Records of the Month coming to VMP in July, August and September 2023

The months of July, August and September are STACKED here at Vinyl Me, Please. We're here to tell you all about them. Without further ado, here's the upcoming Records of the Month: 

    

Essentials: Sly & The Family Stone’s There's a Riot Goin' On, Bone Thugs N Harmony’s E.1999 Eternal & Santigold’s Santigold

In July, VMP Essentials subscribers will receive Sly & The Family Stone’s There’s a Riot Goin’ On, a pivotal album that challenged what was possible for Black artists in popular music. The VMP edition is pressed on exclusive 180g “Luv N’ Haight” colored vinyl with AAA lacquers cut from tapes by Ryan Smith at Sterling Sound. It comes with Listening Notes written by Shannon J. Effinger (Shannon Ali) and an original art print by Jean Pierre Consuegra. 

Sign up now to receive There’s a Riot Goin’ On. 

In August, the featured Essentials Record of the Month is Bone Thugs-N-Harmony’s E. 1999 Eternal. The album, originally released in 1995, pays tribute to their late mentor, Eazy-E, and immediately rose to success as one of the best hip-hop albums of the decade. The VMP exclusive edition of E. 1999 Eternal is the first-ever vinyl release with the album’s original cover art. It’s pressed on 2LP Red-N-White vinyl with lacquers cut by Ryan Smith at Sterling Sound and comes with a Listening Notes booklet written by David Ma along with an art print. 

Sign up here to receive an email notification when E. 1999 Eternal becomes available starting July 20. 

In September, VMP Essentials subscribers will receive Santigold’s self-titled album, Santigold. As her debut album, Santigold had a singular vision to release uncompromising music. With rock foundations at the heart of her album, flourished with pop, reggae, dub and electronic production, Santigold is the result of the pursuit of desire. The 15th-anniversary edition of Santigold is pressed on 180g Gold Nugget vinyl with lacquers cut by Ryan Smith at Sterling Sound. The package comes with a booklet designed by Santigold and Matt Meiners. It also comes with an art print by Isabelle Lumpkin.

Sign up here to receive an email notification when Santigold becomes available starting August 17. 

    

Classics: McCoy Tyner’s Trident, Wynton Marsalis’ Black Codes (From The Underground) & Hound Dog Taylor and The HouseRockers’ Natural Boogie

In July, the featured Classics Record of the Month is McCoy Tyner’s Trident, a 1975 album that achieved his true vision for a jazz piano trio in an era where he solidified his role as part of the jazz elite. The VMP edition of Trident is here on 180g black vinyl with AAA lacquers cut from master tapes by Ryan Smith at Sterling Sound. It comes with a Listening Notes booklet by Andy Beta.

Sign up now to receive Trident.    

This August, VMP Classics subscribers will receive Wynton Marsalis’ Black Codes (From the Underground). The album, an unrelenting record that highlights his rigor, ambition and intellect, is pressed on 180g black vinyl with DAA lacquers cut from tapes by Ryan Smith at Sterling Sound. It comes with a Listening Notes booklet written by Natalie Weiner.

Sign up here to receive an email notification when Black Codes (From the Underground)  becomes available starting July 20. 

In September, Hound Dog Taylor and The HouseRockers’ Natural Boogie is the VMP Classics Record of the Month. Natural Boogie is a raucous record and the debut album on the label Alligator Records. It’s here on 180g black vinyl with AAA lacquers cut from the master tapes by Ryan Smith at Sterling Sound. It comes with a Listening Notes booklet written by Andrew Winistorfer and features an interview with Alligator Records’ founder Bruce Iglauer. 

Sign up here to receive an email notification when Natural Boogie becomes available starting August 17. 

    

Hip-Hop: Q-Tip’s Kamaal the Abstract, Atmosphere’s When Life Gives You Lemons, You Paint That Shit Gold, Aesop Rock’s None Shall Pass

In July, VMP Hip-Hop subscribers will receive Q-Tip’s Kamaal the Abstract, an album that, up until that point, served as an outlet for Q-Tip to musically explore where he could be most free and vulnerable, with jazz music setting the foundation. Shelved for years before being released in edited form, the VMP edition of this album is the first-ever wide release of the 2001 version of Kamaal the Abstract, with lacquers cut by Cicely Balston of Alchemy Mastering at AIR. It’s pressed on exclusive 180g Black, White and Yellow Segment vinyl and comes with a Listening Notes booklet by Elijah C. Watson. 

Sign up now to receive Kamaal the Abstract.

In August, the 15th-anniversary edition of Atmosphere’s When Life Gives You Lemons, You Paint That Shit Gold, one of Atmosphere’s finest works, will make its way to VMP Hip-Hop. The gilded classic is pressed on 2LP Yellow & White Cornetto vinyl with lacquers cut by Barry Grint at Alchemy Mastering at AIR and comes with Listening Notes by Steven Potter. 

Sign up here to receive an email notification when When Life gives You Lemons, You Paint That Shit Gold  becomes available starting July 20. 

This September, VMP Hip-Hop subscribers can anticipate Aesop Rock’s None Shall Pass, an album written in the wake of the rapper’s newfound isolation and ruminations. It’s here on exclusive 2LP Gold and Black Marble vinyl with lacquers cut by Barry Grint at Alchemy Mastering at AIR, and comes with a Listening Notes booklet by Paul Thompson.

Sign up here to receive an email notification when None Shall Pass becomes available starting August 17. 

    

Country: Ramblin’ Jack Elliott’s Ramblin’ Jack Elliott, Waylon Jennings’ The Taker/Tulsa, Chalino Sánchez’s 15 Éxitos 15

This July, VMP Country members will get Ramblin’ Jack Elliott’s from Ramblin’ Jack Elliott, the folk artist’s optimistic and spirited 1961 self-titled album. The VMP edition is pressed on exclusive 180g Baby Blue vinyl with AAA lacquers cut from the original master tapes by Sterling Sound’s Ryan Smith, and includes a Listening Notes booklet by Kyle Kramer. 

Sign up now to receive Ramblin’ Jack Elliott. 

In August, Waylon Jennings’ The Taker/Tulsa is the VMP Country Record of the Month. The album marked a pivotal moment in between Jennings’ early career and his later success, showcasing the artist in a pre-outlaw period. The album is pressed on 180g Olive Green vinyl with AAA lacquers cut from tapes by Ryan Smith at Sterling Sound. It includes Listening Notes by Andrew Winistorfer. 

Sign up here to receive an email notification when The Taker/Tulsa  becomes available starting July 20. 

For the month of September, Country subscribers can discover Chalino Sánchez’s posthumous 15 Éxitos 15, a narcocorrido album that collects 15 of his finest songs. The first ever vinyl release of any Chalino Sanchez album, it’s available on 2LP Red + Yellow vinyl with lacquers cut by Cicely Balston of Alchemy Mastering at AIR. It comes with Listening Notes written by Erick Galindo.

Sign up here to receive an email notification when 15 Éxitos 15 becomes available starting August 17. 

    

Vinyl Me, Parton: Just Because I’m a Woman, 9 to 5 and Odd Jobs & Backwoods Barbie

This quarter features two of Dolly Parton’s most well-known albums, and an album from 2008 debuting on vinyl for the first time as part of Vinyl Me, Parton. 

In July, Vinyl Me, Parton members will receive a 55th Anniversary edition of Just Because I’m a Woman, Dolly’s landmark debut for RCA, the label she’d be on for 30 years. Remastered AAA from the original audio tapes, our edition comes on exclusive 180g Canary Yellow Galaxy vinyl. The album has been out of print for years, the most recent reissue coming in the 2010s. 

Sign up now to receive Just Because I’m a Woman, and to Join Vinyl Me, Parton. 

In August, Vinyl Me, Parton members will stumble out of bed into a brand new edition of 9 to 5 and Odd Jobs, the soundtrack to Dolly’s career-making acting role in the movie 9 to 5. Featuring its mega-hit title track, it hasn’t been reissued on vinyl in more than 40 years. Our edition comes on exclusive “Rising Sun" Galaxy colored vinyl and was remastered AAA from the original master tapes. 

And finally, in September, Backwoods Barbie makes its vinyl debut as part of Vinyl Me, Parton. Originally released in 2008, the album was a mega smash that reminded everyone that Dolly was still here, and could still top the country charts. It appears here with lacquers cut by Ryan Smith on 2LP Hot Pink Galaxy vinyl.