"If It Ain't On Stiff, It Ain't Worth a F***!" declared a famous slogan for the venerable punk and New Wave label. This month, that worth-a-f*** spirit extends to catalogue label Razor & Tie, who today announced a brand-new licensing agreement in North America with both Stiff and equally iconic British label ZTT. Stiff, of course, was best known for putting out early works by The Damned (their "New Rose" is considered by some scholars to be the first punk rock single), Kirsty MacColl (some
He Did It His Way: Paul Anka Joins Friends For "Duets", New CD Features Michael Jackson, Frank Sinatra, Leon Russell and More
Do you remember the times of your life? Paul Anka posed that musical question in 1975, taking Roger Nichols and Bill Lane’s onetime Kodak film jingle all the way to the Top 10 Billboard pop chart and No. 1 Easy Listening. At that point, Anka could rightfully reflect on the times of his own storied life, nearly two decades in the music business. But could he have imagined that he would still be going strong almost forty years after “Times of Your Life” hit? The Canadian-born singer,
Review: Jimi Hendrix, "People, Hell and Angels"
The Jimi Hendrix reclamation project continues. The partnership between Experience Hendrix and Legacy Recordings began in early 2010 with the release of Valleys of Neptune, a 12-track collection of previously unreleased material from the late guitar hero. Since then, CDs, DVDs, Blu-rays and box sets have all arrived to keep the Hendrix flame burning bright. And now Valleys of Neptune receives a proper follow-up in the form of People, Hell and Angels (88765 41898 2), a “new” collection of
Review: Otis Redding, "Lonely and Blue: The Deepest Soul of Otis Redding"
Please, let me sit down beside you…I’ve got something to tell you, you should know... From the very first elongated cry of “please,” Otis Redding’s voice drips with pain, the kind of pain rendered impossible to keep underneath the surface. The singer of “I Love You More Than Words Can Say” pleads, prods and cajoles, all the while at an utter loss. This woman who haunts him, who lingers in his mind, seemingly can’t understand the depth of his affections. Yet we the listeners certainly can
Ashes to Ashes: Dust, Legendary Proto-Metal Band, Returns with Remastered "Dust" and "Hard Attack"
Think of Kama Sutra Records, and chances are you’ll think of The Lovin’ Spoonful, or maybe The Trade Winds or even Sha Na Na. The label wasn’t solely dedicated to sunny pop, however, as evidenced by the two albums released by the band Dust. Richie Wise (guitar/vocals), Kenny Aaronson (bass) and the future Marky Ramone, Marc Bell (drums) joined with producer/songwriter Kenny Kerner to create two albums for Kama Sutra in the early 1970s that still rank among the most incendiary hard rock,
Breeders' Second LP Makes Quite a "Splash" on New Box Set
Two decades after its original release, indie rockers The Breeders will reissue a 20th anniversary edition of their breakthrough LP, Last Splash, that may turn out to be one of the year's most grandiose packages. The Breeders started as a side project for Kim Deal, bassist for the Pixies. Debut album Pod (1990) featured Deal on guitar alongside Tanya Donnelly of Throwing Muses, Perfect Disaster bassist Josephine Wiggs and Slint drummer Britt Walford. Though sales were slight, critics praised
Rilo Kiley Wraps It Up with "RKives"
While indie-rock fans might be rightly bummed about the demise of L.A.-based Rilo Kiley, the members are at least delivering their fans a fine parting gift in the form of a new compilation that collects much of their rare and unreleased material. The quartet, comprised of frontwoman Jenny Lewis, guitarist Blake Sennett, bassist Pierre de Reader and drummer Jason Boesel, fortunately never relied on their easiest gimmick to raise outside interest: both Lewis and Sennett were former child actors,
"Trouble is a Lonesome Town" For Lee Hazlewood and Light in the Attic
The catalogue of the Cowboy in Sweden, Lee Hazlewood, continues its upgrade from the folks at Light in the Attic Records with the March 19 reissue of 1963’s Trouble is a Lonesome Town. The Mercury LP is the earliest of Hazlewood’s works to be rediscovered by the LITA team, and in fact, was Hazlewood’s solo debut. It follows the label’s acclaimed 2012 releases from Hazlewood’s own LHI label including an introductory compilation, a rare soundtrack, and a vinyl singles box set. Trouble is a
He Picks The Songs That Make The Whole World Sing: Clive Davis Curates "The Soundtrack of My Life"
In a year that counts Tommy Mottola, Cissy Houston, Burt Bacharach and Paul Anka among the music biz icons who have published, or will publish, their memoirs, one such figure's autobiography has already made headlines: Clive Davis' The Soundtrack of My Life. The attorney-turned-music mogul took a no-holds-barred approach to chronicling his history, including his tenures at Columbia, Arista, J and the RCA Label Group. This should come as no surprise to anybody who's followed his illustrious and
Kicks Just Keep Gettin' Easier to Find: Raven Collects Five Paul Revere and the Raiders LPs on Two CDs
Though Paul Revere and the Raiders was a quintessentially American band, it’s the Australian label Raven Records that’s bringing the first Raiders-related release of 2013. The group’s first five Columbia Records albums, originally released between 1965 and 1967, are being compiled on two discs as Evolution to Revolution: 5 Classic Albums 1965-1967. Available on March 12, Evolution contains the entirety of Here They Come! (1965), Just like Us! (1965), Midnight Ride (1966), The Spirit of ‘67
Chasing Waterfalls: Cherry Pop Plans New Expansion of "Wendy and Lisa"
Exciting news for Prince enthusiasts: two of the Purple One's most beloved collaborators, Wendy and Lisa, are reissuing their 1987 debut album on Cherry Pop Records next month. If you were down with Prince and The Revolution as they exploded into international stardom with 1984's Purple Rain, you likely were drawn to the subplot of The Kid's band members, Wendy and Lisa, who clashed with their bandleader over his artistic meandering. At the film's climax, the group dominates Minneapolis' First
The "Lowdown" On Friday Music's Expanded Reissue of "Chicago III"
In his recently released memoir The Soundtrack of My Life, Clive Davis speaks rhapsodically about one band he signed to Columbia Records who went on “to be one of the best-selling bands of the seventies…[and] successful in every succeeding decade, selling millions of albums along the way.” The mogul added, “They’re still active, and every year their fans lobby relentlessly for them to be nominated for induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, an honor the band very much deserves.” Davis
Put Your Hands to Heaven: An Interview with Reissue Producer Vinny Vero
Vinny Vero is everywhere. I don't mean this in just a literal sense - as of this posting, he's currently in Australia playing several DJ sets - but he's also had a multifaceted career in the music business, be it as a marketer, producer, remixer or writer. "This year is my 25th anniversary in the music business," he told The Second Disc with a laugh. "All of a sudden I feel very experienced!" Vero parlayed his passion for music into a plum gig as a research manager for prominent New York radio
Soundtrack Watch: Intrada Debuts Unreleased Goldsmith, Horner Scores, La-La Land Has "The Fury"
The past week has been a boon to fans of A-list composers of the Silver Age of film scoring. Intrada has unearthed two unreleased scores (one entirely unused) by two of the most beloved composers of recent memory, while La-La Land has put back into print one of the most underrated scores by another genius of the same vintage. James Horner had one of the best years of his career in 1989, scoring Field of Dreams and Glory that year and earning an Oscar and Golden Globe nod, respectively, for
This is the Time! Win a Copy of Billy Joel's "She's Got a Way: Love Songs"
WE HAVE A WINNER! Click the banner above to find out who won Billy Joel's She's Got a Way: Love Songs!
What Will the Neighbours Say? Girls Aloud Compile Studio Albums and Rarities for New Box
While American audiences might hear "reality TV-created band" and shudder under the weight of forgotten groups, in England (where the first rule of pop music is there are no rules), the biggest pop act of the new century was created before a rapt audience on the tube: Girls Aloud. And, off their recent flurry of activity surrounding the group's 10th anniversary (a recent compilation, 2012's Ten, and an ongoing U.K. tour to end a years-long hiatus), a deluxe career-spanning box set is planned for
Get Ready! Songs of "Motown: The Musical" Are Collected In Original Hit Versions
When Motown: The Musical opens at Broadway’s Lunt-Fontanne Theatre on April 14, it will mark yet another career landmark for Berry Gordy, the songwriter-producer-entrepreneur who turned Detroit, Michigan into Hitsville, USA some fifty-five years ago. The musical, written by Gordy and directed by Charles Randolph-Wright, depicts the rise to prominence of the Sound of Young America, with Brandon Victor Dixon (The Color Purple, The Scottsboro Boys) starring as Gordy. He’s joined by a cast of
Virtual Insanity: Jamiroquai to Expand First Three Albums
Another musical float in the "oh dear, are we all that old?" parade is passing by next month: the first three Jamiroquai albums are being expanded by Sony's U.K. arm in honor of the 20th anniversary of the band's debut, Emergency on Planet Earth. Led by singer Jay Kay, known equally for his high tenor as well as his outré selection of hats, Jamiroquai were one of the most prominent bands emblematic of the acid-jazz movement in early '90s England, fusing traditional funk and disco styles to
The True "Geisha": Classic Franz Waxman Soundtrack Arrives on CD
Kritzerland has a thing for Shirley MacLaine. The label has just announced its ninth release of a score from a film featuring the Academy Award-winning actress and current Downton Abbey star. Franz Waxman’s score to the 1962 Paramount film My Geisha is the latest to get the Kritzerland treatment. As the titular geisha in a madcap, disguise-filled romp, MacLaine starred opposite Yves Montand, Robert Cummings, and Edward G. Robinson. Norman Krasna (White Christmas, Let’s Make Love) brought his
Bread Winners: Early Songs of David Gates Compiled By Rare Rockin' Records
Long before "Make It With You," "Everything I Own" and "If" became soft-rock standards for his band Bread, David Gates had toiled behind the scenes as a songwriter, producer, arranger and musician on the Hollywood scene. He worked with everybody from The Monkees to Captain Beefheart before striking out with Robb Royer and James Griffin to form Bread. The band's debut album was released in 1969, featuring the original version of "It Don't Matter to Me." The song soon mattered quite a bit for
Reissue Theory: Duran Duran, "Duran Duran (The Wedding Album): 20th Anniversary Edition"
Welcome to another installment of Reissue Theory, where we focus on notable albums and the reissues they could someday see. Today, two decades after its release, we imagine an expanded edition of an album that sent an iconic '80s band flying into the new decade - and back toward the top of the charts. The bizarre narrative that seems to plague pop music is that, with each new decade, the trends of the last 10 years should be relegated to the past as soon as possible. The psychedelic sounds of
Review: Carmen McRae, "I Am Music"
“Life is just too much for me to bear…I guess nobody ever really cared…do you?” Carmen McRae poses that question some four minutes into “A Letter for Anna-Lee,” the Benard Ighner song that opens her 1975 Blue Note album I Am Music. It’s a startling moment of direct address in this sad tale of a man for whom “the business of the day won’t let me be,” adding that “this life’s not meant for me.” The song, its accompaniment led by Dave Grusin’s burbling electric piano, shifts from its
Take It Easy: Rhino Packages Eagles LPs for New CD Box
Rhino extends their "lots of albums on CD in one box set" trend to one of the biggest artists in their catalogue: the Eagles. The Studio Albums 1972-1979 will collect exactly that: just about the entirety of the band's discography (not counting any non-LP tracks, either live album, Eagles Live (1980) or Hell Freezes Over (1994), nor most recent studio album Long Road Out of Eden (2007)) on six CDs. As with previous such Rhino boxes, it's expected to have no different mastering than prior CD
Booker T. Jones Is Ageless and "Evergreen" On Expanded CD Reissue
With or without the legendary MGs, Booker T. Jones has always been an evergreen talent. And now, his 1974 Epic Records LP Evergreen has finally arrived on domestic CD in a generously expanded edition. Wounded Bird Records has just reissued Evergreen with six bonus tracks, four of which are making their first appearance anywhere. Keyboard/organ virtuoso Jones first rose to prominence with 1962’s “Green Onions,” still one of the most recognizable instrumental hits of all time. “Green Onions”
No April Fool: Real Gone Announces Packed Line-Up For Month with Grateful Dead, Whiting, Jans, Atkins, More
April is known for showers, so why shouldn’t Real Gone Music shower collectors with a big line-up encompassing not just some super-rare rock and soul, but also country, film soundtracks, pop vocals and even crossover classical? Nine releases, all due on April 2, run the gamut for this busy label. On the rock front, fans will likely snap up the first-time domestic CD release of the 1971 solo album by Memphis music legend Don Nix. Featuring the Muscle Shoals rhythm section, Living by the Days
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