The end of the year seems like a good time to collect some of the righteous reissues that have come out in the past 12 months and help spread the word on their worthiness. Just for fun here's a gathering of this year's riches, reviewed with haiku. Why not?
Bash & Pop, Friday Night Is Killing Me.
Replacements are gone
While Tommy Stinson swings high
Rock & roll won't die.
William C. Beeley, Gallivantin'.
Not Townes and not Blaze
His own red heart Beeley gave
Ours to hear and save.
Chris Bell, The Complete Chris Bell.
Big Star burned so bright
But this Bell tried to ring on
With all cosmic songs.
Bobby Bland, Here's the Man.
The deep soul of man
Stands on this earth and sings strong
Making love go on.
Tim Buckley, Venice Mating Call.
A visionary
Rambling near the Pacific
Trembling specifics.
The Paul Butterfield Blues Band, Born in Chicago.
From the windy streets
To the dark end of the world
A harp and voice swirls.
Rockie Charles, Born For You.
Down low Canal Street
Popeye's chicken red beans too
Go-cup blues for you.
Alex Chilton, A Man Called Destruction.
Some say always doomed
A Memphis wizard running
Brilliant and stunning.
Roky Erickson, All That May Do My Rhyme.
From Texas came life
Treasure of the angels' mine
And then so sublime.
Blaze Foley, The Lost Muscle Shoals Recordings.
The Shrimp Cowboy came
Spilling songdust all around
'Til Drag took him down.
Grateful Dead, Dave's Picks Volume 24.
When dark star crashes
Universe lights up so bright
Grateful Dead's lovelight.
John Lee Hooker's Finest: Whiskey & Wimmen.
Schezwan and limbos
Puts the boogie in his talk
Boogie in his walk.
LeRoi Brothers, Check This Action.
Revved rockabilly
Jailbird rhythm & blues too
Smirnoff and Squirt grooves.
Little Richard, Here's Little Richard.
Magic pompadour
Screaming in the wild night air
Club Tijuana stares.
Johnny Nicholas & Friends, Too Many Bad Habits.
Roadhouse rough and tough
Forty years old but brand new
Timeless today blues.
The Searchers, Another Night: The Sire Recordings 1979-1981.
British invasion
Comes back with a sharper side
And they let it ride.
James Talley, Tryin' Like the Devil.
A quiet true hero
Walking Music City streets
No breaks but not beat.
Various Artists, All Day Thumb Sucker Revisited: The History of Blue Thumb Records.
Captain Beefheart Band
T. Rex and Dan Hicks go pow
LiPuma Krasnow.
Various Artists, Jesus Rocked the Jukebox: Small Groups Black Gospel (1951-1965).
God comes a calling
Opens up the door for good
Shows us all our shoulds.
Various Artists, Woody Guthrie: The Tribute Concerts.
This land is our land
We're ready to walk for miles
So Woody can smile.
Muddy Waters, The Best of Muddy Waters.
He brought blues to all
A hoochie coochie moonbeam
American dream.
Susan Whitall, Women of Motown: An Oral History (2nd Edition).
Photos and fine words
Detroit bliss sings out like birds
Around Earth they're heard.
