VIA PRESS RELEASE | The Velvet Underground’s influential 1969 classic The Velvet Underground is the latest addition to UMe’s Vinylphyle series, presenting Lou Reed’s intimate original “Closet Mix” of the album as a meticulously crafted new premium vinyl edition.

Marking a striking evolution for one of rock’s most influential bands, the record traded the abrasive experimentation of its predecessors for a quieter, more melodic approach that revealed a new emotional depth in Reed’s songwriting. Available to order today exclusively via uDiscover Music, the album is presented on 180-gram black vinyl pressed at RTI and housed in a tip-on gatefold jacket with a four-panel insert featuring source tape scans and newly commissioned liner notes by four-time Grammy nominee and author Scott B. Bomar.

Cut by Joe Nino-Hernes, The Velvet Underground is an AAA cut from the 1969 “Closet Mix” stereo album master, Reed’s intimate original mix featured on the earliest pressings of the album in 1969.

Originally released in 1969, The Velvet Underground represented a dramatic shift from the confrontational sound of the band’s first two albums. Songs including “Candy Says,” “Pale Blue Eyes,” “Beginning to See the Light,” and “After Hours” brought warmth and vulnerability to the group’s singular sound, while retaining the uncompromising perspective that had already set The Velvet Underground apart. The result was an album that stood distinctly apart from the two that preceded it and revealed another dimension of Reed’s songwriting.

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Celebrating Joan Jett on her 68th birthday. —Ed.

Joan Jett’s 1979 debut LP is one of rock music’s most joyful readymades–an utterly endearing romp through rock history from hoary old standards (“Wooly Bully”) to bubblegum pop to Gary Glitter to the buzzsaw sound of the Ramones, Bad Reputation is a veritable vinyl jukebox you’ll never get tired of tossing dimes into.

On Bad Reputation—original title Joan Jett—the runaway Runaway dares to wear her heart on her sleeve by pledging allegiance to the songs that made her who she is; this is Joan Jett’s Self Portrait, and with the exception of her too-stiff-by-half take on the Isley Brothers’ “Shout,” she does her personal canon proud. Not only does she prove she’s the true successor to Gary Glitter (and by association her glam role model Suzi Quatro), she demonstrates conclusively that she’s her own gurl by contributing a couple of songs that (with the exception of the punk-tinged title track) blend seamlessly in with their esteemed company.

Jett (the Blackhearts were still in the future) chose her producers wisely. Top guys Kenny Laguna and Ritchie Cordell (Sex Pistols Steve Jones and Paul Cook also lent a hand) were both proud Super K Productions alumni working under immortal bubblegum producers Jerry Kasenetz and Jeffrey Katz, and they brought their many years of throwaway pop songcraft to the table. Remember that version of Led Zep’s “Stairway to Heaven” set to the lyrics of the theme song from Gilligan’s Island? You can thank Laguna for it. And Cordell is the guy who bequeathed us both “I Think We’re Alone Now” and “Mony Mony.”

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Celebrating Nick Cave on his 69th birthday. —Ed.

Need a fitting soundtrack for tuning up that rattletrap fuel-guzzling dragster in the garage? Or are you looking for a fab backdrop whist brushing up on the books of the Old Testament, though not for their supposed lessons but rather for their rampant bloodletting and begetting? Maybe you’re desirous of the appropriate musical accompaniment for the dilapidated trailer-park whiskey-still explosion finale in your yet to be filmed epic screenplay? Well, a suitable listening for all three circumstances is Junkyard by The Birthday Party.

These days, Nick Cave is a well-respected man of letters, an unabashed litterateur whose eternally thin visage gets brief cameo spots in the big Hollywood films that happen to sport his scripts. Indeed, he can be located in Lawless, currently (hopefully) playing in a theatre near you as directed by his friend and collaborator John Hillcoat. But it should also be noted that once upon a time, Cave was a completely punk-centric scribe, his scrawling taken seriously by only a small handful beyond the ‘80s subterranean music playground. In fact, his double duty as a musician and writer placed him in the direct company of such names as Henry Rollins, Lydia Lunch, and Chris Desjardins, aka Chris D.

Way back then, Cave’s “thing” as a pen wielder was totally wrapped up in how he presented a booze-soaked and drug-bent updating of the Southern Gothic tradition as previously staked out by such Advanced American Lit-Class stalwarts as William Faulkner and especially Flannery O’Connor at her most darkly acidic. Yes, even though the dude hailed not from the Southern US but from the very down under climes of the Australian continent. And why not? Hell, at the time Cave started putting pen to pulp, there was hardly anybody in the states besides the late Harry Crews who was even bothering to up the ante on this fine patch of fictive territory anyway.

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VIA PRESS RELEASE | Pink Floyd announce a new San Tropez Orange Marble vinyl edition of their landmark 1971 album Meddle, for this year’s National Album Day, via Sony Music. Out on October 17th, you can pre-order Meddle here.

A pivotal moment in the band’s development, Meddle was the sixth studio album by the British rock group, originally released in 1971. Produced between touring commitments and widely regarded as a notable progression from their previous work, the band devised a series of novel recording and writing experiments, which also inspired the album’s “Echoes.”

Alongside this, it’s also announced that a newly restored high-resolution version of the iconic “Echoes” sequence, the final chapter from cult-classic 1973 surf film Crystal Voyager, will be available via Pink Floyd’s YouTube channel on 17th October.

The 1973 documentary directed by David Elfick was written and narrated by futuristic surfer, photographer and filmmaker George Greenough. Its iconic closing sequence shot by Greenough showcased his innovative new technique for filming in the water, involving a self-developed and built seventeen pound camera rig, which allowed the audience to see footage from inside a wave for the first time ever.

Greenough was looking for an appropriate soundtrack for this groundbreaking footage, and stumbled across a record his mother had bought for him. Upon hearing the closing track, and noting its perfectly matched 23-minute run time, he knew he had found what he was looking for. Then came the necessity of getting permission to use the song.

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VIA PRESS RELEASE | Vinylphyle is celebrating the 50th anniversary of Bee Gees’ 1976 smash Children of the World with a meticulously crafted new premium vinyl edition of the group’s transformative 14th studio album. Featuring the No. 1 hit “You Should Be Dancing,” Children of the World captured Barry, Robin, and Maurice Gibb at a pivotal moment as the group embraced the funk and dance-floor rhythms that would help define their next era.

Available 9/23 exclusively via uDiscover Music, the album was cut by Joe Nino-Hernes from the 1976 copy tape and is presented on 180-gram black vinyl pressed at RTI. Housed in a tip-on gatefold jacket, the edition includes a four-panel insert featuring tape box scans, additional photography and new liner notes featuring an interview between John Merchant, the Bee Gees’ engineer for the last 35 years, and Karl Richardson and Albhy Galuten, co-producers and engineers for the band’s 1970s hot streak.

Released in 1976, Children of the World was the Bee Gees’ first album produced by the group themselves, working in tandem with Richardson and Galuten. Building on the rhythmic direction that had begun reshaping their sound, the album paired the Bee Gees’ unmistakable harmonies and melodic instincts with a deeper embrace of funk and dance music.

The result was a Top 10 album led by the No. 1 hit “You Should Be Dancing,” alongside the ballad “Love So Right” and funk-driven “Boogie Child” and “You Stepped Into My Life.” The album’s blend of soaring harmonies, propulsive rhythms, and sophisticated production helped usher the Bee Gees into one of the most celebrated chapters of their career.

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Remembering Jesse Ed Davis, born on this day in 1944. —Ed.

Prior to his death in 1988, the noted Native American guitarist Jesse Ed Davis played on records by numerous big names, including Bob Dylan, Leon Russell, Taj Mahal, John Lennon, Ringo Starr, and Harry Nilsson. If you’ve heard the guitar solo in Jackson Browne’s “Doctor, My Eyes,” well, that’s him. But not so well known are Davis’ own records, which are weird, as his 1971 debut for Atco, ¡Jesse Davis!, features guests Russell, Gram Parsons, and Eric Clapton, amongst others. It’s a solid affair that’ll be a welcome addition to any shelf of sharp and rootsy early ’70s sounds.

Listening with fresh ears in 2022, ¡Jesse Davis! fits into the early 1970s Atco Records scheme pretty damn snuggly, a tight fit that derives in large part from the judiciously applied guests; in addition to those named above, Davis’ debut pulled in contributions from singer Merry Clayton (The Rolling Stones’ “Gimme Shelter,” Lynyrd Skynyrd’s “Sweet Home Alabama”), bassist Billy Rich (Paul Butterfield, Taj Mahal), drummer Alan White (Plastic Ono Band, Yes), and keyboardists Ben Sidran (Steve Miller Band, dozens of sessions, his own stuff), and John Simon (The Band, Big Brother & The Holding Company).

Rather than merely attempting to increase sales by flaunting the names Clapton and Russell, Atco’s intent seemed to be aligned with making the best record possible (along with some clear mutual backscratching). Other examples from the label include a handful from Delaney & Bonnie (albums that offer some insane credits lists) and Dr. John’s The Sun, Moon & Herbs, which is notable, as a couple of moments on ¡Jesse Davis! are reminiscent of the Night Tripper, the set’s opener “Reno Street Incident” in particular.

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I planned to experience Kabaka Pyramid’s Rebel Music – The Lyrics Tape for the first time on vinyl. I preordered the record and convinced myself I would wait for it to arrive before listening. That patience lasted about a week and a half. Eventually, I gave in, pressed play—and I am incredibly glad I did. Let me say this immediately: I absolutely love this album.

Released August 28, The Lyrics Tape arrives 15 years after Kabaka’s foundational “Rebel Music” EP introduced his unmistakable combination of roots reggae, hip-hop, dancehall, and conscious lyricism. This is more than an anniversary project, however. After losing an enormous archive of studio files and unfinished material, Kabaka treated the setback as a creative reset. Written and recorded between March and June 2026, these ten tracks reconnect with the hunger and raw energy of his beginnings while showcasing everything he has learned since.

Heavy reggae basslines, gritty hip-hop beats, soulful samples, and flashes of dancehall make the production outstanding, but Kabaka’s explosive flow and wordplay remain the centerpiece. This may be his strongest overall lyrical performance yet.

“Stand Firm” lights the fire immediately. Built around a powerful Peter Tosh introduction, Kabaka attacks the heavy riddim with sharp lyrics centered on truth, resistance, and spiritual strength. Pressure Busspipe matches his intensity perfectly, making the song a forceful opening statement.

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What a wonderful story—English free improvisational guitarist Derek Bailey, finding himself with time on his hands, spends several years playing along with some odd music he hears on pirate radio.

He doesn’t even know what the music is called. So he waylays a six-year-old he runs into at his newsagent’s and gets part of the answer. Then he reads about it in The Times.

He’s been playing along with drums ‘n’ bass. Except the drums ‘n’ bass Bailey’s been jamming along with isn’t even your standard drums ‘n’ bass, because the tape recorder he’s been using to record the music is broken and has sped the world’s fastest music up. Bailey likes it that way.

After that, things take their course. Bailey decides to record an album and takes his idea to John Zorn, who hooks him up with the young Birmingham, England, drum-and-bass producer D.J. Ninj, who provides the musical backing.

Zorn likes it but eliminates the electric piano. Then they run into a glitch with engineer Mick Harris, who can’t seem to produce a recording in which you can actually hear Bailey’s guitar. So Zorn moves shop to Bill Laswell’s studio in New York City.

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VIA PRESS RELEASE | The Monkees—the 1966 debut that launched a global pop culture phenomenon—turns 60 with a new anniversary collection arriving October 30 from Rhino.

The Monkees (60th Anniversary Deluxe Edition) is available to pre-order now at Rhino.com. Produced by Monkees historian Andrew Sandoval, the LP/3CD set pairs the original album’s stereo mix on vinyl with a trio of CDs packed with the album’s mono mix, alternate takes, backing tracks, and broadcast-exclusive mixes from the Emmy-winning series.

Released in October 1966, The Monkees reshaped the pop landscape and helped make Micky Dolenz, Davy Jones, Michael Nesmith, and Peter Tork superstars overnight.

Driven by the runaway success of the band’s #1 debut single, “Last Train To Clarksville,” the album skyrocketed to the top of the Billboard album chart, where it remained for 13 consecutive weeks on its way to quintuple-platinum certification. The album is loaded with classic tunes by legendary songwriting teams like Tommy Boyce and Bobby Hart, as well as Gerry Goffin and Carole King.

The anniversary collection delivers a rich behind-the-scenes look at this historic album with dozens of rare recordings. Highlights include the TV mix of “Take A Giant Step,” an alternate take of Nesmith’s “Papa Gene’s Blues,” a rehearsal for “I Wanna Be Free,” plus backing tracks for album favorites like “(Theme From) The Monkees.” The set also gathers vintage promos and the group’s rare Kellogg’s jingle.

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VIA PRESS RELEASE | Wewantsounds is proud to present the first official release of a legendary 1977 concert capturing Don Cherry, Collin Walcott, and Leon Thomas in their only documented performance together.

Recorded live on March 5, 1977, at Pease Auditorium in Ypsilanti, Michigan, the performance featured the three musicians playing an immersive hypnotic set, joined for part of the evening by the rest of Oregon. Long circulating among a few Don Cherry fans, the full concert is now available as a deluxe, remastered 2-LP gatefold set featuring Moki Cherry artwork and new liner notes by Jason Weiss—licensed by the Don Cherry Estate and producer James Quinlan.

Don Cherry’s huge influence has steadily grown over the years, as fans and new generations of listeners continue to uncover the vast breadth of his global musical vision. Sunrise captures Cherry during a particularly fertile late-1970s period, when the American jazz trumpeter blended global and Eastern spiritual concepts into his “Organic Music” philosophy, drawing deeply from Eastern and African traditions.

Moving fluidly between trumpet, the West African doussn’gouni (a traditional hunter’s harp from Mali), bamboo flutes, percussion, and vocals, Cherry creates a deeply resonant world music soundscape. Recorded live on March 5, 1977, at Pease Auditorium in Ypsilanti, Michigan, the show took place just a month after Don Cherry participated in the recording of Collin Walcott’s ECM album Grazing Dreams.

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