INDISPENSABLE REISSUES
June 2023
Kristine England
June 30, 2023
Pete Townshend
Empty Glass (Vinyl Reissue)
Some of Townshend’s best songs can be found on Empty Glass. The title track, “Rough Boys,” “Gonna Get Ya,” and “A Little Is Enough” provide ample evidence that he was simply one of the best rock lyricists ever, even late into his career. The keyboards on “And I Moved” are gorgeous. The limited-edition black vinyl release has been mastered by long-time Who engineer Jon Astley and cut for vinyl by Miles Showell at Abbey Road Studios with a half-speed mastering technique.
"Empty Glass"
Pete Townshend & Ronnie Lane
Rough Mixes (Vinyl Reissue)
The second of two Townshend LP reissues this month, also featuring half-speed remastering, is his collaboration with ex-Small Faces bassist Ronnie Lane. Written during a break from the Who in 1977, the record resulted from a request from Lane for Townshend to produce his next album. It instead evolved into a collaboration, and featured guest appearances from John Entwistle, Eric Clapton, and Charlie Watts.
"April Fool"
Sonny Sharrock
Black Woman (Vinyl Reissue)
One of the pioneers of free jazz, Sonny Sharock’s 1969 album Black Woman definitely made critics stand up and take notice, not all of it overwhelmingly positive. His most “avante garde statement” (Trouser Press), many considered it some of his finest work, its inclusion on the New York Times’ 15 Essential Black Liberation Jazz Tracks to name one example.
"Black Woman"
Tom Waits
Closing Time (50th Anniversary Reissue)
The birth of the enduring mythos of Tom Waits began with his debut album in 1973. Critically well-received in the US (and virtually ignored elsewhere), Waits’ folky, jazz, and “cocktail bar pianistics and muttered vocals” (All Music), Closing Time is considered a masterpiece by many and heralded the arrival of an iconic, American singer-songwriter whose legacy cannot be understated. The 50th anniversary edition is a half-speed remastered double LP set, with a gatefold jacket.
"Closing Time"
McCoy Tyner
Time for Tyner (Vinyl Reissue)
Tyner’s third album after leaving John Coltrane’s side as his pianist found him in good company. His rhythm section of stalwarts, Herbie Lewis and Freddie Waits, as well as vibist extraordinaire Bobby Hutcherson helped fuel a classic late 60s Blue Note session that remains an essential album for jazz aficionados to this day. The reissue is cut directly from the master tapes and released 180-gram vinyl in a gatefold jacket.
"African Village"