Welcome to this week’s Release Round-Up, featuring a selection of the new titles available today. As an Amazon affiliate, we earn from qualifying purchases. The Beach Boys, Pet Sounds 60 [Various Formats] (Capitol/UMe) Pet Sounds: 1LP Zoetrope Vinyl: uDiscoverMusic.com / TheBeachBoys.com 1LP Definitive Sound Series: Capitol Records Store 2LP Mono/Stereo Vinylphyle: uDiscoverMusic.com / TheBeachBoys.com The Pet Sounds Sessions [Highlights]: 2CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada / uDiscoverMusic.com / TheBeachBoys.com 2LP (Green and White Splatter Vinyl): uDiscoverMusic.com / TheBeachBoys.com 2LP (Black Vinyl): Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada / uDiscoverMusic.com / TheBeachBoys.com 2LP (Yellow Vinyl): Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada Link TBD Today – nearly 60 years to the day the original album first reached stores in…
The Weekend Stream: January 17, 2025
Welcome back to another edition of The Weekend Stream, The Second Disc’s review of notable catalogue titles (and some new ones, too!) making digital debuts. New music from country and soul icons and a reissue of a big pop album for its 25th anniversary kick things off, plus some appealing odds and ends from other corners of the music world. Al Green, To Love Somebody (Fat Possum) (Apple / Amazon) The Hi Priest of Memphis soul issues his first bundle of tracks since 2008’s full-length Lay It Down, all of which are covers and…
The Weekend Stream: March 8, 2025
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. This week’s offerings are particularly reflective, packed with tributes and goodbyes (both editorial and musical) and a little dust of new Disney magic. Dolly Parton, “If You Hadn’t Been There” (Butterfly) (iTunes / Amazon) On her first day in Nashville at the age of 18, a rising country musician named Dolly Parton had a chance encounter with Carl Dean, owner of a local asphalt business, at a laundromat. In 1966,…
Leave Quite An Impression: Sabrina Carpenter’s Grammy-Winning ‘Short ‘N’ Sweet’ Gets Expanded
Hot off her success at the Grammy Awards last weekend, pop star Sabrina Carpenter will reissue last year’s breakthrough Short ‘N’ Sweet with a bevy of new tracks – including a duet with a country legend. The expanded Short ‘N’ Sweet – this year’s winner for Best Pop Vocal Album and Best Pop Vocal Performance, and a nominee for Album of the Year – will be re-released this Friday, February 7 with five bonus tracks, including “Busy Woman” (a bonus track on a previous digital edition) and a new take on last summer’s chart-topping…
Release Round-Up: Week of November 15
Welcome to this week’s Release Round-Up, featuring a selection of the new titles available today…and, with the holidays approaching, it just might be the biggest release week of the year! As an Amazon affiliate, we earn from qualifying purchases. George Harrison, Living in the Material World: 50th Anniversary (Dark Horse) 2CD/2LP/1BD/1-7″: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada 2CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada 2LP: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada 1CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada 1LP: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada As the studio follow-up to his landmark triple album All Things Must Pass, George Harrison further explored his spiritual and physical selves on…
The Weekend Stream: April 6, 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. This week’s lineup includes a rare Prince B-side, classic remixes by U2, a country icon taking on a rock legend and much more! As an Amazon affiliate, we earn from qualifying purchases. Prince, “United States of Division” (NPG/Legacy) (iTunes / Amazon) Late March marked the 20th anniversary of 2004’s Musicology, Prince’s first Top 10 album in nine years (thanks to a combination one-off deal with Columbia Records, an…
Still on the Line: Ace Collects Glen Campbell and Jimmy Webb Collaborations, Glen’s “Ghost on the Canvas” Revisited with All-Star Duets
From the time singer-guitarist Glen Campbell recorded “By the Time I Get to Phoenix” in 1967, he became forever linked with the words and music of Jimmy Layne Webb. Formerly a staff songwriter for Motown’s Jobete Music arm, Webb had placed songs with big names (The Supremes) and lesser-known talents (Danny Day, The Contessas) when he attracted the ear of Soul City Records’ Johnny Rivers. The “Poor Side of Town” and “Memphis, Tennessee” singer was the first to release a version of “Phoenix,” on his 1967 album Changes. Within a year, he…
The Weekend Stream’s Christmas Cornucopia 2023
Welcome to a special edition of The Weekend Stream, The Second Disc’s review of notable catalogue titles making digital debuts. With the most wonderful time of the year officially in full swing, it’s worth going back and highlighting some great holiday hits and Christmas curiosities made available to stream and download in the last month or so. Which ones are you excited to find under the tree? Elton John, Step Into Christmas (Mercury) (iTunes / Amazon) One of the best “recent” additions to the modern Christmas music canon, “Step Into Christmas” celebrates its 50th…
Release Round-Up: Week of November 17
Welcome to this week’s Release Round-Up, featuring a selection of the many titles available today in the final “big week” of the holiday release season. We are an Amazon affiliate and earn on qualifying purchases. We’re kicking things off with our two Christmas releases from Second Disc Records and Real Gone Music! While Amazon’s orders are unfortunately delayed, both of these titles are shipping now from Real Gone’s webstore! Arthur Fiedler and The Boston Pops, The Ultimate Pops Christmas Party! (Second Disc Records/Real Gone Music) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada / Real Gone Music) Arthur Fiedler…
Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays: Chicago Collects “Greatest Christmas Hits”
Does anybody really know what time it is? On November 3, the answer from Chicago will be “Christmas time,” as that’s the day the band releases a new collection of its happiest holiday tracks. Greatest Christmas Hits arrives on CD, vinyl, and digital formats from Rhino Records. On the same date, the label will reissue 2011’s O Christmas Three and bundle together all three of Chicago’s Christmas albums in one slipcased edition. Chicago – then consisting of founding members Robert Lamm, Lee Loughnane, James Pankow, and Walter Parazaider as well as Bill…
Review: Kenny Rogers, “Life Is Like a Song”
In the booklet to his new posthumous release Life Is Like a Song, the late Kenny Rogers is quoted: “Music is the greatest memory-maker you’ll ever encounter. A song can lock you right into a memory for a lifetime.” Rogers’ own music, whether “The Gambler,” “Through the Years,” “Lady,” “She Believes in Me,” “You Decorated My Life,” or “Islands in the Stream,” certainly proves that adage. The Texas-born singer, who passed away in 2020 at the age of 81, blurred the lines between country and pop as he racked up 24 chart-toppers…
She Is the Champion: Dolly Parton Unveils “Rockstar,” Featuring All-Star Cast Including Elton John, Peter Frampton, Stevie Nicks, Sting, Lizzo, Miley, Many More
“If I’m gonna be in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, I’m going to have to earn it,” Dolly Parton commented upon her 2022 induction into the Cleveland hall. She promised that a rock and roll album was on the way, and today, she made good on that promise…with what essentially amounts to two such records! On November 17, Dolly’s own Butterfly Records in association with Big Machine will release Rockstar, a whopping 2-CD or 4-LP collection with 30 songs featuring some of the biggest names in the genre including Sting,…
Release Round-Up: Week of May 5
Welcome to this week’s Release Round-Up, featuring a selection of the new titles in stores today! Olivia Newton-John, Just the Two of Us: The Duets Collection Vol. 1 (Primary Wave/Green Hill) CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada 2LP: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada 17 favorite duets with Olivia Newton-John are featured on this new collection. The late artist’s duet partners include Dolly Parton (“Jolene”), Michael McDonald (“Act of Faith”), Barry Gibb (“Face to Face”), pianist Jim Brickman (“I Honestly Love You”), Mariah Carey (“Hopelessly Devoted to…
Straight Into Love: Kenny Rogers’ Posthumous “Life Is Like a Song” Coming in June
Kenny Rogers released the 28th and final studio album of his lifetime with 2015’s Once Again It’s Christmas. On June 2, UMe will celebrate the late superstar’s musical legacy with a posthumous release featuring eight previously unreleased tracks and two rarities. Life Is Like a Song, coming on CD, vinyl, and digital formats, has been curated and executive produced by his widow Wanda Rogers. It’s also Rogers’ first studio album to debut on vinyl in the U.S. since 1991. Life Is Like a Song is built around those eight never-before-heard recordings spanning…
Release Round-Up: Week of March 31
Welcome to this week’s Release Round-Up, featuring a selection of new titles in stores today! The Who, The Who with Orchestra Live at Wembley (Polydor/UMC) 2CD/Blu-ray: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada 3LP Colored Vinyl: The Who Official Store 3LP Black Vinyl: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada The Who brings their 2019 Wembley Stadium concert to a host of audio formats. The show featured Pete Townshend, Roger Daltrey, and their band including Simon Townshend and Zak Starkey backed by a 50-piece orchestra conducted by Keith Levenson. The grandiose blast of orchestral rock is available on CD/Blu-ray (with stereo…
The Weekend Stream: February 25, 2023
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 usher you into the weekend. A veritable bonanza of titles feature an expanded album by Sting, two classic Madonna 12″s, a George Michael-produced rarity, a first-time duet by a country legend and a soul icon, a new recording of a late-period classic from Hollywood’s most famed composer, and so much more! Sting, Ten Summoner’s Tales (Expanded Edition) (A&M/UMe) (iTunes / Amazon) Sting’s camp…
Everybody Loves You Now: Legacy’s RSD Slate Includes Billy Joel, Dolly Parton, Miles Davis, Carole King, More
The Record Store Day list is out, and the announcements are pouring in! This year, Legacy Recordings will mark the April 22, 2023 event at independent record stores everywhere with more than a dozen titles from many of the biggest names in classic pop, rock, jazz, hip-hop, reggae, country, and beyond. (One release, from Pearl Jam, will see a CD release in addition to the expected vinyl.) You’ll find the entire list below, with descriptions provided by the label. Visit RecordStoreDay.com for a full list of participating U.S. stores! Miles Davis, Turnaround:…
The Weekend Stream: February 18, 2023
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 usher you into the weekend. Today, Joe and Mike are sharing the latest from the Stream: new posthumous singles from Burt Bacharach and Olivia Newton-John, a new song from Ben Folds, a demo from Sting and more – plus a way you can voice your support for members of the LGBTQ+ community who need it. Burt Bacharach & Elvis Costello, “You Can Have…
Release Round-Up: Week of November 18
Welcome to this week’s Release Round-Up, featuring a selection of the many titles hitting stores today as the countdown to the holidays continues! Michael Jackson, Thriller 40 (MJJ/Epic/Legacy) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada) The best-selling album of all time returns in a 2CD edition for its 40th anniversary. The second disc features 10 bonus tracks including the previously issued outtake “Sunset Driver,” “Got the Hots” (making its U.S. release debut), non-LP B-side “Can’t Get Outta the Rain,” the Michael Sembello-penned “Carousel,” and the previously unreleased “Who Do You Know,” “What a Lovely Way…
Release Round-Up: Week of October 14
Welcome to this week’s Release Round-Up, featuring a selection of the new titles available today! Frank Zappa, Zappa ’75: Zagreb/Ljubljana (Zappa/UMe) (Zappa Official Store / Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada) Zappa ’75: Zagreb/Ljubljana captures The Mothers’ first and only concerts in Yugoslavia. Zappa referred to the dates as “The Mothers of Invention Yugoslavian Extravaganza,” and the performances lived up to that mighty moniker. The shows were staged in Zagreb and Ljubljana, now the capital cities of Croatia and Slovenia, respectively. He was joined by the short-lived line-up of Andre…
Here She Comes Again: Dolly Parton’s Greatest Hits Collected on “Diamonds and Rhinestones”
Here she comes again. Hot on the heels of the expanded edition of Dolly Parton’s A Holly Dolly Christmas, the superstar is teaming with Legacy Recordings and RCA for a new, career-spanning package. Diamonds and Rhinestones: The Greatest Hits Collection arrives on November 18 with 23 tracks, originally released between 1971 and 2020, on CD, 2LP, and digital formats. Diamonds and Rhinestones draws on Parton’s recordings for RCA Victor, Columbia Records, and her own Dolly Records label. The non-chronologically-sequenced collection includes the freshly-minted Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee’s biggest crossover…
Circle of Love: Dolly Parton’s “Holly Dolly Christmas” Gets Expanded Edition in October
2020’s A Holly Dolly Christmas was Dolly Parton’s 47th solo studio album, but only her third full-length Christmas record following the Kenny Rogers collaboration Once Upon a Christmas (1984) and solo Home for Christmas (1990). The joyful yuletide set, supported by a prime-time CBS television special, became the superstar’s eighth Billboard Country chart-topper; it also reached the peak of the Holiday Albums chart and the top twenty of the Billboard 200. On October 14, the Grammy-nominated instant classic will be expanded on CD and vinyl as A Holly Dolly Christmas: Ultimate Deluxe…
The Weekend Stream: August 20, 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! A short but sweet release week has jazz, soundtracks and a lost pop record from one of the best-loved rock frontmen of the last few decades. Max Q, Max Q (Golden Rebel) (iTunes) INXS may have announced some activity around the 40th anniversary of their classic Shabooh Shoobah this fall (more on that as we keep confirming information about the band’s plans)…
Release Round-Up: Week of June 10
Welcome to this week’s Release Round-Up, featuring a selection of the titles hitting stores today! Elton John, Madman Across the Water: 50th Anniversary Edition (Rocket/UMe) 3CD/BD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada 2CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada 4LP: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada Elton John’s 1971 Madman Across the Water receives a new 50th anniversary reissue. Available in three different formats, its most expansive is a 3CD/Blu-ray collection that’ll offer the original album (remastered by Bob Ludwig in 2016), five rare bonus tracks, a dozen solo piano demos, an unreleased full version of outtake “Rock Me When He’s Gone,” Elton’s…
Sweet Music Man: Dolly Parton, Chris Stapleton, Oak Ridge Boys, and More Pay Tribute to Kenny Rogers on “All In for the Gambler”
On Wednesday, October 25, 2017, Kenny Rogers took the stage at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena for what was billed as a farewell concert celebration. Rogers’ final tour, The Gambler’s Last Deal, would encompass further performances (including a run of Christmas shows in December 2017) before a halt was announced, on doctor’s orders, of a planned 2018 leg. But the all-star Nashville show was a symbolic last hurrah for the superstar who died in March 2020 at the age of 81. The tribute concert, featuring a host of Rogers’ friends and those influenced by…
