“Life is just too much for me to bear…I guess nobody ever really cared…do you?” Carmen McRae poses that question some four minutes into “A Letter for Anna-Lee,” the Benard Ighner song that opens her 1975 Blue Note album I Am Music. It’s a startling moment of direct address in this sad tale of a […]
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Rhino extends their "lots of albums on CD in one box set" trend to one of the biggest artists in their catalogue: the Eagles. The Studio Albums 1972-1979 will collect exactly that: just about the entirety of the band's discography (not counting any non-LP tracks, either live album, Eagles Live (1980) or Hell Freezes Over (1994), nor most […]
Continue ReadingWith or without the legendary MGs, Booker T. Jones has always been an evergreen talent. And now, his 1974 Epic Records LP Evergreen has finally arrived on domestic CD in a generously expanded edition. Wounded Bird Records has just reissued Evergreen with six bonus tracks, four of which are making their first appearance anywhere. Keyboard/organ […]
Continue ReadingApril is known for showers, so why shouldn’t Real Gone Music shower collectors with a big line-up encompassing not just some super-rare rock and soul, but also country, film soundtracks, pop vocals and even crossover classical? Nine releases, all due on April 2, run the gamut for this busy label. On the rock front, fans […]
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A new compilation of music from Stax Records is coming courtesy of a most interesting source: rapper/producer/actor/director RZA of The Wu-Tang Clan. The man born Robert Fitzgerald Diggs has rarely slowed down in the 20 years since Enter The Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) was released in the winter of 1993. Besides producing most of his group's early […]
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April might as well be known as The Month of Electric Light Orchestra, as the group's pioneering frontman, producer, arranger and songwriter Jeff Lynne has announced three new catalogue projects due in the U.S. on April 23 and in the U.K. on April 22. We've updated our original post of October 5, 2012 with new information including full […]
Continue ReadingThose were the days, my friend. In June 1967, The Beatles opened Apple Publishing in a one-room office on London’s Curzon Street, predating even the birth of Apple Records. Soon, the publishing concern moved to new quarters at 94 Baker Street, and later to 3 Savile Row. In that heady period when anything seemed possible, the […]
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Herb Alpert, Fandango (Shout! Factory) Alpert's 1982 album, long unavailable on CD, is now back in print! (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K.) Etta James, Etta is Betta Than Evah! + Bonus Tracks (Kent) Etta's final album for Chess Records, released in 1976, is expanded with 10 extra tracks from other Etta projects from the mid-'70s. (Amazon U.S. / Amazon […]
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Next month will see the release of yet another Dio deluxe reissue from Universal's U.K. arm. This time, it's Dream Evil, originally released in 1987. Dream Evil marked the start of a slightly different era for Ronnie James Dio's melodic metal band. Previous album Sacred Heart (1985) was the last to feature guitarist Vivian Campbell, who would join […]
Continue ReadingThe audiophile specialist label Audio Fidelity has a busy March ahead, kicking off a new series of SACD releases and continuing its long-running series of 24k Gold compact discs. On March 5, the team at AF is scheduled to return to the high-resolution SACD format with two new hybrid stereo SACDs (playable on all CD […]
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