I know that some people are not keen on compilations (that is, of various artists) in the same way that they are not keen on playlists, but a well constructed compilation is a thing of beauty and a joy forever.
Among my favourites are:
Big Noise : A Mambo Inn Compilation. Originating from the long lost Brixton club, this set neatly segued African and Asian tracks by the likes of Kanda Bongo Man and Ustad Nasret Fateh Ali Khan with latin and jazz funk from Ramsey Lewis, Airto etc. All topped off with a sensational gospel track by Luther Barnes and The Red Budd Gospel Choir.
From Route 66 to The Flamingo. A great mix of Sue soul plus Jimmy McGriff, King Curtis and a live version of ‘Sticks’ by Cannonball Adderley. A pretty good representation of the 60s mod club scene. The CD version adds another 8 tracks but I prefer the more focused vinyl version.
Choctaw Ridge : New Fables Of The American South (1968-1973). Pretty much any Bob Stanley compilation set is worthwhile but this one which documents the new country scene that developed outside Nashville in the late 60s is particularly worthwhile.
OK. Over to you. What are your favourite compilations?
This one is a favourite:
https://www.discogs.com/release/4314672-Various-Expressin-The-Blues-Reconstructed-History-Of-The-Blues
It’s a compilation of old folks who used to be blues singers/players, who were old and in nursing homes. Some really life affirming stuff here, and totally off the beaten track.
One of the first albums I ever bought. Superb.
https://www.discogs.com/release/491786-Various-The-Big-Wheels-Of-Motown
I have 1-6 of Motown Chartbusters, though looking at the track listings I could do with 7 and 8 at least well. All pretty much flawless. Most random cover – the fly spaceship on no 6.
Yeah, Roger Dean goes Motown. Far out, brother.
With albums like Bumpers and You Can All Join In on Island, Gutbucket on UA and Fill your Head with Rock on CBS, the early 70s were obviously the Golden Age.
Would imagine almost every AWer developed a lifelong habit to one or another artist after first hearing their work on a cheap-cheapo twofer like El Pea. I know I did
My favourite from that era was The Age of Atlantic – still one of my favourites, and my gateway to Led Zep, Yes and others.
Cold Blood!
Yessss. And Vanilla Fudge, Dr John, Allman Brothers… Still love that album.
Plasticene!
Re: the “You Can All Join In” compilation on Island.
Oh yes – that’s a famous album!
Featured very prominently on the cover, with the beard and heavy glasses, was folk-blues guitarist Ian A. Anderson, who of course went on to edit Folk Roots magazine for decades. He was supposed to be signing for Island, but when the other, more famous Ian Anderson (out of Jethro Tull) found out about it, he protested that the label shouldn’t have two Ian Andersons, and so the mild-mannered I.A.A. was given the boot. Boo!
I think Mojo did a good thread about this on the old (Drupal) site.
The alternative story is that whoever was in charge of organising the artists for the photo shoot called the wrong Ian Anderson by mistake and nobody noticed till afterwards that there were two Ian Andersons in the picture. Island had already decided by then not to sign him.
El Pea introduced me to Nick Drake, Sandy Denny, Jethro Tull (although I still only like ‘Mother Goose’ and ‘Living in the Past’) and Traffic (still adore ‘Empty Pages’). A worthwhile investment, I’d say.
Those old NME tapes of the 80s/90s could be great, particularly in those days when it was practically a full time job to hunt down old copies of anything. I have particularly fond memories of Chess Checkmate and Straight No Chaser. I must admit though that I’ve not had the urge to listen to C86 lately.
Have an uptick. The NME tapes opened my tastes out significantly. As you say, C86 was ropey, and inadvertently invented the term “landfill indie”. Many can be found on share sites, if you are so wicked.
Sorry to be a pedant but ‘landfill indie’ was used to describe the post Libertines corporate indie groups in the early to mid 2000’s. The term associated with C86 was ‘shambling’ which I think was first used by John Peel as a term of approval. C81 – I listened to religiosly when it came out and gave it a listen just the other week. Still stands up pretty well. Also found of Mojo’s Chess one with Terry Callier, Radiants – Voice Your Choice et al, and their Trojan Explosion reggae classics in 2002 was fantastic.
I stand corrected. “Shambling”, my arse. Replace the “ambling” with “it”.
Nerys Hughes wasn’t mad keen, either.
Not to mention overweight American tourists.
Mojo’s Heavy Nuggets series, Uncut’s Americana series. Any by Jon Savage – Meridian 1970 is just splendid.
Meridian 70 is wonderful. I’ve also got a Vol 2 somewhere. I think it was a digital release only.
I can’t believe no one’s mentioned yer actual Nuggets, and the subsequent Pebbles series too.
I’m still paying off the loan I took out to buy Nuggets.
They weren’t blimmin cheap were they? See also James Brown’s Star Time set.
There used to be a splendid series of compilations called A New Kind of Mambo floating round the murkier corners of the internet – over 50 of them as I recall – put together by a guy who claimed it was all from his record collection. It started with fairly orthodox blues/r&b from the 40s/50s by familiar names, but dug deeper and deeper into obscure varieties of Latin, jazz and all possible combinations. They seem to have disappeared now – wish I still had some.
Stuff like this: https://youtu.be/wv7eXtd7E8A
I’ve got a folder of those New Kind Of Mambo collections sitting somewhere in my garage. Must dig them out. They are tremendous and much wider in scope than the name suggests. Put together by a guy called Johnny Q. Details of some of the volumes are here, although the links are long dead: https://twilightzone-rideyourpony.blogspot.com/search?q=Mambo
I like the sound of that Route 66 to the Flamingo comp – right up my street.
Currently listening to Andrew Weatherall Heavenly remixes 3 and 4 and it is bloody brilliant. He was the master of the remix and I think I will invest in all in the series.
Deutsche Elektronische Musik series is excellent too and I am rather taken by the Pop Psychedelic compilation of French music that came out at the tail end of last year.
I’ve been hovering over the Buy button for those Heavenly remix comps, and now you’ve convinced me. At a tenner each for the 2CDs or a ton for all four 2LPs, I’m going digital.
Route 66 to the Flamingo is a great album (as is Mambo Inn comp also mentioned in the opening post). It reminded me of this one which was released about the same time.
https://www.discogs.com/release/2404284-Various-Cool
‘Cool’ is an excellent album too.
I’ve recently got hooked on Jon Savage’s 2-disc comps for Ace Records covering 1969-71, 1972-76 and 1977-79.
All combine more familiar tracks with obscurities and hidden gems. They’re a powerful argument for the continuing survival of the CD.
https://acerecords.co.uk/various-artists-jon-savage
Pithecanthropus! You’re on to something there Cap’n.
Bringing It All Back Home – a double CD collection from the BBC Series in the 1990s. Irish music and its effect on Americana music and vice versa. From a musical perspective – it changed my life.
It’s a wonderful pair of discs.
Another good one, if you can find it:
https://www.discogs.com/release/3841301-Various-White-Country-Blues-1926-1938-A-Lighter-Shade-Of-Blue-Of-Blue
Also the Atlantic Soul Classics album. Goes without saying, but every track is a stormer, although most of us have them already etched on our brains…
https://www.discogs.com/release/610420-Various-Atlantic-Soul-Classics
This one
https://www.discogs.com/release/7308759-Various-Back-To-California-Ladies-Gentlemen-Of-The-L-A-Canyons
An aural companion to the Barney Hoskyns book, Hotel California.
One of the first rave compilations. I had this originally on cassette, then lucked upon it on CD in a local Oxfam:
https://www.discogs.com/release/5870-Various-Balearic-Beats-Vol-1-The-Album
The Residents, Jibaro, Woodentops…and Mandy Smith. The Mandy Smith track is just fabulous.
In fact am posting this after relistening. Just fabulous. Some speculation on the internet it’s Chris Rea (maker of On The Beach another Balearic anthem) on guitar, but no its Matt Aitken as its a SAW production – with Roadblock this is the only one of theirs I love. A bit like Cortez The Killer this is all guitar upfront for the first five minutes..
Carácter Latino, from 1997, the first and best of many in a series over a dozen or so years. I once received three copies from various friends on my birthday.
https://www.discogs.com/release/1990789-Various-Car%C3%A1cter-Latino
It had a 25th anniversary 3CD expansion in, un, 2020.
One of my favourites, bought when it came out in 1990 is a 2 CD compilation of 60s “soul” tracks – Soul Decade; The Sixties…..
https://www.discogs.com/master/120918-Various-Soul-Decade-The-Sixties
Every track is a killer.
I also have a soft spot for last years Now 1983 Yearbook
Do film soundtracks count? In which case, The Harder They Come and Pulp Fiction get my vote.
The Harder They Come aka A Beginners Guide To Reggae
First few from the “Motown Chartbusters” series, plus “The Big Wheels of Motown”.
One from Atlantic records “This Is Soul”.
“The Rock Machine Turns You On”, “Rock Machine I Love You” and “Rockbuster” from CBS.
“You Can All Join In”, “Nice Enough To Eat” and “El Pea” from Island records.
“Picnic (A Breath of Fresh Air)” from EMI/Harvest.
“Gutbucket” from Liberty/UA and one I can’t remember the name of from Decca/Nova.
The “Backtrack” series of compilations and reissues from Track/Polydor.
Various ’60s Island and Trojan Ska and Reggae compilations and “The Front Line” from Virgin.
“Sound D’Afrique” and “Soukous” from Island.
“Sex Sweat and Blood” from Beggars Banquet.
“Hits Greatest Stiffs” from Stiff records.
“Allnighters” from Mercury.
“Zapped” from Straight Records.
“Mutant Disco” from Ze/Island.
Those NME cassettes.
etc.
The etc. there has to contain a few of my favourites:
Heads Together First Round (Vertigo)
The Vertigo Annual (er, Vertigo)
Heads and Tails (Transatlantic)
The Transatlantic one – which is a double LP from 1970 that I only discovered to be in existence five years later when at University – nearly caused me to overdraw on my overdraft at the time. My appointments with my bank manager, as a student, were a little like a Mickey Newbury song, in that I always felt as if I was Just Dropping In (To See What Condition My Condition Was In). My financial condition got significantly worse every time I bought a new sampler LP.
Here’s the Heads & Tails tracklisting:
A1 Ralph McTell – Spiral Staircase 3:10
A2 Pentangle – Light Flight 3:11
A3 Billy Connolly (Humblebums) – Open Up The Door 3:21
A4 Peter Bardens – The Answer 5:15
A5 John James – Pickles & Peppers 2:24
B1 Gerry Rafferty (Humblebums) – Singing Bird 3:04
B2 Jody Grind – Bath Sister 3:25
B3 Bert Jansch – Reynardine 5:25
B4 Errol Dixon – Ain’t Going Back To The Chicken Shack 3:00
B5 Young Tradition – Lyke Wake Dirge 2:43
C1 Stefan Grossman – So They Say 4:36
C2 Stray – Time Machine 4:38
C3 Duffy Power – Louisiana Blues 3:31
C4 John Renbourn – My Johnny Was A Shoemaker 4:16
D1 Storyteller – Remarkable 2:21
D2 The Johnstons– Streets Of London 3:10
D3 Mr. Fox – Mr. Fox 5:46
D4 Marsupilami – Prelude
I’m afraid you’d better sit down, Mr. Vulpes. I’m afraid I’ve some very bad news
about Gerry Rafferty
Have they split up? I know Billy’s vocals are bloody awful, but still….
Stuck in the middle with the big slipper.
I’ll have a (d.) please Bob.
More Film Soundtraks: High Fidelity
..and “Babylon”.
Deutsche Elektronische Musik – all you need to know about Krautrock and German experimental stuff across 4 compilations from Soul Jazz
Many years ago, on Valentine’s Day, I bought my girlfriend a compilation called A Strange Kind of Love. I liked it so much, I ‘borrowed’ it the next day….I’ve still got it, but I ain’t got her (the clue was there in my rampant kleptomania).
1 ABC– The Look Of Love
2 The Human League– Love Action (I Believe In Love)
3 The Stranglers– Golden Brown
4 Yazoo– Only You
5 The Icicle Works– Love Is A Wonderful Colour
6 Orange Juice – Rip It Up
7 Joy Division– Love Will Tear Us Apart
8 The Passions– I’m In Love With A German Film Star
9 The Pretenders– I Go To Sleep
10 Madness– It Must Be Love
11 The Cure– Boys Don’t Cry
12 Blondie– Picture This
13 The Teardrop Explodes– Treason (It’s Just A Story)
14 Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark– Enola Gay
15 The Jam– The Bitterest Pill (I Ever Had To Swallow)
16 Joe Jackson– It’s Different For Girls
17 The Psychedelic Furs– Love My Way
18 The Associates– Party Fears Two
19 Echo & The Bunnymen– The Back Of Love
20 The Mighty Wah!*– The Story Of The Blues (Part 1)
That lot will stay with you and give you pleasure for far longer than most girlfriends from one’s early 20s.
Has there ever been a better compilation?
That’s pretty much unskippable. Similar feel to the Sound of The Suburbs which came out in the early 90s
I have that one!
Nothing says I love you like a chamber-pop song about heroin.
It’s up there with restraining orders. I’ve long detected the influence of the song ‘Madrigal’ by Yes… making it even more alluring.
GB is the first single I bought. True story.
The first 20-or so Mastercuts compilations are fantastic. Also Shaolin Soul Vols 1-4
The Acid mastercuts album is incredible. There wasn’t a second volume, presumably the people involved had melted brains by then.
The first two Funk Mastercuts albums were solid gold.
Some great ones off the top of my head (excluding soundtracks, best ofs and mixtapes):
Dark Was The Night, Vols 1 & 2
Tradi-Mods Vs Rockers: Alternative Takes on Congotronics
The Dope On Plastic series (particularly Dope Classics)
Soundbombing Volume II (hands down the best hip hop comp ever made)
Lyricist’s Lounge
Definitive Jux Presents II
Logical Progression Volumes 1 and 2 (with the second being arguably the greatest D&B comp of them all)
Metalheadz Vol 1
Headz (Mo Wax)
Any number of great mid 90s Ninja Tune comps, but let’s go with Flexistentialism
But the one that always sticks with me is the atrociously titled “Brit Hop and Amyl House”. Looked cheap as chips, and never saw another copy beyond the one I stumbled on in a distant HMV, but the track list was straight fire at the time: Dirt by Death In Vegas, Shaolin Buddha Finger, Blow The Whole Joint Up, Voodoo People, Leave Home, Higher State of Consciousness, Bug Powder Dust, Don’t Die Foolish, Packet of Peace, etc. Outrageous. What a great afternoon round my mate’s house that was.
I knew you’d have Flexistentialism, you little tinker.
One if those where CD buyers got stiffed, as I recall.
Big up for Dark Was The Night. Superb!
Just a minute, funkateers – I almost forgot Streetsounds! The main albums were brilliant but I loved the other series too, particularly the Crucial Electro ones.
Whatever happened to Morgan Khan?
They also put out a great high energy compilation. Now *there’s* a genre that has pretty much vanished from the history of music.
Hi-Energi basically became house, non?
Another vote for Streetsounds. A vital lifeline for hip-hop heads, especially in the provinces where there was no pirate radio to hear such records.
Kinda. The sound sort of diffused into house, techno and Europop-style dance pop. SAW and Ian Levine basically made the poppier end of hi-NRG the sound of the 80s charts through the likes of Kylie, Dead or Alive, Bananarama, Hazell Dean etc.
Speak of the devil!
https://www.theguardian.com/music/2022/feb/22/morgan-khan-street-sounds-compilations-unsung-hero-made-uk-dance
Great piece. Slightly disappointed by his adoption of “vinyls”..
I’ve still got a few of the Street Sounds LPs, I don’t think they were great albums, but had enough great tracks to make them bargains. It doesn’t get a mention in the article, but the Jazz Juice series on the Streetsounds label were excellent and still make up a significant amount of the music played on JazzFM today.
I`m a sucker for Various Artist comps of lots of different genres. Here`s a list of the stuff I have:
INCENSE AND OLDIES (1970) (L.P.)
BUMPERS (1970) (L.P.)
FEEL LIKE I`M FIXIN` TO DIE (1988) (L.P.)
SUNNY AFTERNOONS (1995)
A WHOLE LOT OF RAINBOWS~SOFT POP NUGGETS
FROM THE WEA VAULTS (2005)
MY MIND GOES HIGH~PSYCHEDELIC POP NUGGETS
FROM THE WEA VAULTS (2005)
TEA & SYMPHONY: THE ENGLISH BAROQUE SOUND 1967-1974 (2007)
INSANE TIMES; British Psychedelic Artyfacts from the EMI Vaults (2007)
FORGE YOUR OWN CHAINS (2009) (L.P.)
PURE…PSYCHEDELIC ROCK (2010)
BOOK A TRIP ~ THE PSYCH POP SOUNDS OF CAPITOL RECORDS (2010)
FOLLOW ME DOWN: Vanguard`s Lost Psychedelic Era (1966-1970) (2011) (L.P.)
THE PSYCHEDELIC JOURNEY (2012)
UPSIDE DOWN: Volume One > 1966-1970 (2014)
CURIOSITY SHOP: Volume One (2014)
CURIOSITIES FROM THE SAN FRANCISCO UNDERGROUND
1965-1971 VOLUME ONE & TWO (2016)
PSYCHEDELIA: A 50 YEAR TRIP (2016)
ALICE IN WONDERLAND and other Rainy Day Girls (2013)
RUNNING DOWN THE VOODOO: Volume 1 (2017)
RUNNING DOWN THE VOODOO: Volume 2 (2018)
FADING YELLOW SERIES-VOLUME FIFTEEN: SUNSHOWERS (2018)
ALTERNATIVE SIXTIES (2018) (2L.P.)
A SLIGHT DISTURBANCE IN MY MIND:
THE BRITISH PROTO-PSYCHEDELIC SOUNDS OF 1966 (2020)
BANQUET: UNDERGROUND SOUNDS OF 1969 (2021)
GOOD AS GOLD: Artefacts Of The Apple Era 1967-1975 5CD Box Set (2021)
BREAKTHROUGH: Underground Sounds Of 1971 4CD Box Set (2021)
CELEBRATION: BIG SUR FOLK FESTIVAL 1970 (1970) 2000 Reissue
THE PSYCHEDELIC YEARS 1966-1969 (BOX SET) (1990)
THE PSYCHEDELIC YEARS REVISITED 1966-1969 (BOX SET) (1992)
NUGGETS: ORIGINAL ARTYFACTS FROM THE FIRST
PSYCHEDELIC ERA 1965-1968 (BOX SET) (1998) 4CD & (2L.P.)
NUGGETS II: ORIGINAL ARTYFACTS FROM THE BRITISH
EMPIRE AND BEYOND 1964-1969 4CD (BOX SET) (2001) CELEBRATION: THE BIG SUR FOLK FESTIVAL 1970 (2000)
MOJO PRESENYS ACID DROPS, SPACEDUST & FLYING
SAUCERS (BOX SET) (2001) FOREVER CHANGING: THE GOLDEN AGE OF ELEKTRA RECORDS 1963 – 1973 (2006)
NEVER EVER LAND: TEXAN NUGGETS 1965 – 1970 (2008)
LOVE IS THE SONG WE SING SAN FRANCISCO NUGGETS 1965 ~ 1970 (2009)
THE PERFUMED GARDEN 5 CD BOX SET (2009)
LOVE, POETRY AND REVOLUTION 1966 – 1972 Box Set (2013)
THE RUBBLE COLLECTION: VOLUMES 1 -20 (2014)
PICCADILLY SUNSHINE: VOLUMES 1-10 (2015)
PICCADILLY SUNSHINE: VOLUMES 11-20 (2019)
ANOTHER SPLASH OF COLOUR:
New Psychedelia In Britain 1980-1985 3CD BOX SET (2016)
CIRCUS DAYS: POP PSYCH OBSCURITIES 1966-1972 6CD Box Set (2016)
NIGHT COMES DOWN:
British Mod, R&B. Freakbeat & Swinging London Nuggets 3CD Box Set (2017)
LET THE ELECTRIC CHILDREN PLAY:
Transatlantic Records 1968-1976 (2017)
REVOLUTIONARY SPIRIT
THE SOUND OF LIVERPOOL 1976-1988 5CD Box Set (2018)
COME JOIN MY ORCHESTRA (2018)
GATHERED FROM COINCIDENCE
THE BRITISH FOLK-POP SOUND OF 1965-66 3CD Box Set (2018)
REVOLUTION: UNDERGROUND SOUNDS OF 1968 3CD BOX SET (2019)
LOSING TOUCH WITH MY MIND:
PSYCHEDELIA IN BRITAIN 1986-1990 3CD BOX SET (2019)
LULLABIES FOR CATATONICS:
British Avant-Pop/Art Rock Scene 1967-74 (2019)
FUZZ, FLAYKES & SHAKES: “60s GARAGE, PUNK,
ELECTRIC FOLK & PSYCHEDELIC WONDERS” VOL. 1-7Box Set (2019)
PSYCHEDELIC SIXTIES 2CD (2019)
THE KSAN COLLECTION: SAN FRANCISCO (1966-68) 6CD Box Set (2019)
WHERE THE ACTION IS: LOS ANGELES NUGGETS (2019) (2L.P.)
ENGLISH FREAKBEAT: VOLUMES 1-6 6CD Box Set (2019)
JUST A FIXATION: Flower Powered
Trippers From The British Psychedelic Subculture 3CD Box Set (2019)
HALCYON DAYS: 60`s MOS, R&B, BRIT SOUL & FREAKBEAT NUGGETS (2020)
THE ELECTRIC MUSE REVISITED The Story of Folk into Rock and Beyond 4CD (2021)
I THINK I`M GOING WEIRD: Original Artefacts From
The British Psychedelic Scene 1966-1968 5CD Box Set (2021)
LET`S GO DOWN AND BLOW OUR MINDS:
The British Psychedelic Sounds Of 1967 3CD Box Set (2016)
LOOKING AT THE PICTURES IN THE SKY
The British Psychedelic Sounds of 1968 3CD Box Set (2017)
TRY A LITTLE SUNSHINE
The British Psychedelic Sounds Of 1969 3CD Box Set (2018)
NEW MOON`S IN THE SKY
The British Progressive Pop Sounds of 1970 3CD Box Set (2019)
BEYOND THE PALE HORIZON
The British Progressive Pop Sounds of 1972 3CD Box Set (2021)
LATE NIGHT TALES KHRUANGBIN (2020) (2L.P.
A FEAST OF IRISH FOLK (1977) (L.P.)
FALLEN ANGELS (1999)
NEW HIGHWAY: RETURN TO VIVA AMERICANA (1999)
ESSENTIAL AMERICANA: THE SOUND OF SPIT AND POLISH (2005)
BACK TO CALIFORNIA (2006)
GARDEN OF DELIGHTS (2006)
STRANGE COUNTRY (2006)
STRANGE FOLK (2006)
CALIFORNIA DREAMING: THE CREAM OF `70`S L.A. ROCK (2007)
COUNTRY AND WEST COAST: THE BIRTH OF COUNTRY ROCK (2008)
THE ESSENTIAL GUIDE TO NEW ORLEANS (2008)
A BEGINNER`S GUIDE TO AMERICANA (2010)
A BEGINNER`S GUIDE TO FOLK (2010)
SUMMER TURNS TO AUTUMN (2010)
GREATEST EVER COUNTRY ROCK: The Definitive Collection (2011)
GREATEST EVER! COUNTRY ROCK 3 CD (2013)
THE GREENWICH VILLAGE FOLK SCENE –
60 Songs From The American Folk Revival (2014)
NATIVE NORTH AMERICA VOL. 1 (2014)
COSMIC COUNTRY (2014)
COSMIC COUNTRY (2014) (L.P.)
SUMER IS ICUMEN IN: The Pagan Sound Of British & Irish Folk 1966-75 (2020)
CHOCTAW RIDGE:
New Fables Of The American South 1968 – 1973 (2021) (2L.P.)
ANTI – NUCLEAR DISARMANENT RALLY: CENTRAL PARK NYC `82 (2018)
THE GREENWICH VILLAGE FOLK SCENE; Original Album Series (2014)
THE EVEN DOZEN JUG BAND
THE EVEN DOZEN JUG BAND (1964)
THE BLUES PROJECT
THE BLUES PROJECT (1964)
PHIL OCHS
I AIN`T MARCHING ANYMORE (1965)
FRED NEIL
BLEECKER & MACDOUGAL (1965)
TOM PAXTON
AIN`T THAT NEWS (1965)
NEW MUSIC FROM THE NEW WEST (2015)
DYLAN/CASH AND THE NASHVILLE CATS (2015)
DUST ON THE NETTLES: A Journey Through The British
Underground Folk Scene 1967-1972 (2015)
FOLKLORE (2016)
STRANGERS IN THE ROOM
A Journey Through The British Folk-Rock Scene 1967-73 3CD BOX SET (2019)
REVENGE OF THE SURF INSTRUMENTALS (1995)
SURF CITY ~ THE CALIFORNIA SOUND (1995)
THAT`S ROCK`N`ROLL (1995)
THE WILD ANGELS ~ NEW YORK GIRL GARAGE GROUPS OF THE SIXTIES (1996) (L.P.)
BLUNDERBUSS ~ SCATTERSHOT SLEAZE 58-67 (2004) (L.P.)
BIG WAVES ~ FIVE DECADES OF SURF ROCK (2007)
THE SUN RECORDS ANTHOLOGY (2008)
SON OF BLUNDERBUSS # MORE SCATTERSHOT SLEAZE 58-67 (2011) (L.P.)
TEENAGE BLUES: PRIMITIVE ROCKABLLY AND HILLBILLY BOP (2013)
SUPER RARE ROCKABILLY (2014)
SURF! The Absolutely Essential 3CD Collection (2015)
POPCORN EXOTICA (2015)
VIVE LE ROCK: The Unruly World of French Rock `n` Roll 1956 to 1961 (2015)
THE EARLY SOUNDS OF GARAGE ROCK (2018)
THE BEST PROG ROCK ALBUM IN THE WORLD…EVER (2003)
STRANGE PLEASURES: FROM THE GOLDEN AGE OF BRITISH PROG (2008)
WONDROUS STORIES (2010)
PROGRESSIVE ROCK TRILOGY (2011)
SPACE HYMNS: AN INTRODUCTION TO PROG ROCK (2011)
PROG ROCKS! Vol. 1 (2011)
GREATEST EVER! – PROG ROCK (2012 )
PROG ROCKS! Vol. 2 (2012)
PROG ROCKS! 5 CD BOX SET (2013)
PROG ROCKS! Vol. 3 (2014)
PROG ROCKS! Vol. 4 (2014)
PROG BOX (2014)
KRAUTROCK
DEUTSCHE ELEKTRONISCHE MUSIK 1 (2010)
KRAUTROCK (2012)
DEUTSCHE ELEKTRONISCHE MUSIK 2 – RECORD A (2013) (L.P.)
DEUTSCHE ELEKTRONISCHE MUSIK 2 – RECORD B (2013) (L.P.)
DEUTSCHE ELEKTRONISCHE MUSIK 4 2CD (2020)
THE KRAUTROCK & PROGRESSIVE 6 CD Box Set (2016)
KRAUTROCK: music for your brain Vol. 1 (2005)
KRAUTROCK: music for your brain Vol. 2 (2007)
ORIGINAL ALBUM SERIES: KRAUTROCK (2016)
PARZIVAL – LEGEND (1971)
MESSAGE – MESSAGE (1973)
LA DUSSELDORF – VIVA (2004)
ASTERIX – ASTERIX (1971)
GIFT – GIFT (1972)
ORIGINAL ALBUM SERIES: KRAUTROCK 2 (2016)
PARZIVAL – BAROCK (1998)
MESSAGE – SYNAPSE (1976)
SATIN WHALE – LOST MANKIND (1975)
KIN PING MEH – CONCRETE (1976)
GIFT – BLUE APPLE (1974)
ORIGINAL ALBUM SERIES: KRAUTROCK 3 (2017)
DOLDINGERS MOTHERHOOD ~ MOTHERHOOD (1970)
POPOL VUH ~ DAS HOHELIED SALOMOS (1975)
GILA ~ BURY MY HEART AT WOUNDED KNEE (1973)
DIEZ & BISCHOF ~ DAYBREAK (1975)
DENNIS ~ HYPERTHALAMUS (1975)
THE OLD GREY WHISTLE TEST
THE OLD GREY WHISTLETEST: FOLK (2011)
EASY RIDERS: CLASSIC ROCK, FOLK & PROG 3CD (2018)
CHERRY BOMBS: CLASSIC POST-PUNK & NEW WAVE 3CD (2018)
JETBOYS AND LADYTRONS:
CLASSIC ART-ROCK, PROG AND SOUL. 3CD (2018)
THE BEST ROCK ALBUM IN THE WORLD…II (1995)
EVERY DAY IS EARTH DAY(1997)
THE SUMMER OF LOVE ALBUM (1998)
THE BEST SIXTIES SUMMER…EVER (1998)
SIXTIES SUMMER LOVE (1999)
THE BEST ALBUM TRACKS…EVER! (2000)
SIXTIES JUKEBOX CLASSICS (2002)
FAB GEAR: Classic Flower Power Pop (2007)
MAGIC BUS: 3 CDs of Huge Hits from The Hippie Trail (2015)
GET TOGETHER: The Colourful Sound of the Sixties (2015)
BOBBY GILLESPIE PRESENTS
SUNDAY MORNIN` COMIN` DOWN (2015) (L.P.)
SILVER AND SUNSHINE: SOFT ROCK NUGGETS Vol.1 (2017)
SUMMER OF LOVE: The Ultimate Sixties Summer Anthems (2017)
THE GREATEST SIXTIES ALBUM 4CD (2018)
SUNSHINE SIXTIES 3CD (2018)
JON SAVAGE (Compilations))
1965 ~ THE YEAR THE SIXTIES IGNITED (2015)
1966 ~ THE YEAR THE DECADE EXPLODED (2016)
1967 ~ THE YEAR POP DIVIDED (2017)
1968 ~ THE YEAR THE WORLD BURNED (2018)
1969-1971 ~ ROCK DREAMS ON 45 (2019)
1972-1976 ~ ALL OUR TIMES HAVE COME (2021)
BOB STANLEY & PETER WOODS PRESENT;
ENGLISH WEATHER (2017)
PARIS IN THE SPRING (2018)
STATE OF THE UNION: The American Dream In Crisis 1967 – 1973 (2018)
Rock/Psychedelia/Folk/Blues/Jazz etc Record Label Compilations
ACE
SILVER DISC: 25 YEARS OF ACE (2000)
THE BEST OF GOLDEN CREST: 40 TALL COOL ONES (2010)
GARAGE BEAT & PUNK ROCK (2010)
SOUNDS OF THE UNEXPECTED (2017)
ALBION
STRANGE JAZZ (2008)
APPLESEED RECORDINGS
SOWING THE SEEDS – THE 10th ANNIVERSARY (2007)
APPLESEED`S 21st ANNIVERSARY: ROOTS AND BRANCHES 3CD Set (2018)
BLIND PIG RECORDS
20th ANNIVERSARY COLLECTION (1997)
25th ANNIVERSARY COLLECTION (2002)
30th ANNIVERSARY COLLECTION (2006)
40th ANNIVERSARY COLLECTION (2017)
CBS
THE ROCK MACHINE TURNS YOU ON (1967) (L.P.)
MELODY MAKER ~ FRONT RUNNERS (1975) (L.P.)
IMMEDIATE
THE IMMEDIATE COLLECTION (1995)
ISLAND
YOU CAN ALL JOIN IN (1969) (L.P.)
NICE ENOUGH TO EAT (1970) (L.P.)
STRANGELY STRANGE BUT ODDLY NORMAL (2005)
MEET ON THE LEDGE ~ AN ISLAND FOLK-ROCK ANTHOLOGY (2009)
SEE FOR MILES
10th ANNIVERSARY SAMPLER (1992)
SEQUEL
THE SEQUEL RECOERDS PROGRESSIVE ROCK SAMPLER (1992)
RYKO: THE ANTHOLOGY (2004)
THAT`S PROPER FOLK (2008)
REAL WORLD 25 BOX SET (2014)
LOSING OUR VIRGINITY: THE FIRST 4 YEARS `73 – `77 (2013)
TAD
RUNNING THE VOODOO DOWN (2016)
RUNNING THE VOODOO DOWN VOL:2 (2018)
TRUE NORTH
THE SOUND OF TRUE NORTH (2020)
MOJO MAGAZINE CDs
JOURNEY TO LOVE: RARE & EARLY ELEKTRA CLASSICS (2010)
PAINT IT BLACK (2016)
GIMME DANGER: MOJO PRESENTS A DESERT ROCK COMPILATION (2016)
DESERT ROCK SONGS (2017)
PIGS MIGHT FLY: A COMPENDIUM OF PROGRESSIVE SOUNDS (2017)
MURDER BALLADS (2017)
KISS THE SKY (2017)
RETURN TO THE STAR CLUB (2017)
NEU DECADE (2017)
2000 LIGHT YEARS FROM HOME (2018)
REVOLUTION BLUES (2018)
BIG SENSATIONS (2018)
MOJO & TROGAN PRESENT REGGAE NUGGETS (2018)
MERSEY PARADISE (2018)
MOTOR CITY SOUL (2019)
THE NEW THUNDER REVIEW (2019)
ISLAND RADICALS (2019)
PSYCH OPS! 15 NEW GARAGE ROCK NUGGETS (2021)
THE BLACK KEYS PRESENT: THE HILL COUNTRY BLUES (2021)
YOU GOTTA MOVE: The Rock & Soul Sounds Of Muscle Shoals, Alabama (2021)
SAND BLASTERS: A Raising Sand
Companion ~ 15 Songs Chosen By Robert Plant & Alison Krauss (2021)
“FAB GEAR!” MOJO Presents 15 Customised Beatles Covers (2021)
UNCUT MAGAZINE AMERICANA CDs
SOUNDS OF THE NEW WEST:
THE BEST OF ALTERNATIVE COUNTRY (1998)
MORE SOUNDS OF THE NEW WEST: THE BEST OF AMERICANA 2000 (2000)
SOUNDS OF THE NEW WEST VOL 3: THE BEST OF AMERICANA 2001 (2001)
AMERICANA 2004 (2004)
THE NEW FRONTIER: AMERICANA THE NEXT GENERATION (2007)
SOUNDS OF THE NEW WEST: THE CLASS OF 2016 (2016)
SOUNDS OF THE NEW WEST VOL.5 (2020)
……………
UNCUT CDs
PROTEST NOW! (2017)
MOTOWN AND SOUL COMPILATIOMS
MOTOWN CHARTBUSTERS VOL. 1 – 10
THIS IS CHARLY R & B (1987)
SOUL DECADE: THE SIXTIES (1990)
TAKE ME TO THE RIVER: A Southern Soul Story 1961-1977 (2008)
BACK TO THE RIVER: More Southern Soul Stories 1961-1978 (2015)
CLASSIC STAX (2016)
REGGAE & SKA COMPILATIONS
20 REGGAE CLASSICS (1984) (L.P.)
TROJAN D.J. BOX SET (1998)
TROJAN SKA BOX SET (1998)
TROJAN PRODUCER SERIES BOX SET (1999)
TROJAN RASTAFARI BOX SET (2000)
THE TROJAN STORY (2003)
THE ROOTS OF REGGAE III (1992)
THE HISTORY OF BLUE BEAT/THE BIRTH OF SKA (2013)
JAMAICAN EXPLOSION (Mojo) )2016)
GUSSIE CLARK DUB ANTHOLOGY 3CD/DVD Box Set (2018)
SOUL JAZZ RECORDS PRESENT 100% DYNAMITE! (2015) (L.P.)
WORLD MUSIC COMPILATIONS
A NIGHT IN HAVANA (2003)
A NIGHT IN RIO (2005)
SOUND OF THE WORLD (2007)
BEYOND THE HORIZON: SOUND OF THE WORLD (2008)
HABIBI FUNK (2017)
CUBA MUSIC AND REVOLUTION:
Experiments In Latin Music 1975-85 2CD (2020)
ROUGH GUIDE TO…..
PSYCHEDELIC BRAZIL 2CD (2013)
LATIN PSYCHEDELIA 2CD (2013)
PSYCHEDELIC SALSA (2015)
PSYCHEDELIC SAMBA (2015)
PSYCHEDELIC CUMBIA (2015)
BLUES/FUNK
THE BLUES GUITAR BOX (1990)
ATLANTIC BLUES ~ 8 L.P. BOX SET (1986) (L.P.)
CHESS – THE RHYTHM AND THE BLUES (1988) (L.P.)
NEW ORLEANS FUNK: The Original Sound Of Funk 1960-75 (2000) (L.P.)
BLUES BREAKERS! 15 CLASSIC TRACKS (Mojo Magazine) (2013)
ROOTS & BLUES: 20 CD Box Set (2014)
CONFESSIN` THE BLUES: 5 10” LP Box Set (L.P.)
OUR NEW ORLEANS: A BENEFIT ALBUM (2005) (2L.P.)
AN EASY INTRODUCTION TO THE BLUES 8CD Box Set (2018)
BLUES D.V.D.
Martin Scorsese Presents: THE BLUES – A Musical Journey 7 DVD Box Set (2003)
MOD (SOUL, POP, MOTOWN, NEW WAVE, 60`s-`70`s)
THE ULTIMATE COLLECTION 3CD S.E. (2018)
MOD: THE ULTIMATE COLLECTION – 5CD (2018)
JAZZ
JAZZ ON DISQUES VOGUE (2013) 20 CD BOX SET;
No 01: DJANGO REINHARDT;
SOUVENIRS DE DJANGO REINHARDT Vol. 1, 2 & 3.
No 02: DIZZY GILLESPIE; THE FABULOUSDIZZY GILLESPIE PLEYE!
JAZZ CONCERT 1948; MAX ROACH
No 03: ROY ELDRIDGE; AND HIS LITTLE BAND
ROY ELDRIDGE; JOUEPOUR LA DANSE
No 04; SIDNEY BECHET; SOUVENIRS – ON PARADE/AMBIANCE BECHET
No 05; MARY LOU WILLIAMS; PLAYS IN LONDON
MARY LOU WILLIAMS QUARTET!
No 06; MARTIAL SOLAL TRIO; MARTIAL SOLAL TRIO Vol. 2
No 07; LEE KONITZ; PLAYS
No 08; LIONEL HAMPTOM; JAZZ TIME PARIS Vol. 4, 5 & 6
No 09; CLIFFORD BROWN; GIGI GRYCE/CLIFFORD BROWN SEXTET/
CLIFFORD “BROWNIE” BROWN QUARTET!
No 10; BOBBY JASPAR; BOBBY JASPAR`S NEW JAZZ Vol. 1 & Vol. 2
No 11; JIMMY RANEY; VISITS PARIS
No 12; HENRI RENAUD; HENRY RENAUD ALL STARS Vol. 1 & Vol. 2
No 13; OSCAR PETIFORD; OSCAR PETIFORD SEXTET Vol. 1
No 14; RENE THOMAS; ET SONQUINTETTE
No 15; GERRY MULLIGAN; THE GERRY MULLIGAN QUARTET
3` SALON DU JAZZ, SALLE PLEYEL JUIN 1954
No 16; THEOLONIOUS MONK; PIANO SOLO
No 17; ROY HAYNES; MODERN GROUP – JIMMY JONES TRIO FEATURING
ROY HAYNES & JOE BENJAMIN
No 18; ANDRE HODEIR; ESSAIS – MUSIQUES DE FILMS
No 19, LALO SCHIFRIN; RENDEZ – VOUS DANSANT A COPACABANA
No 20; BARNEY WILEN; TILT
PSYCHEDELIC JAZZ (2008)
VARIOUS GENRE COMPILATIONS
BRINGING IT ALL BACK HOME (1991)
MELODY MAKER: REBELIOUS JUKE BOX (1993)
NME/CHARLY POCKET JUKEBOX (1993)
NME: POGO A GOGO (1993)
EMERALD ROCK (1995)
NAUGHTY RHYTHMS: THE BEST OF PUB ROCK (1996)
*Ice-T voice* – Thread killeerrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!!!
I got that Losing Our Virginity one, and then the other Virgin records sets – Never Trust A Hippy, New Gold Dreams, and Methods Of Dance
Following The Rules That Must Be Obeyed, Baron has listened to each and every comp on his list a minimum 6 times.
Gets calculator. Hits keys in random but learned fashion. Peers at the screen. Gets grandson to redo the math who announces –
“This Baron chap has been playing these records non-stop for the last forty three years.
Is everybody on this site as weird as him?”
“You ain’t seen nothing yet, my boy, you ain’t seen ..”
I’ve played the lot of them Lodey, many more than 6 times, very few just once, none never. The thing with record collecting is you don’t piss them against a wall.
Are my flies undone?
Have a look!
There is no better CD that goes better when reading “Chronicles Volume 1” than Mojo magazine’s “Dylan’s Scene.” Folk, blues, and a whole heap of weird poetry stuff.
Cherry Red – those that keep nicking money out of my bank account.
Well curated boxes mixing the obvious candidates with the forgotten about and the never heard before.
Don’t think I’ve bought a duff one yet
Oh Yes We Can Love – History of Glam Rock
Millions Like Us – Mod Revival
All The Young Droogs: 60 Juvenile Delinquent Wrecks
Oh! You Pretty Things: Glam Queens And Street Urchins 1970-76
Across The Great Divide ~ Getting It Together In The Country 1968-74
Riding The Rock Machine: British Seventies Classic Rock
Staring At The Rude Boys: The British Ska Revival 1979-1989
Harmony In My Head: UK Power Pop & New Wave 1977-81
Action Time Vision: A Story Of UK Independent Punk 1976-1979
To The Outside Everything A Story Of UK Post Punk: 1977-1981
Optimism / Reject ~ Punk And Post-Punk Meets D-I-Y Aesthetic
Oi! The Albums
Revolutionary Spirit – The Sound Of Liverpool 1976-1988
Musik Music Musique 1980: The Dawn Of Synth Pop
Musik Music Musique 2.0 The Rise Of Synth Pop
Electrical Language: Independent British Synth Pop 78-84
1977 – The Year Punk Broke
1978 – The Day The World Turned Dayglo
1979 – Revolt Into Style
Caught Beneath The Landslide – The Other Side Of Britpop
The Sun Shines Here – The Roots Of Indie Pop 1980-1984
Scared To Get Happy: A Story Of Indie-Pop ’80-’89
Axe Attack
Axe Attack Vol 2 (not as good as the first, but still worthwhile)
Metal For Muthas
Metal For Muthas Vol II (again, Vol 2 is not quite as good as Vol 1)
New Wave of British Heavy Metal ’79 Revisited (compile by Lars Ulrich)
NWOBHM – Lightning To The Nations
Anything on Ace, Soul Jazz, Charly or Cherry Red. That sorts it.
This is Louisiana on Ace a particular favourite.
Is the right answer
Back On The Road – 32 Tracks From The Progressive Underground (1988).
2 LP on Stylus – also available on CD, but (as was the time) with fewer tracks to fit in 74 minutes
https://www.discogs.com/release/1772051-Various-Back-On-The-Road
Reduced to 18 tracks (and the ordering revised) I have just seen,
Nearly half of it missing – CD owners certainly got the pooey end of the stick in 1988
I had it on double cassette, one of the few I bought. I was on a very long roadshow and had been listening to the same few taped for a month solid.
Not too fussed about compilations although I’ve got a handful that Hoovered up a number of punk/new wave and Bitpop era stuff. The only one I sought out was Charlie Gillett’s Another Saturday Night: Classic Recordings From The Louisiana Bayous.
That’s got Promised Land on it, and a gratutious reference to choogling in the sleevenotes. Excellent.
No mensh of the American Graffiti albums? The cream of early rock’n’roll and doowop with some impertinent interjections from Wolf man Jack. Hurray!
There was also a series of US radio station-based albums called Cruisin’
“Rebel Music – An Anthology of Reggae Music” (Trojan)
That compilation – and all the hundreds of records it led me to – have given me so much joy.
One of the first double albums I bought new, from a Reggae specialist shop overlooked by the huge wall around Winson Green prison. Wonderful.
My mum’s favourite LP
This Is Soul
A1 Wilson Pickett– Mustang Sally
A2 Carla Thomas– B-A-B-Y
A3 Arthur Conley– Sweet Soul Music
A4 Percy Sledge– When A Man Loves A Woman
A5 Sam & Dave– I Got Everything I Need
A6 Ben E. King– What Is Soul?
B1 Otis Redding– Fa-Fa-Fa-Fa-Fa (Sad Song)
B2 Eddie Floyd– Knock On Wood
B3 Solomon Burke– Keep Looking
B4 Aretha Franklin– I Never Loved A Man (The Way I Love You)
B5 Percy Sledge– Warm And Tender Love
B6 Wilson Pickett– Land Of A Thousand Dances
It’s part of my DNA.
Some more non-mixed comps
Artificial Intelligence (Warp) – very early chillout/intelligent techno etc.
Annie on One – full length Flowered Up Weekender! Sheep On Drugs, Sabres of Paradise and lots of other great stuff.
All the Trance Euro Express/Trance Atlantic series – they came with a book!
The chap behind those TEE comps, Rob Deacon, started out doing the Volume series (17 or 18, er, volumes) of CD-sized magazine with a CD. They were flipping ace, like an early-90s indie Smash Hits, fully of daft humour.
Rob died in a canoeing accident aged only 42.
https://chickswithdisks.wordpress.com/2018/09/27/volume-1/
That’s the one. I bought them all!
I am partial to a good compilation.
The one I listened to most over the years is probably The Biggest Dancehall Anthems 1979-82: The Birth Of Dancehall (https://www.discogs.com/release/527989-Various-The-Biggest-Dancehall-Anthems-1979-82-The-Birth-Of-Dancehall)
Mind you, a few of my favourite compilations are reggae – the Don Letts-compiled Dread Meets Punk Rockers Uptown, Reggae 93 from Island Records and the Rodigan 25th Anniversary compilation.
Apart from reggae a few of my favourites are:
Atlantic Soul Classics
Camelspotting
1234 Punk & New Wave 1976-1979 (more of a box set really. 4 CDs)
Deutsche Elektronische Musik (Especially the first volume)
Superfunk (Virgin 1995)
Survival (https://www.discogs.com/release/349506-Various-Survival)
And if soundtracks count then American Graffiti and Once Upon a Time in Mexico
I’ve bought more compilations than albums for years. I listen to soul more than anything and there aren’t nearly as many ‘canon’ soul albums as there are for rock, but there are so many great tracks to get hold of so the compilation is the way to go. Bound to miss something but here are some of my favourites:
Soul Survivors – https://www.discogs.com/master/1366467-Various-Soul-Survivors-40-Northern-Soul-Anthems (mentioned on here before but did more to shape my listening habits over the last quarter century than anything else)
Cooler Shakers: 30 Northern Soul Footstompers
Delta Swamp Rock
English Weather
100% Dynamite
Studio One Soul
Nuggets
One Way Glass: Dancefloor Prog, Brit Jazz & Funky Folk 1968 – 1975
Blaxploitation – https://www.discogs.com/release/551164-Various-Blaxploitation (plus sequels)
New Orleans Funk (Vols 1-3)
Georgie Fame Heard Them Here First!
Blue Juice (Vols 1-3)
Boombox 1 – Early Independent Hip Hop, Electro and Disco Rap 1979-82
Bossa Nova and the Rise of Brazilian Music in the 1960s
There was also a series of comps on Jamaican Jump Blues from budget label Fantastic Voyage about 10 years ago. Could be picked up for about a fiver, each volume was a triple CD so about 90 tracks and they were all a joy.
200% to 600% Dynamite were pretty good too.
Popshopping Vol 1 & 2
From Crippled Dick Hot Wax, two volumes of collected music used in German advertising in the 60s and 70s. Titter ye not, it’s topsa.
I thought you had invented that one, @sniffity! How wrong I was.
http://www.crippled.com/index.php5?cat=shop&id=51&sessid=10000_62
Now you’ve got me really curious.
http://www.crippled.com/?cat=products&subcat=129&id=65
I can now spend a happy day lost in a 1960s German consumer paradise.
Soul Survivors is fantastic. The northern soul compo market is frankly a den of thieves, but that one’s the real deal.
I used to have a northern soul compilation on Kent called “Footstompers”, which was pretty good.
https://www.discogs.com/release/1135182-Various-Footstompers
Born Bad
Is a series of 6 or 7 cds packed with songs by, or for, juvenile delinquents in the 50’s or 60’s. The albums are like soundtrack discs from an as yet unreleased Tarantino film.
They are full of songs like this, “Quick Joey Small” by Kasenatz Katz Singing Orchestra, a bubble gum style song about a prison escapee.
Some older compilation sets that I like and think qualify as genre classics (and are now only available in hard copies)
Universal Sounds of America (Soul Jazz): cosmic/fusion US jazz
David Toop (curator): Ocean of Sound 1-4, and Haunted Weather (Virgin): World music and avant-garde weirdness.
Folk is Not a Four Letter Word, vols. 1 and 2 (Finders Keepers): acid folk and strange pop
Fading Yellow, vol 1: arguably launched the 60s baroque pop collector fad, as acknowledged by Bob Stanley for his 2007 “Tea and Symphony” collection (itself now out of print and a classic) mentioned by the Baron above.
Monsters, Robots, and Bug Men (Virgin): c.1996 post-rock and anti-Britpop
Supersonics: 40 Junkshop Britpop Greats (RPM): lesser-known Britpop also-rans (much better than that might sound)
And I will add Somewhere Between: Mutant Pop, Electronic Minimalism & Shadow Sounds of Japan 1980-1988 (Light in the Attic), which I forgot to nominate for the “Best Reissue of 2021” poll last year.
The Ocean of Sound stuff is awesome.
One I keep returning to is What It Is! Funky Soul & Rare Grooves, a 4CD collection. I think if I could only listen to one music genre it would have to be funk.
Or possibly country soul. The Ace comp series Dirty Laundry is fab.
~ the ‘Sainsbury’ double albums done by Bob Stanley are very good, but I haven’t digitised them yet, so they don’t get listened to as much as;
~ the ‘Chilled Ibiza’ double cds. I often work to those, when I’m in the mood for music, and;
~ ‘White Mink, Black Cotton’. Electroswing – v – speakeasy jazz.
Away from home just now: but, off the top, the one I’ve played the most would be the original Front Line LP, I wore the grooves thin when it first came out.
More recently, Gather in the Mushrooms: the British Acid Folk Underground (1968 – 1974) has had regular spins; and the first of the Uncut Americana CDs, the one with Weightless Again on it.
Don’t know if they count in this context: but the two Greasy Truckers Party live LPs are also favourites and still get regularly played.
I’m sure there will be more…
A bit of Al Jones from the Mushrooms collection
So many great comps getting a mention on here, some that haven’t been (I think). All max 2 or 3 discs
Mojo’s Bad Seeds and Bad Seeds Jukebox albums are full of great stuff that influenced and have been selected by Nick Cave and the band
Late Night Tales sets, still going strong after a good few years and sending me down tons of rabbit holes
The first few Too Slow To Disco discs were really good with some obscure singer songwritery tracks
Tropicalia (a revolution in sound) on Soul Jazz. Exactly what the title suggests and not a single duffer on there.
The Sound of Philadelphia – Philadelphia Roots volume 2. Some brilliant pre-Philadelphia International tracks including a couple of rare early Three Degrees tunes showing them having a fair stab at psychedelic soul.
Spacelines – a compilation of tracks that influenced the Spacemen 3 compiled by Peter Kember
Most stuff on Ace or Soul Jazz is usually a blind buy for me as well
A really good Northern Soul comp is the two disc soundtrack to Elaine Constantine’s movie of the same name.
Oh yeah, that’s a stomper.
It really is superb.
Only downside is that the main character in the film looks like Gyles Brandreth doing the splits on the cover. I don’t mind a bit of GB but nobody really wants to see that
At least it isn’t the SoulBoy soundtrack, with LoD’s detective inspector Steve Arnott on the cover. In a none-more-70s two-tone-brown vest. Lucky we can’t see the matching Y-fronts.
https://www.discogs.com/release/10749298-Various-SoulBoy-Original-Motion-Picture-Soundtrack
Nasty!
One of those CDs that increases in value when you lose the case.
Quick shout for a couple of Nuggetsish beauties I have which I picked up in Revolver Records on the Triangle in Brizzle:
https://i.discogs.com/pFPv4aucKoErD4M6GEBaZxOXazZivuyibnvY3Gk1B_k/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:424/w:458/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWltYWdlcy9SLTIy/NTY4NDUtMTI3Mjcy/ODkzMi5qcGVn.jpeg
Firstly, the one called ‘Beyond The Calico Wall’
Park Avenue Playground – The Trip
The Hooterville Trolley – No Silver Bird
Afterglow – Susie’s Gone
The Flower Power – Mt. Olympus
The Pulse – Burritt Bradley
Rasputin & The Mad Monks – I Had Too Much To Dream (Last Night)
Alva Snelling – Clock On The Wall
The Spontaneous Generation – Up In My Mind
Cosmic Rock Show – Psiship
The Greek Fountains – An Experimented Terror
Duffy – Come Back, Come Back
The Pebble Episode – Tripsy
Bohemian Vendetta – Paradox City
Demons Of Negativity – Resurrection
And then the follow-up comp called ’30 Seconds Before The Calico Wall’.
https://i.discogs.com/AA1D8W5zxoiZTLrC-Ln3XozXuPq1gzHzLZpYnioMoWo/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:600/w:600/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWltYWdlcy9SLTE0/OTIzNzUtMTQxNDk1/MDU2My00ODM4Lmpw/ZWc.jpeg
Funny, given the roots of this site, that nobody’s mentioned Now Hear This.
Well, not funny perhaps…
1. Has anyone mentioned “The Indestructible Beat of Soweto” (1985) yet? No?
Well, I’ll mention it then.
Great compilation. Opened my eyes to South African music, particularly mbaqanga.
2. There was a cheap 1991 World Circuit compilation album called “Boiling Point – Music from Hot Countries”.
Absolutely top stuff. It had Orchestra Baobab on it. And Ali Farka Touré. And Oumou Sangaré. Magic.
I can’t not read Ali Farka Toure in Andy Kershaw’s voice.
Same here. Followed by ‘here’s Sleepy La Beef, the moo-ing man-mountain from Arkansas’ (etc.)
Similarly Alexis Korner relishing the name “Little Willie Littlefield”.
Nor ‘Bamoko’.
Not sure anyone has mentioned yet …
Mojo’s Maximum 66
Stand Up and Be Counted: Soul, Funk and Jazz From a Revolutionary Era (Vols 1 & 2)
Spritland
Andy Weatherall’s 9 O’Clock Drop
Make Music
As We Travel
Jon Savage’s Meridian 70
Doing it for the Kids. The Creation records sampler from around 1988, so pre-Teenage Fanclub and O**** which cost 1.99 I think. Listened recently and most hasn’t aged well, but when I was 15 it was the most exciting thing imaginable. Still listen to House of Love, Weather Prophets and Felt (and very occasionally My Bloody Valentine and Primal Scream).
Without any doubt it’s a D&B compilation I bought in America around 1997. It’s called ‘History Part 2 – The Rough & The Smooth. I’m going to listen to it right now actually.
1 Origin Unknown–Valley Of The Shadows
2 Renegade Featuring Ray Keith–The Terrorist
3 Asylum (9)–Da Bass II Dark
4 Sound Of The Future–The Lighter (VIP Mix)
5 Aladdin–We Enter
6 Aphrodite–The Bomber
7 Rufige Kru–Fury (Goldie’s Dub Plate Remix)
8 Dead Dred–Running The Family
9 Engineers Without Fears Featuring DJ Rap & Aston–Spiritual Aura
10 88.3 Feat. Lisa May–Wishing On A Star (Urban Shakedown Mix)
11 Alex Reese*–Pulp Fiction
12 LTJ Bukem–Horizons
13 Adam F–Circles (Alternate Mix)
14 Photek–Complex
15 Foul Play–Music Is The Key (Omni Trio Remix)
16 Technical Itch–Can’t You See (Dub Mix)
17 Rae*–Free Rolling
18 Dave Wallace–Expressions
19 Omni Trio–Who Are You?
20 Jonny L–This Time (Original & Dub)
When every purchase was a carefully considered investment, compilation albums were always a temptation. A couple that stand out for me were / are
The Guitars That Destroyed The World
https://www.discogs.com/master/426498-Various-The-Guitars-That-Destroyed-The-World
Complied by Blue Oyster Cult producer Murray Krugman it induced a life long interest in BOC as well as Johnny Winter and Spirit
The Guitar Album
https://www.discogs.com/master/288289-Various-The-Guitar-Album
I already knew about Clapton and Gallagher but this got me interested in the 3 Kings plus Shuggie Otis.
An honourable mention as well to the compilations issued by Sounds which you could get by collecting some tokens and paying the postage. I think there were something like 7 volumes in all. Where else would you find Pat Travers on the same album as The Jam and Gene Clark,
https://www.discogs.com/release/1507473-Various-Good-For-Nothing-The-Sounds-Album-Vol-1
I occasionally get caught up in compilation wormholes. Series I can commend are the Albion records Strange series, which are four, namely Strange Folk, Strange Country, Strange Jazz and Strangge Soul. Scanning my shelves I also have the two volumes of This Is Americana. Also the paired Beyond Nashville and Beyond Mississippi, the former followed by Further Beyond Nashville and Way Beyond Nashville. Also the three disc sets of The Essential Guide to Folk, to American Roots, to Country and to World Music. Another 3 disc Beginners Guide to World Music, a 4 disc Pure Blues, a 4 disc Classic Jazz and a 2 disc Punk I won in a competition.
A mention for the Jazz Juice series on Streetsounds, compiled by Gilles Peterson – 8 volumes. Pure jazz dance floor goodness.
BGP Make Way for the Originals. Retailed for around three of your Earth pounds and is funkier than the Harlequins’ laundry hamper.
Eg.
Cordon Blue. The equivalent of a YouTube-heavy Afterword thread where a bunch of irrelevant music appears together because it has one completely incidental thing in common: in this case foodstuffs in the title.
Accidentally this one turns out to be brilliant on account of the manifold richness of the Blue Note catalogue.
https://www.discogs.com/release/9106243-Various-Cordon-Blue-Savour-The-Soul-Sauce-With-Blue-Note
I think this could be rather good.
https://www.cherryred.co.uk/product/i-love-to-see-you-strut-more-60s-mod-rnb-brit-soul-and-freakbeat-nuggets-3cd/
Loved the Halcyon Days one.
“find the Hidden Door” – choon!
Which reminds me of this, one of the greatest albums ever to have existed.
https://www.discogs.com/release/575001-Various-The-Psychedelic-Years-Revisited
Beefheart! Kak! Quintessence! er, Heavy Jelly!
I had this Originals which was marketed in the light of the Nick Kamen, Grapevine, laundrette ad. Every track’s a winner, some obvious, others more of an education, like Shotgun and Barefootin’.
https://www.discogs.com/release/1689608-Various-The-Originals
There were a lot of dance music comps in the 80s. A golden age for those kind of sounds, like house, hiphop, soul etc. I used to get Upfront collections which had such gems as Princess Say I’m Your Number One and Fatback Band I Found Lovin’.
Fantastic album.
I still have this belter, from the good people at K-Tel no less.
https://www.discogs.com/master/286762-Various-TSOP-The-Sound-Of-Philadelphia
Nice
A really brilliant Eric Clapton CD. That doesn’t feature Eric Clapton.
https://www.discogs.com/release/14612920-Various-From-Ripley-To-Chicago-26-Original-Cuts-That-Inspired-Eric-Clapton
Similarly, the Beatles Beginnings CDs are hugely entertaining. Great sleevenotes too.
https://www.discogs.com/label/1407383-Beatles-Beginnings
There were some great Fabs-related collections on (natch) Ace: You Heard It Here First featuring the original I Got My Mind Set On You, I’m sure there was a They Heard Them Here First but I can’t find it, and some great Fabs covers collections under the Black America Sings banner.
And then there’s the recent “Hurdy Gurdy Songs – Words & Music By Donovan 1965-1971”, featuring cover versions of our favourite unique and humble talent:
https://acerecords.co.uk/hurdy-gurdy-songs-words-music-by-donovan-1965-1971
THE TRIP: CURATED BY JARVIS COCKER AND STEVE MACKEY…IS A FUN LISTEN
1.01 Carl Orff– Gassenhauer 2:54
1.02 The Birthday Party– Release The Bats 2:28
1.03 Porter Wagoner– The Rubber Room 2:37
1.04 Psychic TV– Just Drifting 3:36
1.05 Dory Previn– The Lady With The Braid 3:55
1.06 Bob Lind– Cool Summer 5:43
1.07 Gene Pitney– 24, Sycamore 3:16
1.08 The Animated Egg– Sock It My Way 3:19
1.09 The Beach Boys– Feel Flows 4:35
1.10 Bonnie Dobson– Winter’s Going 2:40
1.11 Arlo Guthrie– I’m Going Home 3:14
1.12 Bobby Bare– Don’t Think Twice, It’s All Right 2:38
1.13 Alan Vega– Juke Box Babe 4:31
1.14 OMD*– Waiting For The Man 2:53
1.15 The Human League– Rock N’ Roll / Night Clubbing 3:29
1.16 Lieutenant Pigeon– The Villain 1:30
1.17 Add N To (X)– King Wasp 3:29
1.18 The Fall– Lost In Music 3:46
1.19 Moondog (2)– Pastoral 2:36
2.01 Elton Motello– Jet Boy, Jet Girl 3:06
2.02 The Polecats– John, I’m Only Dancing 2:19
2.03 Electronicat– Wop Do Wop 3:43
2.04 Johnny Wakelin– In Zaire 3:13
2.05 Quix*o*tic– Anonymous Face 3:33
2.06 Jonathan Richman & The Modern Lovers– Egyptian Reggae 2:33
2.07 Lee Hazlewood– Pour Man 3:21
2.08 Screaming Lord Sutch– Flashing Lights 3:07
2.09 John Cooper Clarke– Beasley Street 6:25
2.10 David Essex– Rock On 3:11
2.11 Georges Delerue– Les Visiteurs 2:18
2.12 Sonny Bono– Pammie’s On A Bummer 4:34
2.13 Everly Brothers– I Wonder If I Care As Much 2:50
2.14 Dion (3)– Purple Haze 2:30
2.15 Neil Sedaka– Going Nowhere 3:55
2.16a The Ronald Binge Orchestra*– Sailing By 2:34
2.16b Buckethead– Wonka in Slaughter Zone 1:07
That ⬆️ is a strange compilation!
Strange, even stranger is it works really well…
Yes I agree, I have that and give it a spin once in a while. The “Trip” curated by Saint Etienne was also good.
While I’m here: the 11-disc Strictly Breaks series featuring the originals of songs sampled by hip hop hits is rather wonderful. With wonderful B-Boy artwork to boot.
Similar fare from Blue Note’s Blue Break Beats series.
Remember “Rare Groove”? This was a corker:
https://www.discogs.com/release/1299898-Various-The-Message-Some-Rare-Grooves-Vol-II
Can’t speak for Vol 1, it looks goo tho’. Pee Wee Ellis!
Some more comp’s not yet mention????
American Roots Songbook – The Blues – To Name A Few,
“Traditional Blues From Heartland”
“From Windy Chicago To California”
“From Memphis To Mississippi”
“From Yesterday’s Masters To Today’s Cutting Edge”
Galactic Zoo Dossier
“Every day Since “66”
“Ascension Days”
“Teenage Meadows Of Infinity”
Bath Festival Of Blues 1969& Progressive Music.
Vox Magazine put out a few comp’s
Not FORGETTING our Metal Mateys – KERRANG – METAL HAMMER – besides the Classic Rock Mag & The PROG mag comp’s.
If you are into Doom/Black Metal etc – there is “Zero Tolerance Magazine Comp’s” – Yes I have a few.
Besides “UNCUT” “MOJO” – Record Collector put out a few comp’s like “The Roots Of Gram Parsons” etc.
I do believe Julian Cope put together some comp’s of “German-Kraut rock & Japanese Psych” have only read about that.
If interested in OZ comp’s try -“Psych Bites- Aus. Acid Freak Rock 1967 – 1974” or “Tomorrow Is Today-Tribute To Oz Psych Scene 1966 – 1970” plus many others that come from Radio Triple J’s “Hottest 100”.
Let US NOT forget wonderful Magazine “Ptolemaic Terrascope” put out some Great “POT Boiler Comp’s.
If you are into Surf Music go for the “Continental Magazine” good comp’s of Surf Instrumentals etc.
If you like Goth/Ethereal style music try Projekt Label Comp’s.
Zut alors! One more I’d forgotten about: Paris After Dark.
https://i.discogs.com/5vC0GFrysPgNQ4Ny_T80R0lPhjZqzMMSiqBGjjqHd0o/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:605/w:600/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWltYWdlcy9SLTY0/ODI0NjctMTQyMzc3/MzY0NS05MjMwLmpw/ZWc.jpeg
Alors! C’est magnifique…another one I own and listen to…
Hardcore blues. Not a black t-shirt or poodle-haircut in sight. The real deal.
https://www.discogs.com/release/11844888-Various-Chess-Blues-Guitar-Two-Decades-Of-Killer-Fretwork-1949-1969
From the same series, this hugely satisfying set.
https://www.discogs.com/release/6768981-Various-The-50th-Anniversary-Collection
There are people selling this for £3.50. Do yersels a favour…
Have you seen this:?
Quite apart from hundreds of magazine cover CDs, of highly variable quality, I have boxes and boxes of bought compilations and mix CDs from friends. Plus a shelf stacked with box sets.
Towards the end of the ’90s I started buying magazines with cover CDs to see if I was missing out on anything, as I felt my musical taste had been too narrow and had stagnated. This practice is what eventually led me to buying my first copy of The Word.
Most of the magazines held little interest beyond what was on the cover discs, but I found Word to be a pretty good read too and ended up subscribing.
Little did I know what I was letting myself in for.
No-one’s mentioned K-Tel, so I’ll nominate 1970s Oz release of “20 Electrifying Hits” as a winner.
Easy Come, Easy Go – Bobby Sherman
Spill The Wine – Eric Burdon & War
Tighter, Tighter – Alive & Kicking
Burning Bridges – The Mike Curb Congregation
Delta Lady – Joe Cocker
This Wheel’s On Fire – Flake
Never Marry A Railroad Man – Shocking Blue
Why Can’t I Touch You? – Ronnie Dyson
In The Summertime – Idle Race
Hi-De-Ho – Blood, Sweat & Tears
Montego Bay – Bobby Bloom
Knock Knock Who’s There – Liv Maessen
Wonderful World, Beautiful People – Jimmy Cliff
Melanie Makes Me Smile – The Strangers
Lay Down – Melanie
Big Yellow Taxi – The Neighbourhood
Yellow River – Autumn
What Have They Done To My Song Ma? – The New Seekers
Early In The Morning – Vanity Fair
Sunday Morning Coming Down – Johnny Cash
Not the hippest setlist by any means, but when you’re a ten year old pop fan, who cares (specially since it wasn’t till I was in my mid-20s that I bought it)? Some local covers of international hits, thanks to the radio ban, but otherwise a fairly solid set.
I mentioned K-tel!! TSOP above.
There’s also this. It’s ace!
https://www.discogs.com/release/811938-Various-Soul-Motion
On a disco tip, the two Rhythm Divine compos are hard to beat.
https://www.discogs.com/release/1793148-Various-Rhythm-Divine
https://www.discogs.com/master/185728-Various-Rhythm-Divine-2
Oops, soz Mr Moose.
Those K-Tel comps with 10 tracks on each side of an LP must have sounded terrible on a decent system.
Well, that’s the riff-raff element safely identified.
@Alias
You’d be too busy a-dicing and a-slicing veg in the kitchen with the Chopamatic to notice
@Alias
You’d be too busy a-dicing and a-slicing veg in the kitchen with the Chopamatic to notice
Rap’ Tou is for you!
Don’t forget Action Replay https://www.discogs.com/release/9548768-Various-Action-Replay
Samplers were the key. I’d suggest that Nice Enough To Eat caused more albums to be bought than any other. I’ve owned or borrowed a great many of these.
http://www.progarchives.com/artist.asp?id=2633
https://thefatangelsings.com/2020/07/26/various-artists-sampler-albums-1968-1975/