Cameron Crowe, in association with Universal Music, has done the (near-) impossible.  On July 9, the writer-director will revisit the soundtrack to his 2000 instant classic Almost Famous in greatly expanded, near-complete form, including five - yes, five! - Led Zeppelin songs plus tracks by other typically difficult-to-license artists including Simon and Garfunkel, The Who, Fleetwood Mac, Steely Dan, Neil Young, Joni Mitchell, David Bowie, and Stevie Wonder.  That's not to mention new Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee Todd Rundgren, The Beach Boys, Cat Stevens, Deep Purple, The Raspberries, and of course, Elton John who has reteamed with the original cast of the film to cut a new Almost Famous version of "Tiny Dancer."  The 20th anniversary editions will arrive in the following formats:

• 5CD (47 songs plus film dialogue, Stillwater demos, jams, and score cues);
• 2CD (35 songs);
• 6LP Red, Yellow, and Orange Vinyl (180-gram, 47 songs plus film dialogue, limited to 6,000 units);
• 6LP Black Vinyl (180-gram, 47 songs plus film dialogue);
• Original 2LP Soundtrack (1973-style jacket, 180-gram, 17 songs);
• Original 2LP Soundtrack (Original film artwork jacket, 180-gram, 17 songs);
• Stillwater vinyl EP (180-gram, 6 songs); and
• 5CD/7LP/1-7" single Super Deluxe Box Set (103 tracks including 47 songs, film dialogue, Stillwater demos, jams, and score cues; limited to 1,500 units).

Additionally, the original film will arrive four days later on July 13 in Blu-ray and 4K Ultra HD formats.  Crowe was quoted late yesterday in Rolling Stone (where else?): "We are extremely proud to revisit Almost Famous with a very special bounty of goodness.  For the first time, we've created a deluxe soundtrack that features nearly every song heard in the film, along with Nancy Wilson's wonderfully evocative score.  We're also thrilled to present both [theatrical and extended] versions of the film, along with a collection of rare new bonus features, on these beautiful new 4K and Blu-ray releases as part of [the] Paramount Presents [series].  Long live physical media!"  Amen to that.

The Second Disc has been championing an expansion of the Almost Famous soundtrack since 2011 when it was the subject of a Friday Feature column.  Anyone who's seen the film remembers how beautifully Crowe integrated classic rock and pop sounds into the affecting, semi-autobiographical coming of age story of budding rock journalist William Miller (Patrick Fugit).  Simon and Garfunkel's "America" takes him on a journey that doesn't even require him to leave his bedroom; Todd Rundgren's "It Wouldn't Have Made Any Difference" underscores a scene in which William meets influential, real-life critic Lester Bangs (memorably brought to life by Philip Seymour Hoffman).  Even the end credits kept the audience spellbound, thanks to The Beach Boys' haunting "Feel Flows."  The most iconic (and yes, that word is tremendously overused but remains appropriate here) moment in the film is a tour bus sing-along set to Elton John's "Tiny Dancer."  That was one of many goosebump-inducing moments in the movie recreated in a recent stage musical adaptation which premiered in 2019 at San Diego's Old Globe Theatre and is currently circling Broadway for a debut in the post-pandemic landscape.

The 5CD and 6LP editions of the expanded soundtrack feature 47 songs from the movie as sung by artists from Alvin and the Chipmunks to Yes, including tracks by fictional in-movie band Stillwater, plus film dialogue, score cues, Stillwater demos, and more. (Stillwater's six songs are also available as a standalone vinyl EP.)  A 2CD, 35-song cutdown version will also be released as well as two vinyl versions of the original, 17-song soundtrack as first issued in 2000.

The biggest edition is the 5CD/7LP/1-7" single Super Deluxe set.  This box has the full contents of the 5CD and 6 LP versions comprising the core 47 songs (including the special mix of The Who's "Sparks" and "Amazing Journey" and a previously unreleased live version of Neil Young's "Cortez the Killer") and the aforementioned film dialogue, seven Stillwater demos performed by Nancy Wilson and Peter Frampton, three backstage jams from the Stillwater members, and 21 score cues from Wilson (14 of which weren't included in the final cut of the film and haven't been heard anywhere).  The seventh LP is the Stillwater EP.  Limited to 1,500 units, this "everything but the kitchen sink" edition is housed in a poly-wrapped lift-top box.  Swag includes a 7-inch single of Stillwater's "Fever Dog" plus a 40-page book designed after William Miller's school notebook, faux Stillwater ticket stubs, the complete William Miller cover story for Rolling Stone, Stillwater tour posters, prop replica backstage passes and business cards, and photo prints of three cast members.  Whew!

By any standard, this looks to be the ultimate celebration of a film that itself is a clear-eyed celebration of the rock era and the power of music.  Look for these releases on July 9 from UMe.  They can all be pre-ordered now from uDiscoverMusic, and we will add Amazon links for the general-retail items once they're active.  You'll find the track listing for the Super Deluxe box set below.  Long live physical media!

Various Artists, Almost Famous - Original Motion Picture Soundtrack: Super Deluxe Edition (UMe, 2021) (uDiscoverMusic.com)

5CD (CDs 1-5 below): Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada
2CD Highlights (35 songs): Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada
6LP Black Vinyl: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada
2LP Black Vinyl: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada
5CD/7LP/1-7" Super Deluxe Edition and color variants: uDiscoverMusic.com

CD 1

1. The Chipmunk Song (Christmas Don't Be Late) - Alvin & The Chipmunks
2. The Oogum Boogum Song - Brenton Wood
3. America - Simon & Garfunkel
4. "One Day You'll Be Cool"
5. Amazing Journey / Sparks (Almost Famous Version) - The Who*
6. Search And Destroy - Iggy & The Stooges
7. "Rock N' Roll It's Over"
8. It Wouldn't Have Made Any Difference - Todd Rundgren
9. "Don't Take Drugs"
10. Teacher (U.S. Version) - Jethro Tull
11. "We Are Band Aids"
12. Roundabout - Yes
13. "Incendiary"
14. I've Seen All Good People: a. Your Move, b. All Good People - Yes
15. Feel Flows - The Beach Boys
16. "This Is Penny Lane"
17. River - Joni Mitchell
18. "Piggyback Ride"
19. Fever Dog - Stillwater

CD 2

1. Every Picture Tells A Story - Rod Stewart
2. Small Time Blues (Acoustic) - The Hyatt Singers
3. Something In The Air - Stillwater & Cast*
4. Easy To Slip - Little Feat
5. "Rolling Stone Magazine"
6. Go All The Way - The Raspberries
7. Farmer - The Seeds
8. One Way Out (Live) - The Allman Brothers Band
9. "Don't Forget The Rules"
10. Albert Flasher (Live) - The Guess Who
11. Simple Man - Lynyrd Skynyrd
12. "Just Make Us Look Cool"
13. Love Thing - Stillwater
14. That's The Way - Led Zeppelin
15. Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere - Neil Young & Crazy Horse
16. Future Games - Fleetwood Mac
17. Burn - Deep Purple
18. You Had To Be There - Stillwater
19. "I Am A Golden God"
20. Dear Jill - Blodwyn Pig
21. Tiny Dancer (Almost Famous Version) - Elton John and Cast*

CD 3

1. Looking At You - MC5
2. Reeling In The Years (Live) - Steely Dan*
3. Lucky Trumble - Nancy Wilson
4. Untitled - Jeff Bebe*
5. I'm Waiting For The Man (Live) - David Bowie
6. "Your Mom Kind Of Freaked Me Out"
7. "Please Welcome Stillwater!"
8. Love Comes And Goes - Stillwater
9. "You Gotta Take What You Can, When You Can"
10. The Wind - Cat Stevens
11. Voodoo Child (Slight Return) - The Jimi Hendrix Experience
12. Slip Away - Clarence Carter
13. Misty Mountain Hop - Led Zeppelin
14. Wishing Well - Free
15. "Cover Of The Rolling Stone"
16. Mona Lisas And Mad Hatters - Elton John
17. Colour My World - Jefferson High School Band
18. My Cherie Amour - Stevie Wonder
19. Cortez The Killer (Live) - Neil Young*
20. "You Made Friends With Them"
21. The Rain Song - Led Zeppelin
22. "We All Know What You Did To Him"
23. Bron-Yr-Aur - Led Zeppelin
24. What Do You Love About Music?"
25. Tangerine - Led Zeppelin

CD 4

Stillwater

1. Fever Dog
2. Love Thing
3. You Had To Be There
4. Hour Of Need
5. Chance Upon You
6. Love Comes And Goes

Stillwater Demos

7. Love Comes And Goes (Early Version)*
8. Fever Dog*
9. Love Thing*
10. Chance Upon You*
11. Love Comes And Goes*
12. Hour Of Need* - Peter Frampton, Wayne Kirkpatrick, Gordon Kennedy
13. You Had To Be There* - Peter Frampton, Wayne Kirkpatrick, Gordon Kennedy

Stillwater Backstage Jams (*)

14. That's The Way (Acoustic) - Larry Fellows and Ed Vallencourt
15. Down By The River (Acoustic) - Larry Fellows and Ed Vallencourt
16. Fever Dog (Acoustic) - Stillwater

CD 5

Original Motion Picture Score by Nancy Wilson

1. Prefunction*
2. Cabin By The River*
3. Lucky Trumble
4. Dapple Tree*
5. Cabin In The Air*
6. Dear Peggy*
7. Bye Bye Now*

Original Motion Picture Score Outtakes (*) by Nancy Wilson

8. Cabin (Outtake 1)
9. Moody
10. Morocco
11. Aurora
12. Mood Swing
13. The Teenager
14. Borealis
15. Strummy
16. Tiny Dancer Intro
17. Mando Swagger
18. Cabin (Outtake 2)
19. Love Stomp
20. Function
21. Aaron's Real Room

(*) denotes previously unreleased track

LP 1

A1. The Chipmunk Song (Christmas Don't Be Late) - Alvin & The Chipmunks
A2. The Oogum Boogum Song - Brenton Wood
A3. America - Simon & Garfunkel
A4. "One Day You'll Be Cool"
A5. Amazing Journey / Sparks (Almost Famous Version) - The Who*
A6. Search And Destroy - Iggy & The Stooges

B1. "Rock N' Roll It's Over"
B2. It Wouldn't Have Made Any Difference - Todd Rundgren
B3. "Don't Take Drugs"
B4. Teacher (U.S. Version) - Jethro Tull
B5. "We Are Band Aids"
B6. Roundabout - Yes

LP 2

C1. "Incendiary"
C2. I've Seen All Good People: a. Your Move, b. All Good People - Yes
C3. Feel Flows - The Beach Boys
C4. "This Is Penny Lane"
C5. River - Joni Mitchell

D1. "Piggyback Ride (San Diego)"
D2. Fever Dog - Stillwater
D3. Every Picture Tells A Story - Rod Stewart
D4. Small Time Blues (Acoustic) - The Hyatt Singers
D5. Something In The Air - Stillwater & Cast*

LP 3

E1. Easy To Slip - Little Feat
E2. "Rolling Stone Magazine"
E3. Go All The Way - The Raspberries
E4. Mr. Farmer - The Seeds
E5. One Way Out (Live) - The Allman Brothers Band
E6. "Don't Forget The Rules"
E7. Albert Flasher (Live) - The Guess Who

F1. Simple Man - Lynyrd Skynyrd
F2. "Just Make Us Look Cool"
F3. Love Thing - Stillwater
F4. That's The Way - Led Zeppelin

LP 4

G1. Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere - Neil Young & Crazy Horse
G2. Future Games - Fleetwood Mac
G3. Burn - Deep Purple
G4. You Had To Be There - Stillwater

H1. "I Am A Golden God"
H2. Dear Jill - Blodwyn Pig
H3. Tiny Dancer (Almost Famous Version) - Elton John and Cast*
H4. Looking At You - MC5
H5. Reeling In The Years (Live) - Steely Dan*

LP 5

I1. Lucky Trumble - Nancy Wilson
I2. Untitled - Jeff Bebe*
I3. I'm Waiting For The Man (Live) - David Bowie
I4. "Your Mom Kind Of Freaked Me Out"
I5. "Please Welcome Stillwater!"
I6. Love Comes And Goes - Stillwater

J1. "You Gotta Take What You Can, When You Can"
J2. The Wind - Cat Stevens
J3. Voodoo Child (Slight Return) - The Jimi Hendrix Experience
J4. Slip Away - Clarence Carter
J5. Misty Mountain Hop - Led Zeppelin
J6. Wishing Well - Free
J7. "Cover Of The Rolling Stone"

LP 6

K1. Mona Lisas And Mad Hatters - Elton John
K2. Colour My World - Jefferson High School Band
K3. My Cherie Amour - Stevie Wonder
K4. Cortez The Killer (Live) - Neil Young*

L1. "You Made Friends With Them"
L2. The Rain Song - Led Zeppelin
L3. "We All Know What You Did To Him"
L4. Bron-Yr-Aur - Led Zeppelin
L5. "What Do You Love About Music?"
L6. Tangerine - Led Zeppelin

LP 7 - STILLWATER EP (*)

A1. Fever Dog
A2. Love Thing
A3. You Had To Be There
B1. Hour Of Need
B2. Chance Upon You
B3. Love Comes And Goes

FEVER DOG 7-INCH

A1. Fever Dog
B1. Piggyback Ride (Cleveland)*
B2. Fever Dog (Acoustic)

(*) denotes previously unreleased track