National Album Day returns on October 16th 2021 with a timely theme of 'Celebrating Women In Music', shining a light on the huge contribution made by women and female-identifying artists to our music and culture through the art form of the album. With ambassadors including Kylie Minogue, Sharleen Spiteri, Laura Mvula and more, National Album Day, now in its fourth year, is firmly ensconced in the national music calendar. Townsend Music has pulled together few selections from this year's range of limited edition vinyl variants, available to pre-order now, to celebrate women in music with NAD 2021.
1) Garbage: Garbage - Pink Double Vinyl
Originally released in 1995, Garbage’s self-titled debut album was met with critical acclaim upon its release. Featuring global hits like 'Queer' and 'Stupid Girl', arguably the band’s most recognizable single, the album has since sold over four million copies and achieved double-platinum certification in the UK, US and Australia.
Formed in 1993, comprising of members Duke Erikson, Steve Marker, Butch Vig and Shirley Manson, Garbage have gone onto sell over 17 million albums worldwide over a 28 year career!
These NAD 2021 2LP Gatefold & 2CD Digipack releases (alongside the repress of their follow-up album Version 2.0), are the first time the remastered album has been made available.
2) Róisín Murphy: Róisín Machine - Splatter Double Vinyl
2020’s Róisín Machine was Róisín Murphy’s first full-length project since 2015’s Mercury Nominated Hairless Toys and 2016’s equally revered Take Her Up To Monto and perhaps her best yet if the adulatory reviews are anything to go by. The likes of The Guardian and The Independent garlanded the record with Album of the Week sobriquets, while Metro, The Arts Desk, Daily Star and NME all gave it a full 5 stars.
Róisín Machine was universally recognised as one of the albums of the year, further cemented by 6 (SIX!) consecutive A-list records at BBC6 and The Graham Norton Show where Róisín performed 'Murphy’s Law'
This NAD 2021 repress of Róisín Machine comes in limited edition 2LP gatefold splatter vinyl, released by Skint Records.
3) Solange: A Seat At The Table - White Double Vinyl
A Seat At The Table is the third studio album by American singer-songwriter Solange. Released on September 30, 2016, in a statement, Solange described the album as "a project on identity, empowerment, independence, grief and healing." The record features the iconic record 'Cranes in the Sky' which won the Grammy for Best R&B Performance.
Exploring prejudice and blackness, Solange's A Seat at the Table is thankfully "the journal we don't get the time to write, the conversations we don’t get to have and the exclamations we’re too tired to repeat."
A Seat At The Table is pressed on a limited edition white vinyl exclusively for NAD 2021 on Sony Music.
4) Sinead O'Connor: So Far...The Best Of - Clear Double Vinyl
So Far...The Best Of brings together the highlights of Sinead O'Connor's four albums available via Chrysalis Records. The record showcases Sinead’s enormous talent and fearless uncompromising style, now available on vinyl for the first time.
Originally released in 1997, So Far... features the Number 1 worldwide hit 'Nothing Compares 2 U', as well as her early singles 'Troy' and 'Mandinka'.
Presented in a 5mm sleeve, this version includes the tracks 'Success Has Made A Failure Of Our Home', as well as 'Heroine' and 'Just Like U Said It Would B', previously only available on the US version.
5) Patti Smith: Horses - White Vinyl
Horses was the debut studio album by American musician Patti Smith, originally released on November 10, 1975 by Arista Records. When she emerged in the mid-seventies, Smith's music was hailed as the most exciting fusion of rock and poetry since Bob Dylan.
An album by punk’s numero uno poet/priestess, produced by the coolest member of the Velvets (John Cale) with a Robert Mapplethorpe cover - the raw combination of poetry, shamanistic chant and rock ‘n’ roll thrills!
Horses is pressed on a limited edition white vinyl exclusively for NAD 2021.
Full details of this year's National Album Day: A Celebration Of Women In Music, including how you can get involved and promotional plans, are over on the National Album Day Site.