A half century after it was first released, Fresh Cream, the debut album by super-trio Cream, will get a four-disc expansion in January. One of the first supergroups of the rock era, Cream paired Yardbirds and John Mayall & The Bluesbreakers guitarist Eric Clapton with singer/bassist Jack Bruce and drummer Ginger Baker, former and current members of the Graham Bond Organisation. (The volatile Baker, in fact, was part of why Bruce left Bond’s group; the duo fought onstage frequently and Baker once held Bruce at knifepoint. By contrast, Clapton and Bruce, both…
A Thousand Years Wide: Soundgarden Expand “Badmotorfinger” in a Big Way
When news first broke that Soundgarden were planning a 25th anniversary edition of their third album, 1991’s Badmotorfinger, it was almost hard to imagine what extra content would be included. After all, 2014’s Echo of Miles: Scattered Tracks Along the Path had compiled just about all of the group’s B-sides across three discs. Well, with the grunge explosion celebrated heavily in the Soundgarden-adjacent camp (box sets devoted to Mother Love Bone and Temple of the Dog are among 2016’s bigger collections), the band is ready to unleash an expanded Badmotorfinger—and what a…
Review: Chicago, “Quadio”
Surround yourself with Chicago! With the recent release of Rhino’s immense – and immensely enjoyable – new box set Quadio, it’s possible to enjoy the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame-honored band’s classic 1969-1976 albums with added dimension: that of 4.0-channel quadraphonic sound. The nine Blu-ray Audio discs on Quadio (playable on all Blu-ray players) present every one of Chicago’s studio albums from Chicago Transit Authority through Chicago X, plus IX: Chicago’s Greatest Hits, in remastered high-resolution 192/24 DTS-HD Master Audio in both their original quadraphonic and stereo mixes. Hearing these classics…
Release Round-Up: Week of June 17
Welcome to this week’s Release Round-Up! Chicago, Quadio (Rhino) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. TBD / Amazon Canada) This week’s biggest and most hotly-anticipated release, Chicago’s Quadio, brings together nine albums from the legendary band in remastered high-resolution 192/24 DTS-HD Master Audio in both their original quadraphonic and stereo mixes on nine Blu-ray discs. This lavish celebration of the Windy City’s favorite band is housed in a rigid two-piece box, with every album presented in a replica sleeve promised to “replicate the original release down to the last detail, including mini-posters, and the iron-on that…
Review: The Beach Boys, “Pet Sounds 50”
50 years have passed since the original release of The Beach Boys’ Pet Sounds, yet it still stands alone in the rock canon. The talents of Brian Wilson, Tony Asher, Mike Love, Al Jardine, Carl Wilson, Dennis Wilson and Bruce Johnston coalesced in one unforgettable place and time to create music’s most exquisite realization of both the exultant joy and beautiful melancholy of adolescence. It took until the compact disc era for Pet Sounds to be fully appreciated; the album wasn’t certified platinum until early 2000, and only rose as far as…
Release Round-Up: Week of June 10
Welcome to this week’s Release Round-Up, with some of the most high-profile releases yet for 2016! The Beach Boys, Pet Sounds 50 (Various Editions) (Capitol/UMe) 4-CD/1-BD Deluxe Edition: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada 2-CD Deluxe Edition (CD 1 + highlights from 4-CD set): Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada Mono 180-Gram Vinyl Edition: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada Stereo 180-Gram Vinyl Edition: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada The Beach Boys’ landmark 1966 album Pet Sounds is turning 50, and Capitol/UMe is celebrating…
Glittering Prize: Simple Minds’ “New Gold Dream” to Receive Massive Box Set
Scottish rockers Simple Minds will celebrate their smash album New Gold Dream (81-82-83-84) with a sprawling deluxe edition this summer. Released in the fall of 1982, New Gold Dream, Simple Minds’ fifth studio effort, took the band to their highest summit yet as a rock ensemble. “Promised You a Miracle,” “Glittering Prize” and “Someone Somewhere in Summertime” were their first three U.K. Top 40 hits, while the album peaked at No. 3. “Promised You a Miracle” got the group their debut appearance on Top of the Pops in England, and the album…
Quadio
Chicago: Quadio brings together nine albums from the legendary band in remastered high-resolution 192/24 DTS-HD Master Audio in both their original quadraphonic and stereo mixes on nine Blu-ray discs. This lavish celebration of the Windy City’s favorite band is housed in a rigid two-piece box, with every album presented in a replica sleeve promised to “replicate the original release down to the last detail, including mini-posters, and the iron-on that came with Chicago VIII.” Albums Include: Chicago Transit Authority (1969) Chicago (1970) Chicago III (1971) Chicago V (1972) Chicago VI (1973) Chicago…
Now More Than Ever: Chicago Collects Early Albums in Surround, Stereo on Blu-ray Audio Box
A massive new box set is coming your way from new Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees Chicago – and this surprise release is one sure to delight longtime fans. Chicago: Quadio arrives on June 17 from Rhino Records on nine Blu-ray Audio discs. This landmark release brings together nine albums from the legendary band in remastered high-resolution 192/24 DTS-HD Master Audio in both their original quadraphonic and stereo mixes. This lavish celebration of the Windy City’s favorite band is housed in a rigid two-piece box, with every album presented in…
Pet Sounds 50: Various Editions
The Beach Boys’ landmark 1966 album Pet Sounds is turning 50, and Capitol/UMe is celebrating with a variety of releases including a 4-CD/1-BD Deluxe Edition featuring the contents of the previous Pet Sounds Sessions box set (newly-remastered) as well as additional studio and live material plus the album and bonus content in high-resolution 5.1 surround and stereo on Blu-ray Audio! 4-CD/1-BD Deluxe Edition: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. TBD / Amazon Canada 2-CD Deluxe Edition (CD 1 + highlights from 4-CD set): Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. TBD / Amazon Canada Mono 180-Gram…
Made For These Times: TRACK LISTING REVEALED For The Beach Boys ‘ “Pet Sounds 50”
On June 10, Capitol/UMe will reissue The Beach Boys’ 1966 masterwork Pet Sounds in a variety of formats to mark its 50th anniversary. If you haven’t read our previous story on the upcoming 4-CD/1-Blu-ray box set and more, do not pass go, do not collect $200…just go right here! Now, without further ado, here’s the complete, newly-confirmed track listing and pre-order links for the various iterations of Pet Sounds 50! The Beach Boys, Pet Sounds: 50th Anniversary Deluxe Edition (Capitol/UMe, 2016) 4-CD/1-BD Deluxe Edition: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. TBD / Amazon…
Wouldn’t It Be Nice: “Pet Sounds” 50th Anniversary Celebrated in June With Multiple Editions Including 4 CD/Blu-ray Box Set
On May 16, 1966, one of the most acclaimed albums in pop/rock history was released: The Beach Boys’ Pet Sounds. 2016 marks the 50th anniversary of this landmark album and it is being commemorated in several ways. Brian Wilson is embarking on a concert tour in a little under a week in which he and his band will play the album in its entirety for what’s being billed as the last time. And it has just been revealed that a new box set is due to be released on June 10 by Capitol/UMe…
Love is the Drug: Grace Jones’ “Warm Leatherette” Gets Expanded
“See the breaking glass in the underpass…” Universal will expand Grace Jones’ influential fourth album Warm Leatherette this summer with a variety of formats. Jones’ tenure on Island Records has been the subject of some fascinating reissues in recent years. Her 1981 masterpiece Nightclubbing was expanded in 2014, and the following year saw the release of Disco, a box set compiling her first three albums with producer Tom Moulton, released between 1977 and 1979. Warm Leatherette is the latest link in that chain–her fourth record and her first of three recorded at…
Special Shout-Out to This Year’s Reissue Grammy Winners; Legacy Leads Catalogue Pack
The 58th Annual Grammy awards were held a little over a week ago and there were numerous winners. The Grammys have so many categories that the majority are not given out on the actual television broadcast. Even though we’re a little late, we’d like to give acknowledgment to the winners from reissue and catalogue labels who picked up an award, some for categories that aren’t always exclusively associated with reissues. The biggest winner of the night for reissue labels was Sony’s Legacy Recordings. The label, whose upcoming slate of releases includes a stunning,…
Release Round-Up: Week of December 4
Well, this is it – the final big release week of the year! While next week will see releases slow to a trickle, this week is packed with exciting box sets and much more! Bruce Springsteen, The Ties That Bind: The River Collection (Columbia) 4-CD/3-DVD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon Canada 4-CD/2-BD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon Canada This 4-CD/3-DVD or 4-CD/2-BD set celebrating The Boss’ seminal album The River features a treasure trove of previously unreleased material across its 53 audio tracks plus four hours of never-before-seen video footage. Read the full track…
Idlewild South [Super Deluxe Edition]
The 3-CD, Super Deluxe Edition adds 12 tracks not included on the original release of The Allman Brothers’ classic sophomore album which yielded one of the band’s signature songs, “Midnight Rider.” Bonus tracks are a combination of live tracks from Ludlow Garage in 1970, studio alternates, outtakes and even a mono single version of “Revival (Love is Everywhere).” The entire album and four additional tracks are also presented in 5.1 Surround and high resolution stereo on the Blu-ray.
Release Round-Up: Week of October 30
Welcome to this week’s Release Round-Up! Packed with over 30 titles including highly-anticipated reissues, a slew of box sets, collections and more, it just may be the mightiest of the year! The Velvet Underground, Loaded: Re-Loaded 45th Anniversary Edition (Rhino) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K.) The Velvet Underground’s 1970 album – and Lou Reed’s swansong with the band – gets the deluxe expanded treatment from Rhino in this new box set featuring the original stereo and mono albums plus a wealth of bonus material, two live concerts and a DVD featuring high…
Fragile (CD/Blu-ray)
Fragile is the fourth in a series of remixed and expanded Yes Classics. The classic original album has been remixed for 5. 1 Surround Sound from the original multi-track masters by Steven Wilson and is fully approved by Yes. The CD features a completely new stereo album mix by Wilson plus bonus tracks. The all-region Blu-ray has 5.1 PCM Surround Sound and High Resolution Stereo mixes in 96/24 and in DTS-HD MA 5. 1. The Blu-ray also features the original album mix in a high resolution flat transfer from the original stereo master tape…
Oranges and Lemons (CD/Blu-ray Audio)
Oranges & Lemons is the third in a series of remixed & expanded XTC Classics. The album has been mixed for 5.1 surround from the original multi-tracks by Steven Wilson with input from Andy Partridge & is fully approved by XTC. The CD in this CD/BD set features a new stereo album mix by Wilson. The Blu-ray premieres Wilson’s 5.1 surround mix in 96/24 resolution available in LPCM and DTS HD-MA as well as the new stereo mix in 96/24 LPCM Stereo, a flat transfer of the original stereo album mix in 96/24 and instrumental versions of all…
Octopus (CD/Blu-ray Audio)
Originally released in 1972, Octopus is Gentle Giant’s fourth album, and features Gary Green (guitars, percussion), Kerry Minnear (keyboards, vibraphone, percussion, cello, vocals), Derek Shulman (vocals, alto saxophone), Phil Shulman (saxophones, trumpet, mellophone, vocals), Ray Shulman (bass violin, guitar, percussion, vocals) and John Weathers (drums, percussion, xylophone). Remix engineer extraordinaire Steven Wilson has remixed the original album as well as a bonus mix of 15-minute concert performances of ‘Excerpts from Octopus‘ from the band’s 1976 tour. The Blu-ray Audio disc contains Wilson’s DTS 5.1 Surround Sound Master Audio mix, instrumental mixes of five of the…
Release Round-Up: Week of July 24
Today’s Release Round-Up features an array of high-resolution music, plus box sets, vintage reissues, live albums and more! Roger Waters, Amused to Death (Remixed Editions) (Columbia/Legacy) Roger Waters revisits his 1992 album Amused to Death, featuring contributions from Don Henley, Rita Coolidge, P.P. Arnold, Andy Fairweather Low and Michael Kamen, in a variety of formats featuring new stereo and 5.1 surround mixes. Read our full coverage here. CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. CD / Blu-ray: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. Hybrid SACD: Amazon U.S. TBD / Amazon U.K. Digital download: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. 2LP 200…
Release Round-Up: Week of May 5
Welcome to this week’s Release Round-Up! Oddly, releases were split between yesterday and today, but both days add up to a wealth of titles in nearly every genre! Without a doubt, this is one of the most packed weeks yet this year! Jackie DeShannon, All the Love: The Lost Atlantic Recordings (Real Gone) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K.) All the Love–The Lost Atlantic Recordings brings together DeShannon’s entire 1973 Atlantic Records material in one place for the first time, including seven previously unreleased tracks plus her four collaborations with Van Morrison and the…
Release Round-Up: Week of April 21
Today’s Release Round-Up features an array of titles including a box set from the one and only Chairman of the Board, a number of vintage albums in surround sound, a classic reissue from a new Rock and Roll Hall of Famer, and more! Frank Sinatra, Ultimate Sinatra (Capitol/UMe) 4-CD Box: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. 1-CD Highlights: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. 2-CD Target Exclusive: Target.com 2-LP: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. Standard Edition DD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. The 100th birthday of Ol’ Blue Eyes is celebrated with a variety of releases under the Ultimate Sinatra umbrella,…
Empyrean Isles/Maiden Voyage (Blu-ray Audio)
Herbie Hancock’s fourth and fifth albums, from 1964 and 1965, respectively, are paired on a new high-resolution Blu-ray Audio disc. Freddie Hubbard, Ron Carter and Tony Williams join Hancock on both sessions; George Coleman also appears on Maiden Voyage.
Blue Train (Blu-ray Audio)
John Coltrane’s sophomore album, from 1957, gets the high-resolution Blu-ray Audio treatment. Includes the epic title track, “I’m Old Fashioned,” “Moment’s Notice” and more.





















