THE BEST REISSUES OF 2021
THE BEATLES Let It Be
(APPLE/UMC)
With solo albums pending, the Fabs almost got back to where they once belonged, a playing and inventive band – Two Of Us, I’ve Got A Feeling, Get Back, title track – with Billy Preston guesting. Extras fascinated.
ARETHA FRANKLIN Aretha
(RHINO)
Focusing on ’67-79 Atlantic, nodding to her Columbia and Arista eras, this full career in 81 tracks box had unheards, revealing works-in-progress and genuine curios, such as The Boy From Bombay.
VARIOUS Edo Funk Explosion Vol. 1
(ANALOG AFRICA)
A triumvirate of southern Lagos legends – Sir Victor Uwaifo, Osayomore Joseph and Akaba Man – all fluent in rock, soul and disco, parsed the rhythms of the region in the 1980s. Vol. 2 eagerly awaited.
JONI MITCHELL Archives Volume 2: The Reprise Years 1968-1971
(RHINO)
Revealing sketches, related live sets and treasure hidden on the way to Blue. Fresh discoveries included 1968 studio take Come To The Sunshine, 1969’s Jesus, and Blue off-cut Hunter.
LEWIS TAYLOR Lewis Taylor
(BE WITH)
Double vinyl reissue of sonic auteur Lewis Taylor’s gloriously mood-altering R&B debut from 1996; a bubbling hot, psychedelic soul stew beloved of Bowie, Elton John, D’Angelo and MOJO’s Jim Irvin.
GEORGE HARRISON All Things Must Pass
(APPLE/UMC)
In a crate, with gnomes, or as a ‘simpler’ 6-CD set, the guitarist’s already expansive triple album was enlarged further, remixes giving horns/rhythm sections a more ‘modern’ presence.
BOB DYLAN Springtime In New York: The Bootleg Series, Vol. 16 (1980-1985)
(COLUMBIA/LEGACY) Ever intriguing, Bootleg 16 found Dylan in the raw in the first half of a difficult decade for Bobwatchers. Pick: Infidels’ outtake of Blind Willie McTell with full band.
CARROLL THOMPSON Hopelessly In Love
(TROJAN)
A 40th anniversary remaster for Carroll Thompson’s lovers rock debut added extended 12-inch mixes, to ensure that its tender blend of Jamaican roots, US soul and romantic ’70s pop still lingered.
LAURA NYRO American Dreamer
(MADFISH/SNAPPER) The many colours of Bronx-born Laura Nyro mingled on this set of her first seven studio albums, spanning 1967-78, plus a disc of rarities. R&B, soul, jazz, girl groups, gospel and Brill Building pop brilliance.
SPIRITUALIZED Lazer Guided Melodies
(FAT POSSUM)
1992’s inaugural transmission: a four-part suite as J. Spaceman veered between coming up, coming down and lovelessness as his dreams of rock’n’roll roots bathed the blues in brilliant white light.
BUZZCOCKS Complete United Artists Singles 1977-1980
(DOMINO)
Their initial run of 12 totemic pop punk singles on repro 7-inch vinyl, with the original Malcolm Garrett sleeves and a booklet by Clinton Heylin. Turned out swell after all.
VAN DER GRAAF GENERATOR The Charisma Years 1970-1978
(VIRGIN/UMC)
Driven by saxes, Hammond and dramatic delivery, across 20 ’70s audio-visual discs of prog chaos magic. On Godbluff and Pawn Hearts, the angst and trauma were exquisite.
DAVID BOWIE The Width Of A Circle
(PARLOPHONE) Fixating on 1970, a BBC live special, sessions and rare tracks found folky rocker Bowie looking back at his past selves as the enthralling art-pop auteur of Hunky Dory came into being.
JOHN LENNON/ PLASTIC ONO BAND John Lennon/ Plastic Ono Band
(CAPITOL/UMC)
The real Primal Scream as Lennon let it all out in 1970’s remixed solo debut: parental loss, grief, class, hellish religions and more in hard-hitting, Spector-produced rock. Lots of extras.
PRINCE Welcome 2 America
(SONY LEGACY)
More revelations from the copious Paisley Park vaults, this belter of Princely funk was full to the brim with tips of the hat to Clinton grooves and Curtis thoughts. DeLuxe edition had terrific 2011 gig on Blu-ray.
NEIL YOUNG Archives Vol. II (1972-1976)
(REPRISE)
Eleven years after Vol. I, this 10-CD trove revealed Young’s fraught but creatively fruitful post-Harvest years. Heaps of unreleased gems, fresh starts, U-turns and the odd refusal at ‘the ditch’.
FAUST 1971-1974
(BUREAU B)
The most ungovernable Krautrockers’ four original LPs, one unreleased album and two potent discs of outtakes: from minimal thud to tape delirium to tuneful balms and reverberations that defied category.
THE WHO The Who Sell Out
(POLYDOR/UMC) Massive expansion of the ’67 classic that combined pop smarts, early psych and crunching rock beaming from an imagined commercial radio station. Who studio outtakes and Townshend demos starred in extras.
CAN Live In Stuttgart 1975
(SPOON/MUTE)
Can finding a new way to exist without a singer. This cleaned-up live bootleg saw them roving supernaturally in improv ecstasies much freer than their studio albums of the time.