I have been trapped in the thicket of hard times and no money for a good number of years now, but I am finally earning a reasonable (through not great) income again. Now i can indulge in a few purchases.

Because I ahve avoided temptation I have taken almost no notice of new releases over the last 5-6 years, as I said shut off from the world. I really am looking for some opinions on great new releases that I have missed in this time so I can go about investigationg them and refreshing my musical palette.

I would really appreciate imput of anyone out there. Any better than average comps etc, new discoveries etc that have caught your imagination. You can post here or even e mail me some ideas if you wish.

I can and have done a quick view of the histories on RZ 5 years is a lot of going back and you miss a lot, so it would be nice to have it in one spot.

Looking forward to any suggestions.

Hello Daniel. A few that I've really enjoyed...
Los Brincos. Contrabando. A deliciously catchy beat / pop psych collection that really puts a smile on my face anyway....

Reggie King Looking for a dream....unreleased album backed by the action..superb

Hello everyone..popsike sparks from Denmark st comp...better than average...Rubble
quality methinks

Love poetry and revolution is also a better than average collection, however I found only 9 tracks on it that I didn't already have

Look at the sun & radio tymes comps on top sounds label from bbc archives

Still some good stuff showing up on the fading yellow series

Lastly you may like to investigate the mixed up minds & Piccadilly Sunshine series
On particles though I find these I like only about 50 per cent of the material...
they have their share of gems for sure but I think they also have some average tracks and occasionally a few horrors!! though others may disagree on that...

this is what (more or less)I got in the past few years

9.30 FLY same
AARDVARK same
AIRBUS Test flight
ANDERSON, IAN A. Time is ripe
ARMADA Beyond the morning
ASGAERD In the realm of Asgaerd
BART, LIONEL …Isn't this where we came in?
BENNETT'S REBELLION, CLIFF same
BLONDE ON BLONDE Reflections on a life
BLOSSOM TOES What on earth
BLUE BEARD same
BREAD LOVE & DREAMS same
BRETT SAGE, PAUL same
BRETT SAGE, PAUL Jubilation Foundry
BRETT SAGE, PAUL Schizophrenia
BROMLEY, JOHN Songs
CALLIER, TERRY The New Folk Sound of
CALLIER, TERRY What Colour Is Love
CALLIER, TERRY About time
CAMPBELL, JIMMY Son of Anastasia
CHAPMAN, MICHAEL Wrecked again
CHAPMAN, MICHAEL Fully qualified survivor
CLARK-HUTCHINSON Free to be stoned
COCHISE Velvet mountain
COCKBURN, BRUCE Night vision
COLTRANE, JOHN Giant Steps
COMUS Out of the coma
CRESSIDA Trapped in time - lost tapes
CRESSIDA The Vertigo years anthology
DAVIS, MILES Bitches Brew
DAVIS, MILES Kind of blue/Ascenseur…
DEEP FEELING Pretty colours
DENNY, SANDY The best of BBC
DESIGN Design + Tomorrow is so far away
DR. STRANGELY STRANGE Heavy Petting +
ECLECTION same
ELLINGTON, MARC A question of roads
ELLINGTON, MARC Restoration
ELLINGTON, MARC Marc time
EVENSONG same
EVERYONE same
FAIRPORT CONVENTION Nine
FAY, BILL Life is people
FIELDS same
FUCHSIA Fuchsia II from psychedelia…
GOTHIC HORIZON Tomorrow is another day
GRANDFATHER Dear Mr.Time
GRANNIE same
HALLIDAY, JOHNNY Le roi de France
HARSH REALITY Heaven and Hell
HENDRIX, JIMI Valleys of Neptune
HOME Pause for a hoarse horse
HONEYBUS She flies like a bird
HUMAN BEAST same
HUNTER MUSKETT Everytime you move
IRON MAIDEN Maiden Voyage
JADE Fly on strangewings
JAN DUKES DE GRAY Sorcerers + Mice and Rats in the Loft
JARDINE Look in the window
JERUSALEM same
JODO Guts
KING, REG Looking for a dream
KNOCKER JUNGLE same
LAMB Sign of change
LAMB Cross Between
LAMB Bring out the sun
LIVERPOOL SCENE The amazing adventures of
MAHOGANY same
MAJORITY Decca years
MALONE, WIL same + Until the end
MOGUL THRASH same
NORTHCOTT, TOM (Rhino)
ONYX Kaleidoscope of colours
PANTRY, JOHN The upside down world of J.P.
PAPER BUBBLE Scenery
PHILLIPS, SHAWN Contribution + Second Contribution
PICADILLY LINE The huge world of Emily Small
PUSSY Invasion
RAM JOHN HOLDER London blues + Bootleg blues
RODRIGUEZ Cold facts
SALLYANGIE Children of the sun
SCOTT-HERON, GIL Pieces of a man
SKIN ALLEY
SORRENTI, ALAN Come un vecchio incensiere
SPHEERIS, JIMMIE Isle of View + The original tap…
SPRIGUNS Time will pass
SPRIGUNS Revel weird and wild
ST.JOHN, BRIDGET BBC RADIO 1968-1976
ST.JOHN, BRIDGET A pocketful of starlight
STEEL MILL Jewels of the forest
STEVENS, MEIC Gwymon
STRAWBS Live at the BBC 1
STRAWBS In concert vol 2
THIRD EAR BAND Alchemy + Elements
TINKERBELL FAIRYDUST
TRIFLE First meeting
VV.AA. 94 Baker Street Revisited
VV.AA. After Tonight - Ember
VV.AA. Blow your cool
VV.AA. Cave of clear light
VV.AA. Electric Asylum 3
VV.AA. Electric Asylum 5
VV.AA. Electric Asylum vol.1
VV.AA. Electric Asylum vol.2
VV.AA. Electric Asylum vol.4
VV.AA. Electric Soundshow 1
VV.AA. Electric Soundshow 2
VV.AA. Ghost from the Basement
VV.AA. Glitterbest
VV.AA. Great Expectations OST
VV.AA. Heavy prog fallout
VV.AA. Let's ride
VV.AA. Look at the sun
VV.AA. Looking towards the sky
VV.AA. Lovers from the sky
VV.AA. Maximum prog
VV.AA. Mixed up minds 1
VV.AA. Mixed up minds 2
VV.AA. Mixed up minds 3
VV.AA. Mixed Up Minds 4
VV.AA. Old grey whistle
VV.AA. Piccadilly Sunshine 1
VV.AA. Piccadilly Sunshine 11
VV.AA. Piccadilly Sunshine 2
VV.AA. Piccadilly Sunshine 3
VV.AA. Piccadilly Sunshine 4
VV.AA. Piccadilly Sunshine 6
VV.AA. Piccadilly Sunshine 7
VV.AA. Piccadilly Sunshine vol.5
VV.AA. Piccadilly susnhine 13
VV.AA. Psych bites 2
VV.AA. Psychedelic Schlemiels 3
VV.AA. Psychedelic Schlemiels 4
VV.AA. Rainy Day Mind - Ember
VV.AA. Shapes and Sounds Vol. 2
VV.AA. Shapes and Sounds Vol. 3
VV.AA. Songs for desert refugees
VV.AA. Steppin' Through an Empty Time
VV.AA. Strange Pleasures
VV.AA. Summer turns to autumn
VV.AA. Sunday sunshine - the world of SnB
VV.AA. Tapestry and other lost…
VV.AA. The complete Dandelion singles
VV.AA. The Crow Club
VV.AA. The Island dealers pack (Pooka etc)
VV.AA. This Year's Love OST
VV.AA. Treacle Toffee World
VV.AA. Truly Tis Must Be Heaven
VV.AA. We all love… Fairytales... vol.4
WALKER & THE RAIN, GARY Album n. 1

A few other standout releases over last few years came to mind...

Yardbirds glimpses box
Sitar headswirlers boxes
Looking good box
Electric soundshow box
Q65. Nothing but trouble
The rokes in English
Every mother's son
Psychegaelic
Kinks, small faces, who, Derek and the dominoes deluxe editions

Thanks guys, and those who e mailed me. There certainly is a lot to consider. I will work my way through the lists

Just like to amend my statement in this thread about Piccadilly Sunshine / Mixed Up Minds series where I said I liked
only half of the material....I'm sorry I must've had my grumpy head on that day!!
I'm really enjoying one of the MUM vols as I write.....

Wouldn't like to be responsible for putting someone off these who might really like them, after all, I bought all of the
CD's myself!
It was only recently in the great 'Blobbadilly Sunshine' debate of last year, I was saying how, despite the odd stinker, I find them a lot of fun...