Various Artists - Come Join My Orchestra: The British Baroque Pop Sound 1967-73 (2018)

What is Baroque Pop? Well, it is sound that can be described as the merger of psychedelic music and lush orchestral arrangements that includes flutes, oboes, harpsichords, recorders, and french horns. Think of Sgt Pepper by The Beatles and Pet Sounds by the Beach Boys. This 3 CD clam box compilation of British baroque pop is another gem from the Grapefruit label. There are more than a few standouts like Harmony Grass' Mrs Richie. Bands like The Move, The Zombies, and Honeybus are represented but fortunately the large majority of the songs on this compilation are new to me( and probably to you as well). This fact makes getting this set and listening to it a fun adventure. Check out John George's Goodbye for another sample of the baroque sound.

Various Artists - That'll Flat...Get It ! Vol. 14 (Rockabilly from the Vaults of Sun Records)

I love roots music. That is, I like music that is real and that is original. Naturally, this leads me to rockabilly. I have been collecting this rockabilly series for a little bit and I have about 19 volumes of That'll Flat...Get It but the problem is that there are 32 volumes out! Ha! This series also issues rockabilly from other labels but Vol. 14 is dedicated to the Sun vaults. For those not in the know, Elvis Presley got his start at Sun. I hope that this is not the first time you heard that.

Vol. 14 specifically focuses mostly on recordings that were never actually issued on Sun but either recorded at Sun or sent to Sun as a demo. It appears that someone at the label heard these recordings and for some reason or another decided that they were just not up to par. It is a shame because some of these recordings are pretty good. Actually, having listened to the songs released here, I am pretty sure that these recordings could have easily been released on other labels at the time.

This is pure rockabilly and they all seem pretty good to me. Unless you are a serious rockabilly collector, which I am not, I can't imagine that you will find too much at fault with Volume 14. To get a sense of what you get, listen to Johnny Powers play Me and My Rhythm Guitar. Enjoy.

Various Artists - Bunny Lee : Dreads Enter The Gates With Praise (2019)

A new 3LP reggae various artists album on Soul Jazz will always get my attention. Soul Jazz reggae albums are always well packaged and usually of top-shelf quality. In fact, Soul Jazz's Studio One series is a must have for any true fan of reggae music. This set, however, places its focus on the work of legendary reggae producer Bunny "Striker" Lee. While Bunny Lee started producing in the late 60s, this collection contains output from the 70s when Bunny Lee was one of the premier (if not the premier) producer in Jamaica. The 70s reggae scene in Jamaica gave us what is known as "roots reggae" and it just happens to my personal favorite era of reggae music. If you have never heard roots reggae then this is not a bad place to start. The sound is sparse and heavy, slow and moody.

As the title implies, 70s roots music is mostly associated with songs about Rastafari (e.g., praising him, following him) and the struggles faced by the poor (sufferers) in Jamaica. Hence, many of the titles here reflect that. For example, see titles like Enter His Gates with Praise (Johnny Clarke), So Jah Seh (Jackie Edwards), Real Born Africa (Jah Stitch), Natty Dread Have Ambition (Shorty the President), and You Should Be Thankful (Mighty Diamonds). So, for those that are new to reggae, this is not Three Little Birds by Bob Marley. Buyer beware.

Various Artists - Try A Little Sunshine: The British Psychedelic Sounds of 1969

I am only half way through this amazing 3 CD box set (clam shell box) of British psych from 1969 but I am already in love and I need to post about it. This box set is provided by Grapefruit Records (a division of Cherry Red Records) and it continues their great series of similar box sets of British Psych from 1967 and 1968, respectively (all a must!).

Not sure if it is my mood or my current state of life but 1969 seemed to have been much more consistently melodic than 1967 and 1968. Maybe it is just my ear. However, one is really caught off guard by how pretty the melodies are on some of these songs. Some of the groups appearing on this set I am familiar with (e.g., The Move, Procol Harum, The Pretty Things) but the vast majority are new to me (e.g., Strawberry Jam, Balloon Busters, Paper Bubble). Easily 98 percent of the songs on this collection I have never heard before. Look, I am not a hard-core British Psych music collector but this box set certainly hits the spot and it is very reasonably priced! I think it is a must have and a great sampling of British Psych from 1969!