theartsdesk on Vinyl: Record Store Day Special 2025

Record Store Day 2025 is tomorrow (Saturday 12th April 2025)! At theartsdesk on Vinyl we’ve been sent a selection of exclusive RSD goodies. Check the reviews. Then check your local record shop! See you amongst it.

THEARTSDESK ON VINYL CHOICE CUT FOR RECORD STORE DAY APRIL 2025

Marianne Faithfull Burning Moonlight EP (Decca)

A fitting and thoughtfully put together final release from an icon. Marianne Faithfull, who died in January this year, aged 78, was a one-off singer and creative, also a proper 1960s countercultural heavyweight, a woman who lived the best and worst of bright, fast hedonism. This four-track EP sees her tipping her hat to her past, opening with the poignant, acoustic strummed title track, her cracked older voice riveting on a number apparently inspired by her first hit, “As Tears Go By”. “Walking in fire is my life,” she sings. The other cuts are “Love Is”, a zippy Sixties pop pastiche written with her grandson, the singer-actor Oscar Dunbar, while on Side Two she reconnects with her folk origins on the spartan “Three Kinsmen Bold” and a well-calibrated new version of “She Moved Thru’ the Fair”, which she originally delivered as a hippy sitar thing back in 1966. The whole EP feels like an artist coming full circle after a long career. It's a righteous sign-off.

VINYL REVIEWS FOR RECORD STORE DAY APRIL 2025

Fatboy Slim Ya Mama (Skint)

Appearing on zoetrope vinyl, to boggle the eyes as it spins, is a 12” containing six versions of Norman Cook’s 2001 hit “Ya Mama” (it’s the one with a sample repeating “push the tempo”). These range from the rowdy big beat original to the driving acidic cut-up of Moguai’s remix, from the thudding roll of Magik J’s remix to the “nts nts nts” house chug of Dance System’s “Back to Boutique” version, and there’s a (possibly new) Fatboy edit of a Carola version (the Brazilian DJ, I presume). But perhaps the wriggliest choice is the loose, bassy breakbeat funk that Krafty Kuts’ version injects.

Swell Maps The John Peel Sessions (Mute/BBC)

Swell Maps, who existed, for all practical purposes, for the last three years of the 1970s, were DIY, lo-fi, ramshackle, punk, snippily post-modern and witty. The band included later indie luminaries Nikki Sudden, Epic Soundtracks and Jowe Head (of which the former two are now long dead). John Peel loved their music. This record gathers together his sessions from October ’78, May ’79, and March ‘80, the latter a month before the band split. The first is scrappy and exciting, containing their best-known song, “Read About Seymour”, as well as gnarly, wry punk cuts such as “Another Song”. The second session sees the band relax to a looser template, running the gamut from the basic punk of “Armadillo” to the kosmische-influenced “Midget Submarines”. The final set is a moodier affair, featuring the gloomy instrumental “Big Empty Field” and murky subterranean Joy Division-esque “Helicopter Spies/A Raincoat’s Room”. The whole lot adheres to a staunch principle of keeping the authentic spirit of the first draft is intact. Comes on red vinyl.

Shakespear’s Sister Black Sky (Remixes) (London)

In 1992 Shakespear’s Sister were on a roll. They’re sometimes dismissed nowadays as One Hit Wonders, in honour of their global monster song “Stay”. In fact, they had a bunch of successful singles and a couple of best-selling albums. On the second of these, Hormonally Yours, was the song “Black Sky” which was given a limited edition promo release, featuring a remix by a new production unit, Underworld. The two original “Dub Extravaganza” versions are on this glow-in-the-dark 12”, one coming in at six minutes, the other at nearly 11. They are very much in line with the Guerilla Records-fronted tribal progressive sound of the time, touted by the likes of Fabi Paras and Andy Weatherall. Part 2, the 10’39” take, is minor classic in this vein. On the A-side are a couple of new edits of the remix, by Balearic original Leo Zero, who tweaks and modernises, without overly undermining the core appeal. After Hormonally Yours, Shakespears Sisters' luck ran out, but Underworld’s time was only just beginning.

Creeping Jean Clothes Shop (Mature Charlton)

I first came across retro rockers Creeping Jean three years ago when I was handed their debut album, When’s the Blowout?, by frontman Oliver Toose while shopping in Mammoth, his vintage clothes shop in Brighton. It’s fitting, then, that their RSD release is a 7” recorded live in Mammoth on a rainy Sunday last November, a preview of their new album Business is Dead, and a rampant blues-glam riff-fest that glitters and sweats. Creeping Jean keep busy and are slowly growing, especially because, while in essence channelling the 1970s, they do it with flare, panache and original songs (theartsdesk on Vinyl LOATHES the current prevalence of tribute acts!). They deserve to do a Warmduscher and grab a few headlines.

Doctor Who The Tenth Planet: Original BBC Soundtrack (Demon/BBC)

It’s not actually by Doctor Who, of course, but “Various” didn’t feel right as this is a two-record set, on silver and white vinyl, containing a carefully put together summation of the 1966 Doctor Who story which saw the first appearance of the Cybermen, as well as the regeneration of the first Doctor, William Hartnoll, into the second, Patrick Troughton. All this will be gibberish to non-Whovians, those devotees of the everlasting BBC sci-fi series, but for those interested, it’ll be a treat. Containing one of the four episodes on each side, original material is stitched together with narration by now-octogenarian actress Anneke Wills, who played the Time Lord’s companion, Polly. BBC Radiophonic Workshop soundtracking is also present. For Whovians, it’ll be Side Four that’s of most interest as this final episode is one of the BBC’s most famous lost programmes, long missing from their archives, so it’s been pieced together from surviving audio footage. They do a decent job. Anyway, if you’re not a Doctor Who afficionado, you’ll have stopped reading within the first two sentences. But if you are… off to the record shop with you…

Pixies Bossanova/Trompe Le Monde (Demon)

On vinyl the faded blue of Antarctic ice, comes a double set which sees Pixies offering up live attacks on every track from their albums Bossanova and Trompe Le Monde. This pair originally appeared in 1990 and 1991, respectively, and represent the final half of the band’s original album career. That they achieved only low level success as grunge was blowing up, a sound they were most responsible for pre-empting, must have been galling. But the world eventually caught up. In 2024 Europe was given the chance to hear both albums again at a series of concerts. This RSD album plucks songs from different gigs and tacks them together neatly to give fans a fresh blood-infused new take on well-worn favourites.

Blancmange Everything is Connected Too: The Best of Blancmange 1979-2024 (London)

A companion piece to last year’s Everything is Connected greatest hits LP. For this Record Store Day album, on transparent vinyl, they’ve gone for deeper cuts. These range from the twinkly instrumental, “Sad Day”, which appeared on the seminal 1981 Some Bizarre compilation album that introduced The The, Soft Cell and Depeche Mode to the world, right through to last year’s propulsive “Again I Wait for the World”. Songs such as the moodily pulsing “The Western” from 2011 show that, while he may not have been bothering the charts this century, Neil Arthur, who's now the sole member of Blancmange, has still been nailing down tunes. And, for those who want to hark back to the golden Eighties there’s “That’s Love, That It Is”.

Status Quo Live! Glasgow Apollo 27 October 1976 (Demon)

This is peak Quo! Punk was starting to kick off by the autumn of 1976 but the Quo and their fans really couldn’t have cared less. By this point the classic line-up of Francis Rossi, Rick Parfitt, Alan Lancaster and John Coghlan were a supremely well-oiled machine, rolling out hit single and hit album after hit single and hit album. Like The Ramones after them, they didn’t mess with a primitive but ruthlessly effective template, in their case heavy, head-battering blues-rock, with enough boogie to shake a leg to, and enough musical heft to wig out, as on the 17-minute “Forty-Five Hundred Times” (featuring the crowd giving a “We’ll bring the house down”-style singalong). This set comes on double, remastered suitably fat’n’loud on blue and green vinyl in photo inner sleeves. As a younger man, hairy, flarey Status Quo didn’t appeal but, now I’m ancient, an occasional dose of their osmium-plated, hip-swaying chug is a tonic.

Lisa Germano Geek the Girl: 30^th Anniversary Edition (4AD)

For a quarter of a century, up until around ten years ago, Lisa Germano was the go-to session violinist for a who’s who of musicians, from David Bowie to Simple Minds to Iggy Pop top Billy Joel, plus many more. She also, in the 1990s, had a critically acclaimed solo singing career, the peak moment of which was her 1994 album, Geek the Girl. This now reappears on a gatefold double, first time on vinyl. It’s a wonderfully moody affair, vaguely folkish, with Germano’s downbeat vocals delivered in a wry manner, as if she can hardly be bothered but, at the same time, what she has to say might be worth hearing. It’s pared back and feels like a private, stoned chat at 3.30 AM in whispered darkness. It has its very own atmosphere and is well worth a visit. The RSD edition has second record which is a repress of the Inconsiderate Bitch EP. It’s a set of mixes by 4AD’s Ivo Watts-Russell and This Mortal Coil’s John Fryer created from material that preceded Geek The Girl. It’s likable but more typically 4AD indie-folky and less completely horizontal.

Dave Clarke Devil’s Advocate (BMG/Skint)

Back in 2003, when Devil’s Advocate came out, techno was still in rude-ish health. Little did we know what was around the corner, the incremental watering down process, the semantic media trickery, by which, within a few years, the word “techno” could be applied to any old ploddy crap, used as a hip signifier for Ibiza-bound DJ-producers who were more business people than music-lovers. Dave Clarke, one the greatest techno DJs of all, has hurled vitriol at this process for years. And this album stands as a long-ago testament to the mood of proper heavy techno. Spread over four sides of forest green vinyl, loud-cut and dynamic, these 11 tracks run the gamut of funkin’ 4/4, bullish hip hop (“Blue on Blue”, featurng Mr. Lif), more contemplative cuts such as “Deo Gratis”, the vitalized Bauhaus deconstruction “What Was Her name?”, featuring Chicks On Speed”, and a host of floor-fillers. But, whatever it sounds like, in spirit it’s all techno. And we could all use more of that in anxious-not-angry 2025.

James Blunt Back to Bedlam: The Demos (Custard/Atlantic)

As regular readers will know, theartsdesk on Vinyl is a space where, if there's nothing positive to say about a record, I simply don’t review it. However, for the Record Store Day edition, that option doesn't exist. I’m committed to covering all official RSD releases that reach me. Including this one. Once, on a sunny afternoon at the Hop Farm Festival, years ago, my family and I hid at the back of the site in a bar playing Jimi Hendrix very loudly, just so we didn’t have to be within earshot of James Blunt playing the main stage. 100% zero engagement. Even from a distance. So, all I’ll say is that this album contains demo versions of his multi-multi-million-selling 2004 debut album, sometimes warmer, roomy versions.

Pale Saints Slow Buildings: 30^th Anniversary Remasters (4AD)

With shoegaze now, once again, finding a strong fanbase among the young, it’s apt that Pale Saints reissue their final and least celebrated album. In a two-record gatefold set, it also includes three tracks from the Fine Friend EP, as well as previously unreleased demos, including the offcut, “Loopy”. Originally released in 1994, Slow Buildings was a different beast to the two albums that preceded it, mainly due to lead singer Ian Masters leaving the year before. In his place, guitarist Meriel Barham stepped in. She helms things well and sometimes lifts the material to a place the group could not previously have gone. She was also once in Lush and, especially with jangle kingpin Hugh Jones on production duties, resonances of that band are perceivable, while songs such as “Henry”, recall the sludgier end of US grunge.

Kasabian Kasabian (Sony)

A lot of water has rushed under the bridge since this debut album appeared. In the 21 years since, Kasabian became, in many eyes, a trudging, blokey substitute Oasis. Their image was further tarnished when lead singer Tom Meighan left the band under a cloud for assaulting his girlfriend. She’s since forgiven and married him and he seems to have publicly dealt with his issues as much as anyone can, but Kasabian marched on without him. Guitarist Serge Pizzorno took over as frontman, something he'd allegedly wanted to do for a while. They are much the lesser band for it. But rewind the clock. When Kasabian appeared, it’s thuggish electro-Happy Mondays drive, sneering vocals and singalong choruses were irresistible. Still are. Not just the big ones, notably “L.S.F.”, but also chewier, more unexpected songs such as “Cutt Off” and “Running Battle”. Live, Kasabian were great. I saw them many times. There’s an energy to this record that brings it all back. Sends a shiver up my spine. Spread over two records on gatefold, it’s the album’s first time on vinyl – white vinyl – and I’m very happy to have it, one of this century’s most excitement-inducing rock albums.

The Men They Couldn’t Hang The Cherry Red Jukebox (Cargo)

Back in the mid-1980s, one of the few ways of discovering new scenes, for us hicks in the suburbs, was to listen to BBC Radio One in the evening, when DJs such as John Peel and Janice Long would tell us what was going on. One scene mentioned was “cow punk”. This was folkers, we were told, playing punk. In Britain this meant bands such as The Pogues, The Boothill Foot Tappers, Blyth Power and The Men They Couldn't Hang. The latter initially looked like they were going to break big. They had the songs. It never happened but they have perisisted, with breaks, ever since. And they still have the songs. In the summer of 2002, Clash frontman Joe Strummer died suddenly. The loss inspired The Men They Couldn't Hang to record The Cherry Red Jukebox, a 2003 album only ever available on CD (it isn't even on Spotify). It's not a concept set about Strummer, but borrows from his spirit. Certainly belligerent, shouty ones such as “The Sunrise” and "Highwater" do, but along the way are also more traditional-sounding numbers such as "Rivertown". "Silver Gun", meanwhile, showcases the clean, clear female vocals of Merrill Cush alongside some sweet fiddle, and "Ride Again" is an expansive rock number that will make fans dream of the alternate universe where The Men They Couldn't Hang ended up playing stadiums. Comes on bright pink vinyl.

Dannii Minogue Neon Nights Remixed (London)

A couple of years ago when Dannii Minogue’s 2003 Neon Nights album was reissued, theartsdesk on Vinyl reviewed the picture disc here and discovered, against expectations, that it’s likeably catchy, polished dance-pop. Now, on clear blue vinyl, on plastic for the first time, come a series of remixes created for that reissue, as well as a brand new remix, Swedish songwriter-producers Korpi & Blackcell rejigging their own song, “Put the Needle On It”. The original album was a clubby frolic so not all these versions add much. Luke Mornay’s "Thirst Trap" Radio Edit, for instance, gorgonzola-fies “For the Record”, PWL-style, while production duo Thriller Jill’s pumpin’ Extended Mix of “Hide and Seek” would have been preferable to the Radio Edit that's included. Fans of high street house, however, will enjoy the Roger Sanchez and Sebastian Krieg reversions. Other remixers include Bart Claesson, Amyl, Project K and Initial Talk, and one song, “Nervous”, is not a remix, but an offcut, a Mirwais-era Madonna-ish electro bubbler.

Black Stone Cherry This is Black Stone Cherry’s RSD Album. The band really likes it (Mascot)

Kentucky rockers Black Stone Cherry would probably have liked to be Lynyrd Skynyrd. Or maybe Aerosmith. Maybe even Whitesnake. Likely an amalgam of all three. But they weren't. They only started this century. This did not stop them. They’ve built a successful career walking in those footsteps. While I sometimes go along with their haters, I’m also very aware that when lame guitar farts who imitate other types of music – The Kinks, The Beatles, The Stooges, Can, various post-punk outfits, and so on – the media clambers right up their rectums. Black Stone Cherry isn’t my bag but I like the album title. It’s an odds’n’ends compilation that ranges across one-off covers, such as of Tina Turner’s “What’s Love Got to Do With It”, The Cult’s “American Horse “ and Tracy Chapman’s “Give Me One Reason”, plenty of live cuts, unreleased material, such as a new version of “Out of Pocket”, featuring Killswitch Engage’s Jesse Leach, acoustic versions, and more. For those who want a well-curated grab-bag of committed, metal-tinged retro heavy rock, it’ll make a decent dipper.

Belly King: 30th Anniversary Edition (4AD)

By the time Tanya Donnelly formed Belly in 1991, she was already a veteran of US underground rock, due to her role in Throwing Muses and The Breeders. With Belly, there seemed to be a more conscious effort to create alt-rock attuned to the crossover potential for such music at that time. In fact, the lack of commercial success for Belly’s second album, King, may have been a reflection of the glut of contemporaneous similar acts. Listened to again in 2025, King comes over as an efficiently tuneful meshing of reference points as wide-ranging as The Pretenders and Mazzy Star, alongside the then ubiquitous grunge sound. Comes on green vinyl.

We welcome any and all vinyl for review. Please hit thomash.green@theartsdesk.com for a postal address.

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