Vinyl lovers take note – Record Store Day part two is coming. And there could be some serious financial outlay for Courier Country vinyl lovers.
The annual event enjoyed a successful return on June 12 following its physically-distanced three-part outing last autumn. The second part takes place on July 17.
It’s still an offering that’s subject to the latest safety guidelines, but organisers have opted for just the two record “drops” this time around.
Among the retailers taking part are Concorde Music in Perth, Montrose’s Mo’ Fidelity, Stirling vinyl haven Europa and Dundee’s Le Freak, Thirteen Records and Assai.
Looking at what’s on offer, there is, predictably, plenty for fans of the massive-selling “heritage” artists that make up the classic rock canon. Among these releases there’s a rebooted version of metal pioneers Black Sabbath’s Masters Of Reality album which will set you back close to £40.
Coming in a few quid cheaper are double LP repackagings from Lou Reed — his 1996 album Set The Twilight Reeling — and Mike Oldfield, whose 1978 work Incantations gets the clear vinyl treatment.
There’s also a freshen up for blue-eyed soul duo Daryl Hall and John Oates’ 1980 album Voices, while Bob Dylan followers will lap up a new 12-inch from the master songsmith.
As ever, it seems, The Rolling Stones’ back catalogue is rife for exploiting, and there’s a coloured reissue of the band’s 1971 compilation Hot Rocks, complete with embossed lithographs, that’s going for a cool £44.
Plenty for collectors
Collectors will also love the wide array of picture discs included on the latest RSD list, with work by artists as diverse as Bastille, Dio, Elvis Presley, Sammy Hagar and The Cure being given an eye-catching makeover.
The latter’s Wild Mood Swings figures as a 25th anniversary special, while there’s also a pic disc featuring two versions of Icelandic eccentric Bjork’s track Cosmology that looks set to prove popular.
Hip hop big-hitters Beastie Boys are in on the RSD act with a reissue of their 1995 opus Aglio E Olio that includes a couple of bonus tracks — one, intriguingly, is a cover of The Doors classic Light My Fire — a tactic frequently used to give added kudos to a limited edition.
On the face of it, RSD prices vary hugely. For example, a four-disc set from original shoegazers Chapterhouse being put out by respected label Music On Vinyl is retailing at around £50, whereas quadruple LP boxes dropping tomorrow from deceased legends Charlie Parker and John Prine are likely to set you back £80.
Similarly, single albums from the late John Martyn — The Church With One Bell is out on vinyl for the first time — and country-rock icons Crosby, Stills, Nash And Young, whose Deja Vu has been reimagined, are each priced £36, a third more than many other slabs of wax.
A collection of BBC sessions from goth figureheads Sisters Of Mercy is coming in at a pricey £45 for a double, whereas a two-LP Clash part-interview, part-music remastered promo, If Music Could Talk, is around a tenner less.
Oh go on, you know you want to…
Serious collectors will be sniffing around an eight-LP studio albums box set from veteran American arranger Randy Newman that comes in at a reasonable £140, with a six -disc collection from animated art popsters Gorillaz topping the £150 mark.
A deluxe version of the soundtrack to sci-fi touchstone The Matrix might only have limited appeal, costing as it does £75, but there’s still plenty of value for money on offer, with the added bonus that many records will become rarities in the years ahead.
Two Tone fans can’t go wrong with archive finds from The Selected and former Specials main man Jerry Dammers, while releases from Hawkwind, Ash, Jah Wobble and Rory Gallagher all look like good buys.
A single showcasing Yeah Yeah Yeahs leader Karen O covering Queen and David Bowie’s Under Pressure with country legend Willie Nelson could also shift out of sheer curiosity alone.
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