As the COVID 19 outbreak continues to impact our lives, it’s heartening to know that some things are returning to some semblance of “normal,” or as close as we can get to it during this unpredictable impasse. As we previously reported, Record Store Day has been split into three standalone “RSD Drop” days, occurring on August 29, September 26, and October 24. That’s not the only thing changing this time around. It’s been reported by Georgia-based shop Comeback Vinyl that the organization is open to “the possibility of selling the releases online…
Release Round-Up: Week of July 3
Welcome to this week’s Release Round-Up! Willie Nelson, First Rose of Spring (Legacy) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada) Willie Nelson’s latest studio album emphasizes love and positivity at a time when we all need it most. First Rose of Spring features new Nelson originals co-written with producer and longtime associate Buddy Cannon, as well as new songs from Toby Keith and Chris Stapleton and covers such as “Yesterday When I Was Young.” Available on CD, LP, and digital. David Bowie, Ouvrez Le Chien: Live Dallas 95 (Parlophone) This previously…
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All The Madmen: New David Bowie Live Album “Ouvrez Le Chien: Live Dallas 95” Due Friday
A new live album has been announced from the late David Bowie, due out this Friday – July 3 – across digital platforms: Ouvrez Le Chien: Live Dallas 95. The album features previously unreleased performances from the October 14, 1995 stop on Bowie’s Outside Tour, which also featured Nine Inch Nails. While none of the songs that NIN performed with Bowie that night are included here, the track listing features a number of deep cuts and fan favorites from across his career – including “Andy Warhol,” “Breaking Glass,” “Under Pressure,” “Teenage Wildlife”…
Release Round-Up: Week of June 19
Welcome to this week’s Release Round-Up! Brian Wilson and Van Dyke Parks, Orange Crate Art: 25th Anniversary Edition (Omnivore) 2CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada / Omnivore 2LP Black Vinyl: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada / Omnivore 2LP Colored Vinyl: Omnivore Omnivore celebrates 25 years of Brian Wilson and Van Dyke Parks’ beautiful Orange Crate Art with a variety of reissues. The 2-CD version boasts three previously unreleased bonus tracks on the first disc: a stunning, subtle take on “What a Wonderful World” (listen here) that…
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Release Round-Up: Week of June 12
Welcome to this week’s Release Round-Up! Peter Gabriel, Rated PG (Real World) CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada LP: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada Last year, Peter Gabriel issued Rated PG, a collection of one-off songs he’d performed for motion pictures across his solo career. This year, that album gets a wider release beyond its picture disc pressing for Record Store Day; it’ll now be available on CD and vinyl on Friday, June 12. The 10-track compendium features PG favorites from WALL-E, Against All Odds, Natural…
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Cherry Red’s “A Slight Disturbance in My Mind” Collects The Psych-Pop Sounds of 1966
By any estimation, 1966 was a pivotal year in rock. On one side of the Atlantic: Pet Sounds, Blonde on Blonde, Sounds of Silence. On the other: Revolver, Fresh Cream, Aftermath. Those albums merely represent the tip of the iceberg, however. 1966 was a year in which psychedelia emerged from the fringes and onto the charts via such artists as The Byrds, Jefferson Airplane, and yes, The Beatles with “Tomorrow Never Knows.” The underground scene continued to grow and increasingly attract the attention of major labels. Earlier this year, Cherry Red’s Grapefruit…
Release Round-Up: Week of May 29
Welcome to this week’s Release Round-Up! Ronnie Milsap, The Best of Ronnie Milsap (Craft Recordings) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada) The Best of Ronnie Milsap gathers up 12 of the artist’s biggest hits from his first tenure at RCA, including “It Was Almost Like a Song,” “Any Day Now,” and “What a Difference You’ve Made in My Life.” Craft’s parent company, Concord Music, acquired the rights to 16 of Milsap’s RCA albums from between 1977-2006 last year, and this is the first physical product to come from the acquisition…
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Release Round-Up: Week of May 15
Welcome to this week’s Release Round-Up! Frank Sinatra, Nice ‘n’ Easy: 60th Anniversary Expanded Edition (Capitol/UMe) CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada LP (Remixed Album Only): Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada Capitol Records, Frank Sinatra Enterprises, and UMe have a 60th anniversary edition of Frank Sinatra’s classic 1960 album arranged and conducted by Nelson Riddle. For the occasion, the album has been completely remixed and features three bonus tracks: the outtake “The Nearness of You,” plus the previously unreleased session takes for “Nice ‘n’ Easy” and…
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LiveandWell: David Bowie Rarity Returns from Parlophone
Parlophone Records has announced that three rare David Bowie live releases from the 1990s will all be returning to streaming formats in the months ahead. Tomorrow, May 15, the first of these titles will arrive on digital platforms. Liveandwell.com was made available as a limited edition CD release in 2000 to BowieNet subscribers. It typically fetches high sums secondhand. For this streaming reissue, it has been expanded with two bonus tracks: “Pallas Athena” and “V-2 Schneider,” the former originally recorded on Black Tie White Noise and the latter from Heroes. Liveandwell.com‘s 12…
Funtime: Universal Collects Iggy Pop-David Bowie Collaborations on Iggy’s “The Bowie Years” Box
While David Bowie’s “Berlin Trilogy” officially kicked off with the January 1977 release of Low, the international superstar had actually been working in Germany a bit earlier with Stooges frontman Iggy Pop on his solo debut, The Idiot. The LP was a departure from Pop’s primitive-styled proto-punk with The Stooges, embracing a steely and electronic yet funky sound. Now, Universal Music is collecting the entirety of Pop’s German period of Bowie collaborations in a new 7-CD box set. Due on May 29, The Bowie Years brings together remastered versions of The Idiot,…
Release Round-Up: Week of March 20
Welcome to this week’s Release Round-Up! Def Leppard, The Early Years 1979-1981 (Bludgeon Riffola) Box Set (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada) On Through the Night: CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada LP: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada High N’ Dry: CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada LP: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada Def Leppard revisits their first years with a new box set covering the group’s first three years together. The Early Years 79-81 covers the Sheffield…
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Rhino To Release A Whopping 29 Titles(!) for Record Store Day 2020
Rhino, the label that manages the catalogue of the Warner family of labels, has announced its upcoming Record Store Day releases. A mouth-watering 29 titles will hit shops on April 18, available exclusively at brick-and-mortar locations. These include the previously announced David Bowie titles; a rare live set from Alice Cooper; rarities from Jethro Tull; a box of John Prine’s early albums; a set of core Notorious BIG records; BBC sessions from The Pogues, New Order, and Hawkwind; a sought-after live album by The Pretenders; and so much more! Keep scrolling for…
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I’m Only Dancing: Unreleased David Bowie Concert Announced for Record Store Day 2020
Unreleased David Bowie concert tapes will be dusted off after 45 years in the vault and released for Record Store Day 2020, Parlophone has announced. I’m Only Dancing (The Soul Tour 74) puts the spotlight on the period between Diamond Dogs and Young Americans as Bowie began embracing the sounds of Philadelphia and emerged with a new reconfigured group, new stage design, and new songs to perform. The 2-LP or 2-CD set draws from recently discovered tapes of performances at the Michigan Palace in Detroit, recorded in October ’74, and Nashville’s Municipal…
Too Cool To Fool: Bowie’s Archival ‘Is It Any Wonder’ EP Completes This Friday, Available Physically In March
On January 8 — what would have been David Bowie’s 73rd birthday — Parlophone announced the latest releases in their ongoing series celebrating the rare and unreleased performances from the vault. The streaming EP Is It Any Wonder? was unveiled over the course of the last six weeks, with a new song hitting streaming services every Friday. Parlophone also previewed an upcoming Record Store Day release, ChangesNowBowie with the first selection on the EP, an intimate 1996 recording of “The Man Who Sold The World.” Today, Parlophone revealed the final track on…
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Release Round-Up: Week of February 14
Welcome to this week’s Release Round-Up! Johnny Mathis, The Island (Second Disc Records/Real Gone Music) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada) The 1989 “lost” album by Johnny Mathis is lost no more! Renowned producer Sergio Mendes of Brasil ’66 fame and arranger-guitarist Dori Caymmi joined Mathis on The Island to subtly modernize the classic sounds of bossa nova and samba. He delivered some of his most sensual vocals ever for ten smoldering songs by Caymmi, Mendes, Ivan Lins, Brenda Russell, Alan and Marilyn Bergman, and others. Featuring a small rhythm…
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Play Don’t Worry: Mick Ronson’s Post-Bowie Recordings Anthologized On New Box
The late Mick Ronson (1946-1993) was inextricably linked with David Bowie, playing with the superstar during his pre-fame days in The Hype and then as a Spider from Mars supporting Ziggy Stardust. But while Ronno’s powerful licks still reverberate from his time with Bowie – on albums including The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and The Spiders from Mars, Hunky Dory, Aladdin Sane, The Man Who Sold the World, Pin Ups, and Lou Reed’s Transformer – he left behind a rich legacy of music in other capacities, as well. He joined…
Face To Face: David Bowie Rarities Arriving on “Is It Any Wonder,” Parlophone Announces “ChangesNowBowie” RSD 2020 Release
On January 8 — what would have been David Bowie’s 73rd birthday — Parlophone announced the latest releases in their ongoing series celebrating the rare and unreleased performances from the vault, and fans who appreciate a dramatic unfolding are in for a treat. David Bowie Is It Any Wonder? is the title of the six-track EP of rare and previously unreleased material that will be rolled out track-by-track over the next six weeks. The first selection on the EP is an intimate 1996 recording of “The Man Who Sold The World.” It…
Holiday Gift Guide Review: David Bowie, “Conversation Piece”
The new David Bowie box set is entitled Conversation Piece – and it’s an apt one, as this set is certain to inspire conversations punctuated with cheers. Quite simply, this slipcased, hardcover-book style collection featuring five CDs of material recorded by the late superstar in 1968-1969 is one of the year’s best boxes: an exquisite, museum-quality release that exceeds all expectations. Necessity may indeed be the mother of invention, as the set ostensibly exists because of the desire to keep Bowie’s works from that year under copyright. Parlophone released much of the…
Release Round-Up: Week of November 15
Welcome to another installment of Release Round-Up! Here’s what’s on the way this week. David Bowie, Conversation Piece [Various Formats] (Parlophone/Rhino) Conversation Piece box set: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada Space Oddity 2019 Mix CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada Space Oddity 2019 Mix LP: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada “Space Oddity” 360 Reality Audio single: Amazon HD / TIDAL / Deezer Links TBD The 5-CD box Conversation Piece traces David Bowie’s development as a songwriter and performer throughout 1968-1969 with home demos, BBC sessions, and studio recordings with his friend and collaborator John “Hutch” Hutchinson and the mime group Feathers. The box also…
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Release Round-Up: Week of October 11
Welcome to this week’s Release Round-Up! Steve Miller Band, Welcome to the Vault (Sailor/Capitol/UMe) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada) Welcome To The Vault is the first-ever Steve Miller Band rarities collection. The 3CD/DVD box set features 52 songs that span Miller’s career, including 38 previously unreleased recordings and 5 never-before-heard songs. With demos, rehearsal takes, newly unearthed compositions, classic concert recordings, and more, Miller has dived into the vaults with a celebratory collection that’s bound to please any fan. The DVD is also a treasure trove of rarities, featuring…
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Word On A Wing: David Bowie’s “VH1 Storytellers” Debuts on Vinyl
Twenty years ago, David Bowie appeared on the stripped-down TV series VH1 Storytellers to play a career-spanning set and tell the tales behind his songs. As DavidBowie.com reported, the musician delved deep into his back catalog “to perform tracks such as ‘Can’t Help Thinking About Me’ for the first time in 33 years, Aladdin Sane‘s ‘Drive-In Saturday’ which he had not performed since 1974 and ‘Word On A Wing’ which received its first outing in 23 years.” The broadcast gained legendary status among super-fans, who were finally treated to an official release of…
Heaven in Here: Rare Live Tracks From Bowie’s Tin Machine Collected on Digital Album
We’re continuing our periodic look at digital-only titles we might otherwise have missed with a peek at a previously unreleased concert from David Bowie and Tin Machine! Thirty years ago, the ever-mercurial David Bowie embarked on a new phase of his career with his new band Tin Machine. After several commercial-leaning albums in the earlier part of the decade, Bowie joined up with the then-unknown guitarist Reeves Gabrels and former Todd Rundgren associates Tony and Hunt Sales to form Tin Machine. The objective? To create music that was more authentic than Let’s…
In the Heat of the Morning: New 5-CD Box Set Collects David Bowie’s 1968-1969 Recordings
David Bowie fans have been waiting with bated breath to discover what would comprise the next in the series of annual box sets dedicated to the late superstar’s remarkable career. Yet rather than directly follow up last year’s Loving the Alien (1983-1988), Parlophone has announced a trip back in time to the late 1960s. Conversation Piece, a 5-CD box set (also available digitally), will be released on November 15. The collection traces Bowie’s development as a songwriter and performer throughout 1968-1969 with home demos, BBC sessions, and studio recordings with his friend…
Beyond and Before: Cherry Red’s Avant-Pop and Art-Rock Collection Features Yes, Bowie, Zombies, Procol Harum, Mick Ronson
Cherry Red’s Grapefruit imprint has continued its series of clamshell box sets exploring a particular period or genre in rock history with a new set dedicated to one of the U.K.’s most fertile periods. The 3-CD Lullabies for Catatonics: A Journey Through the British Avant-Pop/Art Rock Scene 1967-74 offers 49 nuggets at the intersection of pop and rock, psychedelia and pastoral folk, prog and glam, famous and unknown. Following up previous volumes like I’m a Freak Baby, Dust on the Nettles, and Come Join My Orchestra, this box concentrates (per compiler David…
Review: David Bowie, “The Mercury Demos”
David Bowie collectors with a taste for vinyl have had much for which to be grateful this year. Parlophone and Rhino recently unveiled the third in a series of vinyl box sets this year, The Mercury Demos. (The just-released fourth such box commemorated the fiftieth anniversary of “Space Oddity.”) An LP rather than a collection of singles, The Mercury Demos officially premieres ten early, one-take recordings from the future superstar, recorded on a Revox reel-to-reel tape machine in Bowie’s flat in spring 1969, with accompaniment from his friend and collaborator John “Hutch”…
