The contentious retail holiday known as Record Store Day returns for its Black Friday edition on November 23. The redheaded stepchild to the official RSD held annually in April, Black Friday Record Store Day nonetheless always yields some treasures from the vaults of labels huge and minuscule. No matter how loudly and eloquently you whine about it, BFRSD is here to stay: If you can't stand the sonic heat, take your bitchin' elsewhere. Below, I recommend 10 essential re-releases and archival plunders hitting the shops this Friday. Do know that there are many more crucial things coming out than I can cover here. For further exploration, peruse the BFRSD list here. Check out participating Seattle-area stores here.
Bobbie Gentry, Ode to Billie Joe (Elemental)
The legendary singer-songwriter's chart-topping classic country-soul LP from 1967 receives a 180gm reissue with original artwork and liner notes.
David Axelrod, Earth Rot (Now-Again)
The oft-sampled, innovative producer/arranger/composer David Axelrod's dystopian-environmental opus receives the deluxe revamp it deserves from Egon's phenomenal Now-Again imprint.
Breeders, Safari EP (4AD)
Strong 1992 EP that served as a stopgap between Pod and Last Splash from these alt-rock dynamos. Includes a delightful cover of the Who's "So Sad About Us."
Blue Cheer, The '67 Demos (BeatRocket)
Check it out: the raw, embryonic takes of "Second Time Around," "Doctor Please," and the smash hit "Summertime Blues" by proto-heavy-metal trio Blue Cheer.
Cornelius, Ripple Waves (Rostrum)
Odds & ends + remixes album by Japanese pop maverick Cornelius. I'm most excited about the Haruomi Hosono and Ryuichi Sakamoto reworks.
Cannonball Adderley, Swingin' in Seattle: Live at the Penthouse (1966-1967) (Reel to Real)
Have some local jazz history with your RSD grips. This artifact contains the outpourings of peak-era Cannonball Adderley (alto saxophone), brother Nat Adderley (coronet), Miles Davis sideman/Weather Report honcho Joe Zawinul (piano and keyboards), Victor Gaskin (bass), and Roy McCurdy (drums) over four nights at the Penthouse club.
Eric Dolphy, Musical Prophet: The Expanded N.Y. Studio Sessions (1962-1963) (Resonance)
Any previously unheard sides by masterly alto saxophonist/bass clarinetist/flautist Eric Dolphy should be pounced upon by heads into innovative jazz. This collectionâwhich features saxophonists Clifford Jordan and Sonny Simmons, trumpeter Woody Shaw, bassist Richard Davis, and vibraphonist Bobby Hutchersonâlooks like no exception.
Herbie Hancock, Flood (Get on Down)
First ever US vinyl pressing of this scorching live set from Tokyo, 1975. With backing from the Headhunters, Hancock elaborates on tracks from a particularly torrid stretch of albums: Head Hunters, Thrust, and Man-Child. Holy shit, this will be well worth the 43-year wait.
Ofege, The Last of the Origins (Tidal Wave Music)
The great Nigerian psych-funk group Ofege's 1976 sophomore album is a worthy follow-up to their classic debut, Try and Love.
Chris Cornell, "When Bad Does Good" 7" (A&M)
Sentimental local favorite selection here. Features the previously unreleased archival find "When Bad Does Good" and Temple of the Dog's "Stargazer (Live at the Paramount)" on white/black marble wax. RIP, Chris Cornell.
