Ride 'Em Cowboy stands as a pivotal breakthrough album for American singer-songwriter Paul Davis, bridging the gap between smooth soft rock and rustic country rock. Originally released in 1974 on Bang Records and reissued on CD in 2009 by the respected archival imprint Wounded Bird Records, this thirty-seven-minute album established Davis's signature sound—combining heartfelt lyrics, lush melodic hooks, and rich Southern pop-rock arrangements. Anchored by the iconic title track Ride 'Em Cowboy, which provided Davis with his first Top 40 pop smash and his debut entry on the Billboard Country charts, the album explores themes of Western nostalgia, romantic yearning, and rural life. Featuring strong songwriting across tracks like Midnight Woman, Southern Man, and I'm The Only Sinner (In Salt Lake City), this CD reissue also includes rare bonus mono single mixes. Sourced from original high-fidelity digital transfers alongside high-bitrate MP3 options, complete with EAC sector logging verification, track cue sheets, full retail artwork scans, and pristine audio clarity, this release is an essential centerpiece for soft rock purists, country rock collectors, and 1970s singer-songwriter archives.

Secret Oyster became somewhat of a super group when members of Burnin Red Ivanhoe, Coronarias Dans and Hurdy Gurdy formed this unit. All four original albums have received a thorough and outstanding remastering with added bonus tracks on the great label Laser's Edge. Secret Oyster got back together (Bohling, Vogel and Knudsen plus a new bassist and drummer) during the re-issues of their albums, touring the states and Denmark.

Once a symbol of the Vertigo label's adventurism, Jade Warrior's lack of sales led to their dismissal in 1972, which inevitably resulted in the band's disintegration. However, the Warrior's multi-instrumentalists, Jon Field and Tony Duhig, soldiered on at the urging of Steve Winwood, whose enthusiastic support of the diminished Warrior secured the duo a deal with his label, Island. Floating World was the new-look Jade's debut, a concept album themed around the Japanese philosophy of Ukiyo, with the songs revolving around two interrelated series of compositions. It's a complex set, and helpfully this reissue's excellent sleeve notes assist in making sense of it. The compositions may be interlaced, but the album itself is as diverse as any previous Jade offering…

The ongoing Dave's Picks archival series takes on the lifelong challenge of presenting some of the best of the Grateful Dead's endless back catalog of live sets, cherry-picking recordings from nearly four decades and literally thousands of gigs and revisiting them with refurbished sound and meticulously detailed presentation. Vol. 13 of the series presents the full three-set performance from the band's February 24, 1974 date, the third of three nights at San Francisco's Winterland Arena. This date finds the band in fantastic form, using a sound system that predated their famous "wall of sound" amplifier system by just a month, and spinning their cosmic wheels through a spirited first set of rockers like "U.S. Blues," "Candyman," and "China Cat Sunflower" before relaxing into more wide-reaching territory in the second and third sets on extensive jams like "Weather Report Suite" and an incredible half-hour "Dark Star"…

The great thing about a solo album from someone like Bill Wyman, of the Rolling Stones, is that quality musicianship and high-profile guest appearances are all but a given. The unfortunate aspect, though, is that the Stones bassist was never known for his songwriting. In the case of Monkey Grip, the first claim holds true (with guest appearances by Dr. John, Lowell George, and Leon Russell, the album is a solid affair musically), while the issue of Wyman's songwriting ability leaves the listener pleasantly surprised. Granted, there aren't any moments where you ask yourself, "why didn't this song appear on a Stones album?" but tracks such as "I Wanna Get Me a Gun," "White Lightnin'," and "I'll Pull You Thro'" are propelled with a laid-back groove that is surprisingly catchy. And, unlike Wyman's famous stone-faced stage demeanor, his singing is loose and joy-filled.

Released in 1974 on Prestige Records and reissued in Japan by Universal, Priced To Sell is the fifth and final studio album from Indianapolis jazz-funk outfit Funk, Inc. Founded in 1969 by organist Bobby Watley and tenor saxophonist Eugene Barr, the group delivered a slicker, more expansive sound for this session, featuring an enlarged ensemble with horn sections and gospel-tinged background vocals from legendary session singers like Jim Gilstrap and Edna Wright. Highlights include rare groove dancefloor favorites and soulful funk interpretations of Marvin Gaye's "Where Are We Going," The Beach Boys' "God Only Knows," and the infectious title track "Priced to Sell." Essential listening for collectors of 70s Prestige soul-jazz and deep funk breaks.

While it doesn't quite match the heights of their early collaborations, Cirrus finds Bobby Hutcherson resuming his partnership with tenor saxophonist Harold Land, and the results are quite good. The pair work with pianist Bill Henderson, trumpeter Woody Shaw, bassist Ray Drummond, drummer Larry Hancock, saxophonist/flautist Emmanuel Boyd and percussionist Kenneth Nash on this set of originals. The music is a little smoother than their earlier collaborations, but there are enough captivating, provocative moments to make the reunion a success.

Fur Ein 3/4 Stundchen (1974). Long Hair proudly presents one of the most sought after German albums of the early seventies, now for the first time officially re-released on CD: Tortilla Flat's 'Für Ein 3/4 Stündchen', originally recorded in winter 1974 and released as a private pressing. The instrumental album is very flute and electric piano driven, with very exciting guitar playing accompanied by rocking drumming with slightly jazzy influences and nimble bass lines, very tight! Many mention Supersister as a comparison, Kraan's first album, Brainstorm or Mel Collins' Circus (Crack In The Cosmic Egg), but all this is not really true. In fact the music is very unique, not typical Krautrock, but psychedelic, complex but very tuneful, with slight jazzrock influences and a little bit of British Canterbury sound. Many flute soloing, exciting great fuzzing guitar soloing and an impressing electric piano sound with that special teutonic Krautrock feel…

Originally recorded in 1974 for East Wind and reissued in 2015 with fresh DSD remastering by Universal Music Japan, Seven Minds is a standout 1970s session led by legendary bassist Sam Jones alongside pianist Cedar Walton and drummer Billy Higgins. Primarily featuring the core dynamic of the classic Cedar Walton Trio, the album is distinguished by tasteful string quartet arrangements on select tracks ("Holy Land," "Le Maestro," and "I Didn't Know What Time It Was"), creating a sophisticated dialogue between the rhythm section and augmented strings. Anchored by Jones' robust bass work and featuring three of his original compositions—including the soulful title track "Seven Minds"—this rare Japanese release remains a hidden gem of 1970s acoustic jazz.

Released in 2012 on Kaitai Records, New Sea documents a rare, legendary live archival performance from May 1974 featuring three towering figures of Japanese avant-garde jazz: pianist Takashi Kako, saxophonist/reedist Mototeru Takagi, and master free-jazz drummer Sabu Toyozumi. Recorded shortly after Kako returned to Japan following his studies in Paris with Olivier Messiaen, the trio unleashes a fiery, uncompromising set of deep collective improvisation. Anchored by the sprawling 30-minute title epic "New Sea," the recording captures intense dynamic interplay—from Takagi's searing tenor sax and bass clarinet wails to Toyozumi's explosive, unrestrained percussion and Kako's dense, percussive piano clusters. Essential listening for enthusiasts of Japanese underground free jazz and 1970s avant-garde improvisation.

Recorded at Blue Rock Studio in New York City on June 16, 1974, and reissued by Jazz Door in 1995 under the title Jaco (originally released as Paul Bley's Jaco Pastorius / Pat Metheny / Bruce Ditmas / Paul Bley), this seminal session captures two future jazz icons—bassist Jaco Pastorius and guitarist Pat Metheny—at the very beginning of their recording careers. Under the leadership of avant-garde pianist Paul Bley and backed by drummer Bruce Ditmas, the quartet engages in loose, exploratory electric improvisations and angular post-bop compositions. Featuring pieces by Carla Bley ("Vashkar," "Donkey," "Batterie," "King Korn") and Annette Peacock ("Blood"), this historic date showcases Jaco's groundbreaking fretless bass approach and Metheny's early melodic daring years before they achieved global stardom.

Recorded on the same day as the superior Odyssey of Iska, this loose session (Wayne Shorter's final one for the Blue Note label) is quite unusual. Although Shorter sticks to his customary tenor and soprano, pianist Chick Corea plays marimba, drums, and percussion; bassist Ron Carter mostly performs on cello; electric guitarist John McLaughlin sticks to the 12-string guitar, and bassist Dave Holland also plays acoustic guitar, with drummer Michelin Prell rounding out the group. Not released until 1974, the music is influenced by early fusion and has its interesting moments although it often wanders. The group performs Milton Nascimento's "Vera Cruz" and four of Shorter's originals, of which "Montezuma" is the best-known.

Man's importance in the history of Welsh rock music cannot be understated. Fusing the worlds of Psychedelia, Blues, Rock and Roll and West Coast inspired rock, they were simply one of Britain's most original groups of the 1970's. Along with label-mates Hawkwind, Man were true champions of the "underground" spirit.
Man - Revelation (1969). Digitally remastered and expanded edition of the Welsh rockers' 1969 debut album including four bonus tracks. A fabulous blend of Psychedelia and Acid Rock, the set is now regarded as an early classic by the band. Featuring the French hit single "Erotica" and a loose concept inspired by the Space race. With fully restored artwork, the booklet features liner notes by Man's guitarist and resident wit Deke Leonard…

Another piece of topical hard rock from Manfred Mann's Earth Band and, as before, listenable even to those without a serious bone in their bodies, by virtue of the playing. Moving between hard rock and British blues influences (with a special debt to Cream on the opening cut, "Give Me the Good Earth") and progressive rock, the quartet cuts a mean swathe across the sonic landscape, between Mick Rogers' soaring guitar solos and Manfred Mann's inimitable synthesizer work. Some of the less ambitious cuts, such as "I'll Be Gone," are relatively dispensable, but when these guys start reaching, as on "Earth Hymn," that's when their best musical instincts take hold, and the results are always worth hearing.

The band's best studio album, coming off of the success of Space Ritual. The group's rock roots are juxtaposed effectively with the swelling synthesizer flourishes and pretentious song ideas, creating the quintessential guitar-oriented space rock record. The highlight was the live recording of "You'd Better Believe It," with its crunchy guitars, but nobody minded keyboardman Simon House's languid synthesizer-laden "Hall of the Mountain Grill" (especially as it was followed by the Lemmy-sung "Lost Johnny," a great all-out rocker). The sound, especially the mix of ballsy high-volume guitar playing and soaring electronic keyboards ("The Psychedelic Warlords," "D-Rider"), would later get co-opted by outfits such as Blue Öyster Cult ("(Don't Fear) The Reaper") and Kansas…