The Afterword

Musings on the byways of popular culture

Menu

Navigation

You are here: Home / Forum / Afterword Historical, Archival, Remixes & Compilation Poll 2025

Afterword Historical, Archival, Remixes & Compilation Poll 2025

by 134 Comments

Ten votes will count. Ten points for number 1 down to 1 point for number ten. if you don’t number your picks, I will assume the top one is your favourite, award it ten points, then work my way down. If you only vote for three, your lowest will score eight.

Feel free to wax lyrical about as many as you like. In fact, the more waxing the better. The thread will benefit from such content.

Archival = material recorded before the pandemic. For example, Horace Silver gets a vote from me. It has never been released before but was recorded decades ago. It is, therefore, Historical. And it was dug out of the Blue Note Archives.

Poll ends 31st December 2025.

Mods, please tag to the top of the Forum. Thank you.

I declare this poll open.

0

Comments

  1. My votes:

    1. Nick Drake – The Making Of Five Leaves Left
    Wow!

    2. Patti Smith – Horses 50th Anniversary Edition
    This is how to do it. A wonderful remix. You can hear every breath. And a bonus disc that is a genuine bonus with four great songs not included on the album and astonishing alternate takes.

    3. Horace Silver – Silver In Seattle: Live At The Penthouse
    A master at the peak of his powers performs a brilliant previously unreleased live set.

    4. David Bowie – I Can’t Give Everything Away
    The perfect conclusion to the career collecting eras box sets.

    5. Bill Evans – Haunted Heart: The Legendary Riverside Studio Recordings
    Gorgeous.

    6. Little Feat – The Last Record Album
    Nicely polished remaster, a disc of worthwhile outtakes and alternative version and a wonderful live set, not previously available officially. What more do you want?

    7. Talking Heads – More Songs About Buildings And Food
    Astonishing outtakes and an amazingly fresh sound to the album. The live set isn’t too shabby either.

    8. The Durutti Column – The Return Of The Durutti Column Expanded & Remastered.
    Spellbinding.

    9. Richard Hawley – Cole’s Corner 20th Anniversary
    An album without embellishment and a bonus disc that enhances the original.

    10. Ray Charles – Ingredients In A Recipe For Soul
    A brilliant album, unavailable for years, gets a re-release. Simple as that.

  2. 1 – Bruce Springsteen – Tracks II
    2 – Buckingham Nicks – Buckingham Nicks
    3 – The Beatles – Anthology 1-4
    4 – Bob Dylan – Through the Open Window
    5 – Neal Casal – No One Above You: The Early Years 1991-1998
    6 – Bruce Springsteen – Nebraska
    7 – Cowboy Junkies – More Acoustic Junk

  3. 1. Pattie Smith – Horses 50th
    2. Little Feat – The Last Record Album
    3. XTC – Drums and Wires
    4. The Mighty Tull – Still Living In The Past
    5. Genesis – The Lamb Lies Down 50th
    6. Zappa / Mothers – One Size Fits All

    I would also most certainly add the new Welcome To The Pleasuredome but the bloody thing is delayed and hasn’t arrived yet!

    UPDATE: Sod’s Law – literally 2 minutes after I typed this I got a shipping notification for the Frankie ! I’ve already heard a lot of it streaming but can’t decide whether or not it deserves adding here until I’ve listened to the full on Atmos mix.

  4. 1 Bruce Springsteen – Tracks II
    2 Bruce Springsteen – Nebraska ’82
    3 Wilco – A Ghost is Born (extended edition)
    4 Radiohead – Hail to the Thief Live Recordings
    5 Nick Drake – The Making of Five Leaves Left
    6 The Zombies – Odessey and Oracle mono vinyl reissue
    7 John Lennon and Yoko Ono – Power to the People

  5. Only one from me:

    1. Sharp Pins – Radio DDR.

    This was first released as a home cassette in 2024 I have just found out and thus its first widespread release this year is technically a re-release? There’s a new Sharp Pins album just out but fear has come too late for my list.

  6. This is more my tackle as an avid re release buyerist.

    1 Leisure Process – The Complete Epic Recordings
    See review in Nights in

    2 Yachts – Missing in Action
    A collection of tunes from the proposed Yachts third album

    3 The Mood – The Singles 1981 -1984
    All the singles from this obscure New Romantic outfit. No 12″ mixes though

    4 B -Movie – Hidden Treasures
    All the Early Singles, B Sides & 12″ Mixes including the fabulous Nowhere Girl

    5 Peter Godwin – The Polydor Years
    The cut price Ferry with extended versions of his Correspondance & Dance Emotions albums

  8. 1. Stiff Little Fingers – Inflammable Material (4 CD + DVD Box)
    Marking the much recognised 46 years 10 months anniversary, the inflammable debut gets the big box treatment with some most welcome extras.

    2. Beatles – Anthology 4
    It’s the bl***y Beatles!
    I know the argument is “most of the stuff was already in the other box set issues”. Well, I never bought those, so it’s all new to me. And sits on the shelf next to it’s 3 older siblings (even if my OCD is offended by the differences in packaging).

    3. Deep Purple – Made In Japan (Super Deluxe Edition)
    Another peculiar anniversary – 53rd. DP Mk II at their peak, and further cleaning up and extras given to one of the ultimate live albums.

    4. Yachts – Missing in Action
    Oh what could’ve been … this is a real nice to have job, and shows if you’re going to clear an archive there ill always be a market (even if that market might only be 15 people)

  9. Here’s mine, had to leave out Marianne Faithfull and Jaki Byard

    1. The Small Faces – Autumn Stone
    I’m surprised this hasn’t rated a mention anywhere round here, unless I missed it. Remastered classics and newly unearthed studio jams and live recordings. Fastidiously documented.

    2. Frank Zappa – One Size Fits All
    The one I’d been waiting for, and it doesn’t disappoint. Great liner notes as usual from Ruth Underwood. Probably too many versions of some songs but hey, it’s one of Frank’s great albums.

    3. Little Feat – The Last Record Album
    4. Talking Heads – More Songs About Buildings And Food
    See @tiggerlion comments above

    5. Frank Zappa – Cheaper Than Cheep : The Soundtrack (Live)
    Live recording from the great 1974 band, unreleased at the time for technical reasons. Includes dvd.

    6. The Beatles – Anthology 4
    Yeah I know – but what I like about this is hearing them stuff things up and giggle and crack up in the studio. Too often when we think of them in the studio it’s as serious musicians under their boss George Martin but here they’re revealed as four lads having a good time. With their superb songs and excellent singing and musicianship.

    7. The Rolling Stones – Black And Blue
    The studio jams are pretty ordinary but the live concert is great. And it was always a favourite album.

    8. Fleetwood Mac – Like Crying : The Songs Of Danny Kirwan
    Early FM wasn’t all Peter Green. DK wrote some excellent songs

    9. Charles Mingus – Mingus At Monterey
    10. Scaffold – Fresh Liver (Expanded Edition)

  10. A bumper crop of CDs this year, just not many released in 2025.
    Still haven’t got around to buying Anthology 4, I’m filling my boots with the TV series.

    1. Various Artists – Brixton Cat (Doctor Bird)
    Joe Mansano was quite a character. Trinidadian, he criss-crossed Swinging London fronting a record shop and conducting market research at South London house parties. These three CDs (£25) have everything on the ‘Joe’ record label (69-70) including the 69 LP.
    Joe got bored with the advent of roots and Rasta – hey, I ‘really’ like this guy – and ended up back in Trinidad in the 1970s selling sportswear and playing table tennis professionally! This is the kind of reissue I’ll be on the lookout for next year.

    2. The Doors – The Other Side (Uncut)
    Fulfils a similar function to Anthology 4, a bright, breezy ride through a famous group’s back catalogue, only this one was free.

    3. The Small Faces – Something Nice (Uncut)
    Ditto.

    4. Bop-A-Rama Volume 5 (Atomicat)
    Yep, you got it, while others talk about ‘rock ‘n’ roll’, usually about things light years away from Rock ‘n’ Roll, I listen to the stuff, just like John and Paul did.

    5. Various Artists – Beat Surrender: 15 Mod and Soul tracks (Mojo)
    Weller’s a queer fish and jaw-droppingly tedious, so much so I ain’t ever going to Woking if he’s the most interesting thing to come out of it, but sometimes by simple association a Jam connection can pass muster… although always keep the mantra ‘avoid Northern Soul compilations like the plague’ close to heart.

    6. Various Artists – Middle Earth 67-69 (Strawberry)
    Got this to check out Cherry Red’s clamshell box releases. 64 tracks is about four old Rubbles so I’ve only played Disc One. I’m not really on board with this idea of loads and loads and loads.

    7. Various Artists – Greenwich Village: 1950-65 (Mojo)
    A useful companion to the brilliant Dylan’s Scene freebie from 2010.

    8. The Last Movie Soundtrack (Earth Recordings)
    Madder than a box of frogs. Film dialogue, field recordings, Hopper, Peru… confusion everywhere, and in the middle of it all an early take (the first take?) of Kris Kristopherson’s ‘Me and Bobby McGhee’.

    9. Dead Roots: The Grateful Dead Songbook (Mojo)

    10. There is no number ten.

  12. An easy number one!

    1. Dick Gaughan/Live at The BBC 1972-79
    2. The Bluebells/Sisters (for the umpteenth repackaging, but nonetheless……)
    3. Hothouse Flowers/The Older We Get
    4. The G.P.s/In 1981 There Was the G.P.s
    5. The Ugly Guys/Still Kickin’, the Best of the Ugly Guys
    6. Pink Floyd/Pink Floyd at Pompeii—MCMLXXII
    7. Bruce Springsteen/Nebraska ’82
    8. Will Pound/Through the Seasons, a Year in Morris & Folk Dance
    9. The Fabulous Thunderbirds/The Jimmie Vaughan Years Complete Studio Recordings 1978 – 1989
    10. Kate & Anna McGarrigle/ Kate & Anna McGarrigle, Dancer With Bruised Knees

  13. 1 The Lilac Time – Live
    I imagine I’ll never see the Lilac Time live and going by this recording from 2007 that’s a massive shame. The songs are, obviously, great, the tracklist is a really good intro to the group (if a bit short), but above all they sound magnificent here.

    2 Warrington Runcorn New Town Development Plan – Appendix 1
    A collection 3 EPs forming a brilliant introduction for anyone intrigued by the ‘retro-futurism’ of one of the most interesting artists now operating. I think I like it even more than his main album release this year, which is already really good.

    3 Clio – Carambolages (Extended)
    One of my favourite French discoveries of the year. This is a (slightly) expanded reissue of her 2023 album which is a great example of her lightly electronic update of French chanson. Gorgeous.

  14. 1. Peter Hammill ‘The Complete Charisma Recordings’. An 18 disc mammoth collection of this most intriguing artist’s solo output up to the late 70s. A great companion to the similarly mammoth-like set devoted to Van der Graaf Generator’s work for the same label during the same period. Lavishly produced box with informative book and plenty of photos. Reasonably priced too.
    2. Nick Drake ‘The Making of Five Leaves Left.’ I got into him without hearing a note of his music when I was 18 simply based on a description of him in the NME Book of Rock. Suitably intrigued I invested my birthday money in the newly-issued (at the time) Fruit Tree box and was swept away by his voice, songs and playing. He was a troubled soul but left behind such a beguiling legacy of music. This, for me, was his finest album and this new box paints a vivid picture of its origins and development.
    3 Bob Dylan ‘Through the Open Door.’ I have all the Bootleg Series boxes and, although this one covers an era which I occasionally find rather dry and repetitive musically (and with a rather sneering and sometimes insincere sense of faux outrage) it is nonetheless a fascinating insight into the embryonic stage of Dylan’s career.

  15. My votes:

    1. Vari/ations – Ode to Oram (Daphne Oram Reimagined), comp.
    2. Camper Van Beethoven – Telephone free landslide victory, 40th Anniv. re-issue
    3. Luna Rossa – Eight cuts in the Giallo vein, comp.
    4. Ron Geesin – Ghost story (OST)
    5. Jonathan Richman – You must ask the heart, re-issue
    6. Tsapiky! – Modern music from Southwest Madagascar, comp.
    7. Sun God Fraud Squad (Output), comp.
    8. The Dream Syndicate – Medicine show, re-issue
    9. Top Secret! – Val Kilmer / Maurice Jarre (OST)
    10. T-Bone Burnett – Criminal under my own hat, re-issue

    11. Toumani Diabate – Kaira
    12. Mazzy Star – Among my swan
    13. ATA Records – The library archive vol.4
    14. Chet Baker – Re:imagined
    15. The Brides of Funkenstein – Funk or walk
    16. Fairport Convention – Babbacombe Lee
    17. Neil Young – Oceanside countryside
    18. Ry Cooder – Live at the Main Point 1972
    19. Emahoy Tsege Mariam Gebru – Church of Kidane Mehret
    20. Shiloh – Shiloh

  17. 1: V/A: Space: Light Years from Home (compiled by Jon Savage)
    2: Wilco: A Ghost is Born (Expanded Edition)
    3: V/A: All the Young Droids: Junkshop Synthpop 1978-1985
    4: V/A: Histoire de Coeur: Lost French Synthpop 7’ers and Eurobombs (1980-1989)
    5: V/A: Disk Music: A DD. Records Compilation
    6: Polygon Window: Surfing on Sine Waves

  18. 1) Frank Zappa – Cheaper Than Cheep (2xCD with DVD)
    2) Bill Evans – Haunted Heart: The Legendary Riverside Recordings (Box Set)
    3) Pharoah Sanders Quartet – Love Is Here: The Complete Paris 1975 ORTF Recordings
    4) Tubby Hayes Quintet – Antibes ’62
    5) Anita O’Day – Tea For Two-A Centenary Tribute
    6) Gordon Beck – Pay Now Live Later: Live At The Bass Clef ’85
    7) Bobby Wellins/Kenny Wheeler Quintet – The Endangered Species
    8) Kenny Dorham – Blue Bossa
    9) Geoff Castle – Impressions Of New York
    10) Ray Charles – No One Does It Like … Ray Charles!
    11) PAZ – Variation And Creation: The Story Of PAZ
    12) Theo Travis – Secret Island
    13) Tony Coe – The Buds Of Time
    14) Sun Ra – Nuits De La Fondation Maeght
    15) Durutti Column – The Return Of The Durutti Column (45th Anniversary Edition)
    16) Mujician – Concerts

    Struggling to remember which of the many Blue Note golden age (1956-1965, YMMV) albums I’ve heard this year are reissues and which are not, so I’ll leave my list at 16 selections.

    My top ten are definitely in order of (current) preference. The other selections are more fluid.

  20. 1) Bobby Charles – Last Train to Memphis – not only the best reissue this year but one of my favourite albums of all time. For someone who couldn’t ply a note of any instrument he has a fantastic sense of melody and an impressive phone book of contacts – this album features Willie Nelson, Neil Young,Maria Muldaur and Sonny Landreth amongst others.

    2) Prince – Around the World in a day.
    3) Nina Simone – Let it all out – selected singles 1961/1978. The incomparable Nina at her best
    4) Wilco – A ghost is born
    5) Bruce Springsteen – Tracks 2 – great albums, bloody awful packaging.
    6) The Lilac Time – Looking for a day in the night
    7)Thea Gilmore – My own private riot
    8) James – Nothing but love
    9)Hothouse Flowers – The older we get
    10)Francoise Hardy – Voila – the best of.
    11) Toumani Diabate – Kaira
    12) Mulatu Asatke – Plays Mulatu – re-release? Not technically but reworking of his back catalogue.
    13) Ry Cooder – Live at Main Point
    14) Delines – The Scenic sessions
    15) Bobby Charles – The Bearsville sessions (RSD 2025)
    16) Cowboy Junkies – More acoustic junk
    17) Richard Hawley – Coles Corner
    18) Patti Smith – Horses
    19) The GP’s – In 1981 there were the GP’S – not as barnstorming as I would have liked but a very good historical document
    20) Peter Hammill the complete Charisma recordings.- A little bit of a cheat because I haven’t bought this yet but will be doing sop over xmas. I had 5 of the albums on vinyl years ago so I know the quality of those. A unique talent.

  21. by far my favourite archive release of the year, possibly the decade, is:

    1. Hüsker Dü – 1985: The Miracle Year

    HD were one of the great bands of the 80s. Most bands don’t have one genius level songwriter – the Hüskers had two, both writing the manual on how to combine hardcore aggression with pop hooks. That mixture of hurtling speed with melody provides a fizzing adrenaline rush that I never get tired of, catchy pop songs drenched in feedback and noise. But the elephant in the room is that their studio albums were not well recorded, and some of their best songs are far too tinny and trebly on disc. Legal shenanigans mean a remaster programme is extremely unlikely, but in the meantime Numero have stepped up with this release. The first disc is a professional 24-track mobile-unit recording of a January 30, 1985 homecoming date at Minneapolis’ First Avenue, thought lost in a house fire in the early 2000s but rediscovered and restored. It’s the best these songs have ever sounded, the rhythm section finally made audible and the music given the battering ram weight it deserves. The second disc is soundboard recordings from other 1985 shows that fill in some of the discography gaps. It’s rougher than the Minneapolis recording but still a step above the studio material.

    Why was 1985 the “miracle year”? Hüsker Dü’s career moved almost as fast as their records. In January 1985 they released their third studio album New Day Rising (following the double Zen Arcade from July 1984). Just eight months later they put out their fourth, Flip Your Wig, and had most of a fifth recorded (several tracks from that one appear here). They were on fire, and at last this wonderful period has a proper document.

  22. Here we go!

    1. Frank Sinatra-In The Wee Small Hours (Tone Poet Edition)
    2. Bill Holt-Dreamies
    3. Bill Fay-Time Of The Last Persecution
    4, Brigitte Fontaine-Est…..
    5. Various-Safe In My Garden
    6. Gentle Giant-Playing The Fool
    7. Laura Nyro-Angel In The Dark
    8. Shelagh Mcdonald-Stargazer
    9. Various-All The Young Droids
    10. Popol Vuh-Hosanna Mantra

    Bubbling Under:

    Mike Oldfield-Hergest Ridge (Blu-Ray Audio)
    Bill Fay-Bill Fay
    Popol Vuh-In Den Garten Pharaos ..
    Wire-Nine Sevens
    Art Of Noise-Impresions Of Fop+ Ever
    Dana Gillespie-Box Of Surprises
    Trees-Fore And After
    National Health-National Health
    Kathy Mccord-Kathy Mccord
    Kraftwerk-Autobahn (Blu-Ray Audio)
    Francoise Hardy-Voila
    The Zombies-Odessey And Oracle
    Various-John Savage’s 1986-1900
    Various-Silberland Vol 3
    Various-When Will They Ever Learn?
    Various-Mr Norris Changes Brains
    Various-Chip Shop Pop
    Various-Maybe I’m Dreaming
    Giles. Giles And Fripp-The Cheerful In­sanity Of
    Giles. Giles. And Fripp-The Brondesbury Tapes
    Pete Shelley-Homosapien
    Pete Shelley-XP1
    Various-Krautrock Eruption
    Various-Volcanic Tongue
    Various-Gather In The Mushrooms
    Various-Electric Junk
    Various-The Magic Forest
    Various-A New Awakening
    Various-American Baroque
    Various-Motor City Is Burning
    Various-Middle Earth Various-Jingle Jangle Morning
    Various-Secret Superstar Sounds
    Various-More Deep 70s
    Various-Sensitive
    Various-Liverpool Sunset

  23. I can see clearly if still a bit blurry now the cataract has gone so here is a few bits and bobs that I’ve been rather enjoying. The order is as always entirely meaningless so please feel at liberty to rearrange them into whatever order you feel comfortable with.

    Dohnányi – Vienna the Complete Decca Recordings.
    Sir Charles Mackerras – The Complete Warner Classics Recordings.
    Carlo Maria Giulini – Complete Remastered Studio Recordings on Warner Classics.
    Sir Thomas Beecham – Complete Studio Recordings on Warner Classics.
    Michael Béroff – Complete Erato Recordings.
    Nick Drake – The Making of Five Leaves Left. I’ve only streamed this release but I have bought a copy as a Christmas present to myself. It has yet to arrive. The wait is making me nervous!

  24. Number one for me has to be the 25th anniversary re release of My Life Story’s third album ‘Joined Up Talking’ released as a 3 CD collection and also on vinyl for the first time

    CD1 is the remastered album
    CD2 is b-sides
    CD3 is demo’s

    the first album for them when it wasn’t as orchestrally focused and was more power pop, featuring some very of their time lyrics … songs mentioning Tamagotchi, rent boys on gameboys, speed diallers, you’re premenstrual and you’re post cocaine.

    they just played an amazing gig at Dingwalls of the full album with Jake’s new bandmates which also featured guest appearances from the line up that recorded this album.

  25. Here are my 20

    1. Wilco-A Ghost Is Born (Expanded Edition)
    2. Nick Drake-The Making Of Five Leaves Left
    3. Bruce Springsteen-Tracks II: The Lost Albums
    4. Talking Heads-More Songs About Buildings And Food (Super Deluxe Edition)
    5. The Bill Evans Trio-Haunted Heart: The Legendary Riverside Studio Recordings
    6. David Bowie-I Can’t Give Everything Away
    7. Little Feat-The Last Record Album (Deluxe Edition)
    8. Various Artists-David Hepworth More Deep 70s
    9. Various Artists-Time! Gentlemen! Pub Rock Rhythm ‘N’ Grooves
    10. Various Artists-Rollin’ And Tumblin’-American Electric Blues 1965-1971
    11. Billy Joel-And So It Goes
    12. Various Artists-When Will They Ever Learn?-A History Of U.S. Folk Music 1963-1969
    13. Joni Mitchell-Joni’s Jazz
    14. Neil Young-Archives Vol. III
    15. Bruce Springsteen-Nebraska ’82 (Expanded Edition)
    16. The Beatles-Anthology 4
    17. Horace Silver-Silver In Seattle: Live At The Penthouse 1965
    18. Neil Young-Oceanside Countryside
    19. Bob Dylan-Through The Open Window: The Bootleg Series Vol. 18
    20. Pink Floyd-Wish You Were Here 50

  26. OK, I’m ready to vote.

    1. Pete Shelley – Homosapien
    I bought the LP in -82, but in the last 20 years or so I’ve never been able to listen to it (because I’m too lazy to put my stereo back together properly, because I’m too lazy to play LPs…) Finally listening to this again on CD made me feel like my teenage self – in a good way! This is an all banger album and I love it as much today as I did then.

    2. Soft Cell – This Last Night…in Sodom
    And the same goes for this one; only ever owned it on LP so didn’t listen to it for many years. And it’s another one of my favourite albums from those years. People who claim that there was no good music in the 80s are weird. Definitely the best decade for music!

    3. Pete Shelley – XI – 1
    Almost as brilliant as the first two, but I didn’t own it at the time. I heard it many times, but didn’t have any money when it was released, and when I finally got some, new albums had arrived that felt more important to buy. So this is the first time I actually own a copy of this album! Love it, but I’m less nostalgic about this one.

    4. Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark – Crush (40th Anniversary Deluxe Edition)
    Another 80s album I played constantly at the time, and only owned the LP of. This 2 disc edition has a disc of demos, mixes, versions and B-sides, which are a mixed bag of – mostly – fun.

    5. Prince and the Revolution – Around the World in a Day (Deluxe Expanded Edition)
    I’m not going to sound like a broken record, so you can by now guess why I bought this on CD… Another soundtrack to my youth, uncovering memories long forgotten when pressing Play. This bunch of remixes and versions are less interesting to me, I just don’t have the patience to listen to three versions of the same song.

    6. Swedish Rock & Pop + Alternative, 1970 – 1979
    This is a weird compilation of tracks, mostly big hits (in Sweden) at the time, which only appeals to me because I would hear all (well, most) of them on the radio back then, and they’re such a strange mix! I’m not sure what counts as “alternative” in this bunch, they were all popular artists and these are more often than not their biggest hits. The exception is ABBA, represented by early hit “Rock Me”. A lot of these tracks are really cheesy, but they take me back to my childhood home, where I spent my time bringing the transistor radio from room to room all day long.

    7. George Harrison – George Harrison
    Christmas 1979 is one of my most vivid memories, and probably one of my happiest times. I got this album, a 500 piece jigsaw puzzle with a motif of wild horses running through water, and a whole heap of wonderful books. I would then spend my holiday on the living room floor in my PJs, listening to George non stop, while solving my puzzle or reading my books, occasionally pouring myself another glass of Julmust and getting some cake. Ever since that year, this is still how I celebrate Christmas. I listen to George Harrison’s self-titled album, do a new jigsaw puzzle, read new books and, of course, eat cake and drink ice cold Julmust. Bliss.

    8. Habibi Funk – A Selection of Music from Libyan Tapes
    What it says on the tin, with the extra surprise of hearing a few well-known pop songs by well-known artists interpreted both linguistically and musically (and without credits in the liner notes)! Bob Marley and Pink Floyd are two that “inspired” these Libyan artists, and it can take a while for the penny to drop (but NOT for the Pink Floyd one!) Besides that, the music is balancing on the edge between good and bad, but more often ending up on the good side.

    9. Emmylou Harris – Spyboy
    A live album reissue, recorded during the Wrecking Ball tour, now remastered and 4 unreleased tracks added (apparently). It’s fine, not really my cup of tea – but since I have a tenth spot free I might as well add it!

      • Actually, looking at them now I don’t think they are reissues…I assumed they were because my online vendor had a release date in November for a bunch of Harrison albums that were said to have extra tracks and one (Cloud Nine, which I forgot to include in my list above and had meant for the number nine spot, before Emmylou) was described as having tracks remixed or remastered; can’t remember what it said now.
        And since they hadn’t ever been in stock on CD for years (which is what I bought, since I have the original LPs), I thought they were new reissues.
        Looking at the physical copies now however, they have the copyright year of 2004!
        So, @Tiggerlion, I guess you can remove the seventh entry from my list and move the other two up. Sorry!

  28. I don’t feel up to ranking candidates, as I clearly don’t have the breadth of knowledge of most of you on this matter, but I would like to flag a couple not yet mentioned (or missed out by Mousey).

    John Smith : Gatherings
    Marianne Faithful : Cast Your Fate to the Wind

  29. Can’t see these changing now – so might as well post:

    1. Peter Hammill – Charisma and Virgin Years box
    (Number one by a mile – this and the recent VdGG Charisma box are my reissues of the decade)

    2. Jethro Tull – Still Living in the Past
    3. Pink Floyd – At Pompeii MCMLXXII
    4. Gentle Giant – Playing the Fool
    5. The Durutti Column – Return of The Durutti Column
    6. Christoph von Dohnányi/Cleveland Orchestra – Symphonies and various
    7. Little Feat – Last Record Album
    8. Bill Nelson – Quit Dreaming and Get on the Beam
    9. Dick Gaughan – Live at The BBC 1972-1979
    10. Sandy Denny – Like an Old Fashioned Waltz

    Honourable mentions for the following, but I haven’t got around to purchasing them yet:

    Sir Charles Mackerras – The Complete Warner Classics Recordings
    (nice to have them collected together – but I need to check what percentage of these I might already own)
    Sir Thomas Beecham – Complete Studio Recordings on Warner Classics
    (as above – need to check the current collection first)
    Prestige All Stars/Thad Jones – After Hours
    Neil Young – Tonight’s the Night (50th anniversary)

  30. 1. Bruce Springsteen – Tracks 2
    2. The Who – Live at the Oval 1971
    3. The Beatles – Anthology 4
    4. Bob Dylan – Through an Open Window
    5. Bruce Springsteen – Nebraska
    6. Patti Smith – Horses
    7. Rolling Stones – Black and Blue
    8. Nick Drake-The Making Of Five Leaves Left
    9. Talking Heads – More Songs About Buildings And Food
    10. The Small Faces – Autumn Stone 

  32. 1. Bruce Springsteen – Tracks II

    2. Dick Gaughan – Live At The BBC 1972-1979

    3. Various – When Will They Ever Learn

    4. Ry Cooder – Live At The Main Point

    5. Nick Drake – The Making Of Four Leaves Left

    6. Bob Dylan – Through An Open Window

    7. Hothouse Flowers – The Older We Get

    8. Bruce Springsteen- Nebraska

    9. Little Feat – The Last Record Album

    10. Joni Mitchell – Joni’s Jazz

  33. 1. Horslips – At the BBC

    2. It’s Immaterial – The Complete Sessions

    3. Jethro Tull – Still Living in the Past

    4. Dick Gaughan – Untroubled: Live in Belfast 1979-1982

    5. Dick Gaughan – Live in the 70s

    6. Various – All the young droids: All The Young Droids: Junkshop Synth Pop 1978-1985

    7. Bruce Springsteen – Nebraska

    8. Frank Zappa – One size fits all

    9. The GPs – in 1981 there was…

    10. Julian Cope – Citizen Cain’d (Cope’s Notes #7)

  35. I’ve only got one; Misty in Roots Live at the Counter Eurovision 79 which has just had a deluxe edition produced via Bandcamp. I had this on vinyl when it first came out but never bought it on CD. I downloaded it last month and it’s brilliant in a kind of “all the tracks sound the same but I don’t care because it’s brilliant” sort of way. 10 points from me!

  36. I didn’t buy much this year in this category (or any others really) so I’ll have The Last Record Album by Little Feat and Jethro Tull – Still Living in the Past.

  37. 1 Bob Dylan – Bootleg Series Vol 18 Through the Open Window
    2 Nick Drake – The Making of Five Leaves Left
    3 Bruce Springsteen – Nebraska 82
    4 Bill Fay – From the bottom of an old grandfathers clock
    5 Patti Smith – Horses 50th Anniversary Edition
    6 Woody Guthrie – Woody at Home Vols 1 & 2
    7 Little Feat – The Last Record Album Deluxe Edition
    8 Bruce Springsteen – Tracks II
    9 The Beatles – Anthology Collection
    10 Bill Evans – Haunted Heart : The Legendary Riverside Studio Recordings

    Thank you

  38. Finally managed to compile this (its always a challenge as I file these archival releases in my library under the original release year, so I can’t just sort on 2025 to remind me what I bought!)

    1. Bruce Springsteen – Tracks II
    2. David Bowie – I Can’t Give Everything Away
    3. Pink Floyd – Pink Floyd at Pompeii MCMLXXII
    4. Radiohead – Hail To The Thief Live Recordings
    5. Genesis – The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway
    6. Richard Hawley – Coles Corner 20th Anniversary
    7. Little Feat – Last Record Album
    8. Jethro Tull – Still Living In The Past
    9. Grateful Dead – Blues For Allah (50th Anniversary)
    10. XTC – Drums & Wires (even though this is a reissue of a reissue !)

    Bubbling under…
    Bruce Springsteen – Nebraska ’82
    Buckingham Nicks / Buckingham Nicks
    Deep Purple – Made In Japan
    Pink Floyd – Wish You Were Here 50th Anniversary
    Air – Virgin Suicides Redux

  39. 1. Bob Dylan – Through the Open Window Bootleg Series No 18
    I’ve been surprised how many Afterworders seem to diskard early Dylan. Me, I love it. The songs are great and are just tumbling out of him: he can hardly get them down on paper or on record fast enough. His vocals are fantastic too. This collection gives testament to that.

    2. Bruce Springsteen – Tracks 2 the Lost Albums
    Not as good as Tracks 1 (how could it be – it’s one of the truly great sets of unreleased material) but as with that collection, your jaw just drops at the sheer productivity of the guy and at the quality of stuff he previously deemed not worth putting out.

    3. Bruce Springsteen – Nebraska 82 the Expanded Edition
    As so often, a set that demonstrates the maxim that the original version of a song an artist puts out there usually is the best one. Nonetheless, great to hear the alternative takes including the ‘electric Nebraska’.

    4. Frazey Ford – Indian Ocean
    It’s not a spectacular release in truth – the album is made available on vinyl, and three (gorgeous) cover versions Frazey and the Hi Rhythm Section recorded in the studio are added on streaming sites. But it’s one of my favourite albums of this century and, eleven years on, it still sounds magnificent.

    5. Joni Mitchell – Joni’s Jazz
    Post Hejira Joni never really grabbed me but this set suggests that is just because I wasn’t paying enough attention. In this non-chronological compilation from across her career the later tracks more than hold their own. Whether it’s all ‘jazz’ is a moot point but who cares? – it sounds fantastic.

    6. Bill Evans – Haunted Heart: the Legendary Riverside Studios Recordings
    The more I listen to Bill Evans the better he gets. I didn’t know these albums and it’s wonderful to get lost in them and the alternative versions in this collection.

    7. The Rolling Stones – Black and Blue
    Not the greatest Stones album but at its best it’s a lot of fun and it was one of my personal soundtrack albums in the long hot summer of 1976, in those blissful months between school and university. Great to listen to it again, and it is certainly worthy of this treatment.

    8. The Beatles – Anthology 4
    As with the previous Anthology releases I can’t imagine playing this very often – but it’s good to have it and to know it’s there.

    9. Paul Brady – Archive
    Very nice self issued and limited edition 4CD set of outtakes, live tracks and obscurities from the Strabane songsmith

    10. John Fogerty- Legacy The Creedence Clearwater Revival Years (John’s Version)
    Fogerty does a Taylor and releases note for note new recordings of classics from his Creedence back catalogue. I’m in three minds about this:
    a) I’m not even sure it qualifies for this category – I’ll leave @tiggerlion to adjudicate on this
    b) For Fogerty I am sure this is a cathartic celebration of his regaining the rights to the songs, and, hopefully, it will make him a few bob as well. But for the rest of us it is a rather pointless – and, it has to be said – pointed exercise. And yet –
    c) What a catalogue of songs it is; surely the greatest by any American band outside the Beach Boys. There are twenty songs here and they sound as timelessly brilliant as they did when first written and recorded across an incandescent five year period over half a century ago.

    • I agree with everything you say about Frazey Ford. As for Fogerty, I’ll chew it over and get back to you. My immediate reaction is that it is not a remix, historical nor archival but a new covers album.

    • You make a good point about Bob’s B.S. #18 B.B. a number of so-called fans dismissed this release I didn’t buy it straight away as I normally do with Bob’s releases

      I was waiting for a price reduction but thought feck it I’m in and I wasn’t disappointed, it’s superb!

      Thinking back I easily spent double or treble the amount buying bootlegs from that era the Carnegie Hall discs are worth the price of admission alone

      Bruce’s Tracks II – it contains some superb never released albums ‘INYO’ & ‘Somewhere North Of Nashville’ I rate in his Top 5 albums

      I totally agree with your comments on ‘Nebraska’ and ‘Joni’s Jazz’

      Anthology 4 – I’ve played both CDs at least a dozen times and will return to them they remind me of the magic surrounding that band

  42. I have been listening to loads of old music (as well as listening to new music, and making plenty of music too.

    The one standout that was released in 2025 was The Dream Syndicate – Medicine Show : I Know What You Like (Deluxe Edition) , a mighty band capturing lightning in a bottle

  43. Here are my favourite historical recordings, etc. of 2025, as detailed in a separate thread (which has so far attracted no comments at all – hah!):

    1. Bruce Springsteen – Lost and Found: Selections from the Lost Albums
    2. Toumani Diabate – Kaira
    3. Augustus Pablo – King Tubbys Meets Rockers at 5 Cardiff Crescent, Washington Garden, Kingston
    4. Techniques All Star – Meditation Dub
    5. Karen Dalton – Shuckin’ Sugar
    6. Kristen Noguès & John Surman – Diriaou
    7. Hiroshi Yoshimura – Flora
    8. Arvo Pärt – Silentium
    9. Warren Zevon – Epilogue: Live at the Edmonton Folk Festival
    10. Grant Green – Solid

    11. The Who – Live at the Oval 1971
    12. Grateful Dead – The Music Never Stopped

  44. 1>The Monkees – Pisces Aquarius Capricorn & Jones Ltd
    After 15 years, Rhino complete the 3-4 CD reissues of the first 8 Monkees albums with PAC&JLtd. They have been exemplary. Alt takes, rehearsals, new remixes, tv versions, each CD stuffed past 77 minutes. All hail Andrew Sandoval and his tenacious archiving.

    2>The Who – Who Are You
    Wasn’t intending to buy the box set of my least favourite Who album, plus they left off Pete’s demos (label wouldn’t pay for them apparently). However, some excellent reviews, and packaging, and notes, and I couldn’t resist. The box tells the story of Two Whos: The original band trying to deliver with Keith in tow, and the Kenney Jones New Who. The album sounds very good, the Atmos mix is excellent, rehearsals with Keith and latterly Kenney, and two CDs of live 1979 – an era previously ignored.

    3>Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band – Still Barking
    This came out on 18th Dec 2024 but deserves to be counted here. A great example of one of those “all you can eat” boxsets that Madfish do so well. 24 CDs, 3 DVDs, a book that’s worth a lot on its own. Have I listened to all of it yet? No!

    4>John & Yoko – Power To The People
    One should not buy boxsets out of a sense of obligation, just because it will match the others on the shelf. However, Sean Ono Lennon’s work on John & Yoko catalogue has generated enough trust from me to pick up this 9CD/3BR collection. Fundamentally it’s a compromise of two separate boxsets: A SomeTime in New York City box set, advertised originally in 2022 before being withdrawn (because of *that* song), and a John Lennon Live! boxset which had also been rumoured for a few years. Focusing this set on the August 1972 MSG shows played by John & Yoko is a bit odd, even if they take up 3 of the CDs. The box should have been called New York City, if you play the CDs in the following order 7 – 9 – 8 – 6- 5- 4 – 2 -3 you get a roughly chronological take on the year from Summer 71 to 72 culminating in the concerts, and you can contextualise their year in NYC. I should say though that the studio rehearsals with Elephant’s Memory are not good.

    5>Pink Floyd – WYWH50
    Sony bought out the other four Floyds in Sept 2024 and have had a very active 2025 getting to work on the archives now that there is no one who can veto anything. Two number one albums has been the result. The Dark Side 50th in 2023 was hugely underwhelming, whereas WYWH50 offered some new (and old) extra tracks that were genuinely great, a bootleg(!), and top value in the Bluray package. Where shall we go next? Can we get a proper Wall reissue? The 2012 box was very poor.

  45. Not really got much to add but…
    1. The Beatles Anthology 4 – I dont play any of the Anthology records much but they are very interesting.
    2. Husker Du – The Miracle Year. I saw them in Leeds in 1986, and they blew me away.
    3. Warrington Runcorn New Town Development Plan – appendix 1 – 3 EPs put together for maximu enjoyment.

  46. 1) Paul Brady – Archives
    2) Drive By Truckers – Decoration Day
    3) The Elites – The Scenic Sessions
    4) Bruce Springsteen – Nebraska
    5) Seven Windows – Seven Windows

  47. 1. The O’Jays – Back Stabbers / Ship Ahoy / Survival / Family Reunion
    First four studio albums for Philly Int’l – now remastered on 2-CD set – every one a gem

    2. Charlie Rouse – Cinnamon Flower
    Ex-Mingus quartet sax player’s late 70s Latin jazz minor classic – now reissued with the mix the musician wanted alongside the slicked-up more fusion friendly sound of the original issue. “Clover and Cinnamon” sounds ever wonderful.

    3. Masabumi Kikuchi – Hanamichi: The Final Studio Recording Vol. II
    New recordings unearthed of the great pianist’s work – in turn beautiful balladeering and more free form meanderings

    4. Oksana Linde – Travesias
    Venezuelan pioneer of self-composed and recorded electronic/ambient pleasantness from the 80s/90s

    5. Marc Cary – Cary On
    30th anniversary reissue of US jazz pianist’s debut album. Such a fine player – and here accompanied by the likes of Roy Hargrove on a swinging set

    6. Art Pepper – An Afternoon in Norway: The Kongsberg Concert
    Saw him perform in Leicester a couple of weeks before he recorded this live set in 1980 – on fine form with his top notch quartet

    7. Rufus and Chaka Khan – Live! Stompin’ at the Savoy/Red Seal
    One of the great live soul/funk albums gets a welcome CD reissue – unfortunately paired with the band’s duffer of a final album after Chaka had left the band

    8. Odyssey – S/T
    Not the “Native New Yorker” hitmakers but an early 70s release on Motown spin-off Mowest – sort of soulful funk meets Laurel Canyon folksiness – best known for classic “Battened Ships”

    9. Sweet Harmony – Sweet soul vocals 1961-84
    Ace compilation of wonderful often obscure music in a Delfonics/Stylistics mood

    10. Irma Thomas – Wish someone would care
    Vinyl reissue of mid-60s classic album – still going strong at 84 years old

    Couple of terrific remixes of 70s/80s soul classics from Joe Clausell:

    Norman Connors – Take it to the limit
    Ashford and Simpson – It seems to hang on

    Reissues:

    Trying hard not to spend on 7 inch reissues – but the quality keeps coming – with some fascinating finds in the vaults of Motown and Stax in particular.

    Classic 70s soulful dancers:

    We the People – Making my daydream real

    Beloyd – Get into your life

    Edwin Starr – Real humdinger/SOS
    Nifty previously unreleased version of the old JJ Barnes youth club northern soul banger – with promo version of his classic tune for local Detroit radio station on the B-side

    Bobbie Gentry – Thunder in the afternoon
    Slinky soulful groover – only ever on CD – now released on Bob Stanley’s Measured Mile 7 inch single label

    Best ’til last – an absolute gem of a deep soul ballad that first appeared in demo form on a Stax (and Mojo) CD – now released for the first time in its intended string-laden final form:

    Shirley Brown – I don’t care anymore / flipside of Carla Thomas/Eddie Floyd’s “It’s our time” is another gem.

  48. 1. Nick Drake – Making Of Five Leaves Left
    2. Gruff Rhys – American Interior
    3. The Cure – Mixes Of A Lost World
    4. Levellers – Zeitgeist (30th Anniversary)
    5. Radiohead – Hail to the Thief Live Recordings
    6. Buckingham Nicks (self-titled)
    7. Bruce Springsteen – Nebraska ’82
    8. Neil Young – Tonight’s the Night (50th anniversary)
    9. Pulp – Different Class 30
    10. Neil Young – Oceanside Countryside

  50. 1. Robin Trower – For Earth Below
    2. Ten Years After – Ssssh
    3. Bob Dylan – Through The Open Window
    4. Jethro Tull – Still Living In The Past
    5. Little Feat – The Last Record Album
    6. Neil Young – Oceanside Countryside
    7. Bruce Springsteen – Lost And Found
    8. The Who – Live At The Oval 1971
    9. Buckingham Nicks – Buckingham Nicks
    10. Pink Floyd – Pink Floyd At Pompeii MCMLXII

  51. In no particular order (so please assign points equally):

    Talking Heads – More Songs…
    Adam & The Ants – The Singles
    Skids – Land Sea and Sky: Skids Singles 1978-81
    Blondie – No Exit
    Belly – King
    The Colourfield – Virgins & Philistines
    Richard Hawley – Coles Corner
    Dr Feelgood – Down By The Jetty
    Pretenders – The Singles
    Sunhouse – Crazy On The Weekend
    Kraftwerk – KW1, KW2, Ralf & Florian
    Wire – Nine Sevens
    The Blue Aeroplanes – Magic Realism
    The Blue Aeroplanes – Ousider Art

Leave a Reply