Dido Says “Thank You” with First Compilation

At the arguable height of controversy over Eminem in 2001, the Detroit rapper released, from his sophomore album The Marshall Mathers LP, one of the greatest and most haunting singles in the genre’s history. “Stan,” told from the perspective of an increasingly unhinged fan of Mathers, whose erratic (and ultimately fatal) rants are counterpointed by a minor-key refrain – the first verse of “Thank You” by British singer Dido Armstrong. Her debut album, No Angel, had been available in the U.S. for over a year, but the success of “Stan,” released almost simultaneously as No Angel in the U.K., helped propel Dido to international success, giving her one of the country’s biggest-selling albums of all time.

A dozen years later, RCA will celebrate Dido’s discography with a new U.K. compilation. Greatest Hits celebrates all four of her albums – No Angel, 2003’s Life for Rent, 2008’s Safe Trip Home and this year’s Girl Who Got Away – featuring singles like “White Flag,” “Here with Me,” “Don’t Believe in Love,” “Let Us Move On” and “End of Night” as well as production from a who’s who of contemporary pop greats, including Rick Nowels, Jon Brion, Youth and Jeff Bhasker.

 

Four prominent non-album singles will be included on Greatest Hits – “Stan,” “Everything to Lose” (from the soundtrack to Sex and the City 2), “One Step Too Far” (a collaboration with electronica band Faithless, of which Dido’s brother/frequent producer Rowland “Rollo” Armstrong was a member) and “If I Rise” (another soundtrack song from the Oscar-nominated film 127 Hours, featuring contributions from the film’s composer, A.R. Rahman). One new single, “NYC,” rounds out the set. For serious collectors, a two-disc deluxe edition will include 13 bonus remixes, several of which are rare or unreleased.

British shops get Dido’s Greatest Hits on November 25. A U.S. release date has not been indicated. Full specs are after the jump.

Magic in a Box: Decades of Disney Compiled on New Set

A new box set released today chronicles the musical legacy of The Walt Disney Company with a variety that hasn’t been seen in quite awhile. The new Disney Classics celebrates nearly every medium of entertainment the animation studio-turned-film-titan has dabbled in, from film and television to revolutionary theme park attractions.

Disney Classics is touted in a press release as being released in honor of 90 years of musical history as it pertains to the work of Walter Elias Disney (1901-1966). However accurate that might be – Disney’s most meaningful musical contributions really began 85 years ago, when Mickey Mouse whistled a jaunty tune while piloting Steamboat Willie down the river – it’s hard to argue the studio’s contribution to popular song in the 20th century. Virtually any child of any generation can probably commit one Disney song to memory, whether it’s the endlessly singable Mickey Mouse Club theme or the showstopping, Broadway-esque numbers written for animated features in the late ’80s and early ’90s. And while there’s no shortage of beautiful sound to treasure onscreen, those lucky enough to have attended Disneyland, Walt Disney World or any of their international sister parks knows that there’s practically another dimension of music to enjoy on the many rides and attractions you can experience on vacation.

Now, 95 of those tracks – some familiar to longtime collectors of Disney on CD, others exciting, offbeat selections – are collected in this new set. After the jump, we’ll take a look at each of the themed discs and what they have to offer in terms of musical magic!

Review: The Beatles, “On Air: Live at the BBC Volume Two”

Meet the Beatles…again.

The new Apple/Capitol/Universal release On Air: Live at the BBC Volume Two sets the Wayback Machine at Destination: 1963 and 1964, when four Liverpool lads named John, Paul, George and Ringo ignited a British Invasion that continues to this very day.  All 63 tracks (both spoken-word introductions and songs) on this new 2-CD time capsule date back to those two years, when the Fabs recorded unique performances for such BBC programs as Saturday Club and Pop Go the Beatles.  A belated follow-up to 1994’s Live at the BBC (which itself gets a remastered reissue today), On Air can’t help but flash back listeners to a simpler, pre-Sgt. Pepper’s time, when The Beatles could cause a firestorm of controversy simply because of the length of their hair.  Though Beatlemania was in full swing by the time Meet the Beatles arrived in the U.S. on January 20, 1964, the sense here is mostly of a hard-working, eager-to-please band.  Knowing the experimentation (sonic and otherwise!) that came next for the lads from Liverpool, one can’t overlook just how basic and primitive some of these recordings sound – how completely, wonderfully rock-and-roll!

These in-the-moment recordings – 40 musical performances, 37 of which are previously unreleased – are filled with youthful abandon and exuberance.  Most of the songs are far less polished than their studio counterparts, but largely follow the studio templates.  The result is a fine “alternate” listening experience, as the originals are so familiar.  One can hear The Beatles working, truly, as a band: Paul’s melodic bass; Ringo’s direct, clean and accessible drum style; George and John’s guitars spurring each other on.  Each part was essential to the whole.

Tune your radios to The Second Disc, and hit the jump for much more!

Release Round-Up: Week of November 11/12

The Beatles, Live At The BBC / On Air: Live At The BBC Volume 2 (Capitol)

What’s better than a remaster of The Fab Four’s 1994 double-disc set of live BBC sessions? How about another two-disc set of those sessions?

Live At The BBC (2CD): Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K.
Live At The BBC (3LP): Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K.
On Air: Live At The BBC Volume 2 (2CD): Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K.
On Air: Live At The BBC Volume 2 (3LP): Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K.
Live At The BBC: The Collection (4CD): Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K.

Donny Hathaway, Never My Love: The Anthology (ATCO/Rhino)

A fine-looking four-disc anthology for the late, great soul singer, featuring his greatest hits and rare singles, a disc of unreleased studio outtakes, an unissued live performance at New York’s Bitter End in 1971, and his complete duets with Roberta Flack. Beautiful, beautiful stuff here. (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K.)

Miles Davis, The Original Mono Recordings (Columbia/Legacy)

A nine-disc set featuring a crash course in jazz education in glorious monaural sound! Classics ‘Round About Midnight (1957), Miles Ahead (1957), Milestones (1958), Porgy and Bess (1959), Kind of Blue (1959), Sketches of Spain (1960) and Someday My Prince Will Come (1961) are joined by two rare, out-of-print LPs: 1959’s Jazz Track (featuring a side of quintet recordings for a French soundtrack and a side of rarities from the sextet that cut Kind of Blue) and Miles & Monk At Newport (1964), featuring two live sets recorded five years apart at the Newport Jazz Festival. (Look for several of these albums on LP once again for Record Store Day’s Black Friday event!) (Amazon U.S. /Amazon U.K.)

Herbie Hancock, The Complete Columbia Album Collection 1972-1988 (Columbia/Legacy)

This 34-disc set features every one of the jazz pianist’s albums for Columbia/CBS, including 11 which have never been on CD in the U.S. before (eight of these albums were only released in Japan). (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K.)

The Who, Tommy: Deluxe Editions (Geffen/UMe)

Another expanded version of The Who’s magnum opus features the original album with an unissued spread of demos, outtakes and live bootlegs.

2CD Deluxe Edition: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K.
3CD/1BD Super Deluxe Edition: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K.
1CD Remaster: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K.
2LP Remaster: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K.

Various Artists, Disney Classics (Walt Disney Records)

A neat new four-disc box set spanning the entire Disney gamut (film, television and theme parks) in celebration of 90(!) years of musical magic. (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K.)

The Waterboys, Fisherman’s Box: The Complete Fisherman’s Blues Sessions 1986-1988 (Parlophone)

After some delays, the six-disc version of this mammoth box (sans “influences” bonus disc or vinyl LP) is available this week. (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K.)

Creedence Clearwater Revival, Creedence Clearwater Revival (Box Set) (Fantasy)

A reissue of the band’s career-spanning six-disc 2001 box, featuring all nine of their studio and live albums and a disc of pre-CCR single sides, is now available in a new package not made of wood. (Amazon U.S.)

Ry Cooder, 1970-1987 (Rhino)

All 11 of the famed guitarist’s Warner-Reprise albums in one box. (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K.)

The Killers, Direct Hits (Island)

The Vegas modern-day New Wavers release their first compilation, with new single “Shot At the Night.” A deluxe edition adds a few more bonus tracks, including the original demo for hit single “Mr. Brightside.”

Standard: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K.
Deluxe: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K.
Super Deluxe CD/10″ edition: Amazon U.K.

Keane, The Best of Keane (Island)

Another Island act from the ’00s (albeit one from England), Keane too release a compilation in a variety of formats.

Standard 1CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K.
Deluxe 2CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K.
Super Deluxe 2CD/DVD (Amazon exclusive): Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K.

Emerson, Lake & Palmer, Live in Montreal 1977 (Shout! Factory)

Welcome back, my friends, to a complete show in support of Works Volume 1 on two discs. (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K.)

Lamb of God, As the Palaces Burn: 10th Anniversary Edition (Razor & Tie)

The thrash/groove quartet’s breakthrough 2000 album is remixed, remastered and expanded with three demos and a DVD documentary.

CD/DVD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K.
LP: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K.

Grizzly Bear, Shields: Expanded (Warp)

The Brooklyn band’s 2012 album, now with a bonus disc of demos and remixes.

Shields: Expanded (2CD): Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K.
Shields: B-Sides (LP): Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K.