Record Store Day Black Friday 2023: 10 Exclusive Vinyl Releases You Need to Know
For music lovers, every day can feel like Record Store Day, but the post-paycheck rush at the end of the week is particularly potent. The enduring appeal of physical media is undeniable, and the twice-yearly celebration of vinyl proves it. As one observer noted, the official Record Store Day events have taken on a festive air akin to St. Patrick’s Day for crate diggers, signaling a robust resurgence in the format. This year’s RSD Black Friday event, boasting over 175 exclusive titles from imprints like Craft Recordings, Sony Music, Rhino Entertainment, and Interscope Records, is no exception.
Here are 10 RSD Black Friday exclusives generating significant buzz among collectors:
Ayler & Cherry’s European Firestorm: Europe 1964
The brief but incandescent partnership between saxophonist Albert Ayler and multi-instrumentalist Don Cherry ignited European audiences in the fall of 1964. This RSD exclusive from ORG Music captures four complete sets from that tour, featuring a dynamic rhythm section with Gary Peacock on bass and Sunny Murray on drums. Concerts from Copenhagen’s Jazzhaus Montmartre and a radio session in the Netherlands have been meticulously remastered by Dave Gardner and released on vinyl for the very first time. Limited to just 1,500 copies worldwide, the box set also includes liner notes by writer Brian Morton.
Warren Zevon’s Final Bow: Epilogue: Live At The Edmonton Folk Music Festival
Released in the wake of Warren Zevon’s long-awaited induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Omnivore Recordings presents a poignant recording of the Los Angeles legend’s final concert. Performed on August 9, 2002, at the Edmonton Folk Music Festival, Zevon, accompanied by Matt Cartsonis, delivers stripped-down renditions of classics like “Werewolves of London,” “Poor Poor Pitiful Me,” and “Lawyers, Guns and Money” from his final album, The Wind. The release also features heartfelt tributes to his Canadian hosts with covers of Joni Mitchell’s “A Case Of You” and the traditional ballad “Canadee-i-o.” Mastered by Grammy-winning engineer Michael Graves and Jordan McLeod, this three-sided vinyl release includes a fourth side etched with a personal message, and features liner notes penned by Cartsonis reflecting on his friendship with Zevon.
Punk Pioneers Reimagined: The Stranglers’ Rattus Norvegicus
Originally released in 1977, The Stranglers’ debut album, Rattus Norvegicus, bridged the gap between the UK’s pub rock scene and the burgeoning punk movement. The album distinguished itself from contemporaries like The Clash, The Damned, and The Sex Pistols with a unique blend of fury and finesse, showcasing the songwriting talents of Hugh Cornwell and Jean-Jacques Burel alongside the innovative keyboard work of Dave Greenfield. Declared an all-time Top 5 album by Robert Smith of The Cure in 1985, Rattus Norvegicus became the first UK punk album to achieve platinum status. This new remaster is pressed on translucent green vinyl, with a limited run of 2,400 copies.
Talking Heads’ Early Experiments: Tentative Decisions: Demos & Live
Dating back to 1974, when David Byrne and Chris Frantz first began making music as The Artistics, Tentative Decisions: Demos & Live offers a glimpse into the embryonic stages of Talking Heads. This special Black Friday LP pairs recently unearthed demos of future favorites like “Psycho Killer” and “Warning Sign” with 11 additional demos and live cuts from the original trio lineup with Tina Weymouth on bass, spanning 1975-76. Early versions of “Thank You For Sending Me An Angel,” “Love Goes to a Building on Fire,” and “Artists Only” are also included. With a pressing of 7,500 units, this release should be readily available for fans.
Circus Spectacle Returns: Big Top Pee-wee Soundtrack
Danny Elfman’s scores are often characterized by a whimsical, circus-like quality, and Big Top Pee-wee is no exception. Following the success of Pee-wee’s Big Adventure, the late Paul Reubens’ sequel finds Pee-wee Herman encountering a traveling circus. Restricted from reusing music from the original film, Elfman composed entirely new music for Big Top Pee-wee, now available on RSD Black Friday as a charming picture disc in a run of 4,500 copies.
Unearthing Jazz Treasures: Rahsaan Roland Kirk – Seek & Listen & Vibrations in the Village
“The Jazz Detective” Zev Feldman continues his mission to unearth lost recordings from iconic American jazz clubs. For RSD Black Friday, Feldman presents a pair of transcendental gigs from multi-reedist Rahsaan Roland Kirk, recorded at The Penthouse in Seattle and New York City’s The Village Gate. The 1963 Village Gate set features three pianists – Horace Parlan, Melvin Rhyne, and Jane Getz – alongside a stellar rhythm section. The 1967 Penthouse shows, previously unheard for 15 years, showcase Kirk’s energy and charisma, including imaginative interpretations of Bobbie Gentry’s “Ode to Billie Joe.” Both titles will be available on double vinyl for Black Friday, with CD releases following on December 5.
Riot Grrrl Grit: Bratmobile – The Real Janelle & The Peel Session
Olympia’s Bratmobile, a cornerstone of the original riot grrl movement, distinguished themselves with a unique blend of surf and garage rock influences. This new set combines their 1994 EP, The Real Janelle – named after their roadie and featuring a cover of The Misfits’ “Where Eagles Dare” with Kill Rock Stars label boss Slim Moon on vocals – with their long-awaited 1993 Peel Session, pressed on lime green vinyl. With only 1,100 units made, this release is expected to be highly sought after.
Acoustic Grateful Dead: The Warfield, San Francisco, CA Oct 4 & 6, 1980
The Grateful Dead’s October 1980 run at San Francisco’s Warfield Theatre yielded material for the albums Reckoning and Dead Set. This release presents two previously unreleased acoustic sets from those shows, produced by the band’s archivist David Lemieux. The double LP/CD set features unplugged renditions of classics like “Bird Song,” “Monkey and the Engineer,” and “Dark Hollow,” culminating in the American Beauty closer, “Ripple.” With 6,000 vinyl and 4,500 CD units available, fans should have no trouble securing a copy.
Futuristic Visions Revisited: Deltron 3030 – Deltron 3030: 25th Anniversary
The hip-hop supergroup Deltron 3030, comprised of Del the Funky Homosapien, Dan the Automator, and Kid Koala, envisioned a dystopian future in their self-titled debut. Remarkably prescient, the album’s themes of viral outbreaks, fascist governments, and corporate control resonate strongly today. This 25th-anniversary edition is released on double splatter vinyl in two different color schemes, accompanied by a commemorative OBI strip.
Soundtrack for a Stylish Chase: Various Artists – Jazz Dispensary: Green Bullets
Craft Recordings’ Jazz Dispensary series continues with Green Bullets, a collection curated to evoke the atmosphere of a 1970s crime film. Featuring funky gems from artists like Dizzy Gillespie, The Isaac Hayes Movement, and Mongo Santamaria, alongside deeper cuts from Jerry Garcia collaborators and others, this unique compilation is pressed on “Green Thunder” wax with a run of 4,100 copies.
Keep reading
- Juneau Evacuations Triggered by Record Glacial Lake Outburst Flood (news-usa.today)
