BEST OF THE REST

Other new releases out this month.

Can

Live In Stuttgart 1975 MUTE

First in a series of hit-free snapshots capturing the ever-influential German improvisers in full flow. Each of its five segments finds nascent chaos metamorphosing into funk-fuelled crescendo as if by inspired osmosis. 7/10

Various

Beyond The Pale Horizon: Progressive Pop Sounds Of 1972 GRAPEFRUIT

The most striking conclusion taken from these three hit-packed CDs (Quo, Heep, Mott, Yes, Free… Curtiss Maldoon?) is how much the definition of what constitutes ‘pop’ has changed since 1972. Not to mention ‘progressive’. 7/10

Jonathan Richman CRAFT

Having A Party With…

A welcome Record Store Day reappearance on Bermuda seafoam (i.e. pale blue-ish) vinyl for former Modern Lover Richman’s quirky third from ‘91. With preppy/savant wit ahoy it’s about as nerdishly charming as flat plastic gets. 7/10

Yardbirds

Live In France REPERTOIRE

Neat single-disc encapsulation of The Yardbirds’ ‘65-68 metamorphosis from Beck/Dreja-driven quintet to Page-dominated proto-Zep quartet across four explosive performances. Rough, raw, maximum R&B, invariably limited by singer Keith Relf. 7/10

Spiritualized Electric Mainline

Pure Phase FAT POSSUM

With two separate analogue mixes combined in a unique inexact fusion, Pure Phase finds Jason Pierce channelling Steve Reich, spiritual psych-rock and gospel in a mesmerising celestial head-fuck of mammoth proportions. Tune in, bliss out. 8/10

John Martyn

The Church With One Bell CRAFT

An RSD repress of Martyn’s uniquely idiosyncratic ‘98 blues covers album, recorded with veteran Chicago producer Norman Dayron, that offered fresh takes on new (Portishead’s Glory Box), old (Elmore James’s The Sky Is Crying) and timeless (Strange Fruit). 7/10

Ronnie Lane

Anymore For Anymore UMC

Plonk’s pastorally vibed ‘74 debut solo album still boasts an easy breezy charm that’s as far away from the raucously Rod-ed Faces (that he abandoned the previous year) as he could get. Weirdly archaic, yet strangely prescient. 7/10

David Bowie

Kit Kat Club New York 99 ISO/PARLOPHONE

The final instalment of Bowie’s Brilliant Live Adventures series is the 12-track soundtrack to an intimate webcast club show featuring pianist Mike Garson (their Life On Mars? duet shines brightest) and on guitar Helmet’s Page Hamilton. 8/10

Various

Riding The Rock Machine GRAPEFRUIT

What’s not to love here? Kicking off with Rainbow’s Long Live Rock ‘N’

Roll and Heep’s Easy Livin’, this is a bulky 59-track, three-disc set of songs to soundtrack ‘appy days indeed. Classics, rarities; rock’s golden era boxed. 8/10

Steve Miller Band

Live! Breaking Ground: August 3rd 1977 SAILOR/CAPITOL/UME

SMB were as big as SMB ever were in ‘77. In the US, at least. No matter what intuition might tell you, neither Take The Money And Run nor Fly Like An Eagle charted in the UK, but in Maryland they went down a storm. As did The Joker. 6/10

Various

Caught Beneath The Landslide EDSEL

Curated by ex-NME snapper Kevin Cummins, this 71-track, four-CD audio companion to his While We Were Getting High Britpop photomemoir is as definitive a snapshot of Cool Britannia as has yet been compiled. A 90s Nuggets. 8/10