Mike Mettler

Our dime dancing is officially through, as we just got the news that the eagerly awaited LP reissue of Steely Dan’s indisputable September 1977 masterpiece Aja has now been given an official release date of September 29. The 180 1LP edition comes via Geffen/UMe, while the 30,000 numbered-copy limited-edition 200g 45rpm version on Ultra High-Quality Vinyl (UHQR) comes courtesy Analogue Productions. Read on to glean more about the source material for the new vinyl versions of Aja, as well as what the respective SRPs will be. . .

Has it really been 45 years since Rhino Records put out their very first release in 1978? (Bonus points to those of you who remember “Rocky,” the original Elvis-ified Rhino company logo from back in the day.) In celebration of Rhino’s 45th anniversary this year, the vaunted archival label is launching what they’re calling Rhino Reds, a new series of limited-edition reissues pressed on custom “Rhino Red” vinyl. Read on to see which 12 LPs from Rhino’s deep catalog will be getting the Red carpet treatment over the next few months. . .

The well-respected entertainment data company Luminate recently released their Midyear Music Report, which confirms vinyl sales are on the rise yet again. Therein, Luminate reports that vinyl sales saw a 21.7 percent increase in the first half of 2023. Read on to see more about how our favorite format is doing this year to date, along with some other key vinyl-specific data stats of interest. . .

Tom Waits hit a new creative stride in the 1980s, starting with his acclaimed September 1983 masterstroke Swordfishtrombones — a breakthrough “junkyard orchestral deviation” (his words) — that culminated four LPs later with November 1993’s The Black Rider. Starting September 1, Island/UMe is re-releasing all five of these key Waits midperiod Island Records LPs via 180g black vinyl and limited-edition color variants with the first three titles slated for September 1, and the remaining two to follow on October 6. Read on to find out more about which specific Waits Island-era titles are forthcoming, and what they each entail. . .