UPDATE (5/18): Rhino has released the unreleased track "Hellbent" for your streaming pleasure! Listen to it here. Original post: Can you believe, in this crazy world of music catalogue titles, that nobody's ever thought to do this before? Rhino's U.K. arm is releasing Total: From Joy Division to New Order next month, marking the first time a commercial compilation collates the best of both bands. (A 2001 New Order promo compilation tacked a few Joy Division songs on the end of its running
Ring-a-Ding Ding! 1961 Sinatra Debut For Reprise Is Remastered and Expanded
Shortly before Christmas 1960, Frank Sinatra entered the studio to record the tracks that would yield Ring-A-Ding Ding!, his inaugural release on the record label he founded, Reprise. As the company’s slogan went, Reprise albums were meant “to play and play again,” and boy, did Sinatra live up to his word! Ring-A-Ding Ding! is still one of the singer’s most beloved albums some fifty years after its March 1961 release, and Concord Records is marking the occasion on June 7 with a remastered
Review: Jimi Hendrix, "South Saturn Delta" and "Band of Gypsys: Live at the Fillmore East"
When Jimi Hendrix wrote the lyrics, "Well, she's walking through the clouds, with a circus mind that's running 'round?," is it possible that he was writing about himself? Hendrix isn't generally considered part of the school of autobiographical singer/songwriters, and appreciation of his lyrical and melodic craft usually takes a backseat to his dazzling virtuosity as a musician. So while "Little Wing" isn't precisely about Hendrix, the vivid lyrical imagery of a dreamer with a "circus mind"
It's a Bird! It's a Plane! It's a "Smallville" Score Compilation
This Friday is a momentous occasion for fans of Superman: after a decade on the air, the television drama Smallville - which focuses on a teenaged Clark Kent's transition into adulthood, bringing him closer to his destiny as the Man of Steel - will complete its run with an extended series finale that will likely finally see actor Tom Welling wearing the blue tights and red cape (even if for a brief moment). Though some have certainly reacted with bemused shock that Smallville is still on the
Weekend News Round-Up: Doobies, Peter Gabriel, Stax and Kansas
It was such a busy week that reporting has spilled over into the weekend! Enjoy these tidbits from around the rest of the catalogue music world. Eagle Rock is releasing a vintage live CD/DVD by The Doobie Brothers, from their 1982 farewell tour. Live at the Greek 1982 sees a lineup that included sole original member Patrick Simmons on guitar, longtime co-drummer Keith Knudsen (who shared the kit with Chet McCracken, a member since 1980's One Step Closer), guitarist/violinist John McFee,
In Case You Missed It: A Full Spectrum of U.K. Compilations in May
The Spectrum family of labels in the U.K., which includes the catalogues of what Americans count toward Universal Music Group, have a few affordable compilations on the market in the coming month from a diverse crop of artists. On May 23, the label will release compilations from Styx as well as both Fleetwood Mac and Rod Stewart. (The latter two artists, whose catalogues reside with Warner Music Group in the U.S., will focus on each act's "early years.") It's also worth noting that Spectrum has
LAST CHANCE REMINDER! Contest: Win Bob Dylan's "The Other Side of the Mirror" on Blu-Ray
Hey, friends! Our Bob Dylan contest ends tonight at 11:59 p.m. EST. Mike and I couldn't be more thrilled to give you the opportunity to win The Other Side of the Mirror: Bob Dylan Live at the Newport Folk Festival 1963-1965 on Blu-Ray! Don't delay; details are below. Enter now! We've got some very exciting stuff for fans of Bob Dylan: a contest to win a reissue of a Dylan documentary on Blu-Ray from Legacy Recordings! We're giving away a copy of The Other Side of the Mirror - Bob Dylan
Second Disc Advisory: Joe Takes Over!
Hey there catalogue enthusiasts! Just a quick note that Joe's got the reins of The Second Disc while I'm on vacation for a few days. We've made pretty sure that there shouldn't be much problems in transition, so business will continue as usual - likely with less '80s and soundtrack news, but still strong! I'll see everyone back here around Tuesday.
In Case You Missed Them: Soundtrack Smashes from La-La Land, FSM
Our apologies for not getting these titles to you earlier, but there's been a lot of action on the indie soundtrack label front, with two titles announced by Film Score Monthly late last week and three from La-La Land that went on sale yesterday and are selling briskly. Over at FSM, the label released Friday a short but powerful score to the film Testament, a 1983 drama featuring Jane Alexander as a mother coping with the fallout from a nuclear blast outside their California suburb. The
Black Sabbath is "Born Again" on New U.K. Reissue
England has gotten more than its share of great expansions of the Black Sabbath catalogue - even the lesser known material - and now we can add another title to the list. The metal ensemble's Born Again (1983) is coming back into print in May in a new double-disc deluxe edition. Black Sabbath were in a period of transition in the months leading up to Born Again. Vocalist Ronnie James Dio had left the band to form his own successful band, and took Sabbath drummer Vinny Appice with him. Remaining
Rhino Knows What Time It Is: Chicago "Live in '75" Coming from Handmade (UPDATED 4/11)
UPDATE 4/11: The link just before the jump takes you directly to the order page for this set. Original post: Billboard has certified them as the second-most successful American rock band in music history, only following The Beach Boys. The RIAA places them handily in the Top Ten of all-time album sales from an American group. So it's fair to say that Chicago is still perhaps the most successful American rock band to have been wholly ignored by the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. The band has
Soundtrack Round-Up: La-La Land's Next Releases, "TRON" on Demand and More Elfman Box Goodies
Here's some news from around the world of catalogue soundtrack releases, including developments on notable box sets and a surprise expansion from La-La Land Records. The busy label has finally announced a release date of next Tuesday, April 12, for their biggest-sized title yet - an eight-disc box set of music from the Medal of Honor video game series. The long-running franchise, conceived by Steven Spielberg for the Sony PlayStation game console, has featured music by several composers, most
Back Tracks: Nirvana
Seventeen years ago today, Generation X lost an icon when Kurt Cobain, the talented, troubled frontman for Nirvana, took his own life in his Seattle home. Nirvana were three albums into their career, but had already redefined music for an entire cachet of disaffected youth. The genre that came to be known as grunge music, based on frequently alternating dynamics, heavy distortion and angst-filled lyrics, was forged largely under the songwriting tactics of Cobain, who very reluctantly accepted
Tom Waits Has Other Sonic Problems
Tom Waits' voice may not be for everyone, but there were bigger problems than that to notice on the recent repressings of his first four albums on red vinyl from Rhino. The reissues, put out several months back, have been plagued with sporadic problems that seem to lie with the mastering or transfer onto vinyl. Fortunately, Anti- Records has begun an exchange program and promised their customers that these problems will be corrected and avoided for future vinyl reissues of the Waits
Review: "Inner City: The Original Broadway Cast Recording"
"I look around and what do I see? Nothing's the way it used to be..." In 1969, Eve Merriam bluntly took aim at violence, racism, corruption and poverty in her ironic collection of verse, Inner City Mother Goose. Controversial from the outset, Merriam's Mother Goose became one of the most banned books in the country. Enter visionary theatre director Tom O'Horgan. Having replaced Gerald Freedman for Hair's move uptown in 1968, O'Horgan was well known for his experimental flair. Julian Barry's
Review: "It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World: Original MGM Motion Picture Soundtrack"
Close your eyes for a moment and pretend you're on Jeopardy! The answer: "This 1963 widescreen epic opened Hollywood's Cinerama Dome." The question: "What is It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World?" Raise your hand if you got it right! Yes, Mad World, as we'll abbreviate it for expediency's sake, is this author's epic film to end all epic films (sorry, Ben-Hur!) and certainly one of the only Hollywood epic comedies! While the designation "all-star" has been applied before and since, perhaps no film
Back Tracks: The Police
On this day in 1978, A&M Records signed a bunch of blonde guys masquerading as punk rockers to their label. That doesn't sound like a blueprint for success, but those guys - vocalist-bassist Gordon Sumner (better known as Sting), guitarist Andy Summers and drummer Stewart Copeland - were well on their way to becoming one of the biggest bands in the world, then one of the most lamented and celebrated after their messy breakup (and inevitable reunion). The Police were like few others,
Reissue Theory: Elton John, "To Be Continued...1992-2010"
Welcome to another installment of Reissue Theory, where we reflect on notable albums and the reissues they may some day see. It's been over two decades since Elton John released his career-spanning To Be Continued... box set, and so much has happened with his career since then. How do you cover such ground? Simple - make another one! It’s only appropriate that Elton John titled his 1992 album The One. It was a major first for the superstar: his first album recorded in all too many years without
Love Makes the World Go Round: London Cast "Carnival" Hits CD
Priscilla: Queen of the Desert. Sister Act. Catch Me If You Can. Today’s Broadway is populated by adaptations of familiar movies; in 1961, such screen-to-stage transfers were rare. When they did occur, the authors usually changed the title of the film to signify that their musical version was, indeed, a new work. (Imagine producers today allowing authors to diverge from a famous property's title!) Such creative freedom resulted in some of the most inspired musicals in stage history, and one such
La-La Land's Going "Mad" Next Week
Not too long ago, La-La Land Records announced it had only one title due out March 15. Now they've revealed what score they've unearthed - but it's something that's been reissued before. It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World (1963) is one of the most madcap comedies ever released by Hollywood. Part road picture - groups of people working against each other to find a hidden stash of cash in California - and part Tinseltown epic (dozens of comedians and movie stars appear in the film, including Sid
Review: Simon and Garfunkel, "Bridge Over Troubled Water: 40th Anniversary Edition"
"What's the point of [making] this album?," an impossibly youthful Paul Simon asks in the 1969 television special Songs of America. "The world is crumbling." If Simon didn't know then why he was "just" recording an album despite all of the tumult around him, he almost certainly knows now. After all, he and partner Art Garfunkel have seen Bridge Over Troubled Water make it to 40 years (actually, 41!), and have even participated in the celebration. The duo have also seen the accompanying album and
Review: Billy Joel, "Live at Shea Stadium" and "Last Play at Shea"
One of the biggest pitfalls as a music writer is reading something - usually a review - that spells out your thoughts so well that you have no idea where to go with your own piece. Popdose editor-in-chief Jeff Giles did that alarmingly well with his scathing assessment of Billy Joel's Live at Shea Stadium: The Concert (Columbia/Legacy 88697 85424-2, 2011), calling it "pungently shitty, the nadir of a relatively distinguished career, and the type of release that justifies the awful music business
Friday Feature: "Fast Times at Ridgemont High"
More than 30 years ago, Dave Cameron walked through the halls of Clairemont High School in San Diego. He had a colorful collection of friends: a middle-class, business-oriented guy, his sexually naive sister, her sophisticated best friend, the jock and nerd duo that lusted after the girls and a colorful surfer dude. What none of them knew at the time was that Dave Cameron wasn't really a high school student. He was 22, and had already graduated high school seven years prior, at the age of 15. In
La-La Land Boards "Money Train"
The newest scores to order from La-La Land are from films both old and new: Mark Mancina's score to Money Train (1995) and Abel Korzenlowski's soundtrack to Copernicus' Star (2009). Money Train was an action-comedy flick starring Wesley Snipes and Woody Harrelson as New York City two transit cops. The film was not a success, but is known for being one of the earliest mainstream appearances of Jennifer Lopez and its killer action score by Mark Mancina, who at the time was making quite a mark on
Pino Donaggio's Lost "Ordeal" Released at Last
Kritzerland’s restoration of Pino Donaggio’s complete score to Carrie was one of the most lauded film score releases of 2010. Today, the label announced a title that could be considered a follow-up: the premiere of Donaggio’s shelved score to the 1985 film Ordeal by Innocence. This Cannon Films adaptation of Agatha Christie’s 1958 novel was directed by Desmond Davis of 1981’s Clash of the Titans, and featured a starry ensemble including Christopher Plummer, Faye Dunaway and Ian McShane. The
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