Back catalogue: 50s/60s

Review: ***B-STOCK: Sleeve damaged but otherwise in excellent condition***


If you use the online network-cum-existential-need-to-know community Reddit, then it won't surprise you to learn there's a vast and almost unfathomably broad sub group dedicated to The Beatles. Within this, at least a handful of people have posed the question: "if the Beatles had done an MTV Unplugged concert in approx 1968 what stripped down classics might be in the resulting brilliant Unplugged Album?" Forgive the grammar - we took the speculative quandary verbatim from an internet that long-since descended into a linguistic void. Nevertheless, those stumped by this query will be delighted to know that such a record does exist for us to use as a touchstone. Albeit without the MTV bit. And what tracks made the cut? Well, 'Why My Guitar Gently Weeps', 'Revolution', 'Julia', 'Cry Baby Cry', and 'The Continuing Story of Bungalow Bill', among others.

Review: Sometimes rockabilly-touting Stray Cats member Brian Setzer's big band revival reaches full throttle on this high-energy release, where rockabilly flair meets swing-era showmanship. 'Gettin' in the Mood' kicks off with a playful nod to Glenn Miller's 'In the Mood', reworking it into a brass-laden dancefloor shaker. Elsewhere, Setzer tackles 'Mack the Knife' with effortless swagger, his sharp guitar licks cutting through bold horn arrangements. The collection thrives on its ability to modernise the big band sound without losing its vintage charm, fusing the finesse of jazz standards with the drive of rock & roll. Brian Setzer's big band revival strikes an electrifying balance between rockabilly grit and the exuberance of swing-era showmanship. Opening with a fresh take on Glenn Miller's 'In the Mood', Setzer transforms the iconic brass-heavy tune into a high-energy anthem, infused with his trademark guitar swagger. It's a bold reinterpretation that never lets up. On 'Mack the Knife', Setzer's precise guitar licks cut through the brash brass arrangements with the kind of effortless cool that's become his signature. But it's not just a nostalgia tripihe brings a contemporary edge to these swing standards, revamping them without losing their original flair. Tracks like 'Gettin' in the Mood' highlight Setzer's uncanny ability to update the sound of a bygone era, blending vintage swagger with a rock & roll punch. The result is an album that fuses the sophistication of big band jazz with the raw energy of rockabilly.

Review: Irma Thomas, born Irma Lee in New Orleans, is routinely hailed the Soul Queen of the city. Once billed among Aretha Franklin and Etta James, Thomas eventually found her own recognition as an originary light repping New Orleans, less an international, commercial success story. Beginning her career in 1959, she was one of many voices who sung for a watershed moment r&b and soul, as labels like Minit and Imperial helped solidify the genre's identification with Louisiana, with its designs on the Southern soul genre at large. In 1966, Thomas released her second solo album, now reissued here through MOV. Including the iconic song 'Anyone Who Knows What Love Is (Will Understand)', which was co-written by Randy Newman and country star Jeannie Seely, the track became a hit, finding a toehold on the Billboard Hot 100. Beyond its commercial success, the ballad has garnered widespread recognition, notably appearing in several episodes of the hit series Black Mirror. But it's the record as a whole that really stirs our guts, obviating Thomas' early-career openness to romance and excess: "oh-oh, take a look at this girl, I'm the girl that wants you..." goes the title track...