The landmark first album from The Band – a debut that set the tone for countless other records to come – and we don't just mean from the group themselves! The Band clearly establish themselves here on their own, well away from Bob Dylan territory – working with an instant sense of personality that draws on the strength of all the members of the group – Garth Hudson's imposing organ grooves, Richard Manuel's aching tenor vocals, Rick Danko's voice and distinctive bass lines, Levon Helm's behind-the-beat drumming and the country wisdom of his voice, and the guitar mastery of the young Robbie Robertson – already a trademark force in the group. Titles include "Tears Of Rage", "In A Station", "The Weight", "Long Black Veil", "Chest Fever", "Lonesome Suzie", "This Wheels On Fire", and "I Shall Be Released". CD adds 9 outtakes. CD

The landmark first album from The Band – a debut that set the tone for countless other records to come – and we don't just mean from the group themselves! The Band clearly establish themselves here on their own, well away from Bob Dylan territory – working with an instant sense of personality that draws on the strength of all the members of the group – Garth Hudson's imposing organ grooves, Richard Manuel's aching tenor vocals, Rick Danko's voice and distinctive bass lines, Levon Helm's behind-the-beat drumming and the country wisdom of his voice, and the guitar mastery of the young Robbie Robertson – already a trademark force in the group. Titles include "Tears Of Rage", "In A Station", "The Weight", "Long Black Veil", "Chest Fever", "Lonesome Suzie", "This Wheels On Fire", and "I Shall Be Released". LP, Vinyl record album

The landmark first album from The Band – a debut that set the tone for countless other records to come – and we don't just mean from the group themselves! The Band clearly establish themselves here on their own, well away from Bob Dylan territory – working with an instant sense of personality that draws on the strength of all the members of the group – Garth Hudson's imposing organ grooves, Richard Manuel's aching tenor vocals, Rick Danko's voice and distinctive bass lines, Levon Helm's behind-the-beat drumming and the country wisdom of his voice, and the guitar mastery of the young Robbie Robertson – already a trademark force in the group. Titles include "Tears Of Rage", "In A Station", "The Weight", "Long Black Veil", "Chest Fever", "Lonesome Suzie", "This Wheels On Fire", and "I Shall Be Released". CD

The landmark first album from The Band – a debut that set the tone for countless other records to come – and we don't just mean from the group themselves! The Band clearly establish themselves here on their own, well away from Bob Dylan territory – working with an instant sense of personality that draws on the strength of all the members of the group – Garth Hudson's imposing organ grooves, Richard Manuel's aching tenor vocals, Rick Danko's voice and distinctive bass lines, Levon Helm's behind-the-beat drumming and the country wisdom of his voice, and the guitar mastery of the young Robbie Robertson – already a trademark force in the group. Titles include "Tears Of Rage", "In A Station", "The Weight", "Long Black Veil", "Chest Fever", "Lonesome Suzie", "This Wheels On Fire", and "I Shall Be Released". Very cool package – with 2LPs that play at 45rpm – plus CD and Blu-Ray versions that also include 6 more bonus outtakes. Also includes the 7" single for "The Weight" – plus a booklet and art prints too! LP, Vinyl record album

The landmark first album from The Band – a debut that set the tone for countless other records to come – and we don't just mean from the group themselves! The Band clearly establish themselves here on their own, well away from Bob Dylan territory – working with an instant sense of personality that draws on the strength of all the members of the group – Garth Hudson's imposing organ grooves, Richard Manuel's aching tenor vocals, Rick Danko's voice and distinctive bass lines, Levon Helm's behind-the-beat drumming and the country wisdom of his voice, and the guitar mastery of the young Robbie Robertson – already a trademark force in the group. Titles include "Tears Of Rage", "In A Station", "The Weight", "Long Black Veil", "Chest Fever", "Lonesome Suzie", "This Wheels On Fire", and "I Shall Be Released". CD

A damn legendary record from the last years of Chess Records – and for good reason, too! Archie Whitewater were a group that was years ahead of its time – a rock combo, but one with real genre-crossing sensibilities that made them perfect for the experimental styles at the Cadet/Concept side of Chess – the same slice of the musical universe that gave us Rotary Connection and important productions from Charles Stepney! The sound here has some surprisingly soulful elements at times – especially the instrumentation, which features some great break moments that get nice and funky, and strands of soulful jazz and blues that really make the music way different than most other groups we can think of – or maybe a bit like a rare elite who shared such visionary territory with Archie Whitewater, such as Shades Of Joy on their first Fontana record. The keyboards and sax lines are as great as the drums – and the vocals have a melancholy undercurrent that's a really refreshing change from some of the overly-postured modes you'd get from other groups in 1970. Titles include the sublime sample cut "Cross Country" – but there's loads of other nice ones with the same stripped-down "Dusty Fingers" sort of groove – and other titles include "Life Is A River", "Home Again", "Lament For The Walking Dead", "Seacoast", "Country To the City", "Friends & Neighbors", and "Mist Of The Early Morning". CD

A pretty wild album – and a really wonderful mixture of funky fusion and Spanish guitar, featuring tunes written by flamenco guitarist Sabicas, backed by arrangements handled by funky guitarist Joe Beck! The sound is pretty darn incredible – way better than you might think, and certainly well more than the sum of its parts. The bottom half of the record has a really strong rhythmic pulse, but it also allows plenty of room for virtuoso flights on guitar – both electric and acoustic coming together in a mad Spanish-styled take on 70s funk! The record's a truly unique effort, and sets a whole new standard for cultural crossover sessions of this type in the 70s. Titles include "Inca Song", "Handclaps", "Flamenco Rock", "Zapateado", and "Joe's Tune". CD

Far and away the greatest album that Brother To Brother ever cut – and a monster record that's satisfying all the way through! At their roots, the band have an ensemble funk style similar to many other 70s groups – but they also add in a lot of jazzy changes and a nascent sense of a club groove that's shown to best effect on their great cover of Gil Scott Heron's "In The Bottle", done here with sweet flanged-out vocals, electric piano riffing, and the same sort of flute solo heard in the original. Other tracks include "Mother Earth", "A Love Of My Own", "If He Can Do It", "Trespassing", and "Junkie". Wood Brass & Steel back the group up – and the instrumentation is similar to the work on their own album for Turbo. CD

A sweet funky set from the New Jersey 70s soul empire of the Stang/Turbo/All-Platinum family of labels – the kind of record that came out with little fanfare at the time, but which has a razor sharp groove all the way through! The set features plenty of wonderful work on keyboards – clavinet, organ, moog, and Arp – mixed with really sharp basslines that snap along nicely, and really tuck the tunes into the groove – as vocals from various group members trade places in the best funk ensemble mode! There's plenty of nice nuggets on this set – like the super-catchy "Chance With You", the moogy "Phattenin", and the warmly mellow "Visions" – next to other tracks that include "Groovy Day", "Take My Love", "Leavin Me", and "Let Your Mind Be Free". CD

A classic set of clubby soul from the All-Platinum New Jersey soul empire of the 70s – the third album from a group who started in funk territory a few years before, but who've definitely sharpened up their groove for the dancefloors here! Brother To Brother are a great example of a group from pre-disco years who evolved very strongly to the best modes of the time – still very underground, and with instrumentation that's schooled from many years gigging together. Billy Jones arranged and produced – that's him on the front, next to Chuck Carrado – both of whom play guitar – in a mix of keyboards, saxes, bass, and drums – often with some nice jazzy currents. Titles include "Dancin Singin", "We Love To Party", "Brother To Brother", "Vibrations", and "I'm Gonna Take Your Love". CD

One of those 70s records that has everything going for it, but somehow never got a chance to get off the mark – well-written and catchy tunes, a tight approach to production that's also somehow fresh, and a sense of personality that marks this second set by the band to be one where they're really hitting their stride! The record's of the AOR generation, but it's also got a sense of individuality that really shines through – never too polished, but also not an indie effort as well – and some nice echoes of the kind of cuts that would have peaked on British radio a few years before. Titles include "Confident Man", "Coaltown", "As A Lover I'm A Loser", "Alone Tonight", "Good To Me", "Free & Easy", and "Faith In The Family". CD

A bit of a change from the fragile, folksy tones of the first album from Jimmy Campbell – a set that's got some heavier instrumentation, and a feel that's a bit more rocking overall! Jimmy still shows some of his sensitive side on the set, but only on a few tracks – leaving others to go for a cool combination of fuzzy guitar, flanged-out vocals, and some early glam-styled production – an approach that's hardly glam at all, but which definitely hints at the fuller, more echoey modes that would come into prominence in British rock a few years later. Campbell's songs are still quite creatively penned – leaving lots of room for his odd twists and turns, and greatly imagistic way of presenting a lyric – on titles that include "In My Room", "So Lonely Without You", "Green Eyed American Actress", "Half Baked", "Closing Down The Shop", and "Don't Leave Me Now". CD

Beautifully sensitive work from Jimmy Campbell – a record with a lot more depth than you might guess from the gimmicky image on the cover! Campbell returns here to spare, fragile territory throughout – working with instrumentation that's mostly just acoustic guitar and a bit of rhythm, plus occasional piano and organ – all in a style that reminds us of Biff Rose at some of his best late 60s moments, which is a pretty good comparison – considering Jimmy's uniquely personal style of singing, and his personally poetic choice of lyrical topics! The album's a real overlooked gem – the kind of singer-songwriter treasure that's arguably more suited to a hip audience these days than it might have been when first released back in the early 70s. Titles include "April Morning", "Paris You're In Paris", "Salvation Army Citadel", "By The Light Of A Lamp", "Maudie", "Baby Walk Out With Your Darling Man", "It Never Rains But It Pours", and "When You're Coming Home". CD

Haunting work from Jimmy Campbell – an overlooked British songwriter at the end of the 60s, and one with a really unusual approach to his music! At some level, Jimmy's got some of the folksy touches of the Nick Drake generation – a sound that might have been right at home on Island Records – but at another level, his style here is very much his own too – a bit more sensitive, and delivered with this odd vocal quality that's unlike anything we can think of – as unique to Jimmy as Tom Rapp's voice was to Pearls Before Swine, or Biff Rose's was to his own great late 60s sides! Instrumentation is relatively spare on most numbers – just acoustic guitar and a bit of rhythm, yet hardly in typical folksy modes – and titles include "When I Sit Down To Reason", "Adrian Henri's Party Night", "On A Monday", "Lyanna", "Dear Marge", "Penny In My Pocket", "Another Vincent Van Gough", and "Michelangelo". CD

A soaring set from the later years of Detroit funk powerhouse Westbound Records – a record that has the label moving into clubbier territory, but with all the sharpness they brought to their earlier releases! Detroit producers Mike Theodore and Dennis Coffey are at the helm of the record – and although the set has disco elements that include chorus vocals and upbeat rhythms, the approach is maybe more in a fast funk style than more commercial work of the time – which keeps things nice and lean throughout, at a level that's similar to early work from T Connection and some of the hipper groups of their scene! Both Motown legend Earl Van Dyke and Dennis Coffey play on the album – and tracks include "We Got Our Own Thing", "Free To Be Me", "Get A Groove In Order To Move", and "Sure Can't Go To The Moon". CD

Clive Palmer definitely has an original band here – a group who have some of the acoustic elements of The Incredible String Band, of which he was a part – but who also come across with a sound that's a lot more ancient, dark, and spooky too! Vocals are by Clive and Mick Bennett – both singers with a very moody approach – almost weary from battles in the field, coming back home to tell their tales – set to instrumentation that includes key use of organ amidst the acoustic elements, but almost as if it's a pump organ, which gives all the songs this wonderfully downbeat sort of vibe – a bit like when Nico uses harmonium. The set's definitely on the darkest side of the acid folk spectrum, and maybe has echoes of Current 93 and Wicker Man as well – on titles that include "Eleven Willows", "I Told Her", "Oh Bright Eyed One", "Heart Dancer", "Let It Be You", and "Solomon's Song". 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

A lost psych classic from Daughters Of Albion – a set that mixes the sing-song nature of the tunes with some deeper LA production from Leon Russell – all in a great blend of styles that's really made the album a standout over the years! The group's a duo – Greg Dempsey and Kathy Yesse, both of whom have such long hair, it's hard to tell who's who – both singers who come from a folksy background, yet bring in that mix of Sunshine Pop modes that so many post-folkies on the west coast were using at the time – a great ear for sweet harmonies and catchy tunes, but with an undercurrent of darkness too! Titles include "I Love Her And She Loves Me", "Still Care About You", "Yes Our Love Is Growing", "Candle Song", "Lady Fingers", "Sweet Susan Constantine", "Well Wired", and "John Flip Lockup". CD

Andy Desmond wasn't the biggest name in pop during the mid 70s – but he's a singer/songwriter with a quality here that can compete with some of the best of his generation – a way of putting over a subtle tune with just the right of compressed production elements, almost in the territory of Gerry Rafferty at times, but often with a more personal vibe too. Titles include "Each & Every Day", "Canada", "Captain Of The Crew", "Schooldays Are Over", "Another Town Another Saturday Night", and "Just Another Song In The Moonlight". CD

An obscure solo set from Andy Desmond – once a member of Gothic Horizon, but clearly an artist ready to break out on his own – given the sound and scope of the record! The set mixes acoustic elements with some larger arrangements handled by John Gosling, who also co-produced the set with Dave Davies – who also plays some guitar on the record too – bringing in some of the more subtle charms of his own solo work. Desmond's got a very particular style – one that almost feels as if it's reaching for some bigger crossover world, but which in this setting is much more down to earth, so that his charms are never too overwhelmed. Maybe the vibe is a bit like early Gerry Rafferty solo work, before the AOR hits – but you can be the judge, on titles that include "She Can Move Mountains", "In your Life", "Why Not Write Me A Letter", "Annie", "So It Goes", and "Beware". CD

A hell of a record from UK singer/songwriter Gary Farr – a set that has some folksy touches that resonate with some of his contemporaries, but one that also has Farr really working his unique vocal style in great ways – with support from a superb lineup that includes guitar work from the young Richard Thompson, plus drums from Roger Powell, flute and piano from Ian Whiteman, and even some light arrangements from Mike Batt. Thompson's ability to shift moods from track to track really helps the flavor of the set – and the title track is a haunting cover of the Billie Holiday classic "Strange Fruit", next to other tunes that include "Sweet Angelina", "Revolution Of The Season", "Down Among The Dead Men", "In The Mud", and "Old Man Boulder". CD

Early solo work from Gary Farr, and material that's a really great change from his previous work with the T-Bones – a record that really has Gary developing his vocal style in a great way, and singing with arrangements that create a magical, almost mystical flow in his sound! The backings aren't credited, but are possibly handled by Farr, or producer Reggie King – and the style mixes some jazzy inflections with more ambitious rock modes – on tracks that often include some especially nice use of flute, and which have a visionary style that's maybe inspired a bit by the work of Tim Buckley. Farr's presentation of the original lyrics is wonderfully pointed – and titles include "Dustbin", "Two Separate Paths Together", "Curtain Of Sleep", "Why Not", "Time Machine", and "Don't Know Why You Bother Child". CD

A rare batch of funky soul on the notorious Guinness label – the same company that gave the world the two fantastic albums by Newban – and somehow also managed to issue this gem of a set too! The vibe is similar to Newban – well-crafted upbeat soul that isn't really disco, but isn't hard funk either – instead this really unique hybrid of modes that moves along at a mighty nice clip – while tight, fast guitar really carves out most of the groove – but is matched by some great basslines and drums, and topped by horns that really warm things up alongside the vocals! There's a soaring, positive vibe to the whole record – energy that really belies the fact that the set hardly got any circulation at the time – almost as if the group were poising themselves to be huge. Titles include "Love Love Love", "Hold On", "Can You Feel It", "All In Time", "Fine Lady", and "Smoke Up". CD

One of the greatest solo albums ever issued by Latin jazz trumpeter Luis Gasca – a set that really expands on his debut for Atlantic Records, and which brings in a whole host of early 70s west coast Latin influences! The style here is very laidback and open – a bit like some of the Chicano funk coming out of the LA scene at the time, but a fair bit more jazz oriented overall – with long lean solos from both Gasca on trumpet and Joe Henderson on tenor sax, set up in a half-electric set of rhythms laid out on guitar, organ, keyboards, bass, and plenty of percussion! Other players here are all top-shelf too – and include Carlos Santana, George Cables, Stanley Clarke, Coke Escovedo, and Lenny White. The album features 4 long tracks – "Spanish Gypsy", "Street Dude", "La Raza", and "Little Mama". CD

A really cool British group, and one who work here with equal influences from blues and jazz – all at a level that has the complex riffing of a group like Colosseum mixed with some of the earthier woodwinds of Jethro Tull! Female lead singer Linda Rothwell has a really unique style, and one that doesn't try too hard to ape bigger American names of the time – while Joseph Rosbotham provides loads of cool work on flute and tenor, which further underscores the album's special kind of sound. Malcolm Grundy turns in some excellent work on guitar – and titles include "Port & Lemon Lady", "Hunters Song", "Men", "I Heard A Song About A Friend", "Emerge Breath Sunshine Dandelion", and "Prism". CD