Seven Rock Reissues to Get Excited About in 2017

In such a nostalgia-fueled culture that we live in, album reissues are a good way for bands to reach a new audience, as well as celebrate the music and fans that helped make the band great. Often, these reissues include add-ons to give the listener a more in-depth understanding of the artist’s process. Most importantly, reissues are a way to look back at a record with fond memories, bringing fans back to another time.

A lot of classic artists are set to re-releasing some of their most prominent albums in 2017. Vinyl Bay 777, Long Island’s top new independent record shop, has gathered seven reissues you should look out for in the New Year. Whether these bands are celebrating a milestone anniversary or just resurfacing their early work, these picks are sure to thrill even the most die-hard music fans.

1.       Cheap Trick, ‘Dream Police’: Cheap Trick had an amazing 2016; They were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, embarked on a successful tour with fellow inductee Joan Jett, and released their first new album in seven years. Now the band will be reissuing their breakthrough album, ‘Dream Police.’ The band also reissued this album ten years ago.

2.       Cream, ‘Fresh Cream’: Rock supergroup Cream released their debut album, ‘Fresh Cream,’ 50 years ago this month. In celebration, the band is reissuing the album as a four-disc deluxe edition. Included in the reissue will be the original album in mono and stereo on CD and Blu-ray audio, singles, alternate takes and outtakes, EPs and BBC sessions. The set will be released on January 27.

3.       Pink Floyd, ‘The Final Cut’ / ‘Momentary Lapse of Reason’: Pink Floyd has been slowly reissuing their entire catalog over the last couple of years. In 2017, this campaign will continue with the reissuing of 1983’s ‘The Final Cut’ and 1987’s ‘A Momentary Lapse of Reason.’ Like the others, each album is being remastered from the original analog studio tapes and will include “faithfully reproduced artwork.”

4.       The Grateful Dead, ‘50^th Anniversary Deluxe Editions’: ‘50^th Anniversary Deluxe Edition’ is a series of special edition reissues that The Grateful Dead will be releasing over the course of their 50^th anniversary year. Starting January 20 with the band’s debut self-titled album, the band will reissue all of their albums near their original release dates. ‘The Grateful Dead: 50^th Anniversary Deluxe Edition’ will be released on both vinyl picture disc and CD, the latter featuring a remastered copy of the album, as well as a CD of the band’s 1966 P.N.E. Garden Auditorium shows. The band will also start reissuing their singles next year on limited edition 7” colored vinyl as part of a paid subscription service.

5.       Prince, ‘Purple Rain’: The beloved soundtrack to his film of the same name, Prince’s ‘Purple Rain’ will see a reissue in 2017, 32 years after its initial release. The reissue will include a remastered version of the album, as well as a second disc of previously unreleased material. However, the original album has already seen resurgence on the charts due to Prince’s death, ending the year at 55 on the Billboard 200 year-end chart.

6.       The Killers, ‘Hot Fuss’: The album that started it all for The Killers back in 2004 will be reissued in the coming year. ‘Hot Fuss,’ featuring the hit singles “Somebody Told Me,” “Mr. Brightside,” “Smile Like You Mean It” and “All These Things That I’ve Done,”  will be released on vinyl for the first time ever on January 13. The album will be available on standard 140-gram vinyl, as well as limited edition white vinyl, of which only 1000 copies will be pressed.

7.       Paul McCartney, ‘Flowers in the Dirt’: Like Pink Floyd, Paul McCartney has been slowly reissuing his solo albums over the course of the last six years. In March, he will continue with the reissue of his 1989 solo album, ‘Flowers in the Dirt.’ as a four-disc deluxe edition. Remastered at Abbey Road Studios, the four-disc deluxe edition will feature demos of songs he wrote with Elvis Costello, as well as a DVD with promo videos, archive footage and a documentary about the recording of the album and its following world tour. The deluxe edition will also include 16 download-only b-sides and remixes from the ‘Flowers in the Dirt’ archive collection.

With all these reissues coming in the New Year, 2017 will be a great year to celebrate the artists and music that have influenced so much of what we listen to now. As our culture continues to revel in the past, these reissues will perhaps bring in new fans and fresh ears to these classic albums.

Find reissues and originals from the artists you love right here at Vinyl Bay 777 and vinylbay777.com. Long Island’s top new independent record shop has thousands of new and used titles to choose from on vinyl, CD and cassette, as well as memorabilia and more. Buy the music lover in your life the gift of music this holiday season during our newly extended store hours, or anytime online.