The List: Compilations & Reissues Of 2024

Now's the chance to discover the best compilations and reissues of 2024, featuring remastered classics and especial collections, to bring alive classic and timeless tunes, hidden tracks, and interesting rare stuff, hope you love 'em: 

1. Oasis   "Definitely Maybe (30th., Anniversary Edition)"   (Big Brother Recordings)

Oasis are back to re-release their debut album Definitely Maybe yet again, for a 30th anniversary edition, offers previously unreleased early sessions and unheard outtakes not considered. After the early 1990s prevalence of grunge claimed to an end, so music transformed in 1994 with the emergence of britpop and Oasis eventually became the leading of the Britpop pack, their debut Definitely Maybe is truly one of the greatest albums of all time, combining the best of both worlds, the loud amps of Nirvana with Beatles-like melodies, simply a fantastic rock 'n' roll album for the ages

2. Suede   "Dog Man Star 30th., Anniversary"   (Demon Music Group)

Suede’s era-defining second album from 1994 celebrates its 30th anniversary this year. "Dog Man Star" is seen by many as the band's most musically adventurous album – sweeping strings sit next to orchestral ballads, epic widescreen pieces, indie anthems and trashy glam rock. It was the last to feature guitarist and co-songwriter Bernard Butler. It includes the classic hit singles "We Are The Pigs", "The Wild Ones", and "New Generation". CD1 comprises the original album, CD2 has B-sides and the full-length version of the non-album single "Stay Together" and CD3 includes additional tracks and rarities from the period.

3. Bryan Ferry   "Retrospective: Selected Recordings 1973-2023"   (BMG)

Retrospective: Selected Recordings 1973-2023’ provides the first ever comprehensive career retrospective to fully explore the depth and breadth of Bryan Ferry as a solo artist. It brings together for the first time his classic output with Island Records, Polydor, Virgin/E.G., and BMG and brings the story right up to date, spanning a period of over 50 years. This compilation showcases his skill both as a writer of original classics and reflects his status as the greatest interpreter of other writers’ material. It also draws out the sonic versatility of Bryan Ferry as a solo artist – from rock ‘n’ roll to sophisticated adult pop; from R&B and dance-based grooves to piano ballads; from electronica to ambient; from jazz to country, folk, blues and avant-garde new wave. At the centre of it all is the unique sound and style of Bryan Ferry, an artist who has remained relevant, interesting and unmistakably himself.

4. New Order   "Brotherhood Definitive Edition"   (Rhino)

New Order continues the series of Definitive boxsets, with the band's 1986 album Brotherhood. The boxset will include the original album remastered on CD and 180g LP, plus an Extras CD with previously unreleased demos and rarities, as well as two DVDs featuring the band's performances at Festival of the Tenth at the GMex, Manchester 1986 and Live in Brixton, 1987 in support of World AIDS Day. The DVDs will additionally include live TV performances, interviews and rare band footage. The extensive hardback book will include contemporary articles and liner notes by Irish radio DJ Dave Fanning.

5. Lightning Seeds   "Tomorrow's Here Today: 35 Years Of The Lightning Seeds"   (Sony Music)

Celebrating 35 years of career, The Lightning Seeds release this compilation "Tomorrow's Here Today: 35 Years Of Lightning Seeds", this is an absolute masterclass in modern pop songwriting from Ian Broudie.Kicking off with their classic debut single "Pure", this really is a greatest hits compilation worthy of the title from a band who have sold over 8 million albums. Across 19 tracks the compilation features Lightning Seeds favourites including 'The Life of Riley', 'Change', 'Lucky You', 'Sense', 'All I Want', 'Sugar Coated Iceberg', 'You Showed Me', '3 Lions' and more.

 

6. Various Artists   "Now Yearbook 1987"   (Now Twic)

 

NOW Yearbook 1987 features 80 tracks on the 4CD editions (deluxe hardcover book and standard card sleeve) and 49 tracks on the 3LP orange vinyl. This is a strong collection, featuring two tracks from George Michael (Faith and his Aretha Franklin duet "I Know You (Were Waiting), a pair from Pet Shop Boys (What Have I Done To Deserve This and Always On My Mind), and a couple from a-ha (The Living Daylights and Cry Wolf), New Order classic "True Faith" and sees Eurythmics go all experimental with the brilliant-but-bonkers (I Love To) Listen to Beethoven). 

 

7. Rusty Egan   "Rusty Egan Presents: Blitzed"   (Demon Music Group)

London, 1979. From the rubble and ashes of punk a new youth cult was emerging. Divinely inspired by Bowie, Roxy Music and Kraftwerk, a new tribe the press started labelling New Romantics, or Futurists, discarded punk’s old-hat claims towards authenticity and protest, in pursuit of glamour, make-up, dressing up and dancing. Their home was The Blitz Club, a tiny wine bar at the edge of Covent Garden and what went on there between 1979 and 1980 would genuinely change the world. The other name for this cult? Blitz Kids. And the club had a mighty soundtrack, assembled painstakingly by its resident DJ Rusty Egan. Rusty’s sets brought together heroes like Eno, Iggy, and Lou Reed cool European electronic pioneers like Kraftwerk, Telex and Yello, the electronic side of disco (Cerrone, Hot Chocolate, Amanda Lear) Compiled exhaustively from his DJ sets, ‘Rusty Egan Presents The Blitz’ brings together the sounds of a night at the club circa 1980. Beautifully presented with contemporary photography from Sheila Rock, Peter Ashworth and Terry Smith, the booklets also contain sleeve notes from Alexis Petridis and Rusty himself. 

8. Various Artists   "Now Yearbook 1993"   (Now Twic)

Another compilation just in time to celebrate the NOW collection legacy. This compilation available on 3CD companion set features 57 tracks from 1993 including Pet Shop Boys "I Wouldn’t Normally Do This Kind Of Thing", New Order’s "Ruined In A Day", Duran Duran’s "Too Much Information", Annie Lennox’s "Little Bird", Sting’s "If I Ever Lose My Faith In You", R.E.M.’s "Nightswimming" and many more.

9. Thompson Twins   "Into The Gap 40th., Anniversary Edition"   (BMG)

One of the era-defining album of the 80s by Thompson Twins, is getting its 40th anniversary reissue now, and is the most comprehensive reissue of this album ever, remastered at Abbey Road Studios and compiled with the full blessing of all three band members from the classic line-up. The album stands as one of the band's most successful albums, emblematic of the synth-pop era's peak. The album features hit singles like ‘Hold Me Now,’ ‘Doctor! Doctor!,’ and ‘You Take Me Up,’ which highlighted the band's knack for creating catchy, synth-driven pop tunes. At the time, Thompson Twins were a leading force in the new wave movement, and the album peaked at number one on the UK Albums Chart and selling over 1 million copies in the US. The album's success was bolstered by the rise of MTV, where the band's visually striking music videos played a crucial role in their global appeal. "Into the Gap" encapsulated the spirit of 1980s pop culture, combining innovative sound with a strong visual identity, making it a defining record of the decade.

10. The Other Two   "The Other Two & You"   (Rhino)

Originally released on London Records, the album was recorded in part at Real World Studios in 1990 and produced by Stephen Hague with contributions from A Certains Ratio's Jez Kerr. The album spawned the hit single "Tasty Fish" peaked at No. 42 in the UK singles chart, "Selfish" peaked just outside the top 40, "Innocence" was only issued in the United States as a single, and finally the 7" version of "Love To Infinity" remix replaces the album version on this brand new reissue.