Welcome to this week’s Release Round-Up!

The Kinks, The Kinks Are The Village Green Preservation Society [Various Formats] (BMG)

5CD/3LP/3-7″ Box Set: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada
1CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada
2CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada
1LP: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada

The Kinks are going back to the Village Green – and it’s grown quite a bit in size!  The band’s legendary fifth album, 1968’s The Kinks Are The Village Green Preservation Society, is reissued from BMG Rights Management in a massive new box set produced by Andrew Sandoval.  The new box will boast 3 LPs, 5 CDs, 3 seven-inch singles and more, for a total of 174 tracks (3 previously unreleased songs, 55 previously unreleased versions).  Also available in 1CD, 2CD, and 1LP editions.  The 1CD and 1LP editions have the remastered stereo album while the 2CD version has the stereo and mono albums plus bonuses for a total of 49 tracks.  Get the full tracklisting and more here!

Barry White, The 20th Century Records Albums (Mercury/UMe)

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

UMe’s Barry White reissue series continues with its most extensive entry yet: a complete 9-CD or 9-LP box set with all of the soul maestro’s 20th Century Records albums, remastered and presented with their original track listings.  Sleeve and label artwork for each title has been faithfully replicated for these new releases.  These albums include such perennial White favorites as “I’m Gonna Love You Just a Little More Baby,” “Can’t Get Enough of Your Love, Babe,” “You’re the First, the Last, My Everything,” “Don’t Make Me Wait Too Long,” “I’m Qualified to Satisfy You,” and his fan-favorite cover of Billy Joel’s “Just the Way You Are.”  Get more details here!

Chicago, Greatest Hits Live (Rhino)

CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. TBD / Amazon Canada
CD/DVD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada

Greatest Hits Live, coming in CD and CD/DVD iterations, is a companion to the release earlier this year of Chicago II: Live on Soundstage.  At every one of Chicago’s recent tour stops, the band played that classic album and then launched into a second, career-spanning set of hits and favorites.  This release captures the second half of the same Soundstage performance of November 2017 as the earlier release, and features the line-up of original members Robert Lamm, James Pankow, and Lee Loughnane along with Tris Imboden, Keith Howland, Lou Pardini, Walfredo Reyes, Jr., Ray Herrmann, and Jeff Coffey.

Chicago, Live at the Isle of Wight (Vinyl) (Rhino) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada)

Live at the Isle of Wight Festival brings to double vinyl Chicago’s full August 28, 1970 performance at the legendary festival.  The show was first issued commercially on the box set VI Decades Live: This Is What We Do.  The concert at the Isle of Wight Festival (where the band shared that day’s bill with Procol Harum, James Taylor, Melanie, and others) thrust the spotlight upon a group with just two albums under its collective belt.  The sound of Robert Lamm, Terry Kath, Peter Cetera, Danny Seraphine, James Pankow, Lee Loughnane, and Walt Parazaider is raw, hungry, and powerful on this classic concert.  Read more about both Chicago releases here!

Pixies, Come On Pilgrim…It’s Surfer Rosa (4AD) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada)

4AD is celebrating the 30th anniversary of Pixies’ debut EP Come On Pilgrim and first full-length album Surfer Rosa with this new reissue.  The 3CD package also includes Live from the Fallout Shelter with 15 songs and a bonus interview.

Semisonic, Feeling Strangely Fine: 20th Anniversary Edition (UMe) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada)

Semisonic’s 1998 sophomore album gains four bonus tracks for its 20th anniversary including three B-sides and a demo.  The band has also penned new liner notes for the occasion.  A vinyl edition follows on November 30.

David Crosby, Here If You Listen (BMG) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada)

Creatively revitalized as a solo artist, David Crosby follows up his acclaimed 2017 Sky Trails with his seventh studio album.  Here If You Listen features Becca Stevens, Michelle Willis, and Michael League in the band.  Also available on vinyl and digital.

Diana Ross, Wonderful Christmas Time (Motown/UMe) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada)

Miss Ross has brought together her 1994 Christmas album A Very Special Season (retitled Wonderful Christmas Time in the Netherlands) and her six tracks for Hallmark’s store-exclusive Making Spirits Bright (originally released that same year) as one new festive package.  This reissue features new liner notes from the superstar as well as a new cover which she commissioned herself.  This marks the first U.S. release of A Very Special Season.

Mike Love, Reason for the Season (BMG) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada)

The Beach Boys’ Mike Love delivers his first-ever Christmas album – and second solo album of 2018 (!) – with this new yuletide collection featuring traditional classics, original songs, and a new version of “Little Saint Nick.”  Also available on vinyl (coming November 2) and digital.

William Shatner, Shatner Claus (Cleopatra) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada)

Todd Rundgren, Rick Wakeman, and Iggy Pop are among the musical luminaries joining William Shatner for his first Christmas album on which he promises to boldly go…well, you get the idea!

Gwen Stefani, You Make It Feel Like Christmas: Deluxe Edition (Interscope) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada)

The No Doubt leader adds five new holiday tracks to her 2017 Christmas album.  Target’s exclusive edition doesn’t feature any extra music, but adds a poster.  A white vinyl edition arrives on November 30.