Yorkshire Special: 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 some unmissable limited-edition releases. This week, we’re taking a trip to the north of England to celebrate the musically fertile county of Yorkshire.
In 2021, the vinyl comeback enjoyed another milestone year as record sales surpassed that of CDs for the first time in three decades. The return to plastic has been steadily climbing since the invasion of streaming services in the late 2000s. While the weightless, highly accessible and practical format is great for discovering and consuming lots of new music while you’re out and about, there’s nothing like coming home to a bit of vinyl.
Budding 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” space 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, try as you might, you just can’t substitute.
So if, like me, you have a soft spot for these groovy discs of plastic, allow me to walk you through our ten hot picks for this week. We have a selection of Sheffield classics from Arctic Monkeys and The Human League and some coastal essentials from bdrmm and The Housemartins.
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
Arctic Monkeys – Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not
This is a must for any respectable rock collection. The Sheffield-based band broke the mould from the off with this stellar debut album. The album was emphatic upon its release thanks to the pre-dating singles ‘I Bet You Look Good On The Dancefloor’ and ‘When The Sun Goes Down’.
After its release, the radiowaves went berzerk with the bounty of single-worthy classics littered throughout the rest of the album, including ‘Fake Tales Of San Francisco’, ‘Dancing Shoes’, ‘Riot Van’ and ‘Mardy Bum’. I’ve never seen this seminal classic sold cheaper than this.
Available for purchase here for £21.56.
bdrmm – Port EP
Hull’s up-and-coming shoegazers bdrmm have put a gothic stamp on the classic effects-laden sound of shoegaze. Back in 2020, they released their stellar debut album, Bedroom, in the midst of lockdown. As they emerged from Covid-19 restrictions, bdrmm set off on various tours, including a run of supporting sets for Ride.
This brilliant Port EP began with the original title track, released as a single last November. “It helped us consider the band in a much more fluid perspective,” says bassist and synth player Jordan Smith of the pivotal track. “Swapping instruments and redefining roles gave us time to spend working on new and more intriguing sonic ideas.” The EP is now available with remixes by the likes of Daniel Avery, Working Men’s Club, A Place To Bury Strangers and more.
Available for purchase here for £18.90.
The Housemartins – London 0 Hull 4 [1986 original]
The Housemartins were formed in Hull back in 1983, and although only together for five years, they caused quite a stir in the upper reaches of the UK charts. From this success, Norman Cook launched into his blinding career as Fatboy Slim, and singer Paul Heaton formed The Beautiful South.
Today you could get your hands on this original issue of the band’s 1986 debut, London 0 Hull 4, which includes indie classics like ‘Happy Hour’, ‘Think for a Minute’, ‘Flag Day’ and ‘Sheep’.
Available for purchase here for £29.16.
Pulp – His ‘N’ Hers
Before the jewel on Pulp’s crown, 1995’s Different Class, came their 1994 classic, His ‘N’ Hers. This fourth studio album saw Jarvis Cocker’s lyrical wit blossom into its peak maturity as he brought musical vigour to the quotidian.
This reissued gem is home to seminal Britpop anthems like ‘Babies’, ‘Do You Remember The First Time’, ‘Lipgloss’, ‘She’s A Lady’ and ‘Pink Glove’.
Available for purchase here for £25.99.
The Lounge Society – Tired of Liberty
Hailing from the Hebden Bridge area of Yorkshire, The Lounge Society built up to their debut album with a string of impressive singles and their Silk For The Starving EP. With expectations high, these young lads truly delivered with the release of Tired of Liberty in August.
In a 4.5-star review, Far Out wrote: “Tired of liberty is an exciting mix of ideas that documents the band’s kerosene lurch to prominence while offering a succulent platter for future direction. To what shores this young, intriguing quartet will sail next is anyone’s guess, but my ears will be sure to follow.”
Available for purchase here for £24.49.
Def Leppard – Hysteria
Def Leppard emerged in the 1970s as one of heavy metal’s guiding proponents. Picking up the threads of their Birmingham counterparts, Black Sabbath, and melding it with the weighted glam sound of Kiss and New York Dolls, they were onto a winner.
Hysteria is widely heralded as the Sheffield band’s finest and most essential work. It’s home to classic highlights, including ‘Pour Some Sugar On Me’, ‘Love Bites’, ‘Hysteria’ and ‘Animal’.
Available for purchase here for £27.99.
Joe Cocker – The Life Of A Man – The Ultimate Hits 1968 – 2013 [Essential Edition]
Strangely, Joe Cocker and Pulp’s Jarvis Cocker are not relatives, but both were born in Sheffield, and Joe even babysat Jarvis in his youth as a friend of the family. Joe Cocker rose to fame in 1969 with the release of his debut album With a Little Help from My Friends, which was famed for its Beatles cover of the same name.
The Life Of A Man – The Ultimate Hits 1968 – 2013 is the ultimate essentials starter pack for the late singer. On the album, Cocker’s most famous Beatles cover is joined by his brilliant rendition of ‘Come Together’ as well as some of his most memorable classics like ‘Unchain My Heart’ and ‘You Can Leave Your Hat On’.
Available for purchase here for £26.92.
ABC – The Lexicon Of Love [1982 original]
Following in the footsteps of their Sheffield neighbours, The Human League, ABC defined pop music of the early 1980s with this synth-laden debut classic from 1982. The Lexicon of Love entered the UK Albums Chart at number one and remained in the high reaches for 50 weeks to become the fourth biggest-selling album of the year.
While frontman Martin Fry avoids labelling it a concept album, the collection of tracks follows a theme of heartache and romantic failure. The album spawned four UK top 20 singles; ‘Tears Are Not Enough’, ‘Poison Arrow’, ‘The Look of Love’ and ‘All of My Heart’.
Available for purchase here for £22.49.
Milburn – Time
Often braided as the poor man’s Arctic Monkeys, a robust cohort of Sheffield locals will beg to differ and inform you that Milburn had that sound long before Alex Turner hit the studio to record Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not. Just listen to ‘Last Bus’ and ‘Leave Before the Lights Come On’.
Milburn released two albums and five EPs between 2001 and their break-up in 2008, but in 2016, they reunited for a third studio album, Time. The cracking comeback is home to highlights like ‘All the Love & Hate’, ‘Nothing for You’ and ‘A.O.S.D.’
Available for purchase here for £17.82.
The Human League – Dare
The Human League put Sheffield on the new wave map in the late 1970s. With the release of their third studio album, Dare, in 1981, they brought synth-pop to the global arena for the first time. Where the first two albums had focussed on a more avant-garde electronic sound, Dare came with a commercial approach, and it certainly worked out.
In a conversation with Far Out earlier this year, Heaven 17 frontman Glenn Gregory quoted David Bowie as saying, “They’re fucking brilliant, they are the future of fucking music,” backstage at a Human League show in London.
Available for purchase here for £19.94.
