Record Rack: A round-up of the week’s new albums, expanded reissues and/or box sets, appearing each Monday on Slicing Up Eyeballs.
Simple Minds
RELEASE: Big Music
BACKSTORY: Simple Minds this week release, in the U.K., their first new studio album in five years. The 12-song album also comes in a deluxe edition with two bonus discs. A U.S. physical release follows on Nov. 24.
BUY: Amazon.co.uk
The Chills
RELEASE: The BBC Sessions
BACKSTORY: Fire Records this week releases a collection of all 12 tracks recorded by the New Zealand indie-pop legends for the BBC during three sessions between 1985 and 1988. Includes “Brave Words,” “Rain” and more.
BUY: Amazon.com, Amazon.co.uk
A Certain Ratio
RELEASE: Sextet: Deluxe Edition
BACKSTORY: Factory Benelux this week reissues the Manchester postpunks’ sophomore album, adding a non album single and tracks recorded for the John Peel show in 1981 and 1982 as bonus material.
BUY: Amazon.co.uk
Ian Dury
RELEASE: The Studio Albums Collection
BACKSTORY: This 10-disc box set collects five original albums by Ian Dury and three by Ian Dury and The Blockheads, all recorded between 1977 and 1998, and adds a bonus CD of non-album tracks.
BUY: Amazon.co.uk
Alphaville
RELEASE: So8os Presents Alphaville (Curated By Blank & Jones)
BACKSTORY: New 2CD, 29-song collection celebrate the German synthpop group’s 30th anniversary with hits and rare B-sides, all remastered from the original tapes.
BUY: Amazon.co.uk
Heard the new Minds album. 8.5 out of 10. Surprisingly very good indeed.