SACD - The Second Disc

Formats:

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

Genres:

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

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Aerosmith, Dan Fogelberg, Frank Zappa, Liz Callaway, Lou Gramm, Todd Rundgren, Vince Guaraldi

Release Round-Up: Week of January 9

January 9, 2026 by The Second Disc | 1 Comment

Welcome to our first Release Round-Up of 2026, featuring a selection of the new titles available today. As an Amazon affiliate, we earn from qualifying purchases. The Doobie Brothers, The Captain & Me: Audiophile Edition (Warner/Rhino) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada) Rhino’s Audiophile Edition of The Doobie Brothers’ smash 1973 album featuring “Long Train Runnin’” and “China Grove” includes four unique mixes: the original quadraphonic mix (previously available on the Doobies’ Quadio box set), surround guru Elliot Scheiner’s 5.1 mix originally released in 2001, a new Dolby Atmos mix, and the original album mix…

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Formats:

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

Genres:

Classic Rock, Classical/Opera, Everything Else, Pop, Rock, Soundtracks

Tags:

Fanny, Jennifer Lopez, Joan Sutherland, John Kander and Fred Ebb, Luciano Pavarotti, Morton Feldman, The Doobie Brothers, Van Halen

Japan Reissue Round-Up: “Wicked: The Soundtrack,” Bruce Springsteen, Simon and Garfunkel

January 6, 2026 by Joe Marchese | 2 Comments

Today, we’re taking a look at three unique 2025 reissues from Japan! Back on December 5, we shared news that John Powell and Stephen Schwartz’s instrumental score to the blockbuster sequel Wicked: For Good had received a physical release on 2 CDs or 2 LPs whereas their work on the 2024 first film was only issued digitally and on limited-edition vinyl. Over in Japan, however, it’s a horse of a different color. Universal Japan, Republic, and Verve have released a deluxe 2CD edition of Wicked including both an expanded edition of Schwartz’s…

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Formats:

CD, Digital Download, Digital Streaming, SACD, Vinyl

Genres:

Classic Rock, Pop, Soundtracks

Tags:

Ariana Grande, Bruce Springsteen, Cynthia Erivo, John Powell, Simon and Garfunkel, Stephen Schwartz

Soundtrack Watch: La-La Land Gets a ‘Clue’ and a ‘Ladder,’ Intrada Turns the ‘Tide,’ and Re-Recordings Galore

November 6, 2025 by Mike Duquette | No Comments

As film score fans edge ever closer to the inevitably killer archival score reissues typically made available around the holiday shopping season, a host of great soundtrack re-releases are already newly available from some of our favorite specialty labels, including some must-hear, classic re-recordings. La-La Land Records takes a brief break from Bond to make available two seasonally appropriate scores. First up is Maurice Jarre’s score to the haunting cult classic Jacob’s Ladder, a psychological thriller about a Vietnam veteran caught between a harrowing past experience that seems to be affecting reality in…

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Formats:

CD, SACD

Genres:

Soundtracks

Tags:

Bernard Herrmann, Brad Fiedel, Gerh, Hans Zimmer, Hugo Friedhofer, James Newton Howard, John Morris, Maurice Jarre, Max Steiner

The Lost Concert: Live at Llangollen 1995

October 6, 2025 by Joe Marchese

2SACD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada 2LP: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada Decca premieres Luciano Pavarotti’s recital recorded in Llangollen, North Wales in 1995 on an audio-only format for the very first time. The concert commemorated 40 years since Pavarotti and his fellow choir members from Modena won first prize in the Choral Competition at the International Eisteddfod in 1955. The 75-minute program features operatic arias from Cavalleria Rusticana, Il trovatore, Macbeth, Manon Lescaut, and La traviata, and his beloved Neapolitan songs. It also includes what…

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Formats:

CD, Digital Download, Digital Streaming, SACD, Vinyl

Genres:

Classical/Opera

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The Royal Scam

May 3, 2025 by Joe Marchese

180-gram black vinyl: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada UHQR Vinyl Box: Acoustic Sounds Hybrid Stereo SACD: Acoustic Sounds Are you gonna do it without the fez on? 1976’s The Royal Scam, Steely Dan’s fifth album featuring “The Fez,” “Kid Charlemagne,” and “Green Earrings,” is returning in a variety of formats to conclude the band’s reissue campaign which began in November 2022 with Can’t Buy a Thrill. Like the past titles in this series encompassing the Dan’s ABC/MCA discography, The Royal Scam will be reissued on 180-gram vinyl from Geffen/UMe while an audiophile-aimed UHQR 45 RPM, 200-gram vinyl edition and…

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Formats:

Digital Download, Digital Streaming, SACD, Vinyl

Genres:

Classic Rock, Jazz

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A “Souvenir” from Sony Music Japan: An Expansion of Billy Joel’s ‘Streetlife Serenade’

January 13, 2025 by Mike Duquette | 9 Comments

Here’s a belated 50th anniversary present for Billy Joel fans: a new, Japan-exclusive collector’s edition of his third studio album, 1974’s Streetlife Serenade. Available February 19, this lavish deluxe version – which follows a similar package for its predecessor Piano Man last year – includes many similar extras. The 7″ cardboard packaging includes lyrics and liner notes in English and Japanese (including a CD-sized replica of the original booklet that came with the Japanese LP), replicas of four international 45 RPM single picture sleeves (Portuguese, German, Dutch and Japanese), two obi strips (including…

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Formats:

CD, SACD

Genres:

Classic Rock, Pop, Rock

Tags:

Billy Joel

Make My Wish Come True: Vinyl, Singles, SACD to Commemorate 30 Years of Mariah Carey’s ‘Merry Christmas’

November 12, 2024 by Mike Duquette | 1 Comment

Mariah Carey Merry Christmas 30 packshot

With the run-up to Christmas approaching full speed, the holiday’s musical queen is looking to take back her crown. To celebrate the 30th anniversary of Carey’s Merry Christmas and its unforgettable, cross-generational hit single “All I Want for Christmas is You,” the Elusive Chanteuse will deliver an expanded version of the album on vinyl, featuring material from its most recent reissue and a 24-page booklet in a hardbound package with some holiday surprises. To boost “All I Want for Christmas is You” in its inevitable journey back up the Billboard Hot 100, a number…

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Ariana Grande, Jennifer Hudson, Mariah Carey

Formats:

Box Sets, CD, Cassette, SACD, Vinyl

Genres:

Holiday, Pop, R&B/Soul

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Somewhere Along the Line: Japanese Expansion of Billy Joel’s ‘Piano Man’ Includes Quad Mix, New-to-CD Tracks

January 19, 2024 by Mike Duquette | 2 Comments

Japan can’t get enough of the Piano Man! Shortly after Sony Music’s Japanese division released a newly-compiled collection of live odds and ends by Billy Joel, the label will next put out a deluxe edition of Joel’s sophomore album (and first in a long line of albums for Columbia Records), 1973’s Piano Man. Billed as a 50th anniversary edition (a few months late) and ostensibly meant to tie into his Japanese tour dates later this month, the 2CD/1DVD set features a few extra features for die-hard collectors. The original album will be presented…

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Formats:

CD, DVD, SACD

Genres:

Classic Rock, Pop, Rock

Tags:

Billy Joel

Release Round-Up: Week of December 1

December 1, 2023 by The Second Disc | 2 Comments

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. The Sound of Music: Super Deluxe Edition (Craft Recordings) 4CD/Blu-ray: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada 2CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada 3LP: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada / Craft Store (picnic meadow green) This remarkable new 4CD/1BD box set invites listeners to hear The Sound of Music anew. The first two discs represent the complete musical score as heard in the film, from the orchestral prelude and Julie Andrews’ iconic “The Sound of Music” – yes, that…

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Formats:

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

Genres:

Classic Rock, Classical/Opera, Folk, Jazz, Pop, R&B/Soul, Rock, Soundtracks

Tags:

Aretha Franklin, Bill Evans, Bobby Darin, Julie Andrews, Leonard Bernstein, Peter Gabriel, Rodgers and Hammerstein, Soft Cell, Steely Dan, Tina Turner, Van Duren, Violent Femmes

Gaucho [Various Formats]

October 25, 2023 by Joe Marchese

LP: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada UHQR Box: Acoustic Sounds SACD: Acoustic Sounds As an Amazon associate, we earn from qualifying purchases. The Steely Dan reissue campaign rolls on with the return of Gaucho, Donald Fagen and Walter Becker’s final album before putting the Dan on a two-decade hiatus. Gaucho (featuring “Hey Nineteen” and “Time Out of Mind”) follows the previous vinyl reissues of Can’t Buy a Thrill (1972), Countdown to Ecstasy (1973), Pretzel Logic (1974), and, most recently, Aja (1977). In addition to the 180-gram vinyl series from Geffen/UMe, a concurrent program from Analogue Productions is reissuing each record on SACD and in…

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Formats:

Box Sets, SACD, Vinyl

Genres:

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Slide on Down: Steely Dan’s “Gaucho” Returns in December

October 24, 2023 by Joe Marchese | 8 Comments

Go back, Jack, do it again: The Steely Dan reissue campaign rolls on with the December 1 return of Gaucho, Donald Fagen and Walter Becker’s final album before putting the Dan on a two-decade hiatus. Gaucho follows the previous vinyl reissues of Can’t Buy a Thrill (1972), Countdown to Ecstasy (1973), Pretzel Logic (1974), and, most recently, Aja (1977). In addition to the 180-gram vinyl series from Geffen/UMe, a concurrent program from Analogue Productions is reissuing each record on SACD and in a deluxe 200-gram Ultra-High Quality Vinyl (UHQR) box set. Steely…

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Release Round-Up: Week of September 29

September 29, 2023 by The Second Disc | 2 Comments

Welcome to this week’s Release Round-Up, featuring a selection of the new titles available today! The Spinners, Ain’t No Price on Happiness: The Thom Bell Studio Recordings (1972-1979) (SoulMusic/Cherry Red) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada) Earlier this year, Second Disc Records and Real Gone Music celebrated the extraordinary legacy of The Spinners with the release of The Complete Atlantic Singles: The Thom Bell Productions 1972-1979, collecting a whopping 43 single sides on two CDs. Now, SoulMusic Records and Cherry Red are continuing the Spinners party with a comprehensive box set chronicling that halcyon period with…

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Formats:

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

Genres:

Classic Rock, Country, Disco/Dance, Electronic, Holiday, Latin, Pop, Popular Standards/Vocal, R&B/Soul, Rock

Tags:

Ann Wilson, Billie Holiday, Carla Thomas, Electronic, Grateful Dead, Green Day, HAIM, Jason Isbell, Otis Redding, Sarah Vaughan, Steely Dan, The Spinners, Wilco

Release Round-Up: Week of September 1

September 1, 2023 by The Second Disc | 5 Comments

Welcome to this week’s Release Round-Up, featuring a selection of the new titles available today! Jethro Tull, Broadsword and the Beast: 40th Anniversary Edition (Parlophone) 5CD/3DVD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada 4LP: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada This 40th anniversary “Monster Edition”of the Jethro Tull classic will feature Steven Wilson’s new mixes of the original album, a slew of rare and previously unreleased recordings, demos, early mixes, and a 1982 live set in Germany – all available in stereo across five CDs and in hi-resolution stereo and surround mixes on three DVDs. (A vinyl edition will…

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Formats:

Box Sets, CD, DVD, Digital Download, Digital Streaming, SACD

Genres:

Classic Rock, Everything Else, Folk, Pop

Tags:

Belinda Carlisle, Deacon Blue, Gordon Lightfoot, Jethro Tull, Neil Young, Peter Frampton, Tom Waits

Aja

August 28, 2023 by Joe Marchese

180-Gram Black Vinyl LP: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada UHQR 45RPM Vinyl Box Set: AcousticSounds.com Hybrid Stereo SACD: AcousticSounds.com The ongoing Steely Dan reissue campaign jumps ahead to the sixth Dan album and arguably Donald Fagen and Walter Becker’s crowning achievement: 1977’s Aja. (No fear: Katy Lied and The Royal Scam will show up later.) Aja, featuring “Deacon Blues,” “Peg,” and “Black Cow,” has been newly remastered by Bernie Grundman from a pristine, non-EQ’ed, analog tape copy. Lacquers for UMe’s standard 33 1/3 RPM 180-gram black vinyl version will be cut by Alex Abrash at AA Mastering studio from…

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Release Round-Up: Week of August 25

August 25, 2023 by The Second Disc | 1 Comment

Welcome to this week’s Release Round-Up, featuring a selection of the new titles available today! Shania Twain, Come On Over: Diamond Edition (Mercury/UMe) 3CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada 2CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada 3LP (U.S.): ShaniaTwain.com 3LP (International): ShaniaTwain.com 2LP: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada Three years after revisiting one of her first major releases, 1995’s The Woman in Me, country-pop icon Shania Twain will do the same for her 1997 follow-up Come On Over – the album that made her a pop star. The Diamond Edition of Come On Over will encompass a number of formats, including 2CD/2LP standard…

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Formats:

Blu-Ray, CD, DVD, Digital Download, Digital Streaming, SACD

Genres:

Classic Rock, Country, Jazz, Latin, Rock

Tags:

Alice Cooper, Atlanta Rhythm Section, Bebel Gilberto, John Fogerty, R.E.M., Shania Twain, The Ocean Blue

Learn to Work the Saxophone: Steely Dan’s “Aja” Returns to Vinyl, SACD in September

August 22, 2023 by Joe Marchese | 6 Comments

UMe’s Steely Dan reissue campaign – which has so far yielded remastered standard and audiophile vinyl and hybrid stereo SACD reissues of the band’s first three albums Can’t Buy a Thrill, Countdown to Ecstasy, and Pretzel Logic – has announced an unexpected detour. On September 29, the series will jump ahead to the sixth Dan album and arguably Donald Fagen and Walter Becker’s crowning achievement: 1977’s Aja. (No fear: Katy Lied and The Royal Scam will show up later.) Aja sounded – and sounds – like no other record. Jazz buffs claim…

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Frampton@50 Update: Remastered SACDs Out Now, Vinyl Shipping Tomorrow

July 27, 2023 by Joe Marchese | No Comments

“Take me away,” Peter Frampton repeatedly implores on the title track of his 1972 solo debut Wind of Change. Indeed, change was in the air. He’d recently departed Humble Pie but stayed at A&M Records to launch his own career. Departing from the band’s boogieing ways, Frampton’s debut was filled with acoustic-based, melodic tunes plus a handful of muscular rock offerings to prove that the artist hadn’t lost his way. Those shimmering acoustic guitars are among the elements that gain crispness and presence on Intervention Records’ beautiful Frampton@50 series of three remastered…

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Formats:

CD, SACD, Vinyl

Genres:

Classic Rock

Tags:

Peter Frampton

Any Major Dude Will Tell You: Steely Dan’s “Pretzel Logic” Set for Reissue

July 26, 2023 by Joe Marchese | 11 Comments

The Steely Dan reissue campaign rolls on with the July 28 reissue of the band’s third album, 1974’s Pretzel Logic. The release follows the recent reissues of both Can’t Buy a Thrill and Countdown to Ecstasy; like those titles, it will be remastered by Bernie Grundman from the original analog masters and reissued on standard 180-gram black vinyl, Ultra High-Quality (UHQR) premium vinyl cut at 45 RPM, and hybrid stereo SACD (playable on all CD players). Donald Fagen has overseen the audio for all formats. Pretzel Logic was a transitional album for…

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Formats:

Box Sets, SACD, Vinyl

Genres:

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Countdown to Ecstasy

May 24, 2023 by Joe Marchese

180-gram LP: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada UHQR 200-gram LP Box Set: AcousticSounds.com Hybrid Stereo SACD: AcousticSounds.com Following the recent release of Steely Dan’s debut album Can’t Buy a Thrill in vinyl, audiophile vinyl, and hybrid stereo SACD formats, the jazz-rock heroes’ second set will be receiving the same treatment. 1973’s Countdown to Ecstasy will be reissued by Geffen/UMe on 180-gram black vinyl as remastered from the original tapes by Bernie Grundman at 33-1/3 RPM. A 200-gram, 45 RPM version on Ultra High-Quality Vinyl (UHQR) is already shipping from Acoustic Sounds with the SACD (playable on all…

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Genres:

Classic Rock, Pop

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My Old School: UMe Reissues Steely Dan’s “Countdown to Ecstasy”

May 22, 2023 by Joe Marchese | 6 Comments

Following the recent release of Steely Dan’s debut album Can’t Buy a Thrill in vinyl, audiophile vinyl, and hybrid stereo SACD formats, the jazz-rock heroes’ second set will be receiving the same treatment. This Friday, May 26, Countdown to Ecstasy will be issued by Geffen/UMe on 180-gram black vinyl as remastered by Bernie Grundman at 33-1/3 RPM. A 200-gram, 45 RPM version on Ultra High-Quality Vinyl (UHQR) is already shipping from Acoustic Sounds with the SACD (playable on all CD players) due soon. All formats have been overseen by Donald Fagen. Countdown…

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Formats:

Box Sets, CD, SACD, Vinyl

Genres:

Classic Rock, Pop

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Do You Feel Like We Do: “Frampton@50” Celebration Coming from Intervention Records with Vinyl and Hybrid SACD Releases

March 21, 2023 by Joe Marchese | 4 Comments

Peter Frampton made his solo debut with 1972’s Wind of Change, following successful stints with The Herd and Humble Pie. The album put his acoustic guitar up front, while he also demonstrated his virtuosity on the organ, keyboards, drums, percussion, dulcimer, harmonium, and, of course, the lead vocals. Now, more than half a century later, Frampton has teamed with Intervention Records for a limited edition vinyl box set and a series of hybrid SACD reissues celebrating his early solo years. The vinyl box set is due on July 28 while the SACDs…

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Formats:

Box Sets, CD, SACD, Vinyl

Genres:

Classic Rock

Tags:

Peter Frampton

Here They Come: Classic ‘Star Wars’ Recording Gets a New Surround Mix on SACD

March 13, 2023 by Mike Duquette | 1 Comment

Charles Gerhardt Star Wars and Close Encounters

Fans of John Williams’ sweeping scores to the nine Star Wars films released between 1977 and 2019 must have the patience of a Jedi Knight. While archival-quality expansions of the original trilogy’s soundtracks were released in 1997 for the series’ 20th anniversary and special edition reissues, the balance of the other six scores remain mostly preserved in their original album forms. In 2018, the series’ new owner, The Walt Disney Company, sort of went back to formula on the original and prequel soundtracks, rebuilding and remixing those original LP programs for CD…

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Charles Gerhardt, John Williams

Formats:

CD, SACD

Genres:

Soundtracks

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The Year In Review: The 2022 Gold Bonus Disc Awards, From A to Z – Part Two

January 4, 2023 by The Second Disc | 13 Comments

Happy 2023! Welcome, friends, to The Second Disc’s 13th Annual Gold Bonus Disc Awards! A lot has happened in the last twelve months, but as we look to a new year with optimism and a hopeful spirit, we recognize the many roles music has played in our lives. With that spirit in mind, The Second Disc wishes to recognize 2022’s cream of the catalogue music crop – those exemplary reissues and box sets, big and small, that proved to be truly outstanding for music lovers worldwide. Despite the many delays caused by…

Release Round-Up: Week of November 4

November 4, 2022 by The Second Disc | 9 Comments

Welcome to this week’s Release Round-Up, featuring a selection of the new titles in stores today! Billy Joel, Live at Yankee Stadium (Columbia/Legacy) 2CD/Blu-ray: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada 3LP: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada Billy Joel’s Live at Yankee Stadium, originally released on video, is getting a major makeover. The concert film, shot on June 22 and 23, 1990, has been restored and remixed from original audio and video elements for a 2CD/Blu-ray or 3LP package. Eleven of the tracks have never been released in any format. The ground-up restoration of Live at Yankee Stadium includes the…

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