Record Store Day almost snuck up on me this time. I’d barely gotten my list together when the Big Day rolled around. There were only about four full-length titles that I was interested in this year, and none of them were box sets, so I thought my finances wouldn’t suffer so badly, maybe. The best laid plans… right?

I got to the store at 6:30am for a 10:30am opening. I was 23rd in line at that time, and I spent right around $200, much of which was spent adding to and upgrading my 10-inch vinyl collection. Not sure why I think that 10-inch records are so fun, but I do. We’ll take a look at those first before checking out the long players. As always, the quality of the pressings ran the gamut this year, but overall I’d say it was a solid year for Record Freaks. That’s what I am. That’s what we’re here to talk about. Let’s see…

Gregg Allman put out a live four-song set on a 10-inch picture disc that’s pretty nifty. Two of the songs were previously unreleased, the other two were pulled from a live set released last year called All My Friends. I remember the guys in Widespread Panic played that night at the Fox in Atlanta for the Gregg tribute, and a good time was had by all, I feel certain. For my money, the unreleased tunes recorded in Macon with Allman’s regular touring band are where it’s at on this set. Especially the reworked version of “Whipping Post” that starts the set off on a heavy, funky foot. I don’t typically go in for picture discs, but this one is actually pressed quite nicely and the live recordings are more than passable. The disc is housed in one of those plastic PVC sleeves with no inner and I haven’t found a workaround for that yet. It feels like I’m storing a record between two pieces of sandpaper, but I’m happy to have it anyway…

Speaking of older dudes reworking material from their previously great bands, Robert Plant released a quick live one too. The Sensational Shape Shifters are no Led Zeppelin, but Plant seems to spend the better part of his days (or at least his interviews) trying to outrun his former band’s legacy so I’m sure he’s fine with the disparity. This one was plated and pressed on “140-gram audiophile vinyl” at Record Industry in the Netherlands according to the hype sticker. I like Plant’s moodier percussion-based tunes with the Shape Shifters as well as I liked his stuff with the Band of Joy which made a fine album a few years back. The “Whole Lotta Love” medley on side two of this 10-inch incorporates a bit of “Who Do You Love” which is fun. There’s plenty of punchy, clear bass on this recording and no surface noise to speak of at all. The folks at Nonesuch put this one out which means that some care was taken and some details considered (like both sides ending in a Sgt. Pepper’s-like locked groove). Those folks do fine work.

Don’t think for one minute that the folks at Third Man Records are going to take RSD lying down. We’ll get to their full-length release in a bit, but their 10-inch replica of Elvis’s first ever 78 (“My Happiness” b/w “That’s When Your Heartaches Begin”) was compelling enough for me to pick up despite my trepidation about the decline in quality of this label’s releases. Turns out, I didn’t need to worry about that at all. Because I can’t play this record anyway. It’s actually pressed at 78rpm and my external speed control won’t go that high. The Third Man store in Nashville had the original on display (which Jack White purchased at auction earlier this year for a tidy $300,000) along with the lathe that cut it. I bet that was fun to see. The labels on the replica were typed by hand which is a neat detail, and the record is housed in a plain manila sleeve just like in olden times.

Steve Earle also put out a 78 themed 10-inch, but his was cut at 45rpm. It contains Earle’s version of Robert Johnson’s “Terraplane Blues” on the first side with Johnson’s original version on the second. The record is pressed with a matte finish (just like in olden times), and I read something somewhere about how the Johnson side was minimally processed for this release (sounds like we’re talking about sausage or something). The center stickers are retro as hell as is the brown paper outer sleeve, and all of it is housed in another of those plastic PVC sleeves. This one was pressed at United in Nashville so it’s a bit noisier than the others. Luckily, the material fits that aesthetic well enough. It may be my favorite of the 10-inches that I picked up this year.

Finally, I’d wanted to check out Run The Jewels since Jack White hired them to open his Madison Square Garden show a few months back. They put out a 12-inch EP with four tunes on it. It’s my favorite Hip-Hop of the last couple of years, but we won’t dig in too deeply here because I’m going to get their full-length second record based on the strength of this single (which includes DJ Q-bert on a tune). If you see one around, get it. It comes in one of those damned PVC outers with no inner, but you can actually fit a MoFi inner into it so your record should survive unscathed. Your psyche may not. This stuff is smoking.

Willie Nelson
Teatro
Light In The Attic
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Record Store Day 2015 saw the first-ever vinyl release of Willie Nelson’s Teatro from 1998. This is a stellar record produced by Daniel Lanois, recorded in an abandoned movie theater in Oxnard, California, and featuring Emmylou Harris on vocals. Those credentials are tough to fight. I was stoked about this one from the time I saw it on the menu. Looks like they made 5,000 of them. It is not without its issues, but I can’t really imagine life without it at this point.

Teatro is a polarizing record amongst Willie fans, but I can’t see why. I mean, it may not be what you’re accustomed to, but that’s where the joy of life resides, right? As the title suggests, there’s a bit of a Spanish influence (I hear some New Orleans too, mostly in the percussion on “These Lonely Nights”). The depth of the recording is superb with plenty of bass response, especially. The soundstage is as wide as an ocean, and the double drum attack works to great rhythmic effect throughout. Longtime Willie collaborator Mickey Raphael’s harmonica doubles quite nicely for an accordion, and somehow Willie’s nylon stringed acoustic sounds a lot like a hollow body electric at times. Basically, things are not always as they seem, but they’re always tasty and engaging. Many of the songs are reworkings of old Willie originals (“Darkness On The Face Of The Earth” and “I Just Can’t Let You Say Goodbye,” for instance), and Lanois contributes “The Maker” as well. Willie’s sister plays some lovely Wurlitzer, and Cyril Neville allegedly played congas, but I can’t find his name in any of the players’ credits, only in the liners.

Light In The Attic did a hell of a job on this one. For the most part. Unfortunately, my copy starts out with some pretty severe crackles on the opening track which is a lovely, quiet instrumental. I did a little digging around online and found that mine is not the only copy with this issue. Otherwise, I’d be in search of a less defective replacement. As is, the noise dissipates quickly enough so I’m just going to live with it for the time being. Perhaps there will be a wider release down the road pressed on standard black vinyl? The RSD version is on double “gold” vinyl with a cool full-sized inner booklet containing an interview with Willie and Lanois. You could brain someone with the heavy outer gatefold cover. The set feels significant, and the content backs that up. Lanois may have gotten this gig because of his work on Emmylou’s Wrecking Ball from 1995 which has also never been released on vinyl. Somehow, Nonesuch rereleased digital versions last year without a take of any kind on wax. Maybe we have that to look forward to as a future RSD release? I feel confident that the quality would be there if Nonesuch was behind it. For now, I’m digging Teatro multiple times daily. The pressing is imperfect, but well worth the investment. There are still a few floating around out there for around $32. 5,000 were pressed. I’d jump if I were you.

Gov’t Mule
Stoned Side of the Mule: Vol. 2
Evil Teen
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Last December, we looked at Gov’t Mule’s Stoned Side of the Mule which was released as part of the smaller Black Friday RSD. Somehow, I failed to notice that there was a Vol. 1 on the cover art. To the astute observer, that would suggest that a Vol. 2 would follow. Which is exactly how it shook down for RSD ’15. The Mule has been opening its live recording vaults recently and putting out some of their Halloween sets consisting of Pink Floyd and Stones covers as well as a reggae set with Toots Hibbert and a document of their work with John Scofield. I’ve not heard the latter two discs, but the Classic Rock covers records have been a blast if not a revelation.

Between the two Stones sets, I’d say that Vol. 2 contains my favorite material. It’s not a runaway victory. The first volume had Mule’s takes on “Monkey Man” and “Ventilator Blues.” The second has “Wild Horses,” “Bitch,” “Slave,” “Can’t You Hear Me Knocking,” and “Brown Sugar.” Mercy. It also has Warren Haynes’ solo take on “Play With Fire,” but who cares? The Rockers are where it’s at, and Vol. 2 is full of them.

Gov’t Mule fleshed out their lineup with some extra players for this set which was recorded live in Philadelphia on Halloween, 2009. Jackie Greene handles second guitar duties while Steve Elson does his Bobby Keys impersonation on sax. The sax is especially necessary to get a traditional Stones take on “Bitch,” and “Can’t You Hear Me Knockin’” (and “Slave”). Keys passed away a few months back, and the real Stones are taking Karl Denson out with them to fill his shoes. Some friends of mine in a band called Bloodkin back home played some Stones tributes with Keys over the last couple of years, and can regale you with Stones stories for days as a result. Bobby Keys was a Rock and Roll Titan, and I think of all the wild stories I’ve read about him every time I hear these songs. It’s safe to say that your personality is of the “outsized” variety if it can overpower a Stones composition even occasionally. Keys was one of those, and I think of these Mule discs as a tribute to him as much as I think of them as Stones covers. Warren Haynes is a master musician, truly, and is capable of playing most anything he wants. But the Stones material is right in his wheelhouse. I suspect he agrees because the Mule has a wealth of archived Halloween tributes to pull from, and they chose these for release. If you’re a fan of the Stones, the Mule, or both, I’d say you need these discs in your collection. You can still find the newest one online for a reasonable price. That does not appear to be the case for the first. Act now.

This record was pressed decently with some static and noise at the end of both sides. Luckily, it’s mostly atmospheric crowd noise by then. The artwork is a neat tribute to Charlie Watts’ circa Get Yer Ya-Ya’s Out! and the disc is a quick listen even with false endings on “Knockin’” and “Sugar.” In short, there’s nothing to be afraid of here. The water’s warm. Come on in.

Jerry Garcia
Garcia (“Compliments”)
Round Records
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I’m more of a Jerry Garcia fan than I care to admit. There’s plenty of Grateful Dead music that I’d rather just do without, but Garcia was cool, man. There’s no getting around it. His debut solo album was reissued for last year’s Record Store Day, and this year’s event saw the release of Garcia (often called “Compliments” to avoid confusing it with his debut of the same name), his second solo offering. Round Records did such a great job with the first release, there was no chance of me sleeping on the second one – even if I’m getting a little uncomfortable with the amount of Garcia/Dead related titles populating my collection at this point. I’m not apologizing for it, but I can’t let myself give all the way in either. This one should just about do it, but I’ve said that before. We’ll see…

“Compliments” is from 1974, two years after Garcia. One major difference between the two is that Garcia doesn’t play all the instruments on “Compliments.” Another is that “Compliments” sounds much more like a standard 1970’s recording than the grittier Garcia does. While Garcia had some of my favorite “Dead” material on it, “Compliments” is a more complete listen from front to back. Side two of Garcia had some of that meandering; directionless drivel that I’d hoped and assumed was foisted on Garcia by another of his band mates. Perhaps Garcia had more of a hand in that type of thing throughout the Dead’s history than I’d realized. The tunes on “Compliments” were mostly picked for Garcia by album producer and frequent collaborator, John Kahn. Most of them work, especially “Turn On The Bright Lights” as it really lets Garcia stretch out within a traditional Chicago Blues framework. Garcia’s version of “Let’s Spend The Night Together” is fun more for the novelty of hearing him play it than for the actual performance. The full band take on Irving Berlin’s “Russian Lullaby” is really great by any measure and gives a nice frame of reference for the version that would crop up in the early ’90’s on the stellar Garcia/Grisman. Dr. John (“What Goes Around”) and Peter Rowan (“Mississippi Moon”) both have songs on here, and Merry Clayton (the female voice that rips your head off on “Gimme Shelter”) contributes a bunch of backing vocals throughout. It’s fun for the whole family. Again, the production is a little slicker than I’d prefer, but it’s far from offensive. I mean, it’s no Go To Heaven or anything. And, while it doesn’t boast any songs as strong as the best material on Garcia, you can comfortably listen to “Compliments” straight through without having to skip around or damage your ears. They made 7,000 of this one on green vinyl so it’s not nearly as limited as last year’s RSD title (of which there were 1,500). You can also buy a standard black vinyl version on Garcia’s site.

This single disc is “Dead” silent when it’s supposed to be, and the front cover is textured with some raised artwork which is kinda neat. These folks are doing great work. If they were to release Almost Acoustic, I’d end my moratorium on Dead-related material all over again. And if all RSD releases adhered to this level of quality, the Vinyl World would be a brighter place.

The White Stripes
Get Behind Me Satan
Third Man Records
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I finally cancelled by subscription to Jack White’s Vault service due to the shoddy pressings of the records. Unlike Light In The Attic or Reprise Records, Third Man actually responded to my complaints about their quality and replaced a couple of my discs when needed. But the replacements were shot too, and I had to let it all go. I couldn’t pass on the first ever commercial vinyl release of Get Behind Me Satan though. It’s one of my favorite White Stripes albums ever, and I needed it to complete my Stripes studio collection. And I’m thrilled to report that the RSD pressing is amongst the quietest that I’ve heard from the folks at Third Man in quite some time. This is all very exciting for a fool like me.

The first thing that you’ll notice while holding this double record set in your hands is the feel of the packaging. Third Man often uses some sort of “soft touch coating” on their sleeves which makes the covers feel more alive somehow. The front cover photo for this release is given the lenticular treatment, and the artwork changes from the standard cover that we all remember from ten years back to the less obvious single artwork for “Blue Orchid.” Speaking of “Blue Orchid,” it’s one of the only guitar based tunes on GBMS along with the stellar “Instinct Blues.” But White gets most of his work done on piano throughout which makes singles “My Doorbell” and especially “The Denial Twist” that much more unique. (Totally off subject, but this was the first album that I ever purchased on iTunes so I guess we’ve come up on my ten year iTunes anniversary also. I haven’t been back for about six.) They changed the artwork on the back cover for this release, and it features a photo of Big Jack playing with a female drummer who is conspicuously not Meg White. Seems a little off, but what do I know? As I mentioned earlier, this pressing is mostly very quiet. You get a bit of that patented United Record Pressing noise during the last parts of sides two and four, but the rest of the sides are pretty silent. The first disc is blood red, and the second is white. There will be a standard black vinyl release without the lenticular cover later this year. A download card is included with this set too, but that’s redundant in my case and the album has never sounded better than it does on vinyl so now’s the time if you’re a Stripes fan. I’d never heard “Blue Orchid” sound so appropriately menacing. The Devil, as they say, is in the details and the details are in much sharper relief now.

The folks at Third Man assured me that they were improving the quality of their records this year so maybe this is the start of something magical. I’ve also been advised that United has greatly expanded their operation which could be really horrible news or it could signal a new direction. Let’s hope for the latter. Third Man doesn’t charge exorbitantly for their titles so true audiophile releases should not be expected, but it’s nice to have a record from them that doesn’t make me angry. Anyway, GBMS is essential for any Stripes fan, and the decade long wait has finally ended. Get the fancy version or wait on the standard one, but don’t miss out. It’s too good.