Frank Zappa called 200 Motels "a surrealistic documentary." Leonard Maltin described it as a "visual, aural assault disguised as a movie; completely berserk, freeform film...some of it ingenious, some funny, but not enough to maintain [an] entire film." Roger Ebert compared the surreal musical to the work of experimental composer Harry Partch before observing that it "assaults the mind with everything on hand...a full wall of sight-and-sound input." Zappa never wrote and directed another
The Weekend Stream: January 22, 2022
Welcome to The Weekend Stream, a relaxing weekly review of notable digital-only catalogue titles. There may be no CD or vinyl, but there's plenty of great new/old music to discover! A quick week brings us a great latter-day Hall & Oates track, a classic Lil Wayne mixtape, unreleased gems from The Art of Noise and more. Daryl Hall & John Oates, "Romeo is Bleeding" (U-Watch/BMG Rights Management (U.K.)) (iTunes / Amazon / Spotify) It's been 50 years since the world's bestselling duo
In Memoriam: Meat Loaf (1947-2022)
For Meat Loaf, going all the way was just a start. The larger-than-life superstar brought passion and power to everything he recorded, fiercely commanding epic songs that would have easily devoured lesser performers. Earlier this morning, it was reported that Meat Loaf passed away at the age of 74. Born Marvin Lee Aday in Texas in 1947, Meat Loaf would be in his teens before he would come to be known as his famous stage name. Though he gave several accounts over the years as to how he came
Release Round-Up: Week of January 21
Welcome to this week's Release Round-Up! John Williams and The Boston Pops, The Complete Philips Recordings (Decca) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada) Decca will celebrate John Williams' 90th by turning the clock back to 1980 when the famed composer-conductor took the baton from the legendary Arthur Fiedler to lead The Boston Pops Orchestra into a new era. John Williams and The Boston Pops: The Complete Philips Recordings boasts 21 CDs and 22 albums originally released on
The Sound of Liberation Hall: Label Announces Slate Through April Featuring Flamin' Groovies, The Troggs, Tony Hazzard, Kim Fowley, More
Since its formation in late 2020, the Liberation Hall label has delivered a wide variety of releases ranging from a Dr. Demento-curated collection of novelties to a campaign from the vaults of San Francisco indie label 415 Records. Now, the label has announced a bounty of upcoming releases scheduled between now and April. The eclectic slate encompasses reggae (Peter Tosh), blues (Chicago Blues Reunion), psychedelic and garage rock (The Moving Sidewalks, The Flamin' Groovies, Kim Fowley, The
I Loved You The First Time I Saw You: Run Out Groove Reissues, Expands Randy Newman's "Good Old Boys"
Randy Newman turned the notion of the singer-songwriter as a "confessional" troubadour on its ear. If his songs were confessions, they most often were confessions of characters whose initials were not R.N.; while his songs were certainly personal, they touched less on his own life than on the lives of others, all exquisitely rendered with sharp observation and scathing wit. Newman's songwriting reached a new level of maturity with 1972's gorgeous Sail Away, offering a host of disparate gems
The Weekend Stream: January 15, 2022
Welcome to The Weekend Stream, a relaxing weekly review of notable digital-only catalogue titles. There may be no CD or vinyl, but there's plenty of great new/old music to discover! This week features early works by John Denver, TV works by Jan Hammer and Giorgio Moroder, live stuff from Tegan and Sara and a real throwback of a compilation album. Denver, Boise & Johnson / The Mitchell Trio, Leaving on a Jet Plane: John Denver (Warner Records) (Amazon / Spotify) John Denver's career
Tears Began to Fall: New Box Set Chronicles Frank Zappa and The Mothers' 1971 Fillmore East Shows, Final London Concert
In a masterstroke of understatement, Frank Zappa and The Mothers proclaimed themselves to be Just Another Band from L.A. on a 1972 album of the same title. Of course, The Mothers were never just another band, but this particular iteration - featuring former Turtles vocalists Flo and Eddie (Mark Volman and Howard Kaylan) and bassist Jim Pons, drummer Aynsley Dunbar, keyboardist Don Preston, and multi-instrumentalist Ian Underwood - was one of the most memorable of the band's existence. This
Release Round-Up: Week of January 14
Welcome to this week's Release Round-Up! Elvis Costello and The Imposters, The Boy Named If (Capitol/EMI) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada) Elvis Costello and The Imposters are back with a new, rip-roaring rock album. The band previewed many of the songs on The Boy Named If during its last concert tour; if those tunes (including lead single "Magnificent Hurt") are any indication, this set returns Costello to his spiky roots. Available on CD, LP, cassette, digital platforms,
In Memoriam: Ronnie Spector (1943-2022)
Whoa-oh, a-whoa-oh-oh-oh! Of all the great examples of rock and roll onomatopoeia, perhaps none was as sweet, alluring, and powerful as the cry with which Ronnie Spector opened "Baby, I Love You." The second single by The Ronettes on Philles Records - the first was the epochal "Be My Baby" - "Baby, I Love You" exuded youthful romance: uninhibited, unequivocal, and positively steamy! Fronting the trio she had formed with her sister Estelle Bennett and cousin Nedra Talley, Ronnie Spector
Ride Me, Easy Rider: Cherry Red, Esoteric Collect Vinegar Joe's "Island Recordings" Featuring Robert Palmer, Elkie Brooks
Today, Vinegar Joe is best remembered for launching the careers of Robert Palmer and Elkie Brooks. The band had risen from the ashes of a group called Dada intended by co-founder Pete Gage as "a combination of Mothers of Invention/Frank Zappa, Blood, Sweat & Tears, and The 5th Dimension. Power vocalists plus brass and crazy arrangements." But that heady brew was too much for Atlantic Records' Ahmet Ertegun who urged Dada to strip away the fusion elements and concentrate on blues and rock.
Review: David Bowie, "Brilliant Adventure [1992-2001]"
Putting on the black tie, cranking out the white noise... David Bowie wasn't one to look back. But when he announced Black Tie White Noise, many fans collectively breathed a sigh of relief. Might the "old" David Bowie be returning? The 1993 album was his first in six years, following three albums (two studio and one live) with his hard rock band, Tin Machine. It also reunited him with Nile Rodgers, producer of his all-time best-selling album Let's Dance, and with Ziggy Stardust-era
The Weekend Stream: January 8, 2022
Welcome to The Weekend Stream, a relaxing weekly review of notable digital-only catalogue titles. There may be no CD or vinyl, but there's plenty of great new/old music to discover! Our first release weekend of 2022 features heavy hitters, from legends of pop, rock, jazz and...space disco? David Bowie, Shadow Man (Parlophone) (Amazon / Spotify) David Bowie would have turned 75 today, and fans are celebrating over the new release Toy:Box, an official and expanded version of his "lost" 2001
Release Round-Up: Week of January 7 - David Bowie Birthday Edition
Welcome to today's Release Round-Up! While the record biz at large isn't quite into the swing of things for 2022, today does bring two releases from the late David Bowie. Tomorrow, January 8, would have been the superstar artist's 75th birthday; while he passed away on January 10, 2016, his legacy continues to burn brightly. David Bowie, Toy:Box (ISO/Parlophone) 3CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada 6 x 10": Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada Available on 3 CDs or
Sweet Seasons: Third Man Premieres Carole King's 1973 Central Park Concert as Part of Vault Series
Third Man Records, Sony Music, and Ode Records are proving that it's never too late, baby, with the audio and video premiere release of Carole King - Home Again, a live concert recorded in Central Park on May 26, 1973. Home Again will be exclusively released on 2-LP vinyl and DVD as part of Third Man's ongoing Vault Series (#51 in the series). Sign-up to subscribe to the Vault Series and receive this title is open through January 31 at Midnight (Central Time). King took the stage of Central
Review: The Band, "Cahoots: 50th Anniversary Edition"
From the first seconds of the opening "Life Is a Carnival," it was clear that Cahoots was no ordinary album by The Band. The quintet's first three albums had established them as major proponents of the rootsy genre that would later be called "Americana." But now, the sound blasting from the speakers was one of sheer funk: simultaneously dark and joyful, aggressive yet inviting. In what might have been considered a heretical move by some, the group was bolstered by three saxophones, two
The Year In Review: The 2021 Gold Bonus Disc Awards, From A to Z - Part Two
Happy 2022! Welcome, friends, to Part Two of The Second Disc's 12th Annual Gold Bonus Disc Awards! Once again, we've all faced unprecedented challenges over the past twelve months. A year that began with hope and promise has ended with further uncertainty for many of us. But music continues to fill a significant role in our lives, providing solace, comfort, and escape in a time unlike any other. With that spirit in mind, The Second Disc wishes to recognize 2021's cream of the catalogue
The Year In Review: The 2021 Gold Bonus Disc Awards, From A to Z - Part One
Happy 2022! Welcome, friends, to The Second Disc's 12th Annual Gold Bonus Disc Awards! Once again, we've all faced unprecedented challenges over the past twelve months. A year that began with hope and promise has ended with further uncertainty for many of us. But music continues to fill a significant role in our lives, providing solace, comfort, and escape in a time unlike any other. With that spirit in mind, The Second Disc wishes to recognize 2021's cream of the catalogue music crop -
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
I Wish U Heaven: 12 Prince Titles Reissued on CD, LP in 2022
In 2021, Prince's estate continued its evolving relationship with Sony Music, with much of The Artist's Warner Bros.-era albums getting digital distribution through Legacy Recordings. Now, 12 physical reissues of classic Prince albums will come into print through Legacy this winter. These CD and vinyl titles, to be released February 4, make up the bulk of the Minneapolis icon's '70s and '80s recordings, as well as a select handful of his early '90s work. (Warner Music distributes in
Holiday Gift Guide Review: The Doors, "L.A. Woman: 50th Anniversary Edition"
"Well, I've been down so goddamn long that it looks like up to me..." Jim Morrison knew of what he spoke. When The Doors entered Sunset Sound in November 1970 to record what would become their sixth studio album, L.A. Woman, the quartet was ready for a reboot. In September, Morrison had been convicted on profanity and indecent exposure charges related to a March 1969 concert in Miami. With an appeal in place, he was free on bail. But some radio stations had banned The Doors, and even concert
The Weekend Stream: December 18, 2021
Welcome to The Weekend Stream, a relaxing weekly review of notable digital-only catalogue titles. There may be no CD or vinyl, but there's plenty of great new/old music to discover! A quiet week before Christmas offers a new Bowie remix, rare soundtracks from Tangerine Dream and The Simpsons, plus a legendary funk label on Bandcamp. David Bowie, Changes (2021 Alternative Mix) (Parlophone/Rhino) (Spotify) Alongside a newly-announced 50th anniversary picture disc of Hunky Dory, slated for
Release Round-Up: Week of December 17
Welcome to our final Release Round-Up of 2021! There are very few new releases scheduled for the next two weeks, but we'll be back in 2022! Frank Zappa, 200 Motels: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack - 50th Anniversary Edition (Zappa Records/UMe) 6CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada 2CD (Original Soundtrack Only): Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada 2LP Black Vinyl (Original Soundtrack Only): Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada 2LP Red Vinyl (Original
Pink Floyd Announce 'Pulse' Blu-ray, Does Not Announce Unreleased Digital Live Shows
Two exciting Pink Floyd stories have cropped up for fans of all of their eras: a standalone release of their restored Pulse Blu-ray for 2022, and a dozen unheard live shows from 1971 available to hear now. Pulse, originally released in 1995, chronicled the British band's Division Bell Tour of Europe the previous year. While the album was culled from multiple performances, the accompanying video release was taken from a performance at Earls Court in London on October 20, 1994. There, Pink
Holiday Gift Guide Review: Elvis Presley, "Back in Nashville"
When Elvis Presley entered RCA's famed Nashville Studio B in June 1970, expectations were high. His last major recording sessions - not counting those for the Universal film Change of Habit - had taken place at Memphis' American Sound Studio with producer Chips Moman, resulting in the acclaimed From Elvis in Memphis LP. Could he follow up that career triumph? Many would argue that he did. Rather than strictly repeat the formula, he and producer Felton Jarvis crafted the concept album Elvis
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