc)" by The Hygrades. CD

It's easy to wake up with grooves this great – a searing back of 70s Afro Rock gems that are also surprisingly funky, too! The tunes here do a wonderful job of mixing psych currents and headier rhythms – a great blend of the burning Afro Funk trends that were happening in Nigeria at the time, but with much richer, trippier work on the guitar and vocals – and some of the freaky, fuzzy basslines too! If some Afro Funk acts drew strong influence from the sharp soul of James Brown, these groups all seem to drink deep from the same musical well as Funkadelic at their freaked-out early best – which means that they've got no trouble throwing in a psych guitar riff alongside soulful vocals and funky rhythms – all with a sound that's completely sublime. As with the great first volume in this series, this edition comes with a special heavy book on the music – filled with detailed notes and lots of photos – alongside a great set of tracks that include "Wake Up You" by Waves, "Love" by Question Mark, "Baby Rock" by Jay U Experience, "Life In Cannan" by Ceejebs, "Who Made The World" by The Identicals, "Awa Lani Arawa" by Kukumbas, "Life Will Move" by The Believers, "The Feelings" by Tony Grey & The Black 7, "I Want A Break Thru" by The Hykkers, and "In The Jungle (voc)" by The Hygrades. LP, Vinyl record album

AWB's first for Atlantic – and a nice slice of funk that proves that they can mix it up with the best groups of the 70s! The record's got plenty of sweet electric keyboards over smooth funky basslines – and as the years go by, the band's white boy vocals don't sound nearly as bad as we remember them. And besides, when they play their instruments so nicely – how can you hold the singing against them? Includes the killer classic "Pick Up The Pieces", sampled more times than we can remember – plus "You Got It", "Just Wanna Love You Tonight", "Person To Person", and a nice remake of the Isley Brothers' "Work To Do". LP, Vinyl record album

Hard to have any feet in the gutter when you sound this great – as the album's a killer batch of hardbop, led by drummer Dave Bailey during his classic short run on Columbia! The lineup here is amazing – a rock-solid sextet with Clark Terry on trumpet, Junior Cook on tenor, Curtis Fuller on trombone, Horace Parlan on piano, and Peck Morrison on bass – all hitting with an intensity which rivals the best on Blue Note or Prestige – but which is arguably even better, given that most of the tracks on the set really stretch out! Side two features an extended 20 minute take on "Sandu" – and side one features "One Foot In The Gutter" and "Well You Needn't" – both over 10 minutes long! CD

An incredible album from drummer Dave Bailey – a set that's almost better than his classic early 60s sets for Epic! Like those records, this one's a rock-solid session that's right up there with the best Blue Note work of the time – perfectly put together, with a sense of poise, balance, and soul that's even more amazing, given that the album was only issued on the short-lived Jazztime label. The lineup is killer too – with Frank Haynes on tenor, Grant Green on guitar, Ben Tucker on bass, and Billy Gardner on piano – and the presence of Green, Gardner, and Tucker really give the set a tight soul jazz groove. Green is great, and the album's equally noteworthy for his presence – and has actually been issued under his name over the years as well. Tracks include "One For Elena", "Reaching Out", "Our Miss Brooks", and "Baby, You Should Know It". Great stuff, and an album that will become one of your favorites! CD features 3 bonus alternate takes too. CD

A lost hard rock gem from a Milwaukee quartet – produced by Kim Fowley with a sound that's as raw and garagey as his best indie productions from the mid 60s! These guys have all sorts of familiar elements in the mix – an influence from blues, a trippier style of guitar, and some nicely soulful currents in the vocals of Den Geyer – but there's a special brew that takes all of these qualities into special territory, making for the kind of standout set that was mysteriously overlooked at the time – but which makes for one of those rare treasures that lie far below the giants of the classic rock generation. Titles include "Gotta Be Free", "Hope For The Future", "Pearl", "Lady In The Dark", "I'm Walkin", "Trackin Shoes", "Sweet Mother Earth", and the jazzy guitar tune "Gazebo" – dedicated to the great Gabor Szabo! LP, Vinyl record album

Seminal sounds from this legendary group – a combo who feature a young Ted Nugent on some complete amazing guitar, but in a way that's very different than Ted's big arena rock albums of the 70s! The Amboy Dukes have a way of combining the rawness of garage rock with the headiness of psych, all while also reaching a bit into blues roots to really let the guitars speak loudly – one of those really important 60s records that twisted up different rock genres at once, and helped pave the way for a unique generation to come! Singer John JB Drake is pretty great too – and titles include great versions of "I Feel Free", "Let's Go Get Stoned", "Baby Please Don't Go", and "It's Not True" – plus the originals "Young Love", "Colors", "Down On Philips Escalator", and "Gimme Love". LP, Vinyl record album

A double-length monster from Amon Duul – issued after the first incarnation of the group had disbanded, and pulled from recordings that also gave the world the legendary Psychedelic Underground record! The sounds here are often rawer and more powerful than most of the group's other music – sometimes droning with almost a Faust-like sense of noise, other times rocking but with a vibe that's almost tribal at times – thanks in part to drum parts and percussion that bring a very earthy vibe to the record! While some of the Krautrock groups of this generation were soaring to the skies, this one has Amon Duul almost romping in the dirt – on titles that include "Somnium", "Frequency", "Autonomes", "Chaoticolour", "Asynchron", and "Drum Things". CD

A double-length monster from Amon Duul – issued after the first incarnation of the group had disbanded, and pulled from recordings that also gave the world the legendary Psychedelic Underground record! The sounds here are often rawer and more powerful than most of the group's other music – sometimes droning with almost a Faust-like sense of noise, other times rocking but with a vibe that's almost tribal at times – thanks in part to drum parts and percussion that bring a very earthy vibe to the record! While some of the Krautrock groups of this generation were soaring to the skies, this one has Amon Duul almost romping in the dirt – on titles that include "Somnium", "Frequency", "Autonomes", "Chaoticolour", "Asynchron", and "Drum Things". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the standout moments in the career of Rod Argent – a record that gave his self-named group one of their biggest hits ever, yet a set that still kept all the depth and diversity of their other records too! The album starts out with the group's famous "Hold Your Head Up" – the anthemic strutter that crossed over big, and which burns here with plenty of great organ lines from Rod. Other numbers really mix things up – rocking harder than Rod's Zombies work, but also showing some complicated sensibilities too – brought out nicely by co-producer Chris White, who also wrote most of the songs on the date with Argent. Titles include "Pure Love", "He's A Dynamo", "Hold Your Head Up", "Be My Lover Be My Friend", "Keep On Rolling", and "I Am The Dances Of Ages". LP, Vinyl record album

Lost Latin funk from the Bay Area scene of the 70s – and an album that may well blow away better-known work by groups like Malo, Azteca, or El Chicano! The album's near-perfect right from the start – and brings in plenty of New York elements to the groove, thanks to the inclusion of a heady amount of jazz alongside the soul, Latin, and funk elements in the grooves! The legendary Teo Macero produced and arranged – and really takes a lot of care in the studio to focus the overall energy of the tremendous talents on the record – players who include Hadley Caliman on flute and tenor, Steve Marcus on soprano sax, Benny Velarde on timbales, and Francisco Aguabella on congas – plus the trio of Cesar, Mark Levine, and Merl Sanders on keyboards. Most numbers have this really full, flowing groove – jazzy, but with a strong emphasis on the rhythms – and often touched with some great work on guitar that echoes the Santana-inspired sound of the generation, yet never in a rock way at all. Linda Tillery sings vocals on a few numbers, but the main focus is definitely instrumental – and the whole album's great – with cuts that include "See Saw Affair", "Azucar", "Descarga", "The Devil & Montezuma", "Gotta Get Away", and "Bridges". CD

The last and lean effort from the legendary Ash Ra Tempel – a set that relies heavily on vocals from female singer Rosemarie Muller, who's pictured on the cover almost as some Teutonic take on Linda Ronstadt! And oddly, there might be a bit of Cali currents in the mix – as the guitar work of Manuel Gottsching, while as weird and wild as ever, does have these occasional moments of grounding – certainly not standard rock, but these tuneful snippets from time to time that are almost a surprise next to the darker, moodier vocals of Rosi! Dieter Dierks produced, and had a nice hand in the sound – and Rosi also plays a bit of vibes and a concert harp – although the swirling sound is much more electric and spacey than you might guess from those instruments. Titles include "Interplay Of Forces", "Laughter Loving", "Bring Me Up", "Cosmic Tango", "Schizo", and "Day Dream". CD

A real moment of genius, even though we hate to admit it! At the time of its release, we hated this record – but have really come to respect it as a way of condensing and refining energy from the prog rock generation, and finding it a way to have new life in the 80s! The lineup is an all-star one, with roots in Yes, King Crimson, and other key groups – John Wetton on vocals and bass, Geoff Downes on keyboards, Steve Howe on guitars, and Carl Palmer on drums – on titles that include "Heat Of The Moment", "Only Time Will Tell", "Wildest Dreams", "Sole Survivor", "One Step Closer", and "Here Comes The Feeling". LP, Vinyl record album

The third and fourth albums from Atomic Rooster – back to back in a single set! First up is Made In England – a really striking album in the career of Atomic Rooster – one that's a little bit groovier than most, and maybe a bit funky as well! The drums are great, and have plenty of soulful currents – and the Hammond, piano, and electric piano work of Vincent Crane almost seem to echo earlier UK beat group currents, but turned towards a much hipper 70s vibe – one that's followed by an equally extended range from vocalist Chris Farlowe, who seems to fold together both his mod and prog experience in the vocals! Steve Bolton brings in some tight, riffing guitar – and titles include "Time Take My Life", "Never To Lose", "Breathless", "People You Can't Trust", "All In Satan's Name", "Close Your Eyes", "Little Bit Of Inner Air", and "Stand By Me". On Nice N Greasy, Atomic Rooster definitely get a bit greasy – using some funkier elements at times, and bluesier currents at others – all at a level that really lets singer Chris Farlowe hit some of his most expressive modes! The group's got a fresh guitarist this time around, Johnny Mandala on lead – and his presence gives some of the cuts a harder rock edge than before, often taking the lead more than the keyboards of longtime member Vincent Crane, which helps shape the sound of the set. Titles include "Voodoo In You", "Save Me", "Satan's Wheel", "Can't Find A Reason", "Take One Toke", and "All Across The Country". CD set features the bonus tracks "Moods" and "What You Gonna Do". CD

Brian Auger's first album away from singer Julie Driscoll – and a landmark batch of funky organ work that made big waves in both the rock and jazz worlds at the time! Auger's really stretching out here – getting past the simple R&B of his roots, and going into a bubbling funky style that's clearly touched by chromatic inspirations from Wes Montgomery and Jimmy Smith – both of whom are referenced by some of the song structures on the set. The album's filled with killer organ-based instrumentals – some lean and stripped down, others full and rich – and all of them coming across with a richly soulful sound that you'd hardly expect from a member of the British rock scene! Titles include "Day In The Life", "Red Beans", "Definitely What!", and his classic "Bumpin' On Sunset". LP, Vinyl record album

Don't let the pot reference on the cover put you off, or give you the wrong sort of idea about the record – as the whole thing's tight, sharp, and pretty darn groovy – a wicked batch of blue-eyed soul from the Bay Area scene of the mid 70s, served up at a level that's not too far from some of the best work on Fantasy Records at the time! These guys are clearly a rock band, but have drunk up a heady brew of funk and soul – augmented in both the rhythm elements and the nice use of horns, as well as some of the great lead vocals from singer Paulette Collins! The record's a lost one, but definitely continues that great late 60s Bay Area mode of mixing soul and rock together in a very joyous way – on titles that include the funky sample cut "Mess Up Your Mind", plus "You Got Something", "Clap Your Hands", "First Taste Of Love", "Gonna Make It", "Sativa", "Don't You Worry", "Trying To Hold It Down", and "Skyrocket". This CD includes 3 bonus tracks: "Catch A Falling Star", "Evil That Brings You Down" and "It's A Feeling". CD

The first Babes In Toyland LP – maybe a little noisier and stranger than their major label efforts, which is a heck of a statement given how gnarly and awesome the later Fontanelle record turned out! Babes never really got the props they deserve for helping pave the way for noise rock to pummel it's way to the mainstream in the early 90s – especially for women in the scene – and Spanking Machine is the most underappreciated album in an underappreciated run all together. Includes "Swamp Pu**y", "He's My Thing", "Vomit Heart", "Dogg" "Pain In My Heart", "Lashes", "You're Right" and more. 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

One of the crowning moments of Bill Nelson and Be Bop Deluxe – a set in which it seemed that everything the group was trying for really came together – in a mode that's both tuneful and timeless, and which – a bit like Sparks or 10CC – was slightly out of time with the rest of the rock scene in the 70s! There's a few surprisingly catchy numbers – of the sort that should have made the group even bigger on the international scene – but Nelson also manages to work in lots of keyboard magic, too – in that compressed approach to his prog inclinations, which was always the appeal of the group. The set's neither glam nor punk, nor prog or classic rock – very much its own sort of thing – with titles include "Fair Exchange", "Life In The Air Age", "Ships In The Night", "Crystal Gazing", "Blazing Apostles", and "Beauty Secrets". LP, Vinyl record album

Modern Records sessions by Jimmy Beasley – done for the famous LA label, but all recorded in Beasley's home town of New Orleans – with a very raw, early Crescent City vibe! Many of these cuts were done with the group of Dave Bartholomew at Cosimo's Studios – and they're filled with the kind of romping rhythms and piano lines that you'd know from some of Dave's bigger-name sessions with artists like Fats Domino or Smiley Lewis – yet Jimmy's approach here is nicely different, and far less familiar – almost jazzy at times, and with less of a need to "rock" than some of his contemporaries! That doesn't mean that these tracks don't groove with the New Orleans best – just that they've got some very cool, individual touches – and sophisticated shadings that we really appreciate. LP, Vinyl record album

Just an EP, but a record that packs more of a punch than most full length hip hop sets of the time! The album was the Beatnuts' first, and maybe they wisely thought they'd keep things lean, and leave the audience wanting more – as they mix together six key tracks with some shorter interludes – really mastering things right from the start with production that embraces all the jazzy changes and thoughtful sample inspirations of the time! The record's right up there with massive classics from Pete Rock, Pharcyde, and other contemporaries – and cuts include "Reign of the Tec", "No Equal", "World's Famous", and "Psycho Dwarf." LP, Vinyl record album

The amazing first album from Big Star – a set that came out of nowhere, made hardly a ripple on the charts, yet went onto crash in big waves of sound for generations to come! The style here is unlike thing else before – hardly what you'd expect from the group's Memphis roots or Alex Chilton's previous performances – yet the group's music has become a generation-defining sound in the way it blends southern inflections with harder rock influences, and a lean, gritty quality that's arguably in a late 70s space between punk and power pop. Every element is wonderful – guitars that are powerful, but never indulgent – vocals that are moving, but never overly emotive – and a balance between sensitive and searing moments that even The Replacements could never hope to match. A landmark all the way through – with tracks that include "Feel", "Ballad Of El Goodo", "In The Street", "The India Song", "When My Baby's Beside Me", "Give Me Another Chance", "Don't Lie To Me", "Thirteen", "Watch The Sunrise", and "Try Again". LP, Vinyl record album

A record that may have never hit the radio city it wished for in the title – but a classic that's gone onto have an undeniable influence on so many scenes and styles over the years! This sublime second set from Big Star is even leaner and more focused than the first – a record that has the group losing Chris Bell, yet still retaining a lot of his influence – while the main focus moves over to Alex Chilton, whose ability to sing and write is simply mindblowing! The tunes have these dark, melancholy moments that are unlike anything either Chilton or rock had given the world up to the time – and really almost feel much more like work from a decade later in terms of execution and production. There's no easy labels, no easy terms you could ever hope to ascribe to the record – and that's fine, because it stands majestically well on its own. Titles include "O My Soul", "Life Is White", "Way Out West", "You Get What You Deserve", "Mod Lang", "She's A Mover", "Morpha Girl", "I'm In Love With A Girl". LP, Vinyl record album

Some of the sharpest, jazziest funk you'll ever hope to hear – a smoking collection of the legendary 70s work by The Blackbyrds on Fantasy Records! The group started as a jazz combo under Donald Byrd's supervision – right at a time when Byrd was making his own fantastic funky records in the 70s – but working for the Bay Area Fantasy label, they really took off into an amazing groove that was all their own – still informed by jazz, but free to open up to lots of funk and soul elements too – sometimes with vocals in the lead, sometimes more focus on the kinds of solos that always set them apart from all their contemporaries! The cuts have some wonderful keyboard work from a young Kevin Toney – who's gone onto a lot of fame over the years – and production on all cuts is either by Larry Mizell, Donald Byrd, or George Duke – key 70s jazz funk forces who keep things mighty tight in the studio! The package features work from all Blackbyrds albums of the 70s – including the Cornbread Earl & Me soundtrack, and the Night Grooves remix set – and the package features 25 titles that include "Enter In", "Party Land", "Do It Fluid", "Gut Level", "Summer Love", "I Need You", "The Baby", "Blackbyrds' Theme", "City Life", "Rock Creek Park", "Walking In Rhythm", "A Hot Day Today", "Wilford's Gone", "One Gun Salute", "Supernatural Feeling", "Mysterious Vibes", and "Soft & Easy". CD

The second bright blast of garage psych grooves from Blues Magoos – their excellent Electric Comic Book set for Mercury – just as great as the first album! At this early point, the group brings a deliriously high energy approach, even in the studio – we can only imagine how incredible the live show must have been – but still with catchy harmonies and a wicked sense of humor. The organ and heavy drums is the bedrock for garage rock to come, too! Titles include "Pipe Dream", "There's A Chance We Can Make It", "Gloria", "Summer Is The man", "Baby I Want You", "Take My Love", "Rush Hour" and more. LP, Vinyl record album

Two very unusual albums from the great Graham Bond – back to back in a single set! Holy Magick is quite spiritual, almost supernatural at times – very much what you'd expect from the cover and title! The record's light years away from Bond's British beat group work of a few years before – and has a quality that almost mixes headier rock influences with the spiritualism of the post-Coltrane generation – as the record almost goes farther in a direction that was somewhat initiated by Albert Ayler's more rock-like leanings at the end of his life. Many numbers have chorus vocals rising up behind Bond's lead – and while his own work on alto sax is somewhat displaced by strong use of guitar on many tracks, there's still a fair bit of jazzy elements going on in the mix – particularly on side two, which features Graham laying down some strong lines on the Hammond. Titles include "Aquarius Mantra", "Praise City Of Light", "12 Gates To The City", "Invocation To The Light", "The Qabalistic Cross", "The Pentagram Ritual", "The Holy Words", "The Judgement", and "The Magician". Holy Magick is an equally unusual record from a very unusual player! Altoist Graham Bond had a long and varied career before he made this groovy rock/jazz album in the early 70s. He started as a committed Brit modernist, playing in Don Rendell's early group, then moved into the Beat Group era, with his Graham Bond Organization that featured him on organ and alto. This session recorded with his group Magick shows a similar extension from the Beat Group sound that was taken by Brian Auger – lots of longer jamming cuts, still with the R&B tinged jazzy playing at its base, but with spiritual jazz on the vocals at times, and almost a bit of prog as well. The heart of the whole thing's still nice and jazzy, though – and titles include "Druid", "Ajama", "Forbidden Fruit", and "Moving Towards The Light". CD

A masterpiece of new music for guitar from the legendary Glenn Branca – a set that both draws on all the minimal experiments on the New York scene of the 70s, and the big wave of underground music at the end of the decade! Branca effortlessly fuses the rock and compositional communities here – working with Lee Ranaldo of Sonic Youth, and artist Ned Sublette – in a fierce set of tunes that blend four guitars, electric bass, and drums – all with an instrumental frenzy that matches some of the best early jams from Sonic Youth. Branca's approach is less freeform, but has very much the same intensity – and titles include "Lesson No 2", "Structure", "The Ascension", and "Spectacular Commodity". LP, Vinyl record album

Crucial work from Dennis Brown – one of the most soulful voices in reggae at the end of the 70, and an artist who achieved some great global fame – but who is also represented here on a host of the more obscure 7" singles issued by Joe Gibbs back home in Kingston! The set is unique, in that it features both a-sides and b-sides – work that shows the complex array of material that Dennis was working with, especially on the cool flipsides – which sometimes include dubs, sometimes other tracks that never got larger exposure at the time – including 11 numbers of the 42 in the set that appear on CD for the first time ever! The crispness of Joe's production works perfectly for Brown's vocals – putting them center stage, but never in a commercial way – on titles that include "Your Man", "Assigned To Leave", "Foul Play", "Love Dub", "Get High On Your Love", "On The Rocks", "Rain", "Ghetto Version", "Runnings Ire", "Nu True", "So Jah Say (live)", "Cassandra", "Should I", "Bubbling Love", "Rolling Down", "Hope We Get To Love In Time", "Timely Lover", and "Homeward Bound". CD

There's nothing orthodox about this 70s dub gem from Erroll Brown – as the album's an unusual set from start to finish – even in an era when so many dub records were being produced! There's an extra-raw sound to the whole thing – which might be hinted at by its cover image – and the sounds are very far from any sort of referent in vocal work in Jamaican music – with tracks that seem to exist entirely on their own, in a wave of echo, bubbling basslines, and slow-riffing guitars! Titles include "Gold Toot Style", "Black Forest Rock", "Roots Rockas", "Macka Dub", "First World Dub", "African Roots Style", and "Cold Sweat". LP, Vinyl record album

If anyone deserved the name of Miss Rhythm in the 50s, it was the great Ruth Brown – as the singer was one of the most hard-hitting, sock-solid talents around – and really helped pave the way for the deeper styles of soul to come in the 60s! This album's filled with great Atlantic Records material from Brown – and also nicely moves past the bigger hits of the period – to show Brown really mixing it up in a great way, with the sort of diversity that Etta James wouldn't find in her own career until her later move to Chess Records. Tracks include "This Little Girl's Gone Rockin", "Somebody Touched Me", "I Hope We Meet On The Road Some Day", "Why Me", "Just Too Much", "Book Of Lies", "One More Time", "Jack O Diamonds", "I Can See Everybody's Baby", and "I Can't Hear A Word You Say". LP, Vinyl record album

One of those 70s rock albums that seems to turn up in a fair bit of collections of hip soul and jazz – a bit like the work of Harvey Mandel, and with a similar blend of blues rock currents with farther-reaching ideals! Roy Buchanan is spectacular on the guitar here – the kind of player who almost could have fronted a bigger arena rock group, given his chops – but who choses instead to keep things close to the chest, with the more down to earth vibe of his look on the cover – even though his playing here is pretty outta sight. Roy's got some great help on the album – including some of the MGs on a version of "Green Onions" – plus more guitar from Steve Cropper on other tracks, plus piano from Jan Hammer, bass from Stanley Clarke, and drums from Narada Michael Walden. Other titles include "Judy", "Your Love", "Done Your Daddy Dirty", "The Circle", and "Hidden". LP, Vinyl record album

There was definitely a dread in this session from producer Clement Bushay – but one who also brought in a strong influence from American soul – at a level that creates this mighty nice blend between roots reggae and lovers rock modes! The set trips along in an easygoing mode, and titles include originals by the artists who provide the vocals, plus some great covers too – on titles that include "Loving Girl" and "Come On Back To Me" by Bob Davis, "Have You Ever Loved Someone" by Delroy Washington, "Summertime" by Domino Johnson, "Traveling Man" by Eugene Paul, "I'd Rather Go Blind" and "Higher & Higher" by Carl Bert, "You Said You Love Me More & More" by Gene Rondo, and "Rock Your Baby" by Anne & Annis Peters. LP, Vinyl record album

The first four albums from this crucial group – along with four more CDs of rare live material too! First up is the self-titled Cactus – the first album from this legendary group – an important American hard rock powerhouse, driven by the famous rhythm duo of Tim Bogert on bass and Carmine Appice on drums – both of whom roll out of the gate here with amazingly frenetic energy! They're maybe only topped by the guitar work of Jim McCarty, whose searing lines are clearly learned from blues inspirations, then turned up in both speed and power – to match the vocals and harmonica of Rusty Day! There's nothing going on here that sounds like blues rock at all – even though the set begins with a cover of "Parchman Farm" – next to other titles that include "My Lady From South Of Detroit", "No Need To Worry", "You Can't Judge A Book By The Cover", and "Let Me Swim". On One Way Or Another, Cactus are totally at the top of their game – and the guitar of Jim McCarthy really sets the record on fire, right from the very first note – at a level that should have made Jim one of the real guitar hero legends of his generation! Yet there's also power from the whole group going on too – tight rhythms from the team of Carmine Appice and Jim Bogert, the latter of whom starts to bring in his own vocals a fair bit more, offering backup to the raspy lead of Rusty Day. And while there's a few currents that show their older influence from blues, the sound here is massively hard rock all the way through – making the record a great illustration of the way that slavish blues rock gave birth to a fresh new jamming sound in a matter of just a few short years. Titles include "Rockout Whatever You Feel Like", "Song For Aries", "Feel So Bad", "Rock N Roll Children", and "Hometown Bust". Restrictions is next, and despite the title, there's no restrictions at all – as Cactus seem to be even more confident, more able to stretch their wings and fly than ever before – even adding in some extra piano and keyboards at points to the core guitar-heavy sound of the quartet! All the group's best elements are very firmly in place – searing guitar, righteously confident vocals, and a strutting sensibility that makes this early 70s album way ahead of the game in terms of territory that so many bigger groups would later copy for their own classic records. Titles include "Guiltless Glider", "Evil Alaska", "Sweet Sixteen", "Bag Drag", "Restrictions", and "Mean Night In Cleveland". Ot N Sweaty is a record that's got a bit of a shift in the classic Cactus lineup – as the group's still driven strongly by the work of Carmine Appice on drums and Tim Bogert on bass, but get guitar power from Werner Fritzschings, who's a pretty amazing player – next to some added keyboards from Duane Hitchings, and vocals from Peter French – a singer who's ballsy power might be even more in line with the group than their previous lead singer! The album's got an unusual approach in that side one was recorded live, side two in the studio – each with a nicely different flavor as a result – on titles that include "Swim", "Our Lil Rock N Roll Thing", "Bedroom Mazurka", "Telling You", "Bad Stuff", and "Bringing Me Down". 8CD set is overflowing with great material – bonus tracks added to three of the four albums in the collection, than a further 4CDs worth of live material – titled Fully Unleashed – The Live Gigs Vols 1 & 2. The live material is great – and really shows the tightness of the group at their best! CD

A great example of why the Swingville label was such a great idea – a perfect setting for older players to have a chance to relax in the studio and really do their thing – hitting the sort of notes they might reach in a late-nite set at a club, without all the pressures to try for a crossover hit or short takes on overdone standards! The tracks here are all quite long – surpassing even Verve material of this nature – and Carter plays both alto and trumpet, Webster his classic tenor, and Bigard clarinet – in a group that also includes Shorty Sherock on trumpet, Jimmy Rowles on piano, and Dave Barbour on guitar. Rhythm's from Leroy Vinnegar on bass and Mel Lewis on drums – so that part of the equation is rock-solid too – and titles include "Opening Blues", "Lula", "When Lights Are Low", and "You Can't Tell The Difference When The Sun Goes Down Blues". LP, Vinyl record album

An entire film that's one big pot joke, and we have to admit, we still laugh at it every time. Skits, dialogue and music from the film, including "The Finkelstein Sh!t Kid" by Mr Stoner, "Low Rider" by War, "1st Gear, 2nd Gear" by Pedro and Man, "Framed" and "Rock Fight" by Cheech & Chong, "Searchin'" by the Search Boys, "Here Come The Mounties To The Rescue", "Lost Due To Incompetence (Theme For a Big Green Van)" and "Strawberries" by Yesca, "Earache My Eye" by Alice Bowie, "Sometimes When You Gotta Go, You Can't" by Pedro and Sgt Stedenko, and "Lard Ass" by Pedro, Man, Clyde & Sgt Stedenko. (Note: This item is not for sale online until 7:00am on Sunday, April 21. It is in limited supply – and by nature of the Record Store Day rules it will be offered for sale first to customers who visit the Dusty Groove retail outlet in Chicago the morning of Saturday, April 20. It will not be pre-sold or reserved in any way. However, after 7:00am on April 21 we will offer up whatever we have left for sale online.) LP, Vinyl record album

One of the more new wave-oriented moments from Ava Cherry – a singer we know best from her solo work in soul, but who also has a pretty strong pedigree on the rock side of the spectrum as well! The instrumentation is heavy on keyboards – played by Mark Isham, in a way that sometimes echoes his best soundtrack work of the decade, but more focused too – at a level that brings a deeper sound to the music than you might expect! Tunes are upbeat and catchy, yet trying for a bit of an edge at times – and Ava serves up the lyrics with a subtle sense of drama in her voice. Titles include "Fast Lover", "Love To Be Touched", "Techno Love", "Having Been Far", "I Guess It's Love", "Awkward Situation", and "Streetcar Named Desire". CD features two bonus tracks – 12" remixes of "Awkward Situation" and "Streetcar Named Desire". CD

Vancouver rockers Chilliwack are Riding High indeed on this mid 70s set – with a tighter groove than ever before, with nice, punchy rhythms, biting electric guitar, and big vocals – really a sweet set of uber-tuneful 70s rock that sounds as good to our ears as a heck of a lot of the classic rock radio fodder that's been over (and over and over and over...) played for so many years. They have the hooks and the power of the better remembered rockers of the day, without the staleness and cheesiness of many of the superstars of the era, and a more varied and unpredictable range. Titles include "Come On Over", "Crazy Talk", "Makin Time", "Riding High", "Time Don't Mean A Thing To Ya", "Far Side Of The Sun" (a two part suite) and more. LP, Vinyl record album

One of the most stunning debut albums of the 70s – and a set that burst on the scene with a sound that summed up a generation, but which had never been heard this clearly before! This self-titled Clash album was different from other landmarks of the time – work by the Sex Pistols, Ramones, and others – as the group had a sense of raw power, but also a tunefulness too – a way of pushing their message into territory that others wouldn't have reached – with tunes that were as surprisingly hummable as they were politically correct! There's a bit less Jamaican influence here than in later Clash years, but that quality is still present somewhat – and over the years, this is definitely a set we can return to again and again – with no sense of apology or outdated ideals at all. Nearly every cut's a classic – and titles include "Janie Jones", "Career Opportunities", "Police & Thieves", "Garageland", "Clash City Rockers", "I Fought The Law", "White Riot", "London's Burning", "White Man In Hammersmith Palais", and "I'm So Bored With The USA". LP, Vinyl record album