various artists - The Roots Of Fleetwood Mac: Mojo Presents 15 Classic Tracks That Inspired The Mac

This one showed up as part of a Discogs "buy a bunch of $2-$3 CDs from a single seller" order a few weeks ago. How am I going to turn down picking up a Mojo comp for a few bucks when I'm already buying a bunch of 90s and 00s punk/HC/indie? And this one had a ton of cool blues tracks, some early rock & roll, even a Kingston Trio cut. So I threw it in the basket and BAM!, here I am presenting it to you.

But that cover...PHEW! It reminds me of how off-putting I've always found the "Tusk" cover to be. It was only in the writing of this blog post that I discovered Vigon Nahas Vigon were nominated for a Grammy for their design. VNV were only together for a few years, but they also did a ton of work making covers for ABC Impulse!, repackaging the 60s Impulse! catalog into compilations that, ultimately, ended up in the young Ape's collection. But I digress.

It's never not going to be fascinating to me how a pair of English blues fans ended up pivoting after losing most of their band, emigrating to the States, picking up a pair of country rockers along the way, and made one of the biggest selling records of all time. Is this comp going to give you any greater insight how they ended up writing "The Chain" or "Rihannon"? Probably not, but it's a good way to get Elmore James and Fabian onto the same disc.

Discogs

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various artists - Revolver Reloaded: Mojo Presents Their 1966 Masterpiece In Full

I'm no one's idea of a Beatles fan. As I've stated before, I've always chosen the Stones over the Beatles, and I prefer other artist's performances of any Harrison, Lennon, McCartney, and/or Starkey penned songs. But "Revolver" is the only Beatles record I've ever held onto, so when I got a chance to pick this up 20-year-old freebie at a reasonable cost, I figured, "Eh, I've written about worse." The things one does to continue a theme...

This particular Mojo collection pulls together covers of all fourteen songs from the Beatles' 1966 transitional record, along with a version of "Rain", which appeared as the B-side of "Paperback Writer". The highlights for me are Jim Reid's cover of "And Your Bird Can Sing", Lampshade covering "Good Day Sunshine", and Seattle's own Green Pajamas' version of "Got To Get You Into My Life". The rest is just fine; I cannot beat the drum on behalf of a body of work that, even now, I can at best tolerate. If nothing else, it just makes me want to listen to Pol Inate's Kinks kompilation he posted up last month. Now THAT's a body of work you could set your clock to.

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various artists - Mojo Presents: Move On Up (A Modernist Compendium)

It's a lovely mod revival giveaway, bookended by a pair of Jam cuts and named after a Curtis Mayfield song. The cover evokes "Sound Affects", and all this is missing is a Geno Washington contribution and a set of keys to your own Vespa. Spinning this one makes me miss the late night dance parties at Lithuanian Hall in West Baltimore, the homebrew hooch we'd do shots of, smoking cigarettes, dressing sharp, and greasy eggs the next morning. Move on up, indeed.

Discogs

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various artists - Dylan's Scene: The Sound Of Greenwich Village

This is one of those good "liner notes"-type compilations where you're guaranteed to learn about your favorite artist's favorite artists. In this case, the boundary is the coffeehouses of early 60s New York City. And only a fool would try to deny the greatness of the artists contained herein. John Lee Hooker and Allen Ginsberg bookend this 15-track CD. In between, there's a range of primal music, from various blues artists to English traditional music to folk music of the day. I'll always co-sign Karen Dalton and Pete Seeger, and encourage you to look into Bukka White's catalog if you've not done so before.

It's hot outside. Slap this on and find yourself a shady spot to just listen this week.

Discogs

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various artists - Experienced! Mojo Presents 15 Tracks Inspired By The Jimi Hendrix Experience

Jimi Hendrix was my first musical obsession. Sure, there was the "Top Gun" soundtrack, populated with Giorgio Moroder and Harold Faltermeyer production, which came along with my first boombox on my 10th birthday. But the purple cover of "The Essential Jimi Hendrix" became burned into my mind when I first found it in my parents' record collection. I remember taking my grass cutting money to buy blank tapes so I could dub a copy to listen to while mowing more grass. I started finding Hendrix's posthumous Reprise releases, produced with overdubbing by Alan Douglas, in cutout bins. So I snapped them up. In 1993, MCA gained the catalog in the States, bringing a fresh remastering to the three Jimi Hendrix Experience releases and adding a compilation of remastered "Blues" tracks. I gobbled them all up. By then, my musical pallet had grown. But by the time I moved to Baltimore in 1994, I was still a sucker for any out of print Hendrix record I could lay paws on.

We all move on, right? Every piece of vinyl, every tape on Reprise, they've all gone to other collections over the years. I just didn't care as much any more, and there were hardcore shows to go to and girls to impress and Impulse reissues to track down. But Jimi, the god who made magic with a guitar, who said he hailed from Seattle but more like came from Neptune; he still had a place in my heart. So that's why this Mojo Monday is for "Experienced!" You get Hendrix-penned songs, his contemporaries (the John McLaughlin track is a favorite), and his descendents, all in one package.

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various artists - Bad Seeds - Nick Cave: Roots & Collaborations (Mojo Presents A 15 Track Celebration)

I'm worn the fuck out, having spent all my writing time this past weekend repacking 500 square feet of storage space. So you're not going to get much insight from me about this 2009 Mojo compilation.

Regardless of how one might feel about Nick Cave (editor's note: I'm a'fer 'im), the dude has always had style and taste. All that is reflected here. There's not a skippable track on the entire disc. When I first heard this, it had me seeking out Karen Dalton, a name I knew but have never listened to. The Saints, Johnny Cash, John Lee Hooker, Lydia Lunch, Mississippi John Hurt? Know them all, love them all, love the songs compiled here. It's one of the front to back good ones, kids.

Discogs

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various artists - Mojo Presents: Studio One Selecter (The Originals)

There's still a lot of ink that could be spilled about Studio One and its heart, Coxsone Dodd. After all, do we music lovers elevate his name to the status of Berry Gordy, Jerry Moss, Jac Holzman, or Moses Asch? We should; Dodd gathered the legends for 20+ years and put them on wax, shared it all with the world to experience.

This sampler, assembled by Soul Jazz Records head Stuart Baker for Mojo back in 2005, eschews a lot of the expected hits ("Simmer Down" excepted) for a survey that spans the progression of JA music. Starting with the Skatalites and Delroy Wilson in 1964, moving to Jackie Mittoo and rocksteady, pop reggae with Lloyd Williams, then dub, roots, deejay, and lovers rock. It's a pretty grand spin any time of the year, but now, in late June, on the second-longest day of the year, I think it's perfection over 49 minutes.

Discogs

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various artists - Radio Clash

I'm having a hard time mentally with it all right now, so I won't go on much about this, except to say that Mick Jones and Paul Simonson can program a mix for me any time they like. Special attention shall be paid to Janie Jones (she of the eponymous song) backed by The Clash on a Strummer-penned song, as well as Lee Hazlewood's "Run Boy Run". Not a bad cut in the lot, if you ask me.

Discogs

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various artists - Mojo Presents: Kidology (A Radiohead Companion)

Side note: I moved a bunch of old links over from Mediafire to Workupload. So if you've encountered a dead link in the past, it's high time you gave it another shot.

This is another Mojo freebie where I really wish I had the issue that this comp came with. Yet again, I find myself wondering how some of these songs relate thematically. Sure, I can get Mingus and Messiaen and Slint as inspirational touchpoints. And clearly there are a pair of Radiohead covers present. But it's another instance where how this was compiled would be a lot clearer if I just had the copy of Mojo. The "why" matters to me. It probably shouldn't, but I'm kinky that way.

This one leads off with Clinic, Can, and Charles Mingus, and that's pretty solid a trifeca as you'll find on one of these. Truth be told: I think I'd rather listen to each of the artists here, rather than Radiohead. I won't give any sort of Pitchfork-y snark; I'll just say I'm kind of worn out by them. And that's as someone who definitely queued up for a couple of midnight Radiohead releases.

Discogs

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various artists - Heavy Nuggets Vol. 4 (13 Sabbath Inspired Tracks)

Rabbit, rabbit, my friends. We've made it this far into 2026; let's keep going. Happy June.

An old friend of mine, the last person I attended high school with who I still stay in contact with, celebrated their 50th birthday last weekend. When I think of bands like BORIS and Sleep and the Obssessed, I think of him. Where I dove deeply into the the numerous branches of punk, he explored the world of metal. So when I'd want to know if it was worth picking up a new record from Sunn O))) or Boredoms, I'd turn to him. Matt's a fountain of information, and has impeccable taste. Just a good dude.

Happy birthday, old pal. I wish I'd been back home to celebrate you in person.

Discogs

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various artists - Mojo Presents: The Dreamers (15 Tracks Of Kate Bush-Inspired Dream Pop)

I don't have the October 2014 issue around which to contextualize the claim, but can one truly say this collection is Kate Bush-inspired? This stretches the definition of what "dream pop" is, and I always found Kate Bush (who I love...don't get me wrong) to be more akin to Peter Gabriel on the art rock tip, so I'm casting a gimlet eye towards the title. But there's a Wye Oak song here, and one by Julie Holter, and I can always skip over The War On Drugs, so I guess I'll just throw this one out to you, my people, and wish you not only a happy Mojo Monday, but a solemn Memorial Day.

Discogs

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various artists - Made In Britain: Mojo Presents The Sound Of A New England 1977-1983

"I don't want to change the world/I'm not looking for a new England/I'm just looking for another girl." What a perfect chorus. What a great song.

And this freebie, tacked onto the cover of September 2005's cover of Mojo Magazine, is chock full of songs like the Billy Bragg classic quoted above. Some, like "Too Much Pressure" or "The Modern World", are ones I've known by heart since long before this comp landed in my hands. Then there's deeper cuts, like the cuts from the Ruts and Soft Cell compiled here, that I came to when I finally landed myself copies of the full-lengths they originally appeared on. Then there's music from Alien Sex Fiend and the Meteors, who I'd never in a million years buy a record by. Yet, here, I found it all pretty compelling, which, knock ME over with a feather. Also, there's a Pop Rivets cut present. I probably should be a bigger Billy Childish fan.

The point? Ah, yes, the point. The point is that this 21-year-old is jam packed with pretty amazing 40+ year old songs, all of which where created by people who were in their early 20s, and probably just wanted to get laid and make music (not necessarily in that order). And that's pretty awesome for this old man. Just keep writing, keep chopping...you'll get there soon enough.

Discogs

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various artists - Mojo Presents: It's A Wonderfull Life (A Journey Into Sound)

It only took me around 40-something years before I finally came around on what made Siouxie & The Banshees so great, so this wasn't something I would have sought out even just a few years ago.  This is just an unbelievably cool collection, curated by Siouxie Sioux and Steve Severin. You know, those two.

Primarily comprised of film and stage music, spanning the 1940s to the early 60s, and loaded with sounds you've almost certainly absorbed throughout your life, whether you're 12 or 80. C'mon, you don't have to have been a Disney kid to know "When You Wish Upon A Star" or "A Night On Bare Mountain"...but it helps. For those of us who grew up on the western side of the Atlantic, maybe we didn't get turned on to the themes from "Whiplash", "The Edgar Wallace Mystery Theatre", or "Fireball XL5". But they left indelible marks on they who did encounter them; hence their appearances here.

This is also a good introduction to Satie, Lotte Lenya, not Bernard Herrmann; not to mention Siouxie & The Banshees representing with their 1987 cover of a song from "The Jungle Book". That's why I'll be packing this off in a care package to my 11-year-old niece, who deserves to hear only the finest.

Discogs

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various artists - Mojo Presents: Island Folk (An Acoustic-Led Celebration)

This one called to me from a darkened shelf in a Monterey record store last winter. It was the pink spine that caught my eye first. It's something I associate more with the Pagans' "Pink Album" reissue than anything associated with Chris Blackwell. Yet here it was, a comp of British folk, recorded by Joe Boyd and released initially on Island Records. I had to have it. My tastes have expanded greatly since the first time I heard Nick Drake (who, oddly, doesn't appear here), and I've grown to love the records Richard & Linda Thompson made together, the music of Sandy Denny, the songs of John Martyn. I quit giggling about how poncy the Incredible String Band looked, and started humming along when I listened to them in the car.

I ultimately paid $5 for this one, more than I typically would for a Mojo free CD. And I still won't fuck with Jethro Tull.

Discogs

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various artists - Mojo Presents: The Who Jukebox

I sometimes wonder if I hold a low opinion of the Who because they just won't go away. Like, if they'd wrapped it up, gone solo after the death of Keith Moon, would I more easily be able to separate the music they made from 1964 to 1978 from the people composing the band? This is one of the bands I actually remember my parents going to see when I was a kid, whose records I was allowed to look through and listen to in my first encounters with the family turntable. I still enjoy a lot of their catalog, but it seems like, for most of my life, anything I've heard about Pete Townshend or Roger Daltrey just left a bad taste in my mouth. I almost want them to pass away so they can't further damage their reputation.

But this was a minor step in the right direction. Even if you think Roger Daltrey is a grumpy old prick, or that Pete Townshend might have...predilections, there's no disputing that they can put together a solid comp. There's not a bad song in the lot. I'll even give them a pass for putting on two songs released after my birth, b/c they're by Ian Dury and ANOHNI and, hey, not everyone can keep their finger on the pulse of modern music like Paul Weller or Jon Savage do with their compilations.

In conclusion, Primitive Offerings remains a blog of contradictions. They wish death on 80+ year old rock stars, but commend their curation of giveaway comps.

Discogs

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various artists - Mojo Presents: Blues Breakers! (15 Classic Tracks As Covered By Eric Clapton)

I don't like Eric Clapton. Let's get that out of the way immediately. And because I dislike Eric Clapton and refuse to do any research, I'm going to take Mojo Magazine at their word that all 15 tracks here have been covered by the "Tears In Heaven" performer.

The blues performers appearing here, covered by a former Enoch Powell-supporter, are all pretty awesome. And if a proto boomer's catalog brings you to Robert Thornton, Skip James, or Big Mama Thornton (to name three), that's a good thing, too. It doesn't let me forget every instance in my lifetime where the notorious anti-vaxxer was a total, egomaniac cock. But I can forgive grumpy old men yelling at clouds...or I can try to.

Now, would I rock a "No Snow/No Show" t-shirt onstage? Only in an ironic manner, friends.

Discogs

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various artists - Paul Weller Presents: Into Tomorrow

Apropos of nothing, I picked up a copy of the April 2026 issue of Mojo a couple weeks ago. The cover star was one John Lydon, complete in punk mufti from his Pistols days. The freebie was a celebration of Miles Davis' 100th birthday; you can expect I'll write about that one in about three years. But if you're out and about and have around $14 you feel like spending, you could almost certainly do a lot worse. If nothing else, it's a nice way to find out what got reissued over in the UK recently.

As for this one, it has songs from the Blow Monkeys, P.P. Arnold (who was an Ikette!), and Mr. Weller himself. The rest of the 15 tracks, handpicked by the former Jam & Style Council leader who HOLY SHIT has been performing single for over 30 years, haven't really caught my attention. The exceptions to my ignorance are Black Pumas, who have drifted in and out of my focus in recent years with their Texas-based psych rock, and Gabriels, whose website bears a single "2026" legend on the landing page, which tells me they should have a new record of neo-soul out sometime this year. That's a cool tease, as far as I'm concerned. 

Discogs

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various artists - Mojo Presents: Rumours Revisited (A Tribute To Fleetwood Mac's Classic 1977 Album)

Would it surprise you, dear reader, to hear I've become an unabashed fan of Fleetwood Mac? Yup, the same fella who saw Fugazi at least 20 times, who championed Sleater-Kinney and Clarissa's Wierd and Pig Destroyer, the aging punk you all know in love. I've really grown to love the classic Buckingham/Fleetwood/McVie/McVie/Nicks lineup. I've even uncovered what made the Peter Gren lineup so great. Don't tell the punx.

This is not a grand tribute to one of the greatest selling records of all time. I recognize a few names here: Yeasayer, Liars, Julia Holter. Holter's version of "Gold Dust Woman" is probably my fav track here, and that song will never be topped by Hole's 1996 cover. The rest of the lineup is a melange of American, British, Kiwi, Danish, and Canadian artists who I probably should be a lot more fair to. So let's save the commentary by just noting that I rate this as perfectly cromulent and worth the "free with purchase" that led me to it in the first place.

Discogs

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various artists - Mojo Presents: Piece Of Cake (20 Years Of Rykodisc)

What can I say about Rykodisc that I haven't already said? As a reissue label, they were responsible for my first listens to so many important artists and bands: Bowie, Zappa, Mission of Burma, Big Star. They ended up shepherding the catalogs of Hannibal, Restless, and Twin/Tone, give the Meat Puppets' SST catalog a home, and offer Morphine a place to grow. Along with current labelmate and previous fellow indie traveler Rhino, they were a label that you could count on for quality. They now exist only as a historical imprint, still the label of note on Morphine reissues, but not having released a new record in something like 20 years.

But when Mojo celebrated Ryko's 20th anniversary in 2003, the esteemed label was still running hard. From this comp alone, there were contemporary tracks from the Fire Theft (ex-Sunny Day Real Estate), Josh Rouse, Kelly Willis, and Joe Jackson. They co-released Warren Zevon's last record in the UK, and put out a new Robert Wyatt record in 2003. And the reissues! The Replacements' and Soul Asylum' Twin/Tone catalogs, the early recordings of the Flaming Lips, all the Galaxie 500 records on Rough Trade. Rykodisc put out remastered versions all around this time, making these recordings easily attainable for the first time in years. This one's capped off by a hidden track from Bill Hicks, whose records were, you guessed it, also available posthumously on Rykodisc.

Discogs

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various artists - Mojo Presents: Small Faces & Friends

The things I know about Small Faces could fit on an index card. I know that "Ogden's Nut Gone Flake" is one of the first concept records (if not the first), that Kenny Jones replaced Keith Moon as the Who's drummer after Moon died, and that "Whatcha Gonna Do About It?" is a killer proto-punk banger. Oh, and Steve Marriott left to start Humble Pie, which led to Rod Stewart & Ronnie Lane joining the leftover members to start Faces, whose entire catalog I celebrate.

See, an index card.

But, in the estimation of Mojo Magazine, they also had some cool friends. I'll cosign Nico (performing a Gordon Lightfoot composition) and the Nice; one of my favorite Teutonic vocalists AND some proto-prog featuring Keith Emerson is worth checking out. I only knew Murray Head from teaching me about one night in Bangkok; I discovered via this freebie from 2014 that he was a label mate of Small Faces with his 1967 single "She Was Perfection". There's an early Rod Stewart solo cut from 1968, and compiler Rob Caiger even whipped up a pair of Small Faces rarities.

This one's even got a pretty cool cover. Not something I typically see in Mojo comps, but here, it's poppin'.

Discogs

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