Another year, and Record Store Day rolls around as surely as night follows day follows night follow day.
There's the usual gripes: limited edition RSD goodies that end up on eBay or Discogs at inflated prices within minutes; labels who charge absurdly inflated prices for items; and people who frequent record stores all year round being obliged to hoist themselves out of bed at some ungodly hour just to do the thing they normally do on a Saturday morning.
Despite the complaints, getting people into record stores is essentially A Good Thing, and that's why it's worth supporting: the amount of money your local independent retailer can take on RSD goes some way to making sure it's open the following week, when the crowds have gone.
So here's our selection of the best of Record Store Day 2018. Eye some if it with a degree of suspicion (we're sure The Handsome Beasts' hideously-sleeved Beastialty get re-released every year), but then focus on the good. That Allman Brothers live set looks amazing. The Led Zeppelin single's gonna race off the shelves. And who wouldn't want The Who's classic soundtrack for The Kids Are Alright on red and blue vinyl?
- AC/DC - Back In Black (cassette version)
- The Alarm - Where The Two Rivers Meet EP (first new material since 2013)
- Allman Brothers Band - Live at The Atlanta International Pop Festival (4xLP)
- Arthur Lee and Love - Coming Through to You: The Live Recordings (1970- 2004) (2xLP, red vinyl)
- Backyard Babies - Total 13 (20th anniversary picture disc)
- Bob Dylan - Masters of War (7" vinyl remix)
- Bob Dylan & The Grateful Dead - Dylan & The Dead (red and blue vinyl)
- The Boys - The Boys (vomit splatter vinyl)
- Boz Scaggs - Lowdown / Jojo / What Can I Say (12" vinyl reissue)
- Brian Eno with Kevin Shields - The Weight of History / Only Once Away My Son (12" single)
- Bruce Springsteen - Greatest Hits (opaque red double vinyl)
- Celtic Frost - Tragic Serenades (replica of 1986 picture disc)
- The Cure - Torn Down: Mixed Up Extras 2018 (16 new mixes, 2xLP picture disc)
- The Cure - Mixed Up [Remastered 2018] (remastered 2xLP picture disc)
- Curved Air - Air Conditioning (Facsimile of 1970 picture disc)
- David Bowie - David Bowie (Red/Blue vinyl stereo/mono 2xLP)
- David Bowie - Let's Dance - Demo (12" single)
- David Bowie - Now (first commercial release of a rare 1977 US compilation, white vinyl.)
- David Bowie - WTTB (3xLP live album from 1978)
- Def Leppard - Live from Abbey Road (12" single)
- Descendents - Who We Are (7", first time on vinyl)
- The Deviants - Ptooff! (deluxe vinyl reissue)
- Dickey Betts - Live from the Lone Star Roadhouse (2xLP blue vinyl)
- Disturbed - The Lost Children (2xLP, first time on vinyl)
- The Doors - The Matrix Part II (follow-up to RSD 2017 live album)
- The Dream Syndicate - How We Found Ourselves... Everywhere! (new release)
- Elton John vs Pnau (remix album)
- Elvis Costello - Someone Else's Heart (7" single)
- Eric Burdon & The Animals - Nights In San Francisco (new release)
- Five Day Week Straw People - Five Day Week Straw People (LP, reissue)
- Flamin Groovies - Grease (2xLP, blue vinyl)
- Fleetwood Mac - Tango In The Night Alternate (alternate takes)
- Frank Zappa - Lumpy Gravy: Primordial (burgundy vinyl LP)
- Fuzztones - Braindrops (coloured vinyl + 7")
- Gary Clark Jr. - Come Together (12" plus Justice League comic book)
- Gaz Coombes The Oaks (Remix) (12")
- Ginger Wildheart - Paying It Forward EP (10" picture disc)
- Goat - Double Date Score (10")
- Grateful Dead - Fillmore West, San Francisco (4xLP)
- The Groundhogs - Scratching The Surface (remastered)
- Handsome Beasts - Bestiality (+ bonus 12" )
- Hawkwind - Levitation (3xLP including two unreleased live albums, blue vinyl, tour programme)
- Hawkwind - Dark Matter (2xLP, previously unreleased)
- The Heads - The Everybody Knows We Got Nowhere (blue vinyl LP)
- Jason Isbell & The 400 Unit - Live From Twist & Shout 11.16.07 (12" EP)
- Jeff Buckley - Live At Sine (4xLP)
- Jethro Tull - Moths (10" EP, new cover)
- Jimi Hendrix - Mannish Boy / Trash Man (7" single)
- John Fogerty - Centrefield /Rock'n'Roll Girls (12" picture disc)
- Johnny Thunders - So Alonesome (LP, previously unreleased)
- Johnny Thunders (feat. Patti Palladin) - (Give Her A) Great Big Kiss (7" picture disc)
- Kaleidoscope - Faintly Blowing / Jump In My Boat (7" single, unreleased)
- Killing Joke - Absolute Dissent (2xLP, yellow vinyl)
- Kreator - Behind The Mirror (12" picture disc replica)
- L7 - Fast & Frightening (2xLP, first time on vinyl)
- Led Zeppelin - Rock And Roll (yellow vinyl 7", previously unreleased)
- Linkin Park - One More Light Live (2xLP, black & gold vinyl)
- Lou Reed - Animal Serenade (3xLP, live album)
- The Lurkers - The Fulham Fallout (LP, orange vinyl)
- Manfred Mann - The Albums '64-'67 (deluxe box set)
- Marc Bolan & T. Rex - The Final Cuts (LP picture disc)
- Mastodon - Emperor of Sand (2xLP, picture disc)
- Morbid Angel - Kingdoms Disdained (picture disc)
- Motorhead - Death Or Glory (silver vinyl)
- Motörhead - Heroes (7" picture disc)
- Neil Young - Roxy - Tonight's the Night Live (3-sided LP w/etching)
- Nico - I’m Not Sayin’ / The Last Mile (7" single, b-side co-written by Jimmy Page)
- Phil Campbell and The Bastard Sons - Silver Machine (7" single)
- The Pineapple Thief - 8 Years Later (white vinyl)
- Pink Floyd - The Piper At The Gates Of Dawn (mono mix, gold sleeve)
- The Police - Roxanne (picture disc)
- Popol Vuh - Messa Di Orfeo (first time on vinyl)
- Prince - 1999 (reissue of single LP Euro version)
- Public Image Limited - Live At Brixton Academy 1986 (first time on vinyl)
- Public Service Broadcasting - People Will Always Need Coal (limited 12")
- Quicksand - Triptych Continuum (12" w/etching, previously unreleased tracks)
- Rage Against The Machine - Democratic National Convention 2000 (live album, first time on vinyl)
- Ramones - Sundragon Sessions (first time on vinyl)
- Roger Taylor - Journeys End (10" single)
- Rolling Stones - The Their Satanic Majesties Request (clear vinyl)
- Rory Gallagher - The French Connection (unreleased live show)
- Sandy Denny - Like an Old Fashioned Waltz (clear vinyl)
- Saxon - Thunderbolt (picture disc)
- Saxon - Princess Of The Night (7" coloured vinyl)
- Saxon - Metalhead (picture disc)
- Small Faces Lazy Sunday Afternoon (Early Mix) / Ogdens' Nut Gone Flake (Alternate Take - Phased Mix) (stereo) (7" luminous vinyl)
- Snatch - Snatch (reissue)
- Sonic's Rendezvous Band - Live 78 (blue vinyl)
- Soundgarden - A-Sides (2xLP, coloured vinyl)
- Sparks - You've Earned The Right To Be A Dick (7" hippo-shaped picture disc)
- Steven Wilson - How Big The Space (12", previously unreleased)
- Stone Broken - All In Time (first time on vinyl)
- Stone Sour - Hydrograd (4-track 12", silver vinyl)
- The Stooges - The Stooges (The Detroit Edition) (RSD version)
- Superjoint Ritual - Use Once And Destroy (2xLP, transparent green vinyl)
- Superjoint Ritual - A Lethal Dose Of American Hatred (transparent green vinyl)
- T.Rex - Bolan Boogie (blue vinyl)
- TAD - Quick And Dirty (opaque green vinyl)
- Tangerine Dream - Miracle Mile (marbled vinyl)
- U2 - Lights of Home (12" picture disc)
- The Undertones - Singles box (13 x 7" singles)
- Urban Dogs - Urban Dogs (2xLP w/previously unreleased live album)
- Uriah Heep - Look At Yourself (reissue, mirrored sleeve)
- Who, The The Kids Are Alright (OST) (2xLP, red, blue vinyl)
- Wilco - Live At The Troubadour 11/12/96 (2xLP)
- The Wipers - Live At The Met, December 31st 1982 (2xLP, unreleased audiophile pressing)
- Wire - Nine Sevens (9 x 7" box)
- Wishbone Ash - Roadworks - Junctions (first time on vinyl)
- Yes - Tormato (picture disc)
