The Year in Review 2010: Reissues

Every year, the music industry reprints material for three main reasons: to cash-in on public favorites because they're greedy bastards, to provide technologically advanced versions of old recordings, or to revive the sales of a release that never got its shining run.

While our annual Top 50 edges closer, why not have a peak at some of the best reissues the year had to offer? Though reissues usually come from all existing periods, I must admit it was a big year for 80’s releases. I imagine that those who lived to see this decade in living color must believe that some of these releases are too current (even unnecessary). But for those who started kindergarten in 1989 (ahem, myself), I’m just ecstatic that some labels decided to acknowledge the presence of many albums that didn’t really made as much impact when originally released.

Concerning this summary, I must say I’m mostly speaking on a personal level. You are more than welcome to fill many of the blanks I left in the comments section below. For example, I neglected many releases such as: Quarantine the Past, An Introduction to Elliot Smith, and Coals to Newcastle because the name of the game is reissues, not compilations. I also must add that it was impossible to get around Robert Wyatt’s entire discography. Buying that whole collection requires some serious moola, especially when some of his material is hit and miss.

Rock Legends

There were three albums that caught my attention this year. But I must start with the pride and joy of Jersey. The Promise: Darkness on the Edge of Town is quite a charmer, collecting an astonishing 3 CD/ 3 DVD set with a nifty notebook that literally reproduces some of Springsteen’s original sketches. If that’s not enough, it contains the whole shebang: scrapped ideas, alternate lyrics, and even a new essay to accompany an excerpt already seen in his 1998 book titled Story. It’s quite an adventure to discover arguably Springsteen’s most prolific period.

Currently, I’ve had a riot reading Keith Richards’ autobiography, aptly titled Life. The real highlight, though, was the fact that we finally got a remastered version of Exile on Main Street. Sure, most of the bonus material is outtake filler, but the real treasure is revisiting one of the Stones’ most eclectic albums. No other record illustrates the rock n’ roll lifestyle so exquisitely: it was a time of excess and immorality for the Stones, whose swagger was as portentous as their talent. And finally, there’s David Bowie's supposed transitional release Station to Station. Considered to be one of those albums that jump started the post-punk period, its quite a delight to revisit great tracks like Golden Years and Stay, proving that there was no one other artist who could marry disco rhythms with avant-garde flourishes so seamlessly.

Jangle Kids

Undoubtedly one of my most anticipated releases, there’s not much else to be said of R.E.M’s gothic rock masterpiece Fables of the Reconstruction. This album feels particularly special to me, being the one album in their discography I would endlessly listen to over and over and over again. It’s a shame many consider this to be one of their lesser I.R.S. efforts. Fables holds much richer stories than the ones seen in previous releases, a feat they didn’t repeat with such consistency until Automatic for the People blew the lid off with its profound meditation (celebration) of life. Also, those who have a soft spot for Peter Buck’s guitar method love this release because it had the best of both worlds: exquisite jangle arpeggios and electric delay pedaling.

I must break my rule for only a second. Though I wanted to discharge compilations, I must give props to Acute Records for compiling The Method Actors’ This is Still It. I’m not really sure if the Georgia group’s discography is utterly essential, but the label did quite a good job in terms of providing us another piece of history into the early 80s punk/new wave scene. If you’re in the mood for some cacophonous noise, then This is Still It is a fiery onslaught of energy. I’m certainly in the mood for some dissonant grooves and hook-tastic racket from time to time.

The Hazy 80s

Though I must confess I’m not the biggest Cure fan, I must begin this section discussing their highly regarded release Disintegration, only because it was a big influence on some of my next mentions. After the overwhelming body of work that is Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Robert Smith and crew threw a curve ball by distancing all sort of animosity with such a heartbreaking release. Even for Cure nonbelievers, one must savor its atmospheric filament, since I’m sure it was the definitive crying shoulder soundtrack to many heartbreaking moments.

In the lower scale side of the equation, Black Tambourine’s self titled and Galaxie 500’s discography spiritually go hand in hand. While Black Tambourine’s lo-fi aesthetic is probably the most abusively borrowed in indie rock as of late, Galaxie 500’s dream-pop trilogy is, well, who am I kidding. Both of these groups share the same thing in common: they are finally acknowledged by rock historians who didn’t know better, they never made as much as a whimper commercially, and both lasted a short period. Domino and Slumberland, still major players these days, are merely broadening their audience because the demand is there.

Hard Rock Mainstays

Kudos to Epitaph for re releasing Refused’s The Shape of Punk to Come. The Swedish hardcore band was deliciously irreverent. They would relentlessly execute harsh hardcore stabs one minute, and then would shift gears the next with some questionable instrumental choices like string arrangements and synth lines. Far more superior then most skatepunk bands at the time, they neglected typical chord structures and ditched the idea that hardcore punk was meant to be played in just one dimension.

Who else remembers getting excited to the opening bar lines in Feel Good Hit of the Summer?  Rated R is a roller coaster from beginning to end, establishing the Queens of the Stone Age as one of the most invigorating acts in contemporary modern rock. The Queens were really one the only reasons I would occasionally listen to modern rock commercial radio, just to admire such experimental accessibility in a field that is overflowing with mediocrity. And of course, who could forget the late 2010 reissue of Nine Inch Nails’ Pretty Hate Machine. Well, it literally was at the time, as Trent Reznor’s industrial churns weren’t immediately acknowledged until The Downward Spiral eclipsed their career. It was the definitive nihilistic statement – an angsty collage of overstated noise that was both unsettling and gripping.

Other Notable Favorites

The Slider: Europeans have savored this one for years, but Americans finally got a taste (again!) of T Rex’s The Slider. Before going through a career slide, this seminal release was Marc Bolan’s one-man show. It had it all: ridiculously fun three-minute scorchers, nonsensical bravado, and quite a few accomplished folk ballads. This was Bolan at his top form, accomplishing the incredible feat of never boring an audience. Considering how many bands embrace glam these days, Fat Possum struck gold with this tactic. Hopefully there’s enough demand to avoid another trip down discontinued avenue.

Bitches Brew: I must admit; the first moment I laid eyes on Bitches Brews’s 40th Anniversary Collector’s edition, I salivated over its dazzling package. While the common favorite is Kind of Blue, Bitches Brew is the combination of past, present, and future. A true testament to longevity, the jazz-rock fusion style it practically created constantly surprises with each listen. Yes, its jam oriented and will tire on a soft night.  But for all this elongated jam tomfoolery, Miles Davis’ opus is one of the rare albums worthy of some time investment. Layers upon layers of brilliance unfold if you let it sink into your subconscious. For those who can’t fathom buying a hundred dollar box set, the Legacy Edition sounds ripe to one’s experienced ears.

Pinkerton: If you frequently read this site, you must’ve explored this one already. To those who haven’t, what are you waiting for? No holiday is complete without revisiting River Cuomo's embarrassing confessionals.