Uncut's Best Reissues 2017

[Ghost of Harry Smith]

Here's Uncut's Top 30 of best archival releases and reissues for 2017. What do we think? Any omissions you'd want to fight for? Any other 2017 reissue lists out there that are better than this? Please post links here if so.

01. Neil Young – Hitchhiker
02. Lal & Mike Waterson – Bright Phoebus
03. Alice Coltrane – The Ecstatic Music of Alice Coltrane Turiyasangitananda
04. David Bowie – A New Career in a New Town (1977–1982)
05. The Beatles – Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band: Super Deluxe Edition
06. Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds – Lovely Creatures: Best of Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds 1984–2014
07. Brian Eno – Before and After Science
08. Prince – Purple Rain Deluxe
09. The Grateful Dead – Cornell 5/8/77
10. Elliott Smith – Either/Or: Expanded Edition
11. Radiohead – OKNOTOK
12. Hüsker Dü – Savage Young Dü
13. Bark Psychosis – Hex
14. Johnny Cash – The Original Sun Albums 1957–64
15. Can – The Singles
16. The Necessaries – Event Horizon
17. Acetone – 1992–2001
18. Beach Boys – 1967 – Sunshine Tomorrow
19. Buzzcocks – Buzzcocks (Mk 1) Box
20. Various – Running the Voodoo Down: Explorations in Psychrockfunksouljazz 1967–80
21. Midori Takada – Through the Looking Glass
22. Tony Conrad – Ten Years Alive on the Infinite Plain
23. Various – Soul of a Nation
24. The Smiths – The Queen is Dead deluxe
25. Underworld – Beaucoup Fish
26. Lift To Experience – The Texas–Jerusalem Crossroads
27. Jon Hassell – Fourth World Volume Two: Dream Theory in Malaya
28. Ramones – Leave Home: 40th Anniversary Deluxe Edition
29. The Replacements – For Sale: Live at Maxwell's 1986
30. Super Furry Animals – Radiator

[Dayodead]

I've got The Purple Rain, Savage Young Du and The Queen is Dead releases and they are quite good....And while I'm happy a good little Slowcore band like Acetone get new exposure, I've heard the set doesn't really choose the correct songs...Might have been better served to have a boxset similar to the one put out for Bedhead (A similar slowcore band), which basically put everything they did in one nice package...

[Ghost of Harry Smith]

Yes that Acetone set has 9 unreleased tracks and then 7 songs that are previously-released fan favourites. That's an odd combination. I will get this album eventually but this year have been well served by mp3 copies of their back catalogue of strong LPs and interesting EPs.

I would pick Lal & Mike Waterson over Neil Young for #1, I bought the Bright Phoebus 2LP version this year and it was a revelation.

[Darkness_Fish]

Not much there that's too interesting to me, though the obvious stand-out is Alice Coltrane featuring so highly. Have to applaud that. Bark Psychosis is a strange one, I don't know if that album's reputation stands through the coinage of post-rock as a term, because I find it very wearying and dull.

[Your Friendly Neighbourhood Postman]

Sunshine Tomorrow is the big surprise reissue for me -

it's so far removed from a mere archival thingy.

I am looking forward to more copyright-expiration-related stuff form the band. After all, around the time of Friends, the band recorded much more stuff - as legend has it. Heck, they could deliver such goodies for every year up to 2027 (when Love You will hit 50).

[Ranking Ted]

I've picked up the highlighted ones. They're all good but like all reissues, if you already have the original (e.g. those in italics), it depends how much you need those improved remasters or those scratchy demos (which, in the main, is not really).

01. Neil Young – Hitchhiker
02. Lal & Mike Waterson – Bright Phoebus
03. Alice Coltrane – The Ecstatic Music of Alice Coltrane Turiyasangitananda
04. David Bowie – A New Career in a New Town (1977–1982)
05. The Beatles – Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band: Super Deluxe Edition
06. Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds – Lovely Creatures: Best of Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds 1984–2014
07. Brian Eno – Before and After Science
08. Prince – Purple Rain Deluxe
09. The Grateful Dead – Cornell 5/8/77
10. Elliott Smith – Either/Or: Expanded Edition
11. Radiohead – OKNOTOK
12. Hüsker Dü – Savage Young Dü
13. Bark Psychosis – Hex
14. Johnny Cash – The Original Sun Albums 1957–64
15. Can – The Singles
16. The Necessaries – Event Horizon
17. Acetone – 1992–2001
18. Beach Boys – 1967 – Sunshine Tomorrow
19. Buzzcocks – Buzzcocks (Mk 1) Box
20. Various – Running the Voodoo Down: Explorations in Psychrockfunksouljazz 1967–80
21. Midori Takada – Through the Looking Glass
22. Tony Conrad – Ten Years Alive on the Infinite Plain
23. Various – Soul of a Nation
24. The Smiths – The Queen is Dead deluxe
25. Underworld – Beaucoup Fish
26. Lift To Experience – The Texas–Jerusalem Crossroads
27. Jon Hassell – Fourth World Volume Two: Dream Theory in Malaya
28. Ramones – Leave Home: 40th Anniversary Deluxe Edition
29. The Replacements – For Sale: Live at Maxwell's 1986
30. Super Furry Animals – Radiator

[Moleskin]

Any list that puts an album of Neil Young demos at #1 is worthless.

[Snarfyguy]

After all, around the time of Friends, the band recorded much more stuff - as legend has it.

Yet they couldn't even scrape together half an hour's worth of material for the album proper?

I don't know - I'll listen to anything from that era, but I'm not getting my hopes up!

[BARON CORNY DOG]

And while I'm happy a good little Slowcore band like Acetone get new exposure, I've heard the set doesn't really choose the correct songs...Might have been better served to have a boxset similar to the one put out for Bedhead (A similar slowcore band), which basically put everything they did in one nice package...

I’m pretty sure the Acetone discography is spread out over more than one record label, so it may be difficult to license it all at the same time.

[Dayodead]

And while I'm happy a good little Slowcore band like Acetone get new exposure, I've heard the set doesn't really choose the correct songs...Might have been better served to have a boxset similar to the one put out for Bedhead (A similar slowcore band), which basically put everything they did in one nice package...

I’m pretty sure the Acetone discography is spread out over more than one record label, so it may be difficult to license it all at the same time.

Their first four releases are on Vernon Yard / Virgin Records...The last two albums are on Neil Young's label, Vapor Records..Sure something could be arranged between the two entities...

[Your Friendly Neighbourhood Postman]

After all, around the time of Friends, the band recorded much more stuff - as legend has it.

Yet they couldn't even scrape together half an hour's worth of material for the album proper?

I don't know - I'll listen to anything from that era, but I'm not getting my hopes up!

Haha, yes, Friends clocks in at less than half an hour, IIRC.

But then, Wild Honey wasn't long either. Its mono version never appealed to me. Now it sounds different in my brain, and that is something few other re-issues achieved.

I hope the current team of Mark Linett, Alan Boyd, and Howie Edelman will be on board. Going by the track lists of the famous Unsurpassed Masters boxes, there's still a lot that we haven't heard officially.

(These sets were simply beyond my financial means, way back whey they appeared at record fairs.)

[pcqgod]

Still haven't bothered to get the Peppers reissue.

Never heard of the Buzzcocks box, or the Husker Du one, for that matter.

[Snarfyguy]

After all, around the time of Friends, the band recorded much more stuff - as legend has it.

Yet they couldn't even scrape together half an hour's worth of material for the album proper?

I don't know - I'll listen to anything from that era, but I'm not getting my hopes up!

Haha, yes, Friends clocks in at less than half an hour, IIRC.

But then, Wild Honey wasn't long either. Its mono version never appealed to me. Now it sounds different in my brain, and that is something few other re-issues achieved.

I hope the current team of Mark Linett, Alan Boyd, and Howie Edelman will be on board. Going by the track lists of the famous Unsurpassed Masters boxes, there's still a lot that we haven't heard officially.

(These sets were simply beyond my financial means, way back whey they appeared at record fairs.)

Same. Shame I never got my hands on more than one or two of those sets.

Agreed - the re-issue under discussion is monumental. It always sounded kind of weak and thin; the new version sounds amazing!

[Pool Hall Richard]

For me the best reissues are the 3 China Crisis albums - Difficult Shapes & Passive Rhythms, Working with Fire & Steel, Flaunt the Imperfection. All are great reissues, 2 and 3 disc affairs. Proper quality.

I got the Neil Young vinyl but its only 33 minutes long, music very good but that's too short.

Can The Singles I really like but regret buying the triple vinyl then finding out its less than one single cd in length. Tenner for the cd would've done me well.

I guess the best is probably Trouble No More but 8cd is too bloody expensive and the 2cd is only live material. Quality but ultimately frustrating release. I am still trying to get hold of an MP3 copy to satisfy me for now, one day when the 8cd goes cheap ill grab it, I have all the other bootleg series releases.

Pepper 50th anniversary, not my fave album, did get the 2cd reissue, waiting for the big box white album, that will me more up my street.

[toomanyhatz]

Have Watersons, Peppers and the Beach Boys. Want Smith (Eliot, that is) and Neil. Some of the others look good too, but those are the biggies.

Certainly a better year for reissues than for new releases.

[Moleskin]

Not sure there'll be a White Album reissue. They haven't done any of the other LPs.

[Darkness_Fish]

I'm guessing the best reissues this year will have been the Das ist DAF box set. Which I'm kinda hoping Santa will be depositing down my chimney.

[Pool Hall Richard]

Not sure there'll be a White Album reissue. They haven't done any of the other LPs.

Start in '67 - 50th anniversary, i know its not a given but next year is White Albums 50th. Kind of makes sense, once Apple have started going down this big box reissue route to follow it up with 50th anniversary editions for the likes of White Album, Abbey Road and Let It Be.

Maybe, maybe not. My point is for THAT album id more likely get the big box, Abbey Road too. Not so hot on Peppers myself. 2cd sufficed on that reissue.

[toomanyhatz]

Not sure there'll be a White Album reissue. They haven't done any of the other LPs.

There was - sort of - for MMT (movie and original EP in one package).

I'd be VERY surprised if there weren't 50-year anniversary packages for both the White Album and Abbey Road. Just hope they don't botch it. In my imagination, they'll officially release ALL the home demos for the White Album, along with outtakes. Shouldn't have any problem filling up 6 discs. Abbey Road will be a bit harder, but maybe some 'immersion' stuff like they did for Peppers. I agree with PHR that Peppers wasn't all that interesting, but the White Album in theory could be. Those demos are great.

They will probably skip Let it Be, though.

[jimboo]

I'm guessing the best reissues this year will have been the Das ist DAF box set. Which I'm kinda hoping Santa will be depositing down my chimney.

I want that too.