A never-issued album by funky guitar legend Melvin Sparks – recorded right after his final record for the Westbound label, and appearing here for the first time ever! Sparks first rose to fame via funky work with Lonnie Smith and Lou Donaldson in the late 60s, the cut some killer albums of his own and with organist Leon Spencer in the 60s – before disappearing a bit until a great revival in more recent years! This set represents Sparks right before he dropped off the map – a session that's done with a sweet jazz funk vibe that shows the way that labels like Westbound were picking up some of the style of the successful CTI/Kudu imprint – mixing some larger charts with the leader's solo strengths – allowing maybe some more soulful influences in the rhythms, while still going for a jazz funk approach overall. The set's much more instrumental than Sparks' last record for Westbound, which had more vocals – and although a few tracks have an upbeat clubby style, most of the music is more in a midtempo mode. Titles include "Love Tones", "I'm Funky Now", "I'm Gonna Funk You Up", "You're Gonna Make It", "The Truth Hurts", "Make It Good", and "Disco Booty". CD

A record that moves guitarist Melvin Sparks a bit more into soul territory from the funky jazz of his early 70s years – but still a heck of a great little record overall! The tracks are shorter than before and the backings are bigger – but Melvin's work on the strings still gets plenty of space in the arrangements, and there's more than a few funky instrumentals here that more than make the album great. Plus, Little Jimmy Scott sings vocals on a few cuts – "I Got To Have You" and "If You Want My Love" – both done in a style that's fuller and more soulful than any of the work cut under his own name! Other tracks are mostly instrumental, and include the funky numbers "Bump & Stomp", "Get Down With The Get Down", and "Get Ya Some" – plus "Looking For Love", "In The Morning", and "Mocking Bird". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the funkiest albums ever from early 70s guitar wizard Melvin Sparks – his first for the short-lived Eastbound offshoot of Westbound, and done in a style that's even harder and rawer than his work for Prestige! The sound is lean and often a bit rough around the edges – with possibly more funk than even jazz in the mix – and players on the set include Caesar Frazier on organ, Bad Bascomb on bass, Ron Bridgewater on tenor, and Idris Muhammad on drums! Prestige funk maestro Bob Porter produced the whole thing, and gets a beautifully soulful sound out of all players – rounding out Melvin's totally cooking work on guitar with some equally great contributions from the rest. Titles include "Whip Whop", "Judy's Groove", "Star In The Crescent", "Texas Twister", "Gathering Together", and "I Want to Talk About You". LP, Vinyl record album

Classic work from Fantastic Four – who are really hitting their stride vocally, moving into a whole new sound from their work in the late 60s. The groove is a mix of 70s harmony soul and early Westbound disco – and the longish tracks get quite involved, both vocally and arrangement-wise. The title cut – "Alvin Stone (Birth & Death Of A Gangster)" – is a righteous post-Temps soul track, and the album's got lots of other nice ones, like "Let This Moment Last Forever", "County Line", and "My Love Won't Stop at Nothing". LP, Vinyl record album

A pair of albums from this overlooked Detroit soul group – back to back on a single CD! On Got To Have Your Love, Fantastic Four are a hell of a harmony group – and one who still hold strong through this second chapter of their career – by avoiding any of the cheaper cliches of some of the groups of the disco generation! Instead, the album focuses on their vocals first, and any sort of grooves second – which makes for some wonderful mellower cuts that really follow the spirit of some of the hippest 70s group soul from Chicago or the east coast – followed by a few upbeat tracks that get handling by Tom Moulton at Sigma Sound in Philly! The balance is great – almost more like some of the best group sides from a few years before, especially Blue Magic – and the ballads really take center stage, and blow us away with the group's deeper currents of soul. Titles include "Mixed Up Moods & Attitudes", "There's Fire Down Below", "I Got To Have Your Love", "She'll Be Right For Me", "Cash Money", and "Disco Pool Blues". On BYOF, the Fantastic Four definitely bring their own funk – thanks to tight help from arranger Dennis Coffey, who also produced the set with a heavy groove that's like his own work of the time! The basslines are stronger than before for the FF – but their harmonies are very firmly intact – and, if anything, the blend of funk and great vocals really makes the album a charmer right from the get-go – especially as they aim more for midtempo steppers than too-upbeat disco tunes that might have them losing some of their charm. The overall vibe is maybe more 1974 than 1978 – and titles include "I Just Want To Love Ya Baby", "BYOF", "Cold & Windy Night", "Sexy Lady", "Shout", "Super Lover", and "Realize". CD

One of our favorite early Funkadelic albums – and a real turning point for the group! Gone are the trippier guitar solos of earlier days, and in their place is a tighter approach to funk – one that has the band grooving hard and soulfully on shorter tracks that perfect the dark vision hinted at in the Maggot Brain years! The tunes are shorter, funkier, and catchier – and the vocals are especially great – so much so than on the title cut "Cosmic Slop" has harmonies so great you'd swear you were listening to late-Motown Temptations! Other tracks continue with a great soul-based focus, and include "You Can't Miss What You Can't Measure", "Nappy Dugout", "No Compute", and "Can't Stand the Strain" – and the record is packaged in a mind-blowing wraparound cover by Pedro Bell, the first of many the band would use! CD

One of the darkest records to ever come out of the Detroit soul scene! As you might guess from the title, the album is Funkadelic's first – and it's a swirling mass of psychedelic guitars, echoey drums, and bass-heavy riffing, all topped off by the band's harmony vocals, which sound like a perversion of the deep-Motown styles of groups like The Temptations or Undisputed Truth – taken into even headier territory! The original 5-member version of the group includes Eddie Hazel, Mickey Atkins, Tawl Ross, Bill Nelson, and Tiki Fulwood – all working here with some mindblowing George Clinton production! Tracks include classics like "I Bet You", "Mommy, What's a Funkadelic", "Music for My Mother", and "What Is Soul" – and the album's the stuff that made these guys a legend right out of the box! CD

A tasty little album from Funkadelic – one that has Bootsy Collins joining the group, and really hitting the unique approach that would become the definitive P-Funk groove! And although tracks are shorter and even more focused, there's still a fair bit of guitar in the set – keeping the trademark Funkadelic sound in place, to set them aside from from the growing horn-heavy Parliament groove. Yet in both groups' work at the time, there's a growing emphasis on the rhythms at the bottom – a pulling up of the basslines in a way that was no doubt influenced by Bootsy's presence, and which would have a key influence on the sound of funk for years to come! Includes the massively infectious funk track "Get Off Your Ass and Jam", plus "Let's Take It To The Stage", "Be My Beach", "Baby I Owe You Something Good", "The Song Is Familiar", "No Head No Backstage Pass", "Atmosphere", "Stuffs & Things", and "Better By the Pound". CD features the bonus track "Baby I Owe You Something Good" – performed by US Music with Funkadelic! CD

Amazing stuff – and arguably the greatest early Funkadelic album ever! The set moves past the simple fuzzy style of the group's debut, and the overly-stoned sound of Free Your Mind – and rockets into a heady funk style that's filled with sly social commentary and an incredibly dark vision of the future! The centerpiece of the album is the mindblowing "Maggot Brain" title track – a tune that begins with a chilling spoken intro, then slowly builds amidst washes and washes of post-Hendrix guitar. That cut then rolls into some shorter, funkier numbers that rank with some of the group's best ever – using the device of party-hearty energy to convey a sense of alienation and horror at the world. The whole thing's brilliant throughout – and apart from being a soul classic, the set should also rank as one of the greatest rock albums of all time! Titles include "Maggot Brain", "Super Stupid", "Back in Our Minds", "Can You Get to That", and "Wars of Armageddon". Features two bonus tracks – "Maggot Brain (live 1971)" and "Maggot Brain (BMG dub)". LP, Vinyl record album

Amazing stuff – and arguably the greatest early Funkadelic album ever! The set moves past the simple fuzzy style of the group's debut, and the overly-stoned sound of Free Your Mind – and rockets into a heady funk style that's filled with sly social commentary and an incredibly dark vision of the future! The centerpiece of the album is the mindblowing "Maggot Brain" title track – a tune that begins with a chilling spoken intro, then slowly builds amidst washes and washes of post-Hendrix guitar. That cut then rolls into some shorter, funkier numbers that rank with some of the group's best ever – using the device of party-hearty energy to convey a sense of alienation and horror at the world. The whole thing's brilliant throughout – and apart from being a soul classic, the set should also rank as one of the greatest rock albums of all time! Titles include "Maggot Brain", "Super Stupid", "Back in Our Minds", "Can You Get to That", and "Wars of Armageddon". Features a great bonus single with two bonus tracks – "Maggot Brain (live 1971)" and "Maggot Brain (BMG dub)". LP, Vinyl record album

One of a rare few gospel albums issued on the funk powerhouse Westbound Records – a hip set from this east coast group! Bill Moss wrote and produced – and titles include "The Way We Use To Have Church", "There Must Be A Reason", "I Found Out For Myself", "What Have You Done For Your Soul", "When We Move To The Moon", and the nice instrumental "Souful Music"! LP, Vinyl record album

Fuzzy funk from some of the all-time greats – one of the key Westbound Records classics from the mighty Ohio Players! This album's got the Players working at their all-time best – a bit jazzy, with a more sophisticated undercurrent than some of their contemporaries – a righteous vibe that's light years ahead of the 45 crowd – with plenty of space on the album to try out a wide variety of ideas in their music! Junie Morrison did the arrangements for the record, and the album's a great blend of light and dark moments throughout – sometimes a sweet vocal, sometimes a heavy piano line – all wrapped up with a sense of focus, but still enough freedom to let the group do their thing! Features the incredible title cut "Ecstasy", the great instrumental "Not So Sad And Lonely", and the tracks "Do You Feel It", "Black Cat", "Sleep Talk", "Food Stamps Y'All", and "Short Change". LP, Vinyl record album

Mindblowing funk from The Ohio Players – the group's debut album for Westbound Records, and a landmark batch of tracks that never gets old! The sound here really has the group stretching out a lot – working on tunes that are extended, but never as overindulgent as their labelmates Funkadelic – always keeping to a groove that's focused, yet also free to explore its bad self in the new freedoms of the 70s. There's a strong undercurrent of funky jazz running through the set – mixing great riffing alongside the tight rhythms and tripped-out vocals – all brought together with that deep deep deep production sound that Westbound gave the world as its own legacy in the wake of Norman Whitfield's experiments at Motown. Titles include the wonderfully jamming "Players Balling", and the funky numbers "Reds" and "Singing In The Morning" – plus more soulful tracks "I Wanna Hear From You" and "Never Had A Dream". LP, Vinyl record album

A never-issued album by funky guitar legend Melvin Sparks – recorded right after his final record for the Westbound label, and appearing here for the first time ever! Sparks first rose to fame via funky work with Lonnie Smith and Lou Donaldson in the late 60s, the cut some killer albums of his own and with organist Leon Spencer in the 60s – before disappearing a bit until a great revival in more recent years! This set represents Sparks right before he dropped off the map – a session that's done with a sweet jazz funk vibe that shows the way that labels like Westbound were picking up some of the style of the successful CTI/Kudu imprint – mixing some larger charts with the leader's solo strengths – allowing maybe some more soulful influences in the rhythms, while still going for a jazz funk approach overall. The set's much more instrumental than Sparks' last record for Westbound, which had more vocals – and although a few tracks have an upbeat clubby style, most of the music is more in a midtempo mode. Titles include "Love Tones", "I'm Funky Now", "I'm Gonna Funk You Up", "You're Gonna Make It", "The Truth Hurts", "Make It Good", and "Disco Booty". LP, Vinyl record album

A sweet little album of funky instrumental guitar! The record's one of the most obscure on the Westbound label – and it features guitar player Donald Austin going to town on 13 short little cuts with a tripped-out funky groove – sometimes fuzzy, usually funky, and always with that heavier kind of sound you'd expect from Westbound in the early 70s! Austin's guitar is very much in the mode of Eddie Fisher, Eddie Senay, or other kicked-back jazz funk players from his generation – an approach that's probably got a bit of Hendrix somewhere back in the mix, but which is more focused on the tighter side of the funk and soul instrumental spectrum! The album's like finding a stash of rare funky 45s – loads of great short tracks with titles that include "Sex Plot", "Crazy Legs", "You Want It, You Got It", "Side Saddle", "Nanzee", "Pea Shooter", "Do Me Right", and "Shake Your Head". CD

Detroit had plenty of great harmony groups in the 60s – but by the early 70s, The Detroit Emeralds were right on top – a feat that was easy to do with work this great! The trio have a fantastic approach here – a bit of the psychedelic soul sound of the Norman Whitfield generation, but also some warmer, sweeter harmonies too – a bit of an east coast vibe that really stands out – and which is done by the group at a level that's way better than most of their contemporaries! Arrangements are by group member Abe Tilmon, and very hip – and titles include the group's great take on "Baby Let Me Take You In My Arms", which has a great sample used by De La Soul – plus "You Want It You Got It", "Feel The Need In Me", "There's love For Me Somewhere", "Till You Decide To Come Home", and "I've Got To Move". LP, Vinyl record album

... 12-inch, Vinyl record

A massive double length set from Funkadelic! As if the group's vision wasn't already expansive enough in their early Westbound years, they really make incredible use of the space of this 2LP set to show off their talent for funky invention, fuzzed-out guitar, and mind-bending look at the world around them – taking off into a heady array of topics and settings that are even more chilling than before. If Maggot Brain can be taken as a document of Detroit after the apocalypse, this set should be read as a wider statement on the climate in America that was leading up to it – all served up with some of the group's funkiest rhythms on record to date! Titles include "You Hit the Nail On the Head", "A Joyful Process", "Loose Booty", "I Call My Baby Pussycat", "Biological Speculation", "Philmore", "We Hurt Too", "Everybody Is Going To Make It This Time", "Miss Lucifer's Love", "and "If You Don't Like the Effects Don't Produce the Cause". CD

One of our favorite early Funkadelic albums – and a real turning point for the group! Gone are the trippier guitar solos of earlier days, and in their place is a tighter approach to funk – one that has the band grooving hard and soulfully on shorter tracks that perfect the dark vision hinted at in the Maggot Brain years! The tunes are shorter, funkier, and catchier – and the vocals are especially great – so much so than on the title cut "Cosmic Slop" has harmonies so great you'd swear you were listening to late-Motown Temptations! Other tracks continue with a great soul-based focus, and include "You Can't Miss What You Can't Measure", "Nappy Dugout", "No Compute", and "Can't Stand the Strain" – and the record is packaged in a mind-blowing wraparound cover by Pedro Bell, the first of many the band would use! LP, Vinyl record album

One of the darkest records to ever come out of the Detroit soul scene! As you might guess from the title, the album is Funkadelic's first – and it's a swirling mass of psychedelic guitars, echoey drums, and bass-heavy riffing, all topped off by the band's harmony vocals, which sound like a perversion of the deep-Motown styles of groups like The Temptations or Undisputed Truth – taken into even headier territory! The original 5-member version of the group includes Eddie Hazel, Mickey Atkins, Tawl Ross, Bill Nelson, and Tiki Fulwood – all working here with some mindblowing George Clinton production! Tracks include classics like "I Bet You", "Mommy, What's a Funkadelic", "Music for My Mother", and "What Is Soul" – and the album's the stuff that made these guys a legend right out of the box! LP, Vinyl record album

A tasty little album from Funkadelic – one that has Bootsy Collins joining the group, and really hitting the unique approach that would become the definitive P-Funk groove! And although tracks are shorter and even more focused, there's still a fair bit of guitar in the set – keeping the trademark Funkadelic sound in place, to set them aside from from the growing horn-heavy Parliament groove. Yet in both groups' work at the time, there's a growing emphasis on the rhythms at the bottom – a pulling up of the basslines in a way that was no doubt influenced by Bootsy's presence, and which would have a key influence on the sound of funk for years to come! Includes the massively infectious funk track "Get Off Your Ass and Jam", plus "Let's Take It To The Stage", "Be My Beach", "Baby I Owe You Something Good", "The Song Is Familiar", "No Head No Backstage Pass", "Atmosphere", "Stuffs & Things", and "Better By the Pound". CD

A tasty little album from Funkadelic – one that has Bootsy Collins joining the group, and really hitting the unique approach that would become the definitive P-Funk groove! And although tracks are shorter and even more focused, there's still a fair bit of guitar in the set – keeping the trademark Funkadelic sound in place, to set them aside from from the growing horn-heavy Parliament groove. Yet in both groups' work at the time, there's a growing emphasis on the rhythms at the bottom – a pulling up of the basslines in a way that was no doubt influenced by Bootsy's presence, and which would have a key influence on the sound of funk for years to come! Includes the massively infectious funk track "Get Off Your Ass and Jam", plus "Let's Take It To The Stage", "Be My Beach", "Baby I Owe You Something Good", "The Song Is Familiar", "No Head No Backstage Pass", "Atmosphere", "Stuffs & Things", and "Better By the Pound". LP, Vinyl record album

Amazing stuff – and arguably the greatest early Funkadelic album ever! The set moves past the simple fuzzy style of the group's debut, and the overly-stoned sound of Free Your Mind – and rockets into a heady funk style that's filled with sly social commentary and an incredibly dark vision of the future! The centerpiece of the album is the mindblowing "Maggot Brain" title track – a tune that begins with a chilling spoken intro, then slowly builds amidst washes and washes of post-Hendrix guitar. That cut then rolls into some shorter, funkier numbers that rank with some of the group's best ever – using the device of party-hearty energy to convey a sense of alienation and horror at the world. The whole thing's brilliant throughout – and apart from being a soul classic, the set should also rank as one of the greatest rock albums of all time! Titles include "Maggot Brain", "Super Stupid", "Back in Our Minds", "Can You Get to That", and "Wars of Armageddon". Features a great bonus single with two bonus tracks – "Maggot Brain (live 1971)" and "Maggot Brain (BMG dub)". LP, Vinyl record album

A blistering little set from Funkadelic – one that features the return of Eddie Hazel's guitar, finely honed to the leaner, more soul-based sound of the group in the mid 70s! The title is prophetic, as the group are really "standing on the verge" here – working hard to tighten up their sound from the more rock-based years, and moving into a catchier funk groove that would put them over the top for many records to come! The title cut "Standing On The Verge" is one of the most anthemic funk tracks you'll ever find – with a chorus and groove that will stay in your head for years after you first hear the song – and there's lots of other tasty tracks like that on the set, really honing the Funkadelic approach down into an incredibly powerful sound! Titles include "I'll Stay", "Standing On The Verge", "Good Thoughts Bad Thoughts", "Red Hot Mama", "Jimmy's Got a Little Bit of Bitch In Him", and "Sexy Ways". CD

A blistering little set from Funkadelic – one that features the return of Eddie Hazel's guitar, finely honed to the leaner, more soul-based sound of the group in the mid 70s! The title is prophetic, as the group are really "standing on the verge" here – working hard to tighten up their sound from the more rock-based years, and moving into a catchier funk groove that would put them over the top for many records to come! The title cut "Standing On The Verge" is one of the most anthemic funk tracks you'll ever find – with a chorus and groove that will stay in your head for years after you first hear the song – and there's lots of other tasty tracks like that on the set, really honing the Funkadelic approach down into an incredibly powerful sound! Titles include "I'll Stay", "Standing On The Verge", "Good Thoughts Bad Thoughts", "Red Hot Mama", "Jimmy's Got a Little Bit of Bitch In Him", and "Sexy Ways". LP, Vinyl record album

An oft-overlooked gem by Funkadelic – the group's last album for Westbound, and a record that really has them growing into a great new groove! Bootsy and Eddie Hazel have stepped aside for the set, but that gives Bernie Worrell plenty of room to work his magic on keyboards – in a way that really increases the spacier elements of the set, and almost trades a messed-up moogy sort of feel for the heady guitars of earlier years – a slippery kind of Funky Worm groove that we totally love! The set is self-described as "delightfully putrid" on the Pedro Bell cover – and we couldn't agree more! Titles include "Undisco Kidd", "Let's Take It To The People", "How Do Yeaw View You", "Butt-to-Butt Resuscitation" and "Take Your Dead Ass Home!". LP, Vinyl record album

A funky tribute to all the "Super Groupies" who were helping out the 70s music scene – maybe the closest thing that Junie Morrison every came to a concept album – and a set that's got all the same wonderful complexity of his other solo albums on Westbound! As with those records, there's a pre-Prince approach to funk that draws heavily from Ohio Players and P-Funk elements – but which really gets a sharper, more sinister focus with Junie in the lead – at a level of soulful stardom that could have made him another Bootsy Collins, if folks were ever smart enough to figure out what he was doing at the time! Titles include the funky classic "Suzie Thundertussy" – plus "Super Groupie", "Surrender", "Junie III", "What Am I Gonna Do", "Stone Face Joe", "Suzie", and "If You Love Him". LP, Vinyl record album

A great soul set from funky percussionist King Errisson – done with a warmly jazzy style that reminds us a lot of work from the time by Ralph McDonald! The album's not as trippy as some of King's earlier records – and he brings in a nice sense of focus to the grooves by working with the Detroit soul team of Mike Theodore and Dennis Coffey – both of whom bring Errisson's groove to the dancefloor, yet still keep the funky edges intact! There's a really full-on feel to the record that mixes percussion with fuller horns, strings, and keyboards – plus guitar licks from Coffey that keep some edges sharp – and a bit of female backing vocals on most numbers too. Titles include "Tight Rope", "Sleep Talk", "Magic Man", and "Conga Man". LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

A record that moves guitarist Melvin Sparks a bit more into soul territory from the funky jazz of his early 70s years – but still a heck of a great little record overall! The tracks are shorter than before and the backings are bigger – but Melvin's work on the strings still gets plenty of space in the arrangements, and there's more than a few funky instrumentals here that more than make the album great. Plus, Little Jimmy Scott sings vocals on a few cuts – "I Got To Have You" and "If You Want My Love" – both done in a style that's fuller and more soulful than any of the work cut under his own name! Other tracks are mostly instrumental, and include the funky numbers "Bump & Stomp", "Get Down With The Get Down", and "Get Ya Some" – plus "Looking For Love", "In The Morning", and "Mocking Bird". LP, Vinyl record album

Mike's come a long way from his early soul days with Dennis Coffey – working here to lay down a set of spacious disco tunes with a dreamy finish – really stretching out with the same sort of glide you'd find in the best Philly club at the time! The record's actually quite strong on the disco side of the spectrum – well-crafted work with a sound that's full and rich, but never cliched – definitely Theodore's moment to shine in the 70s, taking the torch from his old partner Coffey, who had his time in the sun a few years before! Titles include "Cosmic Wind", "The Bull", "Moon Trek", "Brazilian Lullaby", and "Belly Boogie". LP, Vinyl record album

A killer cut! The Clark Sisters were mostly a gospel-oriented group, but they cut this amazing groover during the early 80s, and it's got a semi-secular sound that launched them into the mainstream soul world for a while. The cut's got a great stepping groove, a very catchy hook in the chorus, and a nice nice soulful sound. 12-inch, Vinyl record

Maybe the funkiest album ever cut for the legendary Westbound label in Detroit – and that's saying a lot, given that the company was the initial home to Funkadelic! Yet on this stunning full length set, The Counts maybe do that famous group one better – pushing aside their vocals for some incredible instrumental interplay that comes from bumping Hammond lines, wickedly sharp drums, and non-stop riffing guitars – all of which take center stage, while the vocals only seem to be part of the mix to urge the instruments onward! Tracks are long and jamming – ala the early Westbound work from George Clinton – and although The Counts recorded before and after the space of this album, this set is definitely the group's masterpiece. Titles include "What's Up Front That Counts", "Rhythm Changes", "Thinking Single", "Why Not Start All Over Again", "Bills", and "Pack Of Lies". CD features two bonus tracks – "Motor City" and "What's It All About". CD

Late Westbound funk, but with a feel that's very much in the P-Funk tradition – with lots of bass and keyboards, a tight ensemble groove, and some pretty silly vocals! Nice and long, too! 12-inch, Vinyl record

Maybe our favorite album by this Detroit soul group on Westbound. Why? Well maybe it's because of the great lime-green suits they're wearing on the cover, but probably because they've really got their act together on this one, and lay down a tight set of soul cuts, that have all the great harmonies of yesteryear, mixed with a sweet funky sound that's right on the Westbound tip! The album features the great breakbeat track "You're Getting a Little too Smart", which begins with some excellent drums – and it also includes the cuts "Shake Your Head", "You Control Me", "Without You Baby", and "Heaven Couldn't Be Like This". LP, Vinyl record album

The Detroit Emeralds' last two albums for Westbound – back to back on a single CD! I'm In Love With You is maybe our favorite album by this Detroit soul group. Why? Well maybe it's because of the great lime-green suits they're wearing on the cover, but probably because they've really got their act together on this one, and lay down a tight set of soul cuts, that have all the great harmonies of yesteryear, mixed with a sweet funky sound that's right on the Westbound tip! The album features the great breakbeat track "You're Getting a Little too Smart", which begins with some excellent drums – and it also includes the cuts "Shake Your Head", "You Control Me", "Without You Baby", and "Heaven Couldn't Be Like This". Feel The Need is an excellent bit of modern soul from The Detroit Emeralds – one of the few older Westbound groups who successfully made the transition to the label's smoother sound of the mid 70s! The feel here is really great – smooth, slinky, and seductive grooves – often done in a midtempo way that still lets the group's harmonies come through nicely. Titles include the monster groover "Set It Out", which has a killer hook, and a tasty midtempo groove that's about the best thing you'll hear from Westbound after 1976! Other titles include "Take It Or Leave Me", "Sexy Ways", "Love For You", and "Love Has Come To Me". CD

An insane classic from one of the wildest funk bands ever! According to reports, George Clinton and the band cut this set in a marathon 48-hour stretch in the studio – working like mad all night and day long, after dropping a motherlode of some mighty fine acid! We don't know if that story's entirely true, but the music on the album certainly backs it up – as it's some of the band's freest, most open-ended, most heavy-jamming work ever recorded! Guitars dominate over funky bass and drums – and the whole thing's an amazing blend of music, swirled together into a non-stop psychedelic party that includes P-Funk gems like "Funky Dollar Bill", "Free Your Mind", "Eulogy and Light", and "I Wanna Know If It's Good To You". CD

An insane treat for any fan of the early years of the P-Funk empire – that time when George Clinton and crew were taking in plenty of trippy influences from the heady Detroit scene of the time – and fusing it all into their own really unique blend of soul! The set features the group playing live, in relatively familiar territory of Michigan – crafting these grooves that are filled with as much fuzz as funk, and really working as an incredible live representation of all the mad genius they brought to their first few studio albums for Westbound! The whole thing's very well-recorded – as strong a live album as any label would have issued at the time – and titles include very long versions of "Maggot Brain" and "All Your Goodies Are Gone", both a fast and slow take of "I Call My Baby Pussycat" – and the tracks "Alice In My Fantasies", "I Got A Thing You Got A Thing Everybody Got A Thing", "I'll Bet You", "You & Your Folks Me & My Folks", and "Good Old Music". CD

A killer compilation – one that's every bit as wild and wooly as the famous image on the cover! The set came out in the mid 70s, and it's a perfect summation of all the greatness that Funkadelic had given the group in just a few short years – their brilliant way of blending together soul, funk, and psychedelic influences pulled from all parts of the Detroit scene – working under the leadership of George Clinton to craft a sound that few folks would ever be able to touch – even though thousands would try over the years! Every cut on the set is a killer – the kind of tight, short cuts that the group served up on singles – and which still blew away more than most other full album sides of the time! Titles include "I Got A Thang, You Got A Thang, Everybody's Got A Thang", "Standing On The Verge Of Getting It On", "Cosmic Slop", "Funky Dollar Bill", "I Wanna Know If Its Good To You", "I'll Bet You", "Loose Booty", "Can You Get To That", and "A Joyful Process". LP, Vinyl record album

Amazing stuff – and arguably the greatest early Funkadelic album ever! The set moves past the simple fuzzy style of the group's debut, and the overly-stoned sound of Free Your Mind – and rockets into a heady funk style that's filled with sly social commentary and an incredibly dark vision of the future! The centerpiece of the album is the mindblowing "Maggot Brain" title track – a tune that begins with a chilling spoken intro, then slowly builds amidst washes and washes of post-Hendrix guitar. That cut then rolls into some shorter, funkier numbers that rank with some of the group's best ever – using the device of party-hearty energy to convey a sense of alienation and horror at the world. The whole thing's brilliant throughout – and apart from being a soul classic, the set should also rank as one of the greatest rock albums of all time! Titles include "Maggot Brain", "Super Stupid", "Back in Our Minds", "Can You Get to That", and "Wars of Armageddon". CD

They certainly got the title right on this one – because it definitely is the ultimate collection of Funkadelic goodies! The 2CD set pulls together 29 tracks from the group's classic years at Westbound – and shows them starting out as a messed-up, guitar-growling rock funk act – filled with the unique crossover spirit of Detroit – then turning into a tighter, funkier soul act with the power to really rock the charts! All the good funky tunes are here – and the set seems to have a special focus on tracks by the group that have been sampled strongly in recent history! Titles include "Red Hot Mama", "Funky Dollar Bill", "Hit It & Quit It", "Cosmic Slop", "Loose Booty", "Get Off Your Ass & Jam", "America Eats Its Young", "Maggot Brain", "I'll Stay", "Nappy Dugout", "I'll Bet You", "I Got A Thing You Got A Thing Everybody's Got A Thing", "A Joyful Process", "Be My Beach", "Undisco Kidd", "Biological Speculation", "Take Your Dead Ass Home", and "You Can't Miss What You Can't Measure". CD

A legendary record – and one that's well worth all the anticipation it's gotten over the years! The set features rare, previously unreleased material done by Funkadelic during their classic years at Westbound Records – some songs, and some studio jams – of the sort the group were famous for, especially during their time at Westbound! The songs are totally great – massively funky numbers that rank right up there with classics of the Cosmic Slop years – and the jams are almost even better, a rare opportunity to hear the genius collective at work in the studio – without any edits at all to get in the way! We'd easily rank this set right up there with Free Your Ass or America Eats Its Young – and after years of waiting, it's great to have this wonderful collection finally out for the masses! Songs include "Heart Trouble", "Talk About Jesus", and "The Goose That Laid The Golden Egg" – and jams include "Vampy Funky Bernie" and "Slide On In". LP, Vinyl record album

The solo debut of Junie Morrison – a crazy little album recorded for Westbound in the time after he split company with The Ohio Players – and a set that's definitely got the weirdly wonderful mix of music that group was known for in their pre-Mercury years! Junie effortlessly moves between a number of styles, all with a great degree of wit – still keeping things funky in all the best ways, but also really experimenting with larger sounds and unusual arrangements – which come into play here in a really wonderful way! The album's an overlooked funk treasure from the 70s – far too sophisticated for its own time – and titles include "Walt's Third Trip", "Tight Rope", "Johnny Carson Samba", "Anna", "Loving Arms", "Married Him", and "The Place". LP, Vinyl record album

A great little record from Denise – very different than earlier Westbound work, and in a smooth modern soul style that's really nice! The album kicks off with the stellar title cut – "Here I Am Again" – which has kind of a Barry White-like groove, with sweeping strings over the top, nice beats at the bottom, and really great vocals from Denise! Other cuts range from laidback to modern, and include a few in the southern/modern style that would show up on some of her ABC records. Titles include "Here I Am Again", "Trying To Forget", "Married, But Not To Each Other", "My Brand On You", "Don't Nobody Live Here", and "Hit & Run". LP, Vinyl record album

Late Westbound funk, with a distinct disco groove – courtesy of Mike Theodore – but still some nice soul elements firmly in place. "Ride A Funky Starship" has a bit of a P-Funk sound to it – and "Outside Looking In" is a nice strident soul cut with an uptempo groove. 12-inch, Vinyl record

One of the sweetest little jazz funk albums of the early 70s – and a masterful blend of vibes, guitar, and organ from this legendary Indianapolis combo! The group are probably best known for their backing work behind Grant Green on some of his funky Blue Note sides – or for vibes player Billy Wooten, who leads the group, and has had a huge influence on his own these days – but even if you've never heard of them, the record will grab you right away – as it's got a sinister funky groove that few other groups could hope to match! There's a really unique blend of vibes, guitar, and organ going on here – and although the record does have a bit of vocals, the main focus here is on the instrumentation – which jams together in ways that are unlike most other funk combos of the time, including a good number of the group's contemporaries at Westbound! Sweet original tracks include "Monkey Hips 'n Rice", "Looking Through The Windows", and "Dark Clouds Risin", plus a stellar cover of "Slippin' Into Darkness". CD

One of the sweetest little jazz funk albums of the early 70s – and a masterful blend of vibes, guitar, and organ from this legendary Indianapolis combo! The group are probably best known for their backing work behind Grant Green on some of his funky Blue Note sides – or for vibes player Billy Wooten, who leads the group, and has had a huge influence on his own these days – but even if you've never heard of them, the record will grab you right away – as it's got a sinister funky groove that few other groups could hope to match! There's a really unique blend of vibes, guitar, and organ going on here – and although the record does have a bit of vocals, the main focus here is on the instrumentation – which jams together in ways that are unlike most other funk combos of the time, including a good number of the group's contemporaries at Westbound! Sweet original tracks include "Monkey Hips 'n Rice", "Looking Through The Windows", and "Dark Clouds Risin", plus a stellar cover of "Slippin' Into Darkness". CD

Nice greatest hits comp of the good stuff that the Ohio Players did for Westbound, including "Players Balling", "Funky Worm", "Walt's First Trip", "Singing in the Morning", and "Laid It". No lady on the cover, but there is a naked baby! LP, Vinyl record album

Funky madness from the early version of the Ohio Players! The album features work by the group that was most likely recorded before their move to Mercury, collected here in an album that's right up there with their trippiest work for Westbound. Highlights include the heavy groovers "Food Stamps Y'all", "Pack It Up", and "Players Ballin'" – and the album features the traditional gatefold cover of that freaky nude woman! LP, Vinyl record album

Fuzzy funk from some of the all-time greats – one of the key Westbound Records classics from the mighty Ohio Players! This album's got the Players working at their all-time best – a bit jazzy, with a more sophisticated undercurrent than some of their contemporaries – a righteous vibe that's light years ahead of the 45 crowd – with plenty of space on the album to try out a wide variety of ideas in their music! Junie Morrison did the arrangements for the record, and the album's a great blend of light and dark moments throughout – sometimes a sweet vocal, sometimes a heavy piano line – all wrapped up with a sense of focus, but still enough freedom to let the group do their thing! Features the incredible title cut "Ecstasy", the great instrumental "Not So Sad And Lonely", and the tracks "Do You Feel It", "Black Cat", "Sleep Talk", "Food Stamps Y'All", and "Short Change". CD

Mindblowing funk from The Ohio Players – the group's debut album for Westbound Records, and a landmark batch of tracks that never gets old! The sound here really has the group stretching out a lot – working on tunes that are extended, but never as overindulgent as their labelmates Funkadelic – always keeping to a groove that's focused, yet also free to explore its bad self in the new freedoms of the 70s. There's a strong undercurrent of funky jazz running through the set – mixing great riffing alongside the tight rhythms and tripped-out vocals – all brought together with that deep deep deep production sound that Westbound gave the world as its own legacy in the wake of Norman Whitfield's experiments at Motown. Titles include the wonderfully jamming "Players Balling", and the funky numbers "Reds" and "Singing In The Morning" – plus more soulful tracks "I Wanna Hear From You" and "Never Had A Dream". CD features a whopping 7 bonus tracks – some previously unissued – including "Climax", "What's Going On", "Time & Space", "Ain't That Loving You", "If You Were My Woman", and "Feelin Alright". CD

A true pleasure indeed – easily one of the greatest records ever by the Ohio Players, and a perfect summation of all things great in their groove! The album's a landmark effort – even for the heady days of the early 70s – as the Players manage to bring together a fair bit of jazz with their famous guitar-driven funk – all in a blend that's a lot more sophisticated than most other funk combos of the time, from the rhythms at the bottom to the instrumentation on the top! There's a darkness here that's undeniable – but the album's also not just a head trip into the fuzziest reaches of the studio – as the jazzier inflections help illuminate the farthest corners, and really bring the whole album back to focus with a wonderfully redemptive groove! Psychedelic elements are still all over the place, but also used sparingly enough to be most effective – a brilliant balance that few groups of this type were ever able to muster. Titles include the classic "Funky Worm", with the wild moogy bit that's been sampled loads of times over the years by a gazillion hip hoppers – plus loads of other nice ones, like the slow bonking funker "Pride & Vanity", the wild "Walt's First Trip", and the groovy "Laid It" – as well as "Pleasure", "Paint Me", "Our Love Has Died", and "Walked Away From You". CD features amazing sound and a whopping 7 bonus tracks – including "Ruffell Foot", "What It Is", "Rooster Poot", "Gone Forever", "Dimensions In Time", and "Introducing The Players". CD

A nice live snapshot of a later P Funk incarnation, circa 1983 – with players like Dennis Chambers and Michael Hampton aboard the mothership with Clinton's family of funk all stars! The rest of the crew includes includes stalwarts Bernie Worrell, Eddie Hazel, Blackbird McKnight, Maceo Parker, Mudbone Cooper and George Clinton working hard to extend their legendary style of live funk into the 80s. There's a slow build up of energy that's works well – kicking off slowly but surely with a laidback intro and band intro before busts open in a big way, and from there it's one exciting classic after another 'til the very end! Includes lengthy live riffs on P-funk classics like "Cosmic Slop", "(Not Just) Knee Deep", "Maggot Brain", "Atomic Dog"and "Flashlight", "Give Up The Funk (Tear The Roof Off The Sucker)", "Do That Stuff", "Cosmic Slop" plus a medley of "Let's Take It To The Stage", "Mothership Connection (Starchild)" and "I Call My Baby Pussycat" in a nearly 100 minute set! CD

Rare live material from the leading lights of the George Clinton funky universe! CD

A massive treasure from the P-Funk empire – an unreleased George Clinton project during his glory days on Westbound Records! The group features Gary Shider in the lead on vocals – with support from other US Music members, and a fair bit of the current Funkadelic lineup too – musicians who played on the legendary America Eats Its Young sessions, recorded at the same time as this one! The sound is incredibly sinister – even more tripped-out, fuzzy, and psychedelic than most regular Funkadelic work – with lots of dark moments, and basslines that are sure to blast out your speakers – courtesy of Cordell Mosson. Other group members chime in with Shider, too – in the best Clinton-directed style of the time – and the whole thing has a massive ensemble feel that's wonderful, and right up there with the well known Westbound P-Funk recordings of the time. Why this one wasn't released is a real mystery to us – but we're mighty thankful to finally have it out! Titles include "This Broken Heart", "Baby I Owe You Something Good", "Be What You Is", "I Miss My Baby", and "Rat Kiss The Cat On The Naval". LP, Vinyl record album

2 killer jazz funk albums – both rare, and both on one CD! The records were cut for the short-lived Eastbound side of the soul/funk Westbound label, both under the supervision of Bob Porter, who handled some of the best early 70s jazz funk work for Prestige! Both albums also feature drumming by the super-heavy Idris Muhammad – who keeps things very much in his classic breakbeat mode. Bill Mason was an obscure organ player who performed on the legendary Rusty Bryant funk LPs (Fire Eater & Wildfire), and his session here has the same kind of fierce groove – with tenor by Hubert Laws, trumpet by Gary Chandler, and guitar by Wilbert Longmire. Titles on that one include "Gettin Off", "Stone", "Mistery Jay", and "Now Run & Tell That". Gary Chandler's album is even better – and features organ work by Ceasar Frazier, guitar by Cornell Dupree, and tenor by Harold Ousley. The album includes a much-sampled version of "Baby Let Me Take You In My Arms", plus the cuts "Kaleidoscope", "Jet Set", and "Blue Dues". Both records are great – and together, they'd cost you well over $100 in the original! CD

70s disco classics from Detroit soul legend Mike Theodore – back to back on one CD! On Cosmic Wind, Mike's come a long way from his early soul days with Dennis Coffey – working here to lay down a set of spacious disco tunes with a dreamy finish – really stretching out with the same sort of glide you'd find in the best Philly club at the time! The record's actually quite strong on the disco side of the spectrum – well-crafted work with a sound that's full and rich, but never cliched – definitely Theodore's moment to shine in the 70s, taking the torch from his old partner Coffey, who had his time in the sun a few years before! Titles include "Cosmic Wind", "The Bull", "Moon Trek", "Brazilian Lullaby", and "Belly Boogie". High On Mad Mountain is a dramatic disco classic that steps out here with all the force you'd expect from the title! The extended title tune is a symphonic disco classic – using strings, congas, and lots of percussion to set up the groove – as guitar and keyboards come into the mix to bring out a nice degree of funk. The rest of the album follows in a similar feel – with a bit of moogy solo work, and some female vocals on the choruses – and titles include "Disco People", "Dragons Of Midnight", "High On Mad Mountain", and "Wonder Man". CD features 11 tracks in all. CD

An overlooked gem from the great Spanky Wilson – a set that's sometimes missed because it's not as hard and funky as her earlier work, yet a record that's got all sorts of wonderful charms that really show Wilson starting to develop as a singer! There's a cool, classy vibe to the record, which befits the image on the cover – yet that doesn't mean that Wilson's sounding slick or commercial, as her vocals maybe have even more of a bite and edge than before – set off amidst some more sophisticated arrangements from Paul Riser and David Van DePitte, who bring some of their best Motown strengths into play. The balance is a bit like Gloria Scott at the time, and Wilson is set up with loads of great cuts, many penned by Al Kent – in a list that includes "The Downer I Go", "Love Song", "Non Stop Flight", "Will Power", "Home", and "Easy Lover". CD