You May Say I'm a Dreamer Much like the artist who created it, John Lennon's Imagine has always been an album of contradictions. While its dreamy, idealized title track has become an anthem for generations, the same LP veers from heartbreaking vulnerability ("Jealous Guy") and expressions of romance ("Oh My Love," "Oh Yoko!") to a withering, personal jab at a friend ("How Do You Sleep") to powerfully pointed social commentary ("Crippled Inside," "I Don't Wanna Be a Soldier Mama I Don't Wanna
Review: Bob Dylan, "More Blood, More Tracks: The Bootleg Series Vol. 14"
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
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
Soundtrack Watch: La-La Land's Super Slate Includes Five DC Comics Releases
La-La Land Records' current slate is nothing short of super-powered, with six(!) titles streeting this month with a root in comic books - five of which come from DC Comics properties. By far the biggest of the titles in terms of both depth and recognition is the debut standalone release of Ken Thorne's scores to Superman II and Superman III, the first two sequels to 1978's blockbuster adaptation of The Man of Steel. Richard Donner's original film was memorably scored by John Williams;
Radioactive: KISS Collects Four 1978 Solo Albums In One New Box Set
Forty years ago, the four founding members of KISS surprised fans by announcing a quartet of solo releases, all scheduled for release on the very same day: September 18, 1978. The four albums were all marketed and branded under the KISS imprimatur by Casablanca Records, and each album would be truly "solo" in that no other KISS member other than the artist would play on the record. Casablanca invested $2.5 million in the marketing effort, and announced that five million copies would be
People Get Ready: Aretha Franklin Hits and Orchestral Versions Collected on "The Queen of Soul"
This summer, music lovers across the world mourned the loss of one of the most renowned vocalists to ever grace the planet: Aretha Franklin. Now, Rhino U.K. has announced a new collection that celebrates the music icon's reign, entitled The Queen of Soul. Arriving on November 23 to CD and digital, the two-disc set pairs some of Aretha's classic Atlantic sides with recent symphonic versions that feature The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. The first disc covers the Atlantic territory, boasting
Review: "Stax '68: A Memphis Story"
Otis Redding's "Sittin' on the Dock of the Bay," the first Stax single of 1968, should have been a new beginning for the artist and label. Instead, the posthumous release ushered in a tumultuous year for the Memphis institution. The death of Redding and members of The Bar-Kays on December 10, 1967 was a tremendous loss for Stax and popular culture, but no one could have predicted the upheaval that would affect Stax and the city of Memphis in the following twelve months. That time has just
Good News: Cherry Red, SoulMusic Collect Staple Singers' Epic Years on "For What It's Worth"
Stop, children, what's that sound? For nearly half a century, the sound of The Staple Singers was one of tremendous power. Roebuck "Pops" Staples, daughters Cleotha, Mavis, and (sometimes) Yvonne, and son Pervis raised their voices in song to celebrate the Lord, but also to fight for civil rights and espouse messages of positivity and resilience to listeners worldwide. At Epic Records, the group transitioned from pure gospel and blues to soul and R&B - a move that would take them to the
How The Story Goes: Cherry Red Collects REO Speedwagon's "Early Years" On New Box Set
When "Keep on Loving You" reached the top spot of the Billboard Hot 100 in 1980, some listeners could be forgiven for thinking that REO Speedwagon came out of nowhere. Prior to that seminal power ballad, the Illinois-formed band had never attained a chart position higher than No. 56 ("Time for Me to Fly," 1978). When the success of "Take It on the Run" (No. 5) quickly followed, it was clear that REO Speedwagon was here to stay. But their success was hard-earned, and their catalogue already
Dream A Little Dream: Real Gone's Black Friday RSD Slate Includes The Mamas and the Papas, Cheap Trick and Roy Buchanan
Our continuing look at this year's Black Friday Record Store Day offering now brings us to Real Gone Music's three selections which will be available the day after Thanksgiving, November 23. You may purchase these at any participating independent record shop. (See the full list of shops here!) Roy Buchanan - Live at Town Hall 1974 Blues-rock guitarist Buchanan was famous for playing the Fender Telecaster with an effects-free technique and influencing many other musicians despite never
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
Release Round-Up: Week of October 12
Welcome to this week's Release Round-Up! David Bowie, Loving the Alien (1983-1988) (Parlophone) 11CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada 15LP: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada The fourth annual volume of Parlophone's ongoing series of box sets dedicated to the late David Bowie, Loving the Alien (1983-1988), arrives on 11 CDs or 15 vinyl LPs. This lavish set is filled with more exclusive material than any of its predecessors, as only three studio albums are
Review: Ramones, "Road to Ruin: 40th Anniversary Deluxe Edition"
The Ramones entered New York's Mediasound Studios in May 1978 with their mission clearly laid out: to achieve radio airplay and mainstream success without sacrificing their punk values. It wasn't such a far-fetched idea; a love of '60s pop had been ingrained in the band since their debut. For their fourth album, Road to Ruin, the band would continue on the path blazed on 1977's Rocket to Russia with stronger playing, stronger production, stronger songwriting, bigger hooks, and more varied
Record Store Day Black Friday Round-Up: Run Out Groove Preps Two Limited Edition Releases
Today is the final day for pre-orders of Run Out Groove's next title: an expanded vinyl edition of Secret Machines' Ten Silver Drops. Similarly, polls close today for voting on the label's next release. Will it be an expanded edition of the eponymous album from sixties prog-rockers Ars Nova, the vinyl premiere of Victoria Williams' Water to Drink, or a brand-new rarities collection from Devo? The choice is yours! Visit Run Out Groove's website today to place those orders and make those
Everything Your Heart Desires: Legacy Unleashes Rare Hall & Oates Mixes To Digital Channels
Whoa-oh, here they come! On Friday, Legacy Recordings reissued a treasure trove of rare remixes from the enduring rock 'n' soul duo of Daryl Hall and John Oates onto all digital platforms, including two new collections and three EPs. Single Mixes scoops up 16 alternate versions of some of Hall and Oates' greatest hits, including the U.K.-only mix of the 1981 chart-topper "Private Eyes," the seven-inch remixes of "I Can't Go for That (No Can Do)" (No. 1, 1981) and "One on One" (No. 7, 1983),
We Wish You a Merry Christmas: Andre Kostelanetz, "Bonanza" Releases Coming From Second Disc Records, Real Gone Music
Every year, Real Gone Music and Second Disc Records' bonanza of Christmas music is as sure a thing as Santa's coming down the chimney! And this year, there's an actual Bonanza as part of our line-up! On November 9, we're getting into the holiday spirit with two all-new collections. First up is Andre Kostelanetz and His Orchestra's The Complete Christmas Albums, and Andre and co. will be joined by The Complete Christmas on the Ponderosa featuring Lorne Greene and the cast of television's
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
OUT TOMORROW! Second Disc, Real Gone's Johnny Mathis Expanded Series Continues with Two New Titles
Second Disc Records and Real Gone Music are proud to continue the journey through the catalogue of the legendary Johnny Mathis TOMORROW with the two latest additions to our ongoing series. First up is an expanded 2-CD release comprising both of the artist's classic albums originally released in 1972: The First Time Ever (I Saw Your Face) and Song Sung Blue. These teamed Mathis with renowned producer Jerry Fuller (Gary Puckett and The Union Gap, The Knickerbockers, Mark Lindsay) for the first
The Right Track: Cherry Red Retells "The Contempo Story 1973-1977" with Major Lance, Fontella Bass, The Exciters, More
Between 1973 and 1977, the London-based Contempo Records label released roughly 150 singles (not to mention numerous albums) celebrating soul in its various strains. Contempo made its mark with both reissues of classic soul material and all-new recordings, and now its legacy has been celebrated in a new 3-CD box set from Cherry Red's Soul Time imprint. The Contempo Story 1973-1977 collects 83 tracks featuring such boldface names as Major Lance, Fontella Bass, Bettye Swann, Doris Duke, Sam and
Review: The Doors, "Waiting for the Sun: 50th Anniversary Edition"
Upon its release in July 1968, some might have found the title of The Doors' third album, Waiting for the Sun, to be ironic. After all, Jim Morrison, Robby Krieger, Ray Manzarek, and John Densmore, were hardly ever in pursuit of anything remotely sunny. But the album, with its rather bucolic cover shot, most certainly struck a chord with listeners in the year between The Summer of Love and Woodstock. Waiting for the Sun became the band's only No. 1 album, and included the No. 1 single "Hello,
Release Round-Up: Week of September 28
Welcome to this week's Release Round-Up! Tom Petty, An American Treasure (Reprise) 4CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada 6LP: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada 2CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada This career-spanning retrospective of rare and previously unreleased material from the late Tom Petty arrives on Reprise Records. The aptly-titled An American Treasure will be the first posthumous collection of Petty material, and it should prove a vital
What a Groovy Day: Cherry Red's Grapefruit Records Celebrates "The British Psychedelic Sounds of 1969"
Cherry Red's Grapefruit imprint has recently released the latest volume in its year-by-year chronicle of British psychedelia. Try a Little Sunshine: The British Psychedelic Sounds of 1969 follows Let's Go Down and Blow Our Minds (1967) and Looking at Pictures in the Sky (1968) with 3 CDs and 73 tracks from another fascinating year in music history. The box explores the various musical strains impacted by psychedelia, such as pop (including bubblegum, baroque, and sunshine/harmony pop),
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
If You See Her, Say Hello: Bob Dylan's Next Bootleg Series Offers "More Blood, More Tracks"
Fresh off a two-record stint with Asylum, Bob Dylan returned to Columbia Records in 1975 with one of the most acclaimed records of his career. Blood on the Tracks found Dylan reinvigorating the "confessional" singer-songwriter genre, even as he repeatedly insisted that the album's songs had no relation to his own life and then-recent marital turmoil. Whatever the truth, Blood on the Tracks was painfully raw, vulnerable, and altogether exquisite, boasting such all-time classic compositions as
Robinsongs Round-Up, Part Two: Spotlight on Bar-Kays, Lakeside, and Crown Heights Affair
We previously filled you in on Robinsongs' recent releases from The Whispers, Midnight Star, and Shalamar. Today, we're looking at the Cherry Red imprint's 2018 reissues dedicated to three more vintage R&B groups: The Bar-Kays, Crown Heights Affair, and Lakeside. As One/Nightcrusing/Propositions/Dangerous brings together The Bar-Kays' four Mercury Records albums originally released between 1980 and 1984 on a 2-CD set. The band had gotten its start at Stax Records and had just scored a
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