Welcome to this week's Release Round-Up, featuring a selection of the new titles in stores today!  As an Amazon affiliate, we earn from qualifying purchases.

The Sound of Music: Super Deluxe Edition (Craft Recordings)

4CD/Blu-ray: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada
2CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada
3LP: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada / Craft Store (picnic meadow green)

This remarkable new 4CD/1BD box set invites listeners to hear The Sound of Music anew.  The first two discs represent the complete musical score as heard in the film, from the orchestral prelude and Julie Andrews' iconic "The Sound of Music" - yes, that word is overused, but it certainly qualifies here! - all the way to the climactic reprise of "Climb Ev'ry Mountain" and the "End Cast" titles. The program closes with vintage audio interviews with Rodgers, Wise and Charmain Carr, who played the Von Trapp's eldest daughter Liesl.  The third disc presents a fresh remaster of the original 1965 soundtrack LP along with a few archival bonus tracks - most of them previously released, other than a demo of "I Have Confidence" sung by none other than Marni Nixon, who played one of the nuns and also famously served as the singing voice behind Natalie Wood in the Wise-directed 1961 adaptation of West Side Story and Audrey Hepburn in 1964's My Fair Lady (a role Andrews originated but was passed over, allowing her to secure her Oscar-winning turn in Mary Poppins.) The fourth disc, meanwhile, is chockablock with extras: alternate takes of key songs and instrumentals of the major musical numbers, nearly all previously unreleased. (The set boasts a total of 42 unreleased tracks, including some pieces of score that did not make previous reissues.) Simply put, this box is the last word on the beloved soundtrack to The Sound of Music.  The Blu-ray offers stereo and Dolby Atmos mixes.  "Highlights" editions are available on CD and LP.  Read more here!

Tina Turner, Queen of Rock 'n' Roll (Parlophone/Rhino)

3CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada
5LP: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada
1LP: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada

Even before but especially after her explosive pop comeback in the 1980s, Tina Turner more than earned the mantle of Queen of Rock 'n' Roll. This fall, a new career-spanning compilation from Rhino will reaffirm that title, with 55 of her singles (and a few rarities) on one album. Queen of Rock 'n' Roll spans Tina's 1975 cover of Led Zeppelin's "Whole Lotta Love" - issued on Acid Queen, her second solo album (and last before escaping her physically and emotionally abusive relationship with former husband and creative partner Ike Turner) - all the way to a remix of signature song "What's Love Got to Do with It" created by Norwegian dance musician Kygo, an international hit in 2020.  The album's sole new track is a stunning new version of "Something Beautiful." Originally titled "Something Beautiful Remains" and issued on 1996's Wildest Dreams, the basic tracks have been revisited and re-worked by Terry Britten, co-writer of "What's Love Got to Do with It" and a key collaborator on the albums Private Dancer (1984), Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome (1985) and Break Every Rule (1986). The album's packaging - both 3CD and 5LP versions - include a newly-penned foreword from friend and duet partner Bryan Adams.  A 1LP cutdown offers highlights only. Get more details here.

Aretha Franklin, Portrait of the Queen (BMG)

5CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada
6LP: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada

Back in 2018, Rhino Records compiled Aretha Franklin's The Atlantic Records 1960s Collection, bringing together the Queen of Soul's first five, groundbreaking studio albums for the label originally released between 1967 and 1969 plus bonus material.  Now, BMG is picking up where that set left off with A Portrait of the Queen.  The new collection, available on 5 CDs or 6 LPs, contains Franklin's first five studio sets from the new decade: This Girl's In Love With You (1970); Spirit In The Dark (1970); Young, Gifted And Black (1972); Hey Now Hey (The Other Side Of The Sky) (1973); and Let Me In Your Life (1974).  Like the earlier 1960s collection, A Portrait of the Queen will include copious bonus material including alternate takes, outtakes, non-LP single sides, and demos, totaling more than two dozen rarities on CD and ten on vinyl.  (All of the bonus material has beThe albums in both the vinyl and CD versions of Portrait of the Queen have been remastered from the original analog master tapes by Chris Bellman at Bernie Grundman Mastering and Michael Graves at Osiris Studio, respectively.  Omnivore Recordings' Cheryl Pawelski has produced the set which features new liner notes by SoulMusic Records' David Nathan and Billboard's Gail Mitchell.  Read more here.

Soft Cell, Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret: Deluxe Edition (Mercury/UMR (U.K.)) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada)

Marc Almond's Tenement Symphony isn't the only title involving the U.K. synthpop singer going deluxe this year. On October 20, UMR will give you all a boy could give you with a massive deluxe edition of Soft Cell's breakthrough debut album, Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret.  The 6CD set, housed in a 10" x 10" box, presents the beloved New Wave classic alongside a treasure trove of B-sides, remixes, live cuts, demos and other audio curiosities. Of the set's 98 tracks, 40 of them are previously unreleased, including versions of the hits "Tainted Love," "Say Hello, Wave Goodbye," "Torch," "Bedsitter" and much more. A new essay by Adrian Thrills in the album's liner notes features new interview highlights from band members Almond and Dave Ball and plenty of photos, including scans of the many single picture sleeves that were released during the period.  The first disc of the box will also be released as a standalone 2LP set.​ Get the track listing and more here.

Steely Dan, Gaucho [Various Formats] (Geffen/UMe)

LP: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada
UHQR Box: Acoustic Sounds
SACD: Acoustic Sounds

The Steely Dan reissue campaign rolls on with the return of Gaucho, Donald Fagen and Walter Becker's final album before putting the Dan on a two-decade hiatus.  Gaucho (featuring "Hey Nineteen" and "Time Out of Mind") follows the previous vinyl reissues of Can't Buy a Thrill (1972), Countdown to Ecstasy (1973), Pretzel Logic (1974), and, most recently, Aja (1977).  In addition to the 180-gram vinyl series from Geffen/UMe, a concurrent program from Analogue Productions is reissuing each record on SACD and in a deluxe 200-gram Ultra-High Quality Vinyl (UHQR) box set.  You'll find more details here.

Bobby Darin, Commitment (Direction)

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

1969's Commitment, originally credited to Bob Darin, continued the versatile artist's genuine reinvention as a folk-inspired troubadour with a lot to say.  Featuring such striking cuts as "Me and Mr. Hohner" (rife with drug references, a countercultural bent, and an ironic nod to "The Star-Spangled Banner"), "Sugar Man," "Distractions," and "Sausalito," Commitment proved that Bobby Darin was looking at the world from a new perspective, and he would have to do a great deal of soul-searching before he returned to familiar showbiz tropes.  His own label, Direction Records, relaunches today with the album on CD (including four previously-released bonus tracks) opaque blue LP (in the original album sequence only), and digitally.

Bill Evans, Tales: Live in Copenhagen 1964 (Elemental) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada)

Following its release on vinyl for Record Store Day Black Friday, Elemental is bringing this Bill Evans title to CD.  The late, great pianist is heard with bassist Chuck Israels and drummer Larry Bunker on a 1964 session for radio and television in Copenhagen which features his only recording of Rodgers and Hart's "I Didn't Know What Time It Was."  The session also includes two versions of "Sweet and Lovely," "How My Heart Sings," and "My Foolish Heart."

Van Duren and Good Question, Cartwheeling: Live in Memphis (Omnivore) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada)

Omnivore unveils a previously unreleased live set from Memphis power pop hero Van Duren and his band Good Question.  Featuring material from Van's solo albums Are You Serious? and Idiot Optimism, plus a cover of The Beatles' "Got to Get You Into My Life," the set features Duren along with James Lott, Ray Sanders, Joel Williams, and special guest Rick Steff (Lucero). Michael Graves has restored and remastered the set, and Van Duren provides the new liner notes.  Available on CD and digitally.

Violent Femmes, Violent Femmes: 40th Anniversary Deluxe Edition (Craft Recordings)

2CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada
3LP/7": Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada

This expanded 40th anniversary Deluxe Edition of Violent Femmes' 1983 debut includes the remastered original album, B-sides, live sessions, and rare demos on 2 CDs. The set also includes liner notes by journalist David Fricke featuring interviews with the band members.  Also available on 3 LPs plus a 7" single and digitally.

Maestro: Original Soundtrack (Deutsche Grammophon) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada)

Yannick Nézet-Séguin conducts the London Symphony Orchestra (with an assist from director-star Bradley Cooper!) for the original soundtrack to the Leonard Bernstein biopic Maestro.  The soundtrack features Bernstein compositions including music from On the Town, Candide, West Side Story, Fancy Free, and more.  Out today on CD/digitally, and on December 15 on vinyl.

Leonard Bernstein, The Maestro: Very Best of Leonard Bernstein (Deutsche Grammophon) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada)

This 2-CD, 22-track compendium and companion to the Maestro soundtrack features Leonard Bernstein's original recordings for Deutsche Grammophon of compositions by Beethoven, Haydn, Gershwin, Mozart, Tchaikovsky, and Mahler in addition to his own music from West Side Story.

 

Peter Gabriel, i/o (Real World)

2CD/1BD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada
2CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada
2LP Bright-Side Mix: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada
2LP Dark-Side Mix: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada
2CD/1BD/4LP: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada

Peter Gabriel returns with his first album of original material in over two decades, and his tenth studio album overall.  i/o arrives in two distinct stereo mixes: Mark "Spike" Stent's "Bright-Side" Mix and Tchad Blake's "Dark-Side" Mix.  A third mix, Hans-Martin Buff's "In-Side" Mix, is a Dolby Atmos surround presentation.  Available in various formats including 2CD/1BD with all three mixes; 2CD with just the two stereo mixes; individual 2LP vinyl releases of the Stent and Blake mixes; and a 4LP/2CD/1BD box with everything.