Release Round-Up: Week of May 8

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. Neil Diamond, Wild at Heart (Capitol/UMe) CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada 2CD: Walmart (with exclusive lithograph) / Target (with exclusive lithograph) / Amazon U.K. LP: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada LP (Bronze Elegance Edition): NeilDiamond.com LP (Copper Nugget Edition): Barnes and Noble A new album from Neil Diamond is out today…and it’s so good, so good, so good!  The superstar singer-songwriter’s Wild at Heart is composed of nine previously unheard outtakes recorded with producer Rick Rubin in…

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The Weekend Stream: March 21, 2026

Welcome back to another edition of The Weekend Stream, The Second Disc’s review of notable catalogue titles making digital debuts, plus new works from legacy acts and even some personally curated favorites. Two eras of Madonna, early INXS and plenty of new cuts for country, folk and rock lovers are all in the mix! Madonna, Into the Groove / Hung Up (Remixes) / Sorry (Remixes) / Jump (Remixes) / 4 Minutes (feat. Justin Timberlake & Timbaland) (Remixes) / Celebration (Remixes) EPs (Warner/Rhino) “Groove”: Apple / Amazon “Hung Up”: Apple / Amazon “Sorry”: Apple / Amazon “Jump”: Apple / Amazon “4 Minutes”: Apple…

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You Still Look Good to Me: Neil Diamond Revives Rick Rubin Collaboration with New Album “Wild at Heart”

A new album from Neil Diamond is on the horizon…and we think it’s going to be so good, so good, so good!  The superstar singer-songwriter has just announced a new album: Wild at Heart, due out on May 8 from Capitol Records and UMe.  The ten-track album is composed of outtakes recorded with producer Rick Rubin in 2007 for the Home Before Dark album (which was released the next year).  Diamond has recently completed the tracks for this release. Diamond and Rubin – whose production credits at the time already encompassed Johnny Cash,…

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The Weekend Stream: December 20, 2025

Welcome to 2025’s final edition of The Weekend Stream, The Second Disc’s review of notable catalogue titles (and some new ones, too!) making digital debuts. We’re wrapping up the month with a wicked good time: hip-hop instrumentals, unearthed ’70s rock and country, and a whole lot of zydeco! Wicked: For Good – The Soundtrack (Sing-Along) / For Good EP (Republic/Verve) Sing-Along: Apple / Amazon For Good: Apple / Amazon With the second part of Universal’s big-budget adaptation of the long-running Broadway musical adapted from author Gregory Maguire’s alternative take on The Wizard of…

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The Weekend Stream: April 5, 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. A quiet, mostly contemplative week means a small batch of understated titles and a big public ask for clarity from one of our missing comrades in catalogue… Dan Fogelberg, Souvenirs (50th Anniversary Edition) (Epic/Legacy) (Apple / Amazon) The late, great Fogelberg’s double-platinum sophomore album, produced by Joe Walsh (a year before he joined the Eagles), gets the red carpet treatment with three outtakes and one never-before-heard song. Impex will release…

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The Weekend Stream: July 20, 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 got a new single by a comedy icon, some more Duran Duran EPs, a recent Paul McCartney 7″ making its way to streaming and so much more. “Weird Al” Yankovic, Polkamania! (Way Moby) (iTunes / Amazon) Ten summers ago, pop’s parody king released his 13th (and likely final) album Mandatory Fun, and even got a No. 1 debut on the Billboard 200 for his trouble. A lot of songs have become…

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The Weekend Stream: June 29, 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. It’s another week of Duran Duran EPs, plus expanded albums by Cher and Neil Diamond, some hip-hop oddities and a new live set from one of our favorite indie bands. It’s all happening here! Duran Duran, Union of the Snake / New Moon on Monday / The Reflex / The Wild Boys EPs (Parlophone) Union: iTunes / Amazon New Moon: iTunes / Amazon The Reflex: iTunes / Amazon The Wild Boys: iTunes / Amazon The Rock and…

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OUT TOMORROW! Iconoclassic Reissues Carole Bayer Sager’s Star-Studded “Sometimes Late at Night,” Featuring Burt Bacharach, Michael Jackson, Neil Diamond, More

Carole Bayer Sager was still a student at New York’s High School of Music and Art when her song “A Groovy Kind of Love,” co-written with Toni Wine, topped the U.S. Cash Box and Record World charts and reached No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1966.  Though some at the time thought it wouldn’t last due to its prescient use of the word “groovy,” Sager and Wine’s youthful tune more than proved its endurance.  22 years later, Phil Collins took it to No. 1 Pop and AC in the U.S. – not to mention No. 1…

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The Weekend Stream: January 14, 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, we’ve got more Madonna, Peggy March in German and easy-listening versions of Neil Diamond hits – plus a way you can help out a local venue! Madonna, Madame X (International Deluxe) (Boy Toy/Live Nation/Interscope) (iTunes / Amazon) As rumors of a Madonna 40th anniversary tour heat up, we’ve got another treat to stream and download: the international…

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Release Round-Up: Week of December 2

Welcome to this week’s Release Round-Up, featuring a selection of the new titles in stores this week! The Beach Boys, Sail On Sailor: 1972 (Capitol/UMe) 6CD Super Deluxe: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada 2CD Highlights (Remastered Albums plus bonus tracks): Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada 5LP+7″ Super Deluxe Vinyl Edition: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada 5LP+7″ Super Deluxe Vinyl Edition (Limited Edition): Beach Boys Store 2LP+7″ Remastered Albums Vinyl: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada 2LP+7″ Remastered Albums Vinyl (Limited Edition): Beach Boys Store Sail On Sailor – 1972 continues the story of The Beach Boys where the 2021 box set Feel Flows: The Sunflower…

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Easy To Love Again: Carole Bayer Sager’s “Sometimes Late at Night,” with Burt Bacharach, Michael Jackson, Neil Diamond, Returns from Iconoclassic

Carole Bayer Sager was still a student at New York’s High School of Music and Art when her song “A Groovy Kind of Love,” co-written with Toni Wine, topped the U.S. Cash Box and Record World charts and reached No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1966.  Though some at the time thought it wouldn’t last due to its prescient use of the word “groovy,” Sager and Wine’s youthful tune more than proved its endurance.  22 years later, Phil Collins took it to No. 1 Pop and AC in the U.S….

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The Weekend Stream: November 19, 2022

Madonna, You Can Dance (Single Edits) / Rain (Warner/Rhino) Dance: iTunes / Amazon Rain: iTunes / Amazon Rhino keeps digitally uploading intriguing stuff from Madonna’s single and remix catalogue, and this month saw two such releases: first, a bundle of mixes surrounding the Erotica favorite “Rain,” then this week, to celebrate the 35th anniversary of remix album You Can Dance, an upload of the rare promo version that found all the tracks unmixed and edited to single-ready lengths. Roger Waters, Comfortably Numb 2022 (Legacy) (iTunes / Amazon) A new version of the…

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Release Round-Up: Week of October 28

Welcome to this week’s Release Round-Up, featuring a selection of the new titles available today! The Beatles, Revolver [Various Editions] (Apple/Capitol/UMe) 5CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada 4LP + 7″: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada 2CD: 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 / Official Store (Picture Disc) The Beatles’ seventh studio album – and the bridge between Rubber Soul and Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band – 1966’s Revolver is recognized as one of the Fab Four’s most groundbreaking as well as significant albums. With producer George Martin, the group employed studio wizardry to bring their new songs to…

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You Make It Feel Like Christmas: New Collections Coming From Neil Diamond, Reba McEntire, Louis Armstrong, More

The Christmas season is upon us, and there are plenty of new titles coming your way to make spirits bright!  Today’s round-up looks at upcoming collections from Neil Diamond, Louis Armstrong, and Reba McEntire, as well as one various-artists set filled with heavy hitters. Rock and Roll Hall of Famer and Kennedy Center Honoree Neil Diamond has been a Christmas music mainstay since the release of 1992’s The Christmas Album.  The Brooklyn-born superstar, whose story is coming soon to Broadway in the new musical A Beautiful Noise, has since released three more…

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Release Round-Up: Week of November 20

Welcome to this week’s Release Round-Up! The Jimi Hendrix Experience, Live in Maui (Experience Hendrix/Legacy) 2CD/Blu-ray: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada 3LP/Blu-ray: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada Experience Hendrix and Legacy Recordings have a brand-new collection that celebrates The Jimi Hendrix Experience’s near-mythic performances on Maui, Hawaii in 1970. Live In Maui brings together audio and video with a new feature-length documentary called Music, Money, Madness: Jimi Hendrix In Maui. The collection will be available in 2-CD/Blu-ray and 3-LP/Blu-ray configurations, all due on November 20.   Director John McDermott’s new documentary film chronicles the Jimi Hendrix Experience’s visit to…

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Song Sung New: Neil Diamond Unveils Symphonic Album “Classic Diamonds”

Classic Diamonds: That’s how Neil Diamond is billing his new collection of recordings with The London Symphony Orchestra.  Due on November 20 from Capitol Records, Classic Diamonds features the singer-songwriter’s new recordings of 13 beloved hits.  Unlike many previous artists’ releases with symphony orchestras, Neil’s collection features newly-recorded vocals as well as the orchestrations. Recorded at Abbey Road Studios in London as well as Diamond’s own California studio, the album has been produced by Walter Afanasieff and arranged by Afanasieff and conductor-arranger William Ross.  The songs on Classic Diamonds span the Bang…

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Review: Neil Diamond, “Hot August Night” Concert Series on Vinyl

Diamonds are forever.  And Neil is no exception.  Almost 50 years ago, the singer-songwriter captured a Hot August Night at Los Angeles’ Greek Theatre in front of a sold-out crowd.  That electrifying 1972 double-platinum double album, in turn, inspired four sequels released between 1977 and 2018.  Now, in September 2020, the Greek Theatre is dark as a result of COVID-19.  But Capitol and UMe have just released those four sequel albums as newly-remastered 2-LP vinyl sets.  Standard black vinyl versions are available everywhere while colorful variants are being sold exclusively through the…

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Release Round-Up: Week of August 7

Welcome to this week’s Release Round-Up! Neil Diamond, Live Reissues 1972-2018 (Capitol/UMe) Hot August Night (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada Links TBD / uDiscoverMusic.com) Love at the Greek (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada / uDiscoverMusic.com) Hot August Night II (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada / uDiscoverMusic.com) Hot August Night/NYC (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada / uDiscovermusic.com) Hot August Night III (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada / uDiscovermusic.com) All-Time Greatest Hits (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada / uDiscoverMusic.com / Target.com) Capitol and UMe are reissuing five classic Neil Diamond live albums as 2-LP vinyl editions beginning with 1972’s seminal Hot August Night and continuing with the unofficial sequel Love at the Greek (1977) as well as Hot August Night…

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Play Me: Neil Diamond’s “Hot August Night” Concerts, “Love at the Greek” Come to Vinyl

Hot August night/And the leaves hanging down/And the grass on the ground smelling sweet… Those words which open Neil Diamond’s rousing 1969 hit “Brother Love’s Traveling Salvation Show” inspired the title of the superstar’s 1972 electrifying live album, Hot August Night. Recorded that summer at Los Angeles’ Greek Theatre, Hot August Night went on to inspire four sequels between 1977 and 2018. Now, all five of these live albums are coming to vinyl this August (when else?), with two making their debuts in the format. “The stage, she is the God-damnedest woman…

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Holiday Gift Guide Review: Neil Diamond, “50th Anniversary Collector’s Edition”

I. I Got the Feelin’ In his 1966 debut single for Bang Records, Neil Diamond famously declared himself a “Solitary Man.”  But the New York singer-songwriter wasn’t to be solitary for very long, as he soon gained the worldwide audience that, over 50 years later, still follows each one of his musical endeavors.  Diamond has just looked back on his remarkable career on a handsome new box set from Capitol Records and UMe.  50th Anniversary Collector’s Edition expands upon the similarly-titled 2017 release, more than doubling its 50 tracks on 3 CDs…

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Release Round-Up: Week of November 30

Welcome to this week’s Release Round-Up! Neil Diamond, 50th Anniversary Collector’s Edition (Capitol/UMe)  (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada) Neil Diamond revisits a 50+-year career with a new 6-CD, 115-song retrospective box set featuring hits, rarities, and 15 previously unreleased tracks including the original demos of “America” and “I Am…I Said.”  Everything is packaged within a deluxe hardcover book-style format.  50th Anniversary Collector’s Edition expands upon 2017’s 3-CD 50th Anniversary set and is the first comprehensive Diamond career overview in more than 20 years.  Read the track listing here, and…

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Brooklyn Roads: Neil Diamond Looks Back with 50th Anniversary Box of Hits and Unreleased Songs

Earlier this year, Neil Diamond was honored with the Grammys’ Lifetime Achievement Award. The superstar then made a triumphant return to the stage on July 14 at the Dolby Theatre, sharing a duet with Micky Dolenz on his immortal “I’m a Believer” for the Grammy Salute to Music Legends event. It was a rare and thrilling return to the stage for Diamond following his diagnosis with Parkinson’s disease. Now, while he’s still promising to keep making music, the singer-songwriter is looking back on his remarkable 50+-year career with a new box set….

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Release Round-Up: Week of August 17

Welcome to this week’s Release Round-Up! Neil Diamond, Hot August Night III (Capitol) 2CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada 2CD/DVD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada 2CD/BD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada Neil Diamond’s August 2012 concerts at Los Angeles’ Greek Theater marking the 40th anniversary of the original Hot August Night are captured on this new live release which also follows 1987’s Hot August Night II and 2009’s Hot August Night/NYC (with honorable mention to 1977’s Love at the Greek).  Expect all of Diamond’s greatest…

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Release Round-Up: Week of March 31

Welcome to this week’s Release Round-Up, featuring some of the most hotly-anticipated sets of the year! Fleetwood Mac, Tango in the Night [Various Editions] (Warner Bros./Rhino) 3CD/1DVD/1LP: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada 2CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada 1CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada Fleetwood Mac’s 1987 album featuring “Little Lies” and “Everywhere” returns in a variety of formats including a 3-CD/1 DVD/1 LP version (with the original album on CD, high-resolution stereo DVD, and LP; a CD of outtakes; and a CD of rare single…

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Forever In Blue Jeans: Neil Diamond Preps 3-CD “50th Anniversary Collection” For March

Neil Diamond’s debut single for Bang Records, “Solitary Man,” hit shelves in April 1966, launching an internationally successful career that continues to this very day.  On March 31, Diamond (who turns 76 years young today) will look back on his 50+-years as a recording artist with the Capitol Records/UMe release of a new 3-CD collection.  Neil Diamond 50: The 50th Anniversary Collection features 50 songs compiled by Diamond, who has overseen this set for release. The set appropriately enough begins with “Solitary Man” and continues for its first two discs in more…

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