April 21st is Record Store Day 2018, and we've quite a long list of records we're interested in - these 11 are very near the top. Currently we're working out how we can possibly afford them all, and how we can be in three different record store queues at once.
David Bowie - Welcome to the Blackout
Three 180gm LPs documenting Bowie's Earls Court performances on June 30th and July 1st 1978 during the Isolar II world tour. Recorded by long-time collaborator Tony Visconti and mixed by Bowie and David Richards, this is all unreleased material - and is in no way to be confused with 1978's Stage live double album, which conflated USA performances from March/April 1978.
Jeff Buckley - Live at Sin-é
Buckley's debut release for Columbia records was 1993's four-track Live at Sin-é EP. Naturally enough it's been turbocharged for Record Store Day - the expanded 'Legacy' edition is available on vinyl for the first time, as a limited edition RSD exclusive of 2500 (individually numbered) copies. It's a four-LP set with 34 tracks (some of which are monologues, to be fair) and an eight-page booklet of photos and liner notes.
Car Seat Headrest - Twin Fantasy (Mirror to Mirror)
Earlier this year Car Seat Headrest released Twin Fantasy (Face to Face), a re-imagining and re-recording of this Bandcamp classic from 2011. We're looking forward to hearing how the no-fi laptop-mic recording techniques translate to the vinyl format - Twin Fantasy (Mirror to Mirror) has not been committed to vinyl before now.
Johnny Cash - at Folsom Prison
One of the most celebrated live albums of the lot gets both the 50th anniversary treatment and the RSD once-over at the same time. Limited to 2500 copies, this is a five-LP set featuring both of Cash's performances to his jailbird audience, plus turns by June Carter, Carl Perkins and the Statler Brothers. Some previously unreleased recordings of Cash rehearsing in Sacramento the night before the shows are thrown in for good measure.
Sandy Denny - Like an Old Fashioned Waltz
2018 year marks the 45th anniversary of this, Sandy Denny's third solo LP. Featuring many a British folk-rock luminary (Richard Thompson guests), it's been out of print since 1986 and is back for RSD on clear vinyl.
Fleetwood Mac - Tango in the Night
Tango in the Night marked the third (or possibly fourth) coming of Fleetwood Mac - hands up, who's looking forward to the fifth? - and last year it got the 'deluxe all mod cons reissue' treatment on CD. So for RSD all the alternative takes are pressed on vinyl for the very first time.
Bert Jansch - L.A. Turnaround
Limited to 1000 copies, all on blue vinyl, L.A. Turnaround marks a slight Americanising of the Edinburgh Virtuoso's style - some beautiful pedal-steel playing is to the fore here. The album also includes download codes for another four previously unreleased tracks.
Soundgarden - A-sides
Originally released in 1997, this is a straight-ahead chronolgical examination of the avant-grunge powerhouse's 13-year career. And it's never been available on vinyl before now.
The Sundays - Reading, Writing and Arithmetic
Unavailable on vinyl since its release in 1990, RSD's exclusive pressing of the The Sundays' debut album is a chunky 180gm and limited to 3000 copies. No RSD whistles, bells or extras, just a peculiarly potent slice of superior indie pop.
Various Artists - Studio One Dub Plate Special
This is the sort of thing RSD is perfect for. A box-set of five 7in singles featuring eight tunes previously only available as very limited edition one-sided 12in dub plates, and a couple of previously unreleased tracks for good measure. Worth queueing up overnight for - there are only 500 available.
The Vaselines - Dum-Dum
The Vaselines' debut album was released in 1989 and counted Kurt Cobain among its very very few admirers. Naturally enough its legend has grown (2010's follow-up Sex with an X was greeted like a prodigal's return) and for RSD it's presented on see-through 180gm vinyl - all the better to enjoy those spindly Glasgow poptones.
Listen here...
Gat a flavour of these fine recordings by having a listen to a tasty playlist on your favourite streaming service.
Click here for Deezer, click here for Qobuz, here for Spotify or here for Tidal.