A heady bit of work from this obscure Caribbean band – much more rock than funk, but put together with a nice combination of both in the mix! We might link these guys slightly to a group like Merda/Black Merda – maybe given some inspiration from the work of Jimi Hendrix, but sometimes coming across with an equal dose from Sly Stone as well – all of which makes for a mighty great sound in the music! Guitar, organ, and bass are very strong in the mix – and titles include "A Jam Of Love", "The Next Morning", "Faces Are Smiling", "Back To The Stone Age", and "Life". LP, Vinyl record album

Don't confuse these guys with the British group of the same name, because this Nucleus is a Canadian rock group with a very heavy sound – a heady brew of fuzz guitar and freaky organ, all recorded with a nice raw edge! The group's one of the fiercest of the late 60s psych scene on Mainstream Records – and they jam here on 6 long tracks that build, burn, and bubble over with plenty of intensity – topped with some vocals that are surprisingly poetic at points, yet never in a way that's too soft to undercut the instrumental strength of the set. Titles include "Lost & Found", "Share Your Color", "Communication", "Judgement Day", "All About Me & The Spidery Bass", and "Jenny Wake Up". LP, Vinyl record album

The first really major album from Rare Earth – issued on their own self-named subsidiary of Motown! The set's a perfect blend of the rich undercurrents of the heady Detroit scene of the late 60s – at one level a tripped-out rock record with styles that almost hint at MC5, at another level a batch of blue-eyed funky soul, with keen appreciation for the grooves coming out of the headier end of the Motor City indie spectrum! There's lots of tripped-out guitar work on the set – reminiscent of contemporary work by Dennis Coffey and George Clinton – mixed with a Mitch Ryder, R&B-inspired vocal style that actually comes across pretty darn well. Added to this is the group's flat-out ability to jam – showcased best in the side-long title cut "Get Ready" – a massive jammer which runs for nearly 22 minutes, and takes up all of side two! Other tracks include "Train To Nowhere", "Magic Key", "Tobacco Road", and "In Bed". LP, Vinyl record album

Redman, where hath thee been? One of the most reliable and unique voices of 90s hip hop finally drops a long delayed second official record in the 00s – after getting killed by Chucky in one of those killer doll movies and a failed sitcom – thankfully picking up his day job right where he left off and easily bettering '01's Malpractice LP. More of a return to form than a rehash, this reminds us how inimitable the man truly is. Production by Pete Rock, Timbaland, Scott Storch and others. Welcome back! Titles include "Bak Inda Buildin", "Put It Down", "Gimmie One", the gem "Walk In Gutta" feat Keith Murray, Erick Sermon & Biz Markie, "Dis Iz Brick City", "Get 'Em" feat Saukrates & Icadon, "Merry Jane" feat Snoop & Nate Dogg, "Gilla House Check", "Hold Dis Blaow", "Suicide" and more. LP, Vinyl record album

A rare funk gem from Stax Records – a strange mix of rock and funk, originally recorded for the label's Gospel Truth subsidiary, which is why it's kind of gotten lost in the cracks over the years! The group's got a very heavy ensemble funk sound – a blend of organ, sax, and percussion – all coming together in a loose studio jam style on the best cuts, as you might guess by the name "Round Robin"! Tracks include "Life Is Funky", "Alpha", "Peace of Mind", and "Dreamers". LP, Vinyl record album

An important early 90s moment for Run DMC – as the set has one of the first big major hip hop acts of the 80s, retuning themselves slightly for the new decade – in part by opening the door to added guests and producers for the record! The core energy that makes the trio so great is still very firmly in place – including inventive work on the turntables from Jam Master Jay – who produces here too, alongside Pete Rock, Jermain Dupri, EPMD, and Q-Tip too. Titles include the great title track, "Down With The King" – plus "Come On Everybody", "Can I Get It Yo", "Hit Em Hard", "Big Willie", "In The House", "Wreck Shop", "Can I Get A Witness", "Get Open", "What's Next", and "3 In The Head". LP, Vinyl record album

The second half of the title gives this one away – as the album's a batch of progressive rock tracks from early 70s Bolivia – all very heavy on guitar and organ! Tracks are longish, but never too sloppy – and the keyboards and guitar jam together nicely in an exploration of themes that are slightly different than those that might have been used in a set like this of European origin. A few numbers add in a bit of strings or woodwinds – not much, just enough to push things past simple rock jamming – and titles include "Kenko", "Wara", "El Inca", "Realidad", and "Cancio Para Una Nina Triste". CD

A really great look at a key year in British punk – a time when the music really broke open, and artists from a wide range of scenes began to make music in a punk rock vein! The set has way more variety than you might expect – not just the big names and new acts that were helping define the music, but also surprising entries from hard rock, pub rock, and other styles – all really embracing the short, sharp shocks of punk – and showing just how influential the new sound was to the larger British music scene. Punk never grabbed the mainstream the same way over here – and the 3CD set is a fantastic representation of the big bang the music made in the UK in 1977 – presented with the kind of detailed notes and other information that always makes these collections from Cherry Red so great. The package features a massive 87 tracks in all – with work by The Heartbreakers, Eater, Chartreuse, The Rings, Models, Buzzocks, Vibrators, Deaf School, The Damned, Gorillas, The Jam, Britzkrieg Bop, Cock Sparrer, Motorhead, Only Ones, Johnny Moped, Rezillos, Slaughter & The Dogs, Wreckless Eric, Boomtown Rats, Sham 69, Radiators From Space, Doctors Of Madness, Generation X, Alberto Y Los Trios Paranoias, Zeros, Tom Robinson Band, X-Ray Spex, Tyla Gang, Jerks, Spider, Alternative TV, John Cooler Clarke, Graham Parker, The Doll, Ultravox, Chelsea, Eddie & The Hot Rods, Raped, Norman & The Hoolians, Drug Squad, and many others. 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 really cool package, and one that goes past the easy old school hits from the early years of hip hop – and which instead brings together all these unusual strands of sound that really show how creative things were, right at the start! There's a number of tracks here that are a great surprise – nuggets we loved back in the day, and which spring to live here amidst other well-chosen tracks – all served up with the usual super-great notes and overall presentation we love from the Soul Jazz label. Many tracks have great basslines or boogie-styled grooves – from that moment when hip hop, funk, and soul were maybe more strong bedfellows than they would be a few years later – and themes are a nice mix of politics and partying, on titles that include "Get Live 83" by Carver Area High School Seniors, "Super Rock Body Shock" by Eye Beta Rock, "Street Talk" by Funky Constellation, "Do You Like That Funky Beat" by Kool Kyle The Starchild, "Jam To Remember" by Just Four, "Eei Eei O" by Silver Star, "Magic's Rap" by Magic's Trick, "Real Rocking Groove" by Chapter III, "To The Beat Y'All" by Sangrita, "Rappin & Rockin The House" by Funky Four Plus One More, "Do It Any Way You Wanna" by Mike T, and "Girls Of The World" by The Just Four. CD

A landmark in southern rock! Titles include "Les Brers In A Minor", "Melissa", "Mountain Jam", "One Way Out", "Trouble No More", "Little Martha", and "Blue Sky". LP, Vinyl record album

A landmark in southern rock! Titles include "Les Brers In A Minor", "Melissa", "Mountain Jam", "One Way Out", "Trouble No More", "Little Martha", and "Blue Sky". Includes the final Fillmore East Concert from 1971 on the second CD! CD

A trio of funky classics from Faze-O – collected here with bonus tracks too! First up is their debut, Riding High – a spacey soul classic – with a sound that never gets old! Faze-O will be forever remembered for their massive cut "Riding High", the leadoff on this album – a stretched out slow funk jam that has amazing keyboards, floating guitars, and a super-dope groove that's stayed fresh from the moment it was first set to wax back in 1977! This album's the group's first, and best – and it's a really wonderful record that blends together funky fusion and heavy soul – filled with killer cuts arranged by the Ohio Players, and with lots of great keyboards by the group! Includes, of course, the massive cut "Riding High" – plus "Toe Jam" and "Funky Reputation"! The second album is a definite Good Thang from Faze-O – easily the masters of snakey funk at the end of the 70s! The set's got loads of great elements that echo the group's Riding High debut – a groove that never goes too far over the top, and which kicks back at a pace that so many others would copy a few years later – a vibe that's a bit Ohio, a bit Cali, yet crafted here with a vision that's totally unique to the band! Horns are a bit heavier than before, but there's still plenty of great keyboards too – and the vocals definitely recognize that they're the second star of the record, and usually defer to the rhythms on most numbers. Tracks include "Good Thang", "Party Time", "Space People", "Who Loves You", and "Funky Lady". Breakin The Funk is wicked funk from Faze-O – a group who seem even tighter than before on this smoking album – yet still hold onto all the laidback modes that made them so great in the first place! There's a lean quality here that really prefaces the direction so many funk acts would take a few years later – a way of compressing everything down on the rhythm, to get past some of the excesses of too-large funk groups, or some of the overblown qualities of the disco generation! Faze-O were definitely out front with this approach, and continue to craft it strongly here – and the album's got a few great mellow tracks too – a great illustration of the claim made in the liner notes – that "Faze-O music is carefully built in panels of melodic phases, to sensuously put you in a funky but heavenly mood of time and rhythm." Titles include "See You Through The Night", "I'm Thankful", "I Still Love You", "Let's Rock", and "Ya Ba Da Ba Duzie". Features bonus tracks – 7" single mixes of "Riding High", "Breakin The Funk", "Good Thang", and "Who Loves You". CD

The breakout album for singer Frank Ocean – the featured voice and name attached to some stellar material by other acts leading up to this career-making set for Interscope! Simply put, Channel ORANGE is the hella rare pop phenomenon that not only lives up to the pre-release hype, it actually transcends it! Ocean has a unique and distinct voice and style, and we hope he's here to stay. Includes "Thinkin' About You", "Sierra Leone", "Sweet Life", "Super Rich Kids", "Pilot Jones", "Crack Rock", "Pyramids", "Lost", "Bad Religion", "Pink Matter" and more. CD

Probably the most hyped hip hop album by rock critics of the last decade – but don't hold that against Stankonia, because these ghetto grooves from planet P-Funk were exactly what world needed in 2000! The millenium blowout party jam feel throughout is surely a nice change of pace from all the doom and gloom out there, but they still manage to spit out enough reality to keep things feeling true – particularly in the playful battle of the sexes showdowns. Dre, Big Boi and Organized Noize continue to innovate, even if they are at the top of the charts – and we can't wait to see where they take it all next! Tracks include "Gasoline Dreams", "So Fresh, So Clean", "Ms. Jackson", "Spaghetti Junction", "I'll Call Before I Come" featuring Gangsta Boo & Eco, "B.O.B.", "Xplosion" featuring B-Real, "We Luv Deez Hoez", "Humble Mumble" featuring Erykah Badu, "Red Velvet", "Gangsta Sh*t", "Toilet Tisha" "Slum Beautiful", and "Stankonia (Stanklove)". CD

The only full length album ever issued by Suburban Lawns – a real standout in the southern California scene at the end of the 70s, and a group whose potential seems to know no bounds! These guys are clearly rooted in punk, but already reaching past it – getting creative and playful with their song structure, then rolling back into these short, sharp bursts of guitar energy that shows that they can go head to head with the best of them – a combination that makes the record pretty darn fantastic all the way through! Vocals are nice and jagged, and really fit the spirit of the songs – which were all penned by Su Tissue, who sings lead on a number of them. Titles include "Janitor", "Flying Saucer Safari", "Anything", "Green Eyes", "Jam The Controls", "Intellectual Rock", "Gossip", "Unable", "When In The World", "Not Allowed", and "Mom & Dad & God". LP, Vinyl record album

A landmark live set from The Who – a record that offers the group with a blistering intensity that blows away all their other studio albums of the time! Although offered during the Who's Tommy-era expansion into broader themes and more complicated instrumentation, the album's a real return to basics – and features a guitar-heavy version of the group performing a number of older rock n roll classics like "Summertime Blues", "Shakin All Over", and "Young Man Blues" – plus really extended jamming takes on their own "My Generation" and "Magic Bus", and a searing 2 minute take on "Substitute" that's probably everything you ever need to know about The Jam! LP, Vinyl record album

A landmark live set from The Who – a record that offers the group with a blistering intensity that blows away all their other studio albums of the time! Although offered during the Who's Tommy-era expansion into broader themes and more complicated instrumentation, the album's a real return to basics – and features a guitar-heavy version of the group performing a number of older rock n roll classics like "Summertime Blues", "Shakin All Over", and "Young Man Blues" – plus really extended jamming takes on their own "My Generation" and "Magic Bus", and a searing 2 minute take on "Substitute" that's probably everything you ever need to know about The Jam! Remastered Deluxe Edition includes the first release of the entire concert. CD

An incredibly evocative record – one of the strangest of its kind, and an audio treasure that we've loved for years! Eden Ahbez first came into public prominence as the man who wrote "Nature Boy" for Nat King Cole – a dark, moody tune that was as mysterious and earthy as the man who wrote it! This album was recorded nearly a decade after Cole's original hit, and features Ahbez almost in Moondog-like territory – working in an amazing setting of odd instruments and exotic percussion – but also singing in this almost spiritualist kind of way! The record's got plenty of ties to the exotica scene of the late 50s – but also stand out from the pack with a mad vision that's all its own – a strange intersection of lines that one might draw between Moondog, Martin Denny, and Anton La Vey! Tracks include "The Wanderer", "Eden's Island", "Tradewind", "Full Moon", "Mongoose", "Market Place", "The Old Boat", "Island Girl" and "La Mar". Great expanded package – with bonus tracks that include the unreleased "Surf Rider", plus "The Wanderer (alt)", "Tobago (45 rpm mix)", "Jam Session 78", "India (demo)", "Big Square From Nowhere", and "The Planet Song". Also includes related tracks "Sahara" by Bob Romeo, "Song Of The Fool" by The Crew Cuts, "End Of Desire" by Jack Powers, "The Shepherd" by Herb Jeffries, "Hey Jacque" by The Mt Holyoke V8s, "Monterey (alt version)" by John Harris, "Big Rock Steam Roller" by Biggie McFadden, "Green Flamingo" by Robbie Lester, and "Lonely Island" by Gene Chandler. CD

Exciting, energetic and unpretentious jazz from The Bad Plus – an indefatigable combo we dig more and more as their career rolls on – and this as strong as anything they've done in years. Whether you want to call it jazz rock, jam jazz, or whatever – it's invigorating, dare we say it, straight up fun. The trio of Reid Anderson (bass), Ethan Iverson (piano) and Dave King (drums) can stroll from complex, obtuse improvised parts to head nodding catchiness at the drop of a dime – and do! We're digging it, and hope you will, too. Includes "The Radio Tower Has A Beating Heart", "You Are", "Never Stop", "Snowball", "Bill Hickman At Home", "Super America" and more. CD

No heavy metal here – just tight and funky jamming from the mighty Brecker Brothers! There's a bit more guitar here than on some of their other records – hence, possibly, the title – but the whole thing's still very much in that mix of soulful fusion and jazzy soloing that the pair forged strongly in the mid 70s. Keyboards and guitar jam strongly, but Randy and Michael still get in plenty of space for their solos – pushing their jazz licks with the jamming intensity that might normally be relegated to guitar heroes in the rock world. Tracks include "Inside Out", "Some Skunk Funk", "Sponge", "East River", "Funky Sea Funky Dew", and "Squids". LP, Vinyl record album

Some of Kenny Burrell's best early work! The album catches Kenny in the perfect Blue Note jam session mode of the late 50s – which features a number of the label's star players hitting hard with the main soloist. Players on the two volume set include Duke Jordan or Bobby Timmons piano, Junior Cook and Tina Brooks tenor, Louis Smith trumpet, and Art Blakey on Drums. The cuts have a very open-ended blowing session feel, and Kenny comes through surprisingly well, really picking up steam on a way you don't always hear in more restrained recordings. Titles on this volume include "Rock Salt", "Chuckin", and "Caravan". CD

Some of Kenny Burrell's best early work! The album catches Kenny in the perfect Blue Note jam session mode of the late 50s – one used also with Jimmy Smith, and which features a number of the label's star players hitting hard with the main soloist. Players on the two volume set include Duke Jordan or Bobby Timmons piano, Junior Cook and Tina Brooks tenor, Louis Smith trumpet, and Art Blakey on Drums. The cuts have a very open-ended blowing session feel, and Kenny comes through surprisingly well, really picking up steam on a way you don't always hear in more restrained recordings. Titles on this volume include "Rock Salt", "Chuckin", and "Phinupi". LP, Vinyl record album

The album that brought the excellent, but heretofore underappreciated duo of Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks into the band – and pretty much changed the fabric of 70s rock! Older fans of the Peter Green and Bob Welch Brit blues eras of Fleetwood Mac may have been in for a shock initially, but this really is one of the best unpretentious pop rock albums of the 70s – they didn't get as hugely popular as they did by luck – the songs, energy and chemistry are really perfect. We may even love this one more than Rumours, especially the deeper cuts that haven't been overplayed over the years. Includes "Monday Morning", "Blue Letter, "Rhiannon", "Say You Love Me", "Warm Ways", "Over My Head", "I'm So Afraid" and more. CD reissue adds 4 single edits and the previously unissued "Jam #2". CD

Time will tell whether the sophomore LP Late Registration will prove to be as revolutionary of a commercial force as College Dropout turned out to be – but it's a better album! We loved the debut as much as the rest of the world did, but this one's an easier listen from beginning to end. The production is tight, the guests earn their spots, and the whole thing's furiously soulful. Much is being made of LA hipster/orch pop troubadour Jon Brion's co-production, but this is Kanye's show. On one level Kanye can rock a subject as cliched as "Gold Digger", and still come out with a fresh perspective that runs deeper than it sounds on the surface, then deliver a serious track about the evils of the diamond trade that still rocks the ice. And those are just the first singles. Another great one! Tracks include "Wake Up Mr West", "Heard 'Em Say", "Touch The Sky" feat Lupe Fiasco, "Gold Digger" feat Jamie Foxx, "Drive Slow" feat Paul Wall & GLC, "My Way Home" feat Common, "Crack Music" feat Game, "Roses", "Bring Me Down" feat Brandy, "Diamonds From Sierra Leone" (rmx) feat Jay-Z, "We Major" feat Nas & Really Doe, "Gone" feat Consequence & Cam'Ron and more! LP, Vinyl record album

A surprisingly tasty album of funky rock tracks – and the only one that we've ever seen from this obscure Bay Area group! The record's mostly sought-after for the funky cut "Can I Dedicate" – a 9 minute instrumental jam that starts with a great piano-heavy break, and rolls into great drums and fuzzy guitar. But the other tracks are all pretty great too – almost in the mode of some of the work on the San Francisco label at the time, with a genre-blending approach that mixes together rock, soul, and funk! Titles include "No More Tears", "The Bells", "Kali Yuga-Loo", "Danger Heartbreak Dead Ahead", "I Can't Please You", and "Don't Lose Control". LP, Vinyl record album

A classic take on the "Batman" hit of the 60s – one that moves the tune from camp TV theme to sweet rock instrumental territory – in a manner that prefaces later takes on the tune by The Who and The Jam! The track may well be the biggest ever by The Marketts – and showcases their ability to step way past the usual surf instrumental modes of the time – and work within the larger studio genius of Warner Brothers to create some very groovy sounds! Dick Glasser heads up production – and moves the music into territory that's still instrumental, yet much more varied than usual for a rock album of the type – almost soundtrack-oriented in points, but mostly handled in a small combo mode. In addition to the "Batman" hit, other titles are all caped crusader-related – and include "Dr Death", "The Joker", "Bat Cape", "Cat Women", "Bat Cave", and "Bat Signal". LP, Vinyl record album

With Chubb Rock, Nasty Nas, and Red Hot Lover Tone on "Here It Comes"! 12-inch, Vinyl record

Public Enemy gave us plenty of knowledge and power back in the day – and we maybe need their message more than ever in 2020 – a year that marks their return to their original home at Def Jam! The group have help from plenty of guests here – maybe more so than they would have had back in the day, but very much in keeping with the legacy they inspired – in a lineup that includes Questlove, DJ Premier, Cypress Hill, Impossebulls, Black Thought, Nas, YG, Run DMC, Mike D, Ad Rock, and even George Clinton! The tunes have plenty of old school PE vibes – and titles include "Go At It", "Rest In Beats", "RIP Blackat", "Grid", "State Of The Union", "Toxic", "Yesterday Man", "Fight The Power Remix 2020", "Beat Them All", and "Smash The Crowd". LP, Vinyl record album

A less tense and caustic Roots than the crew that hit us on the majority of Rising Down a couple years earlier – and this one's as strong of an album as they've delivered since moving over to Def Jam. In truth, we were a little scared when we saw some of the guests credited – Monsters Of Folk, John Legend, Joanna Newsom and other headscratchers on top of more likely collaborators such as Phonte, Blu, Peedi Peedi and Dice Raw – it gets over very, very well here! How I Got Over is a Roots effort through and through, with contemplative and soulful tracks that simmer and stew in tried and true fashion. The tracks with those indie rock guests turn out to be among the Roots-iest tracks on the record. Believe that! So you can rest easy, the Roots are The Roots here, just what we wanted and just what we get! Includes "A Peace Of Light" feat Amber Coffman, Angel Deradoorian & Haley Dekle, "Walk Alone" feat Truck North, PORN & Dice Raw, "Now Or Never" with Phonte & Dice Raw, "Dear God 2.0" with Monsters Of Folk, "The Day" feat Blu, Phonte & Patty Crash, "Doin It Again", "Tunnel Vision" and more. LP, Vinyl record album

A landmark live set from The Who – a record that offers the group with a blistering intensity that blows away all their other studio albums of the time! Although offered during the Who's Tommy-era expansion into broader themes and more complicated instrumentation, the album's a real return to basics – and features a guitar-heavy version of the group performing a number of older rock n roll classics like "Summertime Blues", "Shakin All Over", and "Young Man Blues" – plus really extended jamming takes on their own "My Generation" and "Magic Bus", and a searing 2 minute take on "Substitute" that's probably everything you ever need to know about The Jam! CD

A landmark live set from The Who – a record that offers the group with a blistering intensity that blows away all their other studio albums of the time! Although offered during the Who's Tommy-era expansion into broader themes and more complicated instrumentation, the album's a real return to basics – and features a guitar-heavy version of the group performing a number of older rock n roll classics like "Summertime Blues", "Shakin All Over", and "Young Man Blues" – plus really extended jamming takes on their own "My Generation" and "Magic Bus", and a searing 2 minute take on "Substitute" that's probably everything you ever need to know about The Jam! CD

A storming mix of R&B, early soul, and rare rockers – all hand-picked by the famous team of Keb Darge and Little Edith! We first knew Keb as an expert in raw funk over 20 years ago – back at a time when few DJs cared about the style – and you can definitely hear Keb's funk-trained ears at work here – as the tunes are all plenty raw and filled with sharp edges – way way different than any mainstream assumptions you might have about rock or soul from this time! The vibe is similar to some of the best Cramps-fueled compilations, or some of the hipper Norton titles – and titles include "Get Whiz" by The Dazzlers, "Jam & Jelly" by The Col-Lee Jets, "Shis Kebab" by The Black Albinos, "Dance Franny Dance" by The Floyd Dakil Combo, "Nervous Breakdown" by Gregory Dee & The Avanties, "Steady With Betty" by Benny Joy, "Please Give Me Something" by Bill Allen & The Back Beats, and "The Shake" by George Fleming. 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

An incredibly evocative record – one of the strangest of its kind, and an audio treasure that we've loved for years! Eden Ahbez first came into public prominence as the man who wrote "Nature Boy" for Nat King Cole – a dark, moody tune that was as mysterious and earthy as the man who wrote it! This album was recorded nearly a decade after Cole's original hit, and features Ahbez almost in Moondog-like territory – working in an amazing setting of odd instruments and exotic percussion – but also singing in this almost spiritualist kind of way! The record's got plenty of ties to the exotica scene of the late 50s – but also stand out from the pack with a mad vision that's all its own – a strange intersection of lines that one might draw between Moondog, Martin Denny, and Anton La Vey! Tracks include "The Wanderer", "Eden's Island", "Tradewind", "Full Moon", "Mongoose", "Market Place", "The Old Boat", "Island Girl" and "La Mar". Great expanded package – with bonus tracks that include the unreleased "Surf Rider", plus "The Wanderer (alt)", "Tobago (45 rpm mix)", "Jam Session 78", "India (demo)", "Big Square From Nowhere", and "The Planet Song". Also includes related tracks "Sahara" by Bob Romeo, "Song Of The Fool" by The Crew Cuts, "End Of Desire" by Jack Powers, "The Shepherd" by Herb Jeffries, "Hey Jacque" by The Mt Holyoke V8s, "Monterey (alt version)" by John Harris, "Big Rock Steam Roller" by Biggie McFadden, "Green Flamingo" by Robbie Lester, and "Lonely Island" by Gene Chandler. LP, Vinyl record album

A landmark in southern rock! Titles include "Les Brers In A Minor", "Melissa", "Mountain Jam", "One Way Out", "Trouble No More", "Little Martha", and "Blue Sky". CD

A landmark in southern rock! Titles include "Les Brers In A Minor", "Melissa", "Mountain Jam", "One Way Out", "Trouble No More", "Little Martha", and "Blue Sky". CD

One of the greatest albums by this super-stylized funkster from Chicago! Captain Sky followed very firmly in the P-Funk footsteps – using lots of bass and rocking rhythms to carve out a space-themed groove that had plenty of cool touches! And more than that, the Captain's style was equally well suited to the emerging 80s groove era – and worked well with a nice dose of slight electric touches – not totally wikki-wikki, but certainly setting the stage for that sound! Titles include "Elementary School Of Funk", "Sir Jam A Lot", "Trace Of Love", "Bubble Gum (I Chewz You)", "Tootsie Rock", and "Let Me Come Inside". LP, Vinyl record album

A classic from the undisputed master of the swing jazz jam session! Jumpin' At The Woodside has Buck Clayton recreating a Count Basie vibe, but in a much more open-ended, and long-grooving way! Most of the tracks on the record are nice and long – really opening up with a solo-heavy, jam session sort of style – and players shift from track to track, and include Woody Herman on clarinet, Coleman Hawkins on tenor, Al Cohn on tenor, Urbie Green on trombone, and Ruby Braff on trumpet. Titles include "Broadway", "Rock A Bye Basie", "Jumpin At The Woodside", and "Blue & Sentimental". LP, Vinyl record album

Maybe the funkiest album that guitarist Larry Coryell ever cut – his debut as a leader, and a fuzzy, freaky set that features some massively heavy drums from the great Bernard Purdie! The set's jazz at the core, but has lots of rock elements too – including vocals from Coryell on a few cuts, whose rough-edged style of singing works nicely with the fuzz on his guitar. The whole thing's a really freewheeling trip down that genre-busting road that had opened up in the underground of the late 60s – a path taken away from folk, jazz, rock, and other more mainstream roads – served up with help from Mike Mandel on keyboards, Jim Pepper on flute, and bassists Chuck Rainey, Ron Carter, and Albert Stinson. Titles include the long funky groove called "The Jam with Albert", plus the tracks "Sex", "Beautiful Woman", "Morning Sickness", and "Ah Wuv Ooh". (Nice "naked kids" cover, too – the kind that must have made someone's therapist a lot of money!) LP, Vinyl record album

They certainly got the title right on this one – because it definitely is the ultimate collection of Funkadelic goodies! The 2CD set pulls together 29 tracks from the group's classic years at Westbound – and shows them starting out as a messed-up, guitar-growling rock funk act – filled with the unique crossover spirit of Detroit – then turning into a tighter, funkier soul act with the power to really rock the charts! All the good funky tunes are here – and the set seems to have a special focus on tracks by the group that have been sampled strongly in recent history! Titles include "Red Hot Mama", "Funky Dollar Bill", "Hit It & Quit It", "Cosmic Slop", "Loose Booty", "Get Off Your Ass & Jam", "America Eats Its Young", "Maggot Brain", "I'll Stay", "Nappy Dugout", "I'll Bet You", "I Got A Thing You Got A Thing Everybody's Got A Thing", "A Joyful Process", "Be My Beach", "Undisco Kidd", "Biological Speculation", "Take Your Dead Ass Home", and "You Can't Miss What You Can't Measure". CD

Ghostface brings some real hip hop to latter day Def Jam – his best album since Supreme Clientele – and possibly '06 hip hop album of the year! Fishscale features appearances by the Wu Tang Clan & Theodore Unit, Ne-Yo, Megan Ward and others on the mic – but it's the stable of producers that helps make this one of the best above ground hip hop albums we've heard in a long time. MF Doom puts his Metal Fingerz behind the boards for a bunch of tracks, and the legendary Pete Rock handles a few – with additional work by J Dilla, Just Blaze, Lewis Parker and others. Ghost brings a literal lyrical focus to a number of the tracks – but he's still spraying words all over the damn place – and the best tracks are just as thrilling as his surreal word bombs of yore. Tracks include "Shakey Dog", "Kilo" feat Raekwon, the excellent Just Blaze-produced anthem "The Champ", "9 Milli Bros" feat Wu Tang Clan, "Beauty Jackson", "RAGU" feat Raekwon, "Be Easy" feat Trife, "Dogs of War" feat Raekwon & Theodore Unit, "Barbershop" and more. LP, Vinyl record album

Def Jam must've been as high on Fishscale as the rest of the hip hop heads – as here's an official end of '06 addendum LP to the one of the better LPs from a Wu Tang alum in years! More Fish brings in a few more appearances by Ghost's Theodore Unit roster – with production by J-Live on the stellar opener "Ghost Is Back", plus more work by production work by MF Doom, Fantom Of The Beat, Hi Tek and Anthony Acid. Other tracks include "Miguel Sanchez" feat Trife Da God & Sun God, "Outta Town S**t", "Good" feat Trife & Mr Maygreen, "Street Opera" feat Sun God, "Block Rock", "Pokerface" feat Shawn Wigs, "Greedy Bi*ches" feat Redman & Shawn Wigs, "Blue Armor" feat Sheek Louch, "You Know I'm No Good" feat Amy Winehouse, the previously vinyl & download-only "Back Like That (rmx)" feat Kanye West & Ne-Yo and more! LP, Vinyl record album

Hard Meat are a group with a name that's a bit misleading – you might guess some sort of Spinal Tap-ish posturing hard rock act – but instead, these guys have a really moody kind of quality that mixes plenty of acoustic instrumentation in with some more progressive electric passages – all at a level that almost makes you feel like these guys started out as a folk group, but one who wanted to jam a lot more in the end! Guitar and vocals are handled by Mick Dolan – a superb instrumentalist, and a compelling singer – and the other two members of the group include Steve Dolan on bass and Mick Carless on drums and percussion – both players who use acoustic elements as much as their guitarist. The blend almost makes you feel as of Joe Boyd had decided to record a prog album for Island – and titles include "Universal Joint", "Run Shaker Life", "Through A Window", "Yesterday Today Tomorrow", and "Time Shows No Face". LP, Vinyl record album

We loved the debut as much as the rest of the world did, but this one's an easier listen from beginning to end. The production is tight, the guests earn their spots, and the whole thing's furiously soulful. Much is being made of LA hipster/orch pop troubadour Jon Brion's co-production, but this is Kanye's show. On one level Kanye can rock a subject as cliched as "Gold Digger", and still come out with a fresh perspective that runs deeper than it sounds on the surface, then deliver a serious track about the evils of the diamond trade that still rocks the ice. And those are just the first singles. Another great one! Tracks include "Wake Up Mr West", "Heard 'Em Say", "Touch The Sky" feat Lupe Fiasco, "Gold Digger" feat Jamie Foxx, "Drive Slow" feat Paul Wall & GLC, "My Way Home" feat Common, "Crack Music" feat Game, "Roses", "Bring Me Down" feat Brandy, "Diamonds From Sierra Leone" (rmx) feat Jay-Z, "We Major" feat Nas & Really Doe, "Gone" feat Consequence & Cam'Ron and more! CD

The fantastic first album from LL Cool J – one that really kicked off a whole new school of hip hop – the early Def Jam era! Radio features straight up excellent early Def production from Rick Rubin and loads of tight tracks from LL – whose charisma continued to flow for the next couple of decades – even if his later records could never approach this benchmark level. Tracks include "I Can't Live Without My Radio", "Rock The Bells", "Dangerous", "That's A Lie", "You'll Rock" and "I Can Give You More". A piece of history – and an album that changed hip hop forever! CD

The fantastic first album from LL Cool J – one that really kicked off a whole new school of hip hop – the early Def Jam era! Radio features straight up excellent early Def production from Rick Rubin and loads of tight tracks from LL – whose charisma continued to flow for the next couple of decades – even if his later records could never approach this benchmark level. Tracks include "I Can't Live Without My Radio", "Rock The Bells", "Dangerous", "That's A Lie", "You'll Rock" and "I Can Give You More". A piece of history – and an album that changed hip hop forever! LP, Vinyl record album

The cover looks a bit goofy, but the set's one of the strongest that Ludacris ever recorded – a rock-solid effort that has him completely on track throughout, in one of those sets that really stood as a calling card for the Atlanta scene in the 21st Century! Yet there's also a nice difference here from some of Ludacris' southern contemporaries – that sense of humor that really comes through in the skits, but which also seems to grace the lyrics in a more subtle way – balancing the record in a way that showcases that range that often set the rapper apart from the rest of the pack. Titles include "Rollout (My Business)", "Area Codes", "Saturday", "Freaky Thangs", "Cold Outside", "Cry Babies", "Go 2 Sleep", "Growing Pains, "Keep It On The Hush", "She Said", and "Word of Mouf". LP, Vinyl record album

A heady set from the glory days of the Krautrock scene, and one that's recorded by Conny Plank – but a record that maybe has more of a hard rock vibe overall, one that's very much in keeping with the doom-styled look of the cover! These guys really jam their asses off – not in some sort of spacey experimental way, but instead really romping on the drums, riffing on the guitar, and bustling on basslines that really keep the whole record moving forward – all of which makes for a record that you could easily share with fans of Black Sabbath or Deep Purple – something that might not always be the case for other experimental German work of the time. Titles include "Trouble (parts 1 & 2)", "Delusion", "Dream Of A Drummer", "Time Is Flying", and "What Are You Doin". CD

The return of Mr Mef & Funk Doc – 10 years on from the original Blackout LP – and it's a solid duo hip hop LP the likes of which we don't hear nearly enough of in the late 00s! It seems like Blackout! 2 has been in the works almost since the first LP had run its course, but if you haven't been on pins & needles in anticipation, their expert lyrical chemistry should glide you back into it pretty easily. Erick Sermon is back in as producer, as well as Pete Rock, Mathematics, Rockwilder and others – with some mid school love without going throwback, and it's great to hear this duo back in fine form on record. Titles include "I'm A Dope N**a", the tight single "A-Yo" feat Saukrates, "Dangerous Emcees", "Hey Zulu", "City Lights" feat Bun B, "Mrs International" feat Erick Sermon, "Four Minutes To Lockdown" feat Raekwon & Ghostface, "A Lil Bit" feat Malanie Rutherford, and more. CD

Probably the most hyped hip hop album by rock critics of the last decade – but don't hold that against Stankonia, because these ghetto grooves from planet P-Funk were exactly what world needed in 2000! The millenium blowout party jam feel throughout is surely a nice change of pace from all the doom and gloom out there, but they still manage to spit out enough reality to keep things feeling true – particularly in the playful battle of the sexes showdowns. Dre, Big Boi and Organized Noize continue to innovate, even if they are at the top of the charts – and we can't wait to see where they take it all next! Tracks include "Gasoline Dreams", "So Fresh, So Clean", "Ms. Jackson", "Spaghetti Junction", "I'll Call Before I Come" featuring Gangsta Boo & Eco, "B.O.B.", "Xplosion" featuring B-Real, "We Luv Deez Hoez", "Humble Mumble" featuring Erykah Badu, "Red Velvet", "Gangsta Sh*t", "Toilet Tisha" "Slum Beautiful", and "Stankonia (Stanklove)". CD

Pusha T is back in the sort of strong territory that marked his music with Clipse back in the day – mean production that's handled by Pharrell on most of the album's tracks – who himself is maybe out to prove that he's still got a lot of bite left in his music as well! Lyrically, the album's maybe not out to change the world – but Pusha's got some all-star help on board to keep things on track – a lineup that includes Pharrell himself, Kanye, Kid Cudi, and Jay Z. Titles include "Diet Coke", "I Pray For You", "Hear Me Clearly", "Rock N Roll", "Call My Bluff", "Scrape It Off", "Neck & Wrist", "Dreamin Of The Past", and "Just So You Remember". LP, Vinyl record album

Get Ready, the first really major album from Rare Earth, is a perfect blend of the rich undercurrents of the heady Detroit scene of the late 60s – at one level a tripped-out rock record with styles that almost hint at MC5, at another level a batch of blue-eyed funky soul, with keen appreciation for the grooves coming out of the headier end of the Motor City indie spectrum! There's lots of tripped-out guitar work on the set – reminiscent of contemporary work by Dennis Coffey and George Clinton – mixed with a Mitch Ryder, R&B-inspired vocal style that actually comes across pretty darn well. Added to this is the group's flat-out ability to jam – showcased best in the side-long title cut "Get Ready" – a massive jammer which runs for nearly 22 minutes, and takes up all of side two! Other tracks include "Train To Nowhere", "Magic Key", "Tobacco Road", and "In Bed". Ecology is some blue-eyed soul from Detroit's Rare Earth. The most popular track from this record was "Born To Wander" but there are some other good ones like "(I Know) I'm Losing You" by the Temptations – Norman Whitfield produced the track for this album and it clocks in at over ten minutes long. Other titles include "Long Time Leavin", "Satisfaction Guaranteed", "Nice Place To Visit", "No 1. Man", and a version of "Eleanor Rigby". CD

A great new issue – and jam packed with the usual madness! The center of the magazine features a huge year 2000 calender – with Roctober legends like Serge Gainsbourg, Sugarpie De Santo, Gary Glitter, Fela, and The Zone Brothers. Plus, there's great features on Tim Maia, Sparks, Rock & Wrestling, Terry Jacks, Johnny Legend, and others. Also includes Ivan Brunetti's hilarious I Almost Drew Nancy, the super-silly Ratso Meets Cibo Matto – and James Porter's loving Tribute To Alvin Cash! 105 pages, and worth every penny! Magazine

A less tense and caustic Roots than the crew that hit us on the majority of Rising Down a couple years earlier – and this one's as strong of an album as they've delivered since moving over to Def Jam. In truth, we were a little scared when we saw some of the guests credited – Monsters Of Folk, John Legend, Joanna Newsom and other headscratchers on top of more likely collaborators such as Phonte, Blu, Peedi Peedi and Dice Raw – unfounded worry, it turns out, as this set gets over very, very well! How I Got Over is a Roots effort through and through, with contemplative and soulful tracks that simmer and stew in tried and true fashion. The songs with those indie rock guests turn out to be among the Roots-iest tracks on the record. Believe that! So you can rest easy, the Roots are The Roots here, just what we wanted and just what we get! Includes "A Peace Of Light" feat Amber Coffman, Angel Deradoorian & Haley Dekle, "Walk Alone" feat Truck North, PORN & Dice Raw, "Now Or Never" with Phonte & Dice Raw, "Dear God 2.0" with Monsters Of Folk, "The Day" feat Blu, Phonte & Patty Crash, "Doin It Again", "Tunnel Vision" and more. CD

The lone album from Temple Of The Dog – featuring members of Soundgarden and Pearl Jam, but recorded before Pearl Jam's massive debut and before Soundgarden broke out in a big way commercially – subverting, in a way, the idea of the rock supergroup! Intended as a tribute to then recently deceased singer Andrew Wood of peers Mother Love Bone, it's a surprisingly grounded, earnest effort that no doubt inspired Soundgarden and Pearl Jam songwriting to come. Includes the surprise hit "Hunger Strike", plus "Say Hello 2 Heaven", "Pushin Forward Back", "Wooden Jesus", "Four Walled World", "All Night Thing", "Call Me A Dog", "Times Of Trouble" and more. CD

The second half of the title gives this one away – as the album's a batch of progressive rock tracks from early 70s Bolivia – all very heavy on guitar and organ! Tracks are longish, but never too sloppy – and the keyboards and guitar jam together nicely in an exploration of themes that are slightly different than those that might have been used in a set like this of European origin. A few numbers add in a bit of strings or woodwinds – not much, just enough to push things past simple rock jamming – and titles include "Kenko", "Wara", "El Inca", "Realidad", and "Cancio Para Una Nina Triste". LP, Vinyl record album

Incredible sounds from the Chess Records catalog – not the blues that you might know the label for, but a huge range of funk, soul, and jazz tracks from the headiest years of the 60s and 70s – a time when the Chicago scene was really turning out some incredible musical hybrids! As you'd guess from the title, all the cuts here have had a new life in recent years – thanks to samples by hip hop artists or other producers – but the original grooves are even better than the tracks that used them, and come together here to make one of the most mindblowing collections of Chess material we've ever heard! The package is nicely heavy on sounds from the Cadet/Concept years of the label – with more than a few contributions from producers Charles Stepney and Richard Evans – and the package features 42 wonderful tracks – including "Fonky Thang Diamon Ring" by The Dells, "Windmills Of Your Mind" by Dorothy Ashby, "I Am The Black Gold Of The Sun" by Rotary Connection, "Jelly Jam" by Jack McDuff, "The Getaway" by Alvin Cash, "In My Body's House" by Gene Chandler, "Cross Country" by Archie Whitewater, "Memory Band" by Rotary Connection, "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" by Jimmy Ponder, "Inside Out" by American Gypsy, "Go Go Power" by Sugar Pie DeSanto, "Shake It Up" by The Vibrations, "Up Above The Rock" by Ray Bryant, "Bad Moon Rising" by Bo Diddley, "Shoo Be Doo Be Doo Be Do Da Day" by Eddie Fisher, "Humpin Bumpin & Thumpin" by Andre Williams, "Who Got The Number" by Pigmeat Markham, "Walk On By" by Jo Ann Garrett, "Chocolate Candy" by Soulful Strings, "Got To Get Your Own (7" version)" by Reuben Wilson, "Hanky's Panky (7" version)" by Shirley Scott, "Liberation Conversation" by Marlena Shaw, "Look Of Love" by Monk Higgins, and "Think About It" by Odell Brown & The Organizers. CD

A really cool package, and one that goes past the easy old school hits from the early years of hip hop – and which instead brings together all these unusual strands of sound that really show how creative things were, right at the start! There's a number of tracks here that are a great surprise – nuggets we loved back in the day, and which spring to live here amidst other well-chosen tracks – all served up with the usual super-great notes and overall presentation we love from the Soul Jazz label. Many tracks have great basslines or boogie-styled grooves – from that moment when hip hop, funk, and soul were maybe more strong bedfellows than they would be a few years later – and themes are a nice mix of politics and partying, on titles that include "Get Live 83" by Carver Area High School Seniors, "Super Rock Body Shock" by Eye Beta Rock, "Street Talk" by Funky Constellation, "Do You Like That Funky Beat" by Kool Kyle The Starchild, "Jam To Remember" by Just Four, "Eei Eei O" by Silver Star, "Real Rocking Groove" by Chapter III, "To The Beat Y'All" by Sangrita, "Rappin & Rockin The House" by Funky Four Plus One More, "Do It Any Way You Wanna" by Mike T, and "Girls Of The World" by The Just Four. LP, Vinyl record album

An incredibly evocative record – one of the strangest of its kind, and an audio treasure that we've loved for years! Eden Ahbez first came into public prominence as the man who wrote "Nature Boy" for Nat King Cole – a dark, moody tune that was as mysterious and earthy as the man who wrote it! This album was recorded nearly a decade after Cole's original hit, and features Ahbez almost in Moondog-like territory – working in an amazing setting of odd instruments and exotic percussion – but also singing in this almost spiritualist kind of way! The record's got plenty of ties to the exotica scene of the late 50s – but also stand out from the pack with a mad vision that's all its own – a strange intersection of lines that one might draw between Moondog, Martin Denny, and Anton La Vey! Tracks include "The Wanderer", "Eden's Island", "Tradewind", "Full Moon", "Mongoose", "Market Place", "The Old Boat", "Island Girl" and "La Mar". Great expanded package – with bonus tracks that include the unreleased "Surf Rider", plus "The Wanderer (alt)", "Tobago (45 rpm mix)", "Jam Session 78", "India (demo)", "Big Square From Nowhere", and "The Planet Song". Also includes related tracks "Sahara" by Bob Romeo, "Song Of The Fool" by The Crew Cuts, "End Of Desire" by Jack Powers, "The Shepherd" by Herb Jeffries, "Hey Jacque" by The Mt Holyoke V8s, "Monterey (alt version)" by John Harris, "Big Rock Steam Roller" by Biggie McFadden, "Green Flamingo" by Robbie Lester, and "Lonely Island" by Gene Chandler. LP, Vinyl record album

Early 90s greatness from Brand Nubian – and proof that the group had a lot of life in them, even after Grand Puba set out on his solo career! Sadat X and Lord Jamar acquit themselves nicely on the mic, and the beats are head-noddingly satisfying too – work from DJ Sincere this time around, but very much in the best Brand Nubian mode! The whole thing's a landmark from that moment when the 5% movement had a big impact on hip hop – which means there's a few dated opinions at points, although the set's got more than enough strength to stand as a lasting classic. Titles include the singles "Allah U Akbar", "Love Me Or Leave Me Alone", and "Punks Jump Up To Get Beat Down" – plus the cuts "Travel Jam", "Steal Ya Ho", "Steady Bootleggin'", "Black Star Line", "Meaning Of The 5%", "Ain't No Mystery", "Pass The Gat", 'Allah & Justice", "The Godz", "Brand Nubian Rock The Set", and "Black & Blue". Features a bonus 7" single with the tracks "Punks Jump Up To Get Beat Down (single mix)" and "Love Me Or Leave Me Alone (rmx)". LP, Vinyl record album

Nice, nice, nice New York hip hop from Keith Murray – his one and only full length on Def Jam! The album features production by Clark Kent, Rockwilder, Pete Rock and others and it's just the kind of no nonsense street hop we love around here. Keith rocks it like Nas in a way – he's all about soulful introspection with rhymes that go way beyond call-and-response hoopty rockers and party blasters. His style on the best cuts are definitely of the hard street mentality, but Keith has a genuine thoughtfulness that makes him a lot more complicated than the typical street rhymer – and bely his reputation as a violent hothead. The beats are tight and carefully crafted, and catchy enough to get play with the commercial jams. It's the kind of album that will still sound nice years from now – hardly a trendy concession to be found. Cuts include the great single "Candi Bar", "Carnage", "Oh My Goodness", "Christina", "Say Whaatt" featuring Redman, "Child Of The Streets" (Man Child)", "On Smash" with Busta Rhymes and more, plus some sharp skits with Jamie Foxx. LP, Vinyl record album

A heady set from the glory days of the Krautrock scene, and one that's recorded by Conny Plank – but a record that maybe has more of a hard rock vibe overall, one that's very much in keeping with the doom-styled look of the cover! These guys really jam their asses off – not in some sort of spacey experimental way, but instead really romping on the drums, riffing on the guitar, and bustling on basslines that really keep the whole record moving forward – all of which makes for a record that you could easily share with fans of Black Sabbath or Deep Purple – something that might not always be the case for other experimental German work of the time. Titles include "Trouble (parts 1 & 2)", "Delusion", "Dream Of A Drummer", "Time Is Flying", and "What Are You Doin". LP, Vinyl record album

The first album from Klaus Doldinger's legendary Passport – a jamming little group that was one of THE European fusion combos of the early 70s! The sound here is much more fierce and full on than Doldinger's straighter jazz recordings of the 60s – but it's also kind of a nice extension of that work too – one that takes the soul jazz influences of the earlier decade into a more rock-driven sound than many other groups were hitting at the time. In a way, the progression is similar to the move from beat group to progressive styles followed by a fair bit of UK jazzers – but Doldinger tops his style off here with some nice electricity on moog and keyboards! Other players include Jimmy Jackson on organ and Udo Lindenberg on some mighty heavy drums – and titles include "Madhouse Jam", "Continuation", "Lemuria's Dance", "Uranus", "Schirokko", "Nostalgia", and "Hexensabbat". CD

The first really major album from Rare Earth – issued on their own self-named subsidiary of Motown! The set's a perfect blend of the rich undercurrents of the heady Detroit scene of the late 60s – at one level a tripped-out rock record with styles that almost hint at MC5, at another level a batch of blue-eyed funky soul, with keen appreciation for the grooves coming out of the headier end of the Motor City indie spectrum! There's lots of tripped-out guitar work on the set – reminiscent of contemporary work by Dennis Coffey and George Clinton – mixed with a Mitch Ryder, R&B-inspired vocal style that actually comes across pretty darn well. Added to this is the group's flat-out ability to jam – showcased best in the side-long title cut "Get Ready" – a massive jammer which runs for nearly 22 minutes, and takes up all of side two! Other tracks include "Train To Nowhere", "Magic Key", "Tobacco Road", and "In Bed". LP, Vinyl record album

A hell of a groove from organist Don Shinn – one of the legendary albums recorded for the Landsdowne Series in the UK at the end of the 60s – and like the rest, a set that turns conventional jazz on its ear! Shinn plays Hammond, and a bit of piano – but hardly in ways that echo the American scene, save maybe for some of the changes of Larry Young – but even then, maybe more in the mode of Young when he would start to jam a bit more in the 70s – as Don works here alongside guitarist Paul Hodgeson, who's not afraid to add in some exotic elements to his strings – with bass from Eric Ford and drums from Peter Wolf – all delivered with the intensity of a group who are clearly aware of the changes in rock, but still lean more heavily towards jazz. This isn't fusion, and it's not really prog either – but a very special blend that makes the album a treasure through and through, on titles that include "Pits Of Darkness", "A Minor Explosion", "The Jolly Dance", and "Hearts Of Gladness". LP, Vinyl record album

Beautiful live work from Soft Machine – the sort of concert setting that makes a record like this such a key addition to their studio classics from the time! The quartet are equal parts jazz and rock, as on their seminal numbered albums of the early 70s – with some mighty heavy work on drums from John Marshall, next to heady bass from Roy Babbington, Fender Rhodes and organ from Mike Ratledge, and soprano, baritone, oboe, and more electric piano from Karl Jenkins! Tracks are long, and sometimes hard-hamming, other times nicely spacious until the musicians get their hooks in – and as with live work from the group, even familiar titles are nicely transformed in the setting of the concert. Titles include "Hazard Profile", "Gesolreut Jam", "JSM", "Lefty", "EPV", "Down The Road", "Ealing Comedy", "The Soft Weed Factor", and "Stanley Stamps Gibbon Album". CD

A pretty nice set of 70s fusion – rock-influenced at times, but still pretty spare, jazzy, and with some nice funky moments! The best tracks are the ones in which the band kicks back and opens up over a jam – stretching out with some spacious work on guitar, sax, and keyboards – without the vocals that mar a few of the other cuts. Tracks include "Whirligig", "Chappaqua", "Last Detail", and "Third Line". LP, Vinyl record album

A fantastic disco album from the late 70s – obscure, but with a very funky pedigree, and one that includes musical ties to earlier groups The Skullsnaps and Wood Brass & Steel! The instrumentation here is a bit like the latter – well-crafted ensemble funk with a deeper, more jazzy sophistication than you might expect – topped with very soulful vocals from the Sparkle trio, who have a depth that's way stronger than most other female club acts of the time – the sort of range that could have also been singing deep soul a decade before. The instrumentation is wonderfully sharp, and way more than the usual disco or club – and titles include "Let Yourself Go", "You", "Disco Madness", "Dabooza", "The Rock", and "Down The Way" – plus the cool cosmic instrumental "Six Million Steps" by Rahni Harris! CD

A landmark live set from The Who – a record that offers the group with a blistering intensity that blows away all their other studio albums of the time! Although offered during the Who's Tommy-era expansion into broader themes and more complicated instrumentation, the album's a real return to basics – and features a guitar-heavy version of the group performing a number of older rock n roll classics like "Summertime Blues", "Shakin All Over", and "Young Man Blues" – plus really extended jamming takes on their own "My Generation" and "Magic Bus", and a searing 2 minute take on "Substitute" that's probably everything you ever need to know about The Jam! Cassette

Heady sounds from the Cambodian scene of the late 60s – a set of work that mixes together modes that may well have Cambodia sounding like the the most psychedelic nation in Southeast Asia! The music here is of two types – one a transformation of older Cambodian styles with a strong influence from European pop and rock, the other a more direct version of psychedelic modes – with lots of heavy, freaky guitar lines in the mix! The vocals on both styles are often recorded with a version of echo that's much more East Asian than anything ever used in the Anglo world – and taken together, the two modes of expression make the whole album a really rich collection of fresh sounds. Titles include "I Wonder" by Eng Nary, "Navy A Go Go" by Sinn Sisamout, "Rom Sue Sue" by Liev Tuk, "Jam 10 Kai Thiet" by Ros Serey Sothea, "Yuvajon Kouge Jet" by Yol Aularong, "Jomreang Oun Chreang" by Choun Malai, "Do You No Wrong Again" by Thra Kha Band, and "De Quoi Pleures-Tu" by Baksey Cham Krong & Mol Kamach. LP, Vinyl record album

Don't be put off by the "twist" in the title – as this is a killer collection of R&B work from Atlantic Records – with some rare soul singles too! The cover claims that this album contains "the 16 best twist numbers by the world's most authentic performers" – and titles include "How Many Times" by Solomon Burke, "Rock & Roll Machine" by Tee Tucker, "Jam Up Twist" by Tommy Ridgely, "Mr Lee" by The Bobbettes, "I Want To Know" by Lloyd Sims, "Twist & Shout" by the Top Notes, "Do The Hully Gully" by King Coleman, "Bootie Green" by the Clovers, and "Jim Dandy" by LaVern Baker. LP, Vinyl record album