Release Round-Up: Week of February 4

Burt Bacharach, Together? — Original Soundtrack Recording / Toomorrow: From the Harry Saltzman-Don Kirshner Film “Toomorrow” — Original Soundtrack Recording / The Mamas and the Papas, A Gathering of Flowers / Brotherhood, The Complete Recordings / Smith, A Group Called Smith/Minus-Plus / Troyka, Troyka / Jim Reeves, A Beautiful Life — Songs of Inspiration / The Grateful Dead, Dick’s Picks Vol. 20 — Capital Centre, Landover, MD 9/25/76 — Onondaga County War Memorial, Syracuse, NY 9/28/76 (Real Gone Music)

What could be better than this Real Gone bounty, featuring a classic compilation by The Mamas and The Papas, an exciting compilation by Brotherhood, a post Paul Revere & The Raiders combo, and two exceptional, long-out-of-print soundtracks? How about those latter two soundtracks making their way to domestic CD with liner notes from The Second Disc’s very own Joe Marchese? I’d call that a big yes!

Together?: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K.
Toomorrow: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K.
The Mamas and The Papas: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K.
Brotherhood: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K.
Smith: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K.
Troyka: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K.
Jim Reeves: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K.
The Grateful Dead: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K.

Aretha Franklin, The Queen of Soul / Otis Redding, The King of Soul (Atlantic/Rhino)

Two of the most legendary performers in the Atlantic soul catalogue are newly anthologized with simple four-disc overviews.

Aretha: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K.
Otis: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K.

Michael Bloomfield, From His Head to His Heart to His Hands (Legacy)

One of the best (and most unfairly obscure) guitarists of the 1960s gets his due in a new career-spanning box set featuring three CDs of favorites and rarities and a new film about the late performer, who played with Bob Dylan, Al Kooper, The Paul Butterfield Blues Band and others. (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K.)

Tina Turner, Love Songs (Parlophone)

Just in time for Valentine’s Day, a new romantically-inclined compilation from another all-time soul queen. (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K.)

The Small Faces, Here Come The Nice: The Immediate Years 1967-1969 (Charly/Snapper Classics)

An exhaustive new box set (exclusive to Amazon) featuring all of the mod legends’ single sides for the Immediate label, rare and unreleased studio outtakes, four repressed vinyl EPs/acetates and a load of extra content, including replica press kits, posters, art prints, a hardbound book and more. (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K.)

 

The Dream Syndicate, The Day Before of Wine and Roses (Omnivore)

A killer live set recorded at KPFK-FM in Los Angeles, weeks prior to the recording of The Dream Syndicate’s seminal debut. (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K.)

Rainbow, Singles Box (Polydor/UMC)

A 19-disc box replicating various 45s from Ritchie Blackmore’s iconic rock combo. (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K.)

Gene, Olympian / To See the Lights / Drawn to the Deep End / Revelations / Libertine: Deluxe Editions (Edsel)

All five of the alt-rock/Britpop band’s standard albums (including the B-sides compilation To See the Lights) have been newly expanded as double-disc sets in casebound packages, all featuring rare B-sides and some unreleased live material and demos throughout.

Olympian: Amazon U.K.
To See the Lights: Amazon U.K.
Drawn to the Deep End: Amazon U.K.
Revelations: Amazon U.K.
Libertine: Amazon U.K.

Cast, All Change / Mother Nature Calls / Magic Hour / Beetroot: Deluxe Editions (Edsel)

In the same vein as Gene, John Power’s band after the dissolution of The La’s was notable in the Britpop era, particularly for debut All Change, the highest-selling debut in Polydor Records’ history. All four of their albums have been expanded as triple-disc (double in the case of Beetroot) sets, including rare B-sides and other material as well as DVDs packed with music videos, live appearances and new interviews with Power about each album.

All Change: Amazon U.K.
Mother Nature Calls: Amazon U.K.
Magic Hour: Amazon U.K.
Beetroot: Amazon U.K.

Jon Anderson, Olias of Sunhillow / Alice Cooper, Billion Dollar Babies (Audio Fidelity) / The Doobie Brothers, Stampede / Dean Martin, This Time I’m Swingin’ / Frank Sinatra, Point of No Return (Mobile Fidelity)

The latest hi-def offerings. Kevin Gray and Steve Hoffman respectively master the Audio Fidelity gold disc titles, while MFSL offers two crooners and a ’70s rock band on hybrid SACD.

Jon Anderson: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K.
Alice Cooper: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K.
The Doobie Brothers: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K.
Dean Martin: Amazon U.S.
Frank Sinatra: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K.

No Time to Lose: Rainbow Announce Singles Box Set on CD

In the tradition of similar boxes for Deep Purple (released by EMI in 2002) and Dio (released by Universal last year), Universal will release a 19CD box set replicating the singles offering by hard rock outfit Rainbow.

Formed toward the end of guitarist Ritchie Blackmore’s tenure with Deep Purple in 1975, Rainbow was a meticulously-coordinated rock band, inspired by the chord progression of classical music and with a lyrical bent toward medieval imagery. Adding greatly to the mix was the versatile vocalizations of lead singer Ronnie James Dio (whose previous band Elf was the backbone of the first Rainbow album). The lineup changed mightily over the years, most notably with Dio’s departure in 1978 and Blackmore’s decision to move the band toward a more mainstream rock sound. The group’s journey ended in 1984 when Blackmore reunited with Deep Purple, though he would use the name again in the mid-’90s, with all-new members.

The Singles Box 1975-1986 is definitely as much (if not more of) a collectible than a full-fledged box set. The nineteen singles (from all over the world, mind you) don’t feature a whole lot of truly rare material, aside from a few non-LP studio and live cuts and an edit or two. But for those who want to marvel at the band’s evolution over a near decade-long period (not to mention the replica single sleeves from different countries), this is the set for you. (And if prior boxes are any indication, expect this to go out of print and rather collectible with stunning speed.)

The Singles Box is available February 3 in the U.K. and a week later in the U.S. – hit the jump for full specs and pre-order links.

In Case You Missed It: Universal U.K. Unearths Two Rainbow Deluxe Albums

Looking for that perfect gift for a Ronnie James Dio fan this holiday season? If that Dio singles box isn’t up your alley, there’s always more deluxe editions of the Rainbow catalogue from Universal’s U.K. arm, released earlier this month. A complement to expanded presentations of Rainbow’s Rising and Down to Earth released back in 2010, Universal has now expanded 1977’s On Stage and 1978’s Long Live Rock ‘n’ Roll as two-disc sets.

Recorded live in Germany and Japan over several tour dates in late 1976, On Stage was Rainbow’s third release, and the second to feature the revamped lineup introduced on sophomore album Rising. Erstwhile Deep Purple guitarist Ritchie Blackmore and vocalist Ronnie James Dio were the only holdovers from their 1974 debut, with keyboardist Tony Carey, bassist Jimmy Bain and drummer Cozy Powell filling the rest of the outfit. The four-sided On Stage was, in retrospect, not an ideal representation of Rainbow’s live show, being presented out of sequence and edited for time, but fans were enthusiastic, taking it to the Top 10 of the U.K. charts. The set, which featured the debut of “Kill the King,” a standout track on the band’s next album, has been expanded with a full version of the last stop on the Rising tour in Tokyo on December 16, 1976. (The package itself lists the show from Osaka; Deep Purple fan site Darker Than Blue reports the discrepancy as well as replication between the original album presentation and the bonus disc – “Greensleeves” and the “Blues” section of the “Man on the Silver Mountain” medley, namely.)

Long Live Rock ‘n’ Roll would see more personnel change – namely, Carey and Bain were replaced by David Stone and future Ozzy Osbourne drummer Bob Daisley. It, too, was another U.K. Top 10, but it would be the last of the hard-rockin’ Rainbow LPs, with Blackmore moving the band into a more commercial niche and Dio taking over for Ozzy as the frontman for Black Sabbath. Extra material on the deluxe Long Live include nine rough mixes and rehearsal takes and five live performances from Don Kirschner’s Rock Concert in 1978 – two of which were unaired rehearsal performances!

Both sets are available now from Amazon U.K. (On Stage / Long Live) and Amazon U.S. (On Stage / Long Live); full specs are after the jump.

Release Round-Up: Week of August 2

Arcade Fire, Scenes from the Suburbs (Merge)

Last year’s Grammy winner for Album of the Year is newly expanded with two unreleased tracks and a bonus DVD documentary. (Official site)

Various Artists, Mightier Than the Sword: The Ronnie James Dio Story (Sanctuary U.K.)

This new double-disc set, in honor of the late, beloved metal singer, is the first to compile just about every band Dio ever sang for – Elf, Ritchie Blackmore’s Rainbow, Black Sabbath, Dio and Heaven and Hell. (Official site)

Archers of Loaf, Icky Mettle: Deluxe Edition (Merge)

The North Carolina ’90s college-rock stalwart’s debut album is newly remastered and expanded with a bonus disc of rare single and EP material. (Official site)

The Gap Band, The Gap Band 8: Expanded Edition / The Isley Brothers, Between the Sheets: Expanded Edition / Johnny Nash, I Can See Clearly Now: Expanded Edition / The Joneses, The Joneses: Expanded Edition / Keith Barrow, Keith Barrow: Expanded Edition / The Nite-Liters, A-Nal-Y-Sis: Expanded Edition (Big Break)

More expanded reissues from Cherry Red’s main soul provider! (Big Break)

Kippington Lodge, Shy Boy: The Complete Recordings 1967-1969 (RPM)

An early ’60s pop turn from a band that included Nick Lowe and Brinsley Schwarz among its ranks. This set includes ten single A- and B-sides with some rare and unreleased material. (RPM)

 

Long Live Rock and Roll! Dio Compilation Due in U.K. This May

Ronnie James Dio passed away in 2010, but his spirit has lived on rather nicely in the world of reissues. In recent years, Universal in the U.K. has released expansive deluxe editions of the vocalist’s work with Black Sabbath and Rainbow, not to mention a few archival releases through his own estate’s Niji Entertainment Group. Now, Universal Music Catalogue will add another compilation to the mix for U.K. fans – one which covers, in two discs, all of the artist’s major-label acts.

Mightier Than the Sword: The Ronnie James Dio Story, collects tracks from virtually every band Dio ever fronted, from Elf and Ritchie Blackmore’s Rainbow to Black Sabbath, Dio and Heaven and Hell (the reformed Dio-led lineup of Black Sabbath that performed in the late 2000s). There’s even a track from the lesser-known solo project by ex-Deep Purple bassist Roger Glover, released in 1974.

Expect the set in U.K. shops on May 30 and a week later in the States. A full track list and order link follows after the jump.

Release Round-Up: Week of March 8

Billy Joel, Live at Shea Stadium: The Concert (Columbia/Legacy)

The best of the Shea Stadium farewell shows on two CDs and a DVD or Blu-Ray. Not my favorite Joel show, but it’s now yours for the buying. (Official site)

Neil Diamond, The Bang Years 1966-1968 (Columbia/Legacy)

Two Bang LPs (and one non-album single) on a nicely put-together disc – hopefully the first of many deserved tributes to the Solitary Man on the eve of his Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction. (Official site)

Simon & Garfunkel, Bridge Over Troubled Water: 40th Anniversary Edition (Columbia/Legacy)

The folk duo’s studio swan song, presented with a previously unissued concert special and making-of documentary on DVD. (Official site)

Bo Diddley, Bo Diddley’s Beach Party (Hip-o Select)

Bo knows live music, and this long out-of-print concert proves it. (Hip-o Select)

Elvis Presley, Elvis is Back! Legacy Edition (RCA/Legacy)

Two Elvis LPs (Elvis is Back! and Something for Everyone) and a handful of single sides on a fresh two-disc set. (Official site)

Traffic, John Barleycorn Must Die: Deluxe Edition (Island/UMe)

An expanded edition of the seminal Traffic reunion album, with a bonus disc of unreleased studio work and previously released live material. (Amazon)

Rainbow, Down to Earth: Deluxe Edition / Rising: Deluxe Edition (Polydor/UMe)

Recently released in the U.K., these two Rainbow albums – featuring the guitar of Ritchie Blackmore and the vocals of Ronnie James Dio – are metal classics. And now they’re expanded with tons of rare and unreleased content. (Amazon: Down to Earth, Rising)

Serge Gainsbourg, Integrale (Universal U.K.)

The latest in imported megaboxes: a 20-disc collection of material from the late French singer-songwriter. (Amazon U.K.)

Three from the Hard Rock Archives

As if there weren’t enough catalogue options on everyone’s plates, here come three more hard-rock reissues – one from Jethro Tull and two from Rainbow.

EMI/Capitol is releasing a deluxe edition of Jethro Tull’s sophomore LP Stand Up (1969). The first album of JT’s in which Ian Anderson had total control over the musical direction was thus a departure from the band’s bluesy debut, This Was, opting instead for more of a folk sound. This set will be an expanded three-disc set with a bonus live show at Carnegie Hall presented on both CD and DVD (in an audio-only surround mix). Look for that on September 28.

And on October 25, Universal’s U.K. branch will release two deluxe reissues from Rainbow, the classic metal band that brought lead vocalist Ronnie James Dio to prominence. Rising (1976) and Down to Earth (1979) will each be bolstered by a bonus disc of rough mixes and outtakes, all previously unreleased.

Only a U.K. pre-order page currently exists for Stand Up; the Rainbow sets have wildly expensive pages on Amazon’s U.S. branch, if you’re inclined. Check all the tracks out after the jump.