Looking for our usual Release Round-Up? Alas, there's not much new in the way of catalogue music this Friday (and we've already filled you in on Billy Paul and Leon Russell!), but for a very good reason: tomorrow sees releases a-plenty as part of Record Store Day! Without further ado, welcome to our annual rundown of Must-Haves for this year's RSD event! Once you're through reading, let us know what you're most looking forward to picking up tomorrow at your favorite local independent
Review: Kate Bush, “Remastered in Vinyl” Boxes 3 and 4, CD Box 2
When Kate Bush returned to music in 2005 after a 12-year absence, about all that could be expected was the unexpected...and the sonic auteur, naturally, delivered. Her 21st century work and assorted ephemera has been collected by Parlophone as one box of remastered CDs and two box sets of remastered vinyl LPs. Aerial opens Parlophone's CD Box 2, and Remastered in Vinyl Box 3. The record was conceived as two halves, one on each disc. The first, A Sea of Honey, is a collection of
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.
In the Pocket: Ace Salutes Mickie Most, Reggie Young on New Anthologies
The names of Mickie Most and Reggie Young might not be among the most familiar except to diehard music aficionados, but the songs that benefited from their respective golden touches certainly are among the most well-known ever. Ace Records has recently paid tribute to both of these late talents with a pair of deluxe anthologies. The Pop Genius of Mickie Most may be the most lavish single-disc package yet released by Ace, housed in a heavy slipcase also containing a squarebound 74-page
Spotlight On: The Zombies’ “In the Beginning” from Demon Music Group
On March 29, The Zombies will take the stage at Brooklyn's Barclays Center to celebrate their long overdue induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. The time has never been better to revisit the band's catalogue, a hugely influential one despite its small size. Rediscovering The Zombies has been made easier with the recent release of two deluxe 5-LP vinyl box sets. For the U.S., Varese Vintage has issued The Complete Studio Recordings, while in the group's native U.K., Demon Music Group
Spotlight On: The Zombies’ “Complete Studio Recordings” From Varese Vintage
On March 29, The Zombies will take the stage at Brooklyn's Barclays Center to celebrate their long overdue induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. The time has never been better to revisit the band's catalogue, a hugely influential one despite its small size. Rediscovering The Zombies has been made easier with the recent release of two deluxe 5-LP vinyl box sets. For the U.S., Varese Vintage has issued The Complete Studio Recordings, while in the group's native U.K., Demon Music Group
I’ll Be Doggone: Ace Collects U.K. Motown Covers From The Hollies, Dusty, Cilla, and More
Ace Records has released a number of splendid Motown collections in recent years, but now the label is taking a different approach to the music of Hitsville, USA. As Motown celebrates its landmark 60th anniversary, On the Detroit Beat: Motor City Soul - U.K. Style 1963-1967 brings together 24 diverse British interpretations of Motown classics, making for a potent reminder that the Sound of Young America was, truly, international. Compiler Tony Rounce helpfully points out in his liner notes
Review: Elvis Presley, “The Best of The ’68 Comeback Special”
This coming Sunday at 9 PM, NBC will air the 2-hour Elvis All-Star Tribute featuring performances by Yolanda Adams, Kelsea Ballerini, Dierks Bentley, Alessia Cara, Mac Davis, John Fogerty, Josh Groban, Adam Lambert, John Legend, Little Big Town, Jennifer Lopez, Post Malone, Shawn Mendes, Pistol Annies, Darius Rucker, Ed Sheeran, Blake Shelton, Carrie Underwood and Keith Urban. These primarily present-day music stars will be commemorating Presley's famous 1968 television special which also aired
Spotlight On Nicole Croisille: “Il Était Une Fois…Nicole”
French singer and actress Nicole Croisille can be safely described as a national treasure in her homeland, but her fame has extended to international shores. One listen to her recordings, and it's easy to see why. She's perhaps most famous as the female voice of composer Francis Lai's irresistibly catchy "A Man and a Woman" ("Un homme et une femme") opposite Pierre Barouh from the 1966 film of the same name. (Croisille had a solo, translated as "Today It's You," on the soundtrack as well, and
Review: Kate Bush, “Remastered in Vinyl” Boxes 1 and 2
Late last year, Parlophone unveiled a series of lavish box sets on both CD and vinyl collecting the complete works (to date) of Kate Bush. The enigmatic singer-songwriter oversaw the remastering of these sets as well as their visual presentations; indeed, each album has been newly adorned with the logo of her own Fish People label. Today, we're taking a look at the first two vinyl box sets! The four LPs of Remastered in Vinyl 1 takes listeners from The Kick Inside (1978), housed in its
Shake Some Action: Cherry Red Revisits The Mod Sound of The Action
Periodically this month, we'll be looking at titles released in the latter part of 2018 that we either didn't cover, or only covered briefly, the first time around! We hope you enjoy this look at "some nice things we've missed"... Cherry Red's Grapefruit Records imprint knows where The Action is. The label has collected the complete 1964-1968 recordings of the British mod group on a splendid 4-CD box set including original masters, alternate takes, outtakes, and more - adding up to every
Jeff Larson Looks to Past and Present on New Pair of Releases
On two new releases, California singer-songwriter Jeff Larson has dynamically showcased the multiple facets of his musical personality. Five Hours to L.A., a Japan-exclusive CD release on the Vivid Sound label, is a revised and revisited version of Larson's 2000 release Room for Summer, meaning that some songs have been dropped, and others have been added, to make a new listening experience. It features many of his close musical collaborators including Jeffrey Foskett, Gerry Beckley, and
Breakfast In Bed: Eddie Hinton Saluted By Dusty, Cher, Box Tops, More On New Ace Collection
As a member of the Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section, Eddie Hinton played on countless recordings by the likes of Wilson Pickett, Aretha Franklin, Elvis Presley, and Otis Redding. But there was another side of the guitarist that led Jerry Wexler to once proclaim him "the next big thing." Hinton was a persuasive performer and moreover, a fine songwriter. In collaboration with Donnie Fritts, he penned what's likely his most famous song: "Breakfast in Bed," first recorded by Baby Washington but made
Deep in the Dark: Other Half Entertainment Reissues “Branigan 2” From Laura Branigan on CD
The wait is over: Other Half Entertainment, the late Laura Branigan's production company, has recently reissued her 1983 sophomore album Branigan 2 on CD in a new edition expanded with one additional track, the 12-inch mix of the leadoff single "Solitaire." German producer Jack White returned from debut album Branigan to once again helm the LP, and was this time joined by the up-and-coming Robbie Buchanan as associate producer and arranger in place of Greg Mathieson. Keyboardist Buchanan put
Presley, Darin, Orbison, Sinatra, Beach Boys Featured On Ace’s New “State of the Union”
Elvis and Dino took on hypocrisy. Dion lamented the senseless deaths of Abraham, Martin, and John. Johnny "Poetry in Motion" Tillotson cast a spotlight on the poor treatment of veterans returned home from war. Bing Crosby wondered "What Do We Do with the World" and Paul Anka observed that "This crazy world has come undone." Such are the moments captured on Ace's thoroughly captivating new collection Bob Stanley and Pete Wiggs Present State of the Union: The American Dream in Crisis
He Fought the Law: Now Sounds Celebrates The Bobby Fuller Four on “Magic Touch”
Bobby Fuller has long been known for two things: recording the immortal "I Fought the Law," and being found dead in his car under mysterious circumstances. Finally, thanks to Cherry Red's Now Sounds imprint, Fuller can be appreciated for his musical gifts. Now Sounds has recently compiled Magic Touch: The Complete Mustang Singles Collection (WCRNOW57), a comprehensive and beautiful celebration of Fuller's too-short life and musical career with The Bobby Fuller Four (featuring Jim Reese on
Holiday Gift Guide Spotlight: Lulu, “Decade 1967-1976”
Lulu (real name: Marie McDonald McLaughlin Lawrie) burst onto the scene in 1964 with her earthy, throaty rendition of The Isley Brothers' "Shout!" The fifteen-year old parlayed that memorable U.K. top ten hit into an international career that remains vibrant and active to this very day. Lulu remained on Decca Records, the home of "Shout!," for a two-year stint, departing the label in late 1966 to sign with producer Mickie Most EMI's Columbia Records arm (not to be confused with the
Holiday Gift Guide Review: Neil Diamond, “50th Anniversary Collector’s Edition”
I. I Got the Feelin' In his 1966 debut single for Bang Records, Neil Diamond famously declared himself a "Solitary Man." But the New York singer-songwriter wasn't to be solitary for very long, as he soon gained the worldwide audience that, over 50 years later, still follows each one of his musical endeavors. Diamond has just looked back on his remarkable career on a handsome new box set from Capitol Records and UMe. 50th Anniversary Collector's Edition expands upon the similarly-titled
Holiday Gift Guide Review: Elvis Presley, “’68 Comeback Special: 50th Anniversary Edition”
Elvis had a lot riding on his December 1968 NBC-TV special. Once the brightest star in the galaxy - and one whose every freeing move caused ripples in American society - he was no longer at the top of the charts. A string of lightweight movie musicals had rendered the once-"dangerous" entertainer as wholesome as apple pie. At the time of the broadcast, Elvis' most recent single ("Guitar Man") had failed to crack the top 40 and he hadn't had a chart-topper since "Good Luck Charm" in 1962. He
Naturally: Manifesto Collects ’70s Soft Rock Sounds of Hawaii’s Kalapana
Black Sand: The Best of Kalapana, a 20-track anthology from the Hawaiian band drawn from the years 1975-1983, presents a vivid portrait of the group that, despite various personnel changes, has been playing to sold-out crowds for 45 years now. Yet one question lingers: how has Kalapana languished in obscurity on the American mainland for so long? Malani Bilyeu, D.J. Pratt, Kirk Thompson, and Mackey Feary came together to make music in 1973. All but Pratt were born in Honolulu; the lead
Holiday Gift Guide Review: Eagles, “Legacy”
Just Find a Place to Make Your Stand On the list of the United States' five best-selling albums of all time, one name stands tall - the only artist to lay claim to two of those five titles. That artist is, of course, a band: Eagles. 1976's Their Greatest Hits (1971-1975) sits atop the list at 38 million copies sold; Hotel California is third with 26 million. The ten tracks on the former are all modern-day standards, each and every one of them still a radio staple. Though the original
Review: The Beatles, “The Beatles (The White Album): Anniversary Edition”
You Say You Want a Revolution Following the enormous, worldwide success of Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, The Beatles wouldn't have been faulted had they re-entered Abbey Road Studios and created another album of robustly melodic, lavishly orchestrated songs of whimsy and wonder. But Messrs. Lennon, McCartney, Harrison, and Starr weren't interested in repeating themselves. When The Beatles arrived on November 22, 1968, roughly one and one-half years after Pepper, one didn't even
Review: Bob Dylan, “More Blood, More Tracks: The Bootleg Series Vol. 14”
Bob Dylan began recording 1975's Blood on the Tracks in much the same manner he had begun 1962's Bob Dylan: inside the studio at 799 Seventh Avenue, New York City, alone at the microphone with just his guitar, a harmonica, and the song. In '62, the facility was Columbia Studio A, in '75 it was A&R Studios. In '62, John Hammond was the producer, in '75 Phil Ramone (the R in A&R) was manning the controls as engineer. Dylan, of course, was a much-changed man, but upon his return to
Review: Matthew Sweet, “100% Fun” From Intervention Records
This spring, Intervention Records announced a highly anticipated new endeavor: a series of Matthew Sweet SACD and 2-LP reissues, encompassing his entire recorded output from 1991-1995. The Second Disc was able to hear the two-disc vinyl configuration of the release that kicked off the series: an expanded edition of Sweet's 1995 album, 100% Fun. Originally released on the Zoo Entertainment label, the album has seen surprisingly few reissues over the years. Music On Vinyl released a
Contante & Sonante Celebrates Late Warren Wiebe with Rare Demos From Burt Bacharach, David Foster, More
Talk about a well-kept secret... Throughout his too-short life, vocalist Warren Wiebe (1953-1998) never became a household name. Yet he was highly successful. As a background singer, he graced recordings by Johnny Mathis, Paul Anka, Taylor Dayne, and Air Supply. A true songwriter's singer - able to convey the heart and soul of a song without resorting to self-indulgence - he earned the respect and admiration of a "Who's Who" of songwriters who enlisted him to introduce their songs on
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