Welcome to this week’s Release Round-Up!

We kick off with not one, but two, releases from The Zombies!

The Zombies, The Complete Studio Recordings (Varese Vintage) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada)

The 2019 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees are being celebrated this week with two comprehensive vinyl box sets – one for the U.S., and one for the U.K. market.  The 5-LP, 61-track U.S. version, from Varese Vintage, includes the band’s two American albums in mono – She’s Not There/Tell Her No and I Love You, plus all-time classic Odessey and Oracle (in stereo), the “posthumous” album R.I.P. (in stereo), and Oddities and Extras, a unique 13-track compilation of rare tracks and single sides (all in original mono).  It’s all been pressed on black 180-gram vinyl and housed in a beautiful slipcase.

The Zombies, In the Beginning (Edsel/Demon) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada Link TBD)

For the U.K. audience, Edsel has compiled In the Beginning for St. Albans’ favorite sons.  This 5-LP, 63-track box set is bookended by the band’s two proper albums, the U.K.-only Begin Here and Odessey and Oracle; in between, you’ll find two specially-curated collections of rare single and EP tracks (Early Days and Continue Here) as well as R.I.P., of course.  The lavish, slipcased set features each album pressed on different colored 180-gram vinyl, while the special, new inner sleeves for each LP include photos from designer Phil Smee’s collection of Zombies memorabilia.  In the Beginning is available today in the U.K.; orders to North America will not ship until next Friday, March 1.  Watch this space for in-depth coverage on both Zombies collections!

Curtis Mayfield, Keep On Keeping On: Studio Albums 1970-1974 (Curtom/Rhino)

4CD Set: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada
4LP Set: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada

R&B pioneer Curtis Mayfield’s acclaimed first four albums – Curtis (1970), Roots (1971), Back to the World (1973) and Sweet Exorcist (1974) – are reissued in a newly-remastered box set, available in 4 CD and 4 LP iterations.

Ray Charles, Modern Sounds in Country & Western Music Vols. 1 & 2 (Craft Recordings) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada)

Craft Recordings has both of Ray Charles’ groundbreaking country-soul fusions collected together on one CD.  Features “I Can’t Stop Loving You,” “You Don’t Know Me,” “Take These Chains from My Heart,” and many more.  Vol. 1 is also arriving today on vinyl.

REO Speedwagon, Classic Years  1978-1980 (Cherry Red/Hear No Evil) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada)

Following up on last year’s The Early Years 1971-1977 set, Cherry Red/Hear No Evil is now releasing this new 9-CD box chronicling the period when R.E.O. Speedwagon broke through and became superstars with such chart-toppers as “Keep On Lovin’ You” and “Can’t Fight This Feeling.”  The set includes the following albums: You Can Tune a Piano But You Can’t Tuna Fish (1978), Nine Lives (1979), Hi Infidelity (1980), Good Trouble (1982), Wheel Are Turnin’ (1984), Life As We Know It (1987) and The Earth, A Small Man, His Dog and a Chicken (1990).  Bonus tracks have been appended to several of the albums and there is a whole bonus disc for Hi Infidelity and a disc of live tracks from 1980-1990. Available today in the U.K. and next Friday, March 1, in the U.S.!    Watch for a full review next week!

Judy Garland, Lost Tracks 2: 1936-1967 (JSP Records) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada)

JSP Records has followed up its acclaimed 2010 Lost Tracks anthology from the legendary Judy Garland with a second volume.  This new 2-CD set features 50 songs including 40 new-to-CD tracks!  You’ll discover rare radio performances, alternate takes of her MGM classics, outtakes, rehearsal takes, and TV performances including “Paris Is a Lonely Town,” “What the World Needs Now Is Love,” “What Now My Love,” and “I Happen to Like New York.”  Bing Crosby and Tony Martin are featured on duets.  Lawrence Schulman has compiled the collection, Scott Brogan has annotated, and John H. Haley has restored and remastered these tracks.  Watch for more on this comprehensive set soon!

Flamin’ Groovies, Gonna Rock Tonite! The Complete Recordings 1969-1971 (Cherry Red/Grapefruit) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada)

This 3-CD box brings together expanded editions of the Groovies’ classics Supersnazz, Flamingo, and Teenage Head in a new clamshell collection!  Available today in the U.K. and next Friday, March 1, in the U.S.!  Watch for more on this title coming soon!

Ian Hunter, From the Knees of My Heart: The Albums 1979-1981 (Chrysalis) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada)

The 2012 set featuring expanded editions of four classic albums from Ian Hunter is back in print.  The set has You’re Never Alone with a Schizophrenic, the live Welcome to the Club, Short Back ‘N Sides, and the live Ian Hunter Rocks.

U2, No Line on the Horizon (Island/UMe)

Standard Black Vinyl: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada
Limited-Edition Clear Vinyl: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada

No Line On the Horizon arrives today in special 10th Anniversary vinyl editions collecting the album proper and contemporaneous remixes.  Recorded in studios worldwide, from Morrocco and London to Dublin and New York, No Line On the Horizon saw U2 collaborating again with Daniel Lanois, Brian Eno, and Steve Lillywhite on eleven new songs.  These tracks and two remixes make up the new, 2-LP set.  All the music has been newly remastered and pressed on 180-gram vinyl.  The artwork has also been faithfully reproduced, including a gatefold sleeve, a 16-page booklet, printed inner sleeves, and a heavyweight plastic sleeve that houses the collection.  A download card is also included, which offers access to all the tracks.  The album will be pressed on black vinyl, as well as on clear vinyl in limited quantities.  Read more here!

Byrds, Byrds (Cherry Red/Esoteric) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada)

Originally released on the Asylum label in 1973, The Byrds’ reunion album saw Gene Clark, Chris Hillman, David Crosby, Roger McGuinn, and Michael Clarke performing together for the first time since 1966.  The group recorded the album in late 1972 at the famed Wally Heider Studios in L.A.  The results included new compositions by McGuinn (“Sweet Mary” and “Born to Rock n’ Roll”), Clark (“Full Circle” and “Changing Heart”),  and Hillman (“Things Will Be Better” and “Borrowing Time”) along with David Crosby’s “Long Live the King.”  The group also recorded a new version of Crosby’s “Laughing.”  In addition, Byrds includes a cover of Joni Mitchell’s “For Free” – which would become part of Crosby’s live repertoire for years to come — and covers of two Neil Young songs:  “Cowgirl In The Sand” and “See The Sky About To Rain,” which Young would record the following year.  For their new remaster, Esoteric has added new liner notes and fully restored the artwork. Available today in the U.K. and next Friday, March 1, in the U.S.! 

Renaissance, Ashes Are Burning: Expanded Edition (Cherry Red/Esoteric) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada)

Originally formed by ex-Yardbirds Jim McCarty and Keith Relf, Renaissance underwent many line-up changes before they became the jazz-inspired progressive folk act that brought us the 1973 classic Ashes Are Burning.  Featuring vocalist Annie Haslam, John Tout (keyboards, vocals), Jon Camp (bass, vocals), Terry Sullivan (drums, percussion) and Michael Dunfor on guitar, Ashes Are Burning was Renaissance’s breakthrough album.  Now, Esoteric has remastered the album, using the original Sovereign Records master tapes, and expanded it with a previously unreleased, newly unearthed 1974 BBC session for In Concert.  The new edition also boasts restored artwork and new liner notes featuring essays and interviews with Terry Sullivan and Annie Haslam. Available today in the U.K. and next Friday, March 1, in the U.S.! 

Tear Gas, Tear Gas (Cherry Red/Esoteric) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada)

The Scottish prog-rock group Tear Gas formed at the tail end of the ’60s.  By the time this second album was released on the Regal Zonophone label, their line-up included guitarist Zal Kleminson, bassist Chris Glenn, drummer Ted McKenna, and Hugh McKenna on keys and vocals.  The following August, the group would join guitarist Alex Harvey to make up The Sensational Alex Harvey Band.  But until then, their second album displayed excellence in musicianship and material.  Esoteric’s reissue edition of Tear Gas has been remastered from the surviving master tapes and includes an illustrated booklet with a new essay and fully restored artwork. Available today in the U.K. and next Friday, March 1, in the U.S.! 

Tangerine Dream, The Blue Years: Studio Albums 1985-1987 (Cherry Red/Esoteric/Reactive) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada)

The 4-CD set presents newly remastered versions of the electronic groups’ Jive Electro albums.  There’s Le Parc, featuring a reworking of their theme to the US TV show Streethawk, as well as “Yellowstone Park” featuring guest vocalist Clare Torry.  Green Desert, which began in 1973, was finally released over a decade later and also features here.  The ambient classic Underwater Sunlight and the Blake-inspired Tyger are also included.  All the albums have been remastered and are housed in a clamshell box with an exclusive poster. Available today in the U.K. and next Friday, March 1, in the U.S.!

Greenslade, Time and Tide: Expanded Edition (Cherry Red/Esoteric)  (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada)

Arriving from Esoteric is a 2-CD expanded edition of Greenslade’s 1975 effort, Time and Tide,  remastered from the original master tapes.  Formed in 1972 by former Colosseum keyboardist Dave Greenslade, the  notably guitar-free prog group also included former Web and Samurai member Dave Lawson on keys and vocals, Martin Briley on bass, and former King Crimson cohort Andrew McCulloch on drums.  Esoteric has added a rare, previously unreleased radio broadcast with this new edition. The sixty-minute concert was recorded for Swedish radio in Stockholm in March 1975.  It’s also been remastered from the original master tapes and promises to be a compelling look at the short-lived line-up onstage.  In addition, the new remaster includes an annotated booklet with an essay by Malcolm Dome and interviews with Dave Greenslade and Dave Lawson. Available today in the U.K. and next Friday, March 1, in the U.S.! 

Various Artists, Revolution: The Underground Sounds of 1968 (Cherry Red/Esoteric) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada)

Featuring both classics and unearthed rarities, the set explores the wild year in which psychedelia, jazz, blues, folk, world music, and hard rock all collided to form groundbreaking and genre-pushing new music.  The new compilation includes a number of legendary U.K. groups, including Deep Purple, Jethro Tull, Genesis, and Pentangle.  Also present are Procol Harum, Caravan, Jeff Beck, Spooky Tooth, Traffic, The Move, Julie Driscoll with Brian Auger and The Trinity, The Crazy World of Arthur Brown, Van Der Graaf Generator, Pretty Things, Status Quo, The Incredible String Band, John Martyn and many more.  Revolution also features lesser-known acts, such as Eyes of Blue, The Action, Gun, Second Hand, and Blonde on Blonde.  All the selections have been remastered and are supplemented with an illustrated booklet featuring a new essay by Mark Powell. Available today in the U.K. and next Friday, March 1, in the U.S.! 

On the Town/Broadway Melody: Studio Cast Recordings (Stage Door Records) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K.)

Stage Door Records is pairing two rare London studio cast recordings on one CD with On the Town/Broadway Melody.  This stereo release celebrates the classic sound of the Hollywood musical.  The Music for Pleasure label’s 1959 recording of On the Town wasn’t based on the original Leonard Bernstein/Betty Comden/Adolph Green stage musical but rather its MGM movie adaptation in which selections from the original score were supplemented by new (and less complex) tunes from Roger Edens with Comden and Green.  Dennis Lotis, Lionel Blair, and Shane Rimmer took on the roles played in the film by Frank Sinatra, Gene Kelly, and Jules Munshin, while the shoes of Betty Garrett and Ann Miller were filled by Stella Tanner and Noele Gordon.  The next year, EMI’s Columbia label released the second volume in its Famous Film Series: Broadway Melody.  This LP featured songs from The Broadway Melody, Broadway Melody of 1936, and Broadway Rhythm by vocalists including Millicent Martin, Bruce Forsyth, David Hughes, and Gerry Dorsey – the latter of whom would go onto pop stardom as Engelbert Humperdinck. Available today in the U.K. and next Friday, March 1, in the U.S.! 

Various Artists, Kurt Weill Revisited (Kritzerland) (Order directly from Kritzerland)

Kritzerland continues its series of Ben Bagley’s Revisited reissues, this time with an expanded edition of the volume dedicated to Threepenny Opera (“Mack the Knife”) composer Kurt Weill.  Ann Miller, Chita Rivera, John Reardon, and Jo Sullivan (later Jo Sullivan Loesser) were among the stars singing rare Weill songs with lyrics by Ira Gershwin, Alan Jay Lerner, Maxwell Anderson, Langston Hughes, Ogden Nash, and others.  Kritzerland has added the legendary Lotte Lenya’s 1930 recording of “Alabama Song” and a 1930 recording of Threepenny highlights in German also starring Lenya (who married Weill in 1926).  James Nelson has remastered the album which is available for pre-order now and is limited to 500 copies.  CDs will ship by the last week of March, but pre-orders directly from Kritzerland typically ship earlier.

Santana, In Search of Mona Lisa [Vinyl] (Concord) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada)

Carlos Santana has announced the released of a new, 5-track EP called In Search of Mona Lisa, available on vinyl and on CD.  It’s his first release on Concord Records and is inspired by his trip to Paris to see the iconic painting.  A full-length album has also been promised for later in the year.