Sixties Special: The 10 best vinyl deals available on Amazon this week
Welcome back to Far Out’s weekly vinyl corner feature, where we 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. This week we’re celebrating the golden age of rock music with a 1960s special.
In 2021, the recent vinyl resurgence observed another milestone year as record sales surpassed that of CDs for the first time in three decades. The return of the record has been on a steady climb since the invasion of streaming services in the late 2000s. While the weightless, highly accessible and practical format is excellent for discovering and consuming lots of new music while you’re out and about, there’s nothing like coming home for to bit of vinyl.
Collectors across the globe agree that if there’s an artist or album you love, there’s always a reason to have a turntable at the ready and a 12” space reserved on the shelf. The sound quality of vinyl brings something more hearty and vibrant with its analogue warmth and crisp definition for which there is no substitute.
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. We have a selection of British invasion classics from The Beatles to The Who and some favourites from across the pond, including Bob Dylan and Leonard Cohen.
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:
The Beatles – The Beatles
In the latter half of the 1960s, The Beatles drew increasingly from psychedelic and Indian influences and practically invented what would later be coined “prog-rock”. After the massive success of colourful Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band in 1967, the band set off to India for their famous meditative odyssey under the mentorship of Maharishi Mahesh Yogi.
When they arrived back in the UK, The Beatles had written a number of songs that would make the cut for the so-called White Album. The eclectic double album was home to such classics as ‘Blackbird’, ‘Helter Skelter’, ‘While My Guitar Gently Weeps’ and ‘Back in the USSR.’
Available for purchase here for £38.79.
Cream – Live Cream Vol. 1
Cream only existed for two and half years, from playing the Twisted Wheel on July 29th, 1966, to their very public farewell gig at London’s Royal Albert Hall on November 26th 1968. Their work rate was prodigious, and in addition to incessant touring, they released four LPs, one a double.
Many posthumous compilations were released, including two volumes of Live Cream, to which this record is a compliment. Side one includes seven previously unreleased recordings from BBC sessions, while side two features five tracks recorded for French Radio in 1967. The tracklist consists of ‘I’m So Glad’, ‘Spoonful’ and ‘Sunshine of Your Love’.
Available for purchase here for £19.98.
Led Zeppelin – Led Zeppelin II
After the success of the trailblazing hard rock of their eponymous 1969 debut album, Led Zeppelin were ready to follow it up with the second volume later that same decade’s final year. This was the album where the proto-metal icons really clicked.
Led Zeppelin II seemed to consolidate the heavy blues innovation trialled on the debut album as Jimmy Page began to show his true guitar virtuosity, and Robert Plant made his voice heard by the masses across the Atlantic. The album is home to some of the band’s most adored early hits, including ‘Whole Lotta Love’, ‘Heartbreaker’, ‘Ramble On’ and ‘What Is and What Should Never Be’.
Available for purchase here for £20.25.
David Bowie – Space Oddity
Originally released in 1969, Space Oddity marked David Bowie’s second studio album and first sniff at commercial success, thanks to its eponymous lead single. The album marked a transition from his earlier cabaret/avant-garde sounds to a more accessible hippie/folk-based sound.
This early success has since been considered a triumph with some of Bowie’s greatest deep cuts, including ‘Letter to Hermione’, ‘Unwashed and Somewhat Slightly’ and ‘Cygnet Committee’.
Available for purchase here for £24.15.
Bob Dylan – The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan
While Bob Dylan’s 1962 debut album showed promise, 1963’s The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan changed the course of history for the young singer and the world at large. The young folkie showed the true potential of his lyrical skills while giving a thankful nod to the giants on whose shoulders he stood.
Exploring serious themes like war and civil rights, Dylan makes important observations, often with a humorous twist. The album is home to such classics as ‘Girl from the North Country’, ‘Masters of War’, ‘A Hard Rain’s a-Gonna Fall’ and ‘Don’t Think Twice, It’s All Right’.
Available for purchase here for £20.37.
Jefferson Airplane – Surrealistic Pillow
Surrealistic Pillow was the second album by the American psychedelic rock band Jefferson Airplane. Released in 1966, the record became a standard of the burgeoning hippie scene in the west of America. The album was the first to involve vocalist Grace Slick, and the effects were immediately apparent.
The timeless classic is home to the band’s most beloved hits, including ‘Somebody to Love’, ‘White Rabbit’, ‘Today’, ‘Embryonic Journey’, ‘My Best Friend’ and ‘How Do You Feel’. Surrealistic Pillow is the Yang to The Velvet Underground & Nico’s Yin.
Available for purchase here for £19.53.
The Who – Sell Out
Released in 1967, Sell Out was the third studio album released for The Who. Following a theme of capitalist consumption and commercial branding, Sell Out is remembered for using fake adverts and jingles between its songs. Meanwhile, the striking cover art shows Roger Daltrey bathing in Baked Beans and Pete Townshend using a ludicrously large deodorant.
The album is home to some of The Who’s most beloved classics, including ‘I Can See for Miles’, ‘Armenia City in the Sky’ and ‘Tattoo’. This black vinyl reissue was engineered by Miles Showell at Abbey Road Studios using a half-speed mastering technique which produces a superior vinyl cut.
Available for purchase here for £26.99.
The Doors – The Doors
America’s greatest psychedelic blues rock band, The Doors, came out with one of the best debut records of all time in January 1967. The uniquely poetic lyrics and spellbinding stage presence of Jim Morrison found a pleasant home with bandmates Ray Manzarek, Robby Krieger and John Densmore.
This ’60s classic is a must for any discerning rock collection featuring some of the band’s most memorable hits like ‘Light My Fire’, ‘Break on Through (To the Other Side)’, ‘Soul Kitchen’, ‘The End’ and ‘The Crystal Ship’.
Available for purchase here for £26.99.
Leonard Cohen – Songs of Leonard Cohen
After moving to New York from his native Canada in the late ‘60s, the accomplished poet decided to try his hand at songwriting. After a few destitute months living at the famed Chelsea Hotel and absorbing the creative energy of the Big Apple, Cohen released his brilliant debut album, Songs of Leonard Cohen, in 1967.
Songs of Leonard Cohen allowed Cohen to showcase his poetry like never before, using his acoustic guitar skills as a conduit for emotional expression. The album is home to some of his early career highlights, including ‘Suzanne’, ‘So Long, Marianne’, ‘Sisters of Mercy’ and ‘Master Song’.
Available for purchase here for £23.50.
Janis Joplin – I Got Dem Ol’ Kozmic Blues Again Mama
I Got Dem Ol’ Kozmic Blues Again Mama was Janis Joplin’s first of two solo albums and the only one to be released during her tragically short time under the limelight. After leaving her former band Big Brother and the Holding Company, this 1969 release showed one of rock and roll’s greatest female voices come into its full vigour as she expressed herself with full artistic freedom.
The 1960s classic includes some of the late hippie’s greatest numbers, including ‘Try (Just A Little Bit Harder)’, ‘Kozmic Blues’ and ‘To Love Somebody’. The album also included two songwriting credits for Joplin for ‘One Good Man’ and ‘Kozmic Blues’.
Available for purchase here for £29.95.
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