In Jade Warrior's second album for Island Records, atmosphere takes center stage over melody, and jam sessions supplant structure. The record consists of a single composition. Parts one and two were needed because it was released in pre-CD days and the song took up both sides of the LP, identifying the entire album under a single title - an unwise strategy. "Waves" has no recurring theme; it opens with a Brian Eno-influenced ambient passage and meanders from there. Listeners find it difficult to identify the strongest passages, but the artists undoubtedly intended that the album be heard in its entirety rather than in small chunks. This might have seemed noble at the time, but it resulted in a nightmare for radio programmers who might have provided Waves with the airplay it desperately needed to push Jade Warrior beyond cult status…

Once a symbol of the Vertigo label's adventurism, Jade Warrior's lack of sales led to their dismissal in 1972, which inevitably resulted in the band's disintegration. However, the Warrior's multi-instrumentalists, Jon Field and Tony Duhig, soldiered on at the urging of Steve Winwood, whose enthusiastic support of the diminished Warrior secured the duo a deal with his label, Island. Floating World was the new-look Jade's debut, a concept album themed around the Japanese philosophy of Ukiyo, with the songs revolving around two interrelated series of compositions. It's a complex set, and helpfully this reissue's excellent sleeve notes assist in making sense of it. The compositions may be interlaced, but the album itself is as diverse as any previous Jade offering…

Esoteric Recordings is pleased to announce the release of the classic 1989 album A Question Of Time by Jack Bruce. The album was a marked return to prominence of Jack Bruce and featured a collection of marvellous material. With an impressive cast of guest musicians such as Ginger Baker, Tony Williams, Allan Holdsworth, Bernie Worrell, Vernon Reid & Albert Collins, Jack produced an album which is regarded as one of his finest. This Esoteric reissue has been re-mastered from the original master tapes, features a new essay and restores the original album artwork.

Esoteric Recordings are pleased to announce a newly re-mastered edition of the classic 1972 album by Chicken Shack. "Imagination Lady" was the fifth album by the group and the band had undergone changes to the line-up, instigated by band leader, guitarist Stan Webb, prior to the recording of the album. Now a trio featuring John Glascock (Bass) and Paul Hancox (Drums), the album saw Stan Webb head in a hard rock direction, albeit with Blues influences, resulting in a fine album featuring such classic tracks as ‘Crying Won’t Help You Now’, ‘Daughter of the Hillside’ and the epic ‘Telling Your Fortune’. This Esoteric Recordings reissue has been newly re-mastered from the original master tapes and includes two bonus tracks, previously unreleased on CD, taken from two respective singles. The reissue features a booklet that fully restores all original album artwork with a new essay.

Fire was Hounslow's finest psychedelic rock group. Fronted by Dave Lambert (later to join The Strawbs), the band recorded two legendary singles for Decca before signing to PYE Records and recording this legendary Psychedelic Rock rarity in 1969. Featuring guest appearances by guitarist Paul Brett and Dave Cousins of The Strawbs, the album failed to sell in significant quantities at the time of release. Now hailed as a masterpiece of the genre, the album featured in Record Collector's Top Ten sought after rare albums list. This new remastered edition features four bonus tracks, namely both sides of th two Fire singles released by Decca in 1968 along with an extensive booklet featuring new liner notes.

Esoteric Recordings is pleased to announce the release of the classic 1972 self titled album by Home. The band featured a line up of Mick Stubbs (guitar, piano, lead vocals), Laurie Wisefield (lead guitar, vocals), Cliff Williams (bass, vocals) and Mick Cook (drums) and formed in London in 1970. Signing to CBS Records they recorded their debut album in 1971. Their second self-titled album was released in 1972 and included the classic track Western Front . This Esoteric reissue has been re-mastered from the original master tapes and restores the original album artwork.

Love Is The Law (1968). In 1968 Graham Bond left the Britain after the collapse of the Graham Bond Organisation to record two legendary albums for mercury records in the us. Recorded in Los Angeles, Love Is The Law saw Bond play all instruments on the album (except drums) & featured material that featured jazz influences alongside emerging psychedelic & underground rock influences resulting in a truely unique and highly sought after work, laced with fine musicianship and mystical lyrics. Previously bootlegged on CD with poor quality sound, this Esoteric release of Love Is The Law has been re-mastered from the original master tapes and restores the original artwork with a new essay to make the definitive edition of this classic album…

Released just after Jack Bruce's 65th birthday, the six-disc box set from Esoteric Recordings chronicles the astounding journey of this eclectic, gifted singer/bassist/songwriter, from 1962 to 2003. Covering pretty much every phase of his career, it includes his work with early British bluesmen like Alexis Korner, Graham Bond, and John Mayall; his psychedelic milestones with Cream; the art-rock-troubadour sounds of his early solo albums; and much more. Collaborating with everyone from P-Funk keyboard wizard Bernie Worrell to British blues-rocker Robin Trower and jazz drummer extraordinaire Tony Williams, Bruce effortlessly bounded back and forth from rock to blues to jazz and beyond, and "Can You Follow?" shows you just how these impressive feats were accomplished. The box set includes a 68 page book featuring Jack's recollections and many photographs.

National Health (1978) [Reissue 2009]. Esoteric Recordings are pleased to announce the release of a new re-mastered edition of the classic 1978 debut album by National Health. Evolving from Canterbury stylists Hatfield & the North, National Health featured the talents of Dave Stewart on keyboards, Pip Pyle on drums and Phil Miller on guitar along with guests such as Jimmy Hastings. At various times the group also included such luminaries as Bill Bruford, Mont Campbell and Alan Gowen. Released by Affinity Records in February 1978, the album is a classic of the ‘Canterbury’ style and is sure to be a much sought after release by all aficionados of the genre…

This album marked a continued maturing of both PFM's style and their presence in the Anglophone market. It benefits from Premoli's high-speed Hammond organ and synth runs on such all-out prog assaults as the conclusion of "From Under," as well as Mussida's gentle acoustic guitar lines on slower numbers like "Harlequin." The reissue of Chocolate Kings contains a bonus disc with several songs from previous releases, next to the material of Chocolate Kings. The recordings from a gig at the University of Nothingham, May 1st 1976 contains live versions of Four Holes In The Ground, Mr. Nine Till Five and Alta Loma Five’Till Nine/William Tell Overture.

Man's importance in the history of Welsh rock music cannot be understated. Fusing the worlds of Psychedelia, Blues, Rock and Roll and West Coast inspired rock, they were simply one of Britain's most original groups of the 1970's. Along with label-mates Hawkwind, Man were true champions of the "underground" spirit.
Man - Revelation (1969). Digitally remastered and expanded edition of the Welsh rockers' 1969 debut album including four bonus tracks. A fabulous blend of Psychedelia and Acid Rock, the set is now regarded as an early classic by the band. Featuring the French hit single "Erotica" and a loose concept inspired by the Space race. With fully restored artwork, the booklet features liner notes by Man's guitarist and resident wit Deke Leonard…

Downwind (1979). Eagerly awaited re-press for this classic album by Pierre Moerlen's Gong featuring Mike Oldfield, Steve Winwood & Mick Taylor. Booklet with restored artwork, photos & liner notes. By the late 1970s Percussionist Pierre Moerlen had taken over the leadership of Gong and had steered the band away from Psychedelic Space Rock and took the band into a Jazz Rock direction, one in which the band excelled. After recording several albums with Virgin, the band now featured Hansford Rowe on bass, Ross Record on guitar, Benoit Moerlen on vibes and Francois Causse on percussion. Moerlen signed with Arista Records in 1978 and recorded this excellent album partially in Mike Oldfield’s studio. Oldfield guested on the superb lengthy title track with fellow guest Steve Winwood, whilst Mick Taylor appeared on the track "What You Know"…

Marsupilami were an English proto-prog outfit who relocated to the Netherlands. The complexity of their music is quite unusual for the times - we're talking 1970 here, when the big guns such as Yes, Genesis and Crimson were barely coming out of the woodwork. A mixture of blues, experimental jazz and hints of folk, their music is often dark and foreboding, favouring perilously complex structures. Try to imagine a mixture of King Crimson, Jethro Tull, the Strawbs and East of Eden. Their two albums feature weird/oblique melodies and harmonies, lots of heavy keyboards, electric guitar and flute (at times purposely off key), with the drummer pounding on his skins as if his life depended on it. This is very early prog and you particularly feel this in the organ work, which has a typical early 70's psych feel. Their second album, which features an additional member on flute and sax as well as the appearance of the Mellotron, is an ambitious concept album about the brutal culture of ancien Rome - quite a sordid affair, really, but well done.

Gilgamesh (1975). Esoteric's 2011 remastered reissue of Gilgamesh's 1975 eponymous debut recording provides a 21st century opportunity to investigate a fine group that emerged during the waning days of Britain's Canterbury scene. These Canterbury stylists were formed in 1972 with the core of the band built around Alan Gowen on keyboards and Mike Travis on drums. At various times, the line-up included former Caravan and Hatfield & The North member Richard Sinclair, Mont Campbell (formerly of Egg) and Neil Murray. Gilgamesh is a classic of the Canterbury style and is sure to be a much sought after release by all aficionados of the genre…

Esoteric Recordings are pleased to announce a 2CD Anthology by the classic Scottish Progressive Rock group Beggars Opera. Drawing on material from the band’s first four albums, recorded for the legendary Vertigo label, "Nimbus" features 27 of the band’s best tracks.
Formed in Glasgow in 1969 with a line-up of Rick Gardiner (Guitar, Vocals), Alan Park (Keyboards), Martin Griffiths (Vocals), Marshall Erskine (Bass, Flute) and Raymond Wilson (Drums), the band signed to the newly established progressive arm of Philips Records, Vertigo, in 1970. Their debut album, "Act One" gained some success in Europe with tracks such as ‘Poet and Peasant’ and ‘Passacagalia’…