Don Done Right

Ever feel like, "somebody out there's listening?" Well, I do today because I just received Godfather Don's Selections EP (though to my mind, this is full enough to constitute an LP) from No Sleep Records. I'll forgive you if you've forgotten a blog I posted way back in 2007, where I gave a positive review of Godfather Don's CD The Nineties Sessions, also on No Sleep; but also expressed some disappointment with it.

Only some of the tracks were new (and some were blatantly stepping on another label's toes), and of course - it wasn't on vinyl. Well, I guess they heard me (and all the other collectors who felt the same way), because in 2010, No Sleep is back with a new release that addresses all of my concerns and then some.

The Selections EP features all seven songs from The Nineties Sessions album that had never been released before and puts them on vinyl for the first time. And, thanks to a last minute recall where some low-volume wax was taken back in favor of a new, first class pressing, the sound quality is excellent (better than what was pressed on the CD, I daresay). Back when we looked at The Nineties Sessions like, "damn, this is good, but could have been so much better..." Well, it's now been done so much better. :)

Oh, but wait! That alone would make this an absolutely essential purchase in my book, but there's more. In addition to those seven songs, the Selections EP features a completely unheard, never-before-released Don track from the 90's. "For Your Ear" is easily one of the best tracks on here, too (I'd say the best, but "Memories" was smooth); this is no second-stringer, and really captures that magical 90's production sound. This'll take you back to the days of flipping to the back pages of The Source and nodding your head to NYC radio back when it was worth listening to.

This is a limited release (though there is some question as to exactly how many were pressed... apparently 175 were available for pre-order, but nobody presses in quantities of 175), and comes in a cool sticker cover. This might prove to be a difficult one to get your hands on, but damn worth it if you do.