First and Last and Always 40th Anniversary: What Do You Expect?

[Alice138]

With the 40th anniversary of First and Last and Always approaching on March 11, 2025, do you think we might get a special vinyl reissue?

For me, a release of the Royal Albert Hall live recording and an official release of the WEA mixes would be fantastic.

It would also be great to see a box set featuring all the singles and EPs from 1980 to 1985, each reissued with their original sleeves. That said, they should definitely avoid the 2017 remaster—it sounds awful, especially Heartland.

[Husek]

As a seasoned sisters fan, I expect nothing.

(And there's a fair chance that despite that, I'll still end up disappointed).

[mh]

40th anniversary coloured vinyl pressing of FALAA on RSD. Coin-toss as to which mixes get used. No gatefold and plain inner sleeve are virtually certain. We'll all buy it anyway.

[Planet Dave]

We'll all buy it anyway.

Not 100% accurate Sir

[Pista]

40th anniversary coloured vinyl pressing of FALAA on RSD. Coin-toss as to which mixes get used. No gatefold and plain inner sleeve are virtually certain. We'll all buy it anyway.

Vacuum wrapped, numbered limited edition to contain a dose of authentic 1985 era stage smoke

[ribbons69]

As a seasoned sisters fan, I expect nothing.

This.

Also, it requires someone that actually knows about the anniversary and has the rights to want to do it.

Thirdly, 40 years? It's been 40 years since I ruined my life by buying FALAA?

40 fookin' years?

[Hawkfall]

As a seasoned sisters fan, I expect nothing.

This.

Also, it requires someone that actually knows about the anniversary and has the rights to want to do it.

Thirdly, 40 years? It's been 40 years since I ruined my life by buying FALAA?

40 fookin' years?

And of course if you go back 40 years from when FALAA was realised then you reach a time when it really was so dark all over Europe.

[ribbons69]

As a seasoned sisters fan, I expect nothing.

This.

Also, it requires someone that actually knows about the anniversary and has the rights to want to do it.

Thirdly, 40 years? It's been 40 years since I ruined my life by buying FALAA?

40 fookin' years?

And of course if you go back 40 years from when FALAA was realised then you reach a time when it really was so dark all over Europe.

I remember it well, everyone is currently terrified of Trump but I grew up with Thatcher, Reagan and Brezhnev. The world is still here.

[MoBetaBlues]

With the 40th anniversary of First and Last and Always approaching on March 11, 2025, do you think we might get a special vinyl reissue?

For me, a release of the Royal Albert Hall live recording and an official release of the WEA mixes would be fantastic.

It would also be great to see a box set featuring all the singles and EPs from 1980 to 1985, each reissued with their original sleeves. That said, they should definitely avoid the 2017 remaster—it sounds awful, especially Heartland.

what was the 2017 remaster? was that the Some Girls vinyl boxset? glad i didn't buy it if so!

[Gaijin]

A half-speed master cut to 2 x 45rpm 10" records would be ace.

[Pista]

It honestly doesn't matter. WEA have the rights & they either won't bother or they'll do a stupid coloured piece of plastic for rip off store day

[Phil]

The album played in full at the Royal Albert Hall with an orchestra. Mr Huss, Gary and Craig returning for the encore. The whole evening recorded for release on blu ray. A two hour documentary on BBC2. The original album rereleased with a full stereo remix.

Either that or f**k all.

Hard to say, really....

[MoBetaBlues]

a box set with the following discs would be nice:
1/ FALAA album, including all the various different mixes;
2/ all the strawberry studios demos from 1984/5,
3/ the WEA promo tapes mixes,
4/ the complete Royal Albert hall concert
5/ a complete Black October Tour concert
6/ an album of modern remixes of FALAA tracks

[Nikolas Vitus Lagartija]

40th anniversary coloured vinyl pressing of FALAA on RSD. Coin-toss as to which mixes get used. No gatefold and plain inner sleeve are virtually certain. We'll all buy it anyway.

You are probably right, but if WEA are proud of the album they should do some sort of special edition. At the very least the gatefold sleeve and a double vinyl album (the second containing the extra tracks from the 2006 Rhino reissue, Poison Door, On The Wire, Blood Money and Bury Me Deep on one side, Long Train and Some Kind of Stranger (Early) on the other). To really do it justice, there would a numbered boxed set with a “Making Of…” booklet with contributions from any band members willing to participate, technical information from Robert Cowlin, an overview from Mark Andrews, etc, press photos, further discs containing the alternate mixes…But would it sell in sufficient numbers to justify the effort and expense?

[Alice138]

I heard Rhino might be reissuing Joy Division’s catalog in their High Fidelity series. I wouldn’t be surprised if we get a new AAA edition of First and Last and Always remastered by Kevin Gray. Sounds great, but for people in Europe, importing from the US can be really expensive, and in my case, being from Spain, I know firsthand it’s ridiculously expensive. And I’m not willing to pay scalpers on Discogs. I guess a box set like the 30th anniversary edition would be the most sensible option, but I wouldn’t rule out that Rhino could release something special for the 40th anniversary.

[ribbons69]

40th anniversary coloured vinyl pressing of FALAA on RSD. Coin-toss as to which mixes get used. No gatefold and plain inner sleeve are virtually certain. We'll all buy it anyway.

You are probably right, but if WEA are proud of the album they should do some sort of special edition.

Not meaning to sound facetious but what makes you think WEA would be proud of the album? It was four decades ago and they didn't part on the best of terms with Von.

There is another issue, there were a lot of records released in 1985, they can't all get a 40th anniversary release.

[satanarchist]

nada. zip. zero. zilch.

[eastmidswhizzkid]

We'll (most probably) get fuck all as usual and if we do get thrown a bone it will be done badly (for definite).

As it happens, this year marks the 40th Anniversary of me hearing The Sisters for the very first time - wonder if they'll reissuse me? Knowing my luck it would be Cadiz and they'd do me with no legs in bright pink...

[Zeitgeist]

Maybe FALAA as part of the set again... maybe as the opener?

[Chief Cohiba]

Sisters of Mercy - The Musical

[Nikolas Vitus Lagartija]

40th anniversary coloured vinyl pressing of FALAA on RSD. Coin-toss as to which mixes get used. No gatefold and plain inner sleeve are virtually certain. We'll all buy it anyway.

You are probably right, but if WEA are proud of the album they should do some sort of special edition.

Not meaning to sound facetious but what makes you think WEA would be proud of the album? It was four decades ago and they didn't part on the best of terms with Von.

There is another issue, there were a lot of records released in 1985, they can't all get a 40th anniversary release.

They were proud enough to do the boxed set for the 30th anniversary, and the regular RSD releases show that there is still a market for TSOM special editions. There were indeed many great albums released in 1985 (and other years ending in a 5) but few that are described as ‘genre-defining’ as is often the case with FALAA.

[GC]

Fields of the Nephilim, with I assume a smaller market, keep rerealsing the old LPs on vinyl so there is definetely a financial, if not also an artistic incentive. Carl Mcoy is probably on better terms with Beggars Banquet than AE with WEA though.

[Erudite]

I expect he closely followed by haw.

[Gaijin]

We'll (most probably) get fuck all as usual and if we do get thrown a bone it will be done badly (for definite).

As it happens, this year marks the 40th Anniversary of me hearing The Sisters for the very first time - wonder if they'll reissuse me? Knowing my luck it would be Cadiz and they'd do me with no legs in bright pink...

Aren't you legless on weekends anyway?

[Dan]

Sod all, probably another grift from Cadiz.