If you peruse enough collections of Merseybeat, chances are you'll be familiar with the name of Beryl Marsden (no relation to Gerry, of Pacemakers fame). A product of the same Liverpool club scene that birthed the career of Beatle pal Cilla Black, Marsden played a number of recognizable Fab haunts, including the Cavern Club and the Star Club, and even supported the Beatles on their 1964 U.K. tour. But Marsden had never received a career-spanning anthology...until now! Changes: The Story of
Straight Through/From The Heart: Dio Goes Deluxe From Universal, Audio Fidelity Preps Dio, Bryan Adams
It’s 1983 all over again at Audio Fidelity. The audiophile specialty label is readying two albums from that year touching on both the rock and pop ends of the musical spectrum. Bryan Adams’ Cuts Like a Knife and Dio’s Holy Diver are both due in stores on February 14 as 24K Gold CDs playable on all CD players. Cuts Like a Knife was Adams’ third effort, eschewing the stylistic presentation of his first two albums in favor of a melodic rock style that caught on with both listeners and radio
Tattoo You: Rolling Stones Digital Archive Unveils 1981 Concert
When the Rolling Stones opened the Stones Archive for business late in 2011 with the first-ever legitimate release of The Brussels Affair, it was greeted as somewhat of a mixed blessing. The Archive promised to be a place where fans of the World's Greatest Rock and Roll Band "can listen to unheard music, view unseen photographs and films, and look at rare merchandise. Fans have the opportunity to buy items such as signed lithographs, deluxe box sets, even personalised merchandise and tour gear
Review: Aretha Franklin, "Knew You Were Waiting: The Best of Aretha Franklin 1980-1998"
Aretha Franklin is serious about her royalty. Billed on her newly-activated Twitter account as "the undisputed Queen of Soul" (take that, Tina Turner!), Franklin doesn't take her title lightly. But for a brief period, the artist's credentials as reigning Queen of Pop were just as unimpeachable. When Aretha joined Arista Records in 1980, it was after five disappointing albums at Atlantic, none of which have ever seen the light of day on compact disc. On those LPs, producers as diverse as
Still in Love with Them: Vault Gems Abound on New Thin Lizzy Deluxe Sets
The last two years have been great for Thin Lizzy fans and collectors. Universal's U.K. arm has, in recent times, expanded a good chunk of the band's 1970s catalogue, released a thorough box set of tracks from the band's BBC sessions and announced the acquisition of a ridiculous amount of unreleased tapes for future catalogue purposes. The catalogue action continues this spring with double-disc deluxe editions of the band's fourth and fifth albums, Nightlife and Fighting. Each set comes with a
Release Round-Up: Week of January 31
Aretha Franklin, Knew You Were Waiting: The Best of 1980-1998 (Arista/Legacy) The Queen of Soul's comeback years, in a new anthology. Check back soon for a review from Joe as well as a Greater Hits from me stacking this set up to other compilations from this part of Aretha's discography. Various Artists,
All Hail the "King of the Beats": Mantronix Anthology Released
Here's an overlooked treat released last week: a double-disc compilation honoring influential hip-hop/dance duo Mantronix. In the mid-1980s, as the New York rap scene blossomed and all sorts of rhythms were seeping into pop music, fewer dance acts were more exciting than Mantronix. Comprised of DJ/producer Kurtis Mantronik (nee el-Khaleel) and rapper MC Tee, Mantronix won club kids over with their sample-ready electronic sounds, combining processed beats, synthesized bass and turntable
The Hills of Yesterday: Henry Mancini, Charles Strouse Offer "Molly Maguires" Scores
A victim of the blacklist, director Martin Ritt (The Front, The Great White Hope and Norma Rae) felt passionately about using film to explore relevant social issues. So it would have been no surprise that he was taken with the story of the Molly Maguires, the Irish-American coal miners who formed a secret society (some might say, of terrorists) to fight their oppressive employers in 19th century Pennsylvania. Ritt enlisted an all-star cast including Sean Connery (still in his James Bond
Vintage, Retro Mixes Shine on U.K. Philadelphia International Box Set
Now's as good a time as any to get into the sweet sounds and lush arrangements of Philadelphia soul in the 1970s. 2011 marked the 40th anniversary of legendary writer/producers Kenneth Gamble and Leon Huff's creation of a label that set the groundwork for some of the best soul and R&B sounds of the decade, and this year's seeing a lot of excellent catalogue projects honoring that legacy. We've already told you about Legacy's Golden Gate Groove: The Sound of Philadelphia Live in San
Thank You M.C. 1969: Michael Chapman's Folk-Rock Classic "Rainmaker" Arrives From Light in the Attic
When the distinct green Harvest Records logo is remembered today, it’s often for Pink Floyd or early Electric Light Orchestra. But the label, created to stake a claim in the burgeoning rock market, boasted a deep, diverse roster, all the better to compete with other “alternative” labels like Decca’s Deram or Philips’ Vertigo. One of the artists who found early success on Harvest was Michael Chapman, a former art and photography instructor. Chapman’s greatest achievement was arguably 1970’s
Keep Feeling Fascination: Human League's "Dare" Gets Expanded
"You were working as a waitress in a cocktail bar when I met you..." As patently false as the subject matter behind The Human League's hypnotic "Don't You Want Me" is, it was a massive, out-of-nowhere smash for a band that came out of a troubling state of flux with a renewed energy unlike few others. The fruits of that period, the 1981 album Dare, is coming back into U.K. stores this spring as a deluxe title with a host of non-LP goodies over two discs. The Human League started out as an
New Blues Traveler Compilation Includes Unreleased Material, Hopefully Avoids Giving Fans the Runaround
Get out your big hats and harmonicas - Blues Traveler is releasing a new career-spanning compilation with a host of unreleased material to accompany their favorite singles. Ah, the '90s jam band revival. One of the more intriguing concepts to come out of the post-grunge explosion era, where it seemed every major label was trying something new to see if it would stick with audiences. The demand for quirky live acts gave popular culture stalwarts like the Dave Matthews Band and Phish as well as
The Story of US: Shout! Factory Starts Series for '80s Music Fest (UPDATED 2/8)
Following a pair of DVD releases, Shout! Factory has announced the release of several performances on CD from the famous US Festival in California. Spearheaded by Apple Computer co-founder Steve Wozniak, the US Festival intended to be a celebration of technology and culture, with a temporary stage and open-air venue paid for by Wozniak himself just for the purposes of the festival. (Initially called the Glen Helen Pavilion, the San Manuel Amphitheater, where the festival was held, remains the
Vinyl Experience: Jimi Hendrix Comes To Sundazed
Get ready to be experienced, again, on vinyl. Sundazed Music and Experience Hendrix have announced a new series of 7-inch vinyl singles, housed in picture sleeves, featuring music not before released in the single format. The first such single will arrive in April, and both sides will be taken from Hendrix’s incendiary BBC performances of 1967 (released on CD and vinyl LP by Experience Hendrix as BBC Sessions). Hendrix’s October 17, 1967 performance of Bob Dylan’s “Can You Please Crawl Out
(Don't) Keep It Down: Hot Shot Expands 'Til Tuesday's Debut (UPDATED 1/27)
As promised, new U.K. reissue label Hot Shot Records is releasing an expanded edition of Voices Carry the 1985 debut album by pop group 'Til Tuesday, and it's now available to order. The album was the culmination of three years of hard work from the Boston-based band, comprised of Aimee Mann (vocals/bass), Robert Holmes (vocals/guitar), Joey Pesce (keyboards) and Michael Hausman (drums). In 1983, six months after forming, the band earned local acclaim for their song "Love in a Vacuum," which
Review: A Real Gone January - Bill Medley, Jody Miller and The Tymes
Among the first releases of 2012 from newbie label Real Gone Music is a two-on-one collection offering the compact disc debut of Bill Medley’s 100% and Soft and Soulful. But those titles are apt to describe the entire Real Gone line-up for January, as the young label has given 100% to make available a wide variety of music: soft and soulful, yes, but also jazzy, twangy, and folky. There’s something for everyone in this array of once-neglected titles. As 1968 began, The Righteous Brothers were
You've Got a Friend in Intrada: Randy Newman's "Toy Story 3" Arrives on CD
Toy Story 3 certainly had its fair amount of accomplishments. It was highest-grossing film of 2010 (domestic and worldwide), the all-time box office champ among animated features, and in the Top 10 highest-grossing films of all time. It reaped five Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture, and took two of the gold statues home. It became the first film to be released theatrically in 7.1 surround sound. But one thing Toy Story 3 didn't have was a proper soundtrack album on CD.
Movin', Kickin', Groovin': A Barry White Classic Expanded by Hip-o Select
Hip-o Select turns its focus away from Motown for some more satin soul from the inimitable Barry White, with a nicely-expanded release of his 1976 LP Let the Music Play. By the time the title track from the album - an underrated plea for music to soothe the pain of a lost love over some of the lushest strings from The Love Unlimited Orchestra - was released as a single in late 1975, White was virtually his own brand. He'd recently come off a triplet of Top 10 singles in 1974 and
Last Train to Clarksville: Limited Quantity Remains of Monkees "Greatest Hits" on Orange Vinyl
Monkee Alert! In 1969, the band itself was coming apart at the seams, and its television program had been cancelled a year earlier. But Colgems Records had a solution to reignite interest in the zany music makers: release the first-ever Monkees hits collection! That LP was The Monkees Greatest Hits, a 14-track album that lives up to its promise: "I'm a Believer," "Last Train to Clarksville," "Pleasant Valley Sunday," "Daydream Believer," "A Little Bit Me, A Little Bit You," and so on. The
A-wop-bop-a-loo-lop-a-lop-bam-boom! "Here's Little Richard" Returns in April
When compiling our reissue review on Rolling Stone's greatest albums of all time last year, it was a bit of a surprise at Second Disc HQ to learn, for all the reissues of Little Richard's classic Here's Little Richard on the market, that few of them were particularly archival-oriented. That's about to change this year, though, with an expanded reissue of the iconic album by Concord Music Group in April. Richard Penniman was no stranger to performing and recording when he released his first
Release Round-Up: Week of January 24
The Doors, L.A. Woman: 40th Anniversary Edition (Reprise/Rhino) / Mr. Mojo Risin': The Story of L.A. Woman (Eagle Rock/Rhino) The Doors' final album with Jim Morrison, memorialized in both a double-disc set with unreleased alternates and outtakes and a DVD/Blu-Ray documentary. Various Artists, 2012 Grammy Nominees (Universal Republic) And the nominees are...on this disc. Various Artists, Chimes of Freedom: The Songs of Bob Dylan Honoring 50 Years of Amnesty
10538 Overture: Electric Light Orchestra Debut Turns 40, Expanded with Quad DVD and Bonus Tracks
The musical partnership of Jeff Lynne and Roy Wood was a short-lived one, but EMI will soon give listeners a chance to revisit their acclaimed collaboration. A 40th Anniversary Edition of the debut album from Electric Light Orchestra is set to arrive on March 12. Self-titled for its original U.K. release and re-titled No Answer for the U.S., the album announced a bold new sound, reportedly created when Wood urged Lynne to add cellos to his song “10538 Overture.” That track leads off this
Happy Birthday Johnny! Film Legend Celebrates Milestone with Pair of Compilations
The music catalogue world is celebrating one of Hollywood's truest living legends with two, count 'em, two, compilations next month. Whether you're a die-hard film score collector or a mere appreciator of good movie music, John Williams has made a mark on your consciousness. His list of credits spans decades, first as a Juilliard-trained pianist working under the greatest batons in Tinseltown (that's him plunking the low notes in Henry Mancini's iconic Peter Gunn theme), then a light, jazzy
Ann-Margret, James' "Thurber Carnival" Enliven Masterworks Broadway's Upcoming Slate
James Thurber (1894-1961) once commented, ""[Humor is] a kind of emotional chaos told about calmly and quietly in retrospect." The celebrated writer, cartoonist and humorist, perhaps best-known for 1939's fanciful The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, recounted that kind of emotional chaos in his acclaimed short stories and drawings, a number of which have been successfully adapted to other media. Four years before Walter Mitty itself was musicalized, Broadway welcomed Thurber's works to the stage
You've Got Another Thing Comin': Judas Priest Reveal New Box Set with Rare Albums
There's another PopMarket-exclusive box coming your way next week - and it's a loud one. Legacy is releasing a 19-disc box of Judas Priest's influential metal discography, with a couple of surprises inside. Since the late 1970s, Birmingham-based Judas Priest have been pioneers of the genre. With the iconic leather-and-studs look and distinctive voice of frontman Rob Halford and the cutting guitar of K.K. Downing front and center for most of the band's most recognized years, Priest have served
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