The Vulture By Gil Scott-Heron

This collection carries the reader from the global topics of political hypocrisy and the dangers posed by capitalist culture to painfully personal themes and the realities of modern day life. The message is black, political, historically accurate and ucompromising. It sets out to illuminate a philosophy of life that holds human affection as well as artistic and political responsibility as the underlying factors that inspire his work.

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An amazing triple-disc collection from the godfather of seventies Iranian psychedelic rock, Kourosh Yaghmaei on Now Again! Merging the influence of Western garage rock bands such as The Kinks and The Doors, psychedelia and Iranian folkloric music. A well-loved artist within the Iranian diaspora, Kourosh's pre-revolution music was believed to be destroyed after Islamic fundamentalists took over Iran. Thankfully Kourosh saved them!

Funky basslines, rocky reverby guitar, traditional pulsating percussion, wigged-out psychedelia and melancholy progressive rock.

This is the first comprehensive biography of the most successful female vocal group of all time. The Supremes were the biggest American act of the 1960s, scoring more No. 1 hits than anyone but Elvis Presley and the Beatles. 

Import USA Hardback edition book OVER 50% OFF!!!! CHEAPER THAN AMAZON!

In collecting materials long unavailable, rare, or otherwise difficult to find, Joni: The Anthology illuminates the evolution of modern rock journalism while providing an invaluable and accessible guide to appreciating the highs--and the lows--of a twentieth century legend.

WOW!!!!! An AMAZING new compilation from Al Kent on the ever-brilliant BBE label! Quite possibly one of their best disco compilations EVER, matching the excellence of their 'Disco Spectrum', 'Disco Forever' and DJ Spinna 'Boogie Back' comps!

Boasting a massive FIVE discs, Al Kent has collected here some of the rarest, damn right funky afro-disco and groovy disco gems - all re-mastered, many re-editedand all of them killer! EXCELLENT!!! BUY!BUY!BUY!

Mellow rare groove classic featuring the blissed out must have title track "Everybody Loves The Sunshine", "It Ain't Your Sign It's Your Mind" and more!

HARD AND HEAVY USA IMPORT HARDBACK. £13 OFF - that's more than 50% OFF RETAIL PRICE

Take a journey through the history of metal music from its earliest roots with Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath to its popular modern incarnations like experimental black metal, stoner doom, and djent. Get incredible looks at modern prog metal musicians tearing up the fret board, or remember some of your favorite, old 38s from years gone by. Everything from AC/DC and Anthrax to Meshuggah and Mastodon is on display in this superfan's-eye-view exploration of metal’s most innovative and hardcore sounds that can be heard around the world. Co-authored by Axl Rosenberg and Chris Krovatin of the hugely popular blog metalsucks.com, this is a visually dynamic history, complete with exclusive band interviews, over 200 full colour photos, genre-by-genre playlists, and plenty more to keep you throwing horns all night long.

A change of style musically as Gil moves from his early/mid-seventies Midnight Band to a sparser keyboard sound provided by partner Brian Jackson on gems such as "Racetrack In France" and "We Almost Lost Detroit".

New book on the LAST POETS - first ever!

Description: Harlem, 1969. The air is charged with hope and revolution. The Black Panters are in their prime, crack has not yet hit the streets. This is the backdrop against which The Last Poets wrote their passionate, self-critical poetry. Some twenty years later, young hip-hop bands drew on the Last Poets' legacy, making them the 'founding fathers' of hip-hop. Christine Otten's audacious novel is based on the The Last Poets' life stories, from their youth in the ghetto to their love lives, triumphs, and defeats. The Last Poets is about New York and American history but―like all Great American Novels―even more about human resilience and beauty's staying power.

First releases in early 2011, Kyle Hall re-issues these two dirty house bullets with an added special bonus 7" (previously on only available in the D) on his own Wild Oats imprint!

Originally published in 1971 as 'Black Nationalism And The Revolution In Music', and dedicated to both John Coltrane and Malcolm X, this expanded and revised edition contains the best-known interview with Coltrane as well as interviews with Elvin Jones and McCoy Tyner. Kofsky looks in depth at the classic Coltrane quartet, its anatomy and evolution, but also places the revolutionary 'new thing' music and ideas of Coltrane, Albert Ayler and others in a wider context of 60's radicalism, African-American politics and history.

An essential book for any serious fan of John Coltrane and the revolutionary jazz he inspired!

**Repressed!**

'Marilyn' is a cinematic, jazzy track which sends will send waves of dusty euphoria cascading over you. Moog-esque wigged-out jazzy builder 'Faruxz' is obviously inspired by Detroit visionary Theo Parrish but thats not a bad thing - it's bloody good! Don't sleep!

Malcolm X's favourite film and one of ours too! Grab a copy of this wicked early 60s film made in the US with an all Motown soundtrack - one of the first black dramatic films made in the US in the 1960s.

 Reflecting the era of the civil rights movement during the early 1960s, the story, set in Alabama, follows the trials of railroad worker Duff (Ivan Dixon - who would later direct 'The Spook who Came to the Door') who falls in love with, and marries, preacher's daughter Josie (singer Abbey Lincoln). Trying to settle down to life in the town, Duff soon comes face-to-face with the ingrained racial hostility of his bosses, and is forced to come to terms with the lack of respect and dignity afforded him by the town's population.

This is an amazing film!

The original soundtrack features Motown stars Stevie Wonder, Mary Wells, The Vandellas, The Miracles and The Marvelettes!

NTSC Region One (North America)

Killer disco / soul  holy grail gem re-issued by Athens Of The North! 

Country Soul Sisters charts the rise of female singers in country music from 1952 to 1978.

As well as country legends Dolly Parton, Loretta Lynn, Tanya Tucker and Tammy Wynette, Country Soul Sisters also features artists such as Bobbie Gentry, Nancy Sinatra - who also made country music but existed outside the traditional Nashville framework. Also highlighted are country soul music protagonists such as Jeannie C Riley, Diana Trask and Barbara Mandrell.

Far from the traditional conservative image of country music this album features songs whose lyrics deal with female empowerment and subjects that include child prostitution, abortion, death and angels, workplace sexual exploitation, small town bigotry and more.

It was not until Kitty Wells’ groundbreaking 1952 hit It Wasn’t God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels that women were first taken seriously as country artists. Wells’ song was written in reply to a popular country hit (Hank Thompson’s The Wild Side of Life) whose lyrics expressed the dominant view that the only women who frequented bars were those of loose moral fibre. Wells’ musical reply - that in fact it was married men who acted as if they were single that caused good women to take the wrong path – revolutionised the position of women in country music.

Forget outlaw country or alt. country, male dominance of country music meant that female country singers were the original outsiders – simply by nature of being themselves. What is so equally fascinating is how these artists managed to negotiate a space for themselves that was acceptable to the general male conservative hierarchies whilst at the same time remaining true to themselves as both artists and women for their largely female public.

The album comes with extensive sleevenotes charting the rise of female artists in country music from early stars such as Patsy Cline and Kitty Wells up to the astute-minded superstar figures who came to dominate the industry in the late-1960s and 1970s – figures such as Dolly Parton, whose businesses and enterprises include the theme park Dollywood, a film production company as well as the philanthropic ‘Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library’ which has now distributed over 40 million free books to young children in USA, Canada and the UK.

As well as the extensive sleevenotes, the accompanying large 68 page outsize book also includes artists interviews as well as stunning archive photography from the Getty picture archive.

There is also a very limited edition heavyweight double gatefold vinyl edition (complete with full sleeve-notes) and super-loud pressing.

Reviews:

'This superbly presented collection of songs by female pioneers in country music from 1958 to 1978 is a celebration of feminism.' The Times

Features:

Read Guardian newspaper feature here.

A definitive 2-CD/Two Vol 2xLP compilation album of Lovers Rock.

Double-CD (and two separate volumes of 2xLP) pack includes stunning 34-page booklet telling the story of Lovers Rock including interviews and features and exclusive photography.

Featuring Dennis Bovell, Carroll Thompson, Louisa Mark and many more.

Harmony, Melody and Style tells the story of lovers rock – from its sound system beginnings, through its commercial explosion at the start of the 1980s and its underground continuance into the next decade as the founding UK producers of Lovers Rock absorbed and mutated Jamaican reggae and American soul styles into a distinctly British reggae sensibility.

REVIEWS/FEATURES

“Hard to fault the collection. Soul Jazz has released a number of excellent collections-- helping to illustrate narratives in particular types of music by providing valuably comprehensive and illuminating context. Harmony is no exception.

There's over 40 pages of liner notes penned by label boss Stuart Baker, complete with interviews and photos that reach back to the 50s, setting the stage and moving through to the mid 80s. Each page illustrates elements of the rise of lovers rock in sound system culture while at the same time discussing the realities of racism in Britain." PITCHFORK

“Lovers Rock remains one of our few homegrown authentic musical hybrids, combining elements of American soul, Jamaican reggae and UK female attitude. As ever with Soul Jazz, it is packaged epically.” THE INDEPENDENT

Read Full PITCHFORK (8.0) piece here 

Two seperate Vinyl Editions:

2xLP Volume 1 includes tracks 1-13

2xLP Volume 2 includes tracks 14-25