Record Rack: A round-up of the week’s new albums, expanded reissues and/or box sets, appearing each Monday on Slicing Up Eyeballs.
ARTIST : Heaven 17
RELEASE: Play to Win: The Very Best of Heaven 17
BACKSTORY: The classic synthpop outfit this week receives, in the U.K., a new 2CD, 33-track best-of collection featuring “all of the band’s U.K. chart entries, as well as significant album tracks, collectible non-album singles and essential remixes,” including “Temptation,” “Let Me Go” and “(We Don’t Need This) Fascist Groove Thang.”
BUY: Amazon.co.uk (CD)
ARTIST : The Wedding Present
RELEASE: Live 1990
BACKSTORY: David Gedge and Co. this week release, in the U.K., the fourth in the band’s series of archival live albums, reissuing live tapes the group used to sell at shows. The 2CD set includes the band’s first-ever concert in North America — a gig at Maxwell’s in Hoboken, N.J. — and a London concert (see tracklist here).
BUY: Amazon.co.uk (CD
ARTIST : Terry Hall
RELEASE: The Best Of 1981/1997
BACKSTORY: The former and now, once again, singer for The Specials receives a new 2CD, 42-track best-of set this week in the U.K. that compiles his work after leaving the seminal 2 Tone ska band. The new set features work recorded with Fun Boy Three, The Colourfield, Vegas and Terry, Blair & Anouchka.
BUY: Amazon.co.uk (CD)
ARTIST : Red Hot Chili Peppers
RELEASE: Blood Sugar Sex Magik
BACKSTORY: The Chili Peppers’ break-out 1991 album is reissued this week as a 2LP set on heavyweight, 180-gram audiophile vinyl. The album features the “Give It Away,” ” “Breaking the Girl,” “Suck My Kiss,” “The Righteous and the Wicked,” “Apache Rose Peacock” and the monster radio/MTV smash “Under the Bridge.”
BUY: Amazon.com (Vinyl)
