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 trumpets, and two trombones, all courtesy of New Orleans’…
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 – those exemplary reissues and box sets big and…
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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 returned to concerts and live performances,…
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Let It Be [Various Formats]
5CD/Blu-ray: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada 5LP: 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 1LP: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada The Beatles’ final album, Let It Be, arrives in deluxe editions to coincide with Peter Jackson’s multi-part documentary Get Back. The 5CD/BD edition includes: Giles Martin and Sam Okell’s new remix of the album; Two discs of rehearsals, jams, and outtakes; One disc of Glyn Johns’ first mix of the abortive Get Back album that became Let It Be; An EP of remixes; and A Blu-ray with Martin and Okell’s mixes in high resolution stereo…
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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 fall in director Peter…
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All Things Must Pass: 50th Anniversary [Various Formats]
5CD/BD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada 8LP: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada 5LP: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada 3CD (contains CD 1, CD 2 & CD 5, below): Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada 3LP: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada 2CD (contains CD 1 & CD 2 only): Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada Limited Edition 3LP: GeorgeHarrison.com/uDiscoverMusic.com/Sound of Vinyl Uber Box Set: GeorgeHarrison.com/uDiscoverMusic.com/Sound of Vinyl George Harrison’s 1970 triple-album masterwork is celebrated with a variety of formats. The 5CD and 8LP super deluxe iterations are fulsome, boasting 70 tracks including the remixed album and 47 demo recordings, session outtakes, and jams (42 of which are previously unreleased). The…
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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 and first demoed during his time with The Beatles. But upon…
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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 “Everybody Wants to Rule the World” and “Shout.”…
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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 the same name. The four-channel quad mixes…
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 Rolling Stones are revisiting their 1973 classic Goats Head Soup in a variety of new, remastered editions. The standard edition includes a new 2020 stereo mix on 1 CD. The 2CD deluxe edition features the new mix plus a disc of rarities and alternate mixes. Among…
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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 stereo, 5.1 surround, and Dolby Atmos by Grammy Award-winning engineer…
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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 sound-encoded LPs and reel-to-reel tapes back in the ’70s and are still lauded for…
Goats Head Soup [Various Formats]
3CD/Blu-ray: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada / Japan Your Local Record Shop 2CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada / Your Local Record Shop 1CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada / Your Local Record Shop 4LP: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada / Your Local Record Shop 2LP: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada / Your Local Record Shop 1LP: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada / Your Local Record Shop 2LP clear: The Rolling Stones Shop Cassette: The Rolling Stones Shop The Rolling Stones are revisiting their 1973 classic Goats Head Soup in a variety of new, remastered editions. The standard edition includes a new 2020 stereo mix on 1 CD. The 2CD deluxe edition features the new mix plus a disc…
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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 sessions taking place in the U.K., the U.S., and Jamaica, while mixing was…
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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 is new to CD including Andy’s renditions of “Two for the Road,” “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’,” “Ruby Don’t…
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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 Basement Tapes-like quality, with Robbie Robertson as inspired…
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 and Sam Okell. The centerpiece of the campaign, a 3CD/1BD box,…
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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 years. The era was one of great…
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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 Song was Johnny’s final full-length album collaboration with songwriter-producer Jerry Fuller and…
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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 remaster of the album, plus rare and unreleased studio recordings on CD 2, a live…
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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 Dream’s boundary-pushing albums Phaedra (1974), Rubycon (1975), the live Ricochet (1975), Stratosfear (1976),…
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 mighty King Crimson has in store for 2019!…
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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 have to play the record to know that it was something different. Not only was it the Fab…
Release Round-Up: Week of November 9
Welcome to this week’s Release Round-Up! Andre Kostelanetz and His Orchestra, The Complete Christmas Albums (Second Disc/Real Gone) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada) This comprehensive 2-CD, 43-track set from Second Disc Records and Real Gone Music features all three of the legendary conductor’s classic Columbia Christmas LPs – Joy to the World: The Music of Christmas (1959), Wonderland of Christmas (1963), and Wishing You a Merry Christmas (1965), on which he was joined by vocalist Phyllis Curtin and The St. Killian Boychoir – plus a host of holiday bonuses. …
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Review: John Lennon, “Imagine: The Ultimate Collection”
You May Say I’m a Dreamer Much like the artist who created it, John Lennon’s Imagine has always been an album of contradictions. While its dreamy, idealized title track has become an anthem for generations, the same LP veers from heartbreaking vulnerability (“Jealous Guy”) and expressions of romance (“Oh My Love,” “Oh Yoko!”) to a withering, personal jab at a friend (“How Do You Sleep”) to powerfully pointed social commentary (“Crippled Inside,” “I Don’t Wanna Be a Soldier Mama I Don’t Wanna Die,” “Gimme Some Truth”). With 1970’s John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band,…
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The Dave Clark Five
October 23, 2026