Goatless

Tag: Rhino

  • Tracy Chapman, Tracy Chapman, 1988 on Elektra

    Tracy Chapman, Tracy Chapman, 1988 on Elektra

    Its popularity has recently resurged, due in no small part to Luke Combs’ cover version and their duet at the Grammy’s but this record never went out of rotation for me.

    Technically I know it’s not true, but I like to imagine Tracy Chapman’s voice was still echoing around Boston from her busking days when I arrived for college in the fall of 1988. Reality is she was already out promoting her debut album.

    My copy—which replaced the aging CD I used to listen to it on—is the 35th Anniversary edition Rhino put out in 2025 on 180g vinyl, which sounds great. I know there are folks who will say “the first pressing is better” and I will keep my eyes out for one but haven’t ever seen it in the wild.

    Fediverse reactions
  • Milt Jackson & John Coltrane, Bags & Trane, 1961 on Atlantic

    Milt Jackson & John Coltrane, Bags & Trane, 1961 on Atlantic

    Jackson and Coltrane are joined by Hank Jones (piano), Paul Chambers (bass), and Connie Kay (drums). Recording supervised by Nesuhi Ertegun, engineered by Tom Dowd.

    Great LP, bringing together Milt Jackson (Bags) of The Modern Jazz Quartet and John Coltrane (Trane) who had a year earlier put out Giant Steps. I’m not always a fan of the vibraphone but love how it plays off of Coltrane on this album.

    My copy—via a private sale—is the 2017 reissue by Rhino Vinyl, in mono, pressed on 180g vinyl at Optimal GmbH. Sounds great.

    Fediverse reactions
  • Love, Forever Changes, 1967 on Elektra

    Love, Forever Changes, 1967 on Elektra

    Iconic later sixties album from Arthur Lee and co. This would be their third and final album in the original lineup. The track “Alone Again Or” (with the refrain “And I will be alone again tonight my dear”) has been used in a number of films and was covered by The Damned on 1986’s Anything.

    If you only know the single, well worth checking out the whole album – it’s current revalued reputation is well deserved.

    My copy—via Academy Records in NYC—is a 2012 reissue by Rhino pressed at Optimal GmbH, which sounds fantastic.

    Fediverse reactions
  • Dead & Company, Aces Back to Back, 2024 on Rhino

    Dead & Company, Aces Back to Back, 2024 on Rhino

    Series of cuts from the summer 2023 tour of Dead & Company, with Bob Weir, Mickey Hart, John Mayer, Oteil Burbridge, Jeff Chimenti, and Jay Lane. Recorded in multiple venues, including the Gorge Amphitheatre in Washington, Folsom Field in Boulder Colorado, and Oracle Park in San Francisco, CA.

    Sad to hear of Bob Weir’s passing this month – got a chance to see him live a number of time with the original Grateful Dead as well as multiple times with Dead & Co and enjoyed both tremendously. Sad I missed the chance to see them at the Sphere – that would have been great.

    In my collection thanks to a thoughtful coworker who saw the shows at the Sphere and got this as a benefit, but doesn’t collect vinyl so sent it my way.

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  • The Smiths, Hatful of Hollow, 1984 on Rough Trade

    The Smiths, Hatful of Hollow, 1984 on Rough Trade

    Another (like The World Won’t Listen) compilation album from The Smiths, including some BBC sessions plus other singles and B-sides. Came out in 1984 in the UK but was not released until 1993 in the US (instead Sire released Louder than Bombs for the US market).

    This LP includes “How Soon is Now?” as the b-side to “William, It Was Really Nothing” – the track was also on US editions of Meat is Murder. Also includes “Please Please Please Let Me Get What I Want” which was also on the William single b-side.

    My copy, via Crossroads Records in Portland OR, is a 2011 reissue by Rhino on Sire labels, pressed at Rainbo.

    Fediverse reactions
  • The Replacements, Not Ready for Prime Time, 2024 on Sire/Rhino

    The Replacements, Not Ready for Prime Time, 2024 on Sire/Rhino

    Full title is “Not Ready for Prime Time: Live at the Cabaret Metro, 1986.” This was previously available as part of the Tim (Let It Bleed Edition) CD set that came out in 2023, but was reissued on vinyl as a limited edition for Record Store Day 2024.

    Recorded live at the Cabaret Metro (now just called Metro) in Chicago on January 11th, 1986. That’s just a week before they appeared on SNL—a performance that got them the lifetime ban.

    Great live set going back to classics like “Tommy Gets His Tonsils Out” but also Tim songs like “Kiss Me On The Bus.” Liner notes by Bob Mehr, the author of Trouble Boys: The True Story of the Replacements.

    My copy via Down In The Valley in Golden Valley MN, pressed at GZ Media.

    Fediverse reactions
  • Joni Mitchell, The Hissing of Summer Lawns, 1975 on Asylum

    Joni Mitchell, The Hissing of Summer Lawns, 1975 on Asylum

    Mitchell’s seventh studio LP and third on Asylum – continuing to draw on more jazz-rock influences and more synthesizers (Moog, ARP).

    Some find it a step down from 1974’s Court and Spark but I really love this record and this presing.

    My copy is the 2024 Vinyl Me, Please reissue by Rhino in the Vinyl Me, Please Essentials series (E-139), on green vinyl as a 2xLP at 45 RPM, lacquer cut by Ryan Smith. I know audiophiles tend to like these 2x45rpm releases but I’d actually prefer a single LP cut well.

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  • The Cure, Faith, 1981 on Fiction

    The Cure, Faith, 1981 on Fiction

    The Cure’s third full length, between Seventeen Seconds and Pornography, released in 1981 on Fiction records in the UK, and later in the US on Elektra in 1988.

    I had this on some form of import – likely a friend made an illegal cassette copy for me – in the mid 80s, but was happy to pick up this 2016 Rhino reissue on 180g vinyl, pressed at GZ Media, which sounds great.

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  • Joy Division, Substance, 1988 on Factory

    Joy Division, Substance, 1988 on Factory

    Posthumous collection of Joy Division singles put out in 1988 as a 1xLP and reissued in 2015 as a 2xLP by Rhino (a digital remaster). Substance was also used at the title for the New Order singles collection that came out in 1987 (with “1987” added).

    Still looking for a good clean copy of Unknown Pleasures but I was glad to find this copy of Substance. The 2xLP version includes the “Pennine Version” of “Love Will Tear Us Apart” which was the b-side of the original single.

    My copy—via a record fair at Mill No. 5—is the 2015 Rhino US edition pressed at Optimal GmbH on 180g vinyl.

    Fediverse reactions
  • The Smiths, Strangeways Here We Come, 1987 on Rough Trade.

    The Smiths, Strangeways Here We Come, 1987 on Rough Trade.

    Fourth (and final) studio album from The Smiths, produced by Stephen Street, Morrissey, and Johnny Marr and recorded at The Wool Hall in Beckington, Somerset. On constant repeat in my late 80s experience.

    Strangeways was a prison in Manchester (now Manchester Prison) – The Smiths had previously used the Salford Lad’s Club for the cover of The Queen is Dead.

    My copy—via A1 Records in NYC—is the 2009 Rhino reissue which sounds great (though I don’t have an 80s pressing to compare it to).

    Fediverse reactions
  • The Replacements, Let It Be, 1984 on Twin/Tone

    The Replacements, Let It Be, 1984 on Twin/Tone

    Third full length album for The Replacements, following Hootenanny. Recorded at Blackberry Way after using a warehouse in Brooklyn Center for that record. Produced by Steve Fjelstad, Peter Jesperson, and Paul Westerberg.

    Definitely one of my favorites – with the sublime (“Androgynous,” “Unsatisfied”) and the ridiculous (“Gary’s Got a Boner”) and a cover of Kiss’ “Black Diamond” for good measure. Peter Buck guests on “I Will Dare” and Chan Poling on “Sixteen Blue.”

    My copy—via Slipped Disc at a record fair at Mill No. 5 in Lowell MA—is the 2016 reissue by Rhino on Twin/Tone labels.

    Fediverse reactions
  • Talking Heads, Speaking in Tongues, 1983 on Sire

    Talking Heads, Speaking in Tongues, 1983 on Sire

    This was the fifth Talking Heads LP, produced by Talking Heads themselves rather than Brian Eno. It was the tour for this album which became Stop Making Sense, including their only US top 10 hit “Burning Down The House.”

    What a killer album. In addition to “Burning Down The House” you’ve got “Making Flippy Floppy,” “Girlfriend is Better,” “Slipper People,” and “This Must Be The Place (Naive Melody).” The band is joined by Steve Scales, Bernie Worrell, Nona Hendry and Dolette McDonald, Alex Weir, Wally Badarou, Raphael Dejeesus and others.

    My copy is a 2013 Rhino reissue – it is difficult to find original pressings of Talking Heads LPs in the wild that are reasonable and in good shape. But I think this reissue series is great in terms of consistency and quality – not necessarily advertised as “audiophile” but sounds great to me.

    Via Slipped Disc at a Mill No. 5 record fair.

    Fediverse reactions
  • Gram Parsons, GP, 1973 on Reprise

    Gram Parsons, GP, 1973 on Reprise

    It’s hard to overstate the importance of Gram Parsons’ two solo albums: GP and (posthumously) Grievous Angel. This was his solo debut though he is joined by Emmylou Harris (with whom he was touring) on two duets. It was recorded Sept-Oct on 1972 and produced by Ric Grech from Blind Faith.

    My copy (via Reykjavik Record Shop in Iceland) is a later reissue (note the manufactured by Rhino on the rim text) with no clear indication of where it was pressed, but it sounds great. Guessing it may be the same mix as the 2014 reissue (also by Rhino, with the R1 2123 catalog number) but there’s no information on the pressing itself.

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    a truck that is sitting on the side of a building
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  • Depeche Mode, Speak & Spell: The 12″ Singles, 2018 on Mute

    Depeche Mode, Speak & Spell: The 12″ Singles, 2018 on Mute

    Reissued box of singles by Rhino / Sire / Mute. The singles: “Dreaming of Me,” “New Life,” and “Just Can’t Get Enough” all came out in 1981, the same year as Speak & Spell the band’s debut album.

    This reissue from 2018 also includes a flexi-disc with “Sometimes I Wish I Was Dead” (which was on the UK version of Speak and Spell but not the US version) and on the b-side, Fad Gadget‘s “King of the Flies.”

    Depeche Mode is one of the bands for which I did actually collect 12″ singles, but I did not have any of these earlier ones so was happy to find a deal on this box set at Mel’s Record Shop in Amesbury, MA.

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  • Various Artists, Newbury Comics 30th Anniversary, 2008 on Rhino.

    Various Artists, Newbury Comics 30th Anniversary, 2008 on Rhino.

    Promotional record originally handed out at Newbury Comics on Record Store Day in 2008. I found a copy at Vinyl Destination in Lowell, MA.

    Not sure what the theme is – reissues, box sets, and new albums coming on Rhino and ATCO that year?

    • The Replacements, Left of the Dial, from Tim
    • The Looters, Professionals, from Ladies and Gentlemen The Fabulous Stains Soundtrack
    • Scarlett Johansson (yes, that Scarlet Johansson), I Don’t To Grow Up, from Anywhere I Lay My Head
    • The Jesus and Mary Chain, Some Candy Talking, from The Power of Negative Thinking: B-Sides and Rarities
    • Jane’s Addition, No One’s Leaving (Live), from A Cabinet of Curiousities
    • Black Sabbath, Heaven and Hell, from The Rules of Hell
    • Dream Theater, As I Am, from Greatest Hit ( . . . and 21 other pretty cool songs)

    I love picking up random compilations with unexpected pairings on them, like ScoJo and Black Sabbath.

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    a close up of a sign
  • Aretha Franklin with James Cleveland & The Southern California Community Choir, Amazing Grace, 1972 on Atlantic.

    Aretha Franklin with James Cleveland & The Southern California Community Choir, Amazing Grace, 1972 on Atlantic.

    Aretha Franklin with James Cleveland & The Southern California Community Choir, Amazing Grace, 1972 on Atlantic.

    Great reissue from 2014 by Atlantic & Rhino.

    Recorded at the New Temple Missionary Baptist Church in LA for a double LP and film. The film didn’t come out until 2018 as there was a sync issue in 1972 between audio and video and then after people were able to correct that, Franklin sued to prevent the film’s release. Ultimately her estate / family consented to the release.

  • Donny Hathaway, Live, 1972 on ATCO.

    Donny Hathaway, Live, 1972 on ATCO.

    Donny Hathaway, Live, 1972 on ATCO.

    I’m a huge Donny Hathaway fan and am constantly on the hunt for original pressings, but this 2021 reissue sounds pretty great. It is possible it may be a digital cut to vinyl but it is very well done. (I’ll keep looking for an original pressing to compare it to).

    Recorded at The Bitter End in NY and The Troubador in Hollywood

  • John Prine, Bruised Orange, 1978 on Asylum.

    John Prine, Bruised Orange, 1978 on Asylum.

    John Prine, Bruised Orange, 1978 on Asylum.

    My copy is. 2021 reissue by Rhino Records – I think it’s the same pressing as in the “Asylum Albums” box set but not sure

    Lots of great tunes including “Sabu Visits the Twin Cities Alone,” “Fish and Whistle,” and the title track

    via Record Exchange, Salem MA

  • Curtis Mayfield, Roots, 1971 on Curtom.

    Curtis Mayfield, Roots, 1971 on Curtom.

    Curtis Mayfield, Roots, 1971 on Curtom.

    Curtom was a label created by Mayfield with Eddie Thomas (Cur + Tom).

    My copy is a 2010 reissue by Rhino / Scorpio – not the greatest pressing but a nice chance to have this on clean vinyl without breaking the bank.

  • a-ha, Hunting High And Low (The Early Alternate Mixes), 2019 on Rhino / Warner

    a-ha, Hunting High And Low (The Early Alternate Mixes), 2019 on Rhino / Warner

    a-ha, Hunting High And Low (The Early Alternate Mixes), 2019 on Rhino / Warner

    The original  Hunting High And Low was 1985. Yes, this is the album kicked off by “Take On Me,” which has become an 80s cliche – but the band was (and is) way more talented than just that song – if you haven’t explored their albums this is a great place to start.