Welcome to the first Release Round-Up of the new year!

David Bowie, Beauty and the Beast [7-Inch Vinyl Single] (Parlophone/Rhino) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada)

David Bowie's series of 40th anniversary series continues with the picture-disc release of "Beauty and the Beast" from Heroes, backed with a live version of "Blackout" from Berlin's Deutschlandhalle on May 16, 1978.  The A-side boasts a photo of Bowie from Japan 1977, while the flip has him in NYC in 1978.

Natalie Dessay and Michel Legrand, Between Yesterday and Tomorrow (Sony Classical)

CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada
Vinyl: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada

Back in 1973, Barbra Streisand began work on an ambitious concept album by composer Michel Legrand and lyricists Alan and Marilyn Bergman.  Colloquially referred to as The Life Cycle of a Woman (and alternately, The Life and Death of a Young Woman), the song cycle was to trace a woman's journey from birth to death.  Though Streisand never completed the project, her recordings of four of its songs have seen the light of day.  Last year, Legrand completed a version of the album with French vocalist Natalie Dessay as Between Yesterday and Tomorrow - one of the titles previously referred to by Streisand in interviews about her abortive release.  It's available today as an import on both vinyl and CD (as well as digital platforms), and should be of interest to Streisand fans and collectors as a tantalizing look at what might have been.

Meat Loaf, Bat Out of Hell: 40th Anniversary Translucent Vinyl Edition (Friday Music) (Amazon U.S.)

Friday Music re-presses Meat Loaf's Jim Steinman-penned, Todd Rundgren-produced classic on translucent red 180-gram vinyl.

Daryl Hall and John Oates, Livetime (Friday Music) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon Canada)

The famed duo's 1978 live album is re-reissued on CD by Friday Music in time for its 40th anniversary.  Includes "Sara Smile," "Rich Girl," "Abandoned Luncheonette," "Do What You Want, Be What You Are," and more.

Heitor Villa-Lobos, Choros No. 6/Bachianas Brasileiras No. 7 (Kritzerland)

Kritzerland has been making quite a splash lately with a number of classical releases with crossover appeal to fans of the label's soundtrack and cast recording fare.  This release, from Braziilan composer Heitor Villa-Lobos, contains two of his classic compositions described by Kritzerland as "filled with Villa-Lobos' trademark exotic instrumentation and orchestral color...both pieces have stunningly gorgeous melodies and are profoundly beautiful."  The two mono recordings with Villa-Lobos leading the Berlin Radio Symphony Orchestra were made by Remington Records in 1954; the recording of "Choros No. 6" is the only time he conducted the piece on records.  Though these have previously been released on CD in 1986, Kritzerland has given them a substantial sonic upgrade.  Limited to 500 copies, Choros No. 6/Bachianas Brasileiras is available now for pre-order.  CDs will ship by the second week of February, but pre-orders frequently arrive 3-5 weeks early.

Look for the schedule to pick up steam next week with many more releases!