Cosmic jazzy genius from Bubbha Thomas & The Lightmen – the kind of a record that sounds like it should have come out of Detroit or Chicago in the early 70s – and not the Texas scene from which the group hailed! The Lightmen have a vibe that reminds us a lot of The Pharoahs or some of the Tribe Records collective – a willingness to mix free-thinking jazz expression with tighter grooves and funkier rhythms – stepping out in an instrumental vibe that still has plenty of funky 45 touches, but which also sits nicely alongside the most cosmic work coming out from Impulse at the time! The title cut "Energy Control Center" has an electric spacey quality that reminds us of Sun Ra at his best – and other tunes soar out with a brilliant post-Coltrane sense of freedom evident in work on saxes, flute, and piano. Titles include "Wench", "Cold Bair", "Leo", "Jupiter's Child", and "The Phantom". This amazing expanded version features loads of bonus tracks, unreleased material, singles, and the great spiritual number "All Praises To Allah". CD

Cosmic jazzy genius from Bubbha Thomas & The Lightmen – the kind of a record that sounds like it should have come out of Detroit or Chicago in the early 70s – and not the Texas scene from which the group hailed! The Lightmen have a vibe that reminds us a lot of The Pharoahs or some of the Tribe Records collective – a willingness to mix free-thinking jazz expression with tighter grooves and funkier rhythms – stepping out in an instrumental vibe that still has plenty of funky 45 touches, but which also sits nicely alongside the most cosmic work coming out from Impulse at the time! The title cut "Energy Control Center" has an electric spacey quality that reminds us of Sun Ra at his best – and other tunes soar out with a brilliant post-Coltrane sense of freedom evident in work on saxes, flute, and piano. Titles include "Wench", "Cold Bair", "Leo", "Jupiter's Child", and "The Phantom". This amazing expanded version features loads of bonus tracks, unreleased material, singles, and the great spiritual number "All Praises To Allah". LP, Vinyl record album

Rare singles and unreleased tracks from one of the funkiest artists on the 70s scene in Ethiopia – the amazing Ayalew Mesfin – a fantastic talent with a groove that's dying to be heard! Mesfin's music has maybe even more of James Brown groove than some of his funky contemporaries – really sharp rhythms with the guitars, basslines, and everything else coming down on the groove – peppered with horn parts and eerie organ lines, while Ayalew sings in this style that's soulful, but completely unlike any sort of American singer! Instead, the vocals are all inflected and snakey over the top – almost set free from the rhythms, in a way that makes the funky elements sound even funkier as they really ground the whole proceedings next to the otherworldly quality of the lyrics. Titles include "Teregew Nebere", "Wegene", "Ambassel", "Tizitash Zewetir", "Sew Malet Esunew", "Che Belew", "Yetembelel Loga", "Ho Bilo Hedeo", and "Wubalem". LP, Vinyl record album

Maybe the most personal album to date from Fabiano Do Nascimento – a set that continues the Brazilian acoustic guitar legacy of players like Baden Powell, Egberto Gismonti, and some of the older greats – but which finds a way to express its sound in a very contemporary way! Fabiano plays a variety of guitars here, but also mixes the record with this airy sound that layers in bits of wordless vocals and other effects – all used gently, but beautifully – with this spacious, open sound that really fits the image of the landscape on the cover, yet which also has a lot more warmth than that picture too. There's almost an ECM vibe to the record at times, but the sound is a bit more dynamic – and titles include "Noite", "Ykytu", "Pelas Ruas", "Flower Of Life", "Corrida", "Planalto", and "Rio Tapajos". CD

Wonderfully trippy sounds from Mike Nyoni – one of the funkier talents in the Zamrock scene of the 70s – even though he also works with lots of the slight psychedelic touches of other contemporaries too! Mike's style on guitar is a bit too loose to be funk, but it's also got this nice rhythmic pulse that keeps things interesting – and some of the cuts pick up the rhythms a bit more, so that there's some snapping currents that make for a great contrast with his offbeat vocals and weirdly wobbly way of singing! As always with Now Again, the reissue of this material is a great lost treasure – handled perfectly, with great sound and detailed notes that really do justice to the music – on titles that include "I Don't Know", "Come Back To Me", "My Dear Girl", "Messed Day", "Mad Man", "My Own Thing", "Coming Home", "It's Only A Dream", and "Soweto". 2CD set features all three of Mike's rare albums – Born Free, I Can't Understand You, and Kawalala. CD

A rare early moment from the legendary Austrian group Paternoster – sounds that predate their one and only cult-status album – originally created for the equally legendary film, Die Ersten Tage! The music here was never issued commercially at the time – and the release of these sounds adds a much-needed page to the slim book of Paternoster – especially since the creative flair of these songs really fleshes out our understanding of the group! As with their vocal music, most of the style here is slow, but jamming – kind of mellow prog, almost – but lighter, too – and with a moodier vibe, given the absence of lyrics – which lets the offbeat guitar parts do most of the speaking for the group. The whole thing's fragile, yet jagged – earthy, but cosmic – and the set features 30 tracks in all, appearing here on record for the first time ever! 3CD version features a bonus CD2, with 7 more film cue tracks – and CD3, which features demo versions of the songs "I Wanna Bring You Down", "Not Like You", "Paternoster", "Old Danube", "Mammoth Opus", "The Pope Is Wrong", and "Stop These Lines". CD

A really raw set from 70s Africa – one that's more rock than Afro Funk, but which has a pretty hypnotic groove overall! The group's heavy on guitars, which are often played in a fuzzy, jamming sort of way – but with different tones and phrasing than American or Anglo psyche groups – even though they're clearly an inspiration to the sound! Most tunes are strongly rhythmic – guitars grooving away over muddy drums and a bit of rumbling bass – all produced in very basic, stripped-down ways – but that makes for a big part of the charm of the set. Vocals are mostly in English, and often more chanted than sung – and titles include "I Need Mercy", "I Don't Know", "Peaceful Man", "Get On The Way", "This Is The Time Now", and "Black Power". CD

One of those obscure funk records that was even pretty darn obscure back in the day – at a time when so many other funk records weren't so obscure! But obscurity aside, the record also quickly grew into the stuff of legend – thanks to a groove that's totally great, and which has all this chugging guitar over popping basslines that really set up the groove – topped with vocals from Ray Alexander that easily move between sweet and raw, and which give the whole thing an earnest, honest sound that's quite different than the bigger mainstream soul of 1973! The whole thing's great – and features two versions, one instrumental one vocal, of the great "Let's Talk" – plus loads more great cuts that include "Taking The Long Way Home", "I'm In Love With You", "My World", "My Special One", and "Wiser & Deeper". CD features a number of bonus tracks – all rare mixes and takes of tunes from the album! CD

One of the heaviest funk records ever to come out of Indy in the 70s – a super-dope batch of ensemble grooving with plenty of odd twists and turns! At one level, the group work in a familiar Earth Wind & Fire-styled vibe – mixing heavy bass, funky rhythms, and lots of great horns – but at another level, the sound is a bit freer, and often hipper – coming across with jazzier influences on many tracks, and an overall style that's got some really righteous undercurrents! A number of tracks here are laidback and spacey – almost cosmic in approach, but a bit more love-oriented in subject matter – served up with some cool watery production that makes the guitar and keyboards really sound great, and some nice use of soprano sax to give the best tunes a nicely sharp edge! Titles include "You Got Action You Got Me", "Lil's Place", "Put A Smile On Time", "Thought My Love Was Free", "Can't Do Without You", and "Everybody's Chippin". Great new CD version – with 20 page book, and the bonus tracks "Laying & Playing", "Be Yourself", and "You Pay For What You Get". CD

One of the most tripped-out albums of funk you'll ever buy – a rare treasure with a very unusual history! The Stark Reality were a cool little combo formed to work on public television in Boston in the late 60s – and the combo featured some heavy guitars, fuzzed-up vibes, and some monster percussion laid out in tight bass and drum rhythms that were years ahead of their time! The group recorded one rare album – ostensibly a children's record, but based around old compositions by Hoagy Carmichael, completely pulled apart, sliced up, overly harmonized, and spat out into wild funky tunes that bear no resemblance to their originals! John Abercrombie handles the guitar, Monty Stark delivers the vibes and vocals – and titles include "Rocket Ship", "Shooting Star", "Bustin Out Of Doors", "Comrades", "Swing High", "Cooking", "Grandfather Clock", "The Old Prospector", "The Whale", "Junkman's Song", and "Merry Go Round". LP, Vinyl record album

Amazing work from Triorganico – an acoustic trio with deep respect for Brazilian grooves from years past – stepping out here as one of the most striking projects we've ever heard from the Stones Throw family of labels! There's a quality here that takes us right back to some of our favorite Brazilian instrumental moments – such as the earliest work from Egberto Gismonti, the creative jazzy lines of Hermeto Pascoal, or the more complicated modernism of Baden Powell – all artists these guys clearly reference in their music, then move way beyond in their conception of a tune! Instrumentation is a beautiful blend of fragile elements – flutes, soprano sax, 7-string guitar, and percussion – used lightly, but with a great sense of rhythm – and an inherent warmth that will keep this record at the top of our pile for years to come. Titles include "Balloons", "Kathy", "Correndo", "El Commendante", "25 De Octobro Nostalgia", "Amphibious", "Ginga Carioca", "Tempo De Amor", "January 11th", and "Tiki's Take". CD

The original private press version of this debut album – one that features different recordings of the tunes than on the more famous wider release of the record – although a similar format overall! The whole thing is a mightily grooving Introduction to Witch – the legendary Zambian group whose name also means We Intend To Cause Havok! The group work here with a wicked blend of rock influences from the UK, plus a heavy dose of African rhythms – all blended together with loads of fuzzy guitar and burning organ lines – in a mode that varies nicely between vocal and instrumental cuts! Production is nice and raw – so that there's some great distortion at times, further emphasizing the power of the music – and titles include "Home Town", "You Better Know", "Feeling High", "Like A Chicken", "See Your Mama", "Try Me" and "No Time". LP, Vinyl record album

An insanely fantastic lost chapter in the career of pianist Denny Zeitlin – a never-issued session of electric keyboards and vocals – put together with his famous trio of the 60s, but lost to the world for many decades! Zeitlin was a hell of a pianist right from the start, and he also had a great ear for electric experiments at points in his career – which here has him working on a Clavinet, Farfisa organ, and other instruments – as well as using his own effects to offset the sound of his own instrumentation, as well as the bass and drums! But maybe most interesting are the vocals created for the set – jazzy but offbeat lyrics that pop in and out of the tunes in this very cool way – used in the way that Steve Kuhn was experimenting with voice at the start of the 70s, but with a vibe that's maybe closer to the legendary sound of The Stark Reality! The album's definitely one that we'd put right up there with the best of those two famous references – and resonates too with work from David Axelrod, and some of the wilder Gary McFarland projects too – on titles that include "Gonna Take You Away", "2 Steps Forward 1 Step Back", "Free Piece", "The Wizard", and "The Name Of This Terrain". CD

An insanely fantastic lost chapter in the career of pianist Denny Zeitlin – a never-issued session of electric keyboards and vocals – put together with his famous trio of the 60s, but lost to the world for many decades! Zeitlin was a hell of a pianist right from the start, and he also had a great ear for electric experiments at points in his career – which here has him working on a Clavinet, Farfisa organ, and other instruments – as well as using his own effects to offset the sound of his own instrumentation, as well as the bass and drums! But maybe most interesting are the vocals created for the set – jazzy but offbeat lyrics that pop in and out of the tunes in this very cool way – used in the way that Steve Kuhn was experimenting with voice at the start of the 70s, but with a vibe that's maybe closer to the legendary sound of The Stark Reality! The album's definitely one that we'd put right up there with the best of those two famous references – and resonates too with work from David Axelrod, and some of the wilder Gary McFarland projects too – on titles that include "Gonna Take You Away", "2 Steps Forward 1 Step Back", "Free Piece", "The Wizard", and "The Name Of This Terrain". LP, Vinyl record album

The "nuggets" in the title is very well placed here – as all the cuts here have every bit as much freak and fuzz as the American garage and pre-punk work chronicled famously on the lengendary Nuggets series! Yet these tracks are all even more obscure, and all come from African sources that never got any exposure over here back in the day – records from Zambia, Nigeria, and Zimbabwe – all brought together in a massive collection that's filled with heavy guitar work, and a fair bit of monstrous basslines too – which gives some of these tracks a slightly funky current at the bottom, even while the guitars and vocals are tripping out up top! The collection's a great complement to some of the Zamrock reissues from Now Again in recent years – and titles include "The Bad Will Die" by Keith Mlevhu, "Can't You Hear Me" by Paul Ngozi, "Black Power" by Peace, "Mad Man" by Born Free, "Breakthrough" by Funkees, "Few Bena Zambia" by Revolutions, "Come Home" by Wells Fargo, "Amanaz" by Amanaz, "Don't Take Me For A Ride" by Founders, "Like A Chicken" by Witch, and "Making Life Out Of Music" by Eye Q. Also includes the reworked "No Time (Pilooski edit)" by Witch. CD

An incredible companion to the book Enjoy The Experience – and like that volume, a set that's filled with gems from the obscure sides of the American recording industry – vanity and privately pressed records that are plenty darn groovy, and pretty darn funky in all the right spots! The book is a painstakingly researched collection – and this soundtrack is just as carefully put together – with a great range of styles – heavily steeped in freaky funk, upbeat boogie, acid folk, offbeat psych, and trippy jazz! The range of sounds is really wonderful – with a feel that's somewhere between a Trunk Records or Finders Keepers compilation – and titles include "Intro (Excerpt)" by The Muzzy Band, "Spacing Out" by The Invaders, Diska Limba Man" by Medico Doktor Vibes, "Music Slave" by Jade, "White Panther" by Arcesia, "Never Come Back" by Boa, "ESP Switch" by Michael Farneti, "6.4 = Makeout" by Gary Wilson, "Just To Say Goodbye" by Russ Saul, "Cadillac Woman" by Stephen David Heitkotter, "Piledriver" by Dennis The Fox, "Old Time Feeling" by Circuit Rider, and "666" by Ray Torske. CD

The deepest of the deep from the American scene at the start of the 70s – groups so hip they weren't quite soul, weren't quite rock – and instead kind of a funky hybrid of both! After opening our ears to countless underground sounds from around the globe, the Now Again label turn back to some of the territory of its roots – the hinterland of groups who labored mostly in obscurity, but left behind a few funky 45s that have become the stuff of legend – and which show us that there was a much bigger psychedelic funk underground out there besides groups like Funkadelic or the early Ohio Players! As always with the label, the history is really given its due, thanks to very detailed notes – alongside titles that include "Down By The River" by Purple Snow, "There's A Wrinkle In Our Time" by 1984, "Function Underground" by We The People, "Corruption Is The Thing" by Creations Unlimited, "Jimi's Guitar Raps With The Bass" by Jimi Macon, "I'm A Man" by Cisneros & Garza Group, "Just Got To Be Free" by Black Conspirators, "BL Movement" by Blaclites, and "The Siesta Is Over" by The Revolution. CD

The Nigerian scene might be best-remembered as a hotbed of Afro Funk in the 70s – but during the same key stretch, the nation also gave rise to a heady rock underground, too – one that often mix psychedelic inspirations with some of the soul and funk that were coming from the bigger names on their scene at the time! In other words, there's plenty of guitars here – but also plenty of groove – basslines that really get the tunes going, and a mix of funky drums and rootsy percussion that make the music way more than just standard rock of the time – and even a lot groovier than some of the Zamrock or South African sounds that got a bit more exposure. The package is as great as the sound within – a big book that's filled with detailed notes on the music, the scene, and the tumultuous Nigerian politics of the period – plus lots of photos and images as well! The collection features 18 tracks in all – titles that include "Mother" by Waves, "Never Never Let Me Down" by Formulars Dance Band, "Keep On Moving" by The Hygrades, "Everybody Likes Something Good" by Ify Jerry Krusade, "Onye Ije" by The Strangers, "Stone The Flower" by The Hykers, "Never Too Late" by The Apostles, "Tell Me" by PRO, "Float" by Tirogo, "I Can't Be Satisfied" by Founders 15, and "Ballad Of A Sad Young Woman" by Wrinkar Experience. CD

The Nigerian scene might be best-remembered as a hotbed of Afro Funk in the 70s – but during the same key stretch, the nation also gave rise to a heady rock underground, too – one that often mix psychedelic inspirations with some of the soul and funk that were coming from the bigger names on their scene at the time! In other words, there's plenty of guitars here – but also plenty of groove – basslines that really get the tunes going, and a mix of funky drums and rootsy percussion that make the music way more than just standard rock of the time – and even a lot groovier than some of the Zamrock or South African sounds that got a bit more exposure. The package is as great as the sound within – a big book that's filled with detailed notes on the music, the scene, and the tumultuous Nigerian politics of the period – plus lots of photos and images as well! The collection features 18 tracks in all – titles that include "Mother" by Waves, "Never Never Let Me Down" by Formulars Dance Band, "Keep On Moving" by The Hygrades, "Everybody Likes Something Good" by Ify Jerry Krusade, "Onye Ije" by The Strangers, "Stone The Flower" by The Hykers, "Never Too Late" by The Apostles, "Tell Me" by PRO, "Float" by Tirogo, "I Can't Be Satisfied" by Founders 15, and "Ballad Of A Sad Young Woman" by Wrinkar Experience. LP, Vinyl record album

It's easy to wake up with grooves this great – a searing back of 70s Afro Rock gems that are also surprisingly funky, too! The tunes here do a wonderful job of mixing psych currents and headier rhythms – a great blend of the burning Afro Funk trends that were happening in Nigeria at the time, but with much richer, trippier work on the guitar and vocals – and some of the freaky, fuzzy basslines too! If some Afro Funk acts drew strong influence from the sharp soul of James Brown, these groups all seem to drink deep from the same musical well as Funkadelic at their freaked-out early best – which means that they've got no trouble throwing in a psych guitar riff alongside soulful vocals and funky rhythms – all with a sound that's completely sublime. As with the great first volume in this series, this edition comes with a special heavy book on the music – filled with detailed notes and lots of photos – alongside a great set of tracks that include "Wake Up You" by Waves, "Love" by Question Mark, "Baby Rock" by Jay U Experience, "Life In Cannan" by Ceejebs, "Who Made The World" by The Identicals, "Awa Lani Arawa" by Kukumbas, "Life Will Move" by The Believers, "The Feelings" by Tony Grey & The Black 7, "I Want A Break Thru" by The Hykkers, and "In The Jungle (voc)" by The Hygrades. CD

Fantastic sounds for fans of funk and rock alike – music from the freaky, fuzzy 70s scene in Zambia – a place where styles effortlessly criss-crossed to really produce something new and unique! The work here is often heavy on fuzz guitars, but also has some wickedly soulful basslines and drums – so that although the tunes can be psych-styled, they're also pretty darn funky too – often at a level that's a bit like the Nigerian Afro Funk of the time, but much grittier and more righteous! The quality of the music and scene is explored in depth in the package – which includes a very detailed booklet of notes and photos – all to support the selection of music, which may well be the hippest so far from the Now Again label – and that's really saying a lot, if you know their other titles! Tracks include "Funky Lady" by Teddy Chisi, "Fast" by Salty Dog, "Rain & Sunshine" by Crossbones, "I Don't Know" by Born Free, "Fwe Bena Zambia" by Five Revolutions, "Who's That Guy" by Ricky Banda, "Changa Namwele" by Machine Gunners, "Poverty" by Cosmos Zani, "Dzikolino Ni Zambia" by Keith Mlevhu, "Running" by Blackfoot, and "Everyday Has Got A New Dream" by Dr Footswitch. CD

Fantastic sounds for fans of funk and rock alike – music from the freaky, fuzzy 70s scene in Zambia – a place where styles effortlessly criss-crossed to really produce something new and unique! The work here is often heavy on fuzz guitars, but also has some wickedly soulful basslines and drums – so that although the tunes can be psych-styled, they're also pretty darn funky too – often at a level that's a bit like the Nigerian Afro Funk of the time, but much grittier and more righteous! The quality of the music and scene is explored in depth in the package – which includes a very detailed booklet of notes and photos – all to support the selection of music, which may well be the hippest so far from the Now Again label – and that's really saying a lot, if you know their other titles! Titles on volume 2 include "Really" by Crossbones, "History Of Man" by Amanaz, "Poor Man" by Five Revolutions, "Hold On" by Ngozi Family, "Katonga" by Musi-O-Tunya, "Request To God" by Oscillations, "Mpundu" by Tinkles, "Otenta" by Dr Footswitch, "Mad Man" by Born Free, "SM" by Mike Nyoni, "Hot Do" by Jesper Siliya Lungu, "I'm Not Made Of Iron" by Chrissy Zebby Tembo, "Umbwalwa Ne Chamba" by Peace, "Umwana Wakusanga Mung'Anda" by Fire Balls, and "See The Storm" by Salty Dog. LP, Vinyl record album

A treasure trove of funky soul and trippy grooves from Eye Q – a group who hail from the same scene in Zimbabwe that gave us Witch and Ngozi Family, but who are maybe even groovier overall! There's some really wonderful guitar on most of these cuts – more funk-styled than some of the rockish work of the Zimbabwe scene of the period – but still with those great trippy elements around the edges, and the kind of heady production that can make even familiar aspects of these records sound surprisingly powerful overall. The tunes are plenty catchy, too – maybe in part because the collection draws heavily on the group's rare singles for the Afro Soul label, before moving into territory of their rare Beginning album. Titles include "Please The Nation", "Angel Face", "No More Crying", "Making Life Out Of Music", "Worthless Woman", "Lonely", "Looking For The Day", "Widow", "Waiting For The Chance", "Rock & Roll Soul", "Are You Satisfied", "Eniweth", and "Good Turning Bad". LP, Vinyl record album

Maybe one of the few cases where a completely underground album is worth all the hype it's gotten over the years – not because of its rarity, but because the whole thing burns at a level that's completely amazing for the time! Hunger hail from Portland, and recorded in LA – but they've got a mix of psych and grit that maybe even tops some of the best Texas underground acts of the time – or the best of the LA scene too – as haunting as Love on their first two records, as nasty as The Seeds at their fuzzier moments, and able to effortlessly shift between darkness and light, despair and hope. The whole thing's a masterpiece, and this reissue presents the album the way the group originally intended it – with the very wild Strictly From Hunger mix, with lots of weird production and techniques. Titles include "Colors", "Workshop", "The Truth", "Mind Machine", "Trying To Make The Best", "Portland 69", and "No Shame". 3CD version features the Strictly From Hunger mix, the Hunger mix, and a full third disc of rare singles and bonus tracks! CD

Sweet jazzy funk – from the cornbelt of Omaha! The LA Carnival are one of those rarer-than-rare funk groups who not only never got their due back in the day – but also recorded a heck of a lot of great material that never even got issued! They have a totally great sound that bubbles in jazzy licks on trumpet, sax, and organ – next to tighter, funkier vamping on the rhythms – all of which makes for a killer approach to the groove that's surprisingly fresh, given the passage of three decades since the group's heyday. And leave it to the folks at Stones Throw – who know how to dig beyond the crates, into the earth, and come up with a lost slice of funk history that has made the world a much better musical place. They've lovingly remastered these great recordings from the early 70s, and have packaged the whole thing with a well-done set of notes that really goes into detail about this unique group, their amazing sound, and their obscure Nebraska origins! An instant funk essential – and one you'll be thanking yourself for buying for years to come. Titles include "Black Man's March", "Ron's Tune", "The Klan", "Color", "Flyin", "We Need Peace & Love", and "Blind Man". LP, Vinyl record album

Some of the most righteous sounds we've ever heard from Houston legends The Lightmen – recorded at a time when the group was at their most spiritual, and very firmly following a cosmic path set down by drummer Bubbha Thomas! The music here owes nothing to the hippest sounds coming from the coastal cities – and even the undergrounds of Chicago and Detroit in the early 70s – and in fact, there's a vibe here that would be right at home with the Tribe Records spirit of the motor city, as the group balance their freewheeling inclinations with a nice sense of rhythm as well! Players include Doug Harris on some excellent soprano, tenor, and flute – plus Virgil Solomon on flute and alto, James Hensley on trumpet and light whistle, Joe Singleton on trombone, and Marshia Frazier on electric piano. Titles include "Sorrow Bitterness & Revolution", "Hope", "Blue Tip", "On The Road Home", "Song Of Praise", and "Ujimma". 2CD version features the standard stereo mix and the unissued mono version – plus a great booklet of notes! CD

The first-ever full length global collection of material by one of the funkiest cats working the Ethiopian scene in the early 70s – an artist who works here in a mode that's even more hard-hitting and funk based than contemporaries like Mulatu or Mahmoud Ahmed! The band on most tracks is the Black Lion Band, who've clearly learned the best modes of the James Brown Band of the late 60s – with riffing guitars and horn blasts that are right on the rhythms – moving, grooving, doing it to the max – while Ayalew Mesfin sings in these wonderfully-inflected vocals that are pure Ethio soul all the way through, and also provides some great lines on organs and keyboards! The set brings together cuts from a host of rare funky 45s – most lost to the sands of time after Ayalew had to go underground after the Ethiopian governmental change in 1974. Titles include "Hasabe", "Wubeet", "Yewefe Ber Abeba", "Sak Sak Beyelegni", "Gubeleye", "Endet Liyesh", "Tezetash Rekik", and "Ewedish Neber". LP, Vinyl record album

The one and only album from the enigmatic Steve Morgen – and a set that's gone on to become something of a psychedelic legend over the years! The set is fantastic right from the very first note – with searing guitars, heavy drums, and these insane vocals that make you feel like Steve was maybe let out of an institution just for the recording – with a sense of mania and isolation still fresh in his mind as he delivers lyrics that really go way beyond the usual for an underground set like this! There's a nicely fuzzy, nicely acid quality to the record – one that has the guitar and vocals sometimes tripping out – but still always pushed forward relatively strongly by the drums, in a way that keeps the record jamming, and avoids most overindulgent tendencies! And amidst this all, Morgen's actually got some compelling ideas in his songwriting – a sense of brightness that sparkles out amidst the void. Titles include "Eternity In Between", "Purple", "Love", "She's The Nitetime", and "Welcome To The Void". Amazing reissue – with lots of bonus material! CD2 is overflowing with bonus tracks – including "All I Know", "Woke Up This Morning", "Everything's Gone", and alternate versions of "Purple", "She's The Nitetime", "Love", "Beggin Your Pardon", and "Welcome To The Void". CD3 features 11 more instrumentals – some alternates too! CD

Some of the heaviest work to come from the African scene of the 70s – the initial offering of the Ngozi Family – a group who clearly take strong inspiration from the Cream years of the UK scene, but who also come across with a grittier, punkier vibe overall – thanks to lean, stripped-down instrumentation and some very sharp drums! The drums rattle out underneath the magnificent fuzzy guitar lines in the lead – almost with this compressed quality that recalls Thin Lizzy at their funkier moments – but much more raw, stripped-down, and unpolished – so that the English language lyrics burst out with a really biting sound! The record's one of the first in the Zamrock tradition, and is still one of the best – a set that deserves to be in any collection of hard rock, proto-punk, and even funk rock from the 70s. Titles include "I Wanna Know", "Day Of Judgement", "We Wonna Give It To Her", "Tikondane", and "Let Me Know". CD comes in a great book-style cover – and features the bonus tracks "We Were Not Told", "She Looks So Crazy", "I've Been Looking For You", and "Sunka Mulamu". CD

Amazing sounds from The Stark Reality – an obscure group from the early 70s, but one who've really risen to fame over the years – thanks to their groundbreaking ear for new music, and their freewheeling way with a funky groove! This package brings together all the incredible work recorded by the group in the late 60s and early 70s – a mindblowing assortment of funky and fuzzy jazz tracks – almost all of which are graced by the offbeat vibes work of Monty Stark! Stark often adds a bit of distortion into his instrument, which makes for a very tripped-out approach to vibes – one that blends perfectly with the heavy funk of some of the rhythms, and the freaky guitar lines added to most tracks by a young John Abercrombie. Yet at other times, things are very laidback and chilled-out – balanced beautifully from track to track, in a way that illustrates the larger picture the group were always going for in their music. This massive package brings together everything Stark Reality ever recorded – their famous Discovers Hoagy Carmichael's Music Shop album, the Acting Thinking Feeling live performance, the Roller Coaster Ride/1969 album, and lots of rare singles too – more than enough music to please any fan of the group, and blow the minds of anyone who's just getting a first taste. Titles include "Roller Coaster Ride", "On Being Black", "New World Generation", "Theme To Say Brother", "Dreams", "Clouds", "All You Need To Make Music", "Rocket Ship", "Cooking", "The Old Prospector", and "Junkman's Song". Great package too – with two LP-styled CD sleeves inside a larger case, plus a big booklet of notes and photos! CD

Melodic psychedelia from 70s Iran – an incredible full scale anthology of recordings by guitarist and vocalist Kourosh Yaghmaei from the pre-revolution years – and an absolute treasure! Kouroush often recorded with his brothers – Kourosh singing lead and playing guitars or bass – with Kamran Yaghmaei on guitars and backing vocals and Kambiz Yaghmaei on keys and backing vocals. Other players contribute drums, bass and occasional additional elements – harmonica or horns on few tracks. The sound is a really wonderful amalgam of western garage, psych and strains of funk with native Iranian modes and tempos. The songs here sink in on an emotional level without us knowing a word of the language – the passionate vocals work wonderfully in that regard – but musically, it's innovative stuff that's nicely tripped out and heavily rhythmic, without compromising the melodic sensibility. The heavy duty 3LP set features 21 tracks in all – in a sweet 6 panel gatefold with a 24 page booklet – featuring extensive notes and photos, with Kourosh's story told in autobiographical detail. Like other recent Now Again packages, it's really beautifully done! Titles include "Gol E Yakh", "Dar Enteha", "Paiz", "Leila", "Del Dareh Pir Misheh", "Shirin Joon", "Ghazal", "Mosafere Shahre Baran", "Saghe", "Niyayesh", "Saraabe Toe", "Baroona", "Khaar", Bachehaye Khoobe Koocheh" and more. LP, Vinyl record album

An amazing compilation – a decade in the making, and filled with wonderful grooves – most of which have never appeared on CD or LP reissues! And while the music itself is already wonderful, the package also includes an amazing 80 page book, too – a rich research project that digs deep into the American underground of the 70s – and features a wealth of photos, images, and historical details on music that never got it's due back in the day! The set's based around the groundbreaking series of Soul Cal 12" reissues put together by Stones Throw about a decade ago – wonderful records that unearthed rare grooves that fall beautifully in a space between funk and club – almost all originally issued on tiny little labels from all over the US, but working together to create a rich vibe in the set. Given the book, there's a Numero-like heft to the whole thing – although the range of grooves is even greater than one of their collections – and titles include "Ecology" by Anubis, "You Can Be A Star" by Luther Davis, "Don't Get Discouraged" by UPC All Stars, "Things Cannot Stop Forever" by Stanton Davis, "Free Your Mind" by Record Player, "Get Down" by Freedom Express, "Keep Running Away" by Clifford Nyren, "Love Is" by Leon Mitchison & The Eastex Freeway Band, "What It Takes To Live" by Key & Cleary, "I'm Gonna Miss You Girl" by Ellis & Cephas, "It's A Bad Feeling" by Mixed Sugar, and "Put A Smile On Time" by Rhythm Machine. CD

A treasure trove of lost funk – recorded live in Dallas in 1970, and issued now for the first time ever! The project was unearthed by the crate-digging funk fanatics at Stones Throw – and it's a perfect counterpart to their brilliant reissue singles of the past few years – live work from obscure groups of the Texas funk scene of the 60s, all recorded in concert, in a format that allows them to jam even more than they would on 45s! Tracks are often quite free-minded – grooving with a tightness that shows the groups' roots in the club scene that first got them playing heavy funk, but working here with a confidence and slight sense of experimentation that's quite befitting of their move to the bigger stage of the festival. The music is presented here complete with announcements and introductions – plus a great set of notes that really helps you understand the vibe of the music – and the material features performances by The Soul Seven, Apollo Commanders, Marchel Ivery Quintet, Black Maffia, and Les Watson & The Panthers – all groups you'll be happy to discover! CD

The Jazzman label hits a whole new level of brilliance – as they turn their funk-trained crate digging skills to the world of spiritual jazz! The collection's an amazing batch of ultra-rare tunes – tracks that take inspiration from the John Coltrane/Archie Shepp work on Impulse Records in the 60s, then run with those roots in bold new directions – soaring, spiritual aims in jazz that reach for new freedoms, but never lapse into the totally-outside modes of free jazz! Instead, there's a really great balance here between structure and struggle – as many tunes often have a good rhythmic pulse, usually modal and soulful, then let the horn solos stretch out more in their own sounds and directions. The mix is amazing, as is the selection of tunes – rare numbers pulled mostly from American independent jazz releases of the 60s and 70s – most of which are as obscure as the funky 45s we normally get from Jazzman. As with the label's US funk compilations, there's full notes on all the music – a heck of a lot of detail on these artists – and tracks on the set include "Paul's Ark" by Morris Wilson Beau Bailey Quintet, "Ayo Ayo Nene" by Mor Thiam, "Nomusa" by Ndikho Xaba & The Natives, "The Afrikan In Winter" by The Positive Force, "Neveen" by Salah Ragab, "Ja Mil" by Hastings Street Jazz Experience, "Be There" by Leon Gardner, "Psych City" by Ohio Penitentiary 511 Jazz Ensemble, "Introduction" by James Tatum Trio Plus, and "No Jive" by Frank Derrick Total Experience. US pressing has 2 bonus tracks – "All Prasies To Allah (parts 1 & 2 edit)" by Lightmen Plus One, and "Bada Que Bash" by PE Hewitt Jazz Ensemble. CD

Super-heady work from the global psychedelic underground – exactly the kind of work we've come to love from the Now Again reissue projects over the years! The label has its roots in the hip hop and funk world of parent company Stones Throw – and has used that legacy to open up an understanding of unique moments in rock music where funk, soul, and other elements can creep into the mix too – heard here in a blend of really wonderful cuts that are all the sort that normally change hands for high-dollar prices in impossible-to-find originals, but which finally get full exposure on a collection like this! Titles include "Tickets For Doomsday" by Chucky Thurmon, "All Bundled In Love" by Water Color, "In Your Time" by Christopher, "Time" by JB Green & Band, "Leavin" by Misty, "Hari Yang Mulya" by Golden Wing, "Sad Man's Story" by Icecross, "Paradise Lost" by Upheaval,a nd "I Don't Mind (part 1)" by Stephen David Heitkotter. CD

Rare funk from the Indy scene of the early 70s – the long-overdue release of material recorded by a really hard-jamming, horn-heavy combo! Amnesty have a sound that's awash in the best large group influences of the time – a bit of Earth Wind & Fire, a bit of Parliament/Funkadelic, but also a grittier, more guitar-based groove at times too – one that rumbles heavily at the bottom of the rhythms, with a sound that's like Norman Whitfield-era Motown, taken to much greater extremes! There's actually a lot more Detroit going on in the work than Indy – but the horns also have a jazzier, more open-ended quality too – not just parts penned for simple funky rhythms, but ones that show some influence from the more righteous side of the jazz spectrum. The material was all recorded on two dates in 1973 – but only issued here for the first time – and together, the tracks are a great example of a hip group from the underground, really letting loose with a great sense of freedom. There's some vocals on the record, but almost more of a focus on the instrumentation overall – and titles include "Can I Help You", "Love Fades", "Trouble Will Remain", "We've Come A Long Way", "Liberty", "Mister President", "Free Your Mind", "We Have Love", and "Lord Help Me". LP, Vinyl record album

A funky treasure trove from Apple & The Three Oranges – a group we hardly know at all, but who really blow us away with the cuts on this collection! The groove is plenty hard right from the get-go – the best of the funky 45 underground of the early 70s – which means that there's more 60s rawness on the record than you'd get from bigger-label funk at the time – as Ed "Apple" Nelson still works here with a mostly underground vibe! Ed plays drums – which are mighty hard on most numbers – and his vocals have this offbeat, off-kilter, over the top quality that almost reminds us a bit of the Hank Ballard/James Brown recordings for late 60s King – particularly in the way that Nelson's completely unbridled with his energy. The whole thing's great – one of the best funky collections we've heard in years – and presented with a rich amount of notes and historical information too. Titles include "Free & Easy (parts 1 & 2)", "Moon Light", "Curse Upon The World", "What Goes Around Comes Around", "Down Home Publicity", "True Love Will Never Die", "Gotta Stand For Something (parts 1 & 2)", and "I'll Give You A Ring". CD features a massive 52 page booklet, too! CD

An amazing reissue of this now-legendary album – once a lost psych oddity, but a set that's gone onto make plenty of waves over the years! Song Of A Gypsy may well be one of the best self-issued psych sets from the American underground – a really well-written, well-recorded record that has a very dark personal vision – an approach to the music that's instantly unique, and which shows that digging for rare psych albums can really yield the occasional gem that stands head and shoulders with the bigger names of the time! Damon's voice is darkly spooky, and couched with these cool flanged-out guitar lines on the sides – creating a space that's very personal, and which seems to let the lyrics hit these qualities that go much deeper than usual. Titles include "Song Of A Gypsy", "Funky Funky Blues", "Don't You Feel Me", "The Night", "Feel Your Love", "Oh What A Good Boy Am I", and "Birds Fly So High". LP, Vinyl record album

Gritty funk from East Of Underground – an uber-obscure LP recorded in 1971 by a group of US Army serviceman at the Armed Forces Network studios in Frankfurt, Germany – originally used as a recruiting tool during the Vietnam war! Given the strength of the set, we wouldn't be surprised if plenty of folks signed up for a tour of duty after hearing it – as the set cooks like some of the best American funk from the indie 45 world at the time. The production is nice and dark – with an echoey quality that makes us guess the album was a live recording – done by American servicemen with the feel of some backroom funk show from the Indy or Ohio scene of the 70s. Some of the tracks are familiar numbers from American hits – but redone here with a nicely gritty feel – and titles include the awesome medley "Bet'Ya Never Lose My Love California Dreamer" – plus "Higher", "Smiling Faces", "Hell Below", "Getting Over", "Popcorn/Santana", "I Love You", "Java Girl", and "Walk On By". LP, Vinyl record album

A fantastic anthology of Flint, MI soul great Regional Garland – 70s soul empires were built on lesser talent than you'll find on this set put together by Egon & Now Again! Garland is a performer, producer, songwriter and arranger of whom we were most familiar with for his work with the group Hunt's Determination – a taste of which is included here, along with Regional's recordings with The Perfections, 21st Generations, Mixed Sugar, Brilliance and others. Even the few Hunts Determination records we were familiar with show a fairly staggering stylistic range, while holding together as a tight whole – and that's all the more impressive with a broader collection of work with varying personnel here. The heart of the collection is early-to-late 70s recordings, from dancefloor soul, funk and strains of disco later in the decade – revelatory stuff for us. We knew the man was good, but, damn! The set also features several mid 80s recordings with that era's synth textured sound with the 70s soul vocals surprisingly well. Includes "I Need Love" & "Hey James" with 21st Generations, "Get On Down" & "Girl You Better Hurry" with The Perfections, "I Need Love" and "Are We Through" with Hunts Determination, "15 Ain't Young No More", "It's A Bad Feeling" and "Disco Jam Bam Bam" with Mixed Sugar, the previously unreleased "Gangster Girl" and "I'm Sad We've Broke Up", "I'm Falling In Love" with Vann & Reggie, "Hit Girl" with Brilliance and more. Nice notes with personnel, and a couple bonus versions "I Need Love". LP, Vinyl record album

An incredible session from the legendary Tribe Records scene – an equal effort from leader Doug Hammond and keyboardist David Durrah, who contributes some groundbreaking Fender Rhodes and moog work to the set! Hammond handles drums plus a bit of vocals and synthesizer on the session – working alongside Durrah in a groove that mixes electric and acoustic instrumentation into a totally righteous sound with lots of heavy Afro Jazz leanings. A number of tracks feature great vocals from Hammond – righteous, and with a beautifully soulful message-oriented approach – and a few other tracks, such as the classic "Space I" and "Space II", feature a sparer all-electric sound. The whole thing's wonderful – skittishly rhythmic, warmly flowing, and righteously beautiful. Titles include "Sea Of Nurnen", "Fidalgo Detour", "Reflections", "Space II", and "For Real". LP, Vinyl record album

A stunner of a record – the first-ever album by The JBs, never issued back in the day – and lost for years until it recently resurfaced on a test pressing! The set features a leaner, more stripped-down version of the group – one that features Bootsy Collins on bass, and which doesn't rely as much on the horns as it does some very upfront playing by the rhythm section – who really set fire to the extended instrumental solos on the album's very long tracks! Group members include Robert McCullough on tenor, St Clair Pickney on flute and baritone, Bobby Byrd on piano, Catfish Collins on guitar, and James Brown himself on organ – and the mighty Clyde Stubblefield handles drums, as well as Frank Kash Waddy. All tracks are very long – quite different than the shorter single-type cuts on Pass The Peas – and the record features the first recording of "The Grunt", plus the long jams "I'll Ze", "These Are The JBs (parts 1 & 2)", and "When You Feel It Grunt If You Can". LP, Vinyl record album

Incredible music from Seu Jorge – and that's saying a lot, given how much we've loved all of his previous records! This time around, Jorge really knocks it out of the park – by stepping away from some of his tighter styles, and going for a looser, more organic approach that's totally great – forged strongly with the cool combo Almaz, which features members of Nacao Zumbi, and bassist Antonio Pinto – the guy behind the great music in City Of God! The result is a record that's completely fresh, new territory for Jorge – but a set that also still holds onto all the best charms of his previous records too – and given that he's always seemed poised for superstardom and global crossover, it's even more incredible that he's made such a rootsy record like this! The record's filled with cool covers – all given the Almaz twist – tunes by Kraftwerk, Roy Ayers, Michael Jackson, Jorge Ben, Tim Maia, and others – completely reworked, and tuned up with spare instrumentation that's mostly guitar, bass, and drums. Titles include "Everybody Loves The Sunshine", "The Model", "Cala Boca Menino", "Girl You Move Me", "Juizo Final", "Cirandar", "Tempo De Amor", and "Rock With You". LP, Vinyl record album

Some of the most righteous sounds we've ever heard from Houston legends The Lightmen – recorded at a time when the group was at their most spiritual, and very firmly following a cosmic path set down by drummer Bubbha Thomas! The music here owes nothing to the hippest sounds coming from the coastal cities – and even the undergrounds of Chicago and Detroit in the early 70s – and in fact, there's a vibe here that would be right at home with the Tribe Records spirit of the motor city, as the group balance their freewheeling inclinations with a nice sense of rhythm as well! Players include Doug Harris on some excellent soprano, tenor, and flute – plus Virgil Solomon on flute and alto, James Hensley on trumpet and light whistle, Joe Singleton on trombone, and Marshia Frazier on electric piano. Titles include "Sorrow Bitterness & Revolution", "Hope", "Blue Tip", "On The Road Home", "Song Of Praise", and "Ujimma". LP, Vinyl record album

Searing sounds from 70s Zambia – from one of the hippest, funkiest, most sharp-edged groups on the scene! This sweet little set may well be the best album ever from Musi O Tunya – a perfect fusion of funky roots with lots of Afro Soul touches, and a wicked approach to the guitar that fills the record with these fuzzy, frenetic solo passages! Vocals are often in an ensemble mode, and work really well with the dubby undercurrents in the rhythms – creating a head-nodding groove that's somewhere in the territory of Cymande, but which really takes off in a new direction once the guitar steps up to the plate – that perfect fusion of psych, rock, and funk that marks some of the best Zamrock work of the time. Titles include "My Baby", "When I'm Gone", "Katonga", "Give Love To Your Children", "Ayeaye", and "Mwana Osauka". CD features a book-style cover, with a huge booklet of notes and photos – plus bonus tracks "Musi O Tunya" and "Thunder Man". CD

Maybe the most personal album to date from Fabiano Do Nascimento – a set that continues the Brazilian acoustic guitar legacy of players like Baden Powell, Egberto Gismonti, and some of the older greats – but which finds a way to express its sound in a very contemporary way! Fabiano plays a variety of guitars here, but also mixes the record with this airy sound that layers in bits of wordless vocals and other effects – all used gently, but beautifully – with this spacious, open sound that really fits the image of the landscape on the cover, yet which also has a lot more warmth than that picture too. There's almost an ECM vibe to the record at times, but the sound is a bit more dynamic – and titles include "Noite", "Ykytu", "Pelas Ruas", "Flower Of Life", "Corrida", "Planalto", and "Rio Tapajos". LP, Vinyl record album

A heady heady album from the Austrian scene of the early 70s – and one by a group that's really unlike anyone else we can think of! Paternoster are completely dark and brooding – often building their music at a pace that's a lot slower than prog, as the guitars and keyboards layer in very carefully, yet still just step along – while the vocals resonate in a mode that's maybe inspired by more soulful rock of the time, but which comes off with this eerie, moody vibe that's incredible – making even simple phrases sound downright spooky! The approach is neither hard rock, nor psych, nor prog – although the album could be appreciated by any fan of the best from those undergrounds – and titles include "Paternoster", "Stop These Lines", "Blind Children", "Old Danube", "The Pope Is Wrong", and "Mammoth Opus O". Comes in a beautiful slipcover package, with a heavy 66 page book – with notes in English and German! CD

Amazing sounds from The Stark Reality – an obscure group from the early 70s, but one who've really risen to fame over the years – thanks to their groundbreaking ear for new music, and their freewheeling way with a funky groove! This package brings together all the incredible work recorded by the group in the late 60s and early 70s – a mindblowing assortment of funky and fuzzy jazz tracks – almost all of which are graced by the offbeat vibes work of Monty Stark! Stark often adds a bit of distortion into his instrument, which makes for a very tripped-out approach to vibes – one that blends perfectly with the heavy funk of some of the rhythms, and the freaky guitar lines added to most tracks by a young John Abercrombie. Yet at other times, things are very laidback and chilled-out – balanced beautifully from track to track, in a way that illustrates the larger picture the group were always going for in their music. This massive package brings together everything Stark Reality ever recorded – their famous Discovers Hoagy Carmichael's Music Shop album, the Acting Thinking Feeling live performance, the Roller Coaster Ride/1969 album, and lots of rare singles too – more than enough music to please any fan of the group, and blow the minds of anyone who's just getting a first taste. Titles include "Roller Coaster Ride", "On Being Black", "New World Generation", "Theme To Say Brother", "Dreams", "Clouds", "All You Need To Make Music", "Rocket Ship", "Cooking", "The Old Prospector", and "Junkman's Song". Great package too – with two LP-styled CD sleeves inside a larger case, plus a big booklet of notes and photos! CD

Tripped-out and wonderful sounds from Witch – served up in this excellent early record from the Zamrock kings of the 70s! Lyrics are in English, and have these dark tones that work perfectly with the group's offbeat guitar and organ lines – sometimes mixed here with acoustic guitar that changes things up from the fuzzier sound of their debut a bit – yet which still maintains a definitely trippy feel! The style isn't really psyche, but isn't Afro Funk either – and almost has some of the unique criss-crossing of modes you'd find in the hippest South American groups of the time. Titles include "Mushed Potatoe", "It's Alright", "Chance", "Young Lady", "Living In The Past", and "She Is Mine". LP, Vinyl record album

Covers and music inspired by the towering figure in Afrofunk – the great Fela Kuti – rare 70s material a few modern cuts recorded in Nigeria, Trinidad, Ghana, Colombia, Germany and America – some previously unreleased, and all wonderful representations of the far-reaching influence of Fela! A few tunes are solid takes of the Nigerian funk groove proper – but others carry the sound into cumbia, steel band and western funk styles – all of it exciting, hugely passionate and floor-shaking! The 4 X 10 inch box set version is straight up beautiful – in heavy cardboard box and with a booklet that's well served by the larger format – with nice notes on Fela himself and the the influence he had on the material herein by Stones Throw/Now Again honcho Egon – and tracks include "Shacalao" by Cumbia Moderna De Soledad, "Woman Pin Down" by Dan Snatch And His Atomic 8 Dance Band, "Never Trust A Woman" by Bola Johnson, "Black Man's Cry" by Mosco Tiles Fonclaire Steel Orchestra, "Egbi/Black Man's Cry (Medley)" by Lever Brothers Gay Flamingos, "Comencemos" by Phirpo Y Sus Caribes, "Up Side Down" by Daktaris, "Lullaby For Lagos" by Whitefield Brothers and more. LP, Vinyl record album

Covers and music inspired by the towering figure in Afrofunk – the great Fela Kuti – rare 70s material a few modern cuts recorded in Nigeria, Trinidad, Ghana, Colombia, Germany and America – some previously unreleased, and all wonderful representations of the far-reaching influence of Fela! A few tunes are solid takes of the Nigerian funk groove proper – but others carry the sound into cumbia, steel band and western funk styles – all of it exciting, hugely passionate and floor-shaking! The CD version is bound in a mini-hardcover book like package – with nice notes on Fela himself and the the influence he had on the material herein by Stones Throw/Now Again honcho Egon – and tracks include "Shacalao" by Cumbia Moderna De Soledad, "Woman Pin Down" by Dan Snatch And His Atomic 8 Dance Band, "Never Trust A Woman" by Bola Johnson, "Black Man's Cry" by Mosco Tiles Fonclaire Steel Orchestra, "Egbi/Black Man's Cry (Medley)" by Lever Brothers Gay Flamingos, "Comencemos" by Phirpo Y Sus Caribes, "Up Side Down" by Daktaris, "Lullaby For Lagos" by Whitefield Brothers and more. CD

Rare psychedelia from all over the world – rock, soul, funk and astral folk – styles flowing cohesively on a single compilation thanks to the killer melodies, hard drums & percussion, and the impeccable taste of the Now Again/Stones Throw team! Forge Your Own Chains, simply put, is one of the best ever compilations of its kind. A few of the tracks have been reissued in some capacity and have recognizable names to rare psych and funk collectors – it's to Now Again's credit that they're going for a great experience rather than simply compiling the deepest, darkest rarities – but that said, all this stuff is obscure in the grand scheme and totally amazing. It features tracks from the US, Colombia, Sweden, Iran, Nigeria and beyond – tracks by Ofege, East Of Underground, DR Hooker, Baby Grandmothers, Ana Y Jaime, The Strangers and more. Amazing, hard grooving psychedelia for obscure rock and rare beat diggers alike! Titles include "Song Of A Sinner" by Top Drawer, "Smiling Faces Sometimes" by East Of Underground, "Forge Your Own Chains" by DR Hooker, ""Don't You Feel Me" by Damon, "Two To Make A Pair" by The Strangers, "It's Not Easy" by Ofege, "Somebody's Calling My Name" by Baby Grandmothers and more. 15 tracks in all. CD

The deepest of the deep from the American scene at the start of the 70s – groups so hip they weren't quite soul, weren't quite rock – and instead kind of a funky hybrid of both! After opening our ears to countless underground sounds from around the globe, the Now Again label turn back to some of the territory of its roots – the hinterland of groups who labored mostly in obscurity, but left behind a few funky 45s that have become the stuff of legend – and which show us that there was a much bigger psychedelic funk underground out there besides groups like Funkadelic or the early Ohio Players! As always with the label, the history is really given its due, thanks to very detailed notes – alongside titles that include "Down By The River" by Purple Snow, "There's A Wrinkle In Our Time" by 1984, "Function Underground" by We The People, "Corruption Is The Thng" by Creations Unlimited, "Jimi's Guitar Raps With The Bass" by Jimi Macon, "I'm A Man" by Cisneros & Garza Group, "Just Got To Be Free" by Black Conspirators, "BL Movement" by Blaclites, and "The Siesta Is Over" by The Revolution. LP, Vinyl record album

Mellow soul heaven – and one of the greatest compilations of this style we've ever heard! This is exactly the kind of laidback, tripped-out soul we totally love – a host of rare ballads and love songs pulled from the 45 underground of the late 60s and early 70s – sometimes by groups who are better known for funky tracks, other times by overlooked harmony groups and solo singers who rival the greatness of east coast artists like The Moments or Whatnauts! Titles include "I Don't Think I'll Ever Love Another" by Darling Dears, "Slippin Around" by Thomas East, "Since You've Been Gone" by Little Janice, "Love" by Black Conspirators, "What Am I Waiting For" by Black Exotics, "Who Do You Think You're Fooling (part 1)" by Symphonic Four, "I'll Find A True Love" by Lee Bonds, "Young Girl" by Jazzie Cazzie & The Eight Sounds, and "Is It Me You Really Love" by Black Velvet. LP, Vinyl record album

It's easy to wake up with grooves this great – a searing back of 70s Afro Rock gems that are also surprisingly funky, too! The tunes here do a wonderful job of mixing psych currents and headier rhythms – a great blend of the burning Afro Funk trends that were happening in Nigeria at the time, but with much richer, trippier work on the guitar and vocals – and some of the freaky, fuzzy basslines too! If some Afro Funk acts drew strong influence from the sharp soul of James Brown, these groups all seem to drink deep from the same musical well as Funkadelic at their freaked-out early best – which means that they've got no trouble throwing in a psych guitar riff alongside soulful vocals and funky rhythms – all with a sound that's completely sublime. Titles include "Wake Up You" by Waves, "Love" by Question Mark, "Baby Rock" by Jay U Experience, "Life In Cannan" by Ceejebs, "Who Made The World" by The Identicals, "Awa Lani Arawa" by Kukumbas, "Life Will Move" by The Believers, "The Feelings" by Tony Grey & The Black 7, "I Want A Break Thru" by The Hykkers, and "In The Jungle (voc)" by The Hygrades. LP, Vinyl record album

Wonderfully fuzzy work from Amanaz – one of the trippiest, headiest groups of the Zamrock scene of the 70s! The guitars here are very full and present – not at a hit you over the head jamming label, but with this rich sonic element that has lots of bassy undercurrents – at a level that makes the album a head-nodding gem all the way through – poised perfectly between some of the more psyche styles of the African scene of the time, and some of the more thoughtful singer-songwriter material. The group have a quality that's surprisingly deep – very soulful, and with a subtle power that comes through strongly – thanks to a mostly-English batch of lyrics (although a few tunes here are in their native Bemba.) No cuts are all-out funky, but all have this great slow-funk sort of charm – and titles include "I Am Very Far", "Sunday Morning", "Khala My Friend", "Green Apple", "Africa", "Making The Scene", "Easy Street", "Big Enough" and "Kale". 2CD package features a full bonus "reverb mix" of the album – even trippier! CD

A funky treasure trove from Apple & The Three Oranges – a group we hardly know at all, but who really blow us away with the cuts on this collection! The groove is plenty hard right from the get-go – the best of the funky 45 underground of the early 70s – which means that there's more 60s rawness on the record than you'd get from bigger-label funk at the time – as Ed "Apple" Nelson still works here with a mostly underground vibe! Ed plays drums – which are mighty hard on most numbers – and his vocals have this offbeat, off-kilter, over the top quality that almost reminds us a bit of the Hank Ballard/James Brown recordings for late 60s King – particularly in the way that Nelson's completely unbridled with his energy. The whole thing's great – one of the best funky collections we've heard in years – and presented with a rich amount of notes and historical information too. Titles include "Free & Easy (parts 1 & 2)", "Moon Light", "Curse Upon The World", "What Goes Around Comes Around", "Down Home Publicity", "True Love Will Never Die", "Gotta Stand For Something (parts 1 & 2)", and "I'll Give You A Ring". Features a great 16 page booklet with extensive liner notes and photos! LP, Vinyl record album

One of a handful of amazing albums recorded by David Axelrod towards the end of the 60s – really stunning, genre-breaking music that was years ahead of its time – and which has only finally been getting its due in more recent decades! At the time of the record, Axelrod was a house producer at Capitol Records – where he'd created big hits for Lou Rawls and Cannonball Adderley – and he'd also been experimenting a bit with studio techniques for other rock groups. But here, the Axe brings all his experience into play – then sends things soaring to the skies – with music based on the work of poet William Blake, but delivered in this totally groovy west coast 60s mode. The core of the instrumentation features funky drums from Earl Palmer and bass from Carole Kaye – both of whom really keep things rock-solid amidst the larger mix of strings and instruments directed by the great Don Randi – who himself is pretty darn wonderful too. The music has nice snatches of fuzz and organ throughout – jazzy moments, funky passages, and lots more too – served up on tunes that include much-sampled song "Holy Thursday" – plus "The Smile", "A Dream", "Song Of Innocence", and "The Mental Traveler". William Blake never sounded so funky! CD

A legendary bit of fuzzy funk from James Brown – an important collaboration with the mighty Dave Matthews, who brings a more tripped-out feel to the record than some of James' other King sessions of the time! Matthews adds in lots of psych-influenced guitar – used very different than the scratching riffs of the other JB material of the late 60s – in ways that almost make the record a second chapter to Dave's Grodeck Whipperjenny album – a gritty blend of funk, soul, and psych – all with some nice touches by the James Brown Band! All tracks are co-written by Brown and Matthews, and all are instrumental – and titles include "Can Mind", "Don't Mind", "Bob Scoward", and "Just Enough Room for Storage". CD

An amazing package – a pair of rare avant jazz albums, presented here together! The first album is Peace In The World – maybe the only album issued under the name of Michael Cosmic – but a set that's part of a key legacy with his brother, reedman Phill Musra! The set has Cosmic in very heady territory – sounds that come from his young tenure in the AACM, his brief time with Cecil Taylor, and his budding reputation on the 70s Boston scene – where the set was recorded, and almost stands as a precursor to the rich legacy of improvisational jazz that would emerge on the New England scene for decades to come! Tracks are long and very free, but have spiritual currents too – and Cosmic is mostly on piano, with Musra on soprano sax and tenor, Leonard Brown on soprano and tenor, John Jamyll Jones on bass, Huseyin Ertunc on drums, and Eric Jackson on percussion. Titles include "We Love You Malcolm X", "Peace In The World", "Sapce On Space", and "Arabia". Next is the related album Creator Spaces, by Phill Musra – recorded at the time when he was part of the very underground Boston avant scene – a world that had a slightly different vibe than music coming from Chicago, Detroit, or New York! The album's got a spiritual avant bent – soulful at the core, with lots of references to outer space as well – and an approach that feels a lot like a classic Saturn Records session by Sun Ra, both in sound and spirit! Musra plays reeds, chimes, and percussion – and the group features some incredible sax work by Michael Cosmic, who also plays a bit of organ, again in a tripped-out, Ra-type way. Huseyin Ertunc plays percussion – very free and loose, in ways that are a great balance to the more angular lines of the reeds – and tracks include "The Creator Is So Far Out", "The Creator Spaces", "Egypt", and "Arabia". Also features unreleased tracks "The Creator Is So Far Out (unreleased version)" and "Phyllis". Added to the set is a really special bonus third CD – an unreleased long live performance of "The Prayer" by Worlds Experience Orchestra – a group from the same scene at the time – with Shaddu Jones on piano, Stan Strickland on tenor and soprano, Frank Peterson on alto, John Jamyll Jones on bass, Robert Ruff on cello, Larry Lerner on drums, and John Klein on amplified violin. CD

Proof that the US Army had plenty going on during the 70s – as you'll hear from this killer set of military-produced grooves from East Of Underground! The set goes way past the previous East Of Underground reissue – to feature work by the groups Soap, Black Seeds, and Sound Trek – all wrapped up in a beautiful package that's as visually pleasing as the music is funky! The cuts here were all recorded by US Army servicemen during the height of the Vietnam war – as Army-issued albums designed to encourage recruitment (as if a few funky grooves could help offset the bad press the war was getting on TV!) But despite that odd origin, the music here is all pretty great – mostly covers of familiar tunes from the time, but recorded with a nicely gritty quality that's mighty nice – and which makes the overall feel of the records like digging into some lost small studio tapes – ala Numero! Now Again have done a great job of putting together the whole package, too – contributing a wealth of notes and photos, and really digging deep into the scene in which these unique records were created. Not only that, but the packaging also replicates the style of the original odd releases too! The set features a CD each of music by East Of Underground and Soap – plus another CD that brings together an unusual double LP by the groups Black Seeds and Sound Trek. Titles include "I Just Want To Celebrate", "Kool & The Gang", "Walking In The Rain", "Backstabbers", "I Love Everything About You", "Ain't No Sunshine", "Go Outside In The Rain", "Black Magic Woman", "Hell Below", "Higher", "Popcorn/Santana", "Walk On By", "Java Girl", and "Get Together". CD

Rare 70s funky soul from The Equatics – just the kind of record that keeps us digging and still excited after all these years – resurrected by the like minded diggers at Now Again! You know the kind of album we're talking about, the ones you come across with enigmatic cover art, no names on the back you recognize or even anything indicating where or when it's from. Then you take a spin and it's the real thing from the get go! The production is nice and raw but not ragged, and a funky vibe that groups today emulate but just can't recapture. This set's mid 70s R&B, mostly instrumental but with a few vocal numbers, all nicely done up in a very groovy, funky fashion. There's a couple of nice covers, like their Isaac Hayes-ish take on "Walk On By" and a nice rendition of "Ain't No Sunshine", but the rest of the set's mostly originals, like "Merry-Go-Round" and some nice raggedy instrumentals like "What They Doin?", "Santana" done up in parts 1 and 2 (maybe on a 45 somewhere. . .), "Cisco Fare" and the jazzy "The Touch Of You". Amazing! CD

Some of the deepest work we've ever heard from Jamaican funk giant Boris Gardiner – and a set that might have been called "Ultra Rare Dub" instead – given the obscurity of the recordings! The core material here is from 45s that Boris issues in the early 70s – the kind of heavy grooves that have made him as much of a legend with funk collectors as reggae fans – but the tracks are taken to very different territory than the originals, in keeping with the dub promised in the title – yet with a sense of variety that's very different than other dub albums of this nature! Currents of American soul come into play as much as reggae roots – and instrumentation and rhythms vary nicely throughout, which really keeps things interesting. The original albums were issued in very tiny runs, and titles include "Freedom Roots", "Expression (dub)", "Racking Roots", "Love (dub)", "Paying Roots", "Mine (dub)", "Rider Roots", and "Gimmy (dub)". LP, Vinyl record album

A fantastic anthology of Flint, MI soul great Regional Garland – 70s soul empires were built on lesser talent than you'll find on this set put together by Egon & Now Again! Garland is a performer, producer, songwriter and arranger of whom we were most familiar with for his work with the group Hunt's Determination – a taste of which is included here, along with Regional's recordings with The Perfections, 21st Generations, Mixed Sugar, Brilliance and others. Even the few Hunts Determination records we were familiar with show a fairly staggering stylistic range, while holding together as a tight whole – and that's all the more impressive with a broader collection of work with varying personnel here. The heart of the collection is early-to-late 70s recordings, from dancefloor soul, funk and strains of disco later in the decade – revelatory stuff for us. We knew the man was good, but, damn! The set also features several mid 80s recordings with that era's synth textured sound with the 70s soul vocals surprisingly well. Includes "I Need Love" & "Hey James" with 21st Generations, "Get On Down" & "Girl You Better Hurry" with The Perfections, "I Need Love" and "Are We Through" with Hunts Determination, "15 Ain't Young No More", "It's A Bad Feeling" and "Disco Jam Bam Bam" with Mixed Sugar, the previously unreleased "Gangster Girl" and "I'm Sad We've Broke Up", "I'm Falling In Love" with Vann & Reggie, "Hit Girl" with Brilliance and more. Nice notes with personnel, and a couple bonus versions "I Need Love". CD

One of the darkest albums of the Krautrock scene in the 70s – an album that was actually recorded in a WWII-era bunker – where the duo were free to open up their instruments, jam for a very long time, and play with the sorts of effects and techniques you might know from bigger groups of the period! Yet there's a brooding quality here that's different than Can, Faust, or other groups – maybe because German Oak were a duo without a very clear path forward, and also because recording an album in an underground concrete bunker was bound to produced some weird vibes on the session! One of the group members recalls in the notes that in the space, he couldn't help thinking of the trauma of WWII – and you can definitely hear that in the music, and see it in the look of the package – which carries tunes that include "Screaming Skeletons", "Missile Song", "Belle's Song", and "Nothing". This fantastic package offers up some great notes from the group – in both German and English – and also adds in rare material too – the tracks "Bear Song", "Happy Stripes On Cats", "Ghost Guitar", "Belle's Song (extended)", "Python Vs Tiger", "Giant Rock Boulder Golem", "Missle Song (extended)", "Harpy & Peregrine", and "Bear Song (alt version)". CD

One of the most classic albums on the Tribe Records label from Detroit – music that was too heavy for most of the world when it was issued in the 70s – but which has gone onto achieve legendary status over the years! Reedman Wendell Harrison leads the group in a set of soaring, spacious, righteous tunes – with great help from Marcus Belgrave on trumpet, and assorted other instruments, which he and Harrison play in the best AACM tradition. Phil Ranelin's also in the group on trombone – and other players include Charles Eubanks on keyboards, Ike Daney on drums, and Will Austin on bass – and the album also features some spoken passages by the Black Messengers, Oba and Vajava. The whole thing's fantastic – that strong collaborative spirit that graced the best part of the American jazz underground of the time – and titles include "Mary Had An Abortion", "Vol II Angry Young Man (parts 1 & 2)", "Consciousness", and "Rebirth". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the hippest albums from the funky empire that includes Poets Of Rhythm and The Whitefield Brothers – a set of Afro-exotic grooves that really blows our minds – and which opens the group up into whole new territory! There's echoes of Mulatu, Salah Ragab, and other older exotic funk artists in the mix – but as usual for the Poets, the whole thing's put together with a sharp edge of its own – a keen ear for catching the best elements of the original music, and distilling them down to a super-powerful essence – then re-presenting and oddly-producing them with some very unique sounds! Karl Hector joins the group on vocals and percussion – and other instrumentation includes ballaphon, metallophon, horns, and keyboards – all used in really enigmatic ways, and with other-worldly sounds that are simply amazing! Titles include "Followed Path", "When The Sun Breaks Through", "Sahara Swing", "Jabore (part 3)", "Debere", "Transition", "Mystical Brotherhood", "Toure Samar", and "Passau Run". CD

Interstellar funk, cosmic jazz and spacey live band hip hop from Malcolm Catto & the Heliocentrics –incredible material from one of most mindblowing combos in the global hip hop funk underground! The tracks on Fallen Angels were compiled from vinyl only EPs on Now Again, as well as some previously unreleased tracks, and it's a pretty impeccable display of the diverse shades of soundscapes the group trades in. The drums and bass skew towards gritty classic funk, with distant, dusty organ groove, off kilter percussion, and unpredictable washes of sound. Includes both the instrumental and vocal versions of "Distant Star" with Percee P and Doom, plus the "Sirius B" remix with Vast Aire and "Before I Die" with Guilty Simpson – tracks that showcase their pretty much unrivaled abilility to bring their diverse style into a leftfield hip hop realm, plus the planet rocking jazz funk on "The Oracle" and "Dance Of The Dogons, Pt 2", plus "Space Time Girl", "The Gorn", "Vibrations Of The Fallen Angels" and Noise". CD

Brilliantly soulful jazz from the PE Hewitt Jazz Ensemble – a group with a style that mixes the sunny and the spiritual – a box set featuring the originally self-released trilogy of releases Jawbones (1968), Since Washington (1969), and Winter Winds (1970) in one great package from Now Again! Of the trilogy, each is rare enough that we hadn't seen an original LP as of the time of release of this set, and a Japanese CD release of Winter Winds was our only intro to the soulful ingenuity of jazz composer/arranger/vibraphonist/pianist Hewitt. The LPs were actually only pressed in runs of 100 pieces per (!!!) – so this set compiling them is quite revelatory! His group works at a level that's definitely in line with some of our favorite indie jazz at the time – really pushing the boundaries with a great sense of spirit – stretching out towards new ideas, yet never getting too free or too outside to lose their sense of swing. But at another level, there's a slightly groovy undercurrent, too – one that comes from the wordless vocals on Winter Winds, a style that reminds us a bit of the singing on the Sound Of Feeling record with Oliver Nelson – particularly given the modal grooves on the best numbers, but the strength of the groove overall holds true on all three albums. Rhythms are really in the lead at the strongest points – driven by Phil Hewitt's work on piano and vibes, and topped with alto sax and flugelhorn, too. Players include Dick Zemlin on trumpet & piano, Charley Forsberg on alto, Richard Zemlin on flugelhorn, Rick Hearns & Marty Keller on drums. Jawbones includes "Free", "Don't Judge Your Brother", "Ihadmyheadoverthechickensouppot" and more. Since Washington includes "Alone And Watching", "Sad Sunday", " 3AM" and more. Winter Wind includes "I'm Wondering Why", "Oma Rakas", "The Winter Wind", "Tuija", "Baon Que Bash", "Ill Love Song", and "It's Got Two & That's Alright". The box includes reproductions of the original album art plus liner notes, and a 2009 interview by Eothen Alapatt. CD

The sound of Zambia, circa 1975 – a heady brew of psychedelic styles and deeper African roots – served up in the unique blend of modes that would come to be known as Zamrock! The album's got a dark feel right from the start – one of those records where it feels like something's a bit off, psychically – but in a great way that really keeps things compelling throughout – and which makes the music way more interesting than some of the other 70s African hybrids that were aiming for a much more mainstream market. Instead, the sounds of Rikki Ililonga and group are very much their own thing – sticking to territory that's very sharp and bracing – as you'll hear on cuts that include "The Hole", "Shebeen Queen", "Zambia", "Hot Fingers", "The Nature Of Man", and "Sansa Kuwa". LP, Vinyl record album

A fantastic slice of lost work from the legendary JBs – including the track that first got Bootsy Collins and company the job as James Brown's backing band! The set leads off with that gem of a groove – the fast funky "More Mess On My Thing" – a tune that's got the sort of impeccable sharpness the JBs would bring to the James Brown universe in the early 70s – complete with tight drums, effortless basslines, and horn lines so tight they could cut glass! "The Wedge" follows – a sweet organ-driven instrumental with a vibe that's a lot like "Brother Rapp" – but stretched out as a long instrumental jam! And that approach really takes off on the super-long "When You Can Feel It Grunt (If You Can)" – a tune that begins with the band doing their own version of "Let The Music Take Your Mind", before going off into all the these other directions on the first-ever issue of the complete take of the tune! CD

A stunner of a record – the first-ever album by The JBs, never issued back in the day – and lost for years until it recently resurfaced on a test pressing! The set features a leaner, more stripped-down version of the group – one that features Bootsy Collins on bass, and which doesn't rely as much on the horns as it does some very upfront playing by the rhythm section – who really set fire to the extended instrumental solos on the album's very long tracks! Group members include Robert McCullough on tenor, St Clair Pickney on flute and baritone, Bobby Byrd on piano, Catfish Collins on guitar, and James Brown himself on organ – and the mighty Clyde Stubblefield handles drums, as well as Frank Kash Waddy. All tracks are very long – quite different than the shorter single-type cuts on Pass The Peas – and the record features the first recording of "The Grunt", plus the long jams "I'll Ze", "These Are The JBs (parts 1 & 2)", and "When You Feel It Grunt If You Can". CD

Will the rich reservoir of lost funk dredged by the diggers at Stones Throw/Now Again ever dry? Let's hope not! Michael Liggins and the Super Souls are another unearthed treasure, led by Michael's fiery flute! "Loaded To The Gills" was recorded in 1969 – and combines the furious JBs rugged funk style with a very catchy, almost hummable psychedelic groove! The origins of furiously funky "Function Underground" by We The People on the flip are more mysterious – as the personel is a bit of a mystery, with the twin sax riffing by Liggins and Sam James being the only recorded credits – but it's a great track all the same? We'd love to know whose clapping those funky drums, though! 12-inch, Vinyl record

An artist you might not know at all – but one you'll be digging plenty after hearing this wonderful set! Richard Marks is a guitarist and singer with a very funky, very gritty sound – really right up there with the best of the funky 45 underground of the time – which makes this overstuffed package feel like you've just inherited a sweet stack of rare 7" singles! Marks hardly made it outside of his hometown of Atlanta – but did work over the years with stars like Al Green and Eddie Kendricks – but, thankfully for us, he left behind a strong legacy of small label singles, nearly all of which are included in this beautiful set – along with a full book that tells the tale of Richard's time outside the limelight, plus lots of photos, images, and notes on the music. Titles include "Funky Fingers", "Never Satisfied", "Don't Take It Out On Me", "I'm With You Love", "Pretty Woman Pass On By", "Innocent Bystander", "Speak Now", "Purple Haze", "Why Did You Leave Me", and "Crackerjack". CD

One of the most righteous albums ever issued by the always-righteous Tribe Records label of Detroit – a really collective effort, one that features ensemble vocals and spiritual jazz – all pulled together by pianist Harold McKinney! The album showcases a group named Voices Of The Creative Profile – formed by McKinney to accompany his Creative Profile instrumental group – and the overall style is a great blend of spiritual soul jazz that gives equal time to the voices and instruments in the set. Gwen McKinney heads up the vocal ensemble, and other players on the set include Wendell Harrison on flute, Marcus Belgrave on trumpet, Billy Turner on percussion, and Ed Pickins on bass. Also features some cool moog from Darryl Dybka – and titles that include "In The Moog", "Freedom Jazz Dance", "Dolphin Dance", "Heavenese", "Ode To Africa", "Out Of The Blues", and "Cornerstone". LP, Vinyl record album

Searing sounds from 70s Zambia – from one of the hippest, funkiest, most sharp-edged groups on the scene! This sweet little set may well be the best album ever from Musi O Tunya – a perfect fusion of funky roots with lots of Afro Soul touches, and a wicked approach to the guitar that fills the record with these fuzzy, frenetic solo passages! Vocals are often in an ensemble mode, and work really well with the dubby undercurrents in the rhythms – creating a head-nodding groove that's somewhere in the territory of Cymande, but which really takes off in a new direction once the guitar steps up to the plate – that perfect fusion of psych, rock, and funk that marks some of the best Zamrock work of the time. Titles include "My Baby", "When I'm Gone", "Katonga", "Give Love To Your Children", "Ayeaye", and "Mwana Osauka". CD features a book-style cover, with a huge booklet of notes and photos – plus bonus tracks "Musi O Tunya" and "Thunder Man". CD

The rare lost legacy of the Music Makers Band – a funky group from Georgia who are best known under their previous incarnation as The Mighty Chevelles – who cut the superb Black Gold album the year before! The work here was never issued at the time, but represents some well-done sessions at the legendary Capricorn Studios – the group even sharper than before, and mixing in some clubby elements with their funk – but all without ever losing the edge that made them great in the first place! Kenny Dope remastered all the work here from the original multi-track masters – and each tune is presented in a well-crafted vocal version, and the set also features instrumentals, plus some extended mixes by Kenny as well. Titles include "That Look In Your Eyes", "You Can Be", "Lady In My Dream", "Shake Your Booty", "Let Me Start Lovin You", "We're The Band", and "That True Love Of Mine". CD

Heady work from the Ngozi Family – a Zambian rock band that was the first to be dubbed as "Zamrock" – a cool fusion of older African rhythms and 70s rockish modes – never too polished, but with a tightness that might have made Anglo groups up in London sit up and take notice! The guitars are razor-sharp here, and almost have a Thin Lizzy sort of compression – which sounds great next to the harder rhythms at the bottom, and the album's mix of English and Zambian lyrics. Titles include "Hold On", "Night Of Fear", "You Don't Love Me", "I Will Be With You", "Nizaka Panga Ngozi", and "Everything Is Over". LP, Vinyl record album

Some of the heaviest work to come from the African scene of the 70s – the initial offering of the Ngozi Family – a group who clearly take strong inspiration from the Cream years of the UK scene, but who also come across with a grittier, punkier vibe overall – thanks to lean, stripped-down instrumentation and some very sharp drums! The drums rattle out underneath the magnificent fuzzy guitar lines in the lead – almost with this compressed quality that recalls Thin Lizzy at their funkier moments – but much more raw, stripped-down, and unpolished – so that the English language lyrics burst out with a really biting sound! The record's one of the first in the Zamrock tradition, and is still one of the best – a set that deserves to be in any collection of hard rock, proto-punk, and even funk rock from the 70s. Titles include "I Wanna Know", "Day Of Judgement", "We Wonna Give It To Her", "Tikondane", and "Let Me Know". LP, Vinyl record album

A nice little set of instrumental groovers from Connie Price & The Keystones – one of the rare contemporary ensembles recording for Stones Throw's Now Again imprint of mostly vintage funk and soul – sounding right at home with those late 60s and early 70s titans! The group manages the breathe effortlessly between funky soul, pummeling funk, loose psych rock, pre-fusion 70s jazz, and elements of reggae and Afro funk on just a handful of tracks while keeping the groove whip tight. Percussionist Connie Price and additional drummers provide the kick, with players that include Breakestra's James King on baritone sax and flute, Pete McNeal and Josh Cohen on drums, Dan Ubick on guitar, D'wayne Kelly on ARP, clavinet and B3, and a deep line of horn, flute and clarinet! Tracks include "Sticks & Stones", "Sticks Dub", "I'm Inside Out", "Raga Doll" and "Afro Som". LP, Vinyl record album