Stevie Nicks
Bella Donna (Rhino/Modern Records)
Rhino's High Fidelity series continues with this rerelease of Fleetwood Mac singer Stevie Nicks' 1981 debut solo album.
"Liner notes for each reissue were written by GRAMMY® Award-winning music journalist Bob Mehr," they say in a statement. "And I'm sure you're familiar, but as a refresh: Stevie Nicks' Bella Donna introduced the Fleetwood Mac singer as a solo force, delivering four hit singles, including 'Edge Of Seventeen,' ''Stop Draggin' My Heart Around' (with Tom Petty), and 'Leather And Lace' (with Don Henley)."
The album remains one of Nicks' career highlights, and it sounds incredible on this reissue, cut, as it is, on 180-gram vinyl. It was cut from the original analog master tapes by Kevin Gray at Cohearant Audio, and pressed at Optimal Media. It's limited to 5,000 copies, and those liner notes by Mehr are a delight.
Wilco
A.M. (Rhino/Sire)
Chicago indie-alt-country band Wilco have seen their 1995 debut album receive the same Rhino High Fidelity treatment as Stevie Nick's Bella Donna.
Wilco is one of those bands, like Phish and the Flaming Lips (in different ways), that people really feel devoted too, yet this writer hasn't spent a whole lot of time with. At the end of the day, you can only listen to so much music in one lifetime.
That said, the opportunity to properly soak in A.M. when it's been treated so lovingly for this reissue is a gift. Songs such as "I Must Be High" and "Pick Up the Change" sound gorgeous. Crackling with Americana authenticity, while brimming with the sort of alt edge that recalls prime Soul Asylum, there's never a dull moment. Many of you will already know that.
Like Nicks, we have 180-gram vinyl, and it was cut from the original analog master tapes by Kevin Gray at Cohearant Audio, and pressed at Optimal Media. It's also limited to 5,000 copies, and there are more liner notes by Bob Mehr.
Elliott Smith
Figure 8 (Geffen/UMG/Interscope)
This three-LP rerelease celebrates the 25th anniversary of singer-songwriter Smith's fifth album (and the last one released in his lifetime). Importantly, this marks the first time that this album has been available on vinyl.
"In honor of the album’s 25th anniversary, its enduring appeal and continued influence, Interscope/UMe will release Figure 8 (Deluxe Edition), the previously digital-only edition that expands the classic album with all the B-sides, solo acoustic and alternate version tracks that were released on the various singles, promos, and international editions of the beloved 2000 record, on vinyl for the first time," a statement reads. "The Deluxe Edition was released as a digital exclusive in 2019 to commemorate what would have been Smith’s 50th birthday. The first-ever vinyl pressing of Figure 8 (Deluxe Edition) features the album presented on 45 rpm tri-color opaque white, black and red 'Figure 8 Mural Vinyl' as a nod to the famous Los Angeles mural that a black and white Smith stands in front of on the iconic album cover. The original 16 tracks are spread across two LPs while a third LP boasts seven bonus tracks, six of which have never been on vinyl. The audio has been mastered for vinyl by Justin Perkins at Mystery Room Mastering with lacquers cut by Ryan Smith at Sterling Sound. This special 25th anniversary Deluxe Edition will be housed in a tri-fold sleeve and this exclusive vinyl colorway is limited to 3,000 globally. Figure 8 (Deluxe Edition) is available to purchase exclusively via Interscope.com."
Back when the album was released, many hailed it as Smith's best and it's easy to see why. "Son of Sam" and "Everything Reminds Me of Her," early on, are hair-raisingly beautiful, and the album never lets up.
