Welcome to this week’s Release Round-Up!

Pamela Polland, Pamela Polland/Have You Heard the One About the Gas Station Attendant? (BGO) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada)

BGO collects the two Columbia albums of singer-songwriter Pamela Polland in one deluxe, slipcased package – her 1972 self-titled LP and 1973 follow-up which was shelved and never released…until now! Pamela Polland and Have You Heard the One About the Gas Station Attendant? are filled with enchanting pop melodies and beguiling lyrics; guest stars include Taj Mahal, Nicky Hopkins, David Briggs, Eddie Hinton, Bruce Johnston, Herbie Flowers, Ray Cooper, and many more. Charles Donovan tells Pamela’s fascinating story in his comprehensive essay. In short: a major find from a major talent.  Read our exclusive interview with Polland and Donovan here, and check out the track listing and more here!

Various Artists, Joni 75: A Birthday Celebration (Decca Gold) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada)

Joni Mitchell celebrated her 75th birthday in style last November, as Jörn Weisbrodt and The Music Center in Los Angeles hosted a pair of star-studded Joni 75: A Birthday Celebration concerts in her honor.  The line-up (which Joni helped select) featured many of her closest friends and dearest collaborators, including Graham Nash, Seal, Chaka Khan, Kris Kristofferson, and James Taylor.  Also on the bill were Diana Krall, Brandi Carlile, Rufus Wainwright, Emmylou Harris, Glen Hansard, Norah Jones, and Los Lobos with La Marisoul, Cesar Castro & Xochi Flores.  Featuring a set of Joni classics and deep cuts from across her career, each night was a thrilling tribute full of excellent music.  Decca has 16 highlights on one CD including such stndaouts as Brandi Carlile and Kris Kristofferson’s heartfelt take on “A Case of You,” Seal’s breathtaking “Both Sides Now,” Diana Krall’s haunting take on “Amelia,” and  and Los Lobos and Friends’ rollicking “Dreamland,” which features Chaka Khan reprising her guest vocal spot, as she did on the original recording back in 1977.  Barnes & Noble has an exclusive edition with two bonus tracks from the concert!  Rhino will have a DVD of the concert on March 29!

New Kids on the Block, Hangin’ Tough: 30th Anniversary Edition (Columbia/Legacy)

CD:  Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada
2-LP Picture Disc:  Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada
Various Bundles:  New Kids On The Block’s online store

The 30th Anniversary Edition of the breakthrough album by pop sensation New Kids On The Block includes all ten original songs from the 1988 album, as well as three brand-new tracks.  Among those three songs is  their newest single, “80s Baby” which features Salt-N-Pepa, Naughty By Nature, Tiffany, and Debbie Gibson, who will be heading out on tour with New Kids On The Block next spring.  Also included on the new reissue are five rare remix tracks, including two that are previously unreleased in the U.S.!  The collection will be available digitally, on CD, and as a collectible 2-LP picture disc set.  A cassette version and several different merchandise bundles are available exclusively through NKOTB’s website.  Read more here!

Kate Bush, The Other Sides (Parlophone/Rhino) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada Link TBD)

Last year, Kate Bush surprised fans with a series of fully-remastered box sets presenting her entire albums discography plus numerous bonuses on CD and vinyl.  The second CD box (the simply-titled CD Box 2) included four discs of rare bonus material, all of which were also released as the fourth vinyl box (Remastered in Vinyl IV).  Now, those four CDs are being broken out on their own.  The Other Sides brings together one disc of extended 12-inch mixes, two discs of assorted odds and ends, and one disc of Bush’s interpretations of others’ words and music.  Available today in the U.K. and March 22 in North America.  Read more here!

Eagles, Hell Freezes Over [Remastered CD or Vinyl] (Geffen/UMe)

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

After a fourteen-year separation, the legendary California rockers put their rivalries on hold for a miraculous 1994 reunion.  The resulting album, Hell Freezes Over, collected eleven songs that were recorded for MTV in April of that year, plus four studio tracks.  The album went 9x-Platinum and boasted two Top 40 hits: the Don Henley/Glenn Frey-penned “Get Over It” and “Love Will Keep Us Alive,” written by Jim Capaldi, Paul Carrack, and Paul Vale.  To celebrate its 25th Anniversary, Geffen Records has a standalone Bob Ludwig remaster of the album on CD (as featured in last year’s Legacy box set) and 180-gram double vinyl.

Whitesnake, Slide It In: 35th Anniversary Edition [Various Formats]

6-CD/1-DVD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada
2-CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada
1-CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada

Whitesnake’s 1984 album Slide It In celebrates its 35th anniversary this year.  The album was the last to feature Jon Lord on keyboards and boasted such hits as “Slow an’ Easy” and “Love Ain’t No Stranger,” both of which cracked the Top 40 on the Billboard charts.  The album is celebrated today in a variety of configurations from Parlophone/Rhino.  The star of the campaign is a 6-CD/1-DVD “Ultimate Special Edition,” which features remastered editions of both the U.S. and U.K. mixes of the album, a new 2019 remix, a wealth of live material (including Jon Lord’s final concert with the band), a disc of rough mixes and demos, and a DVD with a new interview with David Coverdale, music videos, and concert footage.  A slimmed-down 2-CD deluxe edition boasts the U.S. and U.K. mix, plus the bonus tracks from the second disc of the Ultimate Special Edition.  A 1-CD version features the new 2019 remix.

New Order, Ceremony Versions 1 & 2 (Parlophone/Rhino)

Version 1: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada
Version 2: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada

New Order has a couple of vinyl singles today.  Ceremony Version 1 includes New Order’s original recording of “Ceremony” and is backed with “In A Lonely Place.” Version 2 features an alternate version of that track with Gillan Gilbert, also backed with “In A Lonely Place.”  The audio for this release has been newly remastered and pressed on heavyweight vinyl.  It is part of the reissue campaign for their debut album, Movement, arriving later this spring.

Townes Van Zandt, Sky Blue (TVZ/Fat Possum) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada)

This new compilation brings together 11 previously unreleased recordings from 1973 by the late Townes Van Zandt including versions of “Pancho and Lefty” and Tom Paxton’s “The Last Thing on My Mind” as well as original songs “Sky Blue” and “All I Need,” neither of which has ever been released by Van Zandt before.  Available on CD and vinyl, plus digitally.

Buddy Holly, True Love Ways: Buddy Holly with The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra (Decca/UMe) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada)

This 2018 orchestral reinterpretation of the late, great Buddy Holly’s hits (including “Peggy Sue,” “It Doesn’t Matter Anymore,” “That’ll Be the Day,” and the title track) with full orchestral backing gets a belated U.S. release today!