Jazz intermingles with college rock classics, big expansions of single albums vie with single-disc various-artist compilations that focus on a particular micro-era, such as Ace’s brilliant In the Light of Time: U.K. Post-Rock & Leftfield Pop 1992-1998.
There is variety within these editors’ lists, not only in terms of genres but also in the reissues themselves. A handful of titles earned significant attention: a wonderful excavation of Charles Mingus’ 1970s recordings for Atlantic, a quadruple-disc expansion of the Dream Syndicate’s first album, big boxes devoted to alt-rock landmarks from the Breeders and the Replacements, plus a complete accounting of the landmark Wattstax concert.
By all means, check out these reissues if you haven’t but also dig through the individual lists to discover the myriad reasons why we loved the archival releases of 2023.
Stephen Thomas Erlewine
Brinsley Schwarz – Thinking Back: The Anthology 1970-1975
Various Artists – Tribal Rites of the New Saturday Night: Brooklyn Disco 1974-5
Neil Young – Chrome Dreams
The Who – Who’s Next/Lifehouse [Super Deluxe Edition]
Various Artists – The Memphis Blues Box: Original Recordings First Released on 78s and 45s, 1914-1969
Little Feat – Dixie Chicken / Sailin’ Shoes [Deluxe Editions]
Various Artists – Jon Savage’s 1980-1982: The Art of Things to Come
Various Artists – Soul’d Out: The Complete Wattstax Collection
The Ducks – High Flyin’
The Replacements – Tim [Let It Bleed Edition]
Various Artists – Written in Their Soul: The Stax Songwriter Demos
John Coltrane / Eric Dolphy – Evenings at the Village Gate: John Coltrane with Eric Dolphy
Charles Mingus – Changes: The Complete 1970s Atlantic Studio Recordings
Sonic Youth – Live in Brooklyn 2011
Rick Springfield – Springfield
Elvis Costello / Burt Bacharach – The Songs of Bacharach & Costello
Grateful Dead – Wake of the Flood [50th Anniversary Deluxe Edition]
Crabby Appleton – Go Back: The Crabby Appleton Anthology
The Spinners – The Complete Atlantic Singles: The Thom Bell Productions 1972-1979
Prince & the New Power Generation – Diamonds and Pearls [Super Deluxe Edition]
Heather Phares
Air Miami – Me, Me, Me [Deluxe Edition]
Brainiac – Predator Nominate
The Breeders – Last Splash [30th Anniversary Edition]
Mort Garson – Journey to the Moon and Beyond
New Musik – From A to B: The Sony Years
Nirvana – In Utero [30th Anniversary Super Deluxe Edition]
The Particles – 1980s Bubblegum
Phew – Our Likeness
Del Shannon – Stranger in Town: A Del Shannon Compendium
Sonic Youth – Live in Brooklyn 2011
Suede – Suede [30th Anniversary Edition]
The Tornados – Love & Fury: The Holloway Road Sessions 1962-1966
T. Rex – 1973: Whatever Happened to the Teenage Dream?
The Woods – So Long Before Now
Various Artists – In the Light of Time: U.K. Post-Rock & Leftfield Pop 1992-1998
Tim Sendra
Blueboy – Singles 1991-1998
Comet Gain – The Misfit Jukebox
The Dream Syndicate – History Kinda Pales When It and You Are Aligned
The Free Music – Free Music (Part 1)
Joe Gibbs & the Professionals – 1970s Dub Albums Collection
Haircut 100 – Pelican West 40
Reg King – Reg King [Deluxe Edition]
New Musik – From A to B: The Sony Years
The Particles – 1980s Bubblegum
The Pooh Sticks – Straight Up: Noise Pollution C88-90
Primal Scream – Reverberations (Travelling in Time): BBC Radio Sessions & Creation Singles 1985-86
Del Shannon – Stranger in Town: A Del Shannon Compendium
Superchunk – Misfits and Mistakes: Singles, B-sides & Strays 2007–2023
T. Rex – 1973: Whatever Happened to the Teenage Dream?
David Westlake – D87
The Woods – So Long Before Now
Various Artists – In the Light of Time: U.K. Post-Rock & Leftfield Pop 1992-1998
Various Artists – Looking for the Magic: American Power Pop in 70s
Various Artists – Tribal Rites of the New Saturday Night: Brooklyn Disco 1974-5
Various Artists – What a Groovy Day: The British Sunshine Pop Sound 1967-1972
Mark Deming
The Replacements – Tim [Let It Bleed Edition]
C-Clamp – Dream Backwards
The West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band – Door Inside Your Mind: The Complete Reprise Recordings 1966-1968
The Dream Syndicate – History Kinda Pales When It and You Are Aligned
Various Artists – We’re an American Band: A Journey Through the USA Hard Rock Scene 1967-1973
Kirsty MacColl – See That Girl 1979-2000
Keith Finke
Grateful Dead – Wake of the Flood [50th Anniversary Deluxe Edition]
The Cranberries – To the Faithful Departed [Deluxe Edition]
Green Day – Dookie [30th Anniversary Edition]
The Who – Who’s Next/Lifehouse [Super Deluxe Edition]
Charles Mingus – Changes: The Complete 1970s Atlantic Studio Recordings
Alice Cooper – School’s Out [Deluxe Edition]
Dionne Warwick – The Complete Scepter Singles 1962-1973
Pink Floyd – The Dark Side of the Moon [50th Anniversary Box Set]
Thom Jurek
Chet Baker – Blue Room: The 1979 VARA Studio Sessions in Holland
John Coltrane / Eric Dolphy – Evenings at the Village Gate: John Coltrane with Eric Dolphy
Elvis Costello / Burt Bacharach – The Songs of Bacharach & Costello
Paco de Lucía – The Montreux Years
Blossom Dearie – Discover Who I Am: Blossom Dearie in London (The Fontana Years: 1966-1970)
Bob Dylan – The Complete Budokan 1978
Milford Graves with Arthur Doyle & Hugh Glover – Children of the Forest
Grupo Los Yoyi – Yoyi
John Lee Hooker – Burnin’ [60th Anniversary Expanded Edition]
Joyce / Naná Vasconcelos / Mauricio Maestro – Visions of Dawn
Charles Mingus – Changes: The Complete 1970s Atlantic Studio Recordings
Airto Moreira / Flora Purim – Airto & Flora, A Celebration: 60 Years – Sounds, Dreams & Other Stories
The Muffins – Baker’s Dozen
Pharoah Sanders – Pharoah [Expanded Edition]
Nina Simone – You’ve Got to Learn
Som Imaginário – Banda da Capital
Cal Tjader – Huracán
Michał Urbaniak Group – Sound Pieces
Various Artists – Shake That Thing: The Blues in Britain 1963-1973
Various Artists – Soul’d Out: The Complete Wattstax Collection
Andy Kellman [Spotify]
Waltel Branco – Meu Balanço
Cristina – Sleep It Off [Remastered Edition]
The Dream Syndicate – History Kinda Pales When It and You Are Aligned
Corky McClerkin – Searchin’ for the Soul
Charles Mingus – Changes: The Complete 1970s Atlantic Studio Recordings
Modern Eon – Fiction Tales [Expanded Edition]
Operating Theatre – Spring Is Coming with a Strawberry in the Mouth/Rapid Eye Movements
Robert Palmer – The Island Records Years
Pharoah Sanders – Pharoah [Expanded Edition]
Sonic Youth – Live in Brooklyn 2011
The Spinners – The Complete Atlantic Singles: The Thom Bell Productions 1972-1979
Tolerance – Divin
Michał Urbaniak Group – Sound Pieces
The Veldt – Illuminated 1989
Various Artists – Arthur Baker Presents Dance Masters: Arthur Baker
Various Artists – Arthur Baker Presents Dance Masters: John Luongo
Various Artists – If There’s Hell Below
Various Artists – Luke Una Presents É Soul Cultura, Vol. 2
Various Artists – Pacific Breeze 3: Japanese City Pop, AOR & Boogie 1975-1987
Various Artists – Soul’d Out: The Complete Wattstax Collection
Paul Simpson [Spotify]
Airiel – Winks & Kisses [20th Anniversary Deluxe Edition]
Alan Braxe and Friends – The Upper Cuts [2023 Edition]
The Breeders – Last Splash [30th Anniversary Edition]
Candy Claws – Ceres & Calypso in the Deep Time [10th Anniversary Edition]
Cardiacs – A Little Man and a House and the Whole World Window [25th Anniversary Edition]
Emeralds – Does It Look Like I’m Here? [Expanded Remaster]
Milford Graves with Arthur Doyle & Hugh Glover – Children of the Forest
Laraaji – Segue to Infinity
Lieutenant Pigeon – The Decca Years
Nervous Gender – Music from Hell
Prince Far I – Under Heavy Manners
A Produce – Land of a Thousand Trances [Special Edition]
Les Rallizes Dénudés – CITTA’ ’93
Sun Ra – Space Is the Place [Original Motion Picture Soundtrack] [Deluxe Edition]
Swayzak – Snowboarding in Argentina [25th Anniversary Edition]
Various Artists – Bleeps, Breaks + Bass
Various Artists – Cherry Stars Collide: Dream Pop, Shoegaze & Ethereal Rock 1986-1995
Various Artists – Keeping Control: Independent Music from Manchester 1977-1981
Various Artists – Musik Music Musique 3.0: 1982 Synth Pop on the Air
Various Artists – Silberland, Vol. 2: The Driving Side of Kosmische Musik 1974-1984
Neil Z. Yeung
2 Many DJ’s – As Heard on Radio Soulwax, Pt. 2
Linkin Park – Meteora [20th Anniversary Edition]
The Cranberries – To the Faithful Departed [Deluxe Edition]
Tori Amos – Little Earthquakes: The B-Sides
Evanescence – Fallen [20th Anniversary Deluxe Edition]
The Killers – Rebel Diamonds
James Wilkinson
The Beatles – 1962-1966 / 1967-1970 [2023 Editions]
The Ducks – High Flyin’
The Teardrop Explodes – Culture Bunker 1978-82
Joe Harriott & Amancio d’Silva Quartet – Hum Dono
Movietone – Movietone [Deluxe Edition]
Dorothy Ashby – With Strings Attached 1957-1965
Helene Smith – I Am Controlled by Your Love
The Lemonheads – Come on Feel the Lemonheads [30th Anniversary Edition]
Eric Zann – Ouroborindra
Drive-By Truckers – The Complete Dirty South
De La Soul – 3 Feet High and Rising
R.E.M. – Up [25th Anniversary Deluxe Edition]
The Boo Radleys – Giant Steps [30th Anniversary Edition]
Dorothy Carter – Waillee Waillee
The Focus Group – Hey Let Loose Your Love
Green Day – Dookie [30th Anniversary Edition]
The Soundcarriers – Celeste [Expanded Edition]
Various Artists – Folk Funk & Trippy Troubadours, Vol. 2
Various Artists – Keeping Control: Independent Music from Manchester 1977-1981
Various Artists – Studio One: Space-Age Dub Special
