Here at Second Disc HQ, we’re big fans of Maggie, Suzzy, and Terre Roche – a.k.a. The Roches! The trailblazing trio from Park Ridge, New Jersey, once described as “punk folk,” smashed genre barriers with their rich original songbook: alternately witty and wrenching, wise and wry, joyful and melancholy. After Maggie and Terre made their debut on Columbia Records with Seductive Reasoning (including a production by Paul Simon, with whom they had sung on There Goes Rhymin’ Simon‘s “Was a Sunny Day”), they joined with youngest sister Suzzy as a trio. The…
High Time: Grateful Dead’s “Workingman’s Dead” Returns in Blu-ray, Audiophile Vinyl, and Reel-to-Reel Editions
Last weekend, we filled you in on the new Play Dead app, featuring a treasure trove of Grateful Dead concert performances from over the years. Today, Rhino announced a trio of new editions celebrating the band’s 1970 album Workingman’s Dead: Rhino High Fidelity reissues on vinyl and reel-to-reel tape, and a Dolby Atmos mix overseen by drummer Mickey Hart. Frequently hailed as one of the Dead’s most accessible albums (along with its follow-up, American Beauty), Workingman’s Dead placed its focus on tighter songcraft in a country/folk-oriented vein that would later be described as…
Up, Up, and Away: The 5th Dimension’s Soul City and Bell Albums Collected on New Box from TSD, Cherry Red
2026 marks 60 years of The 5th Dimension–and the celebration is kicking off with the first-ever box set dedicated to the legendary “champagne soul” fivesome! Second Disc Records is proud to announce the June 12 release from Cherry Red’s Lemon Recordings imprint of Let the Sunshine In: The Soul City & Bell Albums 1967-1974. This comprehensive 6CD collection brings together all of Marilyn McCoo, Billy Davis, Jr., Florence LaRue, and the late Ron Townson and LaMonte McLemore’s recordings for the Soul City, Bell, and Arista labels, plus bonus selections including the group’s…
We’re Havin’ a Freak Out! “Zappa ’66,” Due in May, Relaunches Vaulternative Records
Frank Zappa’s archival label Vaulternative Records was launched in 2002 by the late artist’s family to present a variety of fascinating odds and ends from his voluminous archive. Now, after a near-decade-long hiatus, Vaulternative is returning from Zappa Records and UMe to continue preserving the experimental side of the Zappa oeuvre. The newly-refreshed Vaulternative label launches on May 15 with Zappa ’66: Vol. 1 – Live at TTG Studios on one CD or two 180-gram LPs, or via digital download/streaming (including high-resolution audio) exclusively from Zappa.com, uDiscover Music, and Sound of Vinyl….
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In Memoriam: Dave Mason (1946-2026)
For seven decades, the music of Dave Mason has left us “feelin’ alright” (no question mark necessary). The singer, songwriter, guitarist, and Traffic co-founder weathered the changing musical tides well into the 21st century, playing his final concert on August 18, 2024 in Plainfield, Indiana as he celebrated the release of a memoir titled after one of his most famed songs, Only You Know and I Know. Mason’s death was announced yesterday, just weeks shy of what would have been his 80th birthday. Mason co-founded Traffic in Birmingham – about 30 miles…
Something Beautiful Remains: Tina Turner’s Penultimate Studio Album ‘Wildest Dreams’ Gets Deluxe Reissue
Tina Turner’s long-running series of expanded editions continues on June 26 from Parlophone with a new 30th anniversary 4CD/1Blu-ray edition of the late superstar’s 1996 album – and ninth solo studio release, overall – Wildest Dreams. The stylistically varied LP was helmed by a number of producers including Trevor Horn, Terry Britten, Nellee Hooper, and Pet Shop Boys and Chris Porter. Adorned with a warm cover photo of a beaming Turner, Wildest Dreams included collaborations with Sting and Antonio Banderas; the title track “Wildest Dreams” would later be re-recorded as a duet…
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The Second Disc’s Guide to Record Store Day 2026
Tomorrow, Record Store Day is once again upon us! And it wouldn’t be a RSD without The Second Disc chiming in with our annual RSD Guide featuring some of our favorite picks. As always, it wasn’t easy for us to narrow ’em down, so we’d like you to sound off on your hoped-for titles, too! Looking for the nearest shop? Visit RecordStoreDay.com in the U.S., RecordStoreDay.co.uk in the U.K., and RecordStoreDayCanada.ca in Canada for the complete list of participating stores. Without further ado, Mike, Joe, and Randy have a handful of the titles upon which…
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New York State of Mind: Billy Joel’s “The 100th: The Complete Concert” Comes to DVD, Blu-ray
On March 28, 2024, Billy Joel performed the 100th concert of his long-running residency at New York’s Madison Square Garden. Just months later, on July 25, Joel brought down the curtain on the ten-year residency with its 104th date (and the singer-songwriter’s 150th overall show at the venue). On May 29, Columbia and Legacy will bring that landmark 100th show, featuring special guest Sting, to DVD and Blu-ray. The 100th: Live at Madison Square Garden – The Complete Concert finds Joel in reflective yet rocking mode as he performs a string of…
On the Wing: Pink Floyd Plan New ‘8-Tracks’ Compilation, Standalone Audio Release of 1975 L.A. Gig
Pink Floyd are revisiting their latest catalogue title with a standalone issue of a celebrated live bootleg on new formats – and they’re also planning a unique new compilation. The group’s Wish You Were Here 50 was packed with extras, most notably Live from the Los Angeles Sports Arena, April 26th, 1975. This performance, featuring key selections from the 1975 album as well as a full performance of the group’s 1973 masterpiece The Dark Side of the Moon, was taped by legendary bootlegger Mike Millard and restored for official release by Steven Wilson of…
We Gonna Rock: Rhino Brings Todd Rundgren, John Prine RSD Titles to CD
On Saturday, April 18, record buyers everywhere will descend upon independent shops to seek out a variety of limited-edition vinyl LPs on Record Store Day. Happily, Rhino is continuing its recent tradition of releasing a select number of its RSD titles in the CD format, as well. One day earlier, on April 17, the label will release the double-disc expansion of a-ha’s Analogue (read all about it here!) as well as Todd Rundgren’s Runt Live: The Necessary Cosmic Frenzy and John Prine’s BBC Sessions on CD. Runt Live: The Necessary Cosmic Frenzy…
Review: Frank Zappa, Captain Beefheart, and The Mothers, “Bongo Fury: 50th Anniversary Super Deluxe Edition”
The earliest known recordings of Frank Zappa and Don Van Vliet, a.k.a. Captain Beefheart, are one in the same. The pair’s “Lost in a Whirlpool,” recorded at Antelope Valley College in Lancaster, California circa 1958, is hardly auspicious but points the way towards the future musical activities of both men: Zappa, for its humorous lyrics (“about a person who was…skindiving in the San Diego sewer system, and talking about encountering brown, blind fish…It was kind of like the Cousteau expedition of its era,” per Zappa in 1989) and Beefheart, for its blues…
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Apogee: Jethro Tull, Ian Anderson Revisit “Under Wraps” and “Walk Into Light” on New Box Set
The latest in the long-running series of Jethro Tull hardcover book-style sets features not one, but two albums – including an Ian Anderson solo set. Under Wraps: The Unwrapped Edition, due May 15 from Chrysalis, explores both Tull’s Under Wraps (1984) and Anderson’s debut as a solo artist, Walk Into Light (1983), via the kind of comprehensive presentation that fans of the series have learned to expect. The impetus for bringing the albums together is their shared sound. Both albums deviated from the folk-rooted “classic rock” sound of the ‘70s to embrace…
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Happy Day: Book of Love’s Debut Turns 40, Receives New Vinyl Pressing from Rhino
Who wrote the Book of Love? On June 26, Rhino will revisit the debut from synth-pop pioneers Book of Love in a new 40th anniversary vinyl edition of their self-titled album which first hit stores on April 1, 1986. (No fooling!) The Philadelphia-formed, New York-based band – lead vocalist Susan Ottaviano and keyboardists/backing vocalists Ted Ottaviano (believe it or not, no relation!), Jade Lee, and Lauren Roselli (later Johnson) – shattered taboos with their frank songs about LGBTQ+ and outsider youths, set to throbbing electronic beats. Their debut LP, produced by Ivan…
All I Want: a-ha Expand ‘Analogue’ for Its 20th Anniversary
The eighth album by Norwegian trio a-ha – the late-period triumph Analogue – is the band’s latest to be expanded and reissued by Rhino this spring. Released for its 20th anniversary, the new Analogue package includes the newly remastered album alongside a B-side and three single mixes as well as a 17-track bonus disc of mostly previously unreleased demos and alternative versions of every track on the LP plus more. It’s available as a 2CD set on April 17, with a 2LP version available a day later as a Record Store Day exclusive. a-ha…
‘I Want You,’ Too: Marvin Gaye’s Classic Gets Vinyl Reissues
When Marvin Gaye released his thirteenth studio album, I Want You, in March 1976, it had been roughly 2-1/2 years since his last solo studio album. Motown passed the time with various other Gaye releases: the Diana Ross duet set Diana and Marvin, a triple-LP Anthology, and a live album, but Gaye’s latest original work would be hotly anticipated. The label itself was at a crossroads; Four Tops and Martha Reeves had left the roster and The Jackson 5 were on the cusp of doing so. The sound of soul music was…
Short Takes: New Albums Coming Soon from McCartney, Manilow, Nelson, and Frampton
A host of TSD’s favorite artists have all announced new albums in recent days, culminating in today’s announcement from Paul McCartney. We thought we’d round up a few of these upcoming titles in today’s Short Takes! May 29 will see the release of Paul McCartney’s first studio album since 2020’s McCartney III. Macca previewed The Boys of Dungeon Lane with the new single “Days We Left Behind.” The intimate ballad was described by its composer in the press release as “very much a memory song for me. The album title, The Boys…
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Hello! “The Book of Mormon” Gets 15th Anniversary CD, LP Reissue
Fifteen years ago this morning, the cast of Broadway’s The Book of Mormon was celebrating its opening on Broadway and basking in the glowing reviews. The show continues today at its original home, The Eugene O’Neill Theatre. As part of the anniversary celebration, Rhino is releasing a new edition of the original cast album on June 26 on both CD and LP. The Book of Mormon was conceived by South Park creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone. They joined with Robert Lopez (who had written songs for the musical Avenue Q and would go on to co-write the songs…
Made For These Times: The Beach Boys’ “Pet Sounds” Revisited in Multiple Formats for 60th Anniversary
Beach Boys Week continues here at The Second Disc with news of the upcoming Pet Sounds 60 titles! Click here to read Part One of our review of the band’s We Gotta Groove: The Brother Studio Years box set. “I figure no one is educated musically ‘til they’ve heard [Pet Sounds],” Paul McCartney once said of The Beach Boys’ classic, released nearly 60 years ago on May 16, 1966. George Martin concurred: “Without Pet Sounds, Sgt. Pepper wouldn’t have happened.” Brian Wilson poured his musical heart into the album’s thirteen tracks; in less than thirty-five…
You Still Look Good to Me: Neil Diamond Revives Rick Rubin Collaboration with New Album “Wild at Heart”
A new album from Neil Diamond is on the horizon…and we think it’s going to be so good, so good, so good! The superstar singer-songwriter has just announced a new album: Wild at Heart, due out on May 8 from Capitol Records and UMe. The ten-track album is composed of outtakes recorded with producer Rick Rubin in 2007 for the Home Before Dark album (which was released the next year). Diamond has recently completed the tracks for this release. Diamond and Rubin – whose production credits at the time already encompassed Johnny Cash,…
We Bid You Goodnight: Mondo Reissues “The Grateful Dead Movie” Soundtrack on Massive Vinyl Box
By 1974, the members of Grateful Dead had grown tired of the touring grind as well as of the difficulties brought on by the massive Wall of Sound system. The band’s October 1974 hometown shows at San Francisco’s Winterland culminating in the October 20, 1974 performance known as “The Last One.” And indeed it was, in a sense, as the Dead didn’t return to regular touring for roughly eighteen months. The band hit on the idea of filming the Winterland shows so, in essence, if they weren’t touring, the concert still could. …
Pop Is (Not) Dead: Omnivore Celebrates The Knack With New Collection
Get The Knack! On May 8, Omnivore Recordings will reignite its longtime series of Knack collections with Knackology: The Zen Recordings, a 19-song collection from the archives of the label founded by the band’s main songwriter and lead singer, the late Doug Fieger. The set boasts demos, live recordings, and studio rarities from the band that’s so much more than just “My Sharona” and “Good Girls Don’t.” Knackology rounds up demos from Fieger and Berton Averre – the pair began collaborating in 1973, six years before the release on Capitol Records of…
Working Day and Night: Michael Jackson Biopic Yields New Compilation
Friday, April 24 sees the release in theatres everywhere of Michael, director Antoine Fuqua’s biopic-slash-celebration of the late King of Pop, Michael Jackson. Epic Records and Legacy Recordings are marking the occasion with the release the same day of Michael: Songs from the Motion Picture, a straightforward, 13-song soundtrack drawing on the period between The Jackson 5’s Motown debut and Jackson’s triumphant Bad (1987). Filling the superstar’s shoes is his nephew (and son of brother Jermaine) Jaafar Jackson, who reportedly will do some of his own singing in the film. Despite that,…
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OUT TOMORROW! TSD, Cherry Red Collect Leon Russell’s Paradise Recordings on New Box Set
‘Wedding Album’ was a gloriously upbeat slab of Southern soul where [Leon & Mary Russell’s] voices blended seamlessly…His own ‘Americana’ (1978) was partly co-written with Kim Fowley, swung with the aid of Chicago’s brass section; dismissed at the time, it’s aged nobly. At the very moment Mary’s self-produced, Leon-arranged ‘Heart of Fire’ undeservedly slipped by unnoticed, his ‘Life and Love’ (1979) added electronic drums and introspective songwriting…[Leon & New Grass Revival’s] accurately-titled, covers-heavy ‘The Live Album’ (1981) concluded Paradise with startling verve. Four stars. – MOJO, April 2026 A great collection of…
Take It To The Limit: Eagles Remix, Reissue “One Of These Nights” On New Box Set with Previously Unreleased Concert
With the release of their fourth studio album, 1975’s One of These Nights, Eagles notched a number of firsts: their first No. 1 album, their first to yield three top ten singles, and their first Grammy Award. One of those singles also went to No. 1. When all was said and done, One of These Nights sold four million copies and transformed the band into international superstars – even though it proved to be the swansong for original member Bernie Leadon. On May 1, Rhino will revisit One of These Nights in…
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Dancing on the Ceiling: Verve Premieres Long-Lost Oscar Peterson Live Album
Eight-time Grammy-winning, Montreal-born pianist Oscar Peterson (1925-2007) recorded prolifically over the years, releasing studio and live albums throughout his lifetime on the Mercury, Verve, MPS, Prestige, Pablo, and Telarc labels, among others. On April 17, Verve will add a new title to his already voluminous discography with the debut of The Oscar Peterson Trio At Baker’s Keyboard Lounge on CD, LP, and digital formats. Renowned Detroit venue Baker’s Keyboard Lounge celebrated its 90th anniversary in 2024 and is still going strong today as the United States’ longest continually operating jazz club. But…
