This fall, Vinyl Me Please is partnering with Craft Recordings' Jazz Dispensary imprint to reissue some crate-diggers' delights from David Axelrod, Jack DeJohnette, Bernard Purdie, Leon Spencer, and Idris Muhammad with full audiophile treatment. The music has been remastered in an all-analog chain from original tape sources by Kevin Gray at Cohearant Audio. Each LP, meanwhile, is pressed on 180-gram color vinyl at RTI and features a heavyweight, tip-on sleeve bearing exact reproductions of
Holiday Gift Guide Review: The Free Design, “Butterflies Are Free: The Original Recordings 1967-72”
"Sorry - only one group like this to a generation," renowned engineer-producer Phil Ramone wrote on the back cover of The Free Design's 1968 sophomore album You Could Be Born Again. After over 50 years, The Free Design are still a singular group, difficult to pigeonhole. Their gentle, even childlike style has frequently landed them in the sunshine pop genre, but that match was never quite right: not only were they from New York, but their sound lacked the brightness and even brashness that
Snowblind: Black Sabbath’s “Vol. 4” Goes Super Deluxe in February with Unreleased Studio, Live Material
Ozzy Osbourne hasn't been far from the news lately, appearing on the cover of GQ, sharing details of his ongoing struggle with Parkinson's disease, releasing the new album Ordinary Man, and appearing on various television projects. On February 12, 2021, however, Rhino will be looking back with Osbourne, Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler, and Bill Ward for a 4-CD or 5-LP celebration of their classic 1972 album: Black Sabbath Vol. 4. Now a platinum seller, Vol. 4 was the band's first self-produced LP
I Told You I Was Trouble: Two Amy Winehouse Box Sets Coming to CD, LP
This Friday, two new box sets will celebrate the legacy of the late Amy Winehouse across vinyl and CD. 12 x 7: The Singles Collection and The Collection (both currently available in the U.K.) will respectively collect all of the late British singer's A- and B-sides on 12 pieces of vinyl and her three studio albums on CD alongside a live concert and remix collection previously unreleased in the format. (A 2015 vinyl variant of the album-focused The Collection included those same studio and live
Smuggler’s Blues: ‘Star Wars’ Spin-Off ‘Solo’ Gets Mondo Vinyl Release, Digital Expanded Soundtrack
2018's Solo: A Star Wars Story sharply divided fans and Star Wars aficionados. The film, chronicling the early years of Han Solo, Chewbacca, and Lando Calrissian, endured a bumpy - and very public - road to theatres that saw original directors Phil Lord and Christopher Miller (The Lego Movie, Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse) replaced by veteran Ron Howard. But while reviews were mixed on the film, one crucial element consistently earned well-deserved recognition: John Powell's score. In recent
THE SECOND DISC’S 2020 HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE IS HERE!
Another Cyber Monday is here, which means one thing at Second Disc HQ: it's time to launch our annual Holiday Gift Guide, featuring 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 more than 50 essential selections: box sets (such as the amazing Elton John title to your right!) as well as archival releases and Christmas music favorites that just might make great
Voices Inside: Vinyl Me, Please Details December Exclusive Titles and Next ‘VMP Anthology’ Volume, A Tribute to Tribe Records
Vinyl Me, Please has built a name as skilled curators of a music experience, whether through monthly record club releases, immersive multimedia box sets, or selected special pressings. This month, the online club has announced several new projects continuing in that vein. For this month's Essentials selection (one of three monthly "tracks" available to subscribers, along with Classics and Hip-Hop), VMP will press up a special, all-analog-remastered edition of Billie Holiday's Lady Sings the
So Nice: The Lennon Sisters Return This Weekend to Public Television, Issue New Christmas, Broadway, and Standards Collections on CD
65 years ago this coming Christmas Eve, The Lawrence Welk Show welcomed a winsome young quartet for their very first television appearance. The story goes that the host's teenaged son brought Dianne, Peggy, Kathy, and Janet Lennon home to sing for him; their shimmering vocal harmonies won the elder Welk over and he quickly booked them to appear on his show. The response was so tremendous that The Lennon Sisters continued to appear every Saturday night with the "wunnerful, wunnerful" host until
Call Any Vegetable: Soundtrack to “Zappa” Documentary Includes Classics, Rarities, Unreleased Tracks, and Original Score
Today sees the streaming release of the documentary film Zappa from director (and Bill in the Bill & Ted series of films) Alex Winter. Taking into account the many sides of the late, iconoclastic artist - from musician to activist, from boundary-breaking rock-and-roller to innovative composer - the movie has already received widespread acclaim. Fully authorized by the Zappa Family Trust, Winter's portrait of the artist incorporates rare archival footage alongside interviews with key family
Behind That Locked Door: 50th Anniversary Celebrations for George Harrison’s “All Things Must Pass” Kick Off TODAY With Remixed Title Track, “My Sweet Lord” RSD Black Friday Release
This morning, the estate of George Harrison has released a new 2020 remix of the artist's classic song, "All Things Must Pass." Originally released 50 years ago today on the All Things Must Pass triple-album, it's now released as a digital single as "a prelude of what's to come." The new stereo mix has been undertaken by Paul Hicks, who's been involved with recent Beatles archival projects as well as the John Lennon Gimme Some Truth box set. It arrives the same day as the reissued "My Sweet
The Second Disc’s Guide To Record Store Day Black Friday 2020
Today's Black Friday shopping will likely look a little different thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic. But one thing will remain the same: Record Store Day's yearly event. It's been a packed year with RSD Drops in the months of August, September, and October. Now, they're going out with a bang. Labels big and small will release limited-edition vinyl with the collector in mind. Whether you're after new music from legends, reissues of sought-after recordings, or unreleased rarities from the vault,
Skating on Thin Ice: Cherry Red, Esoteric Reissue Procol Harum’s “Something Magic” in Expanded Edition
Procol Harum titled their 1977 album Something Magic, and indeed, magic was what the English band hoped for when they headed to Criteria Studios in Miami, Florida to record it. Now, Cherry Red's Esoteric Recordings imprint has revisited Something Magic as a 2-CD expanded edition with three bonus tracks and a BBC Radio One concert. After Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller, producers of 1975's Procol's Ninth, were unavailable to reteam with the band, Procol turned to Criteria and in-house
The Most Wonderful Time: New Andy Williams Special Premieres, “The Ultimate Collection” and More Released
Over the past weeks, radio stations across America have been changing to holiday formats. There's a good chance that if you spin the radio dial, you'll end up on the voice of Andy Williams. The late singer's 1963 favorite "It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year" has become an unofficial anthem of the Christmas season, and last year reached an all-time peak of No. 7 on the Billboard Hot 100 - an all the more impressive feat considering his first appearance on the chart was in 1956. Williams'
’60s ROCK, POP AND SOUL: New Treasury Collection DVD Set Offers Over 100 Favorites
Earlier this year, The Second Disc shared news of Rock, Pop and Doo Wop, a 7-DVD collection from Treasury Collection and executive producer-director TJ Lubinsky. Now, with the holidays upon us, a new set featuring dozens of classic hit-makers has just been released: '60s Rock, Pop and Soul. This 4-DVD package has been culled from two decades of Lubinsky's historic television concerts, with 130 hit songs from a "Who's Who" of legendary performers including Frankie Valli ("Can't Take My Eyes
Playing in the Band: Real Gone Music Announces “Blue Oyster Cult Live ’83” CD and Grateful Dead “Road Trips” Reissues
If you're like us at The Second Disc, you're probably yearning for the day that live music is allowed again. Plans have shifted and events have been postponed in these past eight months of lockdown, but one thing remains the same: the thrill of a concert. Real Gone Music is allowing listeners to go back in time with two exciting live albums due January 8, 2021. There's a set from Blue Oyster Cult recorded in 1983 (previously announced as a Record Store Day Black Friday vinyl release, now coming
Review: “Rock and Roll School For Girls” Celebrates New Wave Pioneers The Catholic Girls
A lost album, an unexpected resurgence, and a new, lovingly crafted compilation that reveals all their talents. Class is in session, and today's subject: The Catholic Girls. In the beginning of the '80s, The Catholic Girls cemented a place in rock history as one of the first all-female rock bands to land a major record deal. Comprised of principal songwriter Gail Petersen on guitar and vocals, Roxy Andersen on lead guitar, Joanne Holland on bass, and Doreen Holmes on drums, The Catholic
Hell on Earth: Omnivore Readies Richard Hell’s “Destiny Street Complete” For January
In 1977, Richard Hell and The Voidoids set the punk world ablaze with their debut album, Blank Generation. Hell had already been a part of both Television and Johnny Thunder's first Heartbreakers lineup, and Blank Generation proved that he was more than ready to strike out with his own band. Hell didn't record a follow-up until 1981, however. When that sophomore album, Destiny Street, was released in 1982, the artist was dissatisfied: "The final mix was a morass of trebly multi-guitar
Some People Want It All: Vinyl Me, Please Announces Color Vinyl Reissue of “The Diary of Alicia Keys”
"Everything means nothing, if I ain't got you..." The refrain was inescapable in 2003, when Alicia Keys' instant classic "If I Ain't Got You" dominated the radio and reached a cross-section of audiences that had rarely been seen before. The track is a highlight among many on her second album, The Diary of Alicia Keys. The chart-topping, Grammy-winning album defied the concept of the sophomore slump. It stayed on the Billboard Albums listing for 88 weeks and has been certified 5x-Platinum
Gettin’ Together: Cherry Red, Grapefruit Collect Tommy James and The Shondells’ Roulette Recordings
Ohio-born, Michigan-raised rocker Tommy James fronted some of the 1960s' most indelible hits, including "I Think We're Alone Now," "Mony Mony," "Crystal Blue Persuasion," "Sweet Cherry Wine," and the chart-topping "Hanky Panky" and "Crimson and Clover." Combining garage rock attitude with pop polish, Tommy James and The Shondells' recordings are still beloved staples of oldies radio today. Now, all of those hits and more are returning to CD in a new 6-disc box set from Cherry Red's Grapefruit
Revolting Children: Broadway Records Expands “Matilda: The Musical” for Vinyl Premiere
When Matilda: The Musical opened at Broadway's Shubert Theatre in April 2013, it was greeted by ecstatic reviews. The New York Times' Ben Brantley proclaimed it "the most satisfying and subversive musical ever to come out of Britain." Variety's Gordon Cox called it "an explosion of joy," and Elisabeth Vincentelli in the New York Post admonished readers that "for once, you can believe the hype." Dennis Kelly and Tim Minchin's musical based on Roald Dahl's 1988 novel ran on Broadway for almost
We’ll Be Together: Sting Preps New Duets Collection
While known as a singular performer - even his stage name is one word - Sting's next album is a collection of (mostly) previously released collaborations with other artists. But don't expect Duets to be a simple compilation of hits: only three of these tracks are from the former Police frontman's studio albums (four, if you count deluxe editions). Everything else is from Sting's guest appearances on albums by others and the occasional soundtrack appearance. Highlights include his 1999 hit
Toasts of the Town: Stage Door Reissues, Expands David Heneker’s “Jorrocks” Musical on CD
Composer-lyricist David Heneker (1906-2001) remains best known today for his joyful score to the 1963 West End musical Half a Sixpence which transferred to Broadway in 1965, yielded a 1967 film version, and inspired a 2016 London revival. But Heneker wrote numerous other musicals with equally tuneful scores including Charlie Girl (1965), Phil the Fluter (1969), and Jorrocks (1966). Now, the latter is coming to CD from Stage Door Records with an expanded release of its 1966 London Studio Cast
Spill The Wine: Rhino Reunites with Avenue Records, Announces Record Store Day Black Friday Reissue of WAR’s “Greatest Hits”
After ten years away, Avenue Records has reunited with Rhino Entertainment, bringing recordings from WAR, Eric Burdon, Jimmy Witherspoon, Blood, Sweat & Tears, Redbone, Circle Jerks, Funkadelics, New Riders Of The Purple Sage, and more back to the imprint of Warner Music. Central to the new worldwide deal are WAR's complete master recordings dating back decades, beginning with the band's first album Eric Burdon Declares "WAR" - which introduced listeners to the band's irresistible blend
UPDATE: General Retail Edition, Repressed Deluxe Edition of “Neil Young Archives, Volume 2: 1972-1976” Confirmed for March 5
UPDATE 11/12/2020: It's been a long time since Neil Young released his last Archives box set. In the intervening 11 years since Neil released Archives, Volume 1: 1963-1972, fans have endlessly speculated what might be on Volume 2 - or if it might happen at all. As our readers probably know by now, Neil Young Archives, Volume 2: 1972-1976 is a go, with a limited-edition box set arriving next Friday, November 20. A digital edition will also be available on Neil Young Archives and all major digital
Review: Joan Armatrading’s Self-Titled Album Shines on Intervention’s Vinyl Reissue
Back in 2018, we wrote about an upcoming vinyl reissue of Joan Armatrading's self-titled album on Intervention Records. (It was actually your author's very first post on The Second Disc!) Intervention had been making a name for themselves as the new kid on the block of audiophile labels. This imprint has since become known for its attention to detail, commitment to superior audio, and deluxe presentations. We were no doubt thrilled to hear what was to come. Well, after a slight pause,
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