Release Round-Up: Week of June 7

Welcome to this week's Release Round-Up - a packed one, for sure!

Bob Dylan, The Rolling Thunder Revue: The 1975 Live Recordings (Columbia/Legacy) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada)

Just in advance of the June 12 debut of director Martin Scorsese's documentary Rolling Thunder Revue: A Bob Dylan Story by Martin Scorsese, Columbia and Legacy unveil a new 14-CD box set that promises to be the ultimate chronicle of the initial leg of Dylan's legendary Rolling Thunder Revue from the autumn of 1975. The box includes five professionally recorded sets from the tour, plus rehearsals and a bonus disc of rare performances - for a total of 148 tracks, more than 100 of which are previously unreleased. These include tracks which ended up in Dylan's lost film Renaldo and Clara (and all four cuts from the 4 Songs from Renaldo and Clara EP). The Rolling Thunder Revue: The 1975 Live Recordings includes a 52-page booklet of rare and unseen photos and liner notes by novelist/musician Wesley Stace, better known under the Dylan-inspired moniker of John Wesley Harding. Read more here!

Bob Dylan, The Bootleg Series Vol. 5 - Bob Dylan Live 1975: The Rolling Thunder Revue [3-LP Vinyl Box] (Columbia/Legacy) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada)

The CD box set will also be joined by a reissue of the long out-of-print 3-LP edition of The Bootleg Series Vol. 5: Bob Dylan Live 1975 - The Rolling Thunder Revue. The 3-LP set was originally released in 2003 by Classic Records; that edition now commands high prices on the secondary market. Legacy's slipcased reissue has the discs housed in printed inner sleeves alongside a a 64-page booklet and a download code. (Note that Bootleg Vol. 5 presented a composite show drawn from the Worcester, Boston, Cambridge, and Montreal shows now being released in full on the box; accordingly, all of the tracks on the Bootleg volume are included on the 14-CD set.) [There is no dedicated "highlights" version of The Rolling Thunder Revue: The Live 1975 Recordings as such a set already exists in the form of Bootleg Vol. 5.]

The Rolling Stones, The Rolling Stones Rock and Roll Circus [Various Formats] (ABKCO)

2-CD/DVD/Blu-ray: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada
2-CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada
3-LP: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada

The Rolling Stones Rock and Roll Circus is coming back to town. The new editions are available today in multiple physical configurations. The 2-CD Expanded Edition boasts newly remixed and remastered audio and newly discovered, unreleased performances from Taj Mahal, Julius Katchen, and supergroup The Dirty Mac (John Lennon, Eric Clapton, Mitch Mitchell, and Keith Richards). The same remixed and remastered audio program will arrive on 3-LP. There is also a deluxe 2-CD/DVD/Blu-ray edition that features the double album with newly uncovered audio; the new 4K restoration featuring Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos surround sound; never-before-seen video footage; bonus performances; audio commentary, and a video interview with Pete Townshend. Lastly, the restored film is also available on digital download and streaming services. Read more here!

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

A companion to the much-maligned (by Neil) Time Fades Away live album, Tuscaloosa captures Neil Young and Stray Gators - who had backed him up on the smash hit Harvest - live in concert on February 5, 1973. Recorded in the era between Harvest and Tonight's The Night, Young and the Gators launched new versions of now-classic tracks, as well as songs that would later be released on Tonight's The Night. Although a couple of songs were excised from the show by Young for this release, you'll still hear "Harvest," "Heart of Gold," "Old Man" and "After the Gold Rush," among others. Read more here!

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

Following the previous releases of The Grateful Dead (2017) and Anthem of the Sun (2018), Aoxomoxoa arrives approximately 50 years after its anniversary date as a 2-CD deluxe edition that includes the newly-remastered original album plus a bonus disc of previously unreleased live recordings (recorded January 24-26, 1969 at the Avalon Ballroom in San Francisco, CA). Like last year's reissue of Anthem of the Sun, Aoxomoxoa will include remastered versions of two distinct mixes: the original 1969 version, and the band's familiar 1971 mix. This CD release marks the first time that both mixes have been made available in one package. Aoxomoxoa is also reissued as a 12-inch picture disc limited to 10,000 copies and including the 1971 mix only. Read more here!

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James Taylor, One Man Band [Vinyl] (Craft Recordings) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada)

James Taylor's 2007 live set, featuring JT backed only by keyboardist Larry Goldings and a drum machine, comes to vinyl on two 180-gram platters pressed at RTI and mastered by Ryan Smith. Click here for more including the full track listing, and watch this space for a full review!

Norma Tanega, Walkin' My Cat Named Dog [Vinyl] (Real Gone Music) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada)

Norma Tanega's 1966 folk-pop classic returns to vinyl from Real Gone Music. This new presentation replicates the original, utilizing the stereo mix and boasting the original artwork (which was replaced on prior CD issues). It's pressed on green vinyl. Grab it fast, though: Walkin' My Cat Named Dog is limited to 1,000 copies.

Airto, Natural Feelings [Vinyl] (Real Gone Music) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada)

Airto Moreira's seminal fusion album Natural Feelings was the drummer-percussionist's first musical statement as a bandleader and was released between gigs with Miles Davis (on Bitches Brew) and Weather Report (appearing on their first album). Natural Feelings marries two musical cultures and idioms: the New York jazz world and his Brazilian roots. Among the luminaries who contribute to the proceedings are Ron Carter on bass, famed multi-instrumentalist Sivuca on guitar, versatile vocalist Flora Purim (who is married to Airto), and keyboardist Hermeto Pascoal. The jazz-funk-world music blend is as fresh as it was when it was first released. This 180-gram black vinyl retains the original Hieronymus Bosch album art and is strictly limited to 500 copies.

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Janet Jackson, Control [Vinyl] (A&M/UMe) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada)

Janet Jackson's breakthrough album is returning to vinyl for its first-ever reissue. After two records with little crossover appeal, Control found Janet putting her artistic vision front and center. Working with writer/producers Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis (ex-members of The Time who certainly learned a lot from their time with Prince), Janet's third album was sexy, unapologetically feminine and brimming with radio-friendly beats. Over a year, five of its singles - "What Have You Done For Me Lately," "Nasty," "When I Think Of You," "Control" and "Let's Wait Awhile" - reached the Top 5 of the Hot 100, and the album netted three Grammy nominations, including Album of The Year. Read more here! Also don't miss out on Control: The Remixes, a new, 12-track expanded edition out now on all digital services including Amazon!

America, Archives Vol. 1 (America Records) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada)

America has reissued its acclaimed 2015 archival collection on CD in an updated package - now in a jewel case and featuring an expanded booklet. Don't miss our original review here!

Genesis, Seconds Out [Half-Speed Mastered LP] (Virgin/UMC) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada)

Seconds Out may be the most beloved Genesis live album. Originally released in October 1977, the double album featured tracks from the band's June 1977 Paris dates in support of Wind & Wuthering, along with "The Cinema Show" from the 1976 Trick of the Tail tour. It's previously been available on CD, vinyl, and in surround sound, but Virgin/UMC's upcoming reissue marks the first time it's been fully remastered for vinyl. The double album will utilize the 2008 mix by Nick Davis. It will be half-speed mastered by Miles Showell at Abbey Road Studios and will also bare the "Mastered at Abbey Road Studios" OBI strip and certificate of authenticity. Look for it today in the U.K., and next Friday in North America!

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

To commemorate the 35th anniversary of Ghostbusters' 1984 theatrical debut, Ghostbusters: Original Motion Picture Score presents Elmer Bernstein's classic themes (back in print for the first time since 2006) in newly mixed and remastered form, sourced from the original multitracks and boasting new artwork, liner notes from Elmer Bernstein's son Peter, and four previously unreleased recordings. It arrives on CD and digital platforms for the first time ever (including standard-resolution and high-resolution download versions) today. For folks who prefer their soundtracks on wax, a 2-disc clear vinyl edition (with an ecto-slime filled label - recalling the popular Record Store Day single released for the 30th anniversary) will arrive on July 19. Read more here!

Miles Davis, The Complete Birth of the Cool [Vinyl] (Blue Note/UMe) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada)

Seventy years ago, The Miles Davis Nonet began the initial sessions for the landmark album Birth of the Cool. With Davis in a basement behind a Manhattan laundromat was a host of soon-to-be-legends: Gerry Mulligan, Max Roach, Lee Konitz, John Lewis, ad more. Davis led the group of groundbreaking musicians through a number of sessions in 1949 and 1950 that were eventually collected and released in 1957. Now, all 12 tracks they recorded and the ensemble's Royal Roost recordings will be presented in a new, deluxe package. The core album is mastered from the analog single masters for the first time since its original release. The set also includes a booklet full of photos and an exhaustive new essay by jazz historian and Grammy winner Ashley Kahn. Gerry Mulligan and Phil Schapp provided liner notes in the original 1998 CD edition, and those recollections and commentary have been included in the new reissue, as well. The Complete Birth of the Cool is available today on 2-LP vinyl and digital platforms; the CD version is due on June 28.

Peter Frampton Band, All Blues (UMe)

CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada
2-LP black vinyl: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada
2-LP blue vinyl: PeterFrampton.com
Music and merchandise bundles: PeterFrampton.com

All Blues is the new album from Peter Frampton, featuring 10 covers of Frampton's favorite blues classics (plus one bonus track, "I Feel So Good" on certain configurations). Frampton's association with blues music stretches back to his earliest recordings, including his formative work with Humble Pie. Nearly fifty years on, he tackles such favorites as "The Thrill is Gone" (featuring Sonny Landreth), "Georgia on My Mind," Miles Davis' "All Blues" (featuring Larry Carlton), and the new single "I Just Want to Make Love With You," which features Kim Wilson on vocals. All the tracks were recorded at Frampton's Studio Phoenix in Nashville and were co-produced by Chuck Ainlay and Frampton. The album will be released on CD, digital, and 2-LP. There's a standard black vinyl issue that will be available wherever records are sold, as well as a transparent blue color vinyl pressing exclusive to PeterFrampton.com. The site also offers some exclusive merchandise and music bundles. The CD edition is out today, while the LP configurations will arrive on August 16.

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2019 Broadway Cast, Kiss Me, Kate (Ghostlight) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K.)

In celebration of this Sunday's Tony Awards, we're spotlighting three cast albums arriving today on digital platforms (all with CDs to follow). The current, Tony-nominated Best Musical Revival of Cole Porter's classic musical starring Kelli O'Hara, Will Chase, and Corbin Bleu releases its cast recording today on digital services. The CD release follows later this summer.

The venerable Decca Broadway label relaunches today with the digital release of David Yazbek's brassy, tuneful Tony-nominated score to Tootsie, the stage update of the classic comedy. Nominees Santino Fontana, Sarah Stiles, and Lilli Cooper star in this Best Musical nominee. The CD is set to arrive on August 16 (date subject to change).

Original Broadway Cast Recording, Beetlejuice (Ghostlight) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K.)

It's showtime! Beetlejuice returns to gleefully demonic life on Ghostlight's cast recording of Eddie Perfect's Tony-nominated score to the show currently packing 'em in at the Winter Garden. Nominee Alex Brightman stars as Beetlejuice in a cast also including Sophia Anne Caruso, Kerry Butler, and Rob McClure. The CD will arrive later this summer.

Harbinger and the Musical Theatre Project bring the limited edition 1975 cast recording of The Fantasticks authors Harvey Schmidt and Tom Jones' Outer Critics Circle Award-musical Philemon to CD. Author Jones has penned new liner notes in an extensive booklet also containing rare original production photos, and Alan Silverman has remastered the album.

Pavarotti: Music from the Motion Picture (Decca) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada)

The soundtrack to director Ron Howard's documentary about late opera great Luciano Pavarotti arrives today. The Target-exclusive CD edition has an expanded booklet. Also look this week for Pavarotti's The Greatest Hits, a new 3-CD collection featuring previously unreleased duets with Lou Reed, Queen, Sting, Barry White, and James Brown!

Santana, Africa Speaks (Concord) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada)

Carlos Santana's new studio album, produced by Rick Rubin and featuring his eight-piece band and Afro-Latin singer Buika, arrives today on CD and vinyl as well as in a Target exclusive CD edition with two bonus tracks.

Gary Nicholson, The Great Divide / Whitey Johnson, More Days Like This (Blue Corn Music)

The Great Divide: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K.
More Days Like This: Amazon U.S.

Veteran songwriter and two-time Grammy winner Gary Nicholson, whose songs have been performed by everybody from Bonnie Raitt to Ringo Starr, returns today with not one, but two new albums. The Great Divide, under Nicholson's own name, is a collection of topical, folk-oriented material for the current climate including such titles as "God Help America," "Immigrant Nation," and "Choose Love." More Days Like This, credited to the artist's alter ego Whitey Johnson, isn't completely devoid of present-day inspiration but instead concentrates on good-time rhythm and blues. Soulful in any setting, Gary Nicholson has delivered a pair of albums with a mighty punch.

Various Artists, Woody Guthrie All-Star Tribute Concert 1970 (DVD) (MVD Entertainment Group) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada)

This DVD preserves a 1970 tribute to Woody Guthrie held at the Hollywood Bowl. It boasts 19 songs performed by an immensely talented lineup including Joan Baez, Pete Seeger, Country Joe McDonald, Odetta, Richie Havens, Ramblin' Jack Elliot, he Band, and Woody's son Arlo Guthrie. Bonus features include previously unrecorded songs by Baez, Odetta, and Elliott; concert rehearsal footage; and interviews with Arlo and Ramblin' Jack.

The New Scooby-Doo Movies: The (Almost) Complete Collection (Warner Home Entertainment) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada)

Warner has revisited The New Scooby-Doo Movies on Blu-ray in a new 2-disc edition featuring 23 of the series' 24 classic episodes, including eight previously unavailable for home viewing, in HD. ("Wednesday Is Missing," featuring The Addams Family, is still unable to be included.) Why are we mentioning this in The Second Disc, you might wonder? Guest stars on this groovy 1972-1974 series include "Mama" Cass Elliot, Sonny & Cher, Davy Jones, and Jerry Reed plus Josie and the Pussycats, Dick Van Dyke, Phyllis Diller, and others! Also available on DVD.

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Release Round-Up: Week of June 7

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