STACK #199 May 2021

MUSIC FEATURE

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Each month we handpick a collection of reissues, limited editions or just straight classic long-players that deserve a place

in any record collection. Words Paul Jones, Amy Flower & Zoë Radas

THE AVALANCHES Since I Left You (2000) 20TH ANNIVERSARY DELUXE VINYL

AMY WINEHOUSE BACK TO BLACK (2006)

You've heard the songs, you dig the style, you know the story. So why does Back to Black – the second and break-out album from English heroine of neo-soul, Amy Winehouse – deserve to be heard on vinyl? Well, aside from the fact that the songs which comprise this stunning LP merit the kind of attention that a

We challenge anybody – even the most anti-sampling grumble-bums of the world – to drop the needle on side one of Since I Met You , let the title track unfurl and not start to move, let alone smile. This incredible pop gem, concocted of samples plucked from a disparate collection of underground classics and op-shop discoveries, serves both as a portent of what’s to come over the course of this 18-track double vinyl release, as much as its stands up as a ground-breaking twist in pop creation. Created by two guys - Robbie Chater and Darren “Bobbydazzler” Seltmann – this album was no cheap grabbing of a sample or two and parping on top of it, with their mishmash musicality leading sampled tracks to places that even their creators were left awestruck by. This release couples the two LPs with two more 12-inchers, compiling 15 globetrotting remixes from the likes of Japan’s Cornelius through to Anglo-French pop benders Stereolab. In all, a modern masterpiece. TOP TRACK: Since I Left You FAST FACT: The record was originally conceived as a concept album, with the theme being “an international search for love from country to country.”

full play-through on vinyl provides, there's another reason which will fully immerse you in the Back to Black experience: vinyl was the defining format of the era from which Winehouse drew her inspiration. When speaking to her soon-to-be producer Mark Ronson before recording Back to Black in 2005, Winehouse used examples from pop and soul girl bands from the '60s – like The Ronettes and particularly The Shangri-Las, whose dark hit Leader of the Pack was both emblematic of '60s pop and a streetwise nose-thumb to the more cutesy girl bands of the decade – to explain the sound she was seeking. Winehouse directly channelled the savvy style of a time when seven-inches ruled the roost, and her vision – along with Ronson's R'n'B-licked production and co-writing knack – saw Back to Black emerge at once timeless and incredibly modern. It went on to win five awards at the 2008 Grammys. TOP TRACK: Back to Black FAST FACT: The song Me & Mr Jones is reportedly about Winehouse's initial crush on rapper Nas, with whom she went on to enjoy a close friendship. The two musicians were planning a joint party for their birthday – both were born on September 14 – when Winehouse passed away in July 2011.

JOHN COLTRANE Blue Train (1957)

Coltrane’s career had seen him roll with Miles Davis where he would feature on the seminal albums, Kind of Blue and Milestones . While Davis recognised the saxophonist’s undeniable talent and helped him to freely express his creativity, ultimately, he would kick Coltrane from the band when his

continued drug addiction rendered him unreliable. But Coltrane ditched his vices and on this path of sobriety, he would assemble an awe- inspiring collection of players to work on what would become Blue Train . It was a watershed moment for Coltrane who would write four out of the five tracks on the album; it was also his first recording as a bandleader. Blue Train , a cornerstone for any fledgling jazz collection, is an invigorating and hugely enjoyable record that sounds as fresh in 2021 as it would’ve done in ’57. TOP TRACK: Blue Train FAST FACT: Blue Train would be John Coltrane’s only solo release on the esteemed Blue Note Records label and it was recorded without a contract and only a verbal agreement with label founder, Alfred Lion.

76 MAY 2021

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