Simon Reynolds has taken on many musical topics over the years – but he really outdoes himself here, in a massive examination of the rise of glam rock in the 70s – providing far more history and context than we ever would have imagined, and tracing its influence for decades after its initial moment! Usually, glam is treated like a flash in the pan – and most books use it as a footnote for its bigger proponents, like David Bowie or T Rex – but Reynolds really digs deep, and situates the musical movement in larger shifts in culture, fashion, and gender – really showing us how these mid-70s sounds opened doors and continued to provide freedom and focus for years to come. The softcover book is a massive 686 pages, with some black and white photos. Book

A detailed look at one of the most famous rock and roll concerts of all time – the ill-fated Rolling Stones 1969 performance at Altamont race track, in which the group made the mistake of inviting Hells Angels to handle security! The Angels were bullies, and famously stabbed a concert-goer at the event – after beating up many others along the way – and the whole event has been hailed as the end of the party for the 60s over the years. Yet while many tell the tale with easy explanations and a prime focus on either the Stones or the Angels, author Joel Selvin does a really great job of setting the whole scene, and putting the tragedy in the larger cultural context of the time – with a fair bit on both the leadup and the aftermath of the concert. 358 pages, hardcover, with some images. Book

Images of famous stars at the beach – not the creepy tabloid photos that always seem to catch them at their worst – but lavish full color images that are pulled from film shots, publicity stills, and magazine layouts – all documenting an ever-evolving sense of fashion in the sand on the west coast scene at midcentury! Most of the subjects of the photos are recognizable – Ursula Andress, Elizabeth Taylor, Marilyn Monroe, and so on – but there's also some lesser-knowns, early film stars, and others – laid out in beautiful pages that include a bit of text, and some movie poster images too. 218 pages, full color, hardcover. Book

A vivid love letter to vintage Vegas – one that's filled with images of the city from the 50s through the 80s, and which also features a special forward by Wayne Newton, and an afterward by Donnie & Marie! The pictures are the real strength of the book, though – and are presented in an array of oversized images, both black and white, and color – with shots of showgirls, singers, stars, and gamblers – plus posters, film stills, and more – all to paint a picture of the years when Las Vegas still had a heck of an edge, and hadn't become such a parody of itself. The book is very large, full color throughout, hardcover, and 238 very vivid pages. Book

A big book of beautiful objects and images – all creations of the Morning Breath Studio in Brooklyn – a force that you may already know from a range of famous record covers over the years! This book dives way deeper into their output, though – and not only features a bit section on music packaging, but also sections on posters, shirts, and some other unusual projects – all full color, on oversized pages that beautifully display the striking images created by this very imaginative group! A great volume if you love modern poster, sticker, or album cover design – 190 pages, full color, hardcover, and oversize. Book

George Jones is one of the most amazing talents in country music – and he was also one of the most messed-up cats on the Nashville scene – with a lifestyle and legend that maybe tops the decadence of some of the bigger rock stars of the 70s! Writer Rich Kienzle clearly loves Jones' music – as do we – but he's also not afraid to open up the darker corners of George's life – recounting his personal troubles that occurred alongside his cultural success – a long path to stardom that began with his boyhood in Beaumont, Texas – and which took a long time rising through a range of seminal recordings in the 50s, 60s, and 70s – all of which maybe showed Jones' growing and changing more than any other of his country music contemporaries. The full story is captured here – in a book that's 279 pages, hardcover, and has some black and white images. Book

Nothing primitif about this jazz, because the music has a really haunting feel – one that's filled with sophisticated changes and compelling instrumentation – served up in ways that are unlike anything else we can think of! Side one of the record features the combo of percussionist Rupert Clemendore, who also plays vibes on the record – with Bert Innis on piano, Frankie Francis on sax, and Les Sargeant on guitar – all in a set of tunes that skittishly groove on angular rhythms, yet also have a sense of warmth as well. Titles include "Bongo Mood", "We Mambo", "Princess Charming", and "The Fly". Side two features equally amazing music from the group of bassist John Buddy Williams – a combo with lots of heavy percussion and a definite Latin bent in the rhythms, plus "doublers" who play either sax or clarinet at the same time – making for a really wide, spread-apart sound as they snake through the melodies! These tracks were all recorded live, with a really festive feel – and titles include "Alma Llanera", "She Pon Top", "Shoemaker Shop", "Man In Dey", and "Last Night The Landlord Nearly Killed Me". CD

... LP, Vinyl record album

A massive bit of blue-eyed soul – recorded on the London scene of the late 90s, but put together with a vibe that takes us back to early 70s LA! The sticker on the front of the original record promises links to Steely Dan and Jamiroquai – and the sound of the record definitely lives up to that sound – all the best warm production you'd hear from the best mainstream acts of the 70s, but fitted with a 90s style that's a bit leaner overall – smart enough to appreciate all the best aspects of the older music, yet distanced enough not to get trapped in its cliches! The whole thing's the grooviest set of soft rock we've heard in years – a killer little record that's filled with great hooks, soulful instrumentation, and loads of warm harmonies from the lead duo – on titles that include "Late For The Day", "Lucky Radio", "Valerie", "Whatever I Do", "I Can't Move No Mountains", "Only When I'm With You", and "Soon Comes Another". Features the bonus track "Help Me See". CD

A killer album from Mongo Santamaria's classic 60s run for Columbia – and a record that also features some wonderful alto work from a young Sonny Fortune! Sonny's the key soloist on the record – bringing some sharp jazz elements to an album that's equal part Latin and 60s soul instrumental – served up with key arrangements from Marty Sheller, and played by a cool mix of Latin and soul players that includes Mongo on congas and bongos, plus Pretty Purdie on drums, Haldey Caliman and Hubert Laws on tenor, Luis Gasca on trumpet, and Stephen Berrios, Julito Collazo, and Osualdo Martinez on percussion! Tunes are a mix of covers and cool originals – and titles include "Hitchcock Railway", "See Saw", "Cloud Nine", "Where We Are", "Love Child", "Who's Making Love", and "The Now Generation". LP, Vinyl record album

A fantastic look at the groundbreaking sounds of the Disques Debs label – one of the most important companies producing music in the French Caribbean – and an imprint whose impact was strongly felt on the other side of the Atlantic as well! The core of these grooves is that compelling biguine rhythm that flowed from Guadeloupe – almost a mix of Latin and jazz, but with a different sort of vibe of its own – which was then interwoven with elements from Cuban, European, and African styles amidst the initial decade or so of recordings on this set! Debs had strong ties with Paris, and a bit with the West African scene – and their recorded legacy almost follows old colonial paths, but in reverse – creating this wonderful criss-crossing of cultures amidst their grooves. The package is wonderful – loads of vintage photos and great notes in the best Strut Records way – and titles include "Douce Kombass" by Henri Debs Quintet, "Mr Morin" by Joseph Lacides, "Lan Mise" by Geno Exilie, "Feeling Happy" by Cyril Dias Et Son Orchestre, "Ces P'Tits Je T'Aime" by Daniel Forestal Et Sa Guitare, "Assez Fait Cancan" by Guy Conquette, "Stanislas" by Eric Virgal, "Meringue Mondey" by Remy Mondey, "Si I Bon Di I Bon" by Le Ry-Co Jazz, "Salvana" by Dolor Et Les Diables Du Rhythme, and "Van Van" by Henri Guedon Et Les Contesta. CD

A fantastic record from jazz harmonica player Donald Bailey – maybe one of the few we've ever seen with his name in the lead, and a set that shows that he can easily rival some of the greats on his instrument at the time! The vibe of the set is a bit like some of the best jazz dates from Toots Thielemans – mellow accompaniment from a Japanese group that features Hideo Ichikawa on piano, Yoshio Ikeda on bass, and Takaki Nishikawa on drums – plus guest tenor from Hideyuki Kikuchi on two tracks! Yet throughout it all, the round, robust sound of Bailey on the harmonica is in the lead – blowing with a strong sense of tone, and an imaginative power that shows how he, like Toots, can really match the energy of a saxophonist in sense of solo and rhythm. Titles include "Half Nelson", "The Lady Is A Tramp", "Invitation", "So In Love", and "Alone Together". CD

Cosmic righteousness from Brother Ahh – aka Robert Northern – best known for his work with Sun Ra, but a force behind some wonderfully soulful records of his own! This album's one of Ahh's later works – self-released in 1983, with a conception that's fuller than his earlier works – almost in an Alice Coltrane spiritual mode, with tracks that emphasize consciousness, healing, well being, and awareness. Ah plays flute and French horn on the album – and other instrumentation includes percussion by Nasar Abadey and Barbara Burton-Tuten, bass from Mike Bowie, harp and mbiri from Jeff Majors, and guitar from Marvin Tuten. Most tracks are instrumentals – building in a nice Phil Cohran-ish way – but a few numbers feature vocals. And titles include "Sekou", "Nature's Blues", "Key To Nowhere", "Hanifah", "Motherless Child", "Celebration", and "The Void". CD

To most ears, trumpeter Jon Hassell first burst on to the world through his experiments with Brian Eno on EG Records, or maybe his 80s work on ECM – but here, on his debut for the small avant label Lovely Music, it's clear that Jon's already in complete control of his sound – and is ready to become the kind of performer that would captivate listeners for decades to come! Hassell's horn has that special sort of effect quality on most numbers here – spacey, but never slick – and electrified, but far from any sort of Miles Davis mode – especially considering that the music is full of earthy, organic percussion from Nana Vasconcelos and some other players, who balance out the set's work on Fender Rhodes, Arp, and Serge synthesizer. The spirit of the set is very much in Hassell's classic "fourth world" recordings – and titles include "Toucan Ocean", "Hex", "Blues Nile", "Vernal Equinox", and "Caracas Night September 11, 1975". CD

Guitarist Gilad Hekselman plays here in two different groups – his gHex Trio, with Rick Rosato on bass and Jonathan Pinson on drums – and Zuperoctave, with Aaron Parks on keyboards, piano, and Fender Rhodes – and Kush Abadey on drums! We love the music of Parks, so we're especially fond of the second group – which has these nice chunky keys that bubble in blocks next to Gilad's chromatic work on the guitar – a quality that's used in the other trio, but often in ways that are slightly less dynamic. The mix of modes makes for one of Hekselman's most interesting records to date – and certainly lets Gilad show off the guitar styles that really set him apart from most. Titles include "Clap Clap", "Stumble", "Milton", "Vblues", "It Will Get Better", and "Tokyo Cookie". CD

Cosmic righteousness from Brother Ahh – aka Robert Northern – best known for his work with Sun Ra, but a force behind some wonderfully soulful records of his own! This album's one of Ahh's later works – self-released in 1983, with a conception that's fuller than his earlier works – almost in an Alice Coltrane spiritual mode, with tracks that emphasize consciousness, healing, well being, and awareness. Ahh plays flute and French horn on the album – and other instrumentation includes percussion by Nasar Abadey and Barbara Burton-Tuten, bass from Mike Bowie, harp and mbiri from Jeff Majors, and guitar from Marvin Tuten. Most tracks are instrumentals – building in a nice Phil Cohran-ish way – but a few numbers feature vocals. And titles include "Sekou", "Nature's Blues", "Key To Nowhere", "Hanifah", "Motherless Child", "Celebration", and "The Void". LP, Vinyl record album

To most ears, trumpeter Jon Hassell first burst on to the world through his experiments with Brian Eno on EG Records, or maybe his 80s work on ECM – but here, on his debut for the small avant label Lovely Music, it's clear that Jon's already in complete control of his sound – and is ready to become the kind of performer that would captivate listeners for decades to come! Hassell's horn has that special sort of effect quality on most numbers here – spacey, but never slick – and electrified, but far from any sort of Miles Davis mode – especially considering that the music is full of earthy, organic percussion from Nana Vasconcelos and some other players, who balance out the set's work on Fender Rhodes, Arp, and Serge synthesizer. The spirit of the set is very much in Hassell's classic "fourth world" recordings – and titles include "Toucan Ocean", "Hex", "Blues Nile", "Vernal Equinox", and "Caracas Night September 11, 1975". LP, Vinyl record album

Sparkling vocals from the lovely Connie Stevens – recorded here right at the start of her fame on screen! Backings by Hal Hidey. LP, Vinyl record album