With the nation still fighting COVID-19, Record Store Day here in the U.S. looks a little - make that a lot - different this year. The usual offerings have been split among three dates with Drop 1 taking place tomorrow, August 29, at your local independent record retailer. Drop 2 is September 26, and Drop 3 is October 24. Every retailer is handling the Drop a bit differently thanks to the necessary accommodations for social distancing, smaller crowds, and better safety precautions. So please
The Way It Goes: Esoteric Collects Albums from David Gilmour-Produced Band Unicorn
Unicorn went through a number of names before the band settled on that mystical creature: The Senders, The Pink Bear, The Late Edition, The Late, and just plain Late. The band wasn't late at all - rather, they were right on time in combining their influences into a striking sound of their own. They'd started as a beat group and put those skills to use backing Billy J. Kramer; then, the discovery of the Southern California sounds of CSN became a major influence. Unicorn blended CSN-style
Release Round-Up: Week of July 17
Welcome to this week's Release Round-Up! Little Steven, Voice of America [CD/DVD] (Wicked Cool/UMe) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada) Little Steven's sophomore album from 1984, featuring "Voice of America," "Solidarity," "Los Desaparecidos," and "Among the Believers," returns to CD in Bob Ludwig's remaster previously available only on vinyl. The CD edition gets even sweeter with the addition of the full Live at Rockpalast 1984 concert. Voice of America was written,
Cherry Red, SoulMusic Release 'Anything You Want,' Three-Disc David Sanborn Salute
Whether you've heard his albums or not, chances are you've heard the music of David Sanborn. The alto saxophone great has played on classic records by Steely Dan, Paul Simon, Elton John, Billy Joel, James Taylor, David Bowie, and dozens of others. Now, Cherry Red's SoulMusic Records imprint has delivered a comprehensive survey of Sanborn's 20+ years for the Warner family of labels. Anything You Want: The Warner-Reprise-Elektra Years 1975-1996 draws on 17 of his albums as a leader and showcases
Dancing Again: What To Expect for Record Store Day's RSD Drops Day 1, August 29
As the COVID 19 outbreak continues to impact our lives, it's heartening to know that some things are returning to some semblance of "normal," or as close as we can get to it during this unpredictable impasse. As we previously reported, Record Store Day has been split into three standalone "RSD Drop" days, occurring on August 29, September 26, and October 24. That's not the only thing changing this time around. It's been reported by Georgia-based shop Comeback Vinyl that the organization is
Endless Flight: New Andrew Gold Box Set From Esoteric Offers Albums, Unreleased Live Material
He was born on a summer day, 1951 - and through the '70s, Andrew Gold issued a handful of killer pop singles around the world while serving as an in-demand session musician. This summer, U.K. label Esoteric Recordings will collect his complete discography for Asylum Records along with some choice studio and live bonus material - a portion of which is being released for the first time! Lonely Boy: The Asylum Years Anthology illustrates how Gold - the son of film composer Ernest and Hollywood
Book Review: "Along Comes The Association: Beyond Folk Rock and Three-Piece Suits" by Russ Giguere
"Well, I'm a comer and a goer in a six man band," went the lyrics to The Association's 1968 semi-autobiographical single "Six Man Band." Now, founding member Russ Giguere has reflected on his comings and goings in a new book that serves as both a personal memoir and a history of the band. Along Comes The Association: Beyond Folk Rock and Three-Piece Suits, written with Ashley Wren Collins, is a compelling look back at a colorful life in the group that gave the world such enduring hits as "Along
Wonderful! Wonderful! Crimson Collects "Gold" Volumes for Johnny Mathis, George Jones
The ongoing series of budget-priced 3-CD Gold compilations from Demon Music Group's Crimson Productions continues with a pair of releases from artists for whom "legendary" is no understatement: Johnny Mathis and the late George Jones. Curating a representative sampling of Johnny Mathis' singular career in under 50 tracks is no small task, and this set is indeed decades-spanning from his first commercially released single (1956's pairing of "Wonderful! Wonderful!" and "When Sunny Gets Blue")
Omnivore's RSD Slate Includes Live New Riders, America Demos and Alternates, and Andrew Gold Rarities
Omnivore Recordings has announced their Record Store Day titles, available at your favorite record shops on April 18! Rarities from Andrew Gold, demos by America, and a live set from New Riders of the Purple Sage will be available on shelves! Here's more from Omnivore... https://youtu.be/gwtQFVy-xWg Omnivore Recordings has announced its titles for Record Store Day 2020, to be held April 18 at brick-and-mortar record retailers throughout the U.S. and around the world.
Review: Jeffrey Foskett, "Voices"
It's only appropriate that Jeffrey Foskett's new release on the BMG label is entitled Voices. For it's the beauty of the human voice that's the key ingredient here - specifically the artist's rich, supple, and multi-faceted vocal instrument which has lent support over the past four decades to The Beach Boys in their various incarnations. While Foskett has recorded numerous solo albums for the Japanese market, his own works are somewhat less known here in the United States. Happily, Voices
Review: James Taylor, "The Warner Bros. Albums 1970-1976"
Over six years at Warner Bros. Records, James Taylor laid the groundwork for a career that is now in its sixth decade. The Massachusetts native's records were key exponents of the early Laurel Canyon sound, not to mention the entire confessional "singer-songwriter" movement that today is synonymous with the 1970s. The six albums he released at Warner Bros. were collected over the summer in one essential CD or vinyl LP box set, The Warner Bros. Albums 1970-1976, that's perfect for the impending
Da Doo Rendezvous: Cherry Red Collects Valerie Carter's Columbia Albums
I always cook with honey/To sweeten up the night/We always cook with honey/Tell me, how's your appetite/For some sweet love? Valerie Carter liked to cook with honey. Her dish was music-making, and the honey was the lilting yet expressive voice which made her incisive compositions (including "Cook with Honey," a hit for Judy Collins) go down so easy. Cherry Red's Cherry Tree imprint has recently brought together the late singer-songwriter's two Columbia albums, originally released in 1977
Release Round-Up: Week of July 5
Welcome to this week's Release Round-Up! Jackson Browne, Running on Empty [Remaster] (Asylum/Rhino) CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada LP: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada Jackson Browne's legendary, seven-times-platinum 1977 album - featuring such classics as "Running On Empty" and "The Load-Out / Stay" - returns to CD, vinyl, and digital formats from Asylum/Rhino, featuring a fresh remaster by Gavin Lurssen of Lurssen Mastering on CD/digital. The vinyl
Shower the People: James Taylor's "The Warner Bros. Albums" Box Coming in July
Rhino is about to shower the people with the first-ever box set from James Taylor. Between 1970 and 1976, the quintessential troubadour released six albums on Warner Bros. Records that laid the groundwork for his remarkable career which continues to this day. At Warner Bros., Taylor introduced signature songs like "Fire and Rain," "Sweet Baby James," "Don't Let Me Be Lonely Tonight," "Mexico," and "You Can Close Your Eyes," as well as classic interpretations of "You've Got a Friend" (his first
UPDATED: Different Drummer: Edsel Collects Michael Nesmith's RCA and Pacific Arts Years on New Box Set
And the Hits Just Keep On Comin'. Michael Nesmith titled his 1972 RCA album ironically - when it "bubbled under" the Billboard 200 at No. 208, it actually bested its predecessor by three slots - but the LP did feature the once and future Monkee's rendition of one major favorite, "Different Drum." The 1965 tune became an enduring hit for the Stone Poneys featuring Linda Ronstadt in 1967, establishing Nesmith outside of The Monkees. Since 1968, he's released 16 studio albums. Recently, 12 of
A SECOND DISC EXCLUSIVE! Out Of My Hands, Still In My Heart: The Story of Pamela Polland's Lost Album
Pamela Polland may not have become a worldwide household name, but there was a point around the year 1973 where she was close to becoming one. In the prior decade, she had written songs performed by the illustrious likes of Vikki Carr, The Serendipity Singers, and Linda Ronstadt; performed in a blues duo with Ry Cooder; formed the psych-pop duo The Gentle Soul; appeared in the Leonard Bernstein-hosted Inside Pop documentary; and launched a solo career. In the years that followed, she hit the
Different Drummer: Edsel Collects Michael Nesmith's RCA and Pacific Arts Years on New Box Set
And the Hits Just Keep On Comin'. Michael Nesmith titled his 1972 RCA album ironically - when it "bubbled under" the Billboard 200 at No. 208, it actually bested its predecessor by three slots - but the LP did feature the former and future Monkee's rendition of one major favorite, "Different Drum." The 1965 tune became an enduring hit for the Stone Poneys featuring Linda Ronstadt in 1967, establishing Nesmith outside of The Monkees. Since 1968, he's released 16 albums. Now, 12 of them -
Soundtrack Watch: Intrada Expands 'An American Tail,' La-La Land Releases Scores by Zimmer and Legrand
Almost halfway through February, three soundtracks from titans of film composing have been released by the fine folks at Intrada and La- La Land Records. On Monday, Intrada's latest archival soundtrack was announced: an expansion of James Horner's score to the hit An American Tail. Directed by Don Bluth (The Secret of NIMH, All Dogs Go To Heaven) and produced by Steven Spielberg, this movie--one of the few mainstream animated films of the '80s not produced by Disney--tells the story of Fievel
Release Round-Up: Week of February 1
Welcome to this week's Release Round-Up! Johnny Mathis, I Love My Lady (Second Disc Records/Real Gone Music) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada Link TBD) Johnny Mathis' legendary lost 1981 collaboration with CHIC receives its first-ever standalone release from Second Disc Records and Real Gone Music! For the occasion, I Love My Lady has been outfitted with brand-new artwork and a deluxe 24-page booklet featuring an introduction from Nile Rodgers and interviews with Johnny and
Have You Heard? Singer-Songwriter Pamela Polland's Complete Columbia Recordings, Including Unreleased Album, Coming from BGO
What do The Byrds' The Ballad of Easy Rider, Linda Ronstadt and the Stone Poneys' Evergreen Vol. 2, and Helen Reddy's Music, Music all have in common? Every one of those albums features a song by Pamela Polland. Also known as one-half of the sixties folk-pop duo The Gentle Soul and a member of Joe Cocker's Mad Dogs and Englishmen ensemble, Polland's songs have additionally been recorded by artists as diverse as Vikki Carr, Nancy Ames, Bobby Bare, The Pointer Sisters, and Anita Carter. But
Holiday Gift Guide Review: Eagles, "Legacy"
Just Find a Place to Make Your Stand On the list of the United States' five best-selling albums of all time, one name stands tall - the only artist to lay claim to two of those five titles. That artist is, of course, a band: Eagles. 1976's Their Greatest Hits (1971-1975) sits atop the list at 38 million copies sold; Hotel California is third with 26 million. The ten tracks on the former are all modern-day standards, each and every one of them still a radio staple. Though the original
Let the Music Begin: Real Gone Reissues Michelle Phillips' "Victim of Romance" and Keely Smith's Lennon-McCartney Album in June
We've filled you in about some of Real Gone Music's releases for June, including releases from Cheap Trick and The Quick, but now we've got word of a couple of more, this time from "Mama" Michelle Phillips and Keely Smith, both due June 1. The first is a reissue of Michelle Phillips' one and only solo album from 1977: Victim of Romance. This new edition features liner notes by our very own Joe Marchese. After the break-up of The Mamas & The Papas, Cass Elliott, Denny Doherty and John
Sweetheart of the Rodeo: Emmylou Harris' "The Ballad of Sally Rose" Goes Deluxe in June
Today is Emmylou Harris' birthday, and Rhino is celebrating the songbird's illustrious career with a brand-new 2-CD remastered and expanded edition of one of her most cherished albums. On June 1, the label will reissue 1985's The Ballad of Sally Rose, a concept album inspired by Harris' short but blazing time spent with the late Gram Parsons. This deluxe edition will also be available as a digital download, on streaming services, and as a 2-LP vinyl set. (The vinyl release will also be
Take Off Your Thirsty Boots and Stay For Awhile: Real Gone Announces "The Essential Eric Andersen"
Real Gone Music has announced that, in conjunction with Sony's Legacy Recordings, the label is adding a new title to the long-running Essential series with a volume devoted to singer-songwriter Eric Andersen. The 2-CD The Essential Eric Andersen, due March 30, features 33 songs chosen by Andersen himself which span his entire career and feature recordings from eighteen albums and ten different labels including Vanguard, Warner Bros., Columbia, Arista, Gold Castle, Appleseed, Meyer, Ryko,
Ace Spotlight, Part One: Label Goes Soul Deep with James Carr and Clarence Carter
Ace Records' Kent imprint keeps fans and collectors on a steady diet of rare and well-done soul, and a quartet of releases that closed out 2017 prove to be no exception. Though held in high esteem by connoisseurs, James Carr never received the recognition of many of his peers. The 20-track, simply-titled The Best of James Carr (Kent CDKENM472) makes a strong case for the Memphis singer's place in the top of the R&B pantheon. It begins, naturally, with his stone-cold classic 1967