On the evening of December 10, 1971, Frank Zappa and the Mothers of Invention had just encored with a performance of The Beatles' "I Want to Hold Your Hand" at London's Rainbow Theatre when a so-called fan jumped onto the stage and pushed the bandleader some twelve feet into the orchestra pit. With injuries to his face, head, ribs, arm, and leg, Zappa was lucky to survive. He was forced into a near-yearlong period of convalescence in a wheelchair and leg brace, but he didn't stop creating or
Lightning Frightening: New Bowie Box Offers 'Hunky Dory'-Era Rarities
Hot on the heels of the success of the documentary Moonage Daydream (and its recently released soundtrack, currently streaming and coming soon to physical media), Parlophone has announced a major audio excavation from the David Bowie vault. On November 25, 2022, the label will release Divine Symmetry (An Alternative Journey Through Hunky Dory), a 4CD/1BD box set chronicling the twelve months leading up to the December 1971 release of Bowie's fourth studio album. Highlighted by 48 previously
Christmas Time is Here (Again): New 'Charlie Brown Christmas' Box Boasts New Remixes, Unreleased Outtakes
Reissues of Vince Guaraldi's classic jazz score to the immortal 1965 TV special A Charlie Brown Christmas are common enough for even the most faithful fan to utter "Good grief." But Craft Recordings' newest package of the classic material looks to offer a treasure trove of unheard audio that'll fill your hearts this season. Craft today announces a 4CD/1 Blu-ray deluxe edition of the classic album that features not only multiple mixes of the original LP - the original stereo mix alongside new
Pigs on the Wing: Pink Floyd Reissue "Animals" with Long-Awaited Surround Remix
Pink Floyd's Animals arrived in January 1977, after 1975's Wish You Were Here and before 1979's The Wall. Coming between those two epochal works, Animals was initially dismissed by some critics. Consisting of just five tracks (two short bookends and three lengthy compositions), no singles were released and Animals became somewhat of a hidden gem - despite having peaked at No. 2 in the United Kingdom and No. 3 in the United States. This fall, fans will have a chance to rediscover Animals as
Release Round-Up: Week of April 15
Welcome to this week's Release Round-Up, featuring a selection of the new releases available today! Rush, Moving Pictures: 40th Anniversary [various editions] (Mercury/UMe) 3CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada 5LP: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada 3CD/5LP/1BD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada Rush's seminal 1981 Moving Pictures receives a number of belated 40th anniversary reissues today including a 3CD version with the 2015 album remaster (debuting in
Review: The Band, "Cahoots: 50th Anniversary Edition"
From the first seconds of the opening "Life Is a Carnival," it was clear that Cahoots was no ordinary album by The Band. The quintet's first three albums had established them as major proponents of the rootsy genre that would later be called "Americana." But now, the sound blasting from the speakers was one of sheer funk: simultaneously dark and joyful, aggressive yet inviting. In what might have been considered a heretical move by some, the group was bolstered by three saxophones, two
The Year In Review: The 2021 Gold Bonus Disc Awards, From A to Z - Part One
Happy 2022! Welcome, friends, to The Second Disc's 12th Annual Gold Bonus Disc Awards! Once again, we've all faced unprecedented challenges over the past twelve months. A year that began with hope and promise has ended with further uncertainty for many of us. But music continues to fill a significant role in our lives, providing solace, comfort, and escape in a time unlike any other. With that spirit in mind, The Second Disc wishes to recognize 2021's cream of the catalogue music crop -
Have Yourself a Merry Little Discmas...
Wow! And just like that, another year has flown by. Just a few weeks before The Second Disc hits its 12th anniversary(!), this Christmas Eve it is our custom to look back on the last 12 months and take some time to think fondly of the music, magic, memories and friends that made our lives worth living. As if last year wasn't unconventional enough, 2021 packed more pop, clicks, skips and distortion than the most misguided vinyl pressings. We got vaccinated, we got boosted, we tentatively
Get Back: The Beatles Remix, Expand 'Let It Be'
More than 50 years after its May 1970 release, The Beatles' Let It Be - the Fab Four's final original studio album - remains anything but the last word on the band. While the LP topped the charts in multiple countries including the U.S. and U.K., and included such beloved now-standards as "The Long and Winding Road," "Across the Universe," "Get Back," and the title track, the road to its release was anything but a smooth one. It was previously announced that the story would be chronicled this
I'd Have You Anytime: George Harrison's "All Things Must Pass" Celebrates 50 Years with Deluxe Box, More
When George Harrison's All Things Must Pass was released in November 1970, The Beatles seemed to be in the rearview mirror. The Fab Four had last recorded together in August 1969. John Lennon privately announced his intentions to leave the group in September of that year; in April 1970, Paul McCartney formalized the breakup with a press release announcing he was no longer working with the band. All Things Must Pass was titled after Harrison's majestic, elegiac composition which was written
Holiday Gift Guide Review: Tears for Fears, 'The Seeds of Love: Deluxe Edition'
Think back to your days listening to pop music in the '80s - say, for the sake of argument, 1985. Thriller's wrapped up its run of seven hit singles. Bruce Springsteen's Born in the U.S.A. is in the middle of its own seven-hit stretch. Purple Rain made Prince a juggernaut - and Tears for Fears, the British duo behind the moody, electronic The Hurting (1983) have broken into the mainstream with the progressive psych-pop of 1985's Songs from the Big Chair, including back-to-back chart-toppers
Review: The Doobie Brothers, "Quadio"
"What the people need is a way to make 'em smile/It ain't so hard to do if you know how," goes The Doobie Brothers' "Listen to the Music," the opening song (and lead single) off the San Jose, California band's sophomore album Toulouse Street. The Doobies knew how - and so does Quadio, the new, four-Blu-ray box set recently released by Warner Records and Rhino collecting the band's second through fifth albums in their original quadraphonic and stereo mixes. Quadio follows Chicago's box set of
Release Round-Up: Week of September 4
Welcome to this week's Release Round-Up! Rolling Stones, Goats Head Soup [Various Formats] (Polydor/Interscope/UMe) 3CD/Blu-ray: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada 2CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada 1CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada 4LP: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada 2LP: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada 1LP: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada 2LP clear: The Rolling Stones Shop Cassette: The Rolling Stones Shop The
John Lennon 80 Campaign Kicks Off With New Box Set "Gimme Some Truth"
On October 9, John Lennon would have turned 80 years old. To mark the occasion, Capitol and UMe will be releasing a new multi-format collection entitled Gimme Some Truth: The Ultimate Mixes after his still-relevant 1971 protest single of that name. But this set - out on John's birthday - won't resemble the 2010 box of nearly the same title (celebrating his 70th). Instead, the Deluxe Edition release features 36 all-new mixes from the original multi-tracks of solo Lennon classics, remixed in
Stampede: The Doobie Brothers Announce "Quadio," Featuring Rare '70s Surround Sound Mixes
After years of speculation, Rhino has announced a new box set of rare 1970s quadraphonic surround sound mixes from The Doobie Brothers called Quadio. A follow-up to 2016's successful Chicago box set of the same name, the Doobies' Quadio is a limited-edition Blu-ray Audio set featuring the original quadraphonic surround mixes for the band's second, third, fourth, and fifth LPs, all of which were produced by Ted Templeman. These four-channel mixes were available in stores on special surround
Star Star: The Rolling Stones Announce Reissues of "Goats Head Soup," Including Deluxe Box With Surround Sound Mixes
Though it sometimes gets lost in the shuffle among the more critically lauded Sticky Fingers and Exile on Main Street, The Rolling Stones' 11th album, Goats Head Soup is worthy of reappraisal - and that time has finally come, as The Rolling Stones and UMe have announced a set of reissues slated for September 4 featuring new mixes, demos, alternate versions, and live material across a number of configurations. Released in August 1973, Goats Head Soup was recorded across the world, with
Release Round-Up: Week of April 3
Welcome to this week's Release Round-Up! Andy Williams, Emperor of Easy: Lost Columbia Masters 1962-72 (Real Gone Music) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada) Real Gone Music has the first-ever collection of never-before-heard music from Andy Williams' Columbia Records years. Emperor of Easy: Lost Columbia Masters 1962-72 boasts 20 selections direct from the Columbia vault encompassing 16 previously unreleased studio outtakes and four rare singles. Every track on Emperor of Easy
Rag, Mama Rag: The Band's Self-Titled Album To Be Given 50th Anniversary Box Set Treatment
It's been fifty years since The Band released their self-title album, lovingly referred to by fans as "The Brown Album." To celebrate the anniversary of the pioneering release, The Band will be reissued in a variety of expanded editions on November 15. These follow last year's similar reissues of the group's debut, Music from Big Pink. While The Band was primarily recorded in Hollywood - in Sammy Davis, Jr.'s pool house, no less! - the feel was decidedly rustic. The sessions took on a
Release Round-Up: Week of September 27
Welcome to this week's Release Round-Up! The Beatles, Abbey Road: Anniversary Edition [Various Formats] (Apple/UMe) Super Deluxe 3CD/Blu-ray: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada Deluxe 2CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada 1CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada 3LP: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada 1LP: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada Abbey Road celebrates 50 with a variety of editions built around a new 2019 stereo mix by Giles Martin
UPDATE WITH NEW RELEASE DATE: Lost For Words: Pink Floyd Looks Back on Gilmour Era In 'The Later Years: 1987-2019'
EDIT: Due to production and logistical delays, the deluxe box set of 'Pink Floyd The Later Years' and the digital equvalent will be released on December 13, 2019. The highlights 2-LP / 1 CD package and the digital equivalent will keep the release date of November 29, 2019. In a move that's sure to please fans of latter-day Pink Floyd, the band has announced a new, 18-disc multimedia box set due on December 13. The Later Years: 1987-2019, which celebrates the band's David Gilmour-led
Release Round-Up: Week of June 14
Welcome to this week's Release Round-Up! Johnny Mathis, Killing Me Softly with Her Song/When Will I See You Again (Second Disc Records/Real Gone Music) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada) Second Disc Records and Real Gone Music continue celebrating Johnny Mathis' discography with two albums on one CD. 1973's Killing Me Softly with Her Song and 1975's When Will I See You Again both spotlight Mathis' silky interpretations of the day's greatest hits. Killing Me Softly with Her
Release Round-Up: Week of May 31
Welcome to this week's Release Round-Up! Hootie & The Blowfish, Cracked Rear View: 25th Anniversary Deluxe Edition (Atlantic/Rhino) 3-CD/DVD Deluxe: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada 2-CD Expanded: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada 1LP Vinyl: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada Hootie and the Blowfish are revisiting their 21x platinum smash Cracked Rear View with a new 3-CD/DVD Deluxe Edition and 2-CD Expanded Edition. The Deluxe Edition includes a new
Force Majeure: Tangerine Dream Classics, Outtakes, and Surround Mixes Abound on "In Search of Hades" Box
Tangerine Dream was among the "true pioneers of electronic and ambient music, and the albums they recorded for Virgin Records between 1973 and 1979 remain classics of the genre" - so says progressive rocker and remixer extraordinaire, Steven Wilson. And he should know, as Wilson has been heavily involved in a Tangerine Dream box set that spotlights the era, entitled In Search of Hades: The Virgin Recordings 1973-1979. Due from UMC/Virgin on June 14, In Search of Hades celebrates Tangerine
Holding Court: King Crimson Announces 50th Anniversary Plans with New Single, Box Sets, Tour, and More!
Rock royalty King Crimson celebrate their golden jubilee this year and yesterday, January 13 - exactly 50 years since their first rehearsals - the band announced a wealth of new projects and plans to celebrate the momentous feat. Along with an upcoming documentary and ongoing download series, fans can expect a new tour, vinyl reissues, box sets, and live releases from the vault. We'll have full details for each release as they're announced, but to whet your appetite, here's a look at what the
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
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