We’re closed this weekend but we’ll be here Monday, so go ahead and put those orders in!

This time around we have some VERY limited new items, including a 50-only Sun Dial release, the new SILVERBEATS, and lots of new CDs too. An excellent batch of restocks too.

Back at ya Monday with your confirmations.

Thanks!
Suzy Shaw


Drop these skus into our search to see them all

NEW SKU

25878, 25871, 25870, 25875, 25873, 25874, 25879, 25864, 25863, 25862, 25860, 25872, 25876, 25877, 25849, 25865, 25866, 25867, 25868

RESTOCK SKU

12744, 12753, 19983, 20347, 20365, 23131, 24855, 25435, 14790,12753, 24921, 24801, 24836, 24922, 24839, 19983, 24881, 24710, 20365, 24763, 25115, 24884, 24883, 24855, 20347, 24862, 24003, 25183, 24534, 12744, 23131, 24367, 24142, 24143, 24382, 24680, 25305, 24903, 24733, 24006, 24149, 24345, 25096, 24683, 25459, 25460, 24964, 25435, 14790, 25099

NEW ARRIVALS

ARETHA FRANKLIN- I Never Loved A Man The WAy I Love You Label:RHINO NOTE: UNSEALED but mint disc. Archive copy previously owned by either the owner of ALIVE or BOMP Ms. Franklin asked for and got plenty of "respect" with her amazing 1967 Atlantic debut. Painstakingly remastered in its original mono mix, with newly written liner notes. "Five-Star Soul" release CD $10 SKU:25878

ARTHUR ALEXANDER- The Greatest Label:ACE NOTE: UNSEALED but mint disc. Archive copy previously owned by either the owner of ALIVE or BOMP “This CD has been one of Ace's most popular since it's release in June 1989, both in terms of sales and critical approval. 17 years on it was beginning to appear slightly dated and so we have taken the opportunity to bring it's appearance bang up-to-date with a brand new cover and booklet.” CD $10 SKU:25871

BRYAN FERRY- The Bride Stripped Bare -1985 Jewel case Label:REPRISE NOTE: UNSEALED but mint disc. Archive copy previously owned by either the owner of ALIVE or BOMP . The Bride Stripped Bare is the fifth solo studio album by English singer Bryan Ferry. It was released in 1978, shortly before Ferry reconvened his band Roxy Music ...
CD $10 SKU:25870

FLAMIN GROOVIES- Jumpin in the Night Label:SIRE NOTE: UNSEALED but mint disc. Archive copy previously owned by either the owner of ALIVE or BOMP . The third and last of the Flamin' Groovies late-'70s albums for Sire, Jumpin' in the Night storms out of the gate with the title song, a top-shelf rocker that brings the muscle of the Flamingo-era lineup of the Groovies to the more style-conscious British Invasion sonics of Cyril Jordan's version.
CD $10 SKU:25875

FLAMIN GROOVIES- Shake Some Action - Rare 2005 jewel case -Label:DBK WORKS NOTE: UNSEALED but mint disc. Archive copy previously owned by either the owner of ALIVE or BOMP First U.S. CD release for this long out-of-print classic. When Shake Some Action blasted onto the tired 1976 music scene, the Groovies' Dave Edmunds-produced update on British Invasion style, along with the Ramones debut that same year were the early tremors of the punk shockwave that has resonated for decades. Detailed liner notes by music historian and current Groovies bassist Alec Palao. CD $20 SKU:25873

FREDDIE KING- The Shelter Records Years - The Best of - 200 Euro release Jewel Case Label:SHELTER NOTE: UNSEALED but mint disc. Archive copy previously owned by either the owner of ALIVE or BOMP
This collection offers his best known works culled from his 3 Shelter releases and is an expanded edition of the original 12-song best of (unavailable for 10 years). Tracks include "Going Down," "Walking By Myself," "Please Send Me Someone to Love" and many more - eighteen tracks in all.CD $10 SKU:25874

FUNKADELIC-Maggot Brain -1994 psych funk in jewel case w booklet Label:WESTBOUND NOTE: UNSEALED but mint disc. Archive copy previously owned by either the owner of ALIVE or BOMP Maggot Brain is the third studio album by the American funk band Funkadelic. It was recorded at United Sound Systems in Detroit during late 1970 CD $10 SKU:25879

HOPKINS,RICH& the Luminarios --Back To the Garden (godfather of Desert rock)Label:BLUE ROSE The band has generated a lot of comparisons with Neil Young and Crazy Horse but the record lays claim to a wider array of styles – desert rock, folk rock, early Byrds jangle, even psychedelia. CD $15 SKU:25864

HOPKINS,RICH& the Luminarios -Exiled on Mabel St. Label:BLUE ROSE The latest studio album, ‘Exiled on Mabel St’, is his first for three years. The band has generated a lot of comparisons with Neil Young and Crazy Horse but the record lays claim to a wider array of styles – desert rock, folk rock, early Byrds jangle, even psychedelia. CD $18 SKU:25863

HOPKINS,RICH& the Luminarios - German release- Devolver 2 CD Label:BLUE ROSE The band has generated a lot of comparisons with Neil Young and Crazy Horse but the record lays claim to a wider array of styles – desert rock, folk rock, early Byrds jangle, even psychedelia. CD $16 SKU:25862

KILLERS-Good Bye (1967 uruguayan rock)Label:RECORD RUNNER First reissue of one of the main albums from the Uruguyan music scene of the 1960’s/1970’s; within the rock movement in Uruguay in the late sixties, the Killers (Los Killers) were proudly the most professional band in the rock music scene; they started out in 1967, playing cover songs of bands like Bloodrock (or “Bloody Rock” as it says here) on their ultra hi-tech gear; they recorded the Jesus Christ Superstar theme as a single, as well as ‘Woodstock’ for the Discodromo TV show, both included here among the five excellent bonus tracks; then came “Good-Bye”, the band’s one and only LP (Sondor, 1972), on which the Killers sung in English their own compositions, aside from Stephen Stills’ ‘Love the One You’re With’ and ‘Born to Wonder’ by Rare Earth; the Killers were headed for exile in Spain—thus the album’s title—pushed out of Uruguay by the repressive military regime that would take full control of the tiny nation in 1973 and end the careers of most of the bands which stayed behind. CD $15 SKU:25860

KIM FOWLEY- Outrageous /Good Clean Fun-1995 release jewel case- Label:REVOLA NOTE: UNSEALED but mint disc. Archive copy previously owned by either the owner of ALIVE or BOMP A cult figure practicing his egocentric, novelty mix of spoken word and rock music and like he says: good, clean fun.
CD $15 SKU:25872

MC5- Live 1969/70 - French 1991 Jewel case Label:NKVD NOTE: UNSEALED but mint disc. Archive copy previously owned by either the owner of ALIVE or BOMP Feel the raw energy of the MC5s recorded live between 1969 and 1970. From the unmissable “Kick out the Jams” recorded in 1969 on a German television Track 1 Recorded Live at German TV, 1969.
Tracks 2 to 4 Recorded Live at The Grande Ballroom, Detroit, MI, 1969.
Tracks 5 to 11 Recorded Live at Westfield Highschool, MI, 1970.CD $10 SKU:25876

MC5- Looking At You -1994 UK release jewel case Label:Receiver Records NOTE: UNSEALED but mint disc. Archive copy previously owned by either the owner of ALIVE or BOMP . rRally great live documented gig performed by the Detroit rockers, CD $10 SKU:25877

RELAX -ST (rare 1975 prog) Label:Circolo Del Disco Reissue of super rare South American progressive psychedelic hard rock from 1975. The gentle searing fuzz guitar stands out here Relax is one of the bands from the history of Argentine rock that has no history. It is considered almost as a "ghost band", musicians and collectors have no record of any activity by the band, although in an Internet web site someone dared to write that they premiered their LP at the luxurious "Savoy Hotel" hall in Buenos Aires. In 1975, they recorded an LP for the independent record label "Vedette", playing a hard-rock style and writing most of the songs based on riffs and guitar phrases, featuring a very accurate performance by the drummer, who created, together with the bass player, a "hellish broth". We could compare them with the early years of "El Reloj" or with "Plus", and the influence of Argentine guitar players school was evident, the "Grasso" brothers" combined very well their performance on guitars. The original LP always was very difficult to find, but since it was released through "Record Collector Dreams 2001" as one of the rarest LPs of Argentine rock, hard-rock collectors around the world rushed to get it and hence a limited edition of 300 vinyl LPs was produced in Europe in 2000 to provide for the lack of the original LP. Now, with the present edition in CD it will be more convenient to listen to "Relax" and feel that typical heavy and rich sound of 70s Argentine bands. A must for collectors. CD $14 SKU:25849

SIDEWINDERS- Auntie Ramos Pool Hall - 30th Anniversary CD (Arizona rock )Label:RCA Jangly folk-rock moments instantly familiar to any fan of mid-'80s R.E.M. Yet its traditional feel — part psychedelic pop and part dustbowl blues — suggests influences stretching back at least two decades... Hopkins' expansive "big guitar" references Neil Young and Crazy Horse; his uncomplicated melodies are as immediate and hummable as Tom Petty's. And Slutes' enigmatic lyrical concerns (the drug of love, the mystic powers of the sun and moon, the dark edges of the soul) — delivered in the best romantic baritone since Neil Diamond— make for a charismatic combination." —Fred Mills, Trouser Press CD $15 SKU:25865

BLACK SUN ENSEMBLE ST- transparent Boris purple vinyl Label:RTAI/LION Their first album, reissued for the very first time with the tracks exactly as they were on the original 1985 issue on Pyknotic."It is difficult to think of a band that has ever produced psychedelic music that sounded even remotely like the original Black Sun's" —Byron Coley"ABSOLUTELY stunning psych LP, first released in limited edition in 1985 on Pyknotic label and reissued on CD in 2000 by Camera Obscura (instantly sold out). Stunning fuzzy guitar, Eastern tunes, chanting, some horns here and there.... absolutely spacey psychedelic music." —Mutant Sounds"Black Sun Ensemble offers sensual, aerial, sonic magic carpet rides laced with the steady flavor of India that will take you high above the Himalayas in your head. But this isn't plinky, incense-burning, catatonic hammock music, nor does it smell of hippie backwash and flashbacks (thought the music can be hypnotic and psychedelic). You can see forever with the Black Sun Ensemble." -CMJ New Music Report"Jesus Acedo was the quixotic leader of Black Sun Ensemble who, on the basis of his enigmatic recordings, has been hailed by critics as one of the most innovative guitarists of our time. Born on Christmas Eve, 1962 in Tucson, Arizona, to Mexican immigrant parents, Acedo was one of eight children, the only one with an interest in music. After the death of his father in 1975, Acedo grieved by immersing himself in music. He spent most of his early adolescence at the Tucson public library listening to Ravi Shankar and Led Zeppelin records. At this time, Acedo bought a guitar. In high school, he began experimenting with the unique tunings of his guitar that give his music what one reviewer reverently called "peculiarly mystical, twangy, meditative, Middle Eastern rock sound". Muze, in describing his style, said he can "spit blasts of dragon fire or conjure the exotic, iridescent mystique of peacock feathers with a single stroke."A self-titled debut album was released by Tucson's Pyknotic Records in 1985. Its extraordinary qualities led Acedo to sign a five-year contract with England's Reckless Records, and in 1988 the label released "Black Sun Ensemble" (1988), "Lambent Flame" (1989) and "Elemental Forces" (1991). These records were a critical and commercial success. At the time, Offbeat exclaimed that BSE was "possibly, the world's coolest band.”

"Documenting the first incarnation of the Black Sun Ensemble and the only album with the group as a trio, the music hovers like buzzards in the desert over the dehydrated body of psychedelic rock, encircling their prey, waiting to feed on the corpse and draw new strength. A resulting mergence of melodic acoustic/Latin folk, Middle Eastern, raga, acid rock, and woolly feedback is given propulsion by a steady backbeat of rock bass and drums… A solemn peace envelops the mind, like peering out at the warm glow of the morning sun, heavy lidded, after a peyote-soaked night in the sweatlodge which invoked Shamanic visions and healing revelations… Solo electric guitar pyrotechnics, Arabian scorched landscapes, iridescent ragas on just electric or acoustic guitar and hand drums, and solo acoustic guitar rapture are all spices used in a tremendously savory trans-global stew." — Chris Scofield, fakeJazz website

A second BSE volume will come out in 2023 with alternate versions, which for the most part comprised the CD release of the first album when that format/edition materialized in 2000.

•Comes with a 8-page booklet, with notes by Byron Coley, BSE bassist Mike Glidewell, Rich Hopkins (songwriter, Sidewinder, and founder of San Jacinto Records), and a reproduction of a poetry volume by BSE’s Jesus Acedo. LP $35 SKU:25866

SILVERBEATS -ST- Transparent coke clear vinyl LTD ED OF 150-Label:RTAI/LION First reissue of rare cassette-only underground neo-psychedelic punk steeped in Pebbles-era rock, from this Milwaukee band which featured Dan Mullen (Plasticland) on guitar and the talents — songwriting and otherwise — of iconic underground maven Tess (James Tessier). ‘I Want Speed’ shows The SilverBeats’ affinity to West Coast psychedelia. And it’s no coincidence that they cover the Human Expression’s ‘Calm Me Down,’ rich with harmony vocal, and The Pretty Things’ ‘Midnight to Six (Man),’ replacing the original’s rough R ’n’ B-edge with a slight psychedelic tinge — a real showpiece for drummer Mike Hughes. Another killer is ‘Over And Over,’ penned by Tess (like all the other originals on this album). It layers beautiful, trippy guitar, a catchy vocal melody, lots of echo, strange effects, and weird sounds before it closes, and we move on to the jolly, jumping ‘Love Comes Knockin.’
Comes with an 8-page booklet featuring a description by journalist David Luhrssen of the Milwaukee underground music scene which produced Plasticland, Daszu, the band Ör, and the Violent Femmes, among others.

•Lion exclusive: 150x hand-numbered copies on Transparent Coke Clear vinyl
•Comes with an 8-page booklet featuring an overview of the Milwaukee underground music scene by David Luhrssen.
The first time I saw the SilverBeats… the band took the cramped stage at the window near the front door. Fronted by James Tessier, who appeared to be the missing link from The Standells, the band’s sound was simple, fuzzy and perfect. These cats were no strangers to reverb. Tess’ original compositions came to life with electrical transmissions from Dan Mullen’s lead guitar. The primal garage rock sound of ‘Over and Over’ was balanced by Tess’ soft-spoken vocals. ‘You Did Here Wrong’ could have been plucked from any top shelf album of lost nuggets. ‘In the Sound Room’ points to endless possibilities of mind expansion. This is the good stuff. LSD before it was cut with strychnine." — Blaine Schultz
LP $35 SKU:25867

SUN DIAL-Plains Of Nazca: The Lost EP” lathe cut 12” EP LTD ed of 50!!1 Label:ACME LION This 12” lathe cut EP includes four Sun Dial tracks that were destined for release around the time of the band’s epochal "Other Way Out” album, but have never seen the light of day until now.

Available (if you want to call it that) in a micro-edition of 50x total copies — with six different vinyl colour variations (black, white, clear, red, green and blue copies), housed in one of three alternative sleeves.

All four tracks are previously unreleased and remastered on 180g vinyl and provide an exciting insight into early Sun Dial. Comes with a double sided printed insert, and outer resealable bag with hype sticker. LP $75 SKU:25868

RESTOCKS

AURA- Sativa (70s SF psych funk -SAALE! Label:CICADELIC S.F. based psych-funk band that formed in 1974 and played extensively throughout Northern California. Replete with rare band memorabilia and three previously unreleased bonus tracks. CD $10 SKU:12753

BENJAMIN DELANEY LION - SATORI (rare 1969 psych folk)Label:SEELIE COURT 380 copy limited edition first pressings in mini card gatefold sleeves, from Glass Masters (not cdrs) Super rare psychedelic folk album from 1969. It has influences from the Incredible String Band and Donovan, with mystical lyrics, flutes and a serene vibe throughout. CD $20 SKU:24921

BERTIE - Algy Lord Gray (1970 Kinks influenced)-Label:SEELIE COURT A mad Kinks-influenced underground progressive masterpiece. It's as if Noel Coward, Hawkwind, The Incredible String Band, Neu, The Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band and The Kinks were scrambled together in a disastrous Star Trek teleportation accident. In 1970 the Berties took over a crumbling mansion in the wilds of Wales, made this album, sent it to John Peel, and never left. They remain in Wales to this day. 'Algy Lord Grey' is a deranged subversive and witty concept album about a man's descent into ruin. CD $19 SKU:24801

BLUNSTONE,COLIN -I Dont Believe in Miracles (70s ZOMBIES leader)-Label:Talking Elephant Records Colin Blunstone needs little introduction: he was a key member of The Zombies, and participated on various albums with The Alan Parsons Project. An excellent 16-song compilation assembled from Colin Blunstone's first three Epic solo albums. The individual albums, especially “One Year” and “Ennismore,” are worth owning intact, but this is a nice place to start. Blunstone possesses one of the most unique and underrated voices in contemporary music. This collection showcases both his voice and his considerable writing talents. The production and arrangements are excellent throughout and many of the songs have a truly haunting quality. CD $12 SKU:24836

BROWN, STEVE -BAND- SOUL FULL OF SIN (obscure 70s jazz rock) Label:SEELIE COURT 380 copy limited edition first pressings in mini card gatefold sleeves, from Glass Masters (not cdrs)Steve Brown formed this outfit in 1971, and they quickly developed a tight style of cool but potent jazz rock, characterised by lengthy powerful instrumental breaks and sax, and infectious beats. An obscure band that has been garnering a massive live following in their native Newcastle area during the early to mid seventies. CD $20 SKU:24922

DR. JOHN-New Orleans Man DBL CD- Label:ATOM Two CD collection from the acclaimed singer, songwriter and New Orleans legend. Includes ‘Crawfish Soiree’, ‘Just Like A Mirror’, ‘In The Night’ and many more. Like all Atom collections, mixes in excellent album tracks with better known cuts. Malcolm John Rebennack Jr., better known by his stage name Dr. John, was an American singer and songwriter. His music combined blues, pop, jazz, boogie-woogie, funk, and rock and roll. Active as a session musician from the late 1950s until his death, he gained a following in the late 1960s after the release of his album “Gris-Gris” and his appearance at the Bath Festival of Blues and Progressive Music. He typically performed a lively, theatrical stage show inspired by medicine shows, Mardi Gras costumes, and voodoo ceremonies. CD $12 SKU:24839

FLAMES - “Ummm! Ummm! Oh Yeah” + “That’s Enough” (DBL CD - Label:FRESH Throughout the '60s The Flames—featuring future Beach Boy Ricky Fataar along with his brothers Steve Fataar, Brother Fataar and Edries Fredericks— were South Africa's biggest selling band. This double disc set highlights the band's many hits from 1964 to 1966 and includes the "Ummm! Ummm! Oh Yeah" and "That's Enough" albums on Disc 1, and 16 non-album A & B sides singles on Disc 2. This release is a companion to the Retro best selling "Soulfire"/"Burning Soul" reissue. The “Ummm” album (1965) has some nice covers includes two Beatles tracks (‘No Reply’ and ‘Eight Days a Week’), a nice version of ‘You Better Move On,’ and ‘Talkin' Bout You,’ and several others. You have to admire a band like The Flames. An exceptionally talented outfit, the fact they were a non-white group (most of the members were of East Indian extraction), trying to make the big time in apartheid-era South Africa makes them even more special. Records by The Flames are highly collectable, not least because two of their members, Ricky Fataar and Blondie Chaplin, joined The Beach Boys from 1971 to 1973, during which time the albums ‘So Tough’, ‘Holland’ and ‘In Concert’ were made and released CD $16 SKU:19983

HERON, MIKE-Smiling Men With Bad Reputations (1971 rock solor debut)Label:TALKING ELEPHANT Heron's 1971 solo debut, released while he was still a member of the unique Incredible String Band (ISB). But this is NOT a folk album; it’s a rock album, and it rocks along very well. CD $14 SKU:24881

KHAZAD DOOM-Cherry Town (60s garage-psych) - Label:HALLUCINATIONS A brilliant album of fantasy Beatles-esque garage psychedelia and organ-driven psych/prog, recorded prior to Khazad Doom's legendary' "Level 6 1/2” album. In 1964, the band who was later to be called Khazad Doom started to dream of ‘making it’ in Bob Davis’ basement in Morton Grove, Illinois. After twenty-nine members and multiple names (The Vibratos, The Laymen), three musicians and a ‘Crow,’ they formally became Khazad Doom and the legend was born. Khazad Doom made a name for themselves during the early 70's with their unique style of progressive rock music, metaphorical lyrics, and stage presence. Their music was driven by pumping bass lines, dynamic Hammond swells, and multi-dimensional guitar work. On top of that, three of the four musicians contributed to beautiful three-part vocal harmonies, and counterpoint. CD $10 SKU:24710

LOST SOULS--ST mid 60s unknown U.S. Brit Invasion/ psych) SAALE!Label:LION The Lost Souls never released any records, yet the meager recorded evidence that survives indicates that they were one of the finest unknown American groups of the mid-'60s, able to write both catchy British Invasion-type rockers and, in their latter days, experimental psychedelic pieces with unusual tempo changes and song structures. The band were also unusual in their occasional embellishment of the typical period guitar-bass-drums lineup with flute, sax, and mandolin. Although popular in their Cleveland hometown, they broke up in 1968 to attend college. Rhythm guitarist Denny Carleton, who wrote and sang some of their best material, went on to briefly join The Choir, their chief (and more successful) rivals." —Richie Unterberger The music scene in Cleveland in the mid to late 1960’s was ripe with talent: the James Gang with Joe Walsh and Glenn Schwartz, The Choir, Eric Carmen (pre-Raspberries), Glass Harp with Phil Keaggy, the Damnation of Adam Blessing… and the Lost Souls. Of all those bands, only the Lost Souls never released a record. Then again, they were in high school, trying to navigate dress codes and bullies—and playing in front of a couple thousand fans when not suspended. Sure, they lost a battle of the bands at Teen Fair 1968, but it was to the James Gang with Joe Walsh. And somehow it is the Lost Souls who emerge from that time and place with the greatest mystique and some of the most adventurous music, music which few have heard. Lost Souls main songwriter Denny Carleton released a cassette of the band’s original recordings in 1984. It received airplay on hundreds of college and public radio stations in the USA (and around the world), and garnered glowing reviews… and that was it, until now.Not only is this the first time the music of the Lost Souls has been available since that cassette, our Lion Productions edition is the first release for many additional Lost Souls cuts, including alternate versions of key tracks like the insightful ‘Things That Are Important’ and ‘I’m Falling’ (the closest to a hit the band ever had), all taken from the original tapes and carefully mastered. Seven bonus tracks highlight the work of Lost Soul's main songwriter Denny Carleton (one-time member of The Choir, and more surprisingly, punk legends the Pagans); selections by The Choir, Moses, Milk and Carleton, many in all possible low-fi glory, recorded on various 4-Track devices, ranging from power-pop to grimy garage.•Whopping 32-page booklet has the full story of the band and info on the recordings by Carlton
•Includes a multitude of unseen photos from his personal archive
•Carefully remastered from the original tapes (+ the occasional post-Lost Souls 45 single)
•”One of the great lost groups of the 60's.” —Option Magazine CD $12 SKU:20365

MANDHYLON -Negra ciudad(68-70 Argentine blues psych)Label:LION From the ashes of the mythical Argentine duo Sandhy & Mandhy—who recorded in 1969 the intensely rare and beloved album “Para Castukis” (reissued by Lion Productions on vinyl and CD), a record suffused with beat and psychedelic influences—comes this resurrection by Mandhy of his "Celestial Stories." Alberto Vanasco Jr. (Mandhy) resumes his musical tale with twelve tracks written between 1968 and 1978. Recorded with the analogue essence and sound of the 70s, using vintage instruments like Farfisa and Hammond organ, and fuzz guitar. Features Argentine rock legends Nexus as the backing band. A record which brings together all of the various crucial elements of Argentine rock music: psychedelia, heavy blues, classic rock, and progressive rock. Stunning CD $15 SKU:24763

MCCULLY WORKSHOP INC-AGES (S.African 60's psych KINKS,YARDBIRDS, PRETTY THINGS style ) Label:FRESH In the early 70’s, the promise made by the improvisational bands in the late 60’s like Cream, Iron Butterfly, The Jimi Hendrix Experience and many others, had started to bear fruit. It was a time of rock music becoming really heavy and progressive, but also a time of the Singer-Songwriters and Folk Rock. Medieval themes á la Lord Of The Rings and ‘Dungeons and Dragons’ were the order of the day. Keyboard wizard Rick Wakeman had released an instrumental album about the ‘Six Wives Of Henry VIII’, Ritchie Blackmore’s Rainbow had sang about ‘The Man On The Silver Mountain’ and Uriah Heep celebrated ‘The Magician’s Birthday’. When McCully Workshop used to perform live around that time, the set list would include their arrangements of classical pieces like Bach’s ‘Toccata in D Minor’, Grieg’s ‘Hall Of The Mountain King’ and Strauss’ ‘Also Sprach Zarathustra’ (better known as the theme to ‘2001: A Space Odyssey)’ alongside ‘Every Little Thing’ by The Beatles and ‘The Man From Afghanistan’ by Curtiss Maldoon. Quite an eclectic mix. The “Ages” album (EMI, 1975) was born from this mixture of elements. The album opener, ‘Avenue’ is a bass-driven rock track, which echoes ‘Salisbury’-era Uriah Heep, whilst ‘Carbon Canyon’ is an up-tempo Steve Miller Band-influenced blues boogie with rollicking piano and cool guitar licks from Richard Black, who had been in rock power trio Elephant, with George Wolfaardt (Abstract Truth) and Savvy Grande (Suck). When asked about his favourite song on the ‘Ages’ album, Mike McCully says without hesitation: ‘I Walked Alone’. “This song had very difficult drumming, and I was influenced by Jim Keltner at the time. And the drumming on ‘Guinevere’ features double-tracked triplets... I used to play this with four sticks (a la John Bonham) for audio and visual effect.” Includes seven previously unavailable bonus tracks, updated liner notes and photos. CD $14 SKU:25115

MELANIE-Candles In The Rain (1970 reissue) Label:TALKING ELEPHANT From the ashes of the mythical Argentine duo Sandhy & Mandhy—who recorded in 1969 the intensely rare and beloved album “Para Castukis” (reissued by Lion Productions on vinyl and CD), a record suffused with beat and psychedelic influences—comes this resurrection by Mandhy of his "Celestial Stories." Alberto Vanasco Jr. (Mandhy) resumes his musical tale with twelve tracks written between 1968 and 1978. Recorded with the analogue essence and sound of the 70s, using vintage instruments like Farfisa and Hammond organ, and fuzz guitar. Features Argentine rock legends Nexus as the backing band. A record which brings together all of the various crucial elements of Argentine rock music: psychedelia, heavy blues, classic rock, and progressive rock. Stunning CD $10 SKU:24884

MELANIE- The Good Book (1971 reissue)Label:TALKING ELEPHANT From the ashes of the mythical Argentine duo Sandhy & Mandhy—who recorded in 1969 the intensely rare and beloved album “Para Castukis” (reissued by Lion Productions on vinyl and CD), a record suffused with beat and psychedelic influences—comes this resurrection by Mandhy of his "Celestial Stories." Alberto Vanasco Jr. (Mandhy) resumes his musical tale with twelve tracks written between 1968 and 1978. Recorded with the analogue essence and sound of the 70s, using vintage instruments like Farfisa and Hammond organ, and fuzz guitar. Features Argentine rock legends Nexus as the backing band. A record which brings together all of the various crucial elements of Argentine rock music: psychedelia, heavy blues, classic rock, and progressive rock. Stunning CD $10 SKU:24883

RED KRAYOLA - FAMILIAR UGLY Parable Of The Arable Land-Hardbound Book + 2xCD-Label:CHARLY On their 1967 debut album, the Red Crayola themselves conjure up a sound that's part psychedelia, part garage punk, and partly some sort of experimental rock that would not truly make itself known until many years down the road, and they generate an impressively freaked-out energy on deliberately primitive numbers like ‘War Sucks’ and 'Hurricane Fighter Plane.’ Six of the twelve tracks on The Parable of Arable Land are devoted to the Red Crayola; the rest find the three members of the group collaborating with friends, acquaintances, and fellow travelers credited as "the Familiar Ugly.” Pitchfork gave it a 9.3 and said: “In March 1967, The Red Crayola walked into the studio and spent a day making one of the most visionary album of the year, The Parable of Arable Land. It's a band that has no idea how to play its instruments. In fact, they don't even know what instruments are, or if the guitarist has the ability to remain conscious long enough to play whatever it is a "note" might be. Shattered psalms, wobbling percussion courtesy of poet Frederick Barthelme, patently overused echo chambers, and the clumsiest staircase bassline in garage history smashes into a bunch of clopping machine men as Mayo Thompson croons out the only serious line in his entire career: "I have in my pocket a hurricane fighter plane.” After Houston-based International Artists Records enjoyed unexpected commercial success with one of the most eccentric bands to emerge from the State of Texas, the 13th Floor Elevators, the label's proprietors presumably set out to find some folks who were even weirder, and they found a band that fit the bill in the Red Crayola. Media book packaging is very nice.
Along with the Elevators, The Red Crayola were the mainstays of the International Artists label, and are recognised in Psychedelic circles as producing some of the strangest music ever (combining elements of avant-garde and garage with wild, experimental freak-outs and chilling stripped down songs which sounded unlike anything from the 1960s). CD $15 SKU:24855

SEASONS & LOS WALKERS- Liverpool at Buenos Aires (1966 rarest of Argentine rock) SAALE! Label:Circolo Del Disco "The Seasons" arrived in 1965, when they recorded a single for the Microfon label. Then in 1966 they recorded an LP with their own compositions, sung in English. The founder members of The Seasons were Carlos Mellino (later in Alma y Vida) and Alejandro Medina (from Manal). The band’s sound was very much influenced by the three biggest bands in South America—Los Shakers, Los Mockers, and Los Walkers—in other words, Seasons had a real 1960’s South American beat band sound. This production includes the band’s only single as a bonus, and includes extended text about that era. Collectors from around the globe search for the original single and LP by Los Seasons. In the "Record Collectors Dreams 1001" book, the Seasons LP is included among the rarest of Argentine rock. Never before on CD. CD $10 SKU:20347

TOWNES VAN ZANDT -Flyin' Shoes Mini-LP sleeve- Label:CHARLY Another stalwart collection from Townes Van Zandt. The melodies here are strong, the lyrics full of Van Zandt's razor sharp insight, and the production is sparse and to the point, bringing to mind the inconspicuous polish of High, Low and in Between. The feel here is a balance between folk and country, with Van Zandt's voice and guitar up front, letting the songs speak for themselves. The tunes are full of heartbreak and hopelessness, making it a great album to put on during, or right after, the breakup of an affair. ‘No Place to Fall’ sports one of Van Zandt's strongest melodies with a melancholy chorus that immediately imbeds itself in your mind. Pedal steel, a brief mandolin solo, and almost inaudible percussion add to the despairing feel of the track. ‘When She Don't Need Me’ is another hopeless love song, this time with a Tex-Mex feel and a measured tempo that wrings every bit of drama out of the lyric. The title track has to be one of Van Zandt's saddest songs; images of winter, desolate hillsides, and loneliness complement an achingly beautiful melody. On the slightly brighter side, there's an Everly Brothers influenced country-rock take of Bo Diddley's ‘Who Do You Love.’ ‘Brother Flower,’ a striking meditation on mortality and the impermanence of love, has a melody that recalls Gordon Lightfoot's ‘Don Quixote’ while ‘Dollar Bill Blues’ is a sea shanty celebrating gambling, booze, self-destruction, and the desperate late-night search for love, or maybe just sex.” —AllMusic CD $14 SKU:24862

WINTER, EDGAR - TELL ME IN A WHISPER The solo Albums -4 CD BOX Label:CHERRY RED BOOKLET CONTAINS RARE SLEEVES AND MEMORABILIA Edgar Winter is one of rock’s aristocrats. Ever since he first burst into focus at the start of the 1970s, the multi-instrumentalist has been renowned for his individuality combined with a commercial intelligence – he has achieved success, but always on his own terms. CD $25 SKU:24003

ASTRAL DAZE - VA VOL 1 (70 s Psychedelic South African Rock) - Label:FRESH This collection brings together rarities from artists we know (tracks from Abstract Truth, Suck, Otis Waygood, Freedom’s Children, John & Philipa Cooper, McCully Workshop, Third Eye, and Hawk), as well as others we’ve not heard before, like Omega Ltd., the Bats, the Fireflies, the Idiots, Tidal Wave, and the Invaders. Although the South African rock movement of the late sixties and early seventies was not a major commercial success, it's participants heralded an exciting new age in South African rock and started a movement aimed at changing the musical tastes of fans in a spectacular way. Stadium concerts became the vehicle for feeding the youth with heavier rock sounds, and behind studio glass were producers like Clive Calder, Billy Forrest, Graham Beggs and Selwyn Miller who acted as change agents to transform conventional pop into heavier 4 to 5 minute songs. The movement's struggle for recognition through airplay remained unanswered and only the true fans of rock knew about their existence. COMP CD $15 SKU:25183

COME BACK BIRD- ABILINE Texas Teen Scene 1965-67-Label:CICADELIC RECORDS There were vigorous garage band scenes all over the U.S. in the mid-'60s as young musicians, inspired by the British Invasion sounds of the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, the Yardbirds, the Who, and the Kinks, picked up electric guitars and had at it, usually resulting in music that was more about attitude and approximation than it was about originality or skill. Abilene, TX had such a scene, and this fun set collects four of the region’s most popular garage outfits, the Chevelle V, the Livin' End, the Continentals, and the Coachmen. Of course, being Texas, there was also a lot of Buddy Holly bubbling under these bands’ singles, too. Highlights here include the Chevelle V’s 'Come Back Bird' (there are three versions of it collected here, of which the original single version is the best) and their version of the surf classic 'Koko Joe'; the Livin' End's sizzling takes on ‘Roadrunner,' 'All Alone' (essentially 'I’m a Man' with different lyrics), 'My Destination' (a fuzzed out near-cousin to the Beatles' 'Day Tripper'), and the Who-like 'Makin’ Time'; and the Coachmen's reverb-soaked 'Hush Broken Heart'. Nothing here is much different than the garage sounds happening elsewhere in the country at the time, and nothing here rewrote the history of pop and rock, but it’s fun all the same.” —AllMusic review by Steve Leggett COMP CD $10 SKU:24534

IT’S A HAPPENING!-Texas Girls of the 60s- Label:CICADELIC All seven recordings by The Heart Beats are included on this album, along with other great female led bands from 1966, such as The WordD from Dallas and The Bombshells of Houston. An added bonus is folk singer, Linda Pierre King from Houston, whose self-penned originals from 1966 foreshadowed subsequent folk singers such as Janis Ian and Melanie. COMP CD $10 SKU:12744

SEARCHING FOR SHAKES- VA Swedish Beat 65- 68 (THE SWEDISH NUGGETS) - Label:Amigo "The Swedish Nuggets! Twenty-six killer tracks from The Friends, Lea Riders Group, The Namelosers, Tages, etc. Thankfully available again, expanded digital edition of the original LP release, no overlap with the Who Will Buy These Wonderful Evils series, liner notes by Alec Palao and Lindsay Hutton (Next Big Thing magazine). COMP CD $10 SKU:23131

ST. ALBERT'S DREAM- Vol. 2: Lucid Electric Prophet- with BOOKLET Label:LYSERGIC SOUND From the ashes of the mythical Argentine duo Sandhy & Mandhy—who recorded in 1969 the intensely rare and beloved album “Para Castukis” (reissued by Lion Productions on vinyl and CD), a record suffused with beat and psychedelic influences—comes this resurrection by Mandhy of his "Celestial Stories." Alberto Vanasco Jr. (Mandhy) resumes his musical tale with twelve tracks written between 1968 and 1978. Recorded with the analogue essence and sound of the 70s, using vintage instruments like Farfisa and Hammond organ, and fuzz guitar. Features Argentine rock legends Nexus as the backing band. A record which brings together all of the various crucial elements of Argentine rock music: psychedelia, heavy blues, classic rock, and progressive rock. Stunning COMP LP $24 SKU:24367

9:30 FLY - ST (1972 Brit prog folk)Label:WAH WAH SPANISH IMPORT-Their original Ember LP has since become a rare collector's piece that gets now it's first legit reissue since 1972, with remasterd sound and respecting the original textured gatefold sleeve and artwork, in a strictly limited edition of only 500 copies. Hghly collectable and legendary 1972 self-titled album by 9:30 Fly. Formed in Cheltenham in 1971, 9:30 were a highly original band who took in folk and progressive influences in their work. Released on the Ember label in 1972, “9:30 Fly” is legendary for the originality of the music within and also for its great rarity. Although the album failed to make a commercial impression at the time of its release, it is now regarded as a milestone in Progressive/Folk Rock. This Esoteric Recordings reissue has been re-mastered and includes two bonus tracks. The booklet restores the original album artwork and includes a new essay by Sid Smith with exclusive interviews with band members LP $25 SKU:24142

ACROSS THE WATER-ST (1975 prog rock rarity)Remastered, Gatefold-Label:SEELIE COURT Split LP has neo-classical prog rock epic on side one, and “gorgeous” downer folk on side two. "An unknown and precious album recorded in 1975 by two friends who recorded one side each, they made just two acetates and then handmade beautiful covers from two enlargements of a photograph of the Isles of St Kilda. Side one is a neo classical prog rock epic in the style of Renaissance and Continuum, inspired by the wild and pagan isles of St Kilda where, as a 16 yr old, the composer Peter McKerrow was taken by military launch to conduct a census on the rare Soay Sheep that live there. A storm blew away his tent on the first night. The other side is by his Canadian pal who attended the same Uni in england, deeply homesick for Canada and surviving a broken relationship these songs are melancholic and Leonard Cohen-esque. The original Lp is astonishingly gorgeous and one of the most desirable artifacts of the prog era.” Gatefold edition, limited to 500x copies. LP $28 SKU:24143

AYERS, JAY - ST (1980 yacht rock perfection)-SAALE! Label:TAM Jay Ayers’ self-titled album from 1980 opens with 'Midnight Lady,' three minutes of yacht rock perfection. High-pitched doo-doos and la-la-las hover overhead as the supple rhythm section lays a rock-solid foundation and Ayers yearns desperately for love, even if it’s from a pro. Prominent acoustic guitars give the song rhythmic propulsion like some of the best country-rock hits of the era, and an unexpected clarinet appears midway through to sweeten the mix. 'Easy Way Out' connects, delicately addressing depression with an appropriately melancholy backing and topped with a memorable vocal hook from Ayers in the way he sings the song’s title. The mood suddenly changes on side B, opening with a lively mashup of 'Different Drum' and 'Mr. Tambourine Man.' The guitars are jangly and the sound is more primitive. When he sings, Ayers sounds like a filthy drunkard wailing for quarters on a busy street corner. Instead of shortening the songs and butting them together to create a traditional medley, the tunes are carefully interwoven together, and the seams never show. The more reckless sound on side B shows more personality than the first half. The cover of 'American Girl’ perhaps doesn’t contain the conviction of the original, but the Petty-influenced 'It’s So Hard' is an engaging power-popper with some nifty vocal interplay. I wonder if the mix of the slithery 'One More Night' was intentional. The distant instruments and echo-heavy vocal create a smoky haze, enhancing the lyrics about foolishly holding on to someone." LP $22 SKU:24382

BARNEY JAMES & WARHORSE - Koneg, The Second Coming (70s lost heavy prog) Label:SEELIE COURT (ONE SIDE ONLY!) Fresh from the incredible success of Rick Wakeman's early concept LPs Barney James (drummer with Wakeman's band and member of Gracious) and his ex-band mates Warhorse made this sensational lost heavy prog LP as a promo acetate. Musically complex it begins with a spoken intro and tells the tale of Koneg Son Of Odin, as he quests to find meaning and death in battle. Keyboards and guitar interweave, with further spoken interludes, and culminating in an epic prog workout featuring fluid soloing electric leads. Only one copy exists of this heavy melodic progressive concept LP valued in excess of £10,000. The original gold handmade cover is reproduced as a gatefold. Sleevenotes by Rick Wakeman. LP $35 SKU:24680

BEAD GAME- Baptism ( 70s pop psych rarity)Label:AMERICAN SOUND (USA) Last ever copies!!! Recorded in 1970 but not released until 1996. Follow up to their highly heralded album “Welcome” which is a classic psych album. This one is psych flavored pop/rock. Comes with paste-on sleeve. LP $17 SKU:25305

BRIGG- ST (collectable psych/folk/hard-rock album from 1973.)Label:GUERSSEN First ever legit vinyl reissue, sanctioned by the band members, of this collectable psych/folk/hard-rock album from 1973. Brigg were a rural Pennsylvania folk-tinged psychedelic band formed by three high school friends: Rob Morse, Jeff Willoughby, and Rusty Foulke. In 1973, they borrowed the money to record their first album together. They called it Brigg after one member saw the name in a dream. It was recorded at a grocery store converted into a 4-track studio. The photos for the cover were taken in a purportedly haunted house in Danville. The band members pressed 1000 copies and sold some to their friends but never played a live show together. They divided the remaining copies between them and went their separate ways. Several decades later, the Brigg album became a collector's item and was bootlegged all over the world. Original artwork in heavy cardboard sleeve; Insert with liner notes and photos. "A mix of basement hardrock and rural hippie prog-folk" --Patrick Lundborg (Acid Archives). LP $28 SKU:24903

CEPTIC FROG-YELLOW GREEN LTD ED! legendary deep underground South African heavy acid rock / proto-doom recordings from 1969! SAALE! Label:LION •Highly recommended for fans of psychedelic obscurities and hard rock from the 1960s and early 1970s. From the ashes of the mythical Argentine duo Sandhy & Mandhy—who recorded in 1969 the intensely rare and beloved album “Para Castukis” (reissued by Lion Productions on vinyl and CD), a record suffused with beat and psychedelic influences—comes this resurrection by Mandhy of his "Celestial Stories." Alberto Vanasco Jr. (Mandhy) resumes his musical tale with twelve tracks written between 1968 and 1978. Recorded with the analogue essence and sound of the 70s, using vintage instruments like Farfisa and Hammond organ, and fuzz guitar. Features Argentine rock legends Nexus as the backing band. A record which brings together all of the various crucial elements of Argentine rock music: psychedelia, heavy blues, classic rock, and progressive rock. Stunning LP $24 SKU:24733

CONSTANT SOUND-ST One of the Holy Grails of 1960’s sunshine pop and lyte psych.” — Patrick Lundborg, “The Acid ArchiveLabel:LYSERGIC SOUND Superbly constructed pop psychedelia c. 1968, performed by some of the best musicians in the world! •First commercial release of any kind and in any format of these recordings
•Comes with an 8-page booklet with photos and detailed information of the creation of this rarityFor more than fifty years, vinyl collectors and music archivists from around the world have speculated about this ultra-obscure twelve-song demo-only disc from the 1960’s: When was it pressed? Who were the musicians and the singers? Who produced this gem? What was the purpose of the record, especially considering the high talent level and the fact that it seemingly had never had a commercial release?No less an expert than the late Patrick Lundborg, one of the world’s leading experts on psychedelic culture and music and author of “The Acid Archives”, the ultimate guide to underground sounds from the 1960’s and 1970’s, called The Constant Sound demo disc "one of the Holy Grails of 1960’s sunshine pop and lyte psych," comparable to the the California sunshine style on the very rare Birmingham Sunday record, and added: "this is bound to blow the mind of any genre fan, as it delivers on all the key areas and has no obvious weaknesses." High praise from the psychedelic guru! LP $24 SKU:24006

CONSTANTINE -IN MEMORY OF A SUMMER DAY(Underground psych folk) SAALE! GATEFOLD w insert Label:GUERSSEN From the ashes of the mythical Argentine duo Sandhy & Mandhy—who recorded in 1969 the intensely rare and beloved album “Para Castukis” (reissued by Lion Productions on vinyl and CD), a record suffused with beat and psychedelic influences—comes this resurrection by Mandhy of his "Celestial Stories." Alberto Vanasco Jr. (Mandhy) resumes his musical tale with twelve tracks written between 1968 and 1978. Recorded with the analogue essence and sound of the 70s, using vintage instruments like Farfisa and Hammond organ, and fuzz guitar. Features Argentine rock legends Nexus as the backing band. A record which brings together all of the various crucial elements of Argentine rock music: psychedelia, heavy blues, classic rock, and progressive rock. Stunning LP $22 SKU:24149

DOMINIQUE BLANC FRANCARD -AILLEURS- (Trippy weird Floyd meets T REX)Label:LION Dominique Blanc-Francard’s “Ailleurs” is trippy and weird... and yet… the songs are catchy and the album rocks out. Fuzzy guitar, chunky drums, weird effects, a thick mix of layers of sound — all tasty ingredients. Pink Floyd meets T-Rex? It’s a terrific recipe, which surely must describe other albums? Even so, we can’t think of another album that sounds quite like “Ailleurs.” •Eight page insert booklet includes an interview of Dominique Blanc-Francard by Jean-Emmanuel Deluxe, in French and English LP $24 SKU:24345

GOOD MISSIONARIES-Pylons (long lost 80s post punk classic)Label:LION /COLOR TAPES Limited edition of 500 copies . Includes poster insert with archive band photos and slee• The hipness and success of London punk-explosion photocopy fanzine Sniffin’ Glue was almost entirely due to the irreverent, pugnacious sincerity of its founder/spark-plug Mark Perry. That Perry should form a band (Alternative TV) seemed a natural progression; that it was any good at all a surprise; that it maintained a stance utterly disdainful of compromise a small miracle.”The Good Missionaries emerged, phoenix-like, from the ashes of Alternative TV (ATV). They released one live album “Fire From Heaven,” before ATV founder Mark Perry left. Ex-ATV guitarist/vocalist Dave George and bassist Keith Rodway continued the band, with several line-up changes during those days. The Good Missionaries toured and gigged with such bands as The Fall, The Pop Group, Crass, Scritti Politti, Delta Five, Poison Girls, Nik Turner’s Inner City Unit and The Transmitters. Which in retrospect makes sense, as their post-punk/dub/experimental inclinations dovetails perfectly with the music those more storied bands (more successful bands) were making at the time. The Good Missionaries released several singles on their own Unnormality label, before splitting in 1982. LP $21 SKU:25096

HELLMET -Judgement Day (1970 doom-laden metal psych masterpiece)Label:SEELIE COURT Thought to be lost forever, Hellmet's legendary 1970 LP is the proto-metal find of the century. Long rumoured to exist amongst hardcore prog collectors, it used to be considered as the missing VO5 Vertigo cata!ogue number. In 1970, two acetates were cut at Oak studios (a 12” and a 7”) and then promptly lost, and those who knew of its rumoured existence decided it was mere myth or permanently lost or destroyed.But in 2021, this doom-laden metal psych masterpiece finally emerges from the Stygian depths of prog legend. Hellmet's sole lp is the ultimate incarnation of Leviathan and the Mike Stuart Span, and on this record, they hit a peak — almost like a raw undergound Led Zep 1 with elements of Cream. Hellmet's sound is characterised by a howling lead guitar tonally similar to High Tide but played in a heavy blues psych style; at times Steve Day appears to be wrestling a demonically possessed lead into submission. Three tracks are classic heavy prog proto-metal, then ‘Trust' gets into 'Dazed and Confused’ territory with its violent tale of resisting torture under the Inquisition; the dark epic 'Judgement Day' closes side one, a tale of heroin addiction and facing one's maker in an inevitable slide towards alienation and death. The song has astonishingly ornate and complex almost baroque guitar playing, with exquisite and beautiful passages, and treads a mournful path with an atmosphere akin to ‘Nothing Else Matters’ by Metallica. The LP benefits from repeat playing: it is heavy, but also deep, and has a vibe that combines anger with melancholia. A significant and historic find, if you ache for more true vintage Heavy Prog. LP $31 SKU:24683

LARD FREE- I’m Around About Midnight (1975) GATEFOLD 180 gram Label:REPLICA Recorded in Paris during a three-day session and released in 1975, Lard Free’s second LP, “I’m Around About Midnight”, encounters the band with a significantly different line up. This time, joining Gilbert Artman, is Antoine Duvernet on alto sax and flute, Alain Audat on synthesizer, and none other than Richard Pinhas - at the same moment he was making waves in Heldon - taking the helm on guitar and playing counterpoint to the drummer in a brilliant series of explorations. Launching in with a droning, synth driven cosmic soundscape - “Violez l'Espace de Son Réfrigérant” - that is pregnant with sounds of North Africa and the Middle East, the band then dives into a unique form of rhythmic prog that peppers a heady amount of humor into its brooding gloom, that shifts and evolves into different manifestations over the album’s length. Arguably the most fascinating and distinct of these are three works that stand slightly apart and establish the album’s creative range; “Tatkooz à Roulette” - primarily constructed from appreciating synths that foreshadows entire movements of electronic music that wouldn’t emerge until the 1990s - “Does East Bakestan Belong to Itself”, a wild gesture built around minimalist vibraphone lines, and “Even Silence Stops When Trains Come”, a work for piano and synth that makes interesting nods to the continuous music of Lubomyr Melnyk and works like Hans Otte's The Book of Sounds. Diverse, ambitious, and an endlessly thrilling listen, Lard Free’s “I’m Around About Midnight” is a true wonder of French electronic experimentation and prog. Replica Records’ brand-new reissue beautifully reproduces the original 1973 gatefold cover, and is pressed on 180 gr. vinyl in a limited edition of 500. Wild and not to be missed! LP $28 SKU:25459

LARD FREE- III -III- original 1973 gatefold cover-Label:REPLICA Recorded and released in 1977, one year before the band split and Gilbert Artman dedicated himself to his Urban Sax project (which notably included Werner Durand), Lard Free’s third album, “lll”, is easily their most electronic and experimental venture, and in many ways strays closest to their German counterpoints in Kosmische and the emerging Berlin School.

Cinematic and spaced out, the ensemble of synths, piano, organ, drums, vibes, guitar, and clarinet melds perfectly into a series of interwoven cosmic expanses. Rather than a series of shorter compositions that defined the album’s predecessors, here we have two long form work, taking up an entire side each.Meditative, bristling, and deeply atmospheric, while the ensemble - Jean-Pierre Thirault, Artman, Xavier Baulleret, and Yves Lanes - is fairly diverse in its instrumentation, each feels as though it has been run and process through synthesizers, creating a surprisingly cohesive and unified whole, with a series of stretched out, wild and frenetic jams, appearing almost as though psychedelic jam session we broadcast on the radio into outpace, and came back in a beautifully scrambled up form.

Absolutely killer and heady as hell, Lard Free’s third album, “lll”, is a stunning end to a body of work that carved its way across the 1970s, and was like nothing else. Thankfully, the future, as we are about to learn, was to excavate a bit more. Replica Records’ brand-new reissue of this masterstroke beautifully reproduces the original 1973 gatefold cover, and is pressed on 180 gr. vinyl in a limited edition of 500. It’s truly amazing and is poised to blow many of new listener away. LP $28 SKU:25460

LOST SOULS --ST mid 60s unknown U.S. Brit Invasion/ psych) SAALE! Label:LION "The Lost Souls never released any records, yet the meager recorded evidence that survives indicates that they were one of the finest unknown American groups of the mid-'60s, able to write both catchy British Invasion-type rockers and, in their latter days, experimental psychedelic pieces with unusual tempo changes and song structures. The band were also unusual in their occasional embellishment of the typical period guitar-bass-drums lineup with flute, sax, and mandolin. Although popular in their Cleveland hometown, they broke up in 1968 to attend college. Rhythm guitarist Denny Carleton, who wrote and sang some of their best material, went on to briefly join The Choir, their chief (and more successful) rivals." —Richie Unterberger

The music scene in Cleveland in the mid to late 1960’s was ripe with talent: the James Gang with Joe Walsh and Glenn Schwartz, The Choir, Eric Carmen (pre-Raspberries), Glass Harp with Phil Keaggy, the Damnation of Adam Blessing… and the Lost Souls. Of all those bands, only the Lost Souls never released a record. Then again, they were in high school, trying to navigate dress codes and bullies—and playing in front of a couple thousand fans when not suspended. Sure, they lost a battle of the bands at Teen Fair 1968, but it was to the James Gang with Joe Walsh. And somehow it is the Lost Souls who emerge from that time and place with the greatest mystique and some of the most adventurous music, music which few have heard. Lost Souls main songwriter Denny Carleton released a cassette of the band’s original recordings in 1984. It received airplay on hundreds of college and public radio stations in the USA (and around the world), and garnered glowing reviews… and that was it, until now.

Not only is this the first time the music of the Lost Souls has been available since that cassette, our Lion Productions edition is the first release for many additional Lost Souls cuts, including alternate versions of key tracks like the insightful ‘Things That Are Important’ and ‘I’m Falling’ (the closest to a hit the band ever had), all taken from the original tapes and carefully mastered. Seven bonus tracks highlight the work of Lost Soul's main songwriter Denny Carleton (one-time member of The Choir, and more surprisingly, punk legends the Pagans); selections by The Choir, Moses, Milk and Carleton, many in all possible low-fi glory, recorded on various 4-Track devices, ranging from power-pop to grimy garage.

•8-page booklet has the full story of the band and info on the recordings by Carlton

•Includes a multitude of unseen photos from his personal archive

•Carefully remastered from the original tapes (+ the occasional post-Lost Souls 45 single)

•”One of the great lost groups of the 60's.” —Option Magazine
LP $24 SKU:24964

T2-1970 (180 gram obscure 70s psych prog ) - Label:GUERSSEN Blistering lead guitar, mellotrons, flutes, and lengthy heavy/melodic tracks, featuring the original T2 line-up of Dunton/Cross and Jinks. For fans of classic well crafted UK hard rock and progressive music we think this must rank as one of the most important archival releases in this genre. Even though fame and fortune never came to pass for T2, their Decca album “It’ll All Work out in Boomland” has become an all-time classic amongst collectors of progressive and psychedelic music—and even in the techno and dj scenes. Apart from a BBC radio session, fans long assumed that “Boomland” was both the beginning and the end of the group’s recorded legacy. But some time back, Acme Records unearthed an eponymous second album of material, recorded in 1970 with the original line-up as demo tracks for a planned second album. This second T2 album, had it been released in 1970, could have put the band on the same level of fame with the likes of Deep Purple, Free, and King Crimson (bands with whom T2 shared a stage). It’s hard-driving opener ‘Highway,’ ablaze with wailing guitars, gives way to moody introspection, culminating with the LSD induced finale ‘T2.’ Those of you who were lucky enough to snap up a copy of the earlier limited edition of the Acme Deluxe pressings of this album can testify to the importance of these recordings. For those of you who missed out the first time around—or who have only recently discovered the greatness of the mighty T2—all we can say is, enjoy the power and glory of the second T2 album! *Hard cardboard sleeve. *Includes insert with liner notes & photos LP $32 SKU:25435

T2 1971- 1972 (Obscure 70s psych prog)180 GRAM with insert, liner notes and photos LPLabel:GUERSSEN Certainly one of the reissues of the year: Unreleased studio recordings from 1971 and 1972, which were originally planned as an album release.If this had been released at the time, they would have certainly gone to the premier league of major rock stardom along with Free, Deep Purple, Atomic Rooster etc. Sadly, this was never released and so we are happy to present this previously unheard underground masterpiece.î Tough to argue with the notion of a masterpiece, judging by the bandÍs only other recordings which have seen release to date. Track list: And Time, Looking Back, Questions & Answers, Seventy-Two, The Clown, Closing Your Eyes, Into The Red, PDQ 180 gram vinyl edition; Shrinkwrapped LP $32 SKU:14790

UMBRA -ST ((heavy, heavy music from the start of the 'American Comedown Era) Label:LION Lion ltd ed of 300 LP edition comes with an 8-page LP-sized color booklet, with lyrics, photos, plus interesting and funny things that can only happen to musicians, and did to Umbra.

What was available to unknown hard rocking dreamers like Umbra in Denver in 1971-72? Weekend gigs. Nothing but weekend gigs. But there was an upside to that: bands like Umbra could mix original material in with covers, and make enough money to survive. Or in the case of Umbra, to make enough money to build a home studio, where they recorded ads to promote their upcoming shows -- and eventually, laid down the eight tracks on this disc. Everything was recorded by bouncing tracks back and forth between two-track and four-track reel-to-reel tape recorders. Spacey intros and weird effects were created by recording guitar licks, then re-recording them played backwards at double speed. What sounds like a flute was the result of blowing over the top of a 14" goose neck (believe it or not). The resulting tracks are hard edged and heavy, verging on acid rock at times. Makes sense, as Umbra was a power trio most of their too-brief existence. Yet the songs (heavy though they are) have a deft touch. There are weird effects, space rock elements, plenty of melody, and a refreshing category-free approach to writing songs that makes Umbra's music exciting to hear.

We know that band bios can be sterile and boring or can move to the opposite spectrum, rife with grandiose embellishment. Umbra's story is neither. Instead, it is the story is the story of a band from the early 1970's who recorded what they wanted to record: heavy, heavy music from the start of the 'American Comedown Era' (as we've seen it described by friends for their Brown Acid series of compilations). Umbra's story is also that of a band whose music, terrific though it is, has never to this point been released out into the wide world. Prepare yourselves to be surprised -- and we hope as impressed as we are -- by what Umbra had to offer. First ever release of any recordings by this fascinating heavy rock group from Colorado. LP $25 SKU:25099