Edsel Schallplatten & CDs

Review: The 1981 debut of Altered Images, Happy Birthday, encapsulates early 80s new wave charm, highlighted by the infectious title track which was produced by the legendary Martin Rushent and proved a massive smash hit single. Altered Images are a Scottish new wave/post-punk band who found success in the early 1980s, fronted by singer Clare Grogan, mainly successful between 1981 to 1983. This deluxe 2CD set offers a nostalgic deep dive, featuring the original album and a bonus CD packed with rare gems. The bonus disc includes the non-album 'Dead Pop Stars,' five B-sides, an extended version of 'Happy Birthday,' and rare tracks from a FlexiPop magazine flexi-disc. Presented in a 7" deluxe gatefold packaging, this set also includes an 8-page booklet with complete lyrics and credits. This reissue captures the playful yet edgy spirit of Altered Images' seminal release. Whether you are a long time fan or interested in getting to know them, this is a great place to step into their sound and enjoy a comprehensive look at their first songs.

Review: David Hepworth has been writing, broadcasting, and speaking about music since the 1970 - often alongside Mark Ellen, with the pair currently hosting the Word In Your Ear podcast. He helped launch and edit Smash Hits and The Word amongst others, and was a presenter on BBC's The Old Grey Whistle Test and an anchor for Live Aid in 1985. As such, he knows his stuff. Following the success of his Underrated Cuts From A Misunderstood Decade comes this follow up, which he has annotated track-by-track.From Roy Harper and Sandy Denny's folky shenangans to Status Quo. ZZ Top and proto-punks Eddie & The Hot Rods, this is Hepworth making a case that the 70s remains unmatched for music invention, and a strong case it is too.

Review: This double pack brings together the original, pre-reformation Pixies' last two albums from the early 90s with Bossanova from 1990 marking a distinct shift in the band's sound, Black Francis pursuing a more 'space age heavy metal' direction, a vision he had long desired. The album is imbued with haunting melodies like in 'Ana' and 'Velouria' and contains some of Francis' best lyrical work, dealing in unsettling concepts and a dreamlike atmosphere that's unlike anything they'd done before. Following closely in 1991, Trompe le Monde continues this exploration, both musically and thematically, with its most famous moment 'Planet of Sound' seemingly joining the dots between punk and metal. The title track, which translates to 'Fool the World', sets the tone for an album that adds more avant-garde touches to their alternative rock. While maintaining the Pixies' signature style on 'Alec Eiffel' and the impossibly funky but still lead heavy 'U Mass' - the only track containing the c-word that even sneaked onto a Desert Island Discs playlist thanks to one Jimmy Carr - it still pushes the boundaries even further with more experimental elements. A comprehensive experience of this fascinating and often underrated period in the Pixies' career.

Review: Sparks' 1974 albums Kimono My House and Propaganda are reissued for their 50th anniversary. 1974 saw Sparks signed to Island Records and have chart-topping success in the UK singles chart with 'This Town Ain't Big Enough For Both of Us', lifted from Kimono My House. The album marks the time they embraced more pop-oriented songwriting and a shift towards glam rock. Propaganda, released a few months later, built upon that direction and reached the top ten in the UK. The man who signed them to Island, Muff Winwood (The Spencer Davis Group) produced these albums and proved himself to be a multi-talented dab hand in the studio as well as an effective force on the beat discovering the best artists of the 1970s. His foresight proving priceless as we're still listening to bands he's signed today.

Review: Suede's Dog Man Star marks its 30th anniversary with a stunning triple CD deluxe edition that reaffirms the album's iconic status. Originally released in 1994, this album is widely regarded as Suede's most ambitious and sonically adventurous work, blending sweeping orchestral arrangements with gritty glam rock and haunting ballads. The new edition is beautifully presented in a 7"X7" deluxe gatefold package, designed by Paul Khera, and features insightful new sleeve notes by Simon Price. The first disc contains the original album, including standout singles like 'We Are The Pigs,' 'The Wild Ones,' and 'New Generation.' The second disc is packed with B-sides and the extended version of 'Stay Together,' a non-album single that remains a fan favorite. The third disc offers bonus tracks and rarities, providing a deeper glimpse into the band's creative process during this period. Dog Man Star was the last Suede album to feature guitarist Bernard Butler, and his influence is evident in the album's expansive sound. This anniversary edition is great for fans and a fitting tribute to a truly extraordinary record.

Review: The music of London's Blitz nightclub is celebrated with a new box-set curated by Rusty Egan, the man who, with Steve Strange, helped usher in a transition from the late 70s musical gloom into a glamorous, sonorous new 1980s. After their prior band, Rich Kids, disbanded in 1978, Egan and Strange saw through their enterprising excesses with a new venture, launching the Blitz club as a wine bar in Covent Garden. Bottling the unique, generic essence of the nightclub - at a time where the styles and sounds of David Bowie, Sade, Spandau Ballet, Boy George, Billy Idol, Ultravox, Visage, Marilyn and Gary Numan reigned supreme, yet were often not heard all in one physical place - this new reminiscence compilation brings both well-known and lesser-heard gems of the Blitz era to a fantastically fresh set of ears, proving that even you, too, can be a hero, just for one day.