Okayplayer's 15 Essential Vinyl Releases For Record Store Day 2015

Tomorrow, Saturday, April 18th is Record Store Day 2015. Or, for our purposes, the day when the time-honored act of crate-digging steps out of the shadows, no longer treated as a dirty, furtive, compulsive habit to be performed on the sly and glossed over during party conversations--like looking at porn or sneaking puffs of weed on your coffee break--and becomes a public act of affirmation of all that is good and beautiful in life. The day when we recognize the propriety, nay, the necessity even, of all right-thinking people, anyone who doesn't want good music to disappear from the planet, replaced by digital, invasion-of-the-body-snatcher simulacra, to walk into a shop and buy some damn records. The vinyl kind. Kind of like what Monday (4/20) is for those of you furtively sneaking puffs of weed on your coffee break, in fact.

And while the establishment of a commemorative day hasn't slowed down (y)our pursuit (vinyl purchases are up over 50% in the first quarter of this year alone) we figured we'd provide you with a little guiding light for your tote-bag excursions this weekend, directing some shine toward the most essential pressings timed to this year's RSD, worthy additions to any collector's end-of-day stack. From an insanely rare Black Star offering to D'Angelo's deceptively powerful Black Messiah cut to J Dilla's own cop-smashing anthem to Jimi, Sly,Marvin and far beyond, we've got you covered on all accounts. So keep this list in your pocket as you weed through the wood shit and get to the good shit. We'll be cheering for your all the way through.

1. Black Star (Yasiin Bey & Talib Kweli)  - "The Fix Up"/ "You Already Knew"  

What's that you say? You never knew the BK MC and Black Dante got on a track with the mighty Madlib? Well, the hip-hop gods have graced us with a little reminder in the form of this ultra exclusive pressing of their supreme 2011 one-off "The Fix Up" on a stylin', you guessed it, black star-shaped vinyl with the b-side holding their Oh No-produced heater "You Already Knew." This one will be out there in extremely limited quantities, so hit up Fat Beats for the scoop.

2. D'Angelo & The Vanguard - "The Charade/"1000 Deaths"

D and the new crew's poignant, Prince-styled protest anthem and its hard-nosed Black Messiah counterpart get the in-between-the-grooves treatment on a limited edition 7-inch pressing.

3. Jimi Hendrix - "Purple Haze"/"Freedom"

In 1970, the archetype of purple music was the highest paid performer on the planet, mostly due to the fact that there was no soul on god's green earth that could even hold a light up to the immeasurable greatness that was Jimi Hendrix (we're not biased, though). Recorded at the 1970 Atlanta Pop Festival just two months before he passed, this pressing delivers an intimate glimpse at two of the guitar gawd's most iconic cuts in what may have been one of the very last performances of his tragically short career.

4. J Dilla - "Fuck The Police"

Probably one of the greatest collector's items ever issued. What better way to hit that trademark "on the count of 3" than on a badge-shaped pressing of The GOAT's emotional anthem against "made-a-mistake cops."

Disclaimer - The views expressed on this recording are solely those of the artist and by no means do we encourage or condone violence against law officials

5. J Dilla f. Pharoahe Monch - "Love"

And here's the other side of the rap-game's most prolific do-er; an RSD exclusive 7-inch of Dilla & Pharoahe Monch's lush link-up with full instrumental as a B-side.

6. Marvin Gaye - "How Sweet It Is"/"Once Upon A Time" f. Mary Wells

I don't know about the rest of you, but for this particular Okayplayer, there is but one way to experience Black Sinatra's warm, velvety croon. And that's straight through the grooves. Here lays a celebratory, 50th anniversary cut of one of Marvin's earliest and greatest successes with another A-side ('cause with Mr. Gaye, there are only A-sides) featuring his heavenly Mary Wells-assisted duet "Once Upon A Time."

7. Jurassic 5 - Quality Control The Wood Boxset

Next up is a 4-piece vinyl boxset of Jurassic 5's sophomore classic, featuring both vocal and instrumental versions, complete with a 24-page book of photos and an essay from acclaimed author/record nerd Brian Coleman.

8. KMD - Black Bastards Reissued CD Boxset & Pop-up Book

Alright, so this isn't exactly for your record player. BUT, we're talking about more than novelty here. KMD's lost-to-the-world sophomore record is more than a glimpse at young DOOM under the alias Zev Love X. It's an opportunity to peer into the weird and wonderful mind of one of hip-hop's true geniuses on a record that was originally shelved due its controversial cover art, reprised as a child-not-so-friendly pop-up book. Ole' metal fingers for the win.

9. Otis Redding - Otis Blue: Otis Redding Sings Soul

Here we have what is likely the truest reissue on the list. Otis Redding's third studio album (turning 50 this year) is widely acknowledged as one of the single greatest set of recordings ever cut. It comes with a bonus 45 of the album's original single “I’ve Been Loving You Too Long” pressed to cool blue vinyl so that you can experience the legendary howl of one of soul music's all-timers on one of his most celebrated records.

10. Sly & The Family Stone - Live at the Fillmore East

We put you up on the dopeness of this release just a few days ago, but just in case you missed it, here's a little refresher. In 1968, Sly & The Family Stone had just scored big for the first time on the charts with "Dance To The Music." This show, recorded at New York's Fillmore East provides a rare window into all of the funk, glitz and hits of a soul music giant on the rise. PLUS the live selections on the double-vinyl release were hand-picked by The Roots' own Captain Kirk Douglas.

11. Wu-Tang Clan - "Protect Ya Neck"/"Method Man"

Um. Do ya'll really need any support on this one? Wu-Tang's monstrous posse-cut on a black&yellow colored vinyl? Thank you sir, may I have another? Best listend to while wearing your black-and-yellow "Killa Beez" dunks.

12. Hanni El Khatib - "Devil's Pie" (D'Angelo Cover)

Here's one you'll really need to dig for, as it won't be available nationwide. L.A. rocker Hanni El Khatib's raucous rework of an OKP favorite, printed to a wild cherry pie picture disc.

13. Public Enemy - "Harder Than You Think"

All you need to know is that with PE's 2007 comeback single on wax you can do no wrong.

"Fight the power comes great responsiblity, F the police but whos stoppin you from killin me?"

14. Sun-Ra - Planets Of Life Or Death: Amiens '73

The cosmic jazz crusader's '73 live show, mixed directly from reel-to-reel for an otherworldly sonic experience with the intergalactic Arkestra; it's first time on anything in this galaxy or any other.

14. George Clinton - Chocolate City: London | P-Funk Live at Metropolis Boxset and DVD

Starchild and the gang's London residency captured on wax and film. That's George Clinton, 30 some odd players and a guy in a diaper giving you that super duper low-down funky stuff live and direct with a little help from Joss Stone. The set comes with a full DVD of the performance so you can witness the Mothership's land on foggy London town with clarity through your Bootsy frames.

Honorable Mentions: 

Immortal Technique - Revolutionary Vol. 1; Frank Zappa - Overture From Frank Zappa's "200 MOTELS"; Sun-Ra - Calling Planet Earth; Thelonious Monk - London Session Vol. 2; Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings - Little Boys With Shiny Toys; William Onyeabor - Atomic Bomb Remix; Giorgio Moroder - Lazer Lord EP; Buena Vista Social Club - Chan Chan; The Wonderland Philharmonic - Shogun Assassin OST; Junior Wells - It's My Life Baby; Jaco Pastorius - The Wonder Years; Charlie Parker - The Charlie Parker Story; Stan Getz & Joao Gilberto - Selections Getz/Gilberto; Miles Davis - The Prestige 10-Inch LP Collection Vol. 2; David Bowie - Changes