New wave essentials: The 10 best vinyl deals available on Amazon this week
Welcome back to Far Out’s weekly vinyl corner feature, where we look to bring you a tempting selection of records from some of our favourite artists, bargain vinyl deals to look out for, and unmissable limited-edition releases. Today, we’re celebrating new-wave with ten essential picks from the subgenre that emerged in the late 1970s.
Vinyl sales grew for the 15th consecutive year in 2022, rising to 5.5million units, the highest level since 1990, when …But Seriously by Phil Collins was the year’s biggest-selling studio album. The return to plastic has steadily climbed since the invasion of streaming services in the late 2000s. While the weightless, highly accessible and practical format is great for discovering and consuming swathes of new music while you’re out and about, there’s nothing like coming home to a bit of vinyl.
Fellow collectors will agree that if there’s an artist or album you love, there’s always a good reason to have the turntable at the ready and a 12″ slot reserved on the shelf for inevitable expansion. The sound quality of vinyl brings something more hearty and vibrant with its analogue warmth and crisp definition that there really isn’t a substitute for.
So if, like me, you have a soft spot for these groovy discs of plastic, allow me to walk you through ten hot picks for this week. The list includes the essentials of the new-wave era, from Talking Heads to The B-52s.
The following selections have been handpicked by Far Out Magazine, and as a result, we may earn from qualifying purchases.
The 10 best vinyl deals available on Amazon this week
Blondie – Parallel Lines
Perhaps the most “new-wave” new-wave album arrived in 1978 courtesy of Blondie. Prior to this masterpiece of pop rock, Debbie Harry and the gang had focussed on a more esoteric punk-orientated sound. Parallel Lines was the group’s third studio album, marking their commercial breakthrough and first UK number one.
This classic is void of dull corners, but most people would cite ‘Hanging on the Telephone’, ‘One Way or Another’, ‘Sunday Girl’, ‘Picture This’, and ‘Heart of Glass’ as its most salient moments. These hits are sure to get the crowd moving at Glastonbury 2023.
Available for purchase here from £27.99.
Television – Marquee Moon
Television formed in New York City in 1973, just before punk took a firm hold on the city. With their most prominent lineup consisting of Tom Verlaine, Richard Lloyd, Billy Ficca and Fred Smith, the group released their masterpiece debut album, Marquee Moon, in 1977.
The album was a true masterpiece and, with its more complex approach, became one of the earliest releases regarded as post-punk or new-wave, alongside Talking Heads’ debut of the same year. Alongside its iconic title track, Marquee Moon is home to essentials like ‘Friction’, ‘See No Evil’, ‘Venus’ and ‘Prove It’.
Available for purchase here from £23.63.
The B-52s – The B-52s
In 1976, The B-52s formed in Athens, Georgia. The group hit an early creative peak with their masterpiece debut album of 1979. The B-52s was home to all-time classics of the new-wave genre like ‘Rock Lobster’, ‘Planet Claire’, ‘Dance This Mess Around’ and ’52 Girls’
The album proved to be one of John Lennon’s favourites of the era. “I was at a dance club one night in Bermuda,” Lennon said in an interview recorded three days before his death. “Upstairs, they were playing disco, and downstairs I suddenly heard ‘Rock Lobster’ by the B-52s for the first time. Do you know it? It sounds just like Yoko’s music. I said to myself, ‘It’s time to get out the old axe and wake the wife up.'”
Available for purchase here from £27.37.
Talking Heads – Talking Heads: 77
At the height of the New York City punk movement, Talking Heads led the way to a more intriguing and artistic direction for rock. Their debut album of 1977, aptly titled Talking Heads: 77, was months ahead of its time and consequently garnered much interest, crucially that of Brian Eno, who would produce their next three albums.
Talking Heads: 77 was most famously home to ‘Psycho Killer’, but also held the might of ‘Uh-Oh, Love Comes to Town’, ‘New Feeling’, ‘No Compassion’, ‘Happy Day’ and ‘Don’t Worry About the Government’ in its colourful ranks.
Available for purchase here from £25.87.
The Cars – The Cars [First Press]
The Cars became Boston’s most promising submission to the new wave movement in 1978 following the release of their eponymous debut. The Cars gave punk rock a delectable sheen and introduced the band’s aesthetic with a progressive sound foreshadowing the ’80s’ synth era to come.
The Cars peaked at number 18 on the Billboard 200 and remains the band’s most beloved release. ‘My Best Friend’s Girl’, ‘Good Times Roll’, ‘Just What I Needed’, ‘I’m in Touch with Your World’ and ‘You’re All I’ve Got Tonight’ are among the release’s highlights.
Available for purchase here from £31.49.
The Police – Reggatta de Blanc
The Police released their first album, Outlandos d’Amour, in 1978 to widespread applause, but it wasn’t until 1979’s Reggatta de Blanc that they struck perfection. With Sting’s reggae-inspired vocal style, Stuart Copeland’s virtuosic drumming and Andy Summers’ melodic guitar lines, it’s a real treat for the ears.
The album was the band’s first to top the UK Albums Chart thanks to the buoying poser of its singles, ‘Message in a Bottle’, ‘Walking on the Moon’, ‘Bring On the Night’ and ‘The Bed’s Too Big Without You’.
Available for purchase here from £27.65.
Roxy Music – Avalon [Half Speed Master]
This final studio effort from Roxy Music from 1982 came ten years after their eponymous debut. The release showed just how far they had come in that time. Avalon mastered Roxy’s later, more pop-orientated period that fused with new wave seamlessly with that trademark Bryan Ferry style.
Avalon is home to a bounty of highlights, including the lead singles ‘Avalon’ and ‘More Than This’, but also holds so much to be explored in its underbelly, with the wonderfully textured ‘True To Life’ always raising the neck hairs. The fantastic production and mastering on the album make it a must-have for any budding record collectors out there, especially with this half-speed cut.
Available for purchase here from £32.55.
The Psychedelic Furs – Talk Talk Talk
The Psychedelic Furs set off as a post-punk group in the late 1970s with their moody, saxophone-adorned masterpiece, The Psychedelic Furs, introducing a wider audience to Richard Butler’s unique vocals for the first time in 1980.
As they progressed, the Furs aligned themselves increasingly with the burgeoning synth-pop scene of the 1980s. The band’s second album, Talk Talk Talk, arrived in 1981 and was their first to land beneath the banner of new-wave. Beyond its era-defining hit ‘Pretty in Pink’, Talk Talk Talk also houses ‘Dumb Waiters’, ‘She Is Mine’ and ‘Into You Like a Train’.
Available for purchase here from £16.73.
New Order – Power Corruption & Lies
After Ian Curtis’ death and Joy Division’s end, the remaining members reunited as New Order. After dabbling with synthesisers for their enjoyable yet unbalanced Joy Division hangover album, Movement, in 1981, they returned with a seminal classic and quite possibly their masterpiece in 1983’s Power Corruption & Lies.
The album boasts some of New Order’s most memorable early hits, including ‘Age of Consent’, ‘Leave Me Alone’, ‘The Village’, ‘Your Silent Face’ and ‘Ultraviolence’. This new reissue available on Amazon is cut on high-quality 180g vinyl.
Available for purchase here from £23.76.
XTC – English Settlement
English Settlement arrived in 1982 as the fifth studio album and first double album by the English new wave group XTC. The music marked a turn towards the more erudite, acoustic-driven pop hits that would define the band’s latter material.
Compared with the band’s previous offerings, English Settlement showcased more complex and arrangements, both lyrically and instrumentally. The album is home to essentials of the era such as ‘Senses Working Overtime’, ‘Ball and Chain’, ‘No Thugs in Our House’ and ‘Runaways’.
Available for purchase here from £23.95.
