Rhythm & Blues Vinyl & CDs

Review: It's Too Great To Stop Now is a selection of classic Van Morrison tunes - is there any other sort - played by a talented nine-piece band. They did so back in 1971 at an intimate gig in front of a live studio audience. There are tunes from the still to be released Tupelo Honey LP as well as classics such as 'Friday's Child (Them)' and covers including 'Hound Dog' and 'Just Like A Woman' which find Van Morrison in fine and amusing form. It is a great moment in time form one of the greats of his era.

Review: Rhythm & Blues follows on from the success of its Mott The Hoople at the BBC 1970 release - well worth a look (or listen) - with another retrospective compilation that makes a convincing case for us all diving headfirst into the band's full back catalogue to marvel at what's there. A collection of broadcast tracks from Top Gear, Sounds of the Seventies, and The John Peel Sunday Concert are included, and all sound gritty, growly, raw and vital. Among the highlights are versions of Like A Rolling Stone and When My Mind's Gone, which the release notes argue are "rare-as-hens-teeth", and we're not in position to argue, while the take on 'What'd I Say' feels soaked in enough spilt whisky and blues you could probably get loaded on the fumes alone. Ultimately, though, there's no point picking individual parts here. Instead, think wall-to-wall reasons why the Hoople were such a rare breed.

Review: 1968 and 1969 were turbulent years in the history of The Rolling Stones, as well as society at large. Brian Jones left, Mick Taylor joined, and they played a bunch of small shows, made TV appearances and headlined a massive gig at Hyde Park. This new album revisits all these phases which helped make them into the greatest rock 'n' roll band on the planet. It includes tracks recorded live at the Olympia Stadium, Detroit, recordings from the Hyde Park show that was broadcast on Dutch Radio Veronica and material from Saville Theatre, London that was broadcast US TV as "Supernight of Rock'n'Roll".

Review: When The Rolling Stones head out on their American Tour of 1972, which has also come known as the "Stones Touring Party", or S.T.P., little did they know it would become part of rock and roll legend and very much set a benchmark for all rock bands after. It saw them play some of their first-ever gigs stateside all across the United States and Canada after previously only playing the Altamont Free Concert in December 1969. Now you can hear some of the magical moments on this live album including tunes like 'Brown Sugar' and 'Gimme Shelter.'