Welcome to this week's Release Round-Up, featuring a selection of the new titles available today.

Joni Mitchell, Joni Mitchell Archives Vol. 3: The Asylum Years (1972-1975) (Asylum/Rhino)

5CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada
4LP: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada

The third volume of Joni Mitchell's remarkable Archives series continues with an exploration of the period that yielded such groundbreaking albums as For the Roses (1972), Court and Spark (1974), the live Miles of Aisles (1974), and The Hissing of Summer Lawns (1975).  The new 5CD, 96-track box - also available digitally or in 4LP "highlights" form - chronicles the era via previously unreleased demos, jams, outtakes, and live performances including two full concerts. The CD box set Includes a 40-page booklet with an interview between Cameron Crowe and Joni, plus a number of rare photos.  Read more here!

The Darkness, Permission to Land...Again (Atlantic/Rhino)

4CD/DVD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada
5LP: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada
2CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada
2LP: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada

The Darkness is revisiting their earliest recordings with a new 20th anniversary box set. Permission to Land...Again includes the original album - a U.K. chart-topper for four straight weeks - a dozen rare single versions and B-sides, four unreleased demos, material from three live concerts recorded in 2003 and 2004 across England, and a treasure trove of videos, performance footage, and more on DVD. A 2CD deluxe edition will include the first two discs of the box, while a 5LP edition will feature everything except the DVD and the live set from Wembley Arena that makes up the box's fourth CD. Standalone vinyl editions of the original album will also be pressed.  Read more here.

Duke Jupiter, Duke Jupiter 1 (Expanded Edition) (Iconoclassic) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada)

The fourth album from Rochester, New York rockers Duke Jupiter premieres on CD from Iconoclassic. The 1982 album's title was possibly a reference to a hard reset the group had done after spending the late '70s as a larger, occasionally horn-suffused combo on Mercury Records. Duke Jupiter 1 found the group paring down to original members Marshall Styler (vocals/keyboards) and Greg Walker (vocals/guitar) and new additions Rick Ellis on bass (original bassist George Barajas played on parts of the album before his death from a brain tumor that year) and drummer/singer David Corcoran. Promoted with a free hometown concert whose attendance figures are the stuff of local legend, single "I'll Drink to You" was a minor Billboard Hot 100 hit. Duke Jupiter would go on to open up for what felt like every major rock act of the early '80s before splitting in 1986. For this brand-new release, Vic Anesini has remastered the album as well as a non-LP B-side from the era, while Rochester-based writer Marcia Greenwood has penned liner notes.  Get more details here.

Frankie Stein and His Ghouls, Shock! Fear! Terror! /Ghoul Music (Real Gone Music)

Shock! Fear! Terror! : Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada / Real Gone Music
Ghoul Music: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada / Real Gone Music

Last Halloween, Real Gone reissued the first album by the fictional group Frankie Stein and His Ghouls, Introducing Frankie Stein and His Ghouls, from 1964.    Appearing on Power Records, an imprint of Peter Pan Records, the children's novelty LP featured creepy and monster-themed song titles, followed by the suggested dances that should accompany them.  The songs also featured Halloween sound effects. Now Real Gone is continuing the series by releasing two more of the group's offerings, both from 1965: Shock! Fear! Terror! and Ghoul Music.  Each album follows in the vein of Introducing and includes such songs as "Ankle Twist," "The Ghostman Rings Twice," "What Kind of Ghoul Am I," and "Fly Me to the Goon," among others.  Children's records often didn't include credits, which is the case here.  Rumors are that the line-up for Introducing included guitarist Duane Eddy, saxophonist Max Greger, free jazz legend Sun Ra, and members of The Blues Project.  Unfortunately, the personnel has never been confirmed and remains a mystery.

These releases mark the first time either album has been reissued and both are limited to 900 copies at general retail.  Shock! comes on emerald green vinyl while Ghoul Music is pressed on "Coke clear" with yellow swirl vinyl.  Each album also has an exclusive, 100-copy limited edition available directly from Real Gone's website.  For those editions, Shock! is presented on clear with red, green and purple swirl vinyl and Ghoul Music is on clear with red, blue and green swirl vinyl.

Danny Elfman, Tim Burton's Corpse Bride (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) (Real Gone Music) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada / Real Gone Music)

Among the most longlasting director/composer collaborations in the history of film, the partnership between Tim Burton and Danny Elfman would rank near the top for many people.  Since first working together on Pee-Wee's Big Adventure in 1985, Elfman has scored 22 major projects for Burton (including television series).  2005's Corpse Bride, Burton's third stop-motion film, starred Johnny Depp and Helena Bonham Carter and told a Victorian-era tale of a groom and an undead bride.  Elfman's music for the movie ranged from somber chamber music to darkly macabre, yet jaunty, pieces.  There are also swing jazz homages, especially in the number performed by Bonejangles (a.k.a. Elfman) and His Bone Boys. (The four vocal numbers by the group are included after the album's orchestral score is concluded).  Real Gone's reissue marks the first time the album has been released on vinyl.  The 2-LP set features a full-color insert and comes on moonlit vinyl.  It is limited to 1,250 copies.

Olivia Newton-John, Just the Two of Us: The Duets Collection Vol. 2 (Green Hill) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada)

Earlier this year, Green Hill released the first volume of Olivia Newton-John's duet series.  Now, a second volume from the late, great superstar arrives with two previously unreleased duets ("I'm Counting On You" with Johnny O'Keefe and "I Will Be Right Here" with David Campbell) and ten favorites ("Tenterfield Saddler" with Peter Allen, "Wishin' and Hopin'" with Dionne Warwick, "Rest Your Love on Me" with Andy Gibb, "Everybody's Someone" with Cliff Richard).

Steve Cropper, With a Little Help from My Friends: Expanded Edition (Omnivore) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada)

Legendary Memphis guitarist Steve Cropper's 1969 solo debut returns in a generously expanded edition from Omnivore featuring eight bonus tracks on CD; the vinyl presentation, while having no bonuses, is an all-analog cut.  Robert Gordon provides the new liner notes for this celebration of the Stax soul sound as only Steve Cropper could deliver. Features smoking renditions of the title track as well as "Funky Broadway," "Land of 1,000 Dances," "Oh, Pretty Woman," "In the Midnight Hour," and more.

Howard Jones, Celebrate It Together: The Very Best of Howard Jones 1983-2023 (Cherry Red)

4CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada
2CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada
2LP: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada

Celebrate It Together: The Very Best of Howard Jones 1983-2023 brings together Jones' unforgettable synth-driven hits like "New Song," "Things Can Only Get Better," "No One is to Blame," "Everlasting Love," and many more, alongside the terrific independent work he's issued through his own Dtox label since 1994, for a new compilation unlike any he's released. It will be available as a 2CD or 2LP set (pressed on mint green vinyl) as well as a 4CD box set in a clamshell case boasting four previously unreleased tracks and six making their CD debuts.  Personally curated by Howard himself, the deluxe version is divided into four categories: Popular Hits (featuring his biggest singles), Electro (including a new to CD mix of his latest single which gives the set its name and a brand-new electronic version of debut single "New Song"), Chill (offering downtempo selections kicked off by the iconic single version of "No One is to Blame," produced and featuring drums and backing vocals by Phil Collins) and Curiosities (incorporating live tracks, hard-to-find works from Japan-only album Angels & Lovers, download-only exclusives and even a version of "Things Can Only Get Better" recorded in "Simlish," the gibberish language from the popular computer game The Sims). The cut down versions offer the highlights of those tracks, plus a few non-rare songs that don't appear on the 4CD edition. (The 2CD set exclusively features "Hero in Your Eyes," from the 2019 album Transform, while the vinyl carries "Little Bit of Snow," a fan favorite from 1986's One to One.)  Get the track listing and more here.

J.J. Cale, Tulsa Sound (UMe) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada)

The 9-LP collection Tulsa Sound features new remastered versions of late guitarist-singer-songwriter J.J. Cale's eight studio albums released on the Shelter and Mercury labels between 1971 and 1983, along with a ninth bonus disc, The Early Years, collecting six single sides Cale cut for Liberty Records in 1965 and 1966. All albums have been remastered at Abbey Road Studios and will be pressed on assorted color vinyl. The box also includes a 40-page hardback book featuring rare photos, memorabilia and essays, including a foreword penned by Mark Knopfler.​ Get the track listing and more here!

Van Halen, The Collection II (Warner/Rhino, 2023)

CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada
LP: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada

The Collection II is a sequel to Warner/Rhino's 2015 box containing new remasters of Van Halen's David Lee Roth-led material, released from 1978 to 1984. (Each has been itself remastered from the original master tapes, as overseen by the group's longtime engineer Donn Landee.) Included in this new box are the albums 5150 (1986), OU812 (1988), For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge (1991), Balance (1995) and a collection of eight bonus cuts from the Hagar era, from soundtrack and compilation appearances to the group's only true B-side.  Read more here!

The White Stripes, The Complete John Peel Sessions (Third Man/Legacy) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada)

Legacy and Third Man have teamed up for this collection of Jack and Meg White's live sessions for the late, great John Peel.  Features "Let's Shake Hands," "Hotel Yorba," "Jolene," "St. James Infirmary Blues," and more.

Heatmiser, The Music of Heatmiser (Third Man)

CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada
2LP: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada

The Music of Heatmiser, available on CD or 2LP, is named for the self-released cassette the group - singer/guitarists Elliott Smith and Neal Gust, drummer Tony Lash, and bassist Brandt Peterson (later replaced by Sam Coombes) - would offer at shows in and around the Portland, Oregon area in which they came up. For the first time, that cassette will be made widely available on this release, alongside the contents of an early non-album single, demos that would end up on their debut album Dead Air (1993), a cadre of unreleased songs, and a 1994 live radio session.  It all adds up to the most comprehensive look at the late Smith's early band.  Read more here.

Sylvester, Private Recordings: August 1970 (Dark Entries) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada)

Earlier this year, Second Disc Records and Real Gone Music celebrated the life of the fabulous Sylvester with Disco Heat: The Fantasy Years 1977-1981, a definitive 2CD anthology of his most famous recordings.  Now, Dark Entries brings a collection of early recordings by the young Sylvester to vinyl.  These recordings aren't of the disco variety, of course; instead, they reveal his passion for jazz and blues as he brings his already-singular style to the likes of "Stormy Weather," "Happy Days Are Here Again," and "God Bless the Child."  A 16-page booklet of liner notes by Sylvester's friend Peter Mintun is included.

Tom Waits, Bone Machine / The Black Rider [Remastered] (Island/UMe)

Bone Machine: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada
The Black Rider: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada

Tom Waits continues his series of reissues on both CD and vinyl with 1992's Bone Machine and 1993's The Black Rider, both newly remastered from the original 1/2-inch master tapes by Chris Bellman at Bernie Grundman Mastering, overseen by Waits and Kathleen Brennan and their longtime engineer Karl Derfler.

The Ophelias, Bare Bodkin (Independent Project Records) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada)

Independent Project Records has another beaut of an album with the 2-LP vinyl release of Bare Bodkin from San Francisco's 1980s neo-psych band The Ophelias.  Featuring frontman Leslie Medford and guitarist David Immergluck (later of Camper Van Beethoven and Counting Crows), the band shone brightly for a too-brief period.  They released their first album in 1987 and disappeared by 1990 when their label, Rough Trade US, folded.  First released on CD last year, Bare Bodkin collects their finest recordings, many of which recall Syd Barrett-era Pink Floyd or early Bowie. The anthology comes to vinyl as a limited edition pressed on Midnight Blue or Nocturnal Black vinyl.  Featuring 15 tracks (including five which are previously unreleased) curated by Medford and mastered at 45 RPM for optimal sound quality, the collection also includes new liner notes by David Fricke.  The heavyweight packaging is lavish and up to IPR's usual standard: the album is housed in a gatefold tip-on jacket with metallic duotone printed inner sleeves containing photographs and lyrics.  A download card is also included.  "I approached Bare Bodkin as if it would be the Last Will and Testament of The Ophelias," writes Medford in his notes, "as if it alone might be our legacy - a kind of personal statement about my feelings as to the prime aesthetic thrust of The Ophelias."  It seems likely this collection will win over a number of new fans to this singular group.

Mary J. Blige, A Mary Christmas: Anniversary Edition (Verve/Interscope) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada)

Mary J. Blige marks ten years of A Mary Christmas with this new edition, available on 1CD, 2LPs, or digitally, featuring two previously unreleased bonus tracks: "O Holy Night" and "Do You Hear What I Hear."  The original Target-exclusive bonus tracks ("Winter Wonderland" and "Silent Night") are also carried over.

The Oak Ridge Boys, Christmas Collection (Gaither) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada)

Even as they've announced a farewell tour and a slowing-down of activities, The Oak Ridge Boys have prepared a new title to share the joy of the season.  Christmas Collection, coinciding with the group's annual holiday concerts, features a baker's dozen of classic songs which appear to have been drawn from the Oaks' past Gaither releases including 2012's Christmas Time's A-Coming and 2016's Celebrate Christmas.

Reba McEntire, Not That Fancy (Rockin' R Records) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada)

Reba McEntire releases a new collection to coincide with the October 10 publication of her book, also entitled Not That Fancy.  The 14-song set, available on CD, 2 LPs, and digitally, reprises the Revisited portion of her 2021 triple album Revised, Remixed, Revisited with new recordings made after that album including the new single "Seven Minutes in Heaven" and reworkings of "If You See Him/If You See Her" with Brooks and Dunn, "Till You Love Me," and "The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia."

Roger Waters, The Dark Side of the Moon Redux (Cooking Vinyl) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada)

Roger Waters pays homage to Pink Floyd's The Dark Side of the Moon with a new, stripped-down recording of the original album.  Available on CD, LP, and digitally.