Old music made new again: My favorite reissues of 2014

In my last post I listed my favorite music from 2014.

Everybody and their dog compiles annual best-of lists, and I’m no exception. My son, daughter-in-law, and a few friends do the same.

Many of these pet-and-owner combos also make annual lists of favorite repackaged music – reissues, music recorded years ago, but reconfigured or spruced up and sold again for one reason or another.

There are several general types of reissues:  First, since the dawn of the CD era, in the late 1980s, every year has produced a crop of albums that originally appeared on vinyl and are being reissued in digital format (often remastered from the original source tapes). Another type of reissue: Increasingly, the annual reissues include box sets – artist retrospectives or deluxe editions of significant recordings on the anniversaries of their original release. And the last several years have seen an increase in archival releases of concerts that are years or decades old. In most cases these concerts have never been released, although a few have seen release in limited form.

Well, 2014 was a significant year for each kind of reissued, repackaged music. Here are the ones that I really liked:

 “The Album Collection Vol. 1: 1973-84,” Bruce Springsteen: Bruce’s first seven albums, from “Greetings from Asbury Park” through “Born in the USA.” These are the records that established Springsteen as a rock legend and made him a superstar. All are freshly remastered, allowing fans to hear instruments and arrangements with new clarity. Not quite as significant as the Beatles complete albums in mono, but these are a big deal.

“Carter Barron Amphitheater, Washington D.C. July 17, 1976,” The Band: This concert was recorded not long before The Band called it quits. But Robbie Robertson, Levon Helm and the others still played with passion and precision, even if they couldn’t stand to be near each other. Do we need another live recording by the The Band, which gave us “Rock of Ages,” one of the great live albums of the rock era? Sure, why not? Not only is this a good performance, but it’s just the five of them, without the added horn section from “Rock of Ages.” That makes it  a different experience. 

“The 1971 Fillmore East Recordings,” The Allman Brothers Band: “Live at Fillmore East,” released in 1971, might be the greatest live album ever in rock music. It’s a stunning showcase for the Allman Brothers’ blend of blues, jazz and improvisation. This six-disc set consists of all the concerts that make up the source material of that landmark album, four shows from two nights in March. As a bonus, one disc consists of the June 1971 closing show at the Fillmore. As such, these complete, unedited performances don’t maintain the breath-taking brilliance of the original live album, but for the Allman Brothers fan, there are six hours of live performance here from the band’s creative peak, with plenty of improvisational magic. Not long afterward, leader Duane Allman and bassist Berry Oakley were both dead, and the band was in decline, destined to break up. But by the late 1980s they had reformed, replaced the fallen members, and were riding another creative peak. Performances from this era are documented in “Play All Night: Live at the Beacon Theater 1992,” a surprisingly strong two-disc set. Together, these two archival releases present almost eight hours of performance by one of the greatest live bands ever, from two different (but strong) eras.  

“The Basement Tapes Raw: The Bootleg Series Vol. 11,” Bob Dylan: The original tapes from the legendary sessions recorded in 1967 by Dylan and The Band were discovered recently, restored, and released in two configurations: a six-disc complete set and a two-disc “raw” version. The Basement Tapes weren’t intended for release, but found their way to the public first as a bootleg in 1969. Then 16 of the recordings were officially released in 1975 by Columbia Records (albeit with overdubs).  These are the unadorned original recordings, restored to pristine sound and digitized. Not only are they historic, but they are a great listen.

Led Zeppelin remasters (I, II, III, IV and “Houses of the Holy”): Like the Springsteen box set, these are the albums on which a band’s legendary reputation is based. Fresh remasters of Led Zep’s first five albums make it possible to hear this music anew, even though repeated listenings might have dulled the music’s power and robbed it of its surprises. Each album comes with an extra disc. The debut album’s extra is a 1969 concert, but the others consist of alternate versions, instrumental tracks, extras, and such. Still, it’s essential listening.

“Performs Trouble No More Live at Town Hall, July 31, 2003,” John Mellencamp: I like Mellencamp’s populist take on heartland rock, but I’m not a huge fan of all his work. Nonetheless, I was bowled over by 2003's “Trouble No More,” in which he covered old blues, country and folk songs with simple, bracing arrangements. This is a live recording of that album, with a couple Mellencamp hits thrown in for good measure.

“Live in Nashville 1995,” Steve Earle: In which the alt-country hard-core troubadour performs songs from “Train A Comin’,” his 1995 album that signaled a comeback from drug addiction and prison. Earle is backed up by an all-star roster of acoustic pickers such as Norman Blake, Pete Rowan, and Roy Huskey, with guest appearances by Emmylou Harris and Bill Monroe. Beautiful and badass at the same time.

Worth further study: I haven’t heard any of the several “From the Vault” series of 1970s and 1980s concerts by The Rolling Stones. But I imagine before another year passes, I will.