NYC rock'n'roll troupe Cat Mother had a semi-illustrious history. Formed by Stephen Stills' mate Roy Michaels (pre-Buffalo Springfield), Roy's boys packed an esoteric punch with their odd mix of old rocker standards and mandolin/violin/banjo workouts. Jimi Hendrix took a shine to them and semi-produced this disc at Electric Ladyland. They came up with a diverting set, but the Hendrix link is obviously the draw for this first-time CD reissue.

Solo albums from James Brown's horn section, produced by George Clinton

Three-disc box of electro pioneers' early dabbles

Ten years ago, as Sonic Boom's new sleevenotes attest, he and Jason Pierce were "making hypno-monotony" and smoking a lot of grass. Spacemen 3 were a cult on the brink of brimming over, which soon happened with the spin-off of Pierce's Spiritualized. Their penultimate LP as a pairing was The Perfect Prescription, here stretched to a double with the addition of various demos and unreleased sessions. In two modes, hippie-trance riffery and hushed faux-religious reverence, it's love-it-or-hate it puritan-rock. The drugs, clearly, worked for them.

Blues-rock "Super Session" plus newly-discovered Fillmore East tapes

Essential chronicle of 1977-81 punk-dub soundclash

Former Smiths frontman picks the songs that saved his life

Classic reissues from John Sebastian's deceptively sweet combo

How New York's hippie hoppers ushered in the philosophical D.A.I.S.Y. Age. And then pronounced themselves Dead

Marvin'n'Jim's classic of subtlety and restraint, digitally remastered with extra tracks and a bonus hits DVD