As usual, there are numerous titles for RSD 2023 that are native to the UK list but not the US list. That’s to say nothing of the other nations [Ireland, Germany, Japan, Australia] with their own RSD rosters! There are many titles from previous RSD events that I have never gotten owing to the enormous costs. What titles cause even a slight gleam in the Monastic eye? Must-haves in red.
UK RSD
Suicide: A Way of Life Rarities
It’s a four track EP of unreleased Suicide material. The thing we pretty much have to hear is the live in Paris, 1988 cover version of “Born In The USA.” Yes, the Bruce Springsteen + the E. Street Band bombastic “classic” no doubt utterly transformed in the hands of Vega and Rev.
Soft Cell: Light Sleepers/Last Chance [clear] 12″
Here’s a strange one; two Grid mixes of current Soft Cell material [which I have yet to hear] along with brass mixes from the now ancient “Cruelty Without Beauty” deep cut “Last Chance.” Wha…?!
Simple Minds: Neapolis [lime green] LP
This was a great Simple Minds album that seemingly derailed their career. Making their switch from Virgin to Chrysalis a one-shot affair. But I prefer to think that it was simply down to the band having overstayed their place at the Buffet Line of Rock. Never before on LP given its 1998 release date, but for all my ardor, I’m not going down the redundant vinyl road for even Simple Minds…unless it’s dirt cheap!† Which I guarantee that this won‘t be!
†If I saw it in a bin for $4.99 I’d do it…
Pere Ubu: Ray Gun Suitcase LP
Here’s is the only 90s studio Pere Ubu album that still evades my Record Cell, but I’m not exactly Pining for Pere Ubu on PVC. So I’ll take a pass on this.
Landscape: From The Tearooms of Mars…To The Hell-Holes Of Uranus LP
We alluded to this release in the recent posting on the Landscape Boxed Set Of God posting. I had one of these fr ages but I sent mine off to Ron Kane in an effort to change his mind on the band. As if anyone who was a Buggles fan would not also be a huge Landscape fan as well!
The Higsons: Run Me Down – The Complete 2-Tone Recordings LP
I really enjoyed The Higson’s horn-driven Funk when reviewing the band’s appearance on the 2-Tone Singles US CD. Now the band’s full oeuvre of 2-Tone recordings are getting the nod as a stand-alone album. I still want to hear more of this band.
Echo + The Bunnymen: Peel Sessions 1997 12″
I’m a bit surprised that there were still Peel Sessions as late in the game as 1997! This was from the band’s “reformation period” around the album “Evergreen.” But they still managed to sneak in a recording of “Villiers Terrace” here. There is a Peel Sessions CD that goes from ’79-’83, so maybe one day there can be a complete box of them.
xPropaganda: xStrangely – Mixes, Moods + Memories LP
Here’s a mystery disc! I can find no track contents of the LP but every sales point online cites its contents as, “Brand new compilation of remixes, edits and ‘moods’ – some previously unavailable anywhere, some new to vinyl.” Well alrighty, then. As a Propaganda collector, I will definitely need this; but I’m expecting a world of hurt in finding one of the 1000 copies and then paying to have to carried over the Atlantic to my home!
Altered Images: Clara Libre [white] EP
“The “Clara Libre” EP that came with the CD of the new Altered Images album. This time in white 12″ form. It’s four Altered Images classics with a slightly Cuban thrust to them; making the EP thematic, but it might have been nice to have included the otherwise DL only single, “The “Clara Libre” EP that came with the CD of the new Altered Images album. This time in white 12″ form. It’s four Altered Images classics with a slightly Cuban thrust to them; making the EP thematic, but it might have been nice to have included the otherwise DL only single, “The Other Side,” to give it a physical release.
Bill Nelson’s Red Noise: Live @ De Monfort Hall, Leicester 1979 [red] 2xLP
Here’s yet another live RSD album debundled from an ultrabox to become a stand-alone, analog unit. The single Red Noise tour in 1979 on red wax. I still need that “Sound On Sound” box but don’t know if it’s in the cards. Owing to budgetary and shipping costs.
So 2023 is pretty much just like another year for the pull of RSD. Lots of interesting things, but only two titles that I would really want to buy, with one of them UK-only and probably priced out of my league. I may have to make-do with DLs of that xPropaganda material…if I can ever find out what’s on that album! I’m hopeful that the release will get included on the Discogs database on April 22nd. So we can finally find out what’s on this state-secret masquerading as an album. I’m predicting that I should have no problem sourcing the Jerry Harrison 2xLP locally. Hopefully it will be less than $30 but whatever it is, I’m in. I’ve been pining for 42 years to hear more than the nine album tracks from that era and the time is now to luxuriate.
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Post-Punk Monk 
“Here’s is the only 90s studio Pere Ubu album that still evades my Record Cell, but I’m not exactly Pining for Pere Ubu on PVC. So I’ll take a pass on this.”
Once upon a time you could find the original CD of this used dirt cheap. I don’t know if that’s still the case, though.
This is the album that revived my interest in Pere Ubu, so I have a soft spot for it.
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Michael Toland – For ages I only had the “Waiting For Mary” CD-5 in the Record Cell. Pere Ubu were never a priority, though respected. It was down to my wife liking that single and picking up the Fontana material, which was exceptionally good, that kicked off a late period Pere Ubu Jag. I like all of it…save for the “Dub Housing” album that I had to sell off. If only I had heard “The Modern Dance” when it came out, [I recall reading about them] but airplay and Pere Ubu didn’t really mix.
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Hmm, I feel the same way about the Red Noise. But if confronted with the stand-alone live album in the wild, I take no responsibility for what happens next!
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Jeremy Shatan – Naaaaah. Wrong format for me to spend what will surely be a third of the cost of the CD box I actually want…just out of proximity. For something like that the LP version has to be chump change! For instance, I would LOVE the JPN CD of “Don’t Walk Away” by Sweet Pea Atkinson that I only discovered for the want list six years ago. By which time the 1990 Euro disc was two big figures. But getting the US LP the first time I ever saw it in a dollar bin last month was a no-brainer. Format preference be damnned! For one dollar against $60 [with postage] I’ll make my own CD of it…and love it. Because I could add loose DL only things like the “Back In Love Again” cover or “Slow Down” as a bonus tracks!
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From the latest Soft Cell I’ve only heard the Pet Shop Boys collaboration, which I liked a lot. Should just buy the new one but $$$ these days, you know?
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Tim – I get it. Like Soft Cell a lot, but I still never got that third album. Plus, I never see Soft Cell in the bins. The last time I saw a Soft Cell CD was in 2014 when I finally saw “Cruelty Without Beauty” for the one time I did. I still prefer Marc Almond solo and I don’t have much of that sprawling career!
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The PSB have done some interesting things in the CE (COVID, not current, ERA). I realize the last album was in the can before this started and I think it’s their strongest in a long time. It’s an eclectic mess but it’s a strong eclectic mess.
Then there’s the collaborations as mixers/guests.
We got Soft Cell, Paul Weller, Dizzy (probably my favorite of the lot), Wolfgang Tillman (2nd favorite), one of the Gallagher bros (haven’t heard/won’t), I think I may be missing one or two here.
Marc Almond really has had an interesting arc, I think we talked about this before and if my memory is right we both kinda tapered off around Tenement Symphony. A couple years back I binged and there’s just a tremendously robust catalog of work there. Some of it I listen to and I’m indifferent to a lot of an album and then I queue up one that is contemporary by a year or two and it’s loaded with quality. Just all over the map. I don’t know what the press is like in the UK for him, maybe it’s because we’re in the states and he really isn’t an act that the music media is going to devote any energy to that we don’t hear a lot about his work but I sincerely can say it’s worth the effort to explore and there is a *ton* of stuff to explore. I think the big difference for accesibility between you and me is that I have begrudgingly accepted a move to mp3 over platters and I also will explore things on YouTube, which I sense you don’t or are incredibly reticient to. You’re missing out on quite the trove of material…
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Tim – I use the purchase of my music to force a lot of front end analysis and curation of my “collection.” I would find the “endless tap of music” an oppressive thing. I am very reticent to YouTube, as you aptly state. I resent giving Alphabet any data if I can help it. At the most I will sample things on Bandcamp, Soundcloud, or iTunes to try out anything. If it’s not there, I can’t be bothered. I generally only sample things I have been reading about for a while. My music firewall is THICK, because you can’t un-hear anything!
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