Chrysalis レコード& CD

Review: Terry Hall was of course part of the Fun Boy Three in the late 70s and early 80s, but come '83 and after their Us tour that year he left and swiftly moved on to his next outfit, The Colourfield. It saw him working with former 2Tone label associates Toby Lyons and Karl Shale and their self-titled debut single saw them launch to immediate acclaim on cult UK TV show The Tube. Their next single 'Take' was just as big and in 1985 came their debut album with further hits 'Thinking of You', 'Castles In The Air' and later on some standout and standalone singles 'I Can't Get Enough of You Baby' and 'Things Could Be Beautiful.' All those and more are collected here.

Review: It was big news this year when hip-hop legends De La Soul finally made all of their music available to stream on digital platforms. That move was backed up by them also dropping a load of reissues of their finest albums and now we have, for Record Store Day/Back Friday, this special coloured vinyl boxset featuring their most iconic LP, 3 Feet High and Rising, on seven individual 7"s, making them perfect for DJ deployment. The box set also includes a funky slipmat making this a perfect Christmas gift for the hip-hop head in your life.

Review: Probably mainly due to the latter day punk rock caricature antics of Billy Idol, Generation X's role in the revolution that overtook music in the late 70s is often overlooked. As members of The Bromley Contingent - a group of early adopters of the Sex Pistols - they rubbed shoulders with Siouxsie Sioux, Sid Vicious and others, but by 1978 they'd released this breathtakingly exciting debut album packed with three minute wonders like 'Kleenex' and 'One Hundred Punks', big on distorted power chords and velocity and low on musical showing off. Ironically, given their roots, this owes much more to the Pistols' northern rivals Buzzcocks than Rotten and co themselves, but that's no bad thing.

Review: She might be more well known these days for her open letters to Miley Ray Cyrus or public struggles with mental health, but this So Far The Best of reminds us just why Sinead O'Connor is so famous in the first place. It brings together the very best tunes from her four albums and was originally released in 1997, so of course, includes her ubiquitous and global smash Number 1 'Nothing Compares 2 U' is included, as are earlier singles 'Troy' and 'Mandinka', all of which showcase her fearless style and a rich array of emotions. 'Heroine' and 'Just Like U Said It Would B' are included for the first time having in the past only been available on the US version.

Review: Celebrate The Bullet was the revered second album by The Selecter back in February 1981. It came on the heels of the massive debut Too Much Pressure and a serious run of singles including the likes of 'Missing Words' and 'On My Radio.' Here though things slowed down a little with lyrical commentaries still coming thick and fast on everything from racial to social issues. At the time, the recent murder of John Lennon and an assassination attempt on U.S. President Ronald Regan meant the album got little to no mainstream support because of the title. For this special reissue, the original production tapes were dug out and remastered by Alchemy Mastering at AIR.

Review: Celebrating four decades since its original release, The Selecter's crucial Too Much Pressure receives a well-deserved anniversary edition reissue on clear vinyl. This timeless ska masterpiece continues to resonate with its infectious energy and socially conscious lyrics, upbeat rhythms and Pauline Black's commanding vocals. Together all that creates a potent blend that remains as relevant today as it was upon its debut. This special edition offers fans old and new a chance to (re)discover the album's brilliance, complete with bonus tracks and remastered sound. The Selecter's enduring influence on the ska genre is in part down to this fine album.

Review: The Specials are real UK national treasures, aren't they? And rightly so. Alexis Petridis has even gone so far as to say their standout single 'Ghost Town' is the second greatest UK single to have ever been released. Again, it's hard to really argue with that one. It was a UK chart topper at time of release and speaks eloquently of the urban decay, unemployment and ongoing racial tensions of the period. Sound familiar? Sadly, you once again have to agree. This 40th Anniversary Edition has been mastered and cut at half-speed for extra oomph.

Review: 
The Specials are real UK national treasures, aren't they? And rightly so. Alexis Petridis has even gone so far as to say their standout single 'Ghost Town' is the second greatest UK single to have ever been released. Again, it's hard to really argue with that one. It was a UK chart topper at time of release and speaks eloquently of the urban decay, unemployment and ongoing racial tensions of the period. Sound familiar? Sadly, you once again have to agree. This 40th Anniversary Edition has been mastered and cut at half-speed for extra oomph.

Review: The sixth studio album by British synth pop legends Ultravox landed in 1982, and peaked at an impressive number six in an albums chart that was still highly competitive. By December that year, the record had clocked up more than 100,000 copies, earning a Gold certificate from the BPI, while also ranking in US and German hit lists around the same time. Notable as it saw George Martin (affectionally known to some as The Fifth Beatle) stepping up to the helm, this veteran apparently claimed the band were "the most musical" he'd worked with in years. Agree or not, the record is bold and theatrical, at times taking us out on the town in bleep-happy Sheffield (or some such synth domain), in other moments inviting us to partake in a strange electronic cabaret.