The shockingly brief but nonetheless brilliant major-label career of Jim Croce will be revisited this year with a triplicate of remixed albums to be released by BMG. The Definitive Croce, available on CD or vinyl on September 19 (just a day short of 52 years since his passing), gathers both albums he recorded and released for ABC Records during his lifetime (You Don’t Mess Around with Jim and Life and Times) plus the posthumous I Got a Name – all recently remixed by engineer Paul Hicks (whose mixing and mastering work includes projects…
Release Round-Up: Week of August 1
Welcome to this week’s Release Round-Up, featuring a selection of the new titles in stores this week. As an Amazon affiliate, we earn from qualifying purchases. Dionne Warwick, Make It Easy on Yourself: The Scepter Recordings 1962-1971 (SoulMusic/Second Disc/Cherry Red) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada / Cherry Red) Naturally, we’re bursting at the seams that today is finally Release Day (*) for this massive labor of love. SoulMusic Records and Second Disc Records are proud to present Dionne Warwick’s Make It Easy on Yourself: The Scepter Recordings 1962-1971, a 12CD box set with 280 tracks encompassing every one of…
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Cast Your Fate to the Wind
This stunning new 6-CD box set brings together the late, great Marianne Faithfull’s Decca repertoire including the complete albums Marianne Faithfull; Come My Way; North Country Maid; and Loveinamist plus two discs of singles, non-LP B-sides, and rarities including previously unreleased tracks. Everything has been newly remastered from the original tapes, and the liner notes feature exclusive commentary from the singer. Andrew Batt has produced, compiled, and remastered the set, while Eric Terino has designed it, utilizing original images for the covers and artwork elements. Marianne gave her stamp of approval prior…
Release Round-Up: Week of July 25
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. Talking Heads, More Songs About Buildings and Food: Deluxe Edition (Rhino) 3CD/Blu-ray: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada 2LP: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada / Rough Trade (Red) / D2C Exclusive (2LP/4×7″) 4LP: D2C Exclusive (and 4LP/2×7″) Rhino is taking Talking Heads fans to the river with a new deluxe edition: a 3CD/Blu-ray edition of the group’s 1978 sophomore album More Songs About Buildings and Food. The box includes the remastered original album alongside a bonus disc of rare studio material…
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The Weekend Stream: July 19, 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. We’ve got a gem from Linda Ronstadt’s vault, a new update of a Disney classic and a fascinating sit-down with one of folk’s most important matriarchs – plus tributes to artists we lost this week and a potential hint at a very exciting reissue from one of the pivotal duos in ’70s rock. Linda Ronstadt, “How Do I Make You” / “Rambler Gambler” (Asylum/Rhino) (Apple / Amazon) This week, song…
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The Right Thing to Do: Rhino’s New Quadio Batch Features Carly Simon, Bread, Judy Collins, The New Seekers
We recently filled you in on Elektra’s 75th anniversary vinyl campaign which sees a variety of titles arriving this month. Now, the celebration is continuing with four new Quadio releases on Blu-ray Audio, all greatest-hits collections drawn from the Elektra catalogue. These four-channel surround titles from Carly Simon, Bread, Judy Collins, and The New Seekers are all available now, exclusively from Rhino.com. Every one of these titles boasts both the original quadraphonic mix with a high-resolution 192 kHz/24-bit stereo mix, both sourced from the original analog four-track quad master tapes. 1972’s Colors…
Sing Out: New Cat Stevens Compilation to Accompany Memoir
The man they now call Yusuf/Cat Stevens has announced a new career-spanning compilation to tie with his forthcoming memoir this fall. On the Road to Findout: Greatest Hits will be available as a 1CD or 2LP highlights set, as well as a deeper-dive 2CD or 4LP collection on September 5. It’s the first time an album will feature both the cream of his work as one of the top British folk songwriters in the ’60s and ’70s, as well as music from his return to popular song styles after decades out of…
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Release Round-Up: Week of July 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. Jethro Tull, Still Living in the Past (Parlophone/Rhino) 5CD/1BD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada 2LP: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada Still Living in the Past reinterpret Jethro Tull’s original odds-and-ends compilation from 1972 as a 5CD/1 Blu-ray set boasting some 35 unissued mixes and versions alongside just about every one of the 21 original tracks that appeared on the original double album. Alongside the original mixes of the non-album material that comprised Living in…
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Baby I’m-A Want You: Elektra Celebrates 75 Years with Monthlong Initiative
Jac Holzman was still in college when he and pal Paul Rickolt each chipped in three hundred bucks to start a record company. That label, Elektra Records – so named for Greek mythology’s daughter of Atlas and Pleione, but with the “c” swapped out for a “k” – inaugurated its catalogue with the simply-titled New Songs, an album of poetry settings by composer-pianist John Gruen. Elektra soon shifted its emphasis to folk music, growing its discography with recordings by Theodore Bikel, Josh White, Judy Collins, Oscar Brand, and Tom Paxton before branching…
The Weekend Stream: June 21, 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 classic film score gets remixed for a major anniversary; a modern jazz great reunites two-thirds of a classic rock band; and it’s funny how time flies for Tears for Fears. All this, plus morsels of news on potential reissues from Bruce Springsteen and Duran Duran, and two tributes to singers we lost this week. John Williams, JAWS (Original Motion Picture Score – Remastered) (Back Lot Music) (Apple /…
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The Weekend Stream Extra: A Guide to ‘MTV Unplugged’ on Paramount+ (Part 3)
Welcome to a special Sunday feature of The Weekend Stream, which takes a look at one of MTV’s great live music programs thanks to a recent reissue of one of its best-known episodes. We’re running a five-part deep-dive on every episode of MTV Unplugged that’s currently streaming on the station’s parent streaming network Paramount+! (Part 1 and 2 can be read here and here.) With rock music undergoing a transformation after the death of Kurt Cobain in 1994, MTV Unplugged continued to settle into institutional status. The show held court primarily in New York…
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The Weekend Stream: May 31, 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. We’ve got solo appearances aplenty: Bono, Al Jardine, Grace Potter, John Fogerty, and more new/old music – plus a new subscription service from Crowded House, a Barry Manilow music video, and a tribute to one of the undisputed guitar gods of his generation. Bono, Stories of Surrender EP (Island/Interscope/UMe) (Apple / Amazon) In 2023, U2 frontman Bono embarked on his first ever solo tour, promoting the memoir Surrender: 40 Songs, One…
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Release Round-Up: Week of May 30
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. Grateful Dead, The Music Never Stopped (Rhino) 3CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada 6LP: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada This live 3CD or 6LP compendium (also available digitally) from Grateful Dead to commemorate the band’s 60th anniversary includes 27 tracks representing every one of the venues in the 60-CD, 450-song Enjoying the Ride box set. Highlights include the title track from the Spectrum, 1978; “Scarlet Begonias,” “Fire on the Mountain,” and “Touch of…
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Mystery of Love: Sufjan Stevens Expands ‘Carrie & Lowell’
A deceased mother and a grieving son laid the groundwork for one of the best-reviewed records of 2015. A decade later, it’s being expanded with unreleased material – and its creator is sharing some unexpected opinions on how he regards the album. Sufjan Stevens’ seventh album Carrie & Lowell will be reissued this Friday, May 30, for its 10th anniversary. The 2CD or 2LP set includes a small trove of seven unreleased demos – including a version of a track that would be the closest thing Stevens may have to a signature song…
The Weekend Stream: May 24, 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. This week offers a trio of classic rockers advancing a cause through new tracks, rare covers and live material, plus a new take on Peggy Lee’s “Fever” and a pair of dance albums getting greatly, unexpectedly expanded. Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band, Land of Hope & Dreams EP (Columbia) (Apple / Amazon) The Boss has been touring Europe this week. Perhaps you’ve heard about it: he had a…
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The Weekend Stream Extra: A Guide to ‘MTV Unplugged’ on Paramount+ (Part 1)
Welcome to a special Sunday feature of The Weekend Stream, which takes a look at one of MTV’s great live music programs thanks to a recent reissue of one of its best-known episodes. We’re kicking off a five-part deep-dive on every episode of MTV Unplugged that’s currently streaming on the station’s parent streaming network Paramount+! If the music video was the most significant concept MTV introduced back in 1981, the word “unplugged” might come in a close second. In 1989, as the cable station began slowly diversifying their blocks of video programming –…
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The Weekend Stream: May 10, 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. This week, classic rock icons celebrate their live history, a modern music icon gets serious, a master of horror films (and soundtracks) revisits his first non-movie music and a former folk duo open their vault. The Doors, Live in Pittsburgh 1970 / Live in Philadelphia ’70 / Live in Detroit (Bright Midnight/Rhino) Pittsburgh: Apple / Amazon Philadelphia: Apple / Amazon Detroit: Apple / Amazon The Doors have been issuing live sets from their 25-year-old…
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Release Round-Up: Week of April 25
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. Neil Young, Oceanside/Countryside (Reprise/NYA) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada) Neil Young is unveiling another once-lost album with the release of Oceanside Countryside which arrives on CD today following its vinyl release.The LP was recorded from May to December 1977; the first side comprised solo Young performances, while most of the second featured a full band. It never saw release, though. Instead, Comes a Time hit store shelves in October 1978. Both albums…
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Lullabies from Heaven: Melanie’s Children’s Album
The latest release in Cleopatra’s ongoing Melanie archival series spans fourteen recordings made between 1963 and 2016 including such children’s favorites as “Puff, the Magic Dragon,” “The Teddy Bears’ Picnic,” “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star,” and “Rain, Rain Go Away.” The singer-songwriter is joined by her children and grandchildren, who assembled this release and added vocals and instrumentation following Melanie’s death in January 2024. It adds up to one of the most touching releases in this expansive, career-spanning series. Available on CD, LP, and digital/streaming. As an Amazon affiliate, we earn from qualifying…
Release Round-Up: Week of April 18
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. Neil Young, Coastal: The Soundtrack (Reprise/NYA) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada) The concert film Coastal, documenting Neil Young’s 2023 solo concert tour, was released to cinemas yesterday; today, its soundtrack album arrives on CD, LP, and digital formats. The 11-track album includes Young favorites such as “I Am a Child,” “Expecting to Fly,” “Comes a Time,” and “Vampire Blues.” Dame Shirley Bassey, The Singer (Cherry…
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Turning Over New ‘Leaves’: Nick Drake’s Debut to Be Expanded
One of British folk’s most enigmatic debuts, Nick Drake’s Five Leaves Left, will be the subject of a box set yielding newly-discovered outtakes and unreleased material. The Making of Five Leaves Left, hitting stores on July 25, offers a new chronological look at Drake’s first album through more than 30 unreleased outtakes and a new pressing of the original album, available either on four CDs or four LPs and remastered by original album engineer John Wood. An illustrated 60-page book, printed on textured, recycled paper, accompanies the discs, offering new liner notes by…
Gathered In: The ‘Gather Me’ Sessions
Cleopatra has rounded up previously unreleased studio outtakes, demos, and related live tracks from Melanie’s 1971 album Gather Me, the LP that introduced the chart-topping “Brand New Key” as well as the hit “Ring the Living Bell” and fan favorite “Someday I’ll Be a Farmer.” This release includes new liner notes by the late artist’s manager Dave Thompson, and is packaged in a 6-panel digipak.
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 20 titles, but here…
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A Second Disc Interview: Celebrating Marianne Faithfull’s Final EP with Executive Producer Andrew Batt
As part of Saturday’s Record Store Day festivities, Decca will release the final recordings of Marianne Faithfull on vinyl. The four-song EP Burning Moonlight harkens back to the late artist’s very first albums, released in 1965 on the same label: one dedicated to pop music, and the other to folk songs. The title track to Burning Moonlight was issued digitally in the past weeks; tomorrow, “She Moved Through the Fair” will arrive on streaming services. Finally, on June 6, the entire EP will be released digitally. We were thrilled to speak with…
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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 before he joined the Eagles), gets the red carpet treatment with three outtakes and one never-before-heard song. Impex will release…
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