My Favourite Albums of 2024: An Assortment of Albums

 Here's a few more of My Favourite Albums of 2024. These ones I have already posted about on the Blog so I will just include the link to the particular posts I put up. It's a mixed bag of the new and some reissues as well as a really compilation spotlighting the songs of Tom Petty.

Depending on if I have the time I might get to do a couple more posts on My Favourite Albums of 2024.

Here we go then:

Hand On Heart - Cock Sparrer  (5th April) 

Petty Country: A Country Music Celebration of Tom Petty - Various Artists  (21st June)

Louis In London - Louis Armstrong (12th July)

Will Anything Happen (2024 Remaster Expanded Edition) - Shop Assistants (July 26th)

The Mighty Several - Paul Heaton (11th October)

1985 - The Waterboys (23rd February)
 

Gospel According To Al Green (1984 Film)

 I had noticed recently on Al Green's You Tube Channel that they had uploaded the excellent Robert Mugge film 'Gospel According To Al Green', which is celebrating its 40th Year. It's also available on Amazon Prime to watch.

The film combines a three-fold insight into the life of the Soul Man with an excellent interview, a live performance at a very small venue in Washington D.C. and a spotlight on the Reverend Al Green in action from his pulpit.

As far as I'm aware it is still avaible on Blu-ray DVD and you can probably pick it up at quite a decent price if you go searching.

My Favourite Albums of 2024: Songs of a Lost World - The Cure (November)

 Studio Album #14 from The Cure and their first since '4:13 Dream' back in 2008. 'Songs of a Lost World' provided a lot of joy on the opening day of November (I realise how odd that must read seeing that we are considering a pretty dark album from Robert Smith and gang, but it actually was a day of celebration with  joy and happy tears).

Songs of a Lost World - The Cure (November 2024)
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Fiction Records
1st November 2024

LISTEN HERE.

Also to celebrate the release, The Cure put on a live streamed concert that began with a full live performance of the album from start to finish and then after a short Intermission they gave a superb second set of fan favourites and singles.

Live at The Troxy Theatre 1st November 2024

01. Songs from a Lost World Set

02. 2nd Set

Victoria Segal Review for Mojo

My Favourite Albums of 2024: VOWS - Hot Water Music (May)

Founded in October 1994 in Gainesville, Florida, Hot Water Music released their 10th Studio Album, VOWS, earlier this year. Chuck Ragan (lead vocalist) and the chaps rarely disappoint.

VOWS - Hot Water Music

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Equal Vision Records (USA & Canada)/ End Hits Records (UK & Europe)
10th May 2024

LISTEN HERE. 

 The Album features members of Thrice, Amy Interrupter, Dallas Green and Brendan Yates.

The Soundboard Review by Luke Nuttal.

 "Without a single dud track and a sound so self-evidently brilliant in everything it strives for, you can’t really ask for more in a Hot Water Music album, let alone one that’s not had its back broken by three decades of prior history. And when even the wear-and-tear contributes positively to an already colossal achievement, that’s when you know a band is on a good path." - Luke Nuttal

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Because there some total music nerds out there who like these types of things and some crazy collectors who want everything and enjoy the challenge of findind them all, I'll include this list I found on Discogs.

Vinyl pressing history:

US: 1st Pressing, Equal Vision Records (5/10/2024):
?? - White Label, Custom Color
50 - Clear w/ 8mm Film Inlay (Equal Vision Store Exclusive)
250 - Rose, Red & Pink Ripple (Band Store Exclusive)
250 - Clear Black w/ Metallic Red Splatter (Band Store Exclusive)
250 - Red w/ Black Splatter
250 - Clear Turquoise w/ Black Splatter
250 - Marbled Grey/ White w/ Red Ripple
250 - Half Rose Stem Green/ Half Rose Pink w/ White Splatter
250 - Clear w/ Black Splatter (US Tour Variant)
300 - Orange (Florida Retail Exclusive)
500 - Light Brown w/ Black, White & Grey Splatter
500 - White w/ Green Splatter (Cooking Vinyl Australia Exclusive)
500 - Clear (US Indie Retail Exclusive)
1500 - Transparent Black (Retail Exclusive)

US: 2nd Pressing, Equal Vision Records (5/10/2024):
400 - Silver & Black Marble

250 - Clear w/ Tan, Pink & Green Splatter (Hot Water Music Webstore Exclusive)

EU: 1st Pressing, End Hits Records (5/10/2024):
35 - Test Press
35 - Super Deluxe - Clear w/ Enclosed Pulmonary Artery Trace (End Hits Exclusive)
100 - Red/ Yellow Swirl (Devil Dog UK Exclusive)
150 - Deluxe - White w/ Screenprinted Cover (End Hits Exclusive)
200 - Deluxe - Mushroom/ Toffee Pinwheel (End Hits Exclusive)
210 - Yellow w/ Black Splatter (Flight 13 Exclusive)
250 - Deluxe - Green/ White Quads (End Hits Exclusive)
300 - Transparent Green/ Clear (JPC Exclusive)
1000 - Cherry Red (Retail Version)

My Favourite Albums of 2024: Teach Yself WAH! - A Best Of Pete Wylie & The Mighty Wah! - Pete Wylie (March)

Some folks can get a bit overly precious about adding a Reissue or a Compliation to the their Favourite Albums of the Year Lists mainly for the reason "it's not new" or "it's unnecessary". I thought about this very thing quite frequently and to a degree I understand. I get fed up with labels that seem to constantly be reissuing the same albums time and time again with the only difference being the colour of the vinyl. or the label that just seems to rehash a "Greatest Hits" album two years after the previous one came out and there's either one or two different songs on it or the tracklist has just been swapped around. Hopefully I was able to point out how annoying also this practice is when it came to the release of a recent Springsteen Compilation and a deep dive into a number of the totally unnecessary releases that came before it (CLICK HERE TO READ THAT POST). 

I don't believe we are dealing with an "unnecessary release" here because, as far as I'm aware, there hasn't been a new Pete Wylie Compilation for 24 Years! For many this might be a good introduction to the music by one of  Liverpool's modern day musical greats..

Teach Yself Wah! - A Best of Pete Wylie & The Mighty Wah! - Pete Wylie
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Chrysalis Records
1st March 2024

One of the coolest wee collections of the music of Pete Wylie & The Mighty Wah! (and a couple of other named Wah! bands or is it brands?) since the excellent 'The Handy Wah! Whole : Songs From The Repertwah!: The Maverick Years 2000' (2CD set on Castle Music, 2000). Included are of course a few of the classic Singles (I'm guessing the licensing of the other tracks was problematic, hence their exclusion) and freshly Remastered tracks from 'Songs of Strength & Heartbreak' (2000) and the long spoken of but finally appeared, 'Pete Sounds!' (2017).

My Favourite Albums of 2024: Veritas - P.O.D. (May 2024)

 

Veritas - P.O.D.
Mascot Records
3rd May 2024

 01. Drop (feat. Randy Blythe of Lamb Of God)
02. I Got That
03. Afraid to Die (feat. Tatiana Shmayluk of Jinjer)
04. Dead Right
05. Breaking
06. Lay Me Down (Roo's Song)
07. I Won't Bow Down
08. This Is My Life (feat. Cove Reber of Dead American)
09. Lies We Tell Ourselves
10. We Are One (Our Struggle)
11. Feeling Strange 

The Links in the above Tracklist are for the Promo Videos

 Line Up
Sonny Sandoval – vocals
Marcos Curiel – guitars
Traa Daniels – bass

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'Veritas' is the 11th studio album by San Diego Rockers P.O.D. (Payable On Death), and was their first album since 'Circles' in 2018.