The opportunists and curators at Record Store Day have astutely decided to capitalize on soaring vinyl sales by grouping a grip of releases for Black Friday 2017. This is in no particular order, and obviously subjective, but nonetheless the result of a Canadian DJ in his pyjamas going full kid in a candy store through the advance list.

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Prodigy – H.N.I.C

The acronym that gives this album it’s title can be confusing north of the border, but no, the dearly departed Mobb Deep MC didn’t make an album about Hockey Night In Canada. But in late 2000, the Queensbridge rapper laced the world with an instant classic that is seeing a deluxe re-release treatment. This record bangs deeper than the timeless single “Keep It Thoro” with beats by Alchemist, Just Blaze and P’s Mobb Deep partner Havoc.

Perfect for the holidays if you break any of the following: “Bread, ribs, hundred dollar bills.”

Neil Young – Harvest Moon

The man born Bernard Shakey holds steady to his ego on this precious gem from 1992 .  A timeless record full of  tales, characters and feels that are soulful, authentic, and absolutely rootsy. Classic songs like “Unkown Legend,” “From Hank To Hendrix” and the title track capture Younger in full, at a time just before the dude got fuzzier and weirder while trying on the Grandfather of Grunge label.

Iggy Pop – New Values

As the excitement of the coked-up freewheeling 1970’s was fading out, proto-punk provocateur Iggy Pop made a record of tunes about those times that can hang with Patti Smith, The Talking Heads and the other blasts of the era from the CBGB’s gang. This is the sound of a seventies rock icon growing with his eyes wide at the materialism and conservatism of the incoming 80’s.

Bill Hicks – Revelations: Live In London (25th Anniversary Edition)

It’s okay to be late on this landmark special by your favourite comedian’s favourite cultural critic, political pundit, and raw funnyman. This material was so ahead of its time that it’s re-release delivers it perfectly pitched to deflate the Trump regime and comment on the death of privacy. Some of the references will be a little dated, but most of his points resonate still.

Guardians Of The Galaxy – Baby Groot Picture Disc

What would a Record Store Day list be without a freaky picture disc? The songs contained are a piece of the lush orchestral score and a schmaltzy cut of bespoke space boogie (featuring sometime paternal ideal David Hasslehoff) from The Guardians of the Galaxy 2 OST. But the real selling feature is that the vinyl is shaped like and emblazoned with everyone’s favourite space hero/enchanted tree: Groot.

Bernie Worrel – All The Woo In The World

This wacky masterpiece by the Parliament Funkadelic and Talking Heads keymaster and spiritual torchbearer deserves this gorgeous posthumous re-release. A rambling and meandering trip that swings from dirty groovy soundtrack of a 70’s space porno to street beat cosmic funk for downtrodden earthlings. All the Woo in the World is unlike anything you’ve ever heard before.

Madvillain – Four Tet Remixes

The rare beast reissued in all it’s unexpected yet comfortingly perfect glory. Stone’s Throw are smart, especially in the Soundcloudy world of broken and skittering beats to bless the hungry ears of today’s youth with this record. Four Tet’s backing tracks defy categorization, yet don’t get so weird that it can’t be seen as just the right flavour of hip-hop to accompany the tumbling non-sequiturs and self-referential flows of Doom himself. Even the title looks odd on paper, but this has to be heard to be believed. It’s the right kind of weird.

Willie Nelson – Spirit

Finally released on vinyl, so that through repeated spins, broken hearts, emptied ashtrays, and a whole lot of tears, Willie Nelson’s 1996 CD will earn the crackle it deserves from your turntable’s needle. This is a glimpse at the graceful and aged redheaded stranger, but stripped down to the essence of the song. Willie delivers his trademark visions of the full spectrum of love, yet via spare arrangements of only guitar, fiddle, and piano. As expansive as the country, as present as your beating heart, filled with feeling and not a wasted note – maybe Willie really does know something we don’t.

Papa John Creech – Papa John Creech

The fiddle has largely been an unheralded and underused instrument in the pantheon of rock. This 1971 album by journeyman violin impresario Papa John Creech marks an important moment in musical history. It’s where a nimble bowed jazz and blues sideman had fully crossed over into the world of psychedelia and classic rock (which back then they just called it “rock”). Recorded in San Francisco with the help of members of The Grateful Dead and Jefferson Airplane, this re-issue is true to the original document shipping with all vintage artwork and liner notes reproduced. 

Queen – We Are The Champions / We Will Rock You

Do you need a sure shot in your record collection that will never fail to bring a party together? Something that will end arguments and settle disputes through the power of song? Legendary hits so popular that if only you had them on either side of a 12” disc, you could use your turntable as the ultimate weapon of pacification and harmony over the holidays. Can you hear the whole family singing already?