Record club Vinyl Me Please has announced their latest Record of the Month: Aretha Franklin's 1968 landmark, Aretha Now. The album will be pressed on 180-gram black vinyl and uses the classic mono mix, remastered by Ryan Smith at Sterling Sound and pressed at QRP. Prior to this VMP edition, the mono mix of Aretha Now was only available on highly sought-after U.S. promos, or on rare U.K. or Brazilian original pressings. Now, Aretha's classic - featuring "I Say A Little Prayer," "Think," and so
It’s For Real: “Encore” Collects Donna Summer’s Complete Studio Albums and More
On March 27, Demon Music Group's Crimson Productions label will release Encore, the ultimate Donna Summer box set. The Queen of Disco's reigned over the pop charts for decades with stints on Casablanca, Geffen, Mercury, and Atlantic. Over the years, she released 17 studio albums, two live albums, and a wealth of successful singles. Encore will bring together all those albums across 33 CDs, plus 8 discs of 7" and 12" mixes, rare edits, non-album cuts, and
Your Soul and Mine: Gil Scott-Heron’s “I’m New Here” Receives 10th Anniversary Expanded Edition and New Remix Album
A decade ago, influential proto-hip-hop performer and writer Gil Scott-Heron released his final solo album, I'm New Here. XL Recordings will revisit the acclaimed album with an expanded edition that hits shops on February 7, exactly ten years after the original was unleashed to the public. The revisited 2-CD or 2-LP color vinyl set features the original album alongside two unreleased recordings - a newly unearthed original called "King Henry IV" and a take on Richie Havens' arrangement of
Affirmative Yes: Real Gone Announces Vinyl Reissues of The Bonniwell Music Machine, The Donnas, and Little Beaver
Real Gone Music is at it again with a slate of overlooked classics due for reissue on vinyl this February and March. First up, there's The Donnas' Gold Medal, a power-pop favorite from 2004 that features the radio hit "Fall Behind Me." The Butch Walker-produced album marked a new direction for the band as they embraced a '70s-inspired psychedelic sound evoked visually by the very groovy artwork. Due on February 28, Real Gone's black-and-gold splatter vinyl edition will reproduce all the
UPDATE – Back To This Heavenly Bliss: Joni Mitchell’s “Shine” Arriving on Vinyl from Craft Recordings
Ever since the so-called "vinyl renaissance" began at the turn of the last decade, Joni Mitchell fans the world over have wondered whether her catalogue would be given the deluxe LP treatment. Sure, there was the 8-LP compilation Love Has Many Faces in 2018, and the trusty titles like Blue, Court and Spark, and Hejira have been pressed to wax in editions that rival the originals, but the same can't be said for her some of her later-career output. Heck, even For the Roses - the 1972 transitional
Laurel Canyon Reprise: Game Theory Rarities Collected on “Across The Barrier of Sound: Postscript”
Omnivore Recordings' celebration of '80s indie band Game Theory continues on March 20 with Across The Barrier of Sound: Postscript. The critically acclaimed group gained legions of fans over the years with '60s and '70s pop influences and a post-punk edge. Their classic 1982-1988 albums have already been given the Omnivore treatment, and now the label is turning the spotlight toward a clutch of sessions recorded in 1989-90 by a revamped Game Theory lineup. For that short time, bandleader
Glad All Over: Dave Clark Five Preps “All The Hits” Collection on CD and LP
Fans of The Dave Clark Five have good reason to feel glad all over...again! The British Invasion hitmakers had a string of successful singles before their breakup in 1970, including "Glad All Over," "Because," and "Catch Us If You Can." DC5 leader Clark (who holds the rights to their discography) hasn't been too keen on looking back at his past, though, much to superfans' dismay. However, tides began to turn last summer when remastered editions of six DC5 albums and the 2008 compilation The
Rock ‘n’ Roll Fantasy: Rhino Kicks Off 2020 With Start Your Ear Off Right Campaign
As has become an annual tradition, Rhino has kicked off the new year with another exciting slate of Start Your Ear Off Right releases. The first few titles have already hit shelves, and more are on the way over the course of the month. Punk, new wave, counterculture rock, singer-songwriter classics, and sleek '80s pop hits...it's all part of this year's campaign. Each week, a batch of these limited edition color vinyl pressings will be released to brick and mortar shops and a select few
Come On Up: Bruce Springsteen Announces LP Reissues of Five ’90s and ’00s Titles
Bruce Springsteen and Legacy Recordings have announced a new batch of vinyl reissues, this time stretching into the '00s, a decade that saw him release live material with a newly reunited E Street Band (Live in New York City, 2001), onstage forays into the folk songbook (Live in Dublin, 2007), a stark solo acoustic venture (Devils & Dust, 2005), and the critically acclaimed return of The E Street Band in the studio (The Rising, 2002). All these albums and the 1999 rarities compilation 18
Playing In The Band: Real Gone Announces Vinyl Debut of Iconic Grateful Dead Gig, Jefferson Airplane Woodstock LP Reissue
Real Gone Music has announced a pair of exciting releases from legends of the San Francisco rock scene of the '60s. First up is a reissue of Jefferson Airplane's complete Woodstock set across three LPs. First released by the label on "new dawn" blue vinyl, the January 31 reissue will be pressed on a "vibrating" violet color variant. As one of the first acts to sign on for Woodstock, Jefferson Airplane embraced the spirit of the event from the start, but the band's Saturday night closing set
Face To Face: David Bowie Rarities Arriving on “Is It Any Wonder,” Parlophone Announces “ChangesNowBowie” RSD 2020 Release
On January 8 -- what would have been David Bowie's 73rd birthday -- Parlophone announced the latest releases in their ongoing series celebrating the rare and unreleased performances from the vault, and fans who appreciate a dramatic unfolding are in for a treat. David Bowie Is It Any Wonder? is the title of the six-track EP of rare and previously unreleased material that will be rolled out track-by-track over the next six weeks. The first selection on the EP is an intimate 1996 recording of
Year-End Review: Bob Dylan, “The Rolling Thunder Revue: The 1975 Live Recordings”
As we continue to look back on the year that was, it's hard to disagree that Bob Dylan was 2019's king of the reissue. Since releasing More Blood, More Tracks in time for the holidays in 2018, Legacy Recordings and the Dylan team approved MoFi's deluxe audiophile version of Blood on the Tracks; celebrated the first leg of the famed Rolling Thunder Revue with a new film, CD box set, and LP reissue; delivered a new Bootleg Series installment focusing on his time in Nashville in the late '60s; and
You Can Handle It: Real Gone Announces Vinyl Reissues of Soul Classics
Happy New Year, everybody! 2020 is shaping up to be a great year for Real Gone Music. There's the upcoming standalone version of Johnny Mathis' The Island, the return of Laura Nyro's More Than A New Discovery in mono...and that's just the Second Disc Records slate so far! In addition to titles from Rod McKuen and Barbara Eden, Real Gone has also announced remastered vinyl editions of Charles Wright and the Watts 103rd Street Rhythm Band's enduring Express Yourself and It's Just A Matter of
Over The Waves: The Beach Boys Release Copyright Extension EP “1969: I’m Going Your Way”
We interrupt our holiday hiatus for this special report... Following the band's wide-reaching copyright extension releases the last few years, Beach Boys fans have been expecting some rarities vintage 1969 to enjoy as the year wraps up. Today, Capitol/UMG quietly released 1969: I'm Going Your Way, this year's digital-only round-up of rarities but fans will no doubt be disappointed by its limited scope. While 2018 saw the release of three albums' worth of rare material (On Tour: 1968 ,
UPDATE: Things That Come Back Again: Cat Stevens “Back To Earth” Box Set and Vinyl Reissues Announced
UPDATE: It's been nearly a year since our initial coverage of the Cat Stevens Back To Earth box set featuring a new remaster done at Abbey Road and a wealth of rare audio and visual material. Since then, lots of changes have affected how the box will reach listeners. Now that Pledge Music is out of the equation, BMG and their new Cat-O-Log division will release the elaborate set more conventionally on April 10. The box won't have all the bells and whistles described last year - just the discs
Holiday Gift Guide Review: Pink Floyd’s “The Later Years, 1987-2019” Will Leave You Lost For Words
Fans were no doubt lost for words when Pink Floyd and Legacy Recordings announced the December 13 release of The Later Years 1987-2019, the massive new set celebrating the David Gilmour-led era of the legendary band. Well, the set has landed at Second Disc HQ - nearly crushing the front porch in the process - and we're thrilled to include it as part of our Holiday Gift Guide. The Later Years is the ultimate celebration of this sometimes-maligned era, bringing together remixed studio albums and
I’ve Been Loving You: Vinyl Me, Please Spotlights Stax Classics in New VMP Anthology Box
Vinyl Me Please is at it again! Following their celebrations of Blue Note, Motown, and Ghostly International, the subscription service is set to release a new volume of their acclaimed VMP Anthology Series. This time, they're shining a light on the history of Stax Records. As with previous volumes, The Story of Stax Records will be told in four chapters. The eight albums included in the box will be wrapped in "secrecy sleeves" that can be unveiled at specific points in the journey. Though
Holiday Gift Guide Review: MoFi Gives the Audiophile Treatment to Dylan’s “Blood on The Tracks” and J. Geils’ “The Morning After”
Over the years, Mobile Fidelity has cemented itself as one of the leaders in the audiophile re-issue realm. From deluxe 45rpm box set affairs to more bare-bones remasters, the label has been known to go the extra mile to make every album sound its best. Two of their recent reissues have arrived at Second Disc HQ: the extravagant 45rpm One-Step remaster of Bob Dylan's Blood on the Tracks and the slimmed-down remaster of J. Geils Band's The Morning After. Both titles are sure to please that
Release Round-Up: Week of December 6
Welcome to this week's Release Round-Up! Who, WHO [Various Formats] (Polydor) Standard CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada / The Who Online Store Deluxe CD: Target U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada / The Who Online Store Standard LP: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada / The Who Online Store Indie record shop 2LP edition: Bull Moose / HMV Deluxe 45rpm 2LP/EP: The Who Online Store Cassette: The Who Online Store Format Bundles: The Who Online Store Japan
Say You Love Me: Rhino Collects Classic Fleetwood Mac Titles in New Color Vinyl Box Set
Fleetwood Mac were untouchable in the '70s and '80s, releasing five consecutive multi-platinum albums from 1975 to 1987. Their self-titled "White Album," Rumours, Tusk, Mirage, and Tango in the Night dominated the airwaves and the album charts, and the band became one of the best-selling acts of the decade. This Friday, December 6, those five landmark albums will be released in a new color vinyl box set called Fleetwood Mac: 1975-1987. It features the 1975 album Fleetwood Mac -- which
His Name Is: Eminem’s Breakthrough ‘Slim Shady LP’ Gets Expansion For 20th Anniversary (UPDATED 11/27)
UPDATE (11/27/2019): Months after this digital release, UMe will release the expanded The Slim Shady LP as a 2CD or 3LP set on December 13! Links are below. ORIGINAL POST (3/29/2019): In his two-decade career, Marshall Bruce Mathers II, better known as Eminem, stunned audiences and critics alike with vivid and sometimes disturbing imagery, rapid-fire delivery, and lyrics that were as witty as they were personal; as tongue-in-cheek as they were acerbic. This year marks 20 years since Eminem
Holiday Gift Guide Reviews: A Spotlight on Cherry Red’s Eclectic Offerings
The holidays are almost upon us, and The Second Disc will soon be launching our annual Holiday Gift Guide! As part of the festivities, we will also be offering long-form reviews over the next month about certain titles deserving of an extra spotlight. Today, Sam's taking a look at a handful of recent releases from Cherry Red! Few labels can claim as diverse a roster as the Cherry Red group. Between their wealth of sub-divisions, there's bound to be something special in store for everyone. As
Thanks For the Dance: Leonard Cohen’s Final Farewell Reviewed
"I'm ready, my lord..." so sang Leonard Cohen on You Want It Darker, his final album that hit shelves just weeks before his death. If You Want It Darker was his farewell, then Thanks For the Dance - released today from Columbia/Legacy - is a gift from beyond. The album was completed by son Adam Cohen, as the younger Cohen had been instructed. The pieces were in various stages of completion when Adam began to reappraise the work. Some were no more than vocal tracks with no accompaniment at
Nothing Sweeter: Rocksteady Royalty Alton Ellis’ “Greatest Hits” Gets Expanded Reissue from Cherry Red
Cherry Red Records' Doctor Bird imprint is committed to uncovering and reappraising the early years of reggae, ska, Calypso, rocksteady, and mento music, and few figures are as instrumental in the development of those genres as Alton Ellis. Starting with his first recordings in 1960, the gifted songwriter, singer, and performer quickly garnered a reputation as one of Jamaica's greatest musical exports. Moving on from the American R&B style that inflected his earliest recordings, Ellis
Back To The ‘Boutique’: Beastie Boys Remixes Feature On EP Series
This year marks the 30th anniversary of the Beastie Boys album Paul's Boutique and the band has celebrated with the digital/streaming debut of 6 EPs of hard-to-find material. The past months have seen the release of the 1989 EP An Exciting Evening At Home With Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, along with Love American Style EP, and newly curated collections from Capitol/UMe: Hey Ladies (Remixes), Shadrach (Remixes), Shake Your Rump (Remixes), and Looking Down The Barrel of a Gun (Remixes)
- 1
- 2
- 3
- …
- 11
- Next Page »