An excellent compilation that's very much in the spirit of the 100% Dynamite sets on Soul Jazz! This time, Soul Jazz dig through the vaults of the legendary Studio One catalog – some of the most important reggae and rocksteady ever recorded, virtually all of it produced under the tutelage of Clement "Coxone" Dodd. Much of this material has been floating around over the years, but we'd be hard pressed to think of a better collection of it – especially when considering the excellent fidelity of the set, which is way better than an of Dodd's own reissues of the material. Plus, the folks at Soul Jazz have gone out of their way to put together the tracks as an extremely well-thought out introduction to the music, not just a scattered batch of tunes that happened to be available. The set also includes a recent interview with Clement Dodd, plus loads of great rocksteady and early reggae tracks. Titles include "Surfin" by Ernest Ranglin, "Real Rock" by Sound Dimension, "Feel Like Jumping" by Marcia Griffiths, "Greedy G" by Brentford All Stars, "Village Soul" by Lennie Hibbert, "Ethiopia" by Cedric Brooks, "Crabwalking" by Prince Jazzbo, "Hot Milk" by Jackie Mittoo, "Badder Dan Dem" by Lone Ranger, and "Bobby Bobylon" by Freddy McGregor. CD

The legendary Studio One label recorded some of the hippest singers on the Kingston scene from the late 60s onward – and one of the ways they made them sound especially great was to use some of the city's coolest musicians on the sessions, and also give them some space to cut some key instrumentals of their own! The cuts here represent a time when Jamaican music was really hitting its stride with a really unique vibe – and these groups have really shifted from the sort of jazz, mento, or calypso that instrumental groups were cutting in the early part of the 60s – to work in ska, rocksteady, and early reggae modes that offer up a perfect blend of heavy rhythms and standout solo instrumentation! The package brings together 19 tracks from these glory days at Studio One – and titles include "Heavenless" by Don Drummond, "Bugaloo" by Soul Bros, "Black Up" by Karl Bryan & Count Ossie, "Still Calling" by Soul Defenders, "Namibia" by Liberation Group, "Sidewalk Doctor" by Jackie Mittoo & Brentford Rockers, "Heavy Rock" by Sound Dimension, "Money Generator" by Karl Bryan & The Afrokats, "Jericho Skank" by Jackie Mittoo & Ernest Ranglin, and "Ringo Rock" by The Soul Vendors. LP, Vinyl record album

A set that's maybe even better than you might expect from the title – as it not only features never-heard music from the great Augustus Pablo, it also includes killer material from a time when he was burning with a tremendously righteous fire! Backings on most tracks are by the Rockers All Stars, who take the lead on a few tunes – and the lean production has a great sound – dubby elements that are nicely compressed, and maybe even more so by the quality of the tapes – not in a bad way, just as if you're hearing Pablo spin some rare plates of his own, in the backroom of his studio during his free time. Titles include "All Nations", "Sons Of Negus", "A Mother's Love", "Stand Strong", "Omo Valley dub", "Took My Love", "Visions Of Zion", "All Nations Dub", "Gates Of Dub (dubplate mix)", and "Leave The Dreadlocks". LP, Vinyl record album

Rare rock from the Japanese scene of the postwar years – but sounds that definitely have a universal appeal overall! Masaaki Hirao is way more than just a novelty remake of American rockers of the time – as he's got a sharp-edged sound that easily rivals the best we had to offer here in the US – the charm of Elvis, the propulsion of Johnny Burnette, and the offbeat appeal of Buddy Holly! Yet the sounds here are often quite their own thing, too – especially on the Japanese language numbers which make up most of the set, and which have Masaaki stepping away from straight American cover versions, and really doing some great things on his own. The guitar lines are especially great – recorded with brilliant twang and echo that really matches the power of the vocals – and the set features some mighty nice live tracks that are even more biting than the studio material! 10 cuts in all – including "Lawdy Miss Clawdy", "Hoshi Wa Nandemo Shitteiru", "Isuki No Komoriuta Rock", "Crazy Love", "Ooh My Soul", "Jenny Jenny", "Miyo Chan", and "Blue De Memphis". LP, Vinyl record album

Very experimental work from this loose Canadian collective of the late 60s – but a set that's filled with some surprisingly cool touches too! The album's almost more of a "happening" in the studio at times – with free-flowing energy between jazz musicians, rockers, poets, electronocists, and more experimentally sonic scientists – shifting styles quickly from track to track, but occasionally hitting some straighter, funkier moments that are totally great – almost a more tripped-out version of some of the French electronique work we love so much from the 60s – and a record that's mindblowingly beautiful in its sense of freedom and creativity. The whole thing's a sonic trip through incredibly fresh territory – never too overindulgent, and beautifully balanced both in sound and execution. Titles include "Ode A L'Affaire", "J'Ai Perdue 15 Cents Dans Le Nez Froid", "Finale", "Viens Danser Le OK La", "Agnus Dei", "Desafinado", "She's Leaving Home", and "Intermezzo". LP, Vinyl record album

Don't think "disco" as in the New York scene at Studio 54 – as these cuts are much deeper and dubbier – served up under the supervision of Bunny Lee by studio maestros Barnabas and Pat Kelly! Instrumentation is by the Aggrovators, but the magic comes equally from the production effects as it does from the massive rhythms by the group – as all the elements are filtered out in space, and criss-cross back and forth in this wonderful way – never too sloppy or experimental, but definitely tripping out with the groove! Vocals are muted when they do make an appearance – and titles include "The Aggrovators Special Dub", "Money In My Pocket Dub", "Portobello Special Dub", "Super Rockers Dub", "The Bomb Dub", "The Killer Dub", and "The Dub Specialist". LP, Vinyl record album

An excellent "comeback" LP for Ernest Ranglin, though astute observers realize he never really went away in the first place! Ranglin was always able to move back and forth easily between the worlds of groovy jazz, playing alongside Monty Alexander on some of his finest 70s sides, and Jamaican studio work, serving guitar duties at Studio One, cutting some of the rhythms that would serve as the foundation for much of the Jamaican music throughout the years! This set finds him in fine form, rendering excellent jazzy versions of numerous classic rhythms with a crack band that includes old mates Monty Alexander on piano, Roland Alphonso on saxes, and funky drummer Idris Muhammad! 11 tracks in all: "Congo Man", "Surfin'", "King Tubby MeetsThe Rockers", "Satta Massagana", "54-46 (Was My Number)", "None Shall Escape The Judgement", "Ball Of Fire", and "Black Disciples" CD

A long-overdue second volume to the original Pirate's Choice collection from Studio One – which itself was a bit of a stab at Duke Reid and his Treasure Isle label! Legendary Jamaican producer Clement Dodd serves up a host of lost gems from the Studio One catalog – not hits, but some rare mixes and under-heard tracks – all presented in the kind of format that shows just how deep Dodd's reach was back in the day, and how deep the Studio One vaults are to be turning up greatness like this! Titles include "All The Way" by Willie Williams, "You Hold The Handle" by The Conquerors, "Chinese Beauty" by Lennie Hibbert, "Heart Breaker" by Cool Operator, "Jah Light" by Cedric Im Brooks, "Pirate's Choice" by Brentford Rockers, "Sweet Child" by Freddy McGregor, and "Black Is Black" by Freedom Singers. CD features four bonus tracks – "Plea My Cause" by Main Roots, "Dirty People" by Roy Richards, "Jah Light Dub (dub plate mix)" by Brentford Disco Set, and "Homeward Bound Dub (dub plate mix)" by Freddie & Brentford Rockers. CD

A totally great entry in this always-great series – and one that looks at a slice of raunchy rock that's a bit different than usual! The Warner Brothers label started up right at the end of the 50s – after most of the other rock powerhouse imprints – and they also had more of an ear for pop and mainstream sounds, given their Hollywood home. Yet they also quickly found a way to turn out some really remarkable 45s – music that was maybe even just recorded with leftover studio time, or between the bigger projects on the label – funded by bigger money from films, and often done in a top-shelf studio setting! This legacy of Warner isn't nearly as well-known as their 60s pop and vocal material, but it's equally groovy – if not more so – and gets fantastic treatment here from Bear Family, who not only present a whopping 30 tracks, but also accompany the whole thing with a wonderful booklet that's filled with notes, photos, and record images. The set even includes some surprising rockers by unlikely sources – and titles include "Shimmy Shake" by Billy Land, "The Swing" by Johnny Carroll, "Teen Beat" by Don Ralke, "Road Hog" by Johnny Zorro, "Hanna Lee" by Shelly Dane, "The Fool" by Bob Luman, "Lucille" by The Everly Brothers, "Baby Please Don't Go" by Troyce Key with Eddie Cochran, "Drum Twist" by Buddy Harman, "Saturday Night Fish Fry" by Eddie & Betty, and "Forbidden City" by John Buck & His Blazers. CD

Both albums complete on one CD! First up GP – a mindblowing solo debut from Gram Parsons – music that's nicely different than his work with both the Flying Burrito Brothers and The Byrds, and which shows Gram really stepping out into the role of a 70s superstar – to which he would have ascended, were he not taken from us all too soon! There's a fragility to the record that's wonderful, even when things are tight – a quality echoed by vocals from Emmylou Harris, and which comes through especially strongly on Parsons' on tunes. Backing features all sorts of country studio greats – including James Burton on guitar and dobro, and Buddy Emmons on steel guitar – and titles include the completely sublime "She" – a cut that should have been a 70s classic – plus "Still Feeling Blue", "We'll Sweep Out The Ashes In The Morning", "Streets Of Baltimore", "That's All It Took", and "Cry One More Time". Next is Grievous Angel, one of the most beloved country rock albums of all time! This album is likely to have cemented Gram's legacy even if he didn't pass away before it's release – it's really that good – mixing mournful honk tonk laments, bleary-eyed barroom rockers and soul searching lyricism in a way that was pretty damn distinctive in the 70s. It's bookended by the (arguably) 2 greatest songs he ever wrote, "Return Of The Grievous Angel" and "In My Hour Of Darkness", plus "Love Hurts", "Brass Buttons", "$1000 Wedding", a rockin' cover of Tom T Hall's "I Can't Dance" and "Hickory Wind". And for all the praise we just heaped on Gram Parsons in the preceding sentences, there's no discounting the importance of co-singer and ""In My Hour Of Darkness" co-writer Emmylou Harris, who's like the beautifully voiced angel on Gram's shoulder. 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. CD

Weird and wild novelty numbers from the glory days of the 7" single – tunes that are mostly rockers, but which also show all the cool and unusual ways that folks were experimenting with new styles and studio modes, then putting the results on a two to three minute 45rpm chunk of vinyl – getting the gags and goofs out there in the years before social media and the internet! There's a wonderfully offbeat selection of cuts here – comedic intentions mixed with inventive instrumentation, odd arrangements, and hip production – on tracks that include "Ho Ho Rock & Roll" by Sid Ramin, "You Tickle Me Baby" by The Royal Jokers, "Your Wiggle & Your Giggle" by Lue Renny, "Breakin Up" by The Fabulous Continentals, "Hey Lulu" by Hank Marvin, "The Mad Scientist" by The Zanies, "Good For A Laugh" by The Paollos, "Lafin Gas" by Adolphus Bell & The All Starts, "The Giggler" by Pat & The Wildcats, "Scrub" by Jim Doval & The Gauchos, and "Laffin Beatnik" by Johnny Beeman. LP, Vinyl record album

A treasure trove of Nuggets from the LA Scene – fantastic material from a far reaching line up of gritty garage rockers, sunshine pop tunesmiths, psychedelic groovers, trippy psyche folk and much more – masterfully collected on 4 discs by the box set geniuses at Rhino! With such a diverse catalog to mine, the CDs are divided surprisingly well, and like other Nuggets comps, it's a great way to intro a ton of obscurities, while still including bigger hits that deserve to be remembered. Packaged in a beautiful 48 page book with essays, artist commentaries, tons of great photos, and even a 60s LA club guide! Disc one On The Strip includes: "Riot On The Sunset Strip" by The Standells, "Gentle As It May Seem" by Iron Butterfly, "Take A Giant Step" by The Guilloteens, "Tripmaker" by The Seeds, "Girl In Your Eye" by Sprit, "Eventually" by Peanut Butter Conspiracy and many more. Disc two The Studio Scene includes: "Action, Action, Action" by Keith Allison, "The Rebel Kind" by Dino, Desi & Billy, "Yellow Balloon" by Yellow Balloon, "Montage Mirror" Roger Nichols Trio, "Don't Say No" by The Oracle, "Baby, Please Don't Go" by Ballroom and lots more. Disc three Beyond The City includes: "Jump, Jive & Harmonies" by Thee Midnighters, "She Done Moved" by The Spats, "Underground Lady" by Kim Fowley, "Our Time Is Running Out" by The Yellow Payges and many more. Disc four New Directions has 3 previously unreleased tracks: "Sit Down I Think I Love You" by Stephen Stills & Richie Furay, "Words" (demo) by Tommy Boyce & Bobby Hart, and "Once Upon A Time" by Tim Buckley; plus "November Night" by Peter Fonda, "Marshmallow Skies" by Rick Nelson. "You Set The Scene" by Love and many more. 101 songs on 4CDs! 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

They're not lying with the title of this one, as most of the cuts here are unreleased – some completely unheard tracks from the Studio One catalog, others that are stereo versions of tunes that were only ever around in mono – mixed here with a few other rare gems from the deep vaults of one of the hippest reggae labels of all time! The styles run the gamut, but there's also an all-killer, no filler approach here – with titles that include the unreleased tunes "Sleeping Trees (discomix)" by The Saints, "Flying Time" by Carey Wildman Johnson, "Brentford Rock" by Studio One Rockers, "We Are In The Mood" by The Royals, "Kinshasa" by Count Ossie & The Sound Dimension, "Hello Carol" by Prince Jazzbo & The Gladiators, "Many Days" by Alton Ellis, "Too Long" by The Goods, "Think It Over" by Otis Gayle, and "Tribulation" by Jennifer Lara – plus unreleased stereo mixes of "Last Dance" by The Thrillers, and "Feel Like Jumping (take 2)" by Marcia Griffith. LP, Vinyl record album

A long-overdue second volume to the original Pirate's Choice collection from Studio One – which itself was a bit of a stab at Duke Reid and his Treasure Isle label! Legendary Jamaican producer Clement Dodd serves up a host of lost gems from the Studio One catalog – not hits, but some rare mixes and under-heard tracks – all presented in the kind of format that shows just how deep Dodd's reach was back in the day, and how deep the Studio One vaults are to be turning up greatness like this! Titles include "All The Way (alt mix)" by Willie Williams, "You Hold The Handle" by The Conquerors, "Chinese Beauty" by Lennie Hibbert, "Plead My Cause (take 3)" by The Main Roots, "Bongo Skank" by The Soul Rebels, "Heart Breaker" by Cool Operator & The New Establishment, "Jah Light" by Reuben Alexander & The Brentford Disco Set, "Pirate's Choice" by Brentford Rockers, "Sweet Child" by Freddy McGregor, "Dirty People" by Roy Richards, "Father Free Us" by Carlos Malcolm, and both the "original" and "single mix" of "Black Is Black" by Freedom Singers. LP, Vinyl record album

An unusual album, and one that features a host of recordings done by Lee Perry right before his Pipecock Jackson implosion in the late 70s – but presented by former partner Pauline Morrison, who deserves a lot of credit for putting together a host of great dub tracks that might have been lost otherwise! The record first surfaced in the UK around 1980, with the usual very spare set of packaging that seems to mark some of the best dub records from the time – so there's little in the way of actual details about the recordings, but the quality of the bassy, echoey tracks definitely resonates with the strengths of the Black Ark studios at their height Titles include "Cool Rockers", "Jah", "Rasta Man", "Camp", "Dreadlock", "Guidance", "In The Valley", and "Money". LP, Vinyl record album

A pair of very obscure Lee Perry recordings – back to back in a single CD set! Black Ark In Dub features a host of recordings done by Lee Perry right before his Pipecock Jackson implosion in the late 70s – but presented by former partner Pauline Morrison, who deserves a lot of credit for putting together a host of great dub tracks that might have been lost otherwise! The record first surfaced in the UK around 1980, with the usual very spare set of packaging that seems to mark some of the best dub records from the time – so there's little in the way of actual details about the recordings, but the quality of the bassy, echoey tracks definitely resonates with the strengths of the Black Ark studios at their height Titles include "Cool Rockers", "Jah", "Rasta Man", "Camp", "Dreadlock", "Guidance", "In The Valley", and "Money". Black Ark Vol 2 is a bit different – more of a various artists collection, put together by Pauline Morrison, with material rescued from the Black Ark studios before their implosion – all mixed by Lee Perry with his amazing mid 70s ear for sound – which makes for timeless magic on cuts that include "Ethiopia" by Carol Cole, "Give Praises" by The Silvertones, "How Deep Is Your Love" by The Inamans, "Got To Be Irie" by The Originals, "I Am I Said" by Bunny Rugs, "Jah Love Is Sweeter" by Lacksley Castell, and "Mumbling & Grumbling" by Junior Byles. CD

Raul Seixas looks a bit less freaky on the cover here than on some of his 70s records, but his sound is still nice and lean, and definitely on the edgier side of MPB – as befitting his initial role in the group Secos E Molhados! Seixas has really learned how to express himself at a deeper level, and the record allows him a few more introspective tracks next to the harder rockers – maybe the maturing balance that Lou Reed was seeking in his music at the time – on titles that include "Segredo Da Luz", "Aquela Cosa", "So Glad You're Mine", "Carimbador Maluco", "Lua Cheia", "Quero Mais", "Nao Fosse O Cabral", and "DDI". LP, Vinyl record album

The Holiday Inn chain of motels was first launched in Memphis during the city's rockabilly years, and an early investor was Sam Phillips of Sun Records – so it's maybe no surprise that the company also hosted a small record label of its own – a short-lived imprint that's a treasure trove of rare Memphis music! This set brings together all the great early singles on the imprint – both a-sides and b-sides, with a blend of instrumental rockers, soulful pop, and rockabilly – much of which was handled by Phillips at the Sun Studios! Most of the names here aren't Memphis legends, but the music definitely lives up to the rare 45s from that city's scene at the time – and in addition to a rare single here by Charlie Feathers, the package also includes work from Buck Griffin, Jimmy Foster, The Roller Coasters, Stony Martin, Jimmy Foster, Joe Fuller, and others – plus two Holiday Inn jingles too! CD

Amazingly baroque soul by this legendary crossover group from Chicago! Take 1 part hippy dippy rockers, 1 part young lovely soulful Minnie Riperton, and 1 part crazy wigged out Chess/Cadet soul studios – and you've only got the beginnings of one of the most unique soul bands to come out of the 60s. The group had a feeling that was like no other – and although they were ignored for years, their work is really getting attention again, thanks to legendary samples/remakes by the likes of Tribe Called Quest, Fugees, and NuYorican Soul. Titles on this debut LP include the great "Memory Band" (with the famous wiggy sitar sample), plus "Soul Man", "Lady Jane", "Amen", "Rotary Connection", and "Pink Noise". CD