A great bit of Japanese soul from the end of the 80s – and one that's got a surprising connection to Prince as well – given the man himself wrote some of the tracks, and also appears on the record himself! Apart from Kahoru's Japanese vocals, the Prince tracks are totally Prince numbers – in that he wrote, produced, and performed all the instrumentation – on both "Mind Bells" and "Bliss" – which were then topped by vocals from Kahoru – in a way that's a totally great blend of city pop modes and Prince's funky groove! Other tracks are pretty great too – and feature arrangements that are equally soulful – on titles that include "Dreamer", "Wild Generation", "In The Rain", "Time The Motion", "Silent Blue", and "Everything's All Right". LP, Vinyl record album

Tremendous work from the legendary Prince Lasha – a rare UK-only date from 1966 – and one that has the reedman working away from more familiar contemporaries like Sonny Simmons and Eric Dolphy! The approach on this session is very unique – as Lasha includes harp with the instrumentation, played by David Snell in a style that's right up there with Dorothy Ashby's best jazz work. Pianist Stan Tracey is also on board – playing beautiful notes that have a sharp modern edge, while still falling on the inside of the spectrum – and Lasha himself is especially great – blowing plastic alto sax and wooden flute, both of which have a slightly offbeat sound – but one that's surprisingly warm, which makes the album one of his most sensitive and soulful sessions ever! The tunes are a mix of standards and originals – and there's a wonderful sense of balance here – sounds that are sometimes more inside than other records from Lasha, but which have a really Dolphy-like sense of expression – right at home amidst a wider history of jazz, yet also reaching for new ideas at the same time. Pure genius throughout, and a record that was never made available to audiences in the US. Titles include "Nuttin Out Jones", "Impressions Of Eric Dolphy", "Out Of Nowhere", "Just Friends", "Body & Soul", and "Everything Happens To Me". CD

The birth of new sounds on the New York scene of the 60s – an important early recording that features the team of Prince Lasha on flute and Sonny Simmons on alto – with great contributions from Don Cherry on trumpet and Clifford Jordan on tenor! The work is some of Jordan's most spiritual for the time – and the long tracks on the album spin out with a vibe that's looser and freer than some of the other Lasha/Simmons material of the period – almost with an echo of the loft jazz generation to come, but with more of the rhythmic focus of the work in Jordan's Dolphy Series recordings. Other musicians include Fred Lyman on flugelhorn, Charles Moffett on drums, and both Orville Harrison and Bill Wood on bass – and titles include "Lost Generation", "The Trane", and "Prelude To Bird". LP, Vinyl record album

A pretty amazing set from Esther Phillips – her final album for Kudu – and a beautiful mix of soaring soul sounds from one the most unique, emotionally-inflected soul vocalists of her era! Esther's in prime Kudu mode here – working with jazzy arrangements by David Matthews and Pee Wee Ellis, adding her unique, grit-inflected soul chanteuse vocals to a smoother mix of instrumentation that creates a perfect counterpoint that took her way past her earlier work! There's also a couple of really sweet disco skewed numbers that work incredibly well – with spacier bits of synth and a dancefloor soul bed of percussion and rhythms – and in general, the arrangements are pretty great from track-to-track! Players include Randy Brecker and Mike Brecker on trumpet and tenor sax, Bray Miles on synthesizer, Bobby Lyle on clavinet, Eric Gale on guitar, Joe Farrell on tenor sax and alto flute, percussionist Ralph MacDonald and other excellent name musicians and others bring a grand sweep and sweeter intimacy when the mood requires. Titles include "Magic's In The Air", "A Beautiful Friendship", "Boy I Really Tied One On", "Higher & Higher", and "All The Way Down". LP, Vinyl record album

The record that forever put Prince on the map – a legendary set that took him from being an under-appreciated soul singer to a lasting pop music legend! Prince had been around for a few years before 1999 – but the double-length set was the first to really win over the masses to his genius – and still stands as one of the most perfect blends of soul, funk, and pop that we can ever think of – especially since the man himself pretty much put the whole thing together on his own! The set begins with the classic singles "Little Red Corvette" and "1999" – then soars into lots more gems that include "Let's Pretend We're Married", "Lady Cab Driver", "All The Critics Love U In New York", "International Lover", "DMSR", and "Delirious". CD

The record that forever put Prince on the map – a legendary set that took him from being an under-appreciated soul singer to a lasting pop music legend! Prince had been around for a few years before 1999 – but the double-length set was the first to really win over the masses to his genius – and still stands as one of the most perfect blends of soul, funk, and pop that we can ever think of – especially since the man himself pretty much put the whole thing together on his own! The set begins with the classic singles "Little Red Corvette" and "1999" – then soars into lots more gems that include "Let's Pretend We're Married", "Lady Cab Driver", "All The Critics Love U In New York", "International Lover", "DMSR", and "Delirious". LP, Vinyl record album

A strong effort from the mid 00s revitalized Prince – one that doesn't approach the greatness of the best material, but a graceful and consistent gem nonetheless! As it was done on his big ol' comeback album, Musicology, Prince takes strides to revisit his classic styles on the different tunes, but it doesn't come off as a simple rehash. Each song pretty much finds Prince in a different mode that can be found on a previous LP, but it works because it's so engaged and warm. Latter day Prince really only turns us off when he strains too hard to do something new, and succeeds in our eyes when he simply makes with his trademark pop funk signature sounds we know and love. Notice that no one really succeeds at ripping Prince off? It's because it can't be done. Tracks include "3121", "Lolita", "Te Amo Corazon", "Black Sweat", "Incense And Candles", "Satisfied", "Fury", "The Word", "Beautiful, Loved And Blessed", "The Dance" and "Get On The Boat". CD

A mad bit of psychedelic soul from Prince – a record that sounds better and better over the years, and which stands out from most of his 80s work thanks to some really unique production and songwriting! After Purple Rain, Prince did anything but freeze up in the face of living up to such a massive crossover smash – and instead stepped sideways nicely with a fresh approach to his sound – on a record that puts the "Paisley" in Paisley Park! The album mixes core Prince funk with some nicely playful touches – hardly classic psych, but that refined version that was floating around in the mid 80s – maybe mis-named, but used to great effect here. The album's a gem through and through – and titles include"Raspberry Beret", "Paisley Park","Around The World In A Day", "America", "Temptation", "Pop Life", and "Condition Of The Heart". LP, Vinyl record album

Recorded in 1987, but never officially released until 1994, when Prince was trying to get out of his Warners contract. Prince's attempt to return to his more funky side after flirting with more straight pop songs was a Holy Grail amongst collectors for a time, and though we don't like it as much as his first couple of albums, there are more than a few good moments on here, and it certainly stands up better than most of what came after. 8 songs: "Le Grind", "Cindy C", "Dead On It", "When 2 R In Love", "Bob George", "Superfunkycalifragisexy", "2 Nigs United 4 West Compton" and "Rockhard In A Funky Place". CD

A big new chapter for Prince in the 90s – his first set with the New Power Generation, and a record that definitely has him amping up his game for the decade! There's maybe a bit more sampling here, and a groove that certainly has one ear open for the younger sound of R&B at the time – while still coming across with all that care, class, and top-shelf vibe that made Prince's work of the previous generation such an important funky influence on the younger crowd who were growing up with equal parts soul and hip hop to influence their sound. Tracks include "Daddy Pop", "Diamonds", "Cream", "Insatiable", "Live 4 Love", "Push", "Money Don't Matter 2 Night", "Jughead", "Gett Off", "Walk Don't Walk", "Strollin", and "Willing & Able". CD

A big new chapter for Prince in the 90s – his first set with the New Power Generation, and a record that definitely has him amping up his game for the decade! There's maybe a bit more sampling here, and a groove that certainly has one ear open for the younger sound of R&B at the time – while still coming across with all that care, class, and top-shelf vibe that made Prince's work of the previous generation such an important funky influence on the younger crowd who were growing up with equal parts soul and hip hop to influence their sound. Tracks include "Daddy Pop", "Diamonds", "Cream", "Insatiable", "Live 4 Love", "Push", "Money Don't Matter 2 Night", "Jughead", "Gett Off", "Walk Don't Walk", "Strollin", and "Willing & Able". CD

A big new chapter for Prince in the 90s – his first set with the New Power Generation, and a record that definitely has him amping up his game for the decade! There's maybe a bit more sampling here, and a groove that certainly has one ear open for the younger sound of R&B at the time – while still coming across with all that care, class, and top-shelf vibe that made Prince's work of the previous generation such an important funky influence on the younger crowd who were growing up with equal parts soul and hip hop to influence their sound. Tracks include "Daddy Pop", "Diamonds", "Cream", "Insatiable", "Live 4 Love", "Push", "Money Don't Matter 2 Night", "Jughead", "Gett Off", "Walk Don't Walk", "Strollin", and "Willing & Able". LP, Vinyl record album

A big new chapter for Prince in the 90s – his first set with the New Power Generation, and a record that definitely has him amping up his game for the decade! There's maybe a bit more sampling here, and a groove that certainly has one ear open for the younger sound of R&B at the time – while still coming across with all that care, class, and top-shelf vibe that made Prince's work of the previous generation such an important funky influence on the younger crowd who were growing up with equal parts soul and hip hop to influence their sound. Tracks include "Daddy Pop", "Diamonds", "Cream", "Insatiable", "Live 4 Love", "Push", "Money Don't Matter 2 Night", "Jughead", "Gett Off", "Walk Don't Walk", "Strollin", and "Willing & Able". 2CD version features lots of bonus material – the tracks "Horny Pony", "Gangster Glam", "Call The Law", and "Violet The Organ Grinder" - plus remixes that include "Gett Off (damn near 10 minutes)", "Gett Off (houstyle)", Do Your Dance (KC's rmx)", "Insatiable (edit)", "Cream (NPG mix #1)", "Thunder (DJ fade)", "Willing & Able (video version)", "Money Don't Matter 2 Night (edit)", "Things Have Gotta Change (Tony M rap)", and "Diamonds & Pearls (edit)". CD

A big new chapter for Prince in the 90s – his first set with the New Power Generation, and a record that definitely has him amping up his game for the decade! There's maybe a bit more sampling here, and a groove that certainly has one ear open for the younger sound of R&B at the time – while still coming across with all that care, class, and top-shelf vibe that made Prince's work of the previous generation such an important funky influence on the younger crowd who were growing up with equal parts soul and hip hop to influence their sound. Tracks include "Daddy Pop", "Diamonds", "Cream", "Insatiable", "Live 4 Love", "Push", "Money Don't Matter 2 Night", "Jughead", "Gett Off", "Walk Don't Walk", "Strollin", and "Willing & Able". 4LP deluxe edition features lots of bonus material – the tracks "Horny Pony", "Gangster Glam", "Call The Law", and "Violet The Organ Grinder" - plus remixes that include "Gett Off (damn near 10 minutes)", "Gett Off (houstyle)", Do Your Dance (KC's rmx)", "Insatiable (edit)", "Cream (NPG mix #1)", "Thunder (DJ fade)", "Willing & Able (video version)", "Money Don't Matter 2 Night (edit)", "Things Have Gotta Change (Tony M rap)", and "Diamonds & Pearls (edit)". LP, Vinyl record album

A big new chapter for Prince in the 90s – his first set with the New Power Generation, and a record that definitely has him amping up his game for the decade! There's maybe a bit more sampling here, and a groove that certainly has one ear open for the younger sound of R&B at the time – while still coming across with all that care, class, and top-shelf vibe that made Prince's work of the previous generation such an important funky influence on the younger crowd who were growing up with equal parts soul and hip hop to influence their sound. Tracks include "Daddy Pop", "Diamonds", "Cream", "Insatiable", "Live 4 Love", "Push", "Money Don't Matter 2 Night", "Jughead", "Gett Off", "Walk Don't Walk", "Strollin", and "Willing & Able". CD

A big new chapter for Prince in the 90s – his first set with the New Power Generation, and a record that definitely has him amping up his game for the decade! There's maybe a bit more sampling here, and a groove that certainly has one ear open for the younger sound of R&B at the time – while still coming across with all that care, class, and top-shelf vibe that made Prince's work of the previous generation such an important funky influence on the younger crowd who were growing up with equal parts soul and hip hop to influence their sound. Tracks include "Daddy Pop", "Diamonds", "Cream", "Insatiable", "Live 4 Love", "Push", "Money Don't Matter 2 Night", "Jughead", "Gett Off", "Walk Don't Walk", "Strollin", and "Willing & Able". CD

A great return to form for Prince – even though at the time, we all had to refer to him with an unpronounceable symbol! There's a lean, funky vibe to most of the record – almost a step back to the unified group approach of his mid 80s classics – and even though a few sonic elements have been updated, they changes have been done in the best way possible – partly by absorbing some of the new pop psychedelic touches that Prince himself had unlocked back in the 80s, filtered into the work of others, and which are taken back here with great modifications that really sound great next to the grooves! Titles include "The Most Beautiful Girl In The World", "We March", "Now", "319", "Billy Jack Bitch", "Eye Hate U", "P Control", and "Shy" – plus a number of short "NPG Operator" tracks. CD

A fantastic setting for "If I Was Your Girlfriend" – a wonderfully nasty slow funk number from Prince – backed here by the even-better "Shockadelica" – a fuzzy, raspy number that wasn't issued on any full length album at the time! 12-inch, Vinyl record

The fourth Prince soundtrack in less than a decade – and a record that follows nicely after Purple Rain, Batman, and Parade, but with a slightly different spirit too – thanks to an ever-expanding Paisley Park family that included George Clinton, Morris Day, and Mavis Staples! The older funk acts are fine, and add to the spice – but it's clear that the main attraction here is Prince, although The Time are pretty darn welcome too! The set features vocal performances from Tevin Campbell, George Clinton, Mavis Staples, TC Ellis, and Robin Power – and titles include "New Power Generation", "Can't Stop This Feeling I Got", "Love Machine", "Tick Tick Bang", "Shake", "Thieves In The Temple", "Still Would Stand All Time", "Graffiti Bridge", and "The Latest Fashion". CD

The fourth Prince soundtrack in less than a decade – and a record that follows nicely after Purple Rain, Batman, and Parade, but with a slightly different spirit too – thanks to an ever-expanding Paisley Park family that included George Clinton, Morris Day, and Mavis Staples! The older funk acts are fine, and add to the spice – but it's clear that the main attraction here is Prince, although The Time are pretty darn welcome too! The set features vocal performances from Tevin Campbell, George Clinton, Mavis Staples, TC Ellis, and Robin Power – and titles include "New Power Generation", "Can't Stop This Feeling I Got", "Love Machine", "Tick Tick Bang", "Shake", "Thieves In The Temple", "Still Would Stand All Time", "Graffiti Bridge", and "The Latest Fashion". LP, Vinyl record album

Prince in a grand groove – really hitting a new level of funk with a razor-sharp edge – and even blowing away some of his work on previous records! The record's a soundtrack for a film – Under The Cherry Moon – and although that movie never had the success of Purple Rain, we actually think it left behind an even stronger musical legacy – one that has Prince finding even more of a funky voice than before, with so many wonderfully freaky twists and turns! The music never got the showcase it might have deserved, because of the failure of the film – but it's one of our favorite Prince albums ever, and includes the massively funky "Kiss", the closest Prince ever got to James Brown, The whole album's got some great sweeping, pop psyche orchestral arrangements by Clare Fischer – and titles include "Christopher Tracey's Parade", "I Wonder U", "Under The Cherry Moon", "Girls & Boys", and "Anotherloverholenyohead". CD

One of the greatest crossover albums of the 80s – and the record that catapulted Prince very firmly into the mainstream! There's a tightness here that surpasses even that of Prince's early classics for Warner Brothers – an unabashed love of a pop hook that makes for some incredibly catchy tunes that are still delivered with a nice funky undercurrent. The whole Prince family is at the top of their game at this point – and titles include "Darling Nikki", "Let's Go Crazy", "I Would Die 4 U", "When Doves Cry", "Baby I'm A Star", and "Purple Rain". This fantastic 3CD/DVD version features a completely new 2015 Paisley Park remaster of the album, done by Prince – plus a full CD that features unreleased songs and tracks from the vaults – with titles that include "Katrina's Paper Dolls", "We Can F**k", "Father's Song", "Possessed", "Computer Blue (hallway speech version)", "Love & Sex", "The Dance Electric", "Our Destiny/Roadhouse Garden", "Wonderful Ass", "Velvet Kitty Cat", and "Electric Intercourse (studio version)". CD3 features lots of rare single edits and non-LP b-sides – with tracks that include "Erotic City", "Let's Go Crazy (special dance mix)", "17 Days (edit)", "Baby I'm A Star (edit)", "I Would Die 4 U (extended)", "Another Lonely Christmas (extended)", "Take Me With U (edit)", "God (edit)", "When Doves Cry (7" edit)", and "God (inst)". DVD features a never-issued concert performance, recorded at the Carrier Dome in Syracuse in March of 1985 – with 19 songs in all! CD

A set that came out at the end of the 90s, but which features unreleased material from earlier years – which you might have guessed, given the "vault" in the title! The set has tracks that go all the way back to the mid 80s, but is mostly focused on the final years when Prince was working with Warner Brothers – including some when he'd dropped his name – and overall, although there's no huge hits here, the material from Prince's cutting room floor is still head and shoulders above most from the rest – tight, funky, and full of catchy hooks! Titles include "My Little Pill", "Extraordinary", "Rest Of My Life", "It's About That Walk", "She Spoke 2 Me", "5 Women", and "When The Lights Go Down". LP, Vinyl record album

One of Prince's biggest tunes ever – and a track that still sounds surprisingly great to our ears these days – funky, chunky, and completely catchy – with a hook that shouldn't go over so well, but really sends the tune home time and time again! "17 Days" is great too – a deeper, almost story-type cut that points the way towards some of Prince's music on albums to come – but still with all the fantastic groove of the Purple Rain era! If you ever needed the kind of cut to show you what Prince did that was so special, "17 Days" might be the one. 12-inch, Vinyl record

This is sort of a Prince Jammy riff on the format of the popular Junjo Lawes-produced Scientist dub series. Nonetheless, he steps up to bat, and indeed defeats the evil planet munchers, with the able help of the Roots Radics rhytnm section. Recorded at Channel One and mixed at Tubby's – and how can you argue with that!? Fat, heavy rhythms dubbed into deep, deep outer space by the heir to the throne! 8 tracks in all, including "Conspiracy On Neptune", "Saturn Bombardment", "Attack on Ganymede", "Martian Encounter", "The Great Red Spot", "Life On Uranus", "Final Destruction" and "War In The Asteroid Belt". LP, Vinyl record album

Prince Jammy's Computerized Dub – a quintessential set of beeping, bouncing Casio driven jams from the originator of the Jamaican digital tone! Steely and Cleavie were still under Jammy's tutelage and they are part of the driving force behind these nice mid 80s rhythms. 10 tracks in all, including "Synchro Start", "Interface", "32 Bit Chip", "Auto Rhythm", "Peek & Poke", "Megabyte", "Wafer Scale Integration", "Crosstalk", "Modem" and "256K Ram". LP, Vinyl record album

A classic of spiritual jazz! The album is one of the few rare pairings of Sonny Simmons and Prince Lasha from the 60s – and it's arguably the greatest album they ever cut! The set was recorded for the Contemporary label in LA, but it's far far different than the cool jazz that was the label's stock in trade during most of the 50s – done instead with a pulsating spiritual feel that really takes off as the album progresses! The lineup features the twin-reed frontline of Lasha on flute and Simmons on alto, plus an amazing rhythm section that includes 2 bass players (Gary Peacock and Mark Procter), who really give the tunes a pulsating feel overall – plus drums by Gene Stone. Titles include the famous groover "Congo Call", plus the tracks "AY", "Lost Generation", "Red's Mood", and "Green & Gold". LP, Vinyl record album

One of Lasha & Simmons firey collaborations from the mid 60's! Both players are at the top of their form, and the backing – by Bobby Hutcherson, Buster Williams, and Charles Moffett – provides a hard rythmic drive that sets their solos on edge and really gives them focus. Lasha plays flute, alto, and alto clarinet, and Simmons plays alto and a bit of English horn. Great stuff, and beautiful mix of out sensibilities and tight rhythm playing. With the tracks "Island Song", "Firebirds", and "Psalms Of Solomon". CD

A huge batch of material in one well-done set – a package that brings together four classic late 70s albums in a dee jay style – all produced by Joe Gibbs, and two of which have never been on CD before – all with bonus tracks and the usual top-shelf Doctor Bird presentation! As the dee jay mode rose up strongly in Jamaica during the mid 70s, Joe Gibbs was one of the key producers to really get the sound just right – layering the spoken, sing-song vocals over heavy rhythms in just the right way – less abstract than dub tracks, but also a lot looser and more flowing than more mainstream work of the time – especially in comparison to some of the big global reggae hits. At the time of such fame, Gibbs just dug deeper with material of this nature – served up here on the albums Three Piece Suit by Trinity, Under Heavy Manners by Prince Far I, Natty Superstar by Ranking Joe, and Inna Him Head by Prince Mohammed – the last two of which have never been on CD. The set's got 44 tracks in all – which includes bonus titles too! CD

A mad bit of psychedelic soul from Prince – a record that sounds better and better over the years, and which stands out from most of his 80s work thanks to some really unique production and songwriting! After Purple Rain, Prince did anything but freeze up in the face of living up to such a massive crossover smash – and instead stepped sideways nicely with a fresh approach to his sound – on a record that puts the "Paisley" in Paisley Park! The album mixes core Prince funk with some nicely playful touches – hardly classic psych, but that refined version that was floating around in the mid 80s – maybe mis-named, but used to great effect here. The album's a gem through and through – and titles include"Raspberry Beret", "Paisley Park","Around The World In A Day", "America", "Temptation", "Pop Life", and "Condition Of The Heart". CD

The more stylistically sprawling of the 2 albums Prince released upon returning to Warner Brothers in 2014 – nicely recalling some of his better later 80s and early 90s material, post-Sign O The Times craft – but still moving forward, as opposed to reliving past glories! Art Official Age finds Mr. Nelson working in myriad strains of eccentric, 80s-learned pop, soul and funk – in a voice that's held up impossibly well over the years. This one is credited to Prince alone, but features backing by his 3rdeyegirl rock band, Marissa Jack, aka Golden Hippie, Paloma Ayana and others. Everything from tripped out cosmic soul pop, to electro funk and psych soul guitar jams – Prince will be Prince! Includes the title track, "Clouds", "Breakdown", "The Gold Standard", "Breakfast Can Wait", "This Could Be Us", "Way Back Home", "Affirmation" (parts I, II & III), "Time" and more. CD

The last album before becoming the Artist Formerly Known As Prince. Much better than you might expect from an album that appeared, at least at the time, to have been pulled mostly from his huge archive of tapes, with a sound that seems to date it from the surrounding New Power Generation years. Includes "Pheromone", "Papa", "Race", "Come", "Space", "Loose!", "Dark", "Solo", "Letitgo" and "Orgasm". CD

A big new chapter for Prince in the 90s – his first set with the New Power Generation, and a record that definitely has him amping up his game for the decade! There's maybe a bit more sampling here, and a groove that certainly has one ear open for the younger sound of R&B at the time – while still coming across with all that care, class, and top-shelf vibe that made Prince's work of the previous generation such an important funky influence on the younger crowd who were growing up with equal parts soul and hip hop to influence their sound. Tracks include "Daddy Pop", "Diamonds", "Cream", "Insatiable", "Live 4 Love", "Push", "Money Don't Matter 2 Night", "Jughead", "Gett Off", "Walk Don't Walk", "Strollin", and "Willing & Able". CD

A big new chapter for Prince in the 90s – his first set with the New Power Generation, and a record that definitely has him amping up his game for the decade! There's maybe a bit more sampling here, and a groove that certainly has one ear open for the younger sound of R&B at the time – while still coming across with all that care, class, and top-shelf vibe that made Prince's work of the previous generation such an important funky influence on the younger crowd who were growing up with equal parts soul and hip hop to influence their sound. Tracks include "Daddy Pop", "Diamonds", "Cream", "Insatiable", "Live 4 Love", "Push", "Money Don't Matter 2 Night", "Jughead", "Gett Off", "Walk Don't Walk", "Strollin", and "Willing & Able". LP, Vinyl record album

An overlooked record in the grand scheme – which is unforgivable in our book! This self-titled album is Prince's second album, and already his vision is becoming a little more focused, and you can really hear the seeds of his later efforts – a really remarkable, unique, and fascinating record that stands up with some of his best work, and bucks all late 70s trends and cliches in pop, soul and funk! In some ways this is one of our favorite Prince records, as it has a kind of intimacy that was lacking on later sets – or maybe because the hit "I Wanna Be Your Lover" has such a mad groove! "Why You Wanna Treat Me So Bad" has the sly sound that would run throughout the rest of Prince's better work for years to come – and Chaka Khan would later cover "I Feel for You", and hit large with it in the 80s. Also includes "Sexy Dancer", "With You" and "When We're Dancing Close & Slow". LP, Vinyl record album

An overlooked record in the grand scheme – which is unforgivable in our book! This self-titled album is Prince's second album, and already his vision is becoming a little more focused, and you can really hear the seeds of his later efforts – a really remarkable, unique, and fascinating record that stands up with some of his best work, and bucks all late 70s trends and cliches in pop, soul and funk! In some ways this is one of our favorite Prince records, as it has a kind of intimacy that was lacking on later sets – or maybe because the hit "I Wanna Be Your Lover" has such a mad groove! "Why You Wanna Treat Me So Bad" has the sly sound that would run throughout the rest of Prince's better work for years to come – and Chaka Khan would later cover "I Feel for You", and hit large with it in the 80s. Also includes "Sexy Dancer", "With You" and "When We're Dancing Close & Slow". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the greatest crossover albums of the 80s – and the record that catapulted Prince very firmly into the mainstream! There's a tightness here that surpasses even that of Prince's early classics for Warner Brothers – an unabashed love of a pop hook that makes for some incredibly catchy tunes that are still delivered with a nice funky undercurrent. The whole Prince family is at the top of their game at this point – and titles include "Darling Nikki", "Let's Go Crazy", "I Would Die 4 U", "When Doves Cry", "Baby I'm A Star", and "Purple Rain". LP, Vinyl record album

Possibly the only good thing to come out of the first Batman movie – and certainly a lot better than Prince's score for the film – this is an extended 20-minute slow jam suite, with a guest appearance by Kim Basinger, and some of the last real sexy musical work that Prince ever did! It's backed by the tracks "Sex" and "When 2 R In Love". CD

A set that came out at the end of the 90s, but which features unreleased material from earlier years – which you might have guessed, given the "vault" in the title! The set has tracks that go all the way back to the mid 80s, but is mostly focused on the final years when Prince was working with Warner Brothers – including some when he'd dropped his name – and overall, although there's no huge hits here, the material from Prince's cutting room floor is still head and shoulders above most from the rest – tight, funky, and full of catchy hooks! Titles include "My Little Pill", "Extraordinary", "Rest Of My Life", "It's About That Walk", "She Spoke 2 Me", "5 Women", and "When The Lights Go Down".". CD

Prince Far I issued a number of classic Cry Tuff albums on the On-U Sound label back in the 80s, all under his own name – but this similarly-titled set brings together tracks the legendary Jamaican MC did with other acts on the label – including Singers & Players and Creation Rebel! Prince Far I was taken from the planet in the early 80s – too soon to see the success of his work with Adrian Sherwood and the label – and this set stands as another tribute to their brief moment of genius, with cuts that include "91 Vibration", "Autobiography", "Calling Over The Distant Sea", "Nuclear Weapon", "Dreadlock Soldier", "Prodigal Son", "In I Father's House", "Quante Jubila", and "Beware The Flying Predator". LP, Vinyl record album

Rare work from two albums by Prince Lasha – the spiritual reed player who cut some incredible work in the 60s with Sonny Simmons! First up on the set is the Inside Story album – a session recorded in 1965, featuring Lasha on flute and alto, in a quartet with Herbie Hancock, Cecil McBee, and Jimmy Lovelace. The tracks are extended and soulful – with some of the freedoms of the post-Dolphy years, but handled in a way that's got more of a 70s soul jazz approach. Titles include "Ethereal", "Flight", "Kwadwo Safari", and "Inside Story". Next up are tracks from the album Search For Tomorrow – a 1974 live set recorded at the Berkeley Jazz Festival, with a group that includes Ron Carter, Hubert Eaves, and Roy McCurdy. Lasha plays flute, alto, and baritone – and the tracks are longer, with a more stretched out 70s spiritual approach – never "out", but exploratory and searching. Titles include "For The Child", "Search For Tomorrow", and "Mayflower". CD

A classic of spiritual jazz! The album is one of the few rare pairings of Sonny Simmons and Prince Lasha from the 60s – and it's arguably the greatest album they ever cut! The set was recorded for the Contemporary label in LA, but it's far far different than the cool jazz that was the label's stock in trade during most of the 50s – done instead with a pulsating spiritual feel that really takes off as the album progresses! The lineup features the twin-reed frontline of Lasha on flute and Simmons on alto, plus an amazing rhythm section that includes 2 bass players (Gary Peacock and Mark Procter), who really give the tunes a pulsating feel overall – plus drums by Gene Stone. Titles include the famous groover "Congo Call", plus the tracks "AY", "Lost Generation", "Red's Mood", and "Green & Gold". CD

A stellar collection of singles by one of the great voices of Jamaican music – Dennis Brown, The Crown Prince Of Reggae – singles from the early 70s to mid 80s! The 2 CDs features 40 great tracks – with backing by The Taxi Gang, The Professionals, Derrick Harriott & Crystalistes, Aggrovators & Roots Radics. Titles include "Musical Heatwave", "Let Me Down Easy", "Concentration", "Don't Yo Cry", "Let Love In", "Satisfaction Feeling", "Rocking Time", "Breaking Down The Barrier", "Whip Them Jah Jah", "Equal Rights", "Words Of Wisdom", "Revolution", "Love Light", "and more. The DVD includes Dennis Brown Live At Montreux, 1979 – backed by Lloyd Parks And We The People Band, and titles include "So Jah Story", "Wolves & Leopards", "Ain't That Lovin You", "Don't Feel No Way", "Money In My Pocket" and more. CD

A wonderfully dark soundtrack to this underrated Sidney Lumet thriller from the early 80s – a set of off-key strings and soundscapes, composed by Paul Chihara, and counducted by Georges Delerue. The feel of the record is like the best parts of the Taxi Driver soundtrack – traditional in scope, but with a feel that rips through the darkness of New York in the 70s. Titles include "I Did Some Things", "The Confession", "The Decision/The Ride", "The Set Up", and "Little Italy". LP, Vinyl record album

An album as lovely as its title, and John Fahey's 8th record – mostly solo guitar, but with guest drums and bass on 2 cuts – "March For Martin Luther King" and "Dance of The Inhabitants Of The Invisible City Of Bladensburg". The sound is extremely magical – introspective, yet far-seeing – with that fragile sense of being in the world that's made Fahey's work endure far longer than that of most of his contemporaries. Other titles include "Irish Setter", "Commemorative Transfiguration & Communion At Magruder Park", and "Lion". CD

A key moment of transition for Prince – a set that's got him toning down the longer-haired look of previous records, and going for the new wave sense of style that would help him cross into many audiences in years to come! Controversy still has Prince singing to the already-converted, but the record's full of moments of stardom to come – blending the open sexuality of his previous records with an even sharper sense of hook and tunefulness! There's a slight touch of politics here, hinted at by the cover – but the driving force is the desire of the man himself, as he performs and produces himself on titles that include "Controversy", "Jack U Off", "Do Me Baby", "Let's Work", "Annie Christian", "Ronnie Talk To Russia", and "Sexuality". CD

The amazing debut of Prince – a record that virtually snuck onto the market at the time of its release, but which has gone on to become the launching pad for one of the greatest recorded legacies in soul music! The whole thing has a really lean, stripped-down sort of sound – one that testifies to the fact that the man himself produced and performed the whole thing – almost as if Prince were up there in Minneapolis, looking at all the overblown funk ensemble and disco records of the time, and decided to throw his own hat in the ring with a great variation of the funk sound of the 70s! The lean quality puts the record in a legacy that also includes 70s work by Shuggie Otis and Timmy Thomas – but that star quality that was about to make Prince huge is already firmly in place – on titles that include "For You", "Soft & Wet", "Crazy You", "Just As Long As We're Together", "My Love Is Forever", "I'm Yours", "So Blue", "In Love", and "Baby". CD

The amazing debut of Prince – a record that virtually snuck onto the market at the time of its release, but which has gone on to become the launching pad for one of the greatest recorded legacies in soul music! The whole thing has a really lean, stripped-down sort of sound – one that testifies to the fact that the man himself produced and performed the whole thing – almost as if Prince were up there in Minneapolis, looking at all the overblown funk ensemble and disco records of the time, and decided to throw his own hat in the ring with a great variation of the funk sound of the 70s! The lean quality puts the record in a legacy that also includes 70s work by Shuggie Otis and Timmy Thomas – but that star quality that was about to make Prince huge is already firmly in place – on titles that include "For You", "Soft & Wet", "Crazy You", "Just As Long As We're Together", "My Love Is Forever", "I'm Yours", "So Blue", "In Love", and "Baby". LP, Vinyl record album

Classic! Although folks had been saying for years that Prince was funky, "Kiss" was the first tune to really have him going to town on the instruments – in a way that we always expect from a true funk act, but not so much for the pop charts – reason alone to adore this one! The track snaps along with an intensity that makes it an instant classic groover – and flip side "Love Or Money" is a pretty nice track too! 12-inch, Vinyl record

An overlooked record in the grand scheme – which is unforgivable in our book! This self-titled album is Prince's second album, and already his vision is becoming a little more focused, and you can really hear the seeds of his later efforts – a really remarkable, unique, and fascinating record that stands up with some of his best work, and bucks all late 70s trends and cliches in pop, soul and funk! In some ways this is one of our favorite Prince records, as it has a kind of intimacy that was lacking on later sets – or maybe because the hit "I Wanna Be Your Lover" has such a mad groove! "Why You Wanna Treat Me So Bad" has the sly sound that would run throughout the rest of Prince's better work for years to come – and Chaka Khan would later cover "I Feel for You", and hit large with it in the 80s. Also includes "Sexy Dancer", "With You" and "When We're Dancing Close & Slow". CD

A sweet sweet classic from Prince – a tune that was hailed as a move to psychedelic modes at the time, but which was really just a way for the singer to open up a whole new side of his talents! "Raspberry Beret" is wonderfully catchy – but it's also got a groove that's maybe a bit less sexy than some other Prince material – almost as if he's more laidback and confident, he can just breeze into the tune in a mighty nice way. The flipside's equally nice – and the single's one of the classic pic sleeve 12" from Prince's huge 80s run! 12-inch, Vinyl record

Sure, the politics seem a bit silly now – but the track's still one of Prince's last really compelling hits. It's got a totally infectious hook, a spare Timmy Thomas-ish beat, and a strangely captivating vocal that really sticks with us. 7-inch, Vinyl record

A really fantastic album from Prince – recorded in 2010, and unreleased at the time – but clearly one of the greatest things he gave us in the final decade of his life! This isn't uncooked demo material, or under-thought studio tracks – and instead, the whole thing is a fully-formed record with a message that really comes through in the title – more political Prince than usual, with an eye for our nation that rivals Sign O The Times! It may be that back when Prince recorded the set, the time wasn't right for the message – but these tracks definitely hit home now – and are often delivered in this sinister slow funk mode that really fits the lyrics – almost as if Prince were trying to give the world his version of a righteous 70s album on Curtom Records. Titles include "Running Game", "Born 2 Die", "Welcome 2 America", "Check The Record", "Hot Summer", "Stand Up & B Strong", "Same Page Different Book", and "One Day We Will All B Free". CD

A stunning collection of rare productions from the legendary Prince Buster – and a set that features a fair bit of previously unreleased material! If you know Prince Buster at all, you'll know that he's a very special sort of talent – one who worked heavily during the ska years, but whose sounds and styles were always of a unique variety – sometimes with rough soul elements that almost pave the way for funk, sometimes with jazzier inflections that go back to earlier generations of Jamaican music – and always with this full-on studio style that's perfect on both vocal and instrumental tracks! This CD brings together 20 tracks in all, at least half of which are unreleased – and titles include "Pink Night" and "Hey Train" by Buster All Stars, "Roll On Charles Street" and "Almost Like Being In Love" by Roland Alphonso, "Raindrops Falling" by Derrick & Patsy, "Only Soul Can Tell" by Dakota Jim, "Prince Of Peace" by Buster All Stars, "Stop That Train" by Spanish Town Skabeats, "Raining Outside" by Raymond Harper, "Vietnam" and "Sudden Attack" by Don Drummond, and the tracks "Sunshine With My Girl", "I Won't Let You Cry", "I'm Sorry", "High Blood Pressure", "Rude Rude Rudie", and "Islam" by Prince Buster himself – plus "Stir The Pot" by Prince Buster with Derrick Morgan, Eric Morris, and Patsy. CD

The first 5 issues of the legendary Wax Poetics – the one-and-only genius publication dedicated to the art of crate-digging, aka funky soul & hip hop vinyl archeology – collected in this massive hardcover tome! Anthology Vol 1 tackles the essential chore of bringing those earliest Wax Poetics issues – which are for the most part long out of print and as tough to track down as some of the wax the mag covers – available once again with some additional illustrations, to boot! All of those great pieces– from the groundbreaking debut issue of December 2001 up to issue 5 in summer 2003 – covering Idris Muhammad, Pretty Purdie, Weldon Irvine, Manzel, Fania Records, King Tubby, Prince Paul, RZA, Louis Vega and so much more! The photos and illustrations pop even more in this larger scare format – with loads of period photography, shots in the studio, and all of those delicious dust jacket photo discoveries. Beautiful, essential, and long overdue! Hardcover, 241 pages, and bursting with beautiful images and illustrations! Book

An album as lovely as its title, and John Fahey's 8th record – mostly solo guitar, but with guest drums and bass on 2 cuts – "March For Martin Luther King" and "Dance of The Inhabitants Of The Invisible City Of Bladensburg". The sound is extremely magical – introspective, yet far-seeing – with that fragile sense of being in the world that's made Fahey's work endure far longer than that of most of his contemporaries. Other titles include "Irish Setter", "Commemorative Transfiguration & Communion At Magruder Park", and "Lion". LP, Vinyl record album

The Indigo Trio – flautist Nicole Mitchell, double bassist and pianist Harrison Bankhead and drummer Hamid Drake – accompanied by fellow flautist Michel Edelin on this Rogue Art set! Ethiopian Princess Meets The Tantric Priest may be at its core a prime pairing of 2 of the most creative flute players on the planet, but the other players have ample space to do their thing – lots of it! 2 brilliantly communicative, yet distinct flutes, supported and matched by Bankhead and Drake masterfully. Half of the set is credited as Nicole Mitchell compositions: 'Top Secret", "Inside The Earth", "Wind Current" and "Ambre Sunset" – plus Edelin's "Derives" and "Call Back", Bankhead's "Return Of The Sun" and the stellar title piece, credited to the group. CD

The birth of new sounds on the New York scene of the 60s – an important early recording that features the team of Prince Lasha on flute and Sonny Simmons on alto – with great contributions from Don Cherry on trumpet and Clifford Jordan on tenor! The work is some of Jordan's most spiritual for the time – and the long tracks on the album spin out with a vibe that's looser and freer than some of the other Lasha/Simmons material of the period – almost with an echo of the loft jazz generation to come, but with more of the rhythmic focus of the work in Jordan's Dolphy Series recordings. Other musicians include Fred Lyman on flugelhorn, Charles Moffett on drums, and both Orville Harrison and Bill Wood on bass – and titles include "Lost Generation", "The Trane", and "Prelude To Bird". LP, Vinyl record album

The record that forever put Prince on the map – a legendary set that took him from being an under-appreciated soul singer to a lasting pop music legend! Prince had been around for a few years before 1999 – but the double-length set was the first to really win over the masses to his genius – and still stands as one of the most perfect blends of soul, funk, and pop that we can ever think of – especially since the man himself pretty much put the whole thing together on his own! The set begins with the classic singles "Little Red Corvette" and "1999" – then soars into lots more gems that include "Let's Pretend We're Married", "Lady Cab Driver", "All The Critics Love U In New York", "International Lover", "DMSR", and "Delirious". A massive box set – with 5 full CDs and a DVD too! CD2 is a collection of rare promo mixes and b-sides – with titles that include "1999 (7" mono promo only edit)", "Free (promo only edit)", "How Come U Don't Call Me Anymore", "Lady Cab Driver (7" edit)", "Little Red Corvette (dance rmx promo-only edit)", "Horny Toad", "Automatic (video version)", "Let's Pretend We're Married (video)", "Irresistible Bitch", "Let's Pretend We're Married (7" mono promo only edit)", and "DMSR (edit)". CD3 and CD4 each feature rare tracks from the vault – all but one of which are unissued – titles that include "Purple Music", "Yah You Know", "If It'll Make U Happy", "Colleen", "Bold Generation", "Turn It Up", "Feel U Up", "Money Don't Grown On Trees", "Vagina", "Rearrange", "Teacher Teacher", "Don't Let Him Fool Ya", "Do Yourself A Favor", and "Can't Stop This Feeling I Got" – plus a tour demo medley, "Lady Cab Driver/I Wanna Be Your Lover/Head/Little Red Corvette". CD5 features a show recorded live in Detroit on November 30, 1982 – with 12 tracks in all. DVD features a Live In Houston performance from December 29, 1982 – with 12 more tracks, including a rare "piano improvisation". CD

Recorded in 1987, but never officially released until 1994, when Prince was trying to get out of his Warners contract. Prince's attempt to return to his more funky side after flirting with more straight pop songs was a Holy Grail amongst collectors for a time, and though we don't like it as much as his first couple of albums, there are more than a few good moments on here, and it certainly stands up better than most of what came after. 8 songs: "Le Grind", "Cindy C", "Dead On It", "When 2 R In Love", "Bob George", "Superfunkycalifragisexy", "2 Nigs United 4 West Compton" and "Rockhard In A Funky Place". CD

A key moment of transition for Prince – a set that's got him toning down the longer-haired look of previous records, and going for the new wave sense of style that would help him cross into many audiences in years to come! Controversy still has Prince singing to the already-converted, but the record's full of moments of stardom to come – blending the open sexuality of his previous records with an even sharper sense of hook and tunefulness! There's a slight touch of politics here, hinted at by the cover – but the driving force is the desire of the man himself, as he performs and produces himself on titles that include "Controversy", "Jack U Off", "Do Me Baby", "Let's Work", "Annie Christian", "Ronnie Talk To Russia", and "Sexuality". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the first really breakout funky numbers from Prince – an anthemic groover that was also the title cut to his album of the same name! "Controversy" never sounded so good – with popping bass and sweetly gliding keys that emphasize the grooves! 7-inch, Vinyl record

The amazing debut of Prince – a record that virtually snuck onto the market at the time of its release, but which has gone on to become the launching pad for one of the greatest recorded legacies in soul music! The whole thing has a really lean, stripped-down sort of sound – one that testifies to the fact that the man himself produced and performed the whole thing – almost as if Prince were up there in Minneapolis, looking at all the overblown funk ensemble and disco records of the time, and decided to throw his own hat in the ring with a great variation of the funk sound of the 70s! The lean quality puts the record in a legacy that also includes 70s work by Shuggie Otis and Timmy Thomas – but that star quality that was about to make Prince huge is already firmly in place – on titles that include "For You", "Soft & Wet", "Crazy You", "Just As Long As We're Together", "My Love Is Forever", "I'm Yours", "So Blue", "In Love", and "Baby". LP, Vinyl record album

Titles include "When Doves Cry", "Pop Life", "When You Were Mine", "Sign O The Times", "Diamonds & Pearls", "Nothing Compares 2 U", "I Feel For You", "Let's Go Crazy", "1999", and "I Could Never Take The Place Of Your Man". CD

Classic! Although folks had been saying for years that Prince was funky, "Kiss" was the first tune to really have him going to town on the instruments – in a way that we always expect from a true funk act, but not so much for the pop charts – reason alone to adore this one! The track snaps along with an intensity that makes it an instant classic groover – and flip side "Love Or Money" is a pretty nice track too! 7-inch, Vinyl record

A fantastic collection of unreleased material from Prince – not spare demos or home recordings, or studio snippets either – but instead some fully-formed songs that come right from the glory days of the singer's career! Almost all the material here is from the early 80s – and most tracks were later recorded by other artists in the Prince spectrum – including The Time, Apollonia 6, Mazarti, The Family, Jill Jones, and Sheila E – but are done here by the man himself, with all of the slinky, funky qualities that he brought to his own music at the time – qualities that are especially well-noted on some of the other cuts that were recorded by The Bangles and Kenny Rogers – which really feel different in the hands of Prince. Titles include "Love Thy Will Be Done", "Nothing Compares 2 U", "Baby You're A Trip", "Manic Monday", "Jungle Love", "Sex Shooter", "Noon Rendezvous", "Make Up", "The Glamorous Life", "Holly Rock", "You're My Love", "100 MPH", "Dear Michaelangelo", "Wouldn't You Love To Love Me", and "Gigolos Get Lonely Too". CD

Prince in a grand groove – really hitting a new level of funk with a razor-sharp edge – and even blowing away some of his work on previous records! The record's a soundtrack for a film – Under The Cherry Moon – and although that movie never had the success of Purple Rain, we actually think it left behind an even stronger musical legacy – one that has Prince finding even more of a funky voice than before, with so many wonderfully freaky twists and turns! The music never got the showcase it might have deserved, because of the failure of the film – but it's one of our favorite Prince albums ever, and includes the massively funky "Kiss", the closest Prince ever got to James Brown, The whole album's got some great sweeping, pop psyche orchestral arrangements by Clare Fischer – and titles include "Christopher Tracey's Parade", "I Wonder U", "Under The Cherry Moon", "Girls & Boys", and "Anotherloverholenyohead". LP, Vinyl record album

A long-overdue audio presentation of the famous performance that was captured in 1985, and used in the concert film of the same name – brought together here as an audio release that stands as a tremendous document to the strength of Prince and his famous group of the time! This is the fantastic lineup that features Wendy & Lisa, who helped Prince hit a whole new level of grooviness – a blend of funk, soul, and rock touches that takes the Purple Rain sound to a much richer dimension in the setting of the arena! The performance was recorded at the Carrier Dome in Syracuse on March 30, 1985 – and the core set features 20 tracks that include "Let's Go Crazy", "1999", "God", "Computer Blue", "Darling Nikki", "International Lover", "Possessed", "Do Me Baby", "Irresistible Bitch", "Little Red Corvette", "I Would Die 4 U", and "Delirious" – plus extended jams that include an 11 minute version of "Baby I'm A Star", a 9 minute version of "When Doves Cry", and a 19 minute version of "Purple Rain"! CD

One of the greatest crossover albums of the 80s – and the record that catapulted Prince very firmly into the mainstream! There's a tightness here that surpasses even that of Prince's early classics for Warner Brothers – an unabashed love of a pop hook that makes for some incredibly catchy tunes that are still delivered with a nice funky undercurrent. The whole Prince family is at the top of their game at this point – and titles include "Darling Nikki", "Let's Go Crazy", "I Would Die 4 U", "When Doves Cry", "Baby I'm A Star", and "Purple Rain". CD

One of the greatest crossover albums of the 80s – and the record that catapulted Prince very firmly into the mainstream! There's a tightness here that surpasses even that of Prince's early classics for Warner Brothers – an unabashed love of a pop hook that makes for some incredibly catchy tunes that are still delivered with a nice funky undercurrent. The whole Prince family is at the top of their game at this point – and titles include "Darling Nikki", "Let's Go Crazy", "I Would Die 4 U", "When Doves Cry", "Baby I'm A Star", and "Purple Rain". This version features the new 2015 remaster of the album, done by Prince! LP, Vinyl record album

Sure, the politics seem a bit silly now – but the track's still one of Prince's last really compelling hits. It's got a totally infectious hook, a spare Timmy Thomas-ish beat, and a strangely captivating vocal that really sticks with us! The flip's a bit silly – a 10 minute extended number with a silly jam kind of feel – but it's also a great testament to the freedom that Prince was allowed on his 12" singles – which makes them every bit as essential as his albums. 12-inch, Vinyl record

A refresher collection of prime Prince – the biggest hits from the Warner and Paisley Park eras – including the long versions of the some of the best 80s and early 90s cuts! The first disc is a straight up greatest hits collection, starting with "I Wanna Be Your Lover" from the self titled LP and ending with "My Name Is Prince from the "Love Symbol" album – and includes many of the biggest hits in between! Other tracks include "Uptown", "Controversy", "1999", "Delirious", "When Doves Cry", "Purple Rain", "Sign O' The Times", "Gett Off", "Nothing Compares 2 U", and more. Disc 2 includes 11 remixes and/or alternate versions of other essential hits that do not appear on the first CD – including the longer original 12" versions, and similarly extended numbers – carrying everything great about the album versions, and giving you more! Tracks include "Let's Go Crazy (special dance mix)", "Little Red Corvette (dance remix)", "Pop Life (fresh dance mix)", "Rasperry Beret (12" version)", "U Got The Look (long look)", "Theives In The Temple (remix)" and "Cream (NPG mix)". 28 tracks on 2CDs! CD

One of Prince's biggest tunes ever – and a track that still sounds surprisingly great to our ears these days – funky, chunky, and completely catchy – with a hook that shouldn't go over so well, but really sends the tune home time and time again! "17 Days" is great too – a deeper, almost story-type cut that points the way towards some of Prince's music on albums to come – but still with all the fantastic groove of the Purple Rain era! If you ever needed the kind of cut to show you what Prince did that was so special, "17 Days" might be the one. 7-inch, Vinyl record

A hip hop masterpiece from Prince Paul – his second album as a solo act, but one that builds on years of top-shelf experience in the east coast scene – including his roots with Stetsasonic and production of De La Soul! The record came up at a time when there seemed to be a new sense of self-awareness in hip hop – maybe not a postmodern sensibility, but a gentle play between the real role of the artist and imagined pop presence – handled here by Paul with a lot more care than most, and presented in a concept album format that's full of great surprises along the way! Breeze Brewin of Jugganauts handles the main lyrics, but the story has lots of famous guests along the way – almost a Wizard Of Oz sort of journey that includes Kool Keith, Big Daddy Kane, Chubb Rock, Biz Markie, and many others. Titles include "MC Hustler", "The Other Line", "Pain", "Steady Slobbin", "War Party", "Weapon World", "Handle Your Time", "The Men In Blue", and "Mood For Love". CD

Just in time for the release of Prince Paul's great third satire/concept album Politics Of The Business, Wordsound re-releases his first great satire/concept album Psychoanalysis (What Is It?). It has the same dope production style and sense of satire that have made all of the other projects he's overseen, from the Cactus Album, to 3 Feet High, to Handsome Boy Modelling School. This is the original version of the album – pre-Tommy Boy, with 15 tracks designed as chapters in the state of a messed-up hip hop mind state. We've been dying for this one to be re-released, but we weren't sure if it would actually happen. Thanks Wordsound! "Introduction To Psychoanalysis (Schitzophrenia), "Beautiful Night (Manic Psychopath), "Open Your Mouth (Hypothalamus)", "Vexual Healing (Vacillation)", "In Your Mind (Altered States)", "Drinks (Escapism)" and more. CD

Prime weirdness from The Residents! It's fair to consider Fingerprince as a transitional effort from the group, though it's not a dismissible one – it's out there, exciting and may be easier to get all the way through than some of the more anti-pop experiments they delivered in the mid-to-late 70s. It's probably not as confrontational as Meet The Residents and Third Reich 'N Roll – or perhaps it just seems less vicious because the cover art isn't as confrontational. Side one has shorter pieces, which seem to be informed by vintage exotica and field recordings, though it sounds like nothing but the Residents. Side 2 is a single long suite. Titles include "You Yesyesyes", "Home Age Conversation", "Godsong", "March De La Winni", "Bossy", "Boo Who?", "Tournequit Of Roses" and the the 17+ minute, side-long "Six Things To A Cycle". CD

The busy fingers of the RZA, who's also been wrapping up his score for Quentino Tarantino's Kill Bill, took some time out to record this new full length. Thankfully, he dropped the Bobby Digital robot thing; this album is filled with the kinda scratchy soul beats we loved so much on his Ghost Dog instrumentals. Alas, these aren't instrumentals – but Wu alumni ODB, Ghostface, Masta Killa and others make appearances. 16 tracks including "Bob N' I", "The Grunge", "We Pop", "Grits", "Fast Cars", "Chi Kung", "You'll Never Know", "Drink, Smoke, & Fcuk", "Koto Chotan", "Cherry Range", "The Birth" and more. CD

A classic set of smooth 70s soul from an under-recognized genius! Phillip Mitchell is a bit like his Atlantic Records contemporary Sam Dees – in that he wrote a lot of material for other singers, recorded a handful of singles, and worked mostly in the southern scene – but he also had a sophisticated, modern style that sounded a lot more like work coming out of New York, Philly, or Chicago. This lost album for Atlantic is a great example of that fact – as it was recorded at Muscle Shoals, but also features some Philly elements too – creating a great mix of modes that's wonderfully unique! There's a feel here that's just like some of the best work from Leroy Hutson, Johnny Bristol, or Leon Ware at the same time – a majestic, mature approach to soul that's simply tremendous. Titles include "In Between Lovers", "Top Of The Line", "I'm So Happy", "Let's Get Wet", "Paying The Price", and "If It Ain't Love It'll Go Away". LP, Vinyl record album