Release Round-Up: Week of December 4

Johnny Cash, The Complete Columbia Collection (Columbia/Legacy)

Perhaps the biggest box set of the quarter (maybe the whole year?), this 63-disc set collects all of The Man in Black’s Columbia albums from The Fabulous Johnny Cash (1959) to Live at Madison Square Garden (recorded in 1969 and released in 2002), plus an expansion of the Sun album Johnny Cash with His Hot and Blue Guitar (1957) and two discs of non-LP singles and other odds and ends.  Here’s Joe’s review of the whole set!   (Amazon U.S. / U.K.)

Smashing Pumpkins, Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness: Deluxe Edition (Virgin/EMI)

“Tonight, Tonight” (or today, today) is the day to get the latest Smashing Pumpkins catalogue project: four discs (three CDs and a DVD) of bonus material appended to the original double LP! (Amazon U.S. / U.K.) A triple-vinyl remaster of the original album is also available (Amazon U.S. / U.K.), as is a basic remaster of the album on two discs. (Amazon U.S. / U.K.)

The Who, The Studio Albums (Geffen/UMe)

Every one of The Who’s 11 main albums, newly remastered and replicated for vinyl. (Amazon U.S. / U.K.)

KISS, The Casablanca Singles 1974-1982 (Mercury/Casablanca/UMe)

Every A and B-side from KISS’ Casablanca years, replicated on CD (Amazon U.S. / U.K.) and, allegedly, vinyl singles, though we’ve never found a retail link for that version, outside of an outsize expensive link from Universal itself.

T. Rex, The Slider: 40th Anniversary Edition Box Set (Edsel)

A super-deluxe take on T. Rex’s iconic LP, featuring the original album remastered by Tony Visconti, two discs of B-sides, demos and outtakes, a DVD, two books, a vinyl LP and three 7″ singles. (Amazon U.K. / U.S.)

Mary Wells, Something New: Motown Lost & Found (Hip-O Select/Motown)

Two discs of rare and unreleased Mary Wells tunes from the fabled Motown vaults! (Amazon U.S. / U.K.)

Johnny Mathis, So Nice/Johnny Mathis Sings / John Hatford, Aero-Plane/Morning Bugle: The Complete Warner Bros. Recordings / The Grateful Dead, Dick’s Picks Vol. 26–4/26/69 Electric Theater, Chicago, IL 4/27/69 Labor Temple Minneapolis, MN / Gene Harris, Gene Harris/The Three Sounds/Gene Harris of The Three Sounds / Bobbi Humphrey, Dig This / Jeremy Steig, Wayfaring Stranger (Real Gone)

Real Gone’s December slate includes the last of the Johnny Mathis/Mercury two-fers, another Dick’s Pick reissue and three Blue Note selections reissued on the resurrected Dusty Groove imprint! (Head here for pre-order links on all these sets.)

The Prodigy, The Fat of the Land: 15th Anniversary Edition (XL)

The Prodigy’s breakthrough album remastered and expanded with Added Fat, an EP of new remixes of tracks like “Firestarter,” “Breathe” and “Smack My Bitch Up.” (Amazon U.S. / U.K.) That EP is available separately on vinyl (Amazon U.S. / U.K.), as is a vinyl reissue of the original LP (Amazon U.S.).

Alice Cooper, Old School 1964-1974 (Bigger Picture)

Remember this box set? This is a condensed version – just CDs, no vinyl or extra swag. (Amazon U.S. / U.K.)

The Hooters, Nervous Night/One Way Home/Zig Zag (BGO)

All three of The Hooters’ Columbia albums on one handy two-disc set. (Amazon U.K. / U.S.)

And here are some vinyl reissues for your enjoyment!

Love, Forever Changes (180 Gram) (Elektra/Rhino)

The Moody Blues, Days of Future Passed (180 Gram) (Friday Music)

Linda Ronstadt, Heart Like a Wheel (RockBeat)

Sade, Promise (180 Gram) (Audio Fidelity)

Reissue Theory: Live Aid on CD

Twenty-six years ago today, on two different continents, the music world came together for a worthy cause: to raise awareness of famine in Ethiopia. Live Aid, a pair of concerts organized by Bob Geldof in London and Philadelphia on July 13, 1985 and broadcasted live on the BBC, ABC and MTV, was seen in person by some 172,000 people and on television by nearly 2 billion across the globe.

And, if you can believe it, none of it has ever been released on LP or CD.

Granted, it’s not entirely unsurprising. Geldof promised artists that the performances were very much a one-off, never to be seen past the initial broadcast. (That of course turned out to be untrue, with the release of a four-disc DVD set in 2004.) But you have to wonder, given not only the fiercely charitable nature of the organization as well as the capitalistic nature of the music industry, why a commemorative album was never put out to raise even more money for charities.

But if they did, this is how it might go down.

Greater Hits, Volume I: The Sweetest Sade Set

The Second Disc has always meant to be a source of decently-reported news and discussion on the goings-on of the music catalogue world, as well as a resource to the new fan on what catalogue product is out there.

With that in mind, today introduces a new feature that looks at one of the most common catalogue items: the greatest hits collection. It’s perhaps been outmoded by the ability to pick and choose tracks to download online, but when you’re a new fan of an artist, the compilation is usually the first way to dive into a band’s repertoire. It’s usually also a boon for collectors as well, since many artists add one or two tracks to a collection for completists.

Where things get confusing, however, is when an artist is popular (or exploited) enough to put out (or have put out by their label) more than one compilation. Especially in this era of Playlist and ICON budget sets, where does one begin? Enter Greater Hits, our new feature that provides a head-to-head (or in some cases, head-to-head-to-head) look at different collections by the same artist. We’re going to try to keep this a bit looser than Reissue Theory or Back Tracks, and hopefully you’ll enjoy the results.

This feature kicks off with Sade, who just released their second compilation last week. They’re two very different sets, but is one better than the other? The answer – after the jump – may surprise you.

Release Round-Up: Week of May 3

Sade, The Ultimate Collection (Epic)

The sultry British soul band anthologized across two discs, featuring several brand-new tracks – the perfect teaser for their long-awaited summer tour. (Official site)

Loudon Wainwright, 40 Odd Years (Shout! Factory)

The witty singer/songwriter is anthologized across four CDs and a DVD. Check for Joe’s review later today! (Shout! Factory)

Rush, Moving Pictures: Deluxe Edition (Blu-Ray) (Mercury/UMe)

Already available at Best Buy since April, the CD/Blu-Ray edition of the classic Canadian rockers’ album makes a wider retail debut. (Official site)

The Association, And Then…Along Comes The Association! Expanded Edition (Now Sounds)

A forgotten classic of ’60s folk-pop, presented in mono for the first time since its original vinyl release and expanded with a dozen bonus cuts. Do note: this title, as well as the next three entries, have been available in the U.K. for a week and are now stocked with U.S. retailers. (Now Sounds)

Pennye Ford, Pennye Ford: Expanded Edition / Yarbrough & Peoples, Be a Winner: Expanded Edition / Loose Change, Loose Change: Expanded Edition / Tom Moulton, TJM: Expanded Edition (Big Break)

The latest slate from Big Break, featuring rare 12″ mixes and what have you. (Big Break)

The Fall, The Marshall Suite: Expanded Edition (Cherry Red)

An expanded version of the indie rockers’ techno-influenced album, expanded to three discs, featuring CD single material and rare live tracks. (Cherry Red)

Pepsi & Shirlie, All Right Now: Special Edition (Cherry Pop)

The former WHAM! backup singers’ debut album, expanded with rare single sides. (Cherry Pop)

Poison, Double Dose: Ultimate Hits (EMI/Capitol)

Do you need another Poison compilation? If so, here you are! A two-disc one. (Official site)

Barry Manilow, Duets (Arista/Legacy)

Another Manilow comp, focusing on his work with others. (Official site)

Rob Zombie, ICON (Geffen/UMe)

Oh dear, reader Don wasn’t kidding. This first came out back in 2010. This is a reissue of a reissue. The universe is clearly about to turn inside out. But…there’s a single-disc edition this time around, so…there’s that. (Amazon: 1-CD, 2-CD)

No Need to Ask: Sade Compilation Track List Unveiled

Lovers rejoice! The track list for Sade’s The Ultimate Collection has been revealed by our friends at Vintage Vinyl News.

The two-disc set, set for release May 3 – in advance of the British soul band’s forthcoming tour – is the band’s second compilation and the first to span all of their albums to date, from Diamond Life in 1984 to last year’s Soldier of Love. It features 14 of the 16 tracks that made up 1996’s single-disc The Best of Sade – omitting “Like a Tattoo” from Love Deluxe (1992) and one of the band’s few non-LP tracks, a cover of Percy Mayfield’s “Please Send Me Someone to Love” from the Philadelphia soundtrack – and features four unreleased tracks, including a remix of “The Moon and the Sky” (from Solider of Love) featuring Jay-Z. There’s also one relatively rare track that closes out the set: a remix of “By Your Side” by The Neptunes that appeared on a CD single in 2000.

Do note that Amazon has a deluxe edition of the set listed for a May 10 release, albeit as an import. There’s no word on what that set would feature. In the meantime, if you’re so inclined, order your copy from Amazon here and hit the jump to check out the track list.

Legacy Provides Relief for Japan

Now here’s a surprise. iTunes, in concert with the major record labels, put together a 38-song compilation called Songs for Japan, the proceeds of which would go to relief funds for the ongoing crises in Japan following a massive earthquake and tsunami that left the country in a state of peril.

And now, Amazon has a listing for the compilation on CD from Legacy. (This two-disc set actually omits some of the tracks heard on the iTunes version, namely tracks by Madonna and David Guetta.) While it’s not a boon for collectors – collecting notable tracks by John Lennon, U2, Sting, Bob Dylan, Lady Gaga, Bruce Springsteen and almost every other famous rock artist one can think of – it’s certainly worth the $10 for a good cause, and we would be remiss if we didn’t pass on to our loyal readers that one can help by simply buying some music – something you and I likely do a lot!

Order Songs for Japan here and hit the jump for the track list.

Short Takes: Sade Compilation Coming, More Nirvana on Record Store Day, Star Trek Box Split Up, More Live Ella Forthcoming

• Epic/Legacy will release The Ultimate Collection by Sade on May 3. Intended to tease the band’s long-awaited summer tour, the set will feature tracks from all the band’s albums, from 1984’s Diamond Life to 2010’s Soldier of Love, and will feature three unreleased tracks, including a new remix of Solider track “The Moon and the Sky” featuring rapper Jay-Z. Those who pre-order the set through the band’s official site will get exclusive access to ticket pre-sales for recently-announced dates starting next week. (There’s also an Amazon pre-order listing, for those so inclined.)
• Chalk up another Nirvana release for Record Store Day: a vinyl reissue of the band’s 1992 EP Hormoaning. Initially only released in limited quantities in Australia and Japan to coincide with the band’s tour there, the disc features two original B-sides (“Aneurysm” and “Even in His Youth,” released on the “Smells Like Teen Spirit” singles) and three covers (Devo’s “Turnaround” and “Molly’s Lips” and “Son of a Gun,” both by The Vaselines) recorded for the BBC in 1990. (Those covers, along with alternate versions of the B-sides, appeared on the Incesticide compilation in the U.S. later that year.
• If you wanted to sample some of Film Score Monthly’s Star Trek: The Next Generation box set without buying the entire thing, here’s your chance: 12 of the 14 discs of Ron Jones’ music have been released for download on iTunes and Amazon. This Trek message board post features links to all the discs, provided by the set’s co-producer, Neil S. Bulk.
• A sweet tweet from our friends at Hip-o Select: “If you thought Ella In Hollywood was the last word on unreleased live greatness, hang on we found more: Ella in Japan, coming soon!”