Album: Dan Penn, The Fame Recordings (Ace)

There may only be one disc of southern-soul songwriter Penn's legendary (and legendarily unobtainable) 1960s demo recordings here, but just feel the thickness of that 24-page booklet!

Forming a perfect present for the soul nerd or muso manqué, the essays, interviews, pen pictures and notes on the songs contain essential info for aspiring blue-eyed soul vocalists: sing as high as you can and smoke lots of Marlboros. Bliss.