Features

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 Edition) (Decca Broadway) (Apple / Amazon) Something to (always) look on the bright side of life over: a new reissue of the music…

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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 Martin and released through 1995 and 1996, available across six CDs or nine LPs. Martin’s son Giles, who remastered those albums for this release, also curates a new collection, Anthology 4, across a further two CDs or…

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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 collection (available as a 5CD or 3LP set). And that’s before you get…

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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, due March 6, is a loose concept album…

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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 Bros. Records on 4 CDs, produced by Ted Templeman (The Doobie Brothers, Van Halen) and singer-songwriter Andrew Gold (“Thank You for Being…

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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 fans and collectors. Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn & Jones, Ltd. found Davy Jones,…

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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 like Greatest Hits 1969-1999…

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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 / Amazon) The Queen of Pop’s next studio album, reportedly due out next year, is…

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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 history of the superstar’s other band. The hardcover tome, created in collaboration with film director Morgan Neville and editor Ted Widmer, tells Wings’ story through text, photographs, a timeline, a gigography,…

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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 offers five new-to-digital remixes released between 2002 and 2016. Squeeze, Spot the Difference / Live At The Fillmore / The…

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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 Columbia and Legacy Recordings on the eighteenth installment of the artist’s long-running Bootleg Series.  Through the Open Window: The Bootleg Series Vol. 18 (1956-1963) arrives on 8 CDs as well as…

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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) (Apple / Amazon) The Beatles are previewing the upcoming Anthology Collection with…

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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 tale of the (literal) tape.  Columbia Records and Legacy Recordings are releasing Nebraska ’82, a new box set showcasing the start-to-finish journey of Bruce’s most…

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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 of Archives Vol. III includes nearly 200 tracks, 121 of which are unreleased….

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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 such classics as “I Love LA” and “Real Emotional Girl,” Trouble remains one of Newman’s most beloved LPs.  This generous release adds the singer-songwriter’s largely…

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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 R&B musician H.E.R. and featuring archival footage and conversations on the Super Fly hitmaker’s craft…

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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 drummer exodus – sacking session drummer Josh Freese, who’d join…

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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 additional bonus material) with a bonus EP of new unplugged mixes of four of the album’s tracks (plus a non-album B-side, “Acquiesce”). The group’s songwriter/guitarist Noel…

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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! Barry Manilow, Once Before I Go (Stiletto) (Apple / Amazon) Fans attending Barry Manilow’s concerts of the last couple years have occasionally heard him pull out a very special encore:…

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Release Round-Up: Week of September 26

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.’ Spike Jones in Stereo: A Spooktacular in Screaming Sound! (Omnivore) CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada / Omnivore Recordings LP: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada / Omnivore Recordings The late, great Spike Jones’ side-splittingly spooky 1959 album In Stereo: A Spooktacular in Screaming Sound! returns from Omnivore Recordings in time for Halloween as freshly remastered from the original tapes.  Led by an illustrious company including Paul Frees (Boris Badenov, The Haunted Mansion’s Ghost Host), Thurl Ravenscroft (“You’re…

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The Weekend Stream: September 20, 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. Lenny Kravitz gets expanded, The Doors revisit a classic concert, J. Lo goes Broadway, and much, much more! Lenny Kravitz, Circus (Deluxe Edition) (Virgin/UMe) (Apple / Amazon) Kravitz’s top ten album from 1995 receives thirteen bonus cuts in this digital-only expansion, including live and acoustic tracks plus three studio cuts previously available on an EP and as vinyl bonus tracks (“Another Life,” “Confused,” “Is It Me, Is It You”). The…

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Release Round-Up: Week of September 19

Welcome to this week’s Release Round-Up, featuring a selection of the new titles available today including – did we ever think we’d get the chance to say this? – the CD debut of Buckingham Nicks!  As an Amazon affiliate, we earn from qualifying purchases. Buckingham Nicks (Rhino) CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada LP: Amazon U.S. (gold) / Amazon U.K. (baby blue) / Amazon Canada (gold) In just over 15 years of reporting at The Second Disc, it’s a sentence we never thought we’d write: Buckingham Nicks is getting its first-ever reissue.  The 1973 album from Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks…

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A Second Disc Interview: A.J. Croce Brings the Family Songbook to Life Once More

The music business works in mysterious ways. Not long after posting news that recent remixes of Jim Croce’s classic solo albums were getting repackaged into a CD set, The Second Disc was approached with the opportunity to talk to A.J. Croce, the son of the late singer/songwriter, ahead of a tour he’s mounting. Adrian James Croce was eight days shy of turning two when a plane crash claimed the life of his father, then just 30 years old. He has since gone into music himself: hardly a clone of Jim – there’s a…

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The Weekend Stream: September 13, 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. Phil Collins gets remixed, unexpected covers of The Cure and Bob Dylan and so much more – all part of this week’s round-up! Phil Collins, No Jacket Required (2025 Mix) (Craft/Rhino) (Apple / Amazon) A nice surprise for fans of Phil: not only have a few bonus tracks exclusive to the new vinyl box set of No Jacket Required made digital stores, but Steven Wilson’s stereo remix of the original album…

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Release Round-Up: Week of September 12

Welcome to this week’s Release Round-Up, featuring a selection of the new titles available today.  With nearly 25 titles, it also just might be the year’s biggest to date!  As an Amazon affiliate, we earn from qualifying purchases. David Bowie, I Can’t Give Everything Away (2002-2016) (Parlophone) 18LP: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada 13CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada After a period of nearly four years, David Bowie’s series of “Eras” box sets is returning with a new, final volume.  I Can’t Give Everything Away (2002-2016) concludes the career-spanning chronicle of the shape-shifting superstar.  The new 13-CD or 18-LP box…

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