Welcome to this week’s Release Round-Up!

The Cars, Shake It Up: Expanded Edition (Elektra/Rhino)

CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada
2LP: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada

The Cars reissue their 1981 LP featuring the hit title track “Shake It Up” on CD and double vinyl, featuring eight bonus tracks including previously unreleased demos and alternate and early versions.

The Cars, Heartbeat City: Expanded Edition (Elektra/Rhino)

CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada
2LP: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada

This expanded edition of The Cars’ 1984 album featuring the hit ballad “Drive” features a generous seven bonus tracks including a period Arthur Baker 12-inch remix, a B-side, and previously unreleased demos and early versions!  Read more about both Cars titles here!

Eric Andersen, The Essential Eric Andersen (Real Gone Music) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada)

Real Gone Music, in conjunction with Legacy Recordings, brings together 33 songs on two CDs chosen by the folk singer-songwriter which span his entire career.  The Essential features recordings from eighteen albums and ten different labels including Vanguard, Warner Bros., Columbia, Arista, Gold Castle, Appleseed, Meyer, Ryko, Smithsonian Folkways and CBS Holland.  Read more here!

Suede, Suede: 25th Anniversary Silver Edition (Edsel) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada)

This 4-CD/1-DVD set is the ultimate presentation of the group’s chart-topping, Mercury Prize-winning, best-selling 1993 debut. It features the original album, a disc of B-sides, an assortment of demos and outtakes (including material not included on Edsel’s initial deluxe edition of the album from 2011), unreleased BBC sessions, a live show from Sheffield recorded a month before the album’s release and a DVD of rare TV performances (including the band’s first appearances on British airwaves) and an hour of singer/lyricist Brett Anderson and guitarist/pianist/principal songwriter Bernard Butler discussing the album with journalist Pete Paphides.  Read more here!

Geoff and Maria Muldaur, Pottery Pie / Sweet Potatoes (Omnivore)

Pottery Pie: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada
Sweet Potatoes: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada

Geoff and Maria Muldaur’s 1968 and 1972 Reprise albums make their U.S. CD debuts in newly remastered and annotated editions from Omnivore!  Pottery Pie was helmed by Joe Boyd and John Wood (Fairport Convention, Incredible String Band) and introduced the Muldaurs’ fusion of folk and blues; Sweet Potatoes (their final album as a duo) featured guests including Paul Butterfield.

Johnny Rivers, Not a Through Street (BGO) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada)

The rock-and-roller’s 1983 Priority Records album, featuring “How Sweet It Is,” “Reach Out, I’ll Be There,” “A Change is Gonna Come” and more, comes to CD from the first time via BGO.

The Damnation of Adam Blessing, The Damnation of Adam Blessing / The Second Damnation (Exit Stencil)

The Damnation of Adam Blessing: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada
The Second Damnation : Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada

Two original United Artists albums from the Cleveland psychedelic hard rock band – their first two, from 1969 and 1970 – return to vinyl, newly remastered from the original tapes and featuring liner notes by Doug Sheppard.  The Damnation features, among other original songs, a rare heavy rock treatment of The Monkees’ “Last Train to Clarksville” (!).

Bettye LaVette, Things Have Changed (Verve) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada)

The soul queen’s latest album is a songbook tribute to Bob Dylan, with every song reinvented LaVette style.  Cuts include “It Ain’t Me Babe,” “Emotionally Yours,” “The Times They Are A-Changin’,” and the Academy Award-winning title track.  Keith Richards and Trombone Shorty make guest appearances.  Available on CD and vinyl.