Reissue Tuesday – Our October Report
By Prof. Tim Craig
It’s the first week of October and there are two big releases and a slew of notable reissues rolling into stores and streams this week. All releases are due out October 5, unless otherwise noted.
John Lennon: Imagine — The Ultimate Collection. Lennon’s 1971 classic gets a 140-track, six-disc (4 CD, 2 Blu Ray), 120-page book makeover that aims to give listeners a deep dive into Lennon’s creative process. The goal of the project was to help center Lennon’s emotional vocal performances as the weight of the project.
Disc One presents the remixed Imagine, with additional singles and extras, while Disc Two features Outtakes. Disc Three presents the raw studio mixes, while Disc 4 presents The Evolution Documentary, an audio documentary, which follows each track from demo to master.
Audiophiles and Lennon completists will be attracted to the Ultimate Edition, however, there will also be single- and double-CD versions, as well as double-vinyl editions of the remastered Imagine for the rest of us.
Anthrax: State of Euphoria (30th Anniversary Edition). The thrash metal forerunners’ lukewarm fourth album gets a 30th anniversary release that reinforces what you may already think you know. Despite standout tracks like “Antisocial,” “End All Be All,” and “Finale,” the album fails to deliver like the band’s previous three albums. That being said, if you like thrash metal, State of Euphoria still sounds pretty good. Although, it may cause you to pick up a few extra black t-shirts so you can cut off the sleeves to complete the outfit.
Worth a mention:
While we’re talking metal, Mastodon’s Once More Around the Sun (2014) gets a vinyl reissue this week.
Two of your grandparents’ favorite crooner Johnny Mathis’ classic 70s albums First Time Ever (I Saw Your Face) and Song Sung Blue albums get released on a single CD for the first time via Real Gone Music. How’s that for technology going in chronological order? Give them a listen and feel the love.
And, lastly, Phoebe Bridges’ Stranger in the Alps (2017) gets a deluxe digital release. I only mention it because “Stranger in the Alps” is possibly the oddest movie-dub-for-television in the history of such a thing. (Out Oct. 2)
