We reviewed every last piece of RSD Black Friday vinyl we could get our hands on
Beware: This newsletter contains 29 album reviews.
Well, this is utterly ridiculous: Today we have reviews of 29 of the reissues coming out this Friday as part of Record Store Day’s Black Friday event. These are short reviews, mind you—short for us, anyway. But we hope they’ll give you some idea of what to expect from your most anticipated items, and maybe help you make a determination on that piece of wax you’re on the fence about.
These are quick assessments, but we listened to everything carefully, with a mind to musical quality, audio quality, pressing quality, and overall presentation. I think some of the things in our reviews qualify as spoilers, so if that sort of thing matters to you, be warned.
A quick word, to any non-subscribers viewing this on the web: Take a look around. See what we’re about. And sign up for a Vinyl Cut subscription if you’re at all interested in what we’ve got going on here.
Subscriptions are free, BUT we have a paid tier for people who think our work is worth supporting. Plus, our paid subscribers will be eligible for our very first Vinyl Cut giveaway, to take place the second week of December. And what are we giving away? Glad you asked.
We are giving away a brand-new vinyl copy of Neil Young’s Original Release Series, Vol. 6, an 8-LP box that includes the albums Harvest Moon, Unplugged, Sleeps With Angels, and Mirror Ball. It’s a terrific set that I reviewed a couple of weeks ago.
Ned Lannamann
Not too shabby for a first giveaway, eh? Full details will come shortly. And if you want a shot at winning, just click on this little button right here.
And now, since you’re about to do a lot of scrolling, here’s a list of all the mini-reviews in today’s newsletter, with clickable links if you’d rather jump ahead.
Table of Contents
• Bad Brains: Live at the Bayou
• Phil Collins: 12”ers
• The Doors: Live in Copenhagen
• The English Beat: The Beat at the BBC
• Bill Evans: Portraits at the Penthouse: Live in Seattle
• Fleetwood Mac: Live 1975
• Grateful Dead: The Warfield, San Francisco, CA, Oct 4 & 6, 1980
• Grateful Dead: On a Back Porch, Vol. 2
• INXS: Live from Royal Albert Hall, London 1986
• B.B. King: Broadcasting the Blues: Live from Germany and Sweden
• Rahsaan Roland Kirk: Vibrations in the Village: Live at the Village Gate
• Rahsaan Roland Kirk: Seek & Listen: Live at the Penthouse
• Yusef Lateef: Golden Flower: Live in Sweden
• Love: The Complete Elektra Albums
• Curtis Mayfield: Curtis [Rhino Reserve]
• Joni Mitchell: Rolling Thunder Revue
• Randy Newman: Trouble in Paradise Demos
• Charley Patton: Father of the Delta Blues: Selections from Paramount Recordings, Vol. 2
• Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers: The Live Anthology: From the Vaults, Vol. 1
• Ramones: Live CBGB 1977
• Todd Rundgren: A Cappella
• Son Volt: Trace
• The Stranglers: Rattus Norvegicus
• Talking Heads: Tentative Decisions: Demos & Live
• Sonny Terry & Brownie McGhee: Live from the Ash Grove
• T-Bone Walker: T-Bone Blues [Expanded Edition]
• Ween: Shinola, Vol. 1
• Dwight Yoakam: And Then I Wrote... the First Three Albums of the ’90s
• Lester Young: Lester Leaps In: Live at Birdland 1951–1952
Whew, that’s enough preamble for what is easily our longest post to date. Without further ado, here are a downright silly number of RSD Black Friday vinyl reviews.
Bad Brains: Live at the Bayou
Where have these recordings been hiding? Zev Feldman, renowned reissue producer and founder of the new archival imprint Time Traveler Recordings, has somehow uncovered tapes of two live performances of punk-reggae dynamos Bad Brains at the Bayou in their original stomping grounds of Washington, DC. Both sets are white-hot, with the earlier one leaning heavily on their hardcore attack (complete with Wire and Black Sabbath covers), and the latter finding them dipping more frequently into a Rastafarian groove. There are some clear issues with the source tapes, as the start of each set sounds mangled and wobbly. But once Feldman and former Inner Ear owner Don Zientara get past that, the music is properly meaty, hypnotizing, and in your face. RH
Time Traveler 2-LP 180-gram black vinyl
• Early live recordings by the punk band before they left DC for New York City
• Jacket: Direct-to-board gatefold
• Inner sleeve: Time Traveler–branded rice-paper-style poly sleeves
• Liner notes, insert, or booklet: None, but quote from bassist Daryl Jenifer printed inside gatefold and production credits printed on back of sleeve
• Source: “Transferred from the original tapes… by Don Zientara”
• Mastering credit: Sound restoration and mastering by Don Zientara
• Lacquer cut by: Jasper Ward at AlR Studios, London - “JASPER” in deadwax
• Pressed at: Optimal, Germany
• Vinyl visual grade: A
• Vinyl audio grade: B+
• Additional notes: None.
Phil Collins: 12”ers
All six of the 12-inch remixes from Phil Collins’s 1985 blockbuster No Jacket Required were collected on a 1987 compact disc called 12”ers, and here’s the first vinyl edition, coming a couple of months after the 4-LP “Fully Tailored” edition of No Jacket Required and the separate Blu-ray with new Atmos and stereo mixes by Steven Wilson. No offense to Monsieur Wilson, but these are the O.G. remixes, mostly undertaken by John “Tokes” Potoker (one was done by album producer Hugh Padgham), and they succeed in making that most ’80s of albums sound even ’80s-er. (This is a compliment.) Generally speaking, the LP is surprisingly good fun, and you can even envision the extended takes of “Don’t Lose My Number” or “Sussudio” sending a dance floor into high gear in 2025. The one gaffe is putting the similar-sounding “Sussudio” and “Who Said I Would” next to each other, further emphasizing their indebtedness to Prince. Like the 4-LP “Fully Tailored” set, this is mastered and cut by Miles Showell—half-speed-mastered, no less—and like most things handled by Showell, it sounds buffed, polished, and curiously stripped of impact. For the full experience, it’s worth tracking down those original 12-inch singles—my 1986 Atlantic 12-inch of “Take Me Home” absolutely smoked this LP in comparison. Following the trickle-out logic of this release campaign, expect the Steven Wilson remix of the album to make its vinyl debut on Record Store Day 2026. NL
Craft/Atlantic/Rhino 1-LP black vinyl
• Vinyl version of 1987 CD collection of 12-inch remixes from 1985’s No Jacket Required
• Jacket: Direct-to-board single pocket
• Inner sleeve: Thick paper printed inner
• Liner notes, insert, or booklet: No, but printed inner includes lyrics and musician credits
• Source: Gotta be digital
• Mastering credit: None
• Lacquer cut by: Miles Showell at Abbey Road - “MILES” in deadwax
• Pressed at: Optimal, Germany
• Vinyl visual grade: A-, lightly dished
• Vinyl audio grade: A, excellent pressing quality
• Additional notes: Half-speed mastered, per deadwax! This wasn’t advertised anywhere.
The Doors: Live in Copenhagen
Someday, the folks in charge of the Doors archive will finally reach the bottom of the barrel, but until that day, they are going to keep scraping and churning up shoddy live recordings of the band, like this RSD Black Friday exclusive: an oft-bootlegged 1968 performance by the group at the Falkoner Centret in Denmark. To the quartet’s credit, they are in fine form throughout, road tight and fangs bared. But as this sounds like an audience recording, with moments of blown-out audio and inescapable tape hiss throughout, any hopes of appreciating their fiery stage presence gets lost in the murk. RH
Elektra/Rhino 2-LP clear vinyl
• The first official release of the Doors performing at Falkoner Centret, Copenhagen, Denmark, on September 17, 1968
• Jacket: Direct-to-board gatefold
• Inner sleeve: White poly-lined
• Liner notes, insert, or booklet: Essay by Doors archivist David Dutkowski printed on inside of gatefold
• Source: Unknown
• Mastering credit: Bruce Botnick
• Lacquer cut by: Bernie Grundman - credited on jacket and “BG” in deadwax
• Pressed at: Optimal, Germany
• Vinyl visual grade: A
• Vinyl audio grade: D
• Additional notes: Numbered on back cover; some of this show has been released on the 50th-anniversary expanded CD reissue of Waiting for the Sun.
The English Beat: The Beat at the BBC
During their very active six-year run in the late ’70s and early ’80s, the ska-leaning pop band the English Beat made multiple treks to BBC’s Maida Vale studios to record a short set of material to be broadcast on Radio 1. This welcome 2-LP release features four such sessions: three made for John Peel’s influential radio show, and another recorded for DJ Mike Read. And tucked amid it all is a version of Cole Porter’s “Night and Day” the band laid down for The Evening Show with David Jensen back in 1982. This set is a perfect distillation of the English Beat’s brilliance, an alternately tense and smooth blend of pure pop songwriting with the rhythms and spirit of the Caribbean and South America. While this has been in heavy rotation on my turntable, I can’t help but notice that the two earliest sessions (from November 1979 and February 1980) sound markedly different than the later ones. My guess is that the original tapes for those first recordings were unavailable, and they had to work from either a second generation copy or a digital source. It’s not enough of a sonic step down to tell you to avoid this release, just a minor grievance about an otherwise fantastic collection. RH
BBC/Rhino 1-LP clear vinyl
• Four radio sessions the English Beat recorded for BBC between 1979 and 1982
• Jacket: Direct-to-board gatefold
• Inner sleeve: Printed paper
• Liner notes, insert, or booklet: No, but musician and production credits printed inside gatefold
• Source: Unknown
• Mastering credit: Bill Inglot of d2 Mastering
• Lacquer cut by: Bernie Grundman - “BG” in deadwax
• Pressed at: GZ Media, Czech Republic
• Vinyl visual grade: A
• Vinyl audio grade: B+
• Additional notes: One of my favorites of this year’s RSD Black Friday releases.
Bill Evans: Portraits at the Penthouse: Live in Seattle
Recorded in mono for FM radio during a 10-day stint at Seattle’s Penthouse jazz club in May 1966, these recordings, at their best, sound as good as any professionally recorded live show from the ’60s that I’ve ever heard. One or two tracks have slightly deteriorated audio quality, but on the whole, this is positively captivating stuff. And these dates are particularly notable as they mark the first recordings Bill Evans made with a new trio: bassist Eddie Gomez, who would go on to play with Evans for more than a decade, and drummer Joe Hunt, who stayed with the trio for a year but was fired by producer Creed Taylor before he could release any recordings with Evans. The combo was quite new at the time of this Penthouse gig, but these dates saw them lock in as an ensemble for the first time, with Evans playing with ease and style, comfortable with Gomez’s occasional free-jazz runs and Hunt’s subtle, unpretentious backing. To me, this disc sounds as essential and enjoyable as anything Evans recorded in the mid-’60s. With an excellent pressing (my copy was very slightly dished) and deluxe packaging, this can be bought without fear of disappointment. NL
Resonance 1-LP 180g black vinyl
• Previously unreleased live recording from Seattle’s Penthouse, May 1966
• Jacket: Direct-to-board gatefold
• Inner sleeve: White poly-lined
• Liner notes, insert, or booklet: 16-page booklet with extensive liners
• Source: “Transferred from the original master tapes”
• Mastering credit: Sound restoration and LP mastering by Matthew Lutthans at the Mastering Lab, Salina, KS
• Lacquer cut by: Matthew Lutthans at the Mastering Lab - “MLS” in deadwax
• Pressed at: Le Vinylist, Quebec City
• Vinyl visual grade: A-
• Vinyl audio grade: A-
• Additional notes: Numbered on back cover; comes in resealable poly outer bag; side durations are quite long for vinyl.
Fleetwood Mac: Live 1975
This live material should be familiar to Fleetwood Mac diehards, as it appeared on the third CD of the 2018 deluxe edition box set for the 1975 self-titled album. This is its first time on vinyl. Taken from two live shows on the 1975 tour, these are among the earliest live recordings with new members Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham on board, and the setlist is a grab bag of stuff from Fleetwood Mac and earlier incarnations of the band. “Station Man” is a highlight, with Buckingham and Nicks making the song vocally their own. One live track from the box, “Over My Head,” is missing here, perhaps due to it being recorded in 1976 and therefore outside the purview of the album’s title. I’m a fan of conceptual unity, but not at the cost of missing music. Live 1975 hangs together as a solid live album, though, with great moments throughout and no dud renditions. The recording—by Rumours co-producer Ken Caillat, in association with Westwood One’s Biff Dawes—is more or less on the level with other ’70s live albums, perhaps slightly wispy with regard to Mick Fleetwood’s drums. My vinyl had a couple of loud cracks of non-fill on Side 2 during “Why,” and Disc 1 was very, very slightly warped, while Disc 2 had a tight spindle hole. NL
Warner/Rhino 2-LP clear vinyl
• 1975 live tracks initially released on the 3-CD/1-LP/1-DVD deluxe edition of Fleetwood Mac in 2018 and making their debut on vinyl; recording dates are Oct 17, 1975 (Passaic, NJ) & Oct 25, 1975 (Storrs, CT)
• Jacket: Direct-to-board gatefold
• Inner sleeves: Black poly-lined
• Liner notes, insert, or booklet: Short essay by Barry Alfonso and recording details in inner gatefold
• Source: Unknown
• Mastering credit: Dan Hersch at D2, Los Angeles
• Lacquers cut by: Chris Bellman at Bernie Grundman Mastering - credited on jacket, “CB” in deadwax
• Pressed at: Memphis Record Pressing, Memphis, TN
• Vinyl visual grade: A
• Vinyl audio grade: B
• Additional notes: None.
Grateful Dead: The Warfield San Francisco, CA Oct 4 & 6 1980
In September and October 1980, the Grateful Dead did a 15-night stand at the Warfield Theater in their hometown of San Francisco, each one featuring an acoustic set and two electric sets by the celebrated jam band. This is the second collection of material from those acoustic performances after the first dropped on Record Store Day 2019. As with that previous release, this new set was recorded by Betty Cantor-Jackson, a sound engineer who was estimated to have hundreds of tapes of the Dead live. With her sure hands at the mixing desk on this two-LP release, the music is sheer perfection, giving a clear sonic path for each of the six musicians as they amble through an easygoing batch of country faves (“The Race Is On,” “On the Road Again”) and limber-limbed, cornpone originals (“Ripple,” “Cassidy”). RH
Rhino 2-LP black vinyl
• Live recordings of acoustic sets the band performed as part of 15-night stand at the Warfield
• Jacket: Stoughton tip-on jacket
• Inner sleeve: Black poly-lined
• Liner notes, insert, or booklet: None, but musician and production credits printed inside gatefold
• Source: Unknown
• Mastering credit: Jeffrey Norman, Mockingbird Mastering, Petaluma, CA
• Lacquer cut by: Chris Bellman at Bernie Grundman Mastering - “CB” in deadwax
• Pressed at: Memphis Record Pressing, Memphis, TN
• Vinyl visual grade: C (scuffs visible on sides B and C)
• Vinyl audio grade: A+
• Additional notes: These shows were part of the source for the 1981 live albums Reckoning and Dead Set.
Grateful Dead: On a Back Porch Vol. 2
An innocuous and pretty inessential addition to the Grateful Dead discography, this five-song LP is really meant to help put a little more attention on the juicy pale ale created by Delaware microbrewers Dogfish Head that bears the name and logo of the band. The quintet of tunes represent, according to the press notes, “easy-listening Dead,” such as their take on Martha and the Vandellas’ “Dancing in the Street” and Go to Heaven track “Althea.” Each one was taken from a different live show; therefore the disc varies in sound quality from song to song. Phil Lesh’s bass, for example, rips through “Sugar Magnolia,” from a 1971 date at the Fillmore East, while it takes a bit of a back seat on the rest of the LP. Mastering engineer David Glasser does his best to even things out over the course of this set, and it generally sounds solid, but the changes in recording technology over the many years represented here means some unmistakable and unavoidable shifts in tone and clarity. RH
Rhino 1-LP black vinyl
• Collection of live tracks ranging from 1970 to 1990 meant to promote Dogfish Head Brewery’s Grateful Dead Juicy Pale Ale
• Jacket: Direct-to-board single pocket
• Inner sleeve: White poly-lined
• Liner notes, insert, or booklet: None, but production credits printed on back of outer sleeve
• Source: Unknown
• Mastering credit: David Glasser at Airshow Mastering, Boulder, CO
• Lacquer cut by: Chris Bellman at Bernie Grundman Mastering - “CB” in deadwax
• Pressed at: Memphis Record Pressing, Memphis, TN
• Vinyl visual grade: A
• Vinyl audio grade: B+
• Additional notes: All previously released material.
INXS: Live from Royal Albert Hall, London 1986
This set, recorded for BBC Radio, was a victory lap for Aussie rockers INXS. They’d finally broken through internationally with their fifth studio album Listen Like Thieves and were in London in front of a horde of adoring fans. (From the sound of the audience on this live LP, mostly young women.) The sextet rose to the moment, tearing into a selection of material from throughout their discography and leaning heavily on the megawatt charisma of frontman Michael Hutchence. The engineers for BBC harnessed this energy with ease on the original tapes, and this vinyl edition does justice to their work, with a punchy pressing that leans just a little too heavily on the thump of Jon Farriss’s kick drum. I also detect a little distortion in Hutchence’s vocals, but can’t tell if that comes from the source audio or some slip-up in mastering. RH
BBC/UMe/Atlantic/Petrol/Rhino 1-LP apple red vinyl
• Live recording originally recorded by BBC of INXS during tour for Listen Like Thieves
• Jacket: Direct-to-board gatefold
• Inner sleeve: Black poly-lined
• Liner notes, insert, or booklet: None, but musician and production credits printed inside gatefold
• Source: Unknown
• Mastering credit: Frank Arkwight, Abbey Road, London
• Lacquer cut by: Unknown
• Pressed at: Unknown; either Optimal, Germany, or GZ, Czech, as both have markings in the deadwax
• Vinyl visual grade: A
• Vinyl audio grade: B+
• Additional notes: Audio mixed by Giles Martin. According to the Optimal marking (matrix #BO23369), their stamper was made in 2024.
B.B. King: Broadcasting the Blues: Live from Germany and Sweden
This is a real treat: two live B.B. King shows recorded for European television, one for West Germany in 1968 and one with a larger band for Swedish television in 1973. King’s on fire in the 1968 gig, instantly transforming the German TV studio into a sweaty nightclub at 1 am. He’s at the peak of his powers, fronting a small ensemble that included two horn players, longtime drummer Sonny Freeman, and organist James Toney covering the bass parts (perhaps due to the expense of shipping a fifth musician overseas?). The mono sound is punchy and full, much more detailed than a TV broadcast would suggest—the German engineers were miles ahead of their counterparts in American television at the time. The only complaint is that the final track, “I’d Rather Drink Muddy Water,” fades out before reaching its natural live conclusion. The 1973 Sweden show is a bit smoother and showbiz-ier, with a much larger band that had double the horns, pianist Ron Levy taking Toney’s place, second guitarist Milton Hopkins, and Freeman’s brother Wilbert on bass. This mono recording, while more expansive-sounding, is not quite as precise as the German one, perhaps due to it taking place in a concert hall rather than the controlled environment of a TV studio. The horns sound a little distant, drums are a little washy, and the piano and rhythm guitar occasionally get lost in the murk. Nevertheless, King was one of the most dynamic, soulful live performers on the planet for most of his lifetime, and that spark is wholly evident here. Soundwise, the pressings on my copy were mostly immaculate, but one light scuff resulted in a repeating tick that marred a stretch of Side 4. NL
Time Traveler 2-LP 180g black vinyl
• Previously unissued live recordings: TV broadcast made in Cologne, West Germany in 1968 and TV broadcast of a 1973 concert in Stockholm, Sweden
• Jacket: Direct-to-board gatefold
• Inner sleeve: Time Traveler–branded rice-paper-style poly sleeves
• Liner notes, insert, or booklet: 4-page insert with liner notes
• Source: Unknown, transfer of TV and radio broadcasts
• Mastering credit: Mastering & Sound Restoration by Matthew Lutthans at the Mastering Lab, Salina, KS
• Lacquer cut by: Jasper Ward at AlR Studios, London - “JASPER” in deadwax
• Pressed at: Optimal, Germany
• Vinyl visual grade: B. One of the inner sleeves was badly scrunched but vinyl appears okay. Disc 2 was a bit dished but fully playable; a faint line resulted in noise on the disc.
• Vinyl audio grade: A (disc 1); B (disc 2)
• Additional notes: Numbered on back cover. The track “That’s Wrong Little Mama” is erroneously given a duration of 16:17 but it actually runs closer to five minutes. 16:17 likely refers to the total time of Side 1.
Rahsaan Roland Kirk: Vibrations in the Village: Live at the Village Gate
In 1963, a savvy filmmaker set about making a documentary about Roland Kirk and hired recording engineer Ivan Berger to capture the audio of the jazz saxophonist and his ensemble performing live at New York’s Village Gate club. The film was never finished, and the tapes of these gigs sat unheard for the better part of six decades until a friend of Berger’s reached out to producer Zev Feldman and offered him the reels. While I’d love for that film to have been completed, I can rest comfortably with the music intended for it on this lovely double-LP collection. This might be the better of the two Kirk releases out for RSD Black Friday this week, as it has an immediacy and a tartness the Penthouse sets lack (see below). Just listen for the sharp notes of dissonance and weirdness Kirk tosses into a simple ballad like “Laura,” and the impromptu raps he kicks into during a swinging take on Charlie Mingus’s “Ecclusiastics.” He’s having a blast here, and you will too. RH
Resonance 2-LP 180-gram black vinyl
• Previously unreleased live recordings of Kirk and band playing at New York’s Village Gate on November 26 and 27, 1963
• Jacket: Direct-to-board gatefold
• Inner sleeve: White poly-lined
• Liner notes, insert, or booklet: Glossy 16-page booklet with essays by John Kruth, producer Zev Feldman, and Adam Dorn, as well as excerpts from interviews with Dorthaan Kirk and others
• Source: “Transferred from the original master tapes”
• Mastering credit: Sound restoration and LP mastering by Matthew Lutthans at the Mastering Lab, Salina, KS
• Lacquer cut by: Matthew Lutthans at the Mastering Lab - “MCL” and “TML-M” in deadwax
• Pressed at: Le Vinylist, Quebec City
• Vinyl visual grade: A
• Vinyl audio grade: B+
• Additional notes: Numbered on back cover.
Rahsaan Roland Kirk: Seek & Listen: Live at the Penthouse
The audio archives of the Penthouse—a jazz club in Seattle’s Pioneer Square that was open from 1962 to 1968—continues to yield treasures (see our Bill Evans review, above), like these recordings of sets led by multi-reedist Roland Kirk during a multi-night run at the venue in September 1967. Backed by a nimble trio that included drummer Jimmy Hopps, pianist Rahn Burton, and bassist Steve Novosel, Kirk runs through a fascinating repertoire of pop hits (Bobbie Gentry’s “Ode to Billie Joe,” the Bacharach/David classic “Alfie”) and wild, spiritually minded originals, often blazing over the rhythm section with his by-then standard practice of playing multiple horns at the same time. This is a fabulous set marred only by a few spots where some irreparable tape damage leads to audio flutter at the start of the second LP. RH
Resonance 2-LP 180-gram black vinyl
• Live recordings of Kirk and band performing at the Penthouse club in Seattle, WA on September 8 & 15, 1967
• Jacket: Direct-to-board gatefold
• Inner sleeve: White poly-lined
• Liner notes, insert, or booklet: Glossy 16-page booklet featuring liner notes from John Kruth and May Cobb, and interview excerpts from James Carter, Chico Freeman, and others
• Source: “Transferred from the original master tapes”
• Mastering credit: Sound restoration and LP mastering by Matthew Lutthans at the Mastering Lab, Salina, KS
• Lacquer cut by: Matthew Lutthans at the Mastering Lab - “MCL” and “TML-M” in deadwax
• Pressed at: Le Vinylist, Quebec City
• Vinyl visual grade: A
• Vinyl audio grade: B
• Additional notes: Numbered on back cover.
Yusef Lateef: Golden Flower: Live in Sweden
The Yusef Lateef performing on the first disc of this 2-LP set hardly seems like the same player that shows up on the second. The connecting thread between these two performances is that they both took place in Sweden: One is a 1967 gig at Mosebacke, a theater in Stockholm, with a pair of locals (pianist Lars Sjösten and bassist Palle Danielsson) and Lateef’s pal, drummer Albert “Tootie” Heath, and the second is a 1972 set from the Åhus Jazz Festival featuring Heath, pianist Kenny Barron, and bassist Bob Cunningham. The former finds the saxophonist flexing throughout, with a particularly muscular solo shooting through a rendition of “One Little Indian” in a manner reminiscent of Sonny Rollins, while the latter is Lateef in more crowd-pleasing mode, laying comfortably back into the funk grooves of “Eboness” and the new age-y ballad “Lowland Lullaby” with his flute. Both discs are a sheer delight to listen to; they were recorded by the crack engineers at Swedish Radio, and the mastering work of Matthew Lutthans casts it all in a warm, clear glow that highlights the chemistry of these players, particularly Lateef and his regular collaborator Heath. RH
Elemental 2-LP 180-gram black vinyl
• Live recordings of saxophonist Yusef Lateef from a 1967 gig in Mosebacke, Sweden, and a 1972 set at Åhus Jazz Festival
• Jacket: Direct-to-board gatefold
• Inner sleeve: White poly-lined
• Liner notes, insert, or booklet: Glossy 12-page booklet with an essays by Charlie Apicella, producer Zev Feldman, and Herb Boyd, as well excerpts from interviews with musicians Jeff Coffin and Chico Freeman
• Source: “Transferred from the original master tapes”
• Mastering credit: Matthew Lutthans at the Mastering Lab
• Lacquer cut by: Matthew Lutthans at the Mastering Lab - “MCL” and “TML-M” in deadwax
• Pressed at: Le Vinylist, Quebec City
• Vinyl visual grade: A
• Vinyl audio grade: A
• Additional notes: Both sets originally recorded by Swedish Radio.
Love: The Complete Elektra Albums
I’m sorry to say it, because it’s five LPs and will cost you a buck or two, but: This is an essential set that needs to be at the top of your shopping list. It’s so good. The box contains the stereo versions of the four classic albums LA psychedelic pioneers Love released on Elektra Records: 1966’s Love and Da Capo, 1967’s eternal masterpiece Forever Changes, and 1969’s misunderstood, phenomenal Four Sail. These are all cut from the analog master tapes, per a post on the Steve Hoffman forums by someone who is in contact with lacquer cutter Chris Bellman. The fifth LP, Rarities, is a collection of alternate mixes and backing tracks—but it also includes the 1966 B-side “No. Fourteen” and the absolutely essential 1968 single “Your Mind and We Belong Together” b/w “Laughing Stock,” two of Love’s best. (The fifth LP is cut from digital.)
The album cuts are uniformly marvelous, with crystal-clear sound that blares at the appropriate moments, soothes at others, and conveys all the light, shade, mood, and mystery Arthur Lee and his band members were capable of. I found Bellman’s new cut of the self-titled debut to be outright astonishing, with incredible detail and an ear-pleasing sound; the mono still may be the more impactful version, but this is a terrific listen. Da Capo is slightly messier and more frenzied-sounding, but here the chaos of “7 and 7 Is” is an epiphany, with (aural) visibility into all the individual moving parts. Bellman’s new cut is darker than my 1969 red-label repress, with the top end tamed, but it’s infinitely clearer, such as when Johnny Echols’s guitar leaps out of the speakers in “Revelation.” Forever Changes sounds wonderful—it doesn’t quite have the special fairy-dust of my 1967 Allentown first pressing, but it’s exquisite nevertheless. And Four Sail is the recently rediscovered Arthur Lee “mix,” which is not a different mix, exactly, but without the extra reverb that Elektra stuck on the finished album. It’s a clearer, more precise-sounding version, without the woolly thickness of the Elektra “mix.” I like the power of the Elektra Four Sail, but I’m ecstatic to have the Arthur Lee mix, too, as it was only briefly released on green vinyl in 2019. Plus, there’s a four-page insert with photos and a very good essay by David Fricke. In short, Rhino knocked it out of the park with this one. I can’t think of a way this set could be bettered. NL
Rhino 5-LP black vinyl
• New remasters of Love’s four stereo Elektra albums 1966–1969 (Four Sail is the “Arthur Lee mix”), plus Rarities bonus disc
• Jackets: Medium-strength outer slipcase box, each album comes in direct-to-board single pockets
• Inner sleeves: White poly-lined
• Liner notes, insert, or booklet: 4-page insert with essay by David Fricke
• Source: Purported to be from analog tape, except LP 5 from digital
• Mastering credit: Chris Bellman of Bernie Grundman Mastering
• Lacquer cut by: Chris Bellman - “CB” in deadwax
• Pressed at: Optimal, Germany
• Vinyl visual grade: B+, one or two tiny blemishes across all five discs, and Forever Changes was dished.
• Vinyl audio grade: A
• Additional notes: All discs have period-correct Elektra labels.
Curtis Mayfield: Curtis [Rhino Reserve]
Curtis Mayfield’s 1970 solo debut anticipated the breakthroughs that Marvin Gaye and Stevie Wonder would have in the coming months, with a sound that embraced funk, acid rock, and Latin rhythms, and lyrics that directly addressed the social problems facing Black people in America. It’s an extraordinary album, with gossamer soul and hard-hitting funk sharing groove space—harps and strings alight on some tracks, while album opener “(Don’t Worry) If There’s a Hell Below, We’re All Going to Go” is driven by an angry, overdriven bass. This all-analog pressing is part of the Rhino Reserve line, with attentive mastering and top-drawer pressings. Curtis is no exception, with a full soundstage that draws out the rich tapestries in Mayfield’s compassionate visions. The album is a complex but not magnificent recording, with certain pieces fitting together jaggedly; my original 1970 Curtom pressing sounds significantly compressed, with the bass tamed to a noticeable degree. Matthew Lutthans’s full-bodied cut extends the scope of the sound, with an emphasis on the mighty low end that must have been hiding on the master tape. I will need to do a few more close listens to determine if it can compete with the great Chris Bellman cut in the Keep On Keeping On box set from 2019, but that one will be hard to beat. On my setup I experienced a few odd plosives that leapt out from the soundstage, but otherwise this is a fine rendition of one of the best and most important soul albums ever made. NL
Rhino Reserve 1-LP 180g black vinyl
• All-analog remaster of Curtis Mayfield’s 1970 solo debut album
• Jacket: Direct-to-board gatefold
• Inner sleeve: Custom Rhino Reserve series clear poly sleeve
• Liner notes, insert, or booklet: No
• Source: Analog master tape - “Original analog masters”
• Mastering credit: None, but this is all Lutthans.
• Lacquer cut by: Matthew Lutthans at the Mastering Lab, Salina, KS, with assistance from Dariane Piper (“MCL + DLP” in deadwax on Side 1; “MCL” on Side 2)
• Pressed at: Fidelity Record Pressing, Oxnard, CA
• Vinyl visual grade: A-, slight blemish
• Vinyl audio grade: A-
• Additional notes: Comes inside reusable poly sleeve sealed by hype sticker, as per other Rhino Reserve titles.
Joni Mitchell: Rolling Thunder Revue
Rolling Thunder Revue is a carveout from Joni Mitchell’s recent 6-CD box set, Joni Mitchell Archives, Vol. 4: The Asylum Years, containing all the live tracks that were recorded during Bob Dylan’s Rolling Thunder Revue during 1975 and 1976. While all Joni is good Joni, this particular disc feels weirdly inessential, as almost all of these tracks were included on the 4-LP vinyl version Archives, Vol. 4. A mere three tracks make their vinyl debut: a quite poor-sounding recording of “Jericho,” a take of “Woman of Heart and Mind” recorded at a party at Gordon Lightfoot’s house, and “Black Crow” from a show in Fort Worth. While the package is initially impressive, the pressing is less so: My copy had a blast of non-fill noise during “Jericho,” and there were continual tiny little clicks on the vinyl that might have escaped my notice were it not for the delicate nature of this acoustic music. None of the live recordings are particularly great-sounding, keeping in with the ad hoc nature of the Rolling Thunder Revue, but Mitchell’s performances are uniformly incredible. Still, with much of this material on vinyl elsewhere, this seems like one of the least essential Black Friday releases, even for Joni diehards. However, for those who don’t have the Archives, Vol. 4 set, this is an occasionally spine-tingling collection of incredible live Joni, just as long as top-of-the-line sound quality is not one of your prerequisites. NL
Warner/Rhino 1-LP 180g black vinyl
• Live selections from the 6-CD box set Joni Mitchell Archives, Vol. 4: The Asylum Years (1976–1980) recorded 1975 & 1976; tracks new to vinyl are “Jericho,” “Woman of Heart and Mind,” and “Black Crow”; all others appeared on 4-LP vinyl configuration of that box
• Jacket: Direct-to-board single pocket
• Inner sleeve: Black poly-lined
• Liner notes, insert, or booklet: No
• Source: Probably digital
• Mastering credit: Bernie Grundman (credited on hype sticker!)
• Lacquer cut by: Bernie Grundman at Bernie Grundman Mastering - “BG” in deadwax
• Pressed at: Memphis Record Pressing, Memphis, TN
• Vinyl visual grade: A
• Vinyl audio grade: C, noisy vinyl with clicks and one bit of non-fill
• Additional notes: Back cover says “Some of these recordings were produced informally and on non-studio-grade equipment. There are some occasional, inherent audio anomalies, but we feel the historical significance, the music, and the performances far outweigh any of these audio imperfections.”
Randy Newman: Trouble in Paradise Demos
This is tough sledding for anyone but the most devoted Randy Newman enthusiast, as it’s a series of solo demos for his 1982 album Trouble in Paradise, featuring the well-known “I Love L.A.” Two of the demos, “Big Fat Country Song (Something to Sing About)” and “Rainbow,” are for songs that didn’t make the album. These demos appeared on the recent 2-CD expanded edition of Trouble in Paradise, and they’re quite good sounding, as they were recorded in professional studios: Warner Bros. Studios and the Village. Newman’s grand piano is spread across the full stereo spectrum, and you can hear him tapping his foot throughout; at first I thought it was a metronome, but it starts and stops, which a metronome wouldn’t do. And quite notably, Newman is giving his all vocally, even if he doesn’t manage to hit every note. But there’s a bizarre dropout just before the third verse of “Christmas in Capetown” where everything goes silent for a split-second. This isn’t on the streaming version of that song, so I don’t know what happened in the mastering suite. (Listeners be aware: With that particular song, in his approach to satirizing apartheid, Newman makes some vocabulary choices that I doubt he would make today.) Other than that kinda major glitch, the vinyl is generally fine, so if this is your bag, go ahead and fill it up. NL
Rhino/Warner 1-LP black vinyl
• Demos for Newman’s 1982 album Trouble in Paradise, first released on the 2-CD expanded edition in October 2025
• Jacket: Direct-to-board single pocket
• Inner sleeve: Black poly-lined
• Liner notes, insert, or booklet: No
• Source: Unknown
• Mastering credit: Bernie Grundman at Bernie Grundman Mastering
• Lacquer cut by: Bernie Grundman - “BG” in deadwax
• Pressed at: Memphis Record Pressing, Memphis, TN
• Vinyl visual grade: A
• Vinyl audio grade: C- (actually quite good, but there’s a weird dropout during “Christmas in Capetown”)
• Additional notes: None
Charley Patton: Father of the Delta Blues: Selections from Paramount Recordings, Vol. 2
Considering these are sourced from shellac 78s that date from 1929 to 1931, it seems a bit churlish to rate them based on sound quality. There’s heavy background noise, a constricted soundstage, and occasional audio breakup, due to the nature of the recordings. But there’s also a remarkable clarity around the voice and guitar of Charley Patton, who was more or less inventing the template for Delta blues on these recordings in real time. His powerful sining, in particular, is astonishing here, sounding haunted, vital, and fully in-the-moment. Full credit to Dave Gardner, whose mastering and lacquer cut allows these remarkable historical works to sound completely alive—the furthest thing from museum pieces. This disc is the follow-up to Org Music’s Vol. 1, released on last year’s Black Friday, and with luck, this series will continue forward with additional volumes of Patton’s work. My orange vinyl was lightly dished and had a few tiny pops along the way, but nothing too concerning. The only real missed opportunity here is for some much-needed liner notes that could offer biographical information about Patton and the relevant context for these very important pieces of recorded musical history. Hey labels, hire writers! NL
Org Music 1-LP translucent orange vinyl
• Remastered recordings from 1929 to 1931, sourced from shellac 78s
• Jacket: Direct-to-board single pocket
• Inner sleeve: Thick clear poly
• Liner notes, insert, or booklet: Absolutely nothing. Zilch.
• Source: Digital
• Mastering credit: Dave Gardner, DSG Mastering
• Lacquer cut by: Dave Gardner - “DSG” in deadwax
• Pressed at: not sure, possibly Furnace?
• Vinyl visual grade: A-, I spotted one tiny little scratch
• Vinyl audio grade: B+, the colored vinyl results in a few flaws
• Additional notes: This one really could’ve used some liners.
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers: The Live Anthology: From the Vaults, Vol. 1
This is one of the biggest delights of the entire Black Friday batch. It’s an hour’s worth of live Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers from all stages of their career, originally released as a bonus CD in 2009’s The Live Anthology box set and now slapped onto four gorgeous sides of vinyl. These are mostly deep cuts—the only two hits are “I Need to Know” and “Don’t Come Around Here No More”—which makes it feel like you’re in the middle of one of those special concerts where the band’s in a particularly good mood and decides to pull out all the stops for the superfans. But I don’t think this collection is just for the diehards, as the music is so enjoyable and it’s played in such a fluent vernacular that most anybody could sit back and absorb it all as a terrific collection of rock ’n’ roll. In fact, it’s bizarre how consistent the sound of the band is throughout all stages of their career. Particular highlights include “No Second Thoughts,” “Down South,” and the magnificent “Billy the Kid,” as well as covers of the Byrds’ “The Ballad of Easy Rider” and an epic LP-closing rendition of “County Farm,” which is sort of an improvised hybrid of Mose Allison’s “Parchment Farm” and John Lee Hooker’s “Boogie Chillen’.” The audio quality is wonderful, the discs are perfectly mastered and pressed, and everything is just as it should be. When’s Vol. 2? (This turquoise-vinyl version is an RSD First, so a black vinyl version should turn up in due time.) NL
Reprise/Warner 2-LP turquoise vinyl
• Live tracks 1978–2007, taken from a bonus CD of the deluxe edition of 2009’s The Live Anthology box set - first appearance on vinyl
• Jacket: Direct-to-board gatefold with a nice sort of matte finish
• Inner sleeve: Thick paper
• Liner notes, insert, or booklet: Inner gatefold has full recording details and the original box set intro from Tom Petty; inner sleeves have track-by-track recollections written by Petty
• Source: Unknown
• Mastering credit: Chris Bellman at Bernie Grundman Mastering
• Lacquer cut by: Chris Bellman - “CB” in deadwax
• Pressed at: Record Industry, Netherlands
• Vinyl visual grade: A
• Vinyl audio grade: A
• Additional notes: Back cover is numbered and foil stamped.
Ramones: Live CBGB 1977
By this point in the history of the Ramones, the gangly quartet from Queens had two albums under their belt (1976’s Ramones and 1977’s Leave Home) and were ready to hit the studio to record album number three, and they were already making waves in the US and UK with their energetic live performances. So this live recording from April 1977 is the sound of a band that is coasting. They were in their familiar stomping grounds of CBGB and, from what I can hear of the audience, surrounded by fans. It’s a fair representation of the band’s MO of storming through a set with little chance for anyone—neither audience nor band members—to catch their breath. I just wish it sounded better. As the note on the back of the album sleeve explains, this set was captured by one punter wielding a stereo microphone and, for that reason, it is as good a recording as anyone not plugged into the mixing desk at the club was likely to get. Every instrument and Joey Ramone’s vocal are present and accounted for, but without much in the way of dynamics, the whole affair speeds by like a blaze of traffic noise and radio static. RH
Sire/Rhino 1-LP red vinyl
• Live recording of the Ramones “captured with only one stereo microphone on April 2, 1977”
• Jacket: Direct-to-board single pocket
• Inner sleeve: White poly-lined
• Liner notes, insert, or booklet: None
• Source: Unknown
• Mastering credit: Not credited, but assuming Ed Stasium as he handled the mastering of the 2017 Leave Home re-release (see below)
• Lacquer cut by: Joe Nino-Hernes at Sterling Sound, Nashville - “JN-H” in deadwax
• Pressed at: Memphis Record Pressing, Memphis, TN
• Vinyl visual grade: A
• Vinyl audio grade: C+
• Additional notes: Originally released on CD as part of 40th anniversary release of Leave Home.
Todd Rundgren: A Cappella
In one of our RSD preview posts, I was dismissive of this 1985 curio from Todd Rundgren, an album he recorded entirely with his voice and samples of sounds made by his body. (I’m talking mostly about handclaps, but there’s some belching on “Lockjaw.”) I wrote that A Cappella is “an album better read about than actually listened to… a fascinating statement of artistic intent… or, at least, of bloody-minded determination.” So a big shout-out to Vinyl Cut subscriber Phillip, who directed my attention to album track “Pretending to Care,” and sent me a link to this live video from 2005, where Rundgren is backed up by a string quartet rather than overdubs of his own voice. It’s remarkable, and reveals that Rundgren’s songwriting genius is indeed in full display on A Cappella—it’s just hidden behind some of the arrangement choices. There are other really good moments, including “Johnee Jingo” and the pure pop chorus of “Something to Fall Back On,” once you get past an introduction that sounds like the theme to a children’s TV show. And some songs still definitely don’t work for me: “Blue Orpheus” has some thoroughly unpleasant ’80s sounds, and “Hodja” is a little too Hall and Oates-y for my taste. Side 2 delves into genuinely out-there territory, with Rundgren replicating an Islam call to prayer on “Miracle in the Bazaar,” attempting something like a cappella heavy metal on “Lockjaw,” and trying his hand at a Clancy Brothers–style folk song with “Honest Work.” Still, my already large admiration for Rundgren has only grown since giving this album a closer listen (thanks, Phillip!), and this excellent all-analog pressing—cut by Joe Nino-Hermes of recent Vinylphyle fame—is fully recommendable for those willing to take the plunge. It’s not an everyday listen, but it’s cool that it exists. NL
Warner/Rhino 1-LP orange vinyl
• Remaster of 1985 LP - first vinyl reissue
• Jacket: Direct-to-board single pocket
• Inner sleeve: Paper, replica of original 1985 inner
• Liner notes, insert, or booklet: No
• Source: Analog, hype sticker says “Lacquers cut directly from analog master tapes”
• Mastering credit: “Originally mastered by Greg Calbi at Sterling Sound, New York”
• Lacquer cut by: Joe Nino-Hernes at Sterling Sound, Nashville - credited on hype sticker and “JN-H” in deadwax
• Pressed at: Memphis Record Pressing, Memphis, TN
• Vinyl visual grade: A
• Vinyl audio grade: A
• Additional notes: None.
Son Volt: Trace
Good lord, this album just keeps sounding better and better. The first effort from the band Jay Farrar formed after Uncle Tupelo split up, 1995’s Trace is to these ears a perfect record, and while the arbitrariness of its “alt-country” genre designation seems sillier as the years pass, the potency of Son Volt’s sound—part shit-kicking rock, part lonesome twang—is more forceful than ever. Every song here is fantastic, from the familiar “Drown” to the lovely “Tear Stained Eye” to the subtly volcanic “Loose String.” And this new mastering sounds outstanding, although I’ve never heard it on vinyl before. The guitar timbres and Farrar’s slightly flat vocal delivery dovetail perfectly with the forgiving warmth of vinyl, and when Dave Boquist adds a fiddle or Dobro to the palette or Eric Heywood’s pedal steel carves out a winding rail of silver, it’s just breathtaking. “I never knew this album sounded this good,” I said to myself, more than once. There’s a second disc of covers and demos, most of which appeared on the A Retrospective: 1995-2000 CD but haven’t been cut to vinyl before. Two of them, the demos of “Drown” and “Route,” are previously unreleased, and their cover of Bob Dylan’s “Going, Going, Gone” has only appeared on a promo CD. The sound on the second disc is a little boxy, and the demos aren’t hi-fi, but it’s a really fun tracklist, showing a looser side of the band. It’s all pressed on so-so purple vinyl, and while my copy wasn’t perfectly silent or blemish-free, I couldn’t be happier with this reissue. It’s one of the best albums of the ’90s, and it’s ample evidence that RSD releases are much more than just boomer bait. NL
Warner/Rhino 2-LP purple vinyl
• Remaster of 1995 album, plus second disc full of demos and outtakes—all for the first time on vinyl, with two of the demos completely unreleased
• Jacket: Direct-to-board gatefold
• Inner sleeve: Black poly-lined
• Liner notes, insert, or booklet: No
• Source: Unknown, but my guess would be digital
• Mastering credit: Mastered for vinyl by Pete Weiss at Jade Cow Studios
• Lacquer cut by: Jeff Powell at Take Out Vinyl - credited on jacket and “J POWELL” in deadwax
• Pressed at: Memphis Record Pressing, Memphis, TN
• Vinyl visual grade: B, some minor marks
• Vinyl audio grade: B, some light background noise and a few clicks
• Additional notes: Unlike the original 1995 pressing, “Drown” is at the end of Side 1 instead of beginning Side 2. This is also true of the 2015 pressing.
The Stranglers: Rattus Norvegicus
Right from the jump, the Stranglers were both seedier and more sophisticated than most of their contemporaries. Older than most of the punk bands that also broke in ’77—drummer Jet Black was pushing 40—the Stranglers’ debut, Rattus Norvegicus, contains much of the youthful snarl of punk, evidenced on songs like “London Lady,” but other tracks reveal the group’s maturity, with skewed takes on pub rock, goth rock, ’60s trash rock, and general art-rock eccentricity; the multipart “Down in the Sewer” is a punk-rock take on a prog suite. It’s a tremendous album, one of the best to come out of Britain in the late ’70s, and a proper repress of it is worth taking seriously. This one’s on green vinyl, which doesn’t really add anything, but everything else is done right. The album sounds lively and impactful, with Jean-Jacques Burnel’s treble-forward bass guitar dominating much of the proceedings and Dave Greenfield’s keyboards adding textures that set the band apart. If you don’t own a copy of this album, you really should, and this is a perfectly acceptable way to add it to your collection. Some of the highs are a little edgy, and my copy had a couple minor crunches of non-fill at the start of Side 2, but otherwise I have no complaints. The only thing missing is the extra 7-inch that accompanied the first 10,000 copies back in 1977. NL
Parlophone 1-LP translucent green vinyl
• Remaster of 1977 album
• Jacket: Direct-to-board single pocket
• Inner sleeve: Die-cut thick paper, replica of 1977 UK original (the rat labels are replicated, too)
• Liner notes, insert, or booklet: No
• Source: Unknown
• Mastering credit: None
• Lacquer cut by: Henry Rudkins at AIR Studios - “H.R” in deadwax”
• Pressed at: Optimal, Germany
• Vinyl visual grade: A-, my copy was slightly dished
• Vinyl audio grade: A, pressing is clean and clear
• Additional notes: This is the same exact pressing as the UK National Album Day version from October 2025. Only the hype sticker is different.
Talking Heads: Tentative Decisions: Demos & Live
Steve Rosenthal, of the Magic Shop recording studio, and Ted Jensen, mastering engineer at Sterling Sound, had their work cut out for them with this archival release. The pair were tasked with transferring and cleaning up a selection of previously unreleased demos recorded by art-pop band Talking Heads in 1975 and 1976 from tapes that were not in the best shape to begin with. There’s bits of audio dropout throughout both sides of the LP, and every minute of it sounds muted and a little dull. But this set still proves worthwhile as a document of the soon-to-be beloved group in their most nascent form, working the kinks out of arch, artful future classics like “Thank You for Sending Me an Angel” and “The Book I Read.” Even more fascinating is the bonus 7-inch single that holds two 1974 recordings of “Psycho Killer” and “Warning Sign” by the Artistics, the Rhode Island group featuring David Byrne, Chris Frantz, and their friend David Anderson. Both songs are even rougher, musically and sonically, than the material on the main LP, but offer an amazing glimpse into the first blushes of a long, successful career. RH
Sire/Rhino 1-LP & bonus 7-inch clear vinyl
• Early demos and a live track from 1975 and 1976, the era before Jerry Harrison joined the group; the 7-inch is two 1974 demos by pre-Heads group the Artistics—all previously unreleased
• Jacket: Direct-to-board single pocket for LP; thin card jacket for 7-inch
• Inner sleeve: Black poly-lined for LP; paper for 7-inch
• Liner notes, insert, or booklet: None, but musician and production credits printed on back of sleeve
• Source: Unknown, but likely digital
• Mastering credit: Ted Jensen at Sterling Sound, New York
• Lacquer cut by: Joe Nino-Hernes at Sterling Sound, Nashville - “JN-H” in deadwax
• Pressed at: Memphis Record Pressing, Memphis, TN
• Vinyl visual grade: A
• Vinyl audio grade: B
• Additional notes: These are rough sounding recordings but important ones to preserve all the same.
Sonny Terry & Brownie McGhee: Live from the Ash Grove
Sonny Terry and Brownie McGhee started playing together as far back as 1941, recording their raw Piedmont blues for Savoy before graduating to uptown imprints like Folkways and Fantasy in the late ’50s. By the time this live album was recorded in 1973, they’d been around the world and back again, featuring in motion pictures and even on Broadway. They had their musical chemistry and stage banter down pat, settling into this lovely set with comfort and ease. Originally issued by Liberation Hall on CD in 2024, Live from the Ash Grove has made the transition to vinyl with similar aplomb. The 1973 material, and the two tracks from 1969 recorded at the same venue, sound as clear, present, noise-free, and the nearest thing to actually being in the same room with the men. RH
Liberation Hall 1-LP purple vinyl
• Live recording mostly from 1973 (see below) recorded by Chris Hinshaw
• Jacket: Direct-to-board single pocket
• Inner sleeve: White poly-lined
• Liner notes, insert, or booklet: Essay by Thane Tierney printed on back of jacket
• Source: Unknown, but likely cut at GZ Media
• Mastering credit: Randy Perry
• Lacquer cut by: Unknown
• Pressed at: Precision Record Pressing, Burlington, ON
• Vinyl visual grade: A
• Vinyl audio grade: A
• Additional notes: Originally released on CD in 2024; features two tracks recorded in 1969.
T-Bone Walker: T-Bone Blues [Expanded Edition]
The 1959 album T-Bone Blues is a fascinating crossroads of Chicago blues, Texas blues, jump blues, and early rock ’n’ roll. It collects three out of four of the songs Texas-born bluesman T-Bone Walker recorded in Chicago and released on shellac 10-inch 78s on Atlantic Records in 1955, with additional recordings from Los Angeles made in 1956 and 1957. The LP’s a modest blues classic, on the pop-friendly side of the genre and showcasing Walker’s Texas style integrating with Chicago electric blues, big-band pop, and the rapidly evolving style of rock ’n’ roll. Mastering engineer Bernie Grundman offers up a really nice vinyl rendition here, with warm mono sound that provides clarity into all the musicians, pleasing tonality, and a fully represented spectrum of high and low end. I can’t say it bests Matthew Lutthans’s 45 RPM 2-LP version released last year by Analogue Productions (as I haven’t heard it), but I can’t imagine anyone being dissatisfied with how this disc sounds. In 1989, a CD of T-Bone Blues added four extra tracks from those sessions—including the fourth Chicago side, “Why Not” and the red-hot jumper “You Don’t Know What You’re Doing”—and in a delightful bonus, those extras are added here on a 10-inch record that’s meant to evoke those original shellac 78s but isn’t a precise replica. NL
Atlantic/Rhino 1-LP & bonus 10-inch black vinyl
• Remaster of 1959 album plus four-song 10-inch with additional material
• Jacket: Direct-to-board single pocket
• Inner sleeve: White poly-lined; 10-inch comes in die-cut paper sleeve
• Liner notes, insert, or booklet: No, but includes original back-cover liner notes by Ralph J. Gleason
• Source: Unknown
• Mastering credit: None but probably Bernie
• Lacquer cut by: Bernie Grundman at Bernie Grundman Mastering - credited on jacket, “BG” in deadwax
• Pressed at: Memphis Record Pressing, Memphis, TN
• Vinyl visual grade: A for LP, B+ for 10-inch which has light paper marks
• Vinyl audio grade: A- (a couple of clicks, but otherwise very nice)
• Additional notes: Labels are replicas of original black Atlantic labels on 1959 version.
Ween: Shinola, Vol. 1
I’m the last person you should rely on to speak to the quality of the music on this odds-and-ends collection of material by Pennsylvania weirdos Ween. I appreciate their musicianship and enjoy how much humor they infuse into their work, but I can generally only take it in small doses. While I’m not the audience for this disc, I know there are legions of folks out there who are going to be clamoring for one of the 6,000 copies being released on RSD Black Friday. Until now, the LP was only issued in the UK (though I’m sure much of it has been bootlegged in some manner by hungry Ween fans), and those pressings command high prices on the secondary market. This new edition ports over the master that Emily Lazar made for the original 2005 CD and vinyl pressings, and it sounds balanced and sharp, whether that’s a full-band studio recording or one of the tunes Dean and Gene made in their shared apartment. RH
Rhino 1-LP brown marbled vinyl
• First US vinyl pressing of 2005 rarities compilation
• Jacket: Direct-to-board single pocket
• Inner sleeve: Black poly-lined
• Liner notes, insert, or booklet: None
• Source: Unknown
• Mastering credit: Emily Lazar at the Lodge, New York
• Lacquer cut by: Unknown
• Pressed at: Memphis Record Pressing, Memphis, TN
• Vinyl visual grade: A
• Vinyl audio grade: A
• Additional notes: None.
Dwight Yoakam: And Then I Wrote… the First Three Albums of the ’90s
Last year’s Record Store Day proper saw the release of a four-disc box set collecting the first three studio albums by country star Dwight Yoakam with an LP of demos and stray tracks. This year, Rhino follows the thread with this RSD Black Friday exclusive that contains the next three albums Yoakam made for Reprise—1990’s If There Was a Way, 1993’s This Time, and 1995’s Gone—with another odds-and-sods compilation that includes the Bakersfield artist’s contributions to a Grateful Dead tribute album and the soundtrack to Honeymoon in Vegas, as well as his killer cover of Queen’s “Crazy Little Thing Called Love.” This era finds Yoakam settling into cruising altitude as he aimed more directly at the country charts and mainstream success. He came closest with This Time and its fantastic hit single “A Thousand Miles from Nowhere,” which helped sell three million copies. Each disc within this set is perfect: flat and well-balanced with audio that sounds as clean and direct as Yoakam’s music. Another worthy celebration of a great American artist. RH
Reprise/Via/Rhino 4-LP black vinyl
• Remasters of three albums and a fourth disc of rarities and compilation tracks
• Jackets: Medium-strength outer slipcase box, each album comes in direct-to-board single pockets
• Inner sleeve: Printed paper replicas of original inners
• Liner notes, insert, or booklet: 12-page glossy booklet featuring liner notes by Holly Gleason, a foreword by Chris Isaak, and an essay by Bob Dylan (!!)
• Source: Unknown
• Mastering credit: Chris Bellman at Bernie Grundman Mastering
• Lacquer cut by: Chris Bellman at Bernie Grundman Mastering - “CB” in deadwax
• Pressed at: Optimal, Germany
• Vinyl visual grade: A
• Vinyl audio grade: A
• Additional notes: “There was a time when the Universe whispered secrets into Dwight’s ear. He could probably tell you where and when, if he thought back that far.”—Bob Dylan
Lester Young: Lester Leaps In: Live at Birdland 1951-1952
The inner sleeve for this recording of saxophonist Lester Young and his band performing at the original Birdland in New York City features a welcome sign: a picture of a reel-to-reel tape, ostensibly from the archives of ABC Radio, which recorded these sets in 1951 and 1952. And considering the age of this tape and the far more rudimentary recording technology that the engineers at the station had to work with, it’s a wonder that this sounds as good as it does. Transferred by Jeff Friedman and mastered by Randy Perry, a former engineer for Rhino now working as a freelancer, the material sounds cloudy but still very much present. Young’s saxophone often dominates the proceedings, and the bass players tend to melt into the background, but on the second side, the piano and percussion take up much more space, particularly drummer Lee Abrams who leaps forward on “‘Deed I Do,” recorded on May 2, 1952, with a brisk, heated solo. RH
Liberation Hall 1-LP 180-gram black vinyl
• Live sessions by the jazz saxophonist originally recorded for the ABC Radio program Jumpin’ with Symphony Sid
• Jacket: Direct-to-board single pocket
• Inner sleeve: Thick paper printed inner
• Liner notes, insert, or booklet: Liner notes from critic Scott Yanow printed on inner sleeve
• Source: Unknown
• Mastering credit: Randy Perry
• Lacquer cut by: Unknown, but likely cut at GZ Media
• Pressed at: Precision Record Pressing, Burlington, ON
• Vinyl visual grade: B (a few visible, but inaudible hairlines on side B)
• Vinyl audio grade: B
• Additional notes: “Please note the recordings have been transferred from radio broadcast tapes and mastered to provide the most satisfactory audio possible given the technical limitations.”
Ned’s listening equipment:
Table: Technics SL-1200MK2
Cart: Audio-Technica VM540ML
Amp: Luxman L-509X
Speakers: ADS L980
Bob’s listening equipment:
Table: Cambridge Audio Alva ST
Cart: Grado Green3
Amp: Sansui 9090
Speakers: Electro Voice TS8-2
