Ace Records’ ongoing Black America Sings series gets a second helping of classic tunes by Bob Dylan on a new compilation available this week. Highway of Diamonds: Black America Sings Bob Dylan, available January 30 in Ace’s native U.K. (and a week later in America), offers 20 compositions from the Nobel Prize-winning songwriter recast for soul, blues and gospel acts including The Staple Singers, Nina Simone, Harry Belafonte, Billy Preston, Natalie Cole, Solomon Burke, Merry Clayton, Sarah Vaughan, Aaron Neville and more. The collection, available on CD or two LPs, includes informative song/track…
Holiday Gift Guide Review: The Rolling Stones, “Black and Blue: Super Deluxe Edition”
The World’s Greatest Rock and Roll Band was in a period of transition. In December 1974, guitarist Mick Taylor announced he was leaving The Rolling Stones. The Stones had already weathered the loss of Brian Jones in 1969 and now they were, once again, without a guitarist. The sound of music was changing, too, with the rise of punk and disco even as prog and heavy rock remained entrenched on the charts. Where did that leave the band who had just proclaimed “It’s Only Rock ‘n Roll (But I Like It)” on…
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The Weekend Stream: August 10, 2024
Welcome to another edition of The Weekend Stream, The Second Disc’s review of notable catalogue titles (and some new ones, too!) making digital debuts. A legendary classic rock concert is back on digital channels, along with EPs from U2, Madonna and Daryl Hall, a remixed cast album from a beloved musical, and a new record from one of the most underrated bands of the last few decades. As an Amazon affiliate, we earn from qualifying purchases. George Harrison, The Concert for Bangladesh (Apple) (iTunes / Amazon) Finally available digitally in its entirety and around…
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The Weekend Stream: June 11, 2022
Welcome to The Weekend Stream, a relaxing weekly review of notable digital-only catalogue titles. There may be no CD or vinyl, but there’s plenty of great new/old music to discover! From buckets of EPs by Portishead and the Black Crowes to a deep dive on Judy Garland, you’ll find much to listen to and love. Judy Garland, Recordings from the M-G-M Films (Motion Picture Soundtrack Anthology) (WaterTower) (Apple Music / Amazon) There’s plenty of celebrating the late, great Judy Garland’s centennial this month (her date of birth was yesterday, June 10) –…
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Review: The Beatles, “Let It Be” [Various Formats]
Everybody had a hard year/Everybody had a good time… The Beatles’ twelfth and final studio LP may have been titled Let It Be, but that particular admonition has been all but ignored over the years. The album – recorded before, but released after, 1969’s Abbey Road – was in some respects a step backward from the band’s previous, experimental LPs as they sought a “back to basics” sound that didn’t involve overdubs and studio wizardry. Ultimately, though, that approach was rejected. The album that began life mixed by engineer Glyn Johns as…
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The Weekend Stream: November 6, 2021
While The Second Disc prides itself on connecting people to reissues and box sets they can keep on their shelves, it’s no secret that listening audiences are also digital – catalogue music lovers, too – and our passion is connecting people to music from the past that they might adore. So we’ve introduced a new feature: The Weekend Stream, which focuses on hidden gems that recently made it to digital channels that might make your playlists a little brighter! Hank Williams, Sings / Moanin’ the Blues (Expanded Edition) / Memorial Album (Expanded…
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The Weekend Stream: October 9, 2021
While The Second Disc prides itself on connecting people to reissues and box sets they can keep on their shelves, it’s no secret that listening audiences are also digital – catalogue music lovers, too – and our passion is connecting people to music from the past that they might adore. So we’ve introduced a new feature: The Weekend Stream, which focuses on hidden gems that recently made it to digital channels that might make your playlists a little brighter! Madonna, Madame X – Music from the Theater Xperience (Boy Toy/Warner) (iTunes /…
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The Weekend Stream: September 18, 2021
While The Second Disc prides itself on connecting people to reissues and box sets they can keep on their shelves, it’s no secret that listening audiences are also digital – catalogue music lovers, too – and our passion is connecting people to music from the past that they might adore. So we’ve introduced a new feature: The Weekend Stream, which focuses on hidden gems that recently made it to digital channels that might make your playlists a little brighter! The Beatles, Get Back (Take 8) EP (Apple/Capitol/UMe) (iTunes / Amazon / Spotify)…
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Great Gosh A’Mighty: Two More Little Richard Albums Expanded by Omnivore
This Friday, September 18, Omnivore will release two expanded editions from the one and only Little Richard. But those reissues of The Rill Thing and The King of Rock and Roll aren’t all the label has coming from the piano-pounding pioneer. On October 23, Omnivore will continue mining Richard’s Reprise discography with 1972’s The Second Coming and jump ahead to 1986 for the Warner Bros. release Lifetime Friend, both in newly expanded and remastered form. The Second Coming, Little Richard’s third and final Reprise long-player, reunited him with Robert “Bumps” Blackwell from…
Holiday Gift Guide Review: Joni Mitchell, ‘Love Has Many Faces’ [8-LP Box Set]
It’s coming on Christmas… and just in time for the holidays, Rhino has treated Joni Mitchell fans with a new, 8-LP box set, Love Has Many Faces: A Quartet, A Ballet, Waiting To Be Danced. Previously released in a 4-CD configuration in 2014, this Joni Mitchell-curated collection finds the celebrated songwriter, singer, and visual artist exploring the many contexts and definitions of love. The result is a 53-song, four-act suite that craftily presents some of Joni’s best work in a compelling sequence, including 20 songs that are brand-new to vinyl. Love Has…
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Give Me Peace On Earth: Craft Reissues ‘Concert For George’ In Various Formats
George Harrison would have been 75 years old next month, and Craft Recordings is celebrating that milestone with the ultimate tribute to the former Beatle: a multi-format reissue of 2002’s Concert For George. Available February 23, two days before Harrison’s birthday, Concert For George will bow in five different physical configurations – the most enormous of which is an online-only box set, limited only to 1,000 copies worldwide and featuring the star-studded tribute show on two CDs, two DVDs, two Blu-ray Discs and four 180-gram LPs. This 12″ x 12″ box set…
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