Archive for the ‘Nirvana’ Category
Black Friday 2012: Bob Dylan, David Bowie, Rolling Stones, Frank Zappa Lead Off Packed Slate of RSD Exclusives
Here in the U. S. of A., Black Friday is almost upon us: that unusual date following the prior day of giving thanks, in which consumers make a mad dash to the local big-box store, mall or shopping center to procure bargains for the holiday season ahead. Retailers are controversially beginning Black Friday “festivities” even earlier than usual this year, with many sales starting on Thanksgiving Day itself and not even at midnight but in the early part of the evening. For a number of recent years, music buyers have had our own Black Friday, that day in April known as Record Store Day in which the aisles of our independent retailers are filled with hunters of collectible vinyl and CD releases. Record Store Day has in the past sponsored a mini-RSD event on Black Friday, but this year, the titles on offer are as enticing and nearly as plentiful as those on the main RSD itself. For some, this will be a source of frustration, for others, excitement.
This year’s line-up for Record Store Day – Black Friday brings titles from some of the biggest names in rock including The Beach Boys, David Bowie, Bob Dylan, The Rolling Stones and Nirvana, plus cult favorites like Leonard Cohen, Lee Hazlewood and Frank Zappa, and country-and-western legends such as Wanda Jackson and Buck Owens.
After the jump and without further ado, we’ll fill you in on the crème of the reissued crop come this Black Friday! Just click for your full list of the catalogue releases to watch! Read the rest of this entry »
The Second Disc Buyers Guide: The 100 Greatest Reissues of All Time, Part 17 (#20-16)
We’re in the Top 20 of Rolling Stone‘s Greatest Albums of All Time list, going through the various reissues and expansions of each one! This time, we have a Boss, a champion of a ’90s rock revolution, a poet of the ’60s – and starting right now, the King of Pop himself. Read on!
20. Michael Jackson, Thriller (Epic, 1982)
Nine disparate songs, helmed by a producer of straightforward jazz and R&B, and performed by a 24-year-old former child star-turned-gawky but dedicated perfectionist. It sounds like it has the makings of a great album, but the best-selling album in history? It seems unconventional – but that’s what makes Thriller so good. There’s something for everyone, from the seven charting singles to the smorgasbord/soundtrack vibe of the whole proceedings, with or without the unforgettable videos on MTV. Michael would strive harder for greatness, for sure, but he’d never achieve it as effortlessly as he did with this one.
First released on CD not too long after the album’s release (Epic EK 38112), that pressing stayed in print for years. (There was a special repackage in Europe in 1999, packaged in a cardboard sleeve and with a Japanese-style OBI indicating Epic’s U.K. “Millennium Edition” series – Epic MILLEN4). A SACD edition was first released in Japan the next year (Epic ESGA 503) and ultimately released in the U.S. six years after that (Epic ES 38112).
The first of two expanded editions (Epic EK 66073) appeared in 2001, preceding the release of Jackson’s then-new album Invincible and arriving alongside reissues of Michael’s other Epic albums through 1991. Like the reissue of Off the Wall, this disc gives far too much space to audio interviews with producer Jones and songwriter Rod Temperton where written recollections would have done better. Still, this has the most bonus tracks out of this reissue program, featuring two demos (“Billie Jean,” the unreleased “Carousel”), the full version of Vincent Price’s delightful “Thriller” outro and “Someone in the Dark,” from the Grammy-winning E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial storybook record Jackson narrated. (Nitpickers have valid complaints with some of the bonus material, though; “Someone in the Dark” is crossfaded with part of an interview with Jones – it would not be released properly until The Ultimate Collection box set in 2004 – and “Carousel” is edited down as well. That full version can be found on Italian pressings of the import compilation King of Pop (Epic 88697 35638-2, 2008).)
The other deluxe reissue, 2008′s Thriller 25 (Epic/Legacy 88697 22096-2), eschewed much of the bonus material from the last reissue (save the “Thriller” rap) in favor of mostly atrocious remixes of Thriller singles by will.i.am of The Black Eyed Peas, Akon and Kanye West and a DVD of previously-released music videos (as well as Jackson’s iconic performance of “Billie Jean” on Motown 25: Yesterday, Today and Forever in 1983). The sole “unreleased track from the Thriller sessions,” a nice if slight ballad called “For All Time,” is almost certainly not from those sessions; co-writers Mike Sherwood and Jeff Porcaro had not collaborated before Toto’s Fahrenheit album in 1986. The Japanese import bonus track, “Got the Hots,” does indeed date back that far.
19. Van Morrison, Astral Weeks (Warner Bros., 1968)
It’s easy to laud these albums as ones that don’t sound like anything else at the time, but Astral Weeks didn’t, and doesn’t. Inspired by traditional Irish folk, blues, jazz and classical artists, it’s a dreamy song cycle that is the night to the bright daytime of “Brown Eyed Girl.” For all its popularity, though, it’s never been reissued on CD anytime past its initial release (Warner Bros. 1768-2); it was reportedly planned for expansion in the late 2000s, but cancelled by the artist himself in a fit of pique with the music industry.
After the jump, the Boss, the bard and the grunge explosion! Read the rest of this entry »
Release Round-Up: Week of October 24/25
It’s Tuesday, but most of the new music this week has already been out for a day. But assuming you were too busy to get out to the shops, here’s a look at what’s new. And there’s quite a bit!
Various Artists, Phil Spector Presents The Philles Album Collection (Phil Spector Records/Legacy)
Six of the first seven Philles albums presented in mono, along with a bonus disc of those delightfully out-there instrumental B-sides. Seriously, have you heard any of them? They’re crazy. In a good way, that is.
Diana Ross & The Supremes, The 50th Anniversary Collection 1961-1969 / The Temptations, The 50th Anniversary Collection 1961-1971 (Hip-o Select/Motown)
Two new triple-disc sets capture two of Motown’s greatest groups at their peak, with every A- and B-side from the listed periods contained therein.
Paul Simon, One Trick Pony / Hearts and Bones / Graceland / The Rhythm of the Saints / Songwriter (Legacy)
The first four are the 2004 Rhino reissues in jewel cases instead of digipaks (although Graceland is re-remastered), the last is a two-disc compilation handpicked by Simon himself with a big thick booklet for your persual. (Have you read Joe’s great review? You really should.)
Pearl Jam, Pearl Jam 20 (Sony Music Video)
Cameron Crowe’s celebratory documentary, now available for home viewing.
Various Artists, The Bridge School Concerts: 25th Anniversary Edition (Reprise)
Two new sets – a 3-disc DVD box and a double-disc CD set – capture 25 years of one of the best known (and, let’s face it, best) benefit concert series of all time. Neil Young, Bruce Springsteen, Pearl Jam, Bob Dylan, The Who, Simon and Garfunkel, Paul McCartney, Sonic Youth and a host of other rock luminaries appear.
Howlin’ Wolf, Smokestack Lightnin’: The Complete Chess Masters 1951-1960 (Hip-o Select/Chess)
Four CDs of vintage blues goodness from The Wolf – including some tracks making their Stateside debut.
Mumford & Sons, Sigh No More: Deluxe Edition (Glassnote)
The great British roots-rockers’ major label debut, expanded with a bonus track, a live disc and a DVD documentary.
The Monkees, Head (Rhino)
A shiny new vinyl reissue of the cult classic album.
The Mamas and The Papas, If You Can Believe Your Eyes and Ears / Strawberry Alarm Clock, Incense and Peppermints (Sundazed)
The original, classic albums in mono, on CD! (There are a few other notables coming from Sundazed for you ’60s fans, too.)
Yes, 9012Live: The Solos – Expanded Edition (Friday Music)
The first-ever domestic CD release of Yes’ overlooked live album/side project, with two live bonus tracks for good measure.
Deftones, The Vinyl Collection 1995-2011 (Reprise)
A limited edition collection of the alternative band’s studio albums, plus an album of non-album covers, previously only available as a Record Store Day exclusive. (It’s sold out online, but I’m sure it’s still up for grabs here and there.)
Nirvana, Nevermind: Super Deluxe Edition (Geffen/UMe)
Previously a Best Buy exclusive, it’s worth noting that this title is now available everywhere. Hooray!
Pink Floyd, Beatles, Nirvana, Doors Lead Off Record Store Day Exclusives On “Black Friday”
For those of us who still savor the experience of shopping in a physical environment, Record Store Day has become a yearly tradition. It’s sometimes frustrating and sometimes exciting, but few could argue with an event that spotlights the hard-working independent music retailers out there who believe that brick-and-mortar retail can still thrive in the iTunes era. (Amen to that!) A more recent offshoot of Record Store Day has been the mini-event held each Black Friday, or the day after Thanksgiving. While crowds line up each year at Best Buy or Wal-Mart in the wee hours, a rare breed has been doing the same at the record shop in the hopes of obtaining a number of exclusive releases, most of which are on vinyl. This year’s Black Friday crop boasts reissues from some of the biggest names in rock: The Beatles, Pink Floyd, Bob Dylan, Nirvana, The Doors and so many more.
With Black Friday just around the corner, Record Store Day has revealed the full list of exclusive titles. Among the highlights are a number of 7-inch single releases. From The Beatles, a box set will offer four picture sleeve singles in a sturdy flip-top box. Pink Floyd’s singles box is dedicated to The Wall, and consists of three 7-inch singles in picture sleeves. Both box sets feature a Record Store Day-branded adapter and a poster. Pink Floyd fans might also be interested in a release from Mick Rock. Syd Barrett is remembered with The Photography of Mick Rock. The box includes photographs of the legendary Floyd member plus a 7-inch single of “Octopus” b/w “Golden Hair” on yellow vinyl. A limited, numbered 7-inch set from Bob Dylan offers four singles and includes a sticker of the artist. Janis Joplin also gets the 7-inch box treatment; her Move Over! offers four previously unreleased picture sleeve singles, including six never-before-released tracks and two rarities. The box itself includes a photo print of Janis and a temporary tattoo replica of her tattoo. Joplin is also the recipient of a 180-gram vinyl box set containing four original albums. The Doors’ L.A. Woman set includes four singles, the fourth of which consists of studio chatter.
Sundazed is offering a number of 7-inches from its deep catalogue. The Yardbirds’ “Ha Ha Said the Clown” b/w “Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Sailor” is a 1967 U.S. single that never received U.K. release, and “Ten Little Indians” is another U.S. mono single from the same year showcasing Jimmy Page’s experimental studio work. Two more singles come from The Byrds. “The Times They Are A-Changin’” b/w “She Don’t Care About Time” was originally earmarked for single release but that never happened; now, the Dylan covers arrive in their originally intended format. These are joined by “Eight Miles High” b/w “Why” in their mono RCA Studios versions. The Lovin’ Spoonful’s “Alley Oop” b/w “Night Owl Blues,” another “single that never was,” rounds out the label’s releases.
After the jump, you’ll find more Record Store Day titles revealed including those from Nirvana, John Lennon and Pete Townshend, plus the complete track listings to each and every one of these releases we’ve discussed above! Read the rest of this entry »
Review: Nirvana, “Nevermind: 20th Anniversary Edition”
It finally happened.
After around 20 months at the helm of The Second Disc, I think I’ve finally stumbled over a reissue that feels…dare I say it…misguided. Not entirely misguided, mind you, but misguided enough that it took me far longer than anticipated to bang out some thoughts on the title at hand, to understand what it meant for all of us as collectors and enthusiasts of catalogue material. Not a total strikeout, but a hit that barely gets a runner to second base, when it should have been an out-of-the-park home run.
Nirvana’s Nevermind (1991) was a game-changer on so many levels. Alongside two releases by fellow lauded Seattle bands Pearl Jam (Ten) and Soundgarden (Badmotorfinger), they instigated a sea change in music and popular culture forever. Not only did they turn the tide away from traditional pop albums entering the upper reaches of the Billboard 200, but in the wake of the publication’s adoption of Nielsen SoundScan data for official chart placement, such diverse sounds became, temporarily, part of the mainstream (before the diversity ultimately burst the monoculture into tiny pieces, right as the Internet became mainstream).
The record was, at the time of release, estimated to sell 250,000 copies when all was said and done; the album in fact moved more than 10 million in the U.S. alone. Now, Nevermind is revisited by that music industry that was so undone in part by the album’s success – an industry where a million copies sold of any record is now staggering. Predictably, it’s being given the royal treatment, either as a double-disc deluxe edition (DGC/UMe B0015883-02) or a by-now-industry-standard 4-CD/1-DVD super-deluxe edition (DGC/UMe B0015885-00). By virtue of its artistic and commercial value, Nevermind certainly earns this status as a reissue. Was it necessary, though, doing it the way it was done?
Release Round-Up: Week of September 27
‘Tis the season! The big guns for the fourth quarter are starting to be drawn.
Elvis Presley, The Young Man with the Big Beat / Elvis Presley: Legacy Edition (RCA/Legacy)
The newest Elvis box set is all about 1956: five CDs of complete studio masters, outtakes, vintage audio interviews and live material. For the casual fan, the Elvis Presley Legacy Edition includes the Elvis Presley and Elvis LPs with the hit non-LP singles of that era. (Official site)
Pink Floyd, Dark Side of the Moon: Experience and Immersion Editions / Discovery Remasters (EMI)
So you have all the basic remasters of every album, and the deluxe and mega-hyper-deluxe editions of Dark Side. Merry early Christmas! (Official site)
Nirvana, Nevermind: 20th Anniversary Deluxe Edition (DGC/UMe)
A lot of ways to celebrate the definitive grunge album for its 20th anniversary. Which one are you getting? (Official site)
The Smiths, Complete (Rhino U.K.)
The most mega of mega-boxes for The Smiths is out now in the U.K., and will be out in October in the States. (Rhino U.K.)
Sting, 25 Years (Cherrytree/A&M/UMe)
A 3-CD/1-DVD overview of Sting’s solo career. If you have all his albums, you’re probably going to want to wait until the price dips below its current Amazon price tag of $110. Like, way below. (Official site)
Wes Montgomery, Movin’: The Complete Verve Recordings (Hip-o Select/Verve)
Did Wes record it for Verve? If yes, it’s here, five discs’ strong. (Hip-o Select)
Davy Jones, David Jones: Deluxe Edition (Friday Music)
No Monkee-ing around here! Jones’ Colgems solo LP, exapnded and remastered. (Sorry about the pun back there.) (Amazon)
Barenaked Ladies, Hits from Yesterday & The Day Before (Reprise/Rhino)
A simple best-of for the Canadian rockers. (Official site)
The Jesus & Mary Chain, Automatic / Honey’s Dead: Deluxe Editions (Edsel)
The next links in the chain of 2-CD/1-DVD reissues! (Another pun! See what I did there?) (Official site)
Buck Owens, Bound for Bakersfield 1953-1956: The Complete Pre-Capitol Recordings (RockBeat)
Another fun one from RockBeat! (Amazon)
Come As They Are: A Reminder on Nirvana’s “Nevermind” Formats
It’s about a week until Nirvana’s Nevermind inundates record store shelves, and it seemed like a good idea to sort everything out, for the sake of clarity when September 27 rolls around.
Of course, as previously reported, there are four major formats for this reissue: a single-disc remaster of the original album, a double-disc deluxe edition, a four-vinyl LP set and a four-CD/one-DVD super deluxe edition. It’s worth noting, however, that the vinyl set will street a week later, on October 4.
And it wouldn’t be a major reissue without some retail exclusives. From September 27 to October 25, Best Buy will be the only place to get the super deluxe edition. Meanwhile, Target will offer a special package that presents the first disc of the deluxe edition – the original LP and all of the B-sides from the Nevermind singles – on its own with expanded artwork.
Finally, the newly-released vintage live show inside the super deluxe edition, Live at the Paramount is getting a standalone release on DVD and Blu-Ray. (The latter isn’t slated in stores until December 27, while the DVD is scheduled day-and-date with the other projects.)
After the jump, we’ve also got a link to the two-disc deluxe edition, with a full track list. (It’s the first two discs from the super deluxe edition – but we’d never mentioned that here until now.) Read the rest of this entry »
Release Round-Up: Week of September 13
Jimi Hendrix, Winterland / Hendrix in the West / Blue Wild Angel: Live at the Isle of Wight Festival / The Dick Cavett Show (Experience Hendrix/Legacy)
Another wave of Hendrix catalogue titles from Legacy, all of a live nature. The Winterland set captures The Jimi Hendrix Experience’s legendary run at the venue of the same name over four discs (or one, if you’re into the whole brevity thing), while In the West provides an expanded, slightly alternate presentation of the posthumous live LP. The DVDs Blue Wild Angel and The Dick Cavett Show show Hendrix at his live prime, with some special features to boot. Look for reviews of all these sets – Joe’s take on the CDs and my look at the DVDs – very soon! (Official site)
The Beatles, 1 (Apple/EMI)
In case you weren’t one of the tens of millions of people who’ve picked up this compilation since 2000, it’s been remastered (from the 2009 remasters, naturally). (Official site)
Bob Seger and The Silver Bullet Band, Live Bullet / Nine Tonight (Capitol/EMI)
Two killer Seger live albums, remastered and expanded with one bonus track apiece. (Official site)
The Art of Noise, Who’s Afraid of The Art of Noise? (ZTT/Salvo)
The first full-length LP by the influential U.K. act is expanded with unreleased BBC sessions and a DVD of videos and other vault treasures. (Official site)
1991: The Year Punk Broke (Geffen/UMe)
A greatly-expanded presentation of this vintage documentary, spotlighting the rise of Nirvana, Sonic Youth and Dinosaur Jr., as seen on the road and in the trenches. (Official site)
Motown Gold on The Ed Sullivan Show / The Best of The Supremes on The Ed Sullivan Show / The Best of The Temptations on The Ed Sullivan Show (Hip-O/Sofa Entertainment)
The Sound of Young America and the Toast of the Town, combined on three handy DVD packages. (Official site)
Smells Like More Details on 20th Anniversary “Nevermind” (UPDATED WITH TRACK LIST)
UPDATE: The track listing is now at the bottom of the post, courtesy of the NME!
Original post: Back on June 22, we reported on Geffen Records/Universal Music Enterprises’ plans for a 20th anniversary edition of Nirvana’s 1991 Nevermind, originally released on September 24 of that year. New details have been released on the set which will arrive in stores on September 27, just three days after the exact anniversary. Universal has stopped short of providing a complete track listing, but one thing’s for sure. This looks like a box set that should leave you saying anything but “Nevermind” about the classic album described by our very own Mike Duquette as having “firmly solidified Nirvana’s place not only in the pop spotlight, but in the rock canon as well.”
Like most of the other releases in the “Super Deluxe Edition” format, Nevermind will be overflowing with material! Among the content on this 4-CD/1-DVD set (which will be limited to 10,000 copies in the U.S. and another 30,000 internationally):
- Remastered edition of the album plus associated B-sides
- First complete release of the pre-Nevermind demos recorded at Butch Vig’s Smart Studios in Wisconsin
- “Boombox recordings” of early band rehearsals, containing embryonic versions of “Smells Like Teen Spirit,” “Come As You Are,” “On a Plain” and more
- The Devonshire Mixes, the full album as produced and mixed by Vig, as opposed to the commercially released version that was produced by Vig and mixed by Andy Wallace
- Two previously unreleased BBC recordings
- Full concert recorded at Seattle’s Paramount Theatre on Halloween night, 1991, on both CD and DVD
- A 90-page book “full of rarely and never before seen photos, documents and various other visual artifacts of the Nevermind era.”
Too “Super Deluxe” for you? Universal’s got you covered. Hit the jump for the additional, pared-down releases that are planned for the anniversary, as well as the low-down on the box set’s DVD! Read the rest of this entry »
Teen Spirit, Redux: “Nevermind” to Be Expanded for 20th Anniversary
Back in April, in a Back Tracks post commemorating Nirvana on the occasion of Kurt Cobain’s passing, we declared it “inconceivable that the powers-that-be at Geffen/UMe wouldn’t be thinking of reissuing [breakthrough album Nevermind] for the two-decade mark (especially with the exact anniversary falling in November, just in time for the box set frenzy associated with the fourth quarter).” At the time, the band’s Hormoaning EP had received a domestic vinyl reissue for Record Store Day and 20th anniversary badges were springing up on Facebook and Twitter, so it seemed like a natural fit.
Boy, were we right! Universal Music Enterprises today announced a box set version of the classic 1991 album for release this fall. We hope you’re sitting down for this one – it’s a five-disc set, four CDs and a DVD. According to the news release, the set “will include previously unreleased recordings, rarities, b-sides, BBC radio appearances, alternative mixes, rare live recordings and an unreleased concert in its entirety on DVD.” A track list has not been nailed down yet, but one would imagine that the audio portion would feature some overlap with the 2004 box set With the Lights Out.
Read the full, brief announcement here and keep it tuned here for additional information as it’s made available. (Thanks to eagle-eyed reader Sergio for passing this one along!)
