RSD 2026: ALBUMS IN REVIEW pt. 1 (A-B)

THE DAY AFTER IS SOMETIMES BETTER…

It’s “URGENT, URGENT can’t you see…”RSD 2026

Ok, it started out that what I wanted was probably not going to happen for various reasons; price, quantity, and fear of wasting money and time. Then the usual happened, RSD April 18, 2026 happened.

There were only a few albums I wanted, most I figured would be gone well before I’d have access to getting to them. I sent the list to my friend Armando, the owner of Vintage Mio Records in Waco, Texas. He told me under no certain terms, after the store closed on RSD, he’d look at my list and let me know if some were left over and to watch his live “Day After RSD” online sale because he couldn’t pull them for me or anyone. All good, at least I would have a line on knowing some were still there.

For the record, I never asked nor wanted or expected him to pull or set aside any albums for me or anyone else. He knew that, but I guess others expected special treatment. I respect RSD and vinyl…do you respect RSD and vinyl; not asking that kind of favor you don’t. Again, that’s a “Curb” thing. ‍ ‍

I was tuned in Saturday morning, I had my cell phone and desktop running his live feed to make sure I was in ‘sync. And the race was on.

Following are the albums I picked up with a little review of each. I’m probably going to go in alphabetical order because this looks to be like a long damn read; I’ll break it up.

BILLY SQUIER “TELL THE TRUTH”

• 900 pressings

• 2 x LP

• $40 Vintage Mio Record

“The best Billy Squier album you never heard” was the big tagline,but was it?

Tell the Truth this RSD 2026 pressing is one of those rare moments where a long‑buried album finally gets the apology it deserved. The remaster gives the guitars actual teeth, the vocals sit up front instead of hiding behind early‑’90s production fog, and for the first time the record sounds like something Squier meant to release, not something Capitol tossed out the back door. The packaging is shockingly premium for a 900‑copy run; gatefold, real liner notes, the whole thing treated like a lost chapter instead of a clearance‑bin curiosity. And at $40, it feels like I paid for a proper archival rescue, not a cash‑grab.

Album gatefold

5/5 for packaging.
3.5/5 star Sweet Lou review

Nice liner notes, great inner sleeves

But the album is still the album; uneven, transitional, carrying that “rock in 1993 didn’t know what it wanted to be” identity crisis. No remaster is turning this into “Don’t Say No”, and the sequencing still feels like someone shuffled the tracks on their lunch break. Yet that’s exactly why it belongs in my and your collection. This pressing is the first time Tell the Truth has ever been allowed to stand on its own legs, flaws and all. I own it because it’s a redemption story pressed onto vinyl; a cult favorite finally given the respect it should’ve had the first time around. And for a Squier fan who actually opens and plays his records, this one earns its shelf space.

Black Sabbath featuring Tony Iommi “Seventh Star”

• 5400 pressings

• 1 LP- Red and Black Splatter vinyl

• $26 Vintage Mio Records

The RSD 2026 pressing of Tony Iommi’s Black Sabbath “Seventh Star“is the kind of course‑correction that makes you realize just how badly we all misjudged this record the first time around. With 5,400 copies out in the wild, it’s not “blink and you missed it” rare, it’s not scarce enough that you feel like you grabbed something special, especially at $26 (Vintage Mio Record). That’s practically charity for a release this well‑executed and it’s still out there for the picking. The remaster finally gives Iommi’s riffs the width and weight they always deserved, and Glenn Hughes’ vocals come through with a clarity that makes you wonder how the original mix ever got approved. The packaging treats the album like a real, intentional piece of the Sabbath lineage instead of the mislabeled, mis-marketed oddity it was doomed to be in ’86.

Inner sleeve and splatter vinyl

Stand out tracks: ”No Stranger to Love”-”In for the Kill”-”Turn to Stone”

3/5 packaging
4.5/5 Star Sweet Lou Review

And here’s the truth: Seventh Star was never the failure people pretended it was; it was a victim of expectations. We wanted another Sabbath record; Iommi delivered the album he wanted to make, and the world shrugged. This RSD edition reframes the whole thing. The bluesy swagger, the melodic turns, the moody atmosphere, it all lands now. Almost in a way that feels purposeful instead of confusing. You buy this pressing because it redeems an album that deserved better, because it finally lets Seventh Star stand on its own terms, and because it proves that sometimes the records we slept on, age into something far more interesting than the ones we canonized. This is the copy that rewrites the narrative, and it earns its place on the shelf.

Brian Wilson “On Tour 1999-2007”

• 2000 pressings

• 1 LP-Ocean Blue Wave vinyl

• $28 Vintage Mio Records

The “On Tour 1999–2007” RSD 2026 pressing is one of those rare Brian Wilson releases that actually earns the hype instead of coasting on the mythology. The performances are shockingly alive. Yes, it’s late‑career Brian with a band, but could play Pet Sounds front‑to‑back in their sleep but still finds ways to make the classics feel fresh. The remastering gives everything warmth and clarity without sanding off the human edges that make this era so special. And for $28, it feels like you stole something. The packaging is clean, respectful, and mercifully free of the usual “Beach Boys nostalgia bait” nonsense. It treats this era like the real creative chapter it was, not a footnote.

Back cover with blue ocean vinyl

Stand out tracks:
“Surf’s Up” (Live 2004)- “Heroes and Villains” (Live 2002)- “Til I Die” (Live 2005)

Packaging is basic and should have been more.

2/5 for solid gatefold
5/5 Star Sweet Lou review

What makes this release spectacular is how it reframes Brian’s late ’90s, early‑’00s renaissance. You hear a man who wasn’t just touring; he was reclaiming his catalog while rewriting his own legacy one night at a time. The sequencing captures that arc beautifully, moving from confidence to vulnerability to outright joy. It’s the kind of record that reminds you why people still line up at dawn on RSD. Because every once in a while, you get a release that isn’t just collectible, it’s actually essential. This pressing proves that Brian’s “comeback years” weren’t a victory lap; they were a second peak. Owning this version means you finally have the document that tells that story the way it always should’ve been told.

Bruce Kulick - “Transformer

• 1500 pressings

• 1 LP- 2-sided Blue and Orange vinyl

• $18 Discogs Marketplace

Bruce Kulick’s Transformer RSD 2026 pressing is one of those releases that sneaks up on you, not because the material was ever weak, but because Kulick has always been the quiet assassin of the KISS universe. This record finally gets the vinyl treatment it deserved, and the remaster gives everything a clarity and punch that makes you realize how much of Kulick’s best work happened after the greasepaint era. The guitars are warm and articulate, the arrangements breathe, and the whole album feels like a masterclass in melodic hard rock from a guy who never needed to show off to prove he could play circles around most of his peers. And with only 1500 copies released on vinyl at $18, it’s the kind of RSD pickup that makes you feel like you robbed the store with a smile.

Back cover B-side Orange

Stand out tracks:
“Jump the Shark”- “I Can’t Breathe”- “It’s Just My Life” (with John Corabi)

Packaging is a nod to Japanese pressing. Decent for a 1500 copy release.

3.5/5 Packaging
4/5 Star Sweet Lou review

What makes Transformer shine in this format is how confidently it stands on its own legs. This isn’t “ex‑KISS guitarist makes a solo record”; it’s Kulick building his own musical identity brick by brick. The hooks are strong, the playing is tasteful, and the songwriting has that grown‑man weight that comes from decades of being the adult in every band he’s ever been in. This RSD pressing gives the album the fidelity and respect it always deserved, turning what was once a cult‑favorite CD into a vinyl statement piece. You buy this one because it fills in the real story of Bruce Kulick, not the sideman, not the hired gun, but the musician. And this pressing finally lets you hear him without the noise.

Bruce Springsteen-live in asbury park 2024

• 6050 copies available

• 5 LP set Box Set-no frills f’n black vinyl

• $99 Vintage Mio Records

Bruce Springsteen’s Live From Asbury Park 2024 RSD 2026 box set is the kind of release that reminds me why I ever cared in the first place. Five LPs, 6,050 copies, and not a single second wasted. The sound is shockingly alive; big, warm, punchy, the kind of mix that makes you feel like you’re standing on the floor with a beer in my hand and my knees already regretting it. The band is locked in, Bruce sounds present and hungry, and the whole thing plays like a man reconnecting with the part of himself that didn’t need a teleprompter or a lecture to get a crowd the crowd amp’d. Not to mention that at $99, it feels like you paid for a real document, not a souvenir. The packaging is heavy, clean, and built like something meant to be played, not sealed and worshipped.

What makes this box set special, and honestly, a little emotional, is how it captures Bruce without the noise. No political monologues, no detours, no “here’s what America needs to hear tonight.” Just the songs, the stories, the sweat, and that thing he built his entire mythology on. You hear the fire in “Thunder Road,” the grit in “Prove It All Night,” the late‑career gravity in the quieter moments. It’s Bruce the way he was, the way you always hoped he’d circle back to, The fucking BOSS! This pressing isn’t just a great live album, it’s a reminder of the guy who made you camp in line all night for tickets, the guy who turned arenas into revival tents, the guy who could make a whole crowd feel like they were part of something bigger. This box set earns every inch of shelf space