Philadelphia Globe’s Guide To Record Store Day Drop One
The coronavirus stopped many worldwide events in their tracks, but one of those that couldn’t be stopped was Record Store Day. The biannual celebration of independent record stores (one in April and one on Black Friday) just had to change things up. Over the next four months, Record Store Day will be releasing their haul of rare, one-time releases over the course of four “drops,” the first of which will be happening this Saturday, August 29th. To celebrate, two record store employees (John Saeger & Tyler Asay) will share what they are most excited about for The Philadelphia Globe.
John Prine – The Atlantic Albums
This massive box set (four LPs!) celebrates the life of one of America’s greatest songwriters and storytellers, John Prine, who passed away back in April at the age of 73. The Atlantic Albums, which will be released on Saturday, accumulates Prine’s first four records, which were released between the years of 1971 and 1975: John Prine, Sweet Revenge, Diamonds In The Rough, and Common Sense.
This collection is perfect for both Prine lovers and newcomers alike. It’s a perfect introduction to the work that made him the artist he was to become: Just a simple postman with amazing stories to tell. From “Angel To Montgomery” to “Come Back To Us Barbara Lewis Hare Krishna Beauregard,” it’s all here to unpack. –Tyler
Surfer Blood – Astro Coast (10th Anniversary edition)
I will always have an undying love for Surfer Blood’s Astro Coast. 10 years ago, I was in 10th grade and was really into music from the late 80’s & early 90’s (Pixies, Pavement, & Weezer specifically). Astro Coast was an in-tune melding of that lo-fi college rock along with the surfy modern indie that I was internalizing at that time (Vampire Weekend, Wavves, Real Estate).
Songs like “SWIM” and “Fast Jabroni” would be lodged into head for days, and the fact that these kids from Florida weren’t that older than me made all the difference. The band kind of fell off after this perfect first record (I will still defend their major-label debut Pythons), but Astro Coast was the cheese, and now I’m old. -Tyler
k.d. lang – Drag
For the first time on vinyl, singer-songwriter k.d. lang will be releasing their 1997 covers record, Drag, on which all of the songs relate to smoking or addiction in some way (this special edition is pressed on “smoky vinyl”). There’s a beautiful cover of The Steve Miller Band’s “The Joker” on here that is a must listen. (Also: lang is a guest vocalist on one of the best songs on the new Killers record.) –Tyler
Billie Eilish, Live At Third Man Records
The Queen of Electropop took her throne overnight. By the age of 18, she released a smash album, sang at the Oscars, and recorded a theme for the James Bond film No Time To Die. While her music is everywhere, Eilish’s quick ascent to the top of the pop music pyramid skipped the protracted indie phase a lot of artists go through. Her decision to put out a Record Store Day special is a cool outreach to her fans who love digging through racks of vinyl.
The stripped-down format of her set at Third Man is a look at the artist’s lesser-known acoustic side. Her opaque blue record will contain ten songs from the young artist’s debut, including work like “Bad Guy” and “All The Good Girls Go To Hell.” –John
Christine and the Queens, La vita nuova : séquences 2 et 3
One of my favorite all-time Record Store Day items is a Welsh language release from The Joy Formidable (humblebrag: signed). The 7” offers a glimpse of the U.K. band by showing the universal beauty of music. Even if I could not appreciate Ritzy Bryan’s Welsh vocal inflections, hearing The Joy Formidable’s songs in a different tongue is the type of special experience that makes Record Store Day unique.
Christine and the Queens will follow suit with their own multi-language RSD drop. The double 7” will feature the tracks “Je disparais dans tes bras” and Mountains (We Met).” The French group excels at dance music, but these stripped-down songs were recorded especially for Record Store Day 2020. The combination of less-produced music and the French tracks is a special opportunity to listen to the group. –John
Pink Floyd, “Arnold Layne”
As popular as seminal albums like The Wall and Dark Side Of The Moon are, there is an enduring affinity for the British group’s early work. One song from the Syd Barrett-era that guitarist David Gilmour has frequently revisited is the 1969 track “Arnold Layne.” The song was incorporated into his tour in support of On An Island (including a performance of the number by David Bowie).
Even though Bowie is not on this version, there is bittersweet significance to this Record Store Day 7”. The one-sided vinyl contains the last-ever performance of Pink Floyd’s first single by cornerstone members Gilmour, Richard Wright, and Nick Mason in 2007. The flip side of the record has a special etching. –John
Click the link HERE to see all the record stores in the Philadelphia area who will be participating in Record Store Day. Support local businesses!