Pat Metheny on guitars, Lyles Mays on piano & keyboards, Steve Rodby on bass, Paul Wertico on drums & percussion, Armando Marcal on percussion, timbales & congas & Pedro Aznar on acoustic guitar, percussion, sax, steel drums, vibraphone, marimba & melodica. CD
Common lean, filler free late 80s Finding Forever – a set that's definitely the thematic follow up to the semi-comeback BE LP – and a solid one, with highpoints that equal Com's best work of the decade! The set is largely produced by Kanye West, with some terse, harder hitting moments, some laidback and soulful ones, and some really nice homages to Dilla and DJ Premier. Another winner from Com at a point just after he hit a late peak and was still riding high! Titles include "Start The Show", "The People", "Drivin' Me Wild" feat Lily Allen, "I Want You", "Southside" feat Kanye West, totally killer "The Game" featuring scratches by Premier (and a sound that's a total Primo tribute), "U Black Maybe", "So Far To Go" feat D'Angelo, "Break My Heart", "Misunderstood" and more. LP, Vinyl record album
The Dazz Band may be wild and free in the title, but the album's tighter than ever – a lean, focused approach to the Dazz Band sound – done here with loads of 80s production and instrumentation in the mix! The rhythms are heavy with drum machine lines – often mixed with keyboard bits and swirled together with a sound that's even more crossover than some of the group's earlier work. Vocals often take a back seat to the grooves – but on the ballads they shine through nicely, and remind us of the group's roots. Titles include "The Beat That's Right", "Wild & Free", "Love MIA", "Sunglasses", "Something You Said", and "Time Will Heal A Broken Heart". CD features bonus tracks – "Wild & Free (ext dance rmx)", "Last Chance For Love", "Love MIA (house mix)", and "A Place In My Heart". CD
10
Dr Octagon —
Dr Octagonecologyst ... LP Bulk/Geffen, 1996. New Copy 2LP Gatefold (reissue)...
$28.9934.99
Genius from the mind of Kool Keith aka Big Willie Smith aka Poppa Large aka Dr. Octagon. Since his days with Ultramagnetics, no one has mastered the abstract lyrical style like Kool Keith, self-proclaimed inventor of all rhyme styles. 20 tracks, with dope atmospheric features by the Automator and scratches by the legendary Q-Bert, including "Earth People", "I Got To Tell You", "Wild And Crazy", ""Waiting List (DK Snadow/Automator Mix)", "No Awareness", "Biology 101", "Technical Difficulties", "Blue Flowers", "A Visit To The Gynecologist", "Bear Witness" and more. LP, Vinyl record album
Features Pat Metheny on guitars, Steve Rodby on bass, Pedro Aznar on marimba, vibes, saxophone, and melodica, and Armando Marcal on percussion. Titles include "Have You Heard", "Slip Away", "Vidala", "Are We There Yet", and "Beat 70". CD
(Out of print.)
16
Pat Metheny with Dave Holland & Roy Haynes —
Question & Answer ... CD Geffen, 1989. Used ...
$3.99
A great late 80s date from Pete Metheny – working here in a trio with Dave Holland on bass and Roy Haynes on drums! Tracks include "Law Years", "Change Of Heart", "Old Folks", "Three Flights Up", and the title tracks, "Question & Answer". CD
The classic critical breakthrough from The Roots – the one that really cemented their legacy as one great hip hop live bands ever, and help paving the way for many fascinating records to come! Do You Want More is a modern hip hop essential, chainging the way we looked at hip hop, and certainly one of the most successful efforts at bridging live band playing, sample based beats and smart rhymes. Titles include: "Proceed", "Distortion To Static", "Lazy Afternoon", "Mellow My Man", "I Remain Calm", "Datskat", "What Goes On Pt. 7", "Silent Treatment", "You Ain't Fly", "Do You Want More?!!!??!", "The Lesson Part 2" and "The Unlocking". CD
The second major label set from The Roots, and what many consider their first and definitely not their last) irrefutable classic! We could make the case for the debut Do You Want More? as a bonafide classic, too, but this is certainly the tone certainly the one that cemented their status and one of the greatest live-tested hip hop bands. Given how strong and far reaching The Roots pedigree would become over the years, this one's all the more amazing to revisit – and it's fresh and distinctive to this day. 20 tracks including intro & outro, with "Respond/React", "Clones", "No Alibi", "No Great Pretender" "Universe At War" (featuring Common while he was still Common Sense), "What They Do", "Ital (The Universal Side)", Concerto Of The Desparado", "The Adventures In Wonderland" and more. CD
The second major label set from The Roots, and what many consider their first and definitely not their last) irrefutable classic! We could make the case for the debut Do You Want More? as a bonafide classic, too, but this is certainly the tone certainly the one that cemented their status and one of the greatest live-tested hip hop bands. Given how strong and far reaching The Roots pedigree would become over the years, this one's all the more amazing to revisit – and it's fresh and distinctive to this day. 20 tracks including intro & outro, with "Respond/React", "Clones", "No Alibi", "No Great Pretender" "Universe At War" (featuring Common while he was still Common Sense), "What They Do", "Ital (The Universal Side)", Concerto Of The Desparado", "The Adventures In Wonderland" and more. LP, Vinyl record album
Jr Tucker —
Jr Tucker ... CD Geffen/PTG (Netherlands), 1983. Used ...
$9.99
Jr Parker gets some great help from Ray Parker – not that Ray's a family member or anything like that – he's just got a great ear for the kind of groove Jr's going for in his music! Ray produced and plays sweet guitar and keyboards on most tracks – giving the music that great Raydio bounce – which turns out to be a wonderful fit for the youthful Jr's vocals – almost styled in a Michael Jackson mode at points, but a bit deeper at other times too! Titles include "I Was Made For Dancing", "Too Young To Fall In Love", "If It's Love You're After", "Treat Me Right", "Mr Telephone Man", and "Bad Girls". CD
Jr Tucker —
Jr Tucker ... CD Geffen/PTG (Netherlands), 1983. New Copy ...
$10.99
Jr Parker gets some great help from Ray Parker – not that Ray's a family member or anything like that – he's just got a great ear for the kind of groove Jr's going for in his music! Ray produced and plays sweet guitar and keyboards on most tracks – giving the music that great Raydio bounce – which turns out to be a wonderful fit for the youthful Jr's vocals – almost styled in a Michael Jackson mode at points, but a bit deeper at other times too! Titles include "I Was Made For Dancing", "Too Young To Fall In Love", "If It's Love You're After", "Treat Me Right", "Mr Telephone Man", and "Bad Girls". CD
(Late 80s Mexican Serie Rocker pressing. Includes the lyric insert with Robert Williams art. Cover has a peeled spot at the bottom right corner and a small cutout hole.)
29
Guns N Roses —
Greatest Hits ... LP Geffen, Late 80s/Early 90s. Sealed 2LP ...
Temporarily Out Of Stock
One of the greatest soundtracks of the blacksploitation era – served up with some incredible grooves from maestro JJ Johnson! The album's got a non-stop, hard-hitting groove that ranks it with the best of its time – and which is arguably even better, because most of the record isn't nearly as well known as Shaft, Superfly, or other classics. Martha Reeves sings some of the deepest vocals of her career on the great title track "Willie D" – an old sample cut that you're sure to recognize – and the instrumental tunes are even better, filled with great percussion and jazzy flourishes from JJ – in a style that really keeps things interesting! There's plenty of "chase" riffing on the album – and titles include "Willie Chase", "Parade Strut", "Make It Right", "Gospel Family", "Keep On Movin", and "Willie Escapes". LP, Vinyl record album
31
John Lennon & Yoko Ono —
Double Fantasy ... LP Geffen, 1980. Very Good+ ...
Temporarily Out Of Stock
Nirvana's classic session for MTV's Unplugged – slowing down the tempo and stripping away the feedback and squalling electric guitars of their early 90s classics – as well as showing Kurt Cobain's command of cover tunes! This is a set that blew expectations right out of the water. It shows the essence of the great Cobain songwriting, as well has his gift for interpreting others – drawing parallels from Bowie,to The Meat Puppets to traditional folk and blues. Amazing! Includes "About A Girl", "The Man Who Sold The World", "Where Did You Sleep Last Night", "Lake Of Fire", "All Apologies", "Dumb", "Polly" and more. LP, Vinyl record album
(Includes 5 bonus rehearsal tracks, sticker and download!)
Seminal work by one of the biggest gospel crossover stars of the 80s – the mighty mighty David Peaston, a man with a truly god-like voice! Production on the album occasionally has too much of that 80s slickness, but even so, David's voice cuts through the whole thing with a spiritual warmth and majesty that's simply wonderful. Titles include "Take Me Now", "Tonight", "Two Wrongs", "In This Together", "Can I?", and "Eyes Of Love". LP, Vinyl record album
(Cover has a promo stamp, hype sticker, light wear, and some price sticker remnants.)
Siouxie & The Banshees pick up songs from a well-chosen array of other artists – including Roxy Music, Iggy Pop, Bob Dylan, Television, and Billie Holiday – almost moving into that reworking-of-classics style that This Mortal Coil was using at the time – even though Siouxie's earlier work was probably a huge inspiration on that group and most of the 4AD acts to emerge during the 80s! The vibe here is similar to Tinderbox – surprisingly catchy at times, yet still with that balanced sense of drama that Siouxie could bring to her music – on tunes that include their hit remake of "The Passenger", plus "This Wheel's On Fire", "Strange Fruit", "Sea Breezes", "Little Johnny Jewel", "Hall Of Mirrors", and "Trust In Me". LP, Vinyl record album
(Original UK Wonderland pressing in the die-cut window cover, includes the printed inner sleeve!)
A big crossover moment for Donna Summer in the 80s – a set that features lots of keyboard-heavy arrangements from Michael Omartin – who produced the record at a level that really gets the most out of Summer's hook-heavy style! Donna's way past the drama of the disco years here – and does a great job of getting right down to business on most of the tunes – never pushing things too far past her vocal range, but adding just the right sort of punch to the lyrics alongside Omartin's catchy keyboards. Titles include "Eyes", "Supernatural Love", "Cats Without Claws", "Suzanna", "It's Not The Way", "There Goes My Baby", and "I'm Free". LP, Vinyl record album
41
Donna Summer —
Donna Summer ... LP Geffen, 1982. Very Good ...
Temporarily Out Of Stock
A great new chapter for Donna Summer – a set that has her working with the legendary Quincy Jones as producer – who gives the whole album a very different sound! There's still plenty of the catchy, bouncy styles you'd know from Summer's late 70s work – but Jones also brings in some jazzy flair from time to time – using elements like keyboards from Greg Phillinganes or tenor from Ernie Watts to create a broader palette of color and sound than some of Donna's disco records. The rhythms change things up nicely too – reaching for a bit more than before – and titles include "Protection", which has a guitar solo from Bruce Springsteen – plus "Livin In America", "Love Is In Control", "State Of Independence", "Lush Life", and "Love Is Just A Breath Away". LP, Vinyl record album
(Includes the printed inner sleeve. Vinyl has a light click on "Livin' In America" and "Protection". Cover has light wear.)
42
Donna Summer —
Wanderer ... LP Geffen, 1980. Near Mint- ...
Temporarily Out Of Stock
Donna Summer steps strongly into the 80s with a whole new groove – still working here with producer Giorgio Moroder, but in a way that's quite different than the electro disco the pair created in the 70s! Instead, there's more of a straighter soul vibe to the record, but one that makes more use of the kind of guitar you'd hear in Moroder's pre-disco material – often giving fuzzy fills with a slightly rockish vibe to emphasize the vocal hooks – while Harold Faltermeyer still delivers a lot of cool 80s keyboard lines! Titles include "The Wanderer", "Nightlife", "Running For Cover", "Grand Illusion", "The Wanderer", "Looking Up", and "Stop Me". LP, Vinyl record album
(Includes the printed inner sleeve. Cover has light edge wear and a cutout notch.)
Jennifer Holliday —
Feel My Soul ... LP Geffen, 1983. Very Good+ ...
Out Of Stock
... LP, Vinyl record album
(Cover has a large "Square Deal" sticker, which is partially peeled.)
46
Sonic Youth —
Dirty ... CD Geffen, 1992. Used ...
Out Of Stock
Sonic Youth's second set for Geffen and perhaps the SC album most burdened by expectations of the time – produced by Butch Vig and with a bigger, yet way noisier sound than Goo. The sound is straight up incredible – whether you'd want to credit Vig, mixer Andy Wallace or Sonic Youth themselves – the feedback and layers of fuzz are massive, making the few quieter moments all the more impressive when they spring up. The great songs and odd changes are all Sonic Youth – and this is another essential set from them. Include "100%", "Swimsuit Issue", "Theresa's Sound-World", "Drunken Butterfly", "Shoot", "Wish Fulfillment", "Sugar Kane", "Youth Against Fascism", "On The Strip", "Purr", "Creme Brulee". CD
Includes the classic hit "The Boys Of Summer" – along with "Man With A Mission", "Sunset Grill", "All She Wants To Do Is Dance", "Land Of The Living", and more! CD
A really great record from Solomon Burke – and one that's quite different than his early work on Atlantic Records! Solomon's not going for his roots, and instead works with help from Sylvia Robinson and the team over at All-Platinum Records – to get kind of a pre-Sugarhill dose of mellow soul and New Jersey hipness that really sets this one apart! Unlike so many other 70s acts, Solomon never made the trip to Philly to record during the decade – but this album is maybe the closest we'll get – with that slightly rawer edge that always made the New Jersey records so great! Case in point is a tasty track by Ray and Goodman of the Moments, called "Over and Over", which is a wonderful mellow modern soul track – very different than anything Solomon ever recorded – heard here alongside other cuts that include "Life Has Its Ups & Downs", "Everybody's Got To Cry Sometime", "I'm Going Back To My Roots", "Burning For Your Love", "Night and Day", "Precious Flower", and "I'll Never Stop Loving You". LP, Vinyl record album
(Recent 180 gram pressing on Geffen/Elemental. Cover has a lighlty bumped corner.)