Fantastic funky sounds from TK Records – a Miami soul powerhouse that most folks know for some big disco hits in the 70s, but a company that also cut some killer 45s in the years before that time! Much of the work here is from the earlier funky 45 years of the TK empire – including singles issued on the Glades, Alston, and Cat labels – plus a few later tracks that show just how committed the company was to more unusual, more developing styles of funk – even when they were making big cash on their disco hits. The whole thing is fantastic – and filled with plenty of rare funky breaks that you'll recognize from samples – with titles that include "Funky Yolk" by Arnold Albury & The Casuals, "Nobody But You Babe" by Clarence Reid, "Cramp Your Style" by All the People, "Mashed Potato Popcorn" by Freddie & The Kinfolk, "Let's Take A Break" by Milton Wright, "Cutting Room (Hot Pants)" by Oceanliners, "Miss Hot Stuff" by Clarence Reid, "Lay It On Me" by Willie Johnson, "Let Me Be Your Lover" by Jimmy Bo Horne, "Cosmic Funk" by Mad Dog Fire Department, and "Don't Waste My Time" by Jerry Washington. CD

Four incredible albums from the young Georgie Fame – plus a bonus CD of rare material, bonus tracks on all CDs, and 18 previously unreleased tracks – all in a box set with a 48 page book, 5 postcards, and a poster too! First up is Rhythm & Blues At The Flamingo – blistering early work from a young Georgie Fame – a set that definitely lives up to the Rhythm & Blues in the title! The set was recorded live at London's hip Flamingo club – and Georgie and The Blue Flames are very much in command of the crowd – burning with the intensity of a American small organ combo, especially the early 60s variety that often played equal parts soul jazz and R&B! Georgie's on the Hammond, and also sings with a rough-edged style that's plenty soulful, and incredibly appealing – a mode that oozes charisma, but never sounds fake or forced. Titles include "Do The Dog", "Eso Beso", "Work Song", "Baby Please Don't Go", "Shop Around", "Humpty Dumpty", and "You Can't Sit Down". Fame At Last is a brilliant mix of jazz, soul, and R&B – all filtered through a mod sort of London freshness, as early proof that the city could always take some great things from our own musical roots, and feed it back to us with a whole new flavor! Georgie's no copycat here, though – and the sound is instantly Fame-like – a style that's really not the sort that any Americans were doing at the time, and certainly never this well. Hard-burning Hammond colors most of the tunes here – played with a tightly vamping quality – but it's Georgie's charmingly crackling vocals that really win us over! Titles include "Gimme That Wine", "Pink Champagne", "Monkeying Around", "Green Onions", "Let The Sunshine In", "Get On The Right Track Baby", "I'm In The Mood For Love", and "I Love The Life I Live". Sweet Things is a definite sweet thing from Georgie Fame – a record that has him filling in his sound even more than before, with tremendously soulful results! The backings here are bigger than before – a bit tooled in an American soul mode, but still with that beautifully raspy Georgie Fame touch – lots of jazzy inflections on the vocals, and a way of handling a tune, even a familiar one, and really working it on his own level. Hammond still fills in most of the tunes, but other instrumentation includes some nice African percussion from Speedy Acquaye, saxes from Pete Coe, and some nice bold drums from John Mitchell. These come out to the forefront on the classic funky tune "Music Talk" – and still sound great on other numbers that include "The World Is Round", "Last Night", "Dr Kitch", "My Girl", "Ride Your Pony", and "Sweet Thing". Sound Venture is one of the jazziest early albums from Georgie Fame – a set that has him singing with the big band of Harry South, at a level that's a lot more complicated than some of his other work with The Blue Flames! The style here still has that mod 60s London feel, but it also has some deeper inflections as well – modes borrowed a bit from Jon Hendricks or Mose Allison, yet served up with even greater complexity – at a level that really points towards the tremendous growth Fame would unleash over the next few years. Members of the group include Tubby Hayes, Ronnie Scott, Tony Coe, Dick Morrisey, Kenny Wheeler, and many other key Brit jazz figures of the time – and titles include "Three Blind Mice", "Dawn Yawn", "Feed Me", "Lovey Dovey", "Lil Darlin", "Lil Pony", "I Am Missing You", and "Many Happy Returns". CD5 is Bend A Little – a package with 20 unusual titles – demos, rare tracks, and outtakes – including unreleased tracks, IBC recordings, and even two German tracks too! Plus, each individual CD comes with bonus tracks – 40 bonus tracks, in addition to the 20 more titles on the Bend A Little set – a huge amount of material! CD

A great look at the huge second wave of UK punk after the bigger labels were leaving the music behind at the end of the 70s – a bold surge of independent sounds from the underground, including a fair bit of work that was really pushing the boundaries of the music and its politics at the time! Some of these groups are strongly in the spirit of 1977, others are even more radical, and still others are maybe more rough around the edges with an agenda that's a bit hard to figure out – a bit like the way that the LA hardcore scene was changing at the time too. The package provides a huge amount of detail on the moment – a lavish book-style set with pages of notes on the groups and their music, and lots of great images too – all to support a whopping 117 tracks by the likes of Urban Dogs, Anthrax, Anti Pasti, Poison Girls, Cockney Rejects, The Toy Dolls, Blitz, The Ejected, Chelsea, Rudi, GBH, 4 Skins, Charge, Vice Squad, The Mob, UK Subs, Blitzkrieg, The Insane, Damned, Erazerhead, The Samples, Chaotic Dischord, The Adicts, Anti-Nowhere League, Angelic Upstarts, Rabid, Violators, Crash TV, Icons Of Filth, Ultra Violent, Omega Tribe, Subculture, Criminal Justice, and dozens of others! CD

One of the coolest records ever produced by Disneyland Records – and one of the creepiest too! The record features one side of raw sound effects – top-shelf level material, of the sort that the Disney crew would save and use in cartoons and films – and the other side features similar sounds, but structured with a more narrative approach – almost making for a record that's sort of a ghost story in sound! Titles include "The Very Long Fuse", "The Dogs", "The Unsafe Bridge", "The Martian Monsters", "Chinese Water Torture", and "Drips & Splashes". LP, Vinyl record album

The great CD release of two previous albums from this hip contemporary combo – two vinyl albums back to back on a single CD! Both albums have a fantastic blend of jazz, contemporary soul, and hip hop – served up by a group who can really get the sound right – Terrace Martin on keyboards and alto, Robert Glasper on keyboards, Kamasi Washington on tenor, and 9th Wonder on beats! Vocals on most tracks are by Phoelix, who really helps give the instrumentation some focus – yet the jazz component of the record is never buried under the lyrics, as the players get plenty of space to do their thing – with a vibe that's a bit like some of Glasper's Black Radio project, yet given much more the kind of cool Crenshaw vibe that we've loved in Martin's previous records. All four artists are credited with songwriting and production and you can really hear that balance in the sound – on tracks that include "Love You Bad", "Sleepless Nights", "The Mighty Tree", "Freeze Tag", "Luv U", "Sleepless Nights", and "From My Heart & Soul". The Dessert album offers up a reworked version of the core record – with titles that are partly remixes, partly reworks – with guest appearances from Snoop Dog, Cordae, Herbie Hancock, Reuben Vincent, and others! CD

Maybe our favorite album from Procol Harum – a set that adds in some wonderful use of strings to the group's unique style – almost moving forward on the promise of the earlier single "Whiter Shade Of Pale", moving into much deeper territory overall! There's something about Procol Harum on their early album's that's really indescribable – certainly an influence from blues and roots, but this really striking step forward with their song ideas and overall construction – not into jamming or progressive modes, like some of their contemporaries – although they're certainly never afraid to rock – but almost this balance between personal poetry and brashness, with kind of a slightly creepy current at times – as illustrated beautifully by the image on the cover. Titles include the completely wonderful "A Salty Dog", p0lus "Wreck Of The Hesperus", "Boredom", "The Devil Came To Kansas", "Too Much Between Us", "All This & More", and "The Milk Of Human Kindness". LP, Vinyl record album

Redman, where hath thee been? One of the most reliable and unique voices of 90s hip hop finally drops a long delayed second official record in the 00s – after getting killed by Chucky in one of those killer doll movies and a failed sitcom – thankfully picking up his day job right where he left off and easily bettering '01's Malpractice LP. More of a return to form than a rehash, this reminds us how inimitable the man truly is. Production by Pete Rock, Timbaland, Scott Storch and others. Welcome back! Titles include "Bak Inda Buildin", "Put It Down", "Gimmie One", the gem "Walk In Gutta" feat Keith Murray, Erick Sermon & Biz Markie, "Dis Iz Brick City", "Get 'Em" feat Saukrates & Icadon, "Merry Jane" feat Snoop & Nate Dogg, "Gilla House Check", "Hold Dis Blaow", "Suicide" and more. LP, Vinyl record album

Titles include "Come On", "My Dogz Iz My Gunz" featuring Black Child, "Money Talks" featuring Raekwon, "Why" featuring Still Livin and X-1, "State Vs Kirk Jones" featuring Canibus, Guess Who, Rah Digga, Redman, Scarred 4 Life, and Superb, and "Baby Brother" featuring Dave Hollister. 12-inch, Vinyl record

One of the greatest live albums ever, and probably THE best album Johnny Cash ever recorded, properly reissued with the original sequence restored and uncensored! In 1969 Cash had more angst than you could shake a stick at – he just kicked drugs, and he hadn't had a big hit in years, so his respectful and thoughtful empathy for the audience of inmates not only cemented his persona as the real deal, but carries an air of dizzying emotion throughout the set. Appropriately filled with his darkest tunes, Folsom is one of the few cases in which a live recording of a hitmakers catalog is stronger and more vital than the studio versions. Includes "Folsom Prison Blues", "Dark As A Dungeon", "Cocaine Blues", "25 Minutes To Go", "Orange Blossom Special", "The Long Black Veil", "Dirty Old Egg-Suckin' Dog", "Joe Bean", plus "Jackson" and "Give My Love To Rose" featuring June Carter. 2 previously unissued songs – "Joe Bean" and "The Legend Of John Henry's Hammer". CD

Maybe our favorite album from Procol Harum – a set that adds in some wonderful use of strings to the group's unique style – almost moving forward on the promise of the earlier single "Whiter Shade Of Pale", moving into much deeper territory overall! There's something about Procol Harum on their early album's that's really indescribable – certainly an influence from blues and roots, but this really striking step forward with their song ideas and overall construction – not into jamming or progressive modes, like some of their contemporaries – although they're certainly never afraid to rock – but almost this balance between personal poetry and brashness, with kind of a slightly creepy current at times – as illustrated beautifully by the image on the cover. Titles include the completely wonderful "A Salty Dog", p0lus "Wreck Of The Hesperus", "Boredom", "The Devil Came To Kansas", "Too Much Between Us", "All This & More", and "The Milk Of Human Kindness". CD

A deep dip into the sound of the late 70s – served up by writer Jon Savage, an author who's first claim to fame was his work on UK punk – which makes him a perfect guide for the sounds of this generation! Yet the music here is way more than just punk, too – as Savage really gets at the spirit of the time by mixing together revolutionary late 70s classics with more down to earth cuts – show just how much was going on at the time, and how the late 70s was still a moment of great experimentation and new ideas, even past the world of mohawks and safety pins! As with the other great entries in this "year" series from Savage, the overall presentation is wonderful – richly detailed notes that show his keen sense of musical observation and understanding – and a blend of 46 fantastic cuts on 2CDs, with titles that include "No Bones For The Dogs" by Joe Gibbs, "Magic Fly" by Space, "Prophecy Revel" by Bo Jangles, "Soda Passing" by The Boys, "Neat Neat Neat" by The Damned, "Utopia Me Giorgio" by Giorgio, "Day By Day" by Generation X, "The Modern Dance" by Pere Ubu, "Warm Leatherette" by The Normal, "Heavy Manners" by Prince Far I, "Kings Lead Hat" by Brian Eno, "Being Boiled" by The Human League, "28/8/78" by Scritti Politti, "Tired Of Walking Tired" by The Diodes, "I Remember" by Suicide, "Never" by Penetration, "White Night" by The Lines, "Come Back Jonee" by Devo, "The Set Up" by Cabaret Voltaire, "Human Fly" by The Cramps, "Situation" by The Middle Class, "Hippie" by Suzannes, "Warrior In Woolworths" by X Ray Spex, "Hindu God Of Love" by Lipstick Killers, "All Night Party" by A Certain Ratio, "Spacer" by Sheila B & Devotion, and "I Heard It Through The Grapevine" by The Slits. CD

A deep dip into the sound of the late 70s – served up by writer Jon Savage, an author who's first claim to fame was his work on UK punk – which makes him a perfect guide for the sounds of this generation! Yet the music here is way more than just punk, too – as Savage really gets at the spirit of the time by mixing together revolutionary late 70s classics with more down to earth cuts – show just how much was going on at the time, and how the late 70s was still a moment of great experimentation and new ideas, even past the world of mohawks and safety pins! As with the other great entries in this "year" series from Savage, the overall presentation is wonderful – richly detailed notes that show his keen sense of musical observation and understanding – and a blend of 46 fantastic cuts on 2CDs, with titles that include "No Bones For The Dogs" by Joe Gibbs, "Magic Fly" by Space, "Prophecy Revel" by Bo Jangles, "Soda Passing" by The Boys, "Neat Neat Neat" by The Damned, "Utopia Me Giorgio" by Giorgio, "Day By Day" by Generation X, "The Modern Dance" by Pere Ubu, "Warm Leatherette" by The Normal, "Heavy Manners" by Prince Far I, "Kings Lead Hat" by Brian Eno, "Being Boiled" by The Human League, "28/8/78" by Scritti Politti, "Tired Of Walking Tired" by The Diodes, "I Remember" by Suicide, "Never" by Penetration, "White Night" by The Lines, "Come Back Jonee" by Devo, "The Set Up" by Cabaret Voltaire, "Human Fly" by The Cramps, "Situation" by The Middle Class, "Hippie" by Suzannes, "Warrior In Woolworths" by X Ray Spex, "Hindu God Of Love" by Lipstick Killers, "All Night Party" by A Certain Ratio, "Spacer" by Sheila B & Devotion, and "I Heard It Through The Grapevine" by The Slits. CD

Maybe our favorite album from Procol Harum – a set that adds in some wonderful use of strings to the group's unique style – almost moving forward on the promise of the earlier single "Whiter Shade Of Pale", moving into much deeper territory overall! There's something about Procol Harum on their early album's that's really indescribable – certainly an influence from blues and roots, but this really striking step forward with their song ideas and overall construction – not into jamming or progressive modes, like some of their contemporaries – although they're certainly never afraid to rock – but almost this balance between personal poetry and brashness, with kind of a slightly creepy current at times – as illustrated beautifully by the image on the cover. Titles include the completely wonderful "A Salty Dog", p0lus "Wreck Of The Hesperus", "Boredom", "The Devil Came To Kansas", "Too Much Between Us", "All This & More", and "The Milk Of Human Kindness". CD

James Brown plays organ on this one – an early effort to showcase various other artists that he was producing at the time, and who traveled with him on the road – all those great singers that The Godfather would give time to on his stage – the sorts of artists who would later get more exposure on record once James launched the People Records label! Arrangementsd are by James Brown and Nat Jones – and titles include "Strung Out" and "Stop And Think It Over" by James Crawford, "This Is My Story" by the Jewels, "Satisfaction" and "The Dog" by Baby Lloyd, and "Nowhere To Run" and "Don't Mess With Bill" by Vicki Anderson. LP, Vinyl record album

Hard to believe this is the fifth project together between Curren$y and Harry Fraud – and definitely a standalone project, despite what you might guess from the title! The album was originally supposed to be a deluxe take on Outrunners, but the duo are so quickly collaborative, they ended up creating a whole new work in the process – often with the kind of cool crispness of the previous record, but with fresh material throughout – and guest appearances from Snoop Dogg, Trippie Redd, Styles P, and Larry Lune. Titles include "White Ashes", "Work Too Hard", "Vintage Haze", "180 Days", "Quicksand", "Kitt", "New On Mute", and "The Crow's Nest". CD

The jury is sometimes out on the Mick Jagger on-screen performance in the Nicolas Roeg film Performance – but the soundtrack is something pretty separate entirely, and really says a lot more about the spirit of late 60s Warner Brothers Records in LA than it does the arthouse cinema scene in England! The great Jack Nitzsche composed a number of instrumental tracks for the score – maybe his first time in this mode, and prefacing some later 70s successes to come – with titles that include "Rolls Royce & Acid", "Harry Flowers", and "Natural Magic". Other Warner talents get a hand in the music too – as Randy Newman conducted all of Nitzsche's charts, and also sings "Gone Dead Train" – while Ry Cooder delivers bottleneck solos on "Get Away" and "Powis Square". There's also some nice soul-based moments – the cut "Wake Up N*ggers" by The Last Poets, and "Poor White Hound Dog" and "Performance" by Merry Clayton. And yes, Mick does get to sing on one tune – the album's "Memo From Turner" – and the set is completed by Buffy St Marie work on "The Hashishin" and "Dead Dead Red". LP, Vinyl record album

Slayer's fastest, darkest, heaviest album ever – and a defining moment in thrash metal! In the world of heavy rock, there's before Reign In Blood, and after Reign In Blood. Slayer redefined the genre, there's just no getting around it! In the 1980s, when pious or otherwise moral watchdogs were eyeing pop culture for boogeymen, Slayer was more than willing to be the world's scariest band – but beyond the calculated outrageousness, it's simply amazing music – bringing hardcore punk speed into the heavy metal mold. Best metal album ever? Includes "Angel Of Death", "Piece By Piece", "Necrophobic", "Altar Of Sacrifice", "Jesus Saves", "Criminally Insane", "Reborn", "Epidemic", "Post Mortem" and "Reigning Blood". CD

The tenor sax here makes the album a standout – as John Coltrane still works with Miles Davis on 2 tracks for the record, but Blue Note stalwart Hank Mobley joins in on the rest! The approach is similar to that of the classic Coltrane/Davis years – and in a way, the record's kind of a swan song to that period – one of the last studio session that Miles would cut in such an unabashedly sweet and lyrical way. And while Mobley's always better known for his harder-blown notes at Blue Note, he sounds totally great here next to Davis – really keeping up the gentle spirit and spaciousness of the record, and working with a gentleness that surpasses even his work on the legendary Soul Station album. Rhythm is by the trio of Wynton Kelly, Paul Chambers, and Jimmy Cobb – and titles include Miles' classic version of "Someday My Prince Will Come", plus "Old Folks", "Teo", "Drad-Dog", and "Pfrancing". CD

A classic Landmark trio session from Mulgrew Miller – filled with the kind of expansive rolling piano progressions that made his early work so striking! The trio's got an incredible sense of power, thanks to strong bass work from Robert Hurst and beautifully placed drumming from the great Kenny Washington – a wonderful rhythm section who make the record sparkle as much as Miller's thoughtful lines on piano. The whole thing's got a sense of soulful grace – the kind of energy that set Mulgrew apart from his contemporaries – and titles "La Chambre", "From Day To Day", "One Notch Up", "Farewell To Dogma", and "Playthang". CD features the bonus track "Four". CD

The tenor sax here makes the album a standout – as John Coltrane still works with Miles Davis on 2 tracks for the record, but Blue Note stalwart Hank Mobley joins in on the rest! The approach is similar to that of the classic Coltrane/Davis years – and in a way, the record's kind of a swan song to that period – one of the last studio session that Miles would cut in such an unabashedly sweet and lyrical way. And while Mobley's always better known for his harder-blown notes at Blue Note, he sounds totally great here next to Davis – really keeping up the gentle spirit and spaciousness of the record, and working with a gentleness that surpasses even his work on the legendary Soul Station album. Rhythm is by the trio of Wynton Kelly, Paul Chambers, and Jimmy Cobb – and titles include Miles' classic version of "Someday My Prince Will Come", plus "Old Folks", "Teo", "Drad-Dog", and "Pfrancing". Includes the bonus tracks "Blues No. 2" and "Someday My Prince Will Come (alt take)". CD