Jethro Tull and Comus had a baby, and they named it Gravy Train. That's not strictly accurate, of course, but as the band's eponymous debut opens with the fluid changes of "The New One," it's not too far of a reach, either. Richly harmonic, daringly jam-laden, and peppered with guitar roars that simply defy comparison, Gravy Train is the sound of the British underground at its most joyously liberated peak - a time when a bunch of apparent freaks could simply go into a major recording studio and let rip. Except Gravy Train's concept of "letting rip" has more in common with a symphony orchestra than the Edgar Broughton Band. Without, of course, the orchestra. But there's a moment in the midst of "Think of Life" that cannot help but put one in mind of later Deep Purple, as the flute and guitar battle for supremacy, while the blues workout "Coast Road" is as breathtaking as any of that genre's better-feted exponents…

A few years into the British folk-rock boom, came along a band called the Trees, that got slagged off by the mindless British weekly press as Fairport Convention sound-alike. If those so-called journalist had actually listened, they might have seen their mistake as the Trees were a lot more like the fantastically fabulous The Pentangle but only even more progressive. True the dual guitarist and female singer was a sort of blueprint (almost cliché) for bands of those days into folk-rock, but here the musical interplay got uncommon space to develop and the numbers frequently grew longer in time, something rare in the genre and only followed by Comus. But that SMBWMP (stupid mindless British weekly music press) would keep on deriding this band that folded after two excellent but unsuccessful albums.
The Trees are recommended to everyone wanted to investigate the folkish side of progressive rock and its acoustic side.

The Spinners' 2nd Time Around (1970) was actually their debut long-player for the short-lived V.I.P. subsidiary of Motown Records. The "Second Time" referred to in the title indicates the quintet's new direction, which was considerably funkier than the group's former R&B persona. The album likewise marked the final contributions of G.C. Cameron, who himself was the latest in a line of replacements that began when George W. Dixon made way for Edgar "Chico" Edwards in 1961. However, by the time the combo had become part of the Motown roster, Edwards' spot was filled by Cameron. The Stevie Wonder-penned "It's a Shame" became the Spinners' first Top 20 hit of the decade.

Mr. Fox always stood out from their '70s British folk-rock contemporaries. They tended to disregard electric guitar for other instruments, and weave complex arrangements that highlighted the music rather than any technical virtuosity. Fronted by Bob and Carole Pegg, there was often a darkness about their own material that's especially evident on this reissue of Mr. Fox (1970) and The Gipsy (1971). Songs like "Mr. Fox" and "The Hanged Man" seemed to linger on the shadows, and the standard of songwriting was consistently good throughout (with a couple of exceptions, "Elvira Madigan," which is far from essential, and the long, overly tedious "The Gipsy"). But they're outweighed by the delights, which even extend to a pair of traditional arrangements, "The House Carpenter" (performed with suitable portent) and "All the Good Things," which saw them taking a brief detour into Americana…

Dutch band Mr. Albert Show, apparently named after a roadie, was formed in 1969 by Bertus Borgers (saxophone, flute, vocals), Roeland Boogaart (drums), Tom Fautubun (bass), Eric Lintermans (guitars) and Bonki Bongaerts (organ). Strengthened by the vocal talents of Floortje Klomp they make their debut with the single "Wild Sensation" in 1970, followed by their full length debut album "Mr. Albert Show" later the same year. The following their sophomore effort "Warm Motor" appeared, while the non-album single "Show Me Your Tongue" was released in support of it. This would prove to be the final release by this short-lived band, who disbanded in 1973 following the departure of Bertus Borgers.

Five of the Isley Brothers' albums released during the late '60s and early '70s are featured in this compact box set, consisting of standard jewel cases inside a simple cardboard sleeve: The Brothers: Isley (1969), Get Into Something (1970), Givin' It Back (1971), Brother, Brother, Brother (1972), and 3 + 3 (1973). The albums, which range from decent to excellent, contain several of the group's Top Ten R&B singles, such as "I Turned You On," "Love the One You're With," "Pop That Thang," and "What It Comes Down To." In 2008, when it was released, it sold for roughly the same amount as two full-price discs.

5CD box set mini LP replica sleeves, containing a quintet of original albums from the legendary Soul diva: "Aretha Now", "I Never Loved A Man The Way I Love You", "Lady Soul", "Live At The Fillmore" and "Spirit In The Dark".
Aretha Franklin (March 25, 1942) is a Memphis, Tennessee-born but Detroit, Michigan-reared American iconic gospel, soul, and R&B singer. Many have called her "The Queen Of Soul" and "Lady Soul".
She is renowned for her soul and R&B recordings (on many, of which, she accompanies herself on keyboards and piano - a skill she learned at an early age, learning to play by ear, according to lifetime friend Smokey Robinson) but is also adept at jazz, rock, blues, pop, and gospel…

Mad Curry was one of the first progressive bands from Belgium - along with Laurelie, Waterloo & Irish Coffee. In addition they had a quite remarkable lineup for a rock band, with saxophone, Hammond organ, bass, drums and vocals, but no guitar - just like Van Der Graaf Generator. Soon after their debut single (also included here), in 1970 their eponymous (and now very rare and expensive) LP was housed in a very original fold-out poster cover and released on local Pirate's label. That excellent record was characterized by an attractive female voice (quite similar to Julie Driscoll and Carol Grimes), repeated time signatures and jazzy, underground feeling. This CD is necessary purchase for the fans of early Colosseum, Blodwyn Pig, Julian’s Treatment and Rare Bird.

Betty Carter's remarkable early-'70s LPs were initially available only on her own poorly distributed label. This live date captured Carter when her voice was its most pliable, her delivery in full bloom and her range and power at their peak. She could scat with a fury and rhythmic intensity that were almost magical, then turn a slow tune like "The Sun Died" or "Body and Soul" into a showcase by emphasizing key lyrics, subtly changing each stanza, or increasing the pace at an unexpected moment. This deserves full attention, as it represents Betty Carter still evolving and perfecting her matchless technique.

It's one of the best titles in modern musical history, for song and for album, and as a call to arms mentally and physically the promise of funk was never so perfectly stated. If it were just a title then there'd be little more to say, but happily, Free Your Mind lives up to it throughout as another example of Funkadelic getting busy and taking everyone with it. The title track itself kicks things off with rumbling industrial noises and space alien sound effects, before a call-and-response chant between deep and chirpy voices brings the concept to full life. As the response voices say, "The kingdom of heaven is within!" The low and dirty groove rumbles along for ten minutes of dark fun, with Bernie Worrell turning in a great keyboard solo toward the end - listening to it, one gets the feeling that if Can were this naturally funky, they'd end up sounding like this…

The Doors returned to crunching, straightforward hard rock on Morrison Hotel, an album that, despite yielding no major hit singles, returned them to critical favor with hip listeners. An increasingly bluesy flavor began to color the songwriting and arrangements, especially on the party'n'booze anthem "Roadhouse Blues." Airy mysticism was still present on "Waiting for the Sun," "Queen of the Highway," and "Indian Summer"; "Ship of Fools" and "Land Ho!" struck effective balances between the hard rock arrangements and the narrative reach of the lyrics. "Peace Frog" was the most political and controversial track, documenting the domestic unrest of late-'60s America before unexpectedly segueing into the restful ballad "Blue Sunday." "The Spy," by contrast, was a slow blues that pointed to the direction that would fully blossom on L.A. Woman.