Every year, there are dozens of new releases for Record Store Day, some nuggets for people who are particularly nuts about music. Nuts enough to care about buying a double or triple LP of something they’ve had for years or even decades. I go every year because I want brick and mortar record stores to live, to thrive, for there always to be a place I can go to pick up something new and be surrounded by music. That’s a fantasy, I know. But maybe… You know? Maybe. People are fickle. If a bunch of them decide this is a trendy thing to do (and it does seem that many have) then I can squeeze a bit more time out of it.
This is not a comprehensive list of what’s coming out. For that, you can visit the Record Store Day site. These are a few things I’ll be scouting today at my local shops. Links are to the page describing the specific release.
LPs
1.Big Star Complete Columbia: Live at University of Missouri 4/25/93 Previously unavailable commercially, according to the site, a live album of the Alex Chilton/Jody Stephens/Jon Auer/Kin Stringfellow lineup from the 1993 reunion tour. I’m expecting this one will get snatched up early.
2. Johnny Cash All Aboard the Blue Train Always seems to be something new from Mr. Cash on Record Store Day. A reissue of the 1962 album from Sun Records, includes “Folsom Prison Blues” and “Wreck of the Old ’97.” There is also a Best of the Johnny Cash TV Show album available.
3. Dr. Who Genesis of the Daleks Tom Baker narrates this story from BBC Records, original artwork and sleeve notes.
4. Alejandro Escovedo Gravity and Thirteen Years A big one for me. Escovedo is a songwriting hero, and this is seminal work. I have a couple of iterations of these already, and I don’t know what a “die-cut linen jacket” is, but I am looking forward to finding out.
5.Jay Farrar Sebastapol I had been listening to this album all week not realizing it would be available on vinyl for the first time for Record Store Day. Some of Farrar’s finest work, a clear, new vision set apart from his work with Uncle Tupelo and Son Volt. Son Volt: Live at the Bottom Line is also available.
6. Emmylou Harris Wrecking Ball A three-LP version of Harris’s landmark 1995 album with outtakes and alternate versions.
7. Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers Kiss My Amps Live Vol 2 A follow up to the first edition, released last year for Record Store Day, with some rare stuff.
8. Allen Toussaint Live In Philadelphia 1975 My Toussaint collection is lacking. This might be a good edition.
Twelve Inches
1. David Bowie 1966 Of course Bowie is well represented today. Two twelve inch and one seven inch picture disc.
Ten Inches
1. Brian Fallon “Georgia” The Gaslight Anthem frontman just released his first solo album, Painkiller. This is three exclusive tracks I imagine were from the same sessions.
Seven Inches
1. Bee Gees/Faith No More “I Started A Joke” I am not a Bee Gees fan. But I am very curious to see how Faith No More approaches this song. I’m suspecting they’ll treat it like they did “Easy,” with a straight up cover.
2. Colvin & Earle “Wake Up Little Susie” The full Colvin & Earle album isn’t out until June 10, but you can get a taste of it with this since featuring the Everly Brothers’ tune and the Beatles’ “Baby’s In Black.”
3. Mudcrutch “Trailer” Ticket prices are steep for this summer’s Mudcrutch (Tom Petty’s old band, which includes a couple of Heartbreakers) tour, so I’ll enjoy this for now.
4. Warren Zevon/Flamin’ Groovies “Werewolves of London” I already have a bunch of versions of Zevon doing this, but it’s worth picking up for the Flamin’ Groovies.
5. Willie Nelson/Uncle Tupelo “Truck Drivin’ Man” Some of these things seem engineered specifically for me.
6. Frank Zappa & the Mothers of Invention “My Guitar/Dog Breath” Every year, there is a Zappa single. And every year, I buy it, partly so I can fool myself a little that maybe it’s something new he’s decided to put out himself. http://www.recordstoreday.com/SpecialRelease/8549