The B-52’s are returning to Mesopotamia. This Friday, August 21, the band will revisit their 1982 David Byrne-produced EP on Ancient Culture: Mesopotamia Revisited, a new and generously expanded 3CD/1LP box set premiering outtakes, alternate mixes, and a previously unreleased concert from the era. Following two back-to-back albums (1979’s self-titled debut and 1980’s Wild Planet), The B-52’s were creatively tapped out. Moving the group into a house in upstate New York to concentrate on writing only inflamed tensions further. A compilation, Party Mix!, was issued in 1981 as a stopgap measure to…
The Weekend Stream: August 15, 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 lot of new singles from some old favorites, from Stephen Bishop to Jimmy Webb – plus even more outtakes from Ween, remixes from Whitney Houston, rare finds for country, comedy, hard rock and soundtrack lovers, and a must-read story about a fan letter to one of our most missed singer/songwriters. Stephen Bishop, “I Don’t Know You Anymore” (Life’s a Bish) (Apple…
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The Shel Talmy Recordings
CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada LP: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada / Official Store (180-gram red vinyl) The Shel Talmy Recordings collects 21 recordings the then-unknown David Bowie recorded with producer Talmy (The Who, The Kinks) during 1965, when he was a member of bands The Manish Boys and The Lower Third. Only four of these tracks were released at the time as singles, with another seven alternate and outtake versions turning up on compilations over the years; that makes a full 10 tracks debuting on this package, including lead track “I Want Your Love.” Some of…
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Ancient Culture: Mesopotamia Revisited
The B-52’s are returning to Mesopotamia. The band has revisited their 1982 David Byrne-produced EP on Ancient Culture: Mesopotamia Revisited, a new and generously expanded 3CD/1LP box set premiering outtakes, alternate mixes, and a previously unreleased concert from the era. The new “Full-Length Version” of Mesopotamia featured on CD and LP in Ancient Culture reassembles the track list as closely as possible to what was originally intended. Newly remastered versions of the original six EP tracks are joined by three outtakes: the previously unreleased recordings of “Big Bird” and the exotica-flavored “Adios Desconocida,” along with “Queen of…
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Release Round-Up: Week of August 14
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 Monkees, Made for TV (Rhino) (Amazon U.S.(opens in new tab) / Amazon U.K.(opens in new tab) / Amazon Canada(opens in new tab) / Rhino.com(opens in new tab) / Monkees.com(opens in new tab)) Rhino celebrates Season 1 of The Monkees just in time for its 60th anniversary. This new 2CD/1LP/1Blu-ray multimedia box set brings together all of the music heard on Season 1 of the groundbreaking television series in one deluxe…
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Light Shine on Me: The Waterboys Revisit “Fisherman’s Blues” with New “Atlantic Rain” Box
Since bursting onto the post-punk scene with 1983’s self-titled album The Waterboys, the band led by Scottish singer-songwriter Mike Scott has lived up to its moniker as “the big music.” The Waterboys’ sound has taken in rock, folk, rhythm and blues, soul, pop, country, classical, jazz, and beyond. Perhaps no album in the band’s catalogue, however, was more expansive than their fourth album, 1988’s Fisherman’s Blues. Recorded over two years in Dublin and Galway by Scott, saxophonist/mandolinist Anthony “Anto” Thistlethwaite, violinist Steve Wickham, bassist Trevor Hutchinson, and many others, Fisherman’s Blues found…
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How Sweet It Is: Rhino’s New Quadio Batch Includes James Taylor, James Gang, David Gates, Herbie Mann
Rhino’s Quadio series has recently announced its latest batch of four titles, and as usual, they comprise a quartet of eclectic titles from the 1970s. Two singer-songwriters – James Taylor and Bread’s David Gates – are joined by soul-jazz titan Herbie Mann and the rockers of The James Gang. Each Blu-ray Audio Disc in the Quadio series includes the original four-channel quadraphonic mix with a high-resolution 192/24 stereo mix, with both sourced from the original analog tapes. (The lone exception here is the Herbie Mann quad mix, which was sourced out of…
The Weekend Stream: August 8, 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. An unexpected return from a ’90s one-hit wonder, a team-up of two pop queens, and plenty of odds and ends from 1976 will satisfy your Saturday. Various Artists, One Night Only (Music from the Motion Picture) (Back Lot Music) (Apple / Amazon) The new comedy from director Will Gluck (Easy A) involving a meet-cute on the one day non-marital sex is legal…
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Release Round-Up: Week of August 7
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. Tom Tom Club, Let There Be Love (Warner/Rhino) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada) Rhino assembles most of the Talking Heads offshoot group’s discography on a new 6CD or 7LP box set. Let There Be Love contains Tom Tom Club (1981), Close to the Bone (1983), Boom Boom Chi Boom Boom (1988), Dark Sneak Love Action (1991), The Good, the Bad, and the Funky (2000), and Downtown Rockers (2012). Get the detail on what’s included on what’s not by clicking here. Whitney…
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Don’t Let Go: Real Gone’s August Lineup Includes En Vogue, Obituary, Elephant’s Memory, and Absolute Grey
Real Gone’s August slate of releases hitting stores tomorrow, August 7, spans from the 1970s to the 1990s and includes genres from soul to rock death metal to punk (!) on vinyl and CD. Read below for more details on each title! Absolute Grey formed in September 1983 in Rochester, New York, consisting of vocalist Beth Brown, guitarist Matt Kitchen, bassist Mitchell Rasor, and drummer Pat Thomas. Drawing inspiration from the melodic guitar work of bands such as R.E.M., Rain Parade, and the Paisley Underground movement, Absolute Grey developed a distinctive sound…
Wowie Zowie: Frank Zappa’s “Freak Out!” Goes Super Deluxe For 60th Anniversary
Freak Out! Frank Zappa’s 1966 Verve Records debut with his band The Mothers of Invention was a call-to-arms to the Los Angeles underground music scene. Subverting notions of traditional pop and rock, the album blended searing social commentary with doo-wop pastiches, rhythm and blues, absurdist comedy, jazz, and musique concrete. Even today, the Mothers’ clarion call to the counterculture sounds like no other album, but it was just a portent of things to come from Zappa. On September 25, Zappa Records and UMe will revisit Freak Out! on the occasion of its…
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Being Rhythmically Admired: Elvis Costello’s Debut Gets Box Set Edition This Fall
With Buddy Holly glasses, a slender frame, and a famous moniker, Elvis Costello burst onto the album scene in July 1977 with My Aim Is True. Though critics and listeners alike were quick to place the artist born Declan Patrick MacManus as a punk or new wave artist, his musical roots ran far deeper. My Aim Is True, produced by Nick Lowe, set Costello on the uncompromising path to a current tally of 33 studio albums, six live sets, numerous singles and EPs, and a still-flourishing concert career. Now, on October 2,…
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Face The Promise: Expanded Edition
Bob Seger is revisiting his 2006 album Face The Promise, including the AC chart-topper “Wait for Me” and the Patty Loveless duet “The Answer’s in the Question,” for its 20th anniversary. It’s available on 1 CD or 2 LPs with remastered audio, four bonus tracks (“Time,” “Little Jane,” “Red Eye to Memphis,” and “Let Me Try”) as well as an expanded booklet containing lyrics and photos. (As an Amazon affiliate, we earn from qualifying purchases.)
The Weekend Stream: August 1, 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. It’s an alt-rock weekend to start, with a Southern country/rock rarity from the ’80s that’s worth checking out and a pop-punk favorite from the ’00s. And that’s only the start… Velvet Elvis, Velvet Elvis (Expanded Edition) (self-released) (Apple / Amazon) Velvet Elvis combined college rock with country in the late ’80s, tapping producer Mitch Easter of Let’s Active for their second…
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Release Round-Up: Week of July 31
Welcome to this week’s Release Round-Up, featuring a selection of the new titles available this week. As an Amazon affiliate, we earn from qualifying purchases. Alice Cooper, The Studio Albums 1975-1978 (Warner/Rhino) 5LP: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada 5CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada Rhino celebrates the early years of shock rock legend Alice Cooper with a new 5CD or 5LP box set. The Studio Albums 1975-1978 begins with 1975’s Welcome to My Nightmare, his first proper solo album, and continues with Alice Cooper Goes to Hell (1976), Lace and Whiskey (1977), and From the Inside (1978). The collection is rounded out with a…
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Comes In Waves
Carly Simon returns for her first album of all-original material since 2008′s This Kind of Love and first studio album since 2009’s Never Been Gone. The highly personal Comes in Waves arrives in the wake of the singer-songwriter’s revelations of a Parkinson’s diagnosis and recent skin cancer treatment. The album is currently available on CD and digitally, while a vinyl edition will follow. (As an Amazon affiliate, we earn from qualifying purchases.)
Rise Up! Hamilton: The Anthology
5CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada 7LP+7″: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada One of the biggest Broadway musicals of the last decade is getting celebrated in a big way for its 10th anniversary. Rise Up! Hamilton: The Anthology is a heavy-duty 5CD or 7LP+7″ box set honoring Lin-Manuel Miranda’s acclaimed show. The set includes three albums’ worth of material from the musical – the original cast recording, the chart-topping covers project The Hamilton Mixtape, and the first physical release of the Hamildrops series of bonus recordings inspired by the production – along with additional audio extras, an 80-page…
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From Genesis to Revelation (Deluxe Edition)
4CD/Blu-ray: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada 2CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada 2LP: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada From Genesis to Revelation, the debut album from prog-rock legends Genesis, is no stranger to reissues due to its complicated ownership history. But this year, on the eve of the group’s 60th anniversary, Cherry Red’s Esoteric label has prepared the most expansive editions of the album ever pressed – versions approved by the group’s original founding members, including original vocalist Peter Gabriel and longtime members Tony Banks and Mike Rutherford. Available as a 4CD/Blu-ray box set or smaller 2CD and…
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Queen Budapest
2CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada 3LP: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada 4K UltraHD: Official Store Blu-ray: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada DVD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada The last concert Queen recorded with original frontman Freddie Mercury is getting dramatically restored for its 40th anniversary, with presentations on multiple audio and video formats. Queen Budapest – recorded at the Hungarian capital’s Népstadion in the summer of 1986 – offers the legendary show with newly remastered footage (digitized by the country’s National Film Institute and restored at 4K high-definition by Peter Jackson’s Park Road Post team) and remixed audio from the…
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Rubber Soul [Various Formats]
4CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada / Official Store (exclusive posters and art cards) 5LP/7″: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada / Official Store (exclusive posters and art cards) Blu-ray: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada 2CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada 2LP: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada LP: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada / Official Store (zoetrope edition) Beep-beep, beep-beep, yeah: a remixed and remastered Rubber…
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Greatest Hits
Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada Rhino is revisiting the 1976 collection which reaffirmed WAR’s status as reliable hitmakers. WAR’s Greatest Hits returns on both CD and vinyl. Whereas the 2021 edition entitled Greatest Hits 2.0 added an entire disc’s worth of favorites, this release is more compact. The CD version adds four cuts (including “Spill the Wine”) to the original collection while the LP, part of Rhino’s Spirit of ’76 summer vinyl campaign, replicates the original album track listing. (As an Amazon affiliate, we earn from qualifying purchases.)
Hungarian Rhapsody: Queen’s Final Filmed Concert Set for Multi-Format Remix, Reissue
The last concert Queen recorded with original frontman Freddie Mercury is getting dramatically restored for its 40th anniversary this fall, with presentations on multiple audio and video formats. Queen Budapest – recorded at the Hungarian capital’s Népstadion in the summer of 1986 – will offer the legendary show with newly remastered footage (digitized by the country’s National Film Institute and restored at 4K high-definition by Peter Jackson’s Park Road Post team) and remixed audio from the original multitracks. The complete concert audio will be released on triple vinyl for the first time,…
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The Word: The Beatles’ “Rubber Soul” Is Remixed, Expanded For New Box Set
Beep-beep, beep-beep, yeah: a remixed and remastered Rubber Soul is on the way from Apple Corps. The Beatles’ sixth studio album, 1965’s Rubber Soul is often considered to be the Fabs’ “folk-rock” album, but its mélange of styles makes it far more than that. Now, with the release on October 2 of a 4CD or 5LP/7″ box set as well as a single-disc Blu-ray, 2CD and 2LP expansions and CD and LP remixes, it’s a richer and fuller collection than ever. With a schedule free of concert and film commitments, The Beatles…
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New Revelations: Genesis’ Debut Gets New Remix, Expansion from Cherry Red
From Genesis to Revelation, the debut album from prog-rock legends Genesis, is no stranger to reissues due to its complicated ownership history. But this year, on the eve of the group’s 60th anniversary, Cherry Red’s Esoteric label will prepare the most expansive editions of the album ever pressed – versions approved by the group’s original founding members, including original vocalist Peter Gabriel and longtime members Tony Banks and Mike Rutherford. Available as a 4CD/Blu-ray box set or smaller 2CD and 2LP offerings, the centerpiece of all sets is a set of new…
The Studio Albums 1975-1978
5LP: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada 5CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada Rhino celebrates the early years of shock rock legend Alice Cooper with a new 5CD or 5LP box set. The Studio Albums 1975-1978 begins with 1975’s Welcome to My Nightmare, his first proper solo album, and continues with Alice Cooper Goes to Hell (1976), Lace and Whiskey (1977), and From the Inside (1978). The collection is rounded out with a 7-track collection of bonus material encompassing rarities and five unique single versions. In the vinyl set, this bonus album is cut at 45 RPM. (As an Amazon affiliate, we earn from…
