Picture this: the first modern rock picture disc was released in 1969 by Metronome of Germany, entitled Psychedelic Underground - Off 2, Hallucinations. The disc compiled an assortment of artists from TheMC5 to The Doors and displayed the record's album art between two layers of clear vinyl - the world of record collecting hasn't been the same since. With this week's announcement that Oasis would be treating fans to a 25th Anniversary reissue of Be Here Now on double picture disc, it's the perfect time to peruse the pick of picture discs on the shelves at Townsend Music.
Oasis
Be Here Now - 25th Anniversary Limited Edition Double Picture Disc (Exclusive)
Be Here Now stands as a unique album in the Oasis catalogue with its unrepentant excess and supersize swagger, including the mighty single 'D'You Know What I Mean?' plus the evergreen classic 'Stand By Me'. Clash Magazine describe it as "a timely reminder of just how many tunes Oasis had at their disposal".
The iconic album artwork was shot by photographer Michael Spencer Johns in April 1997 at Stocks House in Hertfordshire and immortalises the band standing by a swimming pool, surrounded by various props including the Keith Moon-referencing Rolls Royce in the water: a symbolic statement of rock’n’roll excess! Celebrate the 25th Anniversary of the album with the Be Here Now limited edition picture disc, available to pre-order now.
David Bowie
Hunky Dory - 50th Anniversary Picture Disc
Hunky Dory is the fourth studio album by the late, great, Starman himself: David Bowie. It's a record that is now widely acknowledged as one of his greatest accomplishments - despite not making a dent on the U.K. album charts upon its 1971 release!
The cover photograph was taken by Brian Ward, who was introduced to Bowie by Bob Grace at Ward's studio on Heddon Street. Bowie opted for a minimalist image reflecting the album's "preoccupation with the silver screen"; originally shot in monochrome, the image was recoloured by illustrator Terry Pastor. The album's 50th anniversary is celebrated with this limited edition picture disc featuring the original artwork on the disc.
Soft Cell
*Happiness Not Included - Picture Disc (Exclusive)
The English synthpop duo Soft Cell made their highly-anticipated return to the scene in May 2022 with their fifth studio album *Happiness Not Included. Speaking on the new album, lead singer Mark Almond album explained: "In this album, I wanted to look at us as a society: a place where we have chosen to put profits before people, money before morality and decency."
The Guardian described the album as a record that, "makes the very best of their vantage point as synth-pop elders with an eye on the future". *Happiness Not Included is available exclusively as a picture disc from this store.
The Coral
The Coral - 20th Anniversary Picture Disc (Exclusive)
Wirral band The Coral released their self-titled debut album back in 2002. The album, featuring the single 'Dreaming Of You', catapulted the band to mainstream success, landing them a Mercury Prize nomination and platinum certification.
The album's artwork is a collage of pictures of the band, studio equipment, arcane illustrations, and an array of colours that perfectly encapsulates the mix of psychedelic whimsy and Merseybeat swagger that the then-teenagers unleashed onto the early-noughties indie scene. The lads celebrated the album's 20th anniversary in 2022 with this exclusive limited edition picture disc run, available to purchase from their Official Store.
Mansun
Attack Of The Grey Lantern - RSD 2022 Picture Disc
Originally released in February 1997, Mansun's platinum-selling Attack of the Grey Lantern debuted at Number 1 on the UK album chart and included the hit singles ‘Wide Open Space’, ‘She Makes My Nose Bleed’, ‘Taxloss’, and ‘Stripper Vicar’.
London's Stylorouge created the original packaging for the album in 1998, making installations and art directing a still life photoshoot with Merton Gauster. K-Scope presented this essential British rock album for Record Store Day 2022 as a picture disc of a limited edition of 2,000.
Noel Gallagher
Back The Way We Came: Vol 1 (2011 - 2021) - Double Heavyweight Picture Disc (Exclusive) + A4 Print (Exclusive)
Back The Way We Came: Vol 1 (2011-2021) is a 'Best Of' double album, curated and compiled entirely by Noel Gallagher, celebrating the first decade of Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds with tracks from his three number one albums and three acclaimed EPs.
Released on Noel's own Sour Mash imprint, this online store exclusive double LP picture disc comes complete with an A4 art print of Noel. What's more, the album is available at a special price as part of Noel's Summer Sale.
Please remember to tag @TownsendMusicUK in photos of your picture discs purchased from us on Instagram and Twitter and we'll be happy to share them with our community! Also pictured: The Beatles: Let It Be Special Edition Picture Disc
