The Best Reissues of 2010
Last year’s top reissues, all ranked by readers and contributors to The Rising Storm, were from an excellent lot. The best of these included some Mono Beatles, Archives from Neil Young and Big Star, and of course the Elevators’ Sign of the Three Eyed Men. This year we have another fine selection of warranted releases from an ever expanding crew of dedicated labels dishing out vintage sounds.
In order to shine a light on some lesser known gems, we’re deliberately excluding a few of this year’s heavy hitters. Don’t miss out on these big name essentials and box sets:
- Bob Dylan “Bootleg Series Vol. 9: Witmark Demos 1962-1964”
- John Lennon “Signature Box”
- Velvet Underground “Quine Tapes”
- Neu! “Vinyl Box” (Limited)
- Syl Johnson “Complete Mythology” 4CD + 6LP [Numero Group]
- Hank Williams “Complete Mother Recordings”
- Gram Parsons “The Early Years” Box Set
- Rick Nelson “The Last Time Around” 7CD Box Set [Bear Family]
- Buck Owens “Open Up your Heart” 7CD Box Set [Bear Family]
- The Jam “Sound Affects” (Deluxe)
- Rolling Stones “Exile on Main Street”
- Wilson Pickett “Atlantic Studio Recordings (1962-1978-)” [Rhino Handmade]
So with those out of the way, here are our favorite reissued records for 2010, unranked and submitted for your review in the poll below:
 |
Spur “Spur Of The Moments” Drag City MP3/FLAC/Vinyl”Cowboy rock” from 67-72 Illinois. Offered on vinyl FLAC and MP3 formats (no CD). A good one to own if you’re into Moby Grape, The Byrds or Buffalo Springfield. read our review… |
 |
The Rationals “Fan Club Album” Big Beat CD/VinylRare and coveted release from the most important early Detroit/Ann Arbor group. Restored tracklist (save for one cut) and detailed liner notes. read our review… |
 |
R. Stevie Moore “Phonography” Sundazed VinylFirst full length LP from an underground hero. HD Vinyl pressing comes with restored Vital artwork and insert. read our review… |
 |
The Orkustra “Adventures in Experimental Electric” Mexican Summer LP/MP3Bobby Beausoleil’s mid-sixties psychedelic experiment explores unusual instrumentation as “the first electric symphony orchestra” |
 |
Maffit/Davies “The Rise and Fall of Honesty” Revola CDA visionary slice of American music that predates the alt. country/folk boom with dark lyrics, strings, and a vibe similar to Texas band Euphoria. Includes liner notes by Tim Forster. read our review… |
 |
Ted Lucas “The Om Album” Yoga Records/Riverman CD/LPLost and found psychedelic folk solo with a remarkably current sound. CD comes in a faithfully reproduced LP-style package with a facsimile of the original insert and new liners. read our review… |
 |
Jim Sullivan “UFO” Light in the Attic CD/LP/MP3″ Ultra rare 1969 private press psych-folk-rock masterpiece “ featuring the legendary Wrecking Crew (Beach Boys, Phil Spector)” First time on CD, LP reissue comes with detailed liners. |
 |
Luke Gibson “Another Perfect Day” True North CD/MP3Long thought of as one of the best singer songwriter albums to come out of Canada. Digital download includes 2 bonus tracks. read our review… |
 |
The Psychedelic Aliens “Psycho African Beat” Academy Records CD/Vinyl/MP3″Voodoo Funk tracked down the complete recorded output of this Ghana group that combined elements of American soul, funk, garage rock and psych with African rhythms and melodies. LP packaging includes booklet.” |
 |
Up “Rising” Applebush CD/MP3″The real precursors of punk. Complete recordings, deluxe packaging includes DVD of unseen film plus a set of facsimile gig flyers, extensive liner notes and never before seen photographs of the band.” |
 |
The Zakary Thaks “Passage to India” Cicadelic CDUnreleased recordings of the Thak’s psychedelic exursion. CD includes twenty-page booklet of recollections by lead singer Chris Gerniottis plus rare band memorabilia, posters, and lyrics. |
 |
The Third Power “Believe” Relics CDHard psychedelic rock from early 70s Detroit. Originally released on Vanguard in 1970 and now reissued by Relics on Digipak CD. |
 |
Scott Richard Case “SRC” Micro Werks CD”The long out of print CD by the SRC. One of Michigan s psychedelic gems, the band remains a favorite along side MC5, The Amboy Dukes, and the Stooges.” |
 |
Moby Grape “Live 1966-1969” Sundazed Vinyl/CDNo Live Grape has ever been officially released with such pristine sound quality. David Fricke’s notes are the icing on the cake. read our review… |
 |
The Knickerbockers “One Track Mind” Grapefruit CD”The definitive, all-killer-no-filler compilation of thirty original Knickerbockers artifacts from the first psychedelic era.” |
 |
The Index “Black Album/Red Album/Yesterday & Today” Lion CD”Three LPs worth of rare psychedelia from The Index “ the uber rare Black Album and Red Album on one disc, and the epic length Yesterday And Today set of newly discovered rarities on the second disc” |
 |
Kris Kristofferson “Publishing Demos 1968-1972” Light in the Attic CD/2LP/MP3″A selection of Kristofferson’s unreleased demos from the late 1960s and early ˜70s. Includes 60-page full-color CD booklet featuring interviews with Kristofferson and the musicians.” |
 |
Blaze Foley “The Dawg Years” Fat Possum CD/MP3A collection of 20 Foley songs, cut during three home studio sessions between February of 1976 and September of 1978. Some of Foley’s first recordings that have been unheard for 25 years. |
 |
Steve Young “Rock Salt & Nails” Big Pink CDSteve Young’s first solo record is adventurous, way ahead of its time, and gorgeous. A masterful production combining outlaw country, rock, folk, blues, and a touch of gospel. Long out of print, this is a Korean pressing in a paper sleeve. read our review… |
 |
Various Artists “Troubled Troubadours” Omni Recording CDRare classic country from the likes of Hank, Waylon, Porter, and Dolly. Most tracks unreleased. Collector’s edition includes liner notes and rare photos. |
 |
Various Artists “Local Customs: Lone Star Lowlands” Numero Group CD/LP/MP3″Southern boogie rock, CSNY clones, British blues thunder, garage-psych hangovers from Beaumont Texas’ Lowland studio. Limited bonus CD includes 20 extra songs.” |
 |
Space Opera “Safe at Home” 101 Distribution CD”2010 archive release from the Texas Prog legends consisting of tracks that were recorded before and immediately after their debut album in 1970.” |
 |
Richard & Linda Thompson “Shoot Out the Lights” Rhino Handmade Deluxe CD”The couple’s legendary swan song as a two-disc deluxe edition that includes the original album along with a bonus disc of 11 unreleased live performances from the tour.” |
[poll id=”6″]
Q. Anything we missed from your list this year?
Note: This is our 500th post!
Written by Brendan | December 29th, 2010 | Comments (9)
Also Recommended
The Maffitt/Davies was one I bought after reading the Storm review. SRC has been a favourite since I read about them in Shindig! a couple of years ago and bought their compilation. Anything by Richard Thompson is special; Shoot Out is not an obscurity, at least here in UK, but certainly one of his finest. Lots more stuff in the list for me to try out! Gonna need some more CD shelves very soon at this rate. Love music, love the Storm.
PS Here’s to the next 500!
I just ordered the Jim Sullivan re-issue after seeing your list, reseaching a bit and sampling a few trax. When you talk about lost classics, this seems to fit the bill. What an incredible story about him too.
Thanks RS.
Here’s a littles list of great reissues :
KALEIDOSCOPE “S/T”, 1969 (on vinyl at SHADOKS) great band from Mexico…. not really… read the wonderful liner notes
MORLY GREY “Only The Truth”, 1972 (wonderful colored vinyl at Sundazed)
KRISTYL “S/T”, 1975 (great Xian rock psychedelic Lp at Guerssen)
Justen O’Brien and Jake “Time Will Tell” (lounge-psych record still at Guerssen)
FINCHLEY BOYS “Everlasting Tributes”, 1972 (at Anazitisi records)
FUCHSIA “S/T” (still Anazitisi records)
LAST CALL OF SHILOH “S/T” (again Anazitisi records)
RILEY “Grandma’s Roadhouse” (you’ve talked about them!!)
LO BORGES “S/T” (at 4 Men WIth Beards)
Yves RAKOTOMALALA “Ce Matin LÃ ” (great french Neil Youngest Lp… half sung in english half sung in french)
http://cgi.ebay.fr/YVES-RAKOTOMALALA-Matin-LP-New-Sealed-/400172058293?pt=UK_Records&hash=item5d2c1d06b5
LOS SAICOS “Demolicion” (complete collection of their six 45) (from Peru)
http://rateyourmusic.com/release/comp/los_saicos/_demolicion__the_complete_recordings/
LOS MACS “Kaleidoscope Men” (from Chile)
LOS VIDRIOS QUEBRADOS “Fictions” (also from Chile)
etc….
i don’t know where to stop!!!!! enjoy!!
Do you have any idea how much money I’m about to spend? THANKS for putting all this info in one place. Awesome list!
Hey, I love the podcasts, but you’re missing the playlist for 23. Can you attach it? I know it has Tommorrow and Grocer Jack (I only have that in a real record, in a box, in another country, and have been dying to hear that again for years). Thanks.
@Eric, fixed the link for Podcast 23. You can find it here: therisingstorm.net/podcast-23-uk-psych/
Thanks for fixing the link to podcast 23. Ah, and that was Keith West, “Excerpt from a Teenage Opera†– the song about “Grocer Jack” – but it was off that Tomorrow album with Steve Howe playing guitar (which is why I bought it so many years ago in the first place).
I have to confess I’ve downloaded all the podcasts, and have listened to the three most recent o my MP3 player while walking around a small city I live in, in China, and I’ve gotten a lot of pleasure from them, and am thus lamenting that the 1st 9 podcasts are no longer available. I suppose they expired, as everything must sooner or later! But if they can have a second coming, that’d be cool!
Great music blog. Really love the new entries as well.
Eric
Beausoliel should not be showcased here, being a Mansonite, convicted cold blooded murderer and all ….. what’s going on with you people? How about showcasing some pedophiles while your at it …. sickening!