There's rarely such a thing as a Monday matinee, but that won't keep The Second Disc from ushering in the week with news of a quintet of reissues from our friends at Film Score Monthly and Sepia Records. These exciting releases are sure to please devotees of both soundtracks and cast albums. Film Score Monthly kicks things off with their new release of BUtterfield 8: Bronislau Kaper at M-G-M, Volume 1 (FSM 1309). Kaper rarely seems to be afforded the acclaim given to many of his contemporaries,
Nothing More, Nothing Less - Only Love
That's the feeling with which Hip-o Select presents its latest title: a look at some of the last, still-great years of jazz legend Louis Armstrong. The new two-disc set, Hello, Louis! The Hit Years 1963-1969, compiles some of Satchmo's best-known and best-loved works, including the chart-topping show tune "Hello Dolly!" (which booted The Beatles' "Can't Buy Me Love" from the top slot), the endearing "What a Wonderful World" and the gorgeous "We Have All the Time in the World," the theme to the
Friday Feature: "Ghostbusters"
For whatever cosmic reason, 1984 was a huge cosmic intersection for pop music and film. Prince exploded into the national consciousness with Purple Rain, Kenny Loggins continued his run as America's go-to soundtrack guy with his contributions to Footloose. Stevie Wonder called The Woman in Red to say he loved her, Harold Faltermeyer helped make Eddie Murphy a superstar with "Axel F." from Beverly Hills Cop. Even Phil Collins had a soundtrack hit, against all odds. And then there was
You Got It: Orbison's Final Concert Due on CD
Thanks to MusicTAP for the tip-off to this one: Eagle Rock has set an August 10 release date for Roy Orbison: The Last Concert, a CD version of Orbison's final show. Recorded at the Front Row Theater in Highland Heights, Ohio on December 4, 1988 - two days before Orbison died of a heart attack at the too-young age of 52 - the set shows Orbison at the height of his mid-'80s resurgence, with a set leaning heavily on his early solo hits. The Last Concert was first released in 2008 on iTunes, to
Reissue Theory: Nik Kershaw
It's not hard to see why Nik Kershaw was considered a teen idol in the 1980s, but it is hard to understand why this was the case after listening to his music. The British guitarist released several great albums of atmospheric yet accessible guitar pop-rock, but it seemed a bit heavier than the usual teen idol fare of generations past or future. Kershaw's best-known output don't deal with typical teen fare. His biggest singles, "Wouldn't It Be Good," "I Won't Let the Sun Go Down on Me" and "The
"Batman," "Krull" to Be Expanded by La-La Land
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9AdEHOta-Uc] La-La Land Records has announced its next batch of catalogue soundtrack reissues - and they're two big names to fans of '80s action/fantasy films. Danny Elfman's iconic score to the 1989 film version of Batman and James Horner's music from Krull (1983) are getting lavish expanded releases for the month of July. Batman, part of La-La Land's Expanded Archival Collection series, will feature, for the first time ever, the full score as
Back Tracks: Rupert Holmes
“If you like pina coladas, and getting caught in the rain”…Come on, you know how it goes, sing along…“If you’re not into yoga, if you have half a brain…” So goes the song that got Rupert Holmes into the record books as singer/songwriter of the last No. 1 hit of the 1970s and the first of the 1980s. While it may be the most famous song penned by the idiosyncratic artist/composer/producer (and collaborator of artists ranging from Streisand to Sparks!), it’s merely the tip of the iceberg for Rupert
Does EMI Stand for "Every Mastering Insignificant"?
Immense praise to Slicing Up Eyeballs for bringing this story to our attention: EMI have released a statement regarding the mastering of the last two entries in the ongoing Duran Duran remaster series. And it ain't pretty. If you've been following this story at all, through ICE or Amazon or even our own review of the first album, here's how it goes: the new reissues of Duran Duran (1981) and Seven and the Ragged Tiger (1983), while stuffed with some great bonus content, suffer thanks to
Live Aid at 25
It was 25 years ago today that two massive, historic concerts were organized for African famine relief. Live Aid, performed in London's Wembley Arena and Philadelphia's JFK Stadium on July 13, 1985, was one of those rare overblown rock success stories - dozens of superstars and members of rock royalty coming together not at the behest of a politician or a natural disaster, but simply because it seemed the right thing to do. It raised millions for charity, it provided a massive plug for the
Back Tracks: R.E.M. - The I.R.S. Years
Today, the 25th anniversary reissue of R.E.M.'s Fables of the Reconstruction hits stores. Athens, Georgia's favorite rock band has spent the past five years or so establishing their place in the pop-rock firmament: since 2006, the band's early recordings for I.R.S. Records - a six-year span between 1982 and 1987 - have been the center of much catalogue attention from EMI and Universal (each has a piece of the I.R.S. catalogue). The four members of the band - vocalist Michael Stipe, guitarist
News Round-Up: Coming Soon from Audio Fidelity, Kritzerland & Masterworks Broadway
There's lots of label action to report today, so let's just jump right in: Hot on the heels of this week's release of Stevie Wonder's Talking Book and Laura Nyro's Time and Love: The Essential Masters, Audio Fidelity has announced two more titles to receive the 24K Gold CD reissue treatment. Coming up are two 1980s classics: Rickie Lee Jones' 1989 Flying Cowboys, produced by Walter Becker of Steely Dan, and Billy Idol's Rebel Yell, the 1983 album that catapulted Idol to superstardom. Steve
Back Tracks: The Apple Tree, Part I
The news of the Apple Records catalogue getting a new remastering and reissuing is one of the many catalogue stories one should file under "cautious optimism." It is awesome to have these classic, underappreciated records from luminaries like Badfinger, James Taylor and Billy Preston back into local record shops, bearing fresh digital remasters by the team that did a pretty darn good job on last year's Beatles remasters. But there are things we have to remember as fans. First, pretty much all
Starr-Struck: Vini Poncia and Jackie Lomax, Reissued
Oh my, my! Ringo Starr turned 70 on July 7 and celebrated with a concert at Radio City Music Hall and an afternoon “Peace and Love” celebration. After the breakup of The Beatles, few would have believed what a prolific career the former Richard Starkey would have; his 15th studio album, Y Not, saw release via Hip-O Records just this past January. Ringo’s always gotten by, well, with a little help from his friends. His first solo LP, 1970’s Sentimental Journey, found George Martin in the
Review: Harry Nilsson and John Stewart, "Spotlight on Nilsson/Willard"
Whenever the temptation exists to get depressed about the state of the catalogue business, a reissue comes along as a reminder of a couple things. One, that good things, indeed, do come to those who wait. Two, that sooner or later most everything will see the light of day. One such reissue arrived from DRG Records on June 29 to sadly little fanfare. This totally unexpected set joins albums by two disparate artists, yet stands as a cohesive and altogether rewarding listening experience. Harry
Bobbing for Apple in October
Well, it's happening: NME is reporting that Apple Records remasters are on their way October 25. No label has been specified (recall the rumors that Rhino, not EMI, was working on these), but the albums in question have been. Cautious optimism abounds, as there hasn't been any discussion of bonus tracks or any additional material. (UPDATE 7/7/2010: An official release has been issued and can be read here. Looks like EMI is doing these, with promises of some bonus material and digital releases -
Review: "Promises, Promises: Original MGM Broadway Cast Recording"
The Fourth of July isn’t usually a holiday known for gifts. But your humble reviewer felt as if he got a gift, and what a gift!, on July 3 when Kritzerland’s limited edition deluxe 2-CD reissue of the original cast album of Promises, Promises (KR 20015-9) arrived in the mail. As a result, much of the weekend was spent listening to an album I’ve known for years, but hearing it as if for the first time. For background on this release, see The Second Disc’s post of June 14 and join us after
Come Back When You Grow Up: Lost Bobby Vee Tracks to See Release
The early 1960s could be thought of as the era of the Bobbys: Darin, Rydell, Vee. Despite rising to prominence in the unfairly-derided period between the birth of rock & roll and the British Invasion, these post-Elvis pop stars all stormed the charts and left behind great recorded legacies. Darin was a multi-faceted entertainer who touched on pop, standards and folk-rock with equal ability before passing away at a too-young age, Rydell waxed some of the most indelible pop confections out of
July 4th Special Review: Frank Sinatra, "America, I Hear You Singing"
“I hear America singing, the varied carols I hear,” Walt Whitman famously wrote in 1900. In early 1964, the country was still recovering from the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, and as in so many times of turmoil, artists stepped up to raise their voices in song and perhaps lend comfort and assurance. One such artist was Frank Sinatra. While his many other loves have been well-documented, love of country surely ranked high among them. A lifelong civil rights champion and proud
"Golden Years" Revisited
Details have arrived regarding the long-awaited deluxe edition of Station to Station, David Bowie's 1976 album and the vehicle for his "Thin White Duke" character. Recorded while Bowie was arguably his most drug-addled, Station to Station featured the U.K. Top 10 hit "Golden Years," as well as singles "TVC 15" and "Wild is the Wind." The promotion of the LP saw Bowie in some of his most outrageous days; interviews were punctuated by the singer extolling the virtues of facism, and controversy
Rick Nelson Box Set Raves On
A hat tip to MusicTAP for pointing this one out: Bear Family, the inimitable German catalogue label specializing in reissues from the early days of rock, is issuing the last in a series of career-spanning box sets from the late, great Rick Nelson. In 1957, Ricky Nelson, the heartthrob co-star of The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet (which starred his parents), began to develop a rock 'n' roll career that thrived throughout the rest of the decade. Next to Elvis Presley and Pat Boone, there was no
The Finer-er Things
As many of our readers know, Island released a new-ish Steve Winwood box set, Revolutions: The Very Best of Steve Winwood. I say "new-ish" because the offerings weren't terribly different from the last expansive anthology of Winwood material, 1995's The Finer Things. Predictably, the set didn't do terribly well - a shame because Winwood is a solid, enjoyable performer to listen to, but simultaneously not a shame since it doesn't offer enough new stuff for catalogue enthusiasts to savor. But the
Apple, Cored
A quick, relatively inconsequential bit from gossipy gadfly Roger Friedman: he's apparently getting word that EMI/Capitol is planning to start overhauling the much-in-need-of-overhauling catalogue of Apple Records. As any Beatlemaniac can tell you, Apple Records was The Beatles' own label, created in 1968 (part and parcel of the whole Apple Corps unit The Fab Four had spearheaded). Although the band broke up not long after its creation, Apple would be the home to several notable names through
News Round-Up: Live CSNY, XTC on Vinyl, Teardrop Expands
An article from The Columbian of Clark County, Washington is making the rounds for noting that a box set is being prepped chronicling the 1974 tour of Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young. Planned to enter stores around the holiday season, the set is said to comprise three CDs and a DVD, culled from eight of the best stops on the tour. The 1974 tour saw CSNY performing after a four-year hiatus; the outdoor-arena shows (among the first of their kind) often stretched to three hours of electric and
Loesser is Always More: Happy Birthday, Frank Loesser!
While his name may not be instantly recognizable today, many of the songs penned by Frank Loesser most certainly are: “Baby, It’s Cold Outside,” “Heart and Soul,” “What Are You Doing New Year’s Eve?,” “Sit Down, You’re Rockin’ the Boat.” The man himself passed away in 1969, but his catalog lives on. June 29 would have marked Loesser's 100th birthday, and Sony’s Masterworks Broadway division marks the centennial with this week’s release of the 19-track compilation Heart and Soul: Celebrating the
Reissue Theory: The Tubes, "Outside Inside"
The music industry is a crazy place. One year your band's putting on a crazy stage show that equally satirizes and utilizes the grandest excesses of rock, the next minute you've got a hit single with most of the members of Toto for support. Such is the tale of The Tubes, one of many ambitious, underappreciated bands from the '70s and '80s. During the band's early tenure on A&M from 1975 to 1981, they had a significant following thanks to their funny songs (first single "White Punks on Dope"
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