my favourite reissues of 2025
„Anyone familiar only with the string-drenched, bucolic epics of Stars Of The Lid’s 21st-century work may be surprised by the Austin duo’s debut album, released on vinyl for the first time this year. A home-recorded set of guitar-based drones, „Music For Nitrous Oxide“ is as unsettling as it is meditative, laced with samples of Twin Peaks, Star Trek: The Next Generation and Apocalypse Now.“ (Jon Dale)
What a number of re-releases and archival discoveries, every year. The memory lane, buried treasures, lost classics, and more. Some of them were kind of enlightening, at least elevating for me. One was Tim Buckley‘s „Happy Sad“, I missed that one when i was young and, well, „happy sad“, so to speak. Awesome sound. Deep soul searching and passionate. Then, I still remember, in those 1970‘s in Würzburg, I was never into The Grateful Dead, with the tiny exception of „Blues For Allah“: that really hit me then and it hits me now with its vinyl reissue by Rhino. Haven‘t listened to it in decades, and it haunts me again.
From all the great ECM reissues (from the „Luminessence series“), Paul Bley‘s „Open, to love“ is the standout, one of the early ECM solo piano strokes of genius. An album to always return to. The real re-discovery was Jan Garbarek blowing his horns in a way your walls may come down during the ride. On „Madar“ he‘s accompanied by Anouar Brahem and Shaukaut Hussain. What an absolute and audiophile delight, this release from 1992. Another burner for the happy few who ever came across it, was the double vinyl reissue of David Sylvian‘s „Manafon Variations“: radical, sensual, deep-diving! Moving to my music in surround, 2025 was the year I finally fell in love with an album by Tangerine Dream, „Phaedra“. I‘m far away from calling Rod Stewart‘s „Atlantic Crossing“ a guilty pleasure, but I always preferred his ballads, and side two of that ancient album (now brought to the public in shining quad) is a series of irresistible ballads. Okay, we have all listened to „Sailing“ too often, but so what?! Steve Wilson‘s newest remixes of some early King Crimson works are killer – and a heavenly experience for surrounders: „In The Wake Of Poseidon“ and ther jazz-driven „Lizard“.
In America one of the most heartbreaking break-up albums ever came out as a double vinyl, and I easily trust Norman Maslov that it still puts a spell on you. This album about love falling apart always meant more to me than the canonical – and great – „Tusk“ by Fleetwood Mac. Oh, oh, no reason to keep you waiting: i am speaking of The Jayhawks‘ „Rainy Day Music“! Looking out of the window, i am sure you‘ll find your own „rainy day music“, for all the good reasons! The Stars of the Lid’s debut may be a good choice here! As is that 1995 classic (at least for some of us): Spain’s „The Blue Moods Of Spain“ (blue vinyl reissue)! Did I forget some more for this list? Sure I did. One album from the new Bruce Springsteen boxset of never before released works that immediately drew me inside: the Tex-Mex borderline ballad brilliance of „Inyo“ from Mr. Springsteen, and another double album in blue vinyl, Miles Davis‘ „Agharta“. I am sinking deeper and deeper into my blue velvet sofa.
7 Kommentare
Lajla
Das schöne an solchen Texten ist, dass man über die musikalische Avenue läuft und lauter Bekannte trifft, von denen man aber längst nicht alles kennt.
Michael Engelbrecht
Sometimes, on memory lane, you make mistskes. So, correction: the great break up album of The Jayhawks is SOUND OF LIES, from 1997, Rainy Day Music came later – with a kind of afterglow of those strange times of love going wrong. Both albums masterclass in my ears. For the flow of words I let it be the way it is, with that great cover of Rainy Day Music!
SOUND OF LIES was the sountrack for me and my amour fou in 1997, 1998. we were liars, we were idiots, we were fooling around, we made mistakes, we made love. Short cut😉
Michael Engelbrecht
A long time ago, in 1995 i loved to play that album called THE BLUE MOODS OF SPAIN at the radio and at home – night time music of highest order, the masterpiece of the children of bass magician Charles Haden.
If you click on „blue vinyl version“ you will hear one long track from it.. „…the fourteen-minute epic ‘World of Blue’. Josh sings a lyric of haiku-like impressionistic simplicity, drawn to his lover’s blue eyes even as he sees the icy coldness within them. The song builds up from almost nothing to an oceanic drone, buoyed by Petra and Tanya’s strings and some almost Verlaine-esque abstract guitar work. It leads into a coda built around the strings and Petra’s haunting, wordless vocals. It’s utterly remarkable and sounds like nothing else released in 1995.“
Norbert Ennen
Roddy? Sailing? Puh! Das muss ich erst einmal sacken lassen.
Michael Engelbrecht
Lass sacken! 😉 Diese Text hat einen unkonventionellen Ansatz: ich habe ihn völlig improvisieert. Bis auf Nachträgliches mit The Blue Moods Of Spain. Und die Sache mit Stars of the Lid. Ohne nachblättern und googeln.
Und dabei war ein unvergesslicher Abend im Frühjahr mit der Quadversion von Atlantic Crossing. Bei den Balladen schmolz ich fast so dahin, wie damals, im September 1975, als ich über beide Ohren verliebt war und dieses Album in Würzburg kaufte. Und: Stewart’s heart-wrenching rendition of Danny Whitten’s “I Don’t Want to Talk About It” ranks as one of his finest performances, believe me! 🎶🎶🎶 … mein lieblingsalbum von Roddy ist vielleicht das ganz frühe „every picture tells a story“ …. und jetzt fällt mir auf, kam in diese, Jahr nicht auch ein tolles altes Donovan Album heraus?! Donovans Autobiografie habe ich vor Jahren mit grosser Freude gelesen. Wenn wir schon bei dem Altvorderen sind….old true love never dies.
Olaf Westfeld
An dieser Stelle sei auf die großartige Coverversion von Leonard Cohens „The Law“ durch die Band Blumfeld hingewiesen, in der „I don*t want to talk about it“ heart wrenching eingefügt ist:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i6utnGY8NA8
flowworker
Das hier ist ja eine improvosierte Liste.
Wie konnte ich nur THE JEWEL IN THE LOTUS vergessen?! 😉