Best Reissues of 2011 (part one)

Good year for audiophiles, so many good reissues and anthologies are filled my best of 2011 list. This records are usually either very underrated or forgotten by the labels. (There are some exceptions like The Jesus and Mary Chain or Can.)

15-The Faith- Subject to Change plus first demo (Anthology)

14-Void - Sessions 1981-83 (Anthology)

Thanks to Discord Records, we now have access to these beautiful ,raw D.C hardcore bands. Just warning you,these are not love songs. These are the songs made by angry,frustrated young guys in the 80’s and we need them more these days!

http://www.dischord.com/

13-Spiritualized - Lazer Guided Melodies (1992)

After Spacemen 3 , Jason Pierce continued to make his spacey rock music with Spiritualized. This is all where it started.

12- Alice Coltrane - Universal Consciousness & Lord of the Lords (1971/1972)

Alice Coltrane made this album four years after her jazz legend husband John Coltrane died. These two albums , now together reissued in one cd are probably one of the finest example of cosmic&spiritual jazz.  

11-Harald Grosskopf- Synthesist (1980)

Drummer of Ash Ra Temple, Harald Grosskopf listened his friends advice and locked himself in his studio home after break up with his girlfriend. The result is fantastic.Fans of krautrock and electronic music must own this album.

10- Throbbing Gristle - 20 Jazz Funk Greats (1979)

One of my favorite album cover , it is their most accessible album in their career. Great classics like “Convincing People”, “Exotica”, “What A Day”. Make sure turn on the lights when you are listening this album!

9-Serge Gainsbourg’s -Histoire De Melody Nelson (1971)

Another master cover art, with Jane Birkin played the Lolita!!!!Think about an avant-garde pop masterpiece with spoken word vocals(?) and it is all a little more than 28 minutes. One of the important element in this album is the weird but superb orchestral arrangements  . Serge Gainsbourg is one of the most important figures of France after 60’s along with Godard and he proves with this album that he deserves to be important. Merci Mr. Cool Guy for this sexy album, now time to learn some french!

8-Lee “Scratch” Perry - Return of Pipecock Jackxon [1980] [Album]

Lee Perry is the craziest man of Jamaica , and this album was made right around the time he burnt down his legendary studio(again if I’m not wrong where he produced Bob Marley  and many legend albums)... Even you aren't a dub fan, you will love this , it is definitely my favorite Lee “Scratch” Perry album.

7-Raincoats - Odyshape 1981

Definitely one of the best  female band of all times, Raincoats moved towards into more avant-garde and experimental music with this album. Robert Wyatt and Charles Hayward did play drums in this record.

6-Erkin Koray- Mechul:Singles & Rarities (2011)

King of the Turkish Psych-Rock. Made great songs , made cheesy songs but this one here my friend is a real treasure. Totally psychedelic,weird and really unique sound. His singing is in its best too. Quality of the records is very high,totally recommended if you wanna listen a different kind of rock.

Best Reissues&Anthologies of 2011 (part two)

Now it's time for the best 5 reissue of 2011!!! Enjoy.

5- Spacemen 3 - Transparent Radiation (1987) EP

Spacemen 3 formed in the late 1982 but started to get attention in the late 80's. Transparent Radiation EP was done around the time that they were recording their second album The Perfect Prescription.

It is a 39 minutes EP.It's gonna be a cliche but it is a real musical journey,feels so powerful and alive. Psychedelic rock at its best.

Turn of the lights , put the headphones and let Spacemen 3 take you to Sun Ra,while repeat the mantra

 “ I was wide awake in my dream...”

4- Dinasour L-  24-24 /Arthur Russell - Let’s Go Swimming (1986) Single

  

Arthur Russell(1951-1992)  is a genius(also a Cellist,songwriter,singer and a producer) artist . He started to get popularity after his death.Arthur's music always sound so modern and fresh.He made many recordings under different names like Dinasour L,Indian Ocean,Felix and Loose Joints. Dinasour L is pure  avant garde disco music from New York ( a perfect saturday night album) and Let's Go Swimming is more experemintal... Delicious!!!!

3- The Jesus and Mary Chain - Psycho Candy (1985)

This noisy,poetic,scary great pop album’s 2011 edition cd has songs from Peel Sessions,which is almost better than the album version. A must have...(Sofia Coppola used the song Just Like Honey in her movie Lost in Translation). A truely alternative rock classic!

2-Disco Inferno - The 5 EPs (Anthology)

Very important experimental rock band Disco Inferno has 3 albums and 5 Eps. Thanks to "One Little Indian" , now 5 Eps are avalaible. This wonderful music comes also with very smart lyrics, for example:

"I may need dreams from time to time,
But dreams aren't keeping me alive.
My dreams have torn my life in two--
Now I just need a rock to cling to." 
from A Rock to Cling to.


 or 


 "Mediocrity surrounds you...find souveniers to show your kids." It's a Kid's World 

Imagine Durutti Column meet Steve Reich in a music studio while Spacemen 3 members were producing and serving the drinks!!!!! The band formed im the late 80’s by Ian Crause (guitar and vocals), Paul Wilmott (bass), Rob Whatley (drums). They use bells,birds,children voices and just enough amount of samples to create their insanely rich sound. The 5 EPs is an amazing anthology , truely epic .

1-Can - Tago Mago (1971)

This hugely influential album made by German Krautrock stars Can. Julian Cope wrote in his cult book Krautrocksampler that Tago Mago “sounds only like itself...”.  Damo Suzuki sings in the “non-existing” language sometimes, but that’s o.k ,we all understand what he means.

Ps: That’s Damo Suzuki&me on my profile picture on this blog.

Also Recommended

-Art of Noise- (Who’s Afraid of?) The Art of Noise (1984)

-Virgo Four - Resurrection (Anthology)

-Tom Ze Grande Liquidacao 1968

-Gray - Early Work

-The Normal - T.V.O.D + Warm Leatherette (1978)

-Chris & Cosey - Songs of Love & Lust (1984)

-The Radio Dept. - Passive Aggressive:Singles 2002-2010 (Anthology)

-Archers of Loaf - Icky Mettle (1993)