It’s been said that cash is king, but gift cards are nothing to sneeze at. If either of these fungible currencies made its way into your holiday haul, what follows are a few suggestions of fabulous reissues to make good use of those gifts.
Having made an enduring musical impact throughout the 1960s with albums such as “Aftermath,” “Between The Buttons,” “Beggars Banquet” and “Let It Bleed,” The Rolling Stones got off to a great start in the 1970s with 1971’s “Sticky Fingers” and then followed that with 1972’s “Exile on Main Street.” But that kind of momentum was not easy to maintain throughout the decade, although they did manage to end it on a high note with “Some Girls” in 1978. The newly reissued and greatly expanded “Black and Blue” (Interscope), originally released in 1976, falls in the middle of the middling period. That’s not to say it’s not deserving of your attention. In addition to the Steve Wilson mix of the original album, the stunningly packaged super deluxe edition (available in CD and LP formats) includes “outtakes and jams” featuring previously unreleased tracks, live recordings, live Blu-ray, a hardcover book and a poster. Song highlights include the emotional ballad “Fool to Cry,” the nasty funk of “Hot Stuff,” the New Orleans stomp of “Melody” (inspired by queer, honorary member Billy Preston) and the near-epic “Memory Motel.” Even with band members releasing albums over the years, the band never broke up. Particularly remarkable is that the Rolling Stones not only had enough staying power to outlast other original British invasion bands of the 1960s but have also recorded a new studio album due out in 2026.
You’ve got to admire Sir Paul McCartney. When he formed the band Wings, more than a year after the breakup of The Beatles, he didn’t try to replicate his previous musical unit. During Wings’ eight years of existence, it released seven studio albums (as compared to the two dozen or so credited to McCartney alone, including his classical excursions). Every album bears the unmistakable mark of its leader, while still sounding unique to the band. This comes through loud and clear on the new compilation, simply titled “Wings” (MPL/Capitol/UMe), available in multiple formats, including three LPs or two CDs, both of which contain 32 tracks. More than anything, the song selection illustrates Wings’ willingness to take musical risks, including disco (“Goodnight Tonight”), sonic experimentation (“Mull of Kintyre” and “Nineteen Hundred and Eighty Five”), alongside some of the biggest hit singles of the era (“Live and Let Die,” “Band on the Run,” “With a Little Luck,” “My Love,” “Jet,” “Helen Wheels,” “Silly Love Songs,” and “Listen to What the Man Said.” The package also includes a poster and booklet.
What a year 2025 was for Stevie Nicks fans! At the beginning of the year, the box set “Fleetwood Mac: 1975 to 1987” compiled the five albums by the band on which Nicks appeared. In late summer, the long-awaited CD and vinyl reissues of the long out-of-print 1973 album “Buckingham Nicks” by Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckham was finally released. At the end of the year, Nicks’ multi-platinum 1981 solo album “Bella Donna” (MoFi) was reissued in a beautifully boxed, limited edition (numbered), double LP, Ultradisc One-Step pressing by Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab, as part of the Original Master Recording series. Spinning at 45 RPM, the songs from the album, including the massive hit singles “Edge of Seventeen,” the Tom Petty duet “Stop Dragging My Heart Around,” the Don Henley duet “Leather and Lace,” and the dramatic title track, have never sounded so good. Your turntable will thank you.
For an artist renowned for her concert performances, it’s surprising how few live albums Emmylou Harris has released during her more than 50-year recording career. Originally released in 1998, “Spyboy” (New West) has been reissued in an expanded edition that boasts five previously unreleased tracks, including covers of songs by Lucinda Williams (“Sweet Old World”), Tom Petty (“Thinking About You”); and one co-written by Harris with Kate and Anna McGarrigle (“All I Left Behind”).
Named for the band (including Buddy Miller, Brady Blade and Daryl Jackson) that backed Harris, “Spyboy” features a fantastic selection of material, ranging from “Love Hurts” and “Boulder to Birmingham” to “Deeper Well” and “Where Will I Be.”We began with the first British Invasion and we conclude with the second. It’s remarkable to think that “Songs from the Big Chair” (Mercury/EMI), now available in a triple-disc deluxe edition, was only Tears for Fears’ second full-length album. Essentially a new wave/synth pop duo, Tears for Fears experienced success stateside with its 1983 debut album “The Hurting” via college rock radio, and songs including “Pale Shelter,” “Mad World” and “Change.” But it was 1985’s “Songs From the Big Chair,” containing the hit singles “Everybody Wants to Rule The World,” “Head Over Heels” and “Shout,” that propelled the band to international stardom. The expansive reissue includes a remastered version of the original album (which still sounds as thrilling today as it did 40 years ago), 16 tracks of edited versions and another dozen remixes of songs from the album.