With his acumen for gripping poetry, inimitable baritone, and trademark Spanish-influenced fingerpicking, Leonard Cohen married his talents for poetry and song-craft to create some of the most enduring music of the singer-songwriter era and beyond. Like every great songwriter, Cohen's work continues to inspire an array of cover versions. Sure, there's the million-and-one covers of "Hallelujah," but even before the 1967 release of his debut Songs of Leonard Cohen, early supporters like Judy
His Name Is: Eminem’s Breakthrough ‘Slim Shady LP’ Gets Digital Expansion For 20th Anniversary
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 released his major-label debut, The Slim Shady LP, which launched him from the underground rap scene to worldwide superstardom. With iconic songs like "My Name Is," "Role Model," and
Sugar and Spice: Cherry Red Collects The Searchers’ “Complete Pye Recordings” On New Box
Last year, John McNally and Frank Allen of The Searchers announced that the Merseybeat band would be retiring in 2019, some 60 years after McNally co-founded the group and 55 years after Allen first joined up. The Searchers will play their final show on Sunday in Milton Keynes, about 50 miles northwest of London. But the music lives on, and today, Cherry Red's Grapefruit label releases an impressive tribute to the band's body of work with When You Walk in the Room: The Complete Pye Recordings
Doin’ That Rag: Rhino Expands Grateful Dead’s “Aoxomoxoa” for 50th Anniversary
Rhino has just announced the third title in Grateful Dead's ongoing series of 50th anniversary reissues. Like all the albums in this ongoing series including the previous releases of The Grateful Dead (2017) and Anthem of the Sun (2018), Aoxomoxoa will be released approximately 50 years after its anniversary date as a 2-CD deluxe edition that includes the newly-remastered original album plus a bonus disc of previously unreleased live recordings. Aoxomoxoa will also be reissued as a 12-inch
Revolutionary Songs: Cherry Red Reissues David Bowie Curio, “Just a Gigolo”
David Bowie followed up his otherworldly performance in 1976's The Man Who Fell to Earth with a decidedly more grounded role, that of Paul Ambrosius von Przygodski, a Prussian officer-turned-gigolo, in the 1978 film Just a Gigolo. Unlike The Man Who Fell to Earth, Bowie did contribute to the soundtrack of director David Hemmings' movie; now, that soundtrack has finally come to CD in expanded form from Cherry Red Records. The West German comedy-drama's story began in 1918. The picture
Motown Did It First: Japan’s Motown 60 Campaign Reissues Supremes, Temptations, Four Tops, Gladys, Martha, Brenda, and More
Motown Did It First! That's the campaign slogan for Universal Japan's ongoing program celebrating the venerable label's 60th anniversary. And indeed, the influence of Motown - still the most successful African-American-founded record label of all time - can't be underestimated when considering the current music scene. A number of physical releases have already been released in Japan to mark the anniversary, most of which are available as affordable imports and include titles not commonly
You’ll Want It: Real Gone Announces Cheap Trick Rarities Set “Epic Archive Vol. 3” and Reissue of Nitro’s “O.F.R.”
Real Gone Music has announced its latest releases - due on April 26 - which celebrate rock of the '80s and '90s. First up is the 1989 album O.F.R. by the late-'80s hair metal group Nitro, which will appear on limited-edition red and yellow explosion vinyl. Real Gone will also release a CD edition of the third and final volume of Cheap Trick's vault-dive series with The Epic Archive, Vol. 3 (1984-1992). This follows the previously announced red vinyl edition for Record Store Day. Both titles will
Tell Everyone: Ronnie Lane Rarities and Fan Favorites Collected on “Just For A Moment: Music, 1973-1997,” Due in May
Universal Music Catalogue has announced the May 17 release of a much welcomed Ronnie Lane box set that's chock full of rarities and fan favorites from across his solo career. Entitled Just For a Moment: Music, 1973-1997, the 6-CD box set boasts 118 tracks that span three decades. Ronnie Lane was always something of a maverick, a creative tour de force who was wager to blaze his own path and break away from the pressures of the industry. He first garnered acclaim as the bassist for The Small
Whatever Lola Wants: “Spotlight on Gwen Verdon” Arrives from Stage Door
On April 9, the FX network will premiere Fosse/Verdon, a new miniseries chronicling the tumultuous romantic and creative relationship and marriage of director-choreographer Bob Fosse and superstar dancer-actress Gwen Verdon (encompassing such classic musicals as Damn Yankees, Chicago, and Sweet Charity). Before that, the U.K.'s Stage Door label is celebrating the late, great Verdon with a new anthology, many of the tracks on which resulted from her partnership with Fosse. Spotlight on Gwen
Take No Prisoners: Megadeth Celebrates 35 Years With “Warheads On Foreheads”
Metal titans Megadeth will ring in their 35th anniversary this year, and they're letting fans in on the celebration with a new, 35-song career retrospective called Warheads On Foreheads. Due on March 22 from Capitol/UMe, the anthology includes tracks from their entire studio career, from their debut, Killing Is My Business...And Business Is Good, to their 2017 Grammy winner, Dystopia. It will be availble in a 3-CD configuration; digital download and streaming; a standard, black vinyl 4-LP
You Get What You Need: Restored “Rolling Stones Rock and Roll Circus” Arriving to Theaters in 4K/Dolby Atmos in April
It's been more than 50 years since The Rolling Stones and a host of friends converged at Intertel TV Studio in Wembley to film The Rolling Stones Rock and Roll Circus, the concert film that featured the band alongside friends like The Who, Jethro Tull, The Dirty Mac (a supergroup featuring John Lennon, Keith Richards, Eric Clapton, and Mitch Mitchell). The once-lost documentary has been newly restored and will be screened in select theaters throughout the United States in early
Take It On The Run: HNE Compiles REO Speedwagon’s Hit Era On Extras-Laden Box Set
Last October, Cherry Red/Hear No Evil released the 8-CD The Early Years 1971-1977, chronicling REO Speedwagon's beginning on Epic Records. And now they're back with the follow-up set: The Classic Years 1978-1990, containing the group's seven remaining Epic albums and a bonus live disc across 9 CDs, highlighting the period when REO Speedwagon became a household name. The first album in the box, 1978's You Can Tune A Piano, But You Can't Tuna Fish, found REO Speedwagon at a time of change.
The Smell of Incense Fills Your Room: Craft Recordings Announces New Psychedelic Rarities Collection, “Poppies”
Following their announcement of a Record Store Day color-vinyl edition of the title, Craft Recordings have unveiled further details about their new compilation of hard-to-find gems from the psychedelic era, entitled Poppies: Assorted Finery from the First Psychedelic Age. In addition to the orange-vinyl RSD version, which will be in independent shops on April 13, Poppies will also be released on CD and on digital download platforms on April 19. The 13-track collection - the first in a series
Alone Together: Real Gone To Reissue Dorothy Ashby, Frank Wess and “Cleopatra Jones” on Vinyl in April
Real Gone has announced a pair of vinyl reissues due on April 26, and we've got the detail for you right here. First up is a new edition of Dorothy Ashby and Frank Wess' Minor Groove album from 1958. Ashby was a jazz harpist who made her first headlining album the year before on the Regent label. For her third album (now on the New Jazz label), she was joined by flautist Wess who was a member of Count Basie's band and who had made several solo recordings himself. Here is how Real Gone
Bring Your Friends: Run Out Groove To Issue Unreleased Secret Machines Concert “Live at the Garage”
Run Out Groove Vinyl has recently announced the release of Live at the Garage, a previously unissued concert recording by alt-rockers Secret Machines. The 2-LP set captures the Dallas three-piece of Brandon Curtis (vocals, bass and keys), Benjamin Curtis (guitar and vocals), and Josh Garza (drums) as they performed a 70-minute, 12-song show at The Garage in Highbury, North London on January 18, 2006. Secret Machines' blend of progressive rock and Krautrock influences caught the attention of
Right from the Start, I Gave You My Heart: Edsel Collects Kiki Dee’s Complete Rocket Years
When Kiki Dee was signed in 1973 to Elton John's Rocket Records label, the 26-year old was already a veteran of the music business as an in-demand background singer and a solo artist for Fontana and Motown. The former Pauline Matthews of Bradford, West Yorkshire, England had proven herself a versatile vocalist at both of those labels, but at Rocket would finally take flight as a top-tier blue-eyed soul singer with so much more to offer than just the duet part in "Don't Go Breaking My Heart." The
Ain’t Gonna Play No Second Fiddle: Dana Gillespie’s MainMan Recordings Collected on “What Memories We Make”
Dana Gillespie first made a splash on the U.K. charts with a run of singles for Pye and a couple albums on Decca and London in the mid-'60s. In 1971, the actress-singer-musician signed to RCA under the aegis of MainMan, the management company headed by Tony Defries that famously included David Bowie on its roster. Gillespie had first befriended the future superstar as a teenager in Swinging London before reconnecting with him in a major way in the early 1970s. It was Bowie who had
You Got Me Rocking: The Rolling Stones Pair Hits and Rare Live Material on “Honk,” Due April 19
In anticipation of their upcoming North American No Filter tour, The Rolling Stones have announced the April 19 release of Honk, a new compilation album that focuses on the rock titans' post-1971 output. It will be released in a variety of configurations: 1-CD, 3-CD deluxe, 2-LP, and 4-LP deluxe editions, as well as digital download and streaming. The 1-CD collection and the 2-LP edition both collect 19 of The Stones' singles recorded from 1971 to 2016, plus an unreleased live version of
All I Need: Unreleased Townes Van Zandt Recordings Collected on “Sky Blue”
Townes Van Zandt is an icon of outlaw country, whose introspective and enigmatic songs have touched audiences for decades. His "Pancho and Lefty," first released on the 1972 album The Late Great Townes Van Zandt, remains one of the genre's best known and most beloved songs. His career spanned ten studio albums and nearly three decades and now Fat Possum Records, working alongside the Townes Van Zandt Estate and their TVZ imprint, have added another chapter with a new collection of unreleased
Take Me To The Pilot: Elton, Lennon, Queen Among Universal’s Record Store Day 2019 Offerings
Record Store Day 2019 is just under five weeks away. In anticipation of the April 13th celebration of vinyl, The Second Disc presents a round-up of Universal Music Group's RSD selections! The Charlatans, Us and Us Only - LP, clear vinyl - 1,000 copies Originally released in 1999, Us and Us Only was the British alt-rock group's sixth album. It will be reissued for the first time ever for Record Store Day, pressed on limited-edition transparent vinyl. Charlie Parker, Charlie Parker With
Ease On Down: Pat Boone and Family Celebrate Springtime and Easter on New DVD
Last November, MPI Home Video celebrated the holiday season with pop, film, and television star Pat Boone and his family with the release of a double feature DVD: Pat Boone & Famlly - Christmas and Thanksgiving Specials. Now, MPI is continuing the series with the Boones' Springtime and Easter Specials. When Pat began his series of specials for ABC-TV under the aegis of executive producer Jerry Weintraub in 1978, his daughter Debby had recently ascended to superstar status with the
Stop! And Think It Over: Perry Como’s Color “Music Hall” DVD Features Nancy Wilson, Bobbie Gentry, George Carlin
For a staggering six decades, Perry Como was a welcome presence on television screens with his long-running, award-winning programs. Perhaps no recording artist used the medium of television as well as Mr. C did, all the while charting dozens of hit records including "Catch a Falling Star," "Magic Moments," and "It's Impossible." Last year saw a new PBS biography and song retrospective (Till The End Of Time - Perry Como Classics) and an accompanying 4-CD set with 100 original recordings
In Memoriam: Hal Blaine (1929-2019)
You may not know the name, but you know the sound. The sound of Hal Blaine was one of jubilance, energy, drama, power, ferocity, and swagger, ever deployed solely in service of the song. Upon his death yesterday at the age of 90, Brian Wilson deemed him "the greatest drummer ever." Few could argue with that description, as Blaine was Los Angeles' first-call drummer during perhaps the greatest period of pop invention in the latter half of the twentieth century. From 1966 to 1971, Blaine
Love Is Here to Stay: Resonance Premieres Unheard Bill Evans, Wes Montgomery on CD and Vinyl
This April, Resonance Records returns to the vault for new archival releases on vinyl and CD from two titans of jazz: pianist Bill Evans and guitarist Wes Montgomery. Evans in England is due on limited edition 2-LP vinyl on Record Store Day, Saturday, April 13, with 2-CD and digital versions arriving one week later on April 19. The album transports listeners back to 1969, when the introspective Evans (1929-1980) was joined in his familiar trio setting by bassist Eddie Gomez and guitarist
Handwritten Lyrics, Rare Artwork Collected in Joni Mitchell’s “Morning Glory On the Vine: Early Songs and Drawings,” Due October 22
Music icon Joni Mitchell has been in the news a lot lately. In November, she organized and attended the Joni 75 birthday tribute concerts in her honor, which were turned into a film (with international screenings on March 21, PBS airings all this month, and a DVD release arriving March 29). There was also the 8-LP reissue of the Love Has Many Faces collection, Norman Seeff's photo book, the blue vinyl reissue of Blue, not to mention the release of Joni 75: A Birthday Celebration on CD this