Holding the Music in Your Hands ®
Nik Kershaw’s second album of 1984, The Riddle, gets a two-CD deluxe reissue. After some initial fan grumbling about the apparently not very comprehensive bonus disc, Nik himself came out with a defiant ‘buy it, or don’t buy it’ stance. Remastered with an additional CD of twelve-inch mixes and live tracks. 
Continue reading “Out This Week / 12 August 2013”
Thanks to Amazon France the track listing has been revealed for the two-CD deluxe edition of Nirvana‘s In Utero reissue.
Fan site Nirvana Legacy offers some in-depth analysis of what’s on offer, but the long and the short of it is that disc one will contain the original remastered album, plus four tracks from the original B-sides /compilations, as well as alternate mixes of Pennyroyal Tea, Heart Shaped Box and All Apologies.
Disc two gives fans a ‘2013 Mix’ of the original album, plus a series of demo versions of tracks from various time periods.
The Super Deluxe Edition box set is widely expected to add the 17-track Live ‘n’ Loud 1993 MTV concert on both CD and DVD, to what is on offer on the two disc set.
Track listing:
Continue reading “Nirvana / In Utero deluxe track listing revealed”
Parlophone Label Group (now owned by Warner Music) will next month issue an expanded edition of The Shadows: The Early Years 1959-1966, a six-CD box set originally issued back in 1991.
This collection includes every studio title recorded by the group (and commercially released) from early 1959, right up to the very end of 1966. This new expanded edition contains 32 tracks in mono not previously available on CD, and three tracks which are released in stereo for the very first time (full track listing below).
The Early Years 1959-1966 is issued on 16 September 2013.
‘The Early Years’ – Expanded Edition track listing:
Continue reading “The Shadows / The Early Years: 1959-1966 / 6CD expanded box set”
This September Sony will reissue three classic box sets from their archive, in compact ‘bookset’ packaging.
Bruce Springsteen‘s Tracks is one of the sets in question. This 66-song collection was originally released back in 1998 and consists of many unreleased tracks, demos and alternates. It came packaged in the old-style long, tall box. A highlights album 18 Tracks was later released, with the record company deploying the fan-fleecing tactic of including three songs on the single disc edition not included in the box set (Trouble River, The Fever, and The Promise).
The Do What You Want, Be What You Are collection from Hall and Oates is the ‘baby’ of these reissues, being only four years old. The four disc box set is filled to the brim with content, and features 18 previously unreleased recordings, rare seven-inch single mixes and choice album cuts amongst the 77 tracks. Respected engineer Vic Anesini mastered this release, so you can expect decent audio.
Finally, the third box being reissued by Sony is Metalogy, from Judas Priest. This is actually the third iteration of this particular set, having been originally issued in semi-lavish packaging in 2004. A bonus DVD made it a five disc set back then, but the Live Vengeance ’82 DVD was was dispensed with for the 2008 reissue. This new version maintains the four-CD approach and as you would expect, comes in the ‘bookset’ packaging just like Springsteen and Hall & Oates.
The all-important booklets are maintained, being bound to the middle of each package. These are all released on 23 September and will retail for around £18 in the UK. Full track listings at the bottom of this post.
Bruce Springsteen / Tracks
• UK Pre-order: Tracks
Hall and Oates / Do What You Want, Be What You Are
• UK Pre-order: The Music of Daryl Hall & John Oates
Judas Priest / Metalogy
• UK Pre-order: Metalogy
Continue reading “Sony repackage classic Springsteen, Hall & Oates and Judas Priest sets”
Issued late last month, this limited edition three CD set, collects every 45 from soul legend Otis Redding cut during his reign at Stax Records. Every single, A-side and B, is included in its original mono mix and pictured in the included booklet. In total 70 tracks – the music as it was meant to be heard.
Complete Stax / Volt Singles box set – track listing:
Continue reading “Otis Redding: The Complete Stax / Volt Singles Collection box set”
If you haven’t been keeping up with synth-pop wizard Howard Jones of late, then you’ve missed some quality reissues of his eighties output in recent years.
All his Warner Bros. albums have been licensed to his Dtox label and reissued in limited edition clam-shell box sets, including the CD debut of US-only compilation Action Replay (paired with The 12″ Album) and most recently a triple album box that featured One To One, Cross That Line and In The Running.
Like much of his recent output, these sets were primarily available through his website and came as limited editions with bonus remix discs.
However, if you prefer to do your online music shopping through Amazon, then you are in luck because it looks like Jones is starting to make these recent reissues available there too.
12 August is slated as a release date for Jones’ 2010 live concert where he performed his first two albums in their entirety. Live At IndigO2 is a double DVD complete with bonus features including the VIP soundcheck and interviews.
Many of the individual recent remasters are also available on Amazon.
Human’s Lib / Dream Into Action Live At IndigO2
• UK Pre-order: Howard Jones: Human’s Lib/Dream Into Action – Live At Indigo2 [DVD]
The 12″ Album / Action Replay box set
• UK Pre-order: The 12″ Album / Action Replay Box Set
One to One / Cross That Line / In The Running box set
• UK Pre-order: One To One / Cross That Line / In The Running Box Set
Live at the IndigO2 track listing:
Continue reading “Howard Jones: Humans Lib / Dream Into Action Live at IndigO2 DVD”
Universal’s Nirvana In Utero 3CD+DVD box (due 23 September) has dropped from £108 to £96 in the UK. It remains $150 in the USA. The best deal is Amazon in Germany where you can pick this up for €86 or £74.
More details on In Utero here.
High Vibration, the 16 SACD Japanese Yes box (4 September), has dropped by around £50 in the UK but remains an eye-watering £438. It’s slightly cheaper in Germany (€488/£421) but once you factor in shipping there’s little in it. The USA get the best deal at $563 / £367, but don’t risk importing to the EU, since you’re likely to get stung with import duty.
More details on High Vibration here.
The Chic 12-inch vinyl box set (released on 26 August) was a lesson in getting your Amazon pre-orders in early. Originally retailing at just over £30 in the UK, it went up to its current price of £43 little more than a week later. It’s even more expensive in the USA at $80 / £52. Canadian residents get the best deal at the moment at $57 or £35.
More details on The 12″ Singles box here.
The Beach Boys‘ Made In California 6CD box is due for release on 2 September. Originally just over £100 on Amazon UK, it actually dipped down to £66 for a few days early last month (something we alerted fans to on our facebook page) but has now increased to £83. For those in the UK we’d recommend ordering from Amazon Germany where it’s €76 (or £65) with standard shipping less than €4. Ordering from Germany might even be an attractive option for those in the USA where Made In California is a pricey $144.
More details on Made In California here.
Sound System the mega 13-disc set from The Clash (out on 9 September) started at well over £100 before dipping to £86. The current price on Amazon UK is £94, which is still massively cheaper than in Germany where you’ll pay €155 (£133). It’s only marginally cheaper than that in the USA, at $186 (£121) so for a change Britain is the ‘winner’ for The Clash box. Those in America can currently order from the UK and with VAT deducted pick this up for around $120, saving $66 on the US price (but remember to factor in shipping costs).
More details on Sound System here.
All prices are correct at the time of writing.
Elvis Presley‘s last major studio sessions are celebrated in this new 3CD set from RCA/Legacy. The King spent 12 days at Stax Recording Studios in 1973 and Elvis at Stax includes all the released takes plus 27 tracks of outtakes.
King Crimon‘s 1974 album Red gets a vinyl reissue.
Eleven track performed live in 1979 by Dusty Springfield on CD and DVD in this combo-pack from Salvo Music.
Demon Records continue to produce some superb limited edition vinyl pressings. One from the latest batch of releases is Ian McCulloch‘s Holy Ghosts – originally issued on CD/Download in April this year – which pairs Orchestral Reworks From The Union Chapel with a new a collection of new songs, Pro Patria Mori.
The excellent orchestral reworkings of classics, including Bring On The Dancing Horses, The Killing Moon, Nothing Lasts Forever, takes up two records here, with the new collection completing the three LP vinyl set.
What’s extra special about this is that the music is pressed on stunning transparent yellow vinyl. This is very limited edition of only 500, which is exclusive to What Records.
All 25 tracks can be downloaded via a redeemable code provided.
Atlantic/Rhino will next month reissue a fully remixed version of Rush’s 2002 album Vapor Trails.
The band were never entirely happy with the original version of the album with Geddy Lee recalling that it was “made under difficult and emotional circumstances.”
The frontman adds, “mistakes were made that we have longed to correct. David Bottrill’s remixes have finally brought some justice and clarity to this deserving body of our work.”
This new remixed version of Vapor Trails is available as part of a seven-disc box set The Studio Albums 1989-2007, which features every studio album Rush recorded for Atlantic Records. Refreshingly, it is also being made available separately on CD and heavyweight 2LP vinyl, so fans don’t have to stump up for the box just to get the newly remixed album.
The box set and Vapor Trails Remixed are released on 30 September 2013.
Vapor Trails Remixed CD
Vapor Trails Remixed 2LP 180g Vinyl
The Studio Albums 1989-2007 contains the following:
Universal Music will reissue Nirvana‘s third and final studio album, In Utero, on 23 September 2013.
The Steve Albini produced recording is being re-released as a 20th Anniversary Super Deluxe Edition box set, which across three CDs is said to contain more than 70 “remastered, remixed, rare and unreleased recordings”, including B-sides, compilation tracks, never-before-heard demos and live material featuring the final touring lineup of Cobain, Novoselic, Grohl, and Pat Smear. No detailed track listings have been announced at the time of writing.
This box set also comes with a DVD of the complete Live and Loud show from Seattle’s Pier 48 on December 13, 1993 plus never-before-released bonus material.
The Super Deluxe Edition appears to come in the form of a book which slides into a slipcase and comes with a poster. Other formats include a 3LP vinyl set, a two-CD deluxe edition and a single CD remaster.
Super Deluxe Edition
• UK Pre-order: In Utero [3CD+DVD Super Deluxe Edition]
• USA Pre-order: In Utero [3CD+DVD Super Deluxe Edition]
• CANADA Pre-order: In Utero [3CD+DVD Super Deluxe Edition]
• GERMANY Pre-order: In Utero [3CD+DVD Super Deluxe Edition]
3LP Vinyl Edition
• USA Pre-order: In Utero (3LP – 20th Anniversary Edition)
2CD Deluxe Edition
• UK Pre-order: In Utero [2CD Deluxe Edition]
• GERMANY Pre-order: In Utero [2CD Deluxe Edition]
Single CD remaster
The Smashing Pumpkins December 2012 gig at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center is set to be released on 3 September in various formats.
The entire gig is released on DVD and 3D Blu-ray and a collector’s 2CD+DVD set is also available which combines the video footage with all the tracks across two CDs. The DVD and Blu-ray offer 5.1 and stereo audio plus an interview with lighting director Sean Evans and a photo gallery.
2CD+DVD set
2D + 3D Blu-ray
DVD
Oceania Live in NYC track listing (as per CDs):
Continue reading “The Smashing Pumpkins / Oceania: Live In NYC 2CD+DVD”
Universal are issuing a new 24-track two-CD collection of Rod Stewart rarities from his Mercury Records era (1969 to 1974).
Presumably they are looking to capitalise on Time, Rod’s recent UK number one album, because Rarities seems to re-treads familiar ground with at least a third of the tracks previously released on the 2009 Sessions four-CD box set.
That said, if you only have some or all of the five albums from Rod’s best period (An Old Raincoat Won’t Ever Let You Down, Gasoline Alley, Every Picture Tells a Story, Never a Dull Moment and Smiler) then there will be much here to enjoy with its alternate versions, singles, B-sides, studio outtakes and covers.
Rarities is out on 2 September 2013.
Rod Stewart / Rarities track listing:
Continue reading “Rod Stewart / Rarities 2CD”
A new Mod themed seven-inch vinyl box set will be issued on 26 August 2013.
Circles: The Mod 45s is a lift-off lid box that collects six 45rpm vinyl singles, from eleven different sharply dressed British bands, that include The Birds, the Small Faces, and The Alan Bown Set.
All of the singles appear on their original labels, housed in replica range bags (company sleeves) of the period and in are in the original Mono mixes. A download voucher is also included.
Circles: The Mod 45s Box / Track listings:
Single 1
Single 2
Single 3
Single 4
Single 5
Single 6
Released in the UK on the same day as Sony Legacy’s Higher! box set (it’s already out in the US) music label Get On Down have created a special edition of Sly & The Family Stone’s 1971 album There’s A Riot Goin’ On.
This CD is described as a ’24k audiophile gold disc’ and although this new edition lacks any bonus material, it is packaged in a deluxe box emblazoned with a unique embroidered flag cover and includes a 48 page hard cover book filled with photos and liner notes.
There’s A Riot Goin’ On was the fifth studio album from Sly & The Family Stone, and features the number one US hit single Family Affair.
This Gold Edition is out in the UK on 26 August 2013 and earlier in other territories.
Continue reading “Robert Palmer Island catalogue no longer marooned thanks to Edsel”
This summer is proving to be a great season for fans of Harry Nilsson. Not only has Sony Legacy’s RCA Album Collection 17CD box set just been issued, but Nilsson’s very last studio album, 1980’s Flash Harry, is to be issued on CD for the first time on 13 August 2013.
The record features contributions from ex-Python Eric Idle who actually sings the first track Harry, and has his own Bright Side Of Life performed by Nilsson as the album closer. Nilsson’s co-write with John Lennon, Old Dirt Road, (originally on Lennon’s 1974 album Walls and Bridges) also makes an appearance, while Ringo Starr drums on the album and earns a co-writing contribution himself with How Long Can Disco On.
This new CD release features four bonus tracks, including three previously unreleased tracks and an alternative version of Old Dirt Road.
Flash Harry track listing
CSN, the third 1977 studio album by Crosby, Stills & Nash is being reissued on 13 August 2013 as a 24k Gold CD from Audio Fidelity, specially remastered for this edition by renowned audio engineer Steve Hoffman.
This classic album features the singles Just A Song Before I Go and Fair Game, with the former a Billboard Hot 100 top ten hit.
The 1991 Crosby, Stills & Nash 4CD box set which bears the same title, is also reissued in September.
Parlophone Records are to release The Regal Years (1997-2004) a six-disc career retrospective of material from cult British indie group The Beta Band.
The set will include all three studio albums (with bonus tracks), the Three E.P.’s collection, a disc of live BBC sessions and a sixth CD featuring unreleased demos and additional live performances. In total 25 tracks are previously unreleased (see full track listing below).
The Regal Years (1997-2004) is issued on 7 October 2013.
Full track listing:
Continue reading “The Beta Band / The Regal Years 6CD career spanning box set”
This Nilsson box from Sony Legacy has just about everything: all the RCA albums, previously released bonus tracks and lots of unheard rarities – all at a relatively affordable price.
At The BBC consists of three CDs of Big Country BBC radio sessions (John Peel, David Jensen), coupled with a massive amount of live material (such as Hammersmith Palais ’83 and Hammersmith Odeon ’89) and a DVD which includes every Top Of The Pops appearance, and many other TV performances.
Whether the world needs a 10th anniversary of Robbie Williams‘ Live at Knebworth set is debatable, but this top-of-the-range version of the reissue is at least comprehensive by including two DVDs, a Blu-ray, and CD and a book.
The Pet Shop Boys have thrown caution to the wind, and their latest UK CD single is the lengthiest in their 28 year history, with nine mixes. It’s also notable for lacking a B-side which is virtually unheard of for the disco duo.
If you thought Luke Haines‘ output couldn’t get any weirder than 2011’s hallucinogenic 9½ Psychedelic Meditations on British Wrestling of the 1970s and early ’80s, then think again. Rock and Roll Animals sees Sham 69 singer Jimmy Pursey cast as a fox, Gene Vincent as a cat, and Nick Lowe as a badger. The narrative in this concept album see these ‘rock and roll animals’ take up the fight against some birds and Antony Gormley’s Angel Of the North. Wit, warmth, and great songs make this a triumph.
