SDE’s guide to National Album Day 2025

Since it was launched in 2018 by the BPI and ERA (the entertainment trade group also representing gaming), National Album Day has generally been seen as the poor man’s Record Store Day. 

Yet there are some excellent albums being released for this year’s incarnation on 18 October. A large part of the problem is inept marketing: the NAD website has almost non-existent info on the 60 albums being released this year, so you need to search around to spot that, say, Badfinger’s second LP hasn’t been on vinyl since 1996, or that The Coral’s The Invisible Invasion is getting its first pressing in 20 years.

This year’s theme is simply “Rock”, which encompasses a wide variety of eras and artists.

Inevitably, as with any such campaign, alongside the hidden treats labels also use National Album Day as an excuse for yet another coloured vinyl variant of freely available titles. A clear vinyl edition of Never Mind The Bollocks? How novel!

Here is SDE’s guide to all the albums, ranked into categories on how essential they are for the artists’ fans to purchase.

NEW ALBUMS

John Lee’s Barclay James Harvest – Relativity (Esoteric Antenna)
The first new album since 2013’s North from Barclay James Harvest’s current incarnation. As well as standard 2LP and CD editions, a 2CD+blu-ray adds album mixer Stephen W Tayler’s 5.1 Surround Sound mix on the blu-ray. The second CD features a 2009 gig from Pennsylvania, notable as one of the final performances featuring keyboardist Woolly Wolstenholme before his death in 2010.

Mozart Estate – Tower Block In A Jam Jar (West Midlands)
The second album from Felt and Denim mainman Lawrence’s new identity, available on CD/LP. It’s Lawrence’s first album since the acclaimed biography Street Level Superstar by Will Hodgkinson.

Sabaton – Legends (Better Noise)
A concept album about legendary figures, the Swedish metallers’ 11^th album is on CD and 2LP. Two 2CD versions add spoken-word sections about the characters described in the songs, plus either a booklet or hardback book detailing the concept.

ALSO ON CD

The Fall – The Unutterable (Cherry Red)
The 21st Fall album, from 2000, is available in its first vinyl pressing since 2014 as a straight 2LP. A 4CD adds two gigs, from Newport TJs and Edinburgh Liquid Rooms, plus the album’s monitor mixes by Testa Rossa, previously released on vinyl in 2019.

FIRST TIME ON VINYL

Skin – Fake Chemical State (UMR)
The second – and currently most recent – solo album by Skunk Anansie’s singer was co-written with Paul Draper of Mansun, who also co-produced first single ‘Alone In My Room’ with Skin. The rest of the 2006 album was produced by The Strokes associate Gordon Raphael.

FIRST UK PRESSING

Good Charlotte – The Young And The Hopeless (Sony)
Released on vinyl in the US in 2023, here’s the first UK/European pressing of the 2002 pop-punks’ album. It features three Top 10 singles: ‘Lifestyles Of The Rich And Famous’, ‘The Anthem’ and ‘Girls And Boys’ (not a Blur cover).

FIRST PRESSING IN MANY YEARS

Badfinger – Magic Christian Music (UMR)
Featuring the Paul McCartney-penned hit ‘Come And Get It’, the Apple signings’ 1970 second album hasn’t been released on vinyl since 1996. This thus marks the first vinyl edition of the album’s remaster from 2010.

Black Mountain – Black Mountain (Jagjaguwar)
Although an expanded 2LP was released in 2015, this is the first time the original 1LP edition of the Canadian psychedelic outfit’s debut has been on vinyl since its release in 2005.

Hope Of The States – The Lost Riots (Sony)
The cult indie noughties favourites’ debut was only given a limited vinyl release in 2004. Not only is it finally back out again, but the fourth side of this 2LP adds four B-sides selected by singer Sam Herlihy.

Ian Gillan Band – Live From The Budokan (Demon)
Deep Purple’s 1972 classic Made In Japan was reissued in August. Five years after that was recorded, Ian Gillan returned to the Budokan. Originally released solely in Japan, this 2LP set is its first reissue since its original British release in 1983.

The Coral – The Invisible Invasion (Sony)
The Coral have diligently been reissuing their catalogue on vinyl. Here’s the first pressing since the 2005 original for album four, produced by Portishead’s Adrian Utley and Geoff Barrow, featuring the hit ‘In The Morning’.

T’Pau – Bridge Of Spies (UMR)
No, really. T’Pau’s 1987 debut album – ‘China In Your Hand’, ‘Heart And Soul’ and all – is such a charity shop staple that Universal have never bothered reissuing it on vinyl. Until now. Step away from the 3-for-£5 box and hand over your £27.99 for this brand-new red colourway.

Yes – Big Generator (Rhino)
After 1983’s Trevor Horn-led 90215 was a commercial smash which divided Yes’ fanbase, they returned to Trevor Rabin’s guitar-led sound four years later. This is the first reissue outside of the States ever since.

EXPANDED/REMASTERED EDITIONS

Ghost – Meloria (Concord)
The Swedish arena rockers’ third album marks its 10^th anniversary with a 2LP adding the contemporaneous five-song Popestar EP. That features the hit ‘Square Hammer’, plus covers of Eurythmics ‘Missionary Man’, Simian Mobile Disco’s ‘I Believe’, Echo And The Bunnymen’s ‘Nocturnal Me’ and Imperiet’s ‘Bible’. It also includes a replica dollar bill featuring a caricature of Ghost’s then-singer Papa III.

Judas Priest – Painkiller (Sony)
Rob Halford’s last album with Judas Priest until 2005, their 1990 LP (their twelfth) is newly remastered by producer Tom Allom with Matt Colton.

Amy Macdonald – A Curious Thing (UMR)
The Scot’s second album, a No 4 success in 2010, gets a second disc housing a gig from Luxembourg, featuring the Deutsche Radio Philharmonie.

The Mission – Blue (Demon)
Their final album before splitting for five years was released in 1996 and not reissued until 2019.  For the first time on vinyl, this adds the two bonus tracks first featured on Blue’s 2011 CD reissue, ‘Perfect Sunrise’ and ‘Coming Home (Godlike Version)’. You can guess the colour of the vinyl.

New Model Army – Thunder And Consolation (Rhino)
The crusty scene staples’ 1989 album adds an 11-track second LP, including B-sides, an electric version of ‘Adrenalin’ plus two live tracks.

Porridge Radio – Every Bad (Secretly Canadian)
Ahead of their farewell tour in December, the Brighton collective’s 2020 debut adds five songs, including Lala Lala duet ‘Good For You’, a demo of ‘Sweet’, two Radio X session tracks and ‘Talking About It’.

Procol Harum – Procul Harum (Esoteric)
Their 1967 debut is newly remastered. It adds a 12” EP featuring non-album singles ‘A Whiter Shade Of Pale’ (originally only included on the US edition) and ‘Homburg’, plus their respective B-sides.

Status Quo – On The Level (Demon)
For its 50^th anniversary, the album featuring Quo’s only No 1 single, ‘Down Down’ gets a 2LP. This adds B-sides, live songs and new sleevenotes featuring band interviews.

Bill Wyman – Stone Alone (Demon)
The bassist’s second solo album, originally released in 1976 on Rolling Stones Records, was only first reissued in 2018. This 2LP adds four B-sides, plus the single mixes of ‘A Quarter To Three’ and ‘Apache Woman’.

FILE UNDER “REASONABLY SCARCE”

Avenged Sevenfold – The Stage (UMR)
A deluxe 4LP edition in 2018 added two discs of extra tracks and live songs. Here is the first reissue of the original 2LP from 2016.

The Band – The Band (UMR)
Their second album from 1969, featuring ‘The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down’, isn’t as easy to find as you’d think. So a first pressing since 2019 is welcome.

Iggy And The Stooges – Raw Power (UMR)
Reissued as a 2LP in 2017 featuring both the original 1973 David Bowie mix and Iggy’s own 1997 mix, this drops Iggy’s mix and sticks to Bowie’s version for a 1LP.

The Jesus And Mary Chain – Psychocandy (Rhino)
It’s nice to see their debut back on vinyl for the first time since 2017. But, considering it’s the 40^th anniversary, you might expect more effort than a simple white/red spatter colourway.

Kasabian – Empire (Sony)
As with its scarce original run in 2006, the previous reissue of Kasabian’s second album in 2014 was on a double 10”. Its first pressing in 11 years is also its initial 12” edition.

Kiss – Love Gun (UMR)
Featuring their cover of The Crystals’ ‘Then He Kissed Me’, 1977’s sixth album was the first Kiss album to break the Top Five in the Billboard Hot 100. It was also their final album with the original line-up. Love Gun was last pressed in 2017.

Manic Street Preachers – This Is My Truth Tell Me Yours (Sony)
Although it’s one of their most successful albums, you can’t always find the Manics’ 1995 chart-topper. While fans wait for Postcards From A Young Man to complete their vinyl reissue series, here’s the first pressing since 2018.

Elvis Presley – From Elvis In Memphis (UMR)
While Presley’s catalogue is a baffling minefield for casual fans, his 1969 album featuring ‘Suspicious Minds’ and ‘In The Ghetto’ is one of the good ones. It’s only been reissued this century on vinyl twice before, in 2011 and 2019.

Reef – Replenish (Sony)
The 30^th anniversary of Reef’s debut probably deserves another outing: its only previous repress was in 2020. It reached No 9 on its original release, while its single ‘Naked’ just missed the Top 10.

Stereophonics – Language. Sex. Violence. Other? (UMR)
Only its second repress and the first since 2016 for the album featuring Stereophonics’ sole No 1, ‘Dakota’. Following albums Pull The Pin and Keep Calm And Carry On only received their first vinyl reissues this year.

The Stranglers – Rattus Norvegicus (Rhino)
For such an influential punk album, The Stranglers’ debut – featuring ‘Peaches’ and ‘(Get A) Grip (On Yourself)’ has been neglected on vinyl. Here’s its second repress, the first since 2018.

T.Rex – Bolan’s Zip Gun (Demon)
The only T.Rex album to fail to chart in the UK, Bolan’s Zip Gun was essentially a repackaging of the previous year’s US LP Light Of Love, adding three extra songs. Previously reissued in 2015 and 2020, this is the first vinyl repress to recreate the 1975 original’s die-cut sleeve.

UFO – Phenomenon (Chrysalis)
Reissued in 2011 and 2019, the metallers’ first album with new guitarist Michael Schenker after he joined from Scorpions was also UFO’s first for a major label. This features new sleevenotes by Michael Hann.

WHY IS THIS BEING REISSUED AGAIN?

Allman Brothers – Idlewild South (UMR)
The fourth recent vinyl reissue for the 1970 favourite, most recently repressed in 2022. This pressing is on baby blue vinyl.

Architects – Lost Forever // Lost Together and Holy Hell (Epitaph)
An ambassador for this year’s National Album Day, and no wonder: the Brighton metalcore band specialise in endless different vinyl editions for each album. Here are the 20^th and 28^th different colourways of their 2013 and 2018 albums respectively.

Dinosaur Jr – Sweep It Into Space (Jagjaguwar)
J Mascis’ collective issued 10 different vinyl editions of their 2021 album. This one is “opaque light purple blast”.

Hole – Live Through This (UMR)
Only reissued two years ago. This version is purple.

Iggy Pop – The Idiot (UMR)
Also only reissued in 2023. Orange, since you ask.

Jimi Hendrix – Axis: Bold As Love (Sony)
It’s a classic album but, like so much of Hendrix’s catalogue, Axis: Bold As Love has been reissued plenty of times already. Here’s an electric orange variant.

Liam Gallagher – As You Were (Warner)
Competing with the feeble (What’s The Story) Morning Glory? 30^th anniversary edition for this year’s most pointless Oasis-related release, a zoetrope LP with new artwork is the seventh vinyl edition for an album released in 2017.

Lou Reed – Transformer (Sony)
A black-and-white spatter edition of an album now on its ninth vinyl pressing since 2009.

Megadeth – The Sick, The Dying And The Dead (UMR)
Blue and green discs for a double album only released in 2022.

Patti Smith – Horses (Sony)
The week before National Album Day, Horses’ 50^th anniversary edition is released. That’s a 2LP. The National Album Day edition is a 1LP. Maybe you don’t want the extras, but surely you’d have already bought it when it was reissued on vinyl in 2007, 2009, 2015, 2018, 2019 or 2021?

Queen – A Night At The Opera (EMI)
It’s rather bold of Queen to specify “50th anniversary edition” for this clear vinyl, considering their fourth album is so ubiquitous.

Sex Pistols – Never Mind The Bollocks (UMR)
Go away.

Teenage Fanclub – Grand Prix (Sony)
Green and black marble for an indie staple that’s not exactly out of print.

The Rolling Stones – Their Satanic Majesties Request (UMR)
OK, it’s the first zoetrope version, but let’s not encourage those. This was only reissued on vinyl last year, and it didn’t need that either.

The Vaccines – What Did You Expect From The Vaccines? (Sony)
White vinyl for the indie perennial, most recently on vinyl for its 10^th anniversary in 2021.

The Verve – A Northern Soul (UMR)
“Brick red” for an album repressed for the third time only two years ago. You can’t imagine Richard Ashcroft is too happy, considering his new solo album Lovin’ You is out just a fortnight later.

Yeah Yeah Yeahs – Cool It Down (Secretly Canadian)
The trio’s first album for nine years didn’t exactly set the world alight when it was released in 2022. Maybe this blue colourway will send it hurtling up the charts.

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