New Wax Wednesday

By almost all accounts, Record Store Day 2026, which took place last Saturday, April 18, 2026, was a rousing success. We here at AP were, of course, out in full force that day, and we can now report back on what we were able to get our hands on in the moment and what we think of them. (Some of our thoughts may surprise you.) We’ll also discuss what we didn’t get, and/or what we’re still looking to get our hands (and ears) on.

First, some RSD-related links for you. You can check out the full 2026 RSD release list here. And then, if you’re still looking for any of those releases, go here for the official, authorized RSD Marketplace.

Now to the day’s events at hand. My RSD 2026 experience began circa 8:30 a.m. EST at Hi-Fi Hits in Williamsville, New York, one of my favorite local record stores. A few hours before that, the H-FH staff had already posted a video online showing how the line to get inside stretched around the entirety of the building — but when I arrived, it was only about half as long, as you can see above. While it was indeed a packed shop, the human flow was relatively orderly, and the main RSD bin locales — with essentially all of the RSD LPs racked alphabetically, with box sets, 45s, and other RSD-related goodies in nearby racks and on tables — were accessible, and you could flip through each row without hassle.

The first thing I picked up was Pink Floyd’s Live From the Los Angeles Sports Arena, April 26th, 1975 4LP box set on Legacy (RSD Exclusive; 15,400 copies) and its 2CD companion release (RSD Exclusive; 7,100 copies) because they were laid out together on the first table that was right in front of me as the line moved toward the back of the shop. I handed another copy of the 4LP Floyd set to a gentleman in the line just a few people in front of me who had asked if I could grab one for him since I was closer to that stack than he was, and I was happy to comply.

On that said-same table, I also saw Crosby, Stills & Nash’s The Solo Albums 4LP box set on Rhino (RSD Exclusive; 1,950 copies) and thought, “I’ll get it later” (and indeed, I went back and got it yesterday); ditto seeing Bruce Springsteen’s Live From Asbury Park 2024 5LP set on Legacy (RSD Exclusive; 6,050 copies) but instead thought, “eventually, but no rush.” (I’m currently keeping an eye on it online, and will wait until the asking prices go down.)

Walking toward me in an adjacent line was a smiling thirtysomething dude whom I saw had Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers’ July 16, 1978 – Paradise Theater, Boston, MA LP on UMe (RSD Exclusive; 8,000 copies) tucked under his right arm, and I immediately mused, “Dammit; I bet he got the last copy.” I was right — when I got to the bin that had the first portion of the Ps in its third row, the Petty slot at the very back of it was indeed empty. Not taking any chances, I got on my iPhone, checked eBay, and ordered a copy of the Petty set from a reputable shop in the UK for about 30 pounds, er, 40 bucks above that day’s average asking price. Since the Petty Paradise set was at the top of my RSD 2026 want list, the added cost didn’t phase me. (Much.)

A few other of my RSD must-haves were already gone, such as Romeo Void’s Live ’81-’85 2LP set on Liberation Hall (RSD Exclusive; 1,200 copies — also see my RSD-centric interview with RV lead singer Debora Iyall here that posted on April 17, 2026) and, somewhat surprisingly, Billy Squier’s Tell the Truth – Deluxe 2LP set on Flatiron Recordings (RSD Limited Run/Regional Focus Release; 900 copies). Clearly, there was high demand for both of those quite-limited RSD releases. Thus, while standing in the long checkout line at H-FH, I got back on eBay on my iPhone and ordered a copy of the Romeo Void LP from Canada (reasonable priced, and sans any tariffs), and the Squier LP from a U.S. shop (a bit expensive, but worth it, imo).

Even with those initial RSD hiccups, I still made out pretty well. In addition to the Floyd Sports Arena 1975 two-fer, I also picked up (deep breath) Bryan Adams’ Tough Town, on Bad (RSD Exclusive; 2,000 copies); King Crimson’s Live – Penn State University 29 June 1974 2LP set on DGM (RSD Exclusive; 2,000 copies); Mark Knopfler and Emmylou Harris’ All the Roadrunning 2LP set on Mercury (RSD First; 4,000 copies); Mike Peters’ Feel Free LP on Twenty First Century Recording Company (RSD Limited Run/Regional Focus Release; 1,000 copies); Robert Plant’s All That Glitters EP on Nonesuch (RSD Exclusive; 3,500 copies); Porcupine Tree’s We Lost the Skyline EP on Transmission (RSD Exclusive; 3,500 copies); and Steely Dan’s Alive in America 2LP set on Giant/Rhino (RSD Exclusive; 4,000 copies), the latter of which I grabbed at my second RSD stop, Revolver Records over in Amherst.

Naturally, I’m taking my own sweet time wading through my cumulative RSD listening sessions — but right upfront, I can say the live Floyd Sports Arena 1975 release sounded just as I expected, given that the source material was recorded clandestinely by superfan and audience member Mike Millard, a.k.a. “Mike the Mic.” Restoration and remastering by (who else?) Steven Wilson certainly has improved upon the original (of which I have on a multidisc bootleg CD), but there are limitations.

That said, the band’s performance on “Echoes” (LP4, Side H, Track 1) — especially Dick Parry’s sax solo sequence, and any time guitarist David Gilmour or keyboardist Richard Wright take a solo turn — only adds to the song’s epic nature, but the vocal blends on the verses reveal that even a sonic wizard of Wilson’s stature can’t do everything. I dig the clear vinyl and I do wish the outer box had been made of sturdier stock, but that probably contributed to keeping the cost down. Sports Arena 1975 is worth the freight, but just know what to expect. I only paid $89.98 for it, and since there are many copies available out there, don’t overpay for yours. The Music is a clear 10, but the Sound is 7.5 (on up to 8 at times), as opposed to the original bootleg’s 6 (or 6.5 in spots at best).

Meanwhile, Robert Plant’s All That Glitters EP on Nonesuch — two tracks per side, all at 45rpm — continues with the “mighty rearranger” vibe he’d established on the full Saving Grace LP also released on Nonesuch back on September 26, 2025. (You can read my original NWW report about that LP here, in a story that posted on July 16, 2025.)

The best Glitters track to my ears is “Poison” (Side B, Track 2), a Bert Jansch cover that opens with serious bass content, followed by Suzi Dian’s accordion and Barney Morse-Brown’s cello. Plant and Dian’s vocal blend is sublime, especially when the instrumentation drops out during the “old coat / new coat” sequence. Plant’s naked vocal carries the track forward from there until Dian returns to help carry it home. Simply haunting, every time I cue “Poison” up. Music: 10. Sound: 10.

Anyway, that’s the quarter-half of my RSD spoils for the time being. And now, it’s Mark’s turn to share his RSD 2026 highlights. Take it away, Mark! (More from me in the Footnotes section below, btw.)

Mark Smotroff: Thanks, Mike. Due to unusual circumstances, I found myself deep in California’s central valley farming heartland, and thus celebrated RSD 2026 in Modesto this year. The first shop I went to — where I waited in line for an hour with at least 100 other vinyl fans — was a charming, and no doubt much loved, little shop that is just getting off the ground, Broken Records. They moved the crowd through remarkably quickly — it was so small they were only letting in five people at a time — but when I got inside, I learned that they hadn’t even ordered the XTC album I most wanted that day — Live Boots – Live at Emerald City 1981 on Ape House (RSD Exclusive; 2,500 copies). After looking around the store, I left with one fairly priced original UK 12-inch EP by The Fall, and moved on.

For my next RSD destination, I scurried over to another shop in town that is part of Berkeley’s Rasputin Records and uses their periodic pop-up “Mad Monk” moniker for the enormous space. Think of it like an old Kmart or supermarket-sized hall that also happens to feature a blend of clothing and other merchandise, in addition to at least one-third of the space dedicated to vinyl, along with CDs and DVDs.

Despite all that floor space, they unfortunately only had one lonely-looking small crate of RSD wares tucked away in the very back of the store. By the time I got there, it was down to but a few albums and singles. Fortunately, the RSD Gods were smiling down upon me, and I scored the last (and possibly only!) copy of Live Boots they had there! I’m not sure, but I wouldn’t be surprised if it was only copy in the region.

For additional background, XTC’s Live Boots – Live at Emerald City 1981 was among the first XTC live recordings I ever got my hands on back in the early 1980s when I was getting much more deeply into the band’s music — see my cassette copy of it above! Come back on Friday for my full assessment of Live Boots in a separate post (along with a few other RSD selections).

I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention another RSD 2026 favorite of mine — namely, the wonderful 3LP set from Elemental Music featuring blues legend Freddie King live in France at the top of his game, less than a year before his untimely passing in 1976 at age 42. King’s Feeling Alright: The Complete 1975 Nancy Pulsation Concert 2LP set (RSD First; 2,050 copies) finds this blues giant playing live before more than 50,000 adoring fans. Sourced from the original stereo tape reels and mastered by Matthew Lutthans at The Mastering Lab, this collection sounds really quite excellent.

Some of the Nancy Pulsation Concert material had been previously issued on two European CDs many decades ago, but as far as I can tell, this is the first time the entire performance has been officially issued, period, and on vinyl. The pressings are well-centered and quiet, and the liner notes by Cary Baker are appropriately expansive, with keen insights into the performance and the performer.

It’s hard to pin down favorites, but King does play a bunch of tracks from the album he was supporting at that time — a fine record I only recently picked up, in fact — 1975’s Larger Than Life (RSO). King kicks off the concert in fine form with “Have You Ever Loved a Woman?” (LP1, Side A, Track 1), while other cuts like “The Things I Used to Do” (LP1, Side B, Track 2) simply smoke. He also covers T-Bone Walker’s “Stormy Monday Blues” (LP2, Side C, Track 4), and the album title refers to his fine take on Dave Mason’s Traffic hit, "Feeling Alright" (LP3, Side F, Track 2). (Footnote 1) The Music on Nancy Pulsation Concert gets a 9, and the Sound gets an 8.

Finally, I should note that as I was trundling around California’s central valley that day, I was also looking for non-RSD 2026 titles. Along the way, I discovered a surprisingly robust newer store in Turlock, a very nice city about 20 miles south of Modesto (a quick ride on Highway 99, for any locals reading this). Down in the old town on East Main Street is a collaborative shop that includes CV Records & Tapes, which fills up the entire back of the store.

They have a surprisingly rich selection for the area, so I was thrilled to find some cool buys on rare original jazz pressings by pianist Randy Weston on Riverside and United Artists, as well as a nice Gene Ammons jammer on Prestige (with the original “fireworks” label) for under $10.

I also scored some fun finds out of their $1 bins, including a mismatched but still rare copy of the iconic Johnny Ace memorial album, replacing an original 1956 Duke pressing (with the purple and yellow label, and in okay shape for its age/vintage) with a really clean 1961 reissue cover. Someday, I hope to find the original cover — but for now, I’m happy to have the early vinyl pressing on this R&B classic.

There were many other bargains I grabbed at the time that I’ll post about elsewhere in my social media accounts after I clean those LPs up, but it was all a great reminder that Record Store Day doesn’t only have to be about getting higher-priced, day-specific special editions. Moral of the RSD story: Be sure to support your favorite indie shops by also looking for the other deals they may have out in the racks too! (Footnote 2)

Author bio: Mark Smotroff is an avid vinyl collector who has also worked in marketing communications for decades. He has reviewed music for eCoustics, among others, and you can see more of his impressive C.V. at LinkedIn.

Footnote 1: AP editor Mike Mettler adds: Sadly, we learned late last night that Dave Mason had passed away at the age of 79 a few days back on April 19, 2026. As I noted over in my own socials, Mason’s show at the Riviera Theatre in North Tonawanda, New York, on March 10, 2020, was the last one I saw before all the pandemic shutdowns went down. Mason’s work with Traffic, as a solo artist, and his late-era Traffic Jam band activity all fueled a brand of rock & roll stew unlike any other. My full appreciation of Mason’s long and storied career will be coming soon to our sister site Stereophile, though I may dig out the full interview I conducted with him in May 2018 for AP. Stay tuned either way.

Footnote 2: Mark makes a good point here — and I too got some non-RSD LPs on that day when I was at Revolver: 1) The Blues Project’s 1966 debut LP Projections stereo reissue on Verve Forecast; and 2) The United States of America’s self-titled March 1968 debut LP reissue on Sundazed. My final thought: Get out there and shop for LPs whenever you can!