SDE’s favourite reissues of 2022
Top of the class for this year!
David Bowie / Divine Symmetry: The Journey to Hunky Dory (Parlophone)
Your guess is as good as mine as to why it has taken over 30 years to improve on Rykodisc’s expanded CD edition of David Bowie’s 1971 album Hunky Dory… but it has! Post-Ryko, Bowie went on to approve further EMI expanded editions of albums such as Young Americans, Station to Station, Space Oddity/David Bowie, Diamond Dogs and Ziggy etc., but Hunky Dory was always ignored. Weird. Divine Symmetry changes all of that and offers us ‘The Journey to Hunky Dory‘ which is an accurate enough description of the audio content. The four CDs and blu-ray within the large book format (same dimensions as Conversation Piece) is dynamite, in that it finally blows open the archive to reveal a wealth of truly fascinating content, including early songwriting demos, radio sessions, alternative mixes, rare live performances and so on. The book does a great job of making sense of it all, with testimony from people who were there and it also brings to life some of the dusty old source material via some amazing photographs of acetates, old quarter-inch reels and so on. This set would have been close to perfect had it included some kind of spatial audio version of the album. There is a 5.1 mix of ‘Life On Mars’ on the blu-ray – the first commercially issued spatial audio mix of a Bowie song since his death nearly seven years ago – but not only is that just one song, it’s also the deboned 2016 mix where Ken Scott presents us with fillets of strings, vocals and piano rather than the full song (there’s no guitar or drums at all). Despite this significant omission – and a few grumbles about the album-proper only being on the blu-ray – Divine Symmetry is still highly recommended and easily earns a place at the top table of 2022 reissues.
Read more about Divine Symmetry (an SDEtv unboxing will be published before the new year)
Swing Out Sister / From Blue Mood, Breakout & Beyond (Cherry Red)
A decade has passed since the excellent 2012 double-CD reissue of Swing Out Sister’s 1987 debut It’s Better To Travel, with the only archival activity of any note since that time being a nothing-to-see-here 2014 ‘best of’. This long overdue box set doesn’t go deep into the band’s career – covering just the first three studio albums – but it certainly features Swing Out Sister’s most popular long-players. Such was the proliferation of extra material (B-sides, remixes, live concerts etc.) this examination of what you might call the ‘hit years’ (1986-1993) stretches to eight CDs. It’s a reminder of quite how different the first three records are – from each other – and how much fun and sophistication they deliver. The tremendous Live at the Jazz Cafe concert is finally officially released, in full, outside of Japan and the three CDs of remixes leave virtually no stone unturned in the hunt for rare/unreleased versions. The icing on the cake is great packaging, sensible pricing and the band – Corinne Drewery and Andy Connell – personally talking you through each album and the B-sides, in the superb booklet.
Watch the SDEtv unboxing video of Blue Mood, Breakout & Beyond
Life Moves Pretty Fast: The John Hughes Mixtapes (Demon Music)
Nostalgia ain’t what it used to be, but this collection of music from the films of director John Hughes presses all the right buttons and delivers a first class shot-in-the-arm of 80s feel good factor. Great music, (mostly) great films, from a great era. On the face of it, it’s a strange mix; oiften obscure tracks from obscure indie bands syncing to moving pictures in mainstream ‘Hollywood’ films. But it worked beautifully and created some memorable moments that stick in the brain better than jagged glass. Furthermore, Life Moves Pretty Fast has been done properly, with the approval of Hughes’ estate and the original music supervisor, Tarquin Gotch, on board to curate the whole thing. Available as a 6LP set and 4CD bookset (the deluxe of which includes a seven-inch single and cassette). Packaging is ace, utilising images of actual John Hughes cassette tapes which he used to yea or nay tracks suggested by Gotch (and sometimes to playback the music on set, while the filming was happening, to get the actors in the groove). I’l like me, my friends like me… and you’ll like this!
Read the SDE interview with Tarquin Gotch about Life Moves Pretty Fast
Finn (Needle Mythology)
This collaboration between Neil and Tim Finn was released in late 1995, not long after Crowded House’s Together Alone tour finished. Crowded House were basically history by this point (although the split wasn’t announced for another six months) and, with that in mind, FINN feels like a long slow exhale, a release of pressure as New Zealand’s most celebrated musical siblings go home, and muck around on some improvised instruments, and write and record some songs for fun. It is a charmingly quirky record, not exactly ‘lo-fi’ (that’s probably not in producer Tchad Blake’s DNA) but it’s full of emotion, melody and great songs, like the moving opener ‘Only Talking Sense’ and searing piano ballad ‘Last Day of June’. It was issued on CD at the time, but not on vinyl, so this year’s reissue was well worth the wait and not only includes the remastered album as a 180g vinyl pressing, but also a bonus LP of early ’90s demos most of which went on to become tracks on Crowded House’s 1991 album Woodface (including ‘Weather With You’, ‘Four Seasons in One Day’ and ‘It’s Only Natural’). Yes, these brothers know how to write songs! If not quite a ‘lost’ album, then maybe FINN had just become mislaid. Indie label Needle Mythology ‘found’ it and pointed us in the right direction and so we can now enjoy it all over again. Hopefully, the promised 2CD version will emerge in 2023.
Read more about the FINN reissue
Blondie / Against The Odds (Numero Group/UMC)
The four year wait was probably worth it, as the Numero Group and UMC delivered the Blondie Against The Odds box set across an almost perfect series of physical formats. The production values across the board were absolutely top notch, with mirror board packaging, high quality book formats (even for the cheaper editions), and limited edition coloured vinyl for those quick off the mark. Trying to keep track of what audio was offered on the dizzying amount of formats took some doing but in essence the 3CD and 4LP versions delivered only the rarities and didn’t bother with the six studio albums, whereas 10LP and 8CD options gave you EVERYTHING. The former dialled things up to ’11’ and, with not much change from £300, had a price tag to match, but it always felt like a decent investment with two weighty hardcover books, bonus 10-inch and seven-inch records and even a bullet-proof cardboard mailer that came with bespoke artwork. The 8CD super deluxe probably offers the best value without scrimping on quality and indeed by some quirk of packaging the book in this set is actually slightly bigger than the one in the massive vinyl box. Overall, totally brilliant for fans, but I can’t help wondering whether this was ultimately profitable for the record label since it must have cost a small fortune to manufacture this à la cart menu of box sets. Whatever the situation, at least someone can take pride in creating something good, unlike, say, the Guns N’ Roses Use Your Illusion box which also looks unfeasibly expensive but missed the target by a mile in terms of fan-pleasing content.
Watch SDEtv unbox every Against The Odds format
The Beatles / Revolver (Apple/UMC)
Some fans seem to have become a little bit blasé about Beatles reissues, perhaps because we’ve been spoiled since 2017 by a series of super deluxe editions of late-period albums, all centred around 50th anniversaries (until COVID/Disney intervened and messed up the timeline for Let It Be). The narrative around the Revolver reissue was that it was disappointing in terms of the amount of rare audio being delivered; notably more expensive than previous sets; and was missing a key bit of content, with no blu-ray containing an Atmos Mix. However, if you focus on what we were getting rather than what we weren’t, there was still a phenomenal amount to enjoy. Thanks to the much-touted ‘de-mixing’ technology (from the Peter Jackson camp), Giles Martin had the tools to sort out that pesky, and hastily created, 1966 stereo mix with a new 2022 version of the album that felt more balanced and captured the spirit of the mono original. Two discs of ‘Sessions’ offer some incredible insights into the embryonic stages of one of the band’s very best albums (perhaps the best) including early takes of ‘Tomorrow Never Knows’, ‘Love You To’, ‘Paperback Writer’, ‘Eleanor Rigby’ and ‘And Your Bird Can Sing’. Then there’s John’s incredible demo of ‘Yellow Submarine’, both ‘second versions’ of ‘Got To Get You Into My Life’ and a chance to listen to ‘Rain’ at the speed it was actually recorded (faster than the master version). A new transfer of the original mono mix is included along with the much-maligned ‘4-track EP’ (which contains both new 2022 mixes and original mono versions of Paperback Writer and Rain (the non-album A and B-sides). The packaging and artwork look fantastic and the book is truly superb. Unlike with Bowie’s Divine Symmetry, UMC and Apple had got fans used to having blu-rays with spatial audio mixes in Beatle box sets, so the absence of such a disc in Revolver was a proper shock and harder to shrug off. The omission was apparently down to the Atmos Mix not being ready at the point where the label had to ‘push the button’ to get the physical product made for Autumn 2022. Granted, this set doesn’t compare well with 2018 The White Album super deluxe CD package which delivered THREE discs of Sessions, the Esher Demos on CD, and the blu-ray with spatial audio but it’s natural that there’d be more outtakes from a sprawling double album and the Esher Demos are effectively unique and no other album has demos like that. So while the near-perfect Revolver doesn’t get a near-perfect box set, it doesn’t have to be to earn a place in SDE’s favourite reissues of 2022 because it’s still fantastic examination of The Beatles at the top of their game.
Read more about the Revolver super deluxe edition reissue
Go West (Chrysalis)
A very long overdue reissue of the Go West album that most people remember: the band’s 1985 debut, home to the smash hits ‘We Close Out Eyes’, ‘Call Me’ and ‘Don’t Look Down’. I’m a big fan of great pop albums being treated as seriously as classic rock, or prog, long-players and the label duly delivered with a 4CD+DVD large format package that brought everything together, including the remastered album, the original Bangs and Crashes remix set, a disc of unreleased demos and rarities, an unreleased 1985 gig at the Hammersmith Odeon and a DVD crammed with promos, BBC TV appearances and a live performance in Japan. It seems that nice guys can come first and Peter Cox and Richard Drummie are an interesting pair, bonding over a shared ambition back in the early 1980s but with quite different outlooks on life and how to go about achieving success. This set was worth the wait and it seems we can expect more of the same for albums two and three.
Read the SDE interview with Peter Cox and Richard Drummie discussing the Go West album
The Police / Around The World (Mercury Studios)
There are so many old pop/rock documentaries or video collections ‘locked’ on ye olde formats like VHS or Laserdisc and mostly labels and artists don’t seem that bothered (hello, Kate Bush). A But Police guitarist Andy Summers took it upon himself to drive this particular project and get this 1982 documentary (filmed in 1980/81) properly restored and available on a physical format. It now looks and sounds fantastic and is a reminder – if it was needed – what a great live band The Police were. We’ve been starved of Police reissues, so maybe there’s an element of feast after famine here, but these sets (CD+DVD, CD+blu-ray and Vinyl+DVD) are affordable and even offer some bonus audio via CD or vinyl LP. Arresting content, now please can we have that Regatta De Blanc box?
Read the SDE review of Around The World
Paul McCartney / The 7″ Singles (Capitol/UMC)
It’s easy to focus on what Paul McCartney hasn’t given us from the archives these past couple of years, such as London Town or Back To The Egg reissues (or ANY archive releases, for that matter), an updated video collection on blu-ray, some physical spatial audio mixes, Dub Sandwich… But you have to admit that even if it wasn’t at the top of anyone’s ‘wants list’, the recently issued 7″ Singles box set is audacious and amazing. It’s hard to think of any music box set that covers more than a 50-year period and surely only McCartney has the back catalogue, the will and perhaps the means to deliver what, on paper, sounds like a crazy idea – 80 singles in one box. Putting all the 45s in a little wooden crate is pure McCartney (pun intended) and is reminiscent of his idea to put the Fireman Electric Arguments super deluxe in a big metal box (a late suggestion which led to six months of delays). The packaging wow factor – with the red straps and metal clasps – really does make a lot of difference and of course this was a proper limited edition. Yes, 3000 units was much higher than the 333 copies of the Third Man Records’ McCartney III vinyl, but then this set was over £600 and not $65. It’s all been done properly with a great book, the bonus white label and of course 159 tracks via 80 physical singles. You have to wonder if McCartney will bother to issue any more singles, if only not to date this package which contains virtually everything. Immense.
Watch the SDEtv unboxing video of The 7″ Singles
Ultravox / Rage in Eden (Chrysalis)
With Ultravox’s Vienna 5CD+DVD box set Chrysalis really hit the sweet spot, delivering virtually everything you could possibly want – original version of the album, Steven Wilson stereo and 5.1 mixes, B-sides & remixes, unheard cassette rehearsals and a live concert performance – all for around the £50 mark. So it’s no surprise to see that the same approach was adopted for 1981’s Rage in Eden, which was reissued this year. As well as having similar content, the large format presentation was consistent with what had come before and vinyl fans weren’t ignored and got treated to a 4LP set which offered much of the same bonus content. There was even a picture disc edition and an RSD special with instrumentals. If Carlsberg did reissues….
Read the SDE interview with Midge Ure as he discusses Rage in Eden
That’s SDE’s favourite reissues of the year, but what are yours? There are plenty of brilliant releases that were ‘bubbling under’ or didn’t quite make it, so do leave a comment and let us know!
SuperDeluxeEdition.com helps fans around the world discover physical music and discuss releases. To keep the site free, SDE participates in various affiliate programs, including Amazon and earns from qualifying purchases.
Related Content
News
149 Comments
149 thoughts on “SDE’s favourite reissues of 2022”
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.
Are you planning on doing a new albums of 2022 list, Paul? The comments are usually good for finding new stuff to listen to.
Not sure to be honest… May just focus on getting up and running with tasks for this year!
Of these the only one I own is the Blondie box. And as someone who owned zero of the band’s music previously it’s arguably my favorite box-set ever.
First, how did I miss what an outstanding band they were! The musical content of this box, for someone “new” to the band, is outrageously good.
Second, the format and packaging is elite (I have the 8-CD version). The book is lengthy, full of tremendous narrative and insights from early beginnings to the end of the “peak” era for the band.
Combine those two together and it sets the standard for what a boxset can be. I’m not saying it’s the best ever, but for my money, there can’t be any that are better.
A great choice.
Happy New Year to Paul and everyone else. May 2023 bring us many more amazing musical surprises and delights
For me my Top 5 reissues are (no particular order):
Kylie – Impossible Princess
The Communards – Red
Voice Of The Beehive – Let It Bee
Shakespeare Sister – Hormonally Yours Singles / Album Boxset
Culture Club / Boy George – Issues (CC – 1st 4 albums + BG (Sold, Tense Nervous Headache & Boyfriend)
All superbly presented in splendid formats and artwork and in the case of 4/5 with some amazing bonus content. AMAZING additions too the collection
A note to the record companies, no more 5+ coloured vinyl editions and get creative once again…give us reasons to buy new editions of our favourite artist’s music
Maybe 2022 wasn’t a particularly good year concerning classic rock reissues, but I still enjoyed Jimi Hedrix Experience’s Los Angles Forum 1969, Rush’s Moving Pictures 3CD and Dio’s Holy Diver Super Deluxe 4CD!
Half an hour into the Frank Zappa Waka/Wazoo-box which arrived today. So far this is pure joy!
Just got the John Hughes compilation on CD – nudged by Paul’s year end recommendation – looking through realised the book has been glued in the cover upside down. Giving up, as guess this can’t be the only one.
Which brings me on to my gripe – crap Quality Control (coupled with inflated prices). (Seems to be an even bigger problem in the States with their sole Mexican plant, particularly for blu rays.) Had to return the Blondie set on CD:several card sleeves bent over. And as for scratched naked CDs in too tight card grippers, or lying free, frequently with greasy fiunger marks, in expensive super deluxe sets – am dreading getting the Thin Lizzy Live and Dangerous set this month!
For me the Wilco and Blondie boxsets are the stand outs. The Blondie box on red vinyl is a thing of beauty – brilliantly designed and tells a great music story from the CBGBs scene and birth of Punk to global hugeness to losing it with the last couple of albums.
Wilco’s mammoth 11 silver vinyl ‘Yankee Hotel Foxtrot’ again a beautiful set – they are really doing their catalogue justice with this series – next stop should be my personal favourite Wilco, ‘A Ghost is Born’ – can’t wait.
Also shout out to Bowie’s ‘Brilliant Adventure’ set. I find this a really interesting period after the (mostly) dreck of the 80s and Tin Machine – with signs of creative resurgence for Bowie. Initially crazily priced at near £500 in some places (vinyl hyper-inflation was definitely a massive negative this year) but now down at around £250 which is what I purchased it for. Let’s hope we don’t have to wait too long for the next instalment to round off his career.
Happy new year.
Not a stellar year for reissues; stand outs being Blondie, Ultravox & Go West ( Honorable shout out to Marillion – Holidays In Eden, purely because all their deluxe reissues offer a good balance between content vs price)
However really keen to know what other readers feel is their standout best super deluxe release ever; criteria content / packaging / price. For me it’s the original A-Ha Hunting High & Low 30th Anniversary 4CD/DVD with accompanying 60 page book. #castyourvote
For me easily the ‘Sign o’ the Times’ box – I got it on vinyl. A wealth of great unreleased material from a massively fecund period for Prince, good packaging and book (SOTD features great cover art, just before the quality of his cover art went seriously south).
I’m still hoping we get the same treatment for the rest of his imperial phase with Controversy, Around the World …, Parade and Lovesexy – which is why I’m still hoping the ‘Diamonds and Pearl’s’ rumours are wrong (mediocre album).
Prince ‘Sign ‘O The Times’ is my best SDE ever.
My all-time favourite album, remastered with all the single mixes and B-sides, two great live shows (one audio, one DVD), lavishly packaged with a very decent book.
But what makes it #1 is the sheer quantity (and quality) of unreleased tracks, cleaned up and complete (I could finally put aside those ropey bootlegs). 6 LPs / 3 CDs of track after track of genius. The best part for me was creating an alternative SOTT tracklist from the unreleased songs and realising the quality didn’t dip.
The Bowie set was my highlight of 2022. I’ve been dreaming of a release like this for years, and it did not disappoint! It’s easy to forget that there was a time, not that long ago, when things like demos and old live performances were the Holy Grail. Nowadays, every man and his dog release their demo sessions, and their Live From Aunt Barb’s 50th Birthday Party albums. But if you’d waved the contents of Divine Symmetry under my nose back in 1979 I would have thought I’d died and gone to heaven. The books are beautiful, the range of songs perfect. 10/10.
I almost went for the Blondie box but I’ve got the first 5 albums and would I play the bonus stuff a lot ? No
The Playing The Angel box was ok. Not my favourite album, and too many club mixes for me, but I’ve got all the other boxes in the series so I kinda had to get it. Didn’t I ???????
The Yoshimi little box was nice. Cheap and cheerful and packed with over-compressed goodies. It’s quite a hard listen in places as the digital clipping really sticks out, but that’s an inherent part of their recording apparently.
The only other thing I bought that truly excited me was the RSD John Foxx era Ultravox Live At The Rainbow mini LP. Long overdue live show from that incarnation (my preferred ) and I love it. I’d be very very happy if the super deluxe treatment was applied to the 3 Ultravox! albums. There’s plenty of soundboard quality live stuff out there to include shows from the time. I don’t do 5.1 but I can imagine Systems of Romance would sound incredible.
Add Eurythmics & Annie Lennox to the list of artists with fantastic video collections and video albums that are sorely missing from the market. Sweet Dreams video album, Savage, We Two Are One Too, Eurythmics Live, Greatest Hits and Diva come to mind.
I’ve got four sets from your list and getting the Blondie set soon (Revolver needs a price drop before I bite). Here’s hoping Swing Out Sister keep going and drop another set in 2023. As a longtime fan it was cool to finally see them some much deserved recognition.
Although it was released in 2021, my most played album of the year was discovered by reading a comment someone posted here on SDE (can’t recall the original thread) about a little known band/release. Curious by nature, I decided to check it out and ordered the CD on January 3rd of this year – and wow. The band, a duo, is called Explorer Tapes and it’s an astonishingly brilliant pop album. You can hear influences of Fleetwood Mac, Macca, Steely Dan, even musical theatre, and yet it still sounds fresh and timeless. It was left in a vault for six years until Mike Elizondo, who produced the album, used his considerable influence to talk Omnivore into finally releasing it. Makes you wonder what other treasures sit inside the vaults at various labels.
I suppose my point is that I’m super grateful for all the heads up information Paul gives us about upcoming releases, reviews, and exclusives, and he’s certainly steered me in the right direction with many releases. I just wanted to add that it’s also the wonderful SDE community chiming in that also has led to some wonderful discoveries, and among the vast musical library I’ve built over the years, the Explorer Tapes has become a nearly desert island disc IMHO. Thanks random person on SDE who brought them to my attention, and happy holidays to all.
I too ordered that Explorer Tapes CD…musta seen the same comment you did…and while I was not as floored as you were, I did enjoy it quite a lot, reminded me of Jellyfish or Toy Matinee…sophisticated pop/powerpop well-produced…I may add it to my final 2022 reissue list, thanks for the reminder…
My vote for Best Reissue is Blondie’s 8CD box. All six main albums, bonus tracks, detailed book with commentary from the whole band (past and present) and their producers, with stunning visuals (Debbie Harry is simply amazing!). The set takes me back to when I was a kid and music was fun!
My top 3 Box Sets of 2022:
1. Blondie – Against the Odds
This really set the standard for box set presentation and content. The music’s not bad either… ;-D Well worth the 4/5 year wait.
2. David Bowie – Divine Symmetry
3. PJ Harvey – B-Sides, Demos & Rarities
My top 3 Reissues of 2022:
1. Joy Zipper – American Whip
This gem of a record was given a limited vinyl release by the marvellous Last Night From Glasgow.
2. Lou Reed – I’m So Free: The 1971 RCA Demos [RSD 2022]
3. Prince – The Gold Experience [RSD 2022]
Top 10 Albums of 2022
1. Findlay – The Last Of The 20th Century Girls
A hugely talented artist and songwriter, but one very much under the radar. The album I played the most in 2022.
1. The Smile – A Light For Attracting Attention
I’m cheating slightly here but I could not choose between The Smile and Findlay for #1. A staggeringly great record and the best
Radioheadalbum since Kid A.3. Wet Leg – Wet Leg
4. Suede – Autofiction
5. Jessie Buckley & Bernard Butler – For All Our Days That Tear The Heart
6. Jack White – Entering Heaven Alive
7. xPropaganda – The Heart Is Strange
8. Big Thief – Dragon New Warm Mountain I Believe In You
9. Wu-Lu – Loggerhead
10. Sudan Archives – Natural Brown Prom Queen
Nice. I’m a bit of a Findlay fan myself!
It’s nice to know I’m not alone Paul !.. Her band TTRRUUCES are worth a listen too. The live studio performances they posted during lockdown helped keep me sane.
Dexys midnight runners-how it should have sounded.
Shakespeares Sister- Hormonally yours, 8 CD singles box set and CD album.
Allow me to get my prediction in early and say that the best reissue of next year (certainly the most anticipated from my perspective) will be the Steven Wilson mix of Tull’s Broadsword.
Shout out to Marillion’s Holidays in Eden reissue!
I was very excited (and fortunate) to find the new McCartney box/crate under the tree Christmas morning! While I look forward to revisiting these 80 singles, my vote for top reissue of 2022 has to go to Against the Odds, which I have enjoyed immensely despite never really considering myself a huge Blondie fan. Happy New Year to Paul S. and the entire SDE community!
I was as a kid, but there was a period when I wasn’t as much anymore, then I saw this set unboxed & just backtracked cuz it looked too good…got the 8CD set & it recaptured something in me…I do admit that if it was just the rarities, I woulda been really underwhelmed, they work much better in the contexts of the albums as bonus tracks…and that book is eyepopping…
All on CD:
– Wilco – The Capitol Theatre 2014 (Limited edition 6 disc set originally released at the end of 2021 on their dBpm label. Repressed back in April, I picked it up with a 25% discount on the band’s online EU store!)
– Stereolab – Pulse Of The Early Brain (Switched On Volume 5)
– Wilco – Yankee Hotel Foxtrot Super Deluxe
– Flaming Lips – Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots Super Deluxe
– Piero Umiliani – Library Music Volume 1 (13 disc set. I managed to get the white (wooden) box that’s limited to 100 copies)
– Piero Piccioni – A Modern Gentleman
– Toots Thielemans & Rob Franken – Studio Sessions 1973-1983
Some V/A Comps:
Silberland: Kosmische Musik Vol 1 (1972-1986)
We Are The Children Of The Sun
Mr Bongo Record Club Volume 5
Folk Funk & Trippy Troubadours Vol 1
Boom! Italian Jazz Soundtracks At Their Finest (1959-1969)
Reissues that I enjoy the most :
-Ultravox – Rage in Eden Deluxe.
–Shakespear’s Sister – Hormonally Yours (30th Anniversary Edition, Box Set) : All the Bonus tracks.
–Pink Floyd – Animals : Bluray.
–The Cure : Wish Deluxe.
–David Arnold – Tomorrow Never Dies (remastered, expanded 2-CD re-issue).
A Wish for 2023 : Ultravox – Quartet Deluxe!
House of love- burn down the world box set was a dream for fans
PS – That Police docu of the 1981 adventures was really good too but should’ve been longer!!
I have’nt actually bought that much this year, not because I don’t want to, but because there’s nothing out there that I want enough to actually listen to everything it has. I did really enjoy the 3 Disc version of MSP “Know your enemy” that was well done, in keeping with their other reissues.
Also, I loved that Now finally went back & reissued the stuff from my youth in book format, though I wish they’d had the foresight to reissue 1983 early ’84 because I was’nt going to buy Now 1 & 2 again in that format after buying the original reissues when they 1st came out again. 1st World problem I know…. I have 1979 – 1985 with a glaring gap.
Bit concerned about the lack of Prince reissues & I certainly hope “Parade” & “Around the World in a day” get the SDE treatment they richly deserve.
After all that, I hope all readers had a great Christmas & I wish you all the very best for 2023!!
PS – If I was going to consider splashing the cash on a 2022 reissue, that Blondie box looked brilliant so it would be that.
I noticed someone below mentioned some French box sets. The one I particularly enjoyed this year was Mylene Farmer’s 16cd box called Intégrale 1986-1996. It contained all the albums including live albums and every single remix from that period. Deliciously comprehensive. I highly recommend it.
Woah, where did you get that?? I love me some Mylene Farmer!! Hope it wasn’t TOO expensive or too limited, as I’m really budgeting myself with my upcoming trip with 2 cruises on it…other foreign-language people I collect are Monica Naranjo & Anna Vissi…both of them made complete (sorta complete boxsets, Monica’s was 10CD & Anna’s is like 32 discs, 500 copies, in a metal flight case, and sick expensive…I do want it though…
I got it from Amazon France. Much cheaper than Amazon USA. Without paying VAT it was about $100. From Amazon USA $150.
Oh, how I have loved Mylene Farmer since I first heard her in 1987! It’s a great box set that you mentioned. I ordered it from FNAC along with the fantastic Jane Birkin one in the same book format that Universal France has been using for many of their legacy artists.
Still waiting with bated breath for ‘the missed opportunities of 2022’ article.
Our Top 10 Albums of 2022 are:
Lisette Oropesa/René Barbera/Lester Lynch/Sächsischer Staatsopernchor Dresden/Dresdner Philharmonie/Daniel Oren Verdi: La Traviata.
Lisette Oropesa/Joyce Didonato/Paul-Antoine Bénos-Djian/Michael Spyres/John Chest Handel: Theodora.
Lisette Oropesa Rossini & Donizetti: French Bel Canto Arias.
The Cuban/American Soprano Lisette Oropesa has made the astonishing amount of three albums this year! All of them made it on to our top 10 album list, and if anyone deserves the title “artist of 2022” it must be she!
Taylor Swift Midnights.
Ari Lennox Age/Sex/Location.
Beyoncé Renaissance.
49 Winchester Fortune Favors The Bold.
Willie Nelson A Beautiful Time.
Gilbert O’Sullivan Driven.
Julian Lennon Jude.
We will also like to mention two Albums that didn’t make our Top 10 but that we enjoy none the less:
Julie Fuchs Amadè.
Regula Mühlemann Fairy Tales.
Our pick for the best rereleases of 2022 is the the seven French albums released by the label Culture Factory:
Elvis Presley Les Disques En Or.
Elvis Presley Le Retour D’ Elvis.
Elvis Presley Elvis In Paris.
Elvis Presley The Forgotten Album.
Elvis Presley “I Sing All Kinds”
Elvis Presley Sings The Mad Professor.
Elvis Presley Something For Everybody.
My pick for best “music”-book release of 2022:
Brian Morton Nina Simone Little Girl Blue.
And last but definately not least a heartfelt thank you to Jerry Lee “The Killer” Lewis and Loretta Lynn for the music and the great balls. You taught us about the fire and about the pill, you made us sweat and you made us cry.
Agreed about JLLewis and LLynn. Wiping a tear from my eye.
But I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, “Damn you Opera Buff @nd Swiftie. My pockets aren’t deep enough for your recommendations!” :) I’m still buying the Waylon Jennings discs you recommended previously, along with many other cds. Thank you and a very happy new year to you!
Dear Mr. AndyB
Yes, it is always sad when an artist you love and respects die. Thankfully both of them lived long and meaningful lives. A Box-Set release that should have been on my Top 10 is:
Jerry Lee Lewis The Complete Jerry Lee Lewis On Sun (5 CD) released by Curb Records.
This is the Box-Set I will recommend buying when you are done buying Waylon Jennings. So maybe get some more coats and pants so you have more pockets to pick :) Anyway, I have tried not to post so many new releases this year for the sake of you and your pockets and I hope it’s appreciated.
You are welcome :) And thank you and a very happy new year to you too!
I will echo AndyB in thanking you for your posts and suggestions. They are always interesting and ‘a bit different’, which is always a good thing. Eclectic is not good enough a word, but is the best I have.
Jerry Lee is THE rocker. I know that you are not a vinyl fan, but as I type I am looking at a 12 LP Charlie Box Set ‘The Sun Years’, that I guess covers the same ground. Highly recommended.
All the very best for 2023.
Thank you for the kind words Mr. Pete IOW.
In the words of the King: “I sing all kinds” :)
“I never said I was the King Of Rock’n’ Roll. I said simply that I’m the best”
The Killer
It’s not the media formats, it’s the music.
Thank you and all the very best for 2023 to you too.
For me it’d have to be the 3 disc deluxe DUNE soundtrack by Hans Zimmer.
I didn’t care much for the single disc edition and found the film good but not brilliant however this set really shines.
It was also nice that the artist or label listened to fan’s complaints over the silly prices of the individually released discs and compiled them all at a very reasonable price.
Denny Zeitlin With George Marsh And Mel Graves – The Name Of This Terrain
Funkadelic – Maggot Brain
Prince and the Revolution – Live
Step By Step – I Always Wanted To Be In The Band
The Winstons – Color Him Father
Lonnie Liston Smith – Astral Travelling
Checking my discogs list it turns out I have bought a few reissues this year. And I had the Joni Archives II LP boxset for my birthday.
Was a deluxe edition of Astral Traveling released? Can’t find anything.
It has been rereleased on a plain black vinyl album in the US this year.
No extra tracks so hold your horses if you already own a copy of that album…
https://www.discogs.com/release/21833878-Lonnie-Liston-Smith-And-The-Cosmic-Echoes-Astral-Traveling
Happy Christmas Paul; your site is an absolute gem and what you do is so appreciated. Here’s to it all continuing, just as, for years to come!
I like and Recommend these Box Sets and Expanded Editions:
Bill Nelson’s Red Noise – Art/Empire/Industry – The Complete Red Noise
Robert Fripp – Exposures
Neil Young – Harvest 50th Anniversary Edition / Harvest Time
Frank Zappa – Waka / Wazoo
The Legendary Pink Dots – The Maria Dimension Complete Recordings
Pavement – Terror Twilight : Farewell Horizontal
Oz Days Live – ’72-’73 Kichijoji 50th Anniversary Edition
The Cure – Wish Deluxe Edition
Eyeless In Gaza – Skeletal Framework: The Cherry Red Recordings 1981-1986
Tall Dwarfs – Unravelled 1981-2002
Stomu Yamashta – Seasons: The Island Albums 1972-1976
Flaming Lips – Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots 20th Anniversary Edition
David Bowie – Divine Symmetry
The Beatles – Revolver Special Edition
How could I have forgotten to mention the Red Noise reissue???
Something I have been waiting for for a long time and I was not disappointed.
Love your list. Most I didn’t buy but would be glad to have.
I did debate getting the Robert Fripp – Exposure one but realized the hard reality of most of my box sets: I listen to some of the music on them and then they go back on the shelf…. looking pretty.
For the Fripp one, I’m not even sure I would have heard 10% of the offering was as the set includes THIRTY-TWO discs!
That many soundscapes would legally constitute a Sound-Land with its own passport! I commend those who have that much time and can ploughing through that much volume.
The price for that many discs was definitely a bargain.
Cheers!
Re the Robert Fripp uber box – while it’s fair to say that 90% of its purchasers will only likely ever play 10% of its contents, at least they have the option to listen to it all, so it has the potential to provide new pleasures for years (decades?) to come.
And as you say, at that price it is a BARGAIN.
Very true. If I’m not mistaken, he released 50 soundscapes recently too. I have to wonder… how does he tell them apart?
Elton’s Madman Across The Water for me.
Wishing Paul and all the SDE readers a wonderful Christmas and a Happy New Year. Let’s all the hope the World in 2023 is a much better place
Totally agree with your comments.
Apart from the Blondie BOXSET it’s been a pretty poor year.
2022 reissues and compilations acquired this year:
Hits To The Head 2LP – Franz Ferdinand
Terror Twilight 2CD – Pavement
Pulse Of The Early Brain (Switched On Volume 5) 2CD – Stereolab
My pick is a compilation I bought on both vinyl (2LP) and CD (9CD box): Sugarhill Adventures by Grandmaster Flash, Melle Mel and the Furious Five. The 2LP version is 12 full length versions, including 2 versions of White Lines. This would have been perfect if they took off We Don’t Work For Free and the extra version of White Lines and substituted these with It’s Nasty (Genius Of Love) and The Adventures Of Grandmaster Flash On The Wheels Of Steel. The 9CD box is really comprehensive, with practically every version of every track. The only missing ones I could spot were the 7” vocal, 7” instrumental and soundtrack LP version of Beat Street Breakdown, but the full length version is on there.
I also received the 2CD reissue of Tattoo You by The Rolling Stones for Christmas from Mrs Barker, but that’s 2021. The Wish deluxe CD reissue by The Cure is on my, ahem, Wish-list, as are the Blondie and Neu! CD box sets.
And how could I forget that I also have Prince & The Revolution Live 3LP
And being new to streaming (I’ve shunned it for years) I trialed Spotify, Tidal and Qobuz. I’ve settled with Qobuz as the HD quality is ******* amazing. My cd collection is now redundant as its the poor cousin by a long way.
LPs will now be charity shop finds or essential (for me) purchases. The days of taking a punt on a record have gone :(
I use streaming for playlists, discovering music and to try before I buy – through this I knew not to bother with The Car by Arctic Monkeys but to definitely get No Future No Past by Spacemoth, an artist I doubt I would ever have heard if not for a recommendation by a streaming service. Streaming’s definitely not all bad, although streaming doesn’t pay artists very well.
I have been a Qobuz member since their Europe only days by using a VPN from the US. I think their sound quality is “sublime” – to use their vocabulary- but I’ve needed to get Spotify as well cause my kids couldn’t find their pop music as easily which Spotify has perfected.
After much debate, I’ll not renew my Qobuz subscription. I’ll listen to new releases on Spotify and if they’re good music and well recorded (you can tell whether the loudness has been turned up, even at MP3 quality), I will buy the CD. It will support the artist and I’m more likely to listen to it than if it’s added to a “like” list. I’ve stopped buying vinyl; it’s not worth it anymore, to me.
None of those saw my money. Based on Mojo’s best of ’22 cd I’d say this last year was pretty crap. I’ve bought very little, new or old.
I did however buy a Naim streamer for my hifi. I justified it based on the cost of new LPs. They’re just overpriced now.
Fingers crossed ’23 sees some better acts and lower prices. I’ve more hope of the former mind you ;)
Easy winner for me was The House Of Love’s “Burn Down The World”, already listed by several other readers. Beautifully presented, properly comprehensive and with some interesting unreleased material – all in a nice sturdy box at a very fair price. a lovely job from Cherry Red.
Also: Manic Street Preachers – Know Your Enemy; Manics reissues are up-and-down but this was a revelation. I always found KYE difficult to digest but now I “get it” and have a whole raft of new favourites from that period.
Bog Shed – The Official Bog Set; after 35 years out of print, (almost) everything they ever did in a nice little clamshell. One of the great lost bands and one of those rare occasions where a different name would have made a real difference. Still…
The Fall – 1970s; slightly grudging due to the number of times we’ve been sold the studio recordings previously but we learn something new from the release and the 1979 gigs are both excellent so, yeah, there’s that.
PJ Harvey – B-Sides, Demos & Rarities – does exactly what it says on the tin. £20 for the triple CD edition meant it was pocket-friendly too.
Nurse With Wound – The Ladies Home Tickler & Other Devices – 2 LPs of prime early NWW, brought together with customary care by the mighty Dirter Promotions.
Stereolab – Pulse Of The Early Brain (Switched On Vol 5) – yes, the cupboard is getting bare and a thorough scrape was needed to get this volume together but the “Low Fi” EP has never sounded better and somevery rare stuff is now easy to score. Is that not the point?
Merry Christmas to all who celebrate, especially to you and yours, Paul. Onwards!
Blondie is an outstanding set. The book is really something, very informative, gorgeously designed and always evocative with the photos and art, of the era of the albums. I also bought the Go West, that was great. Just waiting for another sale on the Revolver set.
Paul I’m waiting patiently for your predictions for 2023 releases any hints when you plan to publish it online?
I’m guessing you haven’t received / have no interest in Earth’s ‘Bert Jansch at the BBC’ 8CD / 4LP set in LP-sized packaging.
I am very interested in the 8CD / 4LP set in CD-sized packaging
Good luck in finding such a beast! :-D
Bowie down to £101.19 on Amazon UK.
The Box-Set of the year must be the Paul McCartney The 7″ Singles, but I don’t by vinyl… so I don’t know…
My Top 10 Box-Set releases of 2022 are:
Gleen Gould The Goldberg Variations: The Complete Unreleased 1981 Studio Sessions (11 CD).
Vince Guaraldi A Charlie Brown Christmas (Super Deluxe 4 CD + 1 BD).
Jane Birkin 1969 – 2022 (18 CD + 1 DVD).
The Beach Boys Sail On Sailor 1972 (Super Deluxe 6 CD).
The Beatles Revolver (Limited Special Edition Super Deluxe 5 CD).
I don’t see the glass as half empty but as half full so this fits perfect in the middle of my list.
Blondie Against The Odds: 1974 – 1982 (Limited 8 CD Deluxe Edition).
Dalida 35 Ans Dé Jà… (2 LP + 3 CD + 1 DVD).
Even though it contains 2 LP’s I bought it for the CD’s, the DVD and the book (so I buy a little bit of vinyl when I have too).
Elton John Madman Across The Water (Limited 50th Anniversary Edition 3 CD + 1 BD).
Joe Strummer & The Mescaleros 002 1999 – 2002 (4 CD).
Daniil Trifonov Bach: The Art Of Life (Deluxe Version 2 CD + 1 BD).
Originally released in 2021 but rereleased in 2022 as a deluxe version with BluRay video and audio.
I will also like to mention two Box-Set releases that didn’t make my Top 10 but that I enjoy none the less:
Niel Young Harvest (50 Anniversary Edition 3 CD + 2 DVD).
Mark Knopfler The Studio Albums 2009 – 2018 (6 CD).
I had my hopes set for the release of The Sound of Philadelphia International Records volume 3 but instead I am now looking forward to the release of Elvis Presley Elvis on Tour.
And finally but not least Swiftie and I would like to wish Mr. Sinclair and all members of SDE a very Bing Crosby.
Hello!! Nice to see people mentioning French box sets.
I got the Jane Birkin one but also would recommend
Michel sardou his new integrale
Barbara also has a new box set which looks nice but haven’t been had a chance to grab it yet.
There are a couple of new cds as well which if you have time you should Check it out
Yves Jamait: l’autre
Dutronc et Dutronc: Dutronc et Ductronc
Dear Mr. B.H.
Thank you for the recommendations. I have been looking for the Barbara Box-Set, but can’t seem to find it, do you have a title for it?
Barbara
(Intégrale De La Discographie Officielle Studio Et Live)
https://www.discogs.com/release/25233958-Barbara-Barbara-Int%C3%A9grale-De-La-Discographie-Officielle-Studio-Et-Live
Released in November. I’m not familiar with her body of work but to me it seems that it ‘just’ puts all of her official releases into one box set.
So of interest either to those who don’t know or own many records of hers but are positive that they’ll like the whole (or most of it) of her records or of course to completists.
Yes, it’s a kind of luxury item. Pretty much everything seems to be included. Barbara was – and remains – one of the most respected french singers of all times.
And quite pricey I think… Well I guess one has to “earn” to be one of the most respected french singers of all time :)
Thank you very much Mr. Klaus :)
Great selection ! You can’t go wrong with Dalida !!! Waiting for Elvis too, and Dylan…
Thank you Mr. Remi.
I believe that I have all the Dalida Box-Sets, she was fantastic!
I’m also looking forward to the Bob Dylan release, but it’s just gonna be the two-disc edition for me.
Divine Symmetry is an incredible boxset, and Neu! 50 is also wonderful and affordable (on CD). Honorable mention to Harvest 50. For jazz aficionados, the Albert Ayler boxset is THE one to get. Merry Christmas to all !
Blondie for me, a quite fantastic box set. Also the Selecter, Celebrate the Bullet CD box set, great album.
Out of all those picks, I only got Rage In Eden on the 4LP set
The reissues of Faithless and Groove Armada Back To Mine on vinyl were highlights for me. I wanted to be cynical about the Too Rye Aye (as it should have sounded) but it really is rather good.
It’s Xmas day and my beautiful boy max has just gifted me the blu ray of the damned, the night of a thousand vampire,, absolutely brilliant,I urge every SDE community people to get it!! You won’t be disappointed guvner
Quite brilliant isn’t it? I bought it a few weeks ago. Very lmpressed. Would have loved to have been there that night. Reckon it was visually stunning.
Brilliant is not the word!! this is one if not the best music Blu-ray IV ever saw!!
Merry Christmas John.
It surely won’t be as good as Kate Bush’s Before The Dawn Blu-ray. The only problem is, it might be another thirty years until we can find that out!
Regards,
Merry Christmas to you as well my friend!!!
Hanging on for the Bowie one, but got quite a few that have been mentioned: Blondie, Ultravox, Beatles, House Of Love, Bluetones, Manics and both Pretenders ones (although I think they came out last year). Additionally the latest Depeche Mode vinyl box for Playing The Angel. After the disappointment of Exciter, this was the album that got me back into them. Although it was a hefty price tag for a box of 12″s I was really looking forward to this one and I can’t stop now! The last few will be interesting to see what extras they add to them.
Hello,,
I must put forward the recent Sparks reissues , espec “Lil Beethoven” excellent album in a line of fantastic albums. I also would like to mension Spirit “Twelwe dreams of Dr Sardonicus” their best album in an double cd version (original album, outtakes and live). Renaissance “Scheherazade – 3 cd ” was released in 2022, fantastic group and in a way perhaps forgotten.
For box sets ” Al stewart – admiralty lights” – yes I bought it , this will accompany me for many hours. NEU! – yes, the first album – NEU is an absolute must. As a last, please check out – Van Der Graaf Genetator “Interference patterns” – recordings from 2005 and onwards, the box set is especially recommended for the inclusion of the full real time live set , the third cd previously only available in Japan. I managed to see VdGG in concert in October 2021 and it was beutiful, intense and not to be forgotten. A few hopes for 2023 – Roy Harper – complete (on Madfish), a Fairport 1970-71 live box set . Manassas – complete studio recordings and live concerts, Crosby -Nash 1975 – live concert box. Best regards Hans
I am with you Hans for a Roy Harper box set. Fairports live would be great too.
Really? No Wilco’s Yankee… on the Top Ten? Mmm… Well, it is the ABSOLUTELY BEST 2022 expanded reissue for yours truly! I wish all SDLE makers and readers an extremely musical and Super Deluxe New Year!
Sad loss, Maxi Jazz passed away yesterday. I hope he has found a new church.
My mate across the pond and I played Insomnia (plus remixes) on repeat with the intention to stay awake all night like we used to in the Uni days but both of us didn’t make it past the hour mark.
The music aged well. We didn’t.
RIP G.O.D.
Dodgy and the House Of Love for me. Biggest disappointment was that Go West box set which is unlistenable due to the very loud mastering on it as Steven mentioned below.
Sadly I agree with Moni, I played it once and it nearly destroyed my love for that album (and my hearing). Awful reissue.
Sadly, the SDEs I bought this year seemed to be a case of cock-ups and/or missed opportunities….
Beatles – Revolver – no blu-ray – grrrr…..
Elton John – Madman Across the Water – authoring error on the blu-ray (at least there was a replacement program)
Go West – Go West – the mastering was SO LOUD AS TO BE VIRTUALLY UNLISTENABLE……
Hoping for better things in 2023. Have a good holiday, everyone!
Totally agree regarding Go West. I bought it because it was touted as being reissued with the original producer Gary Stevenson at the helm but that didn’t matter unfortunately. Often we see/hear about big names mastering certain reissues at big name studios, but the result ends up being disappointing.
Big exception is Steven Wilson. Why does he buck the trend and the rest doesn’t? Although I don’t always agree with the arrangements of his remasters, I never doubt the sonics. For example: Brave by Marillion had certain guitar parts pushed way down which changed the flavor of the song but I acknowledge, it may be me being too old and set in my ways to accept the new version of an album that played such an important part in my life.
Although I was happy to see the Swing Out Sister box set on your top 10 list, I disagree with your claim that “the three CDs of remixes leave virtually no stone unturned in the hunt for rare/unreleased versions.” A 1986 U.S. 12″ promo for “Breakout” featured an extended 12″ remix and a 7″ edit by Michael Hutchinson that were not included in the box set. That’s a shame because these rare versions have never been released on CD, and the box set was the perfect (but missed) opportunity to reward longtime SOS collectors with these rarities.
I wrote “virtually” for a reason.
My favorite SDE is The Beach Boys – Sail On Sailor 1972. I also like Lee Perry – King Scratch. Not many people like the mixing of vinyl and CD but I don’t mind, especially when there is no overlapping with songs on the 4 vinyls and 4 CD’s. A big box with a good book.
I am also happy with the rerelease of Jethro Tull – Thick As A Brick. Still on top of the game when it comes to consistency. That’s why I did not buy The Beatles – Revolver. If the omission of the Blu-ray was down to the Atmos Mix not being ready, there is no excuse for not releasing a standalone Blu-ray. So, that’s already one wish for 2023.
While every Bowie reissue should be celebrated, I’m a bit tired of the 70’s Bowie reissues. For god sake, re-release the 80’s stuff. That is what people want. The Loving The Alien box was sold out incredibly fast compared to the other Bowie box sets. It proves that is what people want. Pls release the 80’s remixes on CD, do something but stop reissuing 70’s albums. I’m done with those now. In fact I was done 2 years ago.
The big theme this year was the missing of surround sound discs in the box sets, most notably the Beatles Revolver reissue after all previous Beatles boxes had them included. Not only The Beatles but also Seal, Flaming Lips, Guns N Roses, Queen, Tina Turner, George Michael, etc. Many of these mixes already exist but record labels somehow don’t get it. 2022 was a slap in the face of all Atmos and surround sound lovers despite Paul’s wonderful SDE Exclusives!!
Disagree on everyone wanting the 80’s Bowie stuff, totally agree on omission of surround sound discs from SDEs.
I want his 70’s and 80’s albums as Deluxe Editions. I hope that “Ziggy Stardust”, “Station To Station”, “Heroes”, “Low” and “Let’s Dance” gets an expanded treatment with a 5.1 Atmos mix.
Well I managed four of your list Paul.
Thanks to you I bagged the brilliant Go West boxset and vinyl with signed print. It’s a big album for me.
I also bought both the vinyl and CD boxsets of Rage in Eden – a magnificent return for Ultravox which really cemented their place in the history of synth books. I recall the vinyl boxset of Vienna selling out in 24 hours so either they’ve made a lot more this time round or not enough last time?!
As for the awesome Blondie boxset? I’ve been waiting years for this one. Probably my most anticipated collection – ever since I knew about the standard vinyl Boxset that came out about 15 years ago? It was selling for silly money – a bit like the Uber boxset of U2’s Achtung Baby. So, I waited patiently and (as you say Paul) I was quick off the mark, snapping up Against the Odds red vinyl at a snip for only £250. Who on earth was responsible for that calamity? But whatever, it’s absolutely fantastic and remains my most favourite boxset.
Additionally I also went for Dexy’s Too Rye Ay (As it should have sounded) bespoke box set with autograph (yes, only Kevin). Not his greatest ever autograph. I think it translates to ‘Kevin’. But again, the set is beautiful. It’s well made with fine materials, includes a live album, prints and a wonderful hard back book – of which are always of interest to me. Of course the music is fabulous as well!
Another favourite is the Human League Colour vinyl ‘Virgin Years’ Boxset. There was some fine work from this band after they went mainstream – and the proof is right here! I also managed to get hold of the elusive and very rare RSD white vinyl of the Love and Dancing remix EP.
I also opted for The Miracle (Queen) boxset. A sturdy box with a more conventional ‘lift off’ lid, including a poster and awesome hard back book. The band obviously had a lot to say for this album and were inspired to say the least. It was also this album that Freddie knew he was ‘poorly’ and didn’t let on. Which makes this album all the more poignant. I listen for clues and signs in his lyrics. A wonderful album that makes me smile and think of Freddie.
It’s been a busy year due to the massive repress of Jesus Jones’s entire back catalogue on coloured vinyl – I bought the entire set of (I think) 5 studio albums and double album ‘best of’ and the gigantic fully autographed ‘Some of the Answers’ CD boxset with oversized hard back book.
They were the highlights for me – those and of course my ever ending quest to buy 80’s and 90’s first pressings on vinyl. I was gobsmacked to find a mint first pressing of Happy Mondays ‘Pills Thrills and Bellyaches’ on my doorstep. The one with the withdrawn ‘American candy’ cover before it all went to court!
Anyway Paul, thanks for what you do! Wishing you a Happy New Year!
Cheers,
John
Congrats to the white vinyl for Love and Dancing. I opted for a sealed original, with cut out, though, however it fits nicely into the vinyl box so it is all in one place.
2022 was the year I bought me a turntable again and I rediscovered Side 2 again. I am looking at you, New Golden Dream 81 82 83 84 and Once Upon A Time.
My favorite purchase are the Tone Poet releases from Coltrane’s Blue Train, both mono and stereo (Those tip in sleeves are really great) and the Vince Guaraldi Charlie Brown Christmas Box Set. Playing it non stop, wife is about to question my sanity….
Sade vinyl box and Sting as well.
Looking forward to Seasons End SDE by Marillion and Rubber Soul since I never realized before how good Revolver actually is. Paul, THANK YOU for your hard work and Merry Christmas to you and your family as well as to all the SDE readers and contributors.
Peace on Earth and mercy mild, Mother Brown has lost her child, oh, wait, wrong song. Peace and be safe you all. It is a crazy world out there.
Merry Christmas Paul, the SDE team and all of your families!
Thank you for all that you do.
Stay safe and eat, drink & be merry and kind. Here’s to many more years of our favourite website of all.
Happy Christmas Paul. Thanks for all the news, reviews and bargain alerts.
Here are my favourite reissues of 2022
TOP 15 REISSUES
01 That Petrol Emotion – Every Beginning Has A Future
02 The House Of Love – Burn Down The World
03 Toyah – Anthem
04 Queen – The Miracle
05 Tina Turner – Break Every Rule
06 The Beach Boys – Sail On Sailor 1972
07 Wilco – Yankee Hotel Foxtrot
08 Al Stewart – The Admiralty Lights
09 Blondie – Against All Odds 1974-1982
10 The Monkees – Headquarters
11 Manic Street Preachers – Know Your Enemy
12 Erasure – Erasure
13 Dexys Midnight Runners – Too-Rye-Ay As It Should Have Sounded
14 Elton John – Madman Across The Water
15 Kool & The Gang – The Albums Volume 1 1969-1978
TOP 10 COMPILATIONS
01 Life Moves Pretty Fast: The John Hughes Mixtapes
02 Gotta Get A Good Thing Goin’: The Music Of Black Britain In The Sixties
03 Gary Crowley’s 90s Indie Playback
04 Bob Stanley & Pete Wiggs Present Fell From The Sun: Downtempo & After Hours
05 Revolt Into Style 1979
06 Now Yearbook 1985
07 Music For New Romantics
08 David Hepworth’s Deep ’70s Underrated Cuts From A Misunderstood Decade
09 Can The Glam!
10 Deep In The Woods: Pastoral Psychedelia & Funky Folk 1968-1975
Hi . Just to say merry christmas ! God bless us . Everyone . Ha
Great list Paul, thanks as ever for your insightful comments. My faves of the year have been:
Beach Boys – Sail On Sailor CD box
Blondie – 8CD version
Lee Morgan – Complete Live at the Lighthouse 8 CD
Wilco – Yankee CD version
Keef Hartley – Sinnin for You CD boxset
Frustrated by the lack of general availability of Rush’s Moving Pictures 3CD set. Hopefully it will appear sub £20 in the near future.
Lots of deep listening over the next few days!
Wishlist for after Christmas
Flaming Lips Yoshimi (initially disappointed with the packaging but listened to most of it online and it’s all about the music right? … and it has kept the costs down),
Tangerine Dream reissue of Bootleg box vol 2 (was due this year now Jan 13 I think).
Dylan – Fragments
Lee Morgan Complete Live at the Lighthouse 8 CD is a great Box-Set but it was released 2021.
For Vinyl Lovers, the following album releases were my favorites:
Astor Piazzolla: The American Clave Recordings (Nonesuch 3 Lp set) Argentinian Bandoneon Master
Arthur Verocai: S/T 50th Anniversary Abbey Road Half Speed Master ()Mr.Bongo) Early 70’s Brazilian Orchestral/Pop
Nucleus: Labyrnth (Be With Records) Iconic British Jazz
Nucleus: Under the Sun (Be With Records)
Nucleus: Alley Cat (Be With Records)
Howard McGhee: Dusty Blue (New Land Records) a UK label. 1960 album from a bop trumpeter
Coleman Hawkins/Pee Wee Russell: Jazz Reunion (Candid Records) 1961 album from the godfather of the saxophone
Eric Hilton: : Lost Dialect (Montserrat House Records) Third solo album from Thievery Corporation co-founder
Steve Hillage: The Glastonbury Experience (Madfish). 1979 very good soundboard, (Peter Gabriel was headliner)
Vieux Farka Toure : Ali (Dead Oceans) Tribute to his father Ali Farka Toure. With Khruangbin
Vieux Farka Toure: Les Racines (World Circuit). Malian Guitar music
Tony Allen: Secret Agent (World Circuit). Beautiful African grooves
George Michael: Older (Sony). Along with “Patience”, a great pair of albums that stand the test of time!
Harry Beckett: Flare Up (British Jazz Explosion) 1970 Phillips Recording from British/Barbadian Trumpeter
John Surman & John Warren: Tales of the Algonquin (British Jazz Explosion) 1971 Deram reissue.
I have not heard these British Jazz Explosion releases. They are in the mail! I am aware of the music and based on prior BJE releases (Kenny Wheeler, Don Randell), they will sound beautiful.
Aloha and best wishes for the holidays
Pretty great list in detail Paul…I’m making my lists right now and here are my boxset/reissues picks for 2022…in no particular order for now…
The Beach Boys “Sail On Sailor 1972” (waiting for pricedrop but need it in time for the upcoming Beach Boys Good Vibrations Cruise #2 in early March)
Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers “Live @ the Fillmore, 1997”
Cheap Trick “Live @ the Whisky 1977”
VA “Life Moves Pretty Fast: The John Hughes Mixtapes”
Neil Young…various official live bootlegs, “Toast” & “Harvest 50”
Blondie “Against The Odds: 1974-1982” (got the 8CD set, nice & heavy, and if anything, the best-LOOKING set of the year)
Wilco “Yankee Hotel Foxtrot” (don’t have the 8CD box…yet…but do want it)
David Bowie “Divine Symmetry: The Journey to Hunky Dory” (waiting for pricedrop, and it’s OK that the album itself is not on CD in the box, just on Blu-ray, I have it remastered in the “Five Years” set)
The House of Love “Burn Down the World, The Fontana Years 1989-1993”
Shakespears Sister “Hormonally Yours 30” (various versions & formats, including the SDE Blu-ray Audio… wink wink)
Manic Street Preachers “Know Your Enemy 20” (3CD)
The Bluetones “Superior Quality Recordings 2003-2010” (nice follow-up to the first set, which like the brill Dodgy set, is not from this year, but 2021)
The excellent array of NOW Yearbook releases & interesting, surprising, entertaining, fun, themed Cherry Red boxsets (like “Bubble Rock 2”)
Swing Out Sister “Blue Mood, Breakout & Beyond” (LOVE this set immensely, and not just your fun, interesting interview with Corinne & Andy in the booklet Paul, please bring on Volume 2 of 1994 on…a much needed sequel)
The Flaming Lips “Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots 20”
The Mighty Lemon Drops “Inside Out 1985-1990”
Suzi Quatro “The Rock Box 1973-1979”
Other sets of note…the Foundations, Steve Ellis, the Cure, Chesney Hawkes, Go West, Ultravox, Beatles Revolver, George Michael, Little Feat, Voice of the Beehive, John Mellencamp Scarecrow, Patrice Rushen, etc…gotta say that 2022 was an embarrassment of riches in the reissue/remaster/boxset area…jeez!!
Phew…
Up until almost the end of the list i thought Paul has managed to build a top ten of which i don’t own a single item (yet) then to my relief appeared the ‘Rage In Eden’-SDE.
That would be in my top ten too as would certainly the unbelievable ‘Exposures’-set by Robert Fripp (the farewell box by King Crimson might also have been included but as of now it’s still somewhere in the hands of British or German postal services).
I also enjoyed by recommendation of fellow readers Opera Buff And Swiftie the rerelease of a rerelease: Music On CD making Duke Ellington’s Columbia Recordings of almost the complete 1950s available again. Thanks for mentioning that one.
Also a well done re-issue IMHO was ‘Too Rye-Ay’ by Kevin Rowland And Dexy’s Midnight Runners as were the smaller sets by Bill Bruford, The House Of Love, Dodgy as was the second offering of ‘Superior Quality Recordings’ by The Bluetones.
Also great was ‘The Mothers’- SDE with the 1971 material of Frank Zappa And The Mothers Of Invention.
And a few good deluxe editions of albums that first came out this year were:
Porcupine Tree / Closure/Continuation
Arena / The Theory Of Molecular Inheritance
and, finally:
‘The Berlin Concert’ by John Williams And The Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra,
including the concert on two CDs and on two blu-ray, one each with visual and audio content encoded in 5.1 and Atmos.
So, as i just counted, that were ten and to crank it up to eleven i’d like to include the 24-disc box set celebrating the 40th anniversary of dutch rock band ‘De Dijk’ (The Levee) who play music that could be successful internationally but suffer from singing in the Dutch language which for most listeners with other natives might often be a dealbreaker…
Finally i’d like to wish Paul Sinclair and his team (though it might be small, i guess there is one) and also of course everyone who visits this site almost as regular as me a very Merry Christmas, time in between the years to finally listen to some of these still shrinkwrapped boxes, and a good year 2023.
Thanks for the mentioning Mr. Klaus. Glad that you enjoyed The Duke.
Thanks to you for pointing it out.
I also read your post on this thread with interest, because you usually point out a lot of things that other readers presumably haven’t heard of or don’t think they would enjoy listening to.
As i (finally) bought the Serge Gainsbourg ‘Intégrale’-set some weeks ago and highly enjoy it i might give the collection of his long time companion Jane Birkin a listen too but as i know Dalida only for her (nowadays) gay hymn “Er war gerade 18 Jahr” i would never have checked out other stuff by her but will give the set you mention now a listen too.
Hope you had a Merry Christmas and wish you all the best for 2023.
Thank you Mr. Klaus
The Jane Birkin Intégrale box-set is in the same design/layout as the Serge Gainsbourg Intégrale box-set. You can also get the Dalida Intégrale box-set in the same design/layout which is better value than the one that I mention on my list (It’s also avalible in a 12″ size book with extra 12″ photos).
https://amzn.to/3G57Faw
And other French artist’s intérgrale box-sets in the same design/layout worth mentoining are the Marie Laforêt Intégrale and the Charles Aznavour Intégrale (but this one I will recommend the 60 CD box-set instead).
Hope that you had a Merry Christmas too and I wish you all the best for the new year too.
This year is all about ‘John Morales presents Teddy Pendergrass – The Voice Remixed’
There’s a review on Amazon UK by Mark Myers which says more about this release than I could so here it is:
‘I’ve collected disco for over 30 years and own circa 1000+ cds of 70s black American music. I’m delighted to say after all this time I’ve found the very best of them all! I’ve all the releases from acknowledged remix masters of the genre such as Tom Moulton, Larry Levan, Walter Gibbons, Joey Negro & Dimitri from Paris as well as all of John Morales’ M&M mixes but none of them prepared me for the experience of hearing this collection for the first time. Why so brilliant? 1) Incredible content – everyone of the tracks is a stone cold disco or soul giant from Teddy’s awesome catalogue 2) Morales’ production is mind blowing – sympathetic to the original source material, these extended remixes are amazingly remastered meaning the incredible vocals, bass, percussion and strings just leap out of the speakers with the utmost of clarity and power. Teddy has NEVER EVER sounded this good! Morales is a magician. If you’re a fan of Teddy or disco or 70s soul you must get hold of this album & do it quickly – firstly so you can start grooving ASAP & secondly because once Morales’ cds sell out the prices go up & up real quick on the used market. JUST SUPERB!’
Two other reissues of note:
Norah Jones – Come Away With Me and Daryl Hall – Before After
Merry Christmas to one and all.
You def picked the best reissues, mostly. In stead of the Police, I would have picked Wilco’s Yankee Hotel Foxtrot. The Beatles reissue was so disappointing for the lack of Atmos or 5.1 on BluRay. I eventually bought it on the 3 for 2 sale at Target (USA) but haven’t even opened it yet. I think the Jesus Jones 15 disc box deserves to be mentioned. Also Tina Turner’s Break Every Rule and Flaming Lips Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots. Both didn’t come with a surround sound mix but the price point is so good, it deserves a mention here. The RAH Band box was great too. Had all the remixes. Hopefully we will get part two soon. Very well priced. Last but certainly not least Al Stewart’s Admiralty Lights. What a total reissue bomb. Well worth the money though.
A very merry Christmas to Paul and all of the readers of Super Deluxe Edition!!! Looking forward to another year of checking this site over and over again on a daily basis to see what goodies are in store for us listeners!
A lean year for reissues for me. I bought The Beatles Revolver CD box which I thought was excellent. I have Elton’s Madman across the Water box set under the tree, so I have yet to listen. Plus I bought two boxes where I already had the content, namely the Mcartney 1,2 & 3 set (I liked the box), and the RSD CD set of Fleetwood Mac Alternative albums. The FMac are sequenced really nicely (where there is a difference between them and the deluxe versions) and it was my first RSD purchase (that’s my excuse).
As a Beatle fanatic it has to be the “Revolver” box set including remixed album.
Superb.
My favourites
1-Yankee Hotel Foxtrot 8CD version-Wilco
2-Neil Young Archives Citizen Kane Jr Blues /Toast /Royce Hall 1971-Neil Young
3-Revolver 5CD version-The Beatles
4-Live At The Fillmore 1997 4CD version-Tom Petty And The Heartbreakers
5-Divine Symmetry-David Bowie
6-Madman Across The Water 3CD+Bluray version-Elton John
7-Waiting For Columbus-Little Feat
8-El Mocambo 1977-The Rolling Stones
9-B Sides,Demos and Rarities-P.J. Harvey
10-L.A. Forum 1969-Jimi Hendrix Experience
Ironic that my favourite archival release of the year -a deep dive into a seminal 21st century album with a fascinating gestation-didn’t get any coverage here.
Thanks again Paul for another year with this fantastic site.Looking forward as always I can already see Neil Young Archives Volume 3 and the Who’s Next box at the top of my 2023 list.
Definitely the Wilco – Yankee Hotel Foxtrot set for me. I went for the 8 cd set and it’s amazing. The alternative versions are radically different from what was released with different arrangements, styles and lyrics. It’s almost like having several new albums.
There are also some stunning outtakes, Venus Stopped the Train and Cars can’t Escape in particular. Unfortunately only a portion of this made it to the streaming services so I appreciate it’s harder for those unsure about spending the £90+ to sample first. The live set is very good indeed and the whole thing comes in a very interesting book.
I recall one review of the set said something along the lines of that while none of the stuff that didn’t make it to the released version of Yankee Hotel Foxtrot would have improved it as an album, the stuff that didn’t make it also ranks as some of the greatest stuff Wilco have ever recorded. This feels fair.
Amazing release.
Appreciate they generally have to box up
These things to justify £100 ish for these editions , but would love a few more stand alone blu ray audio releases ! I don’t need 5 versions of. Same stuff, but live the 5.1
The WORST Reissue of 2022 has to be Jean-Michel Jarre – The Concerts in China, 40th Anniversary Edition.
The Remaster is too Loud and there are ‘Skips’ in the recording in many tracks of both CD and LP , David ‘Deafwater’ Dadwater (Real Name David Perreau of Yakuda Audio) is the sound engineer involved. Interesting for an artist that claims he cares and knows so much about sound and how his music sounds like.
He could like Vangelis and Mike Oldfield have done the remastering of his back catalogue of work, by himself, so it would sound exactly as he wanted it to be.
Would have also liked extra tracks from the concerts and a DVD/ Blu-Ray of the Concerts and Documentry to be included…
I agree. I was very pleasantly surprised by the sound quality of Amazonia album but the Oxymore showed up and was horrid to listen to. JMJ elaborates on how he learned from the godfather of recordings as we know them but then allows this torture to end up on the releases.
Btw, I compared the Go West Bangs & Crashes in box set in comparison to my copy from yester year and the box set has also been given a hint of loudness. I was very pleasantly surprised by the live album and the musicianship on it. I didn’t know that Alan Murphy, their guitarist, ended up replacing Boon Gould in Level 42 until his sad demise.
1. Little Feat-Waiting for Columbus
2 Blondie-Against the odds
3 That Petrol Emtion- Every Beginning Has a Future: An Anthology 1984-1994
4 Tom Petty-Live at the Fillmore-I was at two of these shows and it’s awesome they finally got released.
5 Ornette Coleman-Roundtrip
6 The Beatles-Revolver-Despite the fact that they didn’t include a Blu-ray, still a good set.
7 cheap Trick-Live at the Whiskey 1977
8 Humble Pie- A&M Releases
9 The Beach Boys-Sail on Sailor
10 Elton John-Madman Across The Water
Great list as always Paul, my personal choices are as follows:
The continuing Marc Almond, Howard Jones & Toyah re-issues by Cherry Red
The soundtrack to the PSB’s musical ‘Closer To Heaven’ finally on vinyl and a lovely package
George Michael-sorry I know a lot were mightily disappointed by it but I was more than happy as I don’t have a lot of the singles etc
Ditto Seal
The last 3 Recoil albums on coloured vinyl
Ultravox-‘Rage In Eden’-they really know how to do a sensible deluxe re-issue at a great price point
The Swing Out Sister box-absolutely divine
The T.Rex 1972 release
The Now Yearbook re-issues (for the most part)
And finally one to consider, was it a re-issue or a new release?-The Prince & The Revolution ‘Live’ set
Best wishes to all and may we all have a healthy & happy new year
It’s been a quieter year for purchases for me. Of the reissues Paul highlighted, I did purchase 2 (Blondie and Ultravox), as well as a few others not mentioned above (Alt, Cure, Echo & the Bunnymen, Mark Knofler, Marillion, Toyah, and Waterboys), but that was it for reissues, and all but one was purchased in the latter part of the year.
I really liked the Blondie offering,especially the heavy weight deluxe book that the 8cd version came in.A proper book with detailed text and band history,and plenty of vintage pics.
My only regret is I fear they will assume demand for the rest of Blondie/ Debbie Harry will not justify further deluxes. Which will be a shame as another one for Blondie c1997 to the present,and another one for everything Debbie Harry has done outside of Blondie would be instant buys from me. The Debbie and Blondie archive outside of those glory years must be huge.Maybe even a third to include a Blondie and Debbie Harry live history would also be fab too!
On a separate topic,as a Visage fan it is a shame the whole audio history of Visage can’t be released as one superdeluxe offering.
The Manic Street Preachers Know Your Enemy box was really nicely done I thought, a great example of what can happen when the artist gets involved in a thoughtful way.
Based on the snark when it was announced, I had a feeling that Queen’s “The Miracle” SDE wasn’t going to make this list. But did anyone here actually get it? And listen to it? The “Alternate Miracle” disc, containing rough versions of all the album tracks, complete with banter, was PRICELESS. (Reminds me of Peter Gabriel’s “DNA” disc for the “So” SDE.)
As a Queen fan, it was always frustrating to see bands like the Stones and the Beatles and Dylan constantly getting packed deep dives into their archives. So for me, this was an essential purchase. The greatest rock and roll band that ever walked the earth, opening up their vaults so the fans can see the magic? More, please!
Well, at least it’s sitting on my shelf. Happy holidays, everyone! Enjoy yourselves, and stay safe!
Hi DonChalant,
thanks for your remarks about the SDE of Queen’s “The Miracle”.
I guess not many will include this in their re-issue Top Ten, for starters because many of the presumably intended target group haven’t bought it as yet because of the incredulous price. That includes me. Although i’m a big fan of Queen since the original release of their ‘Killer Queen’ 7″ i can’t justify 150€+ for something i already bought twice (original cd and the one with the bonus disc).
Surely it is also a rather strange move to release this album as their second SDE for a stand alone album as it is certainly not their second best (just like ‘News Of The World’ isn’t their best).
I could understand them starting what i wished to become a campaign with NOTW though because it includes with ‘We Are The Champions’ and ‘We Will Rock You’ two absolute classic tracks but even that one is still not on my shelf because i found that one given the content also too expensive.
Thanks for mentioning the seemingly well done work in progress disc included in ‘The Miracle’-set. I’m setting this on alert for 60€ or less now…
Oh, and even as a big fan i wouldn’t call them “the greatest rock and roll band that ever walked the earth”.
The alternate miracle album is wonderful. If the box set is a step too far for you, it is the 2nd disc in the new 2cd edition and represents excellent value there if you only care about the music.
Hi Grum,
thanks for pointing that out again.
I read it in Paul’s original post but had forgotten since…
I also went for The Miracle Boxset. It’s a favourite album of mine and it’s one where Freddie knew his fate – which provides the title track more meaning – but it wasn’t to be.
I think it was well worth the money. A lift-off lid, with a sturdy box? You pays your money. I managed to get the one with the poster and I also went for the extra limited prints of the single covers. They also fit in the box nicely.
The Miracle reissue is one of my top ten for 2022.
I’m getting the SDE for Christmas – but Christmas got pushed back a week in our house, due to me coming down with covid. Still, something to look forward to!
As a box set, The Miracle SDE is a big step forwards compared to the News Of The World box. But still not enough there to qualify as a generally great SDE to the general SDE-buying public.
Now, if they could do A Night At The Opera SDE — and include the surround mix — that would be a miracle!
This time last year, I wrote: The only disappointments for me in an otherwise good year for reissues were the non-appearance of Bruce Springsteen’s expected “Tracks 2” and (yet again) the Complete Blondie box set. Hopefully both will come out in 2022!So one of my two wishes came true in 2022 and the other still looks posssible for 2023. My top 10 of this year includes four that have appeared on many ‘Best of’ lists:
BEACH BOYS Sail On Sailor 1972
THE BEATLES Revolver
BLONDIE Against The Odds 1974-1982
DAVID BOWIE Divine Symmetry
plus these:
BILL BFORD Making a Song and Dance: A Complete-Career Collection
HARRY CHAPIN Story Book – The Elektra Albums 1972-1978
ELTON JOHN Madman Across The Water
MARK KNOPFLER The Studio Albums 2008-2018
MELANIE Born To Be/Affectionately Melanie/Candles In The Rain/Leftover Wine
STEELEYE SPAN Good Times of Old England: Steeleye Span 1972-1983
This year’s big disappointment: The cancellation of the planned SDE of Cat Stevens’ Catch Bull At Four after three great editions of his first three classic albums. Shame!
Yes the Cat Stevens SDE started fantastically with two remixes, remasters, outtakes & live stuff……. Then no remixes (lost multi tracks maybe) But Now……next to nothing, but a nothing special remaster… of Catch Bull at Four…. So is that it??? Cat’s career taken care of …lol
Disappointed by:
– Divine Symmetry (apart from the packing and textual content)
– Police Around the World (okay but wont watch it again anytime soon)
Very much liked:
– Rage in Eden
– Revolver
– Blondie
– Swing Out Sister
– Finn
My additions would be:
– Exposures by Robert Fripp (my most played Box set of this year – an amazingly creative period for Fripp)
– Dramatis by Dramatis
– Seal
– the McCartney Singles box (Couldn’t afford it but having seen the SDE unboxing I wish I could have)
By the Paul you managed to get me (for the second time) with the Dub Sandwich gag. I even went looking for it.
You wag! :-)
Thanks for the amazing retrospective Paul, many great releases this year! Imho, Wilco’s Yankee Hotel Foxtrot SDE also deserves a a sit at the table, with 3 discs each created to emulate the feel of a new album.
Nice list. For me, I’d go –
All Now Yearbook Extra compilations
All 10 Felt albums
APB – Something To Believe In
Jonathan Richman – Jonathan Sings!
Dramatis – Dramatis
Bubblerock Is Here To Stay : Volume 2
Steely Dan – The Lost Gaucho
The Lost Gaucho a new collection on me, and a real treat. Thanks.
Thanks Paul for another year of my preferred music-site ! Thanks also for the nice reviews above. If there’s anything missing from SDE it’s regular reviews of the musical content of reissues (some time) áfter the release date.
My personal favourite reissues of 2022 :
Tom Petty & HB – Live at the Fillmore 1997 : 4 discs of great music with the Heartbreakers on fire and enjoying themselves tremendously, playing their own songs and many, many great covers. A great addition to The Live Anthology.
Little Feat – Waiting for Columbus : Another live box, from another American band. Just great music. If you’re not familiar with the band, the original live album is a great start.
Neil Young – Toast : No Archives this year but plenty of Neil releases, incl. a new album World Record and great live album Noise & Flowers. But Toast, not a reissue actually but a “lost album” from 2000, is my favourite.
Beach Boys – Sail On Sailor : Another carefully curated reissue box. Maybe not their best work, but living in “Holland” myself helps ! Although I’ve listened to it, I haven’t bought it yet. Way too expensive. Waiting for a SDE Alert ;-)
Elton John – Madman Across The Water : As with the Beach Boys the Elton John reissues are great content- and package-wise. All his 70’s albums are worthwile checking out. Already looking forward to similar sets for Honky Château and Don’t Shoot Me I’m Only the Piano Player. However, tapes from Honky Château appear to have been lost in the Universal fire (now I have to “Shoot” myself for mentioning that infamous fire, but apparently it’s valid in this case).
No 80’s music (or later) in my list unlike many SDE readers. Not my cup of tea. Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
What doesn’t make sense is why Universal would be storing material recorded in France and released by a UK based artist.
Universal co-owns the Elton John catalogue with the singer himself since 1998, continuing to distribute it worldwide. So it seems logical they store the tapes.
Got the info about the tapes from the Steve Hoffman forum, so not that reliable. I hope they’re wrong.
Strange to have a year with out Prince deluxe edition. I hope next year will change that.
Recent changes at the Prince Estate and deafening silence regards any future release plans is very ominous. Hard to believe. Was the SOTT set too ambitious and not as successful as expected? Is the Netflix doc holding things back? No-one really knows and the Estate aren’t telling.
Amen, brother. I mean, I know that the rumored 2021 release was going to be “Diamonds & Pearls”, which isn’t my favorite (I was hoping for “Around The World In A Day” or “Lovesexy”), but I’ll take anything that remasters his music and pulls gems from The Vault.
The word is that the people who are now in control of The Prince Estate (including family members) aren’t too fond of breaking Prince’s wishes that his unreleased stuff stay unreleased. Whatever the reason for the break in the SDE schedule, I hope someone comes to their senses at some point.
If this is true then it’s a sad day
Although they are much smaller than some of the box sets on this list, the two box sets I’ve enjoyed most this year are the Dodgy “A & M Years” 8CD box, and the House of Love “Burn Down the World” 8CD box. It’s been fun to rediscover a bunch of albums I missed at the time. I’m looking forward to doing the same with the Ocean Colour Scene box in 2023. Thanks for another great year of SDE, Paul!
Why, exactly, is it dodgy?
That’s the name of the band.
Hilarious!
The Bowie is down to £100 on Amazon UK today, still 20-30 more than am prepared to pay for it though.
Likewise the Beach Boys Sail On Sailor which is def one of my fave reissues of the year, is still holding at an eye watering £130, I can’t believe it won’t drop considerably at some point since the last one went for around £70!
Happy Xmas all