Out This Week / on 1 December 2017
U2 / Songs of Experience (new album)
All the furore over the forced iTunes deployment overshadowed the fact that U2‘s last album Songs of Innocence was really rather good. Songs of Experience is the delayed follow-up of which four physical editions are available, including a deluxe box set.
The Rolling Stones / On Air
On Air a collection of rare radio recordings from The Rolling Stones‘ formative years. The audio has gone through a process called “audio source separation” and it really seems to work. Check out this app, which allows you to compare the sound.
Rush / A Farewell to Kings (40th anniversary reissue)
Eight disc super deluxe edition of Rush‘s 1977 album features a brand new Steven Wilson surround sound mix on blu-ray. Other highlights include the 2015 remaster on CD for the first time, a newly mix and complete Hammersmith Odeon concert from February 1978. The covers from other artists, on CD3, is surplus to most people’s requirements.
Neil Young / The Visitor (new album)
SDE described Already Great from Neil Young‘s new album as “satisfyingly grungy” so we have high hopes for The Visitor, which is out on Friday. But it’s an outrage that the double vinyl is only $13.99 in the USA (about £11) but the same product is £33 in the UK.
Sex Pistols / Never Mind The Bollocks…
This reformatted edition of the 2012 super deluxe of the Sex Pistols 1977 album contains the same three CDs and DVD as the previous box set, but comes in a more compact package and is much cheaper.
The Alan Parsons Project / Eye in the Sky (super deluxe edition)
This 35th anniversary box of The Alan Parsons Project‘s Eye in the Sky gives you just about everything: Three CDs of audio, a double 45RPM half-speed mastered vinyl, a 5.1 surround mix on blu-ray audio and a 60-page book.
Wilco / Being There and A.M. reissues
US alt-rock band Wilco reissue their 1996 album Being There as a five-CD deluxe box set along with an expanded version of their ’95 debut album A.M.
Van Morrison / Versatile (new album)
Van Morrison‘s second album in less than three months, Versatile combines combines jazz standards with updated renditions of Morrison originals
Midge Ure / Orchestrated
A new Midge Ure album that features a collection of rich, filmic soundscape versions of some of his classic songs – a mixture of solo material, Ultravox and a new track, Ordinary Man. If you order from Midge’s online store you can get the CD with a signed setlist for just £15!
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Midge Ure
Orchestrated
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Tears For Fears / Rule The World (vinyl)
Virgin/EMI couldn’t have gone to less effort with the physical CD edition of Tears For Fears‘ Rule The World. The product (not the music, of course) was crap, frankly – jewel case, slim booklet with a few photos and a blank page and no information about the songs. Here’s hoping that the double vinyl edition, due out on Friday, will feel like something you actually want to ‘hold in your hands’ and have in your collection.
Marillion / Misplaced Childhood (CD and vinyl)
Having reissued two extensive box sets this year, Parlophone now make the 2017 remaster of Marillion‘s Misplaced Childhood available on single vinyl LP and CD. The vinyl is very cheap!
John Williams / Star Wars: A New Hope (40th anniversary 3LP vinyl box)
40th anniversary Star Wars vinyl box features the soundtrack to Episode IV: A New Hope (ie the first film!) across three 180g vinyl records and comes with a 48-page hard cover. The vinyl is hand etched by Tristan Duke and offers a “3D hologram experience”.
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John Williams
Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope 40th Anniversary Boxset [VINYL]
Various Artists / Ultimate Dirty Dancing (2LP vinyl)
A reissue of the Dirty Dancing soundtrack on double vinyl, which features a ‘pop-up’ gatefold sleeve. Sounds quite good and decent value at £16.99 in the UK.
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ORIGINAL SOUNDTRACK
Ultimate Dirty Dancing [VINYL]
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Chris Difford / Chris To The Mill (3LP vinyl box)
Squeeze’s Chris Difford sees his three solo albums reissued in this new vinyl box set. SIGNED copies are still available at the time of writing.
Stealers Wheels / The A&M Years (3CD box)
Gerry Rafferty and Joe Egan formed Stealers Wheel in Scotland in 1972. The band are best known for Stuck In The Middle With You but you can explore more with this new box set which pulls together their three studio albums – Stealers Wheel (1972), Ferguslie Park (1974) and Right Or Wrong (1975). The debut includes three bonus tracks.
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Stealers Wheel
The A&M Albums
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By Paul Sinclair
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