Release Round-Up: Week of April 3
Johnny Cash, Bootleg IV: The Soul of Truth (Columbia/Legacy)
Three complete gospel albums – one of which was never released – and a heap of unreleased material make this one to look out for if you like The Man in Black at his sacred best.
Morrissey, Viva Hate: Deluxe Edition (Liberty/EMI)
If you can call it that, an expanded edition of Moz’s debut album, remastered with one bonus track, one edited track and one excised track.
Elvis Costello & The Imposters, The Return of the Spectacular Spinning Songbook!!! (Hip-O/UMe)
The standalone CD and DVD contents of that box set that everyone rightfully hated, including Costello himself.
Doris Day, With a Smile and a Song (Turner Classic Movies/Sony Masterworks)
Just in time for the legend’s birthday! A two-disc set of highlights personally selected by Day, devoted equally to her songs in film and on standalone albums.
fIREHOSE, “lowFLOWs”: The Columbia Anthology 1991-1993 (Columbia/Legacy)
Mike Watt’s late ’80s/early ’90s punk trio’s last two albums, with a heap of B-sides and rarities, in honor of fIREHOSE’s reunion tour.
The Human League, Dare: Deluxe Edition (Virgin/EMI)
Don’t you want this expanded edition of the British synthpop band’s breakthrough album?
The Smiths, The Smiths / Hatful of Hollow / Meat is Murder / The Queen is Dead / The World Won’t Listen / Louder Than Bombs / Strangeways, Here We Come / “Rank” (Sire/Rhino)
The remasters released in that mega box set last year are now available on their own.
So… Has anyone actually heard the Costello live CD? Not counting the recent “vault” releases, assorted bonus discs, that limited edition Costello/Nieve box, this is (more or less) the first true live album Costello has ever released. Isn’t it?
Now that it’s reasonably priced and I can just buy the CD, this is potentially reason to celebrate!
As far as that vault series goes, if they’re still doing it I’d love to a release from the Spike tour (Alpine Valley ’89, was a great show) and that acoustic club show he played at the Sweetwater where Jerry Garcia and other guests joined him.
The Spinning Songbook shows were terrifically fun in person, and a lot of that spirit comes through on the new CDs, Shaun. (Haven’t watched the DVD yet.) I think you’ll be in for a treat, and I’d certainly second that motion for more archival live releases from EC!
Thanks, Joe! I think you sold me on this one… The setlist is certainly great. Depending on the price, I might even spring for the the DVD too.
I hope the “Costello Show” vault series continues… The Hollywood High show is great (I skipped El Mocambo, as I understand a fan’s shouting through the entire show ruins that show a bit).
Besides that 1989 show I mentioned, I’ve seen Costello two other times in more recent years: Once with Allen Toussaint (touring behind The River In Reverse), and a couple of years ago at Milwaukee’s Summerfest where he played an incredible “greatest hits” set mixed with a few newer songs (such as “Sulfur to Sugarcane”), and some choice covers (“Suspicious Minds,” “Tracks of My Tears. and “Jackie Wilson Said”) too. Fantastic. My hope is that the series will continue, with a wide variety of different shows and eras released.