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Nov 20, 2017 By Mark Redfern Holiday Gift Guide 2017

Welcome to Under the Radar’s Holiday Gift Guide 2017. As in previous years, the guide will be split into various parts. This first part tackles music box sets and reissues, both on vinyl and CD. You would think that labels would have run out of old albums from the 20th century to reissue, but there appear to always be extra outtakes and previously unreleased tracks sitting in a vault somewhere, a mono mix not previously available on CD, or an album that hasn’t been on vinyl for decades. But this gives us a chance to revisit some of the classics from the past, in an era where there is so much new music available everywhere now at the click of a mouse.

Over the next week and a half we’ll also be posting more gift guides relating to collectibles, toys and other gifts for kids, board games, DVDs and Blu-rays, books and graphic novels, technology, and household items and apparel. And don’t forget that Under the Radar subscriptions also make a great gift (stay tuned for info on our 2017 Black Friday Sale). Plus donating to the charity of your choice is also a good way to go.

The Beatles: Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band (Super Deluxe Anniversary Edition) (Capitol)

SRP: $149.98

One of the most acclaimed, beloved, and best selling albums in history returns with a new 50th anniversary 6-disc deluxe edition. After some bad touring experiences in 1966-including death threats, a backlash in the American Bible Belt when John Lennon said The Beatles were “more popular than Jesus,” and some shows in front of more reserved Japanese audiences who weren’t screaming throughout the whole performances, which allowed the band to actually hear themselves and realize they weren’t that good live anymore-The Beatles decided to give up touring. Knowing that they wouldn’t have to recreate the songs live allowed them more freedom in the recording studio when it came to making 1967’s Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band. Then Paul McCartney came up with the concept of recording the album in character as the fictional Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, further allowing them the space to experiment in the studio. All of this led to the band’s most adventurous album to date. This reissue includes a new stereo remix of the album produced by Giles Martin, son of the album’s original producer George Martin (Giles was born two years after Sgt. Pepper’s came out). Then there are two CDs of additional material from the original sessions, mainly different takes of each song where you can actually hear studio chatter before or after the track. The fourth CD presents the mono version of the album, along with a few additional bonus tracks. Then the album is available on both DVD and Blu-ray, along with a 1992 documentary on how the album was made featuring interviews with McCartney, George Harrison, Ringo Starr, and George Martin. This timeless album has never been presented so completely. (Buy it here.)

David Bowie: A New Career In a New Town (1977-1982) (Parlophone/Rhino)

SRP: $149.98 for CD, $249.98 for Vinyl

In this modern era where no one bats an eye when an artist takes two to five years in between albums, it’s sometimes staggering to think of how prolific many of the musicians of the 1960s and 1970s were. (Granted King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard are releasing five albums this year, but they are an anomaly.) Case in point, David Bowie, who in 1977 released two classic albums in Low and “Heroes,” only a year after releasing Station to Station. A New Career In a New Town (1977-1982) is the third installment in the excellent chronological box set series slowly covering his career. This one includes four albums: Low, “Heroes,”1979’s Lodger, and 1980’s Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps) (which features “Ashes to Ashes” and “Fashion”). The first three are part of the “Berlin Trilogy,” all recorded mainly in the German capitol with the aid of Brian Eno and producer Tony Visconti and sometimes taking Bowie’s music in a more avant-garde and electronic direction. The second side of Low, for example, is a haunting, mainly instrumental, partly ambient work that was ahead of its time. This box set also includes the “Heroes” EP featuring German and French language versions of the title track, a newly reconfigured and expanded version of the live album Stage, and Re:Call 3, a new compilation of alternate versions and singles not found on the albums, including the single version of Queen collaboration “Under Pressure,” the single version of soundtrack song “Cat People (Putting Out Fire)” (later re-recorded for 1983’s Let’s Dance), and Bowie’s somewhat bizarre Christmas song collaboration with Bing Crosby (“Peace On Earth/Little Drummer Boy”). Perhaps the biggest revelation is Visconti’s new 2017 mix of Lodger. Bowie and Visconti were never happy with the original mix, which was rushed and done at a less than ideal studio (and is also included in the box set). Before his passing last year, Bowie gave his guidance and blessing to Visconti to remix the album and was pleased with the results, as he should be-Lodger sounds completely renewed and fresh, as if a veil has been lived off the original album. This was one of Bowie’s most creative periods, making this box set essential for even the casual fan. It’s also available as a 13-LP vinyl box set. Also available are two 40th anniversary picture disc 7-inches for two songs from Low: “Be My Wife” includes “Art Decade (Live Perth ‘78)” as the B-side whereas “Sound and Vision” is backed by a 2013 mix of the song. (Buy it here.)

David Bowie and Trevor Jones: The Original Soundtrack of the Film Labyrinth Featuring David Bowie (Capitol)

SRP: $14.29

Labyrinth may not have been the first thing that obituaries brought up when David Bowie passed away last year but for certain kids who grew up in the 1980s it may have been their first exposure to the iconic British singer/actor. The 1986 film was a pet project of Muppets creator Jim Henson and although it wasn’t a huge hit upon its initial release, it soon grew into a cult classic with a devoted fanbase. Bowie starred as Jareth, the Goblin King, who kidnaps Toby, the infant brother of 15-year-old Sarah (played by Jennifer Connelly), and takes him to the center of an elaborate and complicated otherworldly maze. Bowie also wrote and performed songs for the endearing fantasy film and now the soundtrack has been reissued on vinyl. It includes Bowie’s songs as well as the very ‘80s sounding score by Trevor Jones (there are lots of saxophones). So dance magic, dance and jump magic, jump your way over to your local record store to pick this up for your favorite ‘80s child, Goblin King or Queen, or Bowie fan. (Buy it here.)

John Coltrane: Trane: The Atlantic Collection (Rhino/Atlantic)

SRP: $8.74 for CD, $10.99 for Vinyl

Trane: The Atlantic Collection is a fairly basic single CD or vinyl best of covering John Coltrane’s Atlantic Records years. Its release follows John Scheinfeld’s documentary film on the saxophonist, Chasing Trane: The John Coltrane Documentary, released back in April and the nine-track introduction to the legend includes “My Favorite Things, Part 1 (Single Version)” and “Giant Steps.” It would make a good stocking stuffer for a jazz novice looking to begin a deeper journey into the genre. (Buy it here.)

Cream: Fresh Cream (Polydor)

SRP: $58.49

Cream might be better known for 1967’s single “Sunshine of Your Love” and 1968’s third album Wheels of Fire (the world’s first platinum-selling double album). But before the supergroup entered the “White Room,” Ginger Baker, Jack Bruce, and Eric Clapton recorded 1966’s debut album Fresh Cream. This new 6-LP reissue includes the album in both mono and stereo, as well as various outtakes and alternate/early versions, some French EPs, and a whole record of BBC sessions. (Buy it here.)

The Doors: The Doors: 50th Anniversary Deluxe Edition (Elektra/Rhino)

SRP: $64.98

It’s always amazing when a band arrives so fully formed on their debut album. The Doors’ self-titled debut album opens with “Break On Through (to the Other Side),” includes the full seven-minute long version of “Light My Fire,” and ends with the near 12-minute long epic “The End,” all psychedelic rock classics. The band went on to release other iconic albums and songs, so they are also not one of those groups who could never live up to their first album. The new 50th Anniversary Deluxe Edition of the album includes the original mono mix on vinyl, both the original mono and stereo mixes on CD, and a live album on CD, recorded in 1967 at The Matrix in San Francisco. Also available in a new replica of the Japanese 7-inch for “Light My Fire,” containing the single version of the song on the A-side and album version of “The Crystal Ship” on the B-side, with the original Japanese artwork. Plus there is The Singles Box, collecting their singles on reissued 7-inches, and a 50th Anniversary Deluxe Edition of the band’s second album, Strange Days (also released in 1967). (Buy it here.)

Bob Dylan: Trouble No More: The Bootleg Series Vol. 13 / 1979-1981 (Columbia/Legacy)

SRP: $174.98 for CD, $99.98 for Vinyl

Bob Dylan’s Bootleg Series soldiers on with Vol. 13. It covers 1979-1981 and features eight CDs and one DVD. Included are various live tracks (as well as full concerts in London and Toronto) and two discs of rare and unreleased tracks. The DVD features the Trouble No More concert film about Dylan’s gospel period and featuring rare and previously unseen footage from 1980 concerts in Toronto and Buffalo, New York. There’s also a 120-page photo book. It’s also available as a 4-LP box set. (Buy it here.)

Fleetwood Mac: Tango in the Night: Deluxe Edition (Warner Bros./Rhino)

SRP: $99.98

With 1979’s Tusk and especially 1977’s Rumours often the most discussed albums in Fleetwood Mac’s discography, it’s easy to forget what a massive album 1987’s Tango in the Night was. Having sold over 15 million copies worldwide since its release, it’s the band’s second most successful album after Rumours. Fleetwood Mac truly mastered that big glossy ‘80s sound with the album, with production choices that still hold up 30 years later. Any child of the decade should recognize singles “Big Love” and “Little Lies” (perhaps also “Seven Wonders and “Everywhere”). It was the last Fleetwood Mac album to feature the band’s most successful line-up of Lindsey Buckingham, Steve Nicks, Christine McVie, John McVie, and Mick Fleetwood (Buckingham left the band in 1987 after the album was recorded), so it was a fitting cap to the band’s most fruitful era. This reissue includes the original album on both vinyl and CD, as well as a second disc of demos, B-sides, and alternate mixes, a third disc of 12-inch remixes, and a DVD featuring music videos and a 24/96 audio of the album. (Buy it here.)

The Jam: 1977 (Polydor)

SRP: $50.89

1977 is short on The Jam’s later hits (“A Town Called Panic,” “That’s Entertainment,” and “Going Underground”), as it only covers their first two albums, In the City and This Is the Modern World, both released in 1977, although “In the City” is one of their better loved songs. But this box set is a nice window into the British mod band’s early years (including In the City‘s cover of Neal Hefti’s “Batman Theme,” from the 1960s TV series). 1977 also features a demos disc (many previously unreleased), a disc featuring both their John Peel Sessions of the era and a 1977 concert in Nashville of all places, and DVD featuring music videos and TV appearances (on Top of the Pops and other shows). With singer/guitarist Paul Weller’s career still going strong, with a well-received new solo album, A Kind Revolution, released just this year, it’s always a good time to revisit The Jam. (Buy it here.)

Jethro Tull: Songs from the Wood 40th Anniversary Edition (Chrysalis/Rhino)

SRP: $49.98

Songs from the Wood might be Jethro Tull’s 10th studio album, but it’s also considered one of their best. Released in 1977, the album from the British flute-enhanced prog rockers found frontman Ian Anderson and the band celebrating British pagan folklore and as its album cover suggests, embracing the British countryside life. This 40th Anniversary Edition includes a new stereo remix of the album by modern prog rock icon Steven Wilson (who was only 9 when the original album first came out), as well as various bonus tracks (some previously unreleased). Then there are two concerts from their 1977 American tour (November 21 in Landover, Maryland and December 6 in Boston), presented on two separate CDs. Plus there are two DVDs, one with the audio of the album and another with video of the Landover concert. Finally, there is a nicely put together 96-page booklet filled with photos, a lengthy article on the album featuring new interviews with the band, all the album’s lyrics, a list of the band’s tour dates from the era, and more. Get your flute on! (Buy it here.)

Bob Marley & the Wailers: Exodus 40 - The Movement Continues (Ume)

SRP: $29.99 for CD, $124.99 for Vinyl

After an assassination attempt was made on his life in December 1976, reggae legend Bob Marley left his native Jamaica for London. There he recorded 1977’s Exodus in response to Jamaican elections at the time, as well as other political and social issues. It includes “Jamming,” “Three Little Birds,” and “One Love,” three songs well known to even casual fans of Marley. This 40th anniversary edition includes the original album, as well as a new version of the album put together by his son Ziggy Marley, who tried to imagine how his father would have pieced the album together in 2017. It includes a previously unheard Bob Marley lead vocal take on “One Love” from the cutting room floor. Ziggy Marley also assembled a new band to re-record “Turn Your Lights Down Low” to back his father’s original vocals. A third disc features Exodus Live, made up of three 1977 shows at London’s Rainbow Theatre, with seven of its eight tracks previously unreleased. It’s also available as a vinyl box set. Exodus cemented Marley as a true reggae icon and spent 56 consecutive weeks on the British album charts. Alas Marley died only four years later due to cancer, at the young age of 36, and in 1984, three years after his passing, his greatest hits album, Legend, was released and it went on to become the best selling reggae album of all time. (Buy it here.)

Johnny Mathis: The Voice of Romance: The Columbia Original Album Collection (Legacy/Columbia)

SRP: $427.49

Johnny Mathis might be the king of easy listening, but don’t let that put you off this impressive 68-disc box set. It includes 62 Columbia albums, remastered with the aid of Mathis, and 25 that have never been on CD before. Plus there is a 2-disc collection featuring 40 previously unreleased songs. Mathis signed with Columbia in 1955 and The Voice of Romance spans from 1956’s self-titled debut to 2017’s Sings the Great New American Songbook. As was the norm in the ‘50s and ‘60s, over the years Mathis has proved the master of the cover and one of the delights of this box set is hearing Mathis’ more relaxed take on classics like The Doors’ “Light My Fire,” Fred Neil’s “Everybody’s Talkin’,” and The 5th Dimension’s “Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In.” John Barry’s instrumental “Midnight Cowboy” theme is given lyrics and vocals in a memorable track from Raindrops Keep Fallin’ On My Head. On this year’s Sings the Great New American Songbook, produced by Kenneth “Babyface” Edmonds, he takes on slightly more modern songs, such as Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah,” R. Kelly’s “I Believe I Can Fly,” and Pharrell Williams’ “Happy.” Okay, so the album also features Kenny G, but also don’t let that dissuade you from diving into his earlier string swept ballads, perfect for Sunday afternoons or late night listening, or for driving up the Pacific Coast Highway with the windows (or top) down. At the very least, it could make the perfect gift for your parents, grandparents, or a friend of any age who appreciates timeless music. (Buy it here.)

Midnight Oil: Full Tank, Overflow Tank, and The Vinyl Collection (Legacy)

SRP: $249.98 (each for Full Tank and Overflow Tank), $424.98 (for The Vinyl Collection)

Midnight Oil are not just about burning beds, although their 1987 hit “Beds Are Burning” is surely the Australian band’s biggest hit and best known song (the video has around 95 million views on YouTube). The protest song is about giving lands back to Pintupi Aboriginal group and has long earned a worthy spot in the list of ‘80s classics. But Midnight Oil released a total of 11 albums, ranging from 1978 to 2002 and now there are three new ways to experience them all. The Vinyl Collection is a handsome box set featuring all 11 albums and two EPs. Full Tank contains the same material, but on CD and packaged in a replica mini oil drum (and also including a DVD featuring all their music videos). The most fervent Midnight Oil fan will likely be interested in Overflow Tank, a CD and DVD collection also packaged in a replica mini oil drum that includes a staggering 14+ hours of previously unreleased and rare tracks (including demos and B-sides), concert footage, documentaries, their MTV Unplugged session, and more across four CDs and eight DVDs. The time has come, to say fair’s fair and revisit one of Australia’s most beloved bands. (Buy Full Tank here. Buy Overflow Tank here. Buy The Vinyl Collection here.)

The Moody Blues: Days of Future Passed (50th Anniversary Deluxe Edition) (Polydor)

SRP: $22.39

Apart from their second single “Go Now,” The Moody Blues’ first and only #1 single in the U.K., the British band weren’t in a great place before recording 1967’s sophomore album Days of Future Passed. Their 1965 debut album, The Magnificent Moodies, hadn’t done well on the charts and two members of the band (Clint Warwick and Denny Laine) had left the group. But new members John Lodge and Justin Hayward reinvigorated The Moody Blues and they set forth to record their much more ambitious second album. Days of Future Passed is regarded as an early concept album and one of the first examples of progressive rock, as the band partnered up with The London Festival Orchestra (conducted by Peter Knight) for a prime and early example of orchestral rock, melding the band’s ballads with orchestral parts and even spoken word poems. “Nights in White Satin” (written and sung by new member Hayward) is the best remembered song from the album (or even the band as a whole). This new 2-CD/1-DVD reissue includes the 1967 stereo mix on CD for the first time, with the 1972 stereo mix on disc two. The DVD also features the 1967 stereo mix in a 5.1 Surround Sound Mix, plus black & white footage of the band’s 1968 performance of three songs at Gala Du Midem in France. (Buy it here.)

Trevor Morris: Marvel’s Iron Fist Original Soundtrack (Mondo)

SRP: $25.00

Iron Fist may be the least well received of Marvel’s six Netflix shows so far, although we found it perfectly watchable thanks to some fun martial arts fights, the return of Rosario Dawson as Claire Temple, and British actress Jessica Henwick as love interest/badass fighter Colleen Wing. If, as per our Holiday Gift Guide last year, you got Mondo’s beautifully packaged vinyl soundtrack’s to Daredevil, Jessica Jones, and Luke Cage, then you might as well continue the collection with Iron Fist. It features the score by Trevor Morris and Anderson .Paak’s song “Come Down,” from his 2016 album Malibu. (Buy it here.)

R.E.M.: Automatic for the People (25th Anniversary Deluxe Edition) (Craft Recordings)

SRP: $85.00

Some might argue for another R.E.M. album, but the general consensus is that 1992’s Automatic for the People is the Athens, Georgia band’s best album, despite it being their eighth. (And how many bands release their best album so far into their careers?) Fueled by the classic singles “Man on the Moon” and “Everybody Hurts” (the latter with an iconic traffic jam music video directed by Ridley Scott’s son, Jake Scott), over the years the album has sold 18 million copies worldwide. The band later released some strong albums, especially 1996’s New Adventures in Hi-Fi, which frontman Michael Stipe considers R.E.M.‘s best album, but Automatic for the People might have been their peak. This new 4-disc 25th anniversary reissue includes the original album remastered, a second disc of 20 demos (including unreleased songs), a live album recorded at the 40 Watt Club in Athens in 1992, the album and all its music videos on Blu-ray, and a 60-page book featuring new interviews with all four members and previously unpublished photos by Anton Corbijn. (Buy it here.)

The Sisters of Mercy: Some Girls Wander By Mistake (Rhino)

SRP: $78.98

The Sisters of Mercy have continued touring over the years but they haven’t recorded any new material since 1993, citing the challenges of finding a good record label as one stumbling block, although frontman Andrew Eldritch said in a November 2016 interview with TeamRock that if Donald Trump was elected president he’s release a new Sisters of Mercy album. The British gothic rock band did get a nice cultural boost when Simon Pegg wore one of their T-shirts throughout the Edgar Wright film The World’s End. While fans wait for new tunes, they can settle for this new vinyl reissue of the 1992 compilation Some Girls Wander by Mistake, which collected the complete versions of their early singles and EPs from 1980-1983, including covers of The Stooges’ “1969” and The Rolling Stones’ “Gimme Shelter.” Also included are two other 12-inch singles (with B-sides), 1992’s “Temple of Love (1992)” and 1993’s “Under the Gun.” Trump was elected over a year ago now, so where’s that new album Andrew? (Buy it here.)

The Smiths: The Queen Is Dead Deluxe Edition (Sire/Rhino)

SRP: $39.98 for CD, $99.98 for Vinyl

“I’d rather be famous than righteous or holy, any day,” Morrissey sings on Frankly, Mr. Shankly, the second track on their landmark The Queen Is Dead album from 1986. “I want to go down in musical history,” Morrissey also sings on the song, which was reputedly directed at Geoff Travis, the head of the band’s record label Rough Trade, and three decades later it’s safe to say that Morrissey and The Smiths have long since cemented themselves as an iconic and highly influential band in the annals of British music. 2017 is a pretty good year to be a Smiths fan. England is Mine, a new unauthorized biopic about Morrissey, came out this summer and this fall Morrissey released a new solo album, Low in High School (although it wasn’t particularly well-received by critics). Perhaps best of all is the new 3-CD/1-DVD reissue of The Queen Is Dead. It’s got the whole album, often regarded as their best, in a new 2017 master. So you get “Bigmouth Strikes Again,” “The Boy With the Thorn in His Side,” “There is a Light That Never Goes Out,” and “Some Girls Are Bigger Than Others” all sounding crisp and wonderful. Then there’s a second disc of B-sides and demos. Disc 3 is the band’s August 1986 concert at Great Woods in Boston. Then the DVD has the 2017 master of the album in 96kHz/24bit PMC Stereo, as well as The Queen Is Dead - A Film by Derek Jarman. This collection is also available on vinyl as a 5-LP box set. Some bands are better than others and The Smiths’ were one of the best of the 1980s and this is arguably their crowning achievement. (Buy it here.)

U2: The Joshua Tree 30th Anniversary Super Deluxe Box Set (Island)

SRP: $169.95

It’s easy to argue that 1987’s The Joshua Tree is U2’s best album, although some might make a strong case for the studio albums before and after it in their discography, 1984’s The Unforgettable Fire and 1991’s Achtung Baby. One glance at the tracklist, from “Where the Streets Have No Name” to “Mothers of the Disappeared,” shows that it’s wall to wall with classics (“I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For,” “With or Without You,” “Running to Stand Still,” “One Tree Hill,” etc.). And U2 seem well aware what an achievement The Joshua Tree was, extensively touring the album this year in honor of its 30th anniversary. They have also released a collectors vinyl box set for The Joshua Tree. It includes the original album on 180gsm vinyl, a live 1987 concert from Madison Square Garden, various outtakes and B-sides, some new 2017 remixes, an 84-page hardback book including previously unseen photos by The Edge taken during the photo-shoot for the album cover, and eight rare 12-inch color prints by Anton Corbijn. It’s alas also easy to argue that U2 haven’t released a truly great album since 1993’s Zooropa (although some lift up 2000’s All That You Can’t Leave Behind and we haven’t heard 2017’s Songs of Experience yet), but we’ll always have The Joshua Tree and this box set more than does it justice. (Buy it here.)

Various Artists: 7-Inches for Planned Parenthood (7 Inches For, LLC.)

SRP: $100.00

Stopping federal funding for Planned Parenthood has been one of the Trump administration’s goals and in response many rallied behind the organization (which deals with reproductive health issues). One such response by musicians is 7-Inches for Planned Parenthood, a 7-inch series. All 10 7-inches are collected in this box set. There are 33 tracks in all, with rare and live tracks from the likes of CHVRCHES, Elliott Smith, Björk, Sleater-Kinney, Foo Fighters, John Legend and St. Vincent, Bon Iver with Aaron and Bryce Dessner, Mitski, and more. There are also comedy performances by Zach Galifianakis, Jenny Slate, Tig Notaro, Sarah Silverman, Janeane Garofalo, Pete Holmes, and others. With 100% of the proceeds going to Planned Parenthood, this is the perfect gift for your progressive social activist friend who also appreciates good music and has a sense of humor. Also visit www.istandwithpp.org for more information on how to support Planned Parenthood. (Buy it here.)

Various Artists: Saturday Night Fever: The Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (Super Deluxe Edition) (Capitol)

SRP: $89.99

Fans of the greatest disco film of all time (not that there’s not much competition, although the parody scene in Airplane! is pretty darn funny), have little excuse not to pick up this new 40th anniversary super deluxe edition of Saturday Night Fever: The Original Motion Picture Soundtrack. Not only does it include the hit soundtrack on both vinyl and CD (featuring iconic songs by Bee Gees and others), but also John Badham’s new six-minute longer director’s cut of the movie on Blu-ray, a fold out film poster, and a nice 12-inch sized booklet about the movie and soundtrack. Few movies and soundtracks have encapsulated an era of music and popular culture as well as Saturday Night Fever has. Let the disco inferno begin. (Buy it here.)

Various Artists: Twin Peaks: Limited Event Series Soundtrack and Twin Peaks: Music From the Limited Event Series (Rhino)

SRP: $13.89 each on CD, $31.98 each on Vinyl

David Lynch’s new season of Twin Peaks, 26 years after the show was originally cancelled (and 25 years since the prequel feature film Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me), may have been a bit hard to fathom (you tell us exactly what was going on, no please, really), but it did feature lots of great music in between scenes of a confused childlike Agent Cooper wandering around Las Vegas. There are two soundtracks available for the new Twin Peaks. Twin Peaks: Limited Event Series Soundtrack mainly features Angelo Badalamenti’s score, although it also contains Krzysztof Penderecki’s creepy “Threnody to the Victims of Hiroshima,” as performed by the Warsaw National Philharmonic Orchestra, which was memorably featured in the season’s completely crazy, surreal, and widely acclaimed eighth episode. Most episodes ended with a musical performance at the Roadhouse bar in Twin Peaks and Twin Peaks: Music From the Limited Event Series mainly features those songs, including ones from Chromatics, The Veils, Sharon Van Etten, Nine Inch Nails, Au Revoir Simone, and others. Lynch and co-creator Mark Frost appear open to a fourth season of Twin Peaks, but warn it may take them several years. In the meantime these soundtracks will help pass the time. (Buy Limited Event Series Soundtrack here. Buy Music From the Limited Event Series here.)

The Verve: Urban Hymns (Virgin)

SRP: $57.85

There’s no question that 1997’s Urban Hymns is The Verve’s biggest and most iconic album, although some old school fans of the British band may favor their dreamy shoegaze-infused 1993 debut A Storm in Heaven or the meatier rock of 1995’s A Northern Soul. Any album that opens with “Bittersweet Symphony” (the band’s most recognizable song, which helped land frontman Richard Ashcroft on the cover of Rolling Stone) and also includes “The Drugs Don’t Work” and “Lucky Man” was bound to stand the test of time. This deluxe 5-CD/1-DVD reissue features all of the album’s B-sides, including the superior 8-minute long extended version of “Bittersweet Symphony” that should’ve opened the album and a great remix of the song by James Lavelle of UNKLE (one of the only times a Verve song has officially been remixed and probably one of the better rock remixes of the ‘90s). All of the B-sides are worthy, but some, including heartbreaking string swept ballad “Never Wanna See You Cry,” might even be better than a couple of the album’s lesser tracks. Also included is the band’s BBC Evening Session from 1997, their big 1998 concert at Haigh Hall (both in audio and on the DVD), other live tracks, video of the band’s Later… with Jools Holland performance in 1997, and all of the album’s music videos. What are missing are any rare previously unreleased tracks and demos. Around the time this reissue was released a bunch of unreleased tracks from the Urban Hymns sessions mysteriously showed up on YouTube and it’s too bad that for whatever reason none of them are featured on here. But this is still a fantastic collection, especially for those who don’t already own all the essential B-sides. (Buy it here.)

The Who: Maximum As & Bs: The Complete Singles (MCA)

SRP: $58.49

As the title suggests, Maximum As & Bs: The Complete Singles collects all of The Who’s singles, EPs, and B-sides in one 5-disc box set, starting with two songs released when the band was still going under the name The High Numbers. The set ranges from the spunky early hits such as “I Can’t Explain” and “My Generation” from the mid-1960s (as well as 1966’s cover of Neal Hefti’s “Batman Theme,” also covered by The Jam in 1977), to the singles from the late ‘60s rock opera Tommy (“Pinball Wizard” and all that), to 1978’s future CSI theme song “Who Are You,” and all the way through to 2006’s Wire and Glass EP and a 2014 remix of “I Can’t Explain.” “I hope I die before I get old,” Roger Daltry sang on 1965’s “My Generation,” but it didn’t quite work out that way and this box set is a testament to the band’s long career. (Buy it here.)

Vinyl Me, Please. Subscription

SRP: $25.00 - $29.00 a Month

We have featured a lot of classic albums in this gift guide, but to stay on top of current releases and have a great vinyl record delivered to your doorstep every month we recommend joining Vinyl Me, Please. It’s the coolest vinyl record club out there. The team handpick one record a month to send out to subscribers. Each LP is a special edition and has exclusive packaging and/or is a unique pressing in someway, and each one also comes with an original 12x12 album-inspired art print and a paired cocktail recipe. You also get first access to their online store with additional records. You can sign up one-month at a time for $29 a month or do a three-month subscription for $27 a month, or do a year-long thing for $25 a month. Or they have gift subscriptions available that include extra records. Some recent albums have included the latest by Moses Sumney, St. Vincent, and Kevin Morby, as well as reissues of The National’s Boxer, Miles Davis’ Sorcerer, and Fiona Apple’s Tidal (a Vinyl Me, Please. exclusive and the album’s first time on vinyl). As well as their main Essentials subscription, this year they have also launched two new subscriptions: Classics and Rap & Hip-Hop. Classics focuses on classic soul, jazz, and blues albums and Rap & Hip-Hop obviously focuses on those genres. Any fan of vinyl should delight in a Vinyl Me, Please. gift subscription. (Buy it here.)

Other Reissues Also Available:

Acetone: 1992-2001 (Light in the Attic)
The Afghan Whigs: Congregation, Up in It, and Uptown Avondale (Sub Pop)
Angelo Badalamenti: Blue Velvet OST (Fire)
Bon Jovi: The Albums (Universal Music Group) (A vinyl collection of all their albums.)
Johnny Cash: Unearthed Vinyl Box Set (American)
Suzanne Ciani: Help, Help, the Globolinks! (Finders Keepers)
Phil Collins: Take a Look At Me Now…The Complete Studio Collection (Atlantic/Rhino)
Def Leppard: Hysteria 30th Anniversary Super Deluxe (Mercury)
Eagles: Hotel California 40th Anniversary Deluxe Edition (Asylum/Rhino)
Bill Evans: Another Time: The Hilversum Concert (Resonance)
Grandaddy: Under the Western Freeway (Friendship Fever)
George Harrison: The Vinyl Collection (Capitol)
Isaac Hayes: The Spirit of Memphis (1962-1976) (Craft/Stax)
INXS: Kick 30th Anniversary Edition (Atlantic/Rhino)
The Jazz Butcher: The Wasted Years (Fire)
Metallica: Master of Puppets (Blackened)
George Michael: Listen Without Prejudice / MTV Unplugged Deluxe (Legacy)
Van Morrison: The Authorized Band Collection (Legacy)
Harry Nilsson: Popeye OST (Varese Sarabande)
Elvis Presley: A Boy From Tupelo 1953-1955 Recordings (Legacy)
Ramones: Rocket to Russia 40th Anniversary Deluxe Edition (Sire/Rhino)
Otis Redding: The Definitive Studio Album Collection (Rhino)
Alan Parsons Project: Eye in the Sky (Legacy)
Stone Temple Pilots: Core: Super Deluxe Edition (Atlantic/Rhino)
Tegan and Sara: The Con X: Covers (Warner Bros.)
Various Artists: American Epic: The Collection (Legacy)
Various Artists: Even A Tree Can Shed Tears: Japanese Folk & Rock 1969-1973 (Light in the Attic)
Various Artists: Harry Potter Original Motion Picture Soundtracks 1-V (Rhino) (10-LP Picture Disc Box Set)
Whitesnake: Whitesnake 30th Anniversary Edition (Rhino)
Wilco: A.M. Deluxe Edition and Being There Deluxe Edition (Rhino)
“Weird Al” Yankovic: Squeeze Box: The Complete Works of “Weird Al” Yankovic (Legacy)
Yeah Yeah Yeahs: Fever to Tell Deluxe Vinyl Box Set (Interscope)
Hiroshi Yoshimura: Music for Nine Postcards (Empire of Signs)
ZZ Top: Cinco: The First Five LPs (Warner Bros./Rhino)

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