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
Release Round-Up: Week of August 25
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
Learn to Work the Saxophone: Steely Dan's "Aja" Returns to Vinyl, SACD in September
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
Frampton@50 Update: Remastered SACDs Out Now, Vinyl Shipping Tomorrow
"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
Any Major Dude Will Tell You: Steely Dan's "Pretzel Logic" Set for Reissue
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
My Old School: UMe Reissues Steely Dan's "Countdown to Ecstasy"
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)
Do You Feel Like We Do: "Frampton@50" Celebration Coming from Intervention Records with Vinyl and Hybrid SACD Releases
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.
Here They Come: Classic 'Star Wars' Recording Gets a New Surround Mix on SACD
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
The Year In Review: The 2022 Gold Bonus Disc Awards, From A to Z - Part Two
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
Release Round-Up: Week of November 4
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
Fare Thee Well: Sony Music, Analogue Productions Reissue Two Harry Belafonte Classics
On March 1, 2022, Harry Belafonte turned 95 years old. Though the actor, singer, and humanitarian largely retired from performing in the early years of the twenty-first century, he's remained active with the causes near and dear to his heart. On November 5, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame will honor this American legend with its Early Influence Award, a recognition previously bestowed on such musical heroes as Louis Armstrong, Nat "King" Cole, Woody Guthrie, Mahalia Jackson, and Hank Williams.
Go Back, Jack, Do It Again: Steely Dan's Discography Gets Overhaul from UMe, Analogue Productions
Between 1972 and 1980, Steely Dan - the loose unit of like-minded musicians and singers led by songwriter-producers Walter Becker and Donald Fagen - released seven albums on the ABC and MCA labels. While Steely Dan was never a "singles artist," charting just three top ten hits, the band's albums were era-defining affairs; six of their LPs have attained at least Platinum status in the United States, with the seventh respectably going Gold. Now, that epochal catalogue defined by immaculate
Release Round-Up: Week of September 16
Welcome to this week's Release Round-Up, featuring a selection of the new titles in stores today! Miles Davis, That's What Happened 1982-1985: The Bootleg Series Vol. 7 (Columbia/Legacy) 3CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada 2LP Highlights: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada The 3-CD box set (also available digitally) focuses on Miles Davis' final years at the Columbia label with which he had been associated since 1955 and on the three albums that closed out his
Meeting of the Spirits: Impex Premieres Al Di Meola, John McLaughlin, and Paco de Lucia's "Saturday Night in San Francisco"
Two months into a joint tour, Al Di Meola, John McLaughlin, and Paco de Lucia took the stage at San Francisco's Warfield Theatre on Friday, December 5, 1980. The three acoustic guitarists, intuitively connected to one another, employed no rhythm section or other instrumentalists. Their tight interplay was nothing short of magical; one could hear a pin drop in the 2,300-seat venue. Di Meola remembered the evening as "a night of pure balls to the wall. But highly inventive balls to the wall."
Pigs on the Wing: Pink Floyd Reissue "Animals" with Long-Awaited Surround Remix
Pink Floyd's Animals arrived in January 1977, after 1975's Wish You Were Here and before 1979's The Wall. Coming between those two epochal works, Animals was initially dismissed by some critics. Consisting of just five tracks (two short bookends and three lengthy compositions), no singles were released and Animals became somewhat of a hidden gem - despite having peaked at No. 2 in the United Kingdom and No. 3 in the United States. This fall, fans will have a chance to rediscover Animals as
Release Round-Up: Week of June 3
Welcome to this week's Release Round-Up, highlighted by our newest Second Disc Records release and featuring a selection of the week's other new titles! Stoney and Meatloaf, Everything Under the Sun: The Motown Recordings (Second Disc Records/Real Gone Music) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada / Real Gone Music) Stoney and Meatloaf's Everything Under the Sun: The Motown Recordings from Second Disc Records and Real Gone Music is the ultimate celebration of late rock superstar
We Will Meet Again: Craft Recordings Reissues, Expands Bill Evans' "You Must Believe in Spring"
Last year, Craft Recordings delivered an impressive career-spanning salute to late pianist-composer Bill Evans. The title of that box set, Everybody Still Digs Bill Evans, rings true today as the label has announced a remastered reissue of one of Evans' finest studio albums, the posthumous release You Must Believe in Spring. It's due on June 3 in 180-gram vinyl, CD, hybrid stereo SACD (playable on all CD players), and digital formats. Produced by Tommy LiPuma and Evans' longtime manager
Train Leaves Here This Morning: Intervention Brings Dillard and Clark's "Fantastic Expedition" to Hybrid SACD, Vinyl
Following its previous hybrid SACD and deluxe vinyl reissue of Gene Clark's 1971 A&M Records solo classic White Light, Intervention Records is turning back the clock to 1968 to the Byrds co-founder's collaboration with banjo legend Doug Dillard. In May, Intervention will reissue The Fantastic Expedition of Dillard and Clark on hybrid stereo SACD (playable on all CD players), while a 180-gram vinyl reissue will follow in late 2022. The singer-songwriter inaugurated his solo career in 1967
Eruption: Mobile Fidelity Reissues First Six Van Halen Albums on Hybrid SACD, One-Step Vinyl
Might as well jump: Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab has announced that Van Halen's first six multi-platinum albums originally released on the Warner Bros. label will be coming to hybrid stereo SACD (playable on all CD players) as well as to audiophile-standard UltraDisc One-Step 180-gram, 45 RPM vinyl. The band's incendiary debut Van Halen (1978) is due for release in the fourth quarter of 2022, with Van Halen II (1979), Women and Children First (1980), Fair Warning (1981), Diver Down (1982), and
Release Round-Up: Week of January 28
Welcome to this week's Release Round-Up! Various Artists, Summer of Soul (...or When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised): Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (Legacy) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada) Legacy Recordings delivers a soundtrack to Questlove's acclaimed 2021 documentary Summer of Soul, chronicling the 1969 Harlem Cultural Festival. Live recordings are featured from headliners including The 5th Dimension, Nina Simone, David Ruffin, Sly & The Family Stone,
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
Takin' Care of Business: Dutton Vocalion Reissues Bachman-Turner Overdrive, Burton Cummings, Mott the Hoople, Leonard Bernstein, More in Quadraphonic
The Dutton Vocalion label has announced its first batch of hybrid SACD releases (playable on all CD players) for 2021 including another group of long-out-of-print quadraphonic surround mixes. First up is a three-for-one release from Ian Hunter and Mott the Hoople. The first disc of this 2-SACD set presents 1974's The Hoople (the band's highest charting album in the U.S.) in stereo and quadraphonic; followed by a stereo-only presentation of 1972's All the Young Dudes (featuring David Bowie's
The Year In Review: The 2020 Gold Bonus Disc Awards, From A to Z
Happy 2021 and welcome to The Second Disc's 11th Annual Gold Bonus Disc Awards! The past year has presented any number of unprecedented challenges. But music has filled a more important role than ever, providing solace, comfort, and escape in a time unlike any other. With that spirit in mind, The Second Disc once again wishes to recognize 2020'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
Release Round-Up: Week of December 11
Welcome to this week's Release Round-Up! Neil Young, After the Gold Rush: 50th Anniversary Edition (Reprise) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada) The 50th Anniversary Edition of Neil Young's classic album features new art based on Gary Burden's original album cover design. The CD is out today while the vinyl edition will be released in March, 2021 and presented in a box set with the LP and a bonus 7″ single in a newly designed picture sleeve. This set includes two different
Review: Joan Armatrading's Self-Titled Album Shines on Intervention's Vinyl Reissue
Back in 2018, we wrote about an upcoming vinyl reissue of Joan Armatrading's self-titled album on Intervention Records. (It was actually your author's very first post on The Second Disc!) Intervention had been making a name for themselves as the new kid on the block of audiophile labels. This imprint has since become known for its attention to detail, commitment to superior audio, and deluxe presentations. We were no doubt thrilled to hear what was to come. Well, after a slight pause,
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