What artists do you associate with Christmas? The Beach Boys? Andy Williams? Perry Como? How about James Brown? That last one isn't a name one might immediately associate with the holiday season, outside of December 25, 2006 being the day of his death. But Brown cut no less than three holiday albums during his career, and for the first time, Hip-o Select has compiled those LPs (and more, naturally) into a two-disc set, The Complete James Brown Christmas (Polydor/Hip-o Select B0014791-02). The
Reissue Theory: The Beatles at Christmas
Welcome to another installment of Reissue Theory, where we reflect on well-known albums of the past and the reissues they could someday see. With one day before Christmas, the discussion turns to a long-lost Yuletide treasure still unreleased on CD - the release of which would be...Fab. One of the most common complaints about the hype about The Beatles on iTunes was the lack of vault material beyond the Washington, D.C. concert on film. Live at the Hollywood Bowl, any of the U.S. albums -
More ZTT and All That
Not only is a deluxe edition of Frankie Goes to Hollywood's Liverpool prepped for February 2011, but another vault-clearing compilation is on the way from the ZTT label. Zang Tuum Tumb and The Art of the 12" is two discs' worth of rare or unreleased dance cuts from the best acts to ever grace the roster from 1983 to 1989 or so: Frankie, Propaganda, Art of Noise, 808 State and plenty more. It's also got a handful of those distinctively ZTT short tracks that ended up on the odd single from time
Review: John Williams, "Home Alone: Expanded Original Motion Picture Score"
When you discuss the best modern entry into the Christmas music canon, most discussion centers on Mariah Carey's "All I Want for Christmas is You." The 1994 song did a fantastic job of paying tribute to the always-excellent A Christmas Gift to You from Phil Spector (1963), bringing the Wall of Sound to the '90s, and it's lived on for over 15 years. One Yuletide tune that deserves your attention from earlier in that decade, however, is "Somewhere in My Memory," the heartwarming main theme from
Going Back to "Liverpool"
Earlier this year, ZTT's ongoing reissue campaign gave us a 25th anniversary edition of Welcome to the Pleasuredome, the hit LP from U.K. dance-pop act Frankie Goes to Hollywood. Next year, ZTT and Salvo Music are releasing a similarly expanded version of Liverpool, Frankie's follow-up and finale. By the album's release in late 1986, England was suffering from serious Frankie overexposure. Their singles were everywhere - "Relax," "Two Tribes" and "The Power of Love" had all topped the U.K.
Fly Him to the Moon
Nobody's denying the greatness of Rod Stewart's early career, both with The Faces and on his own. But since 2002, the man can't stop putting out MOR albums devoted to The Great American Songbook. And it's inspired a host of copycats, from Barry Manilow to Phil Collins. Not content with his five(!) Songbook LPs, J Records will release The Best of The Great American Songbook next year. It's a no-frills collection of the highlights of all those albums and will probably sell a million copies to the
The Year in Reissues, Part II
You're probably wondering where Part I of The Year in Reissues is. Happily, the fine folks at Popdose have put my ramblings about the best reissues, box sets and other catalogue sets on their Web site. But there are plenty more good ones I wanted to shine the spotlight on after filing the story. So here's are five other notable catalogue sets to remember from the past year. And do share your opinions in the comments below, as always!
Back Tracks: The Clash
Where were you when you first heard The Clash? If you can't answer that question because you've never heard them, then consider this your Christmas present. The London-based punk band accomplished much in their decade-long tenure, including some of the best albums of the genre. Though they enjoyed the fruits of a major label, they stayed true to their ethos, keeping prices low for albums, tickets and souvenirs (reportedly, the band forfeited royalties on sprawling triple-album Sandinista! in
Review: Perry Como, "The Complete Christmas Collection"
They don’t make ‘em like that anymore. I can’t help but think of that old adage whenever I think of Perry Como. The singer was one in a line of great crooners, many of them Italian-Americans. Frank Sinatra, dean of them all and forever the Chairman of the Board, was well-known for his swagger. Tony Bennett is still renowned for the jazz chops he brings as an interpretive vocalist. Perry Como, though, is perhaps best-known for his quiet gentility. Days after his death in 2001, conservative
Review: Nat "King" Cole, "Love is the Thing" and "The Very Thought of You"
The time is 1957. The place is the corner of Hollywood and Vine in Los Angeles, California – the Capitol Tower. And you are there. Such is the magic of Analogue Productions’ pair of hybrid Super Audio CDs, part of the label’s Nat “King” Cole reissue program. Thanks to the gorgeous remastering and improved quality afforded by the format, you’ll hear every breath, as if you were in the studio alongside Cole himself during a recording session. The versatile artist is today remembered for many
Release Round-Up: Week of December 21
Just one title today, because it's almost Christmas! Who's going to buy new CDs Christmas week? Not counting the awesome Kritzerland titles (Casino Royale and Genghis Khan)! Various Artists, 20th Century Fox: 75 Years of Great Film Scores (Varese Sarabande) A sweet three-disc set of classics from Fox's deep vault. This was delayed from earlier in the month, but I have a feeling it's worth the wait. (Varese Sarabande)
"Genghis Khan" Makes CD Debut Alongside "Casino Royale"
During a time of the year when most labels have wound down their new releases for 2010, Kritzerland has rewarded loyal listeners with a pair of early Christmas gifts. On Monday, the label made available for pre-order its final two releases of the year, and both are doozies. On Friday, we brought you the news of the remastered and expanded Casino Royale soundtrack composed by Burt Bacharach, and yesterday, the label gave official word that Casino will be joined by the first-ever CD release for
Tim Buckley's Debut to Be Expanded (UPDATED 12/18)
Rhino is releasing Tim Buckley's debut album for Elektra next week, sources confirm. Buckley was all of 19 years old when he recorded his debut LP in 1966 with Elektra founder Jac Holzman co-producing and a stunningly strong group of session players backing him up (Lee Underwood on guitar, Jim Fielder of Blood, Sweat and Tears on bass, Van Dyke Parks on piano and Mothers of Invention drummer Billy Mundi). Though critics never gave him scores of attention, he is now widely regarded as one of the
Review: "Super Mario History 1985-2010"
It's a credit to one's abilities as a composer when people all over the world can vocalize the instruments that play your songs. Every hook The Beatles got on the radio proved their expertise at this. Plenty of album-oriented rock bands have accomplished similar feats. In terms of worldwide appeal, however, Koji Kondo may have them all beat. Though few know his name, a simple vocalization - "Doo-doo-doo-do-do-DOOT" - solidifies his status as a legend. And to think, his most successful music
Another Sabbath Reissue Coming in the U.K.
Yet another Black Sabbath deluxe reissue is happening in the U.K. in February, and this time it's another Dio-led album. After a year that saw seven Sabbath reissues across the pond (not counting that cross box), Sanctuary/Universal has another one in the pipeline. This one, 1992's Dehumanizer, is actually licensed from the I.R.S. label and featured the return of Ronnie James Dio to vocals after an 11-year absence. Like all the other Sanctuary/Universal remasters, it's augmented with a bonus
Reissue Theory: "Christmas Cheers from Motown"
Welcome to another installment of Reissue Theory, where we reflect on well-known albums of the past and the reissues they could someday see. Today's focus is the least-remembered Christmas album on Motown Records, from a lean but not unlistenable time in the label's long history. One of the best things about the holiday season is the union of two of the greatest kinds of music: Christmas carols and Motown tunes. The definitive sound of the Detroit label, when paired with holiday standards, is
Review: Michael Jackson, "Michael"
Last winter, with Michael Jackson's sudden passing not even five months in the past, Motown and Universal Music Enterprises released I Want You Back! Unreleased Masters, a ten-track compilation that was certainly the first in a long salvo of cash-in, vault-clearing titles in honor of the King of Pop (it was wisely marketed as commemorating the 40th anniversary of the J5's first single, which was true enough). Surprisingly, after a great but ill-timed box set collecting Jackson's solo albums and
Eagle Rock is Still Twisted
Fans were hoping for a decent set of remasters for the '80s shock-rockers Twisted Sister at some point in the near future. (A previous set of reissues on the Spitfire label were of intensely dubious quality.) Unfortunately, Warner Music Group seems to have bestowed the remaster task not to Rhino but to Eagle Rock Entertainment, who've put out a steady stream of TS product in the past few months. Now, on January 25, Eagle Rock has another two reissues coming out: the band's sophomore album You
Back Tracks: The Christmas Sounds of the Beach Boys
There may be no group more associated with the sounds of summer than The Beach Boys, favorite sons of Hawthorne, California. Yet the boys of summer could also accurately be described as the boys of winter, based on their timeless, perennial music celebrating Christmas. While the entire official Beach Boys Christmas catalogue is based around just one released album and another shelved one, the group's contribution to seasonal music can't be underestimated. On the eve of the group's 50th
Rock Hall Gets It Right
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame announced its inductees earlier this evening, and the results are actually quite exciting. The artists inducted are Alice Cooper, Neil Diamond, Dr. John, Darlene Love and Tom Waits. Leon Russell is getting the Award for Musical Excellence (formerly known as the Sidemen category) while the Ahmet Ertegun Award will go to Jac Holzman (founder of Elektra Records) and Art Rupe (founder of Specialty Records, the label that gave us Little Richard and "Tutti
Bob Marley to "Live Forever" on New Live Set
Arguably, Bob Marley already is living forever, at least musically. His catalogue has been treated well through various reissues and compilations from Island Records since his death in 1981; the compilation Legend remains the highest-selling reggae album in history, with sales in excess of 14 million copies in the U.S. alone. With the 30th anniversary of Marley's passing imminent, Tuff Gong/UMe preps another treat from the vault: his last recorded concert, in support of the Uprising album. Live
Legacy Readies New Playlists for 2011
Legacy Recording has got another batch of titles in the long-running Playlist series for next month. The line-up is particularly diverse, stretching from soul (Lou Rawls, Patti Labelle) to more recent pop acts (Five for Fighting, Ace of Base, Bowling for Soup) and even touching on some gospel acts (including a spiritual disc from Willie Nelson). They're not as heavy on the rarities, although some of the sets have some appealing rare cuts; Mr. Mister's compilation will feature four tracks from
"Titans," "Flesh" Close Out Intrada's Year in Score Reissues
Intrada has announced their final four catalogue soundtrack releases to round out the year. First up is Laurence Rosenthal's complete score to the classic action/fantasy film Clash of the Titans (1981). This box office hit starred Harry Hamlin as the mythic hero Perseus, who ventured across ancient Greece battling classic monsters, all expertly created by stop-motion animation guru Ray Harryhausen. (The Gorgon Medusa as seen in the film still gives us the chills!) Intrada's double-disc set
Release Round-Up: Week of December 14
Another incredibly short one as we get closer to Christmas! Michael Jackson, Michael (Epic) A posthumous collection (the first of many) consisting of 21st century outtakes by The King of Pop. Did he sing them all? I don't know, but I know I'll buy this if only to make Will.i.am angry. (Official site) Dio, Holy Diver (Niji) The classic Dio album remastered and pressed onto picture vinyl by the late singer's own Niji label. (Facebook page) Bad Religion, 30th Anniversary Box Set
"Icon" Series Gets More Iconic
Universal is prepping another batch of Icon compilations for the first week of 2011. Now, we've been hard on this series before, but there's actually a lot to like about these new sets. While previous Icon sets have been bashed by The Second Disc for either shamelessly repackaging previous compilations or offering fewer CD-based rarities than, say, Legacy's Playlist series (more on that tomorrow), this new batch of Icon sets collate artists who haven't had much in the way of compilations yet
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