As a child of the '70s, although my musical tastes didn't calcify after the decade like so many of my contemporaries, the exciting and adventuresome music I heard during my teenage years left an indelible imprint on the development of my musical preferences. My purchases of archival and reissue albums tend to be of the classic rock and blues genres, which is why the following list of my favorites in this category for the year tend to lean towards albums released during the 1970s, '80s, and '90s...
A lifelong curmudgeon, I bitch and moan and avoid pricey box set reissues that load multiple discs down with demo tracks and alternate takes...there's a reason why a lot of this stuff remained unreleased for decades and they largely bore me to tears. In many cases, unless a reissue provides a sonic upgrade on the CD or vinyl that I already own, or the value-added inclusion of an unreleased live set, I'll spend my money on graphic novels or music bios instead. But show me a long-lost rock or blues LP from the '60s and I'm all in.
This year provided a wealth of archival releases, as well as a few surprises like the Dream Syndicate Medicine Show box and previously-unreleased live performances by Galaxie 500, Hüsker Dü, The Meters, and The Ramones. Here are my favorite reissue and archival albums of 2025...
Dream Syndicate - Medicine Show: I Know What You Like box set
Galaxie 500 - CBGB 12.13.88
Buddy Guy - This Is Buddy Guy!
John Lee Hooker - The Standard School Broadcast Recordings
Mississippi John Hurt - Today!
Hüsker Dü - 1985: The Miracle Year
Iron City Houserockers - Blood On the Bricks
Lonnie Johnson - Blues & Ballads
Furry Lewis - Back On My Feet Again
Mississippi Fred McDowell - I Do Not Play No Rock 'n' Roll
The Meters - Live At Great American Music Hall
Montrose - Live 1973-KSAN Radio Session
New Order - Low Life
The Ramones - Live at CBGB, 1977
The Replacements - Let It Be [deluxe]
The Rolling Stones - Black & Blue [deluxe]
Salem 66 - Salt
Sex Pistols - Live In The U.S.A. 1978
Sly & the Family Stone - The First Family: Live At Winchester Cathedral 1967
Spirit - Sea Dream import box set
Talking Heads - Live On Tour 1978
Chrissy Zebby Tembo & The Ngozi Family - I’m Not Made of Iron
Various Artists - Motor City Is Burning: A Michigan Anthology 1965-1972 box set
Various Artists - Rollin' & Tumblin' box set
War - Live In Japan
Links are to That Devil Music album reviews...
