A to Z
AMERICAN FOOTBALL
Year One Demos POLYVINYL
7/10
Previously unreleased demos for diehards
American Football’s 1999 full-length debut is a pinnacle of second-wave emo, a fusion of math rock, jazz and tender lyrics. Known for soft guitar textures and Mike Kinsella’s earnest singing, these Illinois college students have become an unlikely point of interest for younger generations: before a 2014 deluxe reissue, copies of original CD and vinyl pressings would fetch more than $100 on Discogs. The four demos that comprise this limited-edition 12in were recorded to two-track in May 1997, and reveal the earliest creative ambition of a group who claim they had no career plans. The signature trumpet line on “The Summer Ends” is missing here, while “For Sure” hums alongside a drum machine as drummer Steve Lamos plays trumpet. “Five Silent Miles” here became the last track on the band’s 1998 EP, twinkling guitars woven with rolling snare hits, this demo version fuzzier and slightly longer than on the record. “Song #1_Song#2”, meanwhile, is a loose jam that portends elements of songs to come, with loud-soft dynamics and slack trumpet. All are too inside baseball for casual fans, but a delight for diehards. Extras: None. ERIN OSMON
THE BAND
The Band: 50th Anniversary Reissue CAPITOL
10/10
The classic second LP complemented by new outtakes and entire Woodstock set
The Band have been well served for bonus material thanks to the boxset A Musical History and earlier remastered editions of the studio albums, but this 50th-anniversary reissue of their faultless second LP still digs deep to find six unreleased studio cuts. The other eye-catching addition is their entire Woodstock set (though it did feature in the full Woodstock box released earlier in the year). This drew largely from Music From Big Pink supplemented by versions of “Don’t Ta Tell Henry”, “Loving You Is Sweeter Than Ever”, “Baby Don’t You Do It” and a splendid “Ain’t No Cane On The Brazos”. Getting the whole thing in one place is a real joy. The new bonus material includes a slightly heavier “Up On Cripple Creek”, a much slower “Rag Mama Rag” with piano intro rather than the album’s violin, plus a rattling a cappella “Rockin’ Chair” and instrumental versions of “Up On Cripple Creek” and “Look Out Cleveland”. There are also the seven outtakes that appeared on the earlier remaster, plus a scrubbed-up Bob Clearmountain remix of the album itself for the audiophiles. Extras: 8/10. Outtakes and demos, 7” repro of “Rag Mama Rag”/“The Unfaithful Servant” and hardbound book. Also available in various formats, including 45 RPM 2LP version of studio LP. PETER WATTS
