The holidays are a time of good cheer and gratitude, where we all (in theory) come together to share in a common joy. There has not been a lot of common joy if you're a Prince fan; we don't need to re-litigate it more than we did this summer, but it's worth noting that the quest to make intriguing, posthumous Prince projects under the current estate organization has maybe gotten worse than when we published our editorial. But there have been celebrations of The Purple One that honor his
Whistlin' Tunes That You Know: Rhino Launches 'Reserves' Audiophile Series with Allen Toussaint and Eddie Hazel
Rhino has announced the launch of new audiophile vinyl series: Rhino Reserves. The series kicks off on January 31, 2025 as part of the label's annual Start Your Ear Off Right campaign available exclusively through Rhino.com and select retail outlets (typically independent record stores and Barnes & Noble locations) with Allen Toussaint's Southern Nights and Eddie Hazel's Game, Dames, and Guitar Thangs. Going forward, each Rhino Reserves title will be pressed locally by the California-based
THE SECOND DISC'S 2024 HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE IS HERE!
Well, today is Cyber Monday, which means one thing at Second Disc HQ: it's time to launch our annual Holiday Gift Guide, featuring (more than) a few of our favorite things for the music enthusiast in your life. Sure, we might not have included raindrops on roses or whiskers on kittens, but we've filled the guide with over 50 essential selections: sprawling box sets and deluxe vinyl editions, as well as noteworthy releases on CD from favorite artists that just might make great stocking stuffers.
The Second Disc's Guide to Record Store Day Black Friday 2024
From all of us here at Second Disc HQ to all of you, we hope you've enjoyed a wonderful Thanksgiving in the company of beloved family and friends. (And with plenty of delicious food, too!) Now, Record Store Day's annual Black Friday event is upon us, so we're spotlighting a dozen of the most eagerly anticipated releases arriving to your local independent brick-and-mortar record shop! Here are our personal picks for RSD BF must-haves; visit Record Store Day's official website for a list of
May the Funk Be With You: Cherry Red's Robinsongs Boxes Up Five Discs of George Duke
George Duke (1946-2013) wore many hats throughout his long and varied career: keyboardist, composer, producer, arranger, singer. His solo discography encompassed 40 albums while his collaborations included LPs with such jazz luminaries as Jean-Luc Ponty, Billy Cobham, Stanley Clarke, and Dexter Gordon. He produced records for A Taste of Honey, Sister Sledge, Barry Manilow, Melissa Manchester, Miles Davis, Al Jarreau, and Smokey Robinson. Jazz was only part of the George Duke story, as his
Ike's Mood: Isaac Hayes' "Hot Buttered Singles 1969-1972" Arrives from Ace
Who's the black private dick that's a sex machine to all the chicks? If you answered "Shaft," you're damn right! When Isaac Hayes picked up the Academy Award for Best Original Song in 1972 for the "Theme from Shaft," he was only the third African-American to win an Oscar - and the first in the field of music. Shaft remains the best-selling album in the Stax Records catalogue and one of the most successful soundtracks of all time; for Isaac Hayes, it was a triumph that built on the
In Memoriam: Quincy Jones (1933-2024)
Quincy Delight Jones was just 14 years old when he introduced himself to Ray Charles. Though the pianist-singer was just two years older, he was already an inspiration to the younger musician. Charles had the gift of synthesizing the various strains of music - jazz, folk, country, pop, soul, rhythm and blues, and gospel, among them - into a sound both wholly new and wholly American. Jones was struck by how Charles overcame adversity, and their shared ethos became one which shaped young
Joy in Repetition: Cherry Red's 'Dearly Beloved' Pays Tribute to Prince, the Songwriter
Between the muted 40th anniversary celebration of Purple Rain and the bizarre drama over an estate-sanctioned Netflix documentary on his life and career, Prince fans could probably use a win lately. A new compilation from Cherry Red looks like it might finally offer one. Dearly Beloved - A Prince Songbook is an unexpectedly robust-looking 3CD set that will pay tribute to the Minneapolis icon as a songwriter - one whose classic hits have become pop standards, with so much talent overflowing
Release Round-Up: Week of August 9
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. Also, don't miss out on today's eclectic slate of releases from Real Gone Music; click here to find out what's new from Jefferson Airplane, Grateful Dead, Firehouse, Azar Lawrence, Charlie Nothing, and 3 Inches of Blood! Elvis Presley, Memphis (RCA/Legacy) 5CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada 2LP: Amazon
Do You Want to Dance? Rhino Continues Quadio Series with Bette Midler, Bread, Duke Ellington, Graham Central Station
Rhino's Quadio series continues to grow with a new quartet of Blu-ray Audio releases that are sure to excite devotees of the four-channel surround format. This time, vintage quad mixes from Bette Midler, Bread, Duke Ellington, and Graham Central Station are returning to print for the first time in decades. All Blu-rays also include the original stereo mixes in high-resolution. Few debuts packed the power of Bette Midler's The Divine Miss M. The singer, who'd appeared on Broadway in Fiddler
Purple Drain: What's Going On with the Prince Estate?
In his too-brief life and vastly influential music career, Prince was known for every trait associated with genius: eclectic, kinetic musical ideas; a restless creative spirit; and of course, a mercurial side - known to change his own mind or direction at the slightest whims. In the eight years since his untimely passing, it seems the custodians of his affairs have got the mercurial part right, and that sometimes seems about it. A series of surprising successes and near-misses today in
Where Was You At: WAR Releases 50th Anniversary "World Is a Ghetto" Box on CD, Reissues "Greatest Hits"
On last November's Record Store Day Black Friday event, Rhino revisited WAR's 1972 classic The World Is a Ghetto for its 50th anniversary on five newly-remastered 140-gram LPs; a four-channel surround Quadio release followed on Blu-ray. The hard-hitting, socially-conscious soul-jazz-funk-blues-rock-psychedelia best-seller was the California band's fifth album and third following the departure of vocalist Eric Burdon of The Animals. On July 19, the landmark 5LP box featuring previously
The Second Disc's Guide to Record Store Day 2024: Our Essential 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 350 titles, so there's very nearly something for everybody. It wasn't easy to narrow our choices down to around
Born to Get Down: Robinsongs Reissues Three Albums from The Muscle Shoals Horns
3614 Jackson Highway: Cher immortalized the Sheffield, Alabama address of Muscle Shoals Sound Studio as the title of her 1969 album. The superstar was just one of the many legends who passed through the Studio's doors in hopes of capturing some of that southern swamp magic; others include The Rolling Stones, Aretha Franklin, Paul Simon, Wilson Pickett, Rod Stewart, and Bob Dylan. Much of that earthy sound was conjured by The Muscle Shoals Horns, the brassy complement to the studio's famed
Fly, Robin, Fly! Omnivore Serves Up Soul and Disco from Silver Convention, Ohio Players
Omnivore Recordings continues its packed slate of R&B, soul, and disco releases with an expanded edition of Silver Convention's 1975 debut album, Save Me, due tomorrow, March 29. Next week will then see a comprehensive collection from the early days of funk outfit Ohio Players. Silver Convention - originally Silver Bird in the U.S. and Silver Bird Convention in Europe - was the brainchild of composer/arranger Sylvester Levay and lyricist/producer Michael Kunze. Formed by Levay and Kunze
RSD Round-Up: Spotlight on Omnivore, Iconoclassic, Friday Music, Dark Horse, Light in the Attic, and More
Our look at this year's Record Store Day releases continues with a look at the lineups from Omnivore Recordings, Iconoclassic Records, Friday Music, Light in the Attic, and more of our favorite labels! All titles here are due on April 20, and all descriptions are taken directly from the labels. If you are interested in any of these titles, they will be available at your local record store on April 20. Head over to recordstoreday.com for a list of participating retailers. U.K. readers, please
Many States of Independence: Demon Unveils RSD List with Donna Summer, Yardbirds, Lulu, Average White Band, More
As the week unfolds, we'll be continuing our ongoing look at this year's massive Record Store Day list. Here is a glance at all of the releases coming from Demon Music Group. All descriptions are taken directly from the label. If you are interested in any of these titles, they will be available at your local record store on April 20. Head over to recordstoreday.com for a list of participating retailers. U.K. readers, please visit recordstoreday.co.uk and Canadian readers, please
Release Round-Up: Week of January 26
Welcome to this week's Release Round-Up, featuring a selection of the new titles in stores today. As an Amazon affiliate, we earn from qualifying purchases. B.T. Express, Non-Stop: Expanded Edition (Iconoclassic) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada) Iconoclassic follows up its definitive reissue of B.T. Express' debut Do It ('Til You're Satisfied) with a similarly comprehensive reappraisal of the funk outfit's sizzling sophomore release, 1975's R&B chart-topper Non-Stop.
Back On My Feet Again: Rhino Adds Randy Newman, WAR, AWB, Gil Evans to Quadio Roster
Today, Rhino announced four new titles in its ever-growing line of Quadio Blu-rays: Randy Newman's Good Old Boys (1973), WAR's The World Is a Ghetto (1972), Gil Evans' Svengali, and Average White Band's AWB. The Second Disc had the opportunity to preview this quartet of Blu-ray reissues of classic albums in quadraphonic (four-channel) sound, and we're happy to report that this is another feast for surround fans with all four titles making good - or better - use of surround. (Those equipped
Dear Little Buttercup: Rhino's "Start Your Ear Off Right" Features America, The Doors, Grateful Dead, "Three Amigos," More
Rhino is once again inaugurating the new year with a Start Your Ear Off Right campaign, launching this Friday in brick-and-mortar independent record stores (and if the past is any indication, at Barnes and Noble locations across the United States). The vinyl-only slate, which is spread out over the next four release weeks, concentrates on classic rockers (The Doors, Foghat, America, Grateful Dead, Velvet Underground, Black Sabbath, Stevie Nicks, Yes) with a healthy dose of R&B legends (Ray
Get Down with the Philly Jump: Cherry Red, Robinsongs Collect Instant Funk's Salsoul Years
Following its recent albums collection for disco-dance band Skyy, Cherry Red's Robinsongs imprint has turned its attention to another Salsoul Records group: Instant Funk. The 5-CD box, out now, chronicles Instant Funk from 1976's Get Down with the Philly Jump through 1983's Kinky plus a selection of bonus tracks for the first three albums. The Instant Funk story is intertwined with that of Bunny Sigler. The singer-songwriter, producer, and multi-instrumentalist was a mainstay at Kenny
Craft Recordings Announces Record Store Day Black Friday Slate with Jazz, Soundtracks, Classic Soul, and More
It's that time of year again! With Record Store Day's annual Black Friday event happening in less than two months - on Friday, November 24 - news has started arriving of what titles to expect. Craft Recordings' eclectic slate features classic jazz, rare soundtracks, punk, soul, and more from an array of boldfaced names including Gil Evans, Chico Hamilton, Isaac Hayes, Melvin Van Peebles, Alan Silvestri, Carter Burwell, members of Earth Wind & Fire and Little Feat, and more. You'll find
I Ain't Gonna Worry: Motown Preps Digital Deluxe for 50th Anniversary of Marvin Gaye's 'Let's Get It On'
No need to hold back for so long: Marvin Gaye's Let's Get It On will be celebrated this month with a digital deluxe edition packed with unreleased tracks. Following the stirring social consciousness of his last album, 1971's What's Going On, Gaye used the musical canvas to dive deep into matters of the bedroom. Romance, carnal desire and the intersections between the two were explored in sessions split between Motown's Detroit studio - including contributions and their newly constructed
Baby Let's Swing: Rhino Celebrates 45 Years with Limited Edition Reissues from Doors, Aretha, Otis, Todd, Chicago, Ramones, More
Since its founding 45 years ago by Richard Foos and Harold Bronson, Rhino Records has established itself as the gold standard in catalogue music. Though much has changed over the decades, the label still maintains a prodigious schedule of releases which has lately encompassed such top-tier titles as Joni Mitchell's Archives series, the Quadio line of reissues, deluxe editions from Little Feat, and a host of Record Store Day releases. Now, to celebrate its anniversary, Rhino has announced the
The Weekend Stream: July 15, 2023
Welcome to The Weekend Stream, a relaxing review of notable digital-only catalogue titles. There may be no CD or vinyl, but there's plenty of great new/old music to float you into the weekend. This week, ABC and Steven Wilson shoot a "Poison Arrow" our way, plus rare albums from Bobby Darin, Pat Boone and others - including a lost '60s soul-pop classic you don't want to miss! ABC, Poison Arrow EP (Mercury/UMR) (iTunes / Amazon) Ahead of the new 40th anniversary vinyl box set of ABC's
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