CD 8 - The Second Disc

Formats:

Box Sets, CD, Digital Download, Digital Streaming, Vinyl

Genres:

Classic Rock, Country, Jazz, Pop, Popular Standards/Vocal, Rock

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Adrian Belew, Bill Evans, David Bowie, Eagles, Jerry Garcia, Kacey Musgraves, Merl Saunders, The Black Keys, Tori Amos, UFO

You Bring the Summer: The Monkees’ ‘Good Times!’ Revisited for 10th Anniversary

April 30, 2026 by Joe Marchese | 4 Comments

Back in 2016, The Monkees celebrated their 50th anniversary with their first album of new material since 1996’s Justus. The appropriately-titled Good Times!, produced by Fountains of Wayne’s Adam Schlesinger, was a true return to form. As TSD noted in its original review, “The Monkees have just released their first new album in twenty years, and all is right with the world…Good Times makes no concession to the sound of modern pop. Rather, it’s most often the classic Monkees style refracted through a muscular, power-pop prism…Don’t hesitate. Listen to the band!” The…

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Genres:

Classic Rock, Pop, Rock

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Adam Schlesinger, Andy Partridge, Boyce and Hart, Carole King, Davy Jones, Gerry Goffin, Harry Nilsson, Michael Nesmith, Micky Dolenz, Noel Gallagher, Paul Weller, Peter Tork, Rivers Cuomo, The Monkees

Soundtrack Watch: New Bond from La-La Land, A ‘Rocky II’ Knockout, More ‘Mario,’ Plus Intrada, Varese & Quartet

April 29, 2026 by Mike Duquette | No Comments

Spring is in the air, making now the perfect time to check out some killer recent archival soundtracks released by our friends at La-La Land Records, Intrada, Quartet and Varese Sarabande – plus a great recent score with some deep musical history that felt worth sharing, too. La-La Land shone brightly with new releases in March and April, most notably their latest restoration of a James Bond film score! This time, it’s John Barry’s music to Diamonds Are Forever, the seventh film in the long-running spy series based on Ian Fleming’s novels. For…

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Formats:

CD, Cassette, Vinyl

Genres:

Soundtracks

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Bill Conti, Brian Tyler, Charles Fox, Graeme Revell, Howard Shore, Jerry Fielding, John Barry, John Debney, Mark Mancina, Shirley Bassey, Trevor Rabin

Review: The Beach Boys, “We Gotta Groove: The Brother Studio Years” Part 2 – “Adult/Child”

April 28, 2026 by Joe Marchese | 3 Comments

Few long-running groups can claim one mythical “lost album.” But for decades, The Beach Boys were able to claim two. The first, of course, was SMiLE – the late Brian Wilson’s masterwork in the wake of Pet Sounds that pushed the envelope of popular music and conventional song structure. The second was a very different album from a very different Brian Wilson. It’s finally seen its first near-complete release from Capitol/UMe as part of The Beach Boys’ 3CD/3LP box set We Gotta Groove: The Brother Studio Years which also chronicles the making…

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Reviews

Formats:

Box Sets, CD, Digital Download, Digital Streaming, Vinyl

Genres:

Classic Rock, Pop, Rock

Tags:

Al Jardine, Brian Wilson, Carl Wilson, Dennis Wilson, Mike Love, The Beach Boys

Under Wraps: The Unwrapped Edition

April 24, 2026 by Joe Marchese

The latest in the long-running series of Jethro Tull hardcover book-style sets features not one, but two albums – including an Ian Anderson solo set. Under Wraps: The Unwrapped Edition explores both Tull’s Under Wraps (1984) and Anderson’s debut as a solo artist, Walk Into Light (1983), via the kind of comprehensive presentation that fans of the series have learned to expect. This new 5CD/Blu-ray set has been overseen by Anderson and is built around remixes of both albums by Bruce Soord: a remix with the original 1983-1984 drums, and one with newly-recorded “2026 drums.” Typical…

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Formats:

Blu-Ray Audio, Box Sets, CD

Genres:

Classic Rock, Rock

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Let the Sunshine In: The Soul City & Bell Albums 1967-1974

April 24, 2026 by Joe Marchese

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 Recordings imprint for Let the Sunshine In: The Soul City & Bell Albums 1967-1974. This comprehensive 6CD collection brings together all of Marilyn McCoo, Billy Davis, Jr., Florence LaRue, and the late Ron Townson and LaMonte McLemore’s albums and singles for the Soul City, Bell, and Arista labels, plus bonus selections including…

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Formats:

Box Sets, CD

Genres:

Pop, R&B/Soul

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Release Round-Up: Week of April 24

April 24, 2026 by The Second Disc | No Comments

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. Michael Jackson, Michael: Songs from the Motion Picture (Epic/Legacy) CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada 2LP (Black Vinyl): Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada 2LP (Clear Vinyl): Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada 2LP (Translucent Black Ice Vinyl): Independent Record Stores Cassette: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada Friday, April 24 sees the release in theatres everywhere of Michael, director Antoine Fuqua’s biopic-slash-celebration of the late King of Pop, Michael Jackson. Epic Records and Legacy Recordings are marking the occasion with…

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Formats:

Box Sets, CD, Cassette, Digital Download, Digital Streaming, Vinyl

Genres:

Classic Rock, Country, Pop, Popular Standards/Vocal, R&B/Soul, Rock, Soundtracks

Tags:

Francoise Hardy, Hank Marvin, James Mastro, Level 42, Little Feat, Lowell George, Michael Bublé, Michael Jackson, Richard Barone, Ringo Starr, The Snake Corps

At the BBC

April 23, 2026 by Joe Marchese

Elemental delivers the first official CD release of the late, great Bill Evans’ Jazz 625 show at the BBC Television Theatre in Shepherd’s Bush, recorded on March 19, 1965 with Chuck Israels (bass) and Larry Bunker (drums). The program, featuring such classics as “Someday My Prince Will Come,” “Waltz for Debby,” “Nardis,” and “Who Can I Turn To,” has been transferred from the original tapes in the BBC archives and restored and mastered by Matthew Lutthans at The Mastering Lab. The release includes an insert with rare photographs from the show and…

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Formats:

CD, Vinyl

Genres:

Jazz

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Up, Up, and Away: The 5th Dimension’s Soul City and Bell Albums Collected on New Box from TSD, Cherry Red

April 23, 2026 by The Second Disc | 13 Comments

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 announce the June 12 release from Cherry Red’s Strawberry imprint of Let the Sunshine In: The Soul City & Bell Albums 1967-1974. 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…

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We’re Havin’ a Freak Out! “Zappa ’66,” Due in May, Relaunches Vaulternative Records

April 22, 2026 by Joe Marchese | 4 Comments

Frank Zappa’s archival label Vaulternative Records was launched in 2002 by the late artist’s family to present a variety of fascinating odds and ends from his voluminous archive. Now, after a near-decade-long hiatus, Vaulternative is returning from Zappa Records and UMe to continue preserving the experimental side of the Zappa oeuvre. The newly-refreshed Vaulternative label launches on May 15 with Zappa ’66: Vol. 1 – Live at TTG Studios on one CD or two 180-gram LPs, or via digital download/streaming (including high-resolution audio) exclusively from Zappa.com, uDiscover Music, and Sound of Vinyl….

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Formats:

Classic Rock, Everything Else

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Frank Zappa

Something Beautiful Remains: Tina Turner’s Penultimate Studio Album ‘Wildest Dreams’ Gets Deluxe Reissue

April 20, 2026 by Joe Marchese | 9 Comments

Tina Turner’s long-running series of expanded editions continues on June 26 from Parlophone with a new 30th anniversary 4CD/1Blu-ray edition of the late superstar’s 1996 album – and ninth solo studio release, overall – Wildest Dreams. The stylistically varied LP was helmed by a number of producers including Trevor Horn, Terry Britten, Nellee Hooper, and Pet Shop Boys and Chris Porter. Adorned with a warm cover photo of a beaming Turner, Wildest Dreams included collaborations with Sting and Antonio Banderas; the title track “Wildest Dreams” would later be re-recorded as a duet…

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Formats:

Blu-Ray, Box Sets, CD

Genres:

Classic Rock, Pop, R&B/Soul, Rock, Soundtracks

Tags:

Barry White, Tina Turner, U2

Release Round-Up: Week of April 17

April 17, 2026 by The Second Disc | No Comments

Welcome to this week’s Release Round-Up, featuring a selection of the new titles available this week. As an Amazon affiliate, we earn from qualifying purchases. a-ha, Analogue: 20th Anniversary Edition (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada) The eighth album by Norwegian trio a-ha – the late-period triumph Analogue – is the band’s latest to be expanded and reissued by Rhino. Released for its 20th anniversary, the new Analogue package includes the newly remastered album alongside a B-side and three single mixes as well as a 17-track bonus disc of mostly previously unreleased demos and alternative…

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Formats:

Genres:

Classic Rock, Jazz, Pop, Popular Standards/Vocal, Rap/Hip-Hop, Rock

Tags:

Beastie Boys, Jimmy Scott, John Prine, Oscar Peterson, Romeo Void, The Blasters, Todd Rundgren, a-ha

Release Round-Up: Week of April 10

April 10, 2026 by The Second Disc | 1 Comment

Welcome to this week’s Release Round-Up, featuring a selection of the new titles in stores this week. As an Amazon affiliate, we earn from qualifying purchases. Weezer, Coloring Book (UMe) Official Store / uDiscover Music All six of Weezer’s self-titled albums distinguished by the color scheme of their cover (1994’s blue debut, 2001’s green, 2008’s red, 2016’s white and 2019’s covers album teal and original black) will be pressed on vinyl in those colors. The draw here is the package: a 72-page, hardcover coloring book featuring illustrations by artist Alec Longstreth, which fans can fill…

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Genres:

Classic Rock, Pop, Popular Standards/Vocal, Rock

Tags:

Alfie Boe, Claybourne Elder, Duran Duran, Gregg Allman, Joe Jackson, Laufey, Suzi Quatro, Ween, Weezer

On the Wing: Pink Floyd Plan New ‘8-Tracks’ Compilation, Standalone Audio Release of 1975 L.A. Gig

April 8, 2026 by Mike Duquette | 7 Comments

Pink Floyd are revisiting their latest catalogue title with a standalone issue of a celebrated live bootleg on new formats – and they’re also planning a unique new compilation. The group’s Wish You Were Here 50 was packed with extras, most notably Live from the Los Angeles Sports Arena, April 26th, 1975. This performance, featuring key selections from the 1975 album as well as a full performance of the group’s 1973 masterpiece The Dark Side of the Moon, was taped by legendary bootlegger Mike Millard and restored for official release by Steven Wilson of…

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Genres:

Classic Rock, Rock

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Pink Floyd

We Gonna Rock: Rhino Brings Todd Rundgren, John Prine RSD Titles to CD

April 8, 2026 by Joe Marchese | No Comments

On Saturday, April 18, record buyers everywhere will descend upon independent shops to seek out a variety of limited-edition vinyl LPs on Record Store Day. Happily, Rhino is continuing its recent tradition of releasing a select number of its RSD titles in the CD format, as well. One day earlier, on April 17, the label will release the double-disc expansion of a-ha’s Analogue (read all about it here!) as well as Todd Rundgren’s Runt Live: The Necessary Cosmic Frenzy and John Prine’s BBC Sessions on CD. Runt Live: The Necessary Cosmic Frenzy…

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John Prine, Todd Rundgren

Formats:

CD, Vinyl

Genres:

Classic Rock, Folk

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Review: Frank Zappa, Captain Beefheart, and The Mothers, “Bongo Fury: 50th Anniversary Super Deluxe Edition”

April 6, 2026 by Joe Marchese | 2 Comments

The earliest known recordings of Frank Zappa and Don Van Vliet, a.k.a. Captain Beefheart, are one in the same. The pair’s “Lost in a Whirlpool,” recorded at Antelope Valley College in Lancaster, California circa 1958, is hardly auspicious but points the way towards the future musical activities of both men: Zappa, for its humorous lyrics (“about a person who was…skindiving in the San Diego sewer system, and talking about encountering brown, blind fish…It was kind of like the Cousteau expedition of its era,” per Zappa in 1989) and Beefheart, for its blues…

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Captain Beefheart, Frank Zappa, George Duke

Formats:

Blu-Ray Audio, Box Sets, CD, Digital Download, Digital Streaming, Vinyl

Genres:

Blues, Classic Rock

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Long Long Road

April 3, 2026 by Joe Marchese

Ringo Starr returns with his second consecutive album co-produced by T Bone Burnett. Long Long Road is recorded in Burnett’s signature organic style and features collaborations with Billy Strings, Molly Tuttle, Sheryl Crow, and St. Vincent. The LP, available on CD, vinyl, and digital formats, includes six songs penned by Burnett along with Starr’s own compositions and a cover of Carl Perkins’ “I Don’t See Me in Your Eyes Anymore” – neatly calling back to the Perkins covers performed by Starr back when he was in a certain Fab Four!

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Genres:

Country, Pop, Rock

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Release Round-Up: Week of April 3

April 3, 2026 by The Second Disc | No Comments

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. Robin Trower, Live! [50th Anniversary Edition] (Chrysalis) 2CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada 2LP: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada The former Procol Harum guitarist’s acclaimed power trio live release gets a fresh look to celebrate its half-century mark! It’s been newly sequenced back into its original 12-song running order and remixed from the original multi-tracks by engineer Richard Whittaker. A 2CD set will include that expansion next to a new remaster of the…

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Formats:

Blu-Ray Audio, CD, Digital Download, Digital Streaming, Vinyl

Genres:

Classic Rock, Jazz, Pop, R&B/Soul, Rock

Tags:

Bruce Hornsby, Curtis Mayfield, Everything But the Girl, Gene Pitney, Graham Central Station, Joe Pernice, Kut Klose, Robin Trower, The Devil Wears Prada, The Modern Jazz Quartet, The Spinners, The Tedeschi Trucks Band, Tim Buckley, Tom Tom Club

Apogee: Jethro Tull, Ian Anderson Revisit “Under Wraps” and “Walk Into Light” on New Box Set

April 2, 2026 by Joe Marchese | No Comments

The latest in the long-running series of Jethro Tull hardcover book-style sets features not one, but two albums – including an Ian Anderson solo set. Under Wraps: The Unwrapped Edition, due May 15 from Chrysalis, explores both Tull’s Under Wraps (1984) and Anderson’s debut as a solo artist, Walk Into Light (1983), via the kind of comprehensive presentation that fans of the series have learned to expect. The impetus for bringing the albums together is their shared sound. Both albums deviated from the folk-rooted “classic rock” sound of the ‘70s to embrace…

Categories:

Ian Anderson, Jethro Tull

Formats:

Blu-Ray, Box Sets, CD, Digital Download, Digital Streaming, Vinyl

Genres:

Classic Rock

Tags:

All I Want: a-ha Expand ‘Analogue’ for Its 20th Anniversary

March 31, 2026 by The Second Disc | No Comments

The eighth album by Norwegian trio a-ha – the late-period triumph Analogue – is the band’s latest to be expanded and reissued by Rhino this spring. Released for its 20th anniversary, the new Analogue package includes the newly remastered album alongside a B-side and three single mixes as well as a 17-track bonus disc of mostly previously unreleased demos and alternative versions of every track on the LP plus more. It’s available as a 2CD set on April 17, with a 2LP version available a day later as a Record Store Day exclusive. a-ha…

Categories:

Pop, Popular Standards/Vocal

Formats:

CD, Vinyl

Genres:

Pop

Tags:

Graham Nash, a-ha

Live! Caught in the Act

March 30, 2026 by Joe Marchese

Michael Bublé supported his 2005 multi-platinum album It’s Time with an international tour that saw him make two stops, in August, at Los Angeles’ Wiltern Theatre. Those concerts formed the basis of his concert album released later that year, Live! Caught in the Act. The original release consisted of a concert film on DVD and an audio sampler with eight songs on CD. Now, for its 20th anniversary, Live! Caught in the Act is being reissued as a 2CD set (also available digitally) with the complete concert in audio form. (As an Amazon affiliate, we earn…

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CD, Digital Download, Digital Streaming

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Cinematic

March 30, 2026 by Joe Marchese

Josh Groban’s new studio album finds the crossover superstar tackling classic film songs, from Disney favorites (Pinocchio‘s “When You Wish Upon a Star,” The Lion King‘s “Can You Feel the Love Tonight,” Coco‘s “Remember Me”) to modern-day Bond anthems (“Skyfall”) and pop hits (“Against All Odds,” Ghost‘s adopted “Unchained Melody,” and an oldie that lent its title to a hit film, “Stand by Me”). Available on CD, LP (including an Amazon-exclusive color pressing), and digitally. As an Amazon affiliate, we earn from qualifying purchases.

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Formats:

Pop, Popular Standards/Vocal

Genres:

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At Baker’s Keyboard Lounge

March 30, 2026 by Joe Marchese

Oscar Peterson Trio Baker's Keyboard Lounge

CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada LP: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada 3LP: Verve Official Store Eight-time Grammy-winning, Montreal-born pianist Oscar Peterson (1925-2007) recorded prolifically over the years, releasing studio and live albums throughout his lifetime on the Mercury, Verve, MPS, Prestige, Pablo, and Telarc labels, among others. Verve now adds a new title to his already voluminous discography with the debut of The Oscar Peterson Trio At Baker’s Keyboard Lounge on CD, LP, and digital formats. The label captured the trio’s Friday evening sets at Baker’s for a live album that was ultimately shelved but now…

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Formats:

Box Sets, CD, Digital Download, Digital Streaming, Vinyl

Genres:

Jazz

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Knackology: The Zen Recordings

March 30, 2026 by Joe Marchese

Omnivore Recordings reignites its long-running series of Knack releases with Knackology: The Zen Recordings, a 19-song collection from the archives of the label founded by the band’s main songwriter and lead singer, the late Doug Fieger. The set boasts demos, live recordings, and studio rarities from the band that’s so much more than just “My Sharona” and “Good Girls Don’t.” It’s been mastered by Michael Graves and features liner notes by the compilation’s co-producer, Lee Lodyga. With a cross-section of tracks spanning four decades, it serves as both an introduction to the…

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