The A’s, The B’s and The Monkees, at long last, brings together on 2 CDs all of the band’s commercial singles originally released between 1966 and 1970, from “Last Train to Clarksville” b/w “Take a Giant Step” through “Oh My My” b/w “I Love You Better.” It’s arranged with its 15 A-sides on Disc One and 15 B-sides on Side Two. The As from Messrs. Jones, Dolenz, Nesmith, and Tork include songs from Tommy Boyce and Bobby Hart, Neil Diamond, John Stewart, Carole King and Gerry Goffin, and Jerry Leiber and Mike…
Release Round-Up: Week of January 16
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. Various Artists, NOW Yearbook: Vault ’82 (NOW Music) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada) The U.K.’s NOW line continues with another Vault installment spotlight hits of 1982 including The Who’s “Athena,” Elton John’s “Empty Garden,” Neil Diamond’s “Heartlight,” Billy Joel’s “Allentown,” Bruce Springsteen’s “Atlantic City,” and much more from a cross-section of artists and genres. Out today in the U.K.; available next Friday in North America….
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A Second Disc Interview: Andrew Sandoval on “The Kinks – All Day and All of the Night: The Day-by-Day Story Pt. 1 – 1940-1971”
Here at Second Disc HQ, we’re longtime fans of writer-producer-musician-historian Andrew Sandoval. In addition to his groundbreaking work with The Monkees catalogue – including, most recently, helming the Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn & Jones, Ltd. box set and penning the liner notes for the singles collection The As, The Bs, and The Monkees – Andrew has curated reissues from artists including The Everly Brothers, The Band, Love, Bee Gees, Van Morrison, and The Kinks. Andrew’s longtime association with the latter band has led to a new release coming soon from his boutique publishing house,…
I Have the Touch: Two Vintage Peter Gabriel Live Sets Get Physical Releases
Peter Gabriel may be prepping an unexpected new album this year (o\i, the comparatively rapid follow-up to 2023’s decades-in-development i/o) – but don’t worry: he’s got catalogue plans, too! Over the next few months, the two time Rock & Roll Hall of Famer will offer physical releases of two archival live shows he released digitally last year: Live At WOMAD 1982, and In the Big Room, a live-in-studio set from 2003. Live At WOMAD takes listeners back to the first installment of Gabriel’s founded festival of the same name, occurring over a weekend in…
In the Big Room
2CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada 2LP: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada Recorded toward the end of Peter Gabriel’s Growing Up tour in 2003, this special live-in-studio set from his Real World Studios was a treat for select members of his Full Moon fan club. Featuring cuts from the then-new Up (“More Than This,” “Darkness,” “Signal to Noise”) and fan favorites (“Games Without Frontiers,” “Digging in the Dirt,” “Shock the Monkey,” “In Your Eyes”), this physical version of a live set released digitally in 2025 is a worthy add to fans’ collections.
Live At WOMAD 1982
CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada 2LP: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada Released digitally last year, Peter Gabriel’s first performance at the World Of Music, Arts and Dance in England (which he founded) was a special treat for concertgoers, offering the live debut of nearly every track off his fourth album, released eponymously (and as Security in America) several months after this performance. The set features “San Jacinto,” “I Have the Touch,” “Shock the Monkey” and more. As an Amazon affiliate, we earn from qualifying purchases.
Good Clean Fun: Rhino Preps New Monkees Singles Collection
Following last year’s deluxe box of The Monkees’ Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn and Jones, Ltd., Rhino has announced its first release from the band in 2026. The A’s, The B’s and The Monkees, at long last, brings together on 2 CDs all of the band’s commercial singles originally released between 1966 and 1970, from “Last Train to Clarksville” b/w “Take a Giant Step” through “Oh My My” b/w “I Love You Better.” The set is due from Rhino on January 30. (Some copies ordered directly from Rhino are already shipping.) The A’s, The…
Laughing in My Sleep: Rhino Remasters and Expands Squeeze’s ‘Play’
Part of Rhino’s annual “Start Your Ear Off Right” promotion is a very welcome surprise: a remastered and expanded edition of one of the most underrated albums by British pop/rock band Squeeze. 1991’s Play will return for its 35th anniversary on January 23; available on double vinyl at participating independent retailers – its first release on the format in America – but it’ll also be released on CD, too, pairing the remastered 12-track album with four hard-to-find B-sides from the album’s singles, “Satisfied” and “Sunday Street.” The release of Play found Squeeze at a…
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In Memoriam: Bob Weir (1947-2026)
Some folks look for answers/Others look for fights/Some folks up in treetops/Just look to see the sights I can tell your future/Look what’s in your hand/But I can’t stop for nothing/I’m just playing in the band… – Mickey Hart, Robert Hunter, and Bob Weir, “Playing in the Band” On Saturday evening, New York’s Empire State Building was lit up with the colors of tie-dye. The tribute marked the passing at the age of 78 of Bob Weir, the co-founder of Grateful Dead whose music both epitomized and transcended the counterculture in which…
The Temple of the King 1975-1976
After leaving Deep Purple, guitarist Ritchie Blackmore found success with his new band Rainbow. The ever-changing line-up was notable in its early incarnation for featuring Elf vocalist Ronnie James Dio, who would of course become a towering figure in metal as a singer in Black Sabbath and his own eponymous band Dio. The Temple of the King is a 9CD box set collecting the early Dio years of Rainbow, including the remastered studio albums Ritchie Blackmore’s Rainbow and Rainbow Rising, three live sets from 1976 and a collection of rare tracks, including four unreleased tour…
EPiC: Elvis Presley in Concert (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada 2LP (black): Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada 2LP (translucent orange/yellow): Amazon U.S. 2LP (marbled red): Graceland Baz Luhrmann, the director of 2022’s blockbuster biopic ELVIS, uncovered scores of film outtakes of The King during production, including footage filmed for the concert/documentary films That’s the Way It Is and Elvis on Tour and audio of Presley describing his life and career. EPiC: Elvis Presley in Concert is a new film built from that footage, set to hit IMAX theatres on February 20 before a general release a week later; the accompanying soundtrack will include some of the live…
The Weekend Stream: January 10, 2026
Welcome back 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’ve got some new music from old pop favorites, a few Record Store Day Black Friday releases, and a pop icon and a big rock band moving their catalogues from one label to another. It’s a lot to keep up with, but we’ve got your back! Bruno Mars, “I Just Might” (Atlantic) (Apple / Amazon) Though Bruno Mars has hardly been absent from the pop charts recently – earning…
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That’s All Right: Baz Luhrmann’s New Elvis Concert Film Gets Remix-Packed Soundtrack
Yesterday, on the occasion of Elvis Presley’s birthday, Legacy Recordings announced their latest release devoted to The King of Rock and Roll: a companion album to next month’s forthcoming EPiC: Elvis Presley in Concert. Drawn from unseen live footage from the 1970s, this 27-track album will combine concert favorites as well as some new studio remixes and medleys of familiar material. The album will be available on CD and digitally February 20 – day and date with the film’s IMAX release – with several 2LP formats following on April 24. A follow-up to…
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Release Round-Up: Week of January 9
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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Woke Up with a Monster: Rhino’s Start Your Ear Off Right Titles Run the Gamut
Why wait for Record Store Day? Rhino continues their January tradition of “Start Your Ear Off Right” with just over three dozen exclusive vinyl titles being released through January at independent record stores. (A small handful, linked below, are also available at Rhino’s official web store.) The majority will be released in two waves split between last Friday (January 2) and this Friday (January 9), with five more arriving between January 23 and January 30. Altogether, this list spans all forms of rock, pop, R&B, jazz, soundtracks and even comedy. In addition…
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Japan Reissue Round-Up: “Wicked: The Soundtrack,” Bruce Springsteen, Simon and Garfunkel
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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The Early Years
1CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada 2LP: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada Following a 2025 Record Store Day Black Friday release, Linda Ronstadt’s The Early Years compilation comes to general retail on 2LP vinyl and single CD. The set from Irving Azoff’s Iconic Artists label brings together 15 songs from Ronstadt’s 1967-1974 Capitol Records period. Selections include “Different Drum,” “Faithless Love,” “You’re No Good,” “Long, Long Time,” and “When Will I Be Loved.” As an Amazon affiliate, we earn from qualifying purchases.
The Paradise Years 1976-1981
Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada / Cherry Red Second Disc Records teams with Cherry Red’s Lemon Recordings imprint to release the first-ever collection of Leon Russell’s recordings for the Warner-distributed Paradise Records label. The Paradise Years 1976-1981 presents, on four CDs, six full albums: Wedding Album: Expanded Edition – Leon and Mary Russell (1976); Make Love To The Music: Expanded Edition – Leon and Mary Russell (1977); Americana: Expanded Edition – Leon Russell (1978); Heart Of Fire – Mary Russell (1979); Life And Love – Leon Russell (1979); and The Live Album: Expanded Edition – Leon…
A Light in the Black: Edsel Kicks Off New Rainbow Reissue Campaign
The new year will see renewed catalogue activity around Ritchie Blackmore’s acclaimed work with Rainbow, kicking off in the spring with a new box set from Edsel. The Temple of the King 1975-1976, available March 6, takes listeners back to the earliest days of the hard-rockin’ group in studio and on stage, across nine newly-remastered CDs. The set includes the studio albums Ritchie Blackmore’s Rainbow (1975) and Rising (1976), three complete shows from the group’s first European trek, and a 16-track collection of rarities that’ll include rough mixes, single edits and the premiere release of four…
All Together Now: New Book, Audio Set Preserves George Martin’s Archival Manuscripts
Even with a recent wave of new Beatles Anthology material – both on record and in a remastered version of the multi-part documentary on Disney+ – it appears there’s always something new to learn about The Fab Four and the work they did. A newly-announced collectible puts that in extraordinary focus: a collection of score manuscripts from the personal archive of their producer George Martin, covering The Beatles and beyond. Announced last weekend to mark what would have been Martin’s 100th birthday on January 3, George Martin: The Scores will offer three volumes…
The Weekend Stream: January 3, 2026
Welcome back, from holiday break, to 2026’s first edition of The Weekend Stream, The Second Disc’s review of notable catalogue titles (and some new ones, too!) making digital debuts! We’re starting in rare form with news of a surprise new album from one of England’s most beloved rock musicians, plus some tantalizing rare and unreleased ’60s and ’70s pop treats. There’s a lot to love here – and we can’t wait for you to listen! Peter Gabriel, “Been Undone” (Dark-Side Mix) (Real World) (Apple / Amazon) The iconic British singer/songwriter’s long-gestating i/o was finally…
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Another Merry Discmas to All from The Second Disc!
No one – not even your friends at TSD HQ! – can predict the arc of music reissues. When we launched The Second Disc nearly 16 years ago, the business was in a place of surprising highs and lows. The Beatles’ albums had been remastered for the first time ever – but it seemed that stalwarts like Rhino Records were enduring hardships. Vinyl was a niche concern, streaming even more so, and who knew where the CD would end up? (And that doesn’t even account for personal growth immaterial of the music…
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Holiday Gift Guide Special: Our Favorite Stocking Stuffers
Most of our Holiday Gift Guide features this year have concentrated on large-scale releases, but today, we’re looking at three titles small enough to be last-minute stocking stuffers (get to your local indie record store now!) – and big enough to be favorites you’ll play all year long. It’s more than All Right: Omnivore Recordings has revisited Christopher Cross’ early years for a first-ever collection of his original single releases from the U.S. and beyond. The Worldwide Singles 1980-1988 offers 31 cuts on 2 CDs – many in new-to-CD single edit or…
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Hold On To This Feeling: TSD, Cherry Red Collect Leon Russell’s Paradise Recordings on New Box Set
By 1976, Leon Russell was already an industry veteran. The onetime Wrecking Crew pianist had already written and arranged hit singles for Gary Lewis and The Playboys, launched two record labels (Viva and Shelter), built his own recording studios, joined Delaney and Bonnie and Friends, served as the bandleader of Joe Cocker’s storied Mad Dogs and Englishmen tour, recorded his own hit albums, and written or co-written such instant American standards as “A Song for You,” “Superstar,” and “This Masquerade.” Tension with co-founder Denny Cordell led Russell to depart Shelter Records in…
Release Round-Up: Week of December 19
Welcome to this week’s Release Round-Up, featuring a selection of the new titles available today. Just a heads-up, friends, that this is our final Release Round-Up of the year…but this feature will be back in mid-January once the number of releases gets back to a state of relative normalcy. As an Amazon affiliate, we earn from qualifying purchases. Todd Rundgren, Solo in Clearwater (Cleopatra) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada) Cleopatra releases a set from Todd Rundgren’s 2003 solo tour recorded in Clearwater, Florida on January 28. Tunes include “Love…
