Tag: Island Records
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Various Artists, The Vinyl Series Volume One, 2021 on Island
Great collection of Reggae / Ska / Rocksteady singles from the early days of Island Records, said to be hand-picked by label founder Chris Blackwell. There’s already been a Volume Two and Volume Three (going into the 70s) – not sure if there will be more or not. Somewhat idiosyncratically includes The Spencer Davis Group…
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U2; Another Time, Another Place: Live at the Marquee London 1980, 2015 on Island
2×10″ album originally produced exclusively for u2.com subscribers – fantastic find if you can get it for a reasonable price. I’m not as much of a fan of side 4, a spoken word interview – but the live set is cracker. They played the Marquee Club seven times in 1980 (per u2tours.com) – this set…
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U2, Two Hearts Beat As One, 12″ Single, 1983 on Island
This has long been one of my favorite U2 songs whether in this “Club Version” or the Francois Kevorkian remix or the original. I love the photo here of the lads out in a wheat field. My copy—via Music DNA in Methuen MA—is a UK pressing 12″ 45 rpm on the vibrant Island labels.
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U2, Pride (In the Name of Love) (single), 1984 on Island
One of my favorite U2 singles from the early 80s, released as the lead single just ahead of The Unforgettable Fire. Also has one of my favorite mistakes, when they sing “Early Morning, April 4.” I always figured the lads were not used to the American habit of not using 24 hr time. (They fixed…
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Bob Marley and The Wailers, Live!, 1975 on Island / Tuff Gong
Recorded at the Lyceum Theatre in London, July 1975, and released by Island Records. Fantastic live album. The only thing wrong with this album is that isn’t a 2xLP or longer. My copy—not sure where I picked this up—is a post 2015 reissue by UMe on Tuff Gong labels, including a fold-out poster.
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U2, Live “Under a Blood Red Sky, ” 1983 on Island
I always thought of this as recorded at Red Rocks in Colorado, but with additional tracks from the Orpheum in Boston (“11 O’Clock Tick Tock”) and Rockpalast in Germany (all of Side B, “I Will Follow”). There was a live video – Live at Red Rocks: Under A Blood Red Sky, which was the full…
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U2, R.O.K., 1981 on Island Records
Punny title (you too, are ok or U2 are ok) aside, great early EP for the European market from U2. The live tracks on the b-side are from their appearance at the Paradise in Boston in March 1981 – about 8 years later my freshman dorm room would be a block away. This was the…
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Tom Waits, Big Time, 1988 on Island Records
Live album from Tom Waits, including performances from the 1987 tour, also available as a concert film on Amazon Prime / MGM+. Waits is joined by Willie Schwarz, Michael Blair, Greg Cohen, Marc Ribot, and Ralph Carney – and Kathleen Brennan and Waits co-produced. Most (all?) of the Tom Waits catalogue is being reissued these…
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The Triffids, Calenture, 1987 on Island Records
This was actually the fourth LP for the Australian alt-rock (post-punk?) band The Triffids, but likely their best known to US audiences (like me). The literary-ness of being named after The Day of the Triffids and using (and defining on the sleeve – this was well before google) a word like Calenture appeared to the…
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The Waterboys, This is the Sea, 1985 on Ensign / Chrysalis
This was the third studio album from The Waterboys, produced by Mike Scott and Karl Wallinger with John Brand and Mick Glossop. Includes one of my favorite Waterboys songs “The Whole of the Moon” but the entire album is wonderful. It’s a bit hard to see in the photos but the Waterboys emblem / logo…
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The Long Ryders, The State of Our Union, 1985 on Island Records
Second album from LA alt-country / traditionalist rockers The Long Ryders, following up 1984’s Native Sons, and their first on a major label. The album was recorded in the UK, actually in Chipping Norton in the Cotswolds – far from the landscape with which they’d normally be associated. It was produced by Will Birch (who…
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Bob Marley & The Wailers, Babylon By Bus, 1978 on Island
Wonderful live album recorded (despite the maps on the inner sleeves showing the US leg of the tour) in Paris, Copenhagen, London, and Amsterdam. It’s 2xLP but not a gatefold. It’s die-cut in the front windows of the bus, so depending on the order you put the printed inner sleeves you determine what shows through.…
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Traffic, Traffic (Self-Titled), 1968 on United Artists / Island Records
Released in 1968 on Island in the UK and United Artists in the US, this was actually their sophomore album, following after Mr. Fantasy. Dave Mason had left the band after the debut album but returned for this record. Wonderful version of “Feelin’ Alright?” here if you only know the Joe Cocker version. My copy…
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Willie Nelson, Milk Cow Blues, 2000 on Island Records
Originally released in 2000, but issued on vinyl for the first time in 2023, this is Willie singing the blues, with guests including Francine Reed, Keb’ Mo’, Jonny Lang, Dr. John, Susan Tedeschi, B.B. King, and Kenny Wayne Shepherd (doing a mean “Texas Flood”). Mix of Wilie’s own songs plus covers (“The Thrill is Gone.”…
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Killers, Hot Fuss, 2004 on Island / UMe
Originally released on Lizard King Records / The Control Group in 2004 – my copy is a more recent (2023) reissue on Island / UMe, but the music remains the same. Hot Fuss was Killers’ debut album and included the massive hits “Mr. Brightside” and “Somebody Told Me” as well as the bonus track “Glamorous…
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U2, Lemon (Remixes), 1993 on Island
Lemon was one of the singles from Zooropa – in the era while I was just entering grad school and thus not really following bands or collecting vinyl – so right in the dearth of 90s and 2000s vinyl in my collection. Was happy to find this EP of remixes on yellow translucent vinyl, including…
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Bruce Cockburn, Circles in the Stream, 1977 on True North
I came to Cockburn through the activist tours of the 80s and his hit “If I Had a Rocket Launcher” from Stealing Fire. But he had a decades long career before that, especially with success in his native Canada. Cockburn is joined by Robert Boucher, Pat Godfrey, and Bill Usher. This album was recorded live…
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Bob Marley & The Wailers, Legend (The Best Of Bob Marley & The Wailers), 1984 on Island Records.
This was required listening and a mandatory part of any healthy CD collecting heading into college in the 80s. It didn’t matter what musical subculture you came from, this was the lingua franca. I went on to many other Marley albums and deeper knowledge of Reggae and Caribbean music, but this was the one everyone…