NEW YORK, NY – “We live in a perfect world of [these] anodyne, Instagrammed, perfect photographs, in-tune music, and everything in time, and The Beatles weren’t that. The Beatles had a heartbeat to them, and the story of ‘The White Album’ is the story of that heartbeat, if you’d like.” Last Wednesday morning, September 26, Giles Martin was holding court for an audience of about 70 at New York’s famed Record Plant. The subject was, of course, the legendary 1968 double-LP formally named The Beatles but known to all as The White…
Say It’s Your Birthday: The Beatles Mark 50 Years of The White Album with Deluxe Reissue
It’s officially named for the band that created it, but to listeners around the world, the 1968 double-album will forever be known as The White Album. Its sprawling, eclectic lineup of 30 tracks showcased every side of John, Paul, George, and Ringo, and cast its musical net wider from the baroque pop majesty of Sgt. Pepper’s to a heavier celebration of all things, and all sounds, rock-and-roll. Just a few of its classic songs include “Back in the USSR,” “Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da,” “While My Guitar Gently Weeps,” “Blackbird,” and “Birthday.” The dissent behind-the-scenes…
Gimme Some Truth: John Lennon’s “Imagine” Gets “Ultimate” Treatment in October
John Lennon’s second solo studio album, and arguably his most beloved, is returning from Apple and Capitol in a lavish new 4CD/2BD box set. On October 5, the Imagine: Ultimate Collection will hit stores, celebrating the classic 1971 album which introduced the world to “Imagine,” “Jealous Guy,” and “Gimme Some Truth” as well as the blistering “How Do You Sleep” and rollicking “Oh, Yoko!” In addition to the box set and digital options, a 2CD Deluxe Edition, 1CD remaster, and 2LP black vinyl edition will all be released. A number of bundles…
Review: Keely Smith, “Sings the John Lennon-Paul McCartney Songbook”
Oh yeah, I’ll tell you something I think you’ll understand… At the height of Beatlemania in 1964, some members of the so-called “older generation” still hadn’t caught on to what made the Fab Four more than the latest passing teenybopper fad. But Keely Smith was ready to make them understand. For her third album at Frank Sinatra’s Reprise Records, the smoky-voiced chanteuse set out to have the adults in the room “meet the Beatles” in a new way. Keely Smith Sings the John Lennon-Paul McCartney Songbook was one of the first in…
The Second Disc’s 2018 Record Store Day Must-Haves
Welcome to our annual rundown of Must-Haves for this year’s Record Store Day event! Once you’re through reading, let us know what you’re most looking forward to picking up tomorrow at your favorite local independent retailer! Our list features just a sampling of our favorites from our friends at Legacy Recordings, Varese Sarabande, Rhino Records, Real Gone Music, Demon Music Group, Walt Disney Records, Omnivore Recordings, and more! Joe’s kicking things off with five essential picks (in alphabetical order)! The Beau Brummels, Bradley’s Barn [Expanded Edition] (Run Out Groove) Before Abbey Road…
Don’t Fear The Reaper: Real Gone’s Record Store Day Lineup Includes Tim Buckley, Harry Nilsson, Blue Oyster Cult and The Rascals
As we continue our look through this year’s upcoming Record Store Day releases, here is what Real Gone Music will be offering on April 21 at your local record store! Tim Buckley, Live at the Troubadour – 2-LP 12″ Clear Vinyl First appearing on CD in 1994, this album is drawn from Tim Buckley’s September 3 and September 4, 1969 shows at West Hollywood’s famed Troubadour. Buckley was joined by Lee Underwood on guitar, Carter C.C. Collins on congas, John Balkin on bass, and Art Trip on drums in the band. Some…
Don’t Worry, Kyoko: Three More Yoko Ono Reissues Announced
Secretly Canadian, in partnership with Chimera Music, last year announced a back catalogue campaign covering the challenging musical works of Yoko Ono. The second batch of three expanded albums will be released next month, the label announced today. Three albums from the early ’70s recorded for Apple Records–1971’s Fly and 1973’s Approximately Infinite Universe and Feeling the Space–will be repressed on CD and LP for the first time in many years on July 14. Each release will feature bonus tracks previously found on Rykodisc’s career-spanning Onobox (1992) and subsequent individual album reissues….
Review: The Beatles, “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band: 50th Anniversary Super Deluxe Edition”
I. It Was Fifty Years Ago Today… I read the news today, oh, boy! It’s a new day in Pepperland thanks to today’s release of the most eagerly-anticipated reissue project of the year: the 50th anniversary deluxe box set of The Beatles’ Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band. This would be a landmark collection for any number of reasons: that Pepper is routinely considered one of the greatest albums, if not the greatest album, of all time; that this is the first-ever “Expanded Edition” of a Beatles album; that the entire LP…
Guaranteed to Raise a Smile: The Second Disc Hears The 50th Anniversary “Sgt. Pepper” Remix
NEW YORK (NY) – Could it really be getting better? That was a fair question on the lips of the crowd assembled last Friday, April 28, at New York City’s World of McIntosh Townhouse. The Second Disc was privileged to be among those members of the press assembled for a “first listen” to the upcoming 50th anniversary stereo remix of The Beatles’ Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, due for release on May 26 from Capitol, UMe, and Apple Records. Jeff Jones, the chief executive of Apple Corps, and Giles Martin, producer…
Getting Better All the Time: The Beatles’ “Sgt. Pepper” Reissued for Its 50th Anniversary
“It was twenty years ago today Sgt. Pepper taught the band to play They’ve been going in and out of style But they’re guaranteed to raise a smile So may I introduce to you The act you’ve known for all these years Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band!” With that verse, The Beatles quite honestly changed popular music. Their eighth studio album, and the first since their final concert tour, ushered in a sea change of rock and roll–a focus on the long-playing album over singles as focal artistic point, an introduction…
Release Round-Up: Week of November 11
Welcome to this week’s Release Round-Up! It’s another big week for box sets from classic rock’s heaviest hitters, and much, much more… Bob Dylan, The 1966 Live Recordings (Columbia/Legacy) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada) 36 discs of music from Bob Dylan’s 1966 world tour – every recording of the tour known to exist – are brought together on this monumental new collection. Read our full review here! Bob Dylan, The Real Royal Albert Hall Concert (Columbia/Legacy) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K./ Amazon Canada) This two-CD set culled from the box set presents Dylan’s historic…
Remember Love: Yoko Ono’s Catalogue to Be Reissued
Since shortly before The Second Disc began in 2010, we’ve seen a swath of major reissues, overhauls and catalog deliveries of the works of both The Beatles, together and separately, too. This fall, it’s time to take a look at the catalogue of one of The Beatles’ most intriguing associates: Yoko Ono. John Lennon’s second wife is not “the woman who broke up The Beatles,” as has been famously charged. But John’s devotion to her as expressed in much of his solo music, as well as her own challenging solo works, has…
Release Round-Up: Week of June 9
Welcome to this week’s Release Round-Up, headlined by the long-awaited return of The Rolling Stones’ Sticky Fingers in a variety of formats and editions! The Rolling Stones, Sticky Fingers (UMe) 3-CD/1-DVD Super Deluxe Edition Box Set: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. 2-CD/1-DVD Deluxe Edition Box Set: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. 2-CD Deluxe Edition: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. 1-CD Standard Edition: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. 2-LP Deluxe Edition: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. Digital Download: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. The Rolling Stones revisit their 1971 classic featuring “Wild Horses,” “Brown…
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