If you were looking for a bit of a change, musically, today might be the day to check out yesterday's digital release from Motown, Smokey Robinson's The Stripped Mixes. Not unlike a Michael Jackson set that was rush-released after his death last summer, Stripped puts an emphasis on The King of Motown's inimitable voice through ten acoustically-minded remixes. Call it a cash-in if you want, but the MJ set revealed some buried treasure in those new mixes. Plus, come on, it's Smokey Robinson. He
Review: Frank Sinatra, "September of My Years"
Frank Sinatra was always one to face the world head-on. So it was with his turning 50. The man who had pioneered the “concept album” with a string of themed records for Capitol began thinking of an LP that would allow him to plant his feet squarely in the present, 1965, and reflect with every ounce of experience he’d acquired in the many lives he’d led over a mere 50 years. The album that would become September of My Years began its life inspired by Kurt Weill and Maxwell Anderson’s “September
The Crazy Train is Running Behind Schedule
It's been reported that the upcoming reissues of Ozzy Osbourne's Blizzard of Ozz (1980) and Diary of a Madman (1981) - which would finally see the original bass and drum tracks (replaced on the 2002 CD reissues) restored - were delayed, based upon the fact that CD Japan had removed the preorder listings from their inventory. Allow The Second Disc to add further confirmation: we inquired about the status of the titles with Legacy Recordings, and they've been confirmed to have been bumped to next
A Heroic Selection of Music
It's always a blast to find out catalogue news from unexpected sources, so when I read a report from my favorite geek news site Topless Robot about a DC Comics music compilation, I got pretty darn excited. Set for release September 28, The Music of DC Comics: 75th Anniversary Collection collects 31 tracks from various DC-affiliated film and television projects - Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern, Aquaman, The Flash and even Swamp Thing are all here - and the best part is that
New Concord Reissues on the Way, None of Which Are Ray Charles-Related
From Paste magazine, we have word of a few expanded reissues due from the Concord catalogue, which will include titles by The Vince Guaraldi Trio, Miles Davis with Sonny Rollins, Wes Montgomery, Chet Baker and The Bill Evans Trio. Still no word on another intriguing Concord catalogue title - Ray Charles' Rare Genius: The Undiscovered Masters, supposedly due for release October 26 - but these might be of interest to our jazz-minded readers. None of these have been reported on Concord's own site
Intrada Goes "Deep"
Chalk up another in-demand title getting resurrected from the soundtrack honchos at Intrada: an expanded presentation of John Barry's score to the 1977 underwater thriller The Deep. Based on the novel by Peter Benchley (who of course wrote that other undersea horror tale, JAWS), the film - centered around a quest for undersea treasure - had only a few similarities to Steven Spielberg's fish story from two years earlier: both films shared a star (Robert Shaw, although Louis Gossett Jr. would
A Year-Old Reissue That Mayer May Not Be of Interest
I sort of hesitate mentioning this on The Second Disc, but it does count as a reissue, even if it's an obvious grab for holiday shoppers: Columbia is releasing an expanded edition of singer-songwriter John Mayer's latest album, last year's Battle Studies. Depending on who you ask, Mayer is known as an engaging musician with guitar chops reminiscent of Stevie Ray Vaughan, or he's a womanizing jerk who can be too smart or too verbose for his own good. (To this longtime fan, who has caught the man
News Round-Up Part II: Expansions All Over, TV Treasures and a Bon Jovi Compilation
With the calendar about to turn over to September, it's definitely catalogue season. We've seen a lot of reissues, expansions and box sets announced - enough to make my post-vacation-hazed head spin - and plenty more are certainly on the way. Before we get into that, though, I want to thank not only Joe for holding the fort down expertly while I was away, but to you, the reader, for sticking with us. The rest of the year is going to be awesome for catalogue enthusiasts, and The Second Disc is
News Round-Up: Sinatra TV Specials Boxed, Handmade Does Comedy
Rhino Handmade has revealed the latest addition to its catalogue, and it's an unexpected one. The State began its MTV run in 1993, and ran for three seasons, showcasing its young ensemble in edgy sketch comedy. The troupe spent January 1996 recording an album for Warner Bros. Records, but it was ultimately shelved. That album, Comedy for Gracious Living, gets its first-ever release on September 20 from the busy Handmade folks. Cast members are recognizable from their work in Wet Hot American
Reel Music, Hip-o Select Raid the Motown Vaults
Just a few days' away from its start, September is already looking to be a great month for Motown enthusiasts. For starters, an August 22 tweet from Hip-o Select's Twitter feed revealed the latest project in Motown Select's (busy) pipeline: Tammi Terrell's Come On and See Me: The Complete Solo Collection. While largely remembered for her classic duets with Marvin Gaye, Terrell was no slouch as a solo artist, and this compilation should go a long way in reminding audiences of that fact. As Tammy
Springsteen Reveals Details for "Darkness" Mega-Box
Folks, Bruce Springsteen doesn't kid around when it comes to keeping promises. The specs are in for The Promise: The Darkness on the Edge of Town Story, and this monster box set due on November 16 is going to be a doozy, to put it mildly. Boasting three packed CDs and three DVDs or Blu-Rays, The Promise is a treasure chest for longtime Springsteen fans: 21 unreleased audio tracks on two CDs, four hours of concert footage (including 12 performances dating between 1976 and 1978, a whopping 26
Review: Various Artists, "Book a Trip: The Psych Pop Sounds of Capitol Records"
In 1970, Griffin’s “Yours Till Forever,” written by a young songwriter named Kenny Nolan, skyrocketed to No. 1 on the Billboard pop singles chart. A band called The Exception, led by singer/bassist Peter Cetera, became one of the biggest acts of the decade and kicked off their international success with the horn-driven hit “My Mind Goes Traveling.” And, of course, the Lettermen, those pioneers of psychedelic pop, are still remembered for their ode to “Mr. Sun.” Okay, none of that really
The Answer's No Longer Blowin' in the Wind: Columbia Confirms Dylan Tracks
On July 30, The Second Disc reported on Bob Dylan: The Original Mono Recordings and the ninth volume of Dylan's acclaimed Bootleg Series, both due in stores on October 19. Well, Volume 9 has an official name and an official track listing. The Bootleg Series Volume 9: The Witmark Demos 1962-1964 will contain a whopping 47 songs (plus one fragment) recorded by Hibbing, Minesota's favorite son in demo form not only for M. Witmark & Sons, but for Leeds Music as well. 15 songs were recorded
Reissue Theory: Go West
Reading Rob Sheffield's Talking to Girls About Duran Duran was a mistake. I don't mean that in a literal sense; the Rolling Stone writer's newest book is a great read (as good as his incredibly bittersweet memoir Love is a Mix Tape), especially for an '80s enthusiast like myself. But reading the author's meticulous combing of tracks from his youth (everything from A Flock of Seagulls to the truly obscure Hayzi Fantayzeee) and how they inspired his ability to engage in dialogues with the women
"One-Eyed Jacks" a Kritzerland Smash
The first and only film directed by Marlon Brando, the 1961 western One-Eyed Jacks isn't as well-remembered as many of the screen legend's other accomplishments. But with a cast including Brando as bank robber Rio (inspired by Billy the Kid), Karl Malden as his former partner-turned-sheriff Doc Longworth and Ben Johnson as new cohort Bob Emory, and a revolving door of screenwriters including Sam Peckinpah and Calder Willingham, One-Eyed Jacks had much to distinguish it. It was the final film
September 20 Will Be a Manic Monday: 2 Bangles Titles Reissued and Expanded in the UK
Emerging in the early 1980s with a sound equal parts garage rock, power pop and 1960s folk rock a la the Byrds, the Bangles quickly took their place as one of the most successful girl groups of all time. The band consisting of Susanna Hoffs, Vicki Peterson, Debbi Peterson and Michael Steele made their major-label debut on the Columbia label with 1984's All Over the Place. While not a major success, the album made enough of a splash to attract some big fans, namely 1980s icons Cyndi Lauper, Huey
Holy Mackerel! Early Paul Williams Expanded and Remastered by Now Sounds
If ever an album was lost in the shuffle, it was the 1968 debut LP by The Holy Mackerel. The LP, assigned as Reprise 6311, fell smack in between Jimi Hendrix's Electric Ladyland (Reprise 6307) and Neil Young's eponymous solo debut (Reprise 6317). But adventurous listeners would find themselves rewarded if they picked up the album by the oddly-named group, with its cover sleeve of five gents and a lady smiling for the camera under three-dimensional comic book-style lettering proclaiming them "The
Compilation Deluge Due from Legacy: Joplin, Presley, Dylan, Cash Included
The Second Disc kicks off the week with a bit of synergy. Our very own Mike Duquette contributed a wonderful piece over at Popdose looking at the hidden musical treasures you can find at your local grocery store - of all places! - including Sony/Legacy's Playlist: The Very Best of Daryl Hall & John Oates. If you haven’t checked out Mike’s incisive, entertaining feature, please do so now, and then rejoin me here. Okay? Good. Welcome back! With summer turning to fall, and fall traditionally
Intrada Delivers "SpaceCamp" and "Cohen and Tate"
For film score fans, this past Tuesday might as well have been called "Fat Tuesday." I'm going to keep this short and sweet, because the news speaks for itself: Intrada announced the much-anticipated CD release of John Williams' score to 1986's SpaceCamp in a 3,000-copy limited edition which literally sold out in a matter of hours! SpaceCamp is mastered from the original RCA tapes, which have been vaulted by Sony. And Bill Conti fans have reason to rejoice, too, as Intrada has also announced a
Band (Still) on the Run: McCartney Reissue Set for November, Tracks Revealed
Fans of Paul McCartney are going to have to wait just a little bit longer for Concord to kick off its catalogue reissue campaign, as the remastered editions of Band on the Run have been pushed back from September 28 to November 2, a little less than a month after EMI’s massive batch of John Lennon reissues drop. Concord has been keeping all information pertaining to this release close to the vest, but details have finally emerged. The 1973 classic by McCartney and Wings (his fifth solo release
You've Got to Have "Faith" in Multiple Formats and Prices
August 10 brought news of Legacy's remastered, expanded reissue of George Michael's solo debut from 1987, Faith, and a link to pre-order a Limited Edition Numbered Collector's Box Set at the cost of $141.57 and filled with goodies including a vinyl replica of the original album and artist memorabilia. Now, details have finally emerged as to the other configurations in which Faith will be made available, and it's good news: a 2-CD/1-DVD set will include the same bonus disc of remixes and B-sides
Que Sera Sera: Doris Day Mines the Vaults; Disc to Be of Interest to Beach Boys Fans
Fans of the immortal Doris Day got a surprise earlier this month when the somewhat-reclusive legend and active animal rights crusader announced plans to release a new CD collection, her 29th studio recording, later this year. Entitled My Heart and possibly set for a UK release later this year courtesy of Day’s longtime label Columbia/Sony, the set will reissue 4 vintage recordings and debut 8 previously-unreleased tracks recorded circa 1985 with Day’s son, Terry Melcher, at the controls. From
The Porpoise is Waiting No More: Monkees Flick Hits Blu-Ray
Hey hey! Attention all readers! We take a break from our regularly-scheduled coverage of audio reissues to bring you news of an important music-related video release: the Blu-Ray debut of the Monkees’ 1968 surreal film odyssey Head! With the Criterion Collection’s November 23 release as part of a massive box set dedicated to the films of BBS Productions, Head makes its eagerly-awaited appearance on Blu-Ray. (The box set will also be available in the DVD format.) To call Head a trip is to put it
Elvis Has Left the Building: Costello's "Pomp and Pout" Postponed (Again!)
Back on June 8, The Second Disc apprised its readers of a new collection being prepped by Elvis Costello for release on the Hip-o label. Entitled Pomp and Pout, it would be the first compilation of Costello’s Universal recordings, drawing on 10 years and 18 tracks. Originally scheduled for July 13 release, it was postponed to later in July, and then to late in August. Now, with the August 24 release date approaching, it appears that Pomp and Pout has either been postponed, or pulled altogether,
Reissue Theory Guest Post: Coldplay, "Parachutes"
A special guest post comes to you during this oddly-scheduled week from Eric Luecking of Record Racks, a very well-executed music blog for your perusal. Here, he gives a Reissue Theory-style look at Coldplay's debut album, some ten years later. Depending upon your location, we've either passed the 10th anniversary of Coldplay's debut LP "Parachutes" (July 10, 2000 in the U.K.), or we haven't quite made it there yet (November 7 in the U.S.). The Second Disc wants to take the time to honor one of
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