Wait, what’s that low rumble I hear in the distance? Could it be the throngs of music geeks converging to queue for their favorite holiday, now it its 17th year? Ooof! That makes me feel even older to think that I was only 44 when RSD first manifested. And now that I see the date, in an ironic twist of fate, I will be out of the country, as they say, when it happens. Ironic, because in the early days of the event, most of what I wanted was only available in the UK event list and I had to buy the things I wanted in the brutal aftermarket. These days. I’m amazed and shocked at what the US list can offer me. There are some goodies that catch my eye, I have to admit, but I’ll be in the UK on the date and I’m guessing that visiting record stores will be kind of low on my to-do list. So why don’t we dive right in and have a look for the Monastic Analysis for which I’m hopefully known for.
THE US LIST
THE ENGLISH BEAT
Wha’ppen? [Expanded Edition] 2xLP
The “difficult” 2nd album by the beloved Beat with a second disc of non-LP B-sides and tracks. This is most probably a re-presentation of the 2-10 Edsel 2xCD+DVD issue of this.
FUN BOY THREE
Extended 2xLP
A selection of FB3 12″ mixes in one spot. Pressed on The Vinyl Factory’s “Eco-Jazz Recycled Vinyl.” Old-timer can remember in the 70s during the oil shortage when recycled vinyl came to quickly account for most records pressed in the late 70s. Hint: It’s part of the big reason why CDs were so warmly embraced by people who cares about sound quality as soon as they happened in 1982! Now, in the Newspeak World of the Future™ it’s a virtue-signalling selling point!
HARMONIA
Musik Von Harmonia 2xLP
The Krautrock meisterwerk is reissues in a sickly green cover, but this time with an all-nu 2nd LP of post-modern remixes of the material. Hmmm.
ORCHESTRAL MANOEUVRES IN THE DARK
Bauhaus Staircase [instrumental] LP
The instrumental versions of the “Bauhaus Staircase” songs was available in a special DL version of the album but now it’s going physical on the licorice pizza. DO we want one. Maybe. I’ve had to sit out any vinyl of the new album and its singles owing to my saving all year for a big vacation and my frankly underwhelming take on the album itself. If I see it and it’s not $30.00 maybe I’ll bite.
ORCHESTRAL MANOEUVRES IN THE DARK
‘Junk Culture’ Demos + Rarities 2xLP
This is actually kind of interesting. They are releasing all of the bonus tracks on the 2015 DLX RM 2xCD of “Junk Culture” as a separate 2xLP with blue + purple vinyl in an intriguing cover color variation. Almost impressive, but as one with the 2xCD plus virtually all of the OMD canon on singles records, also kind of irrelevant. But yow! TWO OMD RSD releases…in America?! This is probably down to the band reliably criss-crossing the great expanse in their third phase.
RAMONES
The 1975 Sire Demos LP
I daresay that some of these 1975 tracks have appeared as CD bonus tracks on discs I have like “All The Stuff + More” Vols. 1 + 2. And the DLX RMs and boxed set versions of Ramones canon might be where this material is on the silver disc.
THE SLITS
In The Beginning 2xLP
A live double album of material mostly from the band’s pre-Dub Punk phase. Includes three songs never rerecorded in studio and even guest vocals on one cut from New Age Stepper’s Neneh Cherry.
SOFT CELL
Non-Stop Extended Cabaret 2xLP
The whole of their debut album expanded into 12″ mixes [many of which post-modern in nature]. An intriguing thought, but all of this was a CD in the recent “Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret” BSOG. Nothing to see here…move along.
SPARKS/NOEL
No. 1 In Heaven/Is There More To Life Than Dancing? 2xLP
This is a conceptually fascinating package from Sparks, with their protegé Noël bundled together in a package with their other album under their own name that year, “No. 1 In Heaven.” The former in green vinyl and the latter in a clear disc. I’ve been wanting the Noël LP for some years now, so you’d think that I would be all over this like white on rice, but the details change everything. Sparks say that both albums will be released on silverdisc with a plethora of bonus tracks on May 17th! More details to follow, I’m sure.
TVLKING HEVDS
Live @ WCOZ 77 2xLP
A live double album of early performance from the NYC twitchpop combo. Fourteen tracks, only seven of which have previously been released on the LP/DLX RM 2xCD of “The Name Of This Band Is Talking Heads.” Hmm. Might one to hear.
ULTRAVOX
Steven Wilson Extended Remixes LP
Hard to believe, but it’s another Ultravox RSD platter for American ears. This is four Steven Wilson extended remixes of material from the “Lament” album. Two of which will be on the upcoming BSOG of the title, and two of which are endemic to this very disc. I will need this!
1/ White China [Steven Wilson Extended Re-Mix]
2/ Man of Two Worlds [Steven Wilson Extended Re-Mix]
3/ When The Time Comes [Steven Wilson Extended Re-Mix]
4/ A Friend I Call Desire [Steven Wilson Extended Re-Mix]
WALL OF VOODOO
Live 1979 LP
I’d normally be all over a live album from Wall Of Voodoo recorded in 1979, but this material is already in my Record Cell on a CD as the bulk of “The Index Masters.” Dodged a smoky vinyl bullet there!
BERNIE WORRELL
Losing a talent like Bernie Worrell hurt, and now his estate has seen that some of his unfinished recordings were handed off to his friends to complete and build into a new album. Bootsy Collins, Fred Schneider, Steve Scales and more joined the project to bring more woo into the world. When I look at the track listing the first track featured Nick Montoya which is as right as it should be. Nick used to live in Asheville and his band Volts Per Octave were close friends with Worrell. The last time I saw Bernie play, he was guesting onstage with Volts Per Octave. If Nick is the first guest on the album, then all is right with the world. Hopefully this will also be on the silver disc!
Out of lunch hour for today. Join us tomorrow when we’ll consider the UK list…but with OMD, Ultravox, Sparks all local, will there be even stronger Monk-Bait across the big pond?
![2020 – The Year In Buying Music [part 2]](https://i0.wp.com/postpunkmonk.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/2020-buying-stats.jpg?resize=200%2C200&ssl=1)
Post-Punk Monk 
There are some interesting releases Monk. I’m surprised that Steven Wilson has made modern extended mixes of Ultravox tracks from ‘Lament’. Shame that only two of them will end up on the upcoming box set. I wish they could be made available on CD too.
There’s also a Midge Ure release which contains early versions of tracks for ‘The Gift’. All except one appeared on the recent box set.
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Andy B – My question is… when does Steven Wilson sleep?
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Ha ha. It seems he doesn’t. Between his solo releases, Porcupine Tree and all his mix work there can’t be much time left for anything else!
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PPM,
I’m interested in the Electrafixion (Will Sergeant/Ian McCulloch), Prince Buster, and OMD (Junk Culture demo) releases…
Happy hunting!
Steve
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duffguidetoska – I have the Electrafixion CD and a pair of CD5s from back in the day. Which suffice for me. The OMD “Junk Culture” variant at least shows a modicum of thought.
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