“I’m trying to get to the core of what this Rolling Thunder thing is all about…and I don’t have a clue!” Bob Dylan impishly addressed his most famed concert tour – and, indeed, one of the most famed of all time – for the 2019 fact-meets-fiction film Rolling Thunder Revue: A Bob Dylan Story by Martin Scorsese. The Academy Award-winning director knew that there were many stories surrounding Dylan’s carnival-esque Rolling Thunder tour of 1975-1976 – true, false, and everything in between – and all of those stories were manifested in the…
Kajagogoo Box from Cherry Red (with Amazing Title) Will Leave You Tongue Tied, Short of Breath
A new box from Cherry Red will be the final word on a band whose name sounds like a first word – and wait ’til you see the title of the box, which we can’t stop thinking about. Box of Goo: The Complete Anthology is an 8CD set devoted to Bedfordshire synth-pop act Kajagoogoo. It includes just about everything the band ever released: the EMI-distributed albums White Feathers (1982), Islands (1984) and Crazy Peoples Right to Speak (1985), the latter released under the name Kaja; a self-released live album from the ’80s, two reunion projects with varying line-ups,…
OUT TOMORROW! Cherry Red, Second Disc Collects The Roches’ Warner Bros. and Rykodisc Albums on “Runs in the Family”
The world first heard the voices of Maggie and Terre Roche on Paul Simon’s 1972 LP There Goes Rhymin’ Simon. With youngest sister Suzzy, The Roches soon carved out a remarkable career of their own. Between 1979 and 2007, Maggie, Terre, and Suzzy pushed the boundaries of so-called folk music. The songs of The Roches were personal, funny, heartbreaking, vulnerable, witty, sad, joyful, and utterly original as the sisters bared their hearts and souls in striking harmony. Tomorrow, on September 11, Cherry Red’s Lemon Recordings and Second Disc Records will celebrate The…
Go Crazy: Flesh For Lulu’s “Long Live The New Flesh” and “Plastic Fantastic” Reissued, Expanded by Omnivore
For fans of Flesh for Lulu, October 16 is going to be your “Lucky Day.” On that date, Omnivore Recordings unveils deluxe 2CD expanded editions of two seminal albums from the U.K. post-punk heroes: Long Live the New Flesh (1987) and Plastic Fantastic (1989). These two deluxe sets arrive in advance of the band’s long-awaited reunion onstage at London’s Lexington on February 6, 2027. Lead vocalist Nick Marsh, lead guitarist Rocco Barker, bassist Kevin Mills, and drummer James Mitchell’s 1987 debut on the Beggars Banquet label, Long Live the New Flesh, marked…
Any Way You Want It: BMG Preps First Volume of Dave Clark Five Albums Series
At last, the long-unavailable albums of The Dave Clark Five will be coming to CD…sort of. BMG has announced a three-volume set reissuing the Five’s core North American album catalogue, beginning with the October 23 release of Glad All Over the World: The Hits and Albums Volume 1 (1964-1965). Five DC5 albums are presented on five CDs in this volume, with the discs housed in a ten-panel fold-out digipak also containing a 24-page booklet. However, the track listings mirror the 2019 digital remasters which were substantially altered and resequenced; they do not…
Total Freedom: Two George Michael Live Releases – One with Wham! – Due This Year
If you’ve never caught George Michael in concert, this year will see the release of not one but two peak-era releases showcasing his live skills – an EP of unreleased live cuts with Wham!, and a full concert album from 1988’s tour in support of solo debut Faith. Both projects are tied to recent or forthcoming film releases. 10 Days in China – The Live EP follows the recent release of Wham! 10 Days in China, unbelievably the third documentary on the duo in the last four years. (The first, a self-titled, career-spanning documentary, bowed…
This is Not a Review of Prince’s ‘Timeless.’ Here’s Why
Until yesterday, this was going to be a pretty standard review of Timeless (NPG/Paisley Park 19958 44929-2), the newest posthumous Prince project, arriving just over a decade after his tragic passing. You would read about how unusual it is at this juncture to release a short compilation of unrelated outtakes from the Minneapolis icon’s storied vault, one not curated by him or guided by his examples, one that reminds you of projects we’d love to have on our shelves – a pre-1999 deep dive, a complete presentation of his final concerts (or any…
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And The Music’s All Right: “The Who By Numbers” Goes Super Deluxe
May 1975 found Pete Townshend turning 30 and troubled by thoughts of the future. What would it hold for The Who, the music business, and rock and roll itself? He poured his anxieties and emotions into The Who by Numbers, the October ’75 release of which would become the band’s seventh studio album. On October 30, Polydor and UMe celebrates 51 (!) years of The Who by Numbers with a new 5CD/1Blu-ray Super Deluxe Edition. Sessions for the album began in April 1975 and continued through early June, with producer Glyn Johns…
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One Step Closer to the Danger Zone: Foreigner Sets Expanded Remix of ‘Head Games’
Following last year’s deluxe expanded edition of Foreigner’s 1981 album 4(opens in new tab) – the band’s fourth overall album – Rhino is turning back the clock to another multi-platinum album, 1979’s Head Games. On October 30, Head Games will return in a 3CD/1Blu-ray edition as well as a standalone 1LP vinyl edition of the new album remix at the centerpiece of the full box set. Head Games marked a time of transition for Foreigner. Co-produced by Roy Thomas Baker (Queen, Dusty Springfield), Mick Jones, and Ian McDonald, it featured Lou Gramm…
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In Other Words: “Sinatra at the Sands” 60th Anniversary Celebrated with New 5CD Box Set, Remixed LP
“How did all these people get in my room?” Frank Sinatra quipped when he strode onstage at The Sands’ Copa Room in January 1966 for his sold-out concerts, but, in truth, there was no doubt that it was Sinatra’s room. Las Vegas was his kind of town. Supported by Count Basie and His Orchestra under the baton of arranger-conductor Quincy Jones, the Chairman of the Board – who had recently turned 50 years old and entered the September of his years, was in his element. His electrifying shows were preserved on his…
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Favorite Things: John Coltrane’s Centennial Celebrated with New Compilations
A heavy-duty vinyl collection from Rhino Records will tell the story of John Coltrane in honor of his centennial – one of several forthcoming titles set to honor the legendary saxophonist. John Coltrane 100 – Selections from 1951-1967 assembles 37 tracks across six 180-gram vinyl LPs showcasing Coltrane as both a bandleader and a sideman who logged time with Miles Davis, Thelonious Monk, Dizzy Gillespie, Art Blakey and others. Licensed from multiple labels including Atlantic, Impulse!, Columbia, Blue Note and Prestige, it’s one of the most definitive musical portraits of Trane ever…
In Memoriam: Dolly Parton (1946-2026)
The Second Disc joins the myriad voices of musical enthusiasts stunned by the news of Dolly Parton’s passing on August 25, 2026. Mike remembers an enduring icon who may have been the most universally beloved person on the planet. Joe’s tribute will run later this week. Ten years removed from a year when it felt like a shocking amount of musical luminaries passed away – and knowing full well that time only moves forward to make us bid others farewell – Dolly Parton’s passing at the age of 80 still stuns. In…
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She Was Trouble: UMe Celebrates 20th Anniversary of Amy Winehouse’s ‘Back to Black’ with Deluxe Edition
Twenty years after it became a worldwide blockbuster – and more than 15 years since her passing broke the hearts of fans everywhere – Amy Winehouse’s final album will be reissued with a host of bonus material, including unheard demos and an unreleased live set. UMe will reissue 2006’s Back to Black on October 23 (the Friday before its official anniversary on October 27) in a variety of formats, most notably 3CD and 3LP sets packed with more than two dozen bonus tracks. (In a coup for CD buyers, five B-sides and three…
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A Time For Everything: Rhino High Fidelity Boxes First Five Jethro Tull Albums, Reissues “Aqualung” on Reel-to-Reel
Rhino is continuing its High Fidelity series with a new box set celebrating prog rock titans Jethro Tull. Available today exclusively from Rhino.com, Jethro Tull 1968-1972 presents the band’s groundbreaking first five albums in one limited-edition box set: This Was (1968), Stand Up (1969), Benefit (1970), Aqualung (1971), and Thick as a Brick. All five titles have been cut AAA from the original U.K. analog master tapes by Kevin Gray and pressed on heavyweight 180-gram vinyl at Optimal in Germany. The albums are each housed in a glossy gatefold jacket within the…
It’s Nice to Be with You: 7A Readies Davy Jones’ “Let Me Entertain You: On the Road with Davy” Live Album
Both solo and with The Monkees – and various permutations thereof – Davy Jones spent decades on the road sharing the music he loved all over the world. While a Monkees setlist would be painstakingly constructed, the solo Jones was far more freewheeling, incorporating new and old songs and crossing genre lines with abandon. Now, on September 11, 7A Records celebrates the late singer’s legacy with a new live compendium. Let Me Entertain You: On the Road with Davy boasts two dozen concert recordings spanning 1979-2003 from venues in the United States,…
You Are The Magnet: Edsel Collects Walter Egan’s Early Albums On “The Collection”
Walter Egan’s first album was titled Fundamental Roll, and, indeed, the New York-born singer-songwriter was certainly on a roll. Egan and Duane Scott co-produced the 1977 album with Fleetwood Mac’s Lindsey Buckingham and Steve Nicks – fresh off the release of Rumours – and the Buckingham/Nicks duo returned for 1978’s Not Shy, bringing along Richard Dashut. Not Shy yielded Egan’s signature hit, “Magnet and Steel,” which went to the U.S. top ten. Now, Edsel has celebrated the first chapter of Egan’s solo career with the new 4CD box, The Album Collection 1977-1980,…
Throw That Beat in the Garbage Can: The B-52’s Expand ‘Mesopotamia’ EP with Outtakes, Remixes and More
The B-52’s are returning to Mesopotamia. This Friday, August 21, the band will revisit their 1982 David Byrne-produced EP on Ancient Culture: Mesopotamia Revisited, a new and generously expanded 3CD/1LP box set premiering outtakes, alternate mixes, and a previously unreleased concert from the era. Following two back-to-back albums (1979’s self-titled debut and 1980’s Wild Planet), The B-52’s were creatively tapped out. Moving the group into a house in upstate New York to concentrate on writing only inflamed tensions further. A compilation, Party Mix!, was issued in 1981 as a stopgap measure to…
Light Shine on Me: The Waterboys Revisit “Fisherman’s Blues” with New “Atlantic Rain” Box
Since bursting onto the post-punk scene with 1983’s self-titled album The Waterboys, the band led by Scottish singer-songwriter Mike Scott has lived up to its moniker as “the big music.” The Waterboys’ sound has taken in rock, folk, rhythm and blues, soul, pop, country, classical, jazz, and beyond. Perhaps no album in the band’s catalogue, however, was more expansive than their fourth album, 1988’s Fisherman’s Blues. Recorded over two years in Dublin and Galway by Scott, saxophonist/mandolinist Anthony “Anto” Thistlethwaite, violinist Steve Wickham, bassist Trevor Hutchinson, and many others, Fisherman’s Blues found…
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How Sweet It Is: Rhino’s New Quadio Batch Includes James Taylor, James Gang, David Gates, Herbie Mann
Rhino’s Quadio series has recently announced its latest batch of four titles, and as usual, they comprise a quartet of eclectic titles from the 1970s. Two singer-songwriters – James Taylor and Bread’s David Gates – are joined by soul-jazz titan Herbie Mann and the rockers of The James Gang. Each Blu-ray Audio Disc in the Quadio series includes the original four-channel quadraphonic mix with a high-resolution 192/24 stereo mix, with both sourced from the original analog tapes. (The lone exception here is the Herbie Mann quad mix, which was sourced out of…
How It Is Done: Cherry Red Collects The Riot Squad, Including David Bowie Recordings, On New 3CD Collection
The Riot Squad only released seven singles on the U.K.’s Pye label between 1965 and 1967. But thanks to the discovery of Joe Meek’s Tea Chest Tapes, the story of the band that might be best known for a short-lived collaboration with David Bowie can now be told in full. I Take It That We’re Through: Anthology 1965-1967 arrives from Cherry Red’s Strawberry imprint on August 21, with 3 CDs and 83 tracks (40 of which are previously unreleased and another 14 of which are new to CD). Ron Ryan (guitar), Graham…
Don’t Let Go: Real Gone’s August Lineup Includes En Vogue, Obituary, Elephant’s Memory, and Absolute Grey
Real Gone’s August slate of releases hitting stores tomorrow, August 7, spans from the 1970s to the 1990s and includes genres from soul to rock death metal to punk (!) on vinyl and CD. Read below for more details on each title! Absolute Grey formed in September 1983 in Rochester, New York, consisting of vocalist Beth Brown, guitarist Matt Kitchen, bassist Mitchell Rasor, and drummer Pat Thomas. Drawing inspiration from the melodic guitar work of bands such as R.E.M., Rain Parade, and the Paisley Underground movement, Absolute Grey developed a distinctive sound…
Wowie Zowie: Frank Zappa’s “Freak Out!” Goes Super Deluxe For 60th Anniversary
Freak Out! Frank Zappa’s 1966 Verve Records debut with his band The Mothers of Invention was a call-to-arms to the Los Angeles underground music scene. Subverting notions of traditional pop and rock, the album blended searing social commentary with doo-wop pastiches, rhythm and blues, absurdist comedy, jazz, and musique concrete. Even today, the Mothers’ clarion call to the counterculture sounds like no other album, but it was just a portent of things to come from Zappa. On September 25, Zappa Records and UMe will revisit Freak Out! on the occasion of its…
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Being Rhythmically Admired: Elvis Costello’s Debut Gets Box Set Edition This Fall
With Buddy Holly glasses, a slender frame, and a famous moniker, Elvis Costello burst onto the album scene in July 1977 with My Aim Is True. Though critics and listeners alike were quick to place the artist born Declan Patrick MacManus as a punk or new wave artist, his musical roots ran far deeper. My Aim Is True, produced by Nick Lowe, set Costello on the uncompromising path to a current tally of 33 studio albums, six live sets, numerous singles and EPs, and a still-flourishing concert career. Now, on October 2,…
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Hungarian Rhapsody: Queen’s Final Filmed Concert Set for Multi-Format Remix, Reissue
The last concert Queen recorded with original frontman Freddie Mercury is getting dramatically restored for its 40th anniversary this fall, with presentations on multiple audio and video formats. Queen Budapest – recorded at the Hungarian capital’s Népstadion in the summer of 1986 – will offer the legendary show with newly remastered footage (digitized by the country’s National Film Institute and restored at 4K high-definition by Peter Jackson’s Park Road Post team) and remixed audio from the original multitracks. The complete concert audio will be released on triple vinyl for the first time,…
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The Word: The Beatles’ “Rubber Soul” Is Remixed, Expanded For New Box Set
Beep-beep, beep-beep, yeah: a remixed and remastered Rubber Soul is on the way from Apple Corps. The Beatles’ sixth studio album, 1965’s Rubber Soul is often considered to be the Fabs’ “folk-rock” album, but its mélange of styles makes it far more than that. Now, with the release on October 2 of a 4CD or 5LP/7″ box set as well as a single-disc Blu-ray, 2CD and 2LP expansions and CD and LP remixes, it’s a richer and fuller collection than ever. With a schedule free of concert and film commitments, The Beatles…
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