Record Store Day – Vinyl review

Pioneers of the punk movement and the worst band to have in front of a group of angry Hells Angels, Metallic K.O puts together two of the Stooges shows at Detroit Michigan Palace (Side one was recorded on October 6^th 1973, side two was recorded on February 9^th 1974) and showcases Iggy at his most destructive and confrontational, inciting a near riot with audience members audibly hurling bottles at him as he screams into their faces. This live album is a savage embodiment of raw nihilism and guttural anti-establishment that is punk, and a perfect end to what was the stooges live career until their return in 2003.

Available on Record Store Day in a Limited Edition metal vinyl, this new version has been remastered to fix a tape speed issue found in the original recording and should be the closest you’ll get to being at those anarchic Detroit Gigs.

Hal – Plymouth store

Bad Magic is one of the most intense Motörhead albums I’ve ever listened to. An explosion of savage rhythms and brutal riffs that remind you why music exists, to make you feel like a bullet being fired out of gun straight into the heart of the devil while the world explodes around you. Bad Magic is more than a swan song, it’s a showcase of what Motörhead were, and how a man in his seventies had more raw energy than most people in the world. A thunderous album that is a must-have for any fan of rock. I implore you to add this to your collection and celebrate the last album Lemmy ever made.

Coloured prints of the album are available in limited supplies for Record Store Day, but don’t worry if you miss out on the limited edition, you can still pick up the normal version anytime. Just make sure you own this album very soon, because you need to listen to it.

Hal – Plymouth store

This is a fantastic song from Dutch prog-rockers, Focus. Written by the band’s Jan Akkerman and Thijs Van Leer, it includes an increasingly heavy guitar riff from Akkerman interspersed with yodelling, Hammond organ and flute playing from Van Leer. An early appearance on the Old Grey Whistle Test was so well received their record manufacturing plant had to concentrate on just producing Focus records for weeks to meet demand. The song also featured on the Nike 2010 World Cup TV advertising campaign – perfect timing now, with the Euro 2016 just around the corner!

Justin – Liverpool store

The follow-up to Brown’s most commercially successful release, Music of the Spheres, Solarized saw the Mancunian legend in imperious form. Single Longsight M13 (named after the area and corresponding postcode in Manchester) served up one of the album’s highlights – classic King Monkey vocals sat atop funky, hip-hop inspired production. Short of a new Stone Roses album (next year?) a chance to revisit some of Brown’s strongest solo work is much welcomed, and Solarized offers a great stepping stone for new and old fans alike.

Chris – Liverpool store

This live collection takes some choice nuggets from Simple Minds’ 2015 tour, Big Music. They seem to have been touring constantly since 2003, only finally coming to rest in 2016. This double album set is a fantastic mix of old and new songs alike. The first track is a cover of The Call’s 1989 hit, Let the Day Begin, although it sounds just like any Simple Minds track from their stadium-pleasing mid-eighties offerings. This is followed by the band’s dance-oriented, Blindfolded, going from classic tracks to more modern work seamlessly. The fourth side includes the slow striding self-titled Big Music, before finishing with audience sing-a-long favourites Sanctify Yourself and, of course, Alive and Kicking. A fantastic set!

Justin – Liverpool store

One of the most mind melting albums I’ve listened to in a while, The Great Confuso takes you on a journey that’s both terrifying and beautiful, moving gracefully and brutally through industrial metal, synth and ambient melodies to create a pounding 18 minute track that is as much a juxtaposition as it is a work of electronic art, all the while with an underlying narrative that makes you feel as if your brain has leaked out of your ears and been replaced by Blanck Mass’ ideas and theology.

Also featuring remixes of Dead Format, No Lite and Detritus that not only add to the narrative but in themselves offer an interesting alternative to the original. The Great Confuso is an album you’ve got to have if you’re a fan of electronic music.

Hal – Plymouth store

Have you ever heard Surrender? If you haven’t then I demand you go listen to it right now as it is one of the most perfect songs you will ever listen to! Didn’t it make you want to sing along? Of course it did, because like all Cheap Trick’s songs, it’s a perfect pop-rock anthem that makes you want to sing your lungs out. The perfect example of Cheap Trick’s ability to make people want to scream out their vocal chords is At Budokan, the live recording of their best-selling show at the Nippon Budokan, that not only captures the raw brilliance of the band but also shows how much the manic screaming of fans can really add weight to a live performance.

A 2LP complete edition of the gig is being sold on Record Store Day with only 250 being made available in the UK! Of course, you can always get the regular edition if you miss out and still want to sing along to some of the greatest songs of all time.

Hal – Plymouth store

Their ninth studio album The Way is a throwback to the sounds of the past, and one that will be right at home for Buzzcocks fans. Possibly a little harder to get into if this is your first foray into the world of the Manchester punk pioneers, but one that definitely has enough drive and a great blend of angst, whimsy and satire set to the sound of searing guitars to bring you in once given a chance.

A limited edition run of 500 numbered white singles featuring an exclusive b-side is being produced for Record Store Day, so if you’re a fan then pick it up, and if you haven’t heard it at all you can still get the whole album and give it a blast.

Hal – Plymouth store

England’s own James Bay reached the top of the UK album charts in March 2015 with his debut album The Chaos and the Calm and went on to be certified 2x Platinum. It included his most successful single Hold Back the River and led to the Hertfordshire-born singer to be awarded Best Male Solo Artist at the BRIT awards and three nominations for Grammys later on in the year.

The Chaos and the Calm showcases Bay’s accessible and melodic brand of radio-friendly rock that you’ll find yourself humming for the rest of the day. Whether it’s his subtle guitar work or his floating vocals you’ll find something to like about this album.

Stephen – Bristol store

Formed in 1991, Clutch have been at the forefront of good old rock and roll for over 20 years now. In 1998 their third album The Elephant Riders was released through Columbia Records after some success on smaller labels. It turned out to be their only release with Columbia, but contained tracks that soon turned into regular fixtures on their live performances.

Though their groove infused blues rock is still very much in evidence, The Elephant Riders is somewhat unique in that it diverged from previous efforts by including unorthodox instruments such as trombones on some tracks. There’s still all the fuzzy guitar, rumbly bass and booming drums you could want though and that’s what makes it ideal listening for all you rockers out there.

Unbelievably, the album has recently only been available in the UK either as a used CD or as a download, until now. You can buy this brilliant album as a vinyl on Record Store Day this year.

Stephen – Bristol store

Anyone who says they don’t like the experience of mind-bending psychedelic rock is either a liar or they’ve never heard You’re Gonna Miss Me by the 13^th Floor Elevators, a song by one of the pioneering bands in the psychedelic and counter-culture movements of the 60’s. A song that is a mesmerising mix of raw garage band guitars, howling vocals and the constant flutter of an electric jug makes an off-kilter soul song that perfectly encapsulates the feeling of the 1960’s whilst also remaining a song that you can listen to today.

To celebrate the 50^th anniversary, a limited edition French mix of the song plus a B-side of Tried To Hide will be available as a run of 200 for Record Store Day, so pick it up if you miss the days of tie-dye and peace signs.

Hal – Plymouth store

Buena Vista Social Club was a huge soundtrack that brought back some of the biggest Cuban artists from decades gone past. One such artist was Ibrahim Ferrer, who after the success of the first all-star album was able to make his solo album debut at the tender age of 72.

Without a doubt, the standout of all of Buena Vista Social Club, Ferrer has a magic to his voice that I’ve not seen replicated many times, a beautiful voice that’s packed full of soul and really shows that you don’t need to speak someone’s language to understand the emotions conveyed behind the songs.

Hal – Plymouth store

Before Bee Gees became the disco powerhouse that most of us know and love, they were, in my opinion, a pop group able to produce songs on par with The Beatles. I Started A Joke is a perfect example of this; a song that leads the listener upwards into a feeling of flying through the skies, weightless but still with depth, as Robins’ fluttering vibrato keeps you locked into the lyrics waiting with bated breath for those flourishes where he really lets his voice cut loose.

Oddly enough, Faith No More did a version of the same song; it’s a great version that keeps all the power of the original whilst still being its own song, and actually has some sections which feel slightly more expressive.

This Record Store Day there’s a limited release vinyl with both songs side to side on a 7” single, a perfect excuse to see how the two versions compare to each other.

Hal – Plymouth store

If ever you wanted to sum up the virtuosity, excitement, emotion and feel-good swing that jazz music is capable of, you’d be hard pushed to find a better example than this.

Oscar Peterson, hailing from the West Indies but raised in Canada, redefined jazz trio’s at the time by raising the bar to entirely new levels. Where before, there was always a leader way above the other two, Peterson strove to bring the most talented people together so that his trio was an equally sided affair, with all three members being at the top of their game. Also, in a controversial move for the times, his was one of the first trios to partner white and black musicians. Often heard humming and singing along to his own solos, Oscar Peterson was a guy with music in his soul!

Steve – Bristol store

It’s difficult to judge a greatest hits album, as there are always invariably choices that don’t meet every fan’s criteria. However, if you want the best of Jimi Hendrix on a single disc with his well-known tracks then look no further than Smash Hits. Released in 1968 in the UK after the second album, the track listing differed somewhat between the UK and US version which was released a year later. Subsequent compilations have since been released, as will always happen with deceased artist’s cut off in their prime, but this is the template that they all used for their updated versions. Get your “experience” with this classic!

Steve – Bristol store