Bob Dylan began recording 1975's Blood on the Tracks in much the same manner he had begun 1962's Bob Dylan: inside the studio at 799 Seventh Avenue, New York City, alone at the microphone with just his guitar, a harmonica, and the song. In '62, the facility was Columbia Studio A, in '75 it was A&R Studios. In '62, John Hammond was the producer, in '75 Phil Ramone (the R in A&R) was manning the controls as engineer. Dylan, of course, was a much-changed man, but upon his return to
Ticket To Ride: "Carpenters with The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra" Arrives In December
The music of the Carpenters has long transcended mere nostalgia. With 20 Billboard top 40 hits including three No. 1s and five No. 2s as well as 15 Adult Contemporary No. 1s, their timeless legacy of song is as resonant today as ever. Karen's intimate, warm, and soulful voice melded with Richard's rich, sophisticated musical settings to create a sound still unrivaled in popular music. Now, that sound is getting a little larger. On December 7, A&M Records will release Carpenters with The
Release Round-Up: Week of November 2
Welcome to this week's Release Round-Up! Melissa Manchester, Mathematics: The MCA Years (Second Disc Records/Real Gone Music) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada) Second Disc Records and Real Gone Music bring Melissa Manchester's 1985 MCA album to CD for the very first time in an expanded 2-CD deluxe edition! Mathematics: The MCA Years features the original Mathematics (produced by George Duke, Brock Walsh and Robbie Nevil, Trevor Veitch and executive producer Quincy Jones!) on
Visions of Paradise: Moody Blues' "In Search of the Lost Chord" Box Set Coming on Friday
Following last year's 2CD/DVD reissue of The Moody Blues' 1967 sophomore album Days of Future Passed, UMe is going even more deluxe for the Moodies' next album, 1968's In Search of the Lost Chord. Tomorrow, November 2, the label will reissue that seminal classic as a 3CD/2DVD box comprising alternate mixes, previously unreleased tracks, and more. Mike Pinder, Ray Thomas, Justin Hayward, John Lodge, and Graeme Edge, working with producer Tony Clarke, constructed In Search of the Lost Chord
Only You: Yazoo Collect Albums, Remixes, Rare Live Material For Vinyl, CD Box
Though Yazoo - a.k.a. Vince Clarke and Alison Moyet - only released two studio albums, the synthpop duo's music remains beloved today. Indeed, the number of compilations of Yazoo's work has far exceeded the number of LPs in their discography. On October 26 in the U.K. (and this Friday in the U.S.), the small Yazoo catalogue was revisited and expanded once again with the release of Four Pieces: A Yazoo Compendium, a new 4-LP vinyl box set. A CD edition will follow this Friday in the U.K., and
Rare Power: Legacy Announces Record Store Day Black Friday Slate with Hendrix, Byrds, Joan Jett, More
Seven is Legacy Recordings' lucky number for this Black Friday's annual Record Store Day event. On November 23, the label will release seven titles on limited edition vinyl in a variety of genres reflecting the diversity of the Sony vaults. The offerings are highlighted by an EP of mono mixes from Jimi Hendrix; the vinyl debut of the Legacy Edition of The Byrds' Sweetheart of the Rodeo, coinciding with Roger McGuinn and Chris Hillman's current tour celebrating the album; and more vinyl
Elvis Costello Deftly Blends Present and Past on "Look Now"
Among the credits for Elvis Costello and The Imposters' Look Now is a simple acknowledgment: In Memphis - Mary Isobel O'Brien. The onetime Ms. O'Brien, of course, is better known as Dusty Springfield, and the credit from Declan MacManus and his band makes clear the inspiration for this stunning assemblage of what the artist, correctly, deems "uptown pop." Dusty in Memphis is one of the benchmarks of that style: pop with a dash of soul, or is it soul with a dash of pop? It doesn't hurt that
Big Wheel Keep On Turnin': Creedence Clearwater Revival's Complete Albums Get Half-Speed Mastered For New Box Set
50 years ago, John Fogerty, Tom Fogerty, Doug Clifford, and Stu Cook released their first album together as Creedence Clearwater Revival, providing the perfect soundtrack for a tumultuous period in American history. Over just seven albums issued between 1968 and 1972, the band's rootsy rock-and-roll sensibility yielded such all-time classic hits as "Proud Mary," "Bad Moon Rising," "Green River," "Down on the Corner," "Who'll Stop the Rain," and "Have You Ever Seen the Rain." To celebrate the
Release Round-Up: Week of October 5
Welcome to this week's Release Round-Up! Johnny Mathis, The First Time Ever (I Saw Your Face)/Song Sung Blue: Expanded Edition (Second Disc/Real Gone) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada) Second Disc Records and Real Gone Music have paired two 1972 albums from the legendary Johnny Mathis as an expanded 2-CD set. Both albums were produced by Jerry Fuller and make their standalone CD debuts here. The First Time Ever (I Saw Your Face) had not only Mathis' rendition of the hit
Review: Ben Folds, "Brick: The Songs of Ben Folds 1994-2012"
Upon its release in August 1995, the eponymous debut of Ben Folds' quirkily-named trio sounded like nothing else you might have found in the racks of your local Tower, HMV, or Sam Goody. Filled with rich melodies, inescapable riffs, the most aggressive piano this side of Jerry Lee Lewis, and a youthful dose of attitude, Ben Folds Five channeled Todd Rundgren, Elton John, and Queen - with a dash of Randy Newman here and George Gershwin there. Now, more than 23 years later, the (sorta) angry
Gimme Something Real: Groove Line Celebrates Ashford and Simpson on New Anthology
Had Nickolas Ashford and Valerie Simpson written nothing but "Ain't No Mountain High Enough," the duo would have found their place in the musical pantheon assured. But the reality is that the husband-and-wife team also wrote such American pop standards as "Ain't Nothing Like the Real Thing," "Reach Out and Touch (Somebody's Hand)," "You're All I Need to Get By," "California Soul," and "Solid (As a Rock)." They were so prolific that even top-notch material was left on the shelf; Second Disc
Down on Copperline: Analog Spark Reissues, Remasters James Taylor's "New Moon Shine"
Analog Spark has had a busy summer. The label contributed a number of exclusive releases to Barnes and Noble, including stellar reissues of the classic Broadway cast recordings to Hello, Dolly! (1964, RCA), Cabaret (Columbia, 1966) and Hair (RCA, 1969) as well as Dave Brubeck's delightful Dave Digs Disney (Columbia, 1957) in its original mono mix. The vinyl specialists have recently turned their attention to a title of a more modern vintage from a venerable American troubadour, James Taylor.
Release Round-Up: Week of September 7
Welcome to this week's Release Round-Up! Led Zeppelin, The Song Remains the Same [Various Formats] (Atlantic/Swan Song) 2CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada 4LP: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada Blu-ray Audio: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada 2CD/4LP/2DVD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada Robert Plant, Jimmy Page, John Paul Jones, and John Bonham took the famous stage at New York's Madison Square Garden on July 27-29, 1973 for the concerts
Turn You Inside Out: R.E.M. Collect BBC Recordings for 8CD/1DVD Box
R.E.M.'s relationship with the BBC was a long and fruitful one, and on October 19, Craft Recordings will celebrate their joint musical journey with a new retrospective release. R.E.M. at the BBC will be available as a super deluxe 8CD/1DVD box set as well as in 2-CD and 2-LP formats. The collections have been curated from the archives of both the band and the BBC, and boast rare and previously unreleased live and studio recordings spanning 1984-2008. The in-studio recordings featured on the
Review: The Band, "Music from Big Pink: 50th Anniversary Super Deluxe Edition"
The house on Parnassus Lane, formerly Stoll Road, in West Saugerties, New York might be one of rock and roll's least likely landmarks, with its unassuming residential façade distinguished only by its pink siding. But the colorful house bore witness to the birth of some of the greatest songs in American pop history when Bob Dylan and his band - soon to be The Band - recorded "The Basement Tapes" there. When Capitol Records subsequently signed Robbie Robertson, Levon Helm, Garth Hudson, Rick
Gimme Some Truth: John Lennon's "Imagine" Gets "Ultimate" Treatment in October
John Lennon's second solo studio album, and arguably his most beloved, is returning from Apple and Capitol in a lavish new 4CD/2BD box set. On October 5, the Imagine: Ultimate Collection will hit stores, celebrating the classic 1971 album which introduced the world to "Imagine," "Jealous Guy," and "Gimme Some Truth" as well as the blistering "How Do You Sleep" and rollicking "Oh, Yoko!" In addition to the box set and digital options, a 2CD Deluxe Edition, 1CD remaster, and 2LP black vinyl
Anyone Who Had a Heart: Dionne Warwick Saluted on Public Television, New Rarities-Packed CDs, More
From the moment she burst onto the music scene in 1962 exhorting "Don't Make Me Over," Dionne Warwick has been a musical force with which to be reckoned. The legendary singer blended elegant pop and deeply-felt soul in a fashion which remains unrivaled today for its sophistication and polish; her signature songs like "Walk On By," "I Say a Little Prayer," "Alfie," and "I'll Never Love This Way Again" have all become cornerstones of the new American songbook. Dionne's remarkable life and
Go Insane: Lindsey Buckingham Announces Solo Anthology, New Tour
Fleetwood Mac shocked fans earlier this year by announcing the dismissal of longtime singer/songwriter/producer/guitarist Lindsey Buckingham just as a new tour had been confirmed. Now, Buckingham is back on his feet with a new collection and a tour of his own which will launch just days later than his old band's. Solo Anthology - The Best of Lindsey Buckingham, due October 5 from Rhino Records, will be available as a 3-disc set on CD and digitally and also as a single disc "highlights"
Wap Bam Boogie: Cherry Pop Expands Matt Bianco's "Indigo" to 3 CDs
Cherry Pop has just continued its reissue series celebrating U.K. outfit Matt Bianco with a 3-CD deluxe edition of 1988's Indigo. This release follows similarly lavish expansions for the jazz/pop/dance/Latin band's debut Whose Side Are You On in 2016 and eponymous sophomore album in 2017. By the time of Indigo, Matt Bianco was down to just two members. Vocalist Basia and keyboardist Danny White had both left the group after the first album (the duo would collaborate on every Basia solo
Ride Like the Wind: "California Groove IV" Box Set Captures Sounds of Summer
Warner Music France is providing a breezy soundtrack for summer with the fourth installment of California Groove. Arriving seven years after Volume 3, this impressive 6-CD box set is a little bit country, a little bit-rock-and-roll - not to mention filled with pop, lounge, jazz, dance, R&B, soul, and beyond. It's too eclectic to be filed under "yacht rock," though many of that so-called genre's bright lights are here, including Christopher Cross and Steely Dan. What it is, however, is a
Release Round-Up: Week of July 20
Welcome to this week's Release Round-Up! Cilla Black, Surround Yourself with Cilla/It Makes Me Feel Good [Expanded Edition] (Cherry Red/SFE) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada) Cherry Red celebrates the late, great Cilla Black with a new reissue campaign. The first 2-CD set pairs 1969's George Martin-produced Surround Yourself with Cilla with 1976's It Makes Me Feel Good, produced by David Mackay (Cliff Richard, Blue Mink, The New Seekers). 22 bonus tracks (13 new to CD) are
Thinkin' of a Master Plan: Eric B. & Rakim Discography Compiled In Vinyl/CD Box Set
UMe is revisiting the catalogue of influential hip-hop act Eric B. and Rakim with the July 13 release of a new box set. The Complete Collection 1987-1992, on 8 LPs and 2 CDs, brings together all four of the duo's classic albums (on the 4th & Broadway, Uni, and MCA labels) on eight vinyl LPs plus two CDs of remixes. Eric B. (Eric Barrier) was the DJ of the duo, and Rakim (William Griffin Jr., later Rakim Allah) the MC. Eric B.'s love of James Brown inspired a reassessment of The Godfather
Piece of His Heart: "Bang: The Bert Berns Story" Arrives On DVD
During his all-too-short lifetime, Bert Berns never received the kind of fame afforded many of his contemporaries on the New York music scene such as Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller, Burt Bacharach and Hal David, or Doc Pomus and Mort Shuman. Yet, across the pond, young men like Paul McCartney and Keith Richards were taking notice whenever they saw the Berns imprimatur on one of their favorite 45s. McCartney and Richards are just two of the luminaries who lined up to salute the
The Exodus Has Begun: Prince Estate Strikes Catalog Deal With Sony Music
In what's certainly one of the year's biggest surprises, Sony Music's Legacy Recordings has just announced a comprehensive new deal with the Prince estate that will see Legacy assuming the reins for a considerable portion of Prince's remarkable discography. Sony will hold the worldwide licensing rights to the late superstar's core catalogue recorded from 1995 onward, covering some 19 major albums recorded by the Purple One during this time, as well as relevant singles, B-sides, live material,
Review: Bear Family's "Battleground Korea: Songs and Sounds of America's Forgotten War"
If there was any doubt that history could be engaging as well as informative, such doubt would be dispelled by a listen to Bear Family's new release, the 4-CD box set Battleground Korea: Songs and Sounds of America's Forgotten War. Make no mistake, the handsomely slipcased collection is as imposing and heavy as a textbook, as its four discs are housed within a lavish, 160-page hardcover tome. But this immersive journey can't help but thrill in its scope and execution. It follows previous Bear
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