Release Round-Up: Week of August 20
Fleetwood Mac, Then Play On: Deluxe Edition / Fleetwood Mac: 1969-1972 (Warner Bros./Rhino)
The pre Buckingham-Nicks era of the Mac gets some love on CD and vinyl: their last Peter Green-led album from 1969 is expanded with bonus tracks, and it’s also included in a remastered vinyl box set with follow-ups Kiln House (1970), Future Games (1971) and Bare Trees (1972) (plus the 1969 single “Oh Well” on 45).
Then Play On: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K.
1969-1972: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K.
Jimi Hendrix, The Jimi Hendrix Experience (Experience Hendrix/Legacy)
The famous “purple box” from 2000 – the first box set released in the official Experience Hendrix catalogue – is reissued with four extra tracks, including live material and rare non-LP B-side “The Stars That Play with Laughing Sam’s Dice.” (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K.)
Richard Pryor, The Studio Albums 1974-1983 (Warner Bros./Rhino)
A rather interesting discovery: Rhino has given the complete-albums-in-an-affordable-box treatment to Richard Pryor (whose Warner Bros. catalogue was rather generously sampled on Shout! Factory’s recent box set No Pryor Restraint). So this is essentially Rhino’s …And It’s Deep Too! box in a smaller package and without the bonus disc. Given the price of that long out-of-print box, the loss of the bonus disc is acceptable compared to the wealth of material herein. (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K.)
John Coltrane, Afro Blue Impressions (Pablo/Concord)
Recorded in Europe in 1963 and released in 1977, this double-disc offering of live ‘Trane is newly remastered and expanded with new liner notes and three unreleased bonus tracks. (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K.)
The Staple Singers, This Time Around (Stax/Ace)
Previously unreleased on CD, this 1981 compilation features outtakes from 1970-1972 sweetened with overdubs from Herb Jimmerson, one half of Fantasy recording duo Paradise Express. (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K.)
The Monkees, Headquarters: Deluxe Edition (Friday Music)
Rhino’s 2007 double-disc deluxe edition, featuring the 1967 album in stereo and mono mixes and a host of bonus tracks, is licensed and reissued by Friday Music. (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K.)
The Lumineers, The Lumineers: Deluxe Edition (Duatone)
The “Ho Hey” folk rockers expand their album with unreleased tracks and a DVD. (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K.)
Sarah McLachlan, Nas, Santana, Britney Spears, Bill WIthers, Tammy Wynette, The Essential (Legacy)
The latest entries in Legacy’s two-disc compilation series. (That feeling you’re experiencing is horror that Britney Spears has had enough time on the market to rack up enough material for The Essential series!)
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The Monkees Headquarters reissue is random, haven’t heard a thing about it. Already own the original Rhino deluxe issue. Wondering if the Friday Music release is in digipak or not. I’ll cross my fingers they reissue Headquarters Sessions, can’t afford $200-$300 for it on ebay!
The Monkees reissue comes in a slimline double jewel case.
Thanks for the info!
Listening to the “Then Play On” reissue as I type. Not that I’m biased or anything (I am, of course . . . hopelessly), but this is easily one of my favorite reissues of the year so far. This landmark album has SCREAMED for a quality remastering for 20+ years, and it’s finally here. The bonus tracks are absolutely essential, and the mastering by Chris Bellman is superb. Everything is crystal clear (but not antiseptic, by any means), not overly loud, and Peter Green sounds as present and tortured on this album as I’ve ever heard. It really is an amazing mastering job. To say that it slaughters the 1988-or-so original CD would be doing a disservice to the word slaughter. Maybe “obliterates” is more like it. And I don’t have a super-high-end system by any stretch! This is a reissue done right. Period.
The Britney Spears title has already been taken out of print. Was in a Target store tonight and they said they wouldn’t be getting any more in, and it’s not available on Walmart.com, etc.