I wrote an entry similar to this one back in 2017 (almost to the day!) Five years later, vinyl sales account for 7 percent of total music revenue, according to Variety. The last stat I heard was 2 percent, and that was around the time I wrote that previous entry.
At this point, I’m surprised when I don’t find a title on vinyl, but that doesn’t mean titles haven’t fallen through the reissue cracks. So here’s a sequel — albums I would love to see reissued on vinyl.
Café Tacvba, Cuatros Caminos Café Tacvba, Ré
Vinyl pressings of Café Tacvba albums exist, but they’re usually limited and quick to run out of print. To my knowledge, neither Ré nor Cuatros Caminos have ever been issued on vinyl, but I wouldn’t mind repressings of albums that had been issued on vinyl.
Tracy Chapman, New Beginning
New Beginning had “Give Me One Reason”, Chapman’s biggest hit since “Fast Car”, so it’s curious to see the album never getting a vinyl reissue. I’ve seen RSD titles reissued for far less.
Orgy, Candyass
Orgy’s cover of New Order’s “Blue Monday” rivals the original, but the entire Candyass album was actually really good.
Kanye West, Yeezus
A lot of unofficial pressings exist, so an official release would be nice. Kanye annoys me, but this album is pretty unhinged.
Nick Lachey, What’s Left of Me
I have a soft spot for Nick Lachey and this album. I was definitely not the target market for his reality TV show, but the angst resulting from the end of his marriage led to some pretty honest art. I don’t expect What’s Left of Me to get the vinyl treatment. I would probably be the only person interested in getting it.
Pansy Division, Absurd Pop Song Romance
It’s not hard to sense a hunger for commercial success on this album, and I think it deserves to be revisited.
Stephen Sondheim, Assassins (Original Cast Recording)
By the time Stephen Sondheim opened Assassins off-Broadway, cast recordings migrated entirely to CD, so the original cast recording of this show never saw a vinyl release.
Sam Sparro, Sam Sparro
Sparro got a Grammy nomination for “Black and Gold”. Surely, that’s enough to warrant a vinyl pressing? Don’t call you Shirley?
STRAIGHTENER, LOST WORLD’S ANTHOLOGY ART-SCHOOL, LOVE/HATE
Among fans of SUPERCAR, NUMBER GIRL, Quruli and Shiina Ringo, these albums by ART-SCHOOL and STRAIGHTENER could be considered classics of early 2000s Japanese indie rock. But that’s a pretty narrow audience to justify a vinyl pressing.
SUPER JUNKY MONKEY, A.I.E.T.O.H
This EP was actually issued on vinyl, so let’s have a repressing!
Harry Connick, Jr., She
I am mostly ambivalent to the work of Harry Connick, Jr., but his two albums of New Orleans rock — She and Star Turtle — are the only two albums of his I own. Given how uncharacteristic these albums are with the rest of his discography, I don’t imagine they have much goodwill among his fans. So a vinyl reissue? Unlikely. But She was released on vinyl in the Netherlands …
A decade ago, I wrote a series of entries ranking my favorite albums from 1985 to 2004. My collection has expanded greatly since then, particularly in the last five years. So I wanted to see what has changed in 10 years.
At the time, SLOTH LOVE CHUNKS edged Utada Hikaru for the top spot of 2006, but Ultra Blue has proven far more durable. This list has gone through quite a number of changes.
Utada Hikaru, Ultra Blue
SLOTH LOVE CHUNKS, Shikakui Vision
VOLA & THE ORIENTAL MACHINE, Waiting for My Food
Furukawa Miki, Mirrors
Tokyo Jihen, Otona (Adult)
Gnarls Barkley, St. Elsewhere
Boris, Pink
The Roots, Game Theory
Lorraine Hunt-Lieberson, Neruda Songs
Nick Lachey, What’s Left of Me
Other favorites of the year:
ACO, mask
J Dilla, Donuts
Hajime Chitose, Hanadairo
Now It’s Overhead, Dark Light Days
Envy, Insomniac Doze
The Gossip, Standing in the Way of Control
ASIAN KUNG-FU GENERATION, Fan Club
I’ve known about Boris for as long as I’ve been following Japanese music, but I never made time for them until I picked up Pink at Goodwill for $2. Well, hell …
I wouldn’t have listened to the Roots or J Dilla at the time. Hip-hop had diversified to have its own underground, and that was just so much history that I wasn’t willing to unpack. I’ve only started exploring hip-hop with any seriousness in the last year.
Lorraine Hunt-Lieberson was quite the late discovery. I didn’t pick up Neruda Songs till 2008, but it quickly became a favorite, dislodging Ex-Boyfriends completely off the list.
When I was first introduced to ASIAN KUNG-FU GENERATION, I dismissed them as “eastern youth lite”. The joke was on me — I don’t even own an eastern youth album anymore, and I’ve purchased ASIAN KUNG-FU GENERATION on vinyl.
It happens even now — an attractive guy on the cover of an album gets me to buy it. I do like those times when the music accompanying the pretty face turns me into a fan. Here are a few.
Jason Isbell
Jason Isbell isn’t my usual type — that would be Law and Order: SVU‘s Mike Doyle or, uh, Edward Snowden — but I did a double take when I first saw the cover of Southeastern. First, it’s a striking photo. Second, Isbell is a handsome guy. He’s not Channing Tatum-photogenic, but that welcoming, earnest expression can’t help but draw attention.
What clinches the crush, though, is his Twitter feed. He’s a card and an excellent writer. He uses the 140 character cap to his advantage, imbuing the pretty face with a likable personality. All that on top of being a damn fine songwriter.
Ty Herndon
I’ll admit I’ve downloaded pictures of Tim McGraw stripped to the waist, but I draw the line at listening to his music. When Ty Herndon came out of the closet, I thought I would make the same distinction.
In reality, Herndon has a voice worth playing repeatedly, and his hit singles don’t induce the kind of cringe brought on by, say, Brad Paisley. (I’ve been subjected to Paisley. It was unpleasant.)
If Herndon booked a gig somewhere in Western Washington, I would go see him.
Steve Grand
Oh, I’m pretty sure my messages to Steve Grand on Grindr would totally get ignored, were this unlikely scenario ever played out in real life. But my rock snobbery is no match to the charm he exudes.
Royal Wood
Royal Wood showed up as a suggestion I might like on a recommendation engine, and I’m sure the context for this suggestion was music. My eyes thought differently.
Sacha Sacket
The Advocate mentioned Sacha Sacket briefly in its 2005 music issue, and I dug his sound. It’s one of the few instances where the music grabbed me, and the nearly naked photos are just a bonus.
Nick Lachey
Shut up. I blame Rolling Stone. He did a photo spread for them without a shirt. What’s Left of Me is a musically ridiculous album, but I couldn’t help myself.
![[Nick Lachey - What's Left of Me]](https://musicwhore.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/NickLacheyWhatsleftofme31169_f.jpg)
![[Nas - God's Son]](https://musicwhore.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/NasGodsSon2002263398_f.jpg)
![[BORIS - PINK]](https://musicwhore.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/BorisPink2006191101_f-300x300.jpg)
![[Jason Isbell - Southeastern]](https://musicwhore.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/JasonIsbellSoutheastern273332_f.jpg "[Jason Isbell - Southeastern]")
![[Ty Herndon - Lies I Told Myself]](https://musicwhore.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/TyHerndonLiesIToldMysel123455_f.jpg "[Ty Herndon - Lies I Told Myself]")
![[Sacha Sacket]](https://musicwhore.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/SachaSacketLowBlow201358632_f.jpg "[Sacha Sacket]")