New releases: Ramones, Bad Religion, Ultravox, Bananarama, The Godfathers, Belfegore

Record Rack: A round-up of the week’s new albums, expanded reissues and/or box sets, appearing each Monday on Slicing Up Eyeballs.

Ramones

RELEASE: The Sire Years 1976-1981
BACKSTORY: Rhino this week releases a box set collecting the band’s first six records: Ramones (1976), Leave Home (1977), Rocket to Russia (1977), Road to Ruin (1978), End of the Century (1980) and Pleasant Dreams (1981).
BUY: Amazon.com, Amazon.co.uk

Bad Religion

RELEASE: Christmas Songs
BACKSTORY: The SoCal punk legends this week release a holiday album featuring features eight classic Christmas carols plus an album-closing mix of “American Jesus,” off the band’s 1993 album Recipe for Hate.
BUY: Amazon.com, Amazon.co.uk

Ultravox

RELEASE: The Albums 1980-2012
BACKSTORY: Chrysalis this week releases, in the U.K., a 9CD box set including the six Midge Ure-era albums from the ’80s, plus live records Monument and Return to Eden and last year’s reunion album Brilliant.
BUY: Amazon.co.uk

Bananarama

RELEASE: Deep Sea Skiving, Bananarama, True Confessions, Wow!, Pop Life, Please Yourself
BACKSTORY: Edsel Records this week reissues, int he U.K., Bananarama’s first six albums, each expanded into 2CD/DVD sets.
BUY: Amazon.co.uk

The Godfathers

RELEASE: The Godfathers: Remastered & Reloaded
BACKSTORY: The British modern-rock act this week reissues, in the U.K., its long-out-of-print 1993 self-titled album (aka ‘The Orange Album’) in an expanded and remastered double-disc set.
BUY: Amazon.co.uk

Belfegore

RELEASE: Belfegore: Deluxe Edition
BACKSTORY: The second album, originally released in 1984, from the German goth/New Wave act is reissued this week with six bonus tracks taken from the record’s 12-inch single releases.
BUY: Amazon.com