Released 26 six years after their split, this 2000 release gathers the two studio albums recorded by German-based Brooklyn progressive rock band Sweet Smoke onto one disc. Produced by Rosie Schmitz and Winifred Ebert, 1970 debut Just a Poke is an experimental affair, featuring just two 16-minute epic tracks, "Baby Night," which includes a cover of the Doors' "The Soft Parade" and "Silly Sally," which contains a five-minute drum solo. While 1973 follow-up Darkness to Light, produced by John G. Möring and inspired by a previous trip to India, features a more acoustic flavor on its six psychedelic tracks.

In light of the 1990s post-rock scene and the often clear links back to Krautrock of all stripes, Ash Ra Tempel's monster debut album stands as being both astonishingly prescient and just flat out good, a logical extension of the space-jam-freakout ethos into rarified realms. Featuring the original trio of Hartmut Enke, Manuel Gottsching and Klaus Schulze, Ash Ra Tempel consists of only two side-long tracks, both of which are gripping examples of technical ability mixed with rock power. If more progressive music was like it, there wouldn't be as many continuing complaints about that genre as a whole. "Amboss" contains the more upfront explosions of sound, though it mixes in restraint as much as crunch. Starting with Manuel Gottsching's extended guitar notes and Klaus Schulze's cymbals, it begins with a slow, ominous build that is equally haunting, as mysterious as the cryptic artwork of temples and figures found on the inside…

Folk rock attraction Heron was one of several groups signed to both the Red Bus agency and Dawn label, home of Mungo Jerry and Mike Cooper. Originally released in 1971, Heron's seminal "Twice as Nice & Half the Price" has since sank into almost complete obscurity. Even at the time, the band were virtually unknown and little evidence remains of their history. It's hard to see why they were so overlooked, this is a great British folk album, perfect for a sunday afternoon.

Tymepiece's sole full-length platter is a competent but kinda dullsville slab of early-'70s album-oriented rock, mixing hard rock, progressive rock, and singer/songwriter-type material. There's a slightly macho soul-rock feel to some of the songs, like "I Love, You Love," as well as organ-guitar interplay influenced by some of the leading British bands of the time. Tracks like the title cut and "Won't You Try" are more in the style of the folk-rock singer/songwriters of the era. Neither the mellow nor harder-edged faces of the group offer compelling songs, however, even though they might have stood out more in their native Australia by virtue of having to compete in a far less crowded field of likeminded homegrown bands than counterparts in the U.S. and U.K. did…

Lobo was a pop singer/songwriter/guitarist who had a top 5 hit in 1971 with 'Me And You And A Dog Named Boo'. He also had numerous charting albums in the 1970s. We have put two of them together on a single disc, making their worldwide CD debuts. Introducing Lobo originally came out in 1971 on the Big Tree label. Of A Simple Man came out in 1972, also on Big Tree, and rose to # 37 on the Billboard charts.

Jake Jones (whoever knows to whom this name refered to?) was a short-lived American band from St. Louis, Missouri, which put out two albums in 1971, a self-titled one with strong psychedelic and folk leanings, and a second one during the same year, titled ''Different roads'' and being the most progressive of the pair, both were released during the fading days of the American label Kapp Records…

Fragile was Yes' breakthrough album, propelling them in a matter of weeks from a cult act to an international phenomenon; not coincidentally, it also marked the point where all of the elements of the music (and more) that would define their success for more than a decade fell into place fully formed…

The first album from Dust is interesting on many levels. The rhythm section featured drummer Marc Bell, who would later join New York punk rockers Richard Hell & the Voidoids, while bassist Kenny Aaronson would sign on with labelmate Stories on the group's third album, as Ian Lloyd moved from bass/vocals to complete frontman. The songwriting team of producer Kenny Kerner and singer/guitarist Richie Wise would go on to produce the third Stories album, making this Dust debut and its follow-up an important piece of the Stories puzzle. Wise's lead vocals on Dust were decent enough to complement his very competent guitar playing; Wise would eventually get hired as A&R man at Scotti Brothers Records…

Earth and Fire are legends of the Dutch rock scene, first making an impression with their debut single in 1969. They quickly established themselves as an international act thanks to the excellence of their material and the powerful vocals of Jerney Kaagman. In 1971 the band released arguably their finest work, 'Song of the Marching Children', a Mellotron soaked masterpiece that was a major selling album throughout Europe.

Live album from the post-Peter Green Fleetwood Mac with John McVie, Mick Fleetwood, Christine McVie, Jeremy Spencer and Danny Kirwan…

Though not nearly as celebrated as Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath, Uriah Heep, or Deep Purple, Budgie was one of the finest heavy metal bands of the early to mid-'70s. The British power trio, formed in 1968, was influenced by Cream in the beginning, but by the time this self-titled debut album was released in 1971, Budgie was obviously paying close attention to Sabbath and Zep…