New vinyl reissues: December 5, 2025
Hello, hello, and welcome back to The Vinyl Cut. The wave of reissues timed for the holiday season seems to finally be cresting, but there are still lots of good things coming out this week.
First: If you’re interested in vinyl reissues, you’re probably interested in the analog tapes that many of these reissues are sourced from. There was an illuminating piece in Monday’s New York Times about the restoration and preservation that goes into keeping a lot of those reels from destruction and decay. Interestingly, some of the older tapes are in better condition than newer ones, due to the lubricant materials used to make the tapes at the time. Read the article here (gift link; no NYT subscription required)—it’s pretty fascinating.
And one more thing, which regular readers can probably predict: We’ve got a vinyl giveaway coming for our paid subscribers. We’re giving away a copy of Neil Young's Original Release Series #6, a mammoth 8-LP box that includes four of his best albums from the ’90s. (Read our review for it here.) Full details for how to enter are coming to paid subscribers’ inboxes on Saturday morning, so if you’d like to be eligible, upgrade yourself to our paid tier now.
Now, let’s see which fine reissues are hitting record stores this week!
Carl Perkins: Dance Album of Carl Perkins [Intervention]
In one of the most exciting vinyl developments of 2025, Washington label Intervention Records has arranged to handle high-quality, analog-sourced reissues of some of the legendary Sun Records catalog. The first title is just starting to ship out now, so you’ll want to put your order in, if you haven’t already. 1958’s Dance Album of Carl Perkins collected several of the rockabilly legend’s Sun singles, and when that includes songs like “Blue Suede Shoes,” “Boppin’ the Blues,” and “Everybody’s Trying to Be My Baby,” we’re talking one serious collection of rock ’n’ roll classics. A new analog master reel was compiled from the best-sounding sources in the Sun Records tape archive, and it was cut to lacquer by Kevin Gray at 45 RPM—all fitting onto a single LP, due to the mono source and the 30-minute running time. With a premium pressing from Gotta Groove, a tip-on jacket, and liner notes, Intervention’s reissue is going to be a gorgeous presentation of some of the most seminal music ever recorded. Next on tap for Intervention is Johnny Cash’s With His Hot Blue Guitar, due out in February. NL
Zakir Hussain: Making Music [ECM Luminessence]
ECM’s wonderful audiophile series Luminessence continues its unbroken run of brilliance with this week’s re-release of Making Music, a 1987 effort led by the late percussionist Zakir Hussain. Joining him on this session are guitarist John McLaughlin, flautist Hariprasad Chaurasia, and saxophonist Jan Garbarek, master musicians all. The ensemble connects on an almost molecular level to create hypnotic waves of spiritual jazz. Keep your eyes peeled for a longer review of this and other recent Luminessence titles at The Vinyl Cut before the month is out. RH
The Gits: Enter: The Conquering Chicken [Sub Pop]
Sub Pop continues to make Seattle proud by keeping the music of the Gits, the punk quartet led by the late vocalist Mia Zapata, in print. The label began the year with a reissue of the group’s first studio effort Frenching the Bully and are closing out 2025 with a new pressing of Enter: The Conquering Chicken, the album the band was recording when Zapata was murdered in 1993. Look for our review of this one tomorrow. RH
Faust: So Far; Faust IV [Bureau B]
In 1973, West German band Faust had a surprise hit in Britain with their third album, The Faust Tapes, a surreal cut-and-paste exploration of their exploratory sonic approach. The secret to their success? Faust and their label, Virgin, had devised a scheme for the album to be sold at 49p, the price of a 7-inch single at the time. Suddenly the pressure was on for a follow-up, so the Germans left their rural retreat in Lower Saxony to record Faust IV at Richard Branson's Manor Studio in Oxfordshire, UK. The result was, for Faust, a relative stab at the mainstream—the opening track, “Krautrock,” was a deliberate poke at the UK music press that lazily used the term as a blanket genre descriptor for all German bands at the time—but still bore all the left turns and slippery deconstructions of sound the band was inclined toward. In that way Faust IV is a brilliant entry into not just Faust but the entire world of ’70s German experimental rock, with moments that resemble some of the rock of the period and others that are completely indescribable. Faust IV and the group’s second album, 1972’s So Far, have been given fresh vinyl reissues by Bureau B. So Far is a more willfully experimental album that also showcases Faust’s pastoral side. NL
Letters to Cleo: Aurora Gory Alice; Wholesale Meats and Fish [Real Gone]
Boston college rockers Letters to Cleo came close to success with their near-hit “Here and Now” and an appearance in the teen romcom 10 Things I Hate About You but never quite tipped over into mainstream status. That said, their solid, melodic tunes, boosted by the powerful presence of vocalist Kay Hanley, are well worth rediscovering, which folks will have a greater chance to do with the reissues of their 1993 album Aurora Gory Alice and its follow-up Wholesale Meats and Fish from 1995 via the folks at Real Gone Music. We’ll have more to say about these when our review drops tomorrow. RH
Ultravox: The Collection [Chrysalis]
This isn’t the most complete picture of the work of UK synthpop group Ultravox, as this compilation, originally released in late 1984 and getting a lovely vinyl reissue this week, begins with the hits from their fourth album, 1980’s Vienna, and moves forward from there. Still, when it comes to heart-on-sleeve anthems from new wave pop’s peak, you’ll find none better than what’s on offer here. We’ll have a more complete report on how this new pressing sounds tomorrow. RH
The Hold Steady: Separation Sunday 20th anniversary edition [Thirty Tigers]
Wanna feel old? The Hold Steady’s Separation Sunday came out more than 20 years ago, meaning that the 128kbps MP3 of “Your Little Hoodrat Friend” that you downloaded from elbo.ws is almost old enough to drink. The album was the second full-length for the New York-by-way-of-Minnesota band, and they won over new fans with their highly charged classic rock and frontman Craig Finn’s verbose story-songs. The good news is that music like this was pre-aged from the get-go, and it still sounds just as comfy as your favorite broken-in trucker hat. The 20th anniversary reissue tacks on a second LP including demos and a live session recorded for the long-deceased Virgin Digital online MP3 store, and just typing those words made me feel decades older than the righteous tunes on Separation Sunday ever could. NL
Ian Dury: New Boots and Panties!!; Do It Yourself; Laughter [Demon]
While America was kind enough to give Elvis Costello some mainstream success, his Stiff Records compatriots never quite translated for US listeners. It’s for that reason that, if you want to snap up these reissues of three albums by the acerbic singer/songwriter Ian Dury, you’re likely going to have to pay a premium for them, as they are coming from UK imprint Demon. If they’re within your budget, they’ll be very much worth your while, especially 1977’s New Boots and Panties!!, on which the diminutive artist plays in the fields of disco and music hall or 1980’s Laughter, the album where Dr. Feelgood’s Wilko Johnson joined Dury’s backing band the Blockheads and added his serrated guitar tones to an already potent mix. RH
Circle Jerks: Golden Shower of Hits [Trust]
Just getting in under the wire for vocalist Keith Morris’s 70th birth year is a reissue of Golden Shower of Hits, the snotty, mosh-pit-ready album by LA hardcore band Circle Jerks. Released in 1983, the group’s third full-length is a barrage of puerile humor, sociopolitical commentary, and furious musicianship, all produced, if you can believe it, by Jerry Goldstein, the record industry vet who co-wrote “My Boyfriend’s Back” and was a member of the Strangeloves. Goldstein was smart enough to stay out of this hyperactive crew’s way to better capture their whirlwind heat on tape. This new edition was remastered from the original analog reels and, if you’re savvy enough to pick up the limited-edition bundle through Trust’s website, is paired with a 45 that includes the lounge-y version of “When the Shit Hits the Fan” that the band recorded for Alex Cox’s cult classic film Repo Man. RH
Fine Young Cannibals: FYC 40 [London]
Fine Young Cannibals, the pop group started by former English Beat members Andy Cox and David Steele with the instantly iconic vocalist Roland Gift, is getting justly celebrated this week in honor of the 40th anniversary of the group’s self-titled debut album. The full meal—remastered editions of the group’s two studio efforts (1985’s Fine Young Cannibals and the blockbuster 1988 LP The Raw and the Cooked) and an overflowing supply of B-sides, remixes, and demos—is only getting issued on CD. But for vinyl fans, they’ve pared that down for either a 1-LP or a 2-LP release centered around the group’s hit singles like “Good Thing,” “She Drives Me Crazy,” and “Johnny Come Home.” Also available this week are new pressings of the group’s two studio efforts pressed in a host of color variants. RH
Martha Argerich & Mstislav Rostropovich: Chopin/Schumann; Carl Maria Giulini & the Chicago Symphony Orchestra: Mussorgsky: Pictures at an Exhibition & Prokofiev: Symphony 1 [Deutsche Grammophon Original Source]
Two more titles from Deutsche Grammophon’s Original Source Series make their way to expensive turntables today, with the vast classical catalog of the German label revisited in all-analog pressings, using the original four- and eight-track tapes to make new stereo lacquers. This series, pressed by Optimal, has been plagued by difficulties, including a recent snafu where Optimal’s inner sleeves were creating scratches on the discs. Considering these LPs are already at a painful price point—topping more than $50 USD for a single LP—the sonic advantages may be breathtaking, but it also makes that $2 bin of used classical at your local look awfully enticing. Presumably the issues have been dealt with, and devoted classical vinyl fans with the requisite scratch should be hearing incredible things on this week’s two albums: an orchestral two-fer with Carl Maria Giulini batoning the Chicago Symphony through crowd-pleasers from Russian composers Mussorgsky and Prokofiev; and Martha Argerich and Mstislav Rostropovich playing pieces for piano and cello by Chopin and Schumann. NL
Napalm Death: Liberation Through Distortion: The Earache Years of Napalm Death [Earache]
Birmingham, UK, thrash metal band Napalm Death established their aesthetic early. Their early albums are chockablock with short, brutish tunes that took punk’s speed and energy and applied it to the grinding assault of heavy rock à la Black Sabbath and Deep Purple. And for much of the band’s first era, there was no better home for them than Earache, the indie label that inflicted artists like Godflesh (the project of former Napalm Death member Justin Broadrick), Painkiller, and Carcass on the world. This box set represses the eight studio albums that Napalm Death recorded for Earache between 1987 and 1998 in a variety of colors. But you’d better act fast on this one, as this collection is limited to only 1,000 copies. RH
Happy Mondays: The Factory Singles: The Best of [London]
There will never be another band quite like Happy Mondays, the Manchester group that cut a zigzagging path through the UK indie scene with its dance-pop leanings, the blinkered poetics of frontman Shaun Ryder, and their resident vibe merchant and onstage dancer Bez. To celebrate the band’s 40th birthday, London Records is releasing a greatest hits collection culled from the singles that the Mondays released on the great Manchester label Factory. Yes, that includes their ’90s playlist mainstay “Step On” and the fantastic “24 Hour Party People,” but don't ignore the underappreciated gems filling out this 2-LP set, like “Stinkin’ Thinkin’” and “Hallelujah” (not the Leonard Cohen song, thank Christ). Available on both black wax and yellow and magenta vinyl. RH
Jimmy Somerville: Dare to Love 30th anniversary edition [London]
Much like the singer himself, Jimmy Somerville’s discography is small but powerful. In his 40-year-long career, he's only been a part of one Bronski Beat album, two records as a member of the Communards, and a mere six solo full-lengths. Each one is a treasure, though, with Somerville flowing capably from synthpop to hi-NRG and disco to acoustic folk. On 1995’s Dare to Love, Somerville lays his keening countertenor over a fine set of MOR electronica with some delightful reggae leanings. That album is getting a deluxe reissue this week for its 30th anniversary with a double-LP pressing on “crystal clear blue curaçao vinyl” and remastered audio. RH
Vince Guaraldi: A Charlie Brown Christmas UHQR 2-LP 45 RPM [Analogue Productions]
Ace Records 50th anniversary reissues
Fifty years ago, Ted Carroll and Roger Armstrong started Chiswick Records, an independent label that looked to tap into the rich vein of pub rock, punk, power pop, and heavy rock pumping through the UK underground at the time. And during its eight-year existence, the imprint released work by the likes of Joe Strummer’s pre-Clash outfit the 101ers, Shane MacGowan’s first band the Nipple Erectors, and the lone single by Johnny & the Abusers, the Scottish rockers who would become Simple Minds. In the ’80s, Chiswick shifted focus to the reissue market and its sister label Ace Records, started in 1978 after getting the okay from the owner of a Mississippi-based label of the same name. This year, Ace and its Chiswick predecessor have been celebrating a half-century with a series of reissues of some classic titles from its weighty discography, a run that comes to an end this week with some truly great albums. On deck are a silver vinyl repress of the 1977 debut album by speed metal legends Motörhead; 1979’s Machine Gun Etiquette and 1980’s The Black Album, two LPs from London punkers the Damned; Give Daddy the Knife, Cindy, a 1984 album of ’60s psych and garage rock covers performed by the Damned using the name Naz Nomad and the Nightmares; and a collection of early recordings by guitarist Link Wray that Ace originally issued in 1978. All are on colored vinyl and released in a limited run of 500 copies each. RH
Jazz Corner
Blue Note is squeezing out two more Tone Poets before year’s end, and they’re good ’uns. Donald Byrd’s 1960 gig at the Half Note Café yielded two live albums. At the Half Note Cafe, Vol. 1 got the Tone Poet treatment in 2023, and now here’s Vol. 2, a hard bop set originally released in 1963. The ensemble includes Pepper Adams, Duke Pearson, and future Sun Ra drummer Lex Humphries. The other Tone Poet is of more recent vintage—Jonathan Blake’s Homeward Bound is a mere baby of a record at four years old. Both titles are mastered by Kevin Gray (from analog tape in the case of Byrd), pressed at RTI, and given a tip-on gatefold. Meanwhile, Craft continues their Original Jazz Classics reissue series with After Hours, a 1957 Prestige LP that features Thad Jones, Mal Waldron, Kenny Burrell, Paul Chambers, Frank Weiss, and Arthur Taylor all performing compositions by Waldron. Oddly, the vinyl has disappeared from Craft’s webpage but is still visible on the usual retailers’ sites, so hopefully this one is indeed making its way to record stores as we speak. It features analog mastering by Gray, an RTI pressing, and a tip-on single sleeve. Lastly, Mack Avenue is releasing a collection of previously unreleased live performances from Oscar Peterson, dating from 1969 to 1981 and recorded across the globe—fittingly, the LP is called Around the World. [UPDATE: I initially neglected to mention the two Bill Evans Trio titles repressed by Acoustic Sounds this week. They are Everybody Digs Bill Evans (1959) and At Shelly’s Manne-Hole (1963), in 2-LP 45 RPM configurations that Acoustic Sounds has released before, in 2003 and 2010, respectively. They also appeared in the big Bill Evans Riverside Recordings box from 2010. The all-analog mastering is by Kevin Gray and Steve Hoffman.] NL
OTHER REISSUES OF NOTE:
Brian Auger & the Trinity: Definitely What! [Strut]
Jaimie Branch: Fly or Die II: Bird Dogs of Paradise [International Anthem]
T-Bone Burnett: The Criminal Under My Own Hat [Music on Vinyl]
Cancer: To the Gory End [Peaceville]
Caravan: Caravan & The New Symphonia [Proper]
Carnivore: self-titled; Retaliation [Nuclear Blast]
Chuito el de Bayamon: Vol. 4 [Kuroneko]
Judy Collins: The ’60s Singles [Real Gone]
John Coltrane: Live in Finland 1961 • 1962 [The Lost Recordings]
Cobra Starship: While the City Sleeps, We Rule the Streets [Smartpunk]
Gal Costa e Caetano Veloso: Domingo [Vinyl Lovers]
Cranes: Wings of Joy; self-titled [Music on Vinyl]
The Dead 60s: self-titled [Deltasonic/SBME]
Delta: Slippin’ Out [Circuitry]
Delta Sleep: Twin Galaxies 10th anniversary edition [Universal]
The Devil Wears Prada: Dead Throne [Real Gone Music]
DJ Quik: Safe + Sound [Music on Vinyl]
The Drags: Stop Rock & Roll [Total Punk]
Dream Theater: Vol. 3 [Rhino]
Edge of Sanity: Unorthodox [Century Media]
Ella Fitzgerald: Live in Helsinki 1963 • 1965 [The Lost Recordings]
Everlast: Eat at Whitey’s 25th anniversary edition [Tommy Boy]
Firefall: The Best of [Friday Music]
Fleetwood Mac: Mr. Wonderful; The Pious Bird of Good Omen [CMG]
Fleetwood Mac: Blue Jams in Chicago Vol. 1 & 2 [Sony]
Jerry Garcia Band: Live at the Warfield: March 2, 1991 [ATO]
The Gun Club: Fire of Love [Blixa]
Daryl Hall & John Oates: Abandoned Luncheonette [Friday Music]
Humble Pie: In Concert at the BBC 1970 [1960’s]
Gregory Isaacs: Sly & Robbie Present Gregory Isaacs [Diggers Factory]
Nicolas Jaar: Pomegranates 10th anniversary edition [Other People]
Joanna: Hello Flower [New Feelings]
Christian Kvellvander: Portugal [Startracks]
Magma: Theusz Hamtaahk: Trilogie au Trianon [Music on Vinyl]
Freddie Mercury: Mr. Bad Guy 40th anniversary edition [Virgin]
Muluken Melesse with the Dahlak Band: self-titled [Heavenly Sweetness]
Mercyland: Mercyland [Propeller Sound]
The Mighty Mighty Bosstones: The Magic of Youth [Rude]
Mac Miller: Go:od AM 10th anniversary edition [Warner]
Kylie Minogue: Kylie Christmas (Fully Wrapped) [Parlophone]
Pablo Moses: Revolutionary Dream; Pave the Way; In the Future; Live [Baco]
Mr. Circle: Thi Nam [Outernational]
NOFX: A to H [Fat Wreck Chords]
O.A.R.: Stories of a Stranger 20th anniversary edition [Craft]
Original Cast: The Phantom of the Opera [The Other Songs]
Pavlov’s Dog: Prodigal Dreamer [Ruf]
Don Peake: The Hills Have Eyes soundtrack [Silva Screen]
Gil Scott-Heron: The Revolution Will Not Be Televised [Flying Dutchman/Ace]
Nancy Sinatra: Nancy [Light in the Attic]
Slow Readers Club: Cavalcade 10th anniversary edition [Scruff of the Neck]
Sonny & Cher: The Best of Sonny & Cher [Friday Music]
Ringo Starr: Stop and Smell the Roses (liquid vinyl) [LMLR]
Sting: The Last Ship [A&M]
The Strangers: self-titled [Be With]
Tanzmusik: Shinsekai [Musicmine]
Thrice: Identity Crisis; The Illusion of Safety; The Alchemy Index Vols. I-IV [Vagrant]
Trytan: Celestial Messenger [Retroactive]
Twice as Much: That’s All [Immediate]
Vengeance Rising: Anthology [NLTM]
Steven Wilson: Hand.Cannot.Erase 10th anniversary edition [Snapper]
Case Woo: A Deeper Shade [Hello, Goodbye]
Various Artists: Come Rock with Me in Jamaica [Charly]
Various Artists: Les Misérables 10th Anniversary Concert [Warner Classics]
Various Artists: Life in Heaven Is Free: Checker Gospel 1961–1973 [Honest Jon’s]
Various Artists: Soul Psychedelique: The Sounds of Psychedelic Soul & Funk 1967–2024 [Universal]
