From bus driver to national treasure, London-born Matt Monro’s success story is one for the ages. From his humble beginnings, the man that even Sinatra effusively praised would go on to become a global superstar. In his time, the crooner, with his rich baritone, sold upwards of 150 million records; worked with the likes of John Barry, Quincy Jones, Sir George Martin, Nelson Riddle and Michel Legrand; and released 13 top 50 U.K. singles. Now, a new chapter of the Matt Monro story has been written. On November 1, UMC will release Stranger…
Yes I Will: NRBQ Invites Listeners to “Turn On, Tune In” With New Multimedia Collection of Radio Performances
For five decades, NRBQ have created groundbreaking music that traverses genres, forms, and styles. While their studio albums and compilations can attest to their many transformations, it’s on the stage where NRBQ’s music truly thrives. Today, Omnivore Recordings released Turn On, Tune In, a two-disc, CD/DVD set that captures the band – Terry Adams (keyboards/vocals), Scott Ligon (guitar/vocals), Casey McDonough (bass/vocals) and John Perrin (drums) – live on Sirius XM’s The Loft and onstage at WFMU’s Monty Hall in Jersey City. The 21-track collection is also available in digital and 2-LP/DVD configurations….
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The Show of Our Lives: Classics from Caravan Collected on “The Decca/Deram Years”
Among the most beloved purveyors of the “Canterbury Sound” – that particular strand of psychedelic British rock – is the boundary-pushing ensemble, Caravan. The band was formed in Canterbury in 1968 (from the remnants of the soul group The Wilde Flowers) and at various times included Pye Hastings on guitar and vocals, Richard Sinclair on bass guitar and vocals, Dave Sinclair on keyboards, and Richard Coughlan on drums. By the following year, the band had secured a contract with Decca and were recording their first long-player for the imprint, If I Could…
Review: Craft Latino Invites You To Take A Far-Out Trip With “Fania Goes Psychedelic”
Get ready for a freak-out, because Craft Recordings has announced a new 15-song compilation of experimental and far-out treasures from the legendary Latin music label Fania! Entitled Fania Goes Psychedelic, this crate-digger’s fantasy is part of Craft Latino’s ongoing celebration of the influential imprint that became a home to the Latin-soul fusion “boogaloo” tunes that were coming out of the barrios. Originally founded by musician Johnny Pacheco and lawyer Jerry Masucci in 1964, the label grew quickly and eventually become one of the most significant imprints in Latin music as it “documented…
Sugar Man, Won’t You Hurry: Classic Rodriguez Albums Return to Vinyl, CD, and Digital
Sixto Rodriguez, known professionally by his last name alone, was something of an enigma before Malik Bendjelloul’s Academy Award-winning documentary Searching For Sugarman presented Rodriguez to the mainstream once again. Rodriguez’s two Sussex Records releases – 1970’s Cold Fact and 1971’s Coming From Reality – became cult classics once more in the wake of the film’s release. Last Friday, August 30, after years out of print, the two titles returned to vinyl, alongside CD and digital configurations. In addition to the CD and 180-gram black vinyl editions, each album is also available on color vinyl:…
Release Round-Up: Week of August 29
Here’s your Release Round Up for the week ahead. Various Artists, Country Music — A Film By Ken Burns: The Soundtrack (Legacy Recordings) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K.) 5CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada 2CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada 2LP: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada 1CD: Walmart.com Filmmaker Ken Burns has tackled many subjects over the years, from the Civil War to baseball. His documentaries have garnered numerous awards over the years. In 2001, he took an in-depth look at the genre…
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UPDATE WITH NEW RELEASE DATE: Lost For Words: Pink Floyd Looks Back on Gilmour Era In ‘The Later Years: 1987-2019’
EDIT: Due to production and logistical delays, the deluxe box set of ‘Pink Floyd The Later Years’ and the digital equvalent will be released on December 13, 2019. The highlights 2-LP / 1 CD package and the digital equivalent will keep the release date of November 29, 2019. In a move that’s sure to please fans of latter-day Pink Floyd, the band has announced a new, 18-disc multimedia box set due on December 13. The Later Years: 1987-2019, which celebrates the band’s David Gilmour-led years. The era was one of great…
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Mo’ Onions: Real Gone Collects ’60s Sides of Booker T. and The MG’s on “Complete Stax Singles, Vol. 1”
Few instrumental groups have had as profound an impact on the popular music landscape as Booker T. and the MG’s, whose Stax sides from the ’60s defined the sound of the label. From Booker T. Jones’ inimitable Hammond organ sound and Steve Cropper’s masterful Telecaster work, to Al Jackson’s solid and steady beats and the always-in-the-pocket bass lines of Lewie Steinberg (replaced in 1965 by the talented Donald “Duck” Dunn), the band’s influence continues to be felt in every slice of visceral soul to emerge since. As the house band for Stax,…
Omnivore Recordings Round-Up: Big Star’s “In Space” Reissue and A Pair of Mister Rogers Albums On the Way
Omnivore Recordings has a reputation for being one of the most diverse reissue labels around. What other label could be home to Big Star and Mister Rogers? Well, omnivorous listeners have reason to delight, as Omnivore has announced new reissues from both legendary talents due for release in October! It’s been more than fifty years since the celebrated children’s show Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood first aired, yet Fred Rogers’ name remains in the public eye thanks in no small part to the recent acclaimed documentary Won’t You Be My Neighbor? and the news…
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Review: Expanded Reissues of Renaissance’s “Live at Carnegie Hall” and “Novella”
Esoteric Recordings, the progressive rock arm of Cherry Red, has built a reputation for excellent reissues of prog classics, some once-overlooked and others legendary favorites. Among those landmark recordings that have received the Esoteric treatment is Renaissance’s Live at Carnegie Hall. The 1976 release became one of the defining live albums of the decade and has recently been newly remastered and expanded to a 3-CD set as part of the label’s ongoing Renaissance reissue series. Live at Carnegie Hall was a turning point for the British symphonic prog-rockers. The band had built…
All Aboard! Ozzy Osbourne’s Solo Works Collected In Massive Box Set
The one and only Ozzy Osbourne has announced a brand-new, career-spanning vinyl box set entitled See You On the Other Side, and it’s the wildest celebration of the madman of rock and roll yet. The 24-LP box set, due on November 29, features 16 albums on 150-gram multicolored vinyl. Every Ozzy Osbourne studio album is accounted for, from Blizzard of Ozz and Diary of a Madman to the more recent Black Rain, Down to Earth, and Scream. Those last three are making their U.S vinyl debut on the box set. The box…
Release Round-Up: Week of August 23
Welcome to this week’s Release Round-Up! Here’s what arriving today, August 23. Elvis Presley, American Sound 1969 (RCA/Legacy) (Amazon U.S.) The Elvis 1969 celebration continues! In January of that year, Presley and his band began sessions with producer Chips Moman at American Sound Studios in Memphis, which resulted in his acclaimed From Elvis In Memphis album and its lead single “In the Ghetto.” He also laid down such iconic songs as “Suspicious Minds,” “Kentucky Rain,” “Rubberneckin’,” and “Don’t Cry Daddy” at the famed studio. American Sound 1969 (available digitally today, with a…
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Turn Around, Look At Me: Real Gone Continues Keely Smith Reissue Series With “You’re Breaking My Heart”
Once upon a time, Keely Smith was one-half of Las Vegas’ royal couple, alongside her then-husband Louis Prima. But she soared in a career of her own, and following tenures at Capitol and Dot Records, she signed with Frank Sinatra’s Reprise label with the promise of retaining rights to her master tapes. In 2016, Real Gone Music began bringing her Reprise titles on CD to the first time ever. Following reissues of The Intimate Keely Smith, Little Girl Blue/Little Girl New, and Sings the John Lennon/Paul McCartney Songbook, RGM has slated the…
Traneing In: Never-Before-Released John Coltrane Tapes Set To Arrive on “Blue World”
Jazz aficionados worldwide have good reason to celebrate with the news of a new John Coltrane album that features lost performances from 1964! The album arrives on September 27 through Verve/Impulse! and is entitled Blue World. The 8-song collection features Coltrane’s “Classic Quartet” as recorded in a newly unearthed session at Rudy Van Gelder’s studio in June of that year. The sessions that make up Blue World were commissioned by Quebecois filmmaker Gille Groulx, a rabid Coltrane fan who was intent on getting the musician to score his love film Le chat…
Make the Moment Count: a-ha Announces Expanded Reissues of “Minor Earth | Major Sky” and “Lifelines” Due in October
a-ha broke onto the scene in the ’80s with a run of five successful albums, but went on a seven-year hiatus in 1993 following the release of Memorial Beach. In the interim, the Norwegian trio – Morten Harket, Magne Furuholmen and Pål Waaktaar-Savoy – explored different interests until they were invited to perform at the 1998 Nobel Peace Prize concert in Oslo. Their two-song set brought them international attention and they soon reconvened in New York to write what would become their 2000 comeback album Minor Earth | Major Sky. After a world…
Review: Bobby Rush Proves He’s At the Top of His Game With “Sitting On Top of the Blues”
Legendary bluesman Bobby Rush is back with a new album, Sitting on Top of the Blues, which is released today on CD and LP through Rush’s own Deep Rush label. At 86 years old, the Louisiana-born guitar slinger and singer has traveled from the Chitlin’ circuit to the world’s stages since 1951. He’s released music on indie labels across the nation, recorded for Gamble & Huff, and has performed alongside a who’s-who of funk, soul, and blues luminaries. You’ve probably heard some of his classics on Omnivore’s four-CD box set Chicken Heads:…
Into The Void: Rhino Collects Black Sabbath Classics and Rarities on “The Vinyl Collection: 1970-1978”
In 1969, Ozzy Osbourne, Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler and Bill Ward united in the recording studio as Black Sabbath. The classic lineup created a heavy, powerful, primal rock sound, the influence of which is still felt fifty years on. On September 6, Rhino will celebrate Black Sabbath’s first lineup with The Vinyl Collection, 1970-1978. Inside this new box set, listeners will find the band’s first eight studio albums – each pressed onto 180-gram black vinyl. The metal masters went multi-platinum with 1970 sophomore set Paranoid and scored three more consecutive platinum LPs with…
Got Me Wanting You: Real Gone Announces Vinyl Issues of “Burlesque” and “The Departed” Soundtracks, “The Definitive Archies” Compilation
Our friends at Real Gone Music have some sweet news to share. The label continues its color vinyl soundtrack reissue series with Cher and Christina Aguilera’s Burlesque pressed on hot pink and the soundtrack to Martin Scorsese’s The Departed on green wax. Fans of sixties pop will delight in the upcoming opaque blue vinyl celebration of The Archies. All the titles will be pressed in limited quantities and are set to arrive on September 13. In 2010, two of the biggest divas in music joined forces for the campy Burlesque. While the film wasn’t well-received…
Try and Get My Soul Free: Full Sets from Woodstock Festival Emerge on Digital and Streaming Services
For fans of Woodstock, Friday was a big day. For the physical media-minded, the giant 38-CD/1-Blu-ray box began shipping out, and Craft’s standalone Creedence Clearwater Revival Live At Woodstock album was released. Those who may have been unable to purchase the big set have reason to rejoice as several individual acts’ sets from Woodstock have begun to pop up on digital download and streaming services. Last week saw the release of Woodstock recordings from Tim Hardin; Melanie; Mountain; Blood, Sweat & Tears; and Sha Na Na (whose set is missing one unrecorded…
Sweet and Lonely: Jazz Landmark “Monk’s Dream” Gets the MoFi Treatment With New One-Step, 2-LP Pressing
The venerable reissue label Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab has just announced the latest title in their ongoing UltraDisc One-Step vinyl series: Thelonious Monk’s landmark Monk’s Dream. This new deluxe version was made, like all of MoFi’s releases, with the discerning audiophile in mind. The original album has been spread across two 180-gram, 45rpm LPs, pressed at RTI using their special SuperVinyl compound. The discs will be housed in a luxurious box set that includes foil-stamped jackets, restored graphics, high-quality inserts. Monk’s Dream One-Step edition will be strictly limited to only 6,000 numbered…
Release Round-Up: Week of August 2
Welcome to this week’s Release Round-Up! Davy Jones, Live in Japan (7a Records) 2CD/DVD Edition: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada / Keymail Records (U.K.) / Deep Discount (U.S.) 3LP Edition: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada / Keymail Records (U.K.)/ Deep Discount (U.S.) 7a Records releases a Davy Jones treasure trove on Live in Japan, available in both 2CD/DVD and 3LP formats. The 2CD/DVD set presents both of Jones’ officially released (and long-unavailable) Japanese concert albums in their best sound yet, plus numerous singles and rarities from…
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Jams of the Year: Legacy Announces Next Batch of Prince CD/LP Reissues
On September 13, The Prince Estate and Legacy Recordings will release the next batch of exciting Prince reissues from his later career: The VERSACE Experience (PRELUDE 2 GOLD), Chaos and Disorder, and Emancipation. The three titles will be available individually on CD, LP, or as bundles through the Official Prince Store. Originally released in July 1996, Chaos and Disorder is a collection of spontaneous and tight playing that reached No. 14 on the U.K. Album Chart and No. 26 stateside, all without promotion. For its new reissue, Chaos and Disorder will be…
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Rhino’s 10-CD Woodstock Set “Back To the Garden: The 50th Anniversary Experience” Delivers the Goods
Fifty years ago this summer, more than 400,000 fans convened at Max Yasgur’s farm for a music festival that would come to define not only the era, but the entire ethos of music festivals to come. With every passing decade, the magic of Woodstock has been celebrated and, indeed, re-marketed to new generations of music fans. The ’90s saw two new Woodstock-branded festivals and an array of 25th anniversary products, including a compilation called Woodstock Diary and a 4-CD box set. To mark the festival’s 40th anniversary in 2009, yet another box…
Live As One: “Above Us Only Sky” Documentary Explores Creative Process Behind Lennon’s “Imagine”
Last year, John Lennon fans were treated to an extravagant box set celebrating one of he highlights of his career, the Imagine album. To promote it, the original 1972 film Imagine was released in theaters and paired with the documentary Gimme Some Truth for a DVD/Blu-ray release. Channel 4 in the U.K. and A&E in the U.S. screened a new film called John & Yoko: Above Us Only Sky before it moved to Netflix. As Eagle Rock Entertainment’s CEO/Chairman Terry Shand says: “With exclusive access to the extensive Lennon video, audio and…
Catch Them If You Can: Classic Titles From The Dave Clark Five Land on Digital Services
Fans of The Dave Clark Five have good reason to feel glad all over! The band was among the leaders of the British Invasion, with a flair for hit singles like “Glad All Over,” “Because,” and “Catch Us If You Can.” But since their breakup in 1970, DC5 leader Clark (who holds the rights to their discography) has been reticent about revisiting the band’s era-defining music. This means that their wealth of music has largely gone un-mined by the majors in the reissue era, outside of the excellent 1993 compilation, The History…
