On September 12, 1966, television audiences first met The Monkees. Under the auspices of creators Bob Rafelson and Bert Schneider, the zany foursome of Micky Dolenz, Davy Jones, Michael Nesmith, and Peter Tork pushed the boundaries of the American sitcom format with their musical misadventures. The Emmy Award-winning comedy only lasted two seasons and 58 episodes on NBC but endured thanks to Saturday morning repeats, syndication, cable, DVD, Blu-ray, and – most notably – the albums recorded by the four young men cast as The Monkees who went on to assume the…
Release Round-Up: Week of June 26
Welcome to this week’s Release Round-Up, featuring a selection of the new titles in stores today! As an Amazon affiliate, we earn from qualifying purchases. Metallica, Reload: Deluxe Edition (Blackened Recordings) 15CD/5LP/7″/4DVD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada 3CD (* included on bonus discs): Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada 1CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada 2LP: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada Cassette: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada Metallica’s seventh studio album is their latest to get a massive box set treatment: 29 hours of audiovisual material on 15 CDs, five LPs, a 7″ single and four DVDs. Fans will get a deep dive…
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The Force is with Him: New John Williams Addresses His Film Music ‘Legacy’
John Williams’ place in the canon of film music, Hollywood history and American popular culture is well solidified. The 94-year-old composer just saw the release of Disclosure Day, his 30th soundtrack for director Steven Spielberg – a collaboration that’s yielded three Oscar-winning scores in JAWS, E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial and Schindler’s List plus memorable themes to classic films like Close Encounters of the Third Kind, the Indiana Jones film series and Jurassic Park. Next year, his Oscar-winning work on 1977’s Star Wars – a musical odyssey that’s yielded a trio of film trilogies and multiple spin-off streaming shows and theme park…
Gimme A Slice: Cherry Red, Second Disc Collect The Roches’ Warner Bros. and Rykodisc Albums on “Runs In The Family”
The world first heard the voices of Maggie and Terre Roche on Paul Simon’s 1972 LP There Goes Rhymin’ Simon. With youngest sister Suzzy, The Roches soon carved out a remarkable career of their own. Between 1979 and 2007, Maggie, Terre, and Suzzy pushed the boundaries of so-called folk music. The songs of The Roches were personal, funny, heartbreaking, vulnerable, witty, sad, joyful, and utterly original as the sisters bared their hearts and souls in striking harmony. Now, on September 11, Cherry Red’s Lemon Recordings and Second Disc Records will celebrate The…
Release Round-Up: Week of June 19
Welcome to this week’s Release Round-Up, featuring a selection of the new titles available today. As an Amazon affiliate, we earn from qualifying purchases. Sheena Easton, The Singles: 1980-1987 (Cherry Pop) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada) Cherry Pop’s Sheena Easton series has a new crown jewel: a 25CD box set chronicling her singles from the EMI years in the ’80s – and yes, this set has unreleased material as well. The Singles 1980-1987 follows two recent boxes following Easton’s EMI recordings in full (not strictly the original albums, but plenty of unreleased and alternate material in the mix)….
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Review: Hank Marvin, “The Studio Album Collection 1982-1995”
Brian Robson Rankin of Newcastle-upon-Tyne moved to London while still a teenager, armed with a guitar and a dream. He adopted the name Hank Marvin, melding his childhood nickname of “Hank” with the first name of American country singer Marvin Rainwater, and put on a pair of glasses inspired by Buddy Holly’s. His school friend Bruce Welch joined him, and before long, the pair had met Cliff Richard’s manager. In 1959, Richard’s band then known as The Drifters became The Shadows, and Richard, Marvin, Welch, and Brian Bennett (who replaced drummer Tony…
I Feel Free: Esoteric Collects Jack Bruce Albums, Concerts on “Halfway to the Stars”
The recording career of the late Jack Bruce (1943-2014) spanned the 1960s through the 2010s, encompassing tenures in the Graham Bond Organisation, John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers, Manfred Mann, West, Bruce and Laing, and, of course, Cream (among other bands). Between 1969 and 2014, Bruce released fourteen solo studio albums as well as numerous live sets, videos, and compilations. Now, Cherry Red’s Esoteric Recordings imprint has recently bundled two studio albums and two live sets from the turn of the (new) century as Halfway to the Stars: The Recordings 2001-2003. The bassist/singer/songwriter/multi-instrumentalist was known…
Never Get Away from the Sound: Fleetwood Mac Expands Quintet-Era ‘Greatest Hits’ Set
Rhino is revisiting the first compilation of Fleetwood Mac’s “classic” quintet era – a push, it appears, ahead of a long-awaited, as-yet unreleased documentary on the band. 1988’s Greatest Hits will be reissued on July 31 in a new double-disc edition on CD and vinyl. In addition to the plethora of smash hits like “Rhiannon,” “Go Your Own Way,” “Dreams,” “Don’t Stop,” “Tusk,” “Gypsy,” “Little Lies” and “Everywhere” – as well as the then-new tracks “As Long As You Follow” and “No Questions Asked” – the set now includes a bonus disc of…
Timeless
CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada LP: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada / Official Store (140-gram Purple Marbled Vinyl) Ten years after his tragic passing, a newly-curated release from Prince’s vault offers 10 unreleased tracks spanning his entire recording career – mostly unconsidered, in their respective forms, for any formal versions of his albums. Advance highlights include “With This Tear,” a song Prince gave to Celine Dion early in her English-language singing career, and the ’90s pop/funk “Stone.”
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HERO: A Second Wind
CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada 2LP: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada / Official Store (Red Vinyl/Signed) The major-label debut of country singer Maren Morris is one of the genre’s best breakthroughs in recent memory – and for its 10th anniversary, it’ll be reissued with nine bonus tracks, five of them previously unreleased (including demos and non-album tracks).
(the best & the rest of) New Order
4CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada 2CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada (the best of) 2LP: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada (the rest of) 3LP: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada Less than a decade from the beloved compilation Substance, New Order issued (the best of) New Order in 1994 that chronicled their ’90s transitions into house and traditional alt-rock music, with a few new mixes to boot. The following year, (the rest of) New Order compiled recent and new remixes of the same material. (the best & the rest of) New Order brings together both collections with a further two discs of rare, new-to-CD and unreleased remixes…
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Thin Lizzy (Deluxe Edition)
3CD/Blu-ray: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada 4LP: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada 2LP (green): Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada / Official Store (blue) Though markedly different from the twin-guitar attack they’d be known for later in the decade, Thin Lizzy’s 1971 debut makes for a fascinating listen, taking cues from folk and Celtic rock and introducing the burgeoning mastery of much-missed singer/songwriter/bassist Phil Lynott. This 55th anniversary deluxe box set offers the group’s self-titled debut and the New Day EP in their original forms as well as new stereo remixes by Richard Whittaker, more than a dozen unreleased outtakes and BBC sessions and…
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Release Round-Up: Week of June 12
Welcome to this week’s Release Round-Up, featuring a selection of the new titles available today. As an Amazon affiliate, we earn from qualifying purchases. The 5th Dimension, Let the Sunshine In: The Soul City & Bell Albums 1967-1974 (Second Disc/Cherry Red/Strawberry) Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada / Cherry Red 2026 marks 60 years of The 5th Dimension–and the celebration is kicking off with the first-ever box set dedicated to the legendary “champagne soul” fivesome! Second Disc Records is proud to team with Cherry Red’s Strawberry imprint for Let the Sunshine In: The Soul City &…
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OUT TOMORROW! The 5th Dimension’s Soul City and Bell Albums Collected on New Box from TSD, Cherry Red
2026 marks 60 years of The 5th Dimension–and the celebration is kicking off with the first-ever box set dedicated to the legendary “champagne soul” fivesome! Tomorrow, June 12, is the date for Let the Sunshine In: The Soul City & Bell Albums 1967-1974 from Cherry Red’s Strawberry imprint and Second Disc Records! This comprehensive 6CD collection brings together all of Marilyn McCoo, Billy Davis, Jr., Florence LaRue, and the late Ron Townson and LaMonte McLemore’s recordings for the Soul City, Bell, and Arista labels, plus bonus selections including the group’s rare pre-5th Dimension…
Spill the Wine: WAR’s “Greatest Hits” Returns in Expanded Form
Rhino is revisiting the 1976 collection which reaffirmed WAR’s status as reliable hitmakers. On July 31, the label will reissue WAR’s Greatest Hits on both CD and vinyl. Whereas the 2021 edition entitled Greatest Hits 2.0 added an entire disc’s worth of favorites, this release is more compact. The CD version adds four cuts (including “Spill the Wine”) to the original collection while the LP, part of Rhino’s Spirit of ’76 summer vinyl campaign, replicates the original album track listing. (The campaign encompasses 23 releases from 1976 including Yes’ Live at Roosevelt Stadium.)…
Review: Frank Zappa, “Zappa ’66, Vol. 1: Live at TTG Studios”
Freak Out! Frank Zappa and The Mothers of Invention’s 1966 debut record on the venerable Verve label introduced an artist for whom no cow was sacred; Zappa spent his entire career successfully pushing the boundaries of popular music and, some might add, of taste. He always had his finger on the pulse of pop culture, unafraid to poke fun at its excesses. Now, with Zappa ’66, Vol. 1: Live at TTG Studios – No. 134 in the Official Release Series – Zappa Records’ recently-relaunched Vaulternative imprint has given fans a real treat:…
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For No Reason at All
U.K. Purchasers: Amazon U.K. U.S. Purchasers: ImportCDs.com As one-half of the duo Sue and Sunny with her sister Sunny Leslie, Sue’s powerful voice graced many of the most significant records of the rock era. A (very!) partial list of her credits includes Elton John’s “Your Song” and “Tiny Dancer,” Mott the Hoople’s “All the Young Dudes,” T. Rex’s “20th Century Boy” and “Children of the Revolution,” Donna Summer’s “Hot Stuff” and “On the Radio,” and Tom Jones’ “She’s a Lady.” As a member of Brotherhood of Man, Sue’s voice was prominent on the international…
You’re My Everything: Sue and Sunny’s Sue Glover Goes Solo with “For No Reason at All,” Premieres Duet with Davy Jones
Sue Glover is stepping back into the spotlight. As one-half of the duo Sue and Sunny with her sister Sunny Leslie, Sue’s powerful voice graced many of the most significant records of the rock era. A (very!) partial list of her credits includes Elton John’s “Your Song” and “Tiny Dancer,” Mott the Hoople’s “All the Young Dudes,” T. Rex’s “20th Century Boy” and “Children of the Revolution,” Donna Summer’s “Hot Stuff” and “On the Radio,” and Tom Jones’ “She’s a Lady.” As a member of Brotherhood of Man, Sue’s voice was prominent…
The Singles 1980-1987
Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada Cherry Pop’s Sheena Easton series has a new crown jewel: a 25CD box set chronicling her singles from the EMI years in the ’80s – and yes, this set has unreleased material as well. The Singles 1980-1987 follows two recent boxes following Easton’s EMI recordings in full (not strictly the original albums, but plenty of unreleased and alternate material in the mix). While this box has some similarities – the A and B-sides were present there, and many period remixes and even alternate or live versions of the same songs are repeated as…
Miles ’56: The Prestige Recordings
3CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada 4LP: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada Following the previously released collections Miles ’54 and Miles ’55, Craft Recordings is continuing its survey of the early Miles Davis discography for a new installment. The sensibly-titled Miles ’56 is another archival dive into the Prestige Records catalogue as it chronicles a pivotal year in Davis’ musical history. It’s out in 3CD, limited-edition 4LP, and digital formats (including hi-res audio) with all audio sourced from the original analog masters and restored using Plangent Processes. Though these dates closed the door on Davis’ affiliation with Prestige Records and…
Review: The Beach Boys, “Pet Sounds” 60th Anniversary Releases
By the time Pet Sounds hit stores on May 16, 1966, The Beach Boys had already released ten studio albums. The group’s sound had undoubtedly matured since their earliest days, culminating in an exquisite mini-suite that filled most of Side Two of 1965’s The Beach Boys Today! and the increasingly sophisticated, if still teenage-themed, productions of its follow-up, 1966’s Summer Days (And Summer Nights!!). Still, even those recordings didn’t fully prepare listeners for Pet Sounds. Composer-arranger-singer-producer Brian Wilson and his bandmates Mike Love, Carl Wilson, Dennis Wilson, Al Jardine, and Bruce Johnston…
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Release Round-Up: Week of June 5
Welcome to this week’s Release Round-Up, featuring a selection of the new titles available today. As an Amazon affiliate, we earn from qualifying purchases. Barry Manilow, What a Time (Stiletto) CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada / ShopManilow.com LP: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada / ShopManilow.com Arriving today as Manilow prepares to embark on his first tour after recovering from lung cancer treatment, Barry Manilow’s What a Time is the singer-songwriter’s first album of primarily original music since 2011’s 15 Minutes. The album takes on a reflective tone characterized by its first single, a cover of Peter Allen and Dean Pitchford’s “Once…
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Nothing Left But Stone: ‘Timeless’ Collects 10 Unreleased Prince Recordings
The faithful fans hoping for more music from Prince’s vault have something to look forward to. Timeless, a new collection from NPG Records and Legacy Recordings, offers 10 previously unreleased recordings spanning the breadth of the Minneapolis legend’s career, from a 1978 home recording to a live take of a favorite B-side from one of his final concerts. The album will be available on CD and vinyl on August 28. Prince’s version of “With This Tear,” an early ’90s ballad given to Celine Dion and released to mark the 10th anniversary of…
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Return of a ‘Hero’: Maren Morris’ Breakthrough Gets Expanded for Its 10th Anniversary
Almost exactly a decade after catapulting into the upper tier of country music, Maren Morris will celebrate the album that put her there with a new deluxe edition. HERO: A Second Wind expands Morris’ major-label debut HERO for its 10th anniversary with a generous nine tracks – nearly double the length of the original record. In addition to three previously available tracks on a Target-exclusive deluxe edition, the set (available on CD, 2LP and digitally) offers two previously unheard songs, “We Can’t Be Friends” and “Hard Liquor and Soft Rock,” and demo versions…
The Best of Judas Priest
Legacy brings together a career-spanning selections of tracks from Judas Priest – 10 on vinyl and 16 on CD – including such favorites from the metal titans as “Breaking the Law,” “You’ve Got Another Thing Coming,” “Electric Eye,” “Turbo Lover,” and “Painkiller.” (As an Amazon affiliate, we earn from qualifying purchases.)
