When singer-songwriter Jeff Larson premiered his album Heart of the Valley in 2009, the album was rightly lauded as an immaculately produced collection of laid-back, polished pop. It conjured a time when rich emotions and real instruments ruled pop radio. Today, it's just as relevant, as proven by a newly-expanded reissue on Japan's Vivid Sound label (VSCD 3944, 2016). The artist indicates in his new liner notes that "the concept for Heart of the Valley was loosely based on the Nilsson Sings
Holiday Gift Guide Review: Margaret Whiting, "Dream: The Lost Recordings"
Margaret Whiting was a singer's singer. Possessed of a clarion vocal instrument capable of both great exultation and deep longing, a performance by Whiting guaranteed a path to the heart of a song. It's no wonder that Johnny Mercer, a songwriter of no small stature, made sure that the 18-year old songbird was one of the first artists signed to his fledgling Capitol Records label. Mercer had known Whiting since her childhood as the daughter of his collaborator, composer Richard Whiting, and
I Feel Free: Cream Expand Debut Album In 2017
A half century after it was first released, Fresh Cream, the debut album by super-trio Cream, will get a four-disc expansion in January. One of the first supergroups of the rock era, Cream paired Yardbirds and John Mayall & The Bluesbreakers guitarist Eric Clapton with singer/bassist Jack Bruce and drummer Ginger Baker, former and current members of the Graham Bond Organisation. (The volatile Baker, in fact, was part of why Bruce left Bond's group; the duo fought onstage frequently and
Review: "Prince 4Ever"
Prince 4Ever (NPG Records/Warner Bros. 558509-2) is not the Prince compilation I imagined. I've had plenty of time to think about it, from the day Prince and Warner Bros. announced the end of their decades-long war with a new catalogue agreement that honest-to-God made me cry, to the day almost exactly two years later where we cried over Prince for a different reason. But even in my wildest dreams, something about a Prince catalogue campaign seemed ephemeral, not entirely knowable--just like
Hold On To Your Precious Love: Edsel Reissues Percy Sledge's Atlantic Recordings On Three Volumes
"Percy Sledge is the most dynamic new soul singer to arrive on the record scene in years," wrote Bob Rolontz on the original liner notes to the artist's 1966 Atlantic debut When a Man Loves a Woman. That LP, of course, was titled for the song that took the balladeer to No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and R&B charts right out of the gate and yielded him the No. 20 record of the year, sandwiched between Tommy James and the Shondells and The Rolling Stones. Though Percy Sledge (1940-2015)
"Tony Bennett Celebrates 90" With All-Star Concert, Previously Unreleased Songs, More
This past August 3, Tony Bennett celebrated his milestone 90th birthday...and made it clear that he had no intentions of slowing down. Indeed, the legendary vocalist has dates booked well into 2017, but first, he's looking back with a new 3-CD set including rare and previously unreleased material. Tony Bennett Celebrates 90 premieres the recording of the all-star concert tribute held at Radio City Music Hall on September 15 of this year, but the Amazon-exclusive Deluxe Edition will
Release Round-Up: Week of November 11
Welcome to this week's Release Round-Up! It's another big week for box sets from classic rock's heaviest hitters, and much, much more... Bob Dylan, The 1966 Live Recordings (Columbia/Legacy) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada) 36 discs of music from Bob Dylan's 1966 world tour - every recording of the tour known to exist - are brought together on this monumental new collection. Read our full review here! Bob Dylan, The Real Royal Albert Hall
Do You Hear What I Hear? Jack Jones, Eddy Arnold, Mitch Miller Coming TOMORROW From Second Disc Records!
With Halloween now in the rearview window, decorations springing up everywhere and yuletide tunes on the radio, it's beginning to look a lot like Christmas everywhere you go. Here at Second Disc HQ, we're no exception. Tomorrow, November 4, we're thrilled to spread some holiday cheer with three Second Disc Records releases as part of Real Gone Music's amazing 10-strong (yes, 10 titles!) Christmas line-up! All three titles feature new-to-CD tracks, copious liner notes, original album and label
Do Your Thing: 20 Record Store Day Black Friday Essentials
Are you making a list and checking it twice? We are! Record Store Day Black Friday is here in less than a month, and this week we're showcasing all of our favorite titles. We've shown you the goods from Legacy, Real Gone, Rhino and Omnivore; now, here are 20 more titles we think you should absolutely check out. There's soundtrack goodies from Varese Sarabande and Light in the Attic; holiday favorites from Bob & Doug McKenzie, Frank Sinatra and "Dolemite" himself; lost gems from Isaac Hayes,
Kritzerland Solves The Swingin' Riddle with Nelson's "Paris When It Sizzles"
Kritzerland is taking listeners to the City of Light with a new 2-CD soundtrack release composed by the legendary Nelson Riddle. The label is accepting pre-orders now for the world premiere complete release of Riddle's score to Paris When It Sizzles, the 1964 Paramount romantic comedy starring Audrey Hepburn, William Holden, Tony Curtis and Noel Coward. A send-up of moviemaking with a glamorous backdrop, Paris starred Holden as a playboy screenwriter and his real-life old flame Hepburn as
Can We Still Be Friends: Real Gone's Black Friday Titles Feature Paul Butterfield, December Slate Includes Todd Rundgren, Mills Brothers
With Halloween coming on Monday, that means that the Christmas season is almost upon us. Stores have already begun to put out Christmas merchandise and Christmas CDs have begun to hit the shelves. Next week sees the release of Real Gone's mega-Christmas slate, including three Second Disc Records titles featuring Jack Jones, Eddy Arnold and Mitch Miller. In addition, Real Gone has just announced its exclusives for the Black Friday November 25 Record Store Day event which is part of the kickoff
Release Round-Up: Week of October 21
Welcome to this week's Release Round-Up - one of the year's biggest! Frank Sinatra, World on a String (Capitol/UMe) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K./ Amazon Canada) Featuring performances spanning 1953 to 1982, this new live collection boasts more than four hours' worth of rare audio and video from the legendary Chairman of the Board - over 90 tracks on CD alone including such Sinatra favorites as "I Get a Kick Out of You," "I've Got You Under My Skin," "The Lady is a Tramp," "Witchcraft"
Friday's Child: Lee Hazlewood Meets Indie Rock On Ace's New "Son-of-a-Gun"
Ace has previously surveyed the singular oeuvre of musical iconoclast Lee Hazlewood on a number of releases including Califia: The Songs of Lee Hazlewood and, more recently, Shazam! and Other Instrumentals Written by Lee Hazlewood. Now, on Son-of-a-Gun and More from the Lee Hazlewood Songbook, the label has returned to the territory of Califia with a twist. Whereas that compilation focused on Lee’s vivid, quirky songs as performed by Nancy Sinatra, Dusty Springfield, Ann-Margret, Dino, Desi
Release Round-Up: Week of October 7
Welcome to this week's Release Round-Up which just might be the biggest slate of the year to date! Lou Reed, The RCA and Arista Album Collection (RCA/Legacy) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K.) Legacy brings together 16 Lou Reed albums from his RCA and Arista years on 17 CDs, all remastered directly under Reed's supervision before his untimely passing in 2013. An 80-page hardbound booklet with detailed liner notes, five art prints and a poster round out this limited edition package. Read
Release Round-Up: Week of September 30
Welcome to this week's Release Round-Up! The Rolling Stones, The Rolling Stones in Mono (ABKCO) CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada LP: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada The Rolling Stones in Mono captures, on 15 CDs or 16 LPs, the original mono albums released on both sides of the Atlantic between 1964 and 1969 including the exceptionally rare mono editions of Their Satanic Majesties Request (1967), Beggars Banquet (1968) and Let It Bleed (1969). Exclusive to
Review: Fleetwood Mac, "Mirage: Deluxe Edition"
When Fleetwood Mac entered the Château d'Hérouville studio outside Paris at the dawn of the 1980s, the band had one goal in mind: to create a commercial pop success in the mold of their record-breaking Rumours. Not everyone in the quintet was sold on this goal, necessarily, especially after the quantum leap forward from Rumours into the beautiful madness that was Tusk. But while Tusk sold four million copies, it couldn't help but be viewed as a disappointment after the world domination of its
Oh By Gosh, By Golly: Second Disc Records Celebrates Christmas with Jack Jones, Eddy Arnold and Mitch Miller
The most wonderful time of the year is upon us once again, and as longtime readers know, The Second Disc is always excited to spread the holiday spirit! This year is a particularly special year for us, as we're thrilled to bring not one, not two, but three new releases to CD on November 4 via Second Disc Records in association with the premier label for holiday tunes, Real Gone Music! First up is the CD debut one of the most-demanded holiday albums of all time. For more than six
Rock My Soul: Cherry Red, Grapefruit Collect Early British Hard Rock On "I'm a Freak, Baby"
What do Deep Purple, The Move, Hawkwind, Fleetwood Mac and The Yardbirds all have in common? Though each of those five bands carved out distinct musical identities, all incorporated elements of psychedelia in their early hard-rock explorations. A new 3-CD box set from Cherry Red's Grapefruit imprint offers an in-depth chronicle of the music that planted the seeds of progressive rock and metal. I'm a Freak, Baby is, as per its subtitle, A Journey Through the British Heavy Psych and Hard Rock
Steppin' Out: Intervention Records Reissues Two From Joe Jackson
Look Sharp! Joe Jackson certainly did as nattily attired on his debut release of that name. Joined by Graham Maby on bass, Gary Sanford on guitar and Dave Houghton on drums, pianist-singer Jackson delivered a record for the ages. Both Look Sharp! and Night and Day, Jackson's fifth album for A&M Records, have recently been reissued as deluxe audiophile vinyl editions by the team at Intervention Records. Happily, they're sonically every bit the equal of the label's stellar reissue earlier
It Had To Be You: Real Gone's October Slate Features Eddie Money, Keely Smith, Mahalia Jackson, John Hammond, Percy Faith and More
Real Gone Music has just announced their October slate of titles and while only one of them will get you into the Halloween spirit, there might well be something else among the eclectic choice of genres to pique your interest! First up, Real Gone is releasing three two-disc greatest hits collections. One of these features liner notes from our very own Joe Marchese: Percy Faith's The Definitive Collection. Faith was hugely in demand at Columbia Records, arranging and conducting for a large
Where The Good Times Are: Ace Collects "Beat Girls"
We recently filled you in on the ninth volume of Ace Records' long-running series, Where the Girls Are. Today, we spotlight two companion volumes dedicated to Beat Girls of the 1960s! Pye Records, home of Petula Clark and The Kinks, practically defined the British "big beat" sound of girl-pop with its urbane, sophisticated productions. Scratch My Back! Pye Beat Girls 1963-1968 offers a cross section of the label's brashest sounds with 24 well-selected nuggets from artists both familiar and
Power of Soul: Jimi Hendrix's Band of Gypsys Revisited On "Machine Gun: The Fillmore East First Show"
On December 31, 1969 and January 1, 1970, Jimi Hendrix, Billy Cox and Buddy Miles took New York's Fillmore East by storm with four exhilarating, adventurous performances fusing R&B, soul and hard rock with an improvisatory sensibility. On September 30, Legacy Recordings and Experience Hendrix will release the first of the Band of Gypsys' four sets for the very first time as Machine Gun: The Fillmore East First Show 12/31/69. Newly mixed from the original one-inch 8-track master tapes by
They Say It's Wonderful: Real Gone September Slate Includes Robert Goulet, Porter Wagoner and The Meters
Even though summer has just begun, Real Gone Music is already looking toward the end of the season with its September releases. As per the label's norm, the artists represented span a wide range of styles and genres. We've already told you about the Second Disc Records/Real Gone release of The Isley Brothers' lost Groove With You...Live! album. Joe has also written the liner notes for another of Real Gone's September offerings: Robert Goulet's 2-CD The Definitive Collection. Joe put
Last Train To Clarksville: The Monkees Compile Hits and Favorites On "50" and "Forever"
"You Bring the Summer," goes one of the brightest tracks on The Monkees' new hit album Good Times! Well, the summer is bringing more of Micky, Davy, Peter and Mike with the dual August 26 releases of Monkees Forever and The Monkees 50. This announcement comes hot on the heels of the release of the lavish, definitive Blu-ray collection of The Monkees' television show! These two new collections are timed for the band's 50th anniversary (currently being celebrated on the road by a successful
Lost Era of London Celebrated On Croydon Municipal's "Soho Continental"
Next stop: bohemian London, circa the 1950s and 1960s. That's the itinerary for Croydon Municipal's latest release in conjunction with Cherry Red, Soho Continental. This 25-track collection conjures the period in which Soho was dotted not with chain stores and restaurants but with coffee bars, cocktail spots and trattorias populated by artists of every stripe and ethnicity. As co-compiler Martin Green points out in his liner notes, "this album reflects the international sounds emanating from
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