Walter Egan’s first album was titled Fundamental Roll, and, indeed, the New York-born singer-songwriter was certainly on a roll. Egan and Duane Scott co-produced the 1977 album with Fleetwood Mac’s Lindsey Buckingham and Steve Nicks – fresh off the release of Rumours – and the Buckingham/Nicks duo returned for 1978’s Not Shy, bringing along Richard Dashut. Not Shy yielded Egan’s signature hit, “Magnet and Steel,” which went to the U.S. top ten. Now, Edsel has celebrated the first chapter of Egan’s solo career with the new 4CD box, The Album Collection 1977-1980,…
Light Shine on Me: The Waterboys Revisit “Fisherman’s Blues” with New “Atlantic Rain” Box
Since bursting onto the post-punk scene with 1983’s self-titled album The Waterboys, the band led by Scottish singer-songwriter Mike Scott has lived up to its moniker as “the big music.” The Waterboys’ sound has taken in rock, folk, rhythm and blues, soul, pop, country, classical, jazz, and beyond. Perhaps no album in the band’s catalogue, however, was more expansive than their fourth album, 1988’s Fisherman’s Blues. Recorded over two years in Dublin and Galway by Scott, saxophonist/mandolinist Anthony “Anto” Thistlethwaite, violinist Steve Wickham, bassist Trevor Hutchinson, and many others, Fisherman’s Blues found…
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How Sweet It Is: Rhino’s New Quadio Batch Includes James Taylor, James Gang, David Gates, Herbie Mann
Rhino’s Quadio series has recently announced its latest batch of four titles, and as usual, they comprise a quartet of eclectic titles from the 1970s. Two singer-songwriters – James Taylor and Bread’s David Gates – are joined by soul-jazz titan Herbie Mann and the rockers of The James Gang. Each Blu-ray Audio Disc in the Quadio series includes the original four-channel quadraphonic mix with a high-resolution 192/24 stereo mix, with both sourced from the original analog tapes. (The lone exception here is the Herbie Mann quad mix, which was sourced out of…
How It Is Done: Cherry Red Collects The Riot Squad, Including David Bowie Recordings, On New 3CD Collection
The Riot Squad only released seven singles on the U.K.’s Pye label between 1965 and 1967. But thanks to the discovery of Joe Meek’s Tea Chest Tapes, the story of the band that might be best known for a short-lived collaboration with David Bowie can now be told in full. I Take It That We’re Through: Anthology 1965-1967 arrives from Cherry Red’s Strawberry imprint on August 21, with 3 CDs and 83 tracks (40 of which are previously unreleased and another 14 of which are new to CD). Ron Ryan (guitar), Graham…
Wowie Zowie: Frank Zappa’s “Freak Out!” Goes Super Deluxe For 60th Anniversary
Freak Out! Frank Zappa’s 1966 Verve Records debut with his band The Mothers of Invention was a call-to-arms to the Los Angeles underground music scene. Subverting notions of traditional pop and rock, the album blended searing social commentary with doo-wop pastiches, rhythm and blues, absurdist comedy, jazz, and musique concrete. Even today, the Mothers’ clarion call to the counterculture sounds like no other album, but it was just a portent of things to come from Zappa. On September 25, Zappa Records and UMe will revisit Freak Out! on the occasion of its…
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Being Rhythmically Admired: Elvis Costello’s Debut Gets Box Set Edition This Fall
With Buddy Holly glasses, a slender frame, and a famous moniker, Elvis Costello burst onto the album scene in July 1977 with My Aim Is True. Though critics and listeners alike were quick to place the artist born Declan Patrick MacManus as a punk or new wave artist, his musical roots ran far deeper. My Aim Is True, produced by Nick Lowe, set Costello on the uncompromising path to a current tally of 33 studio albums, six live sets, numerous singles and EPs, and a still-flourishing concert career. Now, on October 2,…
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Review: Joni Mitchell, Dusty Springfield, and Cher in Rhino High Fidelity
Rhino High Fidelity, the label’s series of deluxe audiophile reissues, continues to prove its bona fides with a latest batch of limited-edition vinyl releases from three great women of song: Joni Mitchell’s Court and Spark, Cher’s 3614 Jackson Highway, and the late Dusty Springfield’s Dusty in Memphis. Joni Mitchell embraced pop on her sixth studio album, 1974’s Court and Spark, while continuing to develop her jazz stylings and maintaining her singular voice as both a singer and songwriter. Produced by Mitchell, collaborating with engineer Henry Lewy, Court and Spark epitomized the sound of the Southern California musical…
The Word: The Beatles’ “Rubber Soul” Is Remixed, Expanded For New Box Set
Beep-beep, beep-beep, yeah: a remixed and remastered Rubber Soul is on the way from Apple Corps. The Beatles’ sixth studio album, 1965’s Rubber Soul is often considered to be the Fabs’ “folk-rock” album, but its mélange of styles makes it far more than that. Now, with the release on October 2 of a 4CD or 5LP/7″ box set as well as a single-disc Blu-ray, 2CD and 2LP expansions and CD and LP remixes, it’s a richer and fuller collection than ever. With a schedule free of concert and film commitments, The Beatles…
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Back For More: Cherry Red Expands Lulu’s “Independence” with Remixes, Singles, Videos, More
Scottish singer Marie McDonald McLaughlin Lawrie was just fifteen years old in 1964 when, under the stage name of Lulu, she made listeners want to “Shout!” with a rip-roaring rendition of The Isley Brothers’ classic. She parlayed that memorable U.K. top ten hit into an international career that’s encompassed records, film and television roles, West End appearances, multiple books, and a concert career. Lulu remained on Decca Records, the home of “Shout!,” for a two-year stint, departing the label in late 1966 to sign with producer Mickie Most EMI’s Columbia Records arm…
Won’t Get Fooled Again: Four Who Classics Revisited by Analogue Productions on Vinyl, SACD, Reel-to-Reel
What’s next for Analogue Productions? How about Who’s Next? The label has announced that four classic titles from The Who will be receiving the deluxe audiophile treatment across various formats including UHQR Vinyl, 45 RPM LPs, hybrid SACDs (playable on all CD players), and Ultra Tape Reel-To-Reel Formats. My Generation and Live at Leeds arrive next week, July 24, while Tommy and Who’s Next will follow (date TBD). These releases have been sourced from the original analog master tapes and mastered by Chris Bellman at Bernie Grundman Mastering (with SACD editions mastered…
’80s Romance: Edsel Reissues “The Belle Stars” With Singles, Remixes, More
The Belle Stars’ catalogue is a relatively tiny one, consisting of just one complete studio album, a handful of non-LP singles, and a live album that didn’t see release until long after the group had broken up. Now, Edsel has reassembled the all-girl band’s audio discography in a new 3CD, 7-inch-sized box simply titled The Belle Stars – essentially a generously expanded edition of their same-titled debut LP. The Belle Stars were born out of the ashes of two-tone/ska revival band The Bodysnatchers when five of its seven members decided to press…
Ready: Cat Stevens’ “Buddha and the Chocolate Box” Returns to CD, LP, Digital Formats
Cat Stevens’ Buddha and the Chocolate Box, originally released in 1974, is the latest title in the singer-songwriter’s venerable cat-o-log to get the remastered reissue treatment. One of Yusuf’s four consecutive LPs to reach the top three in both the United States and Great Britain and his sixth A&M release overall, Buddha returns September 4 on CD, vinyl, and digital formats. In many respects, Buddha and the Chocolate Box was a homecoming for Stevens. After retreating to Jamaica to self-produce the R&B-influenced Foreigner (also reissued as part of the Cat-o-Log series), he…
All I Want: Joni Mitchell’s “Blue” Turns 55, Rhino Unveils Vinyl and Reel-to-Reel Reissues
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…
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,…
