En Vogue, Funky Divas (Expanded Edition) (Elektra/Rhino) (iTunes / Amazon)
The R&B quartet's sophomore album, released in 1992, was their biggest, featuring the Top 10 pop hits "My Lovin' (You're Never Gonna Get It)," "Giving Him Something He Can Feel" (a cover of Aretha Franklin's Curtis Mayfield-penned classic from the film Sparkle) and the rock-oriented "Free Your Mind." This digital expansion offers an additional eight vintage remixes.
Sting, Russians (Guitar/Cello Version) (A&M) (iTunes / Amazon)
An affecting song from Sting's solo debut The Dream of the Blue Turtles (1985) has, of course, taken on additional meaning amid the escalating conflict in the Ukraine as instigated by Russia. So the former Police frontman has recorded a new version, with net profits going to the Help Ukraine Center.
Depeche Mode, Music for the Masses | The 12" Singles (Warner/Rhino) (iTunes / Amazon)
Another week, another Depeche Mode 12" box gone digital. This time it's the material from the group's sixth studio album, featuring "Strangelove" and "Never Let Me Down Again."
Ella Fitzgerald, The Complete Ella in Berlin: The 1960-1962 Concerts (Verve) (Apple Music / Amazon)
A three-in-one streaming-only collection offering a series of the legendary jazz singer's recordings from three years in Germany: an expanded edition of 1960's Mack the Knife: Ella in Berlin, Ella Returns to Berlin (recorded in 1961 and released three decades later), and The Lost Berlin Tapes, a 1962 gig recovered and released in 2020.
Pantera, 1990-2000: A Decade of Domination (Rhino) (iTunes / Amazon)
Previously unavailable digitally: this succinct, 10-track collection featuring tracks from the thrash metal icons' five Atco albums, including "Cowboys from Hell," "Walk," "I'm Broken" and "Revolution is My Name."
Surface, 3 Deep (Columbia) (iTunes / Amazon)
The members of Surface had been kicking around the soul music scene since the '70s, but it was their third and final album for Columbia that offered their biggest success: "The First Time," a No. 1 pop hit for two weeks in 1991.
Leave a Reply