One of the best Loudon Wainwright III albums of the 70s, and a nice encapsulation of his rambling creative spirit – featuring one side of studio recordings ranging from small combo rockers to voice and guitar backed sparseness, to Carribbean pop flavors – and one side recorded live at The Bottom Line in a more introspective folk style. Titles include "Sweet Nothings", "The Lowly Tourist", "Kings And Queens", "On The Rocks", "Guru", "Mr Guilty", Unrequited To The Nth Degree", "Old Friend", "Rufus Is A Tin Man" and more. CD

Another great chapter in the always-surprising later career of Caetano Veloso – and a record that's unlike anything else he's recorded before! The style here is a real change both from some of his more ambitious and more experimental works of late – and the album mostly features small combo backing, set up alongside Veloso's vocals in styles that are slightly punky, slightly arty – in a way that reminds us a fair bit of work from the hippest side of the New York scene in the early 80s. The structure of the songs is often simple, but extremely fresh – very inventive twists and turns of a few basic elements, all to match the poetry of Veloso's own lyrics. Moreno Veloso co-produced the set – and titles include "Outro", "Rocks", "Deusa Urbana", "Waly Salomao", "Musa Hibrida", "Odeio", "O Heroi", and "Um Sonho". CD

One of the best Loudon Wainwright III albums of the 70s, and a nice encapsulation of his rambling creative spirit – featuring one side of studio recordings ranging from small combo rockers to voice and guitar backed sparseness, to Carribbean pop flavors – and one side recorded live at The Bottom Line in a more introspective folk style. Titles include "Sweet Nothings", "The Lowly Tourist", "Kings And Queens", "On The Rocks", "Guru", "Mr Guilty", Unrequited To The Nth Degree", "Old Friend", "Rufus Is A Tin Man" and more. LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

Searing stuff – easily one of Etta James' greatest albums! The set is a non-stop jam, recorded live at the New Era Club in Nashville before a small and screaming crowd – a perfect performance all the way through, one that showcases Etta as she rarely sounded on vinyl during the 1960s. The whole album runs away like a train on fire, and it's filled with incredibly lively readings of tracks like "Something's Got A Hold On Me", "Baby What You Want Me To Do", "Money", "Seven Day Fool", and "Woke Up This Morning" – all taken at versions longer than the usual under-3 minute single takes! LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

Roy Milton definitely rocks, even though he wasn't a rocker at all – and instead was one of the key artists in postwar R&B who helped really chart the course for other decades of musicians to follow! As you'll see from the image on the cover, Roy's a drummer, but his real strength is leading a tight small combo – effortlessly blending together influences from jazz and blues in the years before soul, and really setting loose with both searing instrumental solos and great lead vocals – including work from Camille Howard, who also plays piano in his combo! The package features a whopping 31 tracks in all – with material from both his Specialty and Dootone years, on titles that include "One Zippy Zam", "Train Blues", "It's Later Than You Think", "Succotash", "Wakin Up Baby", "Big Fat Mama", "Red Light", "Hop Skip & Jump", "Junior Jumps", "Train Blues", "Bam A Lam", and "Baby I'm Gone". CD

Searing stuff – easily one of Etta James' greatest albums! The set is a non-stop jam, recorded live at the New Era Club in Nashville before a small and screaming crowd – a perfect performance all the way through, one that showcases Etta as she rarely sounded on vinyl during the 1960s. The whole album runs away like a train on fire, and it's filled with incredibly lively readings of tracks like "Something's Got A Hold On Me", "Baby What You Want Me To Do", "Money", "Seven Day Fool", and "Woke Up This Morning" – all taken at versions longer than the usual under-3 minute single takes! Also includes 3 bonus tracks not on the original LP releases: "Ain't That Lovin' You Baby", "All I Could Do Is Cry" and "I Just Want To Make Love To You". LP, Vinyl record album

Two albums by one of the greatest jazz vocalists of all time! Early In The Morning is a very hip affair – recorded with the Ramsey Lewis Trio backing her up on one side, and a group led by Frank Foster on another – both playing in a tight soul jazz mode that works perfectly for Lorez's great voice, and which takes her way past the straighter style of the King recordings. Includes a version of Louis Jordan's "Early In The Morning", plus "So Long", "Don't Explain", "Baby Don't You Cry", and "Rocks In My Bed". Deep Roots is like hearing Lorez in a smoky club on the south side of Chicago – a perfect summation of her rich talents as a singer! Backing is by a small Chicago trio that includes John Young on piano, Vernel Fournier on drums, and George Eskridge on bass – but the arrangements of the tracks, and Lorez's unique interpretations drive the tunes into territory that's surprisingly advanced for the 1962 date of the session. You'll recognize most of the tunes – but as the old adage goes, it's not the song, but the singer – and you'll hear Lorez crafting a rich tapestry of sound and emotion from titles like "No Moon At All", "I Was A Fool", "Detour Ahead", "Travlin Light", and "I Want To Talk About You". CD

A very groovy little soundtrack – with a mixture of Zorba The Greek type Greek themes, plus hippy dippy psyche touches, and even a bit of Barbarella-like fuzz! The film imagines a 1972 in which hippies kind of go crazy in Greece – and the "future hippy" style of the music makes for some great touches that rank the album with Thedorakis' best work from the time. Titles include "Stand By For The Tourist Boom", "Sex On The Rocks", "Looking For the Bomb", "The Jet Rock", "Let's Dance The Jet", and "Karos 1972 AD". LP, Vinyl record album

A whole host of very groovy groups from the southwest scene in the 60s – very much the kind of material that the Cicadelic label does such a great job of digging up and releasing to the world! Some of the groups here were actually recorded in Nashville, which fits a bit with the sound – as there's definitely some echoes of earlier southwest sounds, from The Crickets to the guitar style of some of the bigger instrumental groups – but served up here by smaller, more obscure artists who only ever issued rare singles! There's 10 unreleased tracks on the set, and an interview with the Lewallen Brothers too – who served up a few tracks here, next to The Marsades, The Rocks, Shandells Inc, Shadows, and The Feathers. CD

One of the groovier soundtracks that Mike Curb ever recorded – a light batch of easy numbers with some electric bass and/or guitar at the bottom – tripping with a bit more punch than you might expect, and floating with some really wonderful instrumental touches at times! In a way, this is almost an easy version of Curb's biker/soundtrack albums – a bit cheesy, a bit hip, and featuring a few vocal numbers. Titles include "His Name", "The Big Bounce", "Once In A Lifetime", "The Boss Man", "Little Pickle", and "Throwing Rocks". LP, Vinyl record album

A really great book if you're digging for reggae records – one that features hundreds of listings of albums, both classic and hard to find – each with a small color image of the cover, dates and labels in English, and a small review in Japanese! You've probably seen this format for other Japanese disc guides on jazz, funk, or soul – and this volume brings that same approach to reggae records, tracing the music from the start of the 60s onwards – in chapters on The Ska Era, Rocksteady Era, Early Reggae, Roots Rock, Early Dancehall, Digital Dancehall, Neo Roots, Modern & Hybrid Era, and Reggae Revival. The book is softcover, over 300 pages, and has full color images throughout – and even if you can't read the Japanese text, you can likely use Google on your phone to make a translation. Book

Mac Curtis rocks, that's no lie – and this well-done collection shows that the southern legend kept on going strongly long after his famous late 50s singles for King Records! The set's got plenty of that classic King material – really hardcore work that rivals some of the best rockabilly that others were cutting for Sun Records at the time – and it follows up with some surprisingly great later material too, done for the smaller Rollin Rock label, but with an equally sharp edge – surprisingly timeless sounds, given the time – and handled in a lean style that really matches the older cuts. As always with Bear Family, the presentation is great – excellent sound, detailed notes, and 32 tracks that include "Rockin Mother", "Party Line", "Say So", "Just So You Call Me", "Grandaddy's Rockin", "Sidething", "Little Miss Linda", "Hard Hearted Girl", "Half Hearted Love", "That Ain't Nothin But Right", "No", "For Your Love", "Missy Ann", "Been Gone A Long Time", and "Show Me The Money". CD

A really great collection of work from the ultra-rare Links label – a short-lived imprint from the ska/rocksteady years of the scene in Kingston – and one that only issued a handful of records, all of which were pretty darn great! The label was founded by BB Seton of The Gaylads, and all the cuts here have a similarly soulful vibe as work from that great group – the growing emphasis on strong lead vocals over instrumentation on the Jamaican scene – sometimes with harmonies that were almost strong enough to blow away American soul groups of the time! Titles include "Looking For A Girl" and "Let's Fall In Love" by The Gaylads, "Can't You See" and "I Remember Someone" by Ken Boothe, "Give Love A Try" by Delroy Wilson, "Hog In A Minty" by Prince Glen, "Sweet Melody" by Big Joe, "It Comes & Goes" by The Melodians, "Small World" by Randall Thaxter, and "Something New" by Conscious Minds. CD

A really great collection of work from the ultra-rare Links label – a short-lived imprint from the ska/rocksteady years of the scene in Kingston – and one that only issued a handful of records, all of which were pretty darn great! The label was founded by BB Seton of The Gaylads, and all the cuts here have a similarly soulful vibe as work from that great group – the growing emphasis on strong lead vocals over instrumentation on the Jamaican scene – sometimes with harmonies that were almost strong enough to blow away American soul groups of the time! Titles include "Looking For A Girl" and "Let's Fall In Love" by The Gaylads, "Can't You See" and "I Remember Someone" by Ken Boothe, "Give Love A Try" by Delroy Wilson, "Hog In A Minty" by Prince Glen, "Sweet Melody" by Big Joe, "It Comes & Goes" by The Melodians, "Small World" by Randall Thaxter, and "Something New" by Conscious Minds. LP, Vinyl record album

There's plenty of rocksteady people here – served up in a killer selection of work from the small JDI label in Kingston – an imprint named after the Johnson's Drive-In club where most of the acts worked! The cuts here have a lean, gritty vibe – that really special quality that comes from the early 45s of this generation, when the Jamaican scene was really experimenting with new sounds of its own – all set to production styles that really let the best elements in the tunes pop strongly, especially the jazzy horns and organ lines! The Diamonds Band or Los Caballeros Orchestra back up all the singers – and titles include "Beware Rudie" and "Control Your Temper" by Roy Panton, "Rock Steady People" by Lloyd Williams, "Rude Boy's Prayer", "Danger Man", and "Press On" by Desmond Tucker – plus instrumental cuts "Expo 67" and "Look Away" by The Diamonds – and "Rigmarole" "Hot Nosh", and "Make Yourself Comfortable" by Los Caballeros. CD

A set that's heavy on roots reggae numbers, but which also maybe predates some of the more mainstream work in the field – especially some of the more easygoing tracks that were playing bit in American dorm rooms at the end of the 70s! Instead, these are cuts from a scene where the message in the music was plenty crucial, especially amidst the early 70s turmoil in Jamaica – where Studio One was close to the streets, and able to capture the moment with the same sort of brilliance and sharpness they brought to earlier generations of rocksteady and ska! The instrumentation is great, as some of the older players evolve into more spiritual modes – and titles include "Jah Righteous Plan" by Willie Williams, "Run Babylon" by Larry Marshall, "Babylon Rock" by Vin Gordon, "Behold The Land" by Joseph Hill, "Tenor On Call" by Tommy McCook, "Sun Is Shining" by Winston Matthews, "Satta" by Cedric Im Brooks, "Message Of Old" by Ken Boothe & Joe Higgs, "Sleeping Trees" by The Saints, and "Small Garden" by Zoot Sims. LP, Vinyl record album

Early, early Coxsone Dodd produced sides of groovy rocksteady, voiced by a young Bob Marley with Peter Tosh and Bunny Wailer. While we don't find this material nearly as compelling as his later work produced by Lee Perry and then his huge international hits, it's great Studio One rocksteady and an interesting portrait of a legend in the earliest stages of his career. 10 tracks, including "Simmer Down", "Maga Dog", "I Made A Mistake", "I Am Going Home", "Donna", "Nobody Knows" and "Love & Affection". LP, Vinyl record album

Excellent rocksteady organ and piano tracks from the legendary Jackie Mittoo! Jackie's one of the true keyboard geniuses of the 20th Century, and his sound and style is instantly recognizeable on any recording. This set brings together some of his best for Clement Dodd from the 60s – including the hit "Evening Time", plus "One Step Beyond", "Drum Song", "Rock Steady Wedding", "Hip Hug", "Hot Milk", "Full Charge", and "Napoleon Solo". LP, Vinyl record album

Excellent! An astounding 4CD set covering 15 years worth of fine Jamaican music, stopping at all the relevant points for novices, but digging deeply enough to unearth some nice hard to get bits for the initiated. The first disc in the set, Train To Skaville, represents an 8 year block during the formative years of the 60s, starting out with some Mento cuts, then a couple of nice Jamaican R& B numbers on through a nice batch of Ska. Disc 2, Do The Reggay, focus on the transition to Rocksteady and early reggae from 1968 to 1970, as the tempos started to get a little more laidback, and the dawn of the 70s gets highlighted with disc 3, Black & White: Reggae Rising. Disc 4, The Time Has Come, brings it all together collecting a tremendous batch of roots rock. 90 tracks in all, the set includes Derrick Morgan "Fat Man", Stranger Cole "Rough & Tough", Don Drummond & Tommy McCook "Music Is My Occupation", Roland Alphonso & The Soul Brothers "Phoenix City", Desmond Dekker & The Aces "Rudy Got Soul", Keith & Tex "Stop That Train", Toots & The Maytals "Do The Reggay", Lee Perry People Funny Boy", the Untouchables "Tighten Up", the Pioneers "Longshot Kick The Bucket", Gregory Isaacs "Don't Let Me Suffer", Harry J Allstars "The Liquidator", Niney "Blood & Fire", Ken Parker "Groovin Out On Life", Bob Marley & The Wailers "Small Axe", Horace Andy "I Fell Good All Over", Junior Byles "A Place Called Africa", Zap Pow "This Is Reggae Music", Slim Smith "The Time Has Come", Big Youth "S90 Skank", Burning Spear "Marcus Garvey", and way too many more to list here! CD

Early work from the great Bob Marley – material cut with the initial lineup of The Wailers, at a time before the group would go onto much greater global fame on Island Records! The equally legendary Lee Scratch Perry is at the helm on production – and although the music here has more rough edges than some of the polished commercial work of Marley's classic years, that also makes for a heck of a lot of appeal – and a quality that also links the group's work more tightly to some of the other Jamaican trios of the rocksteady years. A few cuts here were remade later, and titles include "Keep On Moving", "Don't Rock My Boat", "Fussing & Fighting", "Put It On", "Duppy Conqueror (Version 4)", "Kaya", "Memphis", "African Herbsman" "Brain Washing", and "Sun Is Shining". In the original Upsetter mono mix, too! LP, Vinyl record album