I never used to keep track of reissues, but this year I couldn’t help but be impressed by how many great reissues that have come out. Great in terms of deserving albums that had never made it to CD before, high quality remasters, extra tracks, and great packaging. This year I bought more reissues than new albums. That’s not to say I didn’t listen to more new stuff – I just get more promos of those, and sample online.

1. Brian Eno * Another Green World (Astralwerks) 75
2. George Faith * To Be A Lover (Hip-O Select) 78
3. Herman Chin-Loy * Aquarius Rock (Pressure Sounds) 73
4. Talking Heads * The Name Of The Band Is Talking Heads (Rhino) 81
5. Lee Perry & The Upsetters * Super Ape (Hip-O Select) 76
6. Can * Tago Mago (Mute) 71
7. Cristina * Doll In The Box (Ze/r) 80
8. Max Romeo & The Upsetters * War Ina Babylon (Hip-O Select) 76
9. Serge Gainsbourg * Aux armes et caetera + Dub, DJ & Singer Versions (Mercury)
10. The Only Ones * Why Don’t You Kill Yourself?: The CBS Recordings 1978-80 (Edsel)
11. Adam & The Ants * Dirk Wears White Sox (Columbia) 79
12. The Pogues * Rum Sodomy & The Lash (WEA) 85
13. Burning Spear * At Studio One 1969-74 (Soul Jazz)
14. Tyranosaurus Rex * A Beard Of Stars (Universal/A&M) 70
15. Echo & The Bunnymen * Crocodiles (Rhino) 80
16. Zolar X * Timeless (Alternative Tentacles) 75-80
17. Be Bop Deluxe * Postcards From The Future: Introducing Be Bop Deluxe 1974-78 (EMI)
18. Bob Marley & The Wailers * Grooving Kingston 12: JAD Masters 1970-72 (Universal)
19. The Gun Club * Miami (Sympathy For the Record Industry) 82
20. Jobriath * Lonely Planet Boy 1973-74 (Attack)
21. DNA * DNA On DNA (No More) 78
22. The Slits * Cut (Koch) 79
23. T. Rex (Universal/A&M) 70
24. Disco Inferno * D.I. Go Pop (One Little Indian) 94
25. The Fall * Grotesque Deluxe Edition (Sanctuary) 80
26. Keith Hudson * Flesh Of My Skin, Blood Of My Blood (Basic Replay) 74
27. Tunde Williams & Africa 70 * Mr. Big Mouth (Honest Jon’s) 77
28. Jeff Buckley * Grace: Legacy Edition (Columbia) 94
29. Cristina * Sleep It Off (Ze/r) 84
30. Lee Perry * Dub-Triptych 1972-75 (Trojan)
31. Brian Eno * Here Come The Warm Jets (Astralwerks) 73
32. Ultramagnetic MC’s * Critical Beatdown (Next Plateau) 88
33. Adam & The Ants * Kings Of The Wild Frontier (Columbia) 80
34. A.R. Kane * 69 (One Little Indian) 89
35. Eric Dolphy * Out There (Prestige) 64
36. The Pogues * Red Roses For Me (WEA) 84
37. Augustus Pablo * King Tubby Meets Rockers Uptown (Shanachie) 75
38. Various * Don Letts’ Dread Meets B-Boys Downtown (Heavenly)
39. Bettye Swan 1968-70 (Honest Jon’s)
40. Candi Staton 1969-73 (Honest Jon’s/Astralwerks)
41. Tyranosaurus Rex * Unicorn (Universal/A&M) 69
42. The Scientists * Pissed On Another Planet (Sympathy for the Record Industry) 80
43. The Dictators * Manifest Destiny (Wounded Bird) 77
44. Augustus Pablo * East Of The River Nile (Shanachie) 77
45. Harry Partch * The Harry Partch Collection Vols 1 & 2 1949-64 (New World)
46. Crime * San Francisco’s Still Doomed 1976-79 (Swami)
47. The Damned * Machine Gun Etiquette: 25th Anniversary Edition (Chiswick) 79
48. Revolting Cocks * Big Sexy Land (Rykodisc) 86
49. Can * Ege Bamyasi (Mute) 72
50. The Kinks * The Village Green Preservation Society (Sanctuary) 68
51. Lloyd Cole & The Commotions * Rattlesnakes: Deluxe Edition (Polydor) 84
52. Arthur Russell * The World Of Arthur Russell (Soul Jazz) 80
53. Pavement * Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain: L.A.’s Desert Origins (Matador) 94
54. The Pogues * If I Should Fall From The Grace Of God (WEA) 88
55. Revolting Cocks * Beers, Steers & Queers (Rykodisc) 90
56. Adam & The Ants * Prince Charming (Columbia) 81
57. James Brown * Live At the Apollo (Polygram) 62
58. Echo & The Bunnymen * Heaven Up Here (Rhino) 81
59. The Gun Club * The Las Vegas Story (Sympathy for the Record Industry) 84
60. Brian Eno * Taking Tiger Mountain By Strategy (Astralwerks) 74
61. Echo & The Bunnymen * Ocean Rain (Rhino) 84
62. Denzel Dennis * Me Nah Worry: The Anthology 1962-75 (Trojan)
63. Brian Eno * Before And After Science (Astralwerks) 77
64. The Gun Club * Death Party (Sympathy for the Record Industry) 83
65. Creation Rebel * Starship Africa (Hit Run) 80
66. Mikey Dread * African Anthem Dubwise (Auralux) 79
67. The Faces * Five Guys Walk Into A Bar… 1970-73 (Rhino)
68. The Clash * London Calling: 25th Anniversary Edition (Epic)
69. Can * Monster Movie (Mute) 70
70. The Cure * Three Imaginary Boys: Deluxe Edition (Rhino) 79
71. The Zombies * Odyssey & Oracle (Fuel) 68
72. The Slits * Return Of The Giant Slits (Sony Japan) 81
73. Virgin Prunes * If I Die, I Die (Grey Area of Mute) 82
74. Konk * Tales Of the New York Underground 1981-88 (Soul Jazz)
75. Glenn Branca * Lesson No. 1 (Acute) 82
76. A Certain Ratio * To Each… (Universal Sound) 81
77. Albert Ayler * Holy Ghost: Rare & Unissued Recordings 1962-70 (Revenant).
78. Cecil Taylor * Conquistador! (Blue Note) 66
79. Popol Vuh * Affenstunde (Spalax) 70
80. Shrimp Boat * Something Grand 1988-93 (AUM Fidelity)
81. Miles Davis * The Complete Jack Johnson Sessions (Columbia Legacy) 70
82. Scott Walker * In Five Easy Pieces 1965-00 (Universal)
83. Arthur Russell * Calling Out Of Context 1985-91 (Audika)
84. The United States Of America (Sundazed) 68
85. ABC * Lexicon Of Love Deluxe Edition (Universal) 82
86. Slapp Happy/Henry Cow * Desperate Straights (ReR Megacorp) 75
87. Vashti Bunyan * Just Another Diamond Day (Dicristina Star) 75
88. Sun Ra * Disco 3000 (Saturn) 78
89. Swell Maps * A Trip To Marineville/Jane From Occupied Europe 1979-80 (Secretly Canadian)
90. Remarc * Sound Murderer (Planet Mu)
91. The People Band * 1968 (Emanem) 68
92. Slowdive * Catch The Breeze 1990-95 (Sanctuary)

Since I didn’t do this last year, I’ll list some of the more notable reissues from 2003.

1. Cedric IM Brooks & The Light Of Saba 1975-78 (Honest Jon’s)
2. Television * Marquee Moon (Rhino) 77
3. Lizzy Mercier Descloux * Mambo Nassau (Ze) 82
4. Toots & The Maytals * Funky Kingston/In The Dark 1972-73 (Trojan)
5. King Tubby * The Dub Masters Presents The Roots Of Dub and Dub From The Roots 1974-75 (Moll Selekta)
6. Japan * Tin Drum (Virgin) 82
7. Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark * Architecture & Morality (Virgin) 81
8. Desmond Dekker * Rudy Got Soul: The Early Beverley’s Sesions 1963-68 (Trojan)
9. Blue Orchids * The Greatest Hit (Money Mountain) (Ltm) 82
10. Essential Logic * Fanfare In The Garden 1978-82 (Kill Rock Stars)
11. Derrick Morgan * Moon Hop: Best of the Early Years 1960-69 (Trojan)
12. The Passage * Enflame (Ltm) 83
13. The Congos * Congo Ashanti (Blood & Fire) 79
14. Tommy McCook * Blazing Horns/Tenor In Roots 1977-79 (Blood & Fire)
15. The Fall * It’s The New Thing! The Step Forward Years 1978-80 (Castle)
16. The Clean * Anthology 1980-95 (Flying Nun)
17. Deaf School * What A Way To End It All: The Anthology 1976-78 (Castle)
18. Lizzy Mercier Descloux * Press Color (Ze) 79
19. The Passage * Degenerates (Ltm) 82
20. Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark * Organisation (Virgin) 80
21. Television * Adventure (Rhino) 78
22. Television * Live At the Old Waldorf (Rhino Handmade) 78
23. Stranger Cole * Bangarang: Best Of 1962-72 (Trojan)

Cure - Three Imaginary Boys reissue is great!

The DNA on DNA disk is priceless...
The Crme CD and expanded "Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain" are very good as well, but man - that DNA catch-all is probably one of my favorite releases from this past year...


Plus, I've been meaning to pick up the pieces (a.k.a. most) of the Talking Heads catalog that I don't have. Does anyone know if there are "Expanded" plans for these disks within the next year or so? I hate re-buying CDs/DVDs I already have because of extra stuff...

I love the first Cure album, but docked it points because for a double disc set, there's no excuse in leaving out two key songs, "Plastic Passion" and "Killing An Arab."

Regarding Talking Heads, the original news was that Rhino was reissuing remasters + bonus tracks of the first five albums last fall. But only the double live album came out. They did a great job, and I'm sure the rest will come out this year, but I don't know why it was delayed. Will look for updated release dates.

I lost my copy of Remain In Light and am dying for it to come out.

I haven't seen these anywhere, but I want 'em both.

I did find the red vinyl version of The Slider which of course I bought (not because it's red vinyl though).

Also, I'm fairly unimpressed with that Vashti Bunyan album. So far I like one of the bonus tracks ("I Wan to Walk Around in Your Mind" or something like that) better than the whole album.

Lots of great reissues last year, though, and I bought a bunch of 'em. My favorites are the Can ones, followed by Brian Eno, and the Pavement CRCR. The Cure one is really nice, too.

I really like the Baby Huey record.

For shame, you seem to have left off the Go-Betweens' 16 Lovers Lane and Liberty Belle reissues of Nov 04.

Also, the Beat Farmers' Tales of the New West (June 04)

Regarding the Cure. “Plastic Passion” was re-master and put on Join the Dots, so I don’t think they wanted a bunch of overlap. Though I think they should of done it anyways. “10:15 Saturday Night” is on both but I believe they are different versions. “Killing An Arab” a different story, I believe it has everything to do with the wars. For those of you who don’t know this song is based on the book The Stranger and was put out in a comp called Staring At The Sea. Radio stations across the nation started to play “Killing An Arab” and Arab leaders of different backgrounds everywhere were outraged. The song actually disappeared from many stations play list. Elektra Records went on unusual step and pulled all copies from stores to put on a sticker. The US, UK and others are both at war with two Arab nations. Though it would not made news this time, I believe, Robert probably thought that a one-song sacrifice was OK. I think the decision is regretted now but will be so even more over the long run.

np: Dugen- Ta Det Lugnt (this album is mindblowing)