Happy Halloween! 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. Bob Dylan, The Bootleg Series Vol. 18: Through the Open Window (Columbia/Legacy) 8CD: 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 The beginnings of Bob Dylan’s long and extraordinary career are being revisited by Columbia and Legacy Recordings on the eighteenth installment of the artist’s long-running Bootleg Series. Through the Open Window: The Bootleg Series Vol. 18 (1956-1963) arrives on 8 CDs as well as…
Music Must Change: The Who Expand ‘Who Are You’ with Outtakes, Live Tracks and Remixes
Following such previous super deluxe album box sets as Who’s Next, The Who Sell Out, My Generation, Tommy, and Quadrophenia, the band has just announced that 1978’s Who Are You will receive similarly lavish treatment on October 31. The band’s eighth album, Who Are You was also its final studio LP to feature drummer Keith Moon. The centerpiece of the multi-format release is a 7CD/1Blu-ray set which will offer the following: CD1: The original 1978 album as newly remastered by Jon Astley at Close to the Edge; CD2: Glyn Johns’ original, shelved…
Release Round-Up: Week of August 22
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 The Oval 1971 (Polydor/UMe) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada) Initially available as part of the band’s revived Wholigan Fan Club, The Who’s Live At The Oval 1971 is coming to general release. The album finally canonizes the group’s celebrated performance at “Goodbye to Summer,” a British benefit concert for the people of Bangladesh. Featuring several songs from the band’s just-released Who’s Next, including “Behind Blue Eyes,” “Won’t Get…
No Substitute: Release of 1971 Gig by The Who Heralds Their Farewell Tour
Roger Daltrey and Pete Townshend today announced that, just over 60 years since their first appearances, The Who will bid farewell this fall with The Song is Over, one final tour of North America. But the music is hardly stopping, so to speak: the group will also officially release a long sought-after live performance this summer. Available first as part of the band’s revived Wholigan Fan Club, then as a general release on August 22, The Who’s Live At The Oval 1971 will finally canonize the group’s celebrated performance at “Goodbye to Summer,” a…
Release Yourself from Misery: Pete Townshend Collects Solo Albums (But No Bonus Tracks) for New Box
A prequel of sorts to UMC’s box set of Pete Townshend live recordings is coming this spring: a simple collection of eight of his studio works. The Studio Albums brings together new CD pressings of Who Came First (1972), the Ronnie Lane collaboration Rough Mix (1977), Empty Glass (1980), All the Best Cowboys Have Chinese Eyes (1982), White City (A Novel) (1985), Iron Man (1989) and versions of Pyschoderelict (1993) with and without dialogue. While a 2006 reissue campaign from Hip-O Records featured bonus tracks on all albums (and Who Came First was later expanded for a double-disc reissue in 2018), those tracks…
Heart to Hang Onto: Seven Out-of-Print Pete Townshend Live Albums Released in New Box Set
A long out-of-print trove of Pete Townshend live shows is coming back into print in one deluxe box set. Live in Concert 1985-2001, available July 26, brings together more than 15 years’ worth of shows from the legendary songwriter/guitarist for The Who. These sets, recorded in America and England and arranged chronologically, were all originally released in the early years of the millennium on Townshend’s short-lived Eel Pie label. For this set, available as a 14CD set or a digital product, they’ve been remastered by Jon Astley. Longtime Townshend collaborator Richard Evans…
Release Round-Up: Week of March 1
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, Mercury Studios is returning to that thunderous gig – the band’s second of two shows there – for an audio release on 2 CDs…
Too Late the Hero: Edsel Collects John Entwistle’s Solo Work in ‘The Ox Box Set’
John Entwistle’s solo material – between and after his time as founding bassist of The Who – will be compiled into a new box set from Edsel. The Ox, due May 10, collects six of his solo albums – Smash Your Head Against the Wall (1971), Whistle Rymes (1972), Rigor Mortis Sets In (1973), Mad Dog (1975), Too Late the Hero (1981) and The Rock (1996) – along with 29 previously released bonus tracks, including demos, B-sides and other rarities. (The track lists mirror individual reissues of these albums from 2005, as distributed by Castle Music in the U.K. and…
Mind Games: Universal’s Record Store Day Lineup Includes Beatles, Elton, The Who, John Lennon, Charlie Parker, U2, Ringo Starr, “Wicked”, Frank Zappa, More
Continuing our look through this year’s Record Store Day list, here is a glance at twenty-one releases from the Universal family of labels. All descriptions are taken from the labels. If you are interested in any of these titles, they will be available at your local record store on April 20. Head over to recordstoreday.com for a list of participating retailers. U.K. readers, please visit recordstoreday.co.uk and Canadian readers, please visit recordstoredaycanada.ca. The Beatles, “I Saw Her Standing There”/”I Want To Hold Your Hand”/”She Loves You”/”Til There Was You” (4 Individual 3″…
See Me, Feel Me: The Who’s 1982 Shea Stadium Concert Comes to CD, LP from Mercury Studios
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, Mercury Studios is returning to that thunderous gig – the band’s second of two shows there – for an audio release on 2 CDs or 3 LPs. On March 1, Live at Shea Stadium 1982 will arrive preserving The Who’s tour stop in support of It’s Hard. In front of an enrapt New York audience in Flushing Meadows, Queens, founding members Pete Townshend,…
The Year In Review: The 2023 Gold Bonus Disc Awards, From A to Z – Part Two
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 to unveil our favorites. This isn’t…
Release Round-Up: Week of September 15
Welcome to this week’s Release Round-Up, featuring a selection of the new titles available today! The Who, Who’s Next / Life House (Polydor/UMe) 10CD/1BD: The Who Official Store / Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada 2CD: The Who Official Store / Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada 1CD: The Who Official Store / Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada 1LP (Album Only, Black Vinyl): The Who Official Store / Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada 1LP (Half-Speed Mastered Album Only): The Who Official Store / Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada 1LP (Transparent Blue Vinyl w/tip-on jacket): The Who Official Store Links TBD 4LP (Album + San Francisco Concert): The Who Official Store / Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada 3LP (Album + Life House Demos): The…
Amazing Journey: New Mega-Box Chronicles The Who’s Path from “Life House” to “Who’s Next”
What’s next? How about Who’s Next? On September 15, The Who will revisit their seminal 1971 masterwork in a lavish 10CD/1BD box set as well as multiple smaller formats. The Who’s Next/Life House box set, by the numbers, offers 155 tracks – 89 of which are previously unissued in any version and 57 of which are brand-new remixes. This finally offers a comprehensive look at Pete Townshend’s ambitious, conceptual Life House (later known as Lifehouse) project, tracing it from its roots as a follow-up to 1969’s Tommy to its evolution into Who’s…
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: May 21, 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! Some classic compilations, a Who-related soundtrack and a posthumous Notorious B.I.G. appearance are all part of the experience this week. Various Artists, The Sound of the R&B Hits (Motown) Original: iTunes / Amazon Deluxe: iTunes / Amazon As a new wave of British rockers from The Beatles and The Rolling Stones and more took the world by storm with their groundbreaking spin on…
Release Round-Up: Week of July 9
Welcome to this week’s Release Round-Up! Various Artists, Almost Famous: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (UMe, 2021) Out today: 2CD Highlights: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada 2LP Black Vinyl: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada Stillwater Vinyl EP: uDiscoverMusic.com Out August 20: 5CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada 6LP Black Vinyl: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada 5CD/7LP/1-7″ Super Deluxe Edition and color variants: uDiscoverMusic.com Cameron Crowe is revisiting the soundtrack to his 2000 instant classic Almost Famous in near-complete form as a 5-CD or 6-LP set as well as in shorter highlights versions and a Super Deluxe box containing all of the music…
The Second Disc Guide to Record Store Day Drop 1 TOMORROW!
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 taking place tomorrow, June 12, at your local independent record retailer. Drop 2 then takes place on 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…
Paul McCartney, John Lennon, The Beach Boys, Marvin Gaye, Diana Ross, and More Feature on “1971: The Year That Music Changed Everything” Soundtrack
David Hepworth’s 2017 book Never a Dull Moment: The Year That Rock Exploded set forth the author’s belief that the year crystallized the “rock era,” producing more enduring recordings than any other year in the genre’s history. It’s difficult to argue with any year that yielded John Lennon’s Imagine, The Rolling Stones’ Sticky Fingers, Carole King’s Tapestry, Joni Mitchell’s Blue, Elton John’s Madman Across the Water, Carly Simon’s Anticipation, Sly and the Family Stone’s There’s a Riot Goin’ On, The Who’s Who’s Next, The Beach Boys’ Surf’s Up, Black Sabbath’s Master of…
Hold Me Closer, Tiny Dancer: Cameron Crowe’s “Almost Famous” Soundtrack Gets Mega-Expansion
Cameron Crowe, in association with Universal Music, has done the (near-) impossible. On July 9, the writer-director will revisit the soundtrack to his 2000 instant classic Almost Famous in greatly expanded, near-complete form, including five – yes, five! – Led Zeppelin songs plus tracks by other typically difficult-to-license artists including Simon and Garfunkel, The Who, Fleetwood Mac, Steely Dan, Neil Young, Joni Mitchell, David Bowie, and Stevie Wonder. That’s not to mention new Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee Todd Rundgren, The Beach Boys, Cat Stevens, Deep Purple, The Raspberries, and…
Release Round-Up: Week of April 23
Welcome to this week’s Release Round-Up! John Lennon, Plastic Ono Band (Capitol/UMe) 6CD/2BD: 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 2LP: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada The 6-CD/2-BD John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band: The Ultimate Collection contains everything recorded by John and Yoko during the sessions for John’s 1970 Plastic Ono Band LP, totaling 159 tracks on CD and 131 on Blu-ray, or 11 hours of music, all completely remixed from the original multitracks. (The Blu-rays include both new stereo and 5.1 surround mixes.) This set follows the 2018 release of Imagine: The Ultimate Collection and the 2020 release…
You Better You Bet: The Who Expand “Face Dances” For Record Store Day
For Record Store Day 2020, The Who expanded their 1974 rarities collection Odds and Sods for a 2-LP, 25-song deluxe presentation. This year, the band celebrates 40 years of 1981’s Face Dances with another double-disc, expanded presentation. It’s due on Drop 1, June 12, from Geffen Records in a limited edition of 6,500 copies. Face Dances was the first of two Who studio albums recorded with drummer Kenney Jones following the 1978 death of Keith Moon. While many missed Moon’s explosive and unpredictable touch, interest remained high and the album (produced by…
The Weekend Stream: March 20, 2021
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’re introducing a new Saturday feature: The Weekend Stream, which focuses on hidden gems that recently made it to digital channels that might make your playlists a little brighter! Duran Duran, Medazzaland / Pop Trash / (Reach Up for the) Sunrise (Jason Nevins Remix) / Astronaut / Red Carpet Massacre / TV Mania, Bored with…
BREAKING: Record Store Day Announces RSD Drops
For over a year, folks who rely on music to enrich and sustain their life have seen their “normal” change dramatically due to COVID-19. As the effects of pandemic continue to ripple through every part of the industry, the Record Store Day organization has announced that rather than hold one event this year, there will be two RSD Drops, set to take place on June 12 and July 17 at participating stores worldwide. It has been decided that this is the best move for customer safety and for the sustainability of local…
























