Mudhoney
Real Low Vibe: The Reprise Recordings 1992-1998
Cherry Red Records
★★★★

Formed in Seattle in 1988, Mudhoney were one of the unsung heroes of US grunge and alt rock.

Their early releases appeared on the legendary Sub Pop label. This 4CD set features their three albums cut for Reprise kicking off with Piece Of Cake from 1992, followed by My Brother The Cow from 1995 and Tomorrow Hit Today from 1998 plus On Tour Now, a live promo only release from 1993, is included.

There are also B-sides, live recordings, rare outtakes and sampler-only tracks plus their singles including Generation Spokesmodel, Suck You Dry, Blinding Sun, Five Dollar Bob’s Mock Cooter Stew and Into Your Shtik.

Compiled in conjunction with band members this is essential listening for fans of “the Seattle Sound” - Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Soundgarden, Alice In Chains and Screaming Trees.

Halcyon Days: 60s Mod, R&B, Brit Soul & Freakbeat Nuggets
Strawberry Records
★★★★

These Halcyon days were the period when Merseybeat faded and the underground scene bloomed.

This 3-CD set (with a detailed booklet, rare photos and posters) covers the era when we produced our homegrown talent including R&B and soul with Jimmy James, Geno Washington, Laurel Aitken, Mike Cotton Sound, Wynder K Frog, Zoot Money, Chris Farlowe and Graham Bond.

The Creation, The Yardbirds, The Pretty Things, John’s Children and Brian Auger’s Trinity gave birth to psychedelia and Bowie, and Rod Stewart set off on the road to pop stardom.
Meanwhile Jack Bruce, Ginger Baker, Jimmy Page, Jeff Beck and Ritchie Blackmore prepared the ground for hard rock.

There were plenty of others who didn’t make it – remember Jason Crest, Tony Rivers, and Kevin “King” Lear? No, I didn’t either. Who says nostalgia isn’t what it was?

The Harry Smith B Sides
Dust-To-Digital 4CD Box/Book Set
★★★★★

In 1952 Folkways Records released the ground breaking Anthology Of American Folk Music, an 84-track treasure trove of pre-war country, blues, cajun and gospel 78s from the collection of eccentric Harry Smith.

Compiling 78s recorded by the Carter Family, Dock Boggs, Blind Willie Johnson, Furry Lewis, Blind Lemon Jefferson, Charlie Patton, and musicians accompanied by slide guitars, banjos, autoharps, singing all manner of strange lyrics it provided endless material for 1950s and 1960s folk revivalists.

This new set mirrors the Folkways anthology by collecting the “B sides” from clean original records.

Mindful of a backlash, Dust-To-Digital did not include three overtly racist recordings.

Complete with a full colour 144 page book, track annotation, label shots and photographs, this is what music writer Greil Marcus described as the music of “Old weird America” — and it is a masterpiece.