Top 30 Reissues for 2007

Jay Dee/J Dilla "Rough Draft" Stones Throw
2003 - Essential Pre-Donuts, Post-Welcome to Detroit reaction to MCA dragging their feet with his solo MC record, Dilla deconstructs his aesthetic again for this his rawest and most psychedelic work ever. Previously only available in Germany.

Jean-Claude Vannier "L 'Enfant Assasin Des Mouches" B-Music
1972 - Vanity record from France's answer to David Axelrod, producer of the acclaimed "Histoire De Melody Nelson" by Serge Gainsbourg, my dream collaboration would have been hooking this guy up with Alejandro Jodorowsky for a real mind enema.

Boscoe "Boscoe" Asterisk
1973 - Chicago holy-grail, afro-funk, spiritual-private press gets a proper reissue by Numero group off shoot Asterisk. Indescribably good, worth a grand for the original! Darkness!

Circle "Sunrise"
2002 - saw the 10th release from Finnish free/progressive/metal pioneers Circle, scorching new neuron paths in the brains of the few that heard this masterpiece the first time around.

Kon & Amir "Off Track Vol.1" BBE
For 10 years these Brooklyn cats have been serving up the records and beats you wish you knew and dream of owning. Now BBE gives them a proper forum for their respective passions, Kon throwing down the finest obscure and rare disco mix I've ever heard, Amir delving deep into his jazz library for a latin/spiritual/progressive mix. This double CD is musicologist and DJ art at its highest.

Various "Home Schooled: The ABC's Of Kid's Soul" Numero
Unheard and obscure music by teens and pre-teens, rare soul 45's during and post Jacksons. "Now That School Is Through" by Cindy & The Playmates on the Jay Pee label has always been one of my favorite funk bangers!

Various "Eccentric Soul: Twinight's Lunar Rotation" Numero
Chicago's Twinight label was home to Syl Johnson whose "Is It Because I'm Black" 45 is fairly common, everything else on the label wasn't. Chicago was such a hotbed for deep Soul and Jazz in the late 60's, this is the document that proves it.

Various "Florida Funk" Now Again/Jazzman
I moved to Florida in 1999 with naive hope of finding some of these 45's. After 8 years of digging, I own one 45 on this comp. Essential for diggers, soul lovers, and anyone who wants to understand "Florida" Music.

Tony Allen "Afro Disco Beat" Vampi-Soul
I hope in the future, more collections come out like this, completists like me dream of entire band/label discographies issued in miniature LP sleeve box sets. Not at all much needs to be said about this set, he's Fela Kuti's right hand man, and contained are his first 4, and most important, LP's. Lament, Dream, Rejoice, Lament…

Various "Eccentric Soul: Outskirts Of Deep City" Numero
Numero's second installment of essential and lost Florida music, just as good as the Now Again comp, just deeper… The Betty Wright 45 is ridiculous.

Led Zeppelin "Mothership" Atlantic
Wow, Zep like you've never heard Zep before. More definition and separation, clarity and punch to the drums… shit!

ESG "Come Away With" Souljazz
1983 - Full length from the Queens' sisterhood that IS the blueprint for hipster quasi-punk-disco-rap. Put down the CSS record, get off your fixed gear and genuflect to this record…

Charles Mingus "Tijuana Moods" RCA
1959 - Recording (that was shelved until '62) gets a proper remaster. I'm not a mingus-phile and don't know what was going on in his life at the time, but when I listen to this record (as with "Black Saint and the Sinner Lady") it's almost as if we get a glimpse of the solitary genius of Chuck, filtered through corroding schizophrenia, feeding the homey outsider-ness of a black American in Tijuana.

Masta Ace "Take A Look Around" Traffic
1990 - Overlooked debut, the production on this record is perfect, front to back. There weren't very many good rap records to come out this year, even the critically acclaimed ones sucked (yes, you, American Gangster). You're better off buying a classic.

Ultimate Force "I'm Not Playin'" Traffic
1990 - Unreleased Diamond D group/album see's Fat Joe's debut (on the dopest track I've ever heard from him). The sad fact that this album was never released is a tragedy on par with Tribe Called Quest or Pete Rock's first albums getting canned. Seriously dope. Seriously.

DJ Africa Bambaataa "Death Mix Plus" Traffic
Quasi-legit Paul Winley mixes are just another brick in the foundation of Rap Music.

James Murphy & Pat Mahoney "Fabriclive 36" Fabric
When I heard LCD Soundsystem for the first time, I questioned whether the real disco I heard in those James Murphy coke-induced-floor-stomping drums and bass lines were the hallmarks of a real musicologist, but when I heard the vocals I figured he was recycling for the sake of those a-symmetrical haircut havin' hipster-ites. This mix proves me wrong. The depth of the catalog on this mix is pure post-disco euro-soul, executed and composed. What's old is new.

Danielle Baldelli "Baia Degli Ageli 1977-1978 Mediane
Danielle Baldelli "Baia Degli Ageli 1977-1978 Vol2 Mediane
Danielle Baldelli "Cosmic The Original 1978-1974" Mediane
The crowned god of Euro in the late 70's gets beautiful Book & CD sets that document the sound, and look of these two clubs in Italy. I want that space shuttle DJ booth! Oh Daft Punk's not so Daft after all…

Queen Constance Band "University Dances Of 1978" Traffic
New York label that features 12''s from future-disco legends Patrick Adams and Peter Brown, Deep New York disco at it's finest!

East Of Underground "East Of Underground" Wax Poetics
Well, I don't want to get into it, but this record hurts me. Please, Lord, let me find another original! I'll be good I swear!

Neil Young "Live At Massey Hall 1971" CD/DVD Reprise
Neil's manager, at the time, tried to convince Neil to issue this instead of "Harvest". Neil thought they had a few good takes on "Harvest" so he persisted and in 1972 "Harvest" was released. Neil put a sticker on the front of the CD saying that after hearing these tapes again he should have released the show as well. Right now it is my favorite recorded-material from Neil, quite possibly his greatest record ever. Bone-Chilling. Get the one with the DVD, it's worth it!

Various "Rock Progressivo Italiano" CD&Book Mediane
Wanna know about some of the most innovative and challenging music ever recorded? This primer of Italian rock bands from the late 60's through the 70's is an excellent intro for this hard to crack genre, and it comes with a super detailed, extensive, and complete discography of all the records you'll never see, much less own. Complete with pictures of the records to cry over!

Soft Machine "Third" 2CD Sony UK
1970 - Finally a decent re-master of one of my top 5 records of all time, with a second CD of BBC recordings. I stand in awe of every note of this record, and hear something new every time I listen.

Betty Davis "Betty Davis" Light In The Attic
Betty Davis "They Say I'm Different" Light In The Attic
1973/1974 - Miles Davis' second wife was a real eye opener, she almost single handedly ushered in Miles' psychedelic period, befriended Jimi Hendrix, and put out two of the most un-appreciated femme-funk records of all time. Rollerskates.

Soft Machine "Soft Machine" Water
Soft Machine "Volume Two" Water
1968/1969 - Water does very nice remasters of two of the most important albums to come out of England in those two years. Rock musicians who wanted to play jazz, jazz musicians who knew how to rock! (They opened for Hendrix on his '68 US tours). It's so hard to describe these master-works, they defy all attempts to confine or define.

Enjoy,
Calvin