Tastemakers such as Bob Dylan, Jack White and T Bone Burnett might be at the forefront of championing the resurgent interest in vinyl albums and singles, but they're not the only enthusiasts celebrating the return of the format in today's digital era: Nielsen SoundScan reports that vinyl sales will top 2.8 million units this year, up about 900,000 from 2008, and new record stores are springing up across Los Angeles.
Of course, New York label Sundazed Records, which has specialized in vinyl reissues for 20 years, has been unquestionably ahead of the trend. And what better way to get acquainted (or reacquainted) with vinyl than with Sundazed's new version of the classic debut from Leonard Cohen, a superb singer-songwriter who is enjoying a new wave of popularity thanks to his highly acclaimed tour?
Songs of Leonard Cohen was originally released by Columbia Records in 1967 and contains such signature tunes as “Suzanne," “Sisters of Mercy" and “Hey, That's No Way to Say Goodbye."
Sundazed also is releasing four other early Cohen collections: Songs From a Room (which includes “Bird on the Wire"), Songs of Love and Hate ("Famous Blue Raincoat"), Live Songs and New Skin for the Old Ceremony ("Chelsea Hotel No. 2)."
The latest catalog from the New York indie features more than 250 vinyl recordings, including such classic works as Bob Dylan's Highway 61 Revisited, the Byrds' The Notorious Byrd Brothers, the Stooges' Fun House, Simon & Garfunkel's Bookends and Otis Redding's Otis Blue. Each album has been remastered from the original Columbia Records stereo masters and pressed on “high-definition vinyl." They feature the original artwork and liner note pages where applicable.
The company is so vinyl-friendly that its website, www.sundazed.com, even sells turntables.
