Make no mistake, Willy & the Poor Boys is a fun record, perhaps the breeziest album CCR ever made. Apart from the eerie minor-key closer "Effigy" (one of John Fogerty's most haunting numbers), there is little of the doom that colored Green River. Fogerty's rage remains, blazing to the forefront on "Fortunate Son," a working-class protest song that cuts harder than any of the explicit Vietnam protest songs of the era, which is one of the reasons that it hasn't aged where its peers have. Also, there's that unbridled vocal from Fogerty and the ferocious playing on CCR, which both sound fresh as they did upon release. "Fortunate Son" is one of the greatest, hardest rock & rollers ever cut, so it might seem to be out of step with an album that is pretty laid-back and friendly, but there's that elemental joy that by late '69 was one of CCR's main trademarks.

Digitally remastered and expanded two CD edition of one of the most popular reggae LPs ever released. Alton Ellis is one of the most influential artistes in the history of Jamaican music. During a recording career that spanned some five decades, Alton Nehemiah Ellis wrote and recorded some of the most popular and influential ska, rock steady and reggae recordings of all-time. After making his debut in 1960, the immensely talented performer swiftly established a reputation as one of Jamaica's most popular and revered artistes, recording a catalog of hit singles, most notably for Duke Reid's famed Treasure Isle Records. In 1973, a dozen of the singer-songwriter's Treasure Isle tracks were gathered on Mr. Soul Of Jamaica - a best-selling LP, which concurrently saw issue in the UK as Greatest Hits. This seminal album forms the basis of this indispensable set, which also contains the remainder of Ellis's Duke Reid-produced output from the mid-'60s onwards, with the bonus material including a host of long-lost rarities and previously unissued alternate takes!

Never as hip as other Fillmore-era bands, The Beach Boys were undeniably among the most innovative groups of the 1960s, thanks to Brian Wilson's production and arrangement skills, and the group s near-perfect vocal harmonies. They created some of the most compelling recordings of that decade which remain as potent today as they ever were. This set, recorded live on the closing night of New York s Fillmore East in 1971, captures the group at a time when their performance abilities were at a peak and just as they were finishing up the recording of one of their finest late-era studio albums, Surf's Up. Although Brian was no longer performing with the band, and Dennis Wilson (due to a hand injury) had been replaced on drums by Mike Kowalski, the core group of Carl Wilson, Mike Love and Al Jardine was still intact - and more than capable of delivering a great show.

Slow Drag finds Donald Byrd at the top of his form, leading a nimble and expressive quintet through a set of swinging originals and vibrant interpretations. Recorded in 1967, the album pairs Byrd’s warm tone and melodic invention with the soulful alto saxophone of Sonny Red and the inventive rhythm section of Cedar Walton, Walter Booker, and Billy Higgins. This edition is part of the Blue Note Japan 85th Anniversary UHQ-CD reissue series. Remastered by Kevin Gray from the original analog master tapes, this UHQ-CD is packaged in a jewel case with obi-strip and features faithfully reproduced sleeve artwork and notes.

Rockin' At The Star-Club is a live compilation album by The Beatles officially released in 1991 by Columbia Records and Sony Music Special Products. The record features historical mono recordings captured in December 1962 during the band's final residency at the famous Star-Club in Hamburg, Germany.

The official album release of The Smashing Pumpkins’ Zodeon At Crystal Hall is finally here! Recorded during the pandemic and inspired by ’65 and ’66 British psych influences. This 12-track album is officially released on gorgeous 180g vellum clear vinyl. Tracks from Zodeon At Crystal Hall were originally available as 5 singles in the ATUM: A Rock Album in Three Acts boxset - this 12-track release includes 3 unreleased tracks and is sequenced the way it was always meant to be heard in stereo. With stunning art by Katelan Foisy and Chloé Mendel Corgan, this is a must-have for any SP fan.

Anthology of the Continental Europe rock scene at its late 60s/early 70s zenith.

THIS MONTH’S COVERMOUNT CD is Small Faces 1965-1969 Live. Rare. Unreleased. An official exclusive compilation of Small Faces gems and rarities, including thrilling versions of Afterglow, Tin Soldier, Here Come The Nice and more!

Frank Zappa’s Vaulternative Records is back after nearly a decade, and its return brings some unearthed live Zappa tracks. The first release on Vaulternative Records will be Zappa ’66: Vol. 1 – Live at TTG Studios, captured during a pivotal 1966 recording session. The album will feature 17 tracks, only one of which had been previously released.

The great jazz pianist, composer, and Blue Note legend Horace Silver only released one live album during his lifetime, but his quintets were always among the most reliably thrilling working bands in jazz, delivering high-energy, crowd-pleasing performances of Silver’s indelible compositions to fans around the world. In August 1965, Silver brought a powerhouse line-up to The Penthouse in Seattle with Woody Shaw on trumpet, Joe Henderson on tenor saxophone, Teddy Smith on bass, and Roger Humphries on drums. A newly discovered recording of those performances gets its first-ever release with Silver In Seattle: Live at the Penthouse featuring the band delivering uninhibited renditions of Silver classics including “Song For My Father,” “The Cape Verdean Blues,” “The Kicker,” and more.

Pretty much every record released during the psychedelic era by EMI’s various satellite labels was honed and buffed to opaque perfection by the studio technocrats who were working for the company.

A seminal live set from tenorist Archie Shepp – and some of his freest, least-structured material ever! Shepp's still a righteous force here on his horn, but there also seems to be equal emphasis on the contributions of all members of the group – woven together in a really rich tapestry of sound, but with less of the structuring righteous concepts of some of Archie's other work – especially his sides for Impulse.

A seminal live set from tenorist Archie Shepp – and some of his freest, least-structured material ever! Shepp's still a righteous force here on his horn, but there also seems to be equal emphasis on the contributions of all members of the group – woven together in a really rich tapestry of sound, but with less of the structuring righteous concepts of some of Archie's other work – especially his sides for Impulse.

First released in 1971 as part of BYG Records’ groundbreaking Actuel series, Jacques Coursil’s Black Suite remains one of the boldest expressions of the Black Diaspora’s creative and political awakening. Recorded in Paris on June 10, 1969, this visionary work now returns in a newly restored and remastered edition, revealing its full depth and clarity for the first time in decades.