RODNEY, EARL Friends & Countrymen (EM Records) cd 21.00
Attention Steel Pan Fans! Japan's EM Records at your service, with the latest (fourth already) in their unusual series of obscure reissues featuring that trademark Trinidadian tuned percussion instrument, the steel pan (drum). If you've been with the series thus far, you'll want this one too for sure. Or, if you've never checked out any steel pan music, this wouldn't be a bad place to start, either. As the first ever solo album by a steel pan player from Trinidad, one who'd been the musical director for calypso superstars Lord Kitchener and Mighty Sparrow, it had a duty to be groovy, and Earl Rodney's 1973 album Friends & Countrymen is nothing if not groovy, slinkily so on opening track "Juck Juck" ferinstance. Recorded in New York City by Rodney and group of fellow expatriates from the islands, this album is mostly instrumental, most definitely danceable, full of Afro-Caribbean rhythms, jazzy horns, funky '70s wah wah guitar, congas, whistles, and of course the lovely vibes-like sounds of the steel pans themselves.
As always with EM releases, this reissue is top notch, the cardboard gatefold sleeve containing a fold-out 12"x12" poster of the album's wild and colorful cover painting. Man, by the time EM is done with this Steel Pan Series of theirs, we're ALL gonna be steel pan fans, dammit. They will not take no for an answer.
MPEG Stream: "Juck Juck"
MPEG Stream: "Strife In The Village"

RONETTES, THE Be My Baby: The Very Best Of The Ronettes (Phil Spector Records / Legacy) cd 13.98
Vivian Girls, Dum Dum Girls, Best Coast, Girls At Dawn, and on and on. So many of our favorite lo-fi garage pop bands of the last few years share one common bond, a deep love and appreciation for Phil Spector's production and the girl groups that he helped bring to life. When it comes to his production and THAT sound he perfected, it just doesn't get more classic than with The Ronettes. The 'Wall of Sound', the drenched reverb, the hypnotic warmth, the catchy melodies, the heartache and yearning.
Makes it extra heartbreaking and bittersweet to revisit these songs knowing all we do now about the troubling relationship that Phil Spector and Ronnie Spector had and of course the ongoing black cloud that haunts Spector's life. But no one can ever take away the amazing and revolutionary sounds he helped create with The Ronettes. These recordings really did help shape the landscape of so much of the best pop music that would follow over the next quarter century. From The Beach Boys to The Ramones, all of the greats have been influenced by the sounds of The Ronettes.
MPEG Stream: "I Wish I Never Saw The Sunshine"
MPEG Stream: "Be My Baby"
MPEG Stream: "Walking In The Rain"
MPEG Stream: "Here I Sit"

ROSS, TAL A.K.A. Detrimental Vasoline - Giant Shirley (Coconut Grove) cd 14.98
From the overblown liner notes: "After 20 years of self-imposed isolation, original Funkadelic guitarist, Tal Ross, emerges with his solo debut: 2 decades of sublimely distilled musical vision, lyrical expanse and stone grooves, blending fuck, blues, rock, ambient, and psychedelia."

ROTARY CONNECTION Black Gold: The Very Best Of... (Universal / Island) 2cd 31.00
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Nice 2 disc anthology from this Chicago psych- chamber soul-pop hybrid group featuring Minnie Ripperton. Like the Fifth Dimension on LSD, The Rotary Connection were created to bring some youthful pep into Chess Records aging jazz/blues market, through Chess's subsidiary label, Cadet. Intermixing race and gender and backed by Charles Stepney's dramatic string arrangements, Phil Upchurch's seering guitar work and Ripperton's five-octave vocal range, the group released six albums between 1967 and 1971 before Ripperton departed for solo fame. Never really branching out beyond the midwest and their managements infamous decision to turn down a slot at Woodstock for a more lucrative festival in Toronto, sealed their fate. However, their songs have been sampled in hip-hop for years, most famously the sitar break from "Memory Band" in the Fugee's "Killing Me Softly" (Also used in Tribe Called Quest's "Bonita Applebaum"). This compilation takes the best cuts off five of their albums, but completely ignores their Christmas record, Peace!, which being one of the best Christmas records ever, is the only downside to this anthology.
MPEG Stream: "Respect"
MPEG Stream: "Memory Band"
MPEG Stream: "I Am The Black Gold Of The Sun"
MPEG Stream: "Let Them Talk"

RUSSELL, ARTHUR Another Thought (Orange Mountain Music) cd 21.00

RUSSELL, ARTHUR Calling Out Of Context (Audika) cd 15.98
A few weeks back we listed Soul Jazz's The World of Arthur Russell, the eagerly awaited collection of hard-to-find music from that downtown NYC "disco visionary". Released almost simultaneously with that disc was this disc of previously unreleased tracks recorded between 1985 and 1990. (Russell died in 1992, leaving behind tons of unissued music). If you liked the Soul Jazz comp, you'll like this. With Russell's laid back, oft-effected vocals, drum programming, trademark cello, as well as trombone and other instruments, this is some mellow, groovy, experimental dance music indeed. It's super artsy and '80s, and thus very cool now. While no one here at AQ has become a big Arthur Russell fan, we're not surprised to have sold a lot of these already. Perhaps our favorite track on here is "The Platform On The Ocean", featuring some nice fuzz sounds (fuzz cello?) and Arthur's looped, delayed voice intoning the track title.
MPEG Stream: "The Platform On The Ocean"
MPEG Stream: "You And Me Both"

RUSSELL, ARTHUR Calling Out Of Context (Audika) 2lp 22.00
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
A few weeks back we listed Soul Jazz's The World of Arthur Russell, the eagerly awaited collection of hard-to-find music from that downtown NYC "disco visionary". Released almost simultaneously with that disc was this disc of previously unreleased tracks recorded between 1985 and 1990. (Russell died in 1992, leaving behind tons of unissued music). If you liked the Soul Jazz comp, you'll like this. With Russell's laid back, oft-effected vocals, drum programming, trademark cello, as well as trombone and other instruments, this is some mellow, groovy, experimental dance music indeed. It's super artsy and '80s, and thus very cool now. While no one here at AQ has become a big Arthur Russell fan, we're not surprised to have sold a lot of these already. Perhaps our favorite track on here is "The Platform On The Ocean", featuring some nice fuzz sounds (fuzz cello?) and Arthur's looped, delayed voice intoning the track title.
MPEG Stream: "The Platform On The Ocean"
MPEG Stream: "You And Me Both"

RUSSELL, ARTHUR Calling Out Of Context (Record Store Day Version) (Rough Trade) 2lp 16.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
A few weeks back we listed Soul Jazz's The World of Arthur Russell, the eagerly awaited collection of hard-to-find music from that downtown NYC "disco visionary". Released almost simultaneously with that disc was this disc of previously unreleased tracks recorded between 1985 and 1990. (Russell died in 1992, leaving behind tons of unissued music). If you liked the Soul Jazz comp, you'll like this. With Russell's laid back, oft-effected vocals, drum programming, trademark cello, as well as trombone and other instruments, this is some mellow, groovy, experimental dance music indeed. It's super artsy and '80s, and thus very cool now. While no one here at AQ has become a big Arthur Russell fan, we're not surprised to have sold a lot of these already. Perhaps our favorite track on here is "The Platform On The Ocean", featuring some nice fuzz sounds (fuzz cello?) and Arthur's looped, delayed voice intoning the track title.
MPEG Stream: "The Platform On The Ocean"
MPEG Stream: "You And Me Both"

RUSSELL, ARTHUR First Thought Best Thought (Audika) 2cd 22.00
Fourteen years after his death, the music of Arthur Russell is more alive than ever. Mostly known as a left-field disco producer and classically trained cellist, Russell was also an accomplished avant-garde composer, as evidenced here. Audika records, who re-issued Russell's World of Echo and Calling Out Of Context releases, focus their attention here on two little known early pieces: Instrumentals Vols. 1 & 2, and Tower of Meaning. It's no wonder they are so little known. While Instrumentals Vol. 2 was released on Belgian label Les Disques Du Crepescule in 1984, and Tower of Meaning was previously released on Phillip Glass's label, Chatham Square in 1983, Vol. 1 was made only into a test pressing and for some reason shelved (this is its first official release).
The Instrumentals disc is the most interesting because for music so rooted in the New York avant-garde of the '70s and '80s, it's surprisingly accessible. Instrumentals 1 feels like Rhys Chatham playing with the Penguin Cafe Orchestra as harmonic variations of horns and strings play across bass and drum rhythms, while Instrumentals 2 leaves the rhythms behind. Towers of Meaning, a suite of 7 pieces, has a more classical Gavin Bryars vibe as the horns play out long melody lines with unusual intonations and harmonics with each piece stopping abruptly. Rounding out each disc are two other unreleased compositions, Reach One and Sketch for the Face of Helen. Known to obsessively tweak mixes of his songs (Supposedly, Let's Go Swimming, a left-field disco classic, was mixed *ninety-six* times) and then never release them, it's been rumored that Russell left one thousand tapes of unreleased music at the time of his death, making the title of this release a small inside joke. Hopefully Audika, unlike Russell himself, will be able to tell when enough is enough.
MPEG Stream: "Instrumentals 1"
MPEG Stream: "Instrumentals 2"
MPEG Stream: "Tower of Meaning"

RUSSELL, ARTHUR Let's Go Swimming (Audika Records) cd ep 13.98
With this one track from 1986, Arthur Russell clearly set his sights for the future of dance music and pretty much became the godfather of chillwave, balearic house and other modern day pop forms dedicated to all that's the sun-kissed, blissful and breezy. This newly remastered version features three dubs of the song (Gulf Stream, Puppy Surf, and Coastal, the last one mixed by the legendary Walter Gibbons!) and a previously unreleased track called "Make 1.2 (Gem Spa Dub)", that has a more funk oriented vibe, but still as left-field as can be. There have been rumors that Arthur Russell had made 96 separate mixes of "Let's Go Swimming", and the versions here don't sound exactly like previously released versions on other compilations like Strut's Disco Not Disco 2 or Soul Jazz's The World of Arthur Russell, which felt more orientated to the dancefloor and could have been stripped down mixes by Gibbons and others. The Gulf Stream Dub may be the truest of the three mixes here to Russell's original vision of the song, a submerged percolating paean to the return to innocence of summertimes past. But the three mixes here are like one extended jam of the song going into a more balearic house mode on the Puppy Surf Dub then into Gibbons' more economic and percussive but mind-bending and body shaking Coastal Dub. Essential!
MPEG Stream: "Let's Go Swimming (Gulf Stream Dub)"
MPEG Stream: "Make 1.2 (Gem Spa Dub)"

RUSSELL, ARTHUR The Sleeping Bag Sessions (Traffic) cd 14.98
Yesss! Everyone knows we love pretty much all sides of the late Arthur Russell. But as much as we love his avant composer and country pop tangents, we always keep coming back to his left-field disco productions of the late seventies/early eighties which is what introduced him to us in the first place. On this excellent compilation, we get 10 mixes from Russell's legendary Sleeping Bag Record imprint, and luckily it's not all a rehash of what's been featured on other Arthur Russell compilations. Using lots of different monikers, we get cuts from Bonzo Goes To Washington (Featuring Bootsy Collins), Felix, Dinosaur L, Indian Ocean, Sounds of JHS 126, and Clandestine (w/ Ned Sublette). With a penchant for odd sounds, strange vocal inflections, and long late-night dancefloor stability, Russell imbued his mixes with off kilter breaks and enough subtle rhythmic details that keep you invested in the groove without them ever becoming monotonous. Highlights include the Ronald Reagan cut up fuckery of Bonzo goes to Washington and the underwater hip-hop of Sounds of JHS 126's "Chill Pill" with its slightly staggered hard panned dual vocals creating a kind of Terry Riley "You're No Good" effect. But the star track is Walter Gibbon's 12 minute plus mix of Dinosaur L's "Go Bang!". We were a bit wary when we saw this wasn't the Francois Kevorkian mix, because in our minds that track is just about untouchable, it's so damn awesome. But Gibbons breaks down the original slowly stripping it to its essence and making a whole new song out of it that isn't so much mutant disco as it is early house. Yet he still manages to keep its oddities in tact: the shrill organ drones that last a little too long, the changes every 24 measures, Lola Blank's flat delivery (here cut up and reformed into new shapes). So awesome and Soooo Recommended!!!!!!
MPEG Stream: BONZO GOES TO WASHINGTON "5 Minutes (B-B-B Boming Mix)"
MPEG Stream: FELIX "You Can't Hold Me Down (Extended Version)"
MPEG Stream: DINOSAUR L "Go Bang! (Walter Gibbons Mix)"

RUSSELL, ARTHUR The Sleeping Bag Sessions (Traffic) 2lp 19.98
Yesss! Everyone knows we love pretty much all sides of the late Arthur Russell. But as much as we love his avant composer and country pop tangents, we always keep coming back to his left-field disco productions of the late seventies/early eighties which is what introduced him to us in the first place. On this excellent compilation, we get 10 mixes from Russell's legendary Sleeping Bag Record imprint, and luckily it's not all a rehash of what's been featured on other Arthur Russell compilations. Using lots of different monikers, we get cuts from Bonzo Goes To Washington (Featuring Bootsy Collins), Felix, Dinosaur L, Indian Ocean, Sounds of JHS 126, and Clandestine (w/ Ned Sublette). With a penchant for odd sounds, strange vocal inflections, and long late-night dancefloor stability, Russell imbued his mixes with off kilter breaks and enough subtle rhythmic details that keep you invested in the groove without them ever becoming monotonous. Highlights include the Ronald Reagan cut up fuckery of Bonzo goes to Washington and the underwater hip-hop of Sounds of JHS 126's "Chill Pill" with its slightly staggered hard panned dual vocals creating a kind of Terry Riley "You're No Good" effect. But the star track is Walter Gibbon's 12 minute plus mix of Dinosaur L's "Go Bang!". We were a bit wary when we saw this wasn't the Francois Kevorkian mix, because in our minds that track is just about untouchable, it's so damn awesome. But Gibbons breaks down the original slowly stripping it to its essence and making a whole new song out of it that isn't so much mutant disco as it is early house. Yet he still manages to keep its oddities in tact: the shrill organ drones that last a little too long, the changes every 24 measures, Lola Blank's flat delivery (here cut up and reformed into new shapes). So awesome and Soooo Recommended!!!!!!
MPEG Stream: BONZO GOES TO WASHINGTON "5 Minutes (B-B-B Boming Mix)"
MPEG Stream: FELIX "You Can't Hold Me Down (Extended Version)"
MPEG Stream: DINOSAUR L "Go Bang! (Walter Gibbons Mix)"

SA-RA CREATIVE PARTNERS Nuclear Evolution: The Age of Love (Ubiquity) 2cd 16.98
After the amazing job they did with production on last year's Erykah Badu record New Amerykah Pt.1, we were really anxious to hear what the Sa-Ra Creative Partners would brew up on this new album of their own. Taking the best of psychedelic soul's past and placing it into a kaleidoscopic vision of hip-hop's future this ambitious double disc proves that Sa-Ra really are at the forefront of modern day leftfield soul/hip-hop/funk. You can for sure hear the aesthetic they laid down on Erykah Badu's latest as well as healthy hints of De La Soul, J Dilla, and lots of nods to funk luminaries like Prince, Zapp, Cameo and Parliament. This is the kind of record you can blast out loud for late night hang sessions or through headphones for an ultra stylish, personal and intimate, interstellar psychedelic soul experience.
MPEG Stream: "He Say She Say"
MPEG Stream: "Spacefruit"
MPEG Stream: "Hangin By A String"

SABATA Man For My Lady (Numero Group) 12" 8.98

SADE Lovers Live (Sony) cd 16.98
Hefty 70-minute documentation of Sade's 2001 world tour. If you can get past the annoyingly extra-loud crowd enthusiasm, you'll find this is a nice collection. Sade's chilled out, smooth-as-silk vocal delivery is perfectly matched by the easy-listenin' trumpet / guitar / percussive backdrop. Warning: if you already know her studio recordings well, the live versions here might be a bit disconcerting since they are slightly sped-up.
RealAudio clip: "Somebody Already Broke My Heart"

SADE Lovers Rock (Epic) cd 16.98
Let's see... I could start off this review all nostalgic-like, tell you about my first year in college when me and my girlfriends were learning how to smoke cigarettes, we'd sit around the large round banquet tables in the university cafe, surrounded by blue haze and the girl to my left was all into shit like Pseudo Echo, and Karen to the left of me was into U2 and the Alarm "and Zep", but all I wanted to listen to on the jukebox was Sade's "Your Love is King". There, now I've dated myself. But maybe I shouldn't tell you all that -- cos you'll think I'm silly... er, cos Sade's music is timeless not dated. And you'll be happy to know that Ms. Adu's icy-cool delivery of the most personal lyrics is much more emotional and warm now. I kind of don't think that a lot of AQ's customers are into Sade anymore, if ever, but think about it this way -- if she hadn't gotten all famous and mainstream back then, maybe today you'd be hailing her records as lost gems of quietly gorgeous, sophisticated soul. Think simplicity.
RealAudio clip: "By Your Side"
RealAudio clip: "The Sweetest Gift"

SCHIFRIN, LALO Mannix (Soundtrack) (Collector's Choice Music) cd 13.98

SCOTT, GLORIA What Am I Gonna Do (Reel / Universal) cd 14.98
Produced by Berry White, this is some heart aching sweet soft soul from 1975. Gloria Scott never got the recognition she deserved, such an amazing voice!

SCOTT, JILL Collaborations (Hidden Beach) cd 17.98

SCOTT-HERON, GIL I'm New Here (XL Recordings) cd 13.98
We weren't expecting to like this as much as we do, but this record really kills!! His first recording in 16 years, Gil Scott-Heron doesn't overindulge, rather I'm New Here shows a much leaner and meaner side to this artist who has never had a hard time examining his demons. "Me and The Devil" is a contender for single of the year as this Robert Johnson blues classic gets a dark almost Portishead-like update. But this isn't just a younger makeover for a classic artist, it's closer in kin to the respectful reinvigoration of Johnny Cash's later American releases. The arrangements are spare, though inspired by the minimal chill of dubstep in parts, they suit Scott-Heron's tough spoken word turns that pepper the album throughout. The Bill Callahan-penned title track sounds like a world-weary folk dirge from the early seventies by Lee Hazlewood that is a stand-out among manyon here. A fine return to form!
MPEG Stream: "Me & The Devil"
MPEG Stream: "I'm New Here"
MPEG Stream: "I'll Take Care of You"

SENSATIONAL GUITARS OF DAN & DALE (SUN RA & THE BLUES PROJECT) Batman and Robin (Universe) cd 16.98
Amid the constant, welcome flood of reissued Sun Ra treasures, this is certainly an oddity (and that's saying something). Apparently Sun Ra (who plays Hammond B-3 on here), Marshall Allen, John Gilmore and other Arkestra greats decided to cash in on the national Batman and Robin mania back in 1966, and this LP was the result! It's got Neal Hefti's famous Batman theme, and about a dozen other Batman-inspired toons ("Joker Is Wild", "The Bat Cave", "Batman's Batmorang", you get the idea), all of 'em bouncy, jazzy, garagey fun stuff for the kids. Not your typical Sun Ra fare, but quite a novelty, very kitsch. Also features Al Kooper on organ...
RealAudio clip: "Batman Theme"
RealAudio clip: "Penguin Chase"
RealAudio clip: "Riddler's Retreat"

SHADES OF BROWN S.O.B. (Dusty Groove) cd 13.98

RealAudio clip: "Lite Y'all Up"

SHIPTON, DOUG Dedicated Swallower Of Fashion (B-Music / Fat City Recordings) cd 16.98
Awesome mix, as we would expect from firsthand experience, when he DJ'd in the store!

SIMONE, NINA Black Gold (RCA) lp 12.98

SIMONE, NINA Black is the Colour of My True Love's Hair (Get Back) lp 23.00

SIMONE, NINA Emergency Ward! (Sony) lp 15.98
Nina Simone's vast and varied back catalog never ceases to thrill and amaze us. As we dig and dig into the deep vaults of her recorded material we keep running into records that demand full attention and grab us by our vitals and throw us right into the world she was inhabiting at that moment. This 1973 album, now reissued on vinyl, found Nina full of a crazy kind of energy, empowerment, rage, urgency and intensity. As the Vietnam War continued to linger, Emergency Ward! was Nina Simone's most pointed protest against the war, as well as one of her most fiery and commanding records, period. With arrangements by the great Weldon Irvine and a church junior choir from South Jamaica, New York backing her up, a strong foundation was laid for Nina to take those elements and bring them to life as only she could. Recorded live in a few different locations the record finds Simone at her most epic and emotionally charged. The first side is one long track that merges an adaptation of George Harrison's "My Sweet Lord" with "Today Is A Killer", a poem by David Nelson, that Nina Simone transforms into an unforgettable gospel burner! The second side starts off with an irresistible version of "Poppies" and then the grand finale is an eleven minute emotionally poignant take on another George Harrison song, "Isn't It A Pity", that rings with so much truth and timeliness all these years later. Nina Simone fans, you must have this! Totally engaging and essential!

SIMONE, NINA Fodder On My Wings (Sunnyside) cd 17.98
We've long been advocates of the importance and reward of spending time with Nina Simone's proper albums. We're really glad there have been so many reissues of her records from the '60s and '70s, but truth be told she was one of those rare incredible artists who stayed true to her vision and made powerful music in all five decades that she shared her magical voice and musical wisdom with the world.
Recorded in Paris in 1982, Fodder On My Wings was an album not many of us were familiar with so we were thrilled Sunnyside brought it to our attention, as it's one smoking and satisfying record, with Nina on piano, harpsichord shaker, and tambourine backed by an awesome band with instrumentation that included congas, woodblock, timpani, etc. Unlike many of her earlier albums, Nina wrote and composed all but one track on this record. Singing in both French and English, her songs range from bittersweet, to empowering, to effervescent. Filled with rich grooves, entrancing piano, and that unmistakably wise and magical voice. A must have for any Nina Simone fan!
MPEG Stream: "I Sing Just To Know That I'm Alive"
MPEG Stream: "Vous Etes Seuls, Mais Je Desire Etre Avec Vous"
MPEG Stream: "Heaven Belongs To You"
MPEG Stream: "Il Y A Un Baume A Gilhead"

SIMONE, NINA Forbidden Fruit (Doxy) lp + 7" 29.00

SIMONE, NINA Here Comes The Sun (4 Men With Beards) lp 19.98

SIMONE, NINA High Priestess Of Soul (Verve) cd 12.98
It can sometimes be daunting with some legendary artists, especially with ones who have left us so much great music, to figure out where to start in terms of really exploring their music. Truth be told, any time or any way you get to hear a Nina Simone song it's pretty damn special. Whether it's on a mix someone made you, or one of the many best-of collections, or even any of the great live recordings. But lately we've really wanted to spend some quality time with her albums, as they were created so meticulously and flow so amazingly, with perfect emotional peaks and valleys that take you on a spiritual sonic journey from start to finish.
We easily could list a handful of essential albums from Nina Simone (we reviewed the great Silk & Soul a couple years back and it's become a staple of the AQ soundsytem), but this time around, we'll focus on one of her true masterpieces, High Priestess Of Soul, recorded in 1966. With lush and tasteful arrangements by Hal Mooney, this is a record that definitely demonstrates Simones's dynamic range and magical touch. From sad and sultry to empowered and resilient, her songs have this magical way of cutting right to the truth. From the rich gospel of "Take Me To The Water/I'm Going Back Home" to one of the most amazing and minimal deep groove songs of all time!!! "Come Ye" and the strong and proud anthem "Don't You Pay Them No Mind", High Priestess of Soul is filled with songs that that are like mirrors that reflect all that is true and real.
One of our all time favorite records, and an album that if you don't already own, we know you will want to start spending some serious time with, as it will become one of those special records you turn to when you need the real deal to hit your soul just right!
MPEG Stream: "Come Ye"
MPEG Stream: "I'm Gonna Leave You"
MPEG Stream: "Keeper Of The Flame"

SIMONE, NINA Is It Finished (RCA) lp 12.98

SIMONE, NINA Pastel Blues (Verve) cd 12.98
This is not newly reissued, it's just an old fave that gets played like crazy in the store but has never gotten reviewed, until NOW!
It's still astonishing to listen to records Nina Simone made over forty years ago and hear the kind of experimentation in song structure and delivery she used while transforming songs into creatures that became totally her own, all the while infusing so much soul and emotion into each note.
Pastel Blues came out in 1965 and fits so nicely into that mid to late '60s era of Nina that we are so in love with. The same era that produced High Priestess Of Soul, Let It All Out, Silk & Soul and Wild In The Wind. Bookend with two of her greatest musical moments, the leadoff track "Be My Husband" which has become a staple cover of Antony & The Johnsons and the ten minute closer "Sinnerman" which finds her at her most fiery, frantic and riveting. In between are so many more beautiful and sad sounds filled with her soft piano and distinctive vocals, a sound rich with such universal feelings of loss and sadness, yet burning with life and hope and passion.
We've said it before but we will keep saying it, this is an artist that demands a serious and deep relationship by music lovers of all varieties, 'best of' recordings are great but Simone's albums, especially in this era are so strong and carefully constructed from start to finish that they reward so richly, repeat listens. Without Nina so many of our modern day AQ favorites like Antony, Cat Power, White Magic, Devendra Banhart, etc. wouldn't exist as we know and love them. Another essential Nina Simone album!
MPEG Stream: "Be My Husband"
MPEG Stream: "Sinnerman"
MPEG Stream: "Trouble In Mind"

SIMONE, NINA Silk & Soul (BMG) cd 12.98
It's been about three years now since Nina Simone passed away, we miss her madly but it's nice that reissues of her back catalog will keep her voice alive for years to come. This is one of her nicest soul centered albums with totally lush arrangements and of course her voice at it's most seductive and silky. While retrospectives and best of collections can be nice, when it comes to amazing artists like Nina Simone it's so important to get to hear how well crafted her albums were, how she was so conscious of the flow and the journey from start to finish. We think you'll be hard pressed to find a more perfect sounding Sunday morning album. This buried treasure from 1967 is sounding pretty perfect and timeless to our ears almost 40 years later.
MPEG Stream: "Go To Hell"
MPEG Stream: "Some Say"

SIMONE, NINA Sings The Blues (4 Men With Beards) lp 19.98

SIMONE, NINA To Love Somebody (4 Men With Beards) lp 19.98

SIMONE, NINA Wild Is The Wind (Universal) lp 15.98

SISTERS LOVE, THE Give Me Your Love (Soul Jazz) cd 21.00
Most rare groove fiends fell in love with The Sisters Love after hearing the 80's extended remix of their song "Give Me Your Love" which had disco aficionados like Larry Levan and Nicky Siano in seventh heaven. What's amazing is that the track was actually recorded in 1973, predating disco and demonstrating that if one dug a little deeper, one might discover that not only were The Sisters Love way ahead of their time but were also not merely a one hit wonder. Thankfully, as they have so many times in the past, Soul Jazz have come to the rescue putting together a totally stunning collection of the SL's deep hitting soul/funk recorded between 1969-1973. A vocal delivery with that perfect gospel influence that cuts right to the heart of the matter, and the sort of perfect production and orchestration that keeps the songs moving and practically begs to be sampled by the entire Stones Throw roster. Always such a pleasure to get a full helping of a group we only had heard in dribs and drabs before. After listening to this over and over we can safely say The Sisters Love have won a special place in our soul collection, alongside the likes of early Betty Wright, Ike & Tina and Candi Staton. Highly recommended!
MPEG Stream: "Give Me Your Love"
MPEG Stream: "Ha Ha Ha"
MPEG Stream: "Mr Fix-It Man"

SKULL SNAPS s/t (Aztec Music) cd 24.00
Who are the Skull Snaps, you say? Well, if you have been paying attention to hip-hop of the last eighteen years, you will instantly recognize the opening drum break of "It's A New Day" sampled by The Pharcyde, Gang Starr, Lords of The Underground as well as dozens of others who have sampled that riff and tons of others from this obscure New York soul group. Recorded in 1973, The Skull Snaps, a trio of guitar, bass and drums with killer vocal harmonies, had a more popular following overseas in the Northern Soul scene for such tracks, as "I'm Your Pimp" and "My Hang-up Is You" than they did in the US. Chock full of hooks and breaks, The Skull Snaps lone album is an amazing lost soul document that is finally getting its due. Plus it gets points for being one of the best album covers ever! Hip-hop legacy aside, this is a soul record right up there with Baby Huey, Curtis Mayfield and The Chi-Lites. Features 2 bonus tracks not on the original album. So Cool!
MPEG Stream: "It's A New Day"
MPEG Stream: "I'm Your Pimp"

SKULL SNAPS s/t (GSF) lp 26.00
Now available on double vinyl, remastered, and with a full color poster and die-cut 13 sticker sheet.
Who are the Skull Snaps, you say? Well, if you have been paying attention to hip-hop of the last eighteen years, you will instantly recognize the opening drum break of "It's A New Day" sampled by The Pharcyde, Gang Starr, Lords of The Underground as well as dozens of others who have sampled that riff and tons of others from this obscure New York soul group. Recorded in 1973, The Skull Snaps, a trio of guitar, bass and drums with killer vocal harmonies, had a more popular following overseas in the Northern Soul scene for such tracks, as "I'm Your Pimp" and "My Hang-up Is You" than they did in the US. Chock full of hooks and breaks, The Skull Snaps lone album is an amazing lost soul document that is finally getting its due. Plus it gets points for being one of the best album covers ever! Hip-hop legacy aside, this is a soul record right up there with Baby Huey, Curtis Mayfield and The Chi-Lites.
MPEG Stream: "It's A New Day"
MPEG Stream: "I'm Your Pimp"

SMITH, LONNIE LISTON & THE COSMIC ECHOES Expansions (Flying Dutchman) lp 12.98

SMITH, VERDELLE Tar & Cement: The Complete Recordings 1965-1967 (The Omni Recording Corporation) cd 17.98
What a find! We had no idea who Verdelle Smith was, but it only took one listen to this latest Omni Recording Corporation release, a compilation of her complete recordings to be, well, completely hooked. She only recorded music for two short years before disappearing from the music world altogether. But in a just universe, Verdelle Smith would have been as huge as Dionne Warwick and her producers and songwriters, Paul Vance and Lee Pockriss, more famous than Burt Bacharach and Hal David (though to their credit, they were already pretty big due to a novelty hit "Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polka Dot Bikini" and Perry Como's "Catch A Falling Star", but we digress...). Verdelle Smith's songs were no mere novelty. Originally from Asbury Park, New Jersey, Smith grew up singing gospel, but had big musical ambitions, so she moved to Manhattan where she auditioned for Vance and Pockriss who were looking for a specific type of singer for a Shangri-la's style song called "Juanito", a song about overcoming the social stigma of an inter-racial relationship. With high production values, lush orchestration, hook-laden arrangements and Smith's big voice, she fit the part perfectly and the duo recorded one lp and several singles, one of which "Tar & Cement" made it to No. 1 in Australia (which is probably why Omni is reissuing this.). That song and its B side, "Piece of The Sky" are both big pop laments to urban sprawl, and the dehumanizing effects of industrialization. It's rare to see such social issues being addressed in soul-pop fashion, and probably why they received little notice in the states. But Smith's drop-dead voice and the fabulous production give these songs such a deep, knife-sharp edge. "If You Can't Say Anything Nice" could easily have been a lost Bacharach / David hit. But it was the song, "(Alone) In My Room", that was quickly covered by both Nancy Sinatra (on the Boots record, no less) and The Walker Brothers, that seemed to secure her the most fame, fleeting as it was. Smith's delivery throughout her brief career shares the same dramatic largesse as Scott Walker on his first four solo records. So if you're as much of a fan of them, Nancy Sinatra, Lee Hazlewood, early Dionne Warwick or Burt Bacharach as we are, then Verdelle Smith will be right up your alley.
So what happened to her? Well, she wanted to make gospel records but her producers weren't into it, so she gave up the music business to become more involved with her church and social activism, which according to the liner notes she still actively pursues to this day under her real name. So there you go. Thank you Omni for digging this up. Fantastic!
MPEG Stream: "Tar & Cement"
MPEG Stream: "A Piece of The Sky"
MPEG Stream: "In my Room"
MPEG Stream: "Juanito"
MPEG Stream: "If You Can't Say Anything Nice"

SOLE Skin Deep (Dreamworks) cd 16.98
Our newest discovery, thanks to KMEL keeping us company as we tool around town, imagining that our crappy little tape deck is actually a 'boomin' system'. Sole manages to out-nasty even Lil' Kim and Foxy Brown. Wicked stuttering Timbaland style beats and streams of nasty sex style vitriol.

SOSIMI, DELE Turbulent Times (Eko Star) cd 16.98

SOUND DIRECTIONS (YESTERDAY'S NEW QUINTET) The Funky Side Of Life (Stones Throw) cd 15.98
Madlib strikes again! This might be the best record to merge hip-hop production and aesthetics with funk and soul. Like the Yesterdays New Quintet records he has made with jazz lineups playing great instrumental versions of early Stevie Wonder songs. With this Sound Directions record Madlib has taken his love of obscure early 70's funk and soul to new heights. A production team which also includes Peanut Butter Wolf and instrumentation that includes kalimba, electric muffle, trumpet and a whole lot more. Interpretations of David Axelrod and Cliff Nobles and even more obscure '60s/'70s gems. A breezy undertone accents the entire record. The kind of record you want to play when you have some folks over for food drinks and a good time. Madlib's touch can be felt in the overall vibe of the recording. Smooth but not polished, a tad lo-fi but still infectious. True soul lives on.
MPEG Stream: "The Horse "
MPEG Stream: "The Funky Side Of Life"

SOUND OF FEELING Up Into Silence (Sunbeam) cd 16.98
Yes! The Sound of Feeling were a short lived but influential avant jazz-pop vocal group who recorded one full length album called Spleen in 1969 and a split LP with Oliver Nelson in 1968. Along with a handful of unreleased bonus tracks from the early seventies, Up into Silence collects their complete recordings. Comprised of pianist / arranger / singer Gary David, the counterpoint microtonal vocal talents of twin sisters Alice Rhae and Rhae Alice Andrece and rounded out musically with 2 bassists and a drummer, The Sound of Feeling updated the jazz-scat vocal style made popular by Lambert Hendricks and Ross and The Singers Unlimited by channeling John Coltrane and Thelonious Monk instead of Ella Fitzgerald or Louis Armstrong. But at times also referencing 16th-century madrigals, Bartok, the poetry of Paul Verlaine, as well as Simon and Garfunkel and Donovan amongst their many touchstones. Beginning with their take on Coltrane's version of "My Favorite Things", the first five tracks are from the split LP with Oliver Nelson. The four others are all originals including "Circe Revisited" which features the unusual instrumentation of Marxaphone, an autoharp type instrument with strings tuned to a microtonal scale. But it's their full length album, Spleen, where the group gets the most interesting. Opening with a bass and piano hook that has been sampled many times, the group's take on Donovan's "Hurdy-Gurdy Man" is one of the strangest and beautiful versions we've heard, taking the song through so many peaks and valleys (and even out on a few limbs) that never materialized in the original. With tracks like "Hex" and "Along Came Sam", it seems they left the jazz world altogether, and entered a lysergic avant chamber pop territory, with the basses, piano, vibes and drums alternating between killer breaks and restrained near-silent passages amongst the oddly tuned vocal acrobatics. The final 5 tracks were previously unreleased as the group were attempting to expand into hipper territories in the early seventies. The best of them, "Born Amongst The Eagles", continues with the amazing drum fills and some very strange vocal effects. Predicting the vocalese fusion style of Ursula Dudziak and Flora Purim, The Sound of Feeling were like a strange cocktail of Patty Water's Out vocals and the cool groove of Norwegian jazz singer Karin Krog. Their recognition is long overdue!
MPEG Stream: "Hurdy Gurdy Man"
MPEG Stream: "Hex"
MPEG Stream: "Born With The Eagles"

SPECTOR, PHIL Wall Of Sound: The Very Best Of Phil Spector (Phil Spector Records / Legacy) cd 13.98
It goes without saying that Phil Spector really stands (or stood) at the pinnacle of pop music and what it means to be a producer. His 'wall of sound' has influenced generations of amazing bands from the Beach Boys to Jesus & Mary Chain to Spiritualized to the Vivian Girls and beyond. It was actually hard to get so many of his great recordings on cd, unless you snagged the box set that came out years ago, so we're so psyched for this new release of some of his most memorable moments. Working with groups like The Crystals, The Ronettes, Darlene Love, Ike & Tina, and more, this collection shows off Spector's uncanny ability to create pop nuggets that have proven to be timeless and so endlessly addictive. While many of us who like to hang out in the fringes and more obscure realms of the music world, Phil Spector is a reminder of how amazing more mainstream pop music can be when in the hands of a musical genius.
While much of his personal life is depressing and distressing, he seems to be a part of a long tradition of deeply troubled music producers who were able to use music to channel the beauty inside of them that they had such a hard time doing in all other aspects of their life. With so many bands of the moment like Dum Dum Girls, The Raveonettes, Shannon & The Clams, and The Sandwitches taking so much from Spector's sound, it's perfect timing for these songs to be made available again.
MPEG Stream: THE CRYSTALS "Then He Kissed Me"
MPEG Stream: IKE & TINA TURNER "River Deep, Mountain High"
MPEG Stream: THE RONETTES "Walkiing In The Rain"
MPEG Stream: DARLENE LOVE "A Fine, Fine Boy"

SPINNA, DJ All Mixed Up : Collection Part 1 (Urban Theory) 2cd 18.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
A tolerably well mixed 74 minutes of hip hop, soul, electronica, etc from the likes of Nightmares on Wax, Tek9, Terranova, Les Nubians, Runaways UK, 4Hero, etc. As with most of Spinna's releases, there's a second disc of the unmixed original tracks by themselves. This idea is cool when the originals are quite different from how they eventually sound when incorporated into a mix (as in the case of his old soul/r'n'b release Strange Games), and makes the DJ look good, too, but in the case of this title, the originals aren't that different from how they sound within his set. Still, an enjoyable comp.

SPINNA, DJ Strange Games and Things (Barely Breaking Even ) 3cd 18.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
A three cd collection of classic old soul, disco and r'n'b gems. The first disc is a continuous mix by DJ Spinna, whose skills aren't all there but somehow his clunkiness adds a charm to the whole thing. The two remaining discs are the originals of each of the records he used in his set, and this is such a treasure trove of good music, 27 tracks in all, well worth the price. With Minnie Riperton, Bohannon, Marvin Gaye, Donald Byrd, Sugarhill Gang, Foxy, Johnny Bristol, Roy Ayers, and many more.
RealAudio clip: MINNIE RIPERTON "Reasons"
RealAudio clip: LEMURIA "Hunk of Heaven"

SPIRITUALAIRES, THE OF HURTSBORO, ALABAMA Singing Songs Of Praise (CaseQuarter) cd 14.98

SPRINGFIELD, DUSTY Complete A And B Sides 1963-1970 (Eclipse) 2cd 31.00