Before announcing their typically grandiose year-end slate of archival soundtrack titles, there were rumblings in the film score fan community that La-La Land - whose release schedule offered everything from Star Trek to James Bond to the first Steven Spielberg-John Williams collaboration in 2024 - might do things a little differently. It turns out those rumors were correct: ahead of their usual Black Friday blowout, the label has instead announced three titles approved for license from major
Over the past month, Rhino has been releasing numerous titles as part of its Sounds of the Summer initiative, for a total of over two dozen vinyl releases hitting brick-and-mortar stores. These titles encompass various reissues as well as new entries in the label's ongoing Now Playing series of compilations. As of now, these LPs are all exclusive to independent record stores and Barnes & Noble locations. We've given a spin to a few of these titles! How to distill the discography of one
Writer-director Gary Ross' 1998 fantasy Pleasantville transported modern-day high school students and twin siblings David (Tobey Maguire) and Jennifer (Reese Witherspoon) into the 1950s sitcom of the same name, where the pair proves to be the catalyst for the fictional community's shift from buttoned-up black-and-white to provocative color. To compose the score to his high-concept film, Ross turned to a master of both satire and Americana: acclaimed singer-songwriter Randy Newman. His richly
Douglass Fake, a film score champion who produced hundreds of archival soundtrack releases and reissues as the founder of Intrada Records, has died at 72 after an extended illness. There is no better primer on his life and work than can be read at the label's official site, courtesy of Joe Sikoryak, one of the label's longtime designers. When anyone of note passes away, and that outpouring of condolences and memories flows like a river, it can be easy to take a step back and investigate the
Today, Rhino announced its new Sounds of the Summer initiative, which will see a total of over two dozen vinyl releases hitting brick-and-mortar stores beginning this Friday, July 5, and continuing throughout the month of July. These titles encompass various reissues as well as new entries in the label's ongoing Now Playing series of compilations. As of now, these LPs are all exclusive to independent record stores and Barnes & Noble locations. You'll find the full list of releases below
Today, Rhino announced four new titles in its ever-growing line of Quadio Blu-rays: Randy Newman's Good Old Boys (1973), WAR's The World Is a Ghetto (1972), Gil Evans' Svengali, and Average White Band's AWB. The Second Disc had the opportunity to preview this quartet of Blu-ray reissues of classic albums in quadraphonic (four-channel) sound, and we're happy to report that this is another feast for surround fans with all four titles making good - or better - use of surround. (Those equipped
Rhino is once again inaugurating the new year with a Start Your Ear Off Right campaign, launching this Friday in brick-and-mortar independent record stores (and if the past is any indication, at Barnes and Noble locations across the United States). The vinyl-only slate, which is spread out over the next four release weeks, concentrates on classic rockers (The Doors, Foghat, America, Grateful Dead, Velvet Underground, Black Sabbath, Stevie Nicks, Yes) with a healthy dose of R&B legends (Ray
With a few weeks left in the year, film score labels are still working hard to get out some choice archival releases on CD! Here's the latest from Intrada, Quartet Records, Varese Sarabande's CD Club, and a reissue from the folks at Rusted Wave. The estate of James Horner has worked overtime to get a myriad of scores from the late composer out into the market. Two major ones come from Intrada and Quartet, respectively: Intrada delivers a reissue of his third film score, to the sci-fi
UPDATE 10/9: "I only hope that we never lose sight of one thing: that it was all started by a mouse." Walt Disney was, of course, speaking of his enduring creation, Mickey Mouse. The character's debut in the 1928 animated short subject Steamboat Willie was indeed the watershed moment from which decades of entertainment in every conceivable medium followed. But the business that became The Walt Disney Company had been founded five years earlier, in 1923, by brothers Walt and Roy. That's the
"I only hope that we never lose sight of one thing: that it was all started by a mouse." Walt Disney was, of course, speaking of his enduring creation, Mickey Mouse. The character's debut in the 1928 animated short subject Steamboat Willie was indeed the watershed moment from which decades of entertainment in every conceivable medium followed. But the business that became The Walt Disney Company had been founded five years earlier, in 1923, by brothers Walt and Roy. That's the anniversary
2022 marks 100 years of The Hollywood Bowl. The famous amphitheater nestled in the Hollywood hills has hosted luminaries of every genre of music from classical to rock in its instantly familiar bandshell (actually two bandshells, as the first one from 1929 was demolished in 2003 and replaced with a larger model). The Bowl has been featured in movies including the original A Star Is Born, Double Indemnity, Xanadu, and Beaches and cartoons starring Bugs Bunny, Tom and Jerry, and The Pink
Tomorrow, March 11, sees a new batch of Real Gone Music vinyl titles hitting store shelves. Among the trio is a lost album by Irma Thomas and a pair of soundtracks to Nora Ephron rom-coms. Two of the releases are making their vinyl debuts. First up is Full Time Woman: The Lost Cotillion Album from Irma Thomas. Thomas, known as "The Soul Queen of New Orleans," was born approximately 50 miles from that city in Ponchatoula, Louisiana in 1941. As a child, she sang in church choir and began
Randy Newman turned the notion of the singer-songwriter as a "confessional" troubadour on its ear. If his songs were confessions, they most often were confessions of characters whose initials were not R.N.; while his songs were certainly personal, they touched less on his own life than on the lives of others, all exquisitely rendered with sharp observation and scathing wit. Newman's songwriting reached a new level of maturity with 1972's gorgeous Sail Away, offering a host of disparate gems
Once again, Record Store Day here in the U.S. looks a little - make that a lot - different this year. The usual offerings have been split among two dates in 2021 with Drop 1 having taken place on June 12 and Drop 2 happening tomorrow, July 17. Every retailer is handling the Drop a bit differently thanks to the necessary accommodations for social distancing, smaller crowds, and better safety precautions. So please check in with your favorite store to find out more information. Below, you'll
Welcome to this week's Release Round-Up! Tommy James and The Shondells, Celebration: The Complete Roulette Recordings (Cherry Red/Grapefruit) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada) Cherry Red's Grapefruit imprint brings together Tommy James and The Shondells' 1966-1973 recordings for Roulette Records (including James' solo Roulette LPs) on this 6-CD box set. The set features liner notes by Bob Fisher and mastering by Simon Murphy. Read the track listing and more here, and watch
Like most things that have gone on this year, Record Store Day 2020 has been a rollercoaster ride. The result: three days of Record Store Drops. This Saturday, October 24, music fans will be joining the queue - whether in-person if it's safe to do so or online - for their chance at some limited-edition vinyl. Ahead of the event itself, we thought we'd break down what you can expect and detail some of the releases for which we're most excited. The main change from years past? Shorter lines and
Welcome to this week's Release Round-Up! Bruce Springsteen, Letter to You (Columbia) CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada 2-LP: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada 2-LP black with white swirl: Bruce Springsteen Online Store 2-LP grey: Your Local Record Shop The Boss returns with a new, long-awaited album featuring The E Street Band. Produced by Springsteen and his frequent collaborator Ron Aniello, it features original songs as well as his first recordings of
Welcome to this week's Release Round-Up! Who, WHO [Various Formats] (Polydor) Standard CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada / The Who Online Store Deluxe CD: Target U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada / The Who Online Store Standard LP: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada / The Who Online Store Indie record shop 2LP edition: Bull Moose / HMV Deluxe 45rpm 2LP/EP: The Who Online Store Cassette: The Who Online Store Format Bundles: The Who Online Store Japan
A British compilation series recently released a magical volume for Disney fans - and with a host of rarities for collectors, to boot! Since 2016, Universal Music On Demand's Sing Your Heart Out series has annually issued hits-packed compilations meant for (you guessed it) singing together, at home or in the car. In October, the Sing Your Heart Out series expanded to include a volume of classics from the films of Walt Disney Pictures. A total of 52 tracks are featured across the set's first
Welcome to this week's Release Round-Up! The Legacy Collection: Robin Hood (Walt Disney Records) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon Canada / Amazon U.K.) Disney's Legacy Collection returns with a first-ever complete soundtrack release for the 1973 animated classic Robin Hood. Disc 1 of this 2-CD set includes the original songs and score from the film (28 tracks overall), penned by writers including Roger Miller, George Bruns, Floyd Huddleston, and Johnny Mercer. Disc 2 spotlights 13 tracks of
Alan Price's early accomplishments with The Animals would have been enough to ensure the keyboardist-composer-arranger's place in the rock and roll pantheon, but happily, Price's solo work has endured just as strongly over the years. Price publicly announced his departure from the group on May 5, 1965, and just a few months later in September, he introduced his new band, The Alan Price Set. Edsel has recently restored the early recordings of The Alan Price Set into print on a 3-CD
Welcome to this week's Release Round-Up! David Bowie, Cracked Actor: Live in Los Angeles 1974 (Parlophone/Rhino) (Amazon U.S./ Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada) Cracked Actor: Live in Los Angeles 1974 is the first authorized release of Bowie's Philly Dogs Tour show at Los Angeles' Universal Amphitheatre, from September 1974. First released earlier this year on vinyl only, some of this performance was featured in Alan Yentob's BBC documentary also known as Cracked Actor. The original tapes
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, Walt Disney Records, Real Gone Music, Omnivore Recordings, and many more! Mike's kicking things off... This year's Record Store Day offerings
Record Store Day's 10th anniversary couldn't be anything less than big. And with articles devoted to April 22's RSD releases from David Bowie, Paul McCartney, Pink Floyd, Omnivore Recordings, Legacy Recordings, Prince, Warner Music Group and Real Gone Music, you might wonder what there's left to say before the big day. But you'd be wrong! We've scoured the list to find another 23 must-have titles hitting the vinyl racks at fine independent music stores next month. Which of these favorites are on
Welcome to this week's Release Round-Up! Grateful Dead, The Grateful Dead: 50th Anniversary Deluxe Edition (Rhino) 2-CD (Original Album and Bonus Disc): Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. Picture Disc (Original Album Only): Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. The Grateful Dead: 50th Anniversary Deluxe Edition presents the original 1967 album on Disc 1 and an unreleased concert from July 29, 1966 in Vancouver, Canada on Disc 2. The first disc has been remastered from the original tapes by David