Jimi Hendrix's debut recording was an instant classic, and is as startling today as when it first hit the streets in 1967. "Are You Experienced?" is probably the most rock-oriented of Hendrix's official studio releases, but its influences are incredibly diverse. "Third Stone From The Sun" recalls the supple octaves of jazz guitarist Wes Montgomery; the churning Afro-Cuban polyrhythms of "Manic Depression" evoke John Coltrane and Elvin Jones; "I Don't Live Today" employs ritualistic Native American drum beats; and the title tune borrows the Eastern airs of sitarist Ravi Shankar.

Mitch Mitchell and Noel Redding blast away with a barely controlled fury, and there's a distorted metallic edge to Hendrix's guitar timbre that has made "Are You Experienced?" a particular favourite among rock and heavy-metal guitarists. "Purple Haze" and "Foxy Lady" helped define the power-trio format, thanks to Hendrix's full-bodied rhythm guitar and his soaring solos. "Are You Experienced?" also established Hendrix as a singer-songwriter. His Dylanesque vocals and spacey imagery make each tune a little gem, especially on gentle outings such as the ballad "The Wind Cries Mary".

"Axis: Bold As Love" was the follow-up to "Are You Experienced?", and represented a much more conscious use of the recording studio's possibilities. Where his live shows continued to showcase the raw rocking power of the Experience, the recording studio gave Hendrix the composer/arranger a broader palette. There are still plenty of powerful blues/rock-inflected songs, such as the menacing "If 6 Was 9", the rolling "Spanish Castle Magic" and the spatial title tune. But "Up From The Skies" is a jazzy trio romp, featuring Hendrix's bluesy, vocalised wah-wah pedal. And on the ballads "Little Wing"and "Castles Made Of Sand", Hendrix shifts the focus from the band to the silvery chord/melody accompaniments he often employed to complement his vocals. They are an orchestral effect unto themselves.

Perhaps even more so than its predecessor, "Johnny Cash At San Quentin" captures Cash at his most raw and uninhibited. The artist's raucous rapport with his captive audience is obvious on an inspired mix of Cash classics ("I Walk the Line," "Folsom Prison Blues"), jailhouse ballads ("Starkville City Jail," "San Quentin"), traditional tunes ("Wreck of the Old 97," "There'll Be Peace in the Valley") and well-chosen covers (Bob Dylan's "Wanted Man," the Lovin' Spoonful's "Darling Companion"). The album's most popular track, though, remains the Shel Silverstein-penned novelty number "A Boy Named Sue," which became the biggest hit single of Cash's career.

TRACK LISTING

Side A
1. Wanted Man
2. Wreck Of The Old 97
3. I Walk The Line
4. Darlin' Companion
5. Starkville City Jail

Side B
1. San Quentin
2. San Quentin
3. A Boy Named Sue
4. (There'll Be) Peace In The Valley
5. Folsom Prison Blues

It does what it says on the tin! 30 number ones covering his entire career, from Heartbreak Hotel and Hound Dog through to Suspicious Minds and Way Down.

Patti Smith's third album was her most commercial sounding album to date, and due to the inclusion of the Bruce Springsteen penned (with lyrical amendments from Smith) "Because The Night" it also became her biggest seller. This isn't a 'sell out' slbum though, she still stick to her defiant, poetic lyrics but here she  manages to create a balance between her art and commercial success.

TRACK LISTING

1. Till Victory
2. Space Monkey  
3. Because The Night  
4. Ghost Dance 
5. Babelogue 
6. Rock N Roll Nigger  
7. Privilege (Set Me Free) 
8. We Three 
9. 25th Floor 
10. High On Rebellion 
11. Easter 

The uncompromising debut from American quartet, Rage Against the Machine, opens with the fast-paced “Bombtrack” and continues its intensity through the remaining nine tracks, including the huge hits "Bullet In The Head" and "Killing In The Name Of". The self-titled album combines metal riffs with hip-hop which has been employed by plenty of bands with varying degrees of success. What really set RATM apart though was the political conviction and sheer intensity and venom of frontman Zach De La Rocha's vocal delivery.

TRACK LISTING

Disc: 1
1. Bombtrack
2. Killing In The Name
3. Take The Power Back
4. Settle For Nothing
5. Bullet In The Head
Disc: 2
1. Know Your Enemy
2. Wake Up
3. Fistful Of Steel
4. Township Rebellion
5. Freedom

Surely this album needs no introduction or explanation?! But just in case you don’t know, this is arguably one of the best debut albums of all time, from one of the most influential bands of their generation! And if that’s not enough to tempt you, then I don’t know what is.

25th anniversary replica featuring original artwork and 180gm heavyweight vinyl.

STAFF COMMENTS

Andy says: The Stone Roses' debut album from 1989 is that rare thing: a perfect record. The quality of these songs is actually hard to comprehend; absolute classics, every single one! Uprooting the established guitar pop format in favour of a loose-limbed groove the baggy icons somehow incorporated Byrdsian jangle, hippie-inclusivity, funk swagger and searing solos into a new type of rock music, single-handedly soundtracking the second Summer of Love and defining a moment in time. It ignited and united a whole generation and will be passed on forever. Beautiful.

On "Electric Ladyland" Jimi Hendrix stretched and experimented in the studio, going beyond the power-trio format on what would be his last studio album with the Experience. "Electric Ladyland" was revolutionary in its scope and execution. Using New York City's Record Plant as a gateway to free expression, Hendrix traversed an abstract landscape containing compositions as weird and wonderful as "...And The Gods Made Love" and "1983...(A Merman I Should Turn To Be)".  Simultaneously looking forwards and backwards, Hendrix mixed in a song reminiscent of his time on the chitlin' circuit (Earl King's "Come On [Part 1]"), a Bob Dylan favourite ("All Along The Watchtower"), and one of his snappiest singles ("CrosstownTraffic"). Although Hendrix produced and wrote most of this masterpiece, others weighed in with their own contributions. Noel Redding penned "Little Miss Strange", and other guests such as Al Kooper and Buddy Miles showed up to play. Traffic's Steve Winwood and Jack Casady of Jefferson Airplane also made cameos, appearing on this classic album's spiritual centre, "Voodoo Chile (Slight Return)".

Hurts return with the follow up to 2010's debut "Happiness". Their second album 'Exile' sees the band ditch their electro-pop and instead head towards anthemic ballads and theatrical beauty.

TRACK LISTING

CD:
1. Exile
2. Miracle
3. Sandman
4. Blind
5. Only You
6. The Road
7. Cupid
8. Mercy
9. The Crow
10. Somebody To Die For
11. The Rope
12. Help
13. Heaven
14. Guilt

DVD:
1. Chapter 1
2. Chapter 2
3. Chapter 3

The accompanying soundtrack to the much-anticipated and talked about directorial debut from Foo Fighters main man Dave Grohl. This is a documentary, recording the highs, lows & ultimate demise of the legendary U.S. Recording studio 'Sound City'.

Featured artists include Dave Grohl, Taylor Hawkins, Pat Smear, Nate Mendel, Stevie Nicks, Rick Springfield, Corey Taylor, Joshua Homme, Sir Paul McCartney, Trent Reznor & more...

TRACK LISTING

1. Heaven And All - Robert Levon Been, Dave Grohl & Peter Hayes
2. Time Slowing Down - Chris Goss, Tim Commerford, Dave Grohl & Brad Wilk
3. You Can't Fix This - Stevie Nicks, Dave Grohl, Taylor Hawkins & Rami Jaffee
4. The Man That Never Was - Rick Springfield, Dave Grohl, Taylor Hawkins, Nate Mendel & Pat Smear
5. Your Wife Is Calling - Lee Ving, Dave Grohl, Taylor Hawkins, Alain Johannes & Pat Smear
6. From Can To Can't - Corey Taylor, Dave Grohl, Rick Nielsen & Scott Reeder
7. Centipede - Joshua Homme, Chris Goss, Dave Grohl & Alain Johannes
8. A Trick With No Sleeve - Alain Johannes, Dave Grohl & Joshua Homme
9. Cut Me Some Slack - Paul McCartney, Dave Grohl, Krist Novoselic & Pat Smear
10. If I Were Me - Dave Grohl, Jessy Greene, Rami Jaffee & Jim Keltner
11. Mantra - Dave Grohl, Joshua Homme & Trent Reznor

This is the 15 track 'Very Best Of' which was originally released in 2002. 

All tracks have been remastered by original producer John Leckie.

TRACK LISTING

1. I Wanna Be Adored
2. She Bangs The Drums
3. Ten Storey Love Song
4. Waterfall
5. Made Of Stone
6. Love Spreads
7. What The World Is Waiting For
8. Sally Cinnamon
9. Fools Gold
10. Begging You
11. Elephant Stone
12. Breaking Into Heaven
13. One Love
14. This Is The One
15. I Am The Resurrection

2012 commemorates the 25th Anniversary of Paul Simon's groundbreaking, multi million selling album "Graceland".

With Graceland, Paul Simon hit on the idea of combining his always perceptive songwriting with the little-heard mbaqanga music of South Africa, creating a fascinating hybrid that re-enchanted his old audience and earned him a new one. It is true that the South African angle (including its controversial aspect during the apartheid days) was a powerful marketing tool and that the catchy music succeeded in presenting listeners with that magical combination: something they'd never heard before that nevertheless sounded familiar. As eclectic as any record Simon had made, it also delved into zydeco and conjunto-flavored rock & roll while marking a surprising new lyrical approach (presaged on some songs on Hearts and Bones); for the most part, Simon abandoned a linear, narrative approach to his words, instead drawing highly poetic, abstract, and satiric portraits of modern life, often charged by striking images and turns of phrase torn from the headlines or overheard in contemporary speech. An enormously successful record, Graceland became the standard against which subsequent musical experiments by major artists were measured and continues to provide rewards to its listeners and remains a pivotal listening experience for writers, artists and fans.

Originally released in May 1989, "The Stone Roses" is often cited as THE greatest album of all time. Twenty years on and original producer John Leckie has returned to the studio for the first time (it's never been remastered before) with Ian Brown, to produce this anniversary version of the record. The result is a warmer, brighter sound, and it's finally loud enough too! It seems unnecessary to add what a brilliant album this so obviously is: every tune's a winner!

TRACK LISTING

1. I Wanna Be Adored
2. She Bangs The Drums
3. Waterfall
4. Don't Stop
5. Bye Bye Bad Man
6. Elizabeth My Dear
7. (Song For My) Sugar Spun Sister
8. Made Of Stone
9. Shoot You Down
10. This Is The One
11. I Am The Resurrection

Covers album, including versions of tracks by everyone from Dylan and the Rolling Stones to Devo and Africa Bambaataa. This special edition also includes 2 live hidden bouns tracks.