Back catalogue: Rock

Review: Brace yourself as the holiday season is upon us, and that means reaching for those platters which stir up the strongest of sentimental feelings as the nights draw in. Greg Lake's 'I Believe In Father Christmas' is a bittersweet look at the festive tradition - like so many surprise seasonal hits it's got an underlying heavy-heartedness which somehow strikes a chord with the masses. This edition of the all-time classic comes on a none-more on-brand red 10" disc, backed up by 'Humbug' and 'Closer To Believing' as well as an instrumental version of the lead tune, so if you're feeling bold an know the words, you can cheer family and friends with your own rousing rendition.

Review: 
If you're a lover of Brazilian psychedelic folk, you will already be well familiar with this utter masterpiece from Brazilian actor and musician Guilherme Lamounier. He recorded three such records in the 1970s, and this, the second of them, is widely regarded as the best. It has long been a real rarity and holy grail amongst diggers after being created with composer Tiberio Gaspar and recorded at Radio Gazeta Studios in Sao Paulo. Element sou US hippie culture as well as love song stylings, angular funk and piano ballads all feature with plenty of great musicianship and rousing lyrics. Truly escapist stuff.

Review: This is the first part of Led Zeppelin collection that brings together the legendary band's best bits from their 1969 tour of the United States of America. At the time they had just dropped their self-titled album and it went on to reach the Top 10 on the Billboard chart while the band toured the country four times in that same year. Their second album Led Zeppelin II dropped in October, making it something of a huge year for the group. The tunes here were recorded at the famous Fillmore West in San Francisco with the classic 'Dazed & Confused' appearing next to others like 'How Many More Times.'

Review: "They already sound like a veteran group and soon ought to be ranked in the company of the Who, Rolling Stones and the late Cream," said one US critic after catching Led Zeppelin playing one of America's most treasured concert halls, San Francisco's Filmore West. Then in its infancy, opening just a year before Robert Plant, Jimmy Page, John Paul Jones and John Bonham took to the stage, we can say with a degree of certainty that this would be one of the shows that helped establish the address' now historic reputation. Gritty, very loud, and utterly groundbreaking at the time, trying to write about a Led Zeppelin record in 2023 isn't easy - so much has already been said and anyone with ears has likely heard them plenty by now. Attempting to do the same with a live recording feels even more redundant. Capturing their energy and ferocity on stage via words on page is impossible. Let's just say this, then: you won't regret picking this one.

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Review: The title of Nick Lowe's solo record has a great backstory: at the time, he and label head Jake Riviera wanted to mess with journalists so in every interview at the time they gave the record a different title. Jesus of Cool was one which they knew wouldn't work for the US release so that became Pure Pop for Now People, while Wireless World was another one banded about. That faded away and was forgotten about as the other two titles went on to be used. But now, 40 years later, the record is reissued under that third title but with the original album tracklist.