The Offspring’s Ixnay On The Hombre and Creed’s Human Clay are among eight albums in BMG’s National Album Day vinyl lineup. The label published its edition list on October 13, ahead of the UK event on Saturday, October 17.
This year’s theme is ICONS. There are four days between today’s announcement and the event. If you’re thinking about another copy of an album you own, use that time to look past the colour in the sales photograph.
Eight albums, several finishes
BMG lists Ixnay On The Hombre on yellow and blue marble vinyl and Human Clay in an Up in Smoke variant. The other six titles are Bruce Dickinson’s Accident Of Birth, Violent Femmes, Don Broco’s Nightmare Tripping, Alter Bridge’s One Day Remains, Whitesnake and Desmond Dekker’s Essential Artist Collection.
Seven entries have a coloured or special-effect finish; the Desmond Dekker collection is on black vinyl. We counted those from the label’s list. For collectors, choosing between those appearances may be part of the pleasure of owning a record. For listening, there is another detail to find: the master used for your particular edition.
The detail a sales photo cannot show
Take the Offspring release as an example. Yellow and blue marble is the confirmed finish. From that description alone, we cannot establish a new mastering job, additional songs or a change in sound. BMG’s announcement doesn’t give mastering details for each title. Look for them on the exact product page before treating this as an audio upgrade.
You can keep the shopping check quite short:
- Write down the album, named finish and seller’s catalogue number. This gives you a way to identify the copy if a similar listing appears elsewhere.
- Compare the listed tracks with the version you own. Any extra material should be named, rather than inferred from “special edition”.
- Add postage and applicable import charges to the record price before comparing sellers.
If all that changes is the finish, the choice can still be easy: you like it and want it. There’s no need to invent a sound improvement to justify a collector’s preference.
The organiser’s release announcement covers UK physical and online shops. BMG also mentions international partners and direct stores. Check your own seller for arrival dates; those broader statements don’t tell us when a particular copy will reach your country.
Already have a copy?
Put that one on first. Play the album in sequence and see whether you still want to make space for another edition. Our physical music guide looks at the listening habits that ownership can encourage. National Album Day is also an opportunity to use the collection you have, without a purchase.