And you thought last week’s new releases were epic?! Well, bring on the reissues...
Hello, Friends.
What a way to start the new week, with Neil Young opening the vaults with three live sets as part of the Neil Young Official Bootleg Series (OBS).
Royce Hall 1971 finds Young solo at the beautiful Royce Hall in Los Angeles. Lots of cuts from After the Gold Rush - that had only been out for a few months - plus flashes of the forthcoming Harvest and an incendiary performance of Ohio. Dorothy Chandler Pavilion 1971 is later in the same year and was the final show on the tour. Citizen Kane Jr. Blues (Live at The Bottom Line) is a few years later in '74, a surprise appearance in New York City with the On the Beach LP firmly in his mind. Such great performances and he's really funny.
Not sure that we flagged up last week that we also took stock of the Official Release Series Vol 4 (Discs 13,14,20 & 21). The fourth instalment in Neil Young's Official Release Series (ORS) includes his classic ‘80s records Hawks & Doves, Re•ac•tor, and This Note’s for You, as well as his Eldorado EP, previously released only in Japan and Australia.
Interesting to no one, but Hawks & Doves is one of my (Rupert here) favourite albums. It's wild.
Long out of print, No Quarter have remastered, repackaged and reissued Richard Thompson's beautiful score for “Grizzly Man”, the acclaimed 2005 Werner Herzog documentary. Really beautiful, pastoral music. It shimmers and has its deeply dark moments too. Poor old Timothy Treadwell.
Luaka Bop quietly dropping the essentials again this week with When Do We Get Paid, an astonishing 1975 funk, soul and blues rich set from The Staples Jr. Singers. They were a family of musicians from Aberdeen, Mississippi; A.R.C. Brown, and his sister Annie and brother Edward began singing in the early 70s, first playing school talent shows, front lawns and local churches, later travelling across the Bible Belt in the family van as their reputation grew. Such swagger, such amazing energy.
We know that you know, but these guys are all together different Staples from Pops' crew.
Delighted to have the dynamic duo of EI-P and Killer Mike back in the racks, with new pressings of Run the Jewels and Run the Jewels 3. Such vital music, really delighted about these. The second LP is due very soon too.
Slumberland reissue the self-titled Pains Of Being Pure At Heart LP which still sounds as joyous and gleaming as it did back in 2009. We had to stop pre-selling as it was going so fast but glad to make a few available today, including a handsome white, pink and yellow colour vinyl pressing.
Dead Oceans deliver Still Some Light (Part 2), the second part of the label's Bill Fay celebrations. The collection is 1970's album demos and 2009 home recordings, showing his voice age beautifully and the depth of his amazing writing. He really is one of the best.
We have a Terry Allen double this week via Paradise of Bachelors, with Terry Allen and the Panhandle Mystery Band Smokin the Dummy and Bloodlines. They are the third and fourth studio LPs from the iconic Texan songwriter and visual artist and have been remastered from the original master tapes. Amazingly, they are the first first-ever reissues on vinyl. Dive in, so much to explore.
We have Half Speed Masters of The Who's A Quick One and proceeding debut, My Generation. Sounding pretty mint.
Captured Tracks reissue Saâda Bonaire's 1992 as part of their anniversary series. It's the second collection of unheard material from the German new wave band.
A couple of reissues from British rock titans Def Leppard, with the hugely enjoyable third LP Pyromania and B-side and unreleased cuts compilation Retro Active (with the amazing skull/mirror/portrait sleeve).
Now we couldn't presell these as we knew they'd be super limited, so first come, first served on a limited Fuzz Club pressing of The Jesus and Mary Chain's late period banger Damage and Joy. Ultra clear vinyl!
Needle Mythology (led by writer Pete Paphides) reissues Altitude, the collaborative album by ALT, an ad hoc trio of kindred spirits comprising Andy White, Liam Ó Maonlaí (Hothouse Flowers) and Tim Finn (Split Enz/Finn/Crowded House).
A couple of iconic Daft Punk LPs back on wax, with Alive 1997 (recorded in Birmingham of all places as part of the duo's European tour) and the absolute all-time house banger, Homework. LP on at work now, got a CD in the car too for the way home!
Lastly this week, Kanine Records reissue 10 year anniversary editions of In Between and Friends For Now, two absolute bangers from the San Francisco 'gazing Young Prisms. Rich in the MBV and slowdive lineage, both albums are tightly focused whilst still sounding deliciously ramshackle. Absolutely loved these records back when they were released and have royally enjoyed spinning them again this week. Corkers, do check them out.
- Drift