NO AGE Review

As a band, I’m not really sure what to make of No Age. They’re really just a couple of skate punks that make noisy songs, but… there’s gotta be more to it than that. The tracks on their new album Nouns vary from barely contained sound collages to bashing garage stompers, but it’s consistently enjoyable, confounding and above all else: interesting. And let’s face it. Sub Pop releases as of late haven’t exactly blown the proverbial roof off of the sucka. It’s been a whole lot of people that wouldn’t have record deals if they weren’t affiliated with Band Of Horses or Wolf Parade for the past few months. So this begs me to ask: do I actually like this new No Age album or am I just pleasantly surprised that it’s a really good Sub Pop album?

I think the verdict is both. I’m excited to see Sub Pop digging themselves out of a rut, and I’m happy to hear a band that is equal parts Psychocandy, Black Lips and musique concrete. I like how on the opening “Miner”, everything is given such an equal place in the sound field that I can’t tell how many guitars are there, I’m not sure if I can hear a tambourine or not, and I honestly can’t tell if more than one person is singing or not. That might sound sarcastic, but I like a not-so-obvious album here and there.

And then there’s bits like “Keechie”, where it’s just a big pastoral and echoey mess of guitars framing a rhythm track made up of hiss that slowly opens up and goes away. No chorus, no vocals. Just a neat little recording experiment that gives you a quick break from the mid-range pounding that No Age seems to revel in.

On the other hand, I’m glad that Nouns barely lasts over a half of an hour, as it’s not the type of noise pop that I could handle in large doses. You have to understand that the guitar tones often fall somewhere between the I-Doser experiments and the sounds produced by that guitar pedal that Buzz Osbourne made as a joke for DOD back in the day. I’m willing to bet that this band would own you live, though. It sounds like even this relatively lo-fi production is barely able to contain them.

Hats off to Sub Pop for unveiling such a daring signing. Other articles of clothing off to No Age for rocking out with little care for the rest of the world. They sound like they’re having a blast, and it’s contagious.

- Marc

Review: The Breeders

If a record comes along in 2008 that’s better than Mountain Battles, well . . . then I guess I’ve got a new favorite record of 2008. And I’m not sure that I can take hearing something more wonderfully earth-shattering than this slab of brilliance.

Kim Deal is a musical genius, her sister Kelley is her God-given muse, and when they make noise together, you can always trust that the results are going to blow your mind. And that’s really all you need to know about the album when all is said and done. The Breeders consistently deliver records that are so disjointed that they somehow hand out a new sort of perfection to strive for in rock music.

And while, yes, if you just drop the needle on Mountain Battles with no point of reference, I can understand why you might think that the platter was slapdash and uneven. You also couldn’t be blamed for thinking that about any prior Kim Deal effort, either. I’d be lying if I said that I have ever immediately understood - or even totally liked - anything she’s had a hand in on the first spin. But you’ve got to keep in mind that the Deal sisters don’t rush anything. Hardcore Breeders fans endure long and excruciating periods between records that seem like inactive downtime, though she’s really just taking the time to make the most perfect and refined album possible. People often like to point to the fact that there was a nine-year break between 1993’s Last Splash and 2002’s masterfully dark Title TK, but they also forget to mention that the results were gobstoppingly arranged and produced on the lowest of the lo-fi antique equipment, ensuring that Kim got on tape the exact sounds she’d been hearing in her head. I wonder if those folks that complain about the long wait between Breeders albums would’ve preferred that the Deal gals crapped out a half-baked album full of almost good ideas every year instead of rewarding the more patient fans with brilliant and challenging records when they were absolutely ready to be heard.

And while we’re on the subject, let’s talk about that nine-year hiatus I spoke of above: It’s not as if the main Breeders weren’t doing things in the meantime. Not only did Kim deliver the great Breeders-album-that-never-was under a moniker of The Amps - and frankly, it’s pretty much a Breeders album, despite the absence of Kelley Deal . . . which we’ll get to in a bit - but Kelley Deal gave us two albums with her solo band that often sounded like marginally good Breeders outtakes, and original bassist Josephine Wiggs made an exceptional solo album that encapsulated so much of the dark mystery found in the earlier Breeders
albums that one has to wonder exactly how much of the sound of Pod, Safari, Last Splash and the oft-forgotten Head To Toe EP was actually the influence of Ms. Wiggs. I mean, hell, she’s got more writing credits on those albums and their respective b-sides than Kelley at this point. Just sayin’.

That’s why I’d be remiss if I didn’t bring up the following: the only constant Breeders member has been Kim Deal. Most of us conveniently forget that Kelley Deal didn’t even know how to play the guitar when the critically lauded Pod was unleashed on an unsuspecting world. She came around when Tanya Donnely was on the cusp of leaving for greener, more Belly-esque pastures. If we follow the Breeders model given to us, then any album or project with Kim Deal at the helm as leader and songwriter should be treated as a Breeders album. If you don’t believe me, don’t forget that the current band of Breeders routinely plays no less than three of the thirteen Amps songs in existence at nearly every concert. Plus, The Amps found plenty of time in their short existence as a Kim Deal “solo project” (that still saw fit to retain then-Breeders drummer Jim Macpherson) to play many choice Breeders cuts in even the shortest of their thankless opening slots. Including “Head To Toe”, written by one Josephine Wiggs. Ahem.

Now that I’ve gotten that off of my chest, I should probably tell you why I feel that Mountain Battles is such an end-all be-all record, huh? Well, for starters, this album turns a new leaf in Kim Deal’s creativity. For the first time ever, she’s reportedly plunged into the world of overdubs, whereas she’s known for being a “wait until the band can play it together as a unit and record it that way” kind of gal. The reason that I find this so remarkable is because the results still sound exactly like a Breeders
album. She’s given in just a teensy bit to studio trickery to shave a year or so off of our waits between albums. Fine by me.

But you’ve also got to take into account the fact that while her usual lyrics can often feel like she filled out a form of mad libs and later put music behind it, this time Kim is wayyy more direct than usual. The opening track “Overglazed” consists of just one easy-to-digest line repeated in various forms like a piecemeal mantra: “I can feel it”. And what can she feel? Judging by the lyrical scope of the rest of the album, it would seem like hints of hope in a bleak world full of reasons to never want to get out of bed. Let’s face it, folks, these aren’t the best years that Western civilization has ever seen, and to explain why or fix it would take more time than most of us will be alive. On Mountain Battles, Kim Deal seems to take on the voice of the world, alternating between hopeful lyrics sung in either English, Spanish or a shaky grasp on a German dialect. And it’s never preachy, either. In the slow and churning “We’re Gonna Rise”, she gently alludes to smallish things that one can look forward to. “Feel the light on my face”, indeed.

Elsewhere on the album, you’ll find the band stripping back to the acoustic guitar/sisterly harmony on the classic country of “Here No More”, the complicated sparseness of the bewildering title track, the best song the Blow never wrote in “Bang On”, and the obvious influence of Kim’s tenure in those Pixies reunion tours with the no-frills rock of “Walk It Off”. But the genius of Mountain Battles doesn’t lie in anything I can verbalize to you in one silly record review. It’s the general feeling that the album conjures up that so perfectly captures the moods, attitudes and issues of living in 2008. Of course, this is masterfully pulled off while somehow sounding neither dated nor like an eventual period piece. The disc is its very own monster, and it takes more listens than even I’ve had to really get inside of it. At every turn, it defies expectations while still delivering on all the promise of an album six years in the making.

So how does it hold up as a Breeders album? Well, everything you love about the band is front and center. The wonderful vocal interplay between Kim and Kelley, the rock solid drumming, the fuzzed-out and uncompressed guitar tones, and arrangements so wonderfully cut-up that even Brian Eno would be jealous. All the traditional Breeders hallmarks are here, but somehow this time they seem to add up to a more important whole. Mountain Battles is the sound of our modern times. And if that fact makes you uncomfortable, then you are the kind of person that needs to hear this album more than even the most seasoned Breeders fanatic.

Ready for the kicker? Mountain Battles isn’t even the best record in the Breeders catalog. But it’s the best and most relevant album I’ve heard so far this year, and that’s enough for me.

- Marc

Steve Poltz "Traveling"

If you were looking at a list of Steve Poltz’s career achievements, it’d absolutely stop you in your tracks: toured the world with his revered band The Rugburns, wrote nearly enough songs to compete with Robert Pollard, wrote “You Were Meant For Me” for Jewel, sold a tune or two to well-placed commercials, knocked audiences dead every time he picked up a guitar . . .and was considered “most influential artist of the decade” in some wacky awards ceremony in San Diego.

Now, if Poltz himself were in charge of that resume, it would likely be a list of smaller victories: trick-or-treating at Liberace’s house, meeting Elvis, being allowed to play his guitar for a living, making a children’s album, etc. And most of that might seem like minutia to the average guy, but that’s the type of stuff Steve writes about. There’s no better example of it than the eleven songs collected on his new album Traveling.

Okay, it’s important for you to know that any record with Poltz at the helm can be a bit predictable - and as a huge fan of his, I mean that in the most loving way possible. His earlier releases with The Rugburns started out as quirky tunes that didn’t stray too far from your average wacky coffee house singer-songwriter stuff, and when the namesake eventually turned into a fully fledged band, the ensuing albums - Mommy, I’m Sorry and Taking The World By Donkey - often sounded like your run-of-the-mill bar band, albeit one with a much better penchant for off-kilter lyrics and melodies than you’d expect. And of course, the ‘Burns were at their best in a live setting - beer-soaked shows that could often push the four-hour mark, filled with enough crowd favorites (”I Want To Learn About Love”, “Dick’s Automotive”, “The Ballad Of Tommy & Marla”) to make the punters happy, but also littered with enough unexpected covers (”Little Red Corvette”, “Waterfalls”) to make even the most casual fan of music in general stand up and take notice of what these guys were up to. Thanks to the energetic live shows and inexcusably catchy tunes, you simply couldn’t avoid their radio singles if you turned on a radio in the southwestern area of the U.S. during the nineties. I mean, I personally remember hearing “Hitchhiker Joe”, “Me & Eddie Vedder”, “The Fairies Came”, “I Want A War” and “Better Be Careful” being so ubiquitous at the time that my *grandmother* was actually humming them. No lie.

It looked like the band was gonna take over the world, and then . . . nothing. Poltz’s sidekick Robert Driscoll quit the band seemingly out of the blue, and next thing you knew, Steve embarked on an under-the-radar solo career that saw him effortlessly blowing away every audience he came in contact with, yet producing a stream of uneven and often confounding records. 1998’s One Left Shoe was chock full of good songs, but often moved at the pace of an injured snail on downers. There were albums that followed which were solely recorded on answering machines, a few live albums, and one album that almost completely delivered on all of the promise Poltz had shown as a songwriter/performer - 2003’sChinese Vacation And while all of the songs on the latter album were uniformly phenomenal - with some undeniable classics thrown in, like “Friendly Fire”, “I Killed Walter Matthau” and the glorious title track - it didn’t set the world on fire. Few outside of The Cult Of Steve heard it, and it wouldn’t be out of the question for a newcomer to look at the already-dated production on his show stopping cover of TLC’s “Waterfalls” and wrinkle up their nose. I only say that out of sheer exasperation and confusion, clutching at straws and wondering why this guy hasn’t yet been crowned “troubadour of the millennium” or something. It’s unreal.

Well, finally, he’s dropped not just his best album in years, but the ultimate Steve Poltz album. It’s called Traveling, and it plays just like the album that he’s been working towards his whole life. There’s a lot to love here, and I couldn’t be more honored to tell you all about it. Here’s what you’ve got:

First off, the packaging is out of this world. Traveling comes in an oversized case that looks like a mini-gatefold LP. There’s also an in-depth booklet/passport full of not only production notes, but also a list of things that Steve has accomplished in his lifetime and a few photos of him as a kid. I’ve gotta admit that I’ve never seen this kind of layout, and I was pretty impressed. And remember, this is coming from a guy that usually isn’t bowled over by art layouts unless it’s handmade.

Secondly, we’ve gotta talk about this production. Billy Harvey recorded the record, and a cat by the name of Lars Gorlandson mixed it. Thank god they did, too. Instead of taking the predictable singer-songwriter route of just committing the songs to tape with a dry, yet intimate feel . . . these guys helped Poltz make his most relevant, in-your-face and layered album to date. The first two songs tell the tale best: “I Think She Likes Me” opens with a minute or so of atmospheric layers of acoustic guitars before a single word is uttered, and the build-up in “Rain” is the best usage of multi-tracking you’ll hear this side of Broken Social Scene.

Thirdly, that brings us to the songs themselves. Steve’s never delivered a set this air-tight on even his most unbelievable albums. Uncompromising at every turn, the aforementioned opener “I Think She Likes Me” finally hits the chorus around the two-minute mark, and you’re waiting for the second verse to churn out it’s magic, but . . . poof! The song is over before you
know it. A similar mindfuck occurs during “Rain.” It has one of the few false endings I’ve ever heard that didn’t make me yell at no one in particular for the artist’s usage of silly songwriter tricks to make you think a song is cooler than it actually is. Nope, it actually works as an effective tool to bring the swirling tune back to some kind of normalcy, while also helps move the album back into quirkier territory like “What Would Ghandi Do?”.

Now’s a good time to point out that Poltz can turn a lyrical phrase like nobody’s business. The chorus to the aforementioned “Ghandi” goes something like this: “Holy rollers clutching bibles / Turn water into moonshine like good disciples”. Okay, yeah... religious confusion is nothing new, and neither is pointing out the hypocrisy of (insert organized religion here). But have you ever heard anyone boil it down so perfectly in just two lines without resorting to a dark melody, driving their sinister point into your skull? I didn’t think so, and Steve’s real coup with the track is keeping the song just up tempo and sing-songy enough to give the listener a real “I’m kinda kidding but I’m really not kidding” nudge in the ribs.

After the first three tracks, the album can be divided into three definable groups: break-up songs, Steve’s life story, and the
unclassifiable. The first group is understandable, as the writing of Traveling took place as one longtime relationship ended and a new one began - which is presumably covered in the funky “I Believe” - but man, when he bridges the topics? Forget it. In “Haters Union”, he’s alternately talking about the lack of contact between a lost love and his old band... and his take on The Rugburns? “We were kinda funny / Like the Smothers brothers.” Genius.

Steve tackles his autobiography quite effectively in the sparse “Brief History Of My Life.” And as far as the unclassifiable songs go? Well, “Serve Me My Food” is delivered in a quiet and unexpected falsetto, while “Street Fighter’s Face” may just be the most depressing song I’ve ever heard in my life. The latter is the story of a soldier in Iraq that loses some limbs, and eventually his family and friends. No lyrical twists, no hope . . . just telling it like it is with an attention to detail that will make you squirm in your seat.

Traveling is all over the place on paper, but it plays through as one unified whole. It’s a fucking masterpiece of the genre, and it truly has to be heard to be believed. It’s not a one listen deal, either. Extra aspects become clearer with each play, but the songs are catchy and interesting enough that anyone would likely restart the album as soon as it ends anyway.

I’m not mincing words here: you absolutely need to hear Traveling by Steve Poltz.

- Marc

Joe Jackson "Rain"

Let’s get it out of the way: I’m a Joe Jackson fanatic. I own pretty much all of his records, even the “difficult” ones. I often get annoyed that the average music fan only knows him for “Is She Really Going Out With Him?” and “Steppin’ Out” when genius works like “Awkward Age”, “Man In The Street” and “One To One” sit without being heralded as some of the best compositions of the last fifty years. I also get a tad annoyed at Ben Folds fans not readily admitting that the guy has been ripping of Joe’s catalog and sound - possibly unwittingly - for the duration of his career.

With all of that being said upfront, I’m not under any delusions that Mr. Jackson changed the face of music or anything. It’s more like music changed the face of Joe Jackson, and thanks to him, the more astute fan who looks beyond a simple greatest hits album has access to some really wonderful albums that literally touch on every style of music you can think of. Want some angry young man doing proto-punk? Pick up a copy of I’m The Man and wonder what the hell all the fuss over My Aim Is True was all about. Need a swing fix? Give 1981’s Jumpin’ Jive a shot and see where the big band resurgence of the ’90s really took root. If you want some classical compostions, you can always look toward Will Power and Symphony No. 1. And it goes on, whether you want to hear some dub, bossa nova, salsa, or good old fashioned rock and roll.

Joe has been road-testing the songs from Rain for the better part of three years, and I’ve seen early reports of this album calling it a “return to form.” It isn’t, and that’s because the guy never lost the plot. He just wasn’t always willing to smile for the camera. Dude likes to write whatever he’s in the mood to play, expectations be damned. But really, if you wanna get technical, 2003’s Volume 4 not only reunited the original lineup of the Joe Jackson Band, but was also his most consistently brilliant set of tunes since Big World back in 1986. Does Rain continue that trend of harkening back to the Joe Jackson sound of yesteryear while retaining the forward thinking integrity that’s earned him such a rabid cult following? Sure, why not?

Seriously. There are really no bad Joe Jackson records. There are only Joe Jackson albums that the listener doesn’t understand yet. And this one is just peachy on the first, fifth and seventeenth listens. Rain sees Joe focusing on his piano, while his original bassist and drummer - Graham Maby and “Desperate” Dave Houghton, respectively - don’t overplay one bit, instead serving the songs’ needs in a respectful manner.

On Rain, you’ll find uptempo winners like “Invisible Man” and “Too Tough” right off the bat, but it’s the more melancholy stuff that resonates best. “Wasted Time” is a great example, with its superb utilization of Joe’s underused falsetto and a stop-start chorus that keeps you guessing. You’ll also dig the extended jazzy workouts that bookend yet another falsetto marathon called “The Uptown Train”. The hardcore fans will recognize “Citizen Sane” from recent bootlegs, and they’ll be happy to know that the
song really benefits from the rhythm section here, whereas Joe tried to express the snarky anti-drug du jour sentiments with a solo piano reading as recently as 2005 . . . and it simply wasn’t as effective. The total highlight of the record for this listener is the high energy thumper “King Pleasure Time”. I don’t have a good reason for this, either. As soon as that song kicks in, I’m chair-dancing like crazy.

Joe Jackson has made another great record. It’s called Rain. It’s highly enjoyable, and you won’t even notice that there’s not a single electric guitar over the albums forty-seven minute running time. It’s just a really, really good, solid collection of songs. Now it’s just a matter of getting it in the ears of those that aren’t aware of Joe’s compostional power. . .

- Marc

Top 30 Reissues for 2007

Jay Dee/J Dilla "Rough Draft" Stones Throw
2003 - Essential Pre-Donuts, Post-Welcome to Detroit reaction to MCA dragging their feet with his solo MC record, Dilla deconstructs his aesthetic again for this his rawest and most psychedelic work ever. Previously only available in Germany.

Jean-Claude Vannier "L 'Enfant Assasin Des Mouches" B-Music
1972 - Vanity record from France's answer to David Axelrod, producer of the acclaimed "Histoire De Melody Nelson" by Serge Gainsbourg, my dream collaboration would have been hooking this guy up with Alejandro Jodorowsky for a real mind enema.

Boscoe "Boscoe" Asterisk
1973 - Chicago holy-grail, afro-funk, spiritual-private press gets a proper reissue by Numero group off shoot Asterisk. Indescribably good, worth a grand for the original! Darkness!

Circle "Sunrise"
2002 - saw the 10th release from Finnish free/progressive/metal pioneers Circle, scorching new neuron paths in the brains of the few that heard this masterpiece the first time around.

Kon & Amir "Off Track Vol.1" BBE
For 10 years these Brooklyn cats have been serving up the records and beats you wish you knew and dream of owning. Now BBE gives them a proper forum for their respective passions, Kon throwing down the finest obscure and rare disco mix I've ever heard, Amir delving deep into his jazz library for a latin/spiritual/progressive mix. This double CD is musicologist and DJ art at its highest.

Various "Home Schooled: The ABC's Of Kid's Soul" Numero
Unheard and obscure music by teens and pre-teens, rare soul 45's during and post Jacksons. "Now That School Is Through" by Cindy & The Playmates on the Jay Pee label has always been one of my favorite funk bangers!

Various "Eccentric Soul: Twinight's Lunar Rotation" Numero
Chicago's Twinight label was home to Syl Johnson whose "Is It Because I'm Black" 45 is fairly common, everything else on the label wasn't. Chicago was such a hotbed for deep Soul and Jazz in the late 60's, this is the document that proves it.

Various "Florida Funk" Now Again/Jazzman
I moved to Florida in 1999 with naive hope of finding some of these 45's. After 8 years of digging, I own one 45 on this comp. Essential for diggers, soul lovers, and anyone who wants to understand "Florida" Music.

Tony Allen "Afro Disco Beat" Vampi-Soul
I hope in the future, more collections come out like this, completists like me dream of entire band/label discographies issued in miniature LP sleeve box sets. Not at all much needs to be said about this set, he's Fela Kuti's right hand man, and contained are his first 4, and most important, LP's. Lament, Dream, Rejoice, Lament…

Various "Eccentric Soul: Outskirts Of Deep City" Numero
Numero's second installment of essential and lost Florida music, just as good as the Now Again comp, just deeper… The Betty Wright 45 is ridiculous.

Led Zeppelin "Mothership" Atlantic
Wow, Zep like you've never heard Zep before. More definition and separation, clarity and punch to the drums… shit!

ESG "Come Away With" Souljazz
1983 - Full length from the Queens' sisterhood that IS the blueprint for hipster quasi-punk-disco-rap. Put down the CSS record, get off your fixed gear and genuflect to this record…

Charles Mingus "Tijuana Moods" RCA
1959 - Recording (that was shelved until '62) gets a proper remaster. I'm not a mingus-phile and don't know what was going on in his life at the time, but when I listen to this record (as with "Black Saint and the Sinner Lady") it's almost as if we get a glimpse of the solitary genius of Chuck, filtered through corroding schizophrenia, feeding the homey outsider-ness of a black American in Tijuana.

Masta Ace "Take A Look Around" Traffic
1990 - Overlooked debut, the production on this record is perfect, front to back. There weren't very many good rap records to come out this year, even the critically acclaimed ones sucked (yes, you, American Gangster). You're better off buying a classic.

Ultimate Force "I'm Not Playin'" Traffic
1990 - Unreleased Diamond D group/album see's Fat Joe's debut (on the dopest track I've ever heard from him). The sad fact that this album was never released is a tragedy on par with Tribe Called Quest or Pete Rock's first albums getting canned. Seriously dope. Seriously.

DJ Africa Bambaataa "Death Mix Plus" Traffic
Quasi-legit Paul Winley mixes are just another brick in the foundation of Rap Music.

James Murphy & Pat Mahoney "Fabriclive 36" Fabric
When I heard LCD Soundsystem for the first time, I questioned whether the real disco I heard in those James Murphy coke-induced-floor-stomping drums and bass lines were the hallmarks of a real musicologist, but when I heard the vocals I figured he was recycling for the sake of those a-symmetrical haircut havin' hipster-ites. This mix proves me wrong. The depth of the catalog on this mix is pure post-disco euro-soul, executed and composed. What's old is new.

Danielle Baldelli "Baia Degli Ageli 1977-1978 Mediane
Danielle Baldelli "Baia Degli Ageli 1977-1978 Vol2 Mediane
Danielle Baldelli "Cosmic The Original 1978-1974" Mediane
The crowned god of Euro in the late 70's gets beautiful Book & CD sets that document the sound, and look of these two clubs in Italy. I want that space shuttle DJ booth! Oh Daft Punk's not so Daft after all…

Queen Constance Band "University Dances Of 1978" Traffic
New York label that features 12''s from future-disco legends Patrick Adams and Peter Brown, Deep New York disco at it's finest!

East Of Underground "East Of Underground" Wax Poetics
Well, I don't want to get into it, but this record hurts me. Please, Lord, let me find another original! I'll be good I swear!

Neil Young "Live At Massey Hall 1971" CD/DVD Reprise
Neil's manager, at the time, tried to convince Neil to issue this instead of "Harvest". Neil thought they had a few good takes on "Harvest" so he persisted and in 1972 "Harvest" was released. Neil put a sticker on the front of the CD saying that after hearing these tapes again he should have released the show as well. Right now it is my favorite recorded-material from Neil, quite possibly his greatest record ever. Bone-Chilling. Get the one with the DVD, it's worth it!

Various "Rock Progressivo Italiano" CD&Book Mediane
Wanna know about some of the most innovative and challenging music ever recorded? This primer of Italian rock bands from the late 60's through the 70's is an excellent intro for this hard to crack genre, and it comes with a super detailed, extensive, and complete discography of all the records you'll never see, much less own. Complete with pictures of the records to cry over!

Soft Machine "Third" 2CD Sony UK
1970 - Finally a decent re-master of one of my top 5 records of all time, with a second CD of BBC recordings. I stand in awe of every note of this record, and hear something new every time I listen.

Betty Davis "Betty Davis" Light In The Attic
Betty Davis "They Say I'm Different" Light In The Attic
1973/1974 - Miles Davis' second wife was a real eye opener, she almost single handedly ushered in Miles' psychedelic period, befriended Jimi Hendrix, and put out two of the most un-appreciated femme-funk records of all time. Rollerskates.

Soft Machine "Soft Machine" Water
Soft Machine "Volume Two" Water
1968/1969 - Water does very nice remasters of two of the most important albums to come out of England in those two years. Rock musicians who wanted to play jazz, jazz musicians who knew how to rock! (They opened for Hendrix on his '68 US tours). It's so hard to describe these master-works, they defy all attempts to confine or define.

Enjoy,
Calvin