Queen, News of the World / Jazz / The Game / Flash Gordon / Hot Space: Deluxe Editions (Island/UMC)
The next wave of Queen remasters are out this Monday in England. If you don't want to get them as imports, you'll have to wait until September to get these as domestic reissues - by which point I'd imagine the third wave will be out in the U.K. (Official site)
Alice Cooper, Old School 1964-1974 (Bigger Picture)
This desk-sized box includes not pencils, not books, not black eyeliner, but four CDs of unreleased rarities from Alice Cooper's early years, along with some vinyl goodies and extra swag. (Official site)
Teena Marie, Lady T: Expanded Edition / Irons in the Fire: Expanded Edition / First Class Love: Rare Tee (Hip-o Select/Motown)
The Ivory Queen of Soul is honored with expansions of her second and third Motown LPs plus a double-disc set of unreleased tracks (originally issued as a smaller-scale digital set). (Hip-o Select: Lady T, Irons, Rare Tee)
Alicia Keys, Songs in A Minor: Deluxe and Collector's Editions (J/Legacy)
To mark ten(!) years since Alicia Keys' first album was released, it's been expanded with a host of vault material (and in the case of the collector's edition, a new documentary). The original album has also been pressed on vinyl, too. (Official site)
The Left Banke, Walk Away Renee/Pretty Ballerina / The Left Banke Too (Sundazed)
Two long-out-of-print albums by The Left Banke, newly reissued on CD and vinyl (Sundazed: Walk Away CD, LP; Too CD, LP; CD bundle, LP bundle, CD and LP bundle)
The Doobie Brothers, Live at The Greek Theatre 1982: Farewell Tour (Eagle Rock)
A CD (or DVD - not both, sadly) set of The Doobies' last tour before Michael McDonald went full-on solo, featuring guest appearances by a handful of former members. (Eagle Rock: CD, DVD)
Deep Purple, Phoenix Rising (Eagle Rock)
A treasure from the vault - documentary footage of the band's live tour in 1975 - and all the rock and roll insanity that followed. (Eagle Rock: CD/DVD, Blu-Ray)
Various Artists, The Best of Soul Train Live (Time-Life)
I've been on a Soul Train kick lately, and it excites me to see this compilation of a handful of live performances on the long-running show get an official CD release. (Amazon)
Buddy Guy with Junior Wells and Junior Mance, Buddy and The Juniors (Hip-o Select/Verve)
The U.S. CD debut of this loose, laid-back record from the Blue Thumb catalogue. (Hip-o Select)
Paul McCartney, Run Devil Run (MPL/Concord)
Not nearly as expansive as the last McCartney reissues - this one's just a straight-up remaster. (Official site)
Release Round-Up: Week of December 13
Try to See Things Their Way: Ace Preps 'Here, There and Everywhere,' Third Collection of Beatles Covers Through a Black Lens
Release Round-Up: Week of October 25
Listen to the Music: Rhino's New Batch of Quadio Titles Includes Doobie Brothers, Jefferson Starship, J. Geils Band, Foghat
I picked up the Deep Purple DVD today and it is indeed a treasure from the vault! Hands down, the 80 minute doc is THE rock doc of the year for depth and insight I think other docs fear to tread and chart. After watching Phoenix Rising, I wish Ozzy's 30 Years After The Blizzard was half as brutally honest as the stories told by Glenn Hughes and Jon Lord.