The Second Golden Age of Vinyl: The 10 Best Reissues of the Year
Vinyl may have become familiar again, but the real shift is in how reissues are being handled. Labels are treating these albums with a level of attention that wasn’t always guaranteed, and the results show up the moment the needle drops. The sound is fuller, the details feel intentional, and the whole package respects what listeners loved in the first place. Among this year’s releases, these ten stood out.
Eddie Hazel – Game, Dames and Guitar Thangs (Rhino Reserve)
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Eddie Hazel’s 1977 solo record never had a real chance to reach people when it first appeared, which is why it turned into a sought-after find for collectors. This reissue gives it the treatment it always deserved. Rhino’s pressing opens up the mix, and Hazel’s swirling takes on “California Dreamin’” and “I Want You (She’s So Heavy)” land with the clarity and depth that were missing from earlier versions.
Miles Davis – Dark Magus and Black Beauty (Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab)
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Once available only in Japan, these live albums capture Miles Davis at his most electric and unruly. Mobile Fidelity keeps the raw edge but brings new detail to the mix. The hiss, the rumble, and the sudden bursts from the Fillmore stage feel more immediate. Listeners who brushed off this era decades ago may hear it differently now.
Talking Heads – More Songs About Buildings and Food (Super Deluxe Edition)
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This reissue doesn’t pretend to be modest, priced for people who want the full experience. The set delivers: several vinyl discs, a pair of 7-inch singles, and a hardcover book with fresh reflections from the band. Most impressive is how the Brian Eno-era production finally opens up, giving the album the depth it always suggested but never fully revealed.
Black Sabbath – Paranoid (Rhino High Fidelity)
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Paranoid doesn’t usually get tagged as an audiophile darling, but this new pressing clears up its dense mix. Suddenly, the rhythm section punches harder, and Tony Iommi’s guitar doesn’t get buried in the sludge. It’s still heavy, just sharper. Ozzy sounds like he’s pacing the room instead of being trapped in the corner.
Johnny Hammond – Gears (Craft Recordings / Jazz Dispensary)
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This Mizell Brothers-produced funk-jazz fusion record has been blowing minds since its release in 1975. With its cosmic keys and wild rhythm changes, Gears sounds like something you’d hear at a disco in orbit. A cult favorite that finally got the packaging it deserves.
Dr. Dre – The Chronic (Interscope Definitive Sound Series)
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Built initially for CDs, The Chronic has a digital-era sharpness that this analog pressing softens in the right places. The bass still thumps, but now there’s warmth behind the menace. As Interscope’s launch title for its high-end vinyl series, this version sets the bar with clear highs and deep lows.
Odyssey – Odyssey (Real Gone Music)
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This 1972 psych-soul project finally gets a second wind after it was once buried on Motown’s Mowest imprint. The band recruited Wrecking Crew musicians and arranged the tracks like a jam session between Rotary Connection and Laurel Canyon session players. The reissue’s remastering highlights the group’s distinctive harmonies and innovative guitar licks.
Bob Marley & The Wailers – Exodus (UMG / Vinylphyle)
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Compared to earlier reissues, this version feels richer and more dimensional, as if the music is coming from across the room rather than directly from the speakers. The groove still carries the heartbeat of classic reggae, but the remaster adds depth that makes every bass line feel more grounded.
Roy Haynes – Hip Ensemble (Wewantsounds)
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This reissue brings back a 1971 jazz-funk burner that never got the love it should’ve. Roy Haynes played with legends, but Hip Ensemble was him cutting loose. The new pressing restores every detail, especially the wild ride of Roy’s Tune and the swirling groove on Satan’s Mysterious Feeling.
Trax Records – The 40th Anniversary Collection (Trax)
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This set celebrates the Chicago label that helped invent house music, back when it was all grit, sweat, and drum machines. Early tracks by Frankie Knuckles, Marshall Jefferson, and Phuture are remastered here with improved clarity but no polish-over.