Well. U2 have finally unveiled the preliminary details for the Achtung Baby box set, and it's particularly insane. Of the five formats available for this set, most of them could be predicted. You have your single-disc remaster, a two-disc edition featuring B-sides and remixes and a quadruple-vinyl set featuring Achtung Baby and its remixes and B-sides. Fine enough. Then we have the big box set. Well, two versions of the big box set. At the heart of each is 10 discs - six CDs and four DVDs -
Back Tracks: Paul McCartney, Working Classical - From "Liverpool Oratorio" to "Ocean's Kingdom"
Tucked between album opener “Taxman” and “I’m Only Sleeping” on Side One of The Beatles’ 1966 LP Revolver, “Eleanor Rigby” heralded an explicit attempt by the pop giants at pushing the musical envelope, both with its despairing lyrics and classical-inspired arrangement for a string octet. Primarily the composition of Paul McCartney, “Eleanor Rigby” defied the odds to hit the top spot on the British charts (a double A-side single with “Yellow Submarine”) and hit the No. 11 spot in the United
Short Takes: Jesus and Mary Chain Error Addressed, Meat Loaf Catalogue Could Be in Doubt
A few brief notes from around the catalogue world on this Tuesday afternoon! Slicing Up Eyeballs reports that the deluxe edition of The Jesus and Mary Chain's Darklands has an error on one disc, but Demon Music Group is ready to replace your copies. A mastering error caused eight tracks on the first CD to become improperly indexed, meaning the starts of those tracks will be cut off if you shuffle or skip through the program. Replacement discs are already being pressed and should be ready in
Ain't They Sweet: The Beatles' Hamburg Recordings Revisited By Time-Life
Reissue! Repackage! Repackage! We’ve occasionally used that tag here at The Second Disc to signify that rare breed of reissue, the kind that simply regurgitates extant material in one dizzying configuration after another. And few titles have been repackaged more times than the set variously known as The Beatles’ First!, In the Beginning, Savage Young Beatles and The Early Tapes. These eight songs, performed by the embryonic Beatles (John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Pete Best)
Gold Legion Goes "Koo Koo," Expands Debbie Harry's Solo Debut
Well before she was French kissin' in the U.S.A., Blondie lead singer Debbie Harry made a big splash with her 1981 solo debut Koo Koo, produced by the ever-busy CHIC Organization team of Nile Rodgers and Bernard Edwards. Thirty years later, the Gold Legion label, the same team behind those upcoming Grace Jones reissues, is releasing a newly expanded edition of the set with a new-to-CD bonus track. In 1981, in the midst of a yearlong hiatus for Blondie (their latest, 1980's Autoamerican, spawned
Hungry For "Some Girls" Deluxe? Wal-Mart Offers Early Rolling Stones Appetizer
Can’t get no satisfaction waiting for Mick, Keith and the boys to drop Some Girls on November 21? Well, whether you’re a Stones completist who simply must own every reissue or a casual fan looking for some quick slam-bang classics, you might want to take a drive over to your local Wal-Mart. The retailer is exclusively offering a new compilation from ABKCO spanning the 1964-1971 period which found the band transition from blues to pop to psychedelia to gritty rock. The Very Best of the Rolling
Review: Nirvana, "Nevermind: 20th Anniversary Edition"
It finally happened. After around 20 months at the helm of The Second Disc, I think I've finally stumbled over a reissue that feels...dare I say it...misguided. Not entirely misguided, mind you, but misguided enough that it took me far longer than anticipated to bang out some thoughts on the title at hand, to understand what it meant for all of us as collectors and enthusiasts of catalogue material. Not a total strikeout, but a hit that barely gets a runner to second base, when it should have
Review: Buck Owens, "Bound For Bakersfield: The Complete Pre-Capitol Collection 1953-1956"
Though Buck Owens made his name in Bakersfield, California, his adopted hometown from the age of 21, he was a familiar face to audiences across America as co-host of Hee Haw, the country music variety show that launched in 1969 and lasted until 1992. (Owens remained with the show until 1986.) Despite the silliness of the television show, Owens was serious about his music, which was a direct answer to the “countrypolitan” sound storming Nashville in the 1960s. Owens and his Buckaroos, along
Disturbed Round Up "Lost Children" for B-Sides Set
The rock world may be getting a bit quieter next year, with the planned hiatus of alt-metal group Disturbed. But for longtime fans and collectors, they're at least going out with a bang, releasing a compilation of B-sides and unreleased material as a going-away present. The Lost Children collates 16 tracks from the Chicago-based band, many of which have appeared on Japanese pressings, import CD singles, soundtracks or digital downloads, all in one place for the first time. The set spans the
Johnny Mathis "Ultimate Collection" Coming to the U.K. with Unheard CHIC Production
How to encapsulate the career of Johnny Mathis into one compilation? John Royce Mathis of Gilmer, Texas began his recording career at Columbia Records in 1956, nearly 21 years of age, and with the exception of a 1963-1966 stint at Mercury, he’s remained at the label ever since. Mathis has embraced jazz, traditional pop, so-called MOR, soul, R&B, disco, dance, gospel, and most recently, country. In each genre, however, Mathis has brought his romantic vocals and gut instincts as to what
Slipknot Return to "Iowa" for 10th Anniversary
Iowa is more than Johnny Carson and John Wayne's home state. It's also the name of one of the heaviest metal albums of the past decade, by the native sons of Slipknot. The landmark album is being reissued this fall by Roadrunner Records, adding a bonus CD of live rarities and a DVD of video treasures. With their attention-grabbing wardrobe of numbered jumpsuits and off-the-wall masks, a frenetic musical style augmented by unique percussive elements and a rough-and-tumble live stage presence,
Don't Mess with the Messer: Gold Legion Reissues Early Grace Jones Albums
With her striking, even fearsome, physical appearance, distinctive voice and commitment to only the most danceable of music - a commitment that's netted her scores of Top 10 hits on Billboard's dance charts - it's safe to say there is no one quite like Grace Jones. Now, thanks to the efforts of the Gold Legion label, part of Jones' oft-overlooked early history is coming back out on compact disc. Jones' discography is considered most bountiful during her time on Island Records, working with
Perversion! "The First Nudie Musical" Arrives On CD and Blu-Ray
Few disputed the title of 1976’s The First Nudie Musical. And if there’s been a second nudie musical, nobody’s told me about it. But even if a second one does exist, chances are it doesn’t have a fraction of the satirical charm of the film described by the New York Post’s Judith Crist as “the Star Wars of nudie musicals!” In fact, the Paramount Picture sat just beneath the science-fiction behemoth and the James Bond thriller The Spy Who Loved Me during its first week of wide release in 1977.
Review: Elvis Presley, "Young Man with the Big Beat: The Complete '56 Elvis Presley Masters"
Well, it's one for the money, two for the show, three to get ready, now go, cat, go! With such words was a revolution born! Those simple lyrics were the first sung by Elvis Presley on his 1956 RCA Victor debut, accompanied by the blasts of Scotty Moore's guitar, then the frantic beats of D.J. Fontana's drums. It's unlikely that Presley ever anticipated that his recording of Carl Perkins' "Blue Suede Shoes" would provide the soundtrack to a country's coming of age, or for that matter, lead
Super Duper Hits: EMI to Release Joss Stone Compilation
It's been a long time coming, but Joss Stone's first compilation, The Best of 2003-2009, is finally ready for release next week after a six-month wait. For a time in the early 2000s, it was hard to lose sight of Joss Stone. The British crooner was only a teenager when her debut, 2003's The Soul Sessions, became a Top 5 smash in her native country. With a voice that recalled Aretha Franklin and Janis Joplin, Stone first rose to prominence with a few inspired soul-influenced covers (her reworking
TGI Friday Music : Monkees, Zevon, Midler, Rundgren, Beck, Yes, Jefferson Starship On Tap
The temperatures might be dropping, but as sure as fall turns to winter, the slate of catalogue reissues heats up each year for the lucrative holiday market. Friday Music, the CD and vinyl reissue label, sure hasn't wasted any time in preparing an eclectic slate of killer releases slated for the months ahead. The label's Joe Reagoso, a.k.a. Joe Friday, has taken to Twitter and Facebook announcing a number of exciting projects. And here, without further ado, are just the facts... The
Bruce Springsteen, Tony Bennett, Bob Dylan, Metallica Join Neil Young For "Bridge School Concerts" CD/DVD
Who but Neil Young could have brought The Red Hot Chili Peppers, Sonic Youth, Ben Harper, Eddie Vedder, Paul McCartney, Tony Bennett, and Los Lonely Boys together on the same stage? Though Young is an easy target for what can appear as a capricious attitude towards his back catalogue – announcing, then delaying or cancelling titles with alarming frequency – one aspect of the man’s great legacy cannot be in dispute, and that is his philanthropy. Since 1986, Young and his wife Pegi have offered
Release Round-Up: Week of September 27
'Tis the season! The big guns for the fourth quarter are starting to be drawn. Elvis Presley, The Young Man with the Big Beat / Elvis Presley: Legacy Edition (RCA/Legacy) The newest Elvis box set is all about 1956: five CDs of complete studio masters, outtakes, vintage audio interviews and live material. For the casual fan, the Elvis Presley Legacy Edition includes the Elvis Presley and Elvis LPs with the hit non-LP singles of that era. (Official site) Pink Floyd, Dark Side of the Moon:
Howlin' Wolf Boxed Up from Hip-o Select
The name Chester Arthur Burnett might not mean anything to the average music fan, but mention his famous nickname - Howlin' Wolf - and the game changes. Howlin' Wolf was one of the pioneers of the blues, a legend on the Chicago scene and a powerful force to be reckoned with on the electric guitar. Hip-o Select celebrates his lengthy legacy through a new four-disc box set of recordings for his longtime home base, Chess Records. Wolf was signed to Leonard Chess' label in 1951, and began to craft
UPDATED: What Is The "Pink Floyd Sampler" Coming From Best Buy?
Browsers of Sunday morning's Best Buy circular might have been surprised to find Pink Floyd Sampler pictured among the long-awaited titles arriving Tuesday as the first salvo in EMI's Why Pink Floyd? reissue series. Though the electronics retailer is also offering both the Discovery (single-disc) and Immersion (4 CD/1 DVD/1 BD) box set editions of Dark Side of the Moon (1973) as well as the Discovery box set collecting fourteen remastered albums from the classic rockers, the Best Buy-exclusive
You Ain't Seen Nothin' Yet: B.T.O. and Collins Releases Coming From Audio Fidelity
Audio Fidelity has reached overdrive. Bachman-Turner Overdrive, that is. On October 18, the audiophile specialist label will release on 24K Gold CD the third album by BTO, 1974’s Not Fragile. It will be joined by Audio Fidelity’s third reissue from the Phil Collins catalogue, 1982’s Hello, I Must Be Going!, the singer’s second solo album. Bachman-Turner Overdrive arose from the ashes of the band Brave Belt, formed by Randy Bachman and Chad Allan, bandmates in The Guess Who. When Allan
Reissue Theory: R.E.M., "Dead Letter Office: 25th Anniversary Edition"
Welcome to another installment of Reissue Theory, where we reflect on notable albums and the reissues they may someday see. As we mourn the passing of one of the most beloved American rock bands of the last few decades, we look at their all-too-often ignored early B-sides, compiled only once on disc - and how those rarities could make for a nice deluxe package down the line. R.E.M. is dead. Long live R.E.M. The Athens, Georgia-based band announced their split Wednesday, after just over 30
Come to the Pop Market, Part Two: Box Sets Planned For Brubeck, Holiday, Weather Report and Mahavishnu Orchestra
Yesterday we reported on eight new box sets drawn from the Columbia and RCA Victor archives and available through Sony’s PopMarket site. While those titles dedicated to Earth Wind & Fire, Electric Light Orchestra, Leonard Cohen, Paul Desmond, Dexter Gordon, Wynton Marsalis, Woody Shaw and Nina Simone are all currently available or due for release shortly, another batch is already on the schedule for November. On November 11, Legacy Recordings opens the vaults to the rich legacy of jazz at
Come to the Pop Market: Complete Collections Due From ELO, EWF, Cohen, Simone, Desmond and More
And the (complete) hits just keep on comin’. Sony’s PopMarket site has become a must-visit destination for many music fans, not only due to daily deals on existing box sets and back catalogue titles but also due to a line of new boxes under the Complete Albums Collection umbrella. Initial recipients of this treatment were Sam Cooke, The Byrds. Stan Getz and Return to Forever. A second wave offered collections from John Denver, Grover Washington Jr., Kansas and Wayne Shorter. Another eight
Review: Rufus Thomas, Shirley Brown and The Dramatics, "Stax Remasters" Series
When Stax Records severed its distribution deal with Atlantic in 1968, it was time to rebuild from the ground up. The entire back catalogue went to Atlantic, as did Sam and Dave’s contract. Gone was the “Stax o’wax” label logo; in its place was a new, finger-snapping Stax. The stewards of the Stax legacy at Concord Music Group have recently launched a series branded as Stax Remasters, and the three latest additions to the reissue program have arrived from Rufus Thomas, Shirley Brown and The
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