Bob Dylan once said that, upon hearing Woody Guthrie's songs, "it was like I had been in the dark and someone had turned on the main switch of a lightning conductor." Steve Earle opined that "Woody is my hero of heroes and the only person on earth that I will go to my grave regretting that I never met." No less a literary eminence than John Steinbeck noted, "Woody is just Woody," before explaining, "Harsh voiced and nasal, his guitar hanging like a tire iron on a rusty rim, there is nothing
Happy Ending: Cherry Red Collects Albums from Yvonne Elliman and More on "Purple People Vol. 1"
Cherry Red Records has recently been cherry-picking a number of rare treasures from the archives of Purple Records, the label formed by Deep Purple. Between 1971 and 1979, Purple Records issued music not just from its namesake band, but by other artists both inside (Elf, Hard Stuff) and outside of the hard rock sphere. Highlights from these albums have been compiled before on a compilation entitled Purple People. Now, four of the label's most unexpected offerings have been collected on CD by
Extra-Terrific: Inside The Art of La-La Land's 'E.T.' Soundtrack Reissue
Attendees of this past weekend's Mondo-Con were treated to a special new print from the master pop-culture provider: a striking new poster for E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial. Eagle-eyed fans will recognize the graphic from its debut on La-La Land Records' 35th anniversary double-disc expansion of John Williams' Oscar-winning soundtrack. It's a wondrous image: of the film's protagonist Elliott, seen from behind astride his bicycle as he looks upward into the evening sky, reflecting on the incredible
Unchained Melodies: Van Morrison Blends Standards with Originals on New "Versatile"
Less than three months after the release of his 37th studio album, the rhythm-and-blues-based Roll with the Punches, the one and only Van Morrison is back with No. 38. On December 1, Legacy Recordings will issue Versatile - certainly an apt title for the man since his earliest days fronting Them to his immersions in jazz, soul, rock, blues, pop, and beyond. Roll with the Punches featured five original compositions from the prolific singer-songwriter alongside blues classics by artists such
Review: Bob Dylan, "Trouble No More: The Bootleg Series Vol. 13 / 1979-1981"
I. Gotta Serve Somebody Bob Dylan wasn't mincing words. On the first track of the first album of what would later be referred to as his "gospel years," the artist laid his message out with striking simplicity. "It may be the devil, or it may be the Lord," Dylan admonished, "but you're gonna have to serve somebody." Suddenly, the same singer-songwriter who opined that "the answer, my friend, is blowin' in the wind" had found the answer - and His name was Jesus Christ. Between 1979 and
Jumping Off The Sun: Esoteric Reissues, Expands Prog Classics From Quintessence, Colosseum
Cherry Red's Esoteric Recordings imprint has continued its look back at underrated artists of the progressive rock era with a recent trio of reissues from Quintessence and Colosseum. Formed in the Notting Hill area of London by Australians Ron "Raja Ram" Rothfield (flute) and Phil "Shiva Shankar" Jones (keyboards/vocals) with four of their mates, Quintessence took its inspirations from a variety of sources including The Band, Dr. John, Grateful Dead, and most noticeably, the sound of Eastern
COMING TOMORROW! The Supremes Kick Off Our Christmas Slate with The Ames Brothers, Connie Smith
TOMORROW, Friday, November 3, is the day we've been waiting for here at Second Disc HQ - when we can finally unveil our new, and biggest ever, Second Disc Records slate of Christmas releases to you! Tomorrow, we're joining Real Gone Music for a trio of titles beginning with The Supremes' The Ultimate Merry Christmas, a deluxe 2-CD, 50-track celebration of Diana Ross, Mary Wilson, and Florence Ballard's 1965 Merry Christmas. This is one ultimate collection we're confident will live up to its
Reservations for Two: SoulMusic Adds Kashif, Tom Browne to "Anthology" Series
Earlier this year, Cherry Red's SoulMusic Records imprint continued its series of artist anthologies with another two titles in the series, this time spotlighting the late singer-songwriter-musician-producer Kashif, and jazz fusion artist-trumpeter Tom Browne. Help Yourself to My Love: The Arista Anthology collects 30 tracks on 2 CDs from Kashif, the artist born Michael Jones, whose smooth grooves helped define the sound of eighties R&B. A native New Yorker, Kashif first rose to fame as
Bananarama Bunch Up Remixes On Expanded 'Greatest Hits Collection'
Ahead of their upcoming tour--including their first trek to America!--Bananarama will reissue their Greatest Hits Collection (1988) with a bonus disc of original material. Sara Dallin, Siobhan Fahey and Keren Woodward were once named the female vocal group with the most chart entries ever by the Guinness Book of World Records, and it's not too outlandish a claim. If you've been near a radio on both sides of the Atlantic since the '80s, you've probably heard at least one of their hits:
Review: David Bowie, "A New Career in a New Town: 1977-1982"
I. Art Decade Keep Up with David's Changes, read an insert from the David Bowie Fan Club packaged in original pressings of the artist's 1977 album Low and painstakingly replicated on the edition included in the new 11-CD (or 13-LP) box set A New Career in a New Town 1977-1982. Indeed, it was no small feat to follow the restless artist's many transformations. 1975's Station to Station saw the formal introduction of The Thin White Duke, a nattily-dressed but rather unpleasant fellow; who
Tori Amos, Richard Hell Lead Rhino's Record Store Day Black Friday Slate
Rhino Records is planning 11 titles for this year's Record Store Day Black Friday--and two of them are fairly unexpected catalogue treats from two very different artists. First up, the label has announced an upcoming expanded edition on CD and LP of Richard Hell & The Voidoids' Blank Generation. Hell, a founding member of Television and one of the key figures of early punk rock in New York and beyond (his personal style of spiked hair and safety pins is said to have influenced Malcolm
Fill Your Nights With Song: Real Gone Expands Debby Boone's "You Light Up My Life" for Its 40th Anniversary
Forty years ago this week, Meco's "Star Wars Theme/Cantina Band" was knocked from the top of the Billboard Hot 100 after a two-week run at the peak position. The new chart-topper would remain in that spot for an additional 9 weeks and become the biggest-selling single of the entire 1970s. And what was that song? You might first guess it was perhaps something by the Bee Gees, who were in their own historical chart-run at this moment. But it was actually "You Light Up My Life" by Debby Boone.
I Want My Baby Back: RPM Collects Los Bravos' Best on "Black Is Black"
What 1966 record from a Spanish band with a German lead singer was written and recorded in England before becoming a top 5 hit in America? The answer, of course, is "Black is Black," the No. 4 smash from Spain's Los Bravos. Cherry Red Records' RPM imprint has recently released a definitive 2-disc compendium from the group. Black is Black: The Anthology 1966-1969 boasts 60 tracks on 2 CDs from the band most often thought of as a "one hit wonder" in the United States. Los Bravos was formed
Voice of the Heart: Carpenters Vinyl Box Set Due in November
On November 17, it will be yesterday once more with A&M Records and UMe's release of a new vinyl box set dedicated to the remarkable legacy of the Carpenters. Encompassing 20 Billboard Top 40 hits, including three No. 1s and five No. 2s, as well as fifteen Adult Contemporary No. 1s, the music of the beloved, three-time Grammy-winning brother-sister duo became a cornerstone of American popular song. Karen's beautifully soulful voice, with a tinge of melancholy and incapable of a dishonest
Welcome To Your Life: Tears For Fears 'Rule The World' With New Collection and New Tracks
If you caught them during their recent co-headlining U.S. summer tour with Daryl Hall & John Oates, you know that Tears for Fears have lost none of the power and style that made them a juggernaut of '80s pop. Now, with a new album on the horizon (their first in more than a decade), the duo are reintroducing themselves to audiences with a newly curated single-disc collection. Rule The World: The Greatest Hits showcases all the most popular songs from the Bath-born duo of
Arthur Miller's "The Crucible" Opera Adaptation Comes To CD From Kritzerland
The Kritzerland label has been on a roll in recent weeks, broadening its purview beyond its typically excellent array of soundtracks and cast recordings to offer such worthwhile reissues in the classical realm as Rachmaninov Symphony No. 2 and Robert Russell Bennett Violin Concerto with illustrious conductor Leopold Stokowski and renowned film composer Bernard Herrmann at the podium; and Claus Ogerman's Symphonic Dances/Some Times (Ballet) from the composer/arranger who famously collaborated
'On Air' Shares Early Rolling Stones Radio Performances
While the 50th anniversary edition of The Rolling Stones' Their Satanic Majesties Request is short on archival material, a newly announced title looks to add some variety to Stones fans' Christmas lists. This time, it's the first wide release of any of the band's live BBC sessions, recorded during the beginning of the band's storied career. On Air, an audio companion to the recently published book of the same name, features a bevy of tracks recorded between 1963, when the group appeared on
Mike Love, Not War: Beach Boy Preps New Solo Album
Mike Love is a lot of things--a charter member of The Beach Boys who owns the band name and continues to tour with it alongside longtime touring member Bruce Johnston (currently in support of Wild Honey and 1967 - Sunshine Tomorrow), a devoted meditator, perhaps the most memorable speaker at a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction--but right now, he's a guy with a solo double album coming out. Unleash The Love, due out November 17 on BMG, features 13 new tracks produced by Michael Lloyd and
Review: Brian Wilson, "Playback: The Brian Wilson Anthology"
There have been many great second acts in rock, but perhaps none so momentous as Brian Wilson's. The Beach Boys' leader's triumphant return to health and happiness after a lifetime of tragedy was captivatingly portrayed in the recent biopic Love and Mercy, but the real legacy of the reinvigorated Brian Wilson remains with his music. With Wilson near the conclusion of his acclaimed, sold-out Pet Sounds: The Final Performances world tour, the time has never been better to revisit his solo
Review: The Doors, "The Singles"
The Doors have had no shortage of collections in the CD era, whether the 10x-platinum The Best of The Doors, Legacy: The Absolute Best, The Very Best of The Doors, or The Future Starts Here: The Essential Doors Hits - just to name a few. Happily, the latest such release from Messrs. Morrison, Manzarek, Krieger, and Densmore distinguishes itself with a true raison d'etre. Rhino's simply-titled The Singles lives up to its name with 44 A-and B-sides on two CDs, originally released between 1967
Your Songs: Elton John Plans New "Diamonds" Collection
Five decades ago, an aspiring singer/songwriter named Reginald Dwight, frontman for a band named Bluesology, answered an ad in the New Musical Express placed by an A&R man for Liberty Records. At the ensuing meeting, Dwight was given a stack of lyrics written by someone who'd answered the same ad: an up and coming lyricist named Bernie Taupin. Dwight wrote a melody to Taupin's lyrics, placed the ensuing song in the post--and thus started a partnership that continues to this day, with scores
That's What Friends Are For: Clive Davis Soundtrack Features Barry, Whitney, Dionne, Aretha, More
This past April, New York's Radio City Music Hall hosted a prestigious premiere. The film was Clive Davis: The Soundtrack of Our Lives, and the screening was accompanied by an all-star concert featuring Barry Manilow, Dionne Warwick, Aretha Franklin, Carly Simon, and others celebrating the life of the music legend. Beginning on October 3, Apple Music will exclusively stream the Chris Perkel-directed documentary, and today, September 27, Legacy Recordings has digitally released an exclusive
They Don't Love You Like I Love You: Yeah Yeah Yeahs to Expand Debut Album
Wait: Fever to Tell, the breakthrough debut album by the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, is being expanded to commemorate the band's first 15 years of recording. From the exciting New York City music scene at the dawn of the 21st century, the Yeah Yeah Yeahs--singer Karen O, guitarist/keyboardist Nick Zinner and drummer Brian Chase--were responsible for avant-garde dance punk that was visceral yet still beautiful and melodic. (London's The Times brilliantly described them as a mix of Blondie and Siouxsie
Been Through the Desert: Omnivore Collects Early, Unreleased America on "Heritage"
Omnivore Recordings is heading down Ventura Highway this fall with the November 17 release on CD of a new archival collection from America. Heritage: Home Recordings/Demos 1970-1973 boasts sixteen tracks from the band's early days, ten of which are previously unreleased, from the original trio of Gerry Beckley, Dewey Bunnell, and Dan Peek. Heritage comprises demos, home recordings, alternate versions, and outtakes from the era of the first three America albums: 1971's self-titled release,
Smiling Faces: Ace Brings Three Motown Classics From Undisputed Truth to CD
Had you crossed The 5th Dimension with Sly and the Family and Stone, the result might well have sounded like The Undisputed Truth. Assembled in 1971 by Motown veteran and "psychedelic soul" pioneer Norman Whitfield, The Undisputed Truth (a.k.a. Joe Harris, Billy Rae Calvin and Brenda Joyce Evans) scored a hit off their first LP with the hauntingly ominous "Smiling Faces Sometimes." Enduring personnel changes, the group went on to record six LPs in all for Motown's Gordy imprint before moving
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