Music from Mort Shuman, the Osmond Brothers, Little Glenda, Big Dee Erwin, the Weathermen, the Cullmans, Lonnie & the Milkmaids, the Travelers. The Paretti Sisters, Gene Blankton, the Treasures, and more – 25 songs in all. CD

One of the biggest hits ever for Weather Report – thanks to Joe Zawinul's leadoff track "Birdland" – one of those tunes that entered the canon immediately, and saw countless covers pop up over the years – kind of a rare thing for a jazz tune at this point in time! The track's driving, building energy shows a newly focused side to Weather Report – one that's traded some of the spacier, more experimental moments of the past for a dynamic energy that still puts them ahead of most other 70s fusion supergroups. The presence of Jaco Pastorius is felt quite strongly here – especially on the way the colors ebb and flow up from the bottom – and the way that Jaco's using his bass with the energy of a solo jazz guitar! Alex Acuna and Manolo Badrena are on percussion, and Wayne Shorter's reeds still crackle with a nice degree of soul – on titles that include "Harlequin", "Rumba Mama", "A Remark You Made", "Teen Town", "Palladium", "Havona", and "The Juggler". LP, Vinyl record album

Includes the songs "Panther", "Steveland", "Rampage", "Sun Don't Lie", "Scoop", "Mr Pastorius", "Moons", "Funny (All She Needs Is Love)", "The King Is Gone (For Miles)", "Teen Town, and "Juju". Includes the bonus track "'Round Midnight". CD

Titles include "Donna Lee", "Barbary Coast", "Teen Town", "The Dry Cleaner From Des Moines", "3 Views Of A Secret", "Blackbird", "Liberty City", "Domingo", "Soul Intro/The Chicken", and "Invitation". CD

One of the biggest hits ever for Weather Report – thanks to Joe Zawinul's leadoff track "Birdland" – one of those tunes that entered the canon immediately, and saw countless covers pop up over the years – kind of a rare thing for a jazz tune at this point in time! The track's driving, building energy shows a newly focused side to Weather Report – one that's traded some of the spacier, more experimental moments of the past for a dynamic energy that still puts them ahead of most other 70s fusion supergroups. The presence of Jaco Pastorius is felt quite strongly here – especially on the way the colors ebb and flow up from the bottom – and the way that Jaco's using his bass with the energy of a solo jazz guitar! Alex Acuna and Manolo Badrena are on percussion, and Wayne Shorter's reeds still crackle with a nice degree of soul – on titles that include "Harlequin", "Rumba Mama", "A Remark You Made", "Teen Town", "Palladium", "Havona", and "The Juggler". CD

One of the biggest hits ever for Weather Report – thanks to Joe Zawinul's leadoff track "Birdland" – one of those tunes that entered the canon immediately, and saw countless covers pop up over the years – kind of a rare thing for a jazz tune at this point in time! The track's driving, building energy shows a newly focused side to Weather Report – one that's traded some of the spacier, more experimental moments of the past for a dynamic energy that still puts them ahead of most other 70s fusion supergroups. The presence of Jaco Pastorius is felt quite strongly here – especially on the way the colors ebb and flow up from the bottom – and the way that Jaco's using his bass with the energy of a solo jazz guitar! Alex Acuna and Manolo Badrena are on percussion, and Wayne Shorter's reeds still crackle with a nice degree of soul – on titles that include "Harlequin", "Rumba Mama", "A Remark You Made", "Teen Town", "Palladium", "Havona", and "The Juggler". CD

... 7-inch, Vinyl record

... CD

... Cassette

Hard to go wrong with the sublime "Candy's Room" – and the rest of the album is pretty darn amazing too! Titles include "Badlands", "Adam Raised A Cain", "Racing In The Street", "Factory", "Streets Of Fire", and "Darkness On The Edge Of Town". CD

Hard to go wrong with the sublime "Candy's Room" – and the rest of the album is pretty darn amazing too! Titles include "Badlands", "Adam Raised A Cain", "Racing In The Street", "Factory", "Streets Of Fire", and "Darkness On The Edge Of Town". LP, Vinyl record album

The legend of Teena Marie lives again, and in a really beautiful way – as John Morales serves up tunes that work together almost as a tribute to the memory of the lady – with these really fresh versions that seem to add a lot of majesty to the sound as well! These aren't easy remixes that just focus on the hooks – and instead, Morales strips the tunes down and builds them up from the core – sometimes adding elements that were removed from the original versions that were issued, or bringing in his own touches in ways that make us wonder what sort of magic might have happened, had Motown let John into the studio to produce some of her classic albums. Make no mistake, if you love Teena Marie, you'll find plenty here to love – but the set is also just way more than a set of remixes too – with sublime takes on tunes that include "You're All The Boogie I Need", "I Need Your Lovin", "365", "Portuguese Love", "Chains", "It Must Be Magic", "First Class Love", "Aladdin's Lamp", "Behind The Groove", "Square Biz", "Now That I Have You", "You're All The Boogie I Need", and her duet with Rick James on "Fire & Desire". LP, Vinyl record album

A later cut for Teena Marie, but not a bad one, in fact, probably the best one off the Star Child album. 12-inch, Vinyl record

Prime classic Springsteen double album, circa 1980! The River finds Bruce a few years removed from the massive breakthrough that was Born To Run, and seemingly starting to let go of the darker tone of Darkness On The Edge Of Town, though still with some shadows of it. Definitely a creative high point, and a record we're always happy to revisit. Includes "The Ties That Bind", "Hungry Heart", "Out In The Street", "Fade Away", "Ramrod", "Drive All Night", "Wreck On The Highway", "Independence Day" and more. LP, Vinyl record album

Maybe the greatest album that Teena Marie ever cut – and that's saying a lot, given the strength of the lady's work for Motown! The set's got this bright, positive bounce that grabs you right from the start – but also moves into a depth that's way different than other funk albums of the time – a way with a ballad and a thoughtful track that almost makes Marie the 80s heir to the Minnie Riperton legacy, especially given the strength of her voice on the set – and the fact that Teena wrote and produced the whole album herself! At a time when so many other female soul singers were at the mercy of other folks' talents and ideas, Lady T steps forth boldly with this classic set – brimming over with greatness on cuts that include the stellar "Portuguese Love", plus "Yes Indeed", "Where's California", "Opus III", "Square Biz", "365", "Revolution", and "Ballad Of Cradle Rob & Me". LP, Vinyl record album

Includes "Born In The USA", "Shut Out The Light", "Pink Cadillac", "Jersey Girl", and "Santa Claus Is Comin' To Town". 12-inch, Vinyl record

A stone classic from Teena Marie – one of her magical self-produced efforts for Motown! The record's a winner all the way through – with a depth to the vocals and backings that are steeped in the 70s styles of Minnie Riperton and Chaka Khan. A few tracks get a bit upbeat funky, but overall, it's the mellow ones we like the best. Titles include "I Need Your Lovin", "Young Love", "First Class Love", "Irons In The Fire", "Chains", "You Make Love Like Springtime", and "Tune In Tomorrow". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the greatest female soul albums of the end of the 70s – and the bold-voiced debut of the lovely Teena Marie! Even on this first album, Teena's got a depth that goes way beyond most of her contemporaries – a brashness that hits hard on the funkier cuts on the record, but also a soft smoothness that picks up cues from Minnie Riperton, and helps take that sound well into the 80s on a gentle groove. Rick James is firmly in control of the overall picture here, but what's really amazing is that the album echoes with a soulfulness that goes way beyond James' own party funk records of the era – a mature sensibility that marks out a space for Lady T right from the outset, and which marks her as a force to be reckoned with in soul music, even at the tender young age of 23! The record features 2 of Teena's greatest tracks – "I'm A Sucker For Your Love" and "De Ja Vu" – plus the titles "Turnin Me On", "Don't Look Back", and "I'm Gonna Have My Cake". LP, Vinyl record album

The album where Bruce Springsteen really settles in as The Boss – gritty, chest-pumping anthems all the way here on this one! Born In The USA is so exuberant and full of life, even when Bruce is angry –as he is on the title track – his charisma is so strong that you'd be forgiven for thinking he's cheerleading, when he's really criticizing. Strong stuff, even if you might want to skip over couple of overplayed numbers – with "Cover Me", "Darlington County", "I'm On Fire", "I'm Going Down", "My Hometown", "Glory Days", "Born In The USA", "No Surrender", "Bobby Jean", "Dancing In The Dark", and "Working On The Highway". CD

The album where Bruce Springsteen really settles in as The Boss – gritty, chest-pumping anthems all the way here on this one! Born In The USA is so exuberant and full of life, even when Bruce is angry –as he is on the title track – his charisma is so strong that you'd be forgiven for thinking he's cheerleading, when he's really criticizing. Strong stuff, even if you might want to skip over couple of overplayed numbers – with "Cover Me", "Darlington County", "I'm On Fire", "I'm Going Down", "My Hometown", "Glory Days", "Born In The USA", "No Surrender", "Bobby Jean", "Dancing In The Dark", and "Working On The Highway". LP, Vinyl record album

The Crystals twist uptown, and take their groove to a whole new region in the process! The album's title is very apt, as the whole thing is a real blueprint for the uptown soul sound of the 60s – swirling strings, soulful vocals, and rhythms that have enough punch to keep things moving – even on the mellower moments – all crafted perfectly by the young Phil Spector! There's hardly any real twist tunes on the record – which is great by us, as it means that instead of gimmicky dance numbers, The Crystals really get to sparkle in the kind of heartbreaking soul numbers they've always done so well! Titles include the chilling "Please Hurt Me" – a classic from the Goffin/King team – plus "There's No Other (Like My Baby)", "What A Nice Way To Turn Seventeen", "Frankenstein Twist", "Gee Whiz", "Another Country Another World", "Uptown", and "I Love You Eddie". LP, Vinyl record album

A great look at the post-Motown work of Teena Marie – her 80s years on Epic Records, a time when she was charting big with a wonderfully seductive approach to soul! Marie's definitely in charge of her groove here – writing, arranging, and producing most of the work on the set – making her as much of a studio whiz as a female soul singer, a rare distinction in her field – and another layer of Teena's talents that always helped set her apart from the rest. The vibe here is a bit different than the Motown years – a bit more beats and 80s keyboards – and we especially love the mellower cuts, which gave Marie some great quiet storm play back in the day. Titles include "My Dear Mr Gaye", "Just Us Two", "Ooo La La La (12" version)", "Sugar Shack (ext club)", "If I Were A Bell", "Stop The World", "Fix It (12" version)", "Stop The World", "Shadow Boxing", and "Casanova Brown". CD

With selections by The Uptowns, Johnny & The Jammers, Albert Scott, Electric Bluebirds, Ronnie Barron, Oscar McLollie & His Honey Jumpers, Jack McVea, The Everly Brothers, Little Richard, Chuck Higgins, Dion & The Belmonts, Chan Romero, Donna Dameron, Johnny Flamingo, Clifton Chenier, and Lloyd Price. LP, Vinyl record album

Something wonderful happened to Coleman Hawkins at the end of his career – record companies started letting him record in really long formats, stretching out creatively on extended solos that continued to push the boundaries of his talents! This set is a prime example of that shift – as it features Hawkins alongside Roy Eldridge and Johnny Hodges – all working with trio backing by Tommy Flanagan, Major Holley, and Eddie Locke in a live setting at the Village Gate. Tracks are all well over ten minutes long – 2 at eleven minutes, and 1 at sixteen – and they allow the three lead soloists to really stretch out in a warmly improvisatory manner that surpasses even the easygoing Verve studio sessions of the 50s. Titles include "Satin Doll", "Perdido", and "The Rabbit In Jazz". Plus, added to these 3 are 4 more bonus tracks from the Hawkins Alive album – recorded at the same time, but without the other 2 soloists. These titles include "It's The Talk Of The Town", "Mack The Knife", "Caravan", and "Bean & The Boys". CD

The great debut of Townes Van Zandt! On the level of pure songwriting, it's masterful – Townes was pretty much in peak form on that front even on the debut! The record is at it's best when it's at it's most intimate – simply letting his voice and acoustic guitar carry everything. There's some fairly adventurous production by Jack Clement & Jim Malloy, though – a bit out of character for Townes at his slightly later, more stripped down and iconic – but that's actually something we appreciate a lot more than we used to. Like the big budget studio recordings of Van Zandt's songs as covered by others, it goes to show just how sturdy and adaptable his songs are in different settings. Classic! Includes "For The Sake Of The Song", "Tecumseh Valley", "Many A Fine Lady", "Quick Silver Dadreams Of Maria", "I'll Be There In The Morning", "Sad Cinderella", "All Your Young Servants", "Sixteen Summers, Fifteen Falls" and more. LP, Vinyl record album

The first four albums from this crucial group – along with four more CDs of rare live material too! First up is the self-titled Cactus – the first album from this legendary group – an important American hard rock powerhouse, driven by the famous rhythm duo of Tim Bogert on bass and Carmine Appice on drums – both of whom roll out of the gate here with amazingly frenetic energy! They're maybe only topped by the guitar work of Jim McCarty, whose searing lines are clearly learned from blues inspirations, then turned up in both speed and power – to match the vocals and harmonica of Rusty Day! There's nothing going on here that sounds like blues rock at all – even though the set begins with a cover of "Parchman Farm" – next to other titles that include "My Lady From South Of Detroit", "No Need To Worry", "You Can't Judge A Book By The Cover", and "Let Me Swim". On One Way Or Another, Cactus are totally at the top of their game – and the guitar of Jim McCarthy really sets the record on fire, right from the very first note – at a level that should have made Jim one of the real guitar hero legends of his generation! Yet there's also power from the whole group going on too – tight rhythms from the team of Carmine Appice and Jim Bogert, the latter of whom starts to bring in his own vocals a fair bit more, offering backup to the raspy lead of Rusty Day. And while there's a few currents that show their older influence from blues, the sound here is massively hard rock all the way through – making the record a great illustration of the way that slavish blues rock gave birth to a fresh new jamming sound in a matter of just a few short years. Titles include "Rockout Whatever You Feel Like", "Song For Aries", "Feel So Bad", "Rock N Roll Children", and "Hometown Bust". Restrictions is next, and despite the title, there's no restrictions at all – as Cactus seem to be even more confident, more able to stretch their wings and fly than ever before – even adding in some extra piano and keyboards at points to the core guitar-heavy sound of the quartet! All the group's best elements are very firmly in place – searing guitar, righteously confident vocals, and a strutting sensibility that makes this early 70s album way ahead of the game in terms of territory that so many bigger groups would later copy for their own classic records. Titles include "Guiltless Glider", "Evil Alaska", "Sweet Sixteen", "Bag Drag", "Restrictions", and "Mean Night In Cleveland". Ot N Sweaty is a record that's got a bit of a shift in the classic Cactus lineup – as the group's still driven strongly by the work of Carmine Appice on drums and Tim Bogert on bass, but get guitar power from Werner Fritzschings, who's a pretty amazing player – next to some added keyboards from Duane Hitchings, and vocals from Peter French – a singer who's ballsy power might be even more in line with the group than their previous lead singer! The album's got an unusual approach in that side one was recorded live, side two in the studio – each with a nicely different flavor as a result – on titles that include "Swim", "Our Lil Rock N Roll Thing", "Bedroom Mazurka", "Telling You", "Bad Stuff", and "Bringing Me Down". 8CD set is overflowing with great material – bonus tracks added to three of the four albums in the collection, than a further 4CDs worth of live material – titled Fully Unleashed – The Live Gigs Vols 1 & 2. The live material is great – and really shows the tightness of the group at their best! CD