Mindblowing funk from The Ohio Players – the group's debut album for Westbound Records, and a landmark batch of tracks that never gets old! The sound here really has the group stretching out a lot – working on tunes that are extended, but never as overindulgent as their labelmates Funkadelic – always keeping to a groove that's focused, yet also free to explore its bad self in the new freedoms of the 70s. There's a strong undercurrent of funky jazz running through the set – mixing great riffing alongside the tight rhythms and tripped-out vocals – all brought together with that deep deep deep production sound that Westbound gave the world as its own legacy in the wake of Norman Whitfield's experiments at Motown. Titles include the wonderfully jamming "Players Balling", and the funky numbers "Reds" and "Singing In The Morning" – plus more soulful tracks "I Wanna Hear From You" and "Never Had A Dream". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the best albums that Lou Rawls cut with the team of HB Barnum and David Axelrod – that incredible duo who made some of his 60s Capitol albums so great! The style here is wonderful – upbeat grooves from Barnum – who brings more soul into Lou's music than before – recorded by Axelrod with the right sort of sharpness and punch – that special quality he brought to Cannonball Adderley's 60s soul classics too! Rawls is really at home in the setting – stepping out in some points with these hip monologue passages that are as great as his singing – maybe even better, too – as they show a whole new side of Lou's personality – that badass, totally hip quality that people might never have expected from the early days. One of the best of these is the excellent "Old Man's Memories", about a guy sitting on a bench in Washington Park on the south side of Chicago, which then rolls into an amazing version of "It Was A Very Good Year". Other tunes have a great mix of soul and jazz – and titles include "Love Is A Hurtin Thing", "A Whole Lotta Woman", "Don't Explain", "Old Folks", and "Breaking My Back (Instead Of Using My Mind)". CD

One of the best albums that Lou Rawls cut with the team of HB Barnum and David Axelrod – that incredible duo who made some of his 60s Capitol albums so great! The style here is wonderful – upbeat grooves from Barnum – who brings more soul into Lou's music than before – recorded by Axelrod with the right sort of sharpness and punch – that special quality he brought to Cannonball Adderley's 60s soul classics too! Rawls is really at home in the setting – stepping out in some points with these hip monologue passages that are as great as his singing – maybe even better, too – as they show a whole new side of Lou's personality – that badass, totally hip quality that people might never have expected from the early days. One of the best of these is the excellent "Old Man's Memories", about a guy sitting on a bench in Washington Park on the south side of Chicago, which then rolls into an amazing version of "It Was A Very Good Year". Other tunes have a great mix of soul and jazz – and titles include "Love Is A Hurtin Thing", "A Whole Lotta Woman", "Don't Explain", "Old Folks", and "Breaking My Back (Instead Of Using My Mind)". LP, Vinyl record album

A funky bit of blues from Otis Rush – the guitarist's debut album, and a surprisingly great batch of tracks recorded at Fame Studios! Production is by Mike Bloomfield and Nick Gravenites, who are clearly going for more of a crossover sound than Rick Hall might have given the set – but that approach is a strong one, as it really brings a hard focus on Rush's guitar, and sets his slyly sliding vocals a bit more back in the mix. Sweet electric Chicago blues before it got over-Alligatorized – with tracks that include "Feel So Bad", "Baby I Love You So", "Me", "Working Man", "You're Killing My Love", and "Can't Wait No Longer". CD

A fuzzy, freaked-out classic from one of the coolest groups to work on the Chicago scene of the 60s – the mighty Shadows Of Knight, easily one of the best garage acts of their time! The album's got a raw power that's undeniable – a gritty sound that almost beats the Boston, Texas, and Sunset Strip scenes at their own game – as sharp guitars, weird Hammond, and plenty of feedback come together to blow away the listener right from the start – all with a sound that's a lot more heady than the group's better-known "Gloria" hit, with a far-reaching vibe that makes us wish these guys had kept on recording a few more years longer – because they might have given some of the best European psych acts a real run for their money! Titles include "Bad Little Woman", "The Behemoth", "Three For Love", "Peepin & Hidin", "Gospel Zone", "High Blood Pressure", and "Tomorrow's Going To Be Another Day". LP, Vinyl record album

Really beautiful work from Som Imaginario – a progressive Brazilian group of the 70s, and one who also had strong ties to the world of Milton Nascimento as well! Milton's keyboard player Wagner Tiso is a key part of the record here – playing organ and electric piano – and the set also features wonderful sax and flute from Nivaldo Ornelas, who brings a lot of warmer, soulful currents to the set! The performance is a live one, and has a stile that's really cool – jazzier and more personal than some of the group's studio work at times – recorded in 1976, but issued here for the first time ever. Titles include "Sabado", "Imaginados", "Banda Da Capital", "Os Cafezais Sem Fim", "Xa Mate", and "Radio Guarany". Features CD-only bonus tracks "Armina" and "Manuel O Audaz". CD

Spooky Tooth have grown their hair since the cover of their first album – and they've also grown their sound a bit too – into a brew that's even headier and more powerful than before! The album's still got an undercurrent of soul – and begins with a fantastic drumbreak on the first cut – but these guys are also swirling their basslines, guitars, and keyboards into territory that's unabashedly hard rock – a mode that really has singer Gary Wright opening up with soaring vocals on most of the tracks! The album really represents that full turning of the UK scene from beat group modes into badass territory that's completely unique – a sound that Island Records was perfect to usher in for the group – and the whole thing's got an instant classic sort of vibe, and we've always wondered why it never had a greater place in the rock canon of the period. Titles include "That Was Only Yesterday", "Waiting For The Wind", "Feelin Bad", "Evil Woman", "Lost In My Dream", and "Hangman Hang My Shell On A Tree". LP, Vinyl record album

Rare early material from one of the hippest singers on 70s Motown – the heavenly Syreeta, best known for her seminal work with Stevie Wonder – heard here in the years before, on a rare single and a huge amount of never-issued tracks! Syreeta first worked for Motown under the name of Rita Wright – but apart from a 1967 single on Gordy, and a handful of compilation tracks in recent years, almost all her work for the label at the time appears here for the first time ever – a massive 18 of the collection's total 24 tracks – offering up a huge look at the early days of this wonderful talent! Even at the start, Syreeta's got a style that's hipper than most – righteous currents that point the way towards the 70s, and set her apart from some of the other female singers on the label – with a vibe that's completely sublime. We're really not sure why these cuts have been hidden for so long – because on any other label, they'd be hit material – especially given that production his handled by giants like Hal Davis, Stevie Wonder, Ashford & Simpson, and the Holland-Dozier-Holland team. One of the coolest sets of female soul you'll buy in a long, long time – with titles that include "Bad Boy", "Ain't I Gonna Win Your Love", "Beware Of A Stranger", "Love Child", "Since You Came Back", "Mind Body & Soul", "May His Love Shine Forever", "Something On My Mind", "That's What He Told Me", "It Don't Mean Nothin To Me", "Give Back The Good Things", "Can You Feel It Babe", "Save The Country", "Hurtin Me", "Love My Lovin Man", and "Where There's A Will There's A Way". CD

A lost harmony soul classic from the east coast scene of the 70s – a set that was recorded in the shadow of work by bigger groups, like the Moments or Stylistics, and which has a similarly sort of sublime sound! There's a nice edge to the album – like some of the George Kerr productions on Stang/All-Platinum – as producer Bruce M Clarke really lets the vocals shine through on most tracks – just updating a 60s sweet soul mode with the right sort of hip 70s elements, but all while never getting in the way of the harmonies! With that approach, we'd maybe rank this one right up there with the classic album by Soul Generation – especially given the badass sort of vibe on the funky numbers. Titles include "At Last It's Over", "Giving Up", "God & You", "All Good Things Can't Last", "Booking Up", "Moving Down The Line", "Gotta Get You Back", and "Your Love Comes Slower Than Never". Bonus tracks include "What Is Love" and "Am I Ever Gonna See My Baby Again" by Marion Butler, "Another Man's Woman" and "Nothing In The World" by The Electras, "God & You" by Loreli, and "Everybody's Got A Good Thing" by Loreli with Empress Kilpatrick. CD

A wild set of work from the Swedish scene of the 70s – work that's all inspired by a spiritual current in the artists, but which comes across with a vibe that you really wouldn't expect! It might be the shift in language – the Swedish lyrics mean that most of us can't understand the religious message of the vocals – but there's also a freewheeling sense of style going on too – including plenty of the funky currents that you'd find in Godspell or Jesus Christ Superstar – upbeat, lively, and stepping out with a really positive vibe! The instrumentation is great – a blend rock, soul, funk, and jazz – often in the same cut at once – and the whole thing is wonderfully groovy – filled with work we never would have heard otherwise, by artists who include Tomas Ernvik, Sabandet, Tillsammans, Mobilen, The Vergers, Mission Possible, Sanggruppen Liv, Obadja, Ingegerd, Humlans Funkykappe, and many others! LP, Vinyl record album

Our favorite kind of funk is Super Funk – and this fab entry to the long-running series definitely keeps up the groove! As before, there's plenty of rare tracks here – most pulled from obscure singles of late 60s/early 70s vintage – and some even from rare studio tapes that were never issued at the time! Most tracks are short, with a nicely gritty groove – the kind of funky 45 madness that will always keep us digging for rare 7" singles – put together by the BGP crew with a real understanding of the groove! There's some especially nice female singers in the mix – almost creating a mini Sister Funk focus on the package – but there's also great guy singers and groups too. 20 tracks in all – with cuts that include "The Sneak" by The Douzer, "Queen Of Losers" by Eleanor Rigby, "Groovy Baby" by Kim Tamanga, "It's Mookie Time" by Cleveland Eaton & The Kats, "Party Time" by James Carpenter, "Moving Woman" by 87th Off Broadway, "Bad Bad Woman (part 1)" by Marie Franklin, "He Say She Say" by Chet Ivey, "Cold Sweat" by Julio Zavalla, "Shakin Up The Nation" by The Radiations, "One Sweet Song" by Gloria Lucas, and "I'm Moving Home" by Mary Alice McCall. LP, Vinyl record album

An amazing double-live album that's to concert records what James Brown's Payback was to the sound of studio funk! Like that classic, this is a double-length 2LP set that really has James and the JBs stretching out and doing their thing – working here in a setting that's supposed to be the "part 3" to the famous Live At The Apollo albums – but with a vibe that really shows the different spirit of the Godfather in the 70s! The JBs are wonderful – really showing their chops here, in a way that maybe even blows the tightness of the previous James Brown Band to pieces – as the long tracks allow for plenty of solos, rhythm changes, and monstrous moments of soul from James. Brown also opens up with some cool bad-rapping moments, too – and titles include "It's A New Day So Let A Man Come In & Do The Popcorn", "Get Up Get Into It Get Involved", "Super Bad", "Sex Machine", "Escape-Ism", "Make It Funky", "Hot Pants", "Soul Power", and "Give It Up Or Turn It Loose". LP, Vinyl record album

A record that's not only a landmark in Jamaican music – but also a set that was to reggae what Curtis Mayfield's Superfly was to 70s soul! In other words, the set not only raised the bar for all the competition, it also ended up in a lot more record collections than most of them too – maybe in part because it was a soundtrack, as was Superfly – but also because it has this global power that makes it a defining album of the genre! Jimmy Cliff is obviously the mainman here, but there's help from other key players in the growing reggae scene – and titles include Jimmy's classic "You Can Get It If You Really Want", in two versions – plus two takes on "The Harder They Come", "Many Rivers To Cross", and "Sitting In Limbo" – plus "Sweet & Dandy" and "Pressure Drop" by The Maytals, "007" by Desmond Dekker, "Johnny Too Bad" by The Slicers, "Draw Your Brakes" by Scotty, and "Rivers Of Babylon" by The Melodians. LP, Vinyl record album

Willie and Hector really open things up here on this excellent early 80s session – going for longer tracks that really expand upon their classic sound of the 70s! There's a very ambitious approach to the music – with more passages that shift between vocals and instrumentation than before, and an overall sound that changes up mood and tone, sometimes a number of times within the same tune. That's not a bad thing, either – as it really gets them past a formula, into whole new territory! The work was originally intended for a soundtrack, but stands quite well on its own – and titles include "Pase La Noche Fumando", "Juanito Alimana", "Vigilante", and "Triste Y Vacia". LP, Vinyl record album

Really special magic from pianist Tommy Flanagan – exactly the of record that shows why his approach to the piano can be so great – this wonderful balance of fuller rhythms and lighter lyrical moments – given some equal spin here by guitarist Kenny Burrell, whose work in the quartet is every bit as great as Tommy's! There's a nicely understated vibe to the record – but just because the players make things seem so effortless – such a command of their instruments the moments of beauty just keep coming at a level that's breathtaking once you stop to think about the way they're spinning things out! The group also features George Mraz on bass and Lewis Nash on drums – the last of whom is perfect here – and titles include "Bluebird", "Yesterdays", "Blues In My Heart", "Barbados", "The Con Man", and "Bluebird After Dark". CD

A really inventive album from the key years of the British psych scene – and a set that goes way beyond even the important experiments of the bigger names of the time! Clark Hutchinson is just a duo – Mick Hutchinson on guitars, piano, and lots of percussion – and Andy Clark on keyboards, saxes, and flute – both members of the group Sam Gopal's Dream, stepping out here on a series of long tracks that draw from jazz, Indian music, and other global styles! The titles hint at a lot of improvisation – but in a style that's more proggish than free jazz and it's clear that budding studio modes were used to nicely layer the performances by both musicians, for an even fuller sound. Titles include "Improvisation On A Modal Scale", "Textures In 3/4", "Improvisation On An Indian Scale", and "Acapulco Gold". 2CD version features lots of bonus tracks – including "Summer Seemed Longer", "Can't Carry On", "Seymour's Boogie", "Crow Jane", "Bad Loser", and "Someone's Been At My Woman". CD

One of our favorite albums ever from Grace Jones – a record that has her shedding some of the disco excesses of earlier years, and moving into a great blend of sounds that really showcases the energy of the New York scene from which she sprang! The album was recorded in Nassau, with help from Sly Dunbar on drums, Robbie Shakespeare on bass, and Wally Badarou on keyboards – and most tunes have an edgier feel that makes Jones sound even darker than before. There's loads of great disco-not-disco moments – from the straight funk of "Pull Up To The Bumper" to the insane post-punk grooving of "Demolition Man" – to other tracks that include "I've Seen That Face Before (Libertango)", "Art Groupie", "Walking In The Rain", "Nightclubbing", and "Use Me". CD

A wonderful mid 70s set from Gladys Knight & The Pips – a soundtrack date written and produced by Curtis Mayfield, who really helps bring a lot of depth to their music! Curtis really helps Knight and the group get out of some of their hit cliches of the 70s, and find some hipper space for the setting of the film – a mixture of some of the mellower tracks that Gladys' always sparkles on, mixed with some badder-stepping numbers that further deepen the groove – and which has kept the album alive over the years, thanks to some key hip hop samples. Tracks include the sublime "The Makings Of You", plus "Mr Welfare Man", "To Be Invisible", "Claudine Theme", "On and On", and "Hold On". LP, Vinyl record album

A real breakthrough in female soul for the 70s – the initial album from Labelle – a set that's very different material than the group were doing on their girl group singles in the 60s! The trio here is legendary – Patti Labelle, Nona Hendryx, and Sarah Dash – three tremendous singers all working together at a level that really sets the standard for bad-rapping female soul in the 70s! We're not sure what happened with Patti and the group between their 60s material and this set – but whatever it was, it was something great – a turn towards a style that would keep them in the record racks for years! Titles include "Too Many Days", "Running Out Of Fools", "When The Sun Comes Shining Through", "Heart Be Still", and a nice version of "Time & Love". CD

A classic 70s Italian crime soundtrack – presented here in full format for the first time ever, and filled with wonderful tunes in a variety of styles! There's a quality to the music that really matches the badass image on the front – a bold, forceful approach that has the upbeat numbers strutting along with plenty of pride – and which has the mellower, more brooding tracks working themes that are simple, but which pack the same force as the revolver on the cover. Franco Micalizzi uses some great keyboards throughout – often a bit light, with a style that's sometimes veering towards electric harpsichord, but other times in a more Goblin-like mode – almost horror-styled, especially when interwoven with acoustic piano. Tunes build up with force as the soundtrack rolls on – and this CD reissue features a whopping 30 tracks in all – with titles that include "Bloody Robbery", "Rush For A Sign", "Betti's Investigation", "Criminals At Work", "Useless Waiting", "Crime Outcome", "Folk & Violence", "Ten Minutes To One", and the vocal number "A Man Before Your Time". CD

A second amazing collection of rare funk tracks from the Mid East – work that didn't exist in the same "scene"-styled world as American funk, but which instead comes from a disparate group of recordings that surprisingly, amazingly, turned out to be pretty darn funky! Musical modes differ throughout the tracks in a really nice way – but most of the tunes are unified through strong use of electric bass and heavy percussion – mixed up from number to number, in a way that opens the door to a stunning world of musical exploration we never would have experienced otherwise! We've really grown to love the Habibi Funk label in recent years – and although other records have been great, this set may well be their crowning achievement. Titles include "Sultan Qaboos Song" by Sal Davis, "Ahlo Jedba" by Fadou, "Music De Carneval" by Magdy El Hussainy, "Badala Zamana" by Zohra, "Casba" by Ahmed Male, "El Fen" by Ait Meslayene, "Haditouni" by Douaa, "Tendme" by Ibrahim Hesnawi, and "Reet" by Hamid El Shaeri. LP, Vinyl record album

Brilliant work by a singer we know little about – but who really sparkles on this session! Singer Laurie Allyn was making something of a name for herself on the Chicago scene of the mid 50s when she was courted by Mode Records, and brought to LA for this rare studio session – but unfortunately the label went out of business not long after the tunes were recorded, and the album never saw the light of day at the time! The quality of the music is tremendous – higher than even the other Mode vocal sessions, and done with a depth and feeling that we'd rank with a rare few others from the 50s. Marty Paich handled arrangements on the record, and Laurie's backed by a core group that includes Al Viola, Red Mitchell, Mel Lewis, and Paich – plus larger horns and additional strings on a number of tracks. And although we always appreciate Paich's arrangements, the charm here is mostly Laurie's own – as she sings with a sultry sensitivity to the material that really transforms the familiar tunes into deeply personal statements. That quality's a rare one, even for a well-known singer – and we're extra happy that this great session's finally seen the light of day at last! Titles include "Easy Living", "You're So Bad For Me", "You Go To My Head", "All I Need Is You", "Paradise", "Take Me In Your Arms", and "That's What A Woman Is For". CD

One of the earliest albums on Arhoolie Records – an amazing document of steel guitar bluesman Black Ace! Ace plays just like he sits on the cover – really leaning into the instrument in ways that bring out all these cool, deep inflections – completely hypnotizing on their own, with almost an unworldly feel at points – and accompanied by vocals on most tracks. Titles include "Drink On Little Girl", "Bad Times Stomp", "Farther Along", "Evil Woman", "Fore Day Creep", "Little Augie", and "Golden Slipper". LP, Vinyl record album

An amazing double-live album that's to concert records what James Brown's Payback was to the sound of studio funk! Like that classic, this is a double-length 2LP set that really has James and the JBs stretching out and doing their thing – working here in a setting that's supposed to be the "part 3" to the famous Live At The Apollo albums – but with a vibe that really shows the different spirit of the Godfather in the 70s! The JBs are wonderful – really showing their chops here, in a way that maybe even blows the tightness of the previous James Brown Band to pieces – as the long tracks allow for plenty of solos, rhythm changes, and monstrous moments of soul from James. Brown also opens up with some cool bad-rapping moments, too – and titles include "It's A New Day So Let A Man Come In & Do The Popcorn", "Get Up Get Into It Get Involved", "Super Bad", "Sex Machine", "Escape-Ism", "Make It Funky", "Hot Pants", "Soul Power", and "Give It Up Or Turn It Loose". CD

Fantastic work from Colosseum – a record that really stands out as one of those completely unique hybrids from the British jazz rock years! Although Colosseum are probably best known as a progressive band, they certainly had plenty of jazz touches – and this album spawned the great groover "Elegy", which has become something of a jazzy dancefloor classic over the years. Overall, the record's got some very tight drumming, plenty of wailing organ work, and a basic groove that takes off where the beat groups of the 60s left off. Chris Farlowe's vocals can be good or bad, depending on the moment – but on the funkier cuts, like "Elegy" and "The Machine Demands a Sacrifice", they have a sort of madness that makes sense! The album also includes the freer jazzy "Valentyne Suite", which is pretty nice. CD

The fantastic third album from Common – the record that really catapulted him on his way to stardom, yet a set that still retains all the best aspects of his early days in Chicago! Part of that quality comes from the superb production of No ID, who gets a bit of local help from Dug Infinite and Twilite Tone – all talents who have that special, sophisticated vibe that was really starting to flow from Chicago out to the rest of the world – and which here is perfect for the well-crafted lyrics from Common! The balance is great – never too hard or heavy, yet also not trying to ape either a west coast quirky or New York native tongues approach. This time around, there's also plenty of guests on board, of the sort that Common would soon be rubbing shoulders with on a regular basis – a lineup that includes The Roots, Q-Tip, Erykah Badu, Canibus, Black Thought, Lauryn Hill, and De La Soul. Yet throughout, the vibe is Common's and Chicago's – something that's always made us very proud to be from the same scene at the same time. Titles include "1 2 Many", "Reminding Me Of Sef", "Invocation", "Stolen Moments", "My City", "Real Nigga Quotes", and "Retrospect For Life". LP, Vinyl record album

A really unusual album from the mighty Ohio Players – material from their first full length set, and a record that's very different than their better-known work on Westbound and Mercury – but every bit as great! The band is tight and funky, but in a sort of deep soul 60s way – with arrangements and playing that have a hard edge, and with nice guitar rhythm tracks – a bit trippy and fuzzy at times, but also with a style that's got more of a 60s vintage than the headier styles they hit at Westbound. The group are great in this format – and the album includes lots of great original tracks – like "Bad Bargain", "Lonely Street", and "Street Party" – plus very cool covers of "Summertime" and "Mother In Law". Other titles include "Here Today & Gone Tomorrow", "Stop Lying To Yourself", "Over The Rainbow", "Find Someone To Love", "Cold Cold World", and "The Man That I Am". This great CD version is brimming over with great bonus tracks from 45s and other recordings – a total of 24 tracks in all, with bonus material that includes "Alabama Soupbone (parts 1 & 2)", "It's A Crying Shame", "A Little Soul Party", "Love Slips Thru My Fingers", "Trespassin", "You Don't Mean It", "A Thing Called Love", and "Neighbors". CD

Guitarist Sebastiao Tapajos really sounds wonderful here – playing in a spare setting, but a lively one too – thanks to work from percussionist Pedro Dos Santos, who plays a wide variety of instruments that really keep things groovy! There's a feel here that's a bit like some of Baden Powell's small combo records – kind of a post-bossa approach, with more complexity in the guitar work – and a groove that never stops being interesting – thanks to Pedro's work on tamborin, berimbau, tumbadora, and a host of other instruments too. Includes "Estudio No 1", "Despedida De Mangueira", "Encuentro Marcado", "Cantico Del Agua", "Himalaya", "Santarem", "Sorongaio", "Solfeggeto", "Cajita De Musica", "Munganga", "Primavera" and "Solo De Bambu". CD features bonus tracks – "Primavera/Favela", "Samba Em Preludio/Despedida De Mangueira", "Munganga", "Todo E Moda", and "Sorongaio". CD

A dancing soul party, but one that's got a nice sort of focus too – not a completely random collection of cuts, but one that features a fair bit of very early work from Van McCoy, and some great group soul too! Unlike a DJ set in the clubs, the collection's got no problem with mixing together a few tracks in a row by certain artists – which does a great job of compartmentalizing the big run of 25 tracks that make up the set – almost all unusual numbers that really keep things interesting! Titles include "Help Is On The Way", "The Woman Who Made Me A Man", "Ain't Got No Love", "Generation Gap", "Back Tracking", "Just Another Dress Rehearsal", and "If I Could Make You Mine" by Van McCoy; "Appreciation", "Giving Up", and "If She Wants Him" by The Ad-Libs – plus "Funky Drop" by The Soul Suspects, "I'm Stuck On You" and "Merry Christmas Baby" by The Poets, "Hold On Baby" and "It Hurts So Bad" by Sam Hawkins, "I'm Your Love Man" and "If Change Don't Come Soon" by The Lost Souls, "When I Fall In Love" by The Imperial Wonders, and "Ain't It Funny What Love Can Do" by Kenny Young. CD

Incredible music from the key cultural year of 1966 – all hand-selected by the mighty Jon Savage! From punk to soul to plenty of places in between, when Savage has something to say we're always more than willing to listen – and this time around he really opens up our ears with a double-length collection of 48 tracks all recorded during a single year, each of which represents a key cultural shift at the time! The package isn't hits from the charts, or underground psych – and instead brings together smoking instrumentals, rare soul, proto-punk, trippy folk, and lots more – some familiar tracks, a few classics, and lots more obscure gems – all nestled together at a level that may well rewrite your understanding of the 60s. Forget the summer of love, because 1966 is the year when lots more happened – as Savage outlines in his massive track selection and great notes for the package. Titles include "Love At Psychedelic Velocity" by The Human Expression, "The Spy" by The Guys From Uncle, "Night Time" by The Strangeloves, "Nothing Comes Easy" by Sandie Shaw, "Greetings" by The Monitors, "I'll Be Your Mirror" by The Velvet Underground, "One Of These Days" by The Rooster, "You Better Believe It Baby" by Joe Tex, "7 & 7 Is" by Love, "Do You Come Here Often" by The Tornados, "Love's Gone Bad" by Chris Clark, "In The Past" by We The People, "One Hour Cleaners" by The Blue Things, "Foolish Woman" by Oxford Circle, "Hang On To A Dream" by Tim Hardin, "Batman" by Link Wray, "You Keep Me Hangin On" by The Supremes, "I'm A Boy" by The Who, "Come On Back" by Paul & Ritchie, and lots lots more! CD

A stunning selection of cuts from a huge moment in prog on the British scene – the year 1973, and a time when the movement was maybe at its peak – or at least had some of its leading lights working at the top of their creative powers! This isn't a collection of classic rock hits, nor is it overly-familiar material from album rock giants – and instead, the package is a really inventive journey through a nicely varied mix of material – album cuts, rarities, and a few single cuts that have the bands focusing their energy into shorter tunes than before. In fact, that's maybe the real charm of this work – as so many of the groups are have really perfected their craft, yet haven't given in to commercial pressures – so there's top-shelf cuts all the way through, but also nary a hit in the batch. As with other Esoteric/Cherry Red collections like this, the package has very detailed notes that support the wonderful choice of tracks – and the 4CD set features 48 titles in all, with work from PFM, Badger, John Martyn, Curved Air, Hawkwind, Jonesy, Rare Bird, Nektar, Al Stewart, Anthony Phillips, Greenslade, John Lees, Yes, Beggars Opera, Robert Calvert, Caravan, Camel, and many others! CD

An amazing double-live album that's to concert records what James Brown's Payback was to the sound of studio funk! Like that classic, this is a double-length 2LP set that really has James and the JBs stretching out and doing their thing – working here in a setting that's supposed to be the "part 3" to the famous Live At The Apollo albums – but with a vibe that really shows the different spirit of the Godfather in the 70s! The JBs are wonderful – really showing their chops here, in a way that maybe even blows the tightness of the previous James Brown Band to pieces – as the long tracks allow for plenty of solos, rhythm changes, and monstrous moments of soul from James. Brown also opens up with some cool bad-rapping moments, too – and titles include "It's A New Day So Let A Man Come In & Do The Popcorn", "Get Up Get Into It Get Involved", "Super Bad", "Sex Machine", "Escape-Ism", "Make It Funky", "Hot Pants", "Soul Power", and "Give It Up Or Turn It Loose". CD

The fantastic third album from Common – the record that really catapulted him on his way to stardom, yet a set that still retains all the best aspects of his early days in Chicago! Part of that quality comes from the superb production of No ID, who gets a bit of local help from Dug Infinite and Twilite Tone – all talents who have that special, sophisticated vibe that was really starting to flow from Chicago out to the rest of the world – and which here is perfect for the well-crafted lyrics from Common! The balance is great – never too hard or heavy, yet also not trying to ape either a west coast quirky or New York native tongues approach. This time around, there's also plenty of guests on board, of the sort that Common would soon be rubbing shoulders with on a regular basis – a lineup that includes The Roots, Q-Tip, Erykah Badu, Canibus, Black Thought, Lauryn Hill, and De La Soul. Yet throughout, the vibe is Common's and Chicago's – something that's always made us very proud to be from the same scene at the same time. Titles include "1 2 Many", "Reminding Me Of Sef", "Invocation", "Stolen Moments", "My City", "Real Nigga Quotes", and "Retrospect For Life". CD

The fantastic third album from Common – the record that really catapulted him on his way to stardom, yet a set that still retains all the best aspects of his early days in Chicago! Part of that quality comes from the superb production of No ID, who gets a bit of local help from Dug Infinite and Twilite Tone – all talents who have that special, sophisticated vibe that was really starting to flow from Chicago out to the rest of the world – and which here is perfect for the well-crafted lyrics from Common! The balance is great – never too hard or heavy, yet also not trying to ape either a west coast quirky or New York native tongues approach. This time around, there's also plenty of guests on board, of the sort that Common would soon be rubbing shoulders with on a regular basis – a lineup that includes The Roots, Q-Tip, Erykah Badu, Canibus, Black Thought, Lauryn Hill, and De La Soul. Yet throughout, the vibe is Common's and Chicago's – something that's always made us very proud to be from the same scene at the same time. Titles include "1 2 Many", "Reminding Me Of Sef", "Invocation", "Stolen Moments", "My City", "Real Nigga Quotes", and "Retrospect For Life". LP, Vinyl record album

Nasty nasty funk from the great Bo Diddley – one of his rare funky 70s classics for Chess – produced by Johnny Otis with a really tripped-out groove! The album's got an edge that seems to go even farther than some of Bo's other Chess work at the time – and picks up the full-on Otis funky mode by leaning hard on the drums, pulling up the bass, and bringing in a trio of female lovelies to back up Bo on vocals! Gloria Scott's one of the vocalists on the album, and Shuggie Otis even joins in on the funky party with some sweet guitar! But even with all this help, Bo's still the star of the story – and his massive chugging approach to guitar is moving full steam ahead on the set – really ripping a groove through a great batch of original tracks that include "Take It All Off", "I've Had It Hard", "Good Thing", "Bad Trip", "Infatuation", "Bo Diddley-Itis", "Woman", and "Look At Grandma". LP, Vinyl record album

Quite possibly the last really hard-hitting funk album from The Fatback Band – and although their first record on the Event label, a set that cooks every bit as hard as their first few for Perception! The style here is funky 45 soul at its best – lots of hard crackling drums, funky rumpling bass, and enough choppy guitar to level a whole forest in one swoop! Lyrics are part of most numbers, but they're often in the bad-rapping or call and response mode of the People Music album – except for a few sweeter numbers which also sound pretty nice too! "Keep On Stepping" is a great little funky number – as are "Wicky Wacky", "Mr. Bass Man", and "New York Style". We also love the sweet soul track "Love", which has some great vocals, a great hook, and which sounds like a tune from their Feel My Soul LP! Other tracks include "Can't Stop The Flame", "Feeling", and "Breaking Up With Someone You Love Is Hard To Do". CD

Quite possibly the last really hard-hitting funk album from The Fatback Band – and although their first record on the Event label, a set that cooks every bit as hard as their first few for Perception! The style here is funky 45 soul at its best – lots of hard crackling drums, funky rumpling bass, and enough choppy guitar to level a whole forest in one swoop! Lyrics are part of most numbers, but they're often in the bad-rapping or call and response mode of the People Music album – except for a few sweeter numbers which also sound pretty nice too! "Keep On Stepping" is a great little funky number – as are "Wicky Wacky", "Mr. Bass Man", and "New York Style". We also love the sweet soul track "Love", which has some great vocals, a great hook, and which sounds like a tune from their Feel My Soul LP! Other tracks include "Can't Stop The Flame", "Feeling", and "Breaking Up With Someone You Love Is Hard To Do". LP, Vinyl record album

A lost classic from Father's Children – the group's only album ever, but an impeccably produced set – thanks to the efforts of Wayne Henderson's At Home Productions team! The groove here is similar to that forged by Henderson over at Fantasy – soul, but inflected with plenty of jazzy fusion touches – instrumentation that steps out riffing with a really great edge, and fleshes out the sound with a lot more creativity and imagination than mainstream soul at the time. The best grooves here have a midtempo boogie flavor – with plenty of righteous jazzy touches alongside the richer harmonies that flow out warmly on the lyrics! Titles include their landmark track "Hollywood Dreaming", plus other nice ones like "Got To Get Away", "Gone Bad", "You Can Get It", "Music For Your Mind", "Wild Woman" and "Shine On". 2 bonus tracks on this CD version: 7-inch edits of "Hollywood Dreaming" and "Shine On". CD

A wonderfully jazzy soundtrack – one of our favorite Jerry Fielding film scores of the 70s, thanks to key solo work from Art Pepper on alto and Jon Faddis on trumpet! The music is far deeper than you might expect for the Clint Eastwood action film setting – funky enough in the best parts, but also with a sensitivity that gets past the usual cop/crime grooves – making for a really rich record that's almost as pleasing from a jazz perspective as it is from a funk soundtrack perspective too! The album sports a great Frank Frazetta cover – and titles include "The Pickup", "Bleak Bad Big City Dawn", "The Box Car Incident", "The Delivery", "The Black Sedan", and "Manipulation On The Center Divider". LP, Vinyl record album

A great little Christmas record from Kelly Finnigan – one of those all-fresh, completely original Christmas records that's really set apart from the pack – not only a nice addition to the Holiday canon for years to come, but also a really wonderful showcase for Kelly's talents too! The set hearkens back to old school soul Christmas sets, but also has a vibe that's a bit more distinct too – a special spirit that comes from all the original tunes that Finnigan wrote for the record, which are done in a mix of funky and bad-stepping mellow modes! Honestly, the record might be the best thing that Finnigan has ever given us – and as a Christmas record, that's just icing on the cake. Titles include "To Be Young At Christmas", "A Joyful Sound", "Waiting On The Big Man", "Merry Christmas To You", "The Only Present Is Me", and "No Time To Be Sad". CD

A new Gang Starr album nearly a decade after the Guru passed away, and a surprisingly strong one - One Of The Best Yet might not come really come close to genre redefining classics like Step In The Arena or Daily Operation, but it when it comes to careful assembled posthumous projects, this one makes a strong case for its title! Premier is doing his oft-imitated, rarely matched thing here, really doing justice for his departed partner's unreleased rhymes. Guests include Q-Tip, MOP, Jeru The Damaja, Big Shug & Freddie Foxxx, and titles include "Bad Name", "Hit Man", "From a Distance", "So Many Rappers", "Family & Loyalty", "Bring It Back Here" and more. LP, Vinyl record album

The first Atlantic album from Margie Joseph – a great second generation southern soul singer who really helped the label find a new sound in the 70s! Margie got her start on Stax, but she sounds even better here – a bit more mature, slightly more urban, and backed with a bad-walking set of arrangements by Arif Mardin that help pull her out of the country into a wider 70s soul mainstream. There's still plenty of rootsy touches on the set, and the blend is one that's similar to that of Aretha Franklin's work of the time – one that echoes older southern styles, but brings them up to date nicely with some more sophisticated touches. Titles include "Make Me Believe You'll Stay", "Turn Around & Love You", "Let's Go Somewhere & Love", "You Better Know It", "I'll Take Care Of You", and "I'm So Glad I'm Your Woman". LP, Vinyl record album

A real breakthrough in female soul for the 70s – the initial album from Labelle – a set that's very different material than the group were doing on their girl group singles in the 60s! The trio here is legendary – Patti Labelle, Nona Hendryx, and Sarah Dash – three tremendous singers all working together at a level that really sets the standard for bad-rapping female soul in the 70s! We're not sure what happened with Patti and the group between their 60s material and this set – but whatever it was, it was something great – a turn towards a style that would keep them in the record racks for years! Titles include "Too Many Days", "Running Out Of Fools", "When The Sun Comes Shining Through", "Heart Be Still", and a nice version of "Time & Love". CD

No gospel music here, but instead a fantastic debut from South African saxophonist Mthunzi Mvubu – no stranger to the scene, but an artist who's finally getting his chance to shine in the spotlight – which he does wonderfully, in this set of soaring and angular tunes! There's a bold sense of soul to the record right from the start – fresh energy in the rhythm section, as things cascade wonderfully, and really push the leader's own work on alto – as well as the tenor of Tobias Meinhart, who's a great partner on the set. Other players include Afrika Mkhize on piano and keyboards, Dalisu Ndlazi on bass, and Sphelelo Mazibuko on drums – and titles include "Voice", "In The Wake Of Your Song", "Sea Line", "A Child Speaks", "7 Kings", "Mom Vs The Bad Man", and "Zig Zag". CD

A seminal album from The New York Dolls – one that has the quintet really sharpening up their sound from before, but also laying the groundwork for other amazing New York music to come! It might be a stretch to call the set the harbinger of punk – at least the bigger-label type like The Ramones or Voidoids – but The Dolls are definitely focused on their groove here, and tie together strands of early rock and nascent rawness, all with a mode that seems to ignore any of the overindulgence of the past decade or so. Things are super tight – with a great verse/chorus/verse approach to the tunes – and titles "Babylon", "Who Are The Mystery Girls?", "Puss 'N Boots", "Bad Detective", "Don't Start Me Talking", and "Human Being". LP, Vinyl record album

Mindblowing funk from The Ohio Players – the group's debut album for Westbound Records, and a landmark batch of tracks that never gets old! The sound here really has the group stretching out a lot – working on tunes that are extended, but never as overindulgent as their labelmates Funkadelic – always keeping to a groove that's focused, yet also free to explore its bad self in the new freedoms of the 70s. There's a strong undercurrent of funky jazz running through the set – mixing great riffing alongside the tight rhythms and tripped-out vocals – all brought together with that deep deep deep production sound that Westbound gave the world as its own legacy in the wake of Norman Whitfield's experiments at motown. Titles include the wonderfully jamming "Players Balling", and the funky numbers "Reds" and "Singing In The Morning" – plus more soulful tracks "I Wanna Hear From You" and "Never Had A Dream". CD

Mindblowing funk from The Ohio Players – the group's debut album for Westbound Records, and a landmark batch of tracks that never gets old! The sound here really has the group stretching out a lot – working on tunes that are extended, but never as overindulgent as their labelmates Funkadelic – always keeping to a groove that's focused, yet also free to explore its bad self in the new freedoms of the 70s. There's a strong undercurrent of funky jazz running through the set – mixing great riffing alongside the tight rhythms and tripped-out vocals – all brought together with that deep deep deep production sound that Westbound gave the world as its own legacy in the wake of Norman Whitfield's experiments at Motown. Titles include the wonderfully jamming "Players Balling", and the funky numbers "Reds" and "Singing In The Morning" – plus more soulful tracks "I Wanna Hear From You" and "Never Had A Dream". CD features a whopping 7 bonus tracks – some previously unissued – including "Climax", "What's Going On", "Time & Space", "Ain't That Loving You", "If You Were My Woman", and "Feelin Alright". CD

One of the best albums that Lou Rawls cut with the team of HB Barnum and David Axelrod – that incredible duo who made some of his 60s Capitol albums so great! The style here is wonderful – upbeat grooves from Barnum – who brings more soul into Lou's music than before – recorded by Axelrod with the right sort of sharpness and punch – that special quality he brought to Cannonball Adderley's 60s soul classics too! Rawls is really at home in the setting – stepping out in some points with these hip monologue passages that are as great as his singing – maybe even better, too – as they show a whole new side of Lou's personality – that badass, totally hip quality that people might never have expected from the early days. One of the best of these is the excellent "Old Man's Memories", about a guy sitting on a bench in Washington Park on the south side of Chicago, which then rolls into an amazing version of "It Was A Very Good Year". Other tunes have a great mix of soul and jazz – and titles include "Love Is A Hurtin Thing", "A Whole Lotta Woman", "Don't Explain", "Old Folks", and "Breaking My Back (Instead Of Using My Mind)". CD

Nice 80s digital dub era grooves from Sly & Robbie! For years, We'd back and forth on how we feel about Bill Laswell's slick modern production – but we've really come around on it more recent years, especially considering how influential the 80s style turned out to be in post-millennium music, be reggae or just about any other popular genre. That said, we've never doubt Sly & Robbie, so in the grand scheme of things, this album always boiled down to a winner. Like a lot of mid 80s Material productions, this one pulls in an all star cast to lend a hand to the Rhythm Twins, including Bernie Worrell, Herbie Hancock, Wally Badaru, Manu Dibango, Afrika Bambaata, Bernard Fowler, Mike Hampton, Doug E Fresh and even Bob Dylan. The overall groove is very electro, with 6 long-ish numbers: "Make 'Em Move", "No Name On The Bullet", "Mile (Black Satin)", "Bass & Trouble", "Language Barrier" and "Get To This, Get To That". LP, Vinyl record album

Spooky Tooth have grown their hair since the cover of their first album – and they've also grown their sound a bit too – into a brew that's even headier and more powerful than before! The album's still got an undercurrent of soul – and begins with a fantastic drumbreak on the first cut – but these guys are also swirling their basslines, guitars, and keyboards into territory that's unabashedly hard rock – a mode that really has singer Gary Wright opening up with soaring vocals on most of the tracks! The album really represents that full turning of the UK scene from beat group modes into badass territory that's completely unique – a sound that Island Records was perfect to usher in for the group – and the whole thing's got an instant classic sort of vibe, and we've always wondered why it never had a greater place in the rock canon of the period. Titles include "That Was Only Yesterday", "Waiting For The Wind", "Feelin Bad", "Evil Woman", "Lost In My Dream", and "Hangman Hang My Shell On A Tree". CD

Spooky Tooth have grown their hair since the cover of their first album – and they've also grown their sound a bit too – into a brew that's even headier and more powerful than before! The album's still got an undercurrent of soul – and begins with a fantastic drumbreak on the first cut – but these guys are also swirling their basslines, guitars, and keyboards into territory that's unabashedly hard rock – a mode that really has singer Gary Wright opening up with soaring vocals on most of the tracks! The album really represents that full turning of the UK scene from beat group modes into badass territory that's completely unique – a sound that Island Records was perfect to usher in for the group – and the whole thing's got an instant classic sort of vibe, and we've always wondered why it never had a greater place in the rock canon of the period. Titles include "That Was Only Yesterday", "Waiting For The Wind", "Feelin Bad", "Evil Woman", "Lost In My Dream", and "Hangman Hang My Shell On A Tree". CD features 9 more bonus tracks – including "When I Get Home", "Something Got Into Your Life", "Pretty Woman", three initial mixes of album cuts, and BBC versions of "Blues Town", "Feelin Bad", and "I Can't Quit Her". CD

We couldn't think up a better title to describe the way that Joe Tex approached soul music in the 60s – giving 110% to his music, working like a dog to climb the ranks that were already filled with other budding soul stars! This album's a perfect example of Joe at his best – nearly all original tunes recorded in close collaboration with producer Buddy Killen, whose unique talents really brought out the best in Joe's honest apporach to soul music. The album includes the studio version of the classic groover "Papa Was Too", and loads of other classics like "SYSLJFM (The Letter Song)", "I've Got To Do A Little Bit Better", "Half A Mind", "I Believe I'm Gonna Make It", "Watch The One (That Brings The Bad News)', and "A Woman Sees A Hard Time (When Her Man Is Gone)". LP, Vinyl record album

The rare first solo album from Gary Walker of the Walker Brothers – originally released only in Japan in 1968 – compiled on CD with some equally rare singles! Gary's solo work really is a world away from the baroque noir of his "brother" Scott's solo LPs of the 60s – a buzzing, melodic batch of chiming psychedelic pop with strong harmonies from his Rain band members – which included a pre-Badfinger Joey Molland. Titles include "Magazine Woman", "The Sun Shines", "Doctor Doctor", "I Can't Stand To Lose You", "Market Tavern", "Spooky", "The View", "If You Don't Come Back", Thoughts Of An Old Man", "Francis", "I Promise To Love You" and more. LP, Vinyl record album

Fantastic sounds from the Wilde Flowers – a group who were an undeniable precursor to Soft Machine and Caravan, and who also were one of the first to explore some of the farther reaches that would soon explode in the worlds of British prog and psych! The group never issued a full album at the time, which makes this collection of rare recordings completely essential – as it features early work from Robert Wyatt on drums and vocals, Hugh Hopper on bass, Pye Hastings on guitar, Richard Sinclair on vocals, Mike Ratledge on flute, and David Sinclair on keyboards. The lineup shifts from track to track – really showing the woodshedding experiments of the musicians – and a young Kevin Ayers even makes a few appearances on vocals too. Titles include "Impotence", "Those Words They Say", "He's Bad For You", "Never Leave Me", "Time After Time", "No Game When You Lose", "The Big Show", "She Loves To Hurt", "Memories", "Slow Walkin Talk", "Parchman Farm", and "She's Gone". LP, Vinyl record album

A really cool 70s album from the great Link Wray – done at the time when he was reinventing himself, and changing from a damn great instrumental guitarist to a singer as well – one with a much bolder presence in the limelight than ever before! Wray serves up some fantastic electric solos here, and sings a fair bit too – and the record has some connection to his earlier self-titled set on Polydor, but was recorded at Wally Heider's in San Francisco – instead of Link's three-track shack – which makes for a richer vibe overall! There's plenty of great help on the session – all-star work from Boz Scaggs on guitar, Pete Escovedo on congas, and Lenny Pickett on tenor – and Wray may well be at the apex of his 70s confidence in the lead, as you'll hear on titles that include "It Was A Bad Scene", "Good Time Joe", "Walkin/Bulldog", "I Got To Ramble", "We Said I Do", "Step This Way", "Super 88", and "She's That Kind Of Woman". LP, Vinyl record album

Way more than just the Doo Wop promised in the title – as the set starts with raw harmony work of the 50s, then moves up to include a whole bunch of 60s soul too! The set's a great overview of the evolution of vocal group modes during these crucial years in American music – and some familiar hits are mixed up nicely with lesser-known gems – showing that the compilers really used their heads to put the package together. There's a total of 60 tracks in all, plus a nice booklet too – and titles include "I Believe" by The Earls, "For Sentimental Reasons" by The Cleftones, "The Girl I Love" by The Cadillacs, "I Count The Tears" by The Drifters, "A Casual Look" by The Six Teens, "Down On My Knees" by The Heartbeats, "Out Of Sight" by The Five Keys, "Come Back My Love" by The Cardinals, "Bad Boy" by The Jive Bombers, "Sixty Minute Man" by The Dominoes, "Little Darlin" by The Diamonds, "Lonely Way" by The Skyliners, "The Angels Listened In" by The Crests, "A Wonderful Dream" by The Majors, "Let Me In" by The Sensations, "Smoky Places" by The Corsairs, and "Wish You Were Mine" by The Fireflies. CD

Incredible music from the key cultural year of 1966 – all hand-selected by the mighty Jon Savage! From punk to soul to plenty of places in between, when Savage has something to say we're always more than willing to listen – and this time around he really opens up our ears with a double-length collection of 48 tracks all recorded during a single year, each of which represents a key cultural shift at the time! The package isn't hits from the charts, or underground psych – and instead brings together smoking instrumentals, rare soul, proto-punk, trippy folk, and lots more – some familiar tracks, a few classics, and lots more obscure gems – all nestled together at a level that may well rewrite your understanding of the 60s. Forget the summer of love, because 1966 is the year when lots more happened – as Savage outlines in his massive track selection and great notes for the package. Titles include "Love At Psychedelic Velocity" by The Human Expression, "The Spy" by The Guys From Uncle, "Night Time" by The Strangeloves, "Nothing Comes Easy" by Sandie Shaw, "Greetings" by The Monitors, "I'll Be Your Mirror" by The Velvet Underground, "One Of These Days" by The Rooster, "You Better Believe It Baby" by Joe Tex, "7 & 7 Is" by Love, "Do You Come Here Often" by The Tornados, "Love's Gone Bad" by Chris Clark, "In The Past" by We The People, "One Hour Cleaners" by The Blue Things, "Foolish Woman" by Oxford Circle, "Hang On To A Dream" by Tim Hardin, "Batman" by Link Wray, "You Keep Me Hangin On" by The Supremes, "I'm A Boy" by The Who, "Come On Back" by Paul & Ritchie, and lots lots more! CD

Female funk galore – and one of the greatest all-girl compilations we've ever heard! The set's a brilliant follow-up to the first Funk Soul Sisters set on BGP – but we've gotta say that we like it even better than the first, and really appreciate the wide range of unusual tunes collected on the set! There's a depth here that goes way past the obvious – a love of bad-rapping funky female soul that digs deeper, and comes up with some key gems that explode cliches and really expand our love of the music. Titles include both rare album and single tracks pulled from a variety of American indies of the late 60s and early 70s – and although many are by familiar artists, they offer up a side of their talents you really wouldn't expect! Titles include "Easily Persuaded" by Martha & The Vandellas, "Family Tree" by Little Rose Little, "Who Told You" by Jackie Moore, "That's How I Feel" by The Sisters Of Righteous, "Ain't No Love Lost" by Patti Jo, "Love Connection" by Annette Snell, "Gotta Get Away" by Harolyn Montgomery, "Just A Mistake" by The Ebonettes, "Do You Really Want To Rescue Me (part 1)" by Elsie Mae, "It's My Thing" by Betty Moorer, "Speed Ticket" by Inez & Charlie Foxx, "Get On Up & Do It Baby" by Marie Adams, and "Jesse Joe" by Jean Knight. LP, Vinyl record album

Cee-Lo Green gits up and gets out on his own – without the heavy burden of too many guest appearances – and the result may be the best album to come out of the Dirty South in quite a while! Cee-Lo's raspy, cotton-mouthed speak & sing style has always been one of the strongest attributes of the Goodie crew, and it's great to hear it stretched out over a fully-realized LP that is worthy of his unique talents. Sweaty, deeply funky, and a bit similar to the kind of material we used to expect from the Native Tongues at their strongest, but with Cee-Lo's unmistakable Cameo inspired croon out front. Includes "Bad Mutha", "Big Ole Words (Damn), "Closet Freak", "Live (Right Now)", "El Dorado Sunrise", "A Thug's Concern", "One For The Road", "Let Him Sing If He Wants To (Break)", "Suga Baby" featuring Big Gipp and Backbone, "Gettin' Grown", "Bass Head Jazz", "Microhard" featuring Jahalla and Kirland Underwater, "Under The Influence", "(Follow Me)", "Medieval Times (Great Pretender)", "Country Love", "Awful Thing", "Maintenance Man (Break)" "Young Man (Sierra's Song)", and "Well Damn, Lo (Break)". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the most unlikely of success stories in the long string of posthumous Jimi Hendrix releases – a "new" album of studio recordings from Jimi that actually hits the mark. Billed as an unreleased album, the material has popped up on releases from time to time, but the new mixes and sequencing surpisingly do it justice and make this one worth picking up for Hendrix fans and newbies alike. It ain't on par with the first three albums by The Experience, but really, what is? Includes "Stone Free", "Bleeding Heart", "Mr Bad Luck", "Lover Man", "Fire", "Red House", "Lullaby For The Summer", "Ships Passing Through The Night", "Sunshine Of Your Love" and more. CD

A really unique project from the end of the 70s – a set that takes some of the Afro Funk energy that was bubbling in West Africa during the decade, then mixes it with some funky jazz touches arranged by the great William S Fischer! The mix of cultures comes out perfectly – with no forced for fake modes at all – as Aleke Kanonu plays lots of percussion and sings in a variety of languages – alongside a group that features Bad Bascomb on bass, Milt Ward on trumpet, George Davis on guitar, Earl McIntyre on trombone, and Fischer on tenor, organ, and a host of keyboards! Bascomb's basslines are great – and really hold the whole record together at the bottom – with a bad-stepping jazz funk core that allows Aleke plenty of freedom in his performance, on long tracks that stretch out with a hell of a lot of creativity and warmly collaborative energy. Tracks include "N'Gwode", "Keep New York Clean", "Mother's Day", and "Home Sweet Home". CD features bonus tracks "Happiness" and "Nwanne Nwanne Nwanne". CD

A massive package of work from the mighty Kool & The Gang – 6 full albums from the 80s, served up here in a 3CD set! First up is Ladies Night – a shameless dancefloor cash-in move – but a record that's still pretty darn great as well! You all know the big title cut "Ladies Night", so we won't bother to describe it – but we can say that the group wisely hooked up with Deodato, who produced, mixed, and even played keyboards on the album. Deodato keeps a nice jazzy punch in the tracks, while still moving towards the slickly produced funk sound that was the group's main approach at the time of the record. JT Taylor's on vocals, and the album's even got a few mellow cuts – like the crossover easy number "Too Hot" – amidst the midtempo 80s grooves that really step out and make the whole thing move. Other tracks include "Ladies Night", "Hangin Out", "Tonight's The Night", "If You Feel Like Dancin", and "Got You Into My Life". The next album is Something Special indeed – as the album was one of the biggest hits for Kool & The Gang, and showed that the group still had plenty of energy left to groove into the 80s! The record features production work by Brazilian music maestro Eumir Deodato – who by this point had become a sweet and smooth talent with a real flair for putting over a modern soul groove! Deodato's approach is really great – smooth, yet soulful, without any tricks or gimmicks – and a real appreciation for lead vocals and a catchy little hook! The album features the group's party classic "Get Down On It", plus "Steppin Out", "No Show", "Pass It On", "Be My Lady", "Take My Heart", and "Good Time Tonight". As One is solid 80s grooving from Kool & The Gang – a group who inspired so many others in the early 80s soul generation, but who could still do it better than most of the rest! The style here is tight and smooth, but never too slick – and Deodato's giving the group some really great production for the album – helping them to focus their energy and soar soulfully, but without resorting to any stiff gimmicks or cliches! There's a great groove running through most of the numbers here – a confident quality that's never too commercial, and which bubbles along nicely throughout. Titles include "Street Kids", "Big Fun", "As One", "Hi De Hi Hi De Ho", "Let's Go Dancin", and "Pretty Baby". In The Heart is a sweet set that's part of a big early 80s run from Kool & The Gang – a time that saw the funk legends really hitting the mainstream, and winning over a huge new audience in the process! Given that the Gang virtually invented ensemble funk at the start of the 70s, they're perfectly poised here to move into modes that so many of their younger competition were trying – but never did so well – that blend of 80s elements and more sharply-fused funk instrumentation, all honed down into a tightly snapping groove. The real surprise, though, is the group's growing ability for ballads – which put records like this into hands of folks who never would have dug their funk a few years before. And while we might have had a few problems with that shift at the time, the passage of years has got the whole thing sounding pretty darn great to our ears – especially in comparison to so much weaker work from the time. Titles include "In The Heart", "Joanna", "Tonight", "Straight Ahead", "September Love", "You Can Do It", and "Home Is Where The Heart Is". Last up is Emergency – one of the key classics from the second chapter of the group – when their lineup and sound were a lot leaner than before, and they managed to cross over big to a much wider audience than before! The upbeat cuts show that the group were still kings of the funky dancefloor – and the mellower ones are equally great too – showing a rising ballad style that proved to be the group's big crossover card at the time – a way of putting over a laidback track, but with plenty of soul. This approach is heard to great effect on the album's great single "Cherish" – and other tracks include "Bad Woman", "Surrender", "Emergency", "Misled", "Fresh", and "You Are The One". CD

Wonderful TV soundtrack work from Skip Martin – who's really giving Henry Mancini a run for his money in the crime jazz department! Martin's score for the Mike Hammer show here is totally great – penned with a range of styles that run from swinging to sentimental – all handled by a top-shelf crew of west coast jazz players that includes Ted Nash on flute and alto, Richie Kamuca on tenor, Frank Rosolino on trombone, Bud Shank on alto, Don Fagerquist and Pete Candoli on trumpet, and Pete Jolly on piano. Titles include "Bad Guys", "Coffee House", "Like Mike", "Summer Mood", "Corn Pone Woman", and "Riff Blues". LP, Vinyl record album

A really cool 70s album from the great Link Wray – done at the time when he was reinventing himself, and changing from a damn great instrumental guitarist to a singer as well – one with a much bolder presence in the limelight than ever before! Wray serves up some fantastic electric solos here, and sings a fair bit too – and the record has some connection to his earlier self-titled set on Polydor, but was recorded at Wally Heider's in San Francisco – instead of Link's three-track shack – which makes for a richer vibe overall! There's plenty of great help on the session – all-star work from Boz Scaggs on guitar, Pete Escovedo on congas, and Lenny Pickett on tenor – and Wray may well be at the apex of his 70s confidence in the lead, as you'll hear on titles that include "It Was A Bad Scene", "Good Time Joe", "Walkin/Bulldog", "I Got To Ramble", "We Said I Do", "Step This Way", "Super 88", and "She's That Kind Of Woman". CD

A really well-done collection – filled with enough funky gems to grab the ears of any sample-conscious listener, but also packing plenty of unusual numbers too – including a few Latin tracks that fit in perfectly with the spirit of the sound! A number of these cuts have definitely been sampled over the years – but as is always the case, the fuller tracks are often a lot more interesting than the riff or drum part that was taken from them – and together, the titles here show that there's always plenty to dig when you know how to dig deep – as you'll hear on titles that include "Home" by Gloria Barnes, "I'm Moving On" by Chyvonne Scott, "Natural Beauty" by LJ Waiters, "Afro Funky" by Manteca, "Something Bad" by The Chosen Few, "What Happened To Yesterday" by Al Scott, "Los Feligreses" by Luis Santi, "Every Boy & Girl" by Lee Moses, "Man Of Value" by Tyrone Barkley, "I'm Sorry I Hurt You" by Nat Phillips, and "Cookie Crumbs" by Ray & His Court. CD

A long-overdue full length album from Ace Of Cups – a really unusual female group from the Bay Area scene of the late 60s – but one who never hit the heights of their bigger San Francisco contemporaries! The girls have this really great look on the back – kind of flower power, but with a bit more charm – a quality that comes through in the music, with is often more garagey than trippy – but which also has a way of putting forth female vocals and honest ideas that might not flourish this strongly for similar groups until the post-punk years. That approach makes the whole thing a truly timeless collection of tracks – of the sort that maybe resonate more strongly today than they did back in the 60s. Titles include "Music", "Boy What You'll Do Then", "Glue", "Taste Of One", "Stones", "Looking For My Man", "Pretty Boy", "Waller Street Blues", "Catch You Later", "Simplicity", "I Wanna Testify", "Hear Every Sound", and a great version of "Afro Blue". CD

A landmark debut from the mighty Erykah Badu – a record that really set the world on fire when it first appeared – and which continues to blow our minds all these many years later! There's a simple, straightforward grace to the album that comes through immediately – as Erykah tries to forge new ground for soul music, but does it by taking a few steps backwards – not into retro modes, but more in a way that focuses on the core vocal, songcraft, and right instrumentation that can make a special soul record such a standout. She does a great job of both avoiding easy commercial paths, or some of the temptations to embrace other then-contemporary genres – which has made the work of some of her colleagues seem a bit dated. The record defines a whole new style of expression – "Baduizm", if you will – one in which Erykah sings with a depth that stretches back through a century's worth of jazz, soul, and gospel influences – but works a groove in a stripped-down and forward-thinking mode that sets the pace for countless Neo Soul singers to come! Titles include "Certainly (Flipped It)", "Next Lifetime (radio)", "On & On", "Appletree", "No Love", "4 Leaf Clover", and "Sometimes (mix #9)". CD

A millennial classic from Erykah Badu – a record that came along right as the current century was starting up, to show a soulful path that would keep things strong for many years to come! The album grabbed a bigger audience than Erykah's first, but still kept things strong – really focusing in on that amazing vocal style that made the singer such a unique talent – and which always had edges that were sharper, and runs that were deeper, than some of her contemporaries who might be able to trick a phrase with a bit of spirit, but never deliver the whole thing in the way that Badu can! Themes are both personal and hinting at her political turns to come – and titles include "Kiss Me On My Neck", "Didn't Cha Know", "My Life", "AD 2000", "Bag Lady", "In Love With You", and "Booty". LP, Vinyl record album

A Sinbad movie, but one that's put together with a really rich soundtrack – possibly done with more care than the images on the screen for the film! The setting and story are a bit schlocky, but the music is actually classic Herrmann – a very powerful score with loads of dramatic finishes, countless mood shifts, and impeccable orchestrations – that masterful mode that's graced his better-known film scores for directors like Hitchcock or Scorcese, sounding equally great here. Titles include "The Flight", "Battle With The Cyclops", "The Death Of The Dragon", "The Vase", "Sultan's Feast", "Bagdad", "Cobra Dance", and "Transformation". LP, Vinyl record album

A lost album from the legendary Stax Records – a full set of tracks from the deep soul group Hot Sauce – planned as a record of its own in the final years of the label, but never issued at the time! Hot Sauce were one of the funkiest groups on Stax in the early 70s – a wickedly badass group who sported great lead vocals from Rhonda Washington – a singer who really knew how to stay on the groove and send the whole thing home! The work on this set is a great evolution of the Stax groove – and shows where the label might have gone in terms of 70s funk, had they stayed the course – and although the album's long overdue to get released, we're plenty happy to finally have it out after all these years. Many tracks were issued over the years as singles, and the set also features a few tracks not intended for the album too – titles that include "Stop Dogging Me", "Funny", "Mama's Baby", "I'll Kill A Brick", "Good Woman Turning Bad", "I Can't Let You Go", "Echoes From The Past", and "I Can't Win For Losing". CD