Welcome to this week's Release Round-Up!

Big Star, Live on WLIR (Omnivore)

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

Omnivore has Live On WLIR, a newly restored and remastered version of Big Star's legendary 1974 radio broadcast. The 15-track collection is available on CD and 2-LP.  The release marks the vinyl debut of this raw, live set.  Read more here!

Love Actually: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (Real Gone Music) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada)

With an endearing and clever plot featuring ten interlocking stories and star-studded cast of Hugh Grant, Emma Thompson, Keira Knightley, Colin Firth, Liam Neeson, and many more, Love Actually has become one of the most acclaimed romantic comedies of the last twenty years.  But also key to its success and longevity is its remarkable soundtrack.  The film's soundtrack features the likes of The Beach Boys, Eva Cassidy, Joni Mitchell, The Pointer Sisters, Maroon 5, Kelly Clarkson, Norah Jones, and Dido, among others.  For its new vinyl version, Real Gone has followed the track listing of the U.S. CD release, including three original, Christmas-themed bonus tracks by Billy Mack (a.k.a. Bill Nighy), Olivia Olson, and Otis Redding.  All the music is pressed on two white LPs and housed in a newly designed gatefold sleeve.  Limited to 1,000 copies.  Read more here!

Grateful Dead, Road Trips Vol. 3, No. 4: Penn State/Cornell '80 (Real Gone Music)  (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada)

Featuring the better part of two shows-Penn State Recreation Hall on May 6, 1980 and Cornell's Barton Hall the following night-these recordings capture the Dead promoting Go To Heaven with strong performances throughout.  Highlights include the Penn State versions of "Wharf Rat" and "He's Gone," as well as "Jack Straw" and "Cassidy" from Barton Hall.  Disc One includes a reconstructed "first set" featuring songs from both nights, while Disc Two includes the complete second set from May 6 and Disc Three presents a very-nearly complete second set from May 7 (a few minutes of "Rhythm Devils" and "Space" were lost).  All 32 tracks were recorded by Dan Healy and were mastered by Jeffrey Norman.  Bringing the set together are original liner notes from Blair Jackson that provide historical context to these concert tapes.  Get more specs here!

KISS, KISSWORLD: The Best of KISS (UMe)

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

To commemorate their upcoming farewell tour, KISS has released a new, career-spanning compilation.  The twenty-track collection features iconic hits and fan favorites from across their career, including "I Was Made For Lovin' You," "Rock and Roll All Nite," "Beth," and "Detroit Rock City."  Available today on CD and digitally; the black vinyl version arrives March 29.  On that same date, colored vinyl versions will be available directly from UMe's UDiscoverMusic store.  Read more here!

Bananarama, Drama and Viva: Expanded Editions (Cherry Red/SFE)

Drama: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada
Viva: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada

Cherry Red's Strike Force Entertainment imprint has revisited Bananarama's 2005 Drama and 2009 Viva in deluxe expanded edition, with Drama growing to three CDs and Viva to two CDs.  Both of these slipcased reissues are loaded with bonus remixes, edits, B-sides, and much more.  Get the full tracklistings and more here!  Available today in the U.K. and next Friday, February 1, in the U.S.!

Paul Young, The CBS Singles Collection 1982-1994 (Edsel) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada Link TBD)

This 19-CD, 108-track singles box set features all of Paul Young's A- and B-sides for CBS and related labels, including many tracks new to CD plus a DVD of 18 music videos and a signed photo print from the artist.  Each disc is housed in a replica sleeve.  A 36-page booklet is also included.  Available today in the U.K. and next Friday in the U.S.!

The Ides of March, Friendly Strangers: The Warner Bros. Recordings (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada)

Henry Paul Band, The Complete Atlantic Recordings (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada)

Fred Neil, Little Bit of Rain [Mono/Stereo Edition] (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada)

Cactus, Live Gigs Volume 2: Fully Unleashed (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada)

Mother Earth, The Complete Recordings 1968-1970 (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada)

Noel Harrison, Life Is a Dream (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada)

The Wounded Bird label continues to bring back into print various titles from the Warner Music Group and Rhino Handmade catalogues in budget, bare-bones editions lacking liner notes or any other bells and whistles.  Still, these reissues may prove a good way to plug gaps in your collection at a very reasonable price point.

The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel: Music from Season One (Capitol/UMe)  (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada)

The acclaimed streaming television show brings its music to CD today, with a vinyl release to follow on March 15.  Music from Season One features Barbra Streisand's "Come to the Supermarket in Old Peking" plus numerous tracks capturing the cool essence of '50s/'60s New York from Peggy Lee ("Pass Me By"), Blossom Dearie ("The Gentleman is a Dope," "Dance Only with Me"), The King Cole Trio ("It's Only a Paper Moon"), Ella Fitzgerald ("Isn't This a Lovely Day") and Frank Sinatra ("Oh! Look at Me Now").  Broadway tunes abound, from the musicals Tenderloin ("What's In It for You" sung by Ron Hussmann and future Bewitched star Maurice Evans), The Music Man (Robert Preston's "Ya Got Trouble"), and The Roar of the Greasepaint - The Smell of the Crowd (Cyril Ritchard's "A Wonderful Day Like Today").

Santana, In Search of Mona Lisa (Concord) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada)

Carlos Santana has released a new, 5-track EP called In Search of Mona Lisa, available on CD today with vinyl coming February 25.  It's his first release on Concord Records and is inspired by his trip to Paris to see the iconic painting.  A full-length album has also been promised for later in the year.

Hunt Sales Memorial, Get Your Shit Together (Big Legal Mess Records) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada)

Drummer Hunt Sales is well-known for his collaborations with David Bowie, Iggy Pop, and Todd Rundgren, not to mention being the son of Soupy.  But after decades of hard drug abuse, Sales has "gotten his shit together" for his solo debut.  Sobriety hasn't dulled the edges of Sales' gritty rock one bit as evidenced by these 12 unflinching songs drawing on his life experiences with honesty and even a flash of optimism.  Get Your Shit Together is a singular album from a true survivor and a musical Zelig.  Available on CD, LP, and digitally.