Vinyl 7 - The Second Disc

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…

Categories:

News

Formats:

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

Genres:

Blues, Classic Rock

Tags:

Captain Beefheart, Frank Zappa, George Duke

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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Formats:

CD, Digital Download, Digital Streaming, Vinyl

Genres:

Country, Pop, Rock

Tags:

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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Release Round-Up

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:

News

Formats:

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

Genres:

Classic Rock

Tags:

Ian Anderson, Jethro Tull

Happy Day: Book of Love’s Debut Turns 40, Receives New Vinyl Pressing from Rhino

April 1, 2026 by Joe Marchese | No Comments

Who wrote the Book of Love? On June 26, Rhino will revisit the debut from synth-pop pioneers Book of Love in a new 40th anniversary vinyl edition of their self-titled album which first hit stores on April 1, 1986. (No fooling!) The Philadelphia-formed, New York-based band – lead vocalist Susan Ottaviano and keyboardists/backing vocalists Ted Ottaviano (believe it or not, no relation!), Jade Lee, and Lauren Roselli (later Johnson) – shattered taboos with their frank songs about LGBTQ+ and outsider youths, set to throbbing electronic beats. Their debut LP, produced by Ivan…

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Genres:

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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:

News

Formats:

CD, Vinyl

Genres:

Pop

Tags:

Graham Nash, a-ha

‘I Want You,’ Too: Marvin Gaye’s Classic Gets Vinyl Reissues

March 30, 2026 by Joe Marchese | 2 Comments

When Marvin Gaye released his thirteenth studio album, I Want You, in March 1976, it had been roughly 2-1/2 years since his last solo studio album. Motown passed the time with various other Gaye releases: the Diana Ross duet set Diana and Marvin, a triple-LP Anthology, and a live album, but Gaye’s latest original work would be hotly anticipated. The label itself was at a crossroads; Four Tops and Martha Reeves had left the roster and The Jackson 5 were on the cusp of doing so. The sound of soul music was…

Categories:

News

Formats:

Vinyl

Genres:

R&B/Soul

Tags:

Leon Ware, Marvin Gaye

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:

CD, Digital Download, Digital Streaming, Vinyl

Genres:

Pop, Popular Standards/Vocal

Tags:

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

Tags:

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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Formats:

CD, Digital Download, Digital Streaming, Vinyl

Genres:

Classic Rock, Pop

Tags:

Michael: Songs from the Motion Picture

March 30, 2026 by Joe Marchese

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 the release the same day of Michael: Songs from the Motion Picture, a straightforward, 13-song soundtrack drawing on the period between The Jackson 5’s Motown debut and Jackson’s triumphant Bad (1987). With just a baker’s…

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Formats:

CD, Cassette, Digital Download, Digital Streaming, Vinyl

Genres:

Pop, R&B/Soul, Soundtracks

Tags:

Wild at Heart

March 29, 2026 by Joe Marchese

CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada 2CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada LP: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada LP (Bronze Elegance Edition): NeilDiamond.com A new album from Neil Diamond is on the horizon…and we think it’s going to be so good, so good, so good! The superstar singer-songwriter’s Wild at Heart is composed of nine previously unheard outtakes recorded with producer Rick Rubin in 2007 for the Home Before Dark album (which was released the next year) plus an alternate version of that album’s “Forgotten.” Diamond was joined on the original sessions by a stripped-down quartet consisting of keyboardist Benmont…

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Formats:

CD, Digital Download, Digital Streaming, Vinyl

Genres:

Pop, Rock

Tags:

Pet Sounds 60 [Various Formats]

March 29, 2026 by Joe Marchese

Pet Sounds: 1LP Zoetrope Vinyl: uDiscoverMusic.com / TheBeachBoys.com 1LP Definitive Sound Series: Capitol Records Store 2LP Mono/Stereo Vinylphyle: uDiscoverMusic.com / TheBeachBoys.com The Pet Sounds Sessions [Highlights]: 2CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada / uDiscoverMusic.com / TheBeachBoys.com 2LP (Green and White Splatter Vinyl): uDiscoverMusic.com / TheBeachBoys.com 2LP (Black Vinyl): Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada / uDiscoverMusic.com / TheBeachBoys.com 2LP (Yellow Vinyl): Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada Link TBD On Friday, May 15, 2026 – nearly 60 years to the day the original album first reached stores in 1966 – the labels will celebrate The Beach Boys’ landmark Pet…

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Formats:

CD, Digital Download, Digital Streaming, Vinyl

Genres:

Classic Rock, Pop

Tags:

The Book of Mormon: Original Broadway Cast Recording

March 29, 2026 by Joe Marchese

CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada / Rhino.com 2LP: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada / Rhino.com To commemorate the Tony-winning musical’s 15-year anniversary on Broadway, Rhino is releasing a new edition of The Book of Mormon‘s Grammy-winning original cast album on both CD and 2 LPs. The 2026 edition features expanded packaging containing lyrics, photos, and new liner notes by David Pogue drawing on commentary by Parker, Stone, Lopez, and musical director-arranger Stephen Oremus. As an Amazon affiliate, we earn from qualifying purchases.

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Formats:

CD, Vinyl

Genres:

Cast Recordings

Tags:

Carry the Light

March 29, 2026 by Joe Marchese

CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada / Peter Frampton Store LP: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada / Peter Frampton Store British-born blues-rock great Peter Frampton releases Carry the Light, a new LP crafted with his son, Julian Frampton. Carry the Light marks Frampton’s first album of original rock songs since 2010’s Thank You, Mr. Churchill and welcomes a host of guests including Graham Nash, Sheryl Crow, Tom Morello, H.E.R., Benmont Tench, and saxophonist Bill Evans. The lead single “Buried Treasure” is a salute to the late Tom Petty and named for his SiriusXM program of the same name, and features Tench on his…

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Formats:

CD, Digital Download, Digital Streaming, Vinyl

Genres:

Rock

Tags:

Dream Chaser

March 29, 2026 by Joe Marchese

CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada LP: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada Willie Nelson is back with what’s being billed as his 156th (!) studio album. Dream Chaser, arriving from Legacy Recordings in all of the expected formats, precedes the soon-to-be-93-year old legend’s latest go-round headlining the Outlaw Music Festival this summer. Dream Chaser features new tunes co-written with frequent collaborators Buddy Cannon and Mickey Raphael as well as “I Can’t Read Your Mind,” on which Nelson and Cannon share credit with none other than Bob Dylan. (Though he joined the last two Outlaw Festivals, Dylan…

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Formats:

CD, Digital Download, Digital Streaming, Vinyl

Genres:

Country

Tags:

What a Time

March 29, 2026 by Joe Marchese

CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada / ShopManilow.com LP: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada / ShopManilow.com Barry Manilow’s What a Time is the singer-songwriter’s first album of primarily original music since 2011’s 15 Minutes. In the wake of the artist’s recent lung cancer diagnosis and current recuperation, the album takes on a reflective tone characterized by its first single, a cover of Peter Allen and Dean Pitchford’s “Once Before I Go” overseen by Manilow’s longtime collaborator, Clive Davis. Barry’s collaborators on the album include songwriters Gary Barlow, Adrienne Anderson, Enoch Anderson, and John Bettis; and producers Babyface, Dave Cobb, and…

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Formats:

CD, Digital Download, Digital Streaming, Vinyl

Genres:

Pop, Popular Standards/Vocal

Tags:

The Boys of Dungeon Lane

March 29, 2026 by Joe Marchese

CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada / Paul McCartney Store LP: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada / Paul McCartney Store Paul McCartney releases his first new studio album since 2020’s McCartney III. The Boys of Dungeon Lane, like McCartney III and its two predecessors, was recorded almost entirely by the artist. Andrew Watt, whose credits include the most recent albums from Elton John and The Rolling Stones, is in the producer’s chair. The album promises “Wings-style rock, Beatles-style harmonies, McCartney-style grooves, understated intimacy, melody driven storytelling, character songs – the common thread being Paul.” It’s due on CD, LP, and digital…

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Formats:

CD, Digital Download, Digital Streaming, Vinyl

Genres:

Pop, Rock

Tags:

Release Round-Up: Week of March 27

March 27, 2026 by The Second Disc | 2 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. Queen, Queen II: Collectors’ Edition (Virgin/EMI/Hollywood) 5CD/2LP: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada 2CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada 1CD: Amazon U.S. Link TBD / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada LP: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada Picture Disc: Official Store Cassette: Official Store Queen have remixed their second album, featuring their first Top 10 hit “Seven Seas of Rhye,” for a new multi-format reissue. The box set edition is the most expansive, of course, packed with rare and unreleased demos and session…

Categories:

Release Round-Up

Formats:

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

Genres:

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

Tags:

Charlie Puth, Digital Underground, Heaven and Hell, John Mellencamp, Kenny Loggins, Melissa Etheridge, Michael McDonald, Queen, R.E.M., Stevie Wonder, The Charlie Daniels Band, The Lovin' Spoonful, The Puppini Sisters, Van Halen

Short Takes: New Albums Coming Soon from McCartney, Manilow, Nelson, and Frampton

March 26, 2026 by Joe Marchese | 3 Comments

A host of TSD’s favorite artists have all announced new albums in recent days, culminating in today’s announcement from Paul McCartney. We thought we’d round up a few of these upcoming titles in today’s Short Takes! May 29 will see the release of Paul McCartney’s first studio album since 2020’s McCartney III. Macca previewed The Boys of Dungeon Lane with the new single “Days We Left Behind.” The intimate ballad was described by its composer in the press release as “very much a memory song for me. The album title, The Boys…

Categories:

News

Formats:

CD, Digital Download, Digital Streaming, Vinyl

Genres:

Classic Rock, Country, Pop, Rock

Tags:

Barry Manilow, Paul McCartney, Peter Frampton, Willie Nelson

Hello! “The Book of Mormon” Gets 15th Anniversary CD, LP Reissue

March 25, 2026 by Randy Fairman | 2 Comments

Fifteen years ago this morning, the cast of Broadway’s The Book of Mormon was celebrating its opening on Broadway and basking in the glowing reviews. The show continues today at its original home, The Eugene O’Neill Theatre. As part of the anniversary celebration, Rhino is releasing a new edition of the original cast album on June 26 on both CD and LP. The Book of Mormon was conceived by South Park creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone. They joined with Robert Lopez (who had written songs for the musical Avenue Q and would go on to co-write the songs…

Categories:

News

Formats:

CD, Vinyl

Genres:

Cast Recordings

Tags:

Andrew Rannells, Josh Gad, Matt Stone, Nikki M. James, Robert Lopez, Trey Parker

Made For These Times: The Beach Boys’ “Pet Sounds” Revisited in Multiple Formats for 60th Anniversary

March 24, 2026 by Joe Marchese | 7 Comments

Beach Boys Week continues here at The Second Disc with news of the upcoming Pet Sounds 60 titles! Click here to read Part One of our review of the band’s We Gotta Groove: The Brother Studio Years box set. “I figure no one is educated musically ‘til they’ve heard [Pet Sounds],” Paul McCartney once said of The Beach Boys’ classic, released nearly 60 years ago on May 16, 1966. George Martin concurred: “Without Pet Sounds, Sgt. Pepper wouldn’t have happened.” Brian Wilson poured his musical heart into the album’s thirteen tracks; in less than thirty-five…

Categories:

News

Formats:

CD, Digital Download, Digital Streaming, Vinyl

Genres:

Classic Rock, Pop

Tags:

The Beach Boys

Review: The Beach Boys, “We Gotta Groove: The Brother Studio Years” Part 1 – “15 Big Ones,” “The Beach Boys Love You”

March 23, 2026 by Joe Marchese | 11 Comments

What I remember is “Brian’s Back” was a campaign for a record company, but it was far more than that for all the rest of us. – Mike Love, February 12, 2026 At the recent Grammy Museum event celebrating the release of The Beach Boys’ latest box set, the 3CD/3LP We Gotta Groove: The Brother Studio Years, a visibly emotional Mike Love recounted the media frenzy that surrounded Brian Wilson’s so-called comeback. The Beach Boys’ onetime leader and creative visionary had largely retreated from the producer’s chair after the shelved SMiLE sessions;…

Categories:

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

You Still Look Good to Me: Neil Diamond Revives Rick Rubin Collaboration with New Album “Wild at Heart”

March 20, 2026 by Joe Marchese | 5 Comments

A new album from Neil Diamond is on the horizon…and we think it’s going to be so good, so good, so good! The superstar singer-songwriter has just announced a new album: Wild at Heart, due out on May 8 from Capitol Records and UMe. The ten-track album is composed of outtakes recorded with producer Rick Rubin in 2007 for the Home Before Dark album (which was released the next year). Diamond has recently completed the tracks for this release. Diamond and Rubin – whose production credits at the time already encompassed Johnny Cash,…

Categories:

News

Formats:

CD, Digital Download, Digital Streaming, Vinyl

Genres:

Pop, Rock

Tags:

Neil Diamond

Release Round-Up: Week of March 20

March 20, 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. Aerosmith, Aerosmith: Legendary Edition (UMe) 5LP: Official Store (Fan Pack with satin bomber jacket) 4LP: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada 3CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada 1CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada 1LP: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada / Official Store (fan pack with T-shirt) The Bad Boys from Boston return to where it all began with a deluxe edition of their 1973 debut album, which featured “Mama Kin,” “Make It” and eventual Top 10 hit “Dream On.” This…

Categories:

Release Round-Up

Formats:

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

Genres:

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

Tags:

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