The Second Disc Archives are open! We're reprising this look at a musical which united the talents of Stephen Schwartz, James Taylor, Mary Rodgers, Micki Grant and Craig Carnelia, while our story also features "appearances" along the way by Paul Simon, Joni Mitchell, Billy Joel, Bruce Springsteen, Jennifer Warnes and Rupert Holmes! Welcome to our Reissue Theory special: Working! On Monday, September 6, 2010, America celebrated its 128th Labor Day, all but the first 12 of them recognized as a
"TNG" Box Boldly Goes Where Few Have Gone Before
Film Score Monthly has announced its fifth box set, and like the others, it's quite an undertaking: Star Trek: The Next Generation - The Ron Jones Project collates 14 discs' worth of music from the famous television series plus a heap of other Trek goodies from composer Ron Jones. Jones, best known for some surprisingly notable scores to animated television works (including the Disney cartoons DuckTales and Chip n' Dale Rescue Rangers along with turns on Family Guy), composed scores to 42
Legacy Bumps Jayhawks Reissues to Next Year
We may have only fleetingly mentioned these before, but Legacy has prepped expanded reissues of Hollywood Town Hall and Tomorrow the Green Grass, the first two records that alt-country rockers The Jayhawks recorded for the American Recordings label in the early 1990s. Hollywood Town Hall, released in 1992, will feature five bonus tracks (two of which are unreleased) while Tomorrow the Green Grass (1995) will be presented as a double-disc Legacy Edition with a heap of bonus cuts, 20 of them
Friday Feature: The Terminator Saga
Every August 29, incredible geeks like myself look skyward and emit sighs of relief that no nuclear warheads are heading our way. Of course, on a fictitious August 29 - in 1997 to be exact - a nuclear attack did indeed happen, triggered by a dangerously self-aware defense network system called Skynet. A war would rage between these sentient machines and their human creators, ultimately climaxing with soldiers on each side being sent to the past (our present) to alter future events. That tale,
Rounder Records Adding Box Set to the Holiday Rush
Add another box set to the pile for this holiday season: The Rounder Records Story, an 87-track, four-disc chronicle of the Massachusetts-based indie folk label, celebrating its 40th year. The set includes tracks by notables names like Willie Nelson, NRBQ, Robert Plant and Alison Krauss, Rush, George Thorogood and The Destroyers, Bela Fleck and more. Pre-order it here and check the track list out after the jump.
Short Takes: Dylan Bonuses to Come with Bootlegs, Bernstein Box on the Way
A pair of notes from some Sony properties today: one focuses on a bonus with Bob Dylan's newest Bootleg Series release, the other is a big box coming from Sony devoted to one of America's greatest composers. Apparently, those who purchase The Bootleg Series Vol. 9: The Witmark Demos 1962-1964 from Amazon will get a bonus disc recorded at Brandeis University's First Annual Folk Festival in 1963. The reel-to-reel tape source had been in the collection of Rolling Stone co-founder Ralph Gleason.
Reissue Theory: Beck, "Mellow Gold"
It's not common that The Second Disc gets political, but this past weekend inadvertently made for a hilarious segue into catalogue discussion: conservative firebrand Sarah Palin took to Twitter on Monday defending television host Glenn Beck's really weird "Restoring Honor" rally held last weekend. In particular, she criticized the mainstream media "sheeple" (a terrible portmanteau if ever there was one) for downplaying the significance of the rally. Her tweet, in full: Silly media reports“maybe
Lennon Reissue Updates: "Power to the People," Kind Of
A few details have crossed the wires regarding the upcoming John Lennon reissue campaigns due for domestic release October 5. The aforementioned track lists for the new Power to the People: The Hits compilation, the Gimme Some Truth box set and the bonus discs in the John Lennon Signature Box we wrote about a few weeks ago is accurate (although the discs in Gimme Some Truth are presented in a different order - the set kicks off with the "Roots" disc thought to be Disc 4 then continues in proper
"Beauty and the Beast" Reissue Adds Something There That Wasn't There Before
Given The Walt Disney Company's notorious penchant for avoiding most soundtrack releases on CD - Michael Giacchino's score to Up is probably one of the few Oscar-winning scores in history to never have been pressed on CD, and Randy Newman's Toy Story 3 soundtrack is another digital-only affair - it's nice to see Walt Disney Records reissuing the soundtrack to Beauty and the Beast, one of their crowning achievements, on CD once more. However, it's far from the best presentation the music has ever
News Round-Up: Stripped Smokey, Another QotSA Reissue and An Unsurprising Delay
If you were looking for a bit of a change, musically, today might be the day to check out yesterday's digital release from Motown, Smokey Robinson's The Stripped Mixes. Not unlike a Michael Jackson set that was rush-released after his death last summer, Stripped puts an emphasis on The King of Motown's inimitable voice through ten acoustically-minded remixes. Call it a cash-in if you want, but the MJ set revealed some buried treasure in those new mixes. Plus, come on, it's Smokey Robinson. He
Review: Frank Sinatra, "September of My Years"
Frank Sinatra was always one to face the world head-on. So it was with his turning 50. The man who had pioneered the “concept album” with a string of themed records for Capitol began thinking of an LP that would allow him to plant his feet squarely in the present, 1965, and reflect with every ounce of experience he’d acquired in the many lives he’d led over a mere 50 years. The album that would become September of My Years began its life inspired by Kurt Weill and Maxwell Anderson’s “September
A Heroic Selection of Music
It's always a blast to find out catalogue news from unexpected sources, so when I read a report from my favorite geek news site Topless Robot about a DC Comics music compilation, I got pretty darn excited. Set for release September 28, The Music of DC Comics: 75th Anniversary Collection collects 31 tracks from various DC-affiliated film and television projects - Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern, Aquaman, The Flash and even Swamp Thing are all here - and the best part is that
New Concord Reissues on the Way, None of Which Are Ray Charles-Related
From Paste magazine, we have word of a few expanded reissues due from the Concord catalogue, which will include titles by The Vince Guaraldi Trio, Miles Davis with Sonny Rollins, Wes Montgomery, Chet Baker and The Bill Evans Trio. Still no word on another intriguing Concord catalogue title - Ray Charles' Rare Genius: The Undiscovered Masters, supposedly due for release October 26 - but these might be of interest to our jazz-minded readers. None of these have been reported on Concord's own site
Intrada Goes "Deep"
Chalk up another in-demand title getting resurrected from the soundtrack honchos at Intrada: an expanded presentation of John Barry's score to the 1977 underwater thriller The Deep. Based on the novel by Peter Benchley (who of course wrote that other undersea horror tale, JAWS), the film - centered around a quest for undersea treasure - had only a few similarities to Steven Spielberg's fish story from two years earlier: both films shared a star (Robert Shaw, although Louis Gossett Jr. would
A Year-Old Reissue That Mayer May Not Be of Interest
I sort of hesitate mentioning this on The Second Disc, but it does count as a reissue, even if it's an obvious grab for holiday shoppers: Columbia is releasing an expanded edition of singer-songwriter John Mayer's latest album, last year's Battle Studies. Depending on who you ask, Mayer is known as an engaging musician with guitar chops reminiscent of Stevie Ray Vaughan, or he's a womanizing jerk who can be too smart or too verbose for his own good. (To this longtime fan, who has caught the man
News Round-Up Part II: Expansions All Over, TV Treasures and a Bon Jovi Compilation
With the calendar about to turn over to September, it's definitely catalogue season. We've seen a lot of reissues, expansions and box sets announced - enough to make my post-vacation-hazed head spin - and plenty more are certainly on the way. Before we get into that, though, I want to thank not only Joe for holding the fort down expertly while I was away, but to you, the reader, for sticking with us. The rest of the year is going to be awesome for catalogue enthusiasts, and The Second Disc is
Reel Music, Hip-o Select Raid the Motown Vaults
Just a few days' away from its start, September is already looking to be a great month for Motown enthusiasts. For starters, an August 22 tweet from Hip-o Select's Twitter feed revealed the latest project in Motown Select's (busy) pipeline: Tammi Terrell's Come On and See Me: The Complete Solo Collection. While largely remembered for her classic duets with Marvin Gaye, Terrell was no slouch as a solo artist, and this compilation should go a long way in reminding audiences of that fact. As Tammy
Springsteen Reveals Details for "Darkness" Mega-Box
Folks, Bruce Springsteen doesn't kid around when it comes to keeping promises. The specs are in for The Promise: The Darkness on the Edge of Town Story, and this monster box set due on November 16 is going to be a doozy, to put it mildly. Boasting three packed CDs and three DVDs or Blu-Rays, The Promise is a treasure chest for longtime Springsteen fans: 21 unreleased audio tracks on two CDs, four hours of concert footage (including 12 performances dating between 1976 and 1978, a whopping 26
Review: Various Artists, "Book a Trip: The Psych Pop Sounds of Capitol Records"
In 1970, Griffin’s “Yours Till Forever,” written by a young songwriter named Kenny Nolan, skyrocketed to No. 1 on the Billboard pop singles chart. A band called The Exception, led by singer/bassist Peter Cetera, became one of the biggest acts of the decade and kicked off their international success with the horn-driven hit “My Mind Goes Traveling.” And, of course, the Lettermen, those pioneers of psychedelic pop, are still remembered for their ode to “Mr. Sun.” Okay, none of that really
The Answer's No Longer Blowin' in the Wind: Columbia Confirms Dylan Tracks
On July 30, The Second Disc reported on Bob Dylan: The Original Mono Recordings and the ninth volume of Dylan's acclaimed Bootleg Series, both due in stores on October 19. Well, Volume 9 has an official name and an official track listing. The Bootleg Series Volume 9: The Witmark Demos 1962-1964 will contain a whopping 47 songs (plus one fragment) recorded by Hibbing, Minesota's favorite son in demo form not only for M. Witmark & Sons, but for Leeds Music as well. 15 songs were recorded
Reissue Theory: Go West
Reading Rob Sheffield's Talking to Girls About Duran Duran was a mistake. I don't mean that in a literal sense; the Rolling Stone writer's newest book is a great read (as good as his incredibly bittersweet memoir Love is a Mix Tape), especially for an '80s enthusiast like myself. But reading the author's meticulous combing of tracks from his youth (everything from A Flock of Seagulls to the truly obscure Hayzi Fantayzeee) and how they inspired his ability to engage in dialogues with the women
"One-Eyed Jacks" a Kritzerland Smash
The first and only film directed by Marlon Brando, the 1961 western One-Eyed Jacks isn't as well-remembered as many of the screen legend's other accomplishments. But with a cast including Brando as bank robber Rio (inspired by Billy the Kid), Karl Malden as his former partner-turned-sheriff Doc Longworth and Ben Johnson as new cohort Bob Emory, and a revolving door of screenwriters including Sam Peckinpah and Calder Willingham, One-Eyed Jacks had much to distinguish it. It was the final film
September 20 Will Be a Manic Monday: 2 Bangles Titles Reissued and Expanded in the UK
Emerging in the early 1980s with a sound equal parts garage rock, power pop and 1960s folk rock a la the Byrds, the Bangles quickly took their place as one of the most successful girl groups of all time. The band consisting of Susanna Hoffs, Vicki Peterson, Debbi Peterson and Michael Steele made their major-label debut on the Columbia label with 1984's All Over the Place. While not a major success, the album made enough of a splash to attract some big fans, namely 1980s icons Cyndi Lauper, Huey
Holy Mackerel! Early Paul Williams Expanded and Remastered by Now Sounds
If ever an album was lost in the shuffle, it was the 1968 debut LP by The Holy Mackerel. The LP, assigned as Reprise 6311, fell smack in between Jimi Hendrix's Electric Ladyland (Reprise 6307) and Neil Young's eponymous solo debut (Reprise 6317). But adventurous listeners would find themselves rewarded if they picked up the album by the oddly-named group, with its cover sleeve of five gents and a lady smiling for the camera under three-dimensional comic book-style lettering proclaiming them "The
Compilation Deluge Due from Legacy: Joplin, Presley, Dylan, Cash Included
The Second Disc kicks off the week with a bit of synergy. Our very own Mike Duquette contributed a wonderful piece over at Popdose looking at the hidden musical treasures you can find at your local grocery store - of all places! - including Sony/Legacy's Playlist: The Very Best of Daryl Hall & John Oates. If you haven’t checked out Mike’s incisive, entertaining feature, please do so now, and then rejoin me here. Okay? Good. Welcome back! With summer turning to fall, and fall traditionally
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