The Vinyl Odyssey

Review Of The Year 2022

We have decided to give the purveyors of vinyl a rest this week and do what everyone seems to do at this time of year. We are going to review all the albums the stores we have visited have selected for the Press On collection. We’ll also tell you our own personal top 10 favourite music of the year.

I have had to set some rules for this so the reviews will be a maximum of 10 words and a rating out of 10. Now for those of you who don’t know Steve he suffers from an over active verbosity gland so getting him down to 10 words is quite a task. Our individual top 10’s have to be new music released in 2022, no re releases or live albums, each selection can be an album, E.P. or single.

We’d also like to take this opportunity to thank the team at Press On Vinyl for asking us to produce these blogs. When they originally asked us this time last year they basically had an empty factory unit but with great determination and hard work they are now cutting lacquers, making stampers and pressing some of the best quality vinyl in the world.

I know that 2023 is going to be really exciting particularly with the Fairsound platform offering all artists the chance to be immortalized in vinyl.

Record store selections reviews – 2022

Witch – introduction and in the past (1972) – Ross Kemp – Bad Neighbour Records

Zamrock good in parts but a little dated – 5.5/10 (Neil)

Very basic production but amazing when consideration is given to their then circumstances & surroundings 6.5/10 (Steve)

King Crimson – In The Court of the crimson king (1969)- Bill Aitkin – Middlesbrough Record Fair

Classic early prog rock very influential – 7/10 (Neil)

Truly a classic album, set the bar within their musical field and they went on to produce better 9/10 (Steve)

Richard and Linda Thompson – First Light (1978) – Mike Wallbank – Middlesbrough Record Fair

Folk rock not blown away but pleasant enough – 6/10 (Neil)

Big fan and an excellent choice but Mark, above the two ‘Lights’ albums Hmm… 7/10 (Steve)

Prefab Sprout- From Langley Park to Memphis (1988)- Eddie McKay – Middlesbrough Record Fair

Absolutely amazing from the genius Paddy McAloon – 9/10 (Neil)

Neil I concur but for 10/10 listen to Steve McQueen 8.5/10 (Steve)

A Winged Victory for the Sullen – Self Titled (2011) – Stuart Willoughby – Sound It Out Records

Pretty dour and mournful or lugubrious if you prefer sorry Stu – 4/10 (Neil)

Neil, granted not the easiest listen but I love solo piano music (classical & Jazz) hence 8/10 (Steve)

Squid – Bright Green Field (2021) – Eddie Parkinson – Vinyl Eddie

Dystopian post punk rock pretty good debut album – 6.5/10 (Neil)

The jury is still out on this one. Can’t see the punk ref. but interesting 6.5/10 (Steve)

ROB – Self Titled (1977) – Mark – Black Slab Records

West African funk ….. boogie on – 5.5/10 (Neil)

I love this and I don’t dance 7/10 (Steve)

Red House Painters – Ocean Beach (1995)- Howard Church – RPM Discs

It’s growing on me …slowly – 6/10 (Neil)

Big fan of Mark Koselek, try his solo stuff or ‘Songs for a blue guitar’ 8.5/10 (Steve)

Rush – All the World’s a Stage (1976) – Mark Wilcox – Betterdaze Records

Great musicians, grating vocals – 5.5/10 (Neil)

50% Rock 50% Prog mullets galore but a great band 7/10 (Steve)

CUD – Asquarious (1992) – Jon Moss – The Vinyl Whistle

Excellent Indie rock thanks Jon – 7/10 (Neil)

Great choice Jon, a band that deserves more attention 7.5/10 (Steve)

Los Bitchos – Let the Festivities begin (2022) – Jed Mountain – Crash Records

No vocals just bouncy pan continental party music – 6.5/10 (Neil)

An indie James Last with attitude (under 50, google it) 6.5/10 (Steve)

Kevin Morby – This is a Photograph (2022) – Matt Bradshaw – Jumbo Records

Quite a discovery looking forward to listening to more from Kevin – 8/10 (Neil)

Bang on Neil, strong song writing. Check out the album ‘Singing Saw’ 8/10 (Steve)

Well I hope that that might spur you on to listen to a few of those albums it’s really well worth going out of your comfort zone occasionally.

What did those reviews tell us?

1. Steve and I very rarely agree
2. I’m a lot more concise than Steve
3. Steve can’t count to 10

Neil’s 2022 Albums of the year

Taylor Swift – Midnights
1975 – Being Funny in a Foreign Language
The Mountain Goats – Bleed out
Jamie T – The Theory of Whatever
Harry Styles – Harry’s House
Stormzy – This is What I Mean
The Delines – The Sea Drift
Opus Kink – ‘Til the Stream Runs Dry (E.P.)
First Aid Kit – Palomino
Lizzie Esau – Bleak Sublime (single)
Bubbling under
Komparrison – You say she’s satisfied (E.P.)

Steve’s 2022 Albums of the Year

Vieux Farka Toure & Khruangbin – Ali
Joan Shelley – The Spur
The Delines – The Sea Drift
Wilco – Cruel country
Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever – Endless rooms
The Weather Station – How is it that I should look at the stars
Father John Misty – Chloe and the next 20th century
Weyes Blood – And in the darkness, Hearts Aglow
Michael Head & the Red Elastic Band – Dear Scott
The Smile – A light for attracting attention
Bubbling under
Bill Callahan – REALITY

P.S. Thanks for reading have a Soulful Christmas and a Heavy Metal New Year

Check out more Vinyl Odyssey here

Copyright © Press On Vinyl Ltd 2022

Login to your account