It’s been a good year for Reissues and Archival Recordings, although maybe not quite up to the sky-high level of 2017 and 2018. Presented here are my Top 24 albums for 2019.
I found it impossible to put them in a straight 24-down-to-1 ranking order, so I’m presenting nos 17 to 24 in alphabetical order, followed by nos 9 to 16 in alphabetical order, and finally nos 1 to 8, also in alphabetical order.
So, here we go, then, with the first batch of eight reissues or archival recordings…
The duco01 24 Favourite Reissues and Archival Recordings of 2019
by 23 Comments
Numbers 17 to 24 in alphabetical order
Bohren & der Club of Gore – Bohren For Beginners
A respectable ‘greatest hits’ set from the brilliant German ambient jazz outfit. As always in such cases, my advice is: skip the greatest hits and get the band’s best studio album – in this case, the magnificent “Sunset Mission”.
Grateful Dead – The Warfield, San Francisco, CA 10/9/80 & 10/10/80
A Record Store Day release of two acoustic sets from the same 1980 tour which yielded the “Reckoning” live album. Perfectly acceptable, but inessential if you already have “Reckoning”.
Steve Hiett – Girls in the Grass
A new name to me, artist/photographer Steve Hiett (1940-2019) recorded these 10 short, woozy, sun-baked instrumentals sometime in the 1980s or 90s (I think). Very nice.
https://boomkat.com/products/girls-in-the-grass
Jóhann Jóhannsson – Retrospective I
This is a 7CD box compiling much of the early work of the much-missed Icelandic ambient composer. It’s particularly gratifying that the excellent “Virðulegu Forsetar” album is now available again as part of this set.
Michel Samson & Rebecca Samson – The Claviorganum and the Violin
A French husband and wife duo playing duets of 17th century Italian baroque music. Rebecca Samson plays a very strange instrument that is a cross between an organ and a harpsichord. Incredibly, this Michel Samson is the same Michel Samson who played in the Albert Ayler band for a year in the mid-sixties!
https://michelsamsonviolin.hearnow.com/
Shaka All Stars – Message from Africa
A welcome reissue of a Jah Shaka album comprising one side of vocal tracks and one side of dubs.
Townes van Zandt – Sky Blue
Eleven acoustic demos that had been lying around since 1973. Certainly worth getting if you’re a Townes fan.
Various Artists – Black Man’s Pride 3: None Shall Escape The Judgement Of The Almighty
More righteous Rastafarian sounds from the archives of Studio One. Not quite up to the standards of Volume 2, but still a decent enough set.
Right. That’s it for now. The second batch of eight will be coming up in due course …
Black Man’s Pride- a great series! (I must keep an eye out for Volume 1, which I appear to have mis-filed)
He’s a big teaser…
He took me 1/3 of the way there…
Okey-dokey – let’s crack on. It’s time for …
Numbers 9 to 16 in alphabetical order
Grateful Dead – Dave’s Picks Vol. 30 (plus bonus disc)
Both the early evening and late night shows from the Fillmore East, New York City on 2 January 1970. The band heads into the new decade on the threshold of a new sound, giving an early run-out to some of the “Workingman’s Dead” material. The “Dark Star” is 32 minutes long, but gets completely lost somewhere in the middle.
Bunny Lee & Prince Jammy with the Aggrovators – Dubbing in the Front Yard & Conflict Dub
I thought I already had enough late70s/early 80s dub sets from Striker Lee’s studio. I thought wrongly.
Lloyd McNeill – Treasures
Soul Jazz records have done a splendid job of reissuing the works of flautist Lloyd McNeill since first unearthing his 1969 debut “Asha” back in 2011. “Treasures” is another fine little set; if you like the sound of the flute in jazz, get it.
David Murray – Ballads for Bass Clarinet
I like the sound of the bass clarinet in jazz. I just do. And London’s Ko Ko records did the world a big favour in reissuing a first-ever vinyl version of this David Murray album from 1991.
https://kokomusic1.bandcamp.com/album/ko-ko-music-presents-ballads-for-bass-clarinet-by-david-murray-quartet-first-time-on-vinyl
Various Artists – Dave Godin’s Deep Soul Treasures Volume 5
It’s 15 years since the death of soul music aficionado and label boss Dave Godin. During his lifetime, four volumes of his Deep Soul Treasures from the Vaults were released. And now, in 2019, a fifth volume emerged, consisting of another 25 gems from a mixture of familiar and obscure artists. Many of these cuts were ones that Godin had tried to include in the first four collections, but hadn’t been able for legal/rights reasons.
Various Artists – Spiritual Jazz 9: Blue Note AND
Various Artists – Spiritual Jazz 10: Prestige
In my view, Jazzman’s “Spiritual Jazz” is the greatest series of ‘various artists’ jazz compilations ever. And 2019 saw two new volumes added to the canon. Whereas many of the earlier volumes in the series consisted of impossibly obscure tracks from 60s and 70s private press sources, Volumes 9 and 10 focused on two of the most famous labels in the history of jazz, Blue Note and Prestige. The selections are impeccable, and if you’re a fan of the spiritual jazz genre, dive in.
Yabby You Meets King Tubby – Walls of Jerusalem
Producer and singer Vivian Jackson (Yabby You) was one of the most important figures in the history of Jamaican music, and his collaborations with King Tubby are consistently great. But if you already have Blood & Fire’s epoch-making “Jesus Dread” 2CD compilation from 1997, then I’m not sure that this new Pressure Sounds reissue is essential, as at least 7 tracks are duplicated. Make sure you have “Deeper Roots”, “Beware”, “King Tubby’s Prophesy of Dub” and “Yabby You & Michael Prophet Meets Scientist At The Dub Station” first. Only then, get this.
I bought the David Murray from emusic many years ago – I will be off to bandcamp to buy that on vinyl, great to hear it is available. Spiritual Jazz 9 and 10 were on heavy rotation and I am now thinking of going back to fill the holes in my collection.
Dave Godin collections are always great, too.
(I think this is the highest hit rate I have ever had on your always-impeccable selections)
Someone called Starritt has compiled 15 of of the Godin tracks
And here are the previous 4 volumes. Rather a lot of tracks missing but well worth a browse anyway.
Strange way to list things, and I have not recognized any so far 😉 Am guessing Gene Clark’s No Other is number 1, or should I say between 1 and 8?
Gene Clark’s “No Other” is indeed a great album, but I’ve got an old CD copy of it, and didn’t feel the need to buy the reissue. So I couldn’t really put it in my chart.
Confession: I downloaded it (legally).
The two Spiritual Jazz albums are both worthy of a top ten position.
If yr gonna start threads about yourself and your music taste which we’re expected to have a view on, you could have picked a catchier username than “duco01”?
You’re right, Dr V. I have a crap username. I sort of … accidentally created it a couple of lifetimes ago on the old Word forum, and haven’t bothered to change it since. Perhaps I should start a thread to say “My new name is Mr Snoutychops. I used to be known as duco01…”
Haha! Fair dos and henceforth you’ll always be Mr Snoutychops to me! 🙂
duco is an OG of this parish, and has been sharing his love of interesting music since it was all fields around here.
His many joyful tips have included Matthew Halsall and the whole Gondwana gang
So true, Senor Malo. The Duke has introduced us to all manner of marvellous artists. Would we have paid more attention to Mr Snoutychops?
I am kicking myself that I did not devote more time to thinking up a cool, stylish, sophisticated user-name. Like “Gary”. Now that is a name that has it all. Enigmatic yet sturdy. Timeless yet utterly contemporary.
I remember my application to join the Afterword. I was contacted by a lady called Hannah who put me through a gruelling two-hour interview. No stone left unturned.
Knackered, I chose a name on the hoof.
New decade. Time for a new name???
Isn’t a large part of this site’s ‘point’ that it is about ourselves and our tastes in music, or culture generally? I don’t feel that I’m expected to have a view on anything posted here.
://filing name change to ‘GSV Never Knowingly Overgravitased’.
You hit the nail nicely on the head there @GCU Grey Area. here we write about what we want to and there is no editor taking an overview and making sure that the AW covers stuff.
A newspaper would be neglecting its readers if it ignored a new album by, for example Dylan or a new film by Tarantino. It does not matter here.
Right then, Afterworders. What better way to begin your preparations for your riotous New Year’s Eve party than with the top eight reissues and archive recordings of the year according to yours truly. Time to unveil ‘em….
Numbers 1 to 8 in alphabetical order
Abdallah Ag Oumbadougou – Vol. 1 Anou Malane: Poesies et Chansons de la Résistance Touaregs
This is an absolute revelation. A recording from the very source of Touareg music in 1995, a full six years before the first Tinariwen album. Tinariwen have now had almost 2 decades of worldwide tours and record sales, while Abdallah Ag Oumbadougou is … goodness knows where. But this album is a veritable cracker. If you like that rolling desert blues sound, this is the wellspring of it.
https://abdallahagoumbadougou.bandcamp.com/album/anou-malane
Gigi – Illuminated Audio
Ejigayehu Shibabaw (“Gigi”) is a singer originally from Ethiopia. She released her breakthrough third, eponymous album in 2001, backed by heavyweight jazz names like Herbie Hancock, Pharaoh Sanders and Wayne Shorter. She then handed over the project to her husband Bill Laswell to do an big ambient dub mix of the entire album, which he called “Illuminated Audio”. Time Capsule have reissued this as a lovely vinyl double LP – a superb pressing. I think this would appeal to a lot of people. Simply a monster groove.
Grateful Dead – Dave’s Picks Vol. 29
The Dead’s first show of 1977 at the Swing Auditorium, San Bernadino, CA on 26 February of that year. Features the first ever performances of two genuine GD classics: “Estimated Prophet” and “Terrapin Station”. A sparkling start to what would be a vintage year in Dead history.
Nelson Kinloch – Partly on Time: Recordings 1968-1970
Tompkins Square Records have uncovered another minor classic here. The guy in the floppy felt hat in the front cover photo is Kinloch Nelson, a teenage guitarist from upstate New York. In the late 60s, he recorded a few acoustic instrumentals onto tape. They finally see the light of day 50 years later, and sound quite lovely.
https://tompkinssquare.bandcamp.com/album/partly-on-time-recordings-1968-1970
Bunny Lee – Dreads Enter the Gates with Praise
Top-notch Soul Jazz compilation of vocal and dub cuts from the Striker Lee vaults. Jackie Edwards’ version of “So Jah Seh” leaves Bob Marley’s in the dirt.
Michael O’Shea – Michael O’Shea
Irish experimental musician Michael O’Shea busked around Europe in the 1970s, before finding an old door in a skip in Munich. He converted the centre section of it into a weird hybrid sitar-like instrument that he called a mo chara. He then met Wire’s Bruce Gilbert and Graham Lewis, who produced his eponymous album, which was recorded in one day. “Michael O’Shea” finally got a much-deserved reissue this year. Try the astonishing 15-minute centrepiece raga, “No Journey’s End.”
https://moshea.bandcamp.com/
Prince Jazzbo – Pepper Rock
Like many Jamaican albums, this deejay LP has gone by different names and configurations over the years, the best-known being “Choice of Version”. These really are vintage Jazzbo cuts from early 70s Studio One. It comes in a sleeve from Peckings Records in Shepherd’s Bush, with the label including the old “01-” London telephone number to the shop, from the days even before the 071- and 081- split in London numbers. Nice!
Various Artists – Freedom For The Stallion: American Soul Music 1952-1976
In 2018, Mississippi Records’ Cairo imprint produced three stunning double LPs of little-known gems of soul music from the 50s, 60s and 70s. This year, there was just one vinyl set, but it was a triple. Thankfully, the super-high standard of the material was maintained, with unfamiliar songs by the likes of the Impressions, Irma Thomas, Ben E. King, Ann Peebles, Lee Dorsey and Nina Simone, alongside equally strong numbers by lesser-known artists
Wishing you may happy listening experiences in 2020!
//duco
more convergence! The Bunny Lee has been a regular listen (and of course has pointed me at many trails to follow) and Freedom For The Stallion is magnificent – I have the other 3 compilations too.
Marvellous choices – thanks for sharing
A little local colour. Here’s our Touareg desert rebel
Attracting a slightly different crowd than he’d get at Debaser!
I managed a whopping 4 reissues in 2019, compared to about ten of those Uncut / Mojo / Record Collector magazine specials.
This was due to a combination of a local market stall holder selling choice back catalogue CDs for £4/£5, not really needing another copy of something I already have, having to travel an hour to even see a 2cd copy of Abbey Road (too much effort for Sainsbury’s), and promising releases being only available on the dreaded vinly.
4. Motor City Soul (Mojo – a “free” CD of early 60s Detroit soul)
3. Rainbow Ffolly – “Sallies Forth.”
Saw this in Berwick Street for £20 (no sale), crossed the road and it was £6.99 (sale).
Notable for a CD of contemporary cover versions for hospital radio, and so to be filed with The Tomcats, The Pupils and the early TOTP albums.
2. Treasure Isle Ska Rarities (Trojan – a terrific 3cd/84 track set for £10.99).
1. Bob Dylan – Bootleg Series No. 15.
The biggest act in popular music just got bigger.
Nice. Glad see dub featuring prominently.
That Tuareg once has piqued my interest too – as you would expect.
Yes, talking about dub albums of 2019, I’ve now got my hands on the “Shady Grove” vinyl LP by Dubkasm. It was No.1 in Steve Barker’s ‘Dub Albums of the Year’ – a chart that I normally find to be most splendid and reliable. “Shady Grove” is Dubkasm’s dubwise tribute to their favourite spots in Bristol’s St. Paul’s area. Sounds very promising …