Kevin Bryan delivers his verdict on some of this week's alternative CD releases.

Barclay James Harvest, "Octoberon" (Esoteric / Cherry Red)- The band which gave its name to EMI's prog rock imprint when they became one of the first signings to the Harvest label in the late sixties didn't enjoy too much in the way of commercial success during those early years. This prompted a gradual shift towards a much more mainstream approach to music-making as the seventies wore on, and this 1976 offering earned BJH silver discs in both UK and Germany. The original album has now been expanded into a three disc set with the inclusion of some interesting bonus tracks and rare promotional films for two of its stand-out tracks, "Rock and Roll Star" and "The World Goes On," which were originally broadcast on the BBC's flagship rock show, "The Old Grey Whistle Test."

The Moody Marsden Band, "Never Turn Our Back on the Blues" (Talking Elephant)- The contents of this robust live package were captured for posterity in December 1991, and found former Whitesnake guitarists Bernie Marsden and Micky Moody immersing themselves in the spirit of the blues with uniformly excellent results. Their soulful set list served up perennial Whitesnake crowd pleasers such as "Here I Go Again" and "Fool For Your Lovin'" alongside the classic blues of Elmore James' "It Hurts Me Too" and Freddie King's "Have You Ever Loved A Woman," and a very good time was obviously had by all concerned.

Big Sadie, "Keep Me Waiting" (Spindle Tree Records)- Big Sadie is an innovative Chicago based acoustic band fronted by Collin Moore and Elise Bergman , a gifted duo who've been plying their trade on America's bluegrass and Americana circuit with various line-ups for the past decade or so. Their sterling efforts are expertly underpinned here by fiddler Matt Brown and banjo ace Andy Malloy as Big Sadie unveil their first wholly self-penned collection for your listening pleasure, lending a spirit of joyous spontaneity to the proceedings by recording all the tracks as unadorned live takes. Splendid stuff.

John Mayall, "Rock The Blues Tonight" (Talking Elephant)- The many incarnations of the John Mayall band have helped to nurture the talents of a whole host of top notch blues and rock musicians over the years, and this collection of live recordings from the early seventies boasts impressive contributions from bassist Larry Taylor, guitarist Harvey Mandel and demon fiddler Don "Sugarcane" Harris to name but a few. These hitherto unreleased performances were selected for release by Mayall himself, and devotees of the great man's work should find them well nigh indispensable.