1. Kate Bush – Remastered (Box Sets 1-4)
Fans’ prayers have finally been answered with Kate Bush’s first definitive programme of remastering. Spanning the entirety of her studio LPs, and spread across four separate box-sets, this series also includes a swathe of rarities and cover versions that have been released on CD and Vinyl for the very first time. Bush has personally worked on the remastered albums ( many of which have been out of print for over a decade) alongside James Guthrie, and the total set covers 18 vinyl discs.
2. The Beatles – Abbey Road 50th Anniversary Box Set
2019 marked fifty years since the release of the Beatles’ final album recorded together and that iconic zebra-crossing photo shoot. In celebration of this landmark event a special box-set featuring alternative mixes, unissued recordings and demos was released in September, making available new stereo, 5.1 Surround and Dolby Atmos mixes for the first time. Paul McCartney summarises in his foreword: “The Beatles recording journey had gone through many twists and turns, learning curves and thrilling rides. Here we were – still wondering at the magic of it all.”
3. The Rolling Stones – Let It Bleed 50th Anniversary Box Set
Another big album celebrating its fiftieth anniversary this year, Let It Bleed was one of the finest from the Rolling Stones, released during their career-defining run which continued into the early 1970s. Included here in its limited edition rerelease are two LPs alongside two HybridSuper Audio CDs, newly remastered in stereo and mono by Bob Ludwig. Inside you’ll also find a hardcover book that includes previously unpublished photos by the Stones’ tour photographer, Ethan Russell, and a replica 7″ single of “Honky Tonk Women” / “You Can’t Always Get What You Want,” which was released months before the album, in its original picture sleeve.
4. Miles Davis Quintet – The Legendary Prestige Sessions
If you missed this set on its original release date in 2006 the now’s your chance to finally own the reissued collection on vinyl. Miles Davis’ famed quintet sessions – featuring John Coltrane, Red Garland, Paul Chambers and Philly Joe Jones – were recorded in three sessions, over the course of a year, beginning in 1955. Leading the sessions was the talented engineer Rudy Van Gelder, who simulated nightclub sets at his studio. The box set features an incredible number of classic tracks, which found their way onto iconic albums such as Steamin’, Workin’, and Miles.
5. Julian Cope – Autogeddon Reissue
Formerly of The Teardrop Explodes and now a celebrated solo artist, Julian Cope has reissued his 11th album, which was originally released in 1994. The new package provides greater insight regarding the context around the album and its recordings with a newly written book, the remastered Paranormal in the West Country EP, and the ‘Conspiracy Blues’/‘Highway Blues’ seven-inch single. This set also includes a 24-page book with photos and notes from long-term Cope publicist Mick Houghton, as well as three postcards.
