Pop

Buddha and the Chocolate Box

Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada All Formats: Official Store (U.S.) Exclusive Chocolate Brown Vinyl: Official Store (U.S.) Cat Stevens’ Buddha and the Chocolate Box, originally released in 1974, is the latest title in the singer-songwriter’s venerable cat-o-log to get the remastered reissue treatment.  One of Yusuf’s four consecutive LPs to reach the top three in both the United States and Great Britain and his sixth A&M release overall, Buddha (featuring “Oh Very Young” and “Ready”) returns on CD, vinyl, and digital formats. (As an Amazon affiliate, we earn from…

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Ready: Cat Stevens’ “Buddha and the Chocolate Box” Returns to CD, LP, Digital Formats

Cat Stevens’ Buddha and the Chocolate Box, originally released in 1974, is the latest title in the singer-songwriter’s venerable cat-o-log to get the remastered reissue treatment.  One of Yusuf’s four consecutive LPs to reach the top three in both the United States and Great Britain and his sixth A&M release overall, Buddha returns September 4 on CD, vinyl, and digital formats. In many respects, Buddha and the Chocolate Box was a homecoming for Stevens.  After retreating to Jamaica to self-produce the R&B-influenced Foreigner (also reissued as part of the Cat-o-Log series), he…

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The Weekend Stream: July 11, 2026

Welcome back to another edition of The Weekend Stream, The Second Disc’s review of notable catalogue titles making digital debuts, plus new works from legacy acts and even some personally curated favorites. We’re catching up on some stray things we missed ahead of the Fourth of July holiday – so there’s certainly plenty to love! Beyoncé, “Morning Dew (Donk)” (Parkwood/Columbia) (Apple / Amazon) Queen Bey surprised the hive with a surprise release over the Fourth of July weekend: a fleshed-out version of the previously-leaked demo “Donk.” Though the track was believed to stem from…

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Release Round-Up: Week of July 10

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 Rolling Stones, Foreign Tongues (Capitol (U.S.)/Polydor (U.K.)) CD (Standard Red Cover): Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada CD (Red Disc): Rolling Stones Store CD/Blu-ray: Rolling Stones Store / Amazon U.S. (Link TBD) / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada 2LP Pink Vinyl: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada 2LP Black Vinyl: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada 2LP Blue Vinyl: Target.com 2LP White Vinyl + Art Print: Rolling Stones Store 2LP/Blu-ray: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada Cassette: Rolling Stones Store Less than three years after Hackney Diamonds, The Rolling…

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In Memoriam: Bonnie Tyler (1951-2026)

For more than 50 years, the gravelly voice of Bonnie Tyler was one of pop and rock’s most distinctive.  Whether bringing to life the rootsy “It’s a Heartache” or the majestic theatrical drama of “Total Eclipse of the Heart,” Tyler sounded like nobody else.  The Welsh singer born Gaynor Hopkins in 1951 died earlier today at the age of 75, following a recent illness that left her hospitalized since May. Bonnie decided to pursue singing as a career after performing in a talent competition in 1969.  Though she took second place to an…

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Everything’s Heavy Underground: Ben Folds Five to Reissue Debut with ‘Shelved First Attempt’ Bonus Disc

Piano-pounding alternative trio Ben Folds Five will revisit their first album this fall – both versions of their first album. The group’s self-titled debut will be remastered and expanded on September 4, a year after its 30th anniversary mark. This 2CD or 180-gram 2LP release pairs that original album, featuring seminal tracks like “Underground” and “Philosophy,” with a mostly unreleased “Shelved First Attempt” featuring many of the same tracks (and a few others) recorded in an earlier session. Both sets will offer expanded liner notes featuring rare photos and commentary by Folds. It…

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Takin’ It To The Streets [Remaster]

Rhino has a new remaster of The Doobie Brothers’ debut with Michael McDonald, 1976’s Takin’ It to the Streets.  A top ten album on the Billboard 200, Takin’ It to the Streets (the Doobies’ sixth overall studio LP) features the hit title track and “It Keeps You Runnin’,” both written and sung by McDonald.  No bonus tracks have been added.  (As an Amazon affiliate, we earn from qualifying purchases.)

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Runs In The Family: The Warner Bros./Rykodisc Albums

Runs in the Family, from TSD and Cherry Red’s Lemon Recordings imprint, is the first-ever albums collection from the genre-bending trio of Maggie, Suzzy, and Terre Roche, a.k.a. The Roches.  The set features the sisters’ debut The Roches (1979) produced by King Crimson legend Robert Fripp; Nurds (1980) produced by Simon and Garfunkel collaborator Roy Halee; Keep On Doing, also with Fripp (1982); Another World (1985) with productions by Richard Gottehrer (“My Boyfriend’s Back,” “I Want Candy”), Edd Kalehoff (the themes to The Price Is Right, Double Dare), and others; and Can We Go Home Now (1995), helmed by the group…

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Release Round-Up: Week of July 3…Plus The Weekend Stream!

Welcome to this week’s Release Round-Up!  Due to the U.S. holiday, there’s less than usual on offer this week, but our usual large gathering of titles will resume soon!  In the meantime, here’s a rundown of some highlights from today’s releases plus a truncated version of The Weekend Stream (on hiatus this weekend). As an Amazon affiliate, we earn from qualifying purchases.  From all of us at TSD HQ to all of you, we wish you and your loved ones a very happy Fourth of July weekend! Grateful Dead, Fillmore Audtitorium, San…

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Look Out (Here Comes Tomorrow): Rhino Celebrates 60 Years of “The Monkees” with “Made For TV”

On September 12, 1966, television audiences first met The Monkees.  Under the auspices of creators Bob Rafelson and Bert Schneider, the zany foursome of Micky Dolenz, Davy Jones, Michael Nesmith, and Peter Tork pushed the boundaries of the American sitcom format with their musical misadventures.  The Emmy Award-winning comedy only lasted two seasons and 58 episodes on NBC but endured thanks to Saturday morning repeats, syndication, cable, DVD, Blu-ray, and – most notably – the albums recorded by the four young men cast as The Monkees who went on to assume the…

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The Weekend Stream: June 27, 2026

Welcome back to another edition of The Weekend Stream, The Second Disc’s review of notable catalogue titles making digital debuts, plus new works from legacy acts and even some personally curated favorites. A solo record from a Prince associate gets expanded with rare tracks, another classic Tom Petty track gets a new mix, and new music from Sugar, a Monkee and a killer pop songstress (those are all different songs!) help kick off our latest round-up! Morris Day, Color of Success (Deluxe Edition) (Warner/Rhino) (Apple / Amazon) Rhino offers a dual celebration of Black…

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In Memoriam: Clive Davis (1932-2026)

Today, The Second Disc remembers Clive Davis.  Mike kicks things off… It was not entirely hubris that spurred Clive Davis to title his second memoir The Soundtrack of My Life in 2013 (which, in turn, inspired the career-spanning documentary on him to be named The Soundtrack of Our Lives). Here was a man who, with very few peers, was the sort of self-styled “record men” that fueled phases of incredible music industry growth in the back half of the 20th century. Next to perhaps only Berry Gordy, Davis’ label tenures at Columbia, Arista and…

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All I Want: Joni Mitchell’s “Blue” Turns 55, Rhino Unveils Vinyl and Reel-to-Reel Reissues

Joni Mitchell’s landmark Blue turns 55 this year, and Rhino isn’t letting the occasion go unnoticed.  On July 10 – just weeks after the album’s actual anniversary on June 21 – the label will unveil High Fidelity editions on both vinyl and reel-to-reel tape. (For audiophiles who prefer shiny silver discs, Blue was reissued last year on Blu-ray Audio with Atmos, quadraphonic, and high-resolution stereo mixes.) On Blue, Mitchell turned her artistry fully inward for an act of stunning musical self-reflection.  Upon hearing the original album, Kris Kristofferson famously quipped “Save something…

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Gimme A Slice: Cherry Red, Second Disc Collect The Roches’ Warner Bros. and Rykodisc Albums on “Runs In The Family”

The world first heard the voices of Maggie and Terre Roche on Paul Simon’s 1972 LP There Goes Rhymin’ Simon.  With youngest sister Suzzy, The Roches soon carved out a remarkable career of their own. Between 1979 and 2007, Maggie, Terre, and Suzzy pushed the boundaries of so-called folk music.  The songs of The Roches were personal, funny, heartbreaking, vulnerable, witty, sad, joyful, and utterly original as the sisters bared their hearts and souls in striking harmony.   Now, on September 11, Cherry Red’s Lemon Recordings and Second Disc Records will celebrate The…

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The Weekend Stream: June 21, 2026

Welcome back to another edition of The Weekend Stream, The Second Disc’s review of notable catalogue titles making digital debuts, plus new works from legacy acts and even some personally curated favorites. We’ve got a last little Toy Story update, plus an unreleased XTC concert, great late-period Ben Folds Five, some British acts that couldn’t be more different, and plenty of others! Randy Newman/Taylor Swift, Toy Story 5 (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) (Walt Disney Records) (Apple / Amazon) “I Knew It, I Knew You,” Taylor Swift’s new song from the soundtrack to Disney and Pixar’s…

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Release Round-Up: Week of June 19

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. Sheena Easton, The Singles: 1980-1987 (Cherry Pop) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada) Cherry Pop’s Sheena Easton series has a new crown jewel: a 25CD box set chronicling her singles from the EMI years in the ’80s – and yes, this set has unreleased material as well.  The Singles 1980-1987 follows two recent boxes following Easton’s EMI recordings in full (not strictly the original albums, but plenty of unreleased and alternate material in the mix)….

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Review: Carly Simon, Randy Newman, Seals and Crofts, and Mongo Santamaria in “Quadio”

Last month, Rhino announced its newest batch of Quadio titles, re-presenting vintage quadraphonic surround mixes on Blu-ray Audio Discs.  This time out, the label has turned its attention to four ‘70s classics from three artists returning to the series (Carly Simon, Randy Newman, Seals & Crofts) and one making his Quadio Blu-ray debut (Mongo Santamaria).  All four titles, also containing high-resolution stereo mixes of the original album, are shipping now exclusively from Rhino.com. Carly Simon’s self-titled debut album arrived on Elektra Records in the spring of 1971, nestled in the label’s discography between…

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Review: Hank Marvin, “The Studio Album Collection 1982-1995”

Brian Robson Rankin of Newcastle-upon-Tyne moved to London while still a teenager, armed with a guitar and a dream.  He adopted the name Hank Marvin, melding his childhood nickname of “Hank” with the first name of American country singer Marvin Rainwater, and put on a pair of glasses inspired by Buddy Holly’s.  His school friend Bruce Welch joined him, and before long, the pair had met Cliff Richard’s manager. In 1959, Richard’s band then known as The Drifters became The Shadows, and Richard, Marvin, Welch, and Brian Bennett (who replaced drummer Tony…

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Never Get Away from the Sound: Fleetwood Mac Expands Quintet-Era ‘Greatest Hits’ Set

Rhino is revisiting the first compilation of Fleetwood Mac’s “classic” quintet era – a push, it appears, ahead of a long-awaited, as-yet unreleased documentary on the band. 1988’s Greatest Hits will be reissued on July 31 in a new double-disc edition on CD and vinyl. In addition to the plethora of smash hits like “Rhiannon,” “Go Your Own Way,” “Dreams,” “Don’t Stop,” “Tusk,” “Gypsy,” “Little Lies” and “Everywhere” – as well as the then-new tracks “As Long As You Follow” and “No Questions Asked” – the set now includes a bonus disc of…

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Timeless

CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada LP: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada / Official Store (140-gram Purple Marbled Vinyl) Ten years after his tragic passing, a newly-curated release from Prince’s vault offers 10 unreleased tracks spanning his entire recording career – mostly unconsidered, in their respective forms, for any formal versions of his albums. Advance highlights include “With This Tear,” a song Prince gave to Celine Dion early in her English-language singing career, and the ’90s pop/funk “Stone.”

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(the best & the rest of) New Order

4CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada 2CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada (the best of) 2LP: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada (the rest of) 3LP: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada Less than a decade from the beloved compilation Substance, New Order issued (the best of) New Order in 1994 that chronicled their ’90s transitions into house and traditional alt-rock music, with a few new mixes to boot. The following year, (the rest of) New Order compiled recent and new remixes of the same material. (the best & the rest of) New Order brings together both collections with a further two discs of rare, new-to-CD and unreleased remixes…

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To Live and Die in L.A. (Deluxe Edition)

Available exclusively through Interscope Records’ online store, Wang Chung’s soundtrack to William Friedkin’s 1985 neo-noir will be pressed on two opaque orange “L.A. sunset” LPs. The first offers a chronological sequence of the music from the film, with two additional tracks: the hit single “Dance Hall Days” and the unreleased “This One’s for You, White Boy.” The second LP offers eight bonus remixes and edits, five of which are previously unreleased. (A futher expanded digital edition is promised, but the long-discussed CD edition seems to be off the table.)

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The Weekend Stream: June 13, 2026

Welcome back to another edition of The Weekend Stream, The Second Disc’s review of notable catalogue titles making digital debuts, plus new works from legacy acts and even some personally curated favorites. Olivia Rodrigo makes a triumphant return, Blink-182 dip into the CD bin, Taylor Swift and John Williams (separately) flesh out their latest projects, and an unexpected return from one of pop/folk’s living legends sets the mood for our latest rundown.  (As an Amazon affiliate, we earn from qualifying purchases.) Olivia Rodrigo, you seem pretty sad for a girl so in love (Geffen)…

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Release Round-Up: Week of June 12

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 5th Dimension, Let the Sunshine In: The Soul City & Bell Albums 1967-1974 (Second Disc/Cherry Red/Strawberry) Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada / Cherry Red 2026 marks 60 years of The 5th Dimension–and the celebration is kicking off with the first-ever box set dedicated to the legendary “champagne soul” fivesome!  Second Disc Records is proud to team with Cherry Red’s Strawberry imprint for Let the Sunshine In: The Soul City &…

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OUT TOMORROW! The 5th Dimension’s Soul City and Bell Albums Collected on New Box from TSD, Cherry Red

2026 marks 60 years of The 5th Dimension–and the celebration is kicking off with the first-ever box set dedicated to the legendary “champagne soul” fivesome! Tomorrow, June 12, is the date for Let the Sunshine In: The Soul City & Bell Albums 1967-1974 from Cherry Red’s Strawberry imprint and Second Disc Records!  This comprehensive 6CD collection brings together all of Marilyn McCoo, Billy Davis, Jr., Florence LaRue, and the late Ron Townson and LaMonte McLemore’s recordings for the Soul City, Bell, and Arista labels, plus bonus selections including the group’s rare pre-5th Dimension…

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