Formed in 1968 in Warwick, England, the Edgar Broughton Band were part of the late 60s British underground blues boom. Led by the Broughton brothers, vocalist/guitarist Edgar Broughton and drummer Steve Broughton, and fleshed out by bassist Arthur Grant and guitarist Victor Unitt (who also briefly served with The Pretty Things), they were contemporaries of Groundhogs, Hawkwind, and The Pink Fairies, but were unique within the movement due to their radical political consciousness. In May 1971 they released possibly their finest work: their eponymous third album, which contained the classic "Evening Over Rooftops" (with strings by David Bedford which Edgar Broughton called "stunning"). Mike Oldfield also featured on "Thinking Of You".

Canadian brass rock band Lighthouse were formed in Toronto 1969. Unusually, the band leader Ronn "Skip" Prokop was a drummer, he has played previously with artists such as Janis Joplin, Carlos Santana and Al Kooper before forming his first band The Paupers. Of these, the Kooper connection is probably the most significant, as the music of Lighthouse is based around a solid brass section and big arrangements, similar to those of Blood, Sweat & Tears and Chicago.
Prokop's ambitions were made clear from the outset when the first line up of Lighthouse had no less than 11 members. The were quickly picked up by RCA Victor, who release the bands self titled debut in 1969. Further albums followed quickly, but the punningly titled "Peacing it all together", their third release, would see the end of their relationship with RCA…

This is one of several albums this artist made in the early '70s that stand as a masterpiece of the acoustic country blues genre. Johnny Shines had begun recording in the mid-'60s, the albums done with electric guitar and full-combo backup, one of them reportedly cut after he hadn't picked up an instrument in years. It was as if he reinvented himself in the following decade, playing pristine and flawless acoustic slide guitar pieces complete with shuffling, stuttering, and stimulatingly complicated tempos. The message was that he had been a young sidekick to Robert Johnson and had absorbed everything, although no deal had been made with the Devil. Shines was a steady, dependable, religious, and forthright chap who lived in Tuscaloosa, AL, and held down a steady job as a construction foreman…

Mr. Fox always stood out from their '70s British folk-rock contemporaries. They tended to disregard electric guitar for other instruments, and weave complex arrangements that highlighted the music rather than any technical virtuosity. Fronted by Bob and Carole Pegg, there was often a darkness about their own material that's especially evident on this reissue of Mr. Fox (1970) and The Gipsy (1971). Songs like "Mr. Fox" and "The Hanged Man" seemed to linger on the shadows, and the standard of songwriting was consistently good throughout (with a couple of exceptions, "Elvira Madigan," which is far from essential, and the long, overly tedious "The Gipsy"). But they're outweighed by the delights, which even extend to a pair of traditional arrangements, "The House Carpenter" (performed with suitable portent) and "All the Good Things," which saw them taking a brief detour into Americana…

Dutch band Mr. Albert Show, apparently named after a roadie, was formed in 1969 by Bertus Borgers (saxophone, flute, vocals), Roeland Boogaart (drums), Tom Fautubun (bass), Eric Lintermans (guitars) and Bonki Bongaerts (organ). Strengthened by the vocal talents of Floortje Klomp they make their debut with the single "Wild Sensation" in 1970, followed by their full length debut album "Mr. Albert Show" later the same year. The following their sophomore effort "Warm Motor". The album showed a refined and perfect played music according to the group's pretensions. The 6 titles combined clear structured and epic compositions in typical The Mr. Albert Show vein. The included bonus tracks were non-album 7" tracks and outtakes.

Five of the Isley Brothers' albums released during the late '60s and early '70s are featured in this compact box set, consisting of standard jewel cases inside a simple cardboard sleeve: The Brothers: Isley (1969), Get Into Something (1970), Givin' It Back (1971), Brother, Brother, Brother (1972), and 3 + 3 (1973). The albums, which range from decent to excellent, contain several of the group's Top Ten R&B singles, such as "I Turned You On," "Love the One You're With," "Pop That Thang," and "What It Comes Down To." In 2008, when it was released, it sold for roughly the same amount as two full-price discs.

5CD box set mini LP replica sleeves, containing a quintet of original albums from the legendary Soul diva: "Aretha Now", "I Never Loved A Man The Way I Love You", "Lady Soul", "Live At The Fillmore" and "Spirit In The Dark".
Aretha Franklin (March 25, 1942) is a Memphis, Tennessee-born but Detroit, Michigan-reared American iconic gospel, soul, and R&B singer. Many have called her "The Queen Of Soul" and "Lady Soul".
She is renowned for her soul and R&B recordings (on many, of which, she accompanies herself on keyboards and piano - a skill she learned at an early age, learning to play by ear, according to lifetime friend Smokey Robinson) but is also adept at jazz, rock, blues, pop, and gospel…

Take a Look Inside was recorded in 1971 in London - while the semi-obscure guitarist and songwriter Mickey Baker was living in Paris. The session players include Chris Spedding, Conrad (Reg) Isidore (later of Robin Trower fame), Fuzzy Samuels, and a host of others on percussion and backing vocals. One of the he most startling tracks here is the medley of Spirit's "Fresh Garbage" and "Water Woman." The segue is seamless, the music is raw and immediate, and the loose feel of the musicians in the studio is utterly warm and inviting. Baker then slips into the R&B classic "I'll Be Doggone," and then his own "Checking Out My Garden." Everything here is utterly present and loose - its closest comparison is a feeling like that inspired by Delaney & Bonnie's Motel Shot album…

Recouping after a car crash and faced with the loss of Rod Stewart and Ron Wood, Jeff Beck redefined what the Jeff Beck Group was about, deciding to tone down the bluesy bombast, adding keyboardist Max Middleton for a jazz edge, then having Bob Tench sing to give it an overblown early-'70s AOR edge. As expected, these two sides are in conflict and Tench can be a little overbearing, but there are moments here that bring out the best in Beck. Namely, these are the times when the group ventures into extended, funk-inflected, reflective jazzy instrumental sections. These are the moments that point the way toward the success of Blow by Blow, yet this remains an unabashed rock record of its time, and it falls prey to many of its era's excesses, particularly lack of focus. Still, there are moments that are as fine as anything Beck played here.

Looking like something reissued by Akarma (but creeping out on Polydor), Kin Ping Meh's self-titled 1971 effort is dripping with Deep Purple-esque organ and guitar, as well as a healthy dose of CSN&Y vocal harmonies. Like many B-list or C-list rock outfits of the period, Kin Ping Meh were adept, but lacking that extra ooomph that would have pulled them out of obscurity. The rockin' numbers were by-the-book chuggers, save for the somewhat exceptional "Everything" and though they did delve into proggy, string-laden sprawlers on occasion ("My Dove"), most of the album's content is simply adequate and marginally derivative of the heavier hitting acts of the early '70s.