Welcome to another edition of The Weekend Stream, The Second Disc's review of notable catalogue titles (and some new ones, too!) making digital debuts. Strap in for a killer line-up of titles this week: two more Record Store Day debuts, an incredible posthumous collaboration between two '80s icons, the return of one of glam's most beloved bands, new music by some of our favorite pop girls, a hotly anticipated new take on a Broadway favorite, exciting moments in gospel/soul, an exciting new song
Wowie Zowie: Frank Zappa's "Cheaper Than Cheep" Premieres Lost Concert Film, Soundtrack
All has been quiet on the Frank Zappa front since the release last fall of the 50th anniversary super deluxe edition of his album Apostrophe ('). That lull ended today, though, with the announcement of a multi-format release filled with audio and video goodies. Cheaper Than Cheep arrives May 9 as an online exclusive release available at Zappa.com, uDiscoverMusic.com, and Sound of Vinyl, presenting audio and video from a long-lost television special that's been housed in the Zappa archives for
Release Round-Up: Week of April 25
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. Neil Young, Oceanside/Countryside (Reprise/NYA) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada) Neil Young is unveiling another once-lost album with the release of Oceanside Countryside which arrives on CD today following its vinyl release.The LP was recorded from May to December 1977; the first side comprised solo Young performances,
Everything Delightful: Rhino Celebrates 60 Years of the Dead with "Gratest Hits"
Grateful Dead's 60th anniversary keeps on truckin'; we've already filled you in on the mammoth May 30 release Enjoying the Ride, with 450 tracks on 60 CDs, and its slimmed-down 3CD or 6LP highlights volume, The Music Never Stops, which arrives on the same date. Now, Rhino has announced Gratest Hits (spelling intentional), a single-CD or -LP collection due June 13 which brings together many of the core favorites that a casual fan or Deadhead-in-training would expect on such a set in their
Roam Around the World: Rhino Readies Nearly-Complete Albums Box for The B-52's
A new box set from Rhino will offer nearly all the studio material of Athens, Georgia alt-rock icons The B-52's. The Warner Reprise Years, available June 20, brings together the six albums and two EPs the quirky quintet put together between 1979 and 1992 - a period where they went from cult favorites to unlikely hitmakers. The collection will feature the group's 1979 self-titled debut, 1980's Wild Planet, the 1981 and 1982 EPs Party Mix and Mesopotamia, Whammy! (1983), Bouncing Off the
A Tale Untold: Robin Trower's "For Earth Below" Gets 50th Anniversary Expansion
Last year, Chrysalis reissued Bridge of Sighs, Robin Trower's second album following his departure from Procol Harum, in an expanded edition timed to its 50th anniversary. Now, the label is turning its attention to the guitar hero's third solo set and highest-charting album in the U.S., 1975's For Earth Below. The upcoming expanded edition, due on June 27 in 4CD, 2LP, and digital formats, is built around the newly remastered original album. Produced by Trower's old Procol Harum bandmate
Oooh, This I Need: Adam Mattera Talks 'Dearly Beloved: A Prince Songbook'
Last year, The Second Disc had nothing but good things to say about Dearly Beloved: A Prince Songbook, Cherry Red's triple-disc tribute to the music of Prince. The set told a story of The Artist's massive impact on pop, rock and soul by way of songs he gave others to record and a galaxy of genre-bending covers. In a year of considerable challenges in Prince fandom, it was a veritable oasis in a desert. Earlier this year, I had the pleasure of speaking with Adam Mattera, the curator and
The Weekend Stream: April 19, 2025
Welcome to another edition of The Weekend Stream, The Second Disc's review of notable catalogue titles (and some new ones, too!) making digital debuts. We're pleased to kick things off with another four Record Store Day titles making their way to stream and download, followed by a classic, underrated R&B work and some new music we're digging today, as well. Neil Finn, Sessions At West 54th (Epic/Legacy) (Apple / Amazon) Well, that's Mike's Record Store Day sorted! This indelible
The Spirit of Man: Madfish Preps Box Set Edition of Jeff Wayne's 'War of the Worlds' Concept Album
When H.G. Wells published The War of the Worlds as a serialized collection of stories in 1897 and a full novel a year later, he may not have known the groundbreaking work he was unleashing on the world. A sci-fi story that dared to look at the dark side of theoretical human-alien contact, War of the Worlds was a fantastical-yet-grounded story that imagined visitors from the planet Mars as anything but friendly. The book became fertile ground for adaptations, from Orson Welles' dramatic 1938
Jubilee: Norman Greenbaum's "Spirit in the Sky" Returns to Vinyl from Craft Recordings
Chances are if your local oldies station is airing a One Hit Wonders show, the name of Norman Greenbaum will be high on the countdown. Okay, it's not technically accurate; the Massachusetts-born singer-songwriter followed up his famous hit with "Canned Ham" (No. 46 on the U.S. Pop chart) in 1970 and "California Earthquake" (No. 93) in 1971. But Greenbaum's 1969 smash "Spirit in the Sky" remains the song with which the artist will be forever identified - an international chart-topper which
He Wears It Well: Rod Stewart's 'Ultimate Hits' Due in June
Ahead of a prolific year of touring - and in the same year the British rocker turns 80 - a new career-spanning collection from Rod Stewart will be released this summer in multiple formats. Ultimate Hits, available June 27, offers Rod the Mod's most beloved solo hits from the '70s, '80s and '90s, from "Maggie May" and "Tonight's the Night (Gonna Be Alright)" to "Da Ya Think I'm Sexy?" and "Young Turks"; "Forever Young" and "Downtown Train" to "Have I Told You Lately" and "Rhythm of My Heart."
The Weekend Stream: April 12, 2025
Welcome to another edition of The Weekend Stream, The Second Disc's review of notable catalogue titles (and some new ones, too!) making digital debuts. By now, you might have hit your participating local shop for Record Store Day - and happily, we're kicking off this Saturday's column to share material from five exclusive vinyl titles that are getting a second life in the streaming and download world too. It's a great way to check out some titles if you missed them, or weren't sure if you wanted
The Second Disc's Guide to Record Store Day 2025: Our Favorite Picks
Tomorrow, Record Store Day is once again upon us! It's that time of year where music lovers and vinyl flippers get together at their favorite physical music retailers and wait in line to snag some treasured albums - almost all of which are pressed on vinyl instead of CD (or, you know, sold on secondary marketplaces for above their retail value). This year, the list tops out at over 300 titles, so there's very nearly something for everybody. It wasn't easy to narrow our choices down to around
Have You Heard? Rhino's Newest Quadio Batch Includes Rod Stewart, ZZ Top, Beaver and Krause, Modern Jazz Quartet
Rhino's Quadio series is back! The ongoing series of four-channel surround Blu-ray Audio Discs has announced its latest four titles, available now directly from Rhino.com. This eclectic group encompasses releases from Rod Stewart, ZZ Top, The Modern Jazz Quartet, and Beaver and Krause. Rod Stewart's sixth album, 1975's Atlantic Crossing marked a new chapter for the Faces singer. Produced by Tom Dowd and recorded across various studios in North America, the album was sequenced with one
Release Round-Up: Week of April 11
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. The Vince Guaraldi Trio, Jazz Impressions of A Boy Named Charlie Brown: Expanded Edition (Fantasy/Craft) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada) Craft Recordings delivers a newly expanded edition of 1964's Jazz Impressions of A Boy Named Charlie Brown, the first in a series of fateful collaborations between jazz pianist Vince
Every Move He Makes: Sting Plans Multiple Formats of '3.0 LIVE' Album
Sting is chronicling his latest back-to-basics tour with a multi-format live album - and you'll have to be quick (and lucky) to hear it all. The British rocker embarked on the 3.0 Tour last year; true to its name, Sting assembled a trio - having not toured with that few backing members since his days in The Police - consisting of longtime guitarist Dominic Miller and drummer Chris Maas. The result, which came to North and South American theaters as well as festival dates in Europe, was not
That's the Way (I Like It): Edsel Collects "More Sin," "More Deep '70s"
Edsel has recently continued a pair of box set series with the release of Disco Discharge Presents More Sin (1980-1989) and David Hepworth: More Deep '70s. In late 2023, Edsel revived the long-dormant Disco Discharge series with the first Box of Sin. This second volume, More Sin: Full Length Gay Clubbing, follows the template of the first, taking listeners on a journey through the gay club scene of the 1990s and tracing the development of dance music from disco to house. As Ian Wade puts it
The Weekend Stream: April 5, 2025
Welcome to another edition of The Weekend Stream, The Second Disc's review of notable catalogue titles (and some new ones, too!) making digital debuts. A quiet, mostly contemplative week means a small batch of understated titles and a big public ask for clarity from one of our missing comrades in catalogue... Dan Fogelberg, Souvenirs (50th Anniversary Edition) (Epic/Legacy) (Apple / Amazon) The late, great Fogelberg's double-platinum sophomore album, produced by Joe Walsh (a year
Release Round-Up: Week of April 4
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. Elton John and Brandi Carlile, Who Believes in Angels? (Rocket/Mercury/EMI) CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada CD/DVD: Amazon U.S. Link TBD / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada Link TBD / EltonJohn.com (U.S.) Tri-Color LP: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada Alternate Cover "Neon Angel" CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon
The Right Time: Iconoclassic Preps Reissues from Ian North, David Sancious, Natural Gas
Our friends at Iconoclassic Records are teeing up a prolific 2025 following their release earlier in the year of Dwight Twilley's Scuba Divers: Blueprint Edition. On April 25, the label will bring the late Ian North's 1979 album Neo to CD for the first time; that's followed on May 16 with David Sancious' 1981 set The Bridge. Then, on May 30, comes the Original Master Edition of Natural Gas' self-titled album - a fitting salute to the band's late Joey Molland. Brooklyn-born Ian North
Shut Out the Light: Bruce Springsteen Offers Seven Unheard Albums on 'Tracks II'
More than a quarter century after releasing his first major vault project, Bruce Springsteen is back with a sequel that's even bigger. True to its name, Tracks II: The Lost Albums 1983-2018 promises not just a wealth of unreleased recordings from the Thrill Hill vaults, as 1998's Tracks offered. This time, the rock icon presents seven full albums' worth of material, sharing thematic and recording cohesion and even, in some cases, seriously considered for release at one time or another.
Record Store Day 2025: The Best of the Rest
Next Saturday, April 12, is certainly one of the most packed Record Store Days in recent memory. Since the list was announced, we drilled down on titles from Craft Recordings, Legacy Recordings, Rhino Records, Universal Music Group, Real Gone Music, Omnivore Recordings, BMG, Cooking Vinyl and Demon Music Group, as well as some notable titles that were getting later general releases on CD. Well, if you thought that was it, you're wrong! We pored and pored over the list and are here to share
The Weekend Stream: March 29, 2025
Welcome to another edition of The Weekend Stream, The Second Disc's review of notable catalogue titles (and some new ones, too!) making digital debuts. Classic Motown in concert, long-lost favorites from a country icon, a live country take on a Fab Four favorite, Gary Numan's mid-'80s works, new music from Bachman-Turner Overdrive and a documentary on a late, great Australian musician...there really is a lot of ground to cover, and that's not even all of it! Marvin Gaye, Marvin Gaye Live!
Release Round-Up: Week of March 28
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. Fleetwood Mac, 1975 to 1987 (Warner/Rhino) 5CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada 6LP: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada / Rhino.com (with bonus 12") Fleetwood Mac's 1975 to 1987 is exactly what it states: a box set of Fleetwood Mac (1975), Rumours (1977), Tusk (1979), Mirage (1982) and Tango in the
Whitesnake Remaster Five Live Albums for New Box Set
After years of reissues and remixes from hard-rockers Whitesnake at Rhino Records, you'd be forgiven for wondering what the label could still do with David Coverdale's catalogue. That question is now answered with a box set assembling remastered editions of five latter-day live records. Access All Areas: Live, available April 25, is an 8CD collection offering sets recorded between 2004 and 2015 and released over the last two decades. The albums featured are Live...In the Still of the
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