Joni Mitchell’s landmark Blue turns 55 this year, and Rhino isn’t letting the occasion go unnoticed. On July 10 – just weeks after the album’s actual anniversary on June 21 – the label will unveil High Fidelity editions on both vinyl and reel-to-reel tape. (For audiophiles who prefer shiny silver discs, Blue was reissued last year on Blu-ray Audio with Atmos, quadraphonic, and high-resolution stereo mixes.) On Blue, Mitchell turned her artistry fully inward for an act of stunning musical self-reflection. Upon hearing the original album, Kris Kristofferson famously quipped “Save something…
Review: Carly Simon, Randy Newman, Seals and Crofts, and Mongo Santamaria in “Quadio”
Last month, Rhino announced its newest batch of Quadio titles, re-presenting vintage quadraphonic surround mixes on Blu-ray Audio Discs. This time out, the label has turned its attention to four ‘70s classics from three artists returning to the series (Carly Simon, Randy Newman, Seals & Crofts) and one making his Quadio Blu-ray debut (Mongo Santamaria). All four titles, also containing high-resolution stereo mixes of the original album, are shipping now exclusively from Rhino.com. Carly Simon’s self-titled debut album arrived on Elektra Records in the spring of 1971, nestled in the label’s discography between…
Review: Hank Marvin, “The Studio Album Collection 1982-1995”
Brian Robson Rankin of Newcastle-upon-Tyne moved to London while still a teenager, armed with a guitar and a dream. He adopted the name Hank Marvin, melding his childhood nickname of “Hank” with the first name of American country singer Marvin Rainwater, and put on a pair of glasses inspired by Buddy Holly’s. His school friend Bruce Welch joined him, and before long, the pair had met Cliff Richard’s manager. In 1959, Richard’s band then known as The Drifters became The Shadows, and Richard, Marvin, Welch, and Brian Bennett (who replaced drummer Tony…
I Feel Free: Esoteric Collects Jack Bruce Albums, Concerts on “Halfway to the Stars”
The recording career of the late Jack Bruce (1943-2014) spanned the 1960s through the 2010s, encompassing tenures in the Graham Bond Organisation, John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers, Manfred Mann, West, Bruce and Laing, and, of course, Cream (among other bands). Between 1969 and 2014, Bruce released fourteen solo studio albums as well as numerous live sets, videos, and compilations. Now, Cherry Red’s Esoteric Recordings imprint has recently bundled two studio albums and two live sets from the turn of the (new) century as Halfway to the Stars: The Recordings 2001-2003. The bassist/singer/songwriter/multi-instrumentalist was known…
OUT TOMORROW! The 5th Dimension’s Soul City and Bell Albums Collected on New Box from TSD, Cherry Red
2026 marks 60 years of The 5th Dimension–and the celebration is kicking off with the first-ever box set dedicated to the legendary “champagne soul” fivesome! Tomorrow, June 12, is the date for Let the Sunshine In: The Soul City & Bell Albums 1967-1974 from Cherry Red’s Strawberry imprint and Second Disc Records! This comprehensive 6CD collection brings together all of Marilyn McCoo, Billy Davis, Jr., Florence LaRue, and the late Ron Townson and LaMonte McLemore’s recordings for the Soul City, Bell, and Arista labels, plus bonus selections including the group’s rare pre-5th Dimension…
Review: Frank Zappa, “Zappa ’66, Vol. 1: Live at TTG Studios”
Freak Out! Frank Zappa and The Mothers of Invention’s 1966 debut record on the venerable Verve label introduced an artist for whom no cow was sacred; Zappa spent his entire career successfully pushing the boundaries of popular music and, some might add, of taste. He always had his finger on the pulse of pop culture, unafraid to poke fun at its excesses. Now, with Zappa ’66, Vol. 1: Live at TTG Studios – No. 134 in the Official Release Series – Zappa Records’ recently-relaunched Vaulternative imprint has given fans a real treat:…
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Review: The Beach Boys, “Pet Sounds” 60th Anniversary Releases
By the time Pet Sounds hit stores on May 16, 1966, The Beach Boys had already released ten studio albums. The group’s sound had undoubtedly matured since their earliest days, culminating in an exquisite mini-suite that filled most of Side Two of 1965’s The Beach Boys Today! and the increasingly sophisticated, if still teenage-themed, productions of its follow-up, 1966’s Summer Days (And Summer Nights!!). Still, even those recordings didn’t fully prepare listeners for Pet Sounds. Composer-arranger-singer-producer Brian Wilson and his bandmates Mike Love, Carl Wilson, Dennis Wilson, Al Jardine, and Bruce Johnston…
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In Memoriam: Peabo Bryson (1951-2026)
To an entire generation of families, Peabo Bryson was the voice behind the end-credit versions of the beloved Disney animated themes “Beauty and the Beast” and “A Whole New World” from Beauty and the Beast and Aladdin, respectively. But long before – and well after – he brought to life the melodies of Alan Menken and lyrics of Howard Ashman and Tim Rice, Bryson distinguished himself as one of the richest, smoothest, and most versatile voices in contemporary R&B. Yesterday evening, June 2, family announced his death at the age of 75…
Short Takes, Classic Rock Edition: Yes, Pink Floyd, Grateful Dead, Frank Zappa
This Friday, Pink Floyd celebrates the era of the 8-track with a new compilation entitled (what else?) 8-Tracks. The collection, available in the U.S. as a Target-exclusive CD as well as on vinyl and digitally, brings together eight (yup, eight!) tracks from the band’s seventies heyday including “Money,” “Another Brick in the Wall Pt. 2,” “Wish You Were Here,” and “Comfortably Numb.” Steven Wilson has edited the tracks in an exclusive sequence, utilizing sound effects from the songs’ original multitrack tapes to create a continuous listening experience unique to this title. Also…
It’s A New Orleans Thing: Craft Recordings Expands “The Allen Toussaint Songbook”
It’s been more than a decade since Allen Toussaint passed away at the age of 77 in November 2015. Yet the New Orleans native’s music and lyrics remain as powerful, funky, sweet, and moving as ever. In 2013, the singer-songwriter-producer-arranger-musician looked back on his extraordinary career with The Allen Toussaint Songbook, his first live album since 1975 (and that set remained on a shelf for nearly three decades before seeing release). Yet even that Grammy-nominated 25-song album couldn’t reflect the full breadth of Toussaint’s mighty discography. Now, Craft Recordings has revisited The…
In Memoriam: Sonny Rollins (1930-2026)
Farewell, Saxophone Colossus. On Monday, news spread of the death of Sonny Rollins at the age of 95. A Lifetime Achievement Grammy and National Medal of Arts recipient as well as a Kennedy Center Honoree, Rollins dedicated his life to his art: as a sideman, as a composer, as a leader. A New York native of Caribbean heritage, Walter Theodore Rollins was nicknamed “Sonny” by his grandmother, and the name stuck. He began taking piano lessons at the age of nine but switched a couple of years later to the saxophone: first…
Review: “Robin Trower Live! 50th Anniversary Edition”
Robin Trower’s 1974 album Bridge of Sighs sent the English guitarist and ex-Procol Harum member into the stratosphere on both sides of the Atlantic. His next four albums, including 1976’s fiery Robin Trower Live!, all followed Bridge up the charts to a Gold sales certification. Now, that landmark LP has returned from Chrysalis Records in a new 50th anniversary edition (on both CD and vinyl) which pairs the original album with a new remix of the complete concert in proper sequence. Having been with Procol Harum from just after the 1967 release…
The Weekend Stream Extra: A Second Disc Interview with David Beard, Author of “All Summer Long: Conversations with The Beach Boys From ‘Surfin” to ‘SMiLE'”
Sixty years ago today – May 16, 1966 – The Beach Boys released Pet Sounds on Capitol Records. Though the album wasn’t commercially successful upon its original release, it came to be regarded as a high watermark not just for The Beach Boys, but for American popular music itself. The Beach Boys have just celebrated 60 years of Pet Sounds (as well as its timeless songs including “Wouldn’t It Be Nice,” “God Only Knows,” and “Sloop John B”) with a Capitol Tower reunion of Mike Love, Al Jardine, and Bruce Johnston; a…
Just A Little Lovin’: Rhino Hi-Fi Reissues Dusty Springfield, Cher, Joni Mitchell In New Audiophile Pressings
Rhino High Fidelity, the label’s series of deluxe audiophile reissues, has announced a new trio of titles available today from three legendary women of song: Joni Mitchell, Cher, and the late Dusty Springfield. Each album has been cut from the original master tapes by Kevin Gray, pressed on 180-gram vinyl at Optimal, and packaged in sturdy, numbered “tip-on” gatefold jackets with new liner notes. The releases are limited to 5,000 copies each and available today, exclusively through Rhino’s webstore. Joni Mitchell embraced pop on her sixth studio album, 1974’s Court and Spark,…
The Way I Always Heard It Should Be: Rhino’s Quadio Line Reissues Carly Simon, Randy Newman, Mongo Santamaria, Seals and Crofts
Earlier today, Rhino announced its newest batch of Quadio titles, re-presenting vintage quadraphonic surround mixes on Blu-ray Audio Discs. This time out, the label has turned its attention to four ‘70s classics from three artists returning to the series (Carly Simon, Randy Newman, Seals & Crofts) and one making his Quadio Blu-ray debut (Mongo Santamaria). All four titles, also containing high-resolution stereo mixes of the original album, are shipping now exclusively from Rhino.com. Carly Simon’s self-titled debut album arrived on Elektra Records in the spring of 1971, nestled in the label’s discography…
Flavour of the Old School: Cherry Red Reissues, Expands Beverley Knight’s Debut “The B-Funk”
This Friday, Cherry Red’s 90/9 imprint is bringing the funk…The B-Funk, to be precise, with a new 2CD deluxe reissue of Beverley Knight’s electrifying debut album. Originally released on Dome Records – which Cherry Red acquired last year – The B-Funk launched the career of the vocalist who went on to soar in not just music but television (mentoring on BBC One’s reality show Just the Two of Us), radio (Beverley’s Gospel Nights on Radio 2), and stage (The Bodyguard, Memphis, The Drifters Girl, Marie and Rosetta, and her Olivier Award-winning turn…
‘Round Midnight: Craft Plans ‘Miles ’56’ Box Commemorating Davis’ Banner Year
Following the previously released collections Miles ’54 and Miles ’55, Craft Recordings is continuing its survey of the early Miles Davis discography for a new installment. The sensibly-titled Miles ’56 is another archival dive into the Prestige Records catalogue as it chronicles a pivotal year in Davis’ musical history. It’s due on June 19 in 3CD, limited-edition 4LP, and digital formats (including hi-res audio) with all audio sourced from the original analog masters and restored using Plangent Processes. Davis’ First Great Quintet – including tenor saxophonist John Coltrane, pianist Red Garland, bassist…
A Second Disc Interview: Talking “The Sherman Brothers Album” and “Richard and Me” with Kritzerland’s Bruce Kimmel
Writer, director, composer, lyricist, producer, and Kritzerland head honcho Bruce Kimmel had a long and beautiful friendship with Richard M. Sherman, one-half of the legendary Sherman Brothers songwriting team. Last year, Bruce unveiled Richard and Me, a new memoir chronicling their friendship. Now, he’s ready to unveil The Sherman Brothers Album as it was meant to be heard. Bruce produced the original sessions for the album 25 years ago but didn’t get the opportunity to see the album to fruition – leading to an unfortunately missed opportunity for fans of the duo…
Around and Around: Grateful Dead’s “Steal Your Face” Turns 50, Gets Remastered
Grateful Dead’s series of 50th anniversary reissues rolls on with today’s announcement of a remastered vinyl edition of the 1976 live album Steal Your Face. Featuring Jerry Garcia, Phil Lesh, Bob Weir, Bill Kreutzmann, Keith Godchaux, and Donna Jean Godchaux, the double album was culled from the same October 1974 Winterland shows which yielded The Grateful Dead Movie – the expanded soundtrack of which was recently reissued on vinyl by Mondo as a 10LP box set. For this vinyl edition, Steal Your Face has been newly remastered by David Glasser and sourced…
This Is The Way: Edsel Chronicles “The Complete Ian Gillan Band Story”
After leaving Deep Purple in June 1973, lead singer Ian Gillan began to pursue other avenues for his creativity. He purchased a hotel, built motorcycle engines, and opened a recording studio. But the siren song of singing was too difficult to resist, and in 1975, he founded The Ian Gillan Band. Though ostensibly a jazz-rock outfit – with keyboards, but no brass or winds in the core lineup – Gillan didn’t ignore the rock part of the equation. Now, Edsel has collected the group’s recorded output on the comprehensive 8CD box Down…
You Bring the Summer: The Monkees’ ‘Good Times!’ Revisited for 10th Anniversary
Back in 2016, The Monkees celebrated their 50th anniversary with their first album of new material since 1996’s Justus. The appropriately-titled Good Times!, produced by Fountains of Wayne’s Adam Schlesinger, was a true return to form. As TSD noted in its original review, “The Monkees have just released their first new album in twenty years, and all is right with the world…Good Times makes no concession to the sound of modern pop. Rather, it’s most often the classic Monkees style refracted through a muscular, power-pop prism…Don’t hesitate. Listen to the band!” The…
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Review: The Beach Boys, “We Gotta Groove: The Brother Studio Years” Part 2 – “Adult/Child”
Few long-running groups can claim one mythical “lost album.” But for decades, The Beach Boys were able to claim two. The first, of course, was SMiLE – the late Brian Wilson’s masterwork in the wake of Pet Sounds that pushed the envelope of popular music and conventional song structure. The second was a very different album from a very different Brian Wilson. It’s finally seen its first near-complete release from Capitol/UMe as part of The Beach Boys’ 3CD/3LP box set We Gotta Groove: The Brother Studio Years which also chronicles the making…
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High Time: Grateful Dead’s “Workingman’s Dead” Returns in Blu-ray, Audiophile Vinyl, and Reel-to-Reel Editions
Last weekend, we filled you in on the new Play Dead app, featuring a treasure trove of Grateful Dead concert performances from over the years. Today, Rhino announced a trio of new editions celebrating the band’s 1970 album Workingman’s Dead: Rhino High Fidelity reissues on vinyl and reel-to-reel tape, and a Dolby Atmos mix overseen by drummer Mickey Hart. Frequently hailed as one of the Dead’s most accessible albums (along with its follow-up, American Beauty), Workingman’s Dead placed its focus on tighter songcraft in a country/folk-oriented vein that would later be described as…
We’re Havin’ a Freak Out! “Zappa ’66,” Due in May, Relaunches Vaulternative Records
Frank Zappa’s archival label Vaulternative Records was launched in 2002 by the late artist’s family to present a variety of fascinating odds and ends from his voluminous archive. Now, after a near-decade-long hiatus, Vaulternative is returning from Zappa Records and UMe to continue preserving the experimental side of the Zappa oeuvre. The newly-refreshed Vaulternative label launches on May 15 with Zappa ’66: Vol. 1 – Live at TTG Studios on one CD or two 180-gram LPs, or via digital download/streaming (including high-resolution audio) exclusively from Zappa.com, uDiscover Music, and Sound of Vinyl….
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In Memoriam: Dave Mason (1946-2026)
For seven decades, the music of Dave Mason has left us “feelin’ alright” (no question mark necessary). The singer, songwriter, guitarist, and Traffic co-founder weathered the changing musical tides well into the 21st century, playing his final concert on August 18, 2024 in Plainfield, Indiana as he celebrated the release of a memoir titled after one of his most famed songs, Only You Know and I Know. Mason’s death was announced yesterday, just weeks shy of what would have been his 80th birthday. Mason co-founded Traffic in Birmingham – about 30 miles…
