There have been a number of great reissues that I've been checking out and have found truly pleasing. The Jawbox and Sunny Day Real Estate reissues are all great, although they don't add much in the way of bonus materials. The deluxe reissue of Spiritualized's Ladies and Gentlemen We Are Floating In Space is jaw-droppingly awesome! The three disc reissue comes with the complete album and two discs worth of outtakes, demos, roughs and assorted wonders that are every bit as essential as the actual album. It is also available in an extremely limited package with each track from the album on a 3" CD and placed in a pill casing, although good luck getting that version. Hell, I had to buy the download from Amazon as I don't believe it's getting a physical release in the US. But one reissue has gotten a lot of my attention recently although you'd be hard-pressed to find any mention of it here in the states. That would be the two-disc reissue of Tricky's debut album, Maxinquaye.
If you were in the UK in the mid-nineties, you're probably quite familiar with Tricky, but in the US he didn't receive much hype. Tricky, an original member of Massive Attack, left to record his own tracks with his then girlfriend, Martina Topley-Bird, who provided much of the vocals on his releases. His earliest releases sit nicely alongside Portishead's debut, Dummy, although that album focused on the beautiful sadness in Beth Gibbons' vocals, whereas Tricky and Martina painted a far grimmer picture, awash in druggy atmospherics and Tricky's haunting drawl. Martina's vocals, on the other hand, were quite beautiful and powerful, making for interesting creations when she rapped hard lyrics like those in their cover of Public Enemy's Black Steel, or when she sang that she'd "fuck you in the ass, just for a laugh" in Abbaon Fat Track, as if it were sweet nothings to her lover, although you got the impression she may have drugged him.
Tricky and Martina both continue to record to this day, although no longer with each other. They recorded four albums together, Maxinquaye, Nearly God, Pre-Millenium Tension and Angels With Dirty Faces, the first three classics and the fourth still quite good, before Martina went solo and began working with other artists, most recently bringing things full-circle when it was announced that she would appear on Massive Attack's next album. Tricky continued to record and work with other vocalists, but the quality of his work seemed to dwindle as he lost his major label distribution after a fierce argument with his label's parent organization, Polygram Records, over a racist statement by their CEO, and he moved briefly to Anti for a good EP (Mission Accomplished) only to sign a contract with Disney's Hollywood Records, a perpetual graveyard for good musicians (Fastball and Los Lobos come to mind, although Hollywood also signed Insane Clown Posse briefly, so maybe they weren't all good musicians on Hollywood. Otherwise, they've got an infinite number of Queen re-issues to keep the label afloat.) and record a poppier album featuring cameos from Cyndi Lauper and the Red Hot Chili Peppers. Luckily, he seems to be in a better place in recent times, getting back to his paranoid grooves, although it's a shame he and Martina will most likely never record together again. Most of their issues stem from their relationship which produced a child despite their falling out. Tricky had multiple, well-publicized relationships after their break-up, the best-known being with Bjork, although he and Martina continued to work together for several years afterward.
Maxinquaye's reissue is unlikely to be released in the US, and I have no intention of sharing the complete album here as it is available one way or another (you can always use Amazon for imports), but I don't think there is anything wrong with posting a few tracks to whet your appetite.
UPDATE: Unfortunately, the DMCA has made me pull down the tracks I featured in this post. To think, I didn't post the album, I posted three selections and they want to pitch a fit! It isn't even available for purchase in this country! And they wonder why people hate the DMCA, RIAA and IFPI. Anyway, the text remains for your reading pleasure.
Slick 66 (Commercial 12" Mix)
Tricky clearly has a fondness for Slick Rick. For the Nearly God project, he recorded a cover of Children's Story with Martina on vocals. That's a very cool track that totally changes the mood of Rick's original, but Tricky created a completely different cover by himself with this track. His drawl is the star here as he turns the already dark story into a full-on nightmare.
Just For The Hate Of It (Rough Monitor Mix)
This is another complete re-working of a track, this time Abbaon Fat Track, which has a very laid-back feel to it although it's lyrics describe a rather peculiar sexual encounter. Here, with a new backing track and vocals, it sounds like a boast, like an abuser bragging to his victim while his crew watches. Martina's vocals fly in every once in a while like a drugged, tortured victim unclear of their whereabouts.
Overcome (Accapella Mix)
Far from a true Accapella mix, this features Martina's vocal tracks running on top of each other while a rather fast beat, one definitely out of sorts with most tracks Tricky has created, keeps the listener on their toes. Familiar yet completely alien.
BONUS: Tonite Is A Special Nite (Chaos Mass Confusion Mix)
This is as odd a collaboration as you may find. Tricky is responsible for the beat while the Gravediggaz provide the raps. For those unaware, the Gravediggaz were a group consisting of Prince Paul, mostly on production, the RZA from Wu-Tang, mostly on vocals with occasional production, as well as Frukwan of Stetsasonic and Too Poetic, both on vocals. Their first album, 6 Feet Deep (Niggamortis in the UK. No, seriously!), is considered one of the first horrorcore albums, although it's nowhere near as ridiculous or violent as modern horrorcore. Prince Paul's involvement dwindled from their second album on, as the RZA brought in Wu-affiliated producers to finish the job. This track, from The Hell EP, is essentially a B-Side for Tricky's Hell Is Round The Corner, and although not entirely clear, most likely features no involvement from Prince Paul. Still though, this is a truly creepy track that was released on a few samplers and soundtracks in the US, but you'd be hard-pressed to find it available now.
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