It's safe to say we've given Boy George more than enough time to realize his crime. The beleaguered singer has had more than his share of legal troubles throughout the '90s and 2000s, and that has occasionally overshadowed the music he put out in the 1980s. This is a shame, since Culture Club was one of the better U.K. pop bands of the early '80s. Don't let George's gender-bending look fool you. Heaven knows that's become the primary takeaway for nostalgists, but there's a lot more underneath
Review: Jimmy Webb, "Ten Easy Pieces Plus 4"
Often a reissue celebrates a classic album of years past. Through additional content, new remastering or expanded liner notes, the listener can put the original in perspective. It can be a reminder of just why we loved that album so much the first time around or take us to a special time in our own past. At other times, a reissue brings a forgotten album to light, revealing it as a lost treasure. Such is the case for Jimmy Webb's Ten Easy Pieces, now Plus 4 courtesy the fine folks at DRG
Solo Smokey, Thrice as Nice
It's always a delight to see Hip-o Select dig up treasures from those fabled Motown vaults. It's as much of a treat, too, to see Select tackle those hidden in plain sight bits - the music that has been around officially for years, but has yet to make its debut on CD. One of the most exemplary artists who until recently was hard to find on CD was the great Smokey Robinson. The angel-voiced Motown man had a phenomenal solo career for the label after separating from The Miracles, but those albums
In Case You Missed It: Common's "Resurrection," Resurrected
The irony is so thick, you can cut it with a knife: lately, there's been a lot of talk about the presence and/or absence of rap music being reissued, remastered and anthologized. The Guardian did a nice piece on the burgeoning rap reissue scene, and even yours truly threw his hat into the fray with a guest post on Record Racks back in August about seminal works of the genre that demand a reissue. It's funny, then, that one particular rap reissue got lost in the shuffle a few months back. I'm
From Marcy to Madison Square: Jay-Z Compilation Forthcoming (UPDATE 10/18)
A new compilation for rapper Jay-Z will be on store shelves very soon from Island Def Jam. The influential hip-hop artist/businessman has never had a compilation released stateside, outside of a bonus CD packed with special copies of last year's DJ Hero video game. So this is quite a monument; the man born Shawn Carter is arguably the most pre-eminent figure in rap since the end of the 1990s. His career has weathered retirements, comebacks, feuds, reconciliations and the jump from Roc-a-Fella
Reissue Theory: Chevy Chase
Welcome to another installment of Reissue Theory, where we reflect on well-known albums of the past and the reissues they could someday see. This time around, we shine a light on a few unorthodox musical moments from a comedy legend. "I'm Chevy Chase, and you're not." For the past couple of years, no one would dare be envious of the man once considered one of the greatest comedians of the 1970s and 1980s. Today, however, The Second Disc not only defends him from his detractors but makes a case
Is Warner Seeing Double with Green Day Singles Box?
A doubly odd little note appeared while news gathering yesterday: a post at the Broadway World Web site noted a few upcoming box sets from Warner Music Group - the aforementioned Tim Burton/Danny Elfman box set, deluxe editions of new albums by adult contemporary stars Josh Groban and Michael Buble - and there was a strange little note at the end, for a vinyl box set devoted to pop-punk leviathans Green Day. If that news sounded odd (or oddly familiar) to you - the band hasn't much to promote,
Nelly Furtado to Say It Right with First-Ever Compilation
Another female pop star of the 2000s is getting her very first compilation for the holiday rush: Nelly Furtado, the Grammy-winnning Portugese-Canadian singer who first garnered attention for her folky pop sensibilities, then for her surprise reinvention as a dancehall goddess. Furtado first rose to the scene with Whoa, Nelly! (2000), a catchy debut LP with a lite-FM-ready sound. Sophomore release Folklore did have a few gems (including underrated first single "Powerless") but suffered
Sellout!
It's no longer a snarky term to throw at indie bands that sign to a major label. Right now, "sellout" makes this author think of The Complete Elvis Presley Masters, Legacy's massive 30-disc box set devoted to The King of Rock and Roll. Several days ago, it was confirmed to have sold all 1,000 copies - a monumental achievement, if not a surprising one. Readers, we've seen a growing number of limited sets finding their way into our collective catalogue consciousness. The soundtrack world has been
I Wanna Rock! Eagle Rock Reissues Twisted Sister Reunion Show, Latter-Day Albums
As rock fans sit about and wonder if and when the Twisted Sister discography is ever going to be remastered and expanded in full, Eagle Rock Entertainment attempts to satiate TS fans' appetites by reissuing Live at Wacken: The Reunion (2006). Recorded at the Wacken Open Air Festival in 2003, the set was one of the biggest venues Dee Snider, Eddie Ojeda, Jay Jay French, Mark Mendoza and A.J. Pero had performed at since intermittently reuniting the seminal '80s glam metal band with all of its
A Relatively Clear "Vision"
Well, what do you know? TMZ got it right. Epic and Legacy have announced Michael Jackson's Vision, a three-DVD set of Jackson's videography. Some 42 videos are included, several of them unreleased on any format. It's also the closest MJ fans in the U.S. have gotten to getting the entirety of Moonwalker released, as most of the vignettes from that film are included. Will you want to get rid of your old compilations (Video Greatest Hits HIStory, HIStory on Film Volume II, Dangerous: The Short
Reissue Theory: Tony Bennett, "Tony Sings the Great Hits of Today!"
Welcome to another installment of Reissue Theory, where we reflect on well-known albums of the past and the reissues they could someday see. This installment spins what may be the least-loved Tony Bennett LP into a lost classic for the ages. Today's Reissue Theory takes a look at one of the most reviled albums of all time, the LP thought to be the nadir of a career still going strong after nearly 50 years. The artist is Tony Bennett, and the album is Tony Sings the Great Hits of Today! ,
Playlist Tracks Aplenty
Way back in August, The Second Disc reported on a flood of titles in Legacy's budget Playlist series. Today, a whole bunch of them are released, and if you haven't yet made your weekly trip to the record store and were wondering what might be in store, you'll have your answer after the jump. Read on to see the newest compilations for Barry Manilow, Stevie Ray Vaughan, The Isley Brothers, gospel titles from Johnny Cash, Elvis Presley and Dolly Parton and much more!
Kritzerland Crosses "Bridge" and Unearths the Tortures of "Sadismo!"
Hopefully fans of classic 1960s film scores have been saving their pennies, as the limited editions just keep on comin'. Intrada just made available two classic western scores from Universal; Kritzerland has two briskly-selling new releases now available, both rescued from the MGM library. Making its debut in any medium is Les Baxter's score to 1967's shockfest, Sadismo. The American International release was one of a series of documentaries spawned by 1962's Mondo Cane, each film featuring
Universal, Intrada Raid Vaults for Western/War Scores
Intrada's biggest release last year was the score for Back to the Future, but this month sees the label going back to the past with Universal Pictures' help, with the premiere release of two 1960s soundtracks by Bronislau Kaper and Dimitri Tiomkin. It's been a relatively big year for reissues of both mens' work - Kritzerland reissued two of their Western scores on one disc last month, and Kaper was the subject of a three-disc set from Film Score Monthly in July - and now Intrada releases
Review: David Bowie, "Station to Station" (2010)
There are box sets, and then there are box sets. EMI's hulking, monster of a box dedicated to David Bowie's 1976 Station to Station (EMI BOWSTSD2010) is one such box set. It's even more massive than The John Lennon Signature Box, itself a lavish and large affair containing 11 discs. The multi-disc box celebrating a single album isn't a new concept, although in the past such offerings were largely based upon session material. The format has proliferated in recent times as record labels have
Just in Case You Had No Rolling Stones LPs on Vinyl... (UPDATED 10/12)
...or if you have no idea what to do with the $1,000 or so you put aside for gifts for that Stones fan in your family this year, you finally have an answer. MusicTAP reports that UMe's releasing a massive pair of remastered, 180-gram vinyl box sets that cover a good chunk of the band's discography. The Rolling Stones 1964-1969 features 11 of the band's ABKCO-owned U.K. studio albums, from 1964's self-titled LP to the 1975 outtakes compilation Metamorphosis, and also throws in two additional 12"
UB40's "Signing Off" Celebrates 30 Years with Deluxe Reissue
Another '80s reissue from EMI - who'd have thought? This time, it's an expansion of Signing Off, the seminal debut LP from British reggae band UB40. Though UB40 are best known in America for their reggae-infused covers of standards like Neil Diamond's "Red Red Wine" and Elvis Presley's "Can't Help Falling in Love," their musical roots involve fusing that reggae sound to socially conscious lyrics about poverty, famine and race relations. (The band's name in fact comes from one of the forms
Tim McGraw's Chart-Toppers Compiled on New Set
Add another compilation to the holiday pile: Curb Records has planned #1 Hits from country star Tim McGraw on November 30. The Louisiana-born singer/actor first rose to prominence in 1994 with the single "Indian Outlaw," a controversial country tune that became McGraw's first Top 10 country hit and a crossover single as well, peaking at No. 15 on the Billboard Hot 100. His next single, "Don't Take the Girl," was the first of 22 solo singles to top the country charts. Along the way, he's scored
Review: John Lennon, "Signature Box," "Double Fantasy: Stripped Down" and "Gimme Some Truth"
Lift the lid off the giant box set (and objet d'art) The John Lennon Signature Box (EMI/Capitol 50999 906509 2 5) and you'll see the word "YES" jumping out at you. YES is a good reaction to the thought of having (mostly) all of John Lennon's solo studio output available in one place, remastered largely by the same team responsible for last year's Beatles reissues, and accompanied by a hardcover book and art print. Is The John Lennon Signature Box, and its companion discs, an unqualified YES,
Get the Party Started! Pink to Release First Compilation
Not all tunes at The Second Disc headquarters are vintage cuts. Matter of fact, one of the neatest compilations from a modern pop artist was just announced yesterday: Greatest Hits...So Far!!!, the first compilation by pop singer Pink. Emerging from a short-lived R&B group called Choice, Pink was given a solo contract on LaFace Records in 2000, the age of Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera. Much to her resentment, she was quickly labeled as an edgier version of those singers. Undeterred,
Back Tracks: Michael Jackson's Video HIStory
It pains me to report on unsubstantiated news from the reissue world, but this one needs to be addressed in some way: TMZ reported last weekend that Sony was prepping a compilation of Michael Jackson's music videos (allegedly titled Vision) for the Christmas rush. Yeah, it's TMZ, not a known source of catalogue info, but they did prove their mettle in covering Michael Jackson's death (for better or for worse), so let's at least serve the news to you with more than a dash of salt. But let's say,
"Live at Leeds," Now with More Live
As previously reported, Universal Music Enterprises is releasing another reissue of The Who's Live at Leeds, now more super-deluxe than ever for the LP's 40th anniversary. Now, from our friends at VVN Music, the full track lists have been unveiled for the previously unreleased Hull show. Live at Leeds: 40th Anniversary Edition will feature the full show recorded on Valentine's Day 1970 at Leeds University (previously released in full for the first time in 2001) as well as the next night's show
Review: "Curse of the Pink Panther: Original MGM Motion Picture Soundtrack"
Sometimes the most rewarding soundtrack releases are the least expected. 1983's Curse of the Pink Panther marked the end - well, for a decade, anyway - of Blake Edwards' long-running series of comedies which began with 1963's The Pink Panther. Edwards' seventh and eighth Panther films had been shot following the death of series star Peter Sellers, who proved to be irreplaceable as bumbling Inspector Jacques Clouseau. (A previous attempt to do Clouseau sans Sellers was 1968's Inspector Clouseau,
30 Years and Still "Searching"
Those who know Dexys Midnight Runners as the overall-clad Irishmen singing the Celtic-flavored '80s hit "Come On Eileen" might not know there's a bit more to know about this most unusual of bands. (Some folks are on to something about Kevin Rowland and his band of misfits; the first tweet by the incredibly entertaining Discographies Twitter account was a summary of the Dexys catalogue.) Before releasing Too-Rye-Ay on Mercury and scoring a No. 1 hit with "Eileen," Dexys Midnight Runners was an
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