Back catalogue: All genres

Review: This newly formed and already brilliant label is back with more previously unreleased instrumentals that bring a different twist and dancefloor edge to classic sounds from the rock and indie world. First up we get a subtle edit of 'Sound and Vision' which has a nice fat and funky bassline bouncing beneath the splashy drums as nice acoustic guitar melodies ring out next to glistening retro-future pads. It's a cosmic trip that oozes soul then things slow down on the flip with 'Young Americans'. This one is a nice go-slow instrumental with funky and expressive horn work taking the lead over the fat-bottomed drums and bass. Essential.

Review: ***B-STOCK: Sleeve split at the top but otherwise in excellent condition***


Reissued and remastered by Legacy, Truth is the debut studio album by the massively influential guitarist and rocker Jeff Beck, released in 1968. A crisp and rollicking blues rock screamer, the album introduced the talents of his backing band the Jeff Beck Group, specifically Rod Stewart and Ronnie Wood, to a larger audience. The fallout of its release was nothing short of radioactive, leading many to claim that it was in fact the "first metal album", occupying the liminal threshold between metal and blues rock - whether this was the case, it was almost certainly the LP that out-and-out defined the British incarnation of the latter sound, and most importantly established Beck's career thereafter.

Review: Canadian rock outfit Big Wreck celebrates this year's Record Store Day with the first-ever vinyl release of their acclaimed Albatross album. This deluxe anniversary edition includes a bonus track, 'Fade Away', as well as alternate versions by Eric Ratz and Ian Thornley, plus a live recording from Suhr Guitar Factory. The original album came back in 2012 and saw Albatross earn chart-topping success and critical praise for its soaring guitar work and powerful vocals. They make just as much of a mark now, more than a decade on and with the addition of the new cuts, this reissue brings all new depth to the record.

Review: One of the key spots in Boston's vibrant student scene, the Paradise Ballroom was the place to be in 1978 with the likes of The Ramones, Thin Lizzy and Blondie gracing the intimate space with their hit-laden sets. And New York City's Blondie were at the peak of their powers in 1978, touring their Plastic Letters album and pre-empting their Parallel lines album, so it was a chance for fans to hear the likes of 'Hanging On The Telephone', 'One Way or Another' and 'Heart Of Glass' before they were released. With said tracks being classics on heavy rotation to this day, there's no denying that this Blondie show goes down in Boston's music history as one of the all time great performances.

Review: Recorded at the BBC Paris cinema in Regent Street in 1970, which was the beginning of Bowie's defining decade. The performance tapes were lost by the BBC so if it wasn't for someone with the legendary foresight to make a cassette tape recording we wouldn't have this collection. Whilst Bowie is known for big, complex arrangements, the set here offers something stripped back and much more 60s sounding. You could imagine Bowie humming 'Amsterdam' around a campfire in Glastonbury, 'The Prettiest Star' shows the immense sustain of Bowie's voice and 'London By Ta-Ta' shows a more playful psychedelic side. Having taken this showcase opportunity with John Peel in his stride so well, it's his energy to play every show as if it was his last that is admirable and a key reason he managed to climb the ladder from here.

Review: From 1989 to 1999, and again from 2000 to 2009, MTV Unplugged hosted and broadcast some of the greatest live rock performances of all time. Eric Clapton's 1992 appearance on the late-night show was the *sine qua non* of the Unplugged format before Nirvana and Mariah Carey, with the corresponding live album released through Reprise going on to sell over 26 million (!) copies worldwide. From the contemporaneous 1992 hit single 'Tears in Heaven' eviscerated in bare live bones, to an acoustic version of the endurer 'Layla' and later album tracks 'My Father's Eyes' and 'Circus', us pro musos do certainly recommend this one for new Clapton fans: start here, and see where the obsession takes you.

Review: Few albums capture an era like Dire Straits' fifth album Brothers In Arms. Originally released in 1985, the album fused Mark Knopfler's understated songwriting with polished, atmospheric production, creating a landmark in both rock and the then-nascent CD format. Now, with its 40th anniversary triple CD deluxe edition, Brothers In Arms feels fresher and more essential than ever. Disc one has the original album, remastered to highlight the warmth of Knopfler's intricate guitar work and the spacious soundscapes. 'Money for Nothing' and 'Walk of Life' remain radio staples, but deeper cuts like 'Ride Across the River' and 'Why Worry' show the band's subtle craftsmanship. The real revelation is the newly unearthed Live in '85 concert (discs two and three), recorded in San Antonio during their mammoth tour. The energy is palpable; songs stretch out, Knopfler's guitar finding new corners of emotion and tension. Unlike the studio's smoothness, the live show pulses with raw vitality. Housed in handsome digi-sleeve packaging, complete with a detailed 28-page booklet featuring fresh interviews, this reissue honors both the intimacy and grandeur that made Brothers In Arms a phenomenon. It's a perfect way to revisit i or discover i an album that still resonates across generations.

Review: Either you weren't born, or Dire Straits' Brothers in Arms turning 40 this year will make you feel decidedly long in the tooth. It's an unquestionable landmark for one of the best-selling albums of all time. To mark the occasion, the London-formed band's fifth studio album is being reissued across a bunch of formats, with this five album box set including a full live set from their 1985 show in San Antonio, capturing Mark Knopfler, John Illsley, Alan Clark and Guy Fletcher in their stadium-filling prime. As for the album itself i well, the vastly emotive 'Brothers in Arms', fuzz guitar earworm 'Money for Nothing' and feelgood singalong 'Walk of Life' pretty much speak for themselves. Classic pop-rock, this is a must-have for Straits fans, and well worth a listen for anyone who happens to be uninitiated.

Review: Few albums define the 80s quite like this one. The band's fifth and - by far - most successful release at that point it's now celebrating its 40th anniversary with a fresh vinyl reissue, ironic considering the millions of CD players sold using it as an advert for the new format the the time. Opening with 'So Far Away', the album establishes its signature polished sound, blending Mark Knopfler's emotive guitar work with smooth, melancholic melodies. But it's 'Money for Nothing' that cemented Brothers in Arms as an 80s icon. Featuring Sting on backing vocals and driven by Knopfler's famous riff, the song skewers MTV culture while paradoxically becoming one of the decade's defining anthems. 'Walk of Life' brings a contrasting brightness, its upbeat keyboard melody making it an enduring favorite. The album also shows Knopfler's gift for storytelling, particularly on 'Your Latest Trick' and 'Why Worry', which balance pop sensibility with emotional depth. But it's the title track, 'Brothers in Arms', that delivers the most haunting momentiits atmospheric, war-torn balladry elevated by one of Knopfler's most stirring solos. The 40th-anniversary vinyl pressing gives new life to the album's lush production. One of the first fully digital recordings, Brothers in Arms benefits from the warmth and depth this analogue reissue brings, bringing out the richness of Knopfler's guitar tones and the album's expansive soundscapes. Four decades on, it remains an essential listenitimeless in both its musicianship and its message.

Review: First released in 2012, Broken Bones would serve as the 11th full-length studio effort from glam metal-tinged Los Angeles hard rockers Dokken. The first album in the band's entire tenure to not feature drummer Mick Brown due to scheduling conflicts (replaced for the recording sessions by studio drummer Jimmy DeGrasso), as well as their only work to feature bassist Sean McNabb (Quiet Riot, XYZ, Queensryche), the album served as follow up to 2008's Lightning Strikes Again while initially perceived as a swansong due to the major decade-long gap until 2023's Heaven Comes Down. Packed to the brim with triumphant riffage and soaring choruses, it may not entirely capture the Dokken magic of old but still delivers a retro-fitted 45 minutes of classic-style cuts with its standout track easily being their unique rendition of Jefferson Airplane's 'Today'. Reissued for Record Store Day 2025 on super cool and artwork complimentary blue & black splattered wax.

Review: A fresh rarities compilation bound to open Doors for you. In the five years that it spans, The Doors forged a distinctive path through the countercultural explosion of the day, blending dark psychedelia with blues, jazz, and literary influences. Formed in LA, their breakthrough came with their 1967 debut, which included 'Light My Fire', catapulting them to national attention. Frontman Jim Morrison's brooding charisma and poetic lyricism quickly cut accord the band's identity, and easily matched Ray Manzarek's swirling organ lines. Albums like Strange Days and Waiting For The Sun followed, identifying ambitious songwriting, romanticism and existential dread. This rarities set draws from that fertile period, capturing raw broadcast versions of songs that defined a band both of, and far beyond, its time.

Review: Fifty years after its original release, and over 20 since its first reissue, the quiet Beatle's landmark solo record All Things Must Pass has been punctiliously expanded once more, offering a complete sonic and archival overhaul. Spearheaded by Dhani Harrison and Grammy winner engineer Paul Hicks, the collection is a deluxe format-multiple, with one Uber Deluxe Box Set coming housed in a bespoke wooden crate and featuring 70 tracks. Alas, this CD edition is but a mere optical truncation, offering the humble and prudent listener a much sublimer curated experience: rooted in George Harrison's growing frustrations within the Beatles and a desire for artistic autonomy, 'Isn't It A Pity', 'Let It Down' and 'I'd Have You Anytime' still lie among the most enduring songs of Harrison's Tibetan Buddhist era, and with none other than compression master Phil Spector at the mix controls, you can be certain of a well-smoothened sonic experience from front to back.

Review: The turn of 1980 saw limited quantities of Salty Miller's lone album, a hidden gem of the beach music scene of the Carolinas, after which the properly named Beach Music Records names itself (they monopolised the scene early on). Miller's album blends soul, disco, and mid-tempo steppers, perfect accompaniments for the shag, beach music's signature dance. Though an 80s classic in its own right, Album 1 was made after Miller took extended time away from releasing: his masterwork heard a noble North Carolinian cast, including members of fellow The Embers, then join him on backing duties. Oceanic soundscapes and emotive string arrangements contrast with a local joviality; 'One More Time', 'Music Makes Me High', and 'The Fox' are standouts, though the peak sensation 'Happy Is The Word' has to be our highlight, bringing boardwalk-strutter soul and pitchy electric organs to a well chorused mix.

Review: This Price album was originally part of the 2023 Diamonds and Pearls Super Deluxe box set, but now the triple vinyl live recording arrives on standalone yellow vinyl in a fancy triple gatefold sleeve. It was initially captured on January 11, 1992, at Prince's Glam Slam club in Minneapolis and is a performance that showcases Prince and The New Power Generation at their creative peak, just ahead of their epic world tour. Spanning over 100 minutes and 14 tracks in all, the still electrifying set focuses on material from the Diamonds and Pearls era and includes a preview of the then-unreleased 'Sexy M.F.' to make for a fine snapshot of a new era in Prince's evolving sound.

Review: Status Quo's iconic 1977 album Live! sets sail once again with a special 8xCD super deluxe reissue on May 16, 2025, celebrating two of the band's most electrifying performances in Glasgow. Recorded over three nights at the Apollo Theatre in October 1976, the album first captured a selection of tracks from said shows; for their boogie-rock sound and high-energy stage presence, these Glasgow performances were pivotal in cementing Status Quo's reputation on the world stage, in their prime. The reissue offers the gigs again in full, remastering them from newly discovered 24-track tapes, guaranteeing superior sound quality. The set includes a 24-page illustrated booklet with new sleeve notes, rare photographs and memorabilia, shedding light on the impact of the shows and the making of the album.

Review: Although forming in 1987, the initial tenure of New York City hard rock heroes Tyketto was a simple case of wrong place, wrong time. 1991's debut album Don't Come Easy was a moderate success, boasting the hit single 'Forever Young' and taking them on the road with Whitesnake, but by the time they would submit their second full-length to Geffen Records, it would be outright rejected due to label's increasing interest with the grunge scene and a desire to leave "hair metal" and all of its intersecting genres in the 80s. With a myriad of lineup changes, even featuring Steve Augeri on vocals for a spell before his time in Journey, the band would eventually dissolve until 2004. One reunion tour would lead to another, and as of 2025, they're still playing shows, with the vast majority in attendance likely there to hear the barrage of bangers this overlooked AOR-meets-glam metal debut offers.