prisoners, the - Revenge of the Prisoners

As the Psychobilly and more stompin Garage were developing alongside, and sometimes crossing over, the promoters would often make some strange choices of line up, which would lead to some unfortunate bands getting grief.

I went to see Guana Batz around 84 and me and my mate joined a few other young Psychobillies to give the supporting Prisoners a hard time.

They came on and blew everybody away with their high powered, fckn superb, hammond driven garage rock. They rocked the place to the rafters and were a harrrddddd act to follow. I've loved them ever since.

enjoy. Track listing in comments

VA - Studio 1 Rockers

The Jamaican Studio 1 records produced great music at the same time as the more well known Trojan records.

This album I heard playing as I was going around some dodgy @rse London Market. I had to find the stall playing it and buy it straight away.

It is an amazing mixture of up tempo late sixties rocksteady, ska and early reggae.

Fkn great album for the summer. Get on it.

Track listing in comments

VA - Superfunk Vol.1

Kent records again with this excellent compilation of haaaarrrrrddddd funk.

Get on it

Track listing in comments

David Holmes presents Free Association

Bloody hard to catagorise this without putting off people who would love it.

This album is the product of a David Holmes led project, it kinda mixes Jazzy Rock, a bit of punk attitude and proper Funk with a hard edge of hip hop influence

This album is brilliant, even if you are not totally convinced by my description just give it a try. You will not regret it

Track listing in comments

VA - kent 238 double shot of soul

Great album from Kent who raided the vaults of the Double Shot label for these great tracks.

Late Sixties Soul and R"n"B with a proper funky vibe going on.

I challenge you to listen to "Foxy" bangin out "Trouble" and keep your feet from moving.

Track listing in comments

Orbital - Insides

Following a really good, uplifting festival moment with this band I came to the conclusion they were the best musical experience in the world ever, ever.

Once my head straightened itself out (ish) I realised that, perhaps, this was an overstatement.

I then bought this, their fourth album. It is great, slightly more chilled out than their first album and a masterpiece, fully deserving of all the praised heaped upon it. Enjoy.

Edwin Starr - Agent 00 Soul (live)

What can you say. It's Edwin Starr a great showman and a regular at mid eighties UK Scooter rallies. It didn't matter if it was a field or a Smokin' club he just knew how to fkn rock it and get thde crow really going.

This is why I chose his live album for this post simply because hearing him live brought back so many memories.

Studio albums will follow, but in the meantime whether you have the same memories or not just sit back and enjoy the master showman at his trade.

Tricky - Maxinaque

I first heard this album, before it won all its well deserved awards, in some strange house I had ended up in after one very f#cked up night.

Later on during the day I had to go and buy it, just to see if it was as amazing as I remembered. It was.

Bristols finest produced a moody, downtempo, trip hop that is so intense it will blow your mind. Enjoy

Link Wray - The Orginal Rumble

Link Wray is the godfather of the distorted guitar sound that so influenced garage, punk and heavy rock.

Just about any guitar driven, rough edged musician will name check Link all because of his raw, lowfi, distinctive sound

Fans include Quentin Tarantino & Robert Rodriguez have both got into this, using his tracks in Pulp Fiction and the Desperado.

I doubt anyone will like all the tracks here, but the ones you do like you will really, really love. Enjoy.

Boomtown Rats - Tonic for the Troops

The Boomtown Rats at their very best, before Bob Geldof got all involved with being a saint.

If you haven't heard this for a while them you must, if you have never heard this then you must. It's just simply great, balls out new wave.

Back when it came out I detested it out of principle as my older sister loved it.

She was right, dammit. Enjoy

Depth Charge - Nine Deadly Venoms

I was introduced to this by a mate who loves this side of music far more than me. He tried to describe it, I laughed and said never.

It mixes, breakbeat, dub and house together with samples from sources as diverse as martial arts films and the Simpsons.

I have had it on regular play for the last 2 years and I fkn love it. Enjoy.

Billy Childish and Holly Golightly in blood

The garageman and Holly get together on this album of duets to great effect.

Raw, lo-fi, rhythm"n"blues influnced garage. There isn't much to say about Billy Childish, if you want to know more about him, that is what Wikipedia is for.

There is something haunting about Holly Golightly's vocals on this album and they really work especially on the title track.

Enjoy

VA - Oi the Album

This early eighties album was compiled by Garry Bushell, who now writes for the Sun, when he was the great ambassoder for Oi, each week trying to get more fans of the music on board.

This is a good album which came out before the music became tainted by association with political views I strongly disagree with.

What you have got here is great quality, humerous, adrenaline fueled, hard drinking, obnoxious, street punk. Enjoy

Scientist - Rids the World of the Evil Curse of the Vampires

I've got a bit of a summer thing going on today and this fantastic dub album by the Scientist is just perfect for it.

Basslines to die for and just enough vocals looped in to keep the music moving on.

A great summer album, put your feet up, turn the stereo up and chill out.

Enjoy and smilllllllllllllllle

Shuggie Otis - Inspiration information.

Psychedelic Soul, layed back funk, souled up blues no idea how to categorise this exactly other than fkn excellent

This album is absolutely amazing I came across a couple or three years ago and it has theme tuned every sunny day since.

It was hidden away, known to little more than the real soul obsessives out there since its release in the early 70's and then it was re-released, to the purists disappointment, on CD.

This awesome collection of brilliant tunes includes the original of Strawberry letter 23, which the Brothers Johnson were so successful with. Once you have listened to Shuggie do this song, you will never be able to go back to the well known version (good quality steak vs value burger). In fact as you listen to it you will start to realise how many other artists have been influenced by this hidden gem.

Listen to this album, you will not regret it. Enjoy then encourage others to do the same

Dead Kennedys - Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables

This the first album by the American Punk band, which was released in 1980.

Arguably the only ever decent American punk and this album more than makes up for any of the dross released by other bands since.

This is angry young men producing a greaaaaaaaaaat punk album, one of the best ever done.

While some of the lyrics have dated the power, anger and superb music has not. Another one that should be illegal not to at least listen to. This is one of the best 5 punk albums ever for a reason . LISTEN

Gnarls Barkley - St Elsewhere

I absolutely love this album.

Rap producer Dangermouse and deep south rapper Cee-lo got together to produce this fantastic album.

Cee-lo's vocals have real, real soul feel to them. This allied with Dangermouses production abilities gave us the only true, true soul album in years.

None of this plastic, retro nonsense served up by Amy Winehouse and her contempories.

The Beach Boys - Pet Sounds

Always quoted as one of the best albums of "all time" by the whole rolling stone/Q/mojo old fellas music magazines.

I can no longer claim youth nor, I reckon, can many of you reading this.

And you know what this really is a masterful album put together by Brian Wilson before his drug intake seperated him from all reason for about 35 years.

Keb Darge's Legendary Deep Funk, Vol.1

You may have noticed by now that I am no music snob and I do love a good compilation, onus on the good.

By god this a a f#ckn amazing compilation of deep, deep funk put together by the legendary Northern soul and Deep funk DJ. F#'k me he knows his stuff.

Get all over this. Track list in comments

Remember above all else funk is not the muppet music blaring out of mark 1 escorts which was often the prelude to an "encounter" with our wedgeheaded mortal enemies.

The JB's - Food for Thought

The JB's, James Brown's backing band, let loose on their own always produced awesome funk and this was one of their better known albums.

Many of the tracks on this album will sound familiar as they have been sampled time and time again

If you have any liking at all for early funk this is a must. Try "n" then buy.

RL Burnside - A Ass Pocket Of Whiskey

Old bluesman RL Burnside hooked up with garage rocker Jon Spencer to produce this great album in 1996.

This was a great idea as Burnsides powerful authentic blues vocals works superbly with Jon Spencer leading the backing

If you are even vagualy interested by this description, take punt, you will not be disappointed

and you've gotta love the album cover

VA - This is ska

The suns out and it's the summer and that means ska compilations are us.

Every track will be like meeting an old friend, it is all well known and obvious and the better for it.

Enjoy yourselves

Track listing in comments

David Holmes - Let's get killed

This album released in the late 90's is draw droppingly good.

Mixing in New york street sounds with mellow dub influenced, then funky then almost techno sounds to produce this fantastic album.

In a completely differant league to his contempories.

sooooperb stuff.

Marvin Gaye - What's Going on

This is late 60's soul at its best.

Marvin Gaye makes clear social points in awe inspiringly good soul.

Nothing like the later music that he is, unfortunately, often remembered by.

Another album that everyone should own.

Howlin Wolfs - Rockin Chair

Howlin Wolf's second album.

It is great quality, blues, rhythm "n" blues, album that hugely influenced many 60's british groups including the Rolling Stones who released covers of the Wolfs songs.

Great stuff, enjoy.

The Sting-rays - On Self Destruct

The first single by the Stingrays. They mixed Psychobilly with garage and a lisping singer to produce their own unique sound.

Back in the 80's I saw this band live more times than is in anway sane, they were in brilliant live band which livened up every sleazy venue, inc the Klub Foot, that I was lucky enough to see them in.

They introduced me to garage music, which I will always be grateful for.

13th Floor Elevators - Psychadelic sounds of

This is the amazing first album by the 13th Floor Elevators.

Ignore any silly b#ll#cks about wether this is the first Psychadelic album or not and listen to one of the best druggy tinged Garage albums you are ever going to hear. /////////

I got into these in the 80's following the Stingrays cover of You're Gonna Miss Me and never looked back.

It's f#ckn great.

Kraftwerk - Trans-Europe Express

I really did not enjoy this album first time around, then 15 years later, when my tastes had been widened and mellowed by a fair few interesting experiences I retried it and loved it

Put aside your old beliefs and listen to this with an open mind it is great.

Links Fixed

Apologies for the noob error, all fixed.

If you come across a broken link please mention in the comments

The Cramps - Smell of Female

Live at the Peppermint lounge. This is the last good Cramps album released after years of disputes with their record label.

A fantastic band who produced a few superb albums, a legion of bootlegs and so many happy memories.

When this band covered a song, they f#kin owned it and they rocked the f#ckn place live. Poison Ivy mmmmmmmmmmmmmm

Their mixture of garage, rockabilly, trash and punk oozes out of the grooves. We will never see their like again.

RIP Lux.
LINK FIXED

Funkadelic - Funkadelic

The band debut album and definately the best introduction to their spaced out, trippin, f#cked up funk.

It has got to be one of the greatest funk albums, as long as you like it tripppyyyyyyyyyy.

James Brown - Turn it Loose

How do you start with JB. I'm lucky enough to have seen him live and he could rock a tent. The godfather himself, it's another great compilation with a fine track list. Go for it.

Soon I'll do some JB's which will really funk you

Mad 3 - God Fuzzer

This collection of 4 singles and 3 EPs released (94-99) really shows what this Japanese band can do. As always the vast majority are instrumentals. If you've not come across them before what you've got is a mixture of ingredients; 2 parts 60's garage, 3 parts Link Ray, a dash of motorhead, 2 splashes of the meteors, a twist of surf and a whole host of Mad 3, it all makes for a great sound.

If you get any of the ingrediants give them a go, you will not regret it.

Note to self: Link Wray.

Hardfi - Stars of CCTV

Good debut album from these Staines Boys. This album demonstrates the fantastic attitude and tunes.

Their follow up diluted just how good this is. If your not sure, just listen.

Enjoy and Enjoy some more

The Specials - The Specials

Absolutely amazing album from these Midlands lads. Elvis Costello produced this ska masterpiece and he really helped bring the spirit to the front.

Sixties Ska allied with Punk and Midlands lads attitude produced one of the best debut albums ever. Just as strong now as it was then.

Enjoy

Then enjoy some more. Well worth parting with your hard earned for.

Stiff little Fingers - Go for it

Their third album released in 1981. The bands musical style changing from Nobody's Heroes and Inflammable material, both excellent albums.

Here , much as is seen in the Clash's in Londons Calling, the band show other influences on their music.

If you've not heard this album, you should.

The Clash - Londons Calling

NEW LINK
I was going to post the singles collection, but i realised I have being posting too many compilations so:

We have the best Clash album. It was their third album and they really began to show their differant influences from ska, rockabilly, reggae and soul. Moving their music in new directions, whilst keeping the spirit.

I was lucky enough to see them in the early/mid eighties in Brixton and they f#ckin rocked

Great Band, Great Album, Enjoy

Various Artists - Gaz's Rockin Blues

A great compilation of 50's Rockin' Blues and Rhythm "n" Blues. It was compiled and released in the early eighties, by the legend Gaz Mayell, who has been running his Rockin Blues club night in Soho, London for nearly 30 years. He also fronts his own ska band the Trojans.

The album is very, very, strong Etta James appears twice with her amazing voice and John Lee Hooker, Richard Berry, BB king, etc etc just add more to the proceedings.

If this is outside your normal zone just listen and smile as your feet start tappin. Enjoy.

The Redskins - Neither Washington or Moscow

This is an absolute classic album released in the mid eighties. I bought the CD when the vinyl finally died. They wanted mix Motown with the Clash to produce their own sound and they produced this amazing album. It's lyrics are strongly political and now perhaps a bit dated. However firstly it captures the mood of the time and even the political views are not to your taste (now or in the past) the music surpasses political views on the classic tracks keep on keepin on and kick over the statues. Shame there are so few miners to support and Thatchers to hate.

Various Artists - Lets Boogaloo vol 1

This album is the first album in the series. It is packed with great dancable music that cannot fail to lift you. It opens strongly with Skeewiff doing Nitty Gritty. Not every track that follows nails it but the ones that do make the album well worth listening to.

If you like this check out the rest of the series.

Track list in comments

Bob Marley & the Wailers - Exodus

This album divides opinion.

I believe that it's intelligent lyrics, great melodies, linked with fantastic musicianship make it a real masterpiece.

Listen to it and make your own mind up

The Sonics - Psycho Sonic

Just been reviewing what I said we would put on this blog and realised that there was no garage yet. You don't get better than the Sonics out of 1960's Seattle everybody from the Cramps, via Primal Scream, to the White Stripes have covered or name checked them and for a damned good reason. This is a compilation album and if there is enough interest I'll write about more. You'll have to pick your own favourite from the Witch, Boss Hogg etc. Hard rockin Garage at its best. F#ck the New York Dolls as the roots of punk this is it.

Bar Keys - Soul Finger

First heard soul-finger in an allnighter in Morecombe on a rally in the mid eighties. It is a great track which years later led me to dig deeper to find out about the Bar-Keys. This is their first album that is out of the stax/volt archive and is worth any persons time who enjoys the soul/funk cusp. 4 members died in the same air crash that killed Otis Redding.

Black Grape - It's great when you are straight

Great album. Once you've listened go and buy it. The amazon description says it better than me "funk-splattered day-glo rap-rockers Black Grape". I saw them live at some tribal thingy just before my night got very messy and they blew the tent away. I believe this was Suan Ryder at his very best, Happy Mondays included. The humour, cynicism and madness in the lyrics ally with great beats. Even theCatholic church hated it. Greaaaaaaaaaaaat stuff.

The Jam - In the city

The Jams first album. It shows that they were still developing as they knitted motown harmonies, with punk attitude and Who/Kinks beats. Arguably not their best but it is an amazing statement of intent. Amazingly influential band.