Welcome to this week’s Release Round-Up!

America, 50th Anniversary: The Collection (Warner/Rhino)

50th Anniversary: The Collection (3-CD) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada)
50th Anniversary: The Collection [2-LP] (Barnes & Noble Exclusive)
50th Anniversary: Golden Hits (Single CD) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada)

Almost fifty years ago in London, Gerry Beckley, Dewey Bunnell, and the late Dan Peek first joined their voices together in song – beginning a musical journey as the band America that continues to this day.  In anticipation of America’s golden anniversary in 2020, Rhino is getting the party started with a new multi-format anthology.  America – 50th Anniversary: The Collection arrives from the label in 3-CD, 1-CD, 2-LP, and digital versions.  It’s the first large-scale America anthology since 2000’s Highway: 30 Years of America.  The 3-CD iteration has 50 tracks, and is packed not only with hits but with demos, alternates, rarities, and live recordings.  All formats include all of the band’s U.S. top ten hits.  Read more here!

Paul McCartney, Live Releases [Various Formats] (MPL/Capitol/UMe)

Amoeba Gig:
CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada
LP: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada

Paul Is Live:
CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada
LP: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada 

Choba B CCCP:
CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada
LP: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada

Wings Over America:
CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada 
LP: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada

Paul McCartney is taking a look back at his past live performances with four new titles: reissues of Wings Over America, Choba B CCCP, and Paul Is Live, plus the world premiere of the complete 2007 Amoeba Gig.  All four albums will be released in digital formats, on CD, and on both black and limited edition color vinyl.  [The Japanese SHM-CD editions feature enhanced mini-sleeve artwork.]  Read more here!

Bobby Darin, The Direction Albums (Demon) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada)

Demon is bringing together Bobby Darin’s recordings for his own Direction Records label on one box set with three 180-gram LPs.  The Direction Albums collects Darin’s 1968 LP Born Walden Robert Cassotto and the 1969 Commitment (credited to Bob Darin) with an album of Rare Darin from this period in which the singer-songwriter expressed his social conscience via a radically different folk-rock sound.  The two core albums are being reissued for the very first time on LP in their original gatefold sleeves.  Read more here!

Bread, Baby I’m A-Want You [Hybrid Stereo SACD and LP] (Mobile Fidelity)

Hybrid SACD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada
180-Gram LP: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada

Bread’s fourth album and first to feature Wrecking Crew member Larry Knechtel as part of the line-up, Baby I’m-A Want You arrives on limited edition hybrid stereo CD (playable on all CD players) and audiophile LP (180 grams, pressed at RTI) from Mobile Fidelity.  In addition to the No. 3 title track, the album also includes the hits “Everything I Own” (No. 5) and “The Diary” (No. 15).

Little Steven and The Interstellar Jazz Renegades, Lilyhammer – The Score Vol. 1: Jazz (Wicked Cool/UMe) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada)

Volume 1: Jazz collects together 13 of the best jazz-oriented compositions from the Netflix original series which starred Steven Van Zandt.  Little Steven and his musical compatriots assembled a soundtrack featuring vintage standards, instrumental cues, and original songs. Van Zandt even took a page from Sinatra in his new renditions of “All Of Me,” “Ring-a-Ding Ding!” and “My Kind Of Town.”

Little Steven and The Interstellar Jazz Renegades, Lilyhammer – The Score Vol. 2: Folk, Rock, Rio, Bits and Pieces (Wicked Cool/UMe) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada)

Volume 2: Folk, Rock, Rio, Bits and Pieces from the soundtrack of the Netflix original series starring Steven Van Zandt collects a whopping 36 tracks from a variety of genres, including the theme song and cues inspired by Norwegian folk, rock-and-roll, surf, Latin sounds, Brazilian music, and beyond.  Van Zandt plays guitar on all but one of the tracks on this album, and was inspired by diverse artists ranging from Tito Puente and Antonio Carlos Jobim to Ennio Morricone.  Read about both titles here!

Foreigner, Live at the Rainbow ’78 (Rhino)

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

In 1978, Foreigner was touring in support of their landmark self-titled debut.  One of the concerts – Live at the Rainbow ’78 – was recorded and recently released on DVD and Blu-ray.  Today, audio from the concert will be available on CD and vinyl for the first time on the Rhino label.  Live at the Rainbow ’78 captures Foreigner’s classic line-up onstage at the legendary London venue on April 27, 1978, after the band’s self-titled debut album had spent a year in the U.S. Top 20.  Forty years later, the show has been restored, remixed, and remastered for an optimum listening experience.  Get more details here!