Welcome to this week's Release Round-Up featuring a selection of the new titles in stores today!

Liza Minnelli, Live in New York 1979 (Second Disc Records/Real Gone Music)

2LP: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada / Real Gone Music
3CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada / Real Gone Music

Liza Minnelli's remarkable album of her record-breaking 1979 Carnegie Hall stand receives its first-ever release to wide retail in two distinctive editions from Second Disc Records and Real Gone Music, both of which are adorned with Andy Warhol's suitable-for-framing portrait of the artist.  Live in New York 1979: The Ultimate Edition will be available on 3 CDs, all of which overflow with showbiz sizzle: Disc One with Mike Milchner's remastered version of the original vinyl release (never before available on CD), and Discs Two and Three with the never-before-released complete show.  Liza kept pristine multitrack tapes of all three nights recorded at Carnegie Hall (September 4, 5, and 6, 1979). The multitrack tapes have been painstakingly restored and beautifully mixed by acclaimed engineer Ted Carfrae (Doris Day, Cilla Black) for this premiere presentation, in order of performance, of Liza's Carnegie Hall show from curtain up to curtain down including six songs not on the original release.   The Ultimate Edition is housed within an eight-panel digipak boasting a lavish 36-page booklet designed by John Sellards with:

• Introductions by Liza Minnelli and Michael Feinstein;
• Essays by Joe Marchese, Charles L. Granata, and Ted Carfrae;
• Never-before-published, full-color photos from Liza's Carnegie Hall stand;
• Special memories from Obba Babatundé, Liza's longtime trumpeter Ross Konikoff, and photographer/historian Don Berry; and
• Exclusive tributes from Liza's friends and collaborators including Joel Grey, Chita Rivera, John Kander, Ben Vereen, Alan Cumming, Donny Osmond, Billy Stritch, Nancy Sinatra, Melissa Manchester, and more.

A 2-LP vinyl edition, pressed on red vinyl, presents the remastered original album plus an insert with Marchese and Granata's liner notes and photos.  Read the track listing and more here!

Melvin Van Peebles, Watermelon Man: Music from the Original Soundtrack (Second Disc Records/Real Gone Music)

Watermelon Skin Vinyl: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada / Real Gone Music
America Swirl Vinyl: Real Gone Music
Color Variant: Barnes & Noble

Our second release of the week returns Melvin Van Peebles' score to his groundbreaking 1970 comedy Watermelon Man back into print for the first time in more than five decades.  Watermelon Man shattered conventions with its bitingly satirical story about a white couple, intolerant and obnoxious insurance salesman Jeff Gerber (Godfrey Cambridge) and his seemingly liberal wife Althea (Estelle Parsons).  One morning, Jeff awakens to discover that his skin color has changed from white to black-and it's not a result of his daily tanning routine.  Unable to successfully change back, he learns what it's like to live in America as a black man, and his eyes are opened. Van Peebles' soundtrack to Watermelon Man blended jazz, funk, rock, rhythm and blues, proto-rap, and even bluegrass, and the multi-hyphenate talent took the mic himself for the songs "Love, That's America" and "Soul'd on You."  The film's co-star Estelle Parsons made a special appearance on "Where Are the Children."  All that and Ry Cooder, too: the slide guitar virtuoso, while uncredited, is said to have played the indelible slide parts throughout the album.  The vinyl reissue is available in multiple colors, and all pressings include an insert with on-set photos and liner notes by Joe Marchese.  Read more here!

The Fall, The Light User Syndrome [Expanded Edition] (Iconoclassic) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada)

Iconoclassic reissues and expands The Fall's 18th studio album as a 2-CD set.  1996's The Light User Syndrome - the band's first album with Julia Nagle and last with Brix Smith - was previously reissued on CD via the Receiver and Castle Music labels.  But whereas the Castle edition had just two bonus tracks (the single sides "The Chiselers" and "Chilinist"),  Iconoclassic's upcoming expansion boasts those two sides as well as an additional 10 cuts.  The first CD features the original album, while the second has the 12 bonus tracks also including alternate versions and live recordings originally issued on various compilations but now placed into proper context.  Andy Pearce and Matt Wortham have remastered the audio.  The deluxe package designed by Edward ODowd is topped off by Daryl Easlea's oral history which draws on 2022 interviews with surviving band members.  Get more info here!

Various Artists, My Best Friend's Wedding (Music from the Motion Picture) (Black-and-White "Tuxedo" Vinyl Version) (Real Gone Music)

White Vinyl LP: Amazon U.S.
Tuxedo B&W Vinyl LP: Real Gone Music / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada

Real Gone brings the 1997 soundtrack to the Julia Roberts-led romantic comedy to vinyl in time for its 25th anniversary.  The soundtrack features a number of classic oldies as well as a new recording of "The Way You Look Tonight" by Tony Bennett and a number of Burt Bacharach/Hal David covers including Diana King's reggae twist on "I Say a Little Prayer."  For this first-ever vinyl reissue, Real Gone has crafted a new inner sleeve featuring production stills and has pressed the album on black-and-white "tuxedo" vinyl.  Amazon has an exclusive white vinyl pressing limited to 1,000 units.

Three Man Army, Two (Limited Cobalt Blue Vinyl Edition) (Real Gone Music) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada / Real Gone Music)

When the British group The Gun disbanded in 1970, brothers Paul and Adrian Gurvitz moved on to other bands but eventually came back together and formed Three Man Army in 1971.  Initially on Pegasus Records, the group went to Reprise for their second and third albums (where they were joined by new member Tony Newman).  The third album, entitled Two, was released in 1974.  Featuring all original material, the sound is akin to Led Zeppelin, Traffic, Jeff Beck, or early Fleetwood Mac.  The group then broke up with the Gurvitz brothers joining Ginger Baker in The Baker Gurvitz Army.  After that band dissolved in 1976, Paul and Adrian went their separate ways but kept recording.  Adrian would go on to write a hit for Eddie Money and pen a song on The Bodyguard soundtrack.  This first-ever vinyl reissue of Two by Real Gone comes on cobalt blue vinyl and is limited to 1,500 copies.

Faster Pussycat, Whipped! (Limited "Whipped-Cream" Vinyl Edition) (Real Gone Music) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada / Real Gone Music)

Faster Pussycat was formed in 1985 in Los Angeles.  Taking their name from the 1965 Russ Meyer exploitation film Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill!, the group consisted of vocalist Taime Downe, guitarists Brent Muscat and Greg Steele and bassist Kelly Nickels.  The glam, hard-rock band signed with Elektra and released their first album in 1987.  Whipped! was their third album and came out in August 1992.  By this point, Nickels had been replaced by Eric Stacy and Brett Bradshaw had joined on drums.  With all the material written by Downe, Whipped! climbed to No. 90 on the Billboard chart while the single "Nonstop to Nowhere" hit No. 35 on the Mainstream Rock chart.  After this album, the group broke up as Nirvana was remaking the rock world.  They reformed in 2001, and after some legal wrangling among the various members, Faster Pussycat continues today with Downe being the last original member still active.  Real Gone's reissue of Whipped! marks the only time the album has appeared on vinyl in the United States.  It comes on milky clear "whipped-cream" vinyl and is limited to 2,000 copies.

The Judds, Love Can Build a Bridge: Best of The Judds (Curb) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada)

This compilation from The Judds arrives in a bittersweet fashion following the death earlier this year of matriarch Naomi.  The 10-track release includes chart-toppers "Girls Night Out," "Love Is Alive," "Grandpa (Tell Me 'Bout the Good Old Days)," "Rockin' with the Rhythm of the Rain," "Young Love (Strong Love)," "Have Mercy," "Why Not Me," and "Mama, He's Crazy" plus "Give a Little Love" (No. 2 Country) and "Love Can Build a Bridge" (No. 5 Country).  It's available on CD, vinyl, and Walmart-exclusive "milky clear" vinyl.

Motley Crue reissues (BMG)

Too Fast for Love: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada
Shout at the Devil: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada
Theatre of Pain: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada
Girls, Girls, Girls: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada
Dr. Feelgood: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada

BMG reissues heavy metal heroes Motley Crue's first five albums, all of which went platinum or multi-platinum and solidified the band's place in rock history.  All of the albums, originally released between 1981 and 1989, feature new 2021 remasters.  The CDs are available today while vinyl LPs follow on July 22.

Rusty, The Resurrection of Rust (EMI) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. Link TBD / Amazon Canada)

Elvis Costello has joined his old friend Allan Mayes to reform Rusty, the band in which they played in 1972-1973.  Costello and Mayes were joined by The Imposters and guest keyboardist Bob Andrews of Brinsley Schwarz for this newly-recorded six-song EP comprising Rusty originals plus covers of Nick Lowe, Jim Ford, and Neil Young played in the band's original setlists.  The Resurrection of Rust arrived digitally June 10; the U.S. date for the CD release is today while a vinyl edition should be in stores in three weeks, on July 22.  Read more here.

Paul Anka, Sessions (Green Hill) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada)

The legendary singer-songwriter, now in his eighth decade of making music, returns with a new studio album featuring his interpretations of modern-day standards including Bob Dylan's "Farewell, Angelina" and Ervin Drake's "It Was a Very Good Year" as well as reinterpretations of his own pop classics such as "It Doesn't Matter Anymore," "Lonely Boy," and the Michael Jackson collaboration "Love Never Felt So Good."  Available on CD and digitally.

Various Artists, Minions - The Rise of Gru: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (Decca) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada)

This latest big screen outing with Despicable Me's Gru and his Minions has been set to an array of reimagined pop classics (Phoebe Bridgers' "Goodbye to Love," St. Vincent's "Funkytown," Gary Clark, Jr.'s "Vehicle," H.E.R.'s "Dance to the Music," and even The Minions' own "Cecilia" - plus "Turn Up the Sunshine," a new cut from Diana Ross and Tame Impala.  Available on CD and vinyl.  A Target-exclusive edition of the CD includes a foldout poster and sticker sheet.