R&B/Soul

The Definitive Warner Brothers Collection

Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada From the ’70s to the early ’90s, Al Jarreau was signed to the Reprise and Warner Bros. labels, honing a unique style of vocal jazz that sounded like no one else on the scene. He’d cross over into smooth soul on the 1981 smash Breakin’ Away, maintaining a subtle presence on the pop charts for much of the decade. This 3CD set includes 50 tracks including the hits “We’re in This Love Together,” “Mornin’,” “After All” and the theme to the hit TV comedy Moonlighting; several…

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Release Round-Up: Week of October 24

Welcome to this week’s Release Round-Up, featuring a selection of the new titles out today. As an Amazon affiliate, we earn from qualifying purchases. Bruce Springsteen, Nebraska ’82 (Columbia/Legacy) 4CD/Blu-ray: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada 4LP/Blu-ray: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada It’s no surprise that, as Hollywood recounts the story of Bruce Springsteen’s most striking solo release with the film Deliver Me from Nowhere (out today), a box set tells the tale of the (literal) tape.  Columbia Records and Legacy Recordings are releasing Nebraska ’82, a new box set showcasing the start-to-finish journey of Bruce’s most…

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The Decca Years

Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada Before breaking through as a dependable club act in the U.K. during the mid-’80s, Hazell Dean inked a contract with Decca in the U.K. from 1975 to 1978, issuing a series of commercially obscure but artistically striking singles with songwriter/producer/Eurovision stalwart Paul Curtis. Astoundingly, none of these tracks – 14 tracks on seven 7″ singles, plus two planned for an ultimately cancelled release – have ever made it onto CD until this release, which features fully remastered audio and a written introduction from Dean…

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The Weekend Stream: October 18, 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. There’s much to cover: digital box sets, anniversary editions, new  remixes, old stand-up comedy – and a quartet of memorials to musicians and more. Neil Young, Neil Young Archives Vol. III (1976-1987) (Reprise) (Apple / Amazon) One of the biggest box sets of last year is now available in a slightly more compact form. The digital release of Archives Vol. III includes nearly 200 tracks, 121 of which are unreleased….

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Release Round-Up: Week of October 17

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. Randy Newman, Trouble in Paradise: Expanded Edition (Warner/Rhino) 2CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada Rhino Reserves LP: Rhino.com We Love It! Rhino reissues Randy Newman’s seventh studio album, Trouble in Paradise, as a 2CD expanded edition featuring previously unreleased demos and a rare concert performance.  With such classics as “I Love LA” and “Real Emotional Girl,” Trouble remains one of Newman’s most beloved LPs.  This generous release adds the singer-songwriter’s largely…

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The Weekend Stream: October 11, 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 brings some super ’70s soul, some ’80s and ’90s throwbacks on the Broadway stage and more – including a tribute to one of the original Moody Blues we lost this week. Curtis Mayfield, The Makings of: A Curtis Mayfield Collection (Rhino) (Apple / Amazon) The documentary The Makings of Curtis Mayfield – directed by Grammy-winning R&B musician H.E.R. and featuring archival footage and conversations on the Super Fly hitmaker’s craft…

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You Must Ask the Heart: Craft Recordings’ Record Store Day Black Friday Slate Includes Jonathan Richman, Vince Guaraldi, Alan Silvestri, More

Today, we’re turning the spotlight onto Craft Recordings’ slate for Record Store Day’s Black Friday event which takes place on Friday, November 28.  Click here for a list of participating retailers!  All of the below descriptions and track listings have been provided directly by the label. Ray Barretto, Together (Fania) (180-gram LP; 1,800 copies U.S./2,000 copies worldwide) Ray Barretto’s 1969 Fania landmark roared out of New York with an irresistible blend of Latin jazz, boogaloo, Afro-Cuban, and hard salsa–an era-defining snapshot of the city’s pan-Latin sound. With Adalberto Santiago (vocals), Orestes Vilató (timbales), Louis…

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Power to Consume: Legacy Unveils Record Store Day Black Friday Slate with Prince, Miles Davis, Bob Dylan, Billy Joel, More

We’re continuing our look at this year’s Record Store Day Black Friday releases with a rundown of the nine titles coming your way on Friday, November 28 from Legacy Recordings.  These include classics from Miles Davis, Prince, and Billy Joel, a rarity from Bob Dylan, a spirited Danny Elfman soundtrack, and more!  Click here for a list of participating Record Store Day shops, and stay tuned for more RSD Black Friday news here at The Second Disc! Cage the Elephant, Live from The Vic in Chicago (RCA/Legacy) (2LP – Yellow and Black Splatter vinyl;…

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Merry Something to You: Rhino Announces Record Store Day Black Friday Slate with Devo, Joni Mitchell, Alice Cooper, The Doors, Grateful Dead, Randy Newman, More

TSD is kicking off our look at this year’s Record Store Day Black Friday releases, due at participating independent record stores on November 28, with a typically packed slate coming from Rhino. With over 30 titles, the label has brought out the heavy hitters (many of which are RSD mainstays) including The Doors, Fleetwood Mac, Grateful Dead, Joni Mitchell, Led Zeppelin, Todd Rundgren, Van Halen, and more. We’ve also included a handful of releases from Rhino sister labels such as Warner (with a Tom Petty live collection) and Elektra (an EP from…

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The Weekend Stream: October 4, 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. From the Foo Fighters entering Bandcamp for a cause to a Record Store Day rarity by Rage Against the Machine, the dream of the ’90s is very much alive here…plus much more from other decades, too! Are Playing Where??? Vol. I by Foo Fighters Foo Fighters, Are Playing Where??? Vol. 1 (Roswell) (Bandcamp) After kicking off a season of drummer exodus – sacking session drummer Josh Freese, who’d join…

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Release Round-Up: Week of October 3

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. Oasis, (What’s the Story) Morning Glory? 30th Anniversary Edition (Big Brother) 2CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada 3LP: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada Oasis have a slightly expanded edition of 1995’s (What’s the Story) Morning Glory? on tap, pairing a 2014 remaster of the album (which initially came with additional bonus material) with a bonus EP of new unplugged mixes of four of the album’s tracks (plus a non-album B-side, “Acquiesce”). The group’s songwriter/guitarist Noel…

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FYC40 [Multiple Formats]

4CD/DVD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada / Official Store (with CD single) 2CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada / Official Store (with CD single) 2LP: Amazon U.S. (TBD) / Amazon U.K. (TBD) / Amazon Canada (TBD) / Official Store (with CD single) 1LP: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada / Official Store (with CD single) FYC40 will reintroduce audiences to the Birmingham trio behind “Johnny Come Home,” “She Drives Me Crazy” and “Good Thing” on a multi-disc set that’s available on CD or vinyl. The most comprehensive version spans four CDs and a DVD, offering expanded editions of 1985’s Fine Young Cannibals and 1989’s The Raw & The Cooked,…

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The Chess Records Christmas Album

CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada LP: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada The Chess Records Christmas Album offers 14 unique entries in the Christmas canon, from Chuck Berry’s “Run Rudolph Run” and The Moonglows’ “Hey Santa Claus” to obscure soul, jazz, and gospel fare from the likes of The Soul Stirrers, Kenny Burrell, The Meditation Singers, Rotary Connection, The Salem Travelers, and more. (A particular standout is an instrumental take on “The Little Drummer Boy” by the studio group Lenox Avenue, which featured session legends Chuck Rainey and Richard Tee. It’s one of four new-to-digital tracks…

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Let’s Play Chess: A Chess Records Anthology

Let’s Play Chess: A Chess Records Anthology is a new 2LP set offering 25 of the label’s most essential tracks from Muddy Waters, Howlin’ Wolf, Chuck Berry, John Lee Hooker, Etta James, and others. The set is curated by eminent drummer Steve Jordan, a known appreciator of the Chess legacy. The versatile percussionist cut his teeth playing in the house band for Saturday Night Live, and was plucked alongside a murderer’s row of session legends to keep the beat when cast members John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd started covering Chess sides and…

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Chess Grand Masters: Classic Blues Label Celebrates 75 Years with Special Vinyl Reissues

For all its influence, it sometimes feels like the Chicago blues label Chess Records doesn’t get the respect it deserves. That changes this fall with a series of new compilations and reissues of old ones, set for release from Universal Music Group to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the label’s creation. Polish immigrants Leonard and Phil Chess became ingratiated into the club scene on the south side of Chicago in the ’30s and ’40s. They were intrigued by the thriving local talent – many of them Black transplants from the Mississippi delta…

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The Glow of Love: Expanded Edition

Between 1980 and 1985, the group known as Change released six albums built around dance rhythms, big hooks, and powerful vocals. The group’s name was spot-on, as during that period, Change’s line-up was in constant flux – yet the quality of the music delivered consistently. Omnivore Recordings has revisited Change’s debut album, 1980’s The Glow of Love, on CD in an expanded and remastered edition which features Luther Vandross’ vocals on “The Glow of Love” and “Searching.”  Tim Dillinger supplies the new liner notes for this remastered edition.  As an Amazon affiliate,…

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Couldn’t Care More: Fine Young Cannibals to Drive You Crazy with Multi-Format Compilation

Four decades after their brief but pivotal run of success on each side of the Atlantic in the mid-to-late ’80s, Fine Young Cannibals come back for a few more bites in the form of a sprawling compilation/box set. Arriving from London Records on November 21, FYC40 will reintroduce audiences to the Birmingham trio behind “Johnny Come Home,” “She Drives Me Crazy” and “Good Thing” on a multi-disc set that’s available on CD or vinyl. The most comprehensive version spans four CDs and a DVD, offering expanded editions of 1985’s Fine Young Cannibals and 1989’s The Raw…

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Omnivore Basks in ‘The Glow of Love’ on Expanded Reissue by Change

Between 1980 and 1985, the group known as Change released six albums built around dance rhythms, big hooks, and powerful vocals. The group’s name was spot-on, as during that period, Change’s line-up was in constant flux – yet the quality of the music delivered consistently. On October 3, Omnivore Recordings will revisit Change’s debut album, 1980’s The Glow of Love, on CD in an expanded and remastered edition. Originally appearing in Italy on Goody Music Records and throughout the rest of the world on the Warner Bros. label, The Glow of Love…

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The Weekend Stream: September 27, 2025

Welcome to another relaxing journey down The Weekend Stream featuring a classic anthem from Barry Manilow and the late Peter Allen; a moving farewell for a great cause from Ozzy Osbourne and his friends in Judas Priest; classic pop from The King Family; a host of jazz, R&B, and country reissues; a dash of Christmas cheer from an old friend; and more! Barry Manilow, Once Before I Go (Stiletto) (Apple / Amazon) Fans attending Barry Manilow’s concerts of the last couple years have occasionally heard him pull out a very special encore:…

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Release Round-Up: Week of September 26

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.’ Spike Jones in Stereo: A Spooktacular in Screaming Sound! (Omnivore) CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada / Omnivore Recordings LP: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada / Omnivore Recordings The late, great Spike Jones’ side-splittingly spooky 1959 album In Stereo: A Spooktacular in Screaming Sound! returns from Omnivore Recordings in time for Halloween as freshly remastered from the original tapes.  Led by an illustrious company including Paul Frees (Boris Badenov, The Haunted Mansion’s Ghost Host), Thurl Ravenscroft (“You’re…

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Release Round-Up: Week of September 19

Welcome to this week’s Release Round-Up, featuring a selection of the new titles available today including – did we ever think we’d get the chance to say this? – the CD debut of Buckingham Nicks!  As an Amazon affiliate, we earn from qualifying purchases. Buckingham Nicks (Rhino) CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada LP: Amazon U.S. (gold) / Amazon U.K. (baby blue) / Amazon Canada (gold) In just over 15 years of reporting at The Second Disc, it’s a sentence we never thought we’d write: Buckingham Nicks is getting its first-ever reissue.  The 1973 album from Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks…

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A Way Back to Love: Edsel Compiles Hits, Rarities from Invictus, Hot Wax on New Collections

The songbook of Brian Holland (b. 1941), Lamont Dozier (1941-2022), and Eddie Holland (b. 1939) is filled with some of the most popular melodies ever written: “Stop! In the Name of Love,” “How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved by You),” “Baby, I Need Your Loving,” “You Can’t Hurry Love,” and “You Keep Me Hangin’ On,” among them.  All of those, and so many other indelible hit records, were written under the aegis of Hitsville, USA, a.k.a. Berry Gordy’s Motown Records empire.  But by 1967, the relationship between the label chief and…

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How’s About Some Hot Stuff: Massive Donna Summer Singles CD Box Set Coming This Fall

It’s a box set fit for a queen (of disco): Donna Summer’s singles are being chronicled in a major way in November. Summer Time: The Singles Collection 1974-2010, coming November 28 from the late singer’s Driven by the Music catalogue imprint, is set to be a staggering tribute to Summer’s decades-long presence as a dancefloor filler. Timed to celebrate the 50th anniversary of her breakthrough hit “Love to Love You, Baby,” this 40CD set will highlight five decades’ worth of single sides she issued all over the world, from early Dutch single-only…

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Ingredients in a Recipe for Soul

Ray Charles’ 1963 potpourri Ingredients in a Recipe for Soul makes it first official appearance on vinyl in decades and also returns to CD in this remastered reissue featuring the original album sequence only.  Tracks include “Busted,” “That Lucky Old Sun,” “Over the Rainbow,” and “You’ll Never Walk Alone.”  As an Amazon affiliate, we earn from qualifying purchases.

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Around the World in a Day: Deluxe Edition

2CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada 3LP: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada 1CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada 1LP (black): Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada 1LP (blue marble): Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada Picture Disc: Official Store Prince’s estate will celebrate the 40th anniversary of Prince and The Revolution’s Around the World in a Day with a deluxe edition gathering all the non-LP material from the original release. Available in a variety of formats including 2CD and 140-gram 3LP editions, the set will feature the 1985 follow-up to Purple Rain, along with 13 non-LP remixes and B-sides – four of which will make…

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