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
Brothers in Arms: 40th Anniversary Edition
3CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada 5LP: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada 1LP: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada Dire Straits' biggest album is getting expanded for its 40th anniversary. 1985's Brothers in Arms arrives in a variety of formats, including a 3CD or 5LP set that pairs the classic album with a live show from the period. The album, which featured two of the band's biggest singles including the American chart-topper "Money for Nothing" and "Walk of
Saturnight: Live from Tokyo
LP: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada Cat Stevens is bringing his 1974 Japan-exclusive album, Saturnight: Live from Tokyo, to CD and wide-release vinyl following 2024's Record Store Day reissue. The 12-track album features the first live performance of Stevens' cover of Sam Cooke's "Another Saturday Night" as well as staples including "Wild World," "Peace Train," and "Oh Very Young." This edition, remastered at Abbey Road, includes
Another "Saturnight": Cat Stevens' 1974 Japan Live Album Comes to CD, Vinyl
Even today, Japan remains a thriving capital of recorded music - and, in particular, physical media. In the 1970s, it wasn't uncommon for top-tier American artists, from Andy Williams to The Supremes, to record live albums exclusively for the Japanese market. Among those artists was Yusuf, a.k.a. Cat Stevens, whose 1974's Saturnight: Live from Tokyo was the singer-songwriter's first concert LP. Now, following its reissue last November as part of Record Store Day's Black Friday event,
Cuts The Deepest: Edsel Celebrates P.P. Arnold on "Soul Survivor" Box Set
One of P.P. Arnold's early sides for Immediate Records was titled "Am I Still Dreaming?" The song, which the artist born Patricia Ann Cole in Los Angeles wrote at the encouragement of none other than Mick Jagger, is one of the 57 songs on 3 CDs assembled by Edsel Records on the dream of a box set appropriately entitled Soul Survivor: A Life in Song. The collection, compiled by the singer and Michael Mulligan, traces the onetime Ikette's career from her signing to Andrew Loog Oldham's label
The Weekend Stream: March 22, 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 short week offers a classic from Paul McCartney in Atmos, a comedian going (maybe) straight, a cabaret performer going proudly queer and some words on a master of music videos. Wings, Venus and Mars (Atmos Mix) (MPL) (Apple / Amazon) Yesterday saw the release of a half-speed mastered vinyl LP of Wings' fourth studio album, 1975's
Their Latest Trick: Dire Straits Expands 'Brothers in Arms'
Dire Straits' biggest album is getting expanded for its 40th anniversary. 1985's Brothers in Arms will be available in a variety of formats, including a 3CD or 5LP set that pairs the classic album with a live show from the period. The album, which featured two of the band's biggest singles including the American chart-topper "Money for Nothing" and "Walk of Life," will also feature 16 pages of liner notes offering new insight on the album through interviews with the band's frontman/guitarist
Release Round-Up: Week of March 21
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. Tina Turner, Private Dancer: 40th Anniversary Edition (Parlophone/Rhino) 5CD/1BD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada 2CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada Pearl LP with art card: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada Picture Disc: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada Tina Turner's smash 1984