Spring Sets From Pink Floyd, Frank Zappa, More

The best reissues of the past three months covered all shades of the spectrum: archival releases that unearthed previously unreleased recordings, remastered classic albums, expanded versions of records that long ago entered the pantheon and compilations that target scenes with hits, deep tracks and rarities.

This roundup focuses on the most essential releases — single CDs to multidisc box sets — that deserve a spot on your shelf. Anniversary editions and remastered works are part of the story; long-forgotten albums, recorded and then stored away for decades, are another.

The biggest artists here showcase performances from 1971 to 1974, offering new takes on their material. Pink Floyd‘s famous Pompeii concert has circulated for years, but a remixed version, tied to a remastered film that recently showed in theaters, offers new insight into the recordings.

READ MORE: Top 15 Reissues of 2024

And Frank Zappa, inspired by late-night TV concert programs in the mid-’70s that spotlighted rock artists, commissioned one of his band’s shows for a special that never aired. After half a century, the video and audio have been excavated from the vaults for one of the season’s most anticipated releases.

Also featured are anniversary sets by INXS and War, a previously unheard Cat Stevens concert from his peak years, remastered and expanded versions of classic albums by Christopher Cross and the Move, and various artists sets that cover the 1960s and 1970s with a curator’s eye for taste and completeness. It’s been a productive three months.