Jazz by Sun Ra was Sun Ra's debut album, recorded in Chicago and produced by Tom Wilson for his Transition Records label. Although announced as a debut, Sun Ra had previously recorded and released various other sessions dating back to 1949 on his own Saturn label.

The LP features original compositions by Sun Ra plus contributions from Arkestral bassist Richard Evans, and composer Harry Revel (1905 -1958) who wrote for movies and musicals: 'Lullaby For Realville' and 'Possession', respectively.

The bonus track, Swing A Little Taste, is from the same session and composed by Arkestral trombonist Julien Priester.

Official expanded 2xLP / 2xCD edition of Sun Ra's Saturn debut features an additional fourteen tracks of alternate versions and studio takes. The CD also contains four CD only bonus tracks. Liner notes were penned by avid fan Ira Kaplan of Yo La Tengo, as well as an essay from longtime Ra blogger Rodger Coleman (NUVOID Sun Ra Sundays). Vinyl gatefold jacket includes a 12x12 insert reproduction of the original LP jacket art.

Recorded in 1956 and released in 1957, 'Supersonic Jazz' is arguably the first long-playing album by Sun Ra and His Arkestra on his Saturn label. However, it was not recorded as a debut. Rather, the album was assembled from tapes recorded during a number of sessions at two Chicago studios (RCA Victor and Balkan), and several tracks had been released as singles before their inclusion on this album. (Sunny's first fully realized commercial album was 1957's Jazz by Sun Ra, produced by Tom Wilson on his short lived/soon to be defunct Transition label.)

Prior to these sessions, Sunny was still arranging for the Red Saunders Orchestra and singer Joe Williams, in addition to arranging for and coaching doo-wop ensembles. As Sunny's ambitions achieved liftoff, the Arkestra coalesced, began building a repertoire (mostly of Ra's originals), and making forays into studios. Deciding it was time for commercial releases, Sunny and business partner Alton Abraham launched Saturn (sometimes called El Saturn) as a record company in 1956.

As a first offering, 'Supersonic Jazz' is a pinnacle Sun Ra release. While reflecting many prevailing bebop, Latin, and R&B conventions of the mid-1950s, it's evident that Sun Ra's musical voice and vision were starting to propel him away from the jazz mainstream. Biographer John Szwed finds on these recordings "characteristics which seemed alien to swing, bebop, or the new, more soulful and hard-edged music which was coming to be called hard bop."

TRACK LISTING

1. India
2. Sunology Part 1
3. Advice To Medics
4. Super Blonde
5. Soft Talk
6. Sunology Part 2
7. Kingdom Of Not
8. Portrait Of The Living Sky
9. Blues At Midnight
10. El Is A Sound Of Joy
11. Springtime In Chicago
12. Medicine For A Nightmare
13. Journey To Discland
14. October (Single)
15. Somebody Else's Idea (Take 1)
16. New Horizons (Take 1)
17. El Viktor (Take 1)
18. Adventure In Space
19. Delilah
20. Soft Talk (Take 1)
21. Medicine For A Nightmare (Alternate)
22. Saturn #2
23. Delight (Take 2)
24. Space Aura (Take 2)
25. State Street (Alternate)
26. Stratosphere
27. Velvet (Alternate)
28. Somebody Else's Idea (Take 2)
29. Super Blonde (Take 3)
30. Big City Blues (Live At Budland) 

Recorded at Abbey Road last autumn, ‘Rainy Sunday Afternoon’ is The Divine Comedy's thirteenth album and their first studio album since 2019's UK top 5 ‘Office Politics’. The band's last release was 2022's Best Of compilation ‘Charmed Life’ which also reached 5 in the UK album charts. The band’s Neil Hannon most recently wrote the original songs for the Warner Bros blockbuster ‘Wonka.’

Neil says: “My musical output is, for better or worse, a representation of my personality. A good chunk of that personality revels in the rumbumptious; celebrates the silly. And I made ample use of that for the Wonka songs. I have though, like everyone, a darker, more melancholy side. And for one reason or another it has been much in evidence of late. I needed to use this album as an outlet for those feelings. To work through some stuff. Mortality; memories; relationships; political and social upheaval. Everyone should get to make an orchestral pop album once in a while. It should be available on the NHS.“

STAFF COMMENTS

Barry says: Neil Hannon embraces his maudlin leanings on his thirteenth album as The Divine Comedy, and while it's definitely not got as much of the outright silliness he's been known for, there is still a good sense of humour in these cinematic vignettes. Nicely written, emotionally rich orchestral swooners.

TRACK LISTING

1. Achilles
2. The Last Time I Saw The Old Man
3. The Man Who Turned Into A Chair
4. I Want You
5. Rainy Sunday Afternoon
6. All The Pretty Lights
7. Down The Rabbit Hole
8. Mar-a-Lago By The Sea
9. The Heart Is A Lonely Hunter
10. Can’t Let Go
11. Invisible Thread

Captured live over three nights at the Knitting Factory in New York City, these performances mark the closing chapter of a 33-year odyssey of radical, independent music-making. Originally issued in tiny quantities with minimal packaging and cryptic artwork—often featuring hand-written labels or Ra’s own handmade designs—'Hidden Fire' was among the most elusive entries in Sun Ra’s vast discography.

Musically, these recordings stand apart from Ra’s other '80s compositions. Here, 'Hidden Fire' plunges into darker, more dissonant territory. Ra performs exclusively on the Yamaha DX7 synthesiser, pushing its digital sound palette into alien dimensions. The Arkestra lineup is uniquely configured, featuring a rare and heavy string section with three violins, including the legendary Billy Bang, and the singular space vocalist Art Jenkins, whose eerie textures and vocalisations had not been heard so prominently since the early 1960s Choreographers Workshop sessions. The music is raw, unsettled, and often overwhelming.

'Retrospect / This World Is Not My Home' opens with a palindromic riff that evokes Ellington before unraveling into a stark sermon from Ra, warning of death’s dominion over Earth-bound minds. 'Hidden Fire Improvisation' is a furious explosion of tone science, with Marshall Allen, Billy Bang, and John Gilmore delivering fire-breathing solos over relentless drumming and Ra’s cascading synth clusters. 'Hidden Fire Blues' offers a warped, electrified version of Ra’s familiar blues feature, led by Bruce Edwards on guitar and Rollo Radford on electric bass, transformed through the haze of DX7 textures. 'My Brothers The Wind And Sun #9' evokes the experimental weight of The Heliocentric Worlds with its crashing percussion, pulsing synth-vocal duets, and string- driven chaos that seems to spiral into oblivion.

Even the quieter moments—such as 'Hidden Fire II', a duet between Ra and Art Jenkins—feel thick with unease and shadowy beauty. These performances represent a Sun Ra less concerned with cosmic joy or outer-space swing, and more focused on conjuring portals to the unknown.

Remastered from original sources and presented with archival photos, new liner notes by Paul Griffiths, and restored artwork inspired by the original Saturn editions, this reissue offers a definitive window into the last creative surge of one of music’s most visionary figures across two Vinyl LP’s.

TRACK LISTING

1. Retrospect  / This World Is Not My Home
2. Hidden Fire Improvisation
3. Hidden Fire Blues
4. My Brothers The Wind And Son #9
5. Hidden Fire I
6. Hidden Fire II

The return of "Roy Of The Ravers" is always a moment for Emotional Response. Alongside, the infinitely heralded debut that was the "2 Late 4 Love" EP in 2016 and the later "Emotinium ’23" remixes, there has been the "While Line Sunrise" series examining the ambient, experimental electronics meets braindance techno releases that showcased lost archives from the late 90s to today, here reaching the 3rd installment with 2 EPs of more machine-driven acid funk.

Following the grand expanse of double LP "White Line Sunrise II" and its subsequent double pack follow up "White Line Sunrise II.I (Le Roy Soliel)", "III (3)" aims predominantly for the dancefloor. The uplifting techno of opening "Primavera Anjo" and squelching TB303 of "Plant Earth" are premier Roy, hypnotic, percussive, psychedelic purity for the feet.

The flip allows head room for the mind, the deep chords and arpeggios of "G-Force" signal the vortex shift, before the cinematic, rolling breaks and double bass of "Glass Knife" sweep far and wide. Recording over 25 years ago, the changing time signatures highlight the influence of (modern) classical and even jazz on Roy, pulsing, permeating, and pushing his sound in the moment, music thought lost that is gladly now, again found. 

STAFF COMMENTS

Matt says: Roy's back and he's sounding as good as ever, delivering two volumes of fresh AF acid box jams in his own well-lauded style.

TRACK LISTING

A1. Primavera Anjo
A2. Planet Earth
B1. G-Force
B2. Glass Knife

The second part of Roy’s return to Emotional Response and the "While Line Sunrise" series dives further in old hard drives and DATs to unearth more lost techno for the brain, heart and feet.

Ensuing melody for driving beats, "Fenix Haus 6" is a TB303 blast. Electro meets acid, the focus is on the rhythm, percussion is pushed to the fore and the rest will follow. "Exit Ren8" brings some melody touches to the jacked-up ride, acid melodies ride classic Roy beats, programming for the mind and soul.

As with Part 1, here the flip expands the retinae of the found sound, "Cristia Theme" with flourishes of IDM and industrial touches, wrapped in a sheen of acid squelches and snap hats.

The series completes with the theme, the ambient meets kosmiche of "White Line Sunrise III". Minimalist keys against cathedral sweeps, motorik drums float in and are gone, a grandiose ending with, as always, a light hearted ending, Roy’s return is a welcome and an intriguing interlude. 

STAFF COMMENTS

Matt says: Probably my favourite of the two ROTR records we're lucky to received this week. Sounding both anthemic and underground in equal measure, heating up his mainframes till they're sizzling hot. There's no-one quite like our Roy!

TRACK LISTING

A1. Fenix Haus 6
A2. Exit Ren8
B1. Crista Theme
B2. White Line Sunrise III

Originally released in 1979 on his independent Saturn label, 'Sleeping Beauty' captures Sun Ra and his Arkestra at their most soulful and serene. A masterclass in cosmic jazz, the album blends lush grooves, celestial soul, and meditative funk with Ra’s singular spiritual vision — a sound both grounded and otherworldly.

The album emerged during an extraordinarily fertile period for Sun Ra in late-‘70s New York. Between 1978 and 1982, Ra “occupied” Variety Recording Studios on West 42nd Street, often staging marathon sessions following late-night Arkestra gigs around the city — from the Village Vanguard to Sweet Basil and even a wedding in Central Park. These were not just recordings; they were rituals. Ra and his core players — John Gilmore, Marshall Allen, June Tyson, Michael Ray, and others — would begin sessions mid-morning, often continuing past midnight, much to the dismay of the studio owner. Out of this creative whirlwind came some of his most enduring work, including 'A Fireside Chat With Lucifer', 'On Jupiter', and 'Sleeping Beauty'.

Across its three tracks, 'Sleeping Beauty' showcases the Arkestra’s gentler side. From the dreamy sway of 'Springtime Again' to the funk-deep uplift of 'Door Of The Cosmos' and the title track’s meditative drift, this is music that floats, beckons, and unfolds. It’s a record of hypnotic beauty and quiet power — cosmic jazz for dreamers and seekers alike.

This new edition features a selected version of the hand-drawn original cover, embossed with the Sun Ra logo and housed in a heavyweight card sleeve. Liner notes come courtesy of Arkestra member Knoel Scott and Sun Ra authority Paul Griffiths. Remastered by Technology Works.

“Music is a language. You see, it’s not notes — it’s a language of the spirit. That’s why it’s so important.” – Sun Ra

TRACK LISTING

1. Springtime Again
2. Door Of The Cosmos
3. Sleeping Beauty

An F-bomb saturated hip-hop call & response club cut...from Sun Ra?! While the most renown track in this omniversal opus is the atomic expletive-filled repartee 'Nuclear War', there is so much more to this dark mysterious journey through the mind of Sun Ra. The sprawling, suite-like 20-minute title track sustains a lyrical edge in spite of an open framework and textures, which encourage sonorities to surface and emerge from the band as if there was no human intention behind them. In opposition to 'Nuclear War', Ra's organ playing here was built less on bombast and sonic terror than it is on whispers, stutters, shivers, and swells. Fireside Chat offers a wide stylistic array, as was the artist’s intent, reflecting his eclectic, seemingly irreconcilable approach to compositional extremes. With Sun Ra you get everything... except predictability.

TRACK LISTING

1. Nuclear War
2. Retrospect
3. Makeup
4. A Fireside Chat With Lucifer

2020 album from multi-instrumentalist and skate legend Tommy Guerrero
gets its first official UK release.

TG's music is inspired by Ethio-Jazz, Afrobeat, Highlife, Spiritual Jazz, and dusty funk 45's. If previous album 'Road to Knowhere' was about the long haul, then 'Sunshine Radio' is all about cruising on, dropping the top, and taking in a bit of fresh air. "'Sunshine Radio' hopes to spark a bit of joy as well as a moment to refect and consider the fires of the world. Take a sonic respite from the endless noise." - TG

From Mission District punkers to Shibuya-Ku hipsters - Tommy's music resonates in a positive way. His melodies dance lightly around your head while the rhythms build under your feet and move your hips. His is SOUL music, made by a street kid raised on Santana and Bill Withers, with more than a little nod to the Clash and Public Enemy in there too.

TG continues to expand his horizons while upholding his Bay Area heritage. From Bones Brigade skate team in the 80's, he has gone on to make movie appearances, design for Levi's in Japan, Vans shoes worldwide, Sutro eyewear (among others), sign a skateboard contract with Converse, co-found Real Skateboards and 40's Clothing and become art director for Krooked Skateboarding, along with maintaining a prolifc recording and release schedule on his label Too Good, a collaboration with A-Train's Al Evers. Tommy's concerts have packed houses across the country from the legendary Cafe\u0301 Du Nord in SF to The Knitting Factory in N.Y.C. and continue across the globe from The Underworld in London to the Fujirock Festival in his yearly tours in Japan.

TRACK LISTING

1. By The Sea At The End Of The World
2. Evolution Revolution
3. Of Things To Come
4. Descendent Of Memory
5. Down Thru Light
6. A Thousand Shapes Of Change
7. Future Deserts
8. Up From The Dust
9. Quiet Heat
10. Rise Of The Earth People
11. Mysterious Frequencies
12. The Road Under My Shoes

A cosmic fusion of deep funk, interstellar jazz, and avant-garde soundscapes, On Jupiter stands as one of Sun Ra’s most iconic releases. Recorded in 1979 during a prolific period at Variety Arts Studios in New York, this album captures the Arkestra at the height of their creative powers, blending futuristic improvisation with infectious rhythms and otherworldly textures.

Sun Ra’s Variety Arts Studios sessions (1978-1982) were legendary—he recorded there two to three times a week, often after a late-night concert, gathering his musicians on West 46th Street at 10 a.m. for marathon sessions that stretched into the early morning. These recordings featured a core group of John Gilmore, Marshall Allen, Danny Thompson, Michael Ray, Tyrone Hill, Craig Harris, Luqman Ali, and Samarai Celestial, alongside rotating contributors, including guitarists Skeeter McFarland and Taylor Richardson, as well as bassist Victor Sproles and a young Knoël Scott on saxophone and vocals.

Originally released on Sun Ra’s Saturn label, On Jupiter is a masterclass in cosmic jazz-funk. The album features the irresistibly funky “UFO” —recorded before the Sleeping Beauty sessions—alongside the hypnotic, groove-laden title track and the expansive "Seductive Fantasy", a mesmerizing journey through space and sound.

By the late 1970s, Sun Ra was embracing an even broader musical spectrum, incorporating soul, funk, and electronic fusion into the Arkestra’s evolving repertoire. As disco, punk, and hip-hop reshaped the cultural landscape, his “sub-underground” approach connected with a new wave of listeners. On Jupiter exemplifies this era—where deep basslines, swirling horns, spaced-out synthesizers, and Afro-futuristic chants collide to create a truly singular sound.

Now remastered by Technology Works, Strut proudly reissues On Jupiter on vinyl LP, featuring a replica of its original hand-assembled sleeve (selected from the many unique 1979 editions) and newly commissioned liner notes from Arkestra member Knoël Scott and Sun Ra expert Paul Griffiths.

TRACK LISTING

1. On Jupiter
2. UFO
3. Seductive Fantasy

Londoner come Margatean Ben Sun returns to RNT with a full-length offering of introspective analog electronic textures. Moving through various tempos and rhythmic styles, Ben crafts a sonic palette that feels alternatively meditative and melancholic, dark and brooding, or meditative and euphoric, while always rooted in a solid groove. With gorgeous artwork designed by Ben himself, this record is a gorgeous listen, and essential warmth for the frigid winter months.

TRACK LISTING

A1. Bootstand (Strange Soil)
A2. Ten Thousand Shells
A3. Moon Lion
A4. Azha (The Nest)
B1. The Khan's Reverie
B2. Photoelectric
B3. Living Things
B4. Autumn Phase

Strut is celebrating the holiday season with an exclusive reissue of The Qualities’ 1961 single, 'It’s Christmas Time' b/w 'Happy New Year To You!' Originally released on Sun Ra’s Saturn label, this mysterious harmony group 45 captures a unique moment in music history.

Alongside his renowned jazz work in Chicago, Sun Ra experimented with harmony groups from the mid-‘50s to the early ‘60s, before his move to New York. “I had two main vocal groups at the time,” Ra recalled. “One was called the Cosmic Echoes. And the Cosmic Rays too. It was around the same time that John Gilmore joined the band. I saw the possibility that they could be really great so Ibegan to coach them; they were connected with a barber shop, but I taught them other things.” John Gilmore added, “We’d go down to the barber shops and rehearse some groups. Sun Ra had them singin’ some beautiful stuff. I think he probably was saving the from themselves. He heard them, heard their potential, snatched them off the street, and started making them do something constructive.”

This rare festive single from The Qualities, likely recorded around 1956, features Sun Ra as co-composer on both tracks alongside Saturn Records co-founder Alton Abraham. Sun Ra might also be the harmonium player on these recordings. Although two more songs by the group appeared on a Norton Records collection of Ra-related vocal numbers, these are the only known recordings by The Qualities.

Featuring two newly restored and remastered tracks thanks to Technology Works and housed in an exclusive new 7" picture sleeve designed by Liam Large

TRACK LISTING

1. It’s Christmas Time
2. Happy New Year To You

'Lights On A Satellite' pays tribute to the life's work of Marshall Allen, who celebrated his 100th birthday on May 25, 2024.

Recorded in Studio A at New York's Power Station on June 16, 2024, the album celebrates the exceptional musician's mastery as a multi- instrumentalist, arranger, bandleader, teacher and custodian of Sun Ra's legacy.

As if from the farthest reaches of space, a tremendous positive energy has come to us via "Light on a Satellite": It is Sun Ra's music, played by his Arkestra, more than 30 years after the legendary band founder's earthly demise - or, in other words, after his reported ascent to Saturn. Under the direction of Marshall Allen, the NEA Jazz Master (2025) and multi-instrumentalist, who celebrated his 100th birthday on May 25, 2024, Sun Ra's big band has arrived safely in the 21st century, after traveling Sun Ra's space ways for almost 70 years. This album pays tribute to the lifetime achievement of Marshall Allen, who leads the Sun Ra Arkestra since 1993. Recorded in Studio A at New York's Power Station on June 16, 2024, the album celebrates the mastery of the exceptional musician Marshall Allen as a multi-instrumentalist, arranger, bandleader, teacher, and guardian of Sun Ra's unique legacy.

As a tribute to the life's work of Marshall Allen, Frank Kleinschmidt of IN+OUT Records invited the Sun Ra Arkestra into the studio with 24 musicians in the largest possible line- up, with the goal of documenting the music in its polyphony and expansion in space and time in the best possible way. It is not only the variety of instruments used, but also the fact that musicians from four generations come together with a repertoire that spans 100 years of jazz history.

TRACK LISTING

Vinyl Tracks:
Lights On A Satellite
Dorothy's Dance
Big John's Special
Images
Friendly Galaxy
Baby Won't You Please Be Mine
Holiday For Strings
Tapestry From An Asteroid
Reflects Motion
Joy Delight
Way Down Yonder In New Orleans

CD Tracks:
Lights On A Satellite
Dorothy's Dance
Big John's Special
Images 
Friendly Galaxy
Baby Won't You Please Be Mine
Holiday For Strings
Tapestry From An Asteroid
Reflects Motion
Way Down Yonder In New Orleans

THIS IS A BLACK FRIDAY 2024 EXCLUSIVE AND WILL BE AVAILABLE INSTORE ON FRIDAY NOVEMBER 29TH ON A FIRST COME FIRST SERVED BASIS, LIMITED TO ONE PER PERSON.

IF THERE ARE ANY REMAINING COPIES THEY WILL BE MADE AVAILABLE ONLINE AT 8AM ON SATURDAY NOVEMBER 30TH).

'Lights On A Satellite' pays tribute to the life's work of Marshall Allen, who celebrated his 100th birthday on May 25, 2024. Recorded in Studio A at New York's Power Station on June 16, 2024, the album celebrates the exceptional musician's mastery as a multi-instrumentalist, arranger, bandleader, teacher and custodian of Sun Ra's legacy.

As if from the farthest reaches of space, a tremendous positive energy has come to us via "Light on a Satellite": It is Sun Ra's music, played by his Arkestra, more than 30 years after the legendary band founder's earthly demise - or, in other words, after his reported ascent to Saturn. Under the direction of Marshall Allen, the NEA Jazz Master (2025) and multi-instrumentalist, who celebrated his 100th birthday on May 25, 2024, Sun Ra's big band has arrived safely in the 21st century, after traveling Sun Ra's space ways for almost 70 years. This album pays tribute to the lifetime achievement of Marshall Allen, who leads the Sun Ra Arkestra since 1993. Recorded in Studio A at New York's Power Station on June 16, 2024, the album celebrates the mastery of the exceptional musician Marshall Allen as a multi- instrumentalist, arranger, bandleader, teacher, and guardian of Sun Ra's unique legacy.

As a tribute to the life's work of Marshall Allen, Frank Kleinschmidt of IN+OUT Records invited the Sun Ra Arkestra into the studio with 24 musicians in the largest possible line-up, with the goal of documenting the music in its polyphony and expansion in space and time in the best possible way. It is not only the variety of instruments used, but also the fact that musicians from four generations come together with a repertoire that spans 100 years of jazz history.

TRACK LISTING

Lights On A Satellite
Dorothy's Dance
Big John's Special
Images
Friendly Galaxy
Baby Won't You Please Be Mine
Holiday For Strings
Tapestry From An Asteroid
Reflects Motion
Joy Delight
Way Down Yonder In New Orleans

*Comes in a risograph sleeve featuring liner notes and original Saturn artwork*

Recorded at the Choreographers’ Workshop in New York, 1963, Waaghals Records presents two songs from Sun Ra’s Continuation sessions on vinyl for the first time. Known for its lo-fi recording quality coupled with heavy use of echo and reverberation, the material recorded at the Choreographers’ Workshop holds a special place within the Sun Ra catalogue. This unique blend of avant-garde jazz and bold production methods is described as “low-budget musique concrete” by Sun Ra biographer John F. Szwed.

Taken from the 1970 Saturn album Continuation, side a features the complete unedited version of New Planet. A bouncy Ra track that somehow ends up in a sound-bath of low, throbbing frequencies and echoes. The b side, Meteor Shower, remained unreleased until 2014, making its first official appearance on vinyl here. The opening trumpet salvo warms us up for a micro trip through the vast cosmos, with more echoed percussion and a beautifully bowed bass solo. It is no surprise that in recent years this particular piece has been sampled, most recently by RP BOO and Armand Hammer.

Tape transfers and audio restoration by Michael D. Anderson and Irwin Chusid of the Sun Ra Archive.

STAFF COMMENTS

Matt says: Rare-as-hen's-teeth Sun Ra jam released with a stunning risograph print. Ignore the jpeg image - the actual sleeve is in full, dazzling, orange and brown inks. It looks stunning!

TRACK LISTING

A New Planet
Meteor Shower

Strut proudly presents a special edition, deluxe repress of Sun Ra’s classic ‘Lanquidity’, for the 25th anniversary of the label. Housed in a tip-on sleeve with OBI strip, this new special editions features an A2 poster including a rare Veryl Oakland photograph of Sun Ra in his home, as well as liner notes by Tom Buchler (Philly Jazz), Michael Ray and Danny Ray Thompson (Sun Ra Arkestra) and Bob Blank. Originally released in 1978 on Philly Jazz, ‘Lanquidity’ was recorded overnight at Bob Bank’s Blank Tapes studio on 17th July 1978 following a performance on Saturday Night Live. “Most critics felt that it was more of a fusion-inspired record,” explains Michael Ray. “As the name suggests, the album is liquid and languid.” Bob Blank adds, “Musically, it was very ad hoc and freeform. There were horn charts but most tracks came out of improvised jams. Sun Ra just did his thing.”

The album 'Lanquidity' consists of five smooth tracks from the Sun Ra discography. It begins gently with 'Lanquidity,' a spontaneous composition by Sun Ra described by Danny Ray Thompson as reminiscent of an Ancient Egyptian Stargazing Ceremony, plotting the stars and planets. 'Where Pathways Meet' follows, featuring Sun Ra's funky interpretation of an Egyptian march, evoking the image of Pharaoh rallying his troops. 'That’s How I Feel' maintains a relaxed groove, featuring reflective trumpet lines from Eddie Gale and solos by John Gilmore and Marshall Allen, with Allen's oboe described as reminiscent of snake-charming. 'Twin Stars Of Thence' dances around Richard Williams' celebrated elastic bassline, while the haunting closer, 'There Are Other Worlds (They Have Not Told You Of),' epitomizes "space music," described by poet Mama Nzinga as 'The essence of light. Spirit takes a ride inside the deep dark space of just being.' Start to finish, Lanquidity remains an effortless, psychedelic pleasure and one of the strongest in the Ra 70's discography.

This new deluxe LP edition of ‘Lanquidity’ features the widely distributed version of the album originally released on Philly Jazz and reflects the album’s original packaging with a metallic foil / magenta sleeve, housed in a tip-on sleeve with OBI strip and featuring both liner notes and a limited edition poster, to celebrate 25 years of Strut records.

TRACK LISTING

1. Lanquidity
2. Where Pathways Meet
3. That’s How I Feel
4. Twin Stars Of Thence
5. There Are Other Worlds (They Have Not Told You Of)

Originally released in April 1997, First Rays Of The New Rising Sun, was the first album prepared under the direct supervision of the Hendrix Family. Drawing together seventeen songs whose creation spans from March 1968 through to Jimi’s final sessions at Electric Lady Studios in August 1970, the album marked the last graceful gesture by the innovative artist Jimi Hendrix. Features “Dolly Dagger,” “Angel,” “Ezy Rider” and “Freedom.” This release is a new, all analog edition mastered from the original 1/4" mixes by Bernie Grundman and pressed on 140-gram black vinyl.

TRACK LISTING

Side A
1. Freedom
2. Izabella
3. Night Bird Flying
4. Angel
5. Room Full Of Mirrors

Side B
1. Dolly Dagger
2. Ezy Ryder
3. Drifting
4. Beginnings

Side C
1. Stepping Stone
2. My Friend
3. Straight Ahead
4. Hey Baby (New Rising Sun)

Side D
1. Earth Blues
2. Astro Man
3. In From The Storm
4. Belly Button Window

The woven lyrics and singular songwriting style heard in Sunset Rubdown invoke a mythological world, where magical narratives and tiny metaphors give shape to ordinary objects in the room; sometimes beautiful, sometimes beastly. The moniker was first born to bear the solo bedroom recordings of Spencer Krug, but has since evolved into a full-fledged band, involving the vital contributions of fellow Montreal residents Jordan Robson Cramer, Michael Doerksen, and Camilla Wynne Ingr.

Now enter Sunset Rubdown’s third full-length record, ‘Random Spirit Lover’, featuring twelve songs that bleed in and out of each other, mixing portents with theatrics, confusions with conversions. The dark glamour of the music beneath the half-baked revelations in rhyme creates a tone of high drama, blown-out and overt, but the stage is wild and the roles aren’t clear, so the sincerity of the work and the spontaneity of the recordings can't help but shine through the formality of structure. In short, listening to ‘Random Spirit Lover’ is like watching schoolchildren in a dress rehearsal for the annual Easter play. And though they aren’t old enough to know the occasion is anything more than pastel-painted eggs and edible bunnies, they wear the fake beards with confidence and style.

‘Random Spirit Lover’ was recorded in early 2007 at Breakglass Studios in Montreal with Jace Lasek (also of The Besnard Lakes) and Dave Smith. A prolific and talented musician, Krug is also a member of Frog Eyes and Wolf Parade, and, in the fall of 2006, he collaborated with Dan Bejar of Destroyer and Carey Mercer of Frog Eyes to form Swan Lake, recording their first album for Jagjaguwar called ‘Beast Moans’. Jordan Robson-Cramer is currently the brain behind Magic Weapon as well as a member of Miracle Fortress, and Michael Doerksen produces his own solo work under the name of Deep Sleepover.

TRACK LISTING

1. The Mending Of The Gown
2. Magic Vs. Midas
3. Up On Your Leopard, Upon The End Of Your Feral Days
4. The Courtesan Has Sung
5. Winged / Wicked Things
6. Colt Stands Up / Grows Horns
7. Stallion
8. For The Pier (And Dead Shimmering)
9. The Taming Of The Hands That Came Back To Life
10. Setting Vs. Rising
11. Trumpet, Trumpet, Toot! Toot!
12. Child-Heart Losers

This special 60th Anniversary reissue of groundbreaking jazz artist Sun Ra’s iconic 1962 album The Futuristic Sounds of Sun Ra features all-analogue re-mastering by Kevin Gray at Cohearent Audio, pressed on 180-gram vinyl at RTI. The package includes Tom Wilson’s original liner notes, plus insightful new essays by jazz historian Ben Young, as well as by Irwin Chusid, who is also a journalist, radio personality, and author. 

TRACK LISTING

Side A
1. Bassism
2. Of Sounds And Something Else
3. What's That?
4. Where Is Tomorrow?
5. The Beginning
6. China Gates
Side B
1. New Day
2. Tapestry From An Asteroid
3. Jet Flight
4. Looking Outward
5. Space Jazz Reverie 

Space Is The Place – highlighted by the rousing 21-minute title track – is both an essential album and a great onramp for new listeners to travel the spaceways of Sun Ra’s other-worldly blend of avant-garde jazz, experimental rock, and Afrofuturism.

This Verve By Request title is pressed on 180-gram vinyl at Third Man in Detroit. 

TRACK LISTING

Side A
1. Space Is The Place
2. Images
Side B
3. Discipline 33
4. Sea Of Sound
5. Rocket Number Nine

Cosmic Myth Records is dedicated to issuing reamstered and fully authorized out of print titles from Sun Ra's independent Saturn Records catalog. Sun Ra's Jazz in Silhouette was enshrined in the Penguin Jazz Guide's "Core Collection" as an album that "will someday be recognized as one of the most important post-war jazz records."

Remastered with extra tracks - extra disc also includes Sound Sun Pleasure LP. Features the original space nymph cover art, which only appeared in cropped and washed out reproductions on an early 60s version.

THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER"Mark Lanegan-primitive, brutal, and apocalyptic. What's not to love?" NICK CAVE"A stoned cold classic" IAN RANKIN'Mark Lanegan writes like he sings, from the pained heart of a damaged soul with brutal honesty' BOBBY GILLESPIE"Powerfully written and brutally, frighteningly honest" LUCINDA WILLIAMSA ROUGH TRADE AND MOJO BOOK OF THE YEARFrom the back of the van to the front of the bar, from the hotel room to the emergency room, Mark Lanegan takes us back to the sinister, needle-ridden streets of Seattle, to an alternative music scene that was simultaneously bursting with creativity and saturated with drugs. He tracks the tumultuous rise and fall of Screaming Trees, from a brawling, acid-rock bar band to world-famous festival favourites with an enduring legacy, and tells of his own personal struggles with addiction, culminating in homelessness, petty crime, and the tragic deaths of his closest friends.

Gritty, gripping and unflinchingly raw, SING BACKWARDS AND WEEP is about a man who learned how to drag himself from the wreckage, dust off the ashes, and keep living and creating. 'The most brutally honest rock memoir imaginable' DAILY TELEGRAPH

Allow yourself to envision or feel a world away with this deluxe package of 3LPs, a BluRay Disc & DVD or 2CD Bluray & DVD Discs of the film, and lots more! The audio portion contains the original music composed for the film, which was eventually released as a soundtrack in 1993. It also features The Mathematics Of The Altered Destiny a third previously unissued LP recorded in the same soundtrack sessions but is finally being released half a century after it was recorded. This newly discovered LP is heavy on the prose of Sun Ra, as he and June Tyson bestow countless bits of information and inspiration onto the listener.

The film soundtrack is an entirely different journey than the 1973 Blue Thumb LP it shares its title with. We suggest you take both journeys. These recordings were sourced from the Sun Ra tape vault, then were digitally restored to make an album this special sound the best it possibly could.The BluRay contains the entire glorious film complete with film artifacts, and was sourced from the restoration prepared by Rapid Eye Movies of Germany. The bonus features on the BluRay are composed of Ra and Ra-centric material from the Modern Harmonic archives, including video from the Outer Space Visual Communicator footage.An additional track from these sessions, "The Idea Of The Greater Age" can be found on the CD version of this album or on the album Some Skin: A Modern Harmonic Bongo & Percussion Party.

A collection of torrid live club performances at the legendary NYC venue Slugs. Originally released in 1972, these recordings provide an intriguing glimpse of the Arkestra's repertoire and virtuosity towards the end of their first decade in New York. Universe In Blue has never been available on CD, and only a previous unofficial vinyl version was available prior to 2022.

Includes liner notes by Irwin Chusid, and an expanded essay by Jazz historian Ben Young.

Strut present the definitive collection of singles released by Sun Ra across his illustrious career, spanning 1952 to 1991. Released prolifically during the 1950s and more sporadically thereafter, primarily on the Saturn label, the 45s offer one-off meteorites from Ra’s prolific cosmic journey, tracing the development of his forward-thinking “Space-Bop” and his unique take on jazz and blues traditions. The collection is hugely varied, ranging from Ra’s spoken word recitations and his early work with Chicago vocal groups to the different phases of his Arkestra, small group and duet recordings. The singles are also unpredictable vehicles for Ra’s music, combining different tracks from different sessions and occasionally making available music which was recorded many years beforehand.

As with his LPs, most 45s were only pressed in small runs and have since become extremely rare and sought after. Only a small handful of copies of ‘Love In Outer Space’ b/w ‘Mayan Temple’ and ‘The Blue One’ b/w ‘Orbitration In Blue’ have ever been seen; some have only been discovered in physical form in recent years; some were planned and pencilled but allegedly never made it to vinyl (including ‘Saturn’ and ‘Velvet’ from the Jazz In Silhouette LP) and some appeared as limited one-off magazine singles and posthumous releases, including ‘Hell #1’ aka ‘Out There A Minute’.

All formats feature fully remastered tracks, rare photos, original 45 artwork, Francis Gooding’s extensive sleeve notes, an interview with Saturn Records founder Alton Abraham by John Corbett and detailed track by track and session notes by Paul Griffiths.

The set is the most comprehensive collection of Ra’s singles to date. Sleeve note writers Francis Gooding and Paul Griffiths brilliantly illustrate the role of the single within Ra’s career and break down each release with detailed track by track notes. Working with Sun Ra LLC and Sun Ra archivist Michael D. Anderson, Strut has also assembled the best possible master sources for each track.

TRACK LISTING

1. Sun Ra – I Am An Instrument
2. Sun Ra – I Am Strange
3. The Nu Sounds With Sun Ra – Chicago Usa
4. The Nu Sounds With Sun Ra – Spaceship Lullaby
5. The Cosmic Rays With Sun Ra And Arkestra – Daddy’S Gonna Tell You No Lie
6. The Nu Sounds With Sun Ra And Arkestra – A Foggy Day
7. Billie Hawkins With Sun-Ra And His Orchestra – I’M Coming Home
8. Billie Hawkins With Sun-Ra And His Orchestra – Last Call For Love
9. Sun-Ra And His Arkistra – Soft Talk
10. Sun-Ra And His Arkistra – Super Blonde
11. Le Sun-Ra And His Arkistra – Saturn
12. Le Sun-Ra And His Arkistra – Call For All Demons
13. Le Sun-Ra And His Arkistra – Demon’S Lullaby
14. Le Sun-Ra And His Arkistra – Super-Sonic Jazz
15. Le Sun-Ra & His Arkistra – Medicine For A Nightmare
16. Le Sun-Ra & His Arkistra – Urnack
17. The Qualities – It’S Christmas Time
18. The Qualities – Happy New Year To You!
19. Yochanan (The Space Age Vocalist) – M Uck M Uck (Matt Matt)
20. Yochanan (The Space Age Vocalist) – Hot Skillet Momma
21. The Cosmic Rays With Le Sun Ra And Arkestra – Bye Bye
22. The Cosmic Rays With Le Sun Ra And Arkestra – Somebody’S In Love
23. Le Sun Ra And His Arkestra – Hours After
24. Le Sun Ra And His Arkestra – Great Balls Of Fire
25. Sun Ra And His Astro Infinity Arkestra – October
26. Sun Ra And His Astro Infinity Arkestra – Adventur In Space
27. The Cosmic Rays With Sun Ra And Arkestra – Dreaming
28. The Cosmic Rays With Sun Ra And Arkestra – Daddy’S Gonna Tell You No Lie
29. Hattie Randolph With Sun Ra And His Astro Infinity Arkestra – Round Midnight
30. Hattie Randolph With Sun Ra And His Astro Infinity Arkestra – Back In Your Own Back Yard
31. Le Sun Ra And His Arkestra – Saturn
32. Le Sun Ra And His Arkestra – Velvet
33. Yochanan “A Space Age Vocalist” With Sun Ra And His Arkestra – The Sun One
34. Yochanan “A Space Age Vocalist” With Sun Ra And His Arkestra – Message To Earthman
35. Yochanan With Sun Ra And His Arkestra – The Sun Man Speaks
36. Sun Ra And His Arkestra – Space Loneliness

60th Anniversary Edition of groundbreaking jazz artist Sun Ra’s iconic 1962 album The Futuristic Sounds of Sun Ra. Originally produced by Tom Wilson, this is the first Sun Ra LP to be recorded by Arkestra in NYC. This new edition is pressed on 180-gram vinyl at RTI with ALL-ANALOG Mastering by Kevin Gray at Cohearent Audio. Includes new essays by Irwin Chusid & Ben Young.

Strut present the definitive edition of Sun Ra’s classic ‘Lanquidity’ album from 1978 with brand new 4LP box set and 2CD editions.

Recorded overnight at Bob Bank’s Blank Tapes on 17th July 1978 after the Arkestra had appeared on Saturday Night Live, the album is unique in the Ra catalogue. “Most critics felt that it was more of a fusion-inspired record,” explains Michael Ray. “As the name suggests, the album is liquid and languid.” Bob Blank continues, “Musically, it was very ad hoc and freeform. There were horn charts but most tracks came out of improvised jams. Sun Ra just did his thing.”

Comprising five effortlessly fluid pieces, the album eases in with Lanquidity. Danny Ray Thompson remembers, “This was one of Sun Ra’s on-the-spot compositions. It is almost like an Ancient Egyptian Stargazing Ceremony, mapping out the stars and the planets.” Where Pathways Meet is “Sun Ra’s funky version of an Egyptian march. Pharaoh is sending his troops off to fight and this is his pep-talk!” continues Thompson. “The music seems to take different pathways but still converges.” The loping groove of That’s How I Feel, features the reflective trumpet lines of Eddie Gale with solos by John Gilmore and Marshall Allen: “Marshall comes in with that snake charming oboe.” Says Thompson. The funky Twin Stars Of Thence weaves around Richard Williams celebrated elastic bassline while the haunting closer, There Are Other Worlds (They Have Not Told You Of), is pure “space music.” The poet Mama Nzinga described it as ‘The essence of light. Spirit takes a ride inside the deep dark space of just being.”

The new box set edition of ‘Lanquidity’ features the widely distributed version of the album alongside alternative mixes by Bob Blank originally released in limited quantities for a 1978 Arkestra gig at Georgia Tech. Both versions of the album are cut loud at 45 rpm over 2LPs each.

Housed in a silver foil box, both LP sets reflect the original Phlly Jazz artwork. The first comes in a foil / magenta sleeve while the second features 2 x yellow A4 sheets pasted onto a white sleeve. Also included is a 12-page over-sized booklet featuring unseen photos by Veryl Oakland and liner notes by Tom Buchler (Philly Jazz), Michael Ray and Danny Ray Thompson (Sun Ra Arkestra) and Bob Blank.

The 2CD version is housed in a foil digipak.

TRACK LISTING

4LP TRACKLISTING:
A1. Lanquidity
B1. Where Pathways Meet
B2. That’s How I Feel
C1. Twin Stars Of Thence
D1. There Are Other Worlds (They Have Not Told You Of)
E1. Lanquidity (Alternate Version)
E2. Where Pathways Meet (Alternate Version)
F1. That’s How I Feel (Alternate Version)
G1. Twin Stars Of Thence (Alternate Version)
H1. There Are Other Worlds (They Have Not Told You Of) (Alternate Version)

2CD TRACKLISTING:
CD 1
1. Lanquidity
2. Where Pathways Meet
3. That’s How I Feel
4. Twin Stars Of Thence
5. There Are Other Worlds (They Have Not Told You Of)
CD 2
1. Lanquidity (Alternate Version)
2. Where Pathways Meet (Alternate Version)
3. That’s How I Feel (Alternate Version)
4. Twin Stars Of Thence (Alternate Version)
5. There Are Other Worlds (They Have Not Told You Of) (Alternate Version)

‘Sun Racket’ is the brand new album from legendary Boston trio Throwing Muses, consisting of Kristin Hersh, David Narcizo and Bernard Georges. The follow up to 2013’s ‘Purgatory/Paradise’ is an outpouring of modal guitars, reverbed shapes, echoey drums and driving bass set behind Kristen Hersh’s well-thumbed notebook of storylines. A ten-song opus of suitably wrought tales set against a wall of sound that’s at once calm and ethereal before building into glorious cacophonous crescendos. When Throwing Muses wrote their last album, they were shattered. Pieces were coming and going, elements repeating and charging the whole. “It sounded beautiful jumping around like that”.

Two-minute songs reappearing as twisted instrumentals or another song’s bridge. They mimicked the effect live which kept them on their toes. Whatever was happening was already over in other words. ‘Sun Racket’ is the opposite. It refused to do anything but sit still. It says, “sit here and deal”. “All it asked of us was to comingle two completely disparate sonic vocabularies: one heavy noise, the other delicate music box. Turns out we didn’t have to do much. Sun Racket knew what it was doing and pushed us aside, which is always best. After thirty years of playing together, we trust each other implicitly but we trust the music more” - Kristin Hersh And so, they continue. Business unusual.

STAFF COMMENTS

Barry says: Throwing Muses bring us their newest selection of gritty, fuzzed-out rock and / or roll, classic rock tinged melodies and deep, bluesy grooves. It's an intoxicating and exciting mix, and one that hasn't tempered any over time.

TRACK LISTING

1 Dark Blue
2 Bywater
3 Maria Laguna
4 Bo Diddley Bridge
5 Milk At Mcdonald’s
6 Upstairs Dan
7 St Charles
8 Frosting
9 Kay Catherine
10 Sue's

"I have always thought orchestra. I play that way, even when playing the piano." - Sun Ra

Considering the monumental depth of Sun Ra's recorded oeuvre, there are surprisingly few solo piano albums.

Monorails and Satellites Volumes 1 and 2 were the first commercial LPs of the artist's solo keyboard excursions. Recorded in 1966 and released on his Saturn imprint in 1968, Volume 1 featured seven idiosyncratic originals and one standard ("Easy Street") delivered in Sunny's singular manner. Volume 2 was released the following year, and contains five compositions, all originals. A third volume was prepped but shelved, and this deluxe edition marks it's premiere release.

As with all Cosmic Myth releases these volumes are superbly mastered, and are available as a deluxe 2xCD or 3xLP tri-gatefold cover with copious liners notes by renown American jazz pianist Vijay Iyer, and additional overviews by jazz historian Ben Young and producer Irwin Chusid.

TRACK LISTING

1. Space Towers
2. Cognition
3. Skylight
4. The Alter Destiny
5. Easy Street
6. Blue Differentials
7. Monorails And Satellites
8. The Galaxy Way
9. Astro Vision
10. The Ninth Eye
11. Solar Boats
12. Perspective Prisms Of Is
13. Calundronius
14. Soundscapes
15. The Eternal Tomorrow
16. Today Is Not Yesterday
17. World Island Festival
18. The Changing Wind
19. Don't Blame Me
20. Gone With The Wind
21. How Am I To Know
22. Yesterdays

Strut and Art Yard join forces for a special release to mark what would have been Sun Ra’s 100th birthday with ’In The Orbit Of Ra’, a new collection curated by the longest serving member of the Arkestra and current bandleader, Marshall Allen. Bringing together Ra highlights from over 25 years of music, the album is the first internationally released compilation to provide an introduction to the music of Sun Ra, curated personally by the Arkestra and mastered from the original tapes. With a catalogue of well over a hundred albums, Sun Ra forged his own direction in music from the mid ‘50s until his passing in 1993, injecting space age cosmic philosophy, ancient Egyptian history and lyrical poetry into a unique and freeform jazz sound. His music evolved constantly with relentless rehearsals, live gigging and recording schedules, developing a second?sense chemistry with his fellow Arkestra band members. Together, their emphasis would often be on improvisation and “the moment”, constantly re?interpreting and evolving their sound. Elements of magic and ritual would regularly feature in their performances and would lend the Arkestra a mystical aura.

For this exclusive new collection, Strut join forces with Art Yard to gain access to the inner sanctum of the Arkestra. In addition to the track selection, the release features recollections and contributions from some of the core Arkestra line?up including Marshall Allen, Michael Ray, Knoel Scott and Danny Ray Thompson. For the music, Allen’s selection takes us through the huge variety and intricacy of the Arkestra’s work covering the ‘60s to early ‘80s, from the celestial blues of ‘Spontaneous Simplicity’ and ‘Plutonian Nights’ to the urgent jazz of ‘Rocket Number Nine Take Off For Planet Venus’ and ‘Dance Of The Cosmo Aliens’. The album features an exclusive previously unreleased Sun Ra track from the Art Yard archives, the acoustic ‘Trying To Put The Blame On Me’ recorded live in Rome in 1977, along with a previously unreleased Part 1 of ‘Reflects Motion’ from 1962 and an unheard extended version of ‘Island In The Sun’ from the late ‘60s.

‘In The Orbit Of Ra’ is released on 2CD and 2LP. Physical formats feature full interview with Marshall Allen along with rare and previously unpublished photos by Val Wilmer.

TRACK LISTING

LP 1
1. Sun Ra And His Myth Science Arkestra – Somewhere In Space
2. Sun Ra & His Solar‐Myth Arkestra – The Lady With The Golden Stockings
3. Sun Ra And His Afro Infinity Arkestra – Somebody Else’s World
4. Sun Ra – Spontaneous Simplicity
5. Sun Ra & His Solar‐Myth Arkestra – Plutonian Nights
6. The Sun Ra Arkestra – Angels And Demons At Play
7. Sun Ra – Island In The Sun
8. Sun Ra – Rocket Number Nine Take Off For Planet Venus
9. Sun Ra – Solar Differentials 

LP2
1. Sun Ra And His Arkestra €

THIS IS A RECORD STORE DAY 2014 EXCLUSIVE AND WILL ONLY BE AVAILABLE INSTORE ON THE DAY (SATURDAY APRIL 19th) AND LIMITED TO ONE PER PERSON.

IF THERE ARE ANY REMAINING COPIES THEY WILL BE MADE AVAILABLE ONLINE FROM SATURDAY APRIL 26th.

On vinyl for the first time in over three decades, this limited edition Record Store Day release will feature a white and purple psychedelic color LP and exclusive cover art.
.

TRACK LISTING

Somewhere There
Outer Spaceways Incorporated
Saturn
Song Of The Sparer
Spontaneous Simplicity

Spaceheads are a duo based in Manchester and London . Andy Diagram also plays with James , David Thomas And The Two Pale Boys and was a member of The Diagram Bros and The Pale Fountains.

Richard Harrison played with Manchester bands Homelife and Graham Massey's Toolshed also the Mud Hutters , Bing Selfish and the Ideals , Dislocation Dance, the list goes on....

The duo formed in the early 90's and have released 9 albums to date as well as toured extensively around Europe and the USA Andy plays trumpet through loopers and harmonisers , Richard plays drums and other hittable bits .

TRACK LISTING

Sun Radar
Atomic Clock
Miles To Go
North Of The Border

Recorded live November 9th 1970 at Queen Elizabeth Hall in the South Bank Centre, "Live In London 1970" captures Ra and his many pals in full jazzprov mode. This was Sun Ra's first UK appearance, and he brought along fire eaters, golden robed dancers and 16 musicians. Tornadoes of percussion, eerie cello glissandi, ferocious blasts and tendrils of electronic sound from Ra's Farfisa organ and Moog syth all made this a bit of a free-jazz psychedelic happening. This double CD recording captures it all, if all in a little bit 'cassette recorder from the audience' lo-fi mode.

With his most ambitious record yet, Spencer Krug (also of Wolf Parade and Swan Lake) emerges as a special kind of songwriter, inspiring devotion and fanaticism.

This is a super follow-up to his much-loved debut and whilst the warm, woody soulfulness of primetime Van Morrisson still shines through there's enough new ground covered to prove that he is indeed a major talent in the making. There's country and blues to add to his rustic soul music, this time with echoes of John Lennon or even Ryan Adams. There's some unsettling, sparse stuff here too; it's an occasionally challenging as well as a comforting listen. Fans are going to love this record!