Writer-director Gary Ross' 1998 fantasy Pleasantville transported modern-day high school students and twin siblings David (Tobey Maguire) and Jennifer (Reese Witherspoon) into the 1950s sitcom of the same name, where the pair proves to be the catalyst for the fictional community's shift from buttoned-up black-and-white to provocative color. To compose the score to his high-concept film, Ross turned to a master of both satire and Americana: acclaimed singer-songwriter Randy Newman. His richly
Review: Joni Mitchell, "The Asylum Albums 1972-1975" in Quadio
The Joni Mitchell renaissance continues. Following a triumphant surprise appearance in July 2022 at the Newport Folk Festival, the singer-songwriter returned to the stage for a full-length Joni Jam in June 2023 at Washington's Gorge Amphitheatre; tickets were quickly snapped up by ardent fans who had waited roughly two decades to see Mitchell in concert once again. The evening was a transcendent one, a taste of which was supplied to the public when Mitchell and her band of friends performed
Don't Eat the Yellow Snow: Zappa's "Apostrophe (')" Gets 50th Anniversary Expansion
Hot on the heels of the recent box set celebrating Frank Zappa and The Mothers of Invention's 1968 concert at the Whisky a Go Go, Zappa Records and UMe are turning the clocks forward to revisit the composer-guitarist-bandleader's most commercially successful LP. On September 13, the labels will mark the 50th anniversary of Apostrophe ('), originally released in March 1974, with a 5CD/1Blu-ray Super Deluxe Edition as well as vinyl and digital editions. 1973's Over-Nite Sensation gave Zappa
Review: Frank Zappa and The Mothers of Invention, "Whisky a Go Go 1968"
Frank Zappa didn't open his first set on the evening of July 23, 1968 at Hollywood's Whisky a Go Go with a power chord or a blues beat. Instead, the band - Ray Collins (vocals, percussion), Ian Underwood (alto sax), Bunk Gardner (tenor sax, flute), Don Preston (keyboards, gong), Motorhead Sherwood (baritone sax, percussion), Roy Estrada (bass, vocals), Art Tripp (drum set, percussion), and Jimmy Carl Black (drum set, percussion) - opened with a clattering improvisation that was sure to separate
Forever Young: Bob Dylan and The Band's Complete 1974 Live Recordings Collected on Massive Box
Bob Dylan had come a long way from coffeehouses. In 1974, the superstar singer-songwriter embarked on an extensive tour with his old backing band. Now, they, too, were universally known - as The Band - and the double bill hit indoor arenas across North America for 40 concerts over 30 dates and 21 cities. The tour became one of the largest and highest-profile of the era, in no small part due to the promotional efforts of David Geffen, who'd spurred on the talks and had recently lured Dylan
Review: Johnny Cash, "Songwriter"
"Hello out there, this is planet Earth..." If planet Earth indeed had a voice, it might well have sounded like that of John R. Cash: deep, resonant, impactful. Those lyrics open "Hello Out There," the first track on Songwriter, the new, posthumous release from the late troubadour (1932-2003) - the fifth such collection to arrive since his death. It's been released by UMe and Mercury Nashville, in essence adding one more album to his Mercury discography which spanned 1986-1991. The Mercury
Hard to Say It's Over: Sheena Easton's "A Private Heaven" Returns to Vinyl in Expanded Form
Cherry Red's Cherry Pop arm began its association with Sheena Easton with the 2021 release of The Definitive Singles 1980-1987. The 3-CD, 51-song collection brought together the Scottish singer's A-sides including both 7- and 12-inch singles during that period. Since then, Cherry Pop has refreshed much of Easton's discography including expanded editions on CD of Madness, Money, and Music, Take My Time, and A Private Heaven, and the first-time release of Live at the Palace, Hollywood in audio
"Les Cousins: The Soundtrack to Soho's Legendary Folk and Blues Club" Features Paul Simon, Nick Drake, Cat Stevens, Al Stewart
"For two-and-a-half years, I had the Friday night show at Bunjies Coffee Bar, and it became a residency for me," Al Stewart remembered in an interview with this author for the recent collection of his U.S. singles. "After a while, I got another residency right around the corner at a club called Les Cousins." The Greek Street venue was a focal point of the London folk scene. Nick Drake, Cat Stevens, Alexis Korner, John Renbourn, and a young American named Paul Simon all passed through its
Review: David Bowie, "Rock 'N' Roll Star"
"So Long, '60s," David Bowie proclaims on the first track of the new 5CD/1BD Parlophone box set Rock 'N' Roll Star. Strumming his 12-string at a San Francisco Holiday Inn, the future superstar was embracing the new decade and its immense possibilities: "I'll kick you in the ass, you rascal, you!" Its verse melody and the barest wisp of the lyric ("keep your mouth shut!") would make it to a new composition, "Moonage Daydream," the third song on his fifth album. That LP was The Rise and Fall of
Over to That Sunnyside Road: Cat Stevens' "Foreigner" Returns to CD, LP, Digital
For his seventh studio album, 1973's Foreigner, Yusuf a.k.a. Cat Stevens made a major departure. It was the first album solely produced and written by the artist, and his first to somewhat jettison his folk-influenced acoustic sound in favor of a more expansive R&B style. Stevens traveled to Kingston, Jamaica to record the LP, enlisting an international array of musicians to join him. On July 26, A&M/UMe will release a remastered edition of Foreigner on CD, vinyl (standard 180-gram
What a Wonderful World: Verve Premieres Louis Armstrong's "Louis in London" on CD, LP
Well, hello, Louis! On July 12, Verve Records will release Louis in London on CD, vinyl, and digital formats. This previously unreleased performance was recorded live on the BBC on July 2, 1968 while the legendary musician and singer was riding high thanks to the chart-topping success in Great Britain of "What a Wonderful World." The 13-song set naturally includes that evergreen anthem penned by Bob Thiele and George David Weiss. Armstrong - a pioneer not only as a jazz trumpeter and
Little Bit of Love: Iconoclassic Reissues, Remasters, and Expands Dwight Twilley's "Jungle"
Tomorrow, June 7, Iconoclassic Records is saying: Welcome to the Jungle. The label is reissuing the late, great Dwight Twilley's 1984 album Jungle for the first time on CD in a 40th anniversary expanded edition featuring six bonus tracks (four of which are previously unreleased). Twilley's third solo album and second on EMI America, Jungle became the singer-songwriter's most successful. It reached the top 40 of the Billboard 200 and yielded the top 20 hit "Girls," fueled by a music video in
Living Proof: Sylvester's Complete 1979 "Live at the Opera House" Coming from Craft Recordings
March 11, 1979 was the evening that cemented dance superstar Sylvester's legend. The 3,100+-seat San Francisco War Memorial Opera House, home since 1932 to the San Francisco Opera company, was filled to capacity with fans who'd come to see their hometown hero in his singular splendor. Mayor Dianne Feinstein had sent city supervisor and gay rights activist Harry Britt to present Sylvester, mid-show, with the key to the city. That concert, during which Sylvester was joined by the electrifying
Edsel Box Set Round-Up: "SAM: The Sound of New York City," "Sean Rowley Presents Guilty Pleasures: 20th Anniversary"
When brothers Hy and Sam Weiss passed in 2007 and 2008, respectively, the Romanian-born immigrants to Brooklyn were eulogized as the last of the golden age record men. The Weiss brothers formed their first record label in 1949; in 1953, they launched Old Town Records which Hy would take on as his own in 1956. Many of Old Town's classic hits are still favorites today, such as The Capris' "There's a Moon Out Tonight," Billy Bland's "Let the Little Girl Dance," and "Remember Then" by The Earls.
At Last: "Dreams Do Come True: George Benson Meets Robert Farnon" Arrives in June
Earlier this year, George Benson announced his return to Warner Music Group, bringing him back to the home of such classic albums as the multi-platinum Breezin' and platinum In Flight and Give Me the Night. On June 14, the superstar guitarist-singer will debut a previously unreleased album from 1989 in CD, vinyl, and digital formats. Dreams Do Come True: When George Benson Meets Robert Farnon paired Benson with the Canadian composer-conductor-arranger whose most famous clients include Frank
Watching the Sun Bake: UMe Remasters, Reissues Ten Albums from Jimmy Buffett
The late Jimmy Buffett was recently announced to join Dionne Warwick, late producer-songwriter Norman Whitfield, and Michigan rockers MC5 as a recipient of The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's Musical Excellence Award. The singer-songwriter who passed away last September at the age of 76 left behind a legacy of music (and beyond) that continues to entertain and inspire. His final album, Equal Strain on All Parts, was one of his most moving, blending his infectious optimism and tropical pop with
Self Expression: Lou Christie's "Gypsy Bells" Collects Rare, Unreleased Columbia Sides
There are many great mysteries in pop music. How the heck did Lou Christie move from MGM to Columbia in the wake of "Lightnin' Strikes" and "Rhapsody in the Rain" and all but disappear? is certainly one of them. Earlier this year, Ace Records attempted to answer this question with Gypsy Bells: Columbia Recordings 1967, a compendium of the released and unreleased material recorded by the Italian-American falsetto singer during his short and rocky tenure with the label. Expectedly, it's a
Prove Your Love: Fleetwood Mac's Early Years Chronicled on New Compilation
With 1975's Fleetwood Mac, the venerable blues-rock outfit founded by Mick Fleetwood, John McVie, Peter Green, and Jeremy Spencer made a strategic leap towards the mainstream. Fleetwood, John McVie, and Christine McVie were joined on that album by two Americans, Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks, who transformed the band into a commercial rock behemoth. Those who had followed the group's early years, though, knew that the only thing to expect from Fleetwood Mac was the unexpected. On July
Moonlight Serenade: Stage Door Reissues Max Bygraves' "Discolongamax"
Tomorrow, Stage Door Records delivers perhaps the most unexpected reissue of the year - and almost certainly the campiest! Fans of kitsch (and you know who you are!) will doubtless find much to enjoy in Stage Door's CD premiere of Discolongamax from the late British entertainer Max Bygraves (1922-2012). This marks the third release in the label's Pop series, following an expanded album from The Nolans and the television-themed Crossroads Wedding Party. Cast album connoisseurs might know
PRE-ORDER UPDATE: SoulMusic, The Second Disc Team to Celebrate The Salsoul Orchestra on New Box Set
Last Christmas, The Second Disc teamed with SoulMusic Records and Cherry Red for The Salsoul Orchestra's Christmas Jollies: The Extra Jolly Edition, celebrating the best-selling album in the entire Salsoul catalogue. On May 31, we'll follow that set up with It's Good for the Soul: The Vince Montana Years (1975-1978), the definitive, first-ever box set collecting The Salsoul Orchestra's groundbreaking albums produced, arranged, and conducted by Vincent Montana, Jr.! U.S. customers: pre-orders
We Have Heaven: Rhino Reissues, Expands Yes' "Fragile" with New Mixes
Rhino is following last year's Super Deluxe Edition of 1971's The Yes Album with a similar set for the prog legends' fourth album. Fragile arrived later that same year, introducing Rick Wakeman as keyboardist and kicking off a new era of Yes history. The upcoming box set, due on June 28, follows the same 4CD/1LP/1BD format as The Yes Album, featuring Steven Wilson's newly remastered and remixed audio, rare and previously unreleased live and studio tracks, and a Dolby Atmos mix. Fragile was
I'll Love You Forever: 7a Reissues, Expands Davy Jones' "Incredible!" Album
Davy Jones' "lost" album, Incredible!, is finally seeing a wide, authorized release from our friends at 7a Records. This Friday, May 17, the label will issue the album on both CD and limited edition, 180-gram, LP pressed on blue vinyl. Incredible! has taken on almost mythical status among Monkees collecting circles. Jones recorded the original 10-song set at the height of the '80s wave of Monkeemania when new fans were discovering Davy, Mickey, Peter, and Mike through MTV, syndication, and
Beautiful Music: Barry Manilow's "Live in Britain" Returns to CD
Barry Manilow hasn't been resting on his laurels. In recent months, the superstar entertainer saw his musical Harmony finally make it to Broadway, continued his record-breaking residency in Las Vegas, sold out New York's Radio City Music Hall, and announced from the stage of Carnegie Hall that he had re-entered the studio at the instigation of Clive Davis to record Peter Allen and Dean Pitchford's anthem "Once Before I Go" for a new single on which he collaborated with producer Babyface. Manilow
What's So Funny: Cherry Red, Lemon Collect Brinsley Schwarz Albums on "Thinking Back"
Brinsley Schwarz, the band, may be best-remembered today as the launching pad for singer-songwriter Nick Lowe and as a prime exemplar of the U.K. pub rock scene. The band's studio albums, though, reveal diverse influences and a vibrant sound that more than holds up today. In recent months, Cherry Red's Lemon Recordings imprint brought together the band's seven albums plus more than 60 bonus tracks on the whopping 7-CD box set Thinking Back: The Anthology 1970-1975. Guitarist Brinsley
Makes Me Feel Fine: Rhino's New Quadio Batch Includes Seals and Crofts, Roberta Flack, Donny Hathaway, Hot Tuna
Not long after the release of Joni Mitchell's Quadio box set - making her the third artist to have an entire Quadio box dedicated to her, after Chicago and The Doobie Brothers - Rhino has just announced the fourth round of Blu-ray titles in the four-channel surround format Donny Hathaway's Extension Of A Man, Hot Tuna's Burgers, Roberta Flack's Killing Me Softly, and Seals & Crofts' Summer Breeze are all available now, as newly remastered from the original four-channel quadraphonic master
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