He's humbly suggested he's doing his part to save the music business, but Gerry Galipault is doing something even more important: keeping it fun. On this date 15 years ago, Galipault started Pauseandplay, a simple-but-effective online resource for just about any music release - physical or digital; brand-new or catalogue; vinyl or DVD - that you could dream of. Coupling a tireless work ethic (the result of years of work in the journalism field) with a unique, positive voice, Pauseandplay -
Special EPCOT 30th Anniversary Reissue Theory: "The Official Album of Walt Disney World - EPCOT Center"
Welcome to another installment of Reissue Theory, where we reflect on notable albums and the reissues they could someday see. Today, we celebrate the 30th anniversary of Epcot at Walt Disney World with a look back at its first and only Official Album! "There’s a great, big, beautiful tomorrow/Shining at the end of every day/There’s a great, big, beautiful tomorrow/Just a dream away…" Richard M. Sherman and Robert B. Sherman may have written those words, but Walt Disney lived them. Less than
Return of the 5 O'Clock Hero: Universal Goes Big with The Jam's "Gift" Box
As the 1980s began, it seemed all of England was moving and shaking to the eclectic sound of The Jam. Paul Weller, Bruce Foxton and Rick Buckler started The Jam as an "angry young man" punk band, but stumbled upon something more: a revival of mod culture in the U.K. and an increasing stable of diversely-recorded chart hits. While 1982 saw the release of their biggest album to date, The Gift, and a string of seven consecutive Top 10 hits (including two No. 1s) stretching back from the previous
Soul with a Purpose: New Label Opens Up the Music Vaults with Womack, Dyson, Hartman
The Purpose Music Vaults are open! Purpose Music Group is introducing a new player in the reissue field, something that always brings us a great deal of excitement here at The Second Disc. But how about we sweeten the pot by telling you that the first three releases from Purpose Music Vaults are all rare soul classics from the Sony Music Entertainment library, all feature new-to-CD material, and all are newly remastered by engineers including Vic Anesini and Sean Brennan? On top of that, all
All the Love in the World: Dionne, Aretha Classics Are Remastered by BBR
The eighties aren't traditionally remembered as a halcyon period for classic soul. R&B eventually took on new meaning as it splintered into hip-hop, rap and urban genres that were as integral to their day as street-corner doo-wop and soul were to their own. Big Break Records, a Cherry Red imprint, has long been committed to rediscovering perhaps-neglected works by some of the biggest names in soul and R&B, and a particularly fascinating series of recent reissues has turned its
Completely Fab: Beatles Remasters, Debut Single Coming to Vinyl (UPDATED)
The wait is over. This holiday season, vinyl enthusiasts and Beatlemaniacs everywhere will finally have a chance to hear 2009's long-awaited Beatles remasters on 180-gram vinyl. All of the albums in The Fab Four's official discography - 1963's Please Please Me and With The Beatles, 1964's A Hard Day's Night and Beatles for Sale, 1965's Help! and Rubber Soul, 1966's Revolver, 1967's Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band and the U.S. Magical Mystery Tour LP, 1968's self-titled "White Album,"
In Memoriam: Andy Williams (1927-2012)
It's tempting to say "they don't make 'em like they used to," but truth to tell, they never made 'em quite like Andy Williams. Howard Andrew Williams, the favorite son of Wall Lake, Iowa, died yesterday at the age of 84, having valiantly fought bladder cancer. But Williams leaves behind a rich and reassuring legacy of music and entertainment that recalls a gentler time in American life, of huckleberry friends and caroling out in the snow. If any popular singer defined Christmas in the
Do You Remember Rock and Roll Radio? "The Ramones Heard Them Here First" Arrives
Ace Records is cheering “Gabba gabba hey!” with the recent release of The Ramones Heard Them Here First, an overview charting the influences behind New York’s seminal punk pioneers. Joey, Johnny, Dee Dee and Tommy didn’t exactly try to hide their inspirations when they included a cover of Chris Montez’ 1962 hit “Let’s Dance” on their debut long-player Ramones in 1976 and over the years, they continued to tip the hat to rock and roll heroes from The Ronettes to The Beach Boys. The new
Love Is (Still) The Message: MFSB Classic Expanded and Remastered by Big Break
There was clear irony in Bart Forbes’ cover artwork for MFSB’s Love is the Message. The 1973 album showed off Philadelphia International Records’ hallowed house band at its smoothest, espousing the gospels of peace, love, tolerance and unity. The cover illustration, however, depicts a skull clad in a military helmet, a mushroom cloud, a swastika, death, a howling dog, a Klansman and a grief-stricken man among its disturbing images. This was heady stuff, but then again, Kenneth Gamble and Leon
Release Round-Up: Week of September 25
Glen Campbell and Jimmy Webb, In Session (Concord) The legendary songwriter and equally legendary country superstar join forces for two 1988 television broadcasts, joined together on one DVD and accompanied by a CD of the programs' musical selections! Campbell's only recording of Webb's "Sunshower" can be found here, among other gems. For those of you anticipating the arrival of In Session today, it appears that this title has been delayed until October 9! You can read more about it here.
The Magnificent Bernstein: "The Rat Race" Premieres on CD
Elmer Bernstein’s back! Kritzerland celebrated its landmark 100th release last year with the world premiere of Bernstein’s complete soundtrack to Summer and Smoke, and in 2012, his score to Walt Disney Productions’ The Black Cauldron has seen release from Intrada alongside a reissue of Amazing Grace and Chuck from Varese Sarabande. Now, Kritzerland is returning with another Bernstein bonanza, his 1960 score to the drama The Rat Race, in a limited edition of 1,200 units. Garson Kanin (Born
Take the Box: Amy Winehouse's Live Career Chronicled on New Multi-Disc Set, "Album Collection" Packages Complete Studio Works
The work of talented, troubled British soul singer Amy Winehouse, who passed away last summer at the too-young age of 27, will be celebrated in box set form this year. Following the solid listening experience of Lioness: Hidden Treasures, a single-disc outtakes compilation released last year, Universal Republic will release Amy Winehouse at The BBC, a 3-DVD/1-CD set showcasing the starlet's live performance history. The set begins with A Tribute to Amy Winehouse by Jools Holland. The former
From Doris Day to David Peel: Real Gone Slate Includes Rare Apple Records Album, Mathis at Mercury, Como Christmas and More!
The holiday season must be upon us, for Real Gone Music has announced its Christmas-themed offerings – but that’s not all! The enterprising label has two offerings with Apple Records ties (one actually from the Apple catalogue!), the complete singles of a soul legend, a counterculture classic, a distinctly non-counterculture classic, and well…just read on about the rest! First up, four more of Johnny Mathis’ long-unavailable Mercury Records LPs are arriving on CD for the first time! (Read
Reviews: The Jimmy Somerville Reissues - Bronski Beat, The Communards and Solo Somerville
The more things change… The old adage has never been more shockingly true than when it comes to the music of Jimmy Somerville. Throughout an uncompromising career, Somerville has deftly blurred the lines between politics and music, deploying his piercing falsetto to sing eloquently of social ills against a dance-pop backdrop. Somerville came to prominence in 1984 as a member of Bronski Beat, a group of three young gay men who were determined to make their mark despite the social climate in
No Hate, No Fight, Just Excitation: Classic Queen Concert Coming to Theaters, Home Formats
Queen are bringing their unique kind of magic to movie theaters everywhere with a recently resurrected European concert, and it's no surprise that the project is coming to audiovisual formats this November. Hungarian Rhapsody: Live in Budapest captures Freddie Mercury, Brian May, John Deacon and Roger Taylor on the famed Magic Tour that surged through Europe in the summer of 1986. Having proven their live energy still knew no bounds the summer before, at Wembley Stadium for Live Aid, the tour -
It Only Takes a Minute to Fall in Love with New Tavares Reissues
Though their appearance on the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack ensured that Tavares would always be associated with disco, the New England band of brothers (Ralph, Pooch, Chubby, Butch and Tiny!) had its roots in classic soul. They began in 1959 as Chubby and the Turnpikes (!) and eventually notched hits on the R&B charts like 1974’s “She’s Gone” (two years before Hall and Oates’ own version of the song achieved chart success) and 1975’s “It Only Takes a Minute,” which also crossed over to
'80s Expansion Watch: Deluxe Sets Planned for Heaven 17, Level 42
Two more expanded editions of titles by English '80s pop bands are due in the next month "across the pond," as they say. Heaven 17's debut LP Penthouse and Pavement, released in 1981 and reissued for its 30th anniversary last year, established themselves as a socially-conscious but still danceable band with singles like the famously banned-by-the-BBC "(We Don't Need This) Fascist Groove Thang." But with sophomore album The Luxury Gap, singer Glenn Gregory and keyboardists Ian Craig Marsh and
With a Song in Their Hearts: Supremes' "Symphony" is Latest Expansion from Hip-O Select
Hip-O Select's latest release is quite literally "so inviting, so exciting": The Supremes' 1966 LP I Hear a Symphony is the latest in the girl group's discography to get the deluxe treatment. The year before, Motown founder Berry Gordy was shocked by the soft chart placement of his Supremes' latest effort, "Nothing But Heartaches." The single "only" placed just one spot under the Billboard Top 10 - but it was still a blow for Gordy, who'd seen his onetime "no-hit" trio enjoy a run of five
Review: Michael Jackson, "BAD 25"
Well, they say the sky's the limit and to me, that's really true...But, my friend, you have seen nothing! Just wait 'til I get through... Those words would likely have sounded like pure hubris had they emerged from any singer other than Michael Jackson. He threw the gauntlet down not just to his fellow musicians, but to himself, with the 1982 smash Thriller. Still recognized today as the best-selling album of all time, Thriller spawned seven Top 10 singles, received eight Grammy Awards, and
"Would You Believe" Carmen McRae's Funky Soul-Jazz Classic is Back from BBR?
1976’s Can’t Hide Love, recently reissued by Big Break Records, wasn’t jazz singer Carmen McRae’s first venture into contemporary territory. Like so many other interpretive vocalists who had begun their careers in a pre-Beatles world, McRae found herself adopting an “If you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em” credo towards the increasingly prevalent rock genre, which had itself recently dropped the “and roll” to create a whole new sound. 1967’s Atlantic release For Once in My Life adventurously saw
When the Music's Over: The Doors' "Live at the Bowl '68" Gets a New Lease on Life
Though Jim Morrison died more than 41 years ago, the fire of The Doors continues to burn bright. The past year, once christened The Year of the Doors, has brought a number of projects to light, such as the DVDs, CDs and LPs pertaining to the 40th anniversary of the seminal L.A. Woman album, and the campaign from Analogue Productions that will eventually encompass both 45 RPM LP and multichannel SACD reissues of the core catalogue. On October 23, The Doors' July 5, 1968 performance at the
Weekend Wround-Up: Barbra Streisand Joined by Bennett, Wonder, Krall on DVD and BD; Pixar Compiles More "Favorites"
On February 11, 2011, Barbra Streisand joined some illustrious company, including Bono, Brian Wilson, Aretha Franklin and her “You Don’t Bring Me Flowers” duet partner, Neil Diamond. That was the evening Streisand was recognized as the MusiCares Person of the Year, following in the footsteps of those above-named artists. Streisand was a natural candidate for the honor, as the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences annually bestows it upon an artist with significant artistic
Because It's Christmas: Barry Manilow's "Classic Christmas Album" Coming in October
Believe it or not, Christmas is just around the corner…and Barry Manilow is teaming with Legacy Recordings for the festivities. The pop superstar has recorded three very different holiday albums between 1990 and 2007, and all three can be sampled on his Classic Christmas Album, due in stores on October 2, part of Legacy's all-new holiday series. Manilow made his first memorable contribution to the holiday songbook with his own composition “It’s Just Another New Year’s Eve,” co-written with
King Crimson, Jethro Tull Prepare Super Deluxe Box Sets For "Larks' Tongues" and "Thick as a Brick"
The Super Deluxe stakes continue to be raised with the announcement of two more mega-boxes due before 2012 is out: (greatly!) expanded editions of King Crimson’s 1973 Larks’ Tongues in Aspic, and Jethro Tull’s 1972 Thick as a Brick. Both albums were the fifth studio effort of their respective bands, both are landmarks of the progressive rock genre, and both are being revisited with new 5.1 surround mixes crafted by Steven Wilson. The Porcupine Tree founder was also behind the recent remixes of
Sonic Youth to (Sort of) Return with 1985 Live Set
The future may be incredibly uncertain for iconic alt-rockers Sonic Youth, following last year's separation of founding members Thurston Moore and Kim Gordon. But fans will certainly be satiated with a forthcoming release of an archival concert from the band. Smart Bar, Chicago 1985 captures the band in the midst of touring behind their sophomore album, Bad Moon Rising, released earlier that spring. On August 11, 1985, the band played Chicago's Smart Bar, armed with much of the new album in
- « Previous Page
- 1
- …
- 204
- 205
- 206
- 207
- 208
- …
- 269
- Next Page »