Welcome to New Release Friday!

Lesley Gore, Someplace Else Now (Real Gone Music) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K.)

Someplace Else Now marked Lesley Gore’s first full immersion into the world of the singer-songwriter.  She penned every one of the twelve tracks on this 1972 album for MoWest Records, writing solo and with lyricists Ellen Weston and her brother Michael Gore.  Joe Porter (Gladys Knight and the Pips, Thelma Houston) supplied the passionate production.  Lesley’s lost Motown gem – a stylistic mélange of pop, soul, folk, rock, and gospel – makes its long-awaited first ever CD appearance.  Though Lesley passed away at far too young an age earlier this year,Someplace Else Now is a tribute to this pioneering artist’s timeless and enduring artistry.  I’ve written the new liner notes for Real Gone Music’s reissue!

Steppenwolf, The ABC/Dunhill Singles Collection (Real Gone Music) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K.)

Over 2 CDs and 38 remastered tracks, The ABC/Dunhill Singles Collection includes the A and B-side of every Steppenwolf single on the ABC/Dunhill label (featuring, for the first time ever per the label, a decent-sounding “Magic Carpet Ride”), but of every John Kay solo single as well! And, speaking of John Kay, he sat down with co-producer/liner notes scribe Ed Osborne for a thorough, track-by-track review for the liner notes (John also requested that Real Gone use the album version of “Monster” rather than the single version, because the single is such a pieced-together “Frankenstein” job…pun intended).

The Muffs, The Muffs: Expanded Edition (Omnivore Recordings) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K.)

Omnivore resurrects the Warner Bros. debut of nineties power-pop/punk favorites The Muffs, produced by David Katznelson and Rob Cavallo.  This expanded reissue contains the original album, and adds 10 bonus tracks: a radio remix of “Lucky Guy,” a version of “Everywhere I Go” which was only available on the cassette of The Muffs album, and 8 previously unissued demos from the band’s vocalist and lead guitarist Kim Shattuck, who stepped into the shoes of Kim Deal on the Pixies’ 2013 tour!  Shattuck and bassist Ronnie Barnett provide new liner notes, and they have also opened their archives for rare photos and memorabilia images!

The Replacements, The Twin/Tone Years (Rhino) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K.)

This 4-LP vinyl box set, limited to 8,000 numbered units, includes Sorry Ma, Forgot to Take Out the Trash (1981), the Stink EP (1982), Hootenanny (1983) and Let It Be (1984).

The Who, Volume 2: The Reaction Singles 1966 (UMe) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K.)

The Who presents Volume Two of a four-part series of the band’s singles, collected by label (Brunswick, Reaction, Track and Polydor).  This box features five 7-inch singles from the Reaction label, pressed on heavyweight vinyl with sleeves reproducing the period graphics with die-cut center holes.  Includes remastered versions of Who classics such as “Substitute,” “Happy Jack,” “I’m a Boy,” the Ready Steady Who EP, and more.  The singles are all housed in a full-color box that also contains a 7-inch-sized 8-page color booklet with liner notes about each release by Mark Blake.