It’s been a corker of a year for Reissues and Archival Recordings. An absolute CORKER – I tell you. And here are my Top 30 titles for 2018. Overall, I’d say it’s a stronger list than my 40 favourite new albums of the year – maybe that’s inevitable. And in no way is it a ‘balanced’ list in terms of genres featured. When it comes to reissued albums and old live recordings, four types of music dominate my acquisitions: 23 out of these 30 albums fall into one of the following categories…
Reggae
Jazz
African music
The Grateful Dead
I found it impossible to put them in a straight 30 down to 1 ranking order, so I’m presenting nos 21 to 30 in alphabetical order, followed by nos 11 to 20 in alphabetical order, followed by the top 10, also in alphabetical order.
So, here we go, then:
Numbers 21 to 30 in alphabetical order
Roland Alphonso & Jerry Johnson – Horns Man Style
From the Bullwackies Studio: Six of the best vintage instrumentals from saxophonists Alphonso and Johnson.
https://hardwax.com/09215/rolando-alphonso-jerry-johnson/horns-man-style/
Duck Baker – Les Blues Du Richmond: Demos & Outtakes, 1973 – 1979
Very enjoyable collection of old 1970s demos by versatile American fingerstyle guitarist.
https://tompkinssquare.bandcamp.com/album/les-blues-du-richmond-demos-outtakes-1973-1979
Ethio Stars & Tukul Band feat. Mulatu Astatke – Addis 1988
The great Mulatu Astatke lending his talents as a composer and arranger to these two Ethiopian bands on a long-lost late-80s set.
http://www.piranha.de/piranha/ethio_stars_tukul/addis_1988
Ryo Fukui – Mellow Dream
One of two long-awaited reissues by the not-as-famous-as-he-should-be Japanese jazz pianist Ryo Fukui (1948-2016). If you like Bill Evans, try this.
https://theanalogvault.com/products/ryo-fukui-mellow-dream
Philip Fullwood – Words in Dub
Fullwood was an old friend and associate of Winston Rodney, from back in 1969, when the Burning Spear was running a rudimentary trouser-pressing service in the ghetto! This 1979 dub set was recorded at Channel One and mixed at the Black Ark studio at a time when Lee Perry was “acting strangely”. So, no great surprise there…
https://pressuresounds.bandcamp.com/album/words-in-dub
Asnake Gebreyes – Ahadu
Obscure 1988 ethio jazz cassette-only album finally gets a vinyl release.
https://ethiopiquesseries.bandcamp.com/album/asnake-gebreyes-ahadu
Grateful Dead – Dave’s Picks vol. 26: November 17, 1971, Albuquerque Civic Auditorium, Albuquerque, New Mexico
Dave Lemieux seems to be hell-bent on releasing as much as possible from Fall 1971, but he certainly unearthed a little-known gem in the Dead’s first-ever performance in the state of New Mexico. Listen out for a heavy, furious “Other One” in set two.
Thelonious Monk – Mønk
A completely unknown 1963 live quartet performance from Copenhagen, recorded by the Danish Broadcasting Corporation. Someone just found the tapes in a skip somewhere – amazing! I’m surprised this release didn’t get more attention when it emerged this year. Monk’s name and photo are on the cover, but taking the lead most of the time is Charlie Rouse’s tenor sax.
https://www.cyclicdefrost.com/2018/10/thelonius-monk-monk-gearbox-redeye/
Phil Pratt – The War is On: Dub Style
Strong early 80s dub set, embellished with Bobby Kalphat’s melodica.
https://pressuresounds.bandcamp.com/album/war-is-on-dub-style
Hiroshi Yoshimura – Music for Nine Post Cards
1982 Japanese ambient set originally written as background music for an art exhibition.
https://lightintheattic.net/releases/3538-music-for-nine-post-cards
Bubbling under:
Super Djata de Bamako – Vol. 2 ”Blue”
Albert Mangelsdorff Quintet – Now Jazz Ramwong
Grateful Dead – Dave’s Picks vol. 28: June 17, 1976, Capitol Theatre, Passaic, New Jersey
Various Artists – This is Trojan Dub
The Beatles – White Album
Ras Michael and the Sons of Negus – Love Thy Neighbour
Grateful Dead – Dave’s Picks vol. 27: September 2, 1983, Boise State University Pavilion, Boise, Idaho
Tune in tomorrow for numbers 11 to 20!
I’ve been looking forward to this list for a long time.
The Monk one is interesting. I have it but it slipped my mind when it came to my own top twenty reissues. Somehow, I seemed to think it was released in 2017.
Really disappointed to see The White Album so low. Whatever you think of the remix, surely the Esher Demos alone put it into anyone’s top ten!
Could also factor in:
(a) the biggest group of all time (maybe a drawback).
(b) released on a format everyone has.
(c) cheap.
Yes, I didn’t really know what to do with the White Album reissue. I’ve heard the Esher demos once, and that’s it…. so I haven’t really been able to assess the set as a whole. I should’ve just left it out of my chart entirely, rather than casually bunging it in amongst the “Bubbling under” section. I didn’t actually mean that the “Bloody Beatles White Album” wasn’t as good as those other records in spots 21 to 30. Of course not – it’s a Beatles album, for goodness’ sake (for the record, it’s my 6th favourite, after Rev, RubSo, AbbRo, AHDN and Past Masters vol. 2.).
The Hiroshi Yoshimura album sounds very promising.
Eno enthusiasts would definitely enjoy it.
Enjoying this Phil Pratt a lot. Thanks for the heads up!
Looking forward to getting my teeth and ears into this list. Tomorrow.
Right now I am in a car driving north through the endless forests of Småland. Just passed a signpost to Älmhult. As you may know, that is the town where Kamprad started the first IKEA store.
Okay-dokey. As Kaisfatdad fearlessly makes his way through the dense, dark forests of Småland, here we go with the middle instalment of the Reissues and Archival Recordings chart …
Numbers 11 to 20 in alphabetical order
Robbie Basho – Live in Forlì, Italy, 1982
In 1982, a young Italian guy named Mario Calvitti managed to persuade Robbie Basho to stop at his small hometown of Forlì, as part of his Italian tour. He booked a room in the local palazzo, and 110 locals turned up to see the great American Primitive guitarist. Basho sounds relaxed, and is in great voice.
https://obsoleterecordings.bandcamp.com/album/robbie-basho-live-in-forl-italy-1982
Ryo Fukui – Scenery
This was Fukui’s debut, from way back in 1976. Tremendous stuff. Now all we need is for We Release What The Fuck We Want Records to put out Fukui’s late-period live masterpiece, “A Letter From Slowboat” (for those that can’t wait, it’s available on YouTube).
https://wrwtfww.com/album/scenery
Grateful Dead – Dave’s Picks vol. 25: November 6, 1977, Broome County Arena, Binghamton, New York
The town of Binghampton in New York State was a happy hunting ground for the Dead. On 2 May 1970 they played an all-time classic acoustic/electric show there, with the new Riders, which was finally released in 1997 as “Dick’s Picks Vol. 8”. Seven-and-a-half years later, they played a larger venue in the town on the Fall 1977 tour. Unusually, the highlight is the first set, opening with a Mississippi Half-Step which is “just exactly perfect”.
G. I. Gurdjieff – Improvisations
George Ivanovich Gurdjieff (1877-1949) was an Armenian composer, philosopher and sort of … spiritual guy. Over the decades, all sorts of people have interpreted his music, but these are original harmonium improvisations recorded in Paris, just before his death in 1949. It’s a sort of otherworldly, proto-ambient noise. Recommended.
https://www.soundohm.com/product/improvisations-lp/pid/32901/
I-Roy – Gussie Presenting I-Roy
“Gussie” is producer Augustus Clarke, who was at the controls in 1973 for Roy Reid’s landmark debut deejay set, which received a welcome reissue on vinyl this year. The spoken introduction to “Black Man Time” is a particular treat.
https://www.musiconvinyl.com/catalog/i-roy/gussie-presenting-i-roy#.XCOuYzhKjX4
Kamal Keila – Muslims and Christians
The German label Habibi Funk, specializing in the Arabic jazz/funk field, has outdone itself here, tracking down Sudanese singer Kamal Keila and obtaining his permission to put out a couple of previously unheard sessions. The recordings are from 1992, but they sound, somehow, 20 years older than that. You get the 5 tracks with vocals in English, and then the same 5 with vocals in Arabic. All great!
https://habibifunkrecords.bandcamp.com/album/habibi-funk-008-muslims-and-christians
Bunny Lee & the Aggrovators – Super Dub Disco Style/Super Star Disco Rockers
Another one of those Pressure Sounds releases where CD buyers get 2 prime albums for the price of 1. You get saxophonist/flautist Tommy McCook’s instrumental set, “Super Star Disco Rockers”, and you also get the Aggrovators’ dub set “Super Dub Disco Style” from Striker Lee’s studio. All proper-job stuff.
Charles Mingus – Jazz In Detroit/Strata Concert Gallery/46 Selden
Recorded by Mingus’s quintet on 13 February 1973 in Detroit. 1973-vintage Mingus may not be as well represented in his live album catalogue as, say, 1964-vintage, so this set is a real ear-opener. Too much of the 5CD set is taken up with unnecessary interviews which you’ll hardly listen to even once, but there’s about three CDs worth of fine, fiery stuff here. Pianist Don Pullen plays a blinder – check out “The Man Who Never Sleeps” on disc one.
https://www.bbemusic.com/downloads/mingus-jazz-in-detroit/
Moses Molelekwa – Genes and Spirits
This was a recommendation from a fellow Afterworder – Junior Wells, possibly? I can’t remember. This is a real gem of a vinyl/download reissue from the admirable Matsuli Records. A South African jazz classic that tips its hat to many other genres.
https://matsulimusic.bandcamp.com/album/genes-and-spirits
Yabby You & Michael Prophet meet Scientist – At The Dub Station
As if often the case with reggae albums, this 1981 set has been reissued many times over the years, with different covers and slightly different track listings. Or identical track listings for different songs. All very confusing. But you need have no worries about the quality of the music in the grooves.
https://www.juno.co.uk/products/yabby-you-michael-at-the-dub-station/697133-01/
Right. That’s it. Tune in tomorrow sometime for the mighty Top 10!
Love Robbie Basho’s guitar playing, He is very, very good.
But I find the pseudo-Native American vocalising that he did on some of his older albums really annoying.
Interesting list, so far. Lots to chew upon.
That Gussie Presenting collection is fabulous.
Before I add my top 10, I’d just like to bring to your attention what I consider to be the outstanding “Best music of 2018” list that I’ve seen. It comes from the always-excellent Aquarium Drunkard blog/site. The guys there really have their ears close to the ground, and present a wonderfully varied selection of the best music of this year, across many genres. I find that almost every mini-review makes me want to hear the album in question. You’re bound to find something that you’ve never heard of, but which sounds brilliant….
https://aquariumdrunkard.com/2018/12/12/aquarium-drunkard-2018-year-in-review/
Right: now onto the main business, namely …
My 10 favourite Reissues and Archival Recordings from 2018
Numbers 1 to 10 in alphabetical order
Aston ‘Family Man’ Barrett and The Wailers Band – Soul Constitution: Instrumentals & Dubs 1971-1982
Dub Store Records from Japan quietly slipped out this album in April, and it became my Reggae reissue of the year. I knew that Family Man Barrett played bass with the Wailers, but I had no idea he had such an immaculate back catalogue of Jamaican release-only instrumentals and dub cuts. An absolute revelation.
https://www.reggae-vibes.com/reviews/2018/04/aston-family-man-barrett-the-wailers-band-soul-constitution-instrumentals-dubs-1971-1982/
D.E.B. Music Players – House of D.E.B.
“D.E.B.” refers to Dennis Emmanuel Brown, renowned reggae vocalist and producer of this dub set which, in the past, has been reissued under the title “Return to Umoja”. Everything was in place here: Sly & Robbie, Cedric “Im” Brooks and Ansel Collins played, and King Jammy mixed Brown’s original productions. Top quality all round.
E.S.T. – Live in London
There had been 2 or 3 EST live albums before this, but “Live in London,” released to mark the 10th anniversary of Svensson’s passing, tops the lot. A great selection of material, superbly performed. Impossible to overpraise.
Shamek Farrah – First Impressions
Some of the very best Strata East jazz titles from the 1970s are finally getting vinyl reissues on Pure Pleasure Records. Sadly, these tend to be rather pricey. But alto saxman Shamek Farrah’s debut LP, “First Impressions”, is a genuine spiritual jazz masterpiece, no doubt about it.
Grateful Dead – Pacific Northwest ’73–’74: Believe It If You Need It
I couldn’t afford the 19 CD ‘Pacific Northwest ’73-’74 Complete Recordings’ box, so had to content myself with this. It turned out to be an excellent consolation: 3 CDs’ worth of the best tracks from the big box, showcasing the Dead’s two jaunts through Oregon and Washington State in 1973 and 1974. Great track selection. Great improvisation. One of the very best live compilations in the long history of Grateful Dead archival recordings. As soon as you get to track three – the “Bird Song” from Vancouver ’73 – you just know it’s going to be a cracker. Also: cover artwork of the year by Native Canadian artist Roy Henry Vickers.
Various Artists – The Love You Save: American Soul Music 1955 – 1972
Various Artists – All Of This Goes Too: American Soul Music 1955 – 1972
Various Artists – The Truth Is A Lie: American Soul Music 1955 – 1972
Mississippi Records created the Cairo imprint especially for these three small-pressing double vinyl LP sets (no downloads, no CDs), each of which contains 24 tracks of vintage American soul music from the late 50s, 60s and early 70s. Reading the comprehensive and inspiring sleeve booklets, the whole endeavour was clearly a labour of love for the compilers. A few familiar tracks are mixed with plenty of obscure gems, as the albums explore the full gamut of soul styles. The only series of albums I can liken them to is “Dave Godin’s Deep Soul Treasures Taken From the Vaults”, Vols. 1-4. There’s the same care taken in presenting and sequencing songs of enormous weight and power, at a time of seismic change for African American artists and society in general. If you’ve ever loved soul music, you owe it to yourself to hear the 72 tracks presented here. Cairo Records set out their stall for the whole project by quoting the great James Baldwin: “Every legend, moreover, contains its residuum of truth, and the root function of music is to control the universe by describing it.” The universe described so eloquently here contains much sweet sorrow.
Various Artists – Black Man’s Pride 2: Righteous Are The Sons And Daughters Of Jah
Over the years, Soul Jazz Records has raided the archives of Sir Coxsone Dodd’s Studio One on many occasions, but I reckon this might be one of their very best compilations ever. Loosely linked by a Rastafarian theme, here are 17 impeccable pieces across a broad range of styles of Jamaican music: Horace Andy, the Gladiators, Willie Williams, Alton Ellis, Jackie Mittoo, Winston Jarrett, the Heptones. Every one a winner! And Volume 3 is coming in January.
Harold Vick – Don’t Look Back
This is the jazz album I’ve listened most to this year. An outstanding set for Strata East by tenor saxman Harold Vick which, like the Shamek Farrah album above, was reissued on vinyl by Pure Pleasure Records.
That’s it. All the best for a rockin’ good music year in 2019!
//duco
All three Jazz selections are excellent.
That Aquarium Drunkard list is certainly strewn with new avenues to explore. So many of the lists are so similar. The one they had in The Guardian was such a nail-on-the-head boxticking exercise it was difficult to believe it had been arrived at by the breadth of some diverse individuals’ quirky tastes..
Strata East albums (like other US Jazz independents Black Jazz, Tribe and Theresa) are always really expensive, and mostly only available on vinyl. Other than Gil Scott Heron I think the only Strata East album I have is the Soul Jazz Loves Strata East comp. I wish Soul Jazz had bought the rights to more of their catalog.
The reggae reissue that I am hoping for is the Lee Perry produced Party Time by the Heptones. Chuck in Country Boy, Book Of Rules and Mama Say as extras and I would be even happier.
Did I miss it, or was the Dur Dur band Volumes 1 and 2 really not in the list? I thought that would be a banker for the top 5.
The Dur Dur Band? A new name for me.
Let’s give them a listen!
Wow! Sizzling stuff!
Ok then. One more from Dur Dur Band to get us in a New Year’s Eve feeling. Live at the Hotel Juba, Mogadishu in 1988.
Crikey! The Dur Dur Band played Stockholm earlier this year and it was not even on my radar. Shame on me!
The Analog Africa album Dur Dur of Somalia volumes 1 and 2 was the Froots compilation / reissue of the year.
This is it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YsXOazMP7OU&t=1858s
I have only discovered them very recently, but Awesome Tapes From Africa put out Volume 5 a few years ago., which I have yet to hear. I will be kicking myself if they played London and I missed them.
Well, Alias, I subscribed to Folk Roots/fRoots for decades, but stopped a few years ago. This means that I do indeed miss out on discovering plenty of world music gems. The 2017 Ostinato compilation “Sweet as Broken Dates” really opened my ears to the music of the Horn of Africa, but I’m ashamed to say I’d never heard of Dur Dur of Somalia until about two days ago. Naturally, they sound really good.
I haven’t bought Froots for many years, but did look at their albums of the year online. I only very occasionally look through Songlines so lots of stuff goes under my radar. I do tend to get information from the record labels that I’m familiar with one of which is Analog Africa. I believe Ostinato was set up by one of their former employees. Their Haitian compilation of a couple of years ago got very good reviews. Sweet As Broken Dates looks interesting too.
@alias Did you know there’s a Volume 2 of the Strata East comp?
https://www.discogs.com/Various-Strata-2-East/master/154659
I was lucky enough a few weeks ago to find a vinyl copy of the first volume at a boot sale for one shiny pound. Magnificent isn’t it?
You lucky so and so! It is magnificent. I have seen Strata 2 East but thought it was a Japanese import. So it is available on CD, great. Thanks for the tip. A tip for you, if you haven’t heard it the new Soul Jazz comp Jazz Is The Teacher Funk Is The Preacher is also a killer.
Oooh, ta!
And it is on Spotify for us cheapskates!
My favourite Strata-East album of all time is probably “Glass Bead Games” by Clifford Jordan, who was probably most famous for playing with Charles Mingus’s classic early ’64 sextet, along with Eric Dolphy. In the past, “Glass Bead Games” has been available on CD for reasonable prices, but, checking now, I see that it’s pretty expensive again. Still, killer record.
You will be pleased to hear that Glass Beas Games is on Spotify.
And the Tube. Enjoy!
A great list as ever, duc – tons of stuff to explore.
I think the Black Man’s Pride 2 is a must, closely followed by Family Man Barrett doing his dub thing.
Thank you also for the aquarium drunkard link – I was totally unaware of that blog & their pointers are first class.
As KFD has said, THIS is why I love the AW!
If I had the money and the listening time, I could quite easily buy 75% of the albums presented in the Aquarium Drunkard summary of 2018. Every time I click on some audio samples from one of their recommendations, I think “bloody hell – that sounds great AS WELL.”
Have you clicked on Earl Sweatshirt yet?
No … I’m only up to Yuzo Iwata. I’m making slow progress, due to the excellence of the highlighted albums.
That Harold Vick album is real class. Never heard of him but now in my book.
Exploring the Dukeäs Best of the Year List and then trying to create a playlist is always a great joy. A splendid journey of discovery that takes me to magnificently unexplored corners of Spotify and YouTube,
So many, extremely moreish gems.
This Spotify list is a very enjoyable work in progress:
The late great Moses Molelekwa was my discovery of the evening.
What a wonderful track!
One more from Moses. This is absolutely splendid stuff!
Discoveries like this are what the AW is all about.
Duke Ellington “In Coventry 1966”
(New World A-Comin’, solo piano)
The Duke’s piano playing is often eclipsed by his organisational and composing skills but he was always more than capable. In that piece, it sounds as though he’s mourning the loss of Billy Strayhorn already. He’d just left the band because of his cancer diagnosis, a cancer that would see jim off the following year. That New World that’s A-Comin’ doesn’t sound very joyful to me.
Other than that, Mike, I think you’re on the wrong thread.
You’re right Tigs, but somehow I feel that a re-release by Duke Ellington fits in very comfortably in a DuCool thread!
Yes. The Duke on a ducool thread feels like home.
NY project – finding as many of these as I can on emusic.
Love the list etc. but my NY project is to dig out a whole load of free Mojo CDs (started with Chess, Elektra and Greenwich Village already) and play them to death.
I love obscurity, but I love “cheap” obscurity, always remembering that, in 2018, to the great unwashed, absolutely EVERYTHING is obscure.
Ask the common man about The Beatles … erm, presumably “quite” famous … and see where it gets you.
They will know the square root of nothing.