Well, today is Cyber Monday, which means one thing at Second Disc HQ: it's time to launch our annual Holiday Gift Guide, featuring (more than) a few of our favorite things for the music enthusiast in your life. Sure, we might not have included raindrops on roses or whiskers on kittens, but we've filled the guide with over 50 essential selections: sprawling box sets and deluxe vinyl editions, as well as noteworthy releases on CD from favorite artists that just might make great stocking stuffers.
Holiday Gift Guide Review: Prince and The Revolution, 'Around the World in a Day (Deluxe Expanded Edition)'
In theory, the posthumous care and handling of an esteemed discography with the deep potential for archival excavation like Prince's would be an easy if daunting task. When the pop icon died unexpectedly in 2016 with no will and considerable assets to settle, the art of memorializing him through reissues moved with almost shocking precision: solid expansions of several of his best-loved '80s albums, a handful of notable archival one-offs, and the reinstatement of his digital and physical
The Weekend Stream: November 29, 2025
Welcome to another edition of The Weekend Stream, The Second Disc's review of notable catalogue titles (and some new ones, too!) making digital debuts. Our Black Friday bonanza offers the return of Let's Active, a new Stranger Things mini-mixtape, an unlikely team-up between two recent Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductees, and one Record Store Day title that dropped yesterday. Plus, a tribute to a Minneapolis legend who was always on Time. Let's Active, Afoot / Cypress / Big Plans for
Release Round-Up: Week of November 28
Welcome to this week's Release Round-Up! With Record Store Day's Black Friday event taking place today, the slate is usually a small one...not so this year, though, thanks to Rhino's CD releases of numerous RSD titles. As an Amazon affiliate, we earn from qualifying purchases. Neil Young, Tonight's the Night 50 (Reprise/NYA) 1CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada / Greedy Hand Store 2LP: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada / Greedy Hand Store Clear Vinyl: Greedy Hand
Holiday Gift Guide Review: The Beatles, "Anthology Collection"
1995: Bill Clinton was President of the U.S., John Major was Prime Minister of the U.K., phones weren't yet smart, Braveheart won Best Picture, the O.J. trial was on everyone's mind, Jerry Garcia died, and the biggest songs of the year were Coolio's "Gangsta's Paradise" (U.S.) and Robson and Jerome's "Unchained Melody/White Cliffs of Dover" (U.K.). In November, the band that changed pop music forever launched its first major archival project at a time when such vault deep dives weren't yet (so)
A Second Disc Interview: Let's Revisit Let's Active with Mitch Easter
"Making records is a really good idea," Mitch Easter says, partway through a chat with The Second Disc. He's, of course, absolutely correct, and he would know. The Winston-Salem, North Carolina native founded the seminal Drive-In Studio in 1980, collaborating as a producer and engineer with a host of notable alternative rock acts including R.E.M., Game Theory, Pylon and others; since 2000, he's run Fidelitorium Recordings in nearby Kernersville. But Easter is more than a whiz behind the
The Weekend Stream: November 22, 2025
Welcome to another edition of The Weekend Stream, The Second Disc's review of notable catalogue titles (and some new ones, too!) making digital debuts. A real grab bag for you before the Thanksgiving holiday: cut songs from Broadway comedies, rarities from a '60s soul/rock legend, an inexplicably remastered charity single, rare 12" mixes and remastered jazz. Have a listen, won't you?? Various Artists, Monty Python's Spamalot (Original Broadway Cast Recording/20th Anniversary
Release Round-Up: Week of November 21
Welcome to this week's Release Round-Up, featuring a selection of the new titles available today! As an Amazon affiliate, we earn from qualifying purchases. The Beatles, Anthology Collection (Capitol/Apple/UMe) 8CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada / Official Store 12LP: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada / Official Store The Beatles' Anthology Collection premieres remastered editions of the original three collections of rarities and outtakes compiled by George
Holiday Gift Guide Review: Split Enz, 'Encyclopedia Volumes 1 & 2'
It's kind of a minor miracle that Enzyclopedia Volumes 1 & 2 (Chrysalis CRC/CRV1899) - the first in what we hope is an ongoing reissue campaign for Antipodean rock icons Split Enz - exists at all. Their catalogue is probably a tough sell if you live outside of Australia or New Zealand (none of their discography is consistently available worldwide), and their best-known work, where they became a razor-sharp, New Wave-adjacent ensemble, doesn't come until years after what's covered in this
The Weekend Stream: November 15, 2025
Welcome to another edition of The Weekend Stream, The Second Disc's review of notable catalogue titles (and some new ones, too!) making digital debuts. We got comebacks aplenty: new songs from Squeeze and Robyn, old favorites from Art in America, Jim Reeves and Outkast; a whole ton of jazz and a toast to an unsung hero of the early rock and roll years. Squeeze, "Trixies, Pt. 1" (Love/BMG) (Apple / Amazon) As speculated last week, Squeeze have a new album coming through BMG! Trixies,
Release Round-Up: Week of November 14
Welcome to this week's Release Round-Up, featuring a selection of the new titles available today. As an Amazon affiliate, we earn from qualifying purchases. Nicolette Larson, Look in My Direction: The Warner Bros. Recordings (Cherry Red/Lemon/Second Disc) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada / Cherry Red) Look in My Direction: The Warner Bros. Recordings from Cherry Red's Lemon imprint and TSD presents all of the late Nicolette Larson's original studio and live albums for Warner
Holiday Gift Guide Review: The Monkees, "Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn & Jones, Ltd." [Super Deluxe Edition]
Next year marks the 60th anniversary of The Monkees, an occasion soon to be commemorated by last Monkee standing Micky Dolenz with a new tour. The group's home of Rhino Records has started the party early with the recent release of the latest (and last?) of the label's series of lavish album reissues. 1967's Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn & Jones Ltd. has been expanded as a comprehensive 4CD/1-7" box set by producer/annotator Andrew Sandoval, and as usual, the result is manna for longtime
Holiday Gift Guide Review: John Williams, 'The Anthology Vol. 1 (1969-1990)'
Let's look at the numbers: John Williams has been on this mortal plane for 93 years, and has been composing for visual media for 73 of those years. Compact discs have been a part of music lovers' collections for at least four decades, and the "art" of John Williams on CD - a real, curatorial approach to his iconic film scores - began in earnest more than 30 years ago, when the 4CD box set Star Wars Trilogy: The Original Soundtrack Anthology hit record stores in 1993. From basic compilations
The Weekend Stream: November 8, 2025
Welcome to another edition of The Weekend Stream, The Second Disc's review of notable catalogue titles (and some new ones, too!) making digital debuts. It's a positively packed line-up today: pop icons old and new, unique stage experiences and two different trips to the land of Oz - plus a really cool recording summit opportunity for New Yorkers and a trio of tributes to some deceased musical heroes. Madonna, Confessions on a Dance Floor (Twenty Years Edition) (Warner/Rhino) (Apple /
Release Round-Up: Week of November 7
Welcome to this week's Release Round-Up, featuring a selection of the new titles available today. As an Amazon affiliate, we earn from qualifying purchases. Wings, Wings [Various Formats] (MPL/Capitol/UMe) 2CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada 3LP: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada 1CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada 1LP: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada On November 4, Paul McCartney released Wings: The Story of a Band on the Run, an oral
The Weekend Stream: November 1, 2025
Welcome to another edition of The Weekend Stream, The Second Disc's review of notable catalogue titles (and some new ones, too!) making digital debuts. Rare mixes from David Bowie, late-period repertoire from Squeeze (with a new distributor hinting at their next album) and an actor who plays jazz will start you off... David Bowie, I Can't Give Everything Away E.P. (ISO/Parlophone) (Apple / Amazon) Released last week in conjunction with the last of Bowie's era-focused boxes, this EP
Release Round-Up: Week of October 31
Happy Halloween! Welcome to this week's Release Round-Up, featuring a selection of the new titles available today. As an Amazon affiliate, we earn from qualifying purchases. Bob Dylan, The Bootleg Series Vol. 18: Through the Open Window (Columbia/Legacy) 8CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada 2CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada 4LP: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada The beginnings of Bob Dylan's long and extraordinary career are being revisited by
The Weekend Stream: October 25, 2025
Welcome to another edition of The Weekend Stream, The Second Disc's review of notable catalogue titles (and some new ones, too!) making digital debuts. We've got an unreleased outtake from The Beatles; a favorite '80s band re-recording a deep cut; and a rock legend recruiting an unexpected guest on a new mix of their latest single - plus late period greatness from The Go-Betweens, Glenn Frey cutting standards and more. The Beatles, "I've Just Seen a Face (Take 3)" (Apple/Capitol/UMe)
Release Round-Up: Week of October 24
Welcome to this week's Release Round-Up, featuring a selection of the new titles out today. As an Amazon affiliate, we earn from qualifying purchases. Bruce Springsteen, Nebraska '82 (Columbia/Legacy) 4CD/Blu-ray: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada 4LP/Blu-ray: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada It's no surprise that, as Hollywood recounts the story of Bruce Springsteen's most striking solo release with the film Deliver Me from Nowhere (out today), a box set tells the
The Weekend Stream: October 18, 2025
Welcome to another edition of The Weekend Stream, The Second Disc's review of notable catalogue titles (and some new ones, too!) making digital debuts. There's much to cover: digital box sets, anniversary editions, new remixes, old stand-up comedy - and a quartet of memorials to musicians and more. Neil Young, Neil Young Archives Vol. III (1976-1987) (Reprise) (Apple / Amazon) One of the biggest box sets of last year is now available in a slightly more compact form. The digital
Release Round-Up: Week of October 17
Welcome to this week's Release Round-Up, featuring a selection of the new titles available today! As an Amazon affiliate, we earn from qualifying purchases. Randy Newman, Trouble in Paradise: Expanded Edition (Warner/Rhino) 2CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada Rhino Reserves LP: Rhino.com We Love It! Rhino reissues Randy Newman's seventh studio album, Trouble in Paradise, as a 2CD expanded edition featuring previously unreleased demos and a rare concert performance. With
The Weekend Stream: October 11, 2025
Welcome to another edition of The Weekend Stream, The Second Disc's review of notable catalogue titles (and some new ones, too!) making digital debuts. This week brings some super '70s soul, some '80s and '90s throwbacks on the Broadway stage and more - including a tribute to one of the original Moody Blues we lost this week. Curtis Mayfield, The Makings of: A Curtis Mayfield Collection (Rhino) (Apple / Amazon) The documentary The Makings of Curtis Mayfield - directed by Grammy-winning
The Weekend Stream: October 4, 2025
Welcome to another edition of The Weekend Stream, The Second Disc's review of notable catalogue titles (and some new ones, too!) making digital debuts. From the Foo Fighters entering Bandcamp for a cause to a Record Store Day rarity by Rage Against the Machine, the dream of the '90s is very much alive here...plus much more from other decades, too! Are Playing Where??? Vol. I by Foo Fighters Foo Fighters, Are Playing Where??? Vol. 1 (Roswell) (Bandcamp) After kicking off a season of
Release Round-Up: Week of October 3
Welcome to this week's Release Round-Up, featuring a selection of the new titles available today! As an Amazon affiliate, we earn from qualifying purchases. Oasis, (What's the Story) Morning Glory? 30th Anniversary Edition (Big Brother) 2CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada 3LP: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada Oasis have a slightly expanded edition of 1995's (What's the Story) Morning Glory? on tap, pairing a 2014 remaster of the album (which initially came with
The Weekend Stream: September 27, 2025
Welcome to another relaxing journey down The Weekend Stream featuring a classic anthem from Barry Manilow and the late Peter Allen; a moving farewell for a great cause from Ozzy Osbourne and his friends in Judas Priest; classic pop from The King Family; a host of jazz, R&B, and country reissues; a dash of Christmas cheer from an old friend; and more! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W-miWrKUaEE Barry Manilow, Once Before I Go (Stiletto) (Apple / Amazon) Fans attending Barry Manilow's
- 1
- 2
- 3
- …
- 49
- Next Page »