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An absolutely epic journey down The River – and it's one well worth taking – with more than 50 tracks on 4 CDs plus 3 DVDs! The original double album is prime classic Springsteen, circa 1980 – a few years removed at this point from the massive breakthrough that was Born To Run, and seemingly starting to let go of the darker tone of Darkness On The Edge Of Town, though still with some shadows of it. Definitely a creative high point, and a record we're always happy to revisit. Includes "The Ties That Bind", "Hungry Heart", "Out In The Street", "Fade Away", "Ramrod", "Rive All Night", "Wreck On The Highway", "Independence Day" and more. The box set also includes the first official release of The River: Single Album, recorded in '79 and intended as the follow up to Darkness At The Edge Of Town before Springsteen scrapped the idea and went back in the studio and ultimately released the fuller, farther reaching double album. It includes 7 songs from the eventual double, some with alternate lyrics and arrangements – and there's also a full CD of outtakes. The 3 DVDs include the great feature length documentary, a complete concert from The River tour in 1980, filmed in Tempe, AZ, plus disc with never before seen rehearsal footage. Comes with a heavy duty coffee table book, too! CD

Hard to deny the lasting power of this crucial album from The Beatles – a set that unleashed some of their trippiest sounds and most tender moments too! The mix of wit and honesty is wonderful – and the sonic range is dynamic as the archetypal cover image – a package that's had an undeniable impact on modern music for the past few decades! Titles include "With A Little Help From My Friends", "Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds", "She's Leaving Home", "Lovely Rita", "When I'm Sixty Four", "A Day In The Life", and "Fixing A Hole". This deluxe box set includes a new stereo mix, tons of material from the sessions, a 5.1 surround mix, bonus films, a replica of the original card insert, two posters, plus a 144 page hardbound book. CD

One of the coolest collections to ever bear the name of Lux and Ivy in the title – a really great genre-busting collection of odd, offbeat, and unusual tracks from the vintage 45 underground – very much served up in the mix of modes the duo explored in The Cramps! There's a real love of the 7" single that informs the collection – that special sense of surprise and anticipation when dropping the needle on a vintage 45 – delivered nicely here as the package steps through a whopping 50 tracks over the course of 2CDs! Titles include "Kiss Me Goodnight" by Tony Castle, "I'm Gonna Murder My Baby" by Pat Hare, "The Chinese Rock N Roll" by The Flock Rocker, Annie Miss Fanny" by Mel Dorsey, "Story Of Susie" by Billy Woods with Kim Fowley, "Frustration" by The Zanies, "Too Big For Her Bikini" by Gerry Granahan, "Fallout Filly" by Chris Cerf & The Harvard Lampoon Tabernacle Choir, "No More" by The Uptones, "Tarzan" by Artie Wilson, "Zimba Lulu" by The Rays, "You Tarzan Me Jane" by Glenn Willings, "Choo Choo Train" by Ritchie Hart, "Little Lil" by Mel Dorsey & the Heartbeats, "Fallout" by Aston Martin & The Moon Discs, "Kalani Honey" by John Paul Jones, "The Switch" by Slim Marbles, "Miss Froggie" by Warren Smith, and lots lots more! CD

An amazing look at the earliest years of one of our favorite jazz musicians ever – a massive 4CD set that goes way beyond Pharoah Sanders' famous first album for ESP! The box is filled with great music, but is also an historical document too – as it offers up some interview snippets, alongside material that has Sanders working in the Don Cherry Quintet, the Sun Ra Arkestra, the Paul Bley Quartet, and his own group as well! CD 1 features material from January 1, 1963 – recorded with a Don Cherry group that features Sanders on tenor, Joe Scianni on piano, David Izenzon on bass, and JC Moses on drums – plus a May, 1964 date with a Paul Bley group that features Sanders, Izenzon, and Paul Motian on drums! CD 2 features a famous group led by Sanders – with Jane Getz on piano, Stan Foster on trumpet, William Bennett on bass, and Marvin Patillo on drums – on the titles "Bethera" and "Seven By Seven". CDs 3 and 4 feature material from December 30 and 31st, 1964 – a famous performance with Sun Ra and Black Harold – one that seems to be expanded from the previous release, presented with both mono and stereo tracks. Titles include "The Second Stop Is Jupiter", "We Travel The Spaceways", "Dawn Over Israel", "Gods On Safari", "Space Mates", and "The Voice Of Pan". And yes, some of this stuff's been on the market before – but the package also features interviews with Sun Ra, Pharoah Sanders, and Don Cherry – plus a nice booklet too! CD

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Two great Storyville sessions – back to back in a single set! First up is Tonite's Music Today – an early Storyville Records gem from these two budding modernists – featuring a quartet with Zoot Sims on tenor, Bob Brookmeyer on valve trombone, and Hank Jones on piano and a bit of celeste – a really fantastic group that cuts right to the core of the new ideas that Sims and Brookmeyer were exploring on their horns! Bob's got that sharp sound that really set his valve trombone work apart from the rest – maybe a bit more bite in his tone, too – which could be encouraged by Zoot's tenor, which is at its raspy best in this setting! The Storyville sessions by some artists often get eclipsed by more widely circulated discs on bigger labels – but this is essential early Zoot sims, and Brookmeyer's work is a nice bonus – on titles that include "Mr Moon", "The Chant", "Zoot's Tune", "How Long Has This Been Going On", "Bobby's Tune", and "Blues". Next is Whooeeee – a wonderful small combo set from this unusual team – put together in ways that are somewhere between the Bob Brookmeyer/Stan Getz pairings of the early 50s, and some of Zoot Sims' work for the Dawn label! Zoot's horn is maybe a bit sharper, and bolder than on his Dawn sides, though – that quality that really made him a favorite with hip listeners of the 50s, and which maybe even beats some of the Stan Getz work of the period – matched by Brookmeyer's impeccable work on valve trombone, which is more straightforward and swinging here than usual! The group also features Hank Jones on piano, Bill Crow on bass, and Jo Jones on drums – and titles include "The King", "Whoo-eeee", "Morning Fun", "Box Cars", and "Snake Eyes". CD

Includes tracks by the Excellents, the 5 Discs, Ronnie & the Hi-Lites, the Court Jesters, Donnie & The Dreamers, the Corvells, the Magnificent Four, the Velons & the Montereys. CD

Features John Prine, Arlo Guthrie, the Lincoln Park Pirates, Bonnie Raitt, Michael Smith, Ed Holstein, and the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band. CD

Arranger/producer Greg Tate and his titanic Burnt Sugar collective continues to ascend into its own intergalactic space station of heavy cosmic jamming, instrumental funky jazz, and wildly spacious trippiness with this double disc – by far the most unique and individualistic indie funk album we've heard in a long, long time! As on their previous sets, Burnt Sugar takes the past three or more decades worth of avant funk and jazz, from the celestial influence of Sun Ra projects, to the bass thumping righteousness of Blacksploitation soundtracks, to the dancefloor oriented 70s fusion funk of Larry Mizell's productions – but the loose collective looks as much inward and forward with their approach, giving the recordings as much of a profound newness as anything in the latter day avant garde. Organ, bass, guitars, strings, often quite ambient vocals and turntable effects are the order of the day – and the brew is truly unlike like anything else out there right now. They're not afraid of mixing the low with the high, either – the sweet soul jazz of the track "Fear" rolls from an echoey vocal showpiece for Lisala Beatty into a post-Bad Brains hardcore number, before transforming several more times within the 10+ minutes running time! It's that progressive spirit that highlights both discs. The band is relying on pre-written material much more here than on the more improvisational previous releases, but they were wise enough to keep the spacious groove that carried them so well in recent years. This double album represents Burnt Sugar's sixth release in four years. Keep 'em coming, kids! Disc one: "Funky Rich Medina", "Fear", "Mtume" (in two parts), "Drive Man/Freedom Day" and more. Disc two: "Moonchile", "Gibberish & Bushwack", "Ventris", "No Direction Home" (a suite of tracks) and more. It may take a bit of warming up to, but once you get it on Burnt Sugar is some pretty sweet stuff – and it gets more rewarding with every listen! CD

Includes 31 tracks on 2 CDs. CD

Like Louis Jordan? This set will make you very very happy! This beautiful box contains 9CDs – the total of Jordan's excellent work for the Decca label, recorded during the years 1938 to 1954, when he was clearly at his best – and one of the most compelling singers of the late swing/early R&B years. The sides are amazing – and our ears never tire, despite the wealth of material, as Jordan's inventive style, both on vocals and tenor, grows as the years go by, always touched with a deep soulful groove, and a twinkling sense of humor that kept on showing the world how to party! Much of this work has never been reissued before – and the set features a wonderful 12" booklet, with the full Louis Jordan story, loads and loads of great images in color and black and white, and full details on all the sides in the set. We can't even begin to name all the tunes here – so let us just say that if you're looking for one of Jordan's classic sides, it's probably in the box, along with dozens of other great tunes you've probably never heard before! CD

Three 78 rpm discs filled with 18 Holiday tracks – Judy Harriet, Curt Massey, Voco Choraleers, Esquire Trio, Bud Roman, Ole Svenson, Jack McLean, Isham Jones, and more. 78 RPM, Vinyl record

A second great set of tunes from the Chicago scene of the early soul years – one that features a number of alternate takes and previously unissued tunes, including a few great numbers by unknown groups! The set was put together by Chicago soul expert Bob Miner – and has a real focus on group obscurities from the end of the doo wop era to the earliest years of Chicago soul. Miner's got a keen eye for the uncommon, and has pulled together a number of tracks from rare singles, acetates, and audition discs. The fidelity is surprisingly good, given the source of many of the materials – and the package is a refreshing change from the oft-compiled bigger hits of the Chicago scene. Titles include "No Greater Thing" and "My Love" by Twilites, "Wait A Minute" by The Kittens, "Honey Hush" and "Money Honey" by The Eagleaires, "Our Love" and "Stormy Weather" by Four Gents, "We Belong Together" by Upsetters, "Chaney" by The Cardinals, "Moments Of Infatuation" by Jackie Bee, "African Twist" by Harold Curington, "This Angel Of Mine" by The Amps, "In The Still Of The Night" by Larry & DuDrops, "Do Do De Dop" and "Can You Explain It" by The Devotions, and "Makin Eyes" by Cookie & The Dedications. 29 tracks in all! CD

34 tracks over 2 discs – Features Bud Shank, Red Mitchell, Jimmy Rowles, and Zoot Sims. CD

Oh how we love this album – and we think it may well be the best album ever from Charles Mingus! The set was recorded in that magical Mingus year of 1957, but oddly not released until 1962 – missing some of the initial frenzy of his discovery during the Atlantic and Columbia years. But the album's actually a treasure that predates the better-known latter sides – with a sharpness and intensity that Mingus hardly ever matched again! The group is one of his strongest ever – with Shafi Hadi on alto, Clarence Shaw on trumpet, Jimmy Knepper on trombone, and Bill Triglia on piano. There's a slight Latin vibe, as you might expect from the title – but it's very slight overall, and most of the tunes are in that sharply angular, fully expressive style that flowered most strongly for Mingus in the late 50s. There's not a wasted moment of music on the whole album – with tight solos and incredible rhythms that dominate every second of the extended tracks – and titles include "Dizzy Moods", "Flamingo", "Los Mariachis", "Ysabel's Tabel Dance", and "Tijuana Gift Shop". CD

35 tracks on 2 CDs, including some previously unreleased studio and live cuts. CD

3 albums across 2 discs! CD

Dust To Digital moves across the Atlantic Ocean – and brings the same great skill to African music they've already brought to blues, folk, and gospel! This package is amazing – 100 rare 78rpm recordings, appearing here on CD for the first time ever – not just wonderful music, but music that's wonderfully put together – with detailed notes that really blow us away as much as the sounds on the discs! The beautiful thing is that these guys not only know how to pick the best tracks, but that they also know what the music is about – and can prove it with a lavish 112 page book that features very rich information on all the obscure recordings – an archival feat that's a real bargain at this price. Heck, some guys would spend an entire career just to excavate and annotate this much great music – yet it's all in a day's work for this legendary label. And we haven't even told you about the actual music yet – but trust us, it's wonderful – the kind of mindblowing 78-era tracks that will really open up your understanding of global sounds! CD

Three classic albums from Shoes, plus bonus tracks, and a full CD worth of rare material too! First up is Present Tense – a power-pop classic from Shoes – their first full length for Elektra Records, and a set that stands with all the best end of 70s gems from either coast! The songs are impeccable, and the group do a fantastic job of blending sharper guitars with really great lyricism – a mode that maybe makes the Illinois group a strong precursor for territory that The Replacements wouldn't hit until many years later – and which makes just about every track on the album a precious nugget that just gets better and better with time! Titles include "Now & Then", "Every Girl", "I Don't Wanna Hear It", "Three Times", "In My Arms Again", and "Too Late". On Tongue Twister, Shoes continue the brilliance of their first album for Elektra – serving up the kind of music that was so well-done, so subtle, it was maybe missed by most of the world at the time – even though it's gone onto the status of classic, thanks to legions of fans and critics! Shoes have a way with a tune that's unlike anyone else – maybe that compressed charm of Big Star, but fused into the sharper modes of the power pop years – but without any of the too commercial modes of some of the bigger groups of the time. Instead, the whole thing feels like you've just stumbled upon a brilliant band, playing in a backroom bar – which, unfortunately, is how Shoes spent too much of their career. Titles include "Only In My Sleep", "She Satisfies", "Found A Girl", "Hate To Run", "When It Hits", "Yes Or No", "Your Imagination", and "Girls Of Today". On Boomerang, Shoes maybe look a bit too new wave on the cover, but still sound perfect within – very much in charge of that perfect yet understated approach to a tune that has gone on to make them legends in all the many years since this album was released! The group were never out to change the world, and maybe that held them back at the time – but they were also never trying for big chart success, or too-slick modes – and there's a wonderfully honest, down to earth approach to the songwriting and production that clearly sets the stage for all the bigger late 80s groups that would follow in their wake. Nearly every tune is a completely catchy mofo – and titles include "Curiosity", "In Her Shadow", "Double Talk", "The Summer Rain", "Under The Gun", "The Tube", and "What Love Means". 4CD set features a huge amount of bonus material – 8 track demo versions of all three albums, added to their discs – and a bonus CD of 18 more rare tracks – all in a box, with a big booklet of notes! CD

An incredible collection – and one that fills in a crucially under-documented side of the New York dancefloor generation – the wealth of special mixes and edits that were made for that city's important DJs for their own use in clubs! The package sorts through a mountain of never-issued acetates, and goes way past conventional disco or rare club collections – to showcase the special mixing talents these DJs brought to their re-presentation of the material – which was usually done on tape, then pressed onto acetate discs for their own private use! Those rare treasures are brought forth here – in a beautiful package that's also overflowing with fantastic notes that finally give this lost history its due – all handled by Al Kent – who's a hell of a mixer himself, as well as an underground club historian. Vinyl part 1 features five different records, all with lots of space for the tunes to stretch out – and titles include "I Just Wanna Say I Love You (John Luongo rmx)" by Leon Collins, "What About Love (Tony Gioe rmx)" by Marboo, "Ten Percent (Walter Gibbons Sunshine Sound acetate edit)" by Double Exposure, "Inside America (Rick Gianatos disco queen acetate edit)" by Juggy Murray Jones, "Dancing Free (John Luongo rmx)" by Hot Ice, "Black Water Gold (Sunshine Sound acetate edit)" by The Sunshine Band, "Magic Bird Of Fire (Francois Kevorkian Sunshine Sound acetate edit)" by Salsoul Orchestra, "It's Good For The Soul (Jay Negron Sunshine Sound acetate edit)" by Salsoul Orchestra, "My Love Is Free (Walter Gibbons disco madness rmx)" by Double Exposure, "Reaching Out For Happiness (Jonathan Fearing rmx)" by Fay Hauser, "Let Me Be Your Fantasy (Tom Savarese rmx)" by Love Symphony Orchestra, "The Beat Goes On & On (Jim Burgess rmx)" by Ripple, "I Wanna Be Near You (John Morales Sunshine Sound acetate edit)" by Ruby Andrews, "I've Been Looking For Somebody (Walter Gibbons rmx)" by TC James & The Fist O Funk Orchestra, "The Disco Scene (Rick Gianatos rmx)" by Lake Shore Drive, "Bumpsie's Whipping Cream (Tom Savarese rmx)" by TC James & The Fist O Funk Orchestra, and "Janice (Bobby DJ Guttadoro rmx)" by Skip Mahoney. LP, Vinyl record album