Features / Release Round-Up

Welcome to our first Release Round-Up of 2016!

The Mamas and the Papas, The Complete Singles: The 50th Anniversary Collection (Real Gone Music) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada)

Real Gone Music has 53 tracks on 2 CDs of pure pop pleasure from The Mamas and the Papas – as a group and solo – with this first-ever collection of their complete singles, just in time for their 50th anniversary!  Full details here.

J.D. Souther, John David Souther (Expanded Edition) (Omnivore) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada)

J.D. Souther’s eponymous 1971 album was co-produced by Souther and Fred Catero, and arrived on the Asylum label.  It introduced “How Long,” revived by Eagles on 2007’s Long Road Out of Eden.  Souther was joined by an all-star cast including Glenn Frey, Ned Doheny and John Barbata for the album which will be expanded by Omnivore with seven previously unissued bonus tracksincluding demos of “How Long” and “Run Like a Thief,” covered by Bonnie Raitt.  Read more here.

John Williams, Star Wars: The Ultimate Soundtrack Collection (Sony Masterworks) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada)

The Ultimate Soundtrack Collection contains 10 compact discs and 1 DVD celebrating John Williams’ classic scores for cinema’s most beloved franchise.  The six discs comprising the originalStar Wars trilogy are the same as the 1997 (and 2004) releases.  The prequel trilogy is also simply the same single CDs that have been in print.  Oddly, the two-disc version of The Phantom Menace is not included.  Instead, the 10th CD is a 16-track compilation disc featuring cues from the six movies.  The DVD includes new interviews with Harrison Ford and John Williams together with the one-hour special Star Wars: A Musical Journey which was originally bundled with copies of Revenge of the Sith.  The CDs are housed in mini album jackets.

John Williams, Star Wars: The Ultimate Vinyl Collection (Sony Masterworks) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada)

Star Wars: The Ultimate Vinyl Collection presents versions of each soundtrack as they initially appeared on vinyl, spread across 11 LPs.  This marks the first time that Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith have appeared on vinyl.  Sony describes the set as follows: “Star Wars: The Ultimate Vinyl Collection includes each of the six film soundtracks from Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace to Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi in deluxe gatefold sleeves faithfully replicating the original artwork. Audio was transferred from the original LP masters using the highest resolution (up to 192kHz/24bit) and pressed with heavy 180-gram vinyl. The six soundtrack set (on 11 LPs) is presented in a black, soft-touch laminated slipcase with an embossed, hot silver foil Star Wars logo and includes a digital download card for one complete box set (all six soundtracks).”

David Bowie, Blackstar (Columbia) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada)

David Bowie, who today celebrates his 69th birthday, continues to push the envelope with this new studio album.  Blackstar features the epic title track, music from his current New York stage production Lazarus, the single “Sue (Or in a Season of Crime)” and more!