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Holiday Gift Guide Review: The Who, "Quadrophenia: Super Deluxe Edition"

December 8, 2011 By Joe Marchese Leave a Comment

quadrophenia deluxe

Welcome to our Second Disc Holiday Gift Guide, in which we review some titles we might have missed over the past few weeks! The titles we're spotlighting in this occasional series just might be candidates on your own holiday shopping list! It was a most unusual moment on June 6, 1993 when the winners of the Tony Award for Best Score of a Musical were announced. John Kander and Fred Ebb, the Broadway legends behind Cabaret, Chicago and “(Theme From) New York, New York,” picked up the statuettes

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Categories: News Formats: Box Sets Tags: The Who

The Second Disc Buyers Guide: The 100 Greatest Reissues of All Time, Part 7 (#70-66)

December 6, 2011 By Mike Duquette Leave a Comment

physical graffiti

Our look at the many reissues of the 100 greatest albums of all time, as selected by Rolling Stone in 2003, soldiers on! We look at the masterings and expansions of these classic albums on disc, letting you know which audio treasures can be found on which releases. Today's a full house of rock royalty, with a Piano Man, a King of Pop, a soul legend and two albums by Led Zeppelin! 70. Led Zeppelin, Physical Graffiti (Swan Song, 1975) Led Zeppelin's sixth album could've easily not happened had

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Categories: News Formats: Box Sets Genre: Soundtracks Tags: Billy Joel, Led Zeppelin, Michael Jackson, SACD, TSD Buyers Guide

Come to the Sunshine: Now Sounds Expands, Remasters Harpers Bizarre's "Feelin' Groovy"

December 6, 2011 By Joe Marchese 1 Comment

harpers groovy

Leon Russell might have been reluctant to return to his pop music roots when producer Lenny Waronker invited him to sit in the arranger's chair for Harpers Bizarre's 1967 debut album.  But in retrospect, a Master of Time and Space must have been involved in any LP that listed among its credits Randy Newman, Van Dyke Parks, Paul Simon, Richard Rodgers and Sergei Prokofiev!  The California quintet's Feelin' Groovy long-player is still one of the boldest, most imaginative and most fun debut albums

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Categories: News Formats: CD Genre: Pop Tags: Harpers Bizarre, Randy Newman, The Beau Brummels, Van Dyke Parks

Release Round-Up: Week of December 6

December 6, 2011 By Mike Duquette Leave a Comment

spinning songbook

Neil Diamond, The Very Best of Neil Diamond (Columbia/Legacy) A new single-disc greatest hits compilation that unites classic Columbia stuff with early works for Bang and Universal and the excellent, newer stuff he's been doing with producer Rick Rubin. The E.T. song, though? Not here.  Watch for Joe's review later today! Amy Winehouse, Lioness: Hidden Treasures (Universal Republic) The late, lamented neo-soul singer memorialized with a posthumous album. Fred Wesley & The J.B.'s, The

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Categories: News, Release Round-Up Tags: Neil Diamond

The Second Disc Buyers Guide: The 100 Greatest Reissues of All Time, Part 5 (#80-76)

December 2, 2011 By Joe Marchese Leave a Comment

the clash us1

It's almost the weekend, and we've got the perfect set of tunes to rock your Saturday and Sunday!  It's Part 5 of our first-ever official Second Disc Buyers Guide, in which we look at the 100 greatest albums of all time, as selected by Rolling Stone in 2003, through the filter of when and how these classic albums have been reissued, remastered and repackaged. If you've ever wondered to yourself which versions of these albums to buy for certain bonus tracks and the like, we're your one-stop

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Categories: News Tags: Neil Young, The Clash, The Zombies, TSD Buyers Guide

Friday Feature: "An American Tail"

December 2, 2011 By Mike Duquette Leave a Comment

fievel goes west

Let's get the opinions out of the way: An American Tail is not a great movie. I'm not even sure it's a good movie; I probably wouldn't even be writing this had it not been an early childhood favorite. But while the film doesn't quite pan out as a cohesive piece of work, there are some great parts - an interesting approach to plot and animation, and certainly a brilliant batch of soundtrack writing - that make the film worth writing about. The thing you have to remember about An American Tail,

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Categories: News Genre: Soundtracks Tags: Friday Feature, Linda Ronstadt

The Second Disc Buyers Guide: The 100 Greatest Reissues of All Time, Part 4 (#85-81)

December 1, 2011 By Mike Duquette Leave a Comment

born in the usa springsteen

Here comes the fourth part of our first-ever official Second Disc Buyers Guide, in which we look at the 100 greatest albums of all time, as selected by Rolling Stone in 2003, through the filter of when and how these classic albums have been reissued, remastered and repackaged. If you've ever wondered to yourself which versions of these albums to buy for certain bonus tracks and the like, we're your one-stop shop. We've got quite a hand here today, with two Queens and a Boss to start, so let's

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Categories: News Formats: Box Sets Tags: Bruce Springsteen, Paul Simon, TSD Buyers Guide

Holiday Tunes Watch, Part 2: Andy Williams' Favorite Things Collected For 2011

December 1, 2011 By Joe Marchese Leave a Comment

andy williams christmas 2011

Early in November, Andy Williams took the stage at his Moon River Theatre in Branson, Missouri and announced to the crowd that he is fighting bladder cancer.  "I do have cancer of the bladder," Williams, 83, told the shocked crowd. "But that is no longer a death sentence. People with cancer are getting through this thing. They're kicking it, and they're winning more and more every year. And I'm going to be one of them."  He received a standing ovation upon announcing his intention to return to

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Categories: News

And the Catalogue Grammy Nominations Go To...

December 1, 2011 By Mike Duquette Leave a Comment

springsteen the promise

Safely tucked underneath a controversial slate of Grammy nominations in the major categories - seriously, Rihanna's Loud got an Album of the Year nod and Kanye West's My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy didn't? - there were a fantastic batch of reissue and box set-oriented nominations in this year's 54th annual ceremony. Without further pithy commentary, here they are: Best Boxed or Special Limited Edition Package Radiohead, The King of Limbs (ATO Records) Donald Twain & Zachariah Wildwood,

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Categories: News Formats: Box Sets Genre: Soundtracks Tags: Neil Diamond, Paul McCartney, Sting, Syl Johnson

The Second Disc Buyers Guide: The 100 Greatest Reissues of All Time (Part 3: #90-86)

November 30, 2011 By Joe Marchese Leave a Comment

johnny cash folsom prison

In Part 3 of our first-ever official Second Disc Buyers Guide, we look at five more of the 100 greatest albums of all time, as selected by Rolling Stone in 2003, through the filter of when and how these classic albums have been reissued, remastered and repackaged. If you’ve ever wondered to yourself which versions of these albums to buy for certain bonus tracks and the like, wonder no more. Today, we meet the Beatles, travel to Memphis with a beehived British soul queen, have the blues at

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Categories: News Tags: Pink Floyd, Stevie Wonder, The Beatles, TSD Buyers Guide

Reissue Theory: The Cure, "Standing on a Beach/Staring at the Sea"

November 30, 2011 By Mike Duquette Leave a Comment

the cure standing

Welcome to another installment of Reissue Theory, where we focus on notable albums and the reissues they could someday see. The recent success of some U.S. dates from The Cure have us thinking about their first compilation - a must-own for alt-rock fans when it was released a quarter-century ago - and how its best configuration deserves a release on CD. With a catalogue that stretches back to the late '70s and starts off far more solidly than most bands, it was a treat to see The Cure celebrate

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Categories: News Tags: Reissue Theory, The Cure

The Second Disc Buyers Guide: The 100 Greatest Reissues of All Time (Part 2: #95-91)

November 29, 2011 By Joe Marchese Leave a Comment

prince sign o the times

Welcome to our brand-new, exhaustive feature to take us to the end of another great year for reissues and box sets: our first-ever official Second Disc Buyers Guide! From now until Christmas, we’re taking you on a delightful trip through the 100 greatest albums of all time, as selected by Rolling Stone in 2003, through the filter of when and how these classic albums have been reissued, remastered and repackaged. If you’ve ever wondered to yourself which versions of these albums to buy for

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Categories: News Tags: Miles Davis, Prince, TSD Buyers Guide

Soundtrack Round-Up: Intrada Commits "Robbery," La-La Land Bows Final Titles for 2011

November 29, 2011 By Mike Duquette Leave a Comment

lll black friday 2011

The end of the calendar year is a boom time for all those working in reissues, especially the soundtrack labels. Today, six major titles go on sale that are certainly worth a look here at Second Disc HQ. Intrada's two latest sets, announced last night, are pretty major. One is a brand new reissue of the score to The Great Train Robbery, Jerry Goldsmith's classic soundtrack to the film directed by author Michael Crichton from his best-selling novel. Though the score is no stranger to CD, having

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Categories: News Genre: Soundtracks Tags: Michael Kamen

UPDATE: Doris Day Opens The Vaults For “My Heart” and There's Plenty For Beach Boys Fans, Album Gets U.S. Release

November 29, 2011 By Joe Marchese 4 Comments

doris day pic

The vault has finally been opened!  Sony Music U.K. has confirmed a release date and track listing for singing legend Doris Day’s long-awaited My Heart, on which your humble correspondent first reported in August 2010 and revisited back in November!  Thanks to the fine folks at Doris Day Tribute for spreading this news!  My Heart marks Doris’ first album of original studio material in some seventeen years, since The Love Album, and it features a number of tracks that will be of interest to the

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Categories: News Formats: CD Genre: Popular Standards/Vocal Tags: Bruce Johnston, Doris Day, Terry Melcher, The Beach Boys

The Second Disc Buyers Guide: The 100 Greatest Reissues of All Time (Part 1: #100-96)

November 28, 2011 By Mike Duquette Leave a Comment

500 greatest albums

Welcome to our brand-new, exhaustive feature to take us to the end of another great year for reissues and box sets: our first-ever official Second Disc Buyers Guide! From now until Christmas, we're taking you on a delightful trip through the 100 greatest albums of all time, as selected by Rolling Stone in 2003, through the filter of when and how these classic albums have been reissued, remastered and repackaged. If you've ever wondered to yourself which versions of these albums to buy for

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Categories: News Tags: Bob Dylan, Sly & The Family Stone, The Who, TSD Buyers Guide

Friday Feature: Muppet Memories

November 25, 2011 By Mike Duquette Leave a Comment

the muppets take manhattan

This month, it's finally time to play the music and light the lights, with the release of The Muppets, a brand new film featuring Kermit The Frog, Miss Piggy, Fozzie Bear, The Great Gonzo and just about all of Jim Henson's furry, felt-covered creations in an all-new story co-written by fabulous funnyman and human co-star Jason Segel (star of TV's How I Met Your Mother and co-writer and star of Forgetting Sarah Marshall). The film, which sees the Muppet gang reunite after years out of the

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Categories: News Genre: Soundtracks Tags: Friday Feature, Paul Williams, The Muppets

Entering the Culture Factory: New Reissue Label Launches with Robert Palmer, Paul Williams' "Paradise"

November 23, 2011 By Joe Marchese Leave a Comment

phantom of the paradise

Despite the spurious reports of the “death of the CD,” the reissue biz is still thriving on the little silver platter, offering up all manner of deluxe editions for the discerning customer.  (That means you, dear reader!)  In 2011, we’ve seen the launch of such heavyweights-to-be as Real Gone Music, Omnivore Recordings and RockBeat Records, and we’re now happy to welcome another name to the fold.  Culture Factory USA quietly launched this past September, with releases from Mink DeVille, Moon

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Categories: News Genre: Soundtracks Tags: Paul Williams, Robert Palmer

Q Applause For Mr. Jones and Mr. Hefti: "Enter Laughing" and "Synanon" Come to CD

November 22, 2011 By Joe Marchese 1 Comment

synanon

If you don’t know the name Neal Hefti, you undoubtedly know the man’s music…whether it’s the indelible, insinuating, harpsichord-and-brass theme to The Odd Couple, or the frenetic, groovy Batman theme from the Caped Crusader’s campy television show.   And Quincy Jones, the man known as Q, needs no introduction.  Like Hefti a veteran of jazz and big band, Jones’ trailblazing productions on landmark albums such as Michael Jackson’s Thriller (to name just one) ensured his place in the pantheon. 

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Categories: News Genre: Soundtracks Tags: Neal Hefti, Quincy Jones

Jackson, Cymone, Hendryx Move to Funky Town

November 22, 2011 By Mike Duquette Leave a Comment

la toya

It seems that the rush of catalogue titles for 2012 is starting earlier than normal. This week, we've already seen a lot of announcements and plans from the major labels, the likes of which are probably going to get us through the rest of the calendar year as day-to-day news goes. The advance notice trend is hitting some of the indie labels, too - Funky Town Grooves just announced a bumper crop of expanded releases for January and February. And we think some of them will be right up your

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Categories: News Tags: Nona Hendryx

Concord Collates "Charlie Brown Christmas"

November 21, 2011 By Mike Duquette Leave a Comment

charlie brown christmas

Christmas time is here! Okay, maybe not yet, but that's not stopping Concord Music Group from releasing another set of holiday-ready discs from the Peanuts universe today. The Charlie Brown Collection is a four-disc set featuring some of the best seasonal music written for Charles M. Schultz's boy named Charlie Brown. Of course, much of that musical credit goes to Vince Guaraldi, the composer of 17 Charlie Brown television specials, including the iconic A Charlie Brown Christmas in 1965.

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Categories: News Genre: Soundtracks

Soulful and Seductive: Grateful Dead, Glen Campbell, The Roches, Bill Medley, Maynard Ferguson Kick Off Real Gone 2012

November 21, 2011 By Joe Marchese 1 Comment

dicks picks 32

Are you ready to get gone, Real Gone, with the new kids on the reissue block?  The label founded by Gordon Anderson and Gabby Castellana is following its debut slate (reviews to come!) with an eclectic group of releases for January 2012 that will start the New Year off right!  One batch of titles is due January 24, with the remaining releases arriving the following week. Few artists have had a career as legendary as that of Glen Campbell, and few have been as brave in the face of tragedy. 

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Categories: News Tags: The Righteous Brothers, The Roches

Release Round-Up: Week of November 21

November 21, 2011 By Mike Duquette Leave a Comment

some girls deluxe

Another Monday release date, ostensibly to get the jump on an abbreviated week with the Thanksgiving/Black Friday holiday! And it's another big week, to be sure. The Rolling Stones, Some Girls: Deluxe Edition (Rolling Stones/UMe) Whether you think it's the last truly great Stones album or not, it's hard to deny that this is the biggest of the deluxe releases this week. (That super-deluxe edition, with a bonus DVD and vinyl, doesn't disprove the notion, either.) Bob Seger, Ultimate Hits: Rock

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Categories: News, Release Round-Up Formats: Box Sets Tags: Bob Seger, Michael Jackson, Rush, Styx, The Grateful Dead, The Kinks, The Rolling Stones, Vinyl, Warren Zevon

Review: The Cool Revolution Continues - Four From CTI and Kudu

November 18, 2011 By Joe Marchese Leave a Comment

dont you worry

When he established Kudu as an offshoot of his titanic jazz label CTI, Creed Taylor wore his ambitions on his sleeve.   The label was named after the long-horned African mammal and its logo adorned with Afro-centric colors, as Taylor intended to do no less than make Kudu a home for releases "indigenous to the black popular music of the United States."   Taylor always knew the importance of a visual, and much as CTi releases were recognizable for their striking, provocative cover photographs and

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Categories: News, Reviews Formats: CD Genre: Jazz, R&B/Soul Tags: Esther Phillips, Hank Crawford, Johnny Hammond, Lonnie Smith

Review: R.E.M., "Part Lies Part Heart Part Truth Part Garbage 1982-2011"

November 17, 2011 By Mike Duquette Leave a Comment

plphptpg

R.E.M.'s Part Lies Part Heart Part Truth Part Garbage 1982-2011 (Warner Bros. 529088-2) marks the fourth compilation by the Athens band in my collection. As a young teen, I fell in love with their melodic, confident pop/rock with In Time: The Best of R.E.M. 1988-2003 - but that was only part of the picture. The rest would be filled in by the 2006 release of And I Feel Fine...The Best of the I.R.S. Years 1982-1987, which captured the quartet at what may be their creative peak. (The third

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Categories: News Tags: R.E.M.

Rammstein Zusammenstellung

November 17, 2011 By Mike Duquette Leave a Comment

rammstein

How metal is metal? For 16 years, German band Rammstein has pushed the limits of the genre, in the studio and onstage - and next month, they're going to celebrate their work with their first compilation, Made in Germany 1995-2011. With songs like "Mein Herz Brennt," "Engel," "Pussy" and "Du Hast" (arguably their most notable song in America), Rammstein took the best of industrial and symphonic rock, added a dash of electronica and techno and created a sound that was hard for metal audiences to

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Categories: News Formats: Box Sets Tags: Rammstein

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