One of their best, recorded for 4AD with John Fryer production – with titles that include "Medusa", "Michelle", "After The Call", "Lorrentine", "Back Doore", and "Agonised By Love". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the most obscure salsa albums to come out of the Colombian scene in the 70s – a set that features top-shelf instrumentation from members of Fruko's combo, and vocals from singer Jacky Carazo! Jacky's got a great approach that almost seems to echo the Latin soul generation at times, but with vocals that are all in Spanish – and which are really well-suited to the soaring grooves of the group – who deliver some especially tight horns over the well-crafted piano, bass, and percussion at the core! The record's got all the charms of the best Fania work of the time, but a nicely different vibe too – in part because of the wider sense of rhythm on the Colombian scene. Titles include "El Despertar", "Alma", "Mi Canto", "El Negro Bembon", "Donde Sta Donde Sta", "Mi Cumbia", and "El Baile Del Raton". LP, Vinyl record album

Five track sampler off Wu-Tang Forever, with "For Heavens Sake" and "Heaterz" featuring Cappadonna, plus "As High As Wu-Tang Get", "The MGM", and "Dog Sh*t". 12-inch, Vinyl record

Incredibly memorable stuff – and one of the greatest moments in Atlantic soul history! The Soul Clan is an assemblage of Atlantic's biggest male singers at the time – Joe Tex, Ben E King, Don Covay, Arthur Conley, and Solomon Burke – and the team trade lines back and forth in this perhaps first-ever "supergroup" recording! "Soul Meeting" is a party cut, with all the singers talking about how they have to go somewhere and break up their meeting. "That's How It Feels" is a mellower tune, sung together as a harmony track – with the voices coming together on the chorus passages, and breaking out beautifully on the other parts. Great stuff – and even though Atlantic did release a Soul Clan LP, these were the only 2 original cuts on the record! 7-inch, Vinyl record

Incredibly memorable stuff – and one of the greatest moments in Atlantic soul history! The Soul Clan is an assemblage of Atlantic's biggest male singers at the time – Joe Tex, Ben E King, Don Covay, Arthur Conley, and Solomon Burke – and the team trade lines back and forth in this perhaps first-ever "supergroup" recording! The album features 2 tracks by the group: "Soul Meeting" is a party cut, with all the singers talking about how they have to go somewhere and break up their meeting. "That's How It Feels" is a mellower tune, sung together as a harmony track – with the voices coming together on the chorus passages, and breaking out beautifully on the other parts. Added to these 2 cuts are tracks by the individual members, 2 each to round out the album – making for 12 tracks in all! LP, Vinyl record album

Incredibly memorable stuff – and one of the greatest moments in Atlantic soul history! The Soul Clan is an assemblage of Atlantic's biggest male singers at the time – Joe Tex, Ben E King, Don Covay, Arthur Conley, and Solomon Burke – and the team trade lines back and forth in this perhaps first-ever "supergroup" recording! "Soul Meeting" is a party cut, with all the singers talking about how they have to go somewhere and break up their meeting. "That's How It Feels" is a mellower tune, sung together as a harmony track – with the voices coming together on the chorus passages, and breaking out beautifully on the other parts. Great stuff – and even though Atlantic did release a Soul Clan LP, these were the only 2 original cuts on the record! 7-inch, Vinyl record

Wu Tang pulls together for the long-awaited A Better Tomorrow! Wu Tang is such a large, star-filled ensemble, and they form a unified front so rarely after 20+ years in the game, it's always gonna make waves when they release a proper Wu Tang Clan album. The stakes are high enough here that they made sure to get a Warner deal to put it out, and bring Rick Rubin to co-produce the lead single with RZA – and if it's surely not going the find it's way in the all time classic hip hop pantheon with the early Wu Tang and the best solo record (how could it?), it's great to hear all these legendary voices trade verses after all these years. Includes "Ruckus In B Minor", "Felt", "Hold The Heater", "Preacher's Daughter", "A Better Tomorrow", "Never Let Go", "Wu-Tang Reunion", "Miracle", "Keep Watch" and more. CD

... 12-inch, Vinyl record

The classic first LP with Method Man, Ghost Face Killer, Raekwon, Ol' Dirty Bastard, and The Genius. The start of a generation, and of the hip hop enterprise that overshadowed a lot of the mid 90s! 12 tracks, including "Can It All Be So Simple", "Method Man", "Da Mystery Of Chessboxin", "CREAM", "Tearz", "Wu Tang Clan Ain't Nuthin Ta F' Wit", "Protect Ya Neck", "Shame On A Ni**a" and "Bring Da Ruckus". LP, Vinyl record album

A nice overview of the best of the Wu Tang Clan – from their revolutionary early tracks to their best later singles! You'd never have guessed earlier in the 00s that their label would have taken the care to license the best tracks from the BMG and Sony years for one collection – at best, we'd have guessed there would be a great BMG "best of" and a so-so Sony "best of". Alas, those giant labels groups merged into one mighty monster, so here we are with a stellar Wu Tang sampler from all four albums to date! 16 tracks in all: "CREAM", "Method Man (Skunk mix)", "Protect Ya Neck (Bloody version)", "Wu Tang Clan Ain't Nuthin' To F Wit", "Can It All Be So Simple", "Reunited", "It's Yourz", "Gravel Pit", "Uzi (Pinky Ring)", "Shaolin Worldwide", "Diesel" and more. CD

A classic single that changed the direction of hip hop. A dozen Wu-associated LP's and however many singles later, these still hold up. 12-inch, Vinyl record

The funkiest side of Stax Records – a treasure trove of funky nuggets, all hand-picked by RZA! As the title implies, these are some of the grooves that became the building blocks of the Wu-Tang sound – but even without that pedigree, these tracks are more than great enough on their own – a wonderful mix of album cuts and rare singles – some you'll recognize from famous hip hop samples, some you'll discover here for the first time ever! The triple-length package is overflowing with greatness – and titles include "I Could Never Be Happy" and "I Like It" by The Emotions, "I Forgot To Be Your Lover" by The Mad Lads and another "I Forgot To Be Your Lover" by William Bell, "Children Don't Get Weary" by Judy Clay, "All It Takes Is You & Me" by The Sweet Inspirations, "Poverty's Paradise" by 24 Carat Black, "I'll Play The Blues For You" by Albert King, "Why Marry" by The Sweet Inspirations, "Steal Away" by Johnnie Taylor, "Hang On Sloopy" by David Porter, "Ike's Mood 1" by Isaac Hayes, "In The Rain" by The Dramatics, "Don't Take My Kindness For Weakness" by The Soul Children, "Packed & Took My Mind" by Little Milton, "Sing A Simple Song" by Booker T & The MGs, "I'm Afraid The Masquerade Is Over" by David Porter, "LA Jazz Song" by Booker T & The MGs, "Walk On By" by Isaac Hayes, and "Keep The Faith" by Mel & Tim. CD

... CD

Includes selections by Dru Hill featuring Redman, Jay-Z featuring Amil, Wu Tang Clan, JA Rule, Slick Rick, Montell Jordan featuring Monifah and Flesh N Bone, Jon B, Terror Squad, Too Short, and others; plus the theme by Lalo Schifrin, and skits with Chris Tucker. LP, Vinyl record album

El Michels return again to the Wu-Tang chambers – and the results this time might even be better than before! Wu-Tang forged their initial sound out of a love of offbeat samples and unusual funk – so it's only fitting that one of the hippest funk groups around strip the music right down to its roots – performing new live interpretations with their wickedly sinister groove – all at a level that makes the whole thing a slow funk masterpiece from start to finish! El Michels has always been one of the few real standouts in the deep funk scene – and it's records like this that keep us loving them so much. And even though the set features vocals from Lee Fields on two tracks, and Lady Wray on one more – the instrumental groove is what dominates and draws our ears, on tracks that include "Tears", "Sipped Up", "Shadow Boxing", "Iron Man", "4th Chamber", "Shaolin Brew", "Drums For Sale", "Verbal Intercourse", "Tearz", and "Wu Tang Clan Ain't Nuthin Ta F Wit". LP, Vinyl record album

As any reader of these pages will know, we're nuts about Ennio Morricone – the greatest Italian soundtrack composer ever, and quite possibly one of the greatest composers to have ever walked the face of this planet! Here, a similarly Morricone-mad bunch of folks pay tribute to the maestro, by remixing tracks from his classic soundtracks of the 60s and 70s! Titles include "The Man With The Harmonica" by Apollo Four Forty, "Chi Mai" by Nightmares On Wax, "Giocoso, Gioioso" by Groove Corporation, "La Bambola Come Maddalena" by Sofa Surfers, "La Lucertola" by De Phazz, "Clan Of The Sicilians" by DJ Dick of Rocker's Hi-Fi, "Il Grande Silencio" by Thievery Corporation, and "Belinda May" by Fantastic Plastic Machine. 13 tracks in all! CD

One of the best non-Blue Note albums from the early years of trombone giant Curtis Fuller – a definite cooker that more than lives up to its title! At his best, Fully often played his instrument with a style that was more like a trumpet than trombone – isolated notes, sharp sense of rhythm, and an ability to match energy of all his top-shelf contemporaries – which is a key thing here, as the lineup includes Freddie Hubbard on trumpet, Jimmy Heath on tenor, and Cedar Walton on drums – almost like a Jazz Messengers album from the time that Fuller was in the group, but without Art Blakey. The whole album's wonderful – and titles include "The Clan", "Newdles", and "Ladies Night" – plus a hard hitting rendition of "Dear Old Stockholm" which runs for 9 minutes. LP, Vinyl record album

Chef Raekwon cooks up one of finest hip hop albums in history – a standout moment in the Wu Tang canon and the 90s in general! Given Ghostface's presence throughout, the prime RZA production and other top shelf guests, you could almost call this one a Wu Tang Clan album, if not for Raekwon's incredible leadership behind the mic. Guests include Nas, Method Man, Inspektah Deck and more from the Wu Tang family. An absolute standard-bearer! Titles include "Knuckleheadz", "Knowledge God", "Criminology", "Incarcerated Scarfaces", "Guillotine (Swords)", "Glaciers Of Ice", "Ice Cream", and more! LP, Vinyl record album

A rare indie label finally gets its due – Australia's stalwart Clarion imprint, home to some great music at the end of the 60s and start of the 70s – and a tiny little powerhouse who seemed to knock it out of the park with each new release! The scope of sounds here is great, and at some level, the package also provides an overview of Aussie rock during the space of a decade or so – beginning with raw tracks that are a rougher-edged take on UK mod territory, through more ambitious 60s work, and some very cool early 70s tracks that have the scene really finding its own voice – almost all served up on material issued as 7" singles, which keeps the music moving along at a really nice pace. The package features a huge amount of tracks – 86 numbers in all, supported with a huge booklet of notes on each group, plus images of rare records too – with tracks from The Valentines, Johnny Young, Colin Cook, The Clan, The Troupadors, Soul Purpose, Proclamation, The Spektors, Russ Kennedy & The Little Wheels, Chalice, Strawberry Fair, Willpower, The Birds, and others. CD

Include music by Kurtis Blow, Sugarhill Gang, Treacherous Three, Eric B. & Rakim, Too $hort, Roxanne Shante, Naughty By Nature, Biz Markie, Public Enemy, 3rd Bass, Black Sheep, Onyx, Method Man, Wu-Tang Clan, Common, Busta Rhymes, 2Pac, and more! CD

Ghostface brings some real hip hop to latter day Def Jam – his best album since Supreme Clientele – and possibly '06 hip hop album of the year! Fishscale features appearances by the Wu Tang Clan & Theodore Unit, Ne-Yo, Megan Ward and others on the mic – but it's the stable of producers that helps make this one of the best above ground hip hop albums we've heard in a long time. MF Doom puts his Metal Fingerz behind the boards for a bunch of tracks, and the legendary Pete Rock handles a few – with additional work by J Dilla, Just Blaze, Lewis Parker and others. Ghost brings a literal lyrical focus to a number of the tracks – but he's still spraying words all over the damn place – and the best tracks are just as thrilling as his surreal word bombs of yore. Tracks include "Shakey Dog", "Kilo" feat Raekwon, the excellent Just Blaze-produced anthem "The Champ", "9 Milli Bros" feat Wu Tang Clan, "Beauty Jackson", "RAGU" feat Raekwon, "Be Easy" feat Trife, "Dogs of War" feat Raekwon & Theodore Unit, "Barbershop" and more. LP, Vinyl record album

Ghostface brings some real hip hop to latter day Def Jam – his best album since Supreme Clientele – and possibly '06 hip hop album of the year! Fishscale features appearances by the Wu Tang Clan & Theodore Unit, Ne-Yo, Megan Ward and others on the mic – but it's the stable of producers that helps make this one of the best above ground hip hop albums we've heard in a long time. MF Doom puts his Metal Fingerz behind the boards for a bunch of tracks, and the legendary Pete Rock handles a few – with additional work by J Dilla, Just Blaze, Lewis Parker and others. Ghost brings a literal lyrical focus to a number of the tracks – but he's still spraying words all over the damn place – and the best tracks are just as thrilling as his surreal word bombs of yore. Tracks include "Shakey Dog", "Kilo" feat Raekwon, the excellent Just Blaze-produced anthem "The Champ", "9 Milli Bros" feat Wu Tang Clan, "Beauty Jackson", "RAGU" feat Raekwon, "Be Easy" feat Trife, "Dogs of War" feat Raekwon & Theodore Unit, "Barbershop" and more. LP, Vinyl record album

The female member of the X Clan posse weighs in with the title track, "Face The Bass", "Great Pimpstress", "Wizard of Optics", "State of Mind" and 6 others. CD

One of the most triumphant records from the first wave of Wu Tang Clan solo efforts – and an early 90s hip hop masterpiece that's hardly aged a day since! Tical is right up there with Enter The Wu Tang (36 Chambers) on the quality front. It's got the iconic Wu production aesthetic in peak form, and Meth himself does an incredible job here of not only cementing the Wu Tang's legacy, but setting himself up to be the Clan's breakout solo success story for years to come. Includes "Tical", "Bring The Pain", "All I Need", "What The Blood Clot", "Meth Vs. Chef", "Biscuits", "I Get My Thang In Action", "PLO Style", "Sub Crazy", "Release Yo' Delf", the killer "Method Man (Remix)" and more. CD

MC Buddah Monk was a childhood friend of Ol Dirty Bastard, and spent a fair bit of time right alongside him during the glory days of the Wu-Tang Clan – so he's got a pretty great perspective of Dirty's life and music – even though his story is somewhat personal overall! Writer Mickey Hess helps give shape to Buddha's memories, and the book may not be one of the most authoritative reads on Ol Dirty Bastard, but it's certainly one of the more entertaining! 192 pages, softcover, with some color images. Book

Chef Raekwon cooks up one of finest hip hop albums in history – a standout moment in the Wu Tang canon and the 90s in general! Given Ghostface's presence throughout, the prime RZA production and other top shelf guests, you could almost call this one a Wu Tang Clan album, if not for Raekwon's incredible leadership behind the mic. Guests include Nas, Method Man, Inspektah Deck and more from the Wu Tang family. An absolute standard-bearer! Titles include "Spot Rusherz", "Can It Be All So Simple", "Knuckleheadz", "Criminology", "Ice Water", "Wisdom Body", and "Wu-Gambinos". This beautiful Get On Down 2LP pressing includes the bonus track "North Star (Jewels)". LP, Vinyl record album

The movie "Soul In The Hole" may have come and gone without anyone paying too much attention, but the soundtrack is dooope, with a lot of tracks that are unavailable anywhere but on this LP. We're not sure how Loud did it, but instead of MC's supplying throwaway tracks, they gave up some of their best material. Includes Common "High Expectations", Organized Konfusion "Late Night Action", OC "Your Life", Mobb Deep "Rare Species", Dead Prez "The Game of Life", MOP "Ride", Brand Nubian "A Child is Born", Wu All Stars "Soul In The Hole" Xzibit "Los Angeles Times", Wu-Tang Clan "Diesel", Sauce Money "Against The Grain", Cocoa Bros "Won On Won", Darc Mind "Visions of Blur" and Dwellas "Main Aim". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the most triumphant records from the first wave of Wu Tang Clan solo efforts – and an early 90s hip hop masterpiece that's hardly aged a day since! Tical is right up there with Enter The Wu Tang (36 Chambers) on the quality front. It's got the iconic Wu production aesthetic in peak form, and Meth himself does an incredible job here of not only cementing the Wu Tang's legacy, but setting himself up to be the Clan's breakout solo success story for years to come. Includes "Tical", "Bring The Pain", "All I Need", "What The Blood Clot", "Meth Vs. Chef", "Biscuits", "I Get My Thang In Action", "PLO Style", "Sub Crazy", "Release Yo' Delf", the killer "Method Man (Remix)" and more. LP, Vinyl record album

A fantastic meeting of the minds – as director Jim Jarmusch makes a film that's a nod to the old martial arts films of the 70s that inspired the Wu-Tang Clan in their music – and RZA gets a chance to contribute to the soundtrack, with help from the Clan as well! The music is maybe the strongest realization of the Wu aesthetic at work – and RZA also shows that he's got a great flair for the right sort of sound for an action scene too – on titles that include vocal and instrumental versions of "Raise Your Sword" – plus "Fast Shadow", "Ghost Dog Theme", "Funky Theme", "RZA's Theme", "Gangsters Theme", and "Dead Birds". CD

With edited and instrumental tracks by Wu-Tang Clan, Three 6 Mafia, Snoop Dogg, Cypress Hill, Trick Daddy, Devin The Dude, Kool G Rap, Lord Jamar, Talib Kweli, and others. LP, Vinyl record album

The last of Van Dyke Parks' classic early trio of albums for Warner Brothers – and possibly the straightest of the bunch! Parks continues the exploration of ersatz Americana explored on his previous two records – but his approach here is sometimes a bit gentler, almost sentimental at times – as if he's been pulled more strongly into the matrix of history and geography that's always informed his work. Production is still great – although not handled by Van Dyke this time around – and instrumentation includes a fair bit of steel drums, showing Parks' continuing love of the form. (He was one of the instrument's biggest mainstream champions in the early 70s.) Titles include "Soul Train", "Cannon In D", "You're A Real Sweetheart", "Another Dream", "Pass That Stage", "City On The Hill", "Iron Man", and "Love Is The Answer". LP, Vinyl record album

With Clancy Hayes, Alexander's Jazz Band, Darnell Howard, Bob Scobey's Frisco Band, and Darnell Howard's Frisco Footwarmers. CD

... CD

A lengthy discussion with Chris James of the stellar seventies sweet soul act The Natural Four, Nardwuar vs Queens of the Stone Age, interviews with the last living brother of The Maddox Brothers and Rose, Mark Ridlen of 70s/80s Texas punk/psych band Lithium Xmas (also a member of Rapid Fire, the evil band from Ron Howard's "Cotton Candy"), New Orleans musical eccentric Quintron on his return to his ravaged city, Brazilian guitar legend Toquino, and Beach Boys' biographer Domenic Priore. Also, the scrapbook of Black punk legend Neon Leon, a Clancy Eccles tribute, hundreds of novelty celebrity records profiled, and a history of Diabolik. Plus, lots of great comix, including Freaky Bear by Plastic Crimewave, an incredible recreation of R. Kelly's "Trapped in the Closet" starring Batman by K. Thor Jensen, and lost comics and 70s rock writing by Funkadelic's Pedro Bell. Magazine

One of the first-ever albums issued by Clement Coxsone Dodd on the Kingston scene – and the start of a huge legacy of music to come on his Studio One record label! The work here is already marking new territory for Jamaican music – strongly influenced by American jazz and R&B of the postwar years, but already finding rhythms that would really burst out in the years of ska and rocksteady to come – as horns and vocals mix it up with rhythms that are definitely different than anything that was getting recorded up north in the US! The album mixes great vocal group and solo singers with instrumental acts to – in a set list that includes "Lonely Boy" and "My Heart" by The Charmers, "Campus Hop" and "Rub Up" by Dennis Sindrey, "Freedom" by Clancey Eccles, "I Was Wrong" by Winston Samuels, "I Need A Little Loving" by Owen Gray, "Beeston Street Riff" by Clue J & The Blues Blasters, "Little Willie" by Aubrey Adams & The Blues Blasters, "I Love You" by Zoot Simms & Arthur Robinson, and "I've Done You Wrong" and "Donna" by The Blues Busters. LP, Vinyl record album

Lots of great blue-tinged material from this early southern rocker – a fair bit of original tunes, too – with titles that inlcude "Don't Look At Me", "Nothing Left For Me", "I'm Gonna Try", "You'll Never Know", "You Better Settle Down", "You Kissed A Fool Goodbye", and "Highway Bound". LP, Vinyl record album

... CD

A legendary live performance from these three key members of the Velvet Underground – reunited on stage for a televised concert in Paris in 1972, and sounding really amazing together! Although Lou's star was the highest at the time, and Cale was releasing some incredible solo material, the overall vibe is maybe in the moody slowness of some of Nico's own recordings – very dark and spare, given that most of the instrumentation is just Cale on piano and viola, Reed on guitar, and Nico on harmonium – that spooky instrument that always seemed to bring out the best in her vocals! The whole thing is a key addition to both the Velvet Underground catalog, and the solo work of the three at the time – with titles that include "Berlin", "Black Angel's Death Song", "Heroin", "Ghost Story", "Janitor Of Lunacy", "I'll Be Your Mirror", "The Biggest Loudest Hairiest Group Of All", "Frozen Warnings", "Wild Child", "Empty Bottle", and "All Tomorrow's Parties". CD

A set with a more old-school mix of tracks – work from Nora Ney, Jorge Veiga, Carlos Lombardi, Nelso Goncalves, Linda Batista, and Altamiro Carrilho. LP, Vinyl record album

A great document of the way that Jane Birkin really flourished in the second half of her musical career, especially in the years after the passing of Serge Gainsbourg – a time when Birkin was emerging to be one of the real giants of French music on her own, as testified to in the power of this series of live performances! The Jane Birkin here is very different than the breathy voice next to Serge on her early recordings – and instead, she commands the stage with the presence of singers like Maria Bethania or Gal Costa – maybe no surprise, as the very generous presentation of these performances will attest. The box brings together live sets from 1987 up to 2023 – albums that include Au Bataclan, Au Casino De Paris, A L'Olympia, En Concert Au Japon, Arabesque, Au Palace, Sings Serge Gainsbourg Via Japan, Le Symphonique Live, and Oh Pardon Tu Dormais. CD

A trio that really lives up to its name – given that the lineup features three of the most dynamic figures in free jazz over the past few decades! The set was recorded in Chicago, and has a sound that really lives up to that city's embrace of a power trio like this – with completely frenetic work on reeds by Mars Williams, next to tumultuous drums from Paal Nilssen-Love, and some boldly propulsive bass from Kent Kessler – all spun out here over the course of three very long, freely-improvised tracks! Williams plays a few toy instruments, and Nilssen-Love handles some percussion too – both of which make for some slightly more introspective passages, which are soon balanced by more dynamic energy. Titles include "Miakoda", "Lovin The Buzz", and "Echo Clang". CD

Exactly the kind of record that makes us love sound library records so much – and definitely the sort that sets the style apart from anything else we can think of! Both Sandro Brugnolini and Giorgio Carnini turn in some great work here – a mindblowing mix of modes over the space of ten short tracks – some tunes a cascading array of instrumentation, in a hip groove that's neither American jazz or soundtrack funk, but a special space of its own! Other tunes use an electronic approach that's years ahead of its time – as groovy as 60s analogue, but a lot darker, too – in ways that the rest of the world might not touch until the German new wave. The balance is almost even between swinging groovers and darker electronic cuts – and titles include "Grinta", "Azione CIA", "Scalo Clandestino", "Alambicco Cibernetico", "Strutture Generative", "Omicido Bianco", and "CIA Massacre". LP, Vinyl record album

Never-heard music from the great Steve Lacy – material recorded during the time of his Ictus Records album Clangs, but not issued on vinyl until this set! Volume one has Lacy doing all sorts of incredible improvisations on soprano sax, often in the company of percussionist Andre Centazzo – a musician who always seems to be at his best when in the company of Lacy, really spurred on to some creative approaches to the drums that match Steve's boundless imagination on his horn! The performances are often quite tuneful, even if their structure is loose – and titles include "Figment", "Coastline", "Swab", "Hooky", and "The Duck" LP, Vinyl record album

A fantastic live performance from Soft Machine – done early in their career, and with a vibe that's maybe a bit different than some of the later, longer, more freewheeling concerts that have circulated on the market! Robert Wyatt's presence in the group is still very strong here, both on drums and vocals – and the record's got some shorter songs, but which still come across with all the power you'd expect from the trio of Wyatt, Mike Ratledge, and Hugh Hopper! Titles include "Dada Was Here", "Have You Ever Been Green", "Pig", "Fire Engine Passing With Bells Clanging", "Thank You Pierrot Lunaire", "As Long As He Lies Perfectly Still", and "10:30 Returns To The Bedroom". CD

Compiled for Louisiana World's Fair in New Orleans in 1984, with selections by Huey Piano Smith, Frankie Ford, Dr John, Jimmy Clanton, Earl King, Bobby Marchan, Joe Tex, and others. LP, Vinyl record album

Compiled for Louisiana World's Fair in New Orleans in 1984, with selections by Jimmy Clanton, Frankie Ford, Bobby Marchan, The Supremes, Dr John, Roland Stone, The Silhouettes, The Emeralds, Lloyd Price, Johnny Adams, and others. LP, Vinyl record album

The very first album from Coxone Dodd – the start of a huge legacy that ran into classic Studio One Records productions of the 60s and 70s, and which started with this initial album of early Jamaican grooves! There's plenty of jazz in the mix here – freer-flowing solos than you'd hear in Jamaican music a few years later – especially on the saxophone lines, which seem to get strong solo space in both the vocal and instrumental cuts! The music has some strong currents of American R&B at points, particularly the jazzier west coast variety – but the rhythms are already clearly the sound of Kingston, and really give the music a unique appeal. Titles include "Campus Hop" by Dennis Sindrey & Rico, "Beeston Street Riff" by Clue J & His Blues Blasters, "I Done You Wrong" by Simms & Robinson, "Freedom" by Clancey Eccles, "Donna" by Blues Busters, "I Was Wrong" by Winston Samuel, "Rub Up" by Dennis Sindrey & City Clickers, and "Little Willie" by Aubrey Adams & Blues Blasters. CD

A seminal collection of work from Buffalo Springfield – a group with a short-lived existence on the LA scene, but an impact that shaped the sound of mainstream rock for many years to come! That effect is no surprise – given that the lineup features a young Neil Young, Stephen Stills, and Richie Furay – moving from folk influences into trippier, headier territory – and paving the way for both classic and country rock to come! Here at the start, things are nice and lean – well-penned tunes that pack a heck of a lot into a very short space – given key production help from Jack Nitzsche, Brian Stone, Jim Messina, and even Neil Young himself. Titles include "For What It's Worth", "Mr Soul", "Broken Arrow", "Nowadays Clancy Can't Even Win", "Expecting To Fly", "Go & Say Goodbye", "On The Way Home", "Sit Down I Think I Love You", and "Kind Woman". LP, Vinyl record album

A very cool package – one that brings together two rare albums issued alongside the early rise to fame of Mad Magazine – plus rare bonus tracks too! First up is the stunning Musically Mad set, led by Bernie Green – one of the maddest bachelor pad albums to come out on RCA during the late 50s – and it features a nutty set of tunes released in conjunction with Mad Magazine, whose Norman Mingo contributed a fantastic cover painting of Alfred E Neuman! Instrumentation is very percussive-heavy – and there's plenty of odd sound effects, like warbling brass, air-squeezed hands, clanging anvils, crazy voices, and "clinkerated chimes" – all of which makes for a cartoony sound that definitely fits the promise Mad spirit! Titles include "Anvils, Of Course", "Concerto For Two Hands", "Laughing Raymond", "The Green Bee", and "Give Me That Good Old Progressive Jazz". Next is Mad Twists Rock & Roll – maybe the coolest of all the Mad Magazine records from the early days – a set done in collaboration with Big Top Records, as sort of a parody of the rock and roll that label was putting out at the time! Most songs are surprisingly strong rock numbers, but the lyrics are often jokes about the usual themes handled at the time – but given the level of presentation and strength of the overall record, the whole thing maybe just serves to remind us how important novelty records were to the birth of rock and roll! Titles include "She Got A Nose Job", "Let's Do The Pretzel", "Throwing The High School Basketball Game", "Someone Else's Dandruff", "When My Pimples Turned To Dimples", and "Blind Date". CD also features some rare bonus tracks from singles too – "It's A Gas", "She Lets Me Watch Her Mom & Pop Fight", "Potzrebie", "Meet The Staff Of Mad", and "What Me Worry". CD

Sublime early work from Robert Wyatt and crew – a psychedelic accented jazz rock classic that never gets old – and a visionary set that inspired a generation! The heavily fuzzy guitar sound is transcendent on Volume Two – with sudden jazzy changes, augmented by horns, and all done with a sly sense of humour for which the group doesn't get enough credit. The set's broken up into two different "concept" halves – and side one is "Rivmic Melodies" – and includes "Pataphysical Introduction", "A Concise British Alphabet", "Dada Was Here", and "Out Of Tunes". Side two is "Esther's Nose Job" – with the parts "Pig", "Fire Engine Passing With Bells Clanging", "Orange Skin Food", and "A Door Opens & Closes". Wyatt's on vocals and drums; Hugh Hopper is on bass, guitar, and alto; and Mike Ratledge plays some great Lowry and Hammond organ, plus a bit of harpsichord and flute! LP, Vinyl record album