Joni Mitchell, The Cure, Fontaines DC: Ray's ten top tips for Record Store Day
Ray O'Brien of Music Zone includes Joni Mitchell and The Cure in his recommendations for Record Store Day.
Inaugurated in 2007 in celebration of your humble local vinyl emporium, Record Store Day will this year be taking place across two days, Saturday June 12 and July 17, with different special vinyl reissues available for each day.
This year, it feels particularly appropriate to support the day after business was hit hard by Covid. There are also plenty of delights on offer for punters, not least these ten selected by Ray O’Brien of Music Zone in Togher, Cork.
“This was out three-years-ago. They actually played in the shop with us when they released this record. They were only out of school, but I was hugely impressed with them as people.
“It’s a record that’s been hard to get on vinyl. It’s un-gettable for the last two years, I’d say. It’s great they did a little reissue of it. It’s on yellow vinyl for Saturday.”
“Fontaines are arguably the biggest act in the country at the moment, and deservedly so. Like a Grammy nomination!
“This one that’s out for Record Store Day is an audio of the Kilmainham Gaol gig that they done during the lockdown. It was one of my favourite virtual gigs. I thought it was stunning.
"This is probably the most sought after item in the whole RSD. I probably won’t satisfy demand, to be honest. But I think we’ve done ok. There’s only 3500 in the world. It’s not a lot."
“I thought Róisín Machine was super disco album. I really did. There’s not many doing disco so well. She does it so well. She was on BBC Radio 6 there recently and she just comes across as a really sound head. I’m looking forward to this. It’s a double vinyl issue of the album remixes.”
“A great album back in the day. I’d say there was a very limited vinyl press done when it was released.
“They had a short career really. This was the summit for them. A notoriously hard record to get your hands on, so there’s a lot of demand for it.”
“October was released 40-years-ago this year. ‘Fire’ was the first single off it. I’m a huge fan of U2 and early U2. I grew up with it as a child. I remember listening to that album repeatedly on the turntable in the good room when I was only 9 or 10. It’s a picture disc version of it. It’s gorgeous looking.”
“I’d be a Cure fan. I didn’t get introduced to them until Disintegration, which was later in the ‘80s. Faith is bleak but brilliantly bleak. It's the fortieth anniversary of that, as well. And again, a picture disc. I think first time on picture disc. I really like the record, but it is bleak.”
“Morrison Hotel is maybe my favourite Doors album, so I’m looking forward to this one. Jim will be 50-years-dead in July. “It’s from the original recording sessions, so there must be different versions and outtakes. This would be very interesting for The Doors’ fans.”
“This is a selection from last year’s Archives Vol. 1: The Early Years (1963-1968). It’s a kind of a ‘Best of’. Joni will go down in the annals as one of the greatest ever.
“I think she was involved with this. It’s got some rare home recordings, live performances and radio broadcasts. It would be all early Joni stuff. Quality stuff. It’s a good starting point for someone.”
“Their first two albums back after a 20-year hiatus. The more popular one would be the Two Against Naturealbum. It was their comeback record in 2000. It won a load of Grammys. It was notoriously hard to find so it’s a really good reissue if you’re a vinyl collector. There’s always demand for Steely Dan albums.”
“I’d say this was never on vinyl. This was a live show that they put out on video at the very start of their career. It’s a real one for the Suede heads. A soundtrack for a live concert. It covers album one. Early Suede. Quality stuff, obviously.”
- https://musiczone.ie
