Neon Soul

Like other releases from the U.K.-based Soul Jazz label – such as Philadelphia Roots or New Orleans Funk – the 17-track Miami Sound: Rare Funk & Soul from Miami Florida 1967-1974 prides itself on its obscurity, digging out tracks that have been lost to all but the fanatically dedicated collector. That's Soul Jazz's stock in trade: They occasionally feature hits, but they're regional hits, and none of the material on any of their collections is readily available on CD. While there's the occasional feeling that sides are chosen for obscurity's sake, it's often overshadowed by the consistency of the material; it all sounds of a piece, due to the compilers' expert ears and their desire to hold the groove above all other considerations. This is appropriate especially for Miami Sound, since the city's soul was as groove-oriented as New Orleans, but considerably more splashy, stylish, streamlined, hard, and sleek – the kind of grooves that work really well as recordings, which is why this may be the best installment yet of Soul Jazz's soul-oriented compilations. Each cut here has a bright neon glow and deep danceability that point the way to disco, and while that can sometimes get a little samey on the instrumentals – with the notable exception of Timmy Thomas' rampaging "Funky Me," whose beat even points the way toward electro – what makes this collection a real delight is the abundance of great songs. Little Beaver is deservedly a respected cult figure and George and Gwen McCrae are both represented with good early cuts, but the real finds are Joey Gilmore's deep soul, Frank Williams & the Rocketeers' vocal sides, and especially James Knight & the Butlers, whose two tracks, "Save Me" and "Fantasy World," are pure dynamite, a pair of the best unheard soul of the '70s and reason enough to get this collection.

The Best Of The Box Tops: Soul Deep is a 1996 compilation by The Box Tops. It features the group's massive hit plus songs that were a blend of subtle hits or unfortunate misses. This was released by Arista.

The music on Deutsche Elektronische Musik 3 was all recorded in the 1970s up to the early 1980s, at a time when forward-thinking German electronic and rock groups were searching for a new musical identity in order to separate themselves from both the cultural legacy of post-world war two Germany as well the cultural imperialism of USA and UK rock. In this process German groups created some of the most unique and inspired music, the defining motorik beat alongside a host of ethno-musical influences from far afield including Turkey, India, Brazil as well as the musical and futurist possibilities of developments in electronics and technology itself.

The sound of Nevell is a melting pot of numerous influences ranging from Jazz, Funk, Rock, Pop, and anything in-between, held together with a strong focus on the drum beats and synth tones. „For a colorful soul“ really serves to portrait the immense talent of each member in Nevell, and also makes room for a guest appearance by the acclaimed Percussionist Nate Werth. But, more importantly, the album is rounded off with really catchy themes and some beautifully melodic soloing, making these songs likely to resonate with any listener, regardless of their musical background.

This is a compilation CD by one of Brazil's most beloved artists. 19 tracks including 'Patuscada De Gandhi', 'Flora', 'Toda Menina Baiana' and more. Gilberto Gil, along with Caetano Veloso, Maria Bethania, and Gal Costa, was one of the founding members of the revolutionary late-60's Tropicalia movement, which deliberately challenged the conventions of Brazilian popular culture. Gil had an early burst of pop fame, and rapidly made his way into that musical state of grace where everything he did seemed to shimmer magically……

(2015/Raven) 51 tracks, all 4 original 60s albums, plus bonus mono singles and non-LP singles. The CD comes with a nice and well-illustrated booklet incl. biographical and discographical data!

Unlike other labels subjected to exhaustive multi-disc retrospectives like this whopping ten-disc Revolutions in Sound: Warner Bros. Records – The First Fifty Years, Warner Brothers never embodied a scene or sound: they've always embodied what a major label should be – a dominant force that chronicles and dictates the sound of the mainstream. Coming out at the tail-end of 2008, when the influence of major labels is on a slow steady decline, Revolutions in Sound can be seen as a portrait of a time that's beginning to recede into the past: a time when there was such a thing as mass entertainment, when the pop audience all shared a common bond of hit records they either loved or rallied against. Perhaps the greatest things about this monumental box set is that it captures that colossus while also illustrating that for a while, majors did take risks. Of course, Warner was the riskiest of all the majors, never held back by an anti-rock & roll sourpuss like Mitch Miller, who struggled to keep CBS out of the tumult of the '60s (this with no less than Bob Dylan as the label's flagship rock artist). Instead, Warner embraced the underground, recording some of the strangest to shake out of the '60s, and that adventure fits a label that turned to rock & roll to help establish themselves as a real player at the turn of the '60s.