In Need Of (reissue) vinyl

Beckie Bell's 1980 debut has long circulated in fragments i a 12" here, a collector's tip there. This full reissue by Strut gathers it all in one place. Recorded after Bell's move from New York to Paris, it offers a studio-built vision of disco shaped by session musicians and arranged with subtlety. 'Super Queen' sets the tone with its patient build and clipped vocal phrasing. 'So Many Ways' and 'Magic Lady' follow a slower logic, driven more by mood than immediacy. 'Music Madness', the record's most played track, draws attention with its syncopated synths and layered percussion, though its energy remains low-slung. Bell's voice rarely reaches for spectacle. Her lines sit just above the groove, steady and self-assured. On 'Johnnies Home' and 'What You Need I Can Bring', there's no need for dramatic turns i the performances work because nothing is pushed. The reissue comes with a clean remaster by The Carvery and includes contributions from Arthur Young, Patrick Cowley and Jacob Desvarieux. What emerges is not a lost classic but something quieter: a well-assembled record with a clear internal logic, shaped by a moment where disco didn't yet need to shout.