... LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

Tangerine Dream delivered a number of famous soundtracks in the late 70s and early 80s – but this set is one of the most obscure, and maybe one of the wildest too! The music was done for an Australian horror film, and has a very dark, moody vibe – still plenty of the Tangerine Dream touches you'd know, but also a bit more noise and murky moments too – and less of the fast-running keyboard lines and electronics that usually grace most of their moments in film! Much of the instrumentation is electronic, but abstracted in all these cool ways – and certainly handled with a lot more depth than some of the younger film composers who were often turning out music like this on a limited budget, with limited instrumentation. Titles include "Murder In The Classroom", "Horror In The Bathroom", "Experiments In Tension", "Tension In The Graveyard", "Kill The Professor/Cleaning Up", and "Pete Goes In For The Kill". LP, Vinyl record album

Features some surprisingly nice Tangerine Dream instrumentals – plus the classic "Old Time Rock & Roll" by Bob Seger, and cuts by Jeff Beck, Prince, Journey, Phil Collins, and Muddy Waters. LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

... CD

Pure genius from Tangerine Dream – a record that came out right at the start of the 70s, and immediately cemented the group's reputation as one of the most inventive electronic acts of the decade! The tracks are long and spacious here – very much in the territory of some of the group's Krautrock contemporaries, but with more of a sense of openness, and patience – as they never rush things at all, while layering together their unique blends of guitar, organ, percussion, flute, and anything else they can think of – even a coffee machine! Chris Franke handles the electronics, but Steve Schroyder abstracts them with "several echo machines" – while Edgar Froese helps them all remember to keep things tuneful at times. Tracks include "Sunrise In The Third System", "Fly & Collision Off Comas Sola", and the side-long "Alpha Centauri". Also includes the Atem album – with the tracks "Wahn", "Circulation Of Events", "Atem", and "Fauni-Gena". LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

One of the moodiest early albums from Tangerine Dream – a record that really lives up to the eclipse on the cover! There's maybe more "bottom" here than some of their other work – swirling shadows that resonate with some of the more isolated sounds – almost as if the group is trying to invent the 4AD production style, years ahead of its time! The lineup here features core work from Chris Franke on keyboards and "gliss guitar", Peter Baumann on electronics, organ, and vibes, and the great Edgar Froese at the helm and composition – and there's also some guest work on moog, organ, and cello too. Each track spans a side of the 2LPs in the original package – and titles include "Birth Of The Liquide Plejades", "Nebulous Dawn", "Origin Of Supernatural Probabilities", and "Zeit". CD

One of the moodiest early albums from Tangerine Dream – a record that really lives up to the eclipse on the cover! There's maybe more "bottom" here than some of their other work – swirling shadows that resonate with some of the more isolated sounds – almost as if the group is trying to invent the 4AD production style, years ahead of its time! The lineup here features core work from Chris Franke on keyboards and "gliss guitar", Peter Baumann on electronics, organ, and vibes, and the great Edgar Froese at the helm and composition – and there's also some guest work on moog, organ, and cello too. Each track spans a side of the 2LPs in the original package – and titles include "Birth Of The Liquide Plejades", "Nebulous Dawn", "Origin Of Supernatural Probabilities", and "Zeit". LP, Vinyl record album

The title's a perfect summation of the way that Tangerine Dream approached their music – and it also really describes what made them so unique at the time! Rather than try to push the boundaries of electronics with a sense of force or urgency, the trio of Edgar Froese, Klaus Schulze, and Conrad Schnitzler really take their time – working inside an abandoned factory to create the sounds for this initial debut – acting as their own producers, too – really starting the strong legacy of German experimental recordings of the 70s, in which the studio was as important as the instruments themselves! Given that Schulze would later work in Ash Ra Tempel and on his own famous records – and Schnitzler soon formed Kluster – there's a lot of genesis going on here. But the whole thing's also pretty darn great on its own, even without the history – and has a much darker edge than some later work by Tangerine Dream. Titles include "Genesis", "Journey Through A Burning Brain", "Resurrection", "Ashes To Ashes", and "Cold Smoke". CD

... LP, Vinyl record album

... CD

... CD

... CD

Tangerine Dream delivered a number of famous soundtracks in the late 70s and early 80s – but this set is one of the most obscure, and maybe one of the wildest too! The music was done for an Australian horror film, and has a very dark, moody vibe – still plenty of the Tangerine Dream touches you'd know, but also a bit more noise and murky moments too – and less of the fast-running keyboard lines and electronics that usually grace most of their moments in film! Much of the instrumentation is electronic, but abstracted in all these cool ways – and certainly handled with a lot more depth than some of the younger film composers who were often turning out music like this on a limited budget, with limited instrumentation. Titles include "Murder In The Classroom", "Horror In The Bathroom", "Experiments In Tension", "Tension In The Graveyard", "Kill The Professor/Cleaning Up", and "Pete Goes In For The Kill". CD

Tangerine Dream's incredible, synthy soundtrack to Thief – which is one of the coolest crime flicks ever made in the City Of Chicago – and as great as the film's director Michael Mann and star James Caan are, the soundtrack has a lot to do with that! The keyboard textured mood set the by the music is pretty creative choice for a gritty, expertly acted crime drama – and the droning synth and guitar sound sets the mood in an icy cool way. The album also stands really strongly on it's own, as one the coolest sets of electro rock instrumentals of the early 80s. Includes "Beach Theme", "Dr. Destructo", "Diamond Diary", "Burning Bar", "Beach Scene", "Scrapyard", "Trap Feeling", "Igneous" and "Confrontation". CD

... LP, Vinyl record album

A righteous early 70s set from Ray Charles – and a record with a much deeper vibe than you might guess from the image of Ray and some kids on the cover! Arrangements were handled by Quincy Jones, Sid Feller, and Mike Post – and the record is kind of a 70s take on the fuller modes that Charles explored for ABC during the 60s – moved into more contemporary territory with some sweet Fender Rhodes, full strings, and a funky undercurrent in some of the rhythms – never too forced or over the top, but in ways that makes some of the tunes sly steppers that work great with Charles' aging vocals. Titles include "Abraham Martin & John", "Heaven Help Us All", "There'll Be No Peace Without All Men As One", "Hey Mister", "Lift Every Voice & Sing", "Seems Like I Gotta Do Wrong", and "What Have They Done To My Song Ma". LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

A righteous early 70s set from Ray Charles – and a record with a much deeper vibe than you might guess from the image of Ray and some kids on the cover! Arrangements were handled by Quincy Jones, Sid Feller, and Mike Post – and the record is kind of a 70s take on the fuller modes that Charles explored for ABC during the 60s – moved into more contemporary territory with some sweet Fender Rhodes, full strings, and a funky undercurrent in some of the rhythms – never too forced or over the top, but in ways that makes some of the tunes sly steppers that work great with Charles' aging vocals. Titles include "Abraham Martin & John", "Heaven Help Us All", "There'll Be No Peace Without All Men As One", "Hey Mister", "Lift Every Voice & Sing", "Seems Like I Gotta Do Wrong", and "What Have They Done To My Song Ma". LP, Vinyl record album

A great little follow-up to Ray's funky My Kind Of Jazz album – and like that one, a session that's all instrumental, and in a soul jazz mode that's quite different than most of Ray's vocal albums from the time. Tracks are all a bit longish, and feature some striking arrangements by Teddy Edwards, Jimmy Heath, and Al Clausen – bristling with energy in a nicely updated big band mode, in a way that almost recalls some of the best MPS sessions of this type, or maybe some of the hippest work by the Thad Jones/Mel Lewis group. Players are unfortunately not listed on the cover, but the sound is great – and titles include "Going Home", "Brazilian Skies", "Kids Are Pretty People", "Morning Of Carnival", "Our Site", "A Pair Of Threes", and "Togetherness". LP, Vinyl record album

Great instrumental work from Ray Charles – definitely jazz, with a nice current of soul – and even a touch of funk too! The tracks are all in a jazz-based mode, and many of the titles have a groovy swingin' big band feel – especially "Senor Blues", "Zig Zag", "This Here", and "Sidewinder". The real highlight, though, is the nice funk cut "Booty Butt", which has a great snapping guitar and piano intro, with a feel that's right off of a lost funky 45! LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

Arrangements by Sid Feller – with titles that include "Rainy Night In Georgia", "My First Night Alone Without You", "I Can Make It Thru The Days", and "Someone To Watch Over Me". LP, Vinyl record album

A real turning point in the career of Gene Ammons – a record that almost returns Ammons to his earthier roots, and in the process helps build up a whole new sound in soul jazz for the 60s! The "Jug" nickname in the title is kind of a joking way to help Ammons stand alongside "Miles", "Trane", "Diz", and other one-name monikered stars in jazz – but even without that gimmick (which somehow lasted for years), the album's got a depth that more than gets Gene back on top, thanks to a gritty soulfulness and good sense of feeling in the grooves! Players here include Richard Wyands on piano on most numbers – plus a rare appearance by Clarence "Sleepy" Anderson on 2 numbers – one on organ, one on piano. Rhythm is by Doug Watkins on bass and JC Heard on drums – and Ray Barretto makes one of his great soul jazz appearances on drums – rolling the groove along with a nice bit of bounce throughout! Titles include "Tangerine", "Ol Man River", "Easy To Love", "Seed Shack", "Miss Lucy", and "Namely You". CD

Sweet cosmic disco from the Italian scene of the 70s – a record that was produced at a time when the inspirations of Kraftwerk and Tangerine Dream were really finding their way into the clubs! The group is really just the duo of Romano Musumarra and Claudi Gizzi– and the pair work together in this wonderful array of beats, basslines, and keyboards that really move past the usual – sometimes evoking the majesty of the prog years, but always holding onto the groove – and at other moments creating the sort of lean lines that made European acts like this such a strong inspiration for American electro and street soul in the decade to come! Titles include the side long "Automat" suite – plus "Droid", "Ultraviolet", and "Mecadence". LP, Vinyl record album

Big Maybelle's got a new bag – and we like it! This tasty set was cut for the tiny Rojac label in between Maybelle's earlier years at Savoy and later albums on Brunswick – and it's got a swinging, 60s mod sort of style that's pretty darn groovy, baby! The arrangements are by Bob Gallo, and most of the tracks are 60s pop and soul standards – but Maybelle sings them with a gusty, sincere style – and brings a really great approach to the album – almost giving it the feel of some of the best Tangerine label albums from the decade. Titles include "Eggplant That Ate Chicago", "I Can't Control Myself", "Coming On Strong", "Mellow Yellow", "96 Tears", "Eleanor Rigby", and "Black Is Black". Kind of nutty, but it kind of works! CD

An overlooked gem from the great Arthur Brown – not a set with his late 60s Crazy World group, but instead some great material done with Kingdom Come – a group who seem to be morphing with Brown into a really great space rock sort of combo! The keyboards and electronics here are stronger than before – not Tangerine Dream spacey, but fused with more hard-rocking modes that really take off and fly to the skies – so much so that Brown's vocals are often less a part of the sound than the group's amazing instrumental interplay – which could previously be shadowed a bit by his lead! The whole thing's great – a cool, compressed take on modes that so many others were trying to handle at the time – but maybe never this well. Titles include "Superficial Roadblocks", "Time Captives", "Triangles", "Conception", "Spirit Of Joy", "Come Alive", "Lost Time", and "Corpora Supercelestia". LP, Vinyl record album

Spacey sounds from Cybotron – not the early Detroit techno pioneers, but the lesser-known Aussie group of the 70s! This Cybotron have a style that's a leaner take on prog modes of the early 70s – a trio approach that mixes heavy drums with work from two different keyboardists, who handle organ, piano, mellotron, Arp, and plenty of other keys – while also throwing in a bit of processed sax into the mix! The whole thing makes for a nicely moody groove – almost the energy of some of the more jamming power trios of the European scene, mixed with the keyboard-heavy sound of groups like Tangerine Dream – served up here on four long tracks that include "Medusa", "Colossus", "Eclipse", and "Raga In Asia Minor" – the last of which has a very cool global sort of vibe! LP, Vinyl record album

A seminal Italian horror soundtrack, played by the great Goblin, and created for this totally creepy film by Dario Argento! The band are using a lot of airy keyboards and electronics here – in broad washes of sound filled with evil and darkness, instead of some of the group's usual funkier rhythms. Not that the whole score's slow and moody, though, because some of the tracks have a nice early 80s electronic feel – like late Tangerine Dream, or instrumental Ultravox. Plus, a few themes have very haunting vocals, set to very creepy orchestrations! Titles include "The Wind", "Sleepwalking", "Jennifer", and "Jennifer's Friends". LP, Vinyl record album

The third in Led Zeppelin's spectacular run of early albums – each one either matching or topping its predecessor, depending on one's personal favorite – and a record with an influence that's as massive as the sound! The record's got a pair of of Zep's best-remembered songs in "Immigrant Song" and their take on the traditional "Gallows Pole", but the whole thing is great – and a great balance of their earlier bombast with a lot more acoustic moments. Other tracks include "Friends", "Celebration Day", "Tangerine" and "Hats Off (To Roy Harper)". LP, Vinyl record album

The third in Led Zeppelin's spectacular run of early albums – each one either matching or topping its predecessor, depending on one's personal favorite – and a record with an influence that's as massive as the sound! The record's got a pair of of Zep's best-remembered songs in "Immigrant Song" and their take on the traditional "Gallows Pole", but the whole thing is great – and a great balance of their earlier bombast with a lot more acoustic moments. Other tracks include "Friends", "Celebration Day", "Tangerine" and "Hats Off (To Roy Harper)". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the greatest albums ever recorded by this hip vocal ensemble – set to arrangements by leader Gene Puerling, and some very swinging instrumental backings by Rob McConnell! The album's got a freer, more grooving feel than some of the group's other work – with some beautiful songs that have incredible harmonies floating and drifting about. Titles include "Dindi", "A Beautiful Friendship", "It Might As Well Be Spring", "Chelsea Morning", "Pieces Of Dreams", "Tangerine", and "Laura". CD

An analogue electronic classic – a huge crossover record from the early 70s, done with a pulsating, progressive sound that's a bit like the best early work by Tangerine Dream – but a fair bit tighter! Malcolm Cecil composed and performed the set – and it's a keyboard-heavy album with all electronic sounds – floating, flowing, and growing together in a nicely rough-edged studio mode. There's lots of dark machine sounds, bubbly pulsing bits, and a cold pre-Kraftwerk approach – and titles include "Cybernaut", "Jetsex", "Timewhys", "Riversong", and "Aurora". LP, Vinyl record album

A set that definitely lives up to its title – but in a way that's a bit different than some of the other Lux & Ivy compilations on the Righteous label! This time around, the set is more of a four-pack, featuring different albums that have a great way of blending exotica, higher ideas, and a bit of jazz! First up is Polynesia, by reedman Buddy Collette – very different than any of his better-known work of the 50s – and a complex little set that really shows off a whole new side of his talents! The album was issued by a tiny label away from the LA scene – and has Buddy blending jazz and exotica, but at a level that's way hipper than any of the more mainstream bachelor pad records of the period – maybe even pointing the way towards the very cool records that Buddy would cut overseas. The group is great – very hip – with Gerald Wilson on trumpet, Gene Cipriano on reeds, Justin DiTullo on cello, Red Callender on bass and tuba, Earl Palmer on drums, and either Al Viola or Billy Bean on guitar – very versatile jazz musicians who really follow Buddy's lead on the unusual tunes. Colette himself plays flute and a bit of clarinet – and the set also features some cool vocals from singer Marni Nixon. Next is the very rare Provocatif album from John McFarland – an obscure contribution to the exotica genre, with loads of non-western percussion, bird calls, ukuleles, and vibes. McFarland plays some original compositions like "Watusi", "Summer Storm", "Forbidden", and "The Chimp And The Bumble Bee", and other tunes like "Jungle Bells", "Tangerine", "Where Or When", and "Head Hunters". A more famous album is next, Stan Kenton's Cuban Fire – one of Kenton's greatest records, and the one in which he proves his dedication to Latin styles, by serving up a killer batch of Afro-Cuban tracks with an incredibly authentic feel. The great Johnny Richards handled the arrangements, and the tracks are long and drawn out, with plenty of solo space for the group. Titles include "Fuego Cubano", "Quien Sabe", and "La Quera Baila". Last up is Seven Deadly Sins – one of the most high-concept albums ever recorded by Bill Russo – a full suite of tracks dedicated to the Seven Deadly Sins, and scored with a level of sophistication to match the Stan Kenton group at its modernist height! Although the overall feel is jazz, there's also a fair bit of more serious modes too – almost 20th Century classical at points, or at least some soundtrack sophistication. The tunes are awash in dark colors, and players include Don Sebesky and Eddie Bert on trombones, Burt Collins and Lou Mucci on trumpets, Larry Wilcox on tenor, and Howard Collins on guitar – plus a section of cellos as well. Titles, as you might expect, include "Greed", "Lechery", "Gluttony", "Anger", "Envy", and "Sloth". CD

Includes the songs "I've Got My Love To Keep Me Warm", "On The Alamo", "Perfidia", "Moonlight In Vermont", "The Continental", "Midnight Sun", "Lover", "Harlem Nocturne", "The Piccolino", "Shine On Harvest Moon", "Tangerine", "Ridin' High", "Nina Never Knew", "My Blue Heaven", "Stardust", "Tea For Two", "Swingin' Down The Lane", "Younger Than Springtime", "This Nearly Was Mine", "Invitation", "The Sweetheart Of Sigma Chi", "Frenesi", "Just You, Just Me", "Leap Frog", and "Goodnight Sweetheart". CD

A great live set from Dexter Gordon – done overseas, but in a way that's different than the concert recordings that dominated most of his late 60s/early 70s output! This set was done at a time when Dex had returned to the US, and was cutting some tremendous late records for Columbia – and Gordon blows tenor here, plus a bit of soprano, with a wonderfully well-matched group that features George Cables on piano, Rufus Reid on bass, and Eddie Gladden on drums! The vibe is great, and although Gordon explores similar territory to some of his previous concert dates, there's also a very special spirit going on too – a difference that is subtle, but very distinct. Titles include very long takes of "Strollin", "Tangerine", "More Than You Know", and "Gingerbread Boy" – plus a shorter "Long Tall Dexter". CD

Really fantastic music from pianist Ahmad Jamal – a set of tracks that's a really nice change from some of the recordings he was doing for Chess Records in the early 60s, and which definitely point the way towards the more stretched-out performances to come on Impulse Records! As the title implies, the setting is live – and Jamal really stretches out here on a number of tunes – working with a free-flowing sense of lyrical beauty that's even more stunning than in the shorter space of a studio cut – really skilled with that ear for tone and timing that made his work such a fresh voice on the piano scene at the time, and a subtle hint at righteous modes to come in the following generation. Chuck Lampkin is on drums throughout, and one set features Richard Evans on bass, the other Jamil Nasser – on long takes of "Bogota", "Minor Adjustments", "All Of You", "Squatty Roo", "Keep On Keeping On", "Minor Moods", "Lollipops & Roses", "Tangerine", and "But Not For Me". CD

The soaring debut of one of the greatest groups of the disco era – and one that would go onto be the sound of Salsoul Records too! The large mostly-instrumental ensemble is headed up by Vince Montana – who brings plenty of Philly disco touches into play with the group's wonderful blend of tight rhythms, jazzy instrumentation, and full strings – a blend that comes off perfectly, and with a surprisingly lean groove – thanks to Montana's vision, and help from arranger Ron Baker too. There's some surprisingly funky moments at times – that sharp edge of the Sigma Sound rhythm section – and titles include "Chicago Bus Stop", "Salsoul Rainbow", "Salsoul Hustle", "Tangerine", and "You're Just The Right Size". LP, Vinyl record album

Consciousness-stretching grooves from Tonto's Expanding Head Band – one of the earliest avant electronic rock records we can think of – and certainly one of coolest of the early 70s! Zero Time is way ahead of the curve when it comes to instrumental electronics – with a sort of pulsing progressive sound that's like the best stuff by Tangerine Dream – and with a cool bubbling feel to it. Tracks include "Cybernaut", "Jetsex", "Timewhys", "Riversong", and "Aurora". Very groovy, very moogy, and a nice bit of tripped out electronic atmosphere! LP, Vinyl record album

The kind of record that really broke Eddie Lockjaw Davis out of the R&B world and into the soul jazz camp at the end of the 50s – a seminal early mix of tenor and organ, with the young Shirley Scott handling the Hammond! The group's also got George Duvivier on bass and Arthur Edgehill on drums – and both Davis and Scott really make magic out of familiar tunes – at a level that would set the standard for a generation to come! Davis plays them with a nice deep soulful sound, reaching deeply into his tenor, wrenching out hard-edged notes that drip with a deep rich emotion – and titles include "I'll Never Be The Same", "Old Devil Moon", "Too Close For Comfort", "Tangerine", and "But Not For Me". LP, Vinyl record album

Maybe the greatest moment ever from Clarence "Fuzzy" Haskins – a key part of the George Clinton P-Funk universe in the 70s – finally getting a chance to step out on his own! Haskins arranged and produced the set – with a bit of arranging help from Bernie Worrell – and tunes are more guitar-heavy than George Clinton's work of the time, and maybe a bit trippier too – with plenty of the funky workouts you'd expect, mixed up with some other more offbeat tracks as well!The whole thing has a nice trippy soul feel – with titles that kind of sum the whole thing up: "Mr Junk Man", "Cookie Jar", "Tangerine Green", "The Fuz & Da Boog", "Sometimes I Rock & Roll", and "I'll Be Loving You". LP, Vinyl record album

Really fantastic music from pianist Ahmad Jamal – a set of tracks that's a really nice change from some of the recordings he was doing for Chess Records in the early 60s, and which definitely point the way towards the more stretched-out performances to come on Impulse Records! As the title implies, the setting is live – and Jamal really stretches out here on a number of tunes – working with a free-flowing sense of lyrical beauty that's even more stunning than in the shorter space of a studio cut – really skilled with that ear for tone and timing that made his work such a fresh voice on the piano scene at the time, and a subtle hint at righteous modes to come in the following generation. Chuck Lampkin is on drums throughout, and one set features Richard Evans on bass, the other Jamil Nasser – on long takes of "Bogota", "Minor Adjustments", "All Of You", "Squatty Roo", "Keep On Keeping On", "Minor Moods", "Lollipops & Roses", "Tangerine", and "But Not For Me". LP, Vinyl record album

The third in Led Zeppelin's spectacular run of early albums – each one either matching or topping its predecessor, depending on one's personal favorite – and a record with an influence that's as massive as the sound! The record's got a pair of of Zep's best-remembered songs in "Immigrant Song" and their take on the traditional "Gallows Pole", but the whole thing is great – and a great balance of their earlier bombast with a lot more acoustic moments. Other tracks include "Friends", "Celebration Day", "Tangerine" and "Hats Off (To Roy Harper)" – plus a second disc pack with alternate mixes and outtakes! CD