An early masterpiece from Frank Zappa – one of those records that looks like it's going to be a big ol' mess when you first see the cover – but which turns out to be a carefully calculated act of madness in the end! The Mothers have all their freeform freaky brilliance intact here – still some of the snide edges of the early years, but also really learning their craft as well – and stretching out under Zappa's direction into a pastiche of songs that explore the anxieties and inanities of late 60s America! Frank produced the whole thing with an approach that others wouldn't reach for years – shifting styles, instrumentation, and sound sources with effortless ease – over tracks that include "Hot Poop", "The Idiot Bastard", "Lonely Little Girl", "Take Your Clothes Off When You Dance", "Harry You're A Beast", "Mom & Dad", "Who Needs The Peace Corps", and "Flower Punk". LP, Vinyl record album

A silly cover and title, but one of the most powerful records so far from Frank Zappa – a set that focuses the mad energy of The Mothers into a groove that really packs a lot of punch! The lineup here is filled with key talents – including Don Preston on organ and electronics, Sugarcane Harris on violin, Lowell George on rhythm guitar, Ian Underwood on alto, and Bunk Gardner on tenor – all players who are more than willing to go to the farther edges of Zappa's consciousness – yet also have the musical chops to make the whole thing come together beautifully! There's a bit more hard rock than some of Zappa's jazz leanings in this set – and titles include "March & Dwarf Nebula", "Didja Get Any Onya", "Directly From My Heart To You", "Toads Of The Short Forest", and "The Eric Dolphy Memorial Barbecue". CD

The funky blue-eyed debut of Rare Earth – an early Detroit combination of soul, rock, and funk! The group really sprang to fame on Motown right after this early album for Verve – but this set may be even harder and heavier than any of their later records – produced by Dennis Coffey, with a nice blend of fuzz and funk, at a level that's very much like the best Atlantic sounds from Vanilla Fudge – but much more born from the Detroit scene that could give the world The Stooges and Funkadelic at the same time! Many cuts are soul standards, redone with a heavy-drum style that's pretty great – and some of the originals have more of the psych feel, but are graced by some genuinely soulful vocals, often done in harmony style. Titles include "Mothers Oats", "New Rochelle", "Yesterday On Third Avenue", "Red Apple", "Get Ready", "6-3-4-5", and "Sidewalk Cafe". LP, Vinyl record album

The funky blue-eyed debut of Rare Earth – an early Detroit combination of soul, rock, and funk! The group really sprang to fame on Motown right after this early album for Verve – but this set may be even harder and heavier than any of their later records – produced by Dennis Coffey, with a nice blend of fuzz and funk, at a level that's very much like the best Atlantic sounds from Vanilla Fudge – but much more born from the Detroit scene that could give the world The Stooges and Funkadelic at the same time! Many cuts are soul standards, redone with a heavy-drum style that's pretty great – and some of the originals have more of the psych feel, but are graced by some genuinely soulful vocals, often done in harmony style. Titles include "Mothers Oats", "New Rochelle", "Yesterday On Third Avenue", "Red Apple", "Get Ready", "6-3-4-5", and "Sidewalk Cafe". CD

A return to greatness for the legendary Tribe Records scene in Detroit – an underground movement that gave us some spiritual jazz classics in the 70s – then kept on making wonderful music at an even more underground level as the years went on! This set is a collection of work from three rare recordings issued during that time – all on CD only, and representing a maybe even more obscure side of this legacy than the Tribe albums of the 70s! First up is trombonist Phil Ranelin – heading up a group that includes Wendell Harrison on tenor and Marcus Belgrave on trumpet – two key Tribe partners from the early years – really stretching out on the titles "He The One We All Knew" and "Freddie's Groove", both recorded in 1990. Next is material from a 1995 performance led by pianist Harold McKinney – a set that's got an incredible depth of imagination and soul, almost as much as Harold McKinney's work of years back! The group is a wonderfully hip one – with former Tribe artists Wendell Harrison on tenor and clarinet and Marcus Belgrave on trumpet – plus additional players who include Kiane Zawadi on trombone, Reggie Workman on bass, Francisco Mora on percussion, and Jimmy Owens on trumpet. There's a bit of vocals, but never that much – and most tracks are long and open – freely exploratory, but never too far out or avant-styled – just soulful and spiritual, in the true Tribe Records tradition! Titles include "Wide & Blue", "The Slave Ship Enterprise", "Juba", "Libra Ahora", and "Conjure Man". Last is a set of tracks recorded in 2014 by keyboardist Pamela Wise – a record that really carries forward the Tribe Records spirit from the 70s! The overall approach is a bit more contemporary, but the set's still got all the best feel of a classic indie album from the underground – played and penned by Wise in close collaboration with reedman Wendell Harrison, a frequent partner of Pamela's on a variety of projects, and one of the driving forces of Tribe back in the day! Wise plays both acoustic and electric keyboards, and sometimes sings just slightly – although most of the album is instrumental – and in addition to Harrison's work on tenor and bass clarinet, the album features trumpet, guitar, and lots of percussion. Titles include "Ode To Black Mothers", "Hometown", and "Marcus Garvey". CD

A return to greatness for the legendary Tribe Records scene in Detroit – an underground movement that gave us some spiritual jazz classics in the 70s – then kept on making wonderful music at an even more underground level as the years went on! This set is a collection of work from three rare recordings issued during that time – all on CD only, and representing a maybe even more obscure side of this legacy than the Tribe albums of the 70s! First up is trombonist Phil Ranelin – heading up a group that includes Wendell Harrison on tenor and Marcus Belgrave on trumpet – two key Tribe partners from the early years – really stretching out on the titles "He The One We All Knew" and "Freddie's Groove", both recorded in 1990. Next is material from a 1995 performance led by pianist Harold McKinney – a set that's got an incredible depth of imagination and soul, almost as much as Harold McKinney's work of years back! The group is a wonderfully hip one – with former Tribe artists Wendell Harrison on tenor and clarinet and Marcus Belgrave on trumpet – plus additional players who include Kiane Zawadi on trombone, Reggie Workman on bass, Francisco Mora on percussion, and Jimmy Owens on trumpet. There's a bit of vocals, but never that much – and most tracks are long and open – freely exploratory, but never too far out or avant-styled – just soulful and spiritual, in the true Tribe Records tradition! Titles include "Wide & Blue", "The Slave Ship Enterprise", "Juba", "Libra Ahora", and "Conjure Man". Last is a set of tracks recorded in 2014 by keyboardist Pamela Wise – a record that really carries forward the Tribe Records spirit from the 70s! The overall approach is a bit more contemporary, but the set's still got all the best feel of a classic indie album from the underground – played and penned by Wise in close collaboration with reedman Wendell Harrison, a frequent partner of Pamela's on a variety of projects, and one of the driving forces of Tribe back in the day! Wise plays both acoustic and electric keyboards, and sometimes sings just slightly – although most of the album is instrumental – and in addition to Harrison's work on tenor and bass clarinet, the album features trumpet, guitar, and lots of percussion. Titles include "Ode To Black Mothers", "Hometown", and "Marcus Garvey". LP, Vinyl record album

Killer cuts from one of the coolest compilation series we've ever stocked – the long-running Beat Bespoke collection from mod maestro Rob Bailey – a collector with a surprising ear for a funky groove! The records here are all rare rock singles from the late 60s and early 70s – tunes from that time when UK mod was turning into freakier, trippier modes – but Rob also makes sure that most of these numbers have strong basslines or really great drums – which means that the whole thing grooves a lot more than any other collection of rare rock singles – with more than enough appeal to fans of offbeat funk as well! As with previous volumes, the track selection is superb – we're not sure we've heard any of these numbers at all – and titles include "Please" by BG System, "Painted Air" by The Remaining Few, "Down To The Sky" by Sean Bonniwell, "Seasons" by Neal Ford & The Fanatics, "Mister Sun" by Sound Vendor, "How It Used To Be" by Oedipus & The Mothers, "Searchin" by Lenny Roberts, "I Want You" by Tony & Terri, "Sally I Do" by Abdullah's Regime, "Love's A Workin" by Dean Carter, and "Tomorrow's Sunlight" by The Estes Bros. CD