Musoscribe’s Best of 2025: Reissue/Archival
Some people don’t like end-of-year best-of lists. If you’re one of those, feel free to skip this and the next two days’ worth of posts. There are well over 5,000 other pieces here you might enjoy instead. For anyone else, since I review and/or cover a lot of music, it’s inevitable that as the year winds toward a close, I pause to consider the best (in my opinion) of the year’s releases. First up, it’s reissues and/or archival albums. According to my calculations [checks notes] I reviewed around 50 such releases this year. But five rose to the top. They’re listed below, and each has a link to the actual review or feature.
Badfinger – Head First
The late Dan Matovina shepherded this lost gem to release some 25 years back, but the recent discovery of the master multi-tracks has now paved the way for a proper reissue.
McLuhan – Anomaly
I delight in discovering long lost albums that knock me out, and this weirdly wonderful releases qualifies in that regard. I interviewed a key band member about it.
Pink Floyd – At Pompeii MCMLXXI
Anyone who knows me (or my work) understands that I’m a serious fan of Pink Floyd; I even wrote a book about the band’s wilderness years. This concert album dates from right in the middle of that period.
Lotti Golden – Motor-Cycle
Imagine a great artist you’ve never heard of, who makes music that will appeal to fans of Mary Weiss, Laura Nyro, Grace Slick and Carole King. Now imagine that she didn’t do much else beyond one record. Oh, but what a record.
The Chemistry Set – An Introduction to The Chemistry Set
Clever chaps from the UK amass a deep catalog while few even know about it. Then a hip, tastemaking label compiles a kind of best-of, with the band’s cooperation. Dig it.
About the Author
Bill Kopp
With a background in marketing and advertising, Bill Kopp got his professional start writing for Trouser Press. After a stint as Editor-in-chief for a national music magazine, Bill launched Musoscribe in 2009, and has published new content every business day since then (and every single day for several years). The more than 5000 interviews, essays, and reviews on Musoscribe reflect Bill's keen interest in American musical forms, most notably rock, jazz, and soul. His work features a special emphasis on reissues and vinyl. Bill's work also appears in many other outlets both online and in print. He regularly hosts lecture/discussions on artists and albums of historical importance (including monthly events Music to Your Ears and Music Movie Mondays), and is a frequent guest on music-focused radio programs and podcasts. In Spring 2023 he taught a history of Rock 'n' Roll at UNC Asheville's College for Seniors. He also researches and authors liner notes for album reissues -- some 40 to date -- and co-produced a reissue of jazz legend Julian "Cannonball" Adderley's final album. His first book, Reinventing Pink Floyd: From Syd Barrett to The Dark Side of the Moon was published by Rowman & Littlefield in 2018, and in paperback in 2019. His second book, Disturbing the Peace: 415 Records and the Rise of New Wave, was published in 2021 by HoZac Books. His third book, What's the Big Idea: 30 Great Concept Albums is available now. Read even more about him here.