Although only 12 episodes were made between 1975 and 1979, Fawlty Towers remains one of television's most beloved comedies. As recently as 2019, it was named the greatest ever British sitcom by Radio Times, and its magic has never been successfully duplicated. Three American remakes - starring Harvey Korman and Betty White (the pilot-only Chateau Snavely, 1978), Bea Arthur (Amanda's, 1983), and John Larroquette and JoBeth Williams (Payne, 1999) - all failed to recapture the spirit of the
Release Round-Up: Week of February 26
Welcome to this week's Release Round-Up! Bob Dylan, 1970 (Columbia/Legacy) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada) In recent years, Bob Dylan's annual copyright-extension collections have become highly sought-after collectors' items and fodder for bootleggers everywhere. Happily, Legacy Recordings has opted to give a wide release to Dylan's 1970 set, largely drawn from the Self Portrait sessions and featuring his loose jams with George Harrison. This 3-CD set features 74
Heart and Brain: Omnivore Preps Spoken Word Releases from Richard Pryor, Allen Ginsberg
Omnivore Recordings is heating up this winter with a trio of spoken-word releases from two legendary and provocative figures, Richard Pryor and Allen Ginsberg. Richard Pryor (1940-2005) wasn't just one of the most significant and influential stand-up comedians of all time but also a genuine film superstar, an accomplished writer, an Emmy Award recipient, Kennedy Center Mark Twain Prize honoree, and five-time Grammy Award winner. Omnivore Recordings is traveling back to the early years of the
The Second Disc’s Guide To Record Store Day Black Friday 2020
Today's Black Friday shopping will likely look a little different thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic. But one thing will remain the same: Record Store Day's yearly event. It's been a packed year with RSD Drops in the months of August, September, and October. Now, they're going out with a bang. Labels big and small will release limited-edition vinyl with the collector in mind. Whether you're after new music from legends, reissues of sought-after recordings, or unreleased rarities from the vault,
Release Round-Up: Week of November 27
Welcome to this week's Release Round-Up! To our U.S. readers, we hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving, and to our readers around the world, we hope you're staying safe and enjoying a lot of great music in these most challenging of times. Cee Lo Green, Cee Lo's Magic Moment (Real Gone Music) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada) Our friends at Real Gone Music have a Christmas-green color vinyl edition of Cee Lo's Magic Moment, the 2012 holiday album by neo-soul icon Cee Lo
The Second Disc’s Guide To Record Store Day Drop 2, September 26!
2020 has been a bit of a rollercoaster and Record Store Day 2020 is no exception: once scheduled in April, it moved forward a few months, and is now spread out across three Saturdays in the summer and fall. The Record Store Day Drop in August proved a success and round two, set for tomorrow, September 26, is sure to please fans of all genres and eras. It's a diverse list full of exciting releases that you can only find through your local brick-and-mortar record store (or through their online
This Is The Life: Weird Al’s Drummer, Jon “Bermuda” Schwartz, On His New Book Of Photos
Ever wonder what it's like to be behind one of the most famous comedy musicians of all time? Jon "Bermuda" Schwartz literally knows - and, for the first time, he's getting to tell his side of the story. The versatile drummer, who's played on every one of "Weird Al" Yankovic's records and tours for the past four decades, is releasing Black & White & Weird All Over: The Lost Photographs Of "Weird Al" Yankovic '83-'86 through 1984 Publishing on October 27, four days after Al's 61st
Never Want It Badly Enough: The Second Disc’s Top Tracks For Bandcamp Friday
Despite the challenges facing the music business amid the COVID-19 pandemic, there are some bright spots. On March 20, indie music service Bandcamp waived their share of revenue on all sales for 24 hours, allowing artists and labels to support themselves even more robustly. Thanks to impressive results ($4.3 million spent on music and merch, 15 times an average Friday's revenue), Bandcamp repeated the strategy not once, but thrice: the first Fridays of each month (May 1, which raised $7.1
Something Completely Different: “Monty Python Sings (again)” Receives Expanded 2-LP Reissue
On October 5, 1969, Monty Python's Flying Circus appeared on TV for the first time, and their unique brand of sketch- and music-based comedy has since become an indelible part of our culture. To celebrate their 50th anniversary, the surviving members of Monty Python will launch re-releases of their films and their landmark television series. They've also begun to revisit their classic albums with recently released reissues of Monty Python's Previous Record, Live At Drury Lane, The Album Of The
Earwig Music Unearths Trove of Chicago Blues and Soul on “Cadillac Baby’s Bea & Baby Records: The Definitive Collection”
Chicago in the '50s was overflowing with skilled bluesmen, vocal groups, gospel singers, not to mention the mom-and-pop labels eager to make a hit off the artists. There are the now-famous labels - Chess, Delmark, and Vee-Jay among them. But the Windy City was so teeming with talent (and entrepreneurial hucksters trying to launch their own careers) that small, independent labels were plentiful. Earwig Music Company celebrates one such label in its ambitious new box set, Cadillac Baby's Bea
Review: Ernie Kovacs, “The Ernie Kovacs Album: Centennial Edition”
Some 57 years after his tragic death in an automobile accident at the age of 42, Ernie Kovacs remains one of America's most influential comedians. The pride of Trenton, New Jersey, Kovacs pioneered an experimental, largely improvised, zany style of comedy on television, the ripple effect of which has been felt on programs from Rowan and Martin's Laugh-In through Saturday Night Live. While far too much of Kovacs' oeuvre hasn't survived, a remarkable amount has, thanks to the herculean efforts
Strictly Genteel: The Zappa Family Trust and UMe Present “Orchestral Favorites” Deluxe Edition, “Mothermania” Reissue
UMe and The Zappa Family Trust have announced a pair of Frank Zappa releases that is sure to delight fans: an expanded deluxe edition of 1979's Orchestral Favorites and a new reissue of the classic compilation Mothermania. First up is a new, 40th Anniversary, deluxe 3-CD edition of Orchestral Favorites. Orchestral Favorites is an odd release in the Zappa catalogue - one that started its life in a very different configuration. The music, recorded live in September 1975 with a full orchestra
Release Round-Up: Week of July 5
Welcome to this week's Release Round-Up! Jackson Browne, Running on Empty [Remaster] (Asylum/Rhino) CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada LP: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada Jackson Browne's legendary, seven-times-platinum 1977 album - featuring such classics as "Running On Empty" and "The Load-Out / Stay" - returns to CD, vinyl, and digital formats from Asylum/Rhino, featuring a fresh remaster by Gavin Lurssen of Lurssen Mastering on CD/digital. The vinyl
The Ernie Kovacs Centennial Comes to Omnivore Recordings with Expanded CD Premiere
January 23, 2019 would have marked the 100th birthday of comedy legend Ernie Kovacs. While the pioneering comedian, actor, television personality, and writer tragically died at age 42 in 1962, his influential, off-the-wall brand of comedy endures to this day. The Kovacs centennial is hitting record stores this summer with the July 5 reissue on Omnivore Recordings of the Grammy-nominated The Ernie Kovacs Album, originally released in 1976 on Columbia Records. The Ernie Kovacs Album:
Omnivore Unveils Colorful Black Friday Slate with Van Zandt, Clark, Kovacs
Here at Second Disc HQ, we know that we can count on Omnivore Recordings for some of the most colorful and fun releases for Record Store Day's Back to Black Friday shopping event! On the day after Thanksgiving, you might find yourself at your local indie record store to pick up one of Omnivore's three Black Friday collectibles. As usual, it's a diverse trio, with releases from two late troubadours - Townes Van Zandt and Gene Clark - and one legendary late comedian, Ernie Kovacs. This past
Holiday Gift Guide Review: The Comedy and Music of Ernie Kovacs and Edie Adams
Welcome to 2012's Second Disc Holiday Gift Guide! We'll use these special reviews to highlight not only seasonally-themed releases, but box sets, deluxe reissues and other special titles that might make the perfect gifts under your tree this holiday season! Groucho Marx once observed that "marriage is a wonderful institution," before adding, "but who wants to live in an institution?" A few lucky couples have not only thrived in that institution, however, but also in the world of comedy:
An Omnivore’s Appetite: Tasty Treats From Jellyfish, The Knack, Buck Owens and Ernie Kovacs Coming Soon
Nobody could accuse the fine folks at Omnivore Recordings of not living up to the label's name! After all, "omnivore" is derived from the Latin for "all" and "everything." And Omnivore's recently announced slate of upcoming releases certainly qualifies as encompassing music from an incredibly wide variety of genres and eras. The label's packed line-up for May, June and July takes in legends from the world of comedy and country-and-western plus new wave and power pop pioneers! Two releases