Best Of 2015: Ronnie Barnett, The Muffs

Reissues of the Year:

1. Various Artists, Ork Records: New York, New York (Numero Group): The complete output of the amazing 1970s label finally compiled with perhaps the most lavish and beautiful packaging of any reissue, ever. Essential.

2. Bad Company, Bad Company/Straight Shooter (Swan Song/Rhino): A fucking revelation! These two disc sets offer remastered versions of both albums alongside a multitude of (gasp) previously unheard alternate takes & unreleased songs. Oh my…

3. Suburban Lawns, Suburban Lawns (Futurismo): At last this classic finally gets reissued for the first time. Hopefully this will renew interest and inspire a disc of demos and unreleased tracks. I can dream, can’t I??

4. Continental Drifters, Drifted: In The Beginning & Beyond (Omnivore): Perhaps the greatest widely unheard supergroup of all time. The talent and songwriting in this band will be a revelation to the uninitiated. Better than the Band… they’re that good.

5. Really Red, The Complete Collection: 1979-1985 (Alternative Tentacles): This Houston group were very special. Their music is far beyond “punk” and has not aged a day. My childhood heroes!

6. Velvet Underground, The Complete Matrix Tapes (Universal): Soundboard tapes from 1969 spread over four discs, enough said. The inside word is that it’s already out of print and Universal is not doing another pressing. Grab it if you still can.

7. Game Theory, Real Nighttime (Omnivore): The reissue of the catalog of my favorite band continues. So much more than merely a power pop band. The campaign continues next year, get ’em all!

8. Dictators, Go Girl Crazy! 40th Anniversary Remastered & Expanded Edition (Epic/Real Gone Music): The title says it all. Long overdue overhaul of one the most classic and influential albums of all time. I am right!!

10. Bruce Springsteen, The Ties That Bind: The River Collection (Columbia): No explanation necessary.

11. The Professionals, The Complete Professionals (Virgin UK): The collected works of the highly underrated band Steve Jones and Paul Cook formed after the breakup of the Sex Pistols. You might not have heard them; now is the time.

12. Yes, Progeny: Seven Shows From Seventy-Two (Atlantic/Rhino): Some might find a 14-disc box set of seven shows with identical set lists recorded in the same week to be a bit excessive… not me.

Runners Up:

Saved By The Bell: The Complete Works Of Robin Gibb 1968-1970 (Warner Brothers)

The Sound, Jeopardy/From The Lion’s Mouth/All Fall Down… Plus (Edsel UK)

The Sound, Shock Of Daylight/Heads And Hearts/In The Hothouse/Thunder Up/Propaganda (Edsel UK)

Faces, 1970-1975: You Can Make Me Dance, Sing Or Anything… (Warner Brothers)

The Jam, Fire And Skill (Polydor/Universal UK)

The Muffs’ self-titled debut was reissued by Omnivore Recordings in June with oodles of extra tracks.