Out This Week / on 26 May 2017

The Beatles / Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band (super deluxe edition)

It doesn’t get much better than a six-disc super deluxe edition box set of The Beatles‘ Sgt. Pepper. Lenticular cover, EMI-style tape box, newly remixed stereo, surround sound 5.1 mix, two discs of sessions, the original mono mix, archive documentary and a weighty hardcover book, with some fascinating notes and stunning images. 

Kraftwerk / 3-D The Catalogue

Kraftwerk deliver an audio/video document – available in a number of physical editions – that features all eight albums as performed live in the leading museums of the world in the last few years. The blu-ray deluxe is 3-D and Dolby Atmos compatible. 

Grateful Dead / Long Strange Trip

Long Strange Trip, the forthcoming documentary on the Grateful Dead has an interesting soundtrack which will mix studio and live recordings, with several unreleased performances. Amazon have an exclusive 3CD edition. 

Midnight Oil / Full Tank (deluxe box set)

Midnight Oil‘s Full and Overflow Tank sets were delayed but are now available this week. Both offer an enormous amount of content in creative packaging. 

Bad Company / Run With The Pack & Burnin’ Sky

Rhino continue their Bad Company archival reissues with newly remastered deluxe editions of 1976’s Run With The Pack and its follow up, 1977’s Burnin’ Sky. These are available as two-CD and 2LP vinyl editions. 

Suzanne Vega / 5 Classic Albums

Five of Suzanne Vega‘s six A&M albums are collected in this great value set. Don’t expect bonus tracks or posh packaging, but albums one, two and four are rock solid classics and you can’t go wrong for a total price of around £11.  

The Rolling Stones / Olé Olé Olé

Paul Dugdale’s feature-length documentary follows The Rolling Stones on their 2016 tour through Latin America and as they try to stage their first ever concert in Havana, Cuba. 

Fleetwood Mac / Vinyl reissues

The 2017 remaster of Fleetwood Mac‘s Tango in the Night and last year’s Mirage remaster are issued as standalone vinyl pressings. 

The Charlatans / Different Days (new album)

The Charlatans‘ 13th studio album is out this week and like Blondie’s recent offering is available in (too?) many editions. 

Lulu / Lulu + Heaven and Earth and The Stars (2-for-1)

Lulu‘s 1973 self-titled album included covers of The Young Rascal’s Groovin’ and Aretha Franklin’s Do Right Woman, Do Right Man but it’s the 1976 follow-up Heaven and Earth and the Stars that is of most interest, since it contains The Man Who Sold The World (a #3 hit single in 1974) and Watch That Man – both produced by David Bowie and Mick Ronson. Those tracks, along with the inclusion of Bond theme The Man With The Golden Gun, make this an album worth owning. The brevity of the albums allow both to fit onto one CD.

• • UK Order: Lulu + Heaven and Earth and The Stars
• • USA Order: Lulu + Heaven and Earth and The Stars
• • GERMANY Order: Lulu + Heaven and Earth and The Stars

Status Quo / Never Too Late (3CD deluxe)

This three-CD deluxe edition of Status Quo‘s 1981 album has been remastered by Andy Pearce and offers bonus archive recordings and 19 tracks live from St Austell in 1981. Blue For You and Just Supposin are also being reissued this week.

• • UK Order: Never Too Late (3CD deluxe)
• • USA Order: Never Too Late (3CD deluxe)
• • GERMANY Order: Never Too Late (3CD deluxe)

John Williams / Raiders of the Lost Ark (2LP vinyl)

Concord Music are issuing this expanded version of John Williams‘ classic score to Raiders of the Lost Ark on double gatefold vinyl. Contains 30 minutes of extended cues not featured on the original album.  

Big Star / Complete Third: Volume 3: Final Masters (2LP vinyl)

They’re dragging it out a bit, but finally Warners finish porting the content of the Big Star Complete Third CD release onto vinyl. This third and final volume is a two-LP set but features an etching on side four.

• • UK Order: Complete Third: Volume 3: Final Masters (2LP)
• • USA Order: Complete Third: Volume 3: Final Masters (2LP)
• • GERMANY Order: Complete Third: Volume 3: Final Masters (2LP)

Various Artists / Indie Anthems (2LP vinyl)

Oasis and Blur may be notable by their absence, but this vinyl-only indie set delivers a solid 20-track selection from the likes of Suede, Radiohead, Primal Scream, Elastica, Pixies and more.