Last year, The Second Disc had nothing but good things to say about Dearly Beloved: A Prince Songbook, Cherry Red's triple-disc tribute to the music of Prince. The set told a story of The Artist's massive impact on pop, rock and soul by way of songs he gave others to record and a galaxy of genre-bending covers. In a year of considerable challenges in Prince fandom, it was a veritable oasis in a desert. Earlier this year, I had the pleasure of speaking with Adam Mattera, the curator and
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. Classic Motown in concert, long-lost favorites from a country icon, a live country take on a Fab Four favorite, Gary Numan's mid-'80s works, new music from Bachman-Turner Overdrive and a documentary on a late, great Australian musician...there really is a lot of ground to cover, and that's not even all of it! Marvin Gaye, Marvin Gaye Live!
Sheena Easton's latest reissue collaboration with Cherry Red covers familiar ground in a slightly new way. Modern Girl: The Complete EMI Recordings, Vol. 1 is a 5CD set that will cover the bulk of the Scottish singer's first five albums - Take My Time (1981), You Could Have Been with Me (1981), Madness, Money and Music (1982), Best Kept Secret (1983) and the Spanish-language hits album Todo Me Recuerda a Ti (1984) - while also premiering more than two dozen unreleased tracks. The set, available
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
The holidays are a time of good cheer and gratitude, where we all (in theory) come together to share in a common joy. There has not been a lot of common joy if you're a Prince fan; we don't need to re-litigate it more than we did this summer, but it's worth noting that the quest to make intriguing, posthumous Prince projects under the current estate organization has maybe gotten worse than when we published our editorial. But there have been celebrations of The Purple One that honor his
Between the muted 40th anniversary celebration of Purple Rain and the bizarre drama over an estate-sanctioned Netflix documentary on his life and career, Prince fans could probably use a win lately. A new compilation from Cherry Red looks like it might finally offer one. Dearly Beloved - A Prince Songbook is an unexpectedly robust-looking 3CD set that will pay tribute to the Minneapolis icon as a songwriter - one whose classic hits have become pop standards, with so much talent overflowing
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 Who, Live at Shea Stadium 1982 (Mercury Studios) 2CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada 3LP: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada The Who's October 13, 1982 concert at Shea Stadium, the now-demolished, longtime home of the New York Mets, was released on DVD and standard-definition Blu-ray back in 2015. Now,
Happy 2024! Welcome, friends, to Part Two of The Second Disc's 14th Annual Gold Bonus Disc Awards! As we yet again look to a new year with optimism and a hopeful spirit, we recognize the many roles music has played in our lives. With that spirit in mind, The Second Disc wishes to recognize 2023's cream of the catalogue music crop - those exemplary reissues and box sets, big and small, that proved to be truly outstanding for music lovers worldwide. After much deliberation, we're excited
Sheena Easton's formidable catalogue has been enjoying an overhaul from Cherry Red's Cherry Pop imprint which has so far encompassed lavish expanded editions of Take My Time and A Private Heaven, the debut of Live at the Palace, Hollywood; an EMI singles collection; and more. Now, Easton's third album - 1982's Madness, Money, and Music - has received the deluxe CD/DVD treatment, shedding some much-needed light on this often-overlooked LP. Madness, Money, and Music, titled for the edgy lament
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
Welcome to this week's Release Round-Up, featuring a selection of the new titles available today. Sylvester, Disco Heat: The Fantasy Years 1977-1981 (Second Disc/Real Gone) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada / Real Gone Music) Disco Heat: The Fantasy Years 1977-1981 celebrates the late disco/dance music pioneer with 26 tracks on two CDs drawn from all six of his albums for the label, as well as the rare 12-inch Disco Versions that kept the dancefloors burning. In addition to
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
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 sees digital reissues of Raw Power, The Chronic, rare Motown, unreleased music from a Cash family member and more. The Stooges, Raw Power (50th Anniversary Legacy Edition) (Columbia/Legacy) (iTunes / Amazon) Look out honey, 'cause he's using technology! The Stooges' seminal proto-punk
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
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! This week is packed with a few digital-led campaigns for Leonard Cohen, Bob Marley and Avril Lavigne, plus batches of releases for fans of Gloria Estefan and country singer Gene Watson! Leonard Cohen, Hallelujah & Songs from His Albums (Columbia/Legacy) (iTunes / Amazon) It's getting to the point where
Welcome to this week's Release Round-Up, featuring a selection of titles arriving everywhere today. The Clash, Combat Rock + The People's Hall: Special Edition (Columbia/Legacy) 2CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada 3LP: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada Ranking Roger 7": Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada Legacy Recordings will release a 2CD or 3LP expansion of The Clash's Combat Rock for its 40th anniversary. The album comes with a bonus disc of 12 rare
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,
Welcome to this week's Release Round-Up, featuring a selection of the new titles arriving in stores today! Daryl Hall, BeforeAfter (RCA/Legacy) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada) Daryl Hall is looking back with his first-ever solo anthology. BeforeAfter, curated by the artist, draws on all five of his acclaimed solo albums: the Robert Fripp-produced cult classic Sacred Songs (1980), Three Hearts in the Happy Ending Machine (1986, including the top five hit "Dreamtime" and top
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! Aaliyah, Aaliyah
Ace Records has had quite a 2021, from collections spotlighting the songs of Lou Reed and Donovan through this past week's releases from Petula Clark, late producer Norman Whitfield, and the ladies of Motown. Today, we're taking a look at a pair of recent releases from the venerable label. Lincoln Wayne "Chips" Moman (1937-2016) may never have become a household name, but the music he helped create certainly did. A guitarist, producer, songwriter, and engineer, Moman pioneered the sound of
October is upon us, and while 2020 hasn't given us much to rejoice about, the holiday season is almost here. Before the month is out, radio stations will begin switching to seasonal formats, and television will begin showing yuletide movies. With a never-ending barrage of bad news, "we need a little Christmas right this very minute" has hardly seemed more apt. Sony's Legacy Recordings is getting a head start on Christmas this year with the release on vinyl of 10 favorite albums from the
Last evening, American popular song lost one of its most resonant and reassuring voices when Kenny Rogers died peacefully of natural causes at the age of 81. Rogers' recording career spanned seven decades, from his early singles in the 1950s through his final studio album, 2015's Once Again It's Christmas. He sold over 100 million records worldwide. It's appropriate that Rogers' last studio recording would be a Christmas album, as he embodied the season's spirit of joy and goodwill throughout
Kenny Rogers announced his farewell tour in 2015, bringing it to a close two years later at the end of 2017. The Gambler's Last Deal celebrated the superstar's entire career from his early recordings with The Bobby Doyle Three to his psychedelic country with The First Edition and his beloved solo work. Now, MVD Entertainment Group is bringing the acclaimed tour to a CD/DVD package on December 13. The film of The Gambler's Last Deal was shot at the London Palladium during Rogers' final world
There are few artists as prolific as Prince. His legendary Vault is said to contain hundreds of albums' worth of material. On June 7 -- what would have been Prince's 61st birthday -- The Prince Estate and Warner Bros. Records will issue Originals, a new album of further treasures from the archives. As first reported by Variety (just one day before the estate welcomes fans to the annual Prince Celebration at Paisley Park, his recording complex-turned-museum), Originals brings together 15 demos
Welcome to this week's Release Round-Up! Bobbie Gentry, The Girl from Chickasaw County: The Complete Capitol Masters (UMC U.K.) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada) The career of the enigmatic Bobbie Gentry is celebrated on a remarkable new box set. The hotly-anticipated 8-CD collection The Girl from Chickasaw County: The Complete Capitol Masters collects all seven of Gentry's 1967-1971 Capitol Records studio albums plus more than 75 previously unreleased recordings. This