Spiritual tones, soothing soul and the reverberations of a big old boat.
Hello, Friends.
The Superior Viaduct label have once again* knocked us well and truly sideways with a quite remarkable reissue. The Sinking of the Titanic is a work by British minimalist composer Gavin Bryars and it really is powerful stuff. Composed between 1969 and 1972, the inspiration is that of the band who continued to play as the titular ship sank, imagining how the music and tones would reverberate through the water some time after they ceased performing. Originally released on Brian Eno's Obscure Records, this is such moving music.
Very highly recommended.
Fat Possum are in a birthday mood, with a custom 50th Anniversary reissue of I'm Still In Love With You, the fifth studio album by iconic American gospel and soul singer Al Green. Alongside the title track, it also includes the singles “Love and Happiness” and "Look What You Done for Me", but the entire album is a treat from start to finish to be perfectly honest, ranking number 285 on Rolling Stones ‘500 greatest albums of all time’ poll.
+ And resplendent it looks on exclusive ‘Green Smoke’ colour vinyl.
A proper corking set of new reissues heading into the jazz collection this week. Firstly, the iconic Point of Departure from pianist Andrew Hill as part of the Blue Note Classic Vinyl Series. Also on Blue Note and also under the Classic Vinyl Series (all-analog, mastered by Kevin Gray from the original master tapes, and pressed on 180g vinyl at Optimal) is Evolution, the debut LP from trombonist Grachan Moncur III. Moncur’s band consists of saxophonist Jackie McLean, trumpeter Lee Morgan, vibraphonist Bobby Hutcherson, bassist Bob Cranshaw and drummer Tony Williams. Pretty special stuff.
Over on Verve we have Beat, the hard-boppin', debut record from American jazz drummer Roy Brooks. Originally released in 1964, this new edition has been pressed on 180-gram vinyl at Third Man in Detroit as part of the Verve By Request Series. Again, this sounds absolutely fantastic.
Dead Oceans and Bright Eyes continue the catalogue reissue series with LIFTED or The Story Is in the Soil, Keep Your Ear to the Ground, Digital Ash in a Digital Urn and I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning all back on wax. All three releases are also celebrated with an additional Companion 12” that are available to purchase on the links above. All three are pressed on Gold colour vinyl.
Also this week we have a limited colour vinyl (either red or blue) repress of Glow, the second studio LP from Reef. Includes the ‘it’s your letters’ song. Cooking Vinyl release Do You Remember How It Was? a compilation that gathers together Symposium’s output between 1996 and 1999. Pressed on Royal Blue colour vinyl. The Cure celebrate the 30th Anniversary of their chart-topping, Grammy-nominated ninth studio album, Wish. Available on limited 2LP and 3CD editions. Because Music have pressed Justice’s epic, seventeen minute long Planisphere as a 12” for the first ever time. Not many of these! Melbourne Jazz/Funk band Hiatus Kaiyote return in epic fashion on Brainfeeder with Choose Your Weapon, a 70-minute odyssey through tones and textures, really great stuff and it looks mighty impressive on photoluminescent/transparent vinyl.
Lastly, we have just this minute taken stock of the limited super-deluxe Vince Guaraldi Trio A Charlie Brown Christmas CD Box Sets (4CD + BluRay DVD). Seeing as we’re but hours away from December, feels like we can start playing this wonderful thing quite a lot and very soon. You do have your copy ready, right?
- Drift
* Yes, it was the Harold Budd reissue that first knocked us dumb earlier this year via SV.