As the seasons start getting closer and the prospect of gift giving starts to clear off the cobwebs and come front and center to everyone’s consciousness yet again, there’s always the enigma of what to get, and more importantly, will the recipient be satisfied? There are however universals that always crack the corners of the mouth for a smile, music releases and their sometimes re-released box sets being some of them. So that being said, and what remains our annual wont, here’s our picks for some great music recently released and upcoming. And as always, this one goes to eleven.

Check out our 2017 Holiday Geek Gift Guide for Music…

Since today, May the 4th, marks the annual celebration of that film in the galaxy far, far away known to the billions of generations as Star Wars, I thought it would be fun to go back to 1976, the year right before the film was released when filming was still underway and a generation of science-fiction fans were being teased with elements and characters from the upcoming space opera, most notably at that year’s San Diego Comic-Con.

The SDCC that everyone knows today circa 2016 was nothing like what it was four decades ago. There was no social media; there was no hint of that kind of anticipatory buzz that comes with each upcoming Con as the New Year bell tolls; cosplay was a term that was non-existent in those days, as well as even trying to get licensed or unlicensed for that matter favorite character paraphernalia to dress up in. You wanted a Spidey mask to wear? You best ask your mom to ask your grandmother to knit one out of itchy yarn. The things that Comic-Con goers take and see as gospel in today’s climate was light years away, unheard of, in 1976.