This week's tease about the upcoming reissue of George Michael's Faith helps prove that the '80s, often thought to be an era of musical detritus, has its share of defining moments worth revisiting through catalogue titles.
Of course, as time marches on, labels will continue to revisit the '80s for reissues and box sets, which will alternately confuse and delight listeners. Dozens of bands - Genesis, a-ha, Duran Duran, Michael Jackson, Tears for Fears, The Police, Bon Jovi and scores more - have been catalogued in the past decade, with plenty more to follow, without a doubt.
With this in mind, The Second Disc's weekend thought-provoker is this: who's an artist, or what's an album, released between 1980 and 1989 that is well overdue for the reissue treatment? Is it Prince? Springsteen? The Smiths? Shout out your answers in the comments this weekend.
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Waxing on Universal's New Vinyl Project Initiative
Kickstart Our Hearts? Thoughts on Crowd-Funding Catalogue Music
Amoeba Records Becomes Digital Archivist
Can't believe Appetite for Destruction's never been revisited--although the original sounds great, and considering Axl's feelings on Slash, it probably isn't likely. But they could easily add some demos, live tracks, even the apparent 1999(?) re-recording of the album (more for curiosity's sake than anything else).
I'd also love to see expanded versions of the Weird Al catalog, and more comprehensive Bangles reissues.
The two that immediately come to mind for me -- and both equally unlikely, unfortunately -- are Prince's Warner Bros. albums and the SST catalog of Hüsker Dü.
I am surprised Public Enemy hasn't seen any reissue treatment.
I am too, though there was a comment on a post awhile back that indicated that Universal had planned double-disc expansions of the early PE material but could never come to acceptable terms with Chuck D and company.
I even think the Public Enemy website said 2-Disc versions were in the works. I wonder if they will every see the light of day. Everything from Yo! Bum Rush the Show to Apocalypse 91 deserves to be remastered.
Stevie Nicks - Bella Donna
Stevie Nicks - The Wild Heart
Fleetwood Mac - Mirage
Fleetwood Mac - Tango In The Night
all for were al least platinum sellers and they are SO deserving of remastered and expanded editions, especially the Stevie Nicks albums!
INXS albums (just Kick and the 2 early albums [as Stay Young] were reissued with additional material)
Erasure (only The Innocents got the reissue treatment so far, would love to see more done in the same style)
Go-Go's
Berlin
Men Without Hats
"X" and "Welcome to Wherever You Are" were also reissued with bonus tracks.