The ambitious and adventurous band's most engaging era restored in a comprehensive new boxed set... Ahhhh, now here's a fun one. Those of us with a love of 1970s bands that never managed to achieve mass success (but were every bit as good as the ones that did) have had a lot to thank Esoteric..
Jade Warrior – Jade Warrior, Released, Last Autumn’s Dream (Esoteric/Cherry Red)
While bobbing around the huge melting pot of 1970s British rock, one of the more unique bands that floats to the surface is Jade Warrior. While not exactly dwelling in obscurity, neither were they fortunate enough to win the 'right place, right time' lottery that some of their contemporaries did. To their fans, of course,..
Blossom Toes – If Only For A Moment (Reissue/Expanded) (Cherry Red/Esoteric)
In the maelstrom of late ‘60s music, groups came and went with alarming speed, and those that lasted more than one album had to be deft at changing styles to match the rapidly developing nascent rock scene. Some emerged to be powerhouses of the ‘70s while many faded away undeservedly (and some deservedly, it must..
Peter Bardens – Long Ago, Far Away: The Recordings 1969 – 1971 (Esoteric)
The vast landscape of lesser-known albums from the 1960s and 1970s is dotted with gems of varying degrees of brilliance. It's easy to get lost down slippery YouTube rabbit holes or dig through rows of records and CDs, combing for worthy relics to discover and add to our collections. It's even easier to have the..
SPIRIT – THE TWELVE DREAMS OF DR SARDONICUS: DELUXE EDITION (Cherry Red / Esoteric
The Twelve Dreams Of Doctor Sardonicus is quite likely one of THE most iconic albums to be released during 1970 and, such has been its impact, cited by many bands as being very influential, it’s been reissued several times and has been continually available. This album is easily Spirit’s meisterwerk and few of their contemporaries..
Renaissance – Scheherazade And Other Stories expanded edition (esoteric)
Sparkles with increased vibrancy, bouncing around the room with tantalizing surprises emerging from all corners... We were bound to get here eventually. With Esoteric's ongoing Renaissance reissue campaign having thus far covered the majority of their classic 1970s period, and even expanding such classic titles as Turn Of The Cards, Live At Carnegie Hall, Novella,..
STRAWBS – The Broken Hearted Bride (Esoteric / Cherry Red)
Originally released in 2008, The Broken Hearted Bride saw a reunion of the Strawbs line-up which had recorded albums like Hero & Heroine and Ghosts, both of which did well in the US, and reawakened interest in the band. It’s been unavailable in recent years but has now been remastered, reissued and includes previously unreleased..
STEPPENWOLF – Magic Carpet Ride: The Dunhill/ABC Years 1967-1971 (Esoteric / Cherry Red)
Don't go in expecting seven discs of Born To Be Wild riffery and 'heavy metal thunder', as that is somewhat misleading - but open your ears to some prime turn-of-the-'70s hard rock and this will indeed be a magic carpet ride. Take a trip now. With a few of these vintage bands which have had..
Breakthrough – Underground Sounds of 1971 (Esoteric / Cherry Red)
One of the perks of this job is that you get to listen to music of various types that probably wouldn’t have come across the threshold under normal conditions. It’s a further perk that you sometimes get to compare it with something else you also wouldn’t have come across in any other way. For instance,..
Anthony Phillips – Archive Collection Volume I & Volume II (Esoteric)
A walloping 101 tracks and a wealth of previously unheard gems from Ant's attic... As an admirer and fan of Anthony Phillips' music for 35 years now, it's brought me genuine joy to see so much of it thrust back into the spotlight thanks to Esoteric's tireless reissue campaign. Under the watchful eye of official..