Record Collector – September 2026

Summary

"You're gonna need a bigger shelf" shouts Record Collector issue 587, and September 2026's complete guide to collecting soundtracks backs that line with Jaws, Reservoir Dogs and Star Wars, plus Ronnie Wood's life in pictures at page 48.

Record Collector magazine September 2026 (issue 587) builds its cover story on soundtrack collecting, running it at page 72 with Reservoir Dogs, The Wicker Man, Grease and Star Wars among the titles. Ron Wood gets the life-in-pictures treatment at 48, Deaf School at 54, Seoul 45s at 58, Marty Robbins at 64 and David Porter at 68. News opens at 8, the collecting strand runs The Vinylist at 20 through Most Wanted at 36, and opinion carries David Quantick at 42 and 33 1/3 minutes with Charlie Musselwhite at 46.

The back half keeps the machine running: From the Vaults at 90, New Albums at 100, Books at 106, Singles at 108 and Lives at 118. Reader services span subscription offers at 109, stockists at 110 and classifieds at 112, while Coda closes with the crossword at 124 and 10 of the Best at 130. For soundtrack buyers the value is concrete: the cover guide tells you which pressings to chase, and the reviews section prices the rest.

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Content Guide

▸ Cover Story
p.72 · COVER STORY SOUNDTRACKS
Record Collector turns issue 587 over to soundtrack collecting, working through the pressings and reissues behind Jaws, Reservoir Dogs, The Wicker Man, Grease and Star Wars. The piece names specific editions rather than praising the films. Check which pressing the guide flags before you bid on a soundtrack.

▸ Features
p.48 · RON WOOD
Ron Wood's career gets the life-in-pictures treatment at 48, moving through Faces, the Rolling Stones and his solo work with the photographs carrying the story. Captions supply the dates and band line-ups. Pull one Faces album from your shelf and play it after reading.

p.54 · DEAF SCHOOL
Deaf School get a feature at 54, tracing the Liverpool art-rock band's records and the players who passed through. The piece names albums and the personnel behind them. Seek out the second album, which the piece treats as the turning point.

p.58 · SEOUL 45s
The issue reports on Seoul's best-ever 45s at page 58, covering the singles that defined the city's collecting scene. It names titles and the shops that traded them. Ask a Seoul dealer for the specific 45s listed here.

p.64 · MARTY ROBBINS
Marty Robbins is profiled at 64, with the country singer's records and the collectable pressings mapped out. The focus stays on the discs a collector can find. Look for the country pressings named in the piece, not the reissues.

p.68 · DAVID PORTER
David Porter gets his feature at 68, covering the songwriter's work and the records that carry it. He is placed in the Stax story with the songwriter credits listed. File the Porter-written singles the piece names beside your Stax collection.

▸ Collecting
p.20 · THE VINYLIST
The Vinylist at 20 trawls upcoming releases for the records worth pre-ordering. It names titles and formats so a buyer can act. Pre-order one title from this column rather than waiting for the review.

p.22 · RC INVESTIGATES
RC Investigates at 22 takes on a collecting question with the evidence laid out. The column names the records and the price behaviour behind the answer. Use the criteria here the next time you doubt a label.

p.32 · DIGGIN' FOR GOLD
Diggin' For Gold at 32 goes through the cheaper end, naming records found in the wild and what they go for. It gives locations and prices where the magazine has them. Visit the kind of shop named here with this column in your pocket.

▸ Opinion
p.42 · DAVID QUANTICK
David Quantick writes his column at 42, taking a position on a music-world target with his usual bite. He names the records and the people involved. Read it for the argument, not for a shopping list.

p.46 · 33 1/3 MINUTES WITH CHARLIE MUSSELWHITE
Charlie Musselwhite takes the 33 1/3 minutes slot at 46, talking through his records and career in the interview's fixed format. He names the albums that matter to him. Queue one of the albums he names before the interview leaves your head.

▸ Regulars
p.6 · FOR THE RECORD
For the Record at 6 runs readers' letters, with corrections and arguments from the previous issue. It is where the magazine's own mistakes get caught. Scan it for a correction to a review you acted on.

p.90 · FROM THE VAULTS
From the Vaults at 90 covers reissues and compilations, naming labels and formats. The column flags which reissue is worth the money. Buy the reissue named here rather than hunting a costly original.

p.100 · NEW ALBUMS
New Albums at 100 reviews current releases with a verdict and a format note. The section spans the issue's new studio records. Check the format before ordering, since the reviews flag pressing quality.

p.130 · 10 OF THE BEST
10 Of The Best at 130 closes the issue with ten picks on a single theme. It names records and gives a reason for each. Add the top two to a want list rather than all ten.

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Editor's Take

Record Collector issue 587 earns its cover: the soundtrack guide at 72 is the reason to buy, because it names pressings instead of just enthusing about Jaws and Star Wars, and the Jaws "bigger shelf" line is the best cover copy the magazine has run this year. Ron Wood at 48 is a strong second, and the photography carries it without much help from the text. The weak stretch is the collecting middle: Diggin' For Gold at 32 and Most Wanted at 36 are short, and Seoul 45s at 58 will land only for a narrow slice of readers. The reviews run long at the back, with New Albums at 100 and Lives at 118 filling many pages for titles most collectors will skip. The cover is busy but legible, helped by the Jaws line. This is the issue for soundtrack and classic-rock collectors; readers who only want new releases should borrow it.

Strengths
• Soundtrack guide names specific collectable pressings
• Ron Wood life-in-pictures carries real photographs
• Jaws cover line is the year's best hook

Weaknesses
• Reviews section runs long on skippable titles
• Seoul 45s will land only for narrow readers

Verdict: Recommended — The soundtrack cover story and Ron Wood make it; the back half drags.