A 70s gem from Greenslade – a record that's filled with keyboard lines that really soar, thanks to leader Dave Greenslade – and vocals from Dave Lawson, who almost seems to have the same sort of energy as a young Freddie Mercury! The mix of elements here is great – at a level that should have made Greenslade much bigger at the time, as they really come on with a topshelf performance that rivals the best of this crossover prog generation. The drums are fantastic, too – really setting a solid ground while the organ and other keyboards soar over the top. Titles include "Pilgrim's Progress", "Drum Folk", "Sunkissed You're Not", "Chalk Hill", "Time To Dream", and "Bedside Manners Are Extra". LP, Vinyl record album

A great little package – all four of the classic albums from Greenslade, packaged here in one monstrously proggy set! First up is the self-titled Greenslade – a set that's as sprawling and dynamic as its famous cover image from Roger Dean! Dean gives the whole package a bit of a Yes-like vibe – and there's definitely that sort of inspiration going on here – a really sharp, well-played mix of the keyboards of leader Dave Greenslade with fierce work on bass and drums – both handled with a fantastic sense of changes, and a driving force that never gets lost in itself or overindulgent! At a time when some prog groups were getting too darn proggy, these guys really stay the course – and are given fantastic guidance in the vocals of Dave Lawson – a really distinct singer who should have had a much bigger audience at the time. About as great as you can get for a record like this – with tracks that include "Temple Song", "Sundance", "Feathered Friends", "An English Western", and "Drowning Man". Bedside Manners Are Extra is a record that's filled with keyboard lines that really soar, thanks to leader Dave Greenslade – and vocals from Dave Lawson, who almost seems to have the same sort of energy as a young Freddie Mercury! The mix of elements here is great – at a level that should have made Greenslade much bigger at the time, as they really come on with a topshelf performance that rivals the best of this crossover prog generation. The drums are fantastic, too – really setting a solid ground while the organ and other keyboards soar over the top. Titles include "Pilgrim's Progress", "Drum Folk", "Sunkissed You're Not", "Chalk Hill", "Time To Dream", and "Bedside Manners Are Extra". Spyglass Guest is filled with fantastic keyboards from Dave Greenslade – a UK progger we'd have to put right up there with Rick Wakeman or Keith Emerson for his skills on the keys! And at some level, on this album Dave hews closer to the core sound of the best prog years than Wakeman or Emerson might have been doing in 1974 – still very much awash in unusual time changes and fast shifts in tone and style – but all while keeping his music nicely focused overall! In other words, the keyboards are amazing, but never too in love with themselves to get lost in jamming – while Dave also sings a bit alongside his Fender Rhodes, clavinet, Arp, and organ – and gets strong help from the mighty drummer Andrew McCullough, whose deftness also keeps things moving – with other work from Clem Clempson and Andy Roberts on guitars, and Tony Reeves on bass. Titles include "Spirit Of The Dance", "Red Light", "Siam Seesaw", "Theme For An Imaginary Western", "Melancholic Race", "Joie De Vivre", and "Little Red Fry Up". Time & Tide is the final album from Greenslade – a set that has the group maybe compressing things a bit from their previous records – going for shorter songs that sometimes have a bit more bite, but still never lose that fantastic keyboard core that made them so great at the start! Titles include "Doldrums", "Gangsters", "Waltz For A Fallen Idol", "The Flattery Stakes", and "Animal Farm". CD

A tremendous run of music from the great Keef Hartley – a British drummer who was maybe not the biggest name on the scene, but who created some wonderfully groovy music on the albums in this set! The records are a brilliant blend of jazz and rock elements, but in ways that are so different from so many other jazz rock records of the time – maybe in part because Hartley could always bring a lot of soul and a bit of funk to his drums, while still also keeping things in more of the rock side of the spectrum overall – yet opening the door to let in some key jazz musicians from session to session – including trumpeters Harry Beckett and Henry Lowther, reedmen Johnny Almond and Jimmy Jewell, and organist Wynder K Frog – just a few of the players who really give these records a special sort of vibe! It's a bit hard to peg the sound of the records in just a few words – in part because they each have their own flavor – but they're all great, not a weak one in the bunch – and the package features the full albums Halfbreed, Battle Of North West Six, Overdug, Time Is Near, Little Big Band, Seventy Second Brave, and Lancashire Hustler. PLUS, there's also 15 bonus tracks added to the set – mostly live, and some live in studio! CD

A trio of classic albums from this legendary prog group – all brought together in a single set! First up is the self-titled Jade Warrior – the fantastic debut of a group who were one of the most unique prog acts to record for the Vertigo label in the 70s! Jade Warrior is just a trio – and unlike some of the harder-rocking power trios of the time, the group have a way of balancing softness and intensity, acoustic modes and electric ones – all with a unique style that also offers up some of the exoticism promised by their name! Yet don't worry about that last aspect – as things here are never too heavy-handed, as the group are Brit to their core – maybe balancing some of the lighter Mel Collins moments of King Crimson and the more personal Ian Anderson songs of Jethro Tull – in a line up that features percussion and flute from Jon Field, guitar from Tony Duhig, and bass and these great raspy vocals from Glyn Havard. Titles include "Masami Morning", "Windweaver", "Petunia", "Telephone Girl", "Psychiatric Sergeant", "Slow Ride", and "A Prenormal Day At Brighton". Next up is Released – the searing second album from Jade Warrior – and a record that shows the world what a mighty guitar powerhouse lurked behind their faux-Japanese aesthetics! The group's a quintet for this record – upped from the debut – and in addition to razor-sharp guitar work from Tony Duhig, there's also some great use of tenor, alto, and flute by newcomer Dave Connors – who works alongside the flute and percussion of group founder Jon Field. Allan Price adds in plenty of drums next to Field's percussion – and the vocals of Glyn Havard are even more powerful here than before – definitely matching the ferocity of his work on the bass! The whole thing's great – a hard rock masterpiece with just the right lighter touches at times, thanks to the reeds – a masterpiece by a group who never got the attention they deserved at the time – apart from hip listeners who really knew where it was at. Titles include "Water Curtain Cave", "We Have Reason To Believe", "Eyes On You", "Barazinbar", "Yellow Eyes", and "Three Horned Dragon King". On Last Autumn's Dream, Jade Warrior have a sound that's unlike anyone else of their generation – a mix of percussion, flute, bass, and guitar – all with the kind of electric/acoustic interplay such a lineup with imply! The cover image of this second album maybe looks a bit dramatic, but the group actually have a sound that's nicely understated at times – they can certainly jam with the best of their Vertigo label prog contemporaries, but they can also get a bit more personal too – and it's the balance of those modes that make a record like this such a unique treasure from the time! Titles include "A Winter's Tale", "Snake", "Morning Hymn", "May Queen", "Lady Of The Lake", "Borne On The Solar Wind", and "Dark River". All albums with original artwork – in a box with a great booklet of notes! CD

A pair of lost albums from Jade Warrior – back to back in a single set! Eclipse is a mighty nice set from the early 70s run of records from Jade Warrior – but a set that was recorded at the time, and which lie unissued for years! As with so many great never-issued records, the passage of time seems to have shaken away any issues that would have kept this one back – and instead, Eclipse stands as an essential part of the catalog of one of the most unique groups of the prog generation – an understated blend of guitar, bass, drums, and the enigmatic talents of John Fields – who's every bit as great on flute and percussion as the vocals of Glyn Havard! The record's part of a gentler generation of prog – maybe a bit like the vibe of Islands from King Crimson, although not Crimson-esque at all. Titles include "Sanga", "English Morning", "Mwenga Sketch", "Holy Roller", and "House Of Dreams". Fifth Element is a rare one from Jade Warrior – material recorded around the same time as their Eclipse album, and like that one, never issued to the public at the time! Yet the quality of the group here is great – that inventive play of familiar instruments in unusual ways, their trademark blend of softness and full-on jamming – all topped with great vocals from Glyn Havard, who was one of the most distinct singers in prog! Titles include "24 Hour Movie", "Discotechnique", "On The Mountain Of Fruits & Flowers", "Have You Ever", and "Yam Jam". CD

A really cool little record, but one that always gets a bit lost in the racks – partly because it's kind of in a strange, weird space of its own – although that's also very much it's appeal! The album is very much what's promised in the title – kind of a soundscape with an outer space vibe – recorded by reed player Jack Lancaster and keyboardist Robin Lumley – the latter of whom plays Fender Rhodes, moog, Arp, and a heck of a lot more! The style is kind of in a post-Herbie mode – almost Pat Gleeson at times – with spare tracks, jamming tracks, and a slight bit of funk on a few numbers – very much in a unique space between instrumental prog and funky fusion – with all the best bits of both styles rolled into one record! The set is also noteworthy for featuring drums by Phil Collins, and guitars from JOhn Goodsall – on titles that include "Take Off", "Homelight", "Blowholes (The Pipes of Mars)", "Dust Storm", "Sail On Solar Winds", "Hopper", "With A Great Feeling Of Love", and "Olympus Mons". CD features bonus single versions of "With A Great Feeling Of Love" and "Hopper". CD

One of the more obscure albums ever recorded by Irish singer/songwriter David McWilliams – a set that was done for the progressive Dawn Records imprint, and which definitely has a headier sound than some of his previous work! There's definitely some of the acid folk elements that you might expect from the ancient theme of the cover art – but these are also mixed with more dynamic arrangements that use McWilliams' acoustic guitar and very distinctive vocal approach in a way that creates all these cool 70s thematic modes. The first half of the set is very much in that mode, then gets more introspective and moodier on the second half – which makes for a wonderful blend, and an album that's a lot deeper than we might have expected. Titles include "The Gypsy", "She Was A Lady", "Go On Back To Momma", "The Prisoner", "I Will Always Be Your Friend", "I Would Be Confessed", and "Blind Men's Stepping Stones". CD

An important solo set from Patrick Moraz – made right after his departure from Yes, where his keyboard work really helped set the tone for the group in the mid 70s! Here, Moraz explores some more global currents in his music at times, while also balancing things with a more majestic approach that hints at his roots in prog – so that some tunes might feature a range of acoustic percussion, while others have Patrick really taking off on the keyboards – which include some cutting edge instruments for the time. There's just a slight hint of vocals, usually processed – and titles include "Jungles Of The World", "Primitivisation", "Keep The Children Alive", "Intentions", "Temples Of Joy", and "The Conflict". CD features the bonus track "Museeka Magika". CD

A hugely expanded version of this unique early EP from The Move – a set that has the group playing live in a small London club – and turning out tunes that include a fair bit of remakes from other groups of the 60s! The record showcases the group's grittier side – and has them really hitting a frenzy in performance, especially as they rip apart others' tunes – often with an energy that's much more garagey than anything on their full length albums – and a sound that maybe ties them closer to contemporaries like The Yardbirds or Small Faces than you might expect! The set list is really great – full of surprises – and the CD features 12 tracks from the full club recordings, plus the 5 more that were on the original mono EP. Titles include "Sunshine Help Me", "Move Bolero", "So You Want To Be A Rock N Roll Star", "Higher & Higher", "Stephanie Knows Who", "Fire Brigade", "Flowers In The Rain", and "It'll Be Me". CD

Very cool work from Quintessence – an overlooked British group at the end of the 60s, and one who've got a sound that's every bit as spiritual as you'd guess from the cover! These guys are so influenced by Eastern thought, their lead singer is named Shiva – and most of the group members have names that follow suit – yet they also work in a style that's equal parts progressive rock, with a current of jazz – which they spin out beautifully with instrumentation that includes a fair bit of flute, next more conventional guitar, bass, and drums. Their earliest material also features sitar and tambura, which are dropped a bit later on – although the group still seems to find the right spiritual currents – and this wonderful set features three full albums by Quintessence – In Blissful Company, Quintessence, and Dive Deep – with 28 tracks that include "Body", "Gange Mai", "Pearl & Bird", "Notting Hill Gate", "Sea Of Immortality", "Burning Bush", "Shiva's Chant", "Maha Mantra", "Twilight Zones", "Sri Ram Chant", and "Dance For The One". CD

A gem of an early album from Gerry Rafferty – one that got circulated globally a lot more in the late 70s, to cash in on his rising fame – but which really takes off in a strong way that places him as a key talent in the folk/rock universe of the UK Transatlantic label at the start of the 70s! The songs are tighter and catchier than the acid folk generation – in part because Gerry's vocals are already completely charming, and produced with this compression that hints at Brit modes to come on mid 70s hits – but a lot more down to earth overall. Titles include "New Street Blues", "Mr Universe", "Mary Skeffington", "Make You Break You", "One Drink Down", and "Half A Chance". CD features the bonus track "So Bad Thinking". CD

A killer album from Soft Machine – one that's maybe a bit tighter and more rock oriented at times than the jazz workouts of their previous numbered albums – although still all instrumental, and with the kind of top-shelf instrumentation that we've always loved from the group! This time around, the guitar of Allan Holdsworth gets plenty of well-deserved time in the spotlight, and the keyboards of Mike Ratledge are too – while Karl Jenkins serves up some wonderfully sharp lines on reeds – as the group are driven by the heady bass of Roy Babbington, and monstrous drums of John Marshall! The set begins with the blistering five part "Hazard" – followed by other cuts that include "Gone Sailing", "Bundles", "The Floating World", "Four Gongs Two Drums", and "Peff". Great remastered version – with a full bonus CD that features a live show from 1975, done at Nottingham U! CD

A lost jazz gem from guitarist Chris Spedding – a musician whose work was such a key component of many other important albums from the time, but who hardly ever made a record like this! The album's much more jazz than the rock you might normally expect from Spedding – strongly linked to his sessions with players like Mike Westbrook, Ian Carr, or Frank Ricotti – with an all-instrumental approach that's spun out on some beautiful extended tracks! Chris plays both acoustic and electric guitar, but the album's really a full group effort – and features material by Roger Potter on bass, John Mitchell on acoustic piano and Fender Rhodes, Paul Rutherford on trombone, and John Marshall on drums. There's a moody, understated vibe to the record – never jamming at all, and this very introspective side of Spedding that we really love. For some reason, although the set was recorded for the Harvest label in 1970, Spedding didn't want it issued at the time – and it initially was only released in Japan. Titles include "Plain Song", "Station Song", "Song Of The Deep", "The Forest Of Fables", and "New Song Of Experience". CD

Quite a compelling album from the great and sometimes-overlooked Al Stewart – a set that really showcases the evolution in both his songwriting and subject matter – all at a level that seems wonderfully unconcerned with any sort of chart hit or commercial crossover! At this point, Al's kind of the perfect step beyond the earlier version of Brit singer/songwriters you would have found on labels like Harvest or Vertigo – steeped both in a creative sense of subject matter that seems influenced by Dylan, with an ability to spin out narratively unusual tunes that also get way past folksy cliches too – and which are delivered here with well-arranged, well-produced backings – but again, at a level that seems quite far from chartbound. Al's wonderful vocal style is a big part of the album's strength – really individual, and a sound we can fall in love with, no matter what the setting. Titles include "Warren Harding", "Roads To Moscow", "Last Day Of June 1934", "Nostradamus", and "Post World War Two Blues". This massive package is overflowing with great bonus material too! CD1 features a new 2024 remaster of the album – plus bonus tracks "Swallow Wind", and single versions of "Nostradamus" and "Terminal Eyes". CD2 features a 1974 live performance of nine tracks, recorded in Hampstead and remixed by Stephen W Tayler. CD3 features a new 2024 mix of the album by Stephen W Tayler – and the bonus track "Swallow Wind". Blu-Ray disc features 96 kHz / 24-bit new 5.1 Surround Sound & stereo mixes by Stephen W Tayler & remastered original stereo mix – both of the album, and the bonus track "Swallow Wind". CD

The one and only album from T2 – an incredible British group with a sound that should have been huge! Like some of the best of their generation, T2 is a trio – featuring some heavy guitars from Keith Cross, vocals by Peter Dunton, and rumbling bass from Bernard Jinks – all brought together with a sound that's sharply focused in its vision, yet freely expressive in execution. There's a great mix here between jamming passages and softer sensitivity – never as forced as on some of the early King Crimson records, but with a similar sort of sharpness and range that should have gotten this one to a much wider audience. Titles include the side-long "Morning", plus "In Circles", "JLT", and "No More White Horses". This wonderful package really increases the too-small legacy of the group – as it features 16 more bonus tracks – titles from the rare T2 record, and other material recorded in 1971 and 1972 – tracks that include "Fantasy", "Careful Sam", "Minstrel", "T2", "PDQ", "Closing Your Eyes", "Into The Red", "And Time", "Looking Back", "Questions & Answers", "The Gambler", and "Timothy Monday". CD

With Mike Outram on guitar, Pete Whittaker on organ, and Nic France on drums and percussion. CD

A pair of records from this short-lived group – plus plenty of bonus tracks too! First up is Warhorse – a great Vertigo Records debut from a band with a mighty strong pedigree – led by bassist Nick Simper, who was a big part of Deep Purple's sound at the start – and a combo who first started out backing soul singer Marsha Hunt before breaking out and recording on their own! Keyboard giant Rick Wakeman was briefly in the group, but is replaced here by Frank Wilson on organ and keys – who plays in a fluid style that definitely echoes Rick's contributions to the music – and the group has some very dramatic, dynamic lead vocals from Ashley Holt – a very distinctive singer who helps shape their sound. Titles include "No Chance", "Vulture Blood", "Solitude", "Woman Of The Devil", and "Burning". Next is Red Sea – a record with a really fierce, full-on kind of sound – bass-heavy at the bottom, with a style that hearkens to some of the power trios of the growing hard rock scene – but with a more expansive sound that really makes great use of keyboards and organ at key moments, and definitely hits some more soulful passages through the vocal work of Ashley Holt! It's clear that the group are picking up enough of their own sound to have kept on going if they wanted, but sadly this is the second and last set from Warhorse – with tracks that include "Red Sea", "Back In Time", "Feeling Better","Mouthpiece", "Sybilla", and "Confident But Wrong". 2CD set features great notes on the group – and 12 more rare bonus tracks – a mix of demos and live titles recorded by the group! CD

Mid 70s magic from the UK progressive rock scene – cuts from a moment when many of the groups were changing things up a bit – not in a commercial way, but in a mode that has them taking the energy of earlier jams and focusing them a bit more into tuneful music! The approach is a great one – and we really love these years when the prog acts were trying to stay vibrant and important, as older artists are joined by younger ones – and the music really takes off in all these new and unexpected directions! The package isn't overplayed classic rock – and instead, it serves up some great overlooked cuts from the year before punk – all with lavish notes that strongly support the excellent choices in the 47 tracks within – music by Van Der Graaf Generator, Caravan, Steve Hackett, Wigwam, Hatfield & The North, Soft Machine, Global Village Trucking Company, Clive John Greenslade, String Driven Thing, Man, Nektar, Fruup, Manfred Mann's Earthband, Chris Squire, PFM, Bebop Deluxe, Kestrel, Hawkwind, Gentle Giant, and others. CD

A treasure trove of work from Kevin Ayers – all four of his legendary Harvest albums, plus his Island album – all packaged in a massive set with lots of bonus tracks too! The songs here are amazing – easily on a par with the creative height of the early Pink Floyd – a lot lighter and more whimsical than Ayers original fame with Soft Machine – sometimes extremely playful, and often quite catchy – almost a Donovan-esque blend of folksy roots and jazz inflections – but tuned a bit more towards trippier ends, thanks to instrumentation that includes celeste, electronics, flute, oboe, kazoo, cello, organ, and a wide range of different guitars! Some numbers are a bit more experimental, but the tunefulness of the work is what really wins us – a way of being tripped-out, yet plenty catchy too – a blend that nobody else could do as well as Kevin. CD1 features the album Joy Of A Toy – with bonus tracks that include "Religious Experience", "Soon Soon Soon", and BBC tracks "Clarence In Wonderland", "You Say You Like My Hat", and "Why Are We Sleeping" – the last with Soft Machine. CD2 features a live performance in Hyde Park in 1970, plus a bonus track. CD3 features the album Shooting At The Moon – with bonus tracks that include "Butterfly Dance", "Jolie Madame", "Gemini Child", "Hat", and "Puis Je". CD4 features 12 BBC tracks from May of 1970 to November of 1971. CD5 features the album Whatevershebringswesing – plus bonus tracks that include "Sad & Lonely Faces", "Stars", "Sad Songs", "Fake Mexican Tourist Blues", "The Lady Rachel (remake)", and "Watching The Sun Go Down". CD6 and CD7 feature BBC sessions from January of 1972 to April of 1973 – 33 tracks in all. CD8 features the album Bananamour – plus bonus tracks that include "Decadance (early mix)", "Why Are We Sleeping (live Mile End)", "Connie On a Rubber Band", "Caribbean Moon", and "Take Me To Tahiti". CD9 features Live At Queen Elizabeth Hall, May 1973 – 11 tracks. DVD features rare TV performances from France and the UK – including some Old Grey Whistle Test material – and the 1973 promo film for "Caribbean Moon". 140 tracks, all newly remastered – and a 68 page booklet too! CD

One of the most sweetly jazzy albums ever recorded by Kevin Ayers – a set that almost has him moving in the more progressive direction taken by Soft Machine after his departure! As on other solo Ayers albums, David Bedford had a strong hand in the arrangements – but his approach here is more focused, and often more sophisticated than before – less in the playful collaborative style of Ayers immediate post-Soft Machine years, and more in an ambitious style that pushes the elements together with a beautifully honed sound. Players on the album include Mike Oldfield on guitar, Didier Malherbe on sax and flute, Gerry Fields on electric viola, and Bedford on keyboards – and titles include "Oh My", "Margaret", "Song From The Bottom Of A Well", "Lullaby", "Champagne Cowboy Blues", "Stranger In Blue Suede Shoes", and "There Is Loving/Among Us/There Is Loving". LP, Vinyl record album

A stunning solo debut from Jack Bruce – and a record that shows just how much more he had to offer the world than his work in Cream! Right from the start, the album's a thing of brilliance – with very offbeat lyrics penned by Pete Brown, but in ways that are a bit more down to earth than some of his own records – set to music arranged by Bruce, with all sorts of jazzy elements that come from the work of Harry Beckett and Henry Lower on trumpets, Dick Heckstall-Smith and Art Themen on tenor and soprano, and Jon Hiseman and John Marshall on drums – all key players who were in that special space between jazz and rock on the UK scene of the time! Bruce himself delivers lots of great work on bass, piano, and organ – and the great Chris Spedding brings in lots of guitar as well – on titles that include "Rope Ladder To The Moon", "The Ministry Of Bag", "Tickets To Waterfalls", "Boston Ball Game 1967", "To Isengard", "Theme For An Imaginary Western", and "Never Tell Your Mother She's Out Of Tune". 2CD package features bonus tracks – "Ministry Of Bag (demo)", "The Clearout (alt)", "Ministry Of Bag (alt)", "Weird Of Hermison (alt)", "Escapoe To Royal Wood (inst demo)", "Vikings (first attempt)", "Rope Ladder To The Moon (second attempt)", "You Burned The Tables On Me (inst demo)", and "Rope Ladder To The Moon (first demo)" – plus a remastered version of the original mix, and a new stereo mix. Blu-ray 3 features 96 kHz/24-bit new 5.1 Surround Sound and stereo mixes by Stephen W Taylor and remastered original stereo mix. Blu-ray 4 features the 1970 documentary film – Rope Ladder To The Moon. CD

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A bright, upbeat set of instrumentals from prog keyboardist Patrick Moraz – a collaboration with Syrinx, who brings in some great acoustic reed elements next to Patrick's keys! The 70s classic rock giant really lets loose here – and gets backing on drums from Richie Morales and guitar from John Wooloff – all in a proggish mode, while Syrinx uses pan pipes to create these more organic, slightly global elements in the music. Djalma Correa also plays percussion on the album – and titles include "Mind Your Body", "Soundrise", "Freedom To", "Boonoonoonoos", and the long "Coexistence" suite. CD features bonus tracks "Jam On Chain Reaction" and "Boonoonoonoos (alt version)". CD

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A huge legacy of work from Rare Bird – a group who hardly made a blip on our side of the Atlantic at the start of the 70s, but who were one of the sharpest, tightest acts to emerge in the new wave of prog in the UK! The group have a really great way with an organ line – and the vocals from Steve Gould have a surprisingly soulful current, nicely rough around the edges at times – which always keeps these guys from sounding too polished or precious! Like many of their contemporaries, the group start out with some shorter tracks, then stretch things out as their albums progress – and along the way, they also manage to deliver some surprisingly heartfelt tunes as Gould develops more and more as a singer. There's a mix of simplicity and complexity here that's wonderful – a real under-tapped legacy, presented here on the full albums Rare Bird, As Your Mind Flies By, Epic Forest, Somebody's Watching, and Born Again – plus a full never-issued 1974 live set recorded in London – plus 12 more bonus tracks too! CD

A stunning run of music – the complete Atlantic Records material of Vanilla Fudge – a late 60s group who had a sound that was very much their own! Vanilla Fudge swim in the same sea of fuzzy guitars and heady organ lines as some of their trippiest contemporaries – but they have this really unique approach that's often slow-moving, long-building, and turned towards songs that are better-known as more pop hits of the time – so that their music ends up being some kind of crazy acid trip version of AM Radio! The group also add in some of their own material too – and they have a rock-solid approach to instrumentation that's a perfect bridge between 60s psych and 70s hard rock – served up on the organ of Mark Stein, guitar of Vince Martell, bass of Tim Bogert, and drums of Carmine Appice – the latter two of whom would reach fame on their own. The package is massive – and features the full albums Vanilla Fudge and The Beat Goes On, in both mono and stereo versions – plus the records Renaissance, Near The Beginning, and Rock & Roll – plus a double-length concert recorded at The Fillmore West on the first of January, 1969. Also includes loads of bonus tracks – including "Heartache Jam", "Some Velvet Morning (short)", "Love Jam", "Movin On", "All In Your Mind", "Studio Jam", "You Can't Do That", "Come By Day Come By Night", "Where Is My Mind", "The Look Of Love", and "Illusions Of My Childhood/Eleanor Rigby". 109 tracks in all – remastered from the original tapes! CD

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One of the key records that helped the British scene leap forward in the mid 60s – even if the group never fully got their due at the tome! This set by Blossom Toes has gone on to become the stuff of legend – a record that fully embraced, the headiest psych modes of the period, but also delivered things with a unique vibe and quality level that really sets the record apart – putting it an elite space that would include debut albums from Pink Floyd and Tomorrow! The group are led by the incredible Brian Godding – a hell of a singer, and one whose voice is perfectly tuned to the offbeat production that really makes the whole thing sparkle – as does the fantastic work on guitar. There's some larger arrangements on the set at time, but they only seem to augment the genius at the core – on titles that include "Look At Me I'm You", "The Remarkable Saga Of The Frozen Dog", "People Of The Royal Parks", "What On Earth", "The Intrepid Balloonists Handbook Vol 1", "You", and "Mrs Murphy's Budgerigar". 3CD version is filled with great bonus material – a few instrumental tracks and singles– plus a full live set from Stockholm in 1967 on CD2, and further demos and BBC tracks on CD3! CD

The start of a fantastic chapter for the legendary Arthur Brown – the first album issued with his Kingdom Come group, a combo who were even more insane than his Crazy World project of the late 60s! Brown is the quintessential front man here – singing in this really dynamic, dramatic way that's years ahead of its time – much more upfront than so many of the singers of the psych generation, and even the new hard rock vocalists too – at a level that makes music like this a great inspiration for so man styles to come! The instrumentation is as dynamic as the vocals, too – not prog jamming, but instead this really focused, fused blend of heavy drums, searing guitar, and organ – all sending things way way over the top. Titles include "Internal Messenger", "Night Of The Pigs", "Trouble", "Sunrise", "Brains", the "Galactic Zoo/Space Plucks" medley, "Creep", and "Creation". CD includes 3 bonus tracks/alternate versions. CD

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A stunning solo debut from Jack Bruce – and a record that shows just how much more he had to offer the world than his work in Cream! Right from the start, the album's a thing of brilliance – with very offbeat lyrics penned by Pete Brown, but in ways that are a bit more down to earth than some of his own records – set to music arranged by Bruce, with all sorts of jazzy elements that come from the work of Harry Beckett and Henry Lower on trumpets, Dick Heckstall-Smith and Art Themen on tenor and soprano, and Jon Hiseman and John Marshall on drums – all key players who were in that special space between jazz and rock on the UK scene of the time! Bruce himself delivers lots of great work on bass, piano, and organ – and the great Chris Spedding brings in lots of guitar as well – on titles that include "Rope Ladder To The Moon", "The Ministry Of Bag", "Tickets To Waterfalls", "Boston Ball Game 1967", "To Isengard", "Theme For An Imaginary Western", and "Never Tell Your Mother She's Out Of Tune". LP, Vinyl record album

A trio of albums from the reborn Steppenwolf – all presented here in a single set! First up is Slow Flox – a set that has the group really coming back into the fray, after John Kay had left for a bit and recorded as a solo act! All the raw power of the group is still very much at play here – plenty of searing guitars, at that level that made Steppenwolf such a key precursor to the hard rock sound of the 70s – maybe answered to by the group themselves here, who felt a need to reform and show the younger acts how things were done! But there's also some fuller production at times too – touches of soul inspiration that hit a few of the songs, but without ever knocking the guitars out too much – on titles that include "Get Into The Wind", "Children Of The Night", "Smokey Factory Blues", "Morning Blue", "A Fool's Fantasy", and "Gang War Blues". Hour Of The Wolf is a record that seems to have Steppenwolf adapting nicely for the 70s – not in any sort of too-commercial way, but with a vibe that brings in all these nice shifts to their sound! The guitar and bass are still plenty high in the mix, but the vocals of John Kay are varied a bit more from track to track, as is the use of organ – which sometimes steps out as a great force in the sound, even at a time when so many other groups had switched to more modern styles of keyboards. Titles include "Caroline", "Just For Tonight", "Two For The Love Of One", "Someone Told A Lie", "Mr Penny Pincher", "Another's Lifetime", and "Annie Annie Over". Skullduggery is a set with a skull on the cover and some massive drums at the start – both of which are key signals to the world that Steppenwolf are still alive and well! Despite their lack of chart success at this point, the group are still super-sharp – burning on all the best elements that made their classics so great – burning organ, bubbling basslines, searing guitar, and those vocals from John Kay that really send things over the top – schooled on soul in the 60s, but turned much more towards a hard rock standard here – on titles that include "Rock N Roll Song", "Life Is A Gamble", "Skullduggery", "Lip Service", "Pass It On", and "Train Of Thought". 3CD set features two bonus tracks – "Angeldrawers" and "Caroline (mono promo mix)" – plus a big booklet of notes! CD

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A late 70s gem from Daevid Allen – part of a set of records that have him refining the sound of his earlier work in Gong, and coming across with a sound that's maybe even more charming overall! The set has some light accompaniment on acoustic guitar, harp, and tablas, plus a bit of electronics too – all used in great ways to underscore the unique sound of Daevid Allen! CD

A sweetly dreamy little album recorded by Daevid Allen away from Gong – working here with his drum-less group Euterpe, described in the notes as "an amazing bunch of catalunatics"! The record was recorded in a home studio in Majorca, and has a really relaxed feel – one that's somewhat spare and intimate, but with a lyrically sing-song sort of approach – one that only further pulls out the more playful side of Allen's vocals. Instrumentation includes mandolin, moog, bass, and guitar – and the approach is almost a prog folk move into the territory of Syd Barrett. Titles include "Children Of The New World", "Spirit", "Song Of Satisfaction", "Have You Seen My Friend", "French Garden", and "Wise Man In Your Heart". CD also features the bonus track "Euterpe Gratitude Piece". CD

A very cool quartet from the British jazz/rock years – but one who were a lot more jazz-based than some of their contemporaries! These guys are all instrumental, and although a number of their tunes are familiar rock standards from the late 60s, they don't play them like rock tunes at all – and instead used them as freewheeling vehicles for solo exploration –r eally stretching out in a mix of acoustic and electric modes that's mighty nice! Leader Mike McNaught plays both Fender Rhodes and acoustic piano – and the group also features Daryl Runswick on bass, Mike Travis on drums and percussion, and Jim Philip on some especially great flute, tenor, and soprano sax – the last of which really soars up beautifully next to the Rhodes! The set is maybe a bit in the mode of some of John Klemmer's electrified work from the same time, but also more British too – although not without a fair degree of soul on the keyboards. Titles include "Dreams", "Rosecrans Boulevard", "Something", "Dear Prudence", and "Childhood Room". CD

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An overlooked gem from the great Arthur Brown – not a set with his late 60s Crazy World group, but instead some great material done with Kingdom Come – a group who seem to be morphing with Brown into a really great space rock sort of combo! The keyboards and electronics here are stronger than before – not Tangerine Dream spacey, but fused with more hard-rocking modes that really take off and fly to the skies – so much so that Brown's vocals are often less a part of the sound than the group's amazing instrumental interplay – which could previously be shadowed a bit by his lead! The whole thing's great – a cool, compressed take on modes that so many others were trying to handle at the time – but maybe never this well. Titles include "Superficial Roadblocks", "Time Captives", "Triangles", "Conception", "Spirit Of Joy", "Come Alive", "Lost Time", and "Corpora Supercelestia". Includes a second disc of bonus tracks. CD

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A landmark batch of work from the British jazz scene – the complete early run of recordings from Colosseum, maybe the greatest jazz-rock group of their time! The combo grew out of earlier work in the beat group generation – informed strongly by American jazz and R&B, but already on the forefront of the new prog generation – driven by the mighty drums of Jon Hiseman and topped with the sax and reed work of Dick Heckstall-Smith – both fantastic players who really gave the group their grounding! The lineup shifts a bit throughout this set, and maybe gets even better as the records go on – with later work from Chris Farlowe on vocals, whose soulful style is a perfect match to the groove-heavy sound of the group. Back in the days when we didn't like prog at all, and were more focused on jazz and funk, we still had a very soft spot for Colosseum – and it's no surprise that some of these records are always found in the collections of funk fanatics around the world. The 6CD set features the full albums Those About To Die Salute You, Valentyne Suite, Grass Is Greener, Daughter Of Time, and Colosseum Live – almost all of which are presented here with bonus tracks – alongside a full bonus CD of rare studio and live recordings too! There's also a huge booklet of notes – and this package is the comprehensive take on this legendary group. CD

Kind of an underground sleeper here in Chicago, mostly for the jazzy steppers sound of the best tracks on the record. The band's a jazz orchestra fronted by Leslie Drayton, but the real charm of the record is the vocals by Barbara Morrison. She sings nicely and jazzily on the band's stepping arrangements on the tracks "Stormy Monday", "Love Is A Four Letter Word", and "You Ain't Gonna Keep Me Blue". LP, Vinyl record album

"Cosmoramic Rock" from East Of Eden – one of the trippiest British groups of the late 60s! The group works here in a self-professed blend of rock, free jazz, noise, world music, and avant garde classical influences – and somehow manages to make the whole thing come out with a sound that's amazingly straightforward, given the project – a cool blend of psychedelic influences and mind-expanding consciousness! There's a bit of art rock in the lyrics, but the instrumentation itself is more than straight ahead enough to cut through the clutter – making for an album that's got the expansiveness of a concept album, but the tighter song structure of a regular psyche album! Titles include "In The Stable Of Sphinx", "Moth", "Isadora", and "Bathers". CD features 3 bonus tracks – including a great version of "Eight Miles High", and demo versions of "Waterways" and "In The Stable Of The Sphinx". CD

The third album recorded by British jazz rockers Egg – a set done only after the group had reformed for Virgin Records, and easily their most complicated work to date! By the time of this recording, the members of the core trio – especially keyboardist Dave Stewart – had really honed their skills, and were able to work in a range of jamming, jazzy modes. Much of the focus here is on the instrumentation – especially Stewart's work on organ – and the session adds in extra oboe, bassoon, clarinet, and "germophone" – plus a trio of voices on one number. The sound is progressive without being overindulgent – and titles include "Germ Patrol", "Pielude", "Wind Quartet 1", "Wring Out The Ground Loosely Won", and "Enneagram". CD

A freaky, fuzzy set from High Tide – a record that some folks know for its groundbreaking use of electric violin, but one that's equally great as a heavy guitar-driven monster! These guys definitely turn things right up to 11, right from the start – and come on with a hard-wailing style that was years ahead of its time – and right on that cusp when psych energy was starting to turn into hard rock! There's a few mellower moments, but the set's definitely got a lot more bracing power than its title or cover might make you expect – on titles that include "Futilist's Lament", "Death Warmed Up", "Pushed, But Not Forgotten", "Walking Down Their Outlook", "Missing Out", and "Nowhere". LP, Vinyl record album

A sweet small combo take on the prog sound of the legendary guitarist Steve Howe – almost as if he wanted to use the inspirations he got from his work in Yes, and winnow them down to the spirit of a cool jazzy trio! Steve's on guitar – awash in all sorts of chromatic hues and carefully chosen tones – and the group features excellent work on organ from Ross Stanley, a player who's often more likely to work out more simple, stark sounds next to the complexity of Howe – which makes for a great balance as the pair get rhythmic help from Dylan Howe on drums. The album's as much of a jazz outing as a rock session – and titles include "Zodiac", "Gilded Splinter", "Hiatus", "Left To Chance", "Fair Weather Friend", "Showdown", "Missing Link", and "Western Sun". CD

Four important albums from Jade Warrior – all brought together here in a single set! Floating World is the first album in Jade Warrior's mid-70s run for Island Records – and a set that marks a key shift for the group – a moment when they leaned even more heavily into their interest in global sounds, dropped most of their vocals, and used their impeccable instrumentation to take off in really amazing ways! The core duo of Tony Duhig's guitar and Jon Field's flute serve up most of the instrumentation here – and both players handle plenty of percussion too – yet there's a richness to the record that's undeniable too, which is a great testament to the way the pair make really special music together! Martha Mdenge serves up some guest vocals on the final track "Quba", the group take on the legendary "Monkey Chant" of Balinese music, and other titles include "Red Lotus", "Clouds", "Mountain Of Fruit & Flowers", "Waterfall", and "Easty". Kites is one of the most ambitious records ever from Jade Warrior – a set that expands their core sound in a wonderful way, with all sorts of great guests who really add a lot to the music! As before, the duo of Tony Duhig and Jon Field are at the core – guitar, flute, and plenty of percussion – but augmented here with all sorts of cool contributions by guests who include Fred Frith on violin, Gowan Turnball on saxes, and Jeff Westley on electric piano – plus Clodagh Simonds on a bit of vocals – all really bringing a new sort of majesty to the sort of music that the group delivered on their previous record – but without losing the sense of intimacy either. Titles include "Towards The Mountains", "Wind Song", "The Emperor", "Songs Of The Forest", "Quietly By The River Bank", and "The Last Question". Waves is a key moment in the continuing evolution of Jade Warrior – and a set that nicely moves the group from the prog styles of their roots, into leaner territory that's almost jazz-based at times! Some of the group's contemporaries were making such shifts, but usually in a way that was more heavy handed – where the lightness that Jade Warrior had on previous records really guides the music here – as they work with their core combination of keyboards, flute, guitar, and plenty of percussion – with additional work from Dave Duhig on lead guitar, Maggie Thomas on alto recorder, and Steve Winwood on moog, piano, and keyboards! There's a bit of vocals on the record from a female singer – but most of the tracks just have this gentle instrumental flowering – moving through an album-length suite that includes the tracks "Caves", "Groover", "River To The Sea", "Song Of The Last Whale", "The Sea", and "Wave Birth". Way Of The Sun is a set that's got a few sharper edges than some of the previous records by Jade Warrior – yet one that still hangs nicely in that Eastern-inspired blend of jazz and prog that made their Island Records years so great! As before, the album works as a unified whole – each track crucial to the overall feel of the set – with plenty of excellent work on flute from Jon Field, amidst more conventional guitar, keyboard, and percussion. There's some occasional nice guest moments on flugelhorn, harp, and saxes – and titles include "Sun Ra", "Dance Of The Sun", "Heaven Stone", "Moontears", "Sun Child", "Carnival", and "Death Of Ra". CD

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A heady concept album from this legendary group – one that features a suite of tracks that all share concerns for the environment! Given the amount of electricity at play, the album's maybe not as "green" of a set as it might be – but Nektar definitely seem to create some energy of their own in a heady blend of keyboards, guitars, bass, and drums! The familiar instruments are used in really powerful, soaring styles – and the production has some cool touches around the edges that change things up nicely, and add in just the right sort of spacey currents. Lead vocals follow the message in the music – and titles include "Cybernetic Consumption", "Recycle Countdown", "Flight To Reality", "Unendless Imaginations", "Sao Paulo Sunrise", "It's All Over", and "Costa Del Sol". 5CD set features bonus tracks "Flight To Reality (single)" and "It's All Over (single) – plus the 2024 Geoff Emerick mix, and bonus live material recorded in Toronto and Long Island in 1976! CD

Procol Harum are definitely on home turf here – really honing, really focusing their energy – with a sound that seems to create this almost perfect interplay between the guitars of Robin Trower and vocals of Gary Brooker – two key elements of the group's sound that are even better here than on previous elements, especially when augmented by all the cool, unusual elements they always give us with their music. Brooker's got this bluesy quality, but the lyrics by Keith Reid often have this uniquely poetic vibe – one that's never overdone or pretentious, maybe because of the vocal quality – and which finds its own special space here on tunes that include "The Dead Man's Dream", "Whisky Train", "Barnyard Story", "Whaling Stories", "Your Own Choice", and "Still There'll Be More". CD features the bonus track "Whisky Train (US radio edit)". CD

The amazing first album from Procol Harum – a group with a sound that's still unlike anyone else we can think of – even though they were a key part of the London scene of the 60s! The group are steeped in all of the blues, soul, and jazz elements that influenced so many other British acts of the period – but they have this way of presenting the music that brings a whole new sort of drama to the music – this flair that never overwhelms, and instead embellishes the music in this really special way – so that the tunes have this brilliance that's kept them fresh for many decades to follow! Lead singer Gary Brooker is a key part of the record's magic – a very distinctive singer – and a young Robin Trower contributes plenty on guitar, as does Matthew Fisher on Hammond. But there's also some arrangements that really set the whole thing in an unusual direction – and which make the record way more than just another bluesy rock set from the time. Hard to argue with the baroque brilliance of "She Wandered Through The Garden Fence", "A Christmas Camel", "Salad Days", "Repent Walpurgis", and "Conquistador". This wonderful 2CD set features 27 additional bonus tracks – including singles "A Whiter Shade Of Pale", "Alpha", "Salad Days", "Understandably Blue", "Homburg", "Lime Street Blues", and "Good Captain Clack" – plus bonus alternate mixes, and two different BBC sessions from 1967! Also includes a bonus poster! CD

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Amazing sounds from British pianist Keith Tippett – a startling crossroads of musical scenes that beautifully brings together the best jazz, rock, and jazz rock impulses on the UK scene at the time – still with a freshness and clarity that the work would never reach a few years later! The sound here is brilliant – often a bit funky at the bottom, and definitely stretching out to freer jazz ideas on the solos, yet always managing a sense of soul and swing that really gives the record a rock solid core – so that even loopy lines seem to land back on the ground, and set the group on fire with a whole new energy. In addition to Tippett's work on electric and acoustic piano, the set also features Elton Dean on alto and saxello, Marc Charig on cornet, Nick Evans on trombone, and Robert Wyatt on drums – on titles that include "Gridal Suite", "Five After Dawn", "This Is What Happens", "Thoughts To Geoff", and "Black Horse". CD

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

Titles include "Sifting Sand", "November Song", "Rock N Roll Machine", "Backfire", "Slow Blues", "Scotch Crotch", and "Dirty Shoes". CD

Prog rock was shifting a bit as 1974 came into view, but the leading lights of the scene were still going strong – sometimes with new modes and slight shifts in production techniques that showed that the music was evolving very strongly, and not just content to mire in the modes of an initial wave of activity! If anything, most of the cats on this set are even sharper musicians and more daring songwriters than a few years before – which means that sometimes, there's an even more focused approach to the music – a bold message that can come across strongly, without a full side album jam – and with production elements that don't oversaturate as much, which almost seems to indicate that the prog scene of the moment were having some thoughts about musical shifts to come! As with the other titles in this series, the box features a superb set list – really well-chosen cuts that go past the obvious – accompanied by a very hefty set of notes on each act and the tunes within. 4CD set features 51 tracks in all – work from Caravan, Hawkwind, Gong, PFM, Sensational Alex Harvey Band, Peter Hammill, Neutrons, Nektar, Hatfield & The North, Traffic, Gravy Train, Darryl Way's Wolf, Procol Harum, Jethro Tull, Stackridge, Greenslade, Strawbs, Kevin Ayers, Jack Bruce, and others! CD

A wonderful departure for Kevin Ayers – an album that's a lot lighter and more whimsical than his original fame with Soft Machine! The tunes are extremely playful, and often quite catchy – almost a Donovan-esque blend of folksy roots and jazz inflections – but tuned a bit more towards trippier ends, thanks to instrumentation that includes celeste, electronics, flute, oboe, kazoo, cello, organ, and a wide range of different guitars! David Bedford handled arrangements, and other players on the session include some ex-Soft Machine comrades – like Hugh Hopper and Robert Wyatt! Ayers' vocals are produced with a nicely compressed quality that squeezes them in alongside the instrumentation – and titles include "Joy Of A Toy Continued", "The Lady Rachel", "All This Crazy Gift Of Time", "Eleanor's Cake", and "Girl On A Swing". LP, Vinyl record album

Super-heavy live work from the Baker Gurvitz Army – stepping out here with even more power than on some of their studio material of the time! The drums of Ginger Baker are worth the price of admission alone, but all aspects of the performance here are top shelf – the vocals of Steve Parsons have a great range, and soar nicely in harmonies with other members from time to time – often given an extra glide from the keyboard work of Peter Lemer. The set features seven tracks from a live performance at Reading in 1975 – long takes of "Freedom", "Memory Lane", "Wotever It Is", and "The Gambler" – plus four more bonus tracks, recorded the same year at the Victoria Theater in London! CD

A trio of spacey classics from Tim Blake – all brought together in a single set! First up Crystal Machine – fantastic sounds from Tim Blake, an artist who previously worked with Gong, and sometimes worked with Hawkwind – but who really came into his own on this legendary album of electronics! Tim works here on a self-constructed "crystal machine" – a bank of electronics that was often played in performance to front some trippy film installations (as shown on the cover) – which perfectly suited the stretched-out spacey style of his music! The vibe is maybe a bit like early Tangerine Dream, but with some of the warmer modes of the French electronic scene of the time – and titles include "Midnight", "Last Ride Of The Boogie Child", "Synthese Intemporel", and "Crystal Presence". On the cover of Blake's New Jerusalem, Tim looks like he's sitting at the helm of a spaceship on the cover – and in a way, that's what his music was at the time – a way of taking off to the skies on waves of electronics, in the kinds of sounds that Blake first created in his Crystal Machine project, but which have an even sharper focus here! The album's got more vocals than Tim's previous effort, and in a way that's what really sets it apart from the rest – as Blake's got this warmly positive approach that would be at home in progressive folk, but which here comes across with a very unique style – given the mostly electronic setting of the album! All the banks of knobs, slides, and keys pictured on the cover are used to strongly skillful effect – on titles that include "Generator", "Passage Sur La Cite", "New Jerusalem", "Song For A New Age", and "Lighthouse". Magick is a really great later set from electronic genius Tim Blake – an album recorded 15 years after his early classics, and done in his windmill home in France – but all played live, in a way that makes the electronics and keyboards here maybe more amazing! Blake has certainly picked up some of the elements from the 80s generation who were influenced by his earlier work – but also keeps the more open sense of song structure from his classics at points – with a sound that still knows when to revel in the best analog moments, next to the digital ones. Titles include "Tonight", "Strange Secret Of Ohm Gliding", "A Dream", "More Magick", and "Waiting For Nati". Also features the bonus b-side "The Woodland Voice". CD

Messed-up funky jazz from an obscure early 70s UK group – and an album that really lives up to its trippy cover! The tracks are all long and stretched out – with lots of organ, sax, and spaced out drums – and the overall style is a mix of dub-heavy funk, Afro jazz, and a bit of jazz rock jamming! There's a bit of vocals on the album, but overall most of the set is instrumental – in a really right on and progressive style that we totally love. This is the kind of record that always got passed by in the 80s when everyone was looking for hard James Brown grooves, but which is very much in fashion now with the blunted funky crowd. Cuts include "Hymn To Mother Earth", "Another Country", "Disillusioned Man", and "Mercy (Variation No. 1)" – plus bonus tracks "Fuzz Oriental Blues", "I Put A Spell On You", and "Message To Mankind". CD

A record that has Family very much at the top of their game – and working in a format that some of their contemporaries were trying on record at the time – serving up one side of live material, and one set in the studio! Although the group are sometimes linked to the prog scene of the time, there's a quality here that's often more hard rock overall, especially on the live material – very thunderous drums and heady guitar work, and vocals from Roger Chapman singing at the rawer side of his spectrum! Titles include "Part Of The Load", "Willow Tree", "Good News Bad News", "Holding The Compass", "Anyway", and "Normans". 2CD edition is overflowing with bonus material – the cuts "Normans (US LP edit)", "Hung Up Down (1970 single)", "Strange Band (studio)", and "The Weavers Answer (1970 single)" – plus a bonus CD with a dozen more tracks from a BBC Top Gear session in September, 1970! CD

A record that marks a slight shift for Family – maybe a more focused approach to songwriting, yet one that's still very much their own – given the undeniably wild vocals of the legendary Roger Chapman! Chapman's knocking it out of the park here – even nudging aside John Wetton, who doesn't sing as much as before – as the group swerve between hard rock moments and some even cooler, artier touches – on titles that include "Burlesque", "Bolero Babe", "Coronation", "Dark Eyes", "Broken Nose", "My Friend The Sun", "Glove' , "Top Of The Hill", and "Ready To Go". CD features lots of bonus tracks – including "The Rockin Rs", and early Olympic Studios versions of tracks, never issued before – plus five more numbers from a BBC Bob Harris Show performance in 1971. CD