What is jazz-rock? The label has been applied to the work of diverse artists such as Chicago, Blood Sweat & Tears, Miles Davis, Steely Dan, and Santana (and that's just to name some of the most well-known exponents) not to mention an entire cadre of fusion artists like the groups Weather Report and Return to Forever. In the jazz-rock canon, the name of Frank Zappa certainly stands tall. The multi-faceted artist delivered one of the genre's earliest and most seminal albums with 1969's Hot
Release Round-Up: Week of February 21
Welcome to this week's Release Round-Up! Hank Williams, Pictures from Life's Other Side - The Man and His Music in Rare Photos and Recordings (BMG) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada) BMG salutes late singer-songwriter-legend Hank Williams with the release of Pictures from Life's Other Side - The Man and His Music in Rare Photos and Recordings. This lavish 6-CD collection presents all 144 tracks recorded by Williams for his 1951 radio show sponsored by Mother's Best Flour
Too Cool To Fool: Bowie's Archival 'Is It Any Wonder' EP Completes This Friday, Available Physically In March
On January 8 -- what would have been David Bowie's 73rd birthday -- Parlophone announced the latest releases in their ongoing series celebrating the rare and unreleased performances from the vault. The streaming EP Is It Any Wonder? was unveiled over the course of the last six weeks, with a new song hitting streaming services every Friday. Parlophone also previewed an upcoming Record Store Day release, ChangesNowBowie with the first selection on the EP, an intimate 1996 recording of "The Man Who
The Music Never Stops: Grateful Dead Live Rarities Abound on "June 1976" Box
Rhino has teamed up with the Grateful Dead online shop, Dead.net, to offer another box set that promises to be an illuminating and exciting look into another chapter of their live career. June 1976 is a 15-CD box set documenting 5 complete live shows from that month. The limited edition collection will be pressed up in 12,000 numbered copies, due out March 20. After two years away from the stage, Grateful Dead returned to touring. Mickey Hart was back, the pricey and cumbersome Wall of
Love You More: Billy Ocean Announces New Album, "One World"
Last month, the multi-platinum-selling singer Billy Ocean - known for his streak of pop and R&B hits in the '70s and '80s - celebrated his 70th birthday. To mark the occasion, he also announced the release of his first album of new material in 10 years, entitled One World. Due April 17 from Legacy Recordings, the record sees Ocean reunite with producer Barry Eastmond, whose credits include a number of Billy's best-loved hits, like "When The Going Gets Tough" and "Love Zone." As the press
Review: The Band, "The Band: 50th Anniversary Edition"
How to top Music from Big Pink? Wisely, The Band didn't even try. Ditching the Dylan co-writes and the covers, The Band returned with their self-titled sophomore LP in fall 1969. Late in 2019, Capitol Records and UMe remixed and expanded that now-classic effort for its 50th anniversary in the style of 2018's Big Pink campaign with releases in a variety of formats - most notably, a 2-CD/2-LP/1-BD/1 -7" single super deluxe edition. The so-called "Brown Album" was recorded about as far from New
Release Round-Up: Week of February 7
Welcome to this week's Release Round-Up! Bryan Ferry, Live at the Royal Albert Hall 1974 (BMG) CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada LP: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada Bryan Ferry's Live at the Royal Albert Hall 1974 presents 14 selections recorded at the storied London venue in 1974 drawn from his first two solo albums. These range from classic standards ("These Foolish Things," "Smoke Gets In Your Eyes") to '60s pop ("Don't Worry Baby," "It's My Party"), rock
A Really Good Time: Bryan Ferry's "Live at the Royal Albert Hall 1974" Arrives on Friday
Bryan Ferry surely took some fans by surprise when, in 1973, he released his first solo studio album. These Foolish Things was named after the 1935 standard, quite a far cry from the original music he was recording as frontman of Roxy Music. The all-covers LP was a journey through Ferry's record collection, featuring his reimagined versions of songs by Bob Dylan, The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, The Beach Boys, Lesley Gore, Smokey Robinson, and others. He followed up These Foolish Things in 1974
A New Format: Pre-fun. Indie-Pop Band Announces Vinyl Reissues
It was the most-talked about story for a very specific subset of indie-pop fans a month ago: an Instagram account for The Format was spotted. From 2002 to 2008, The Format were the band for lovers of ornately-crafted pop/rock that borrowed from turn of the century alternative stylings and baroque pop of the '60s and '70s in equal measure. Was a reunion imminent? That question has yet to be answered definitively - though it sure looks like they did yesterday at an event we'll discuss in a
Release Round-Up: Week of January 31
Welcome to this week's Release Round-Up! Rod McKuen, New Ballads (Real Gone Music) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada) Real Gone celebrates the late Rod McKuen with a slate of releases this week. For the 1970 album New Ballads, the singer-songwriter teamed with renowned arranger-conductor Don Costa for this remarkable collection of songs including "As I Love My Own," the dramatic Jacques Brel collaboration "I'm Not Afraid," "Thank You for Christmas," and a composition which
Release Round-Up: Week of January 24
Welcome to this week's Release Round-Up! Elton John, Live from Moscow 1979 (Mercury/UMe) 2-CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada 2-LP: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada 2019 marked the 40th anniversary of Elton John's landmark tour of Russia, where he stunned audiences as the first rocker to perform in the country. His concerts there were intimate events where he performed alongside percussionist Ray Cooper. Now, Elton brings his May 28, 1979 concert in Moscow to
Milestones: "Miles Davis: Birth of the Cool" Soundtrack Coming on Legacy in February
Tuesday, February 25 will see the U.S. broadcast premiere of director Stanley Nelson's acclaimed film Miles Davis: Birth of the Cool, theatrically released last year. The Grammy-nominated Best Music Film chronicled the late Davis' life and art via previously unseen footage and new interviews with the likes of Herbie Hancock, Quincy Jones, Carlos Santana, Clive Davis, Wayne Shorter and Ron Carter. Four days before the broadcast premiere, on February 21, Columbia Records and Legacy Recordings will
Release Round-Up: Week of January 17
Welcome to this week's Release Round-Up! Marshall Crenshaw, Miracle of Science [Revised Edition] (Shiny-Tone) CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada LP: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada Singer-songwriter Marshall Crenshaw reissues his 1996 Razor & Tie release on his own Shiny-Tone label, tinkering with some tracks and adding two new recordings. It launches a new reissue campaign that will ultimately encompass three studio albums -- Miracle of Science, 1999's
Just Peachy: New Box Set Celebrates 50 Years of The Allman Brothers Band
The November 1969 arrival of the self-titled The Allman Brothers Band heralded the arrival of a group which would change the face of music. Duane Allman, Gregg Allman, Dickey Betts, Berry Oakley, Jai Johanny Johanson (a.k.a. Jaimoe), and Butch Trucks fused rock, blues, and country with jazz-inspired improvisation to become one of the most beloved bands of all time. On February 28, UMe and Mercury Records will celebrate 50 years of The Allman Brothers Band with a remarkable, career-spanning box
Thank You For The Music: On 10 Years of The Second Disc
Ten years ago, I was writing my first post for The Second Disc, a website about music reissues I thought was a pretty bright idea. A lot has changed since then. The first posts were written in the bedroom of a suburban New Jersey home - the house I grew up in and moved back into after post-college economic downturn made it the best possible choice to live. This post was written in an apartment in Queens that I share with a lovely fiancée who is very cool about the amount of box sets
Release Round-Up: Week of January 10
Welcome to this week's Release Round-Up! Laura Nyro, More Than a New Discovery [Limited Violet Vinyl Mono Edition] (Second Disc Records/Real Gone Music) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada) Today's the day! We're so proud to reissue, for the first time ever on vinyl (and in homage to the artist's favorite color), Laura Nyro's 1967 debut More Than a New Discovery in a violet vinyl limited edition of 1,250 copies. This edition features the original, long out-of-print (and
Face To Face: David Bowie Rarities Arriving on "Is It Any Wonder," Parlophone Announces "ChangesNowBowie" RSD 2020 Release
On January 8 -- what would have been David Bowie's 73rd birthday -- Parlophone announced the latest releases in their ongoing series celebrating the rare and unreleased performances from the vault, and fans who appreciate a dramatic unfolding are in for a treat. David Bowie Is It Any Wonder? is the title of the six-track EP of rare and previously unreleased material that will be rolled out track-by-track over the next six weeks. The first selection on the EP is an intimate 1996 recording of
The Year in Review: The 2019 Gold Bonus Disc Awards, From A to Z
Happy 2020 and welcome to The Second Disc's 10th Annual Gold Bonus Disc Awards! It's time once again to recognize this year's cream of the crop - those exemplary reissues and box sets big and small that proved to be truly outstanding products for music lovers worldwide. There was no shortage of great reissue titles in 2019; in fact, by our count, we covered over 700 releases in all! And after much deliberation, we're excited to unveil our favorites. This isn't your run-of-the-mill Top 10,
Over The Waves: The Beach Boys Release Copyright Extension EP "1969: I'm Going Your Way"
We interrupt our holiday hiatus for this special report... Following the band's wide-reaching copyright extension releases the last few years, Beach Boys fans have been expecting some rarities vintage 1969 to enjoy as the year wraps up. Today, Capitol/UMG quietly released 1969: I'm Going Your Way, this year's digital-only round-up of rarities but fans will no doubt be disappointed by its limited scope. While 2018 saw the release of three albums' worth of rare material (On Tour: 1968 ,
Holiday Gift Guide Reviews: A Rhino Round-Up with Bad Company, Rush, Van Halen, Hootie, STP and The Notorious B.I.G.
Many of this year's finest box sets came courtesy of the Rhino label. Here, Joe and Randy take a look at a few more of our favorites! First up are Randy's three picks... First up is Rhino's 25th anniversary 3-CD/1-LP Super Deluxe Edition of Stone Temple Pilots' Purple. Initially hitting shelves on June 7, 1994, the band's sophomore album would debut atop the Billboard 200 and stay there for three weeks, eventually becoming the group's second best-selling album after their debut effort,
Holiday Gift Guide Review: Nat King Cole, "Hittin' the Ramp: The Early Years (1936-1943)"
The first voice you hear on Resonance Records' exhilarating new box set Nat King Cole - Hittin' the Ramp: The Early Years (1936-1943) isn't that of the famous artist. Rather, it's his older brother and bassist Eddie Cole warbling teenaged Nat's sprightly composition "Honey Hush." Nat, of course, is the one tickling the ivories with confidence, grace, and an already sure sense of swing. Although he hadn't yet formed his famous trio (and the lineup here credited as "Eddie Cole's Solid Swingers" is
Let It Snow: Omnivore Breaks Away with Murry Wilson and Snow EP
With its latest release, Omnivore Recordings might as well as be singing "Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!" The intrepid label has unearthed a true rarity for a new digital EP: four previously unreleased songs produced in 1969 by Murry Wilson for an all-but-unknown harmony-pop outfit named Snow. Freshly unearthed from The Beach Boys' vault, Murry Wilson & Snow: The Break Away EP features Snow's lush and fully-produced and orchestrated renditions of two songs from Brian Wilson's
Release Round-Up: Weeks of December 20 and 27, and January 3
Welcome to our final Release Round-Up of 2019! This edition covers today's releases as well as those of the next two weeks, the quietest time of the year for new releases. The weekly Release Round-Up will be back on January 10. In the meantime, Happy Holidays to all! Frank Zappa, The Hot Rats Sessions (Zappa/UMe) 6CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada LP: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada This 6-CD box set explores Frank Zappa's 1969 primarily instrumental solo
Holiday Gift Guide Review: Mariah Carey, "Merry Christmas: Deluxe Anniversary Edition"
Sitting atop the Billboard Hot 100 this week is a song which took a quarter-century to reach that peak: Mariah Carey's "All I Want For Christmas Is You." The song achieved a couple of milestones with that ranking: it now holds the record for the longest time between a song's debut and its reaching the top of the charts, and it's the first Christmas song to reach the peak in 60 years since The Chipmunks did it in 1959. Before this new milestone for Carey's tune, the song and the album of its
Holiday Gift Guide Review: Margaret Whiting, "Let's Fall in Love: The Lost Recordings Vol. 2"
Three years ago, Sepia Records and My Ideal Music celebrated the late, great Margaret Whiting with Dream: The Lost Recordings, a 2-CD collection of rare radio performances. Now, the long-awaited follow-up has arrived. Let's Fall in Love: The Lost Recordings Vol. 2 has been worth the wait. Like the first volume, the recordings premiering on Let's Fall in Love - a whopping 56 songs, complementing the 57 on Volume 1 - have been culled from The Barry Wood Show, a syndicated radio program for
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