Ants Invasion: Sony U.K. Plans New Singles Set for Adam Ant
Here’s your pass to join the insect nation: Sony Music’s U.K. arm is releasing a new compilation devoted to post-punk heroes Adam and The Ants. The simply-titled Singles, available October 31 in the U.K. and a week later in America, collects 20 tracks on CD or two LPs (pressed on red and white vinyl) that served as A-sides for the ’80s iconoclast. Split about evenly between the classic Ants lineup and Adam’s solo material, it features all the classics you’d expect, from “Kings of the Wild Frontier,” “Antmusic,” “Prince Charming” and “Stand…
Baby’s Got a Secret: Madonna Expands ‘Bedtime Stories’ with ‘Untold Chapter’ EP
After teasing it last year – and not long after this year’s release of a similar Ray of Light-era remix collection – Madonna will explore rare and unreleased material tied to another one of her most celebrated albums of the ’90s, Bedtime Stories, with another EP of unissued tracks. Bedtime Stories – The Untold Chapter, available November 28, will offer eight remixes, demos and outtakes from the Queen of Pop’s sixth album, originally released in 1994. In addition to previously released mixes of the singles “Secret” and “Human Nature,” the EP includes…
The Weekend Stream: October 18, 2025
Welcome to another edition of The Weekend Stream, The Second Disc’s review of notable catalogue titles (and some new ones, too!) making digital debuts. There’s much to cover: digital box sets, anniversary editions, new remixes, old stand-up comedy – and a quartet of memorials to musicians and more. Neil Young, Neil Young Archives Vol. III (1976-1987) (Reprise) (Apple / Amazon) One of the biggest box sets of last year is now available in a slightly more compact form. The digital release of Archives Vol. III includes nearly 200 tracks, 121 of which are unreleased….
Smile Happy: Rhino Unveils New Quadio Batch with America, WAR, Hot Tuna, Jefferson Starship
Earlier today, Rhino unveiled a new batch of Quadio reissues, reissuing vintage quadraphonic mixes on Blu-ray Audio. This time, it’s all classic rock, with three titles celebrating their 50th anniversaries and one just shy of that milestone: America’s Hearts (1975), Hot Tuna’s America’s Choice (1975), WAR’s Why Can’t We Be Friends? (1975), and Jefferson Starship’s Spitfire (1976). The WAR mix is previously unreleased in any format. All Blu-rays also include a high-resolution stereo mix, with both presentations sourced from the original analog tapes. America’s Hearts was reissued earlier this year in an…
Release Round-Up: Week of October 17
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. Randy Newman, Trouble in Paradise: Expanded Edition (Warner/Rhino) 2CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada Rhino Reserves LP: Rhino.com We Love It! Rhino reissues Randy Newman’s seventh studio album, Trouble in Paradise, as a 2CD expanded edition featuring previously unreleased demos and a rare concert performance. With such classics as “I Love LA” and “Real Emotional Girl,” Trouble remains one of Newman’s most beloved LPs. This generous release adds the singer-songwriter’s largely…
A Dream That Can Last: Neil Young’s Latest ‘Official Release Series’ Box Further Enters the ’90s
After a 2+-year break, Neil Young is continuing his Official Release Series with new box sets on both CD and LP rounding up another four albums from the 1990s. ORS Vol. 6 arrives October 24 on the Reprise label with newly remastered editions of Harvest Moon (1992, ORS Disc 26), Unplugged (1993, ORS Disc 27), Sleeps with Angels (1993, ORS Disc 28), and Mirror Ball (1995, ORS Disc 29). Each disc of the limited and numbered box sets will contain the four albums with original artwork; the vinyl versions will be on…
Review: David Bowie, “I Can’t Give Everything Away (2002-2016)”
C’mon, Let’s Go Slip Away For in truth, it’s the beginning of nothing/And nothing has changed/Everything has changed… After a period of nearly four years, David Bowie’s series of “Eras” box sets has continued with its sixth and final volume. I Can’t Give Everything Away (2002-2016), from ISO Records and Parlophone, concludes the career-spanning chronicle of the shape-shifting superstar on 13 CDs or 18 LPs. Picking up where 2021’s Brilliant Adventure (1992-2001) left off, it vividly re-presents the final years of an artist for whom “iconoclastic” barely scratches the surface. In a sense, every one…
Pack Up Your Sorrows: Judy Collins’ “The ’60s Singles” Arrives in December from Real Gone Music, Second Disc Records
It’s no exaggeration to state that Judy Collins transformed the sound of folk music. With a crystalline voice and a songbook blurring traditional genre lines, the Seattle native came to prominence in the fertile Greenwich Village stomping grounds of New York City. The luminous Collins – a classical piano prodigy, talented guitarist, gifted adapter and later, songwriter, and singer with a three-octave range – signed with Jac Holzman’s Elektra Records in 1961 and remained an Elektra artist for nearly two-and-a-half decades. On December 5, Real Gone Music and Second Disc Records will revisit…
The Best That He Can Do: Omnivore Preps Christopher Cross Singles Set
Once in your life you find them: an artist whose impossibly smooth music had a major impact on a generation of listeners. After honoring Christopher Cross’ landmark debut album with an expanded edition earlier this year, Omnivore Recordings will now expand their focus to all of his major label work on a new compilation. All Right: The Worldwide Singles 1980-1988 offers 20 classic tracks – many in rare single edit or mix form – from Cross’ tenure on the Warner Bros. and Reprise labels, along with a few curios for compilations. The…
The Weekend Stream: October 11, 2025
Welcome to another edition of The Weekend Stream, The Second Disc’s review of notable catalogue titles (and some new ones, too!) making digital debuts. This week brings some super ’70s soul, some ’80s and ’90s throwbacks on the Broadway stage and more – including a tribute to one of the original Moody Blues we lost this week. Curtis Mayfield, The Makings of: A Curtis Mayfield Collection (Rhino) (Apple / Amazon) The documentary The Makings of Curtis Mayfield – directed by Grammy-winning R&B musician H.E.R. and featuring archival footage and conversations on the Super Fly hitmaker’s craft…
Happy Halloween, Everybody: Frank Zappa’s “Halloween 78” Presents Epic NYC Concert, More
Frank Zappa’s annual Halloween concerts in New York City were far more treat than trick. Now, following similar releases for his shows in 1973, 1977, and 1981, Zappa Records and UMe are releasing Halloween 78 on October 24 in a variety of formats. The nearly four-hour long, marathon October 31, 1978 show at the late, lamented Palladium (now the home of a New York University dormitory) will be available as part of a 5CD set also including a bonus show from the beginning of the Palladium run, on October 27, 1978. The…
Release Round-Up: Week of October 10
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. John Lennon and Yoko Ono, Power to the People (Capitol/UMR) 9CD/3BD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada / Official Store 4LP: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada Links TBD / Official Store 2CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada / Official Store 2LP: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada / Official Store 1CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada / Official Store One of the most incendiary periods of John Lennon and Yoko Ono’s life together is being explored anew in a new 9CD/3Blu-ray box set. Power to…
Record Store Day Black Friday Round-Up: BMG, Omnivore, and Real Gone Music
As we gear up for Record Store Day’s Black Friday event on Friday, November 28, we’re sharing the lists from BMG, Omnivore Recordings, and Real Gone Music. Click here for a list of participating retailers! First up is BMG’s slate… George Harrison, Living in the Material World (50th Anniversary Mix) (Dark Horse) (Zoetrope LP; 7,600 copies – reprises mix from the 2024 box set) John Lee Hooker, Chill Out (30th Anniversary) (LP; 1,500 copies – remastered reissue of album featuring Van Morrison, Carlos Santana, Booker T. Jones, and Charles Brown) Billy Idol, “77” (Dark Horse) (12″ Picture Disc;…
You Must Ask the Heart: Craft Recordings’ Record Store Day Black Friday Slate Includes Jonathan Richman, Vince Guaraldi, Alan Silvestri, More
Today, we’re turning the spotlight onto Craft Recordings’ slate for Record Store Day’s Black Friday event which takes place on Friday, November 28. Click here for a list of participating retailers! All of the below descriptions and track listings have been provided directly by the label. Ray Barretto, Together (Fania) (180-gram LP; 1,800 copies U.S./2,000 copies worldwide) Ray Barretto’s 1969 Fania landmark roared out of New York with an irresistible blend of Latin jazz, boogaloo, Afro-Cuban, and hard salsa–an era-defining snapshot of the city’s pan-Latin sound. With Adalberto Santiago (vocals), Orestes Vilató (timbales), Louis…
Power to Consume: Legacy Unveils Record Store Day Black Friday Slate with Prince, Miles Davis, Bob Dylan, Billy Joel, More
We’re continuing our look at this year’s Record Store Day Black Friday releases with a rundown of the nine titles coming your way on Friday, November 28 from Legacy Recordings. These include classics from Miles Davis, Prince, and Billy Joel, a rarity from Bob Dylan, a spirited Danny Elfman soundtrack, and more! Click here for a list of participating Record Store Day shops, and stay tuned for more RSD Black Friday news here at The Second Disc! Cage the Elephant, Live from The Vic in Chicago (RCA/Legacy) (2LP – Yellow and Black Splatter vinyl;…
Merry Something to You: Rhino Announces Record Store Day Black Friday Slate with Devo, Joni Mitchell, Alice Cooper, The Doors, Grateful Dead, Randy Newman, More
TSD is kicking off our look at this year’s Record Store Day Black Friday releases, due at participating independent record stores on November 28, with a typically packed slate coming from Rhino. With over 30 titles, the label has brought out the heavy hitters (many of which are RSD mainstays) including The Doors, Fleetwood Mac, Grateful Dead, Joni Mitchell, Led Zeppelin, Todd Rundgren, Van Halen, and more. We’ve also included a handful of releases from Rhino sister labels such as Warner (with a Tom Petty live collection) and Elektra (an EP from…
The Weekend Stream: October 4, 2025
Welcome to another edition of The Weekend Stream, The Second Disc’s review of notable catalogue titles (and some new ones, too!) making digital debuts. From the Foo Fighters entering Bandcamp for a cause to a Record Store Day rarity by Rage Against the Machine, the dream of the ’90s is very much alive here…plus much more from other decades, too! Are Playing Where??? Vol. I by Foo Fighters Foo Fighters, Are Playing Where??? Vol. 1 (Roswell) (Bandcamp) After kicking off a season of drummer exodus – sacking session drummer Josh Freese, who’d join…
D’You Know? The Cranberries Plan New Expansion of ‘No Need to Argue,’ ‘MTV Unplugged’ Set
It’s not just in your head: The Cranberries have just reissued an album they expanded a few years ago – but they’ve also got an unreleased live set due soon, too. The band’s sophomore album, 1994’s No Need to Argue, was previously reissued for its 25th anniversary in 2020 with a host of B-sides and rare material; as of today, it’s available once more as a 2CD or 2LP edition that includes an EP’s worth of unissued material, including remixes by Iain Cook of Scottish synthpop band CHVRCHES, a demo of international…
Tonight, Tonight: Smashing Pumpkins Offer New Expansion of ‘Mellon Collie’ with Bonus Live Material
Despite all your rage, you are still just a reader on a post about a new expansion of one of The Smashing Pumpkins’ biggest albums. The iconoclastic band will reissue Mellon Collie and The Infinite Sadness this fall for its 30th anniversary, pairing the original, sprawling album with a new double album of unreleased live performances on the band’s ensuing tour in support of the record. It’ll be available as a 4CD or 6LP set from UMe on November 21. Conceived from the outset as a double album – frontman Billy Corgan described…
Makes Me Feel Fine: Cherry Red, Lemon Collect Seals and Crofts’ “Warner Bros. Years” on New Box
Between 1972 and 1980, Jim Seals and Darrell George “Dash” Crofts charted a dozen singles on the Billboard Hot 100. Three of those made the top ten – “Summer Breeze” (1972), “Diamond Girl” (1973), and “Get Closer” (1976) – while a further trio notched spots in the top twenty: “Hummingbird” (1973), “I’ll Play for You” (1975), and “You’re the Love” (1978). The duo was met with similar success on the AC chart, with “We May Never Pass This Way (Again),” a No. 21 Pop hit, reaching No. 2 in 1973 – the…
Release Round-Up: Week of October 3
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. Oasis, (What’s the Story) Morning Glory? 30th Anniversary Edition (Big Brother) 2CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada 3LP: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada Oasis have a slightly expanded edition of 1995’s (What’s the Story) Morning Glory? on tap, pairing a 2014 remaster of the album (which initially came with additional bonus material) with a bonus EP of new unplugged mixes of four of the album’s tracks (plus a non-album B-side, “Acquiesce”). The group’s songwriter/guitarist Noel…
Hard to Believe: The Monkees’ “Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn & Jones, Ltd.” Goes Super Deluxe
The Monkees’ fourth album is returning today in two different formats: an audiophile-quality vinyl pressing sourced from the original stereo tapes for the first time and a 4CD/1-7″ super deluxe box set loaded with over 100 tracks, many of which are previously unreleased. 1967’s Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn & Jones, Ltd. found Davy Jones, Micky Dolenz, Michael Nesmith, and Peter Tork taking advantage of the hard-won freedom they’d earned with Headquarters. Sessions began in April 1967, less than two weeks after Headquarters had been completed and the second season of the group’s sitcom…
We Love It! Rhino Expands Randy Newman’s “Trouble in Paradise” with Demos, Rare Concert
There’s Trouble brewing! On October 17, Rhino will reissue Randy Newman’s seventh studio album, Trouble in Paradise, as a 2CD expanded edition featuring previously unreleased demos and a rare concert performance. Proving that good things come to those who wait, this deluxe edition belatedly follows the definitive expansions of Sail Away and Good Old Boys, both from 2002. Like Little Criminals (which introduced “Short People” and “Baltimore”) Trouble in Paradise was heavily influenced by the Los Angeles scene and, as a result, often resembles a sequel to that 1977 effort. (1979’s Born Again,…
Chess Grand Masters: Classic Blues Label Celebrates 75 Years with Special Vinyl Reissues
For all its influence, it sometimes feels like the Chicago blues label Chess Records doesn’t get the respect it deserves. That changes this fall with a series of new compilations and reissues of old ones, set for release from Universal Music Group to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the label’s creation. Polish immigrants Leonard and Phil Chess became ingratiated into the club scene on the south side of Chicago in the ’30s and ’40s. They were intrigued by the thriving local talent – many of them Black transplants from the Mississippi delta…
Wiser for the Time: The Black Crowes Detail ‘Amorica’ Box Set
Following recent reissues of The Black Crowes’ first two albums, 1990’s Shake Your Money Maker and 1992’s The Southern Harmony and Musical Companion – along with an expanded edition of a live team-up with Jimmy Page of Led Zeppelin – the Southern rockers’ third album will get the similar treatment this fall. On November 14, the group (formed around brothers and sole consistent members Chris and Rich Robinson) will revisit 1994’s Amorica as a 3CD or 180-gram 5LP set. The box will include an expanded version of the album (remastered from 1/4″ production…