Release Round-Up: Week of October 8
Welcome to this week’s Release Round-Up!
Various Artists, The Best of Bond…James Bond (UMe)
2CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada
3LP: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada / uDiscoverMusic (gold)
The Best of Bond…James Bond is released on vinyl today (the CD arrived two weeks ago). The compilation offers a stellar 25-track overview of the pop themes that scored nearly all of the films based on Ian Fleming’s famed British secret agent. There are 14 U.K. Top 10 hits and two Academy Award winners herein – altogether, a formidable, half-century-plus musical portrait of one of cinema’s most popular characters. First released under this title by Capitol/EMI in 1999, The Best of Bond…James Bond was reissued in 2002, 2008 and 2012 with additional title themes and various bonus tracks. There’s a few firsts for this Bond collection: this will be the set’s first LP edition, spread across three discs and pressed on either standard black or limited edition gold vinyl. (The gold set will be available exclusively at uDiscoverMusic.) For the first time, this edition of the collection will actually include the most current theme: Billie Eilish’s theme to Daniel Craig’s fifth and final Bond film, No Time To Die (opening in theatres today).
Reba McEntire, Revived Remixed Revisited (MCA Nashville) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada)
Reba McEntire is looking back on her career with a three-disc, three-album retrospective – but with a twist. Revived Remixed Revisited consists entirely of new and previously unheard versions of her greatest hits for a total of 30 tracks. The first disc, Revived, presents McEntire’s songs (including “Can’t Even Get the Blues” and “Is There Life Out There”) performed with her touring band as they would be heard in concert today. The second disc, Remixed, finds the singer’s original recordings (including “Little Rock” and the Reba theme song, recent TikTok sensation, and all-around anthem “I’m a Survivor”) as remixed by a host of contemporary engineers. Lastly, the third and final disc, Revisited, is a new collaboration with producer Dave Cobb (Chris Stapleton, Jason Isbell, Brandi Carlile, Oak Ridge Boys) and a small band. Dolly Parton guests on “Does He Love You.” Available on 3 CDs, 3 LPs, or digitally. Read more here.
Aaliyah, The Ultimate Aaliyah (Blackground) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada)
The reactivated Blackground continues to roll out catalogue releases including today’s 2-CD set Ultimate Aaliyah. The compilation was previously issued in 2005 in the U.K., Australia, and Japan and arrives today on CD and digital platforms.
Loreena McKennitt, The Visit: The Definitive Edition (UMe) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada)
The Celtic and Middle Eastern-influenced Canadian singer-songwriter revisits her fourth, breakthrough studio album. The Visit: The Definitive Edition features the original 1991 album as remastered in 2004 on CD 1, live performances from the CBC and NPR in 1992 on CD 2, an interview and spoken-word discussion with Loreena and her collaborators on CD 3, and a binaural headphone mix of the album plus 2016 live concert tracks on CD 4. The fifth disc, a Blu-ray, offers the album in Dolby Atmos, 5.1 surround, and hi-res stereo. With the current Amazon price down to under $40, this packed set is a bargain for McKennitt fans.
Various Artists, It’s a Good, Good Feeling: The Latin Soul of Fania Records (Craft Latino) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada)
This 4-CD/1-7″ single collection spans the period of 1965-1975 and the groundbreaking Latin soul of such artists as Ray Barretto, Joe Bataan, Larry Harlow. Bobby Valentin, and Willie Colon. The box set contains 89 single sides on four CDs housed in a 60-page hardcover book with liner notes by compilation co-producer Dean Rudland and numerous photos.
Violent Femmes, Why Do Birds Sing? (Craft Recordings) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada)
Craft also is revisiting Violent Femmes’ fifth studio album, Why Do Birds Sing?, for its 30th anniversary. This new deluxe edition on 2 CDs offers the original album plus a complete 1991 live set from the Boat House in Norfolk, Virginia, plus previously unreleased tracks. It’s housed in a digipak with a 20-page booklet featuring liner notes by Jeff Slate. The original album only is also out today on vinyl.
Orleans, New Star Shining (Sunset Blvd.) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada)
Orleans (“Still the One,” “Dance with Me”) returns with a new Christmas collection including original material written by John Hall and co. in both secular and spiritual veins.
Lizard Music, Arazone! (Omnivore Recordings) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada)
If you like your pop somewhat retro-leaning with a delicious dash of the avant-garde, Omnivore has just the title for you. Arazone! hails from New Jersey’s own Lizard Music, a four-piece band that creates a sound not unlike The Beatles, Beefheart and Zappa, XTC, and the SMiLE-era Beach Boys mashed up in a blender. Each track on Arazone! sounds different than the one preceding it, with unexpected shifts in style, mood, and tempo. Available today on CD and download/streaming while a vinyl edition follows in December.
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