We're continuing to look at the 60th anniversary releases from legendary R&B powerhouse label Stax Records with a single-CD or LP collection that just might make a perfect stocking stuffer! Stax Country (CR 00009), from Craft Recordings, takes a fresh look at some of the other, non-R&B music emanating from the corridors of Stax's studios on East McLemore Avenue - in particular some "Sweet Country Music." That's the title of the twangy ditty recorded in 1975 by Becki Bluefield which
Bound for Glory: Dylan, Baez, Paxton, Havens, Collins Celebrate Woody Guthrie on New Bear Family Box
Bob Dylan once said that, upon hearing Woody Guthrie's songs, "it was like I had been in the dark and someone had turned on the main switch of a lightning conductor." Steve Earle opined that "Woody is my hero of heroes and the only person on earth that I will go to my grave regretting that I never met." No less a literary eminence than John Steinbeck noted, "Woody is just Woody," before explaining, "Harsh voiced and nasal, his guitar hanging like a tire iron on a rusty rim, there is nothing
Release Round-Up: Week of September 29
Welcome to this week's Release Round-Up! David Bowie, A New Career in a New Town (1977-1982) (Parlophone) 11CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon Canada / Amazon U.K. 13LP: Amazon U.S. / Amazon Canada / Amazon U.K. The third release in Parlophone's series of chronological box sets dedicated to the music of David Bowie, A New Career in a New Town (1977-1982) closes the book on the legendary artist's RCA career. It follows 2015's Five Years (1969-1973) and 2016's Who Can I Be Now? (1974-1976),
Release Round-Up: Week of September 15
Welcome to this week's Release Round-Up! The Doors, The Singles (Elektra/Rhino) 2CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon Canada / Amazon U.K. 2CD/1BD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon Canada / Amazon U.K. Vinyl box set: Amazon U.S. / Amazon Canada / Amazon U.K. Singles compiles all 20 of the singles from The Doors' official discography. This not only includes every A and B-side from their core studio albums, but several albums recorded and released after the passing of frontman Jim Morrison, including
Listen to the Man: 7a Records Releases Mike Nesmith Solo Show On CD, Vinyl
By 1975, Michael Nesmith's bona fides as a groundbreaking pioneer of country-rock were well established. After his first solo LP, 1968's orchestral The Wichita Train Whistle Sings, the once and future Monkee had released six well-received albums and yielded a pair of hit singles, "Joanne" and "Silver Moon"- not to mention "Different Drum," a major hit for Linda Ronstadt and the Stone Poneys. On November 27, 1975, Nesmith recorded an intimate set in London at the BBC Paris Theatre, during which
In Memoriam: Glen Campbell (1936-2017)
Earlier this year, Glen Campbell wished his friends and fans a touching Adios on his sixty-fourth and final studio album. It was the cathartic culmination of six years in which the legendary vocalist bravely brought his struggle with Alzheimer's to the public eye, embarked on a yearlong Farewell Tour, and recorded his final sessions as heard not only on Adios, but on Ghost on the Canvas, See You There and the soundtrack to the touching documentary Glen Campbell: I'll Be Me. Earlier
Spicks and Specks: Ace Collects "Songs of The Bee Gees" From Lulu, Nina Simone, Percy Sledge, Others
With a recent Grammy Awards salute, a new catalogue deal, and the 40th anniversary of Saturday Night Fever, the music of the Bee Gees has been front and center in 2017. Ace Records has joined the celebration of the brothers Gibb with a new entry in the label's long-running Songwriters Series. To Love Somebody: The Songs of The Bee Gees 1966-1970 pulls into focus the early professional years of Barry, Robin, and Maurice, with 24 choice cover versions of songs both familiar and lesser-known.
Higher and Higher: Real Gone's June Slate Features Rita Coolidge, Kris Kristofferson, Doris Day, Larry Coryell, Jesse Ed Davis and More
As we get further into the spring season, we've begun to hear about releases that will be coming out more towards summer. Among these are the new announcements of titles from Real Gone Music due on June 2. As always, they are an eclectic group featuring CDs and vinyl reissues. First up are two titles from Rita Coolidge featuring liner notes from our very own Joe Marchese. 1973's Full Moon was the first duet album Coolidge made with her then-husband Kris Kristofferson. It was the first of
Adios, Adios: Glen Campbell To Release Final Studio Album in June
In 2011, Glen Campbell released Ghost On the Canvas and it was revealed that the legendary artist was suffering from Alzheimer's disease. Campbell then embarked upon the yearlong Good Times - Final Farewell Tour which took him to cities in Europe and North America. After the conclusion of that tour, he went into the studio to finish the album See You There, which was released in August of 2013. It was billed at the time as his sixty-third and final studio album. However, it has now been
Fab Gear: RPM Premieres Mortimer's Lost Apple Records Album
Another missing piece of the Apple Records puzzle has just emerged thanks to Cherry Red's RPM Records label. Between February and April 1969, the New York band Mortimer worked with producer Peter Asher (Peter and Gordon, James Taylor, Linda Ronstadt) at London's Trident Studios to craft an LP for The Beatles' Apple Records label. The Fabs' imprimatur was firmly in place: John Lennon had passed their music onto Apple, George Harrison had encouraged their signing, and Paul McCartney had given
Different Drum: Michael Nesmith's "Infinite Tuesday" Offers Soundtrack to His Autobiography
On April 18, Crown Archetype will release Infinite Tuesday: An Autobiographical Riff, the long-awaited memoir by Michael Nesmith. The book chronicles Papa Nez's life from his childhood days in Dallas, Texas through his success with The Monkees, groundbreaking work in music video and virtual reality, and beyond. Four days before the book's release, however, Rhino Records will issue a companion CD tracing Nesmith's musical evolution. The April 14 release of Infinite Tuesday: Autobiographical
Morello Country Round-Up Part 1: Marty Robbins, Dottie West, George Jones and Tammy Wynette
Cherry Red's imprint Morello has been releasing twofers from some of country's biggest artists for several years now. They've had a lot of great recent releases in 2016 and we'd thought we'd highlight some of them for you. All of the following twofers feature eight-page color booklets with two pages of liner notes and reproductions of sleeve notes and/or back covers. They each have notes written by journalist Tony Byworth with the exception of Dottie West CD. All of the reissues are produced
Release Round-Up: Week of December 9
Welcome to this week's Release Round-Up! Randy Newman, The Randy Newman Songbook (Nonesuch) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada) The Randy Newman Songbook box set marks the first-ever combined release of all three of the legendary songwriter's piano-and-voice Songbook albums (including the new Vol. 3) recorded in 2003 and 2010 with producers Mitchell Froom and Lenny Waronker. All songs have been resequenced as one cohesive, thematically-linked listening experience spread over 4
Accentuate The Positive: Capitol Records Turns 75, Plans New Vinyl Reissues
Capitol Records, the venerable label founded by Johnny Mercer with B.G. DeSylva and Glenn Wallichs and now a unit of Universal Music Group, turns 75 next year. In celebration of this landmark anniversary, the label has announced three new initiatives. The first of these endeavors is The Capitol Records 75th Anniversary Collection, a series of 75 vinyl reissues from various genres curated by "noted music journalists, authors and other renowned creative figures." The Beatles are represented
Life is a Rock (But The Radio Rolled Me): Ace Collects Seventies Smashes On "Hit List 2"
Way back in 2004, Ace Records compiled The Hit List: 24 Hot 100 American Chartbusters of the 1970s. The label has recently returned to the milieu of the first collection for Hit List 2: More Hot 100 Chartbusters of the 70s. The material on this CD is quite a bit different than that on most Ace releases in that both the artists and the songs are largely familiar. But it still casts its 24 tracks into a new context, celebrating – in the label’s words – the “time when AM radio was still king and
Release Round-Up: Week of September 9
Welcome to this week's Release Round-Up...one of the most packed in recent memory! Beatles, Live at the Hollywood Bowl (Apple/Capitol/UMe) CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada Vinyl: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada Since the advent of the compact disc era, The Beatles at the Hollywood Bowl has been the forgotten stepchild of the Fab Four's legendary catalogue. That changes today with the first-ever commercial CD/DD release of the 1977 album on September 9 via
A Matter Of Time: Glen Campbell's Atlantic Years Anthologized By Varese
Following the release of 1981's It's the World Gone Crazy, Glen Campbell left Capitol Records, his home of two decades, and moved over to Atlantic Records' new country division, Atlantic America. The superstar artist remained at Atlantic through 1986, releasing three mainstream country LPs while simultaneously recording contemporary Christian material at Word. Varese Vintage has recently released the first anthology of this oft-overlooked period in Campbell's career. For the Good Times
Release Round-Up: Week of May 20
Welcome to this week's packed Release Round-Up! David Bowie, ChangesOneBowie (Parlophone/Rhino) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada) ChangesOneBowie returns from Parlophone in a 40th anniversary edition available on vinyl, CD and digital formats. Originally issued on RCA in May 20, 1976, ChangesOneBowie was the first key compilation album from superstar David Bowie. Collecting songs dating back to 1969, the 11-track album introduced the single "John, I'm Only Dancing" on LP
Release Round-Up: Week of May 13
Welcome to this week's Release Round-Up! Linda Ronstadt, Frenesi (Remastered Edition) (Elektra/Rhino) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada) Linda Ronstadt's 1992 Spanish-language album Frenesi returns to CD in a newly-remastered edition with no additional content. Consider this an appetizer for the upcoming expanded remaster of Trio! Allen Toussaint, The Complete Warner Recordings (Rhino) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada) Rhino has a reissue of its 2003
Release Round-Up: Week of April 29
Welcome to this week's Release Round-Up! Various Artists, Here Today: The Songs of Brian Wilson (Vinyl) (Ace) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada) Ace brings its acclaimed 2015 Here Today: The Songs of Brian Wilson compilation to 180-gram white vinyl in a slimmed-down form (12 tracks vs. 25 on the CD) with all of Ace's deluxe hallmarks of packaging and annotation! The album features Darian Sahanaja of The Brian Wilson Band and The Wondermints along with Kirsty MacColl, Carmen
Review: J.D. Souther, "Black Rose" and "Home By Dawn" Expanded Editions
Omnivore Recordings continues to mine one of the great underrated catalogues in contemporary pop-rock with two more titles from singer-songwriter J.D. Souther. Black Rose (1976) has been joined on compact disc by Home by Dawn (1984) with both titles splendidly remastered and featuring previously unreleased bonus tracks. These definitive reissues aren't to be missed. The wide-ranging Black Rose, originally released on Asylum Records, remains Souther's most diverse and expansive musical
Release Round-Up: Week of February 12
Welcome to this week's Release Round-Up featuring the lost songs of a country-pop superstar, two more entries into an underrated SoCal songbook, new music from veteran artists, and much more! Barbara Mandrell, This Time I Almost Made It: The Lost Columbia Masters (Real Gone Music) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada) We all know Barbara Mandrell did make it...as one of the most successful country crossover superstars of all time. Now, Real Gone has rescued the legendary
In Memoriam: Glenn Frey (1948-2016)
Glenn Frey's California may have been something out of a dream, a golden land of peaceful, easy feelings, tequila sunrises, and takin' it to the limit. As a founding member of Eagles, Frey spread the gospel of fast cars, beautiful women and eternal sunshine around the world, picking up six Grammy Awards and 24 Top 40 singles, solo and with his band, along the way. With his passing yesterday at age 67, popular music has lost one of its most cherished troubadours. Though born in Michigan,
Review: J.D. Souther, "John David Souther (Expanded Edition)"
In 2007, a new song from the Eagles blazed onto the radio airwaves, climbing to a Top 10 AC/Top 25 Country berth on the Billboard charts. But the infectious, breezy "How Long," with its classic Eagles sound, wasn't new at all. The song was written by J.D. Souther and included on his 1972 Asylum Records debut John David Souther. When the Eagles included it on Long Road Out of Eden, the band's first studio album since 1979, it rekindled the creative relationship with Souther, an "honorary
How Long: Omnivore Reissues and Expands Three Albums by J.D. Souther
Omnivore Recordings is kicking off 2016 with a trio of titles from one of The Second Disc's favorite singer-songwriters, the one and only J.D. Souther. The label will celebrate the Michigan-born, Texas-raised and California-associated Songwriters Hall of Fame member with deluxe, expanded reissues of three unjustly-neglected classics of the SoCal scene: John David Souther, Black Rose and Home by Dawn. Though best known for the string of classics he co-wrote with his Eagles friends, including