Voyager 1 (Record Store Day RSD 2025) vinyl

Recorded in 1992 in London and New York, Voyager 1 is a unique live album by UK outfit The Verve-then known simply as Verve-that was cunningly designed to resemble a bootleg but was officially released to introduce the band to US audiences via Virgin's indie label Vernon Yard. It actually predates their debut album A Storm in Heaven, but the set captures the band's raw, psychedelic energy - we're well before the Britpop years, when Ashcroft and co were in a decidedly more sonically swampy, shoegaze groove - with standout versions of 'She's A Superstar,' the hypnotic early single 'Gravity Grave' and 'Slide Away.' Also included is 'South Pacific,' which remained unreleased in studio form for decades, proving to be a swirling, oceanic closer, faithfully remastered from analogue tapes at Abbey Road Studios.