Welcome to this week's Release Round-Up!

The Who, Live at the Fillmore East 1968 (UMe)

2CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada
3LP: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada

The Who's April 6, 1968 concert from New York's Fillmore East gets its first-ever official release just in time for its 50th anniversary.  For the occasion, it's been restored and fully remixed from the original four-track tapes by longtime Who engineer Bob Pridden, who was responsible for the mix heard that night in the Fillmore East. The 2-CD iteration of this powerful concert will be housed in a six-panel digipak with a 12-page booklet including new liner notes and rare photographs.  The 3-LP heavyweight vinyl release is packaged in a gatefold jacket, with three printed inner bags, and the same complement of liner notes and photos.

Pete Townshend, Who Came First: Expanded Edition (UMe) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada)

Pete Townshend's 1972 solo debut returns in a new 2-CD edition.  A spiritual tribute to Indian spiritual leader Meher Baba, the album's genesis was in two mail-order tribute albums to the Guru (who died in 1969 after a 44-year vow of silence) in which Townshend had participated.  Songs from the tribute LPs were joined by demos from the long-aborning Lifehouse project as well as a pair of new songs.  UMe's new edition has a total of seventeen bonus tracks, eight of which are previously unreleased.  One bonus song from the previous CDs, "Lantern Cabin," appears to have been dropped, while some of the other carried-over bonus tracks are heard in new edits or alternate versions.  Read more about both Who-related titles here!

Todd Rundgren + Utopia, The Road to Utopia: Complete Recordings 1974-1982 (Friday Music)  (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada)

Friday's new box set celebrating Todd Rundgren's Utopia has all six of the band's studio and live albums as originally released between 1974 and 1982 as newly remastered by the label's Joe Reagoso from the Warner/Bearsville tapes.  Each album will be housed in an individual gatefold digipak with original art elements from each LP including inner sleeves and inserts.  Rundgren, Sulton, Wilcox, and Powell have all made written contributions to this set, as well.  Fifteen bonus tracks are spread across the seven albums, including live performances, promotional single versions, and more.  Read all about it here!

Donna Summer, Summer: The Original Hits (Island/Def Jam/UMe) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada)

UMe/Island Def Jam has a companion CD to the new, currently-in-previews Broadway musical Summer, about the life and career of disco superstar Donna Summer.  This CD collection features 17 tracks (in various edits and versions) from the Summer catalogue, including all but three of her U.S. top ten Pop hits with an additional three bonus tracks on the digital and Target-exclusive CD editions.  Tracks are sequenced in the order that they are heard onstage every night on Broadway!  Read more here.

Barry White, The 20th Century Records Singles (1973-1975) (Mercury/UMe) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada)

Following a complete 3-CD set dedicated to Barry White's 20th Century singles, and a 1CD/2LP highlights version, The 20th Century Records Singles (1973-1975)  boasts 10 recreated 45 RPM singles from White's early tenure on the label in one box set, with replica labels and sleeves and a four-page booklet of liner notes.  Get the full tracklisting and more here!

Cheech and Chong, Up in Smoke: 40th Anniversary Deluxe Collection (Rhino/Ode/Warner) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada)

Just in time for 420, Rhino is going Up in Smoke with this new box set! Limited to 5,000 copies, it pairs the new Blu-ray of Cheech and Chong's classic film with the original soundtrack (which featured War's "Low Rider" and various sketches and dialogue from the movie, including a reprise of "Earache My Eye") on both vinyl (its first issue on the format in decades) and CD (featuring two bonus versions of the title track "Up In Smoke": a newly-recorded version and a previously unreleased outtake featuring a Spanish verse by Marin). The 12″ x 12″ gatefold package also features a 7″ picture disc offering two cuts from the soundtrack, plus an 11″ x 17″ replica poster, a booklet with essays from the duo and unseen photos, and even some oversized, fully usable rolling papers!  Get the full details here.  Smoke 'em if you got 'em!  

The Flaming Lips, Scratching the Door: The First Recordings of The Flaming Lips (Warner/Rhino) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada)

This single-CD compilation features 19 tracks from the first iteration of the band.  It spotlights the music recorded by the band's original lineup including leader Wayne Coyne's brother Mark on vocals.  It includes the band's first and second cassette demos plus their 1984 debut EP, newly remastered from the original analog tapes.  The companion box set Seeing the Unseeable: The Complete Studio Recordings of The Flaming Lips (1986-1990) has been delayed until June 29.  Read about both titles here!

Pat Suzuki, Complete Album Series (Stage Door) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada)

Stage Door Records celebrates Flower Drum Song star Pat Suzuki by bringing together her four albums for RCA/VIK, totaling 50 tracks on two CDs: The Many Sides of Pat Suzuki (1958), Miss Pony Tail (1958), Broadway '59 (1959), and Looking at You (1960).

Pat Suzuki, Singles and Rarities (Stage Door)  (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada)

As a companion to its Complete Album Series release, Stage Door has collected a full disc of rare singles and tracks from Broadway and screen star Pat Suzuki.  The artist has authorized this release of her non-LP singles for the RCA, Capitol, and PDA labels, plus rare tracks from a never-completed or released LP.  Among the selections here, Pat sings Broadway fare from shows including Whoop-Up!, Sail Away, The Gay Life, Stephen Sondheim's Anyone Can Whistle, and Frank Loesser's Greenwillow.  Limited to 500 units.

Gladiators, Symbol of Reality / Serious Thing [Expanded Editions] (Omnivore)

Symbol of Reality: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada
Serious Thing: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada

Omnivore has two more deluxe, expanded and remastered reissues from Jamaica's Gladiators.  Symbol of Reality, from 1982, boasts six bonus tracks including four previously unreleased.  The even more socially conscious Serious Thing, originally released in 1984, adds six never-before-heard bonus cuts.  Both reissues have new liner notes by original Nighthawk Records producer Jodie Leroy Pierson.  Handsomely packaged in digipaks, both albums have been remastered by Michael Graves.

Yung Wu, Shore Leave (Bar None) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada)

The Feelies' side project makes its long overdue CD and digital debut from Bar None.  Shore Leave, originally released on Coyote Records in 1987, features percussionist Dave Weckerman fronting the band: Glenn Mercer and Bill Million on guitar, Brenda Sauter on bass, and Stan Demeski on drums.  John Baumgartner played keyboards.  In addition to Weckerman's original songs, the album boasts covers of The Rolling Stones, Neil Young, and Brian Eno.  The CD is housed in a digipak, and contains new liner notes by Weckerman.  A vinyl edition will also be released tomorrow for Record Store Day, adding a bonus 7-inch flexidisc with the original version of "Shore Leave" and non-LP B-side "Out of Baby's Reach."  This enjoyable '80s jangle pop cult favorite is ripe for rediscovery.

Neil Young and Promise of the Real, Paradox: Original Music from the Film (Reprise) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada)

Neil Young brings his new soundtrack to the Daryl Hannah-directed "homemade" film to CD today.  He's joined by Promise of the Real as well as musicians Jim Keltner, Paul Bushnell, and Joe Yankee for this set recorded on the MGM soundstage largely without overdubs.

Sting and Shaggy, 44/876 (A&M/Interscope) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada)

Sting has teamed up with Shaggy for what must be one of 2018's most unexpected collaborations.  Available on CD and vinyl.  Look for a Target-exclusive edition (also available in the U.K. at the link above) with four bonus tracks: three outtakes and a remix of "Don't Make Me Wait."  A box set edition with a bonus disc is also available in some European territories.