Welcome to this week's Release Round-Up!

Neil Diamond, Live Reissues 1972-2018 (Capitol/UMe)

Hot August Night (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada Links TBD / uDiscoverMusic.com)
Love at the Greek (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada / uDiscoverMusic.com)
Hot August Night II (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada / uDiscoverMusic.com)
Hot August Night/NYC (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada / uDiscovermusic.com)
Hot August Night III (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada / uDiscovermusic.com)
All-Time Greatest Hits (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada / uDiscoverMusic.com / Target.com)

Capitol and UMe are reissuing five classic Neil Diamond live albums as 2-LP vinyl editions beginning with 1972's seminal Hot August Night and continuing with the unofficial sequel Love at the Greek (1977) as well as Hot August Night II (1986), Hot August Night/NYC (2009), and Hot August Night III (2018).  Note that the two latter albums are presented in "highlights" form with fewer tracks than their lengthy CD counterparts.  All five concerts are available directly through Universal in colored vinyl editions while all other retailers will have black vinyl versions.  On the same day, the 2014 collection All Time Greatest Hits will also be released on black vinyl, as a colored variant is already available at Target stores.  Read more here!

The Stooges, Live at Goose Lake: August 8, 1970 (Third Man)

CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada / Your Local Record Shop
LP: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada / Your Local Record Shop
Clear LP: Your Local Record Shop
Purple LP: Rough Trade [Pre-orders sold out online, but copies may be available at Rough Trade's NY and London retail stores]

Third Man has unearthed Live at Goose Lake, August 8th, 1970, the only known soundboard-sourced live recording of the original Stooges.  Here, the band play through all of Fun House, with Dave Alexander on bass.  (The story had gone that Alexander didn't play a note during the show and was later fired over it.)  It arrives on CD, vinyl, and digital almost 50 years to the day of the fabled show.  Third Man will also press up special editions for certain retailers.  Rough Trade will have a purple vinyl edition, while other independent record shops will have a special cream-colored vinyl configuration wrapped up in a different sleeve.  No matter how you choose to listen, this legendary concert will be a treat for fans.  Read more here!

Split Enz, True Colours: 40th Anniversary Edition (Warner Music Australia)

CD: Warner Music Australia
Green Vinyl in Red Sleeve: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada
Blue Vinyl in Yellow Sleeve: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada
Yellow Vinyl in Purple Sleeve: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada
Orange Vinyl in Blue Sleeve: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada
Picture Disc: Warner Music Australia

The album that introduced most of the world to New Zealand pop band Split Enz, True Colours is getting a new mix and expanded reissue for its 40th anniversary. The CD (currently available only through the label) also includes seven previously unreleased live tracks recorded on various Australian and New Zealand tours - all in the years following the release of True Colours, and none featuring songs from the original album. (They're mostly album cuts, along with later singles like 1981's "Hard Act To Follow" and 1984's "I Walk Away.")  Get more details here!

Grateful Dead: Origins (Z2 Comics/Rhino)

Hardcover with vinyl: Z2 Comics
Softcover with digital download: Amazon.com / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada.

Secret origins have long been a classic trope of comic books. This summer, a rather unexpected super-team will find their origins revealed in a new graphic novel. That's the release date for Z2 Comics' Grateful Dead Origins, written by Chris Miskiewicz with art by Noah Van Sciver. Origins will depict the early days of Jerry Garcia, Phil Lesh, Bob Weir, Ron "Pigpen" McKernan, Bill Kreutzmann, and Mickey Hart as they transform from bar band The Warlocks to the groundbreaking Grateful Dead.  The graphic novel will be available in two formats. This fall, a limited-edition hardcover will be released. This oversized (9 x 15) individually-numbered, coffee table-style book adds art prints, autographs by the comic creators, and an exclusive 12-inch vinyl LP of an unreleased performance from August 1968 at San Francisco's Fillmore West. The standard softcover edition (which contains an exclusive download of rare selections from the Dead's early days) is available now.

Collective Soul, Hints, Allegations, and Things Left Unsaid / Collective Soul (Craft Recordings)

Collective Soul CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada
Collective Soul LP: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada
Hints, Allegations, and Things Left Unsaid LP: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada

Craft Recordings turns to the Collective Soul catalogue this week for reissues of the group's first two albums.  Debut Hints, Allegations, and Things Left Unsaid gets a new black vinyl edition while the eponymous sophomore album is reissued on both vinyl and CD.  The CD adds six bonus tracks and new liner notes by Jeff Slate.

Joel McNeely, Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire - Original Soundtrack (Varese Sarabande) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada)

Varese is reissuing the 1996 soundtrack to the million-selling video game composed by  Joel McNeely (and including John Williams' instantly recognizable theme and "Imperial March") on both CD and vinyl.  The CD's 16-page booklet has an introduction by McNeely and track-by-track notes from him and album co-producer Robert Townson.  Chas Ferry has mastered this choral and orchestral Star Wars opus.

Joe Bonamassa, A New Day Now (J&R Adventures) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada)

Joe Bonamassa's debut LP, A New Day Yesterday, arrived 20 years ago in stores, and the Tom Dowd-produced album became a top 10 hit on the Billboard Blues Albums chart.  Now, the blues-rock guitarist has marked the occasion by reimagining the album.  For A New Day Now, Bonamassa re-recorded all of the vocal tracks and added new guitar to some of the remixed songs, as well.  In addition, he's added three bonus demos from the 1990s co-written and produced by Little Steven Van Zandt.

Mary Chapin Carpenter, The Dirt and the Stars (Lambent Light) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada)

Ethan Johns produces Mary Chapin Carpenter's 15th album and first of all-original material since 2016.  The singer-songwriter recorded The Dirt and the Stars at Peter Gabriel's studio in Bath, England.  It's available today on CD, vinyl, and digital/streaming.

Deep Purple, Whoosh! (Earmusic) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada)

Deep Purple reunites with producer Bob Ezrin for the band's 21st album.  The Nashville-recorded album finds the hard rockers reflecting on the world today with their trademark depth and musicality.  Available on CD, vinyl, and digital/streaming.