Release Round-Up: Week of May 31 - The Second Disc (2024)

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 Salsoul Orchestra, It's Good for the Soul: The Vince Montana Years (SoulMusic/Cherry Red/Second Disc) (Amazon U.S./Amazon U.K./Amazon Canada)

It's Good for the Soul: The Vince Montana Years (1975-1978)is the definitive, first-ever box set collecting The Salsoul Orchestra's groundbreaking albums produced, arranged, and conducted by Vincent Montana, Jr.! The vibraphonist came into his own when he moved from Philadelphia International Records to the upstart Salsoul label and founded The Salsoul Orchestra. The oft-emulated, never-duplicated 40+-piece "disco orchestra" featuring MFSB veterans and a host of renowned Latin percussionists fused Philly soul and funky R&B with the red-hot sound of salsa to create some of the most joyful and enduring dance music ever recorded. The 8-CD box collects the six non-holiday Salsoul Orchestra albums led by Montana including collaborations with "First Lady of Salsoul" Carol Williams and "Cuchi-Cuchi" superstar Charo.Every one of these albums is presented in an expanded edition. The box also includes the only album from The Salsoul Strings, rare compilation tracks fromSaturday Night Disco Party, andmore than a dozen new-to-CD mixes and single versions, for a total of103 sizzling songssure to keep you on your feet. Audio for the box set has been newly remastered by Nick Robbins, a veteran of many past Salsoul releases. The eight discs are housed in individual wallets replicating the original album artwork, while period Salsoul labels have also been replicated on each CD. The clamshell box additionally houses a 40-page full-color booklet designed by another Salsoul veteran, Paul Bevoir. The album-by-album notes from TSD's Joe Marchese draw on quotes from Vince Montana, Bobby Eli, Carol Williams, Charo, The Sweethearts' Evette Benton, and Salsoul co-founder Ken Cayre. Read more here!

Black Sabbath, Anno Domini 1989-1995 (Warner/Rhino)

4CD:Amazon U.S./Amazon U.K./Amazon Canada
4LP:Amazon U.S./Amazon U.K./Amazon Canada

Black Sabbath'sAnno Domini 1989-1995, available on four CDs or four LPs, will offer a closer look at albums that essentially featured founding guitarist Tony Iommi restarting the band from scratch, recruiting vocalist Tony Martin and a cast of new and old talent to re-establish Sabbath's place in the metal canon. The albumsHeadless Cross(1989),Tyr(1990),Cross Purposes(1994) andForbidden(1995) will be included in the set, withForbiddenreceiving a new mix by Iommi especially for this collection. On CD, three of the albums will include a bonus track apiece in the form of non-LP B-sides or Japanese exclusive bonus tracks. Hugh Gilmour has penned new liner notes for the set, available in a booklet that also includes rare photos and artwork. The box will additionally include replicas of a poster and program from theHeadless Cross tour. Read more here!

Silver Convention, Get Up and Boogie: The Worldwide Singles (Omnivore)(Amazon U.S./Amazon U.K./Amazon Canada)

Seventeen of Eurodisco group Silver Convention's most sought-after 45s from around the world, originally issued on various labels and often featuring exclusive mixes and edits unique to each country, are collected for the very first time onGet Up & Boogie: The Worldwide Singles. The anthology also showcases the development of Silver Convention's sound, which incorporated soul, R&B, and pop as well as disco and dance. Among the many highlights on this floor-filling collection are "Get Up and Boogie (That's Right)" (a U.S. No. 2 hit kept from the top spot by Wings' "Silly Love Songs"), the infectious "San Francisco Hustle," the sensual "No, No, Joe" (a moderate U.S. hit), Munich-meets-Philly collaborations "Spend the Night with Me" and "Get It Up" (arranged and conducted by The Monster Orchestra's John Davis and featuring Don Renaldo's Horns and Strings), and the non-LP side "Cafe au Lait." All of these rare singles have been restored and remastered by the Grammy-winning Osiris Studio, while TSD's Joe Marchese has provided new liner notes.Get Up & Boogie: The Worldwide Singles will be available on CD as well as digitally. Get more info here!

Cyndi Lauper, Let the Canary Sing (Legacy) (Amazon U.S./Amazon U.K./Amazon Canada)

The Cyndi Lauper documentaryLet the Canary Singbows on Paramount+ on June 4. Directed by Alison Ellwood, who helmed documentaries on The Go-Go's and the Eagles,Canarytraces Lauper's life story from her upbringing in the New York borough of Queens, raised by a single mother; to herearliest attemptsat a singing career which eventually bore incredible fruit with the multiplatinumShe's So Unusual(1983) and eight Top 10 hits across the decade of MTV. Her family life, charity work and forays into Broadway (writing the Tony-winning score to 2013'sKinky Boots) are all covered in Technicolor detail, with Lauper's signature wit guiding the way in interviews. This new, 13-song vinyl companion release doubles as the first career-spanning Lauper retrospective, covering 1980-2010. Get more info here!

Howard Jones, Human's Lib (New Mixes)(Cherry Red) (Amazon U.S./Amazon U.K./Amazon Canada) / Dream Into Action (New Mixes)(Cherry Red) (Amazon U.S./Amazon U.K./Amazon Canada)

Howard Jones' first two albums been given two fresh new remixes in stereo and 5.1 surround by respected British engineer Stephen W. Tayler, who did the original album mixes. The albums will also boast newly-mixed versions of several non-LP tracks on both CD and Blu-ray. Additionally, the Blu-rays will also feature five new Dolby Atmos mixes of selected tracks created by Bob Clearmountain. Most of these mixes were released on Apple Music, Amazon and TIDAL last month on the Celebrating TogetherEP, which also included a new Atmos version of 1989's "The Prisoner." It's a safe bet, then, that more album remixes are in the pipeline. Read more about these titles here!

The Rascals, It's Wonderful: The Complete Atlantic Studio Recordings (Now Sounds/Cherry Red) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada)

We've got a much more in-depth look at this title coming, but in the meantime: Now Sounds is back with a deluxe box set that eclipses all past reissues of The (Young) Rascals' Atlantic catalogue! This lavish set has 152 tracks, representing the band's entire 1965-1971 studio output on 7 CDs. The first four albums are presented in both mono and stereo, and the albums are all accompanied by an array of single versions, foreign language recordings, and more, including 14 previously unreleased tracks. The 60-page booklet, beautifully designed by compilation producer Steve Stanley, includes a 10,000-word essay from rock historian Richie Unterberger. Alec Palao has compiled the set and remastered its audio. Truly...it's wonderful!

Willie Nelson, The Border (Legacy) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada)

The Border, Willie Nelson's 152nd (!) overall album perTexas Monthly, features four new Nelson/Buddy Cannon compositions plus the Rodney Crowell-penned title track, Crowell and Will Jennings' "Many a Long and Lonesome Highway," and more. Produced by Cannon,The Borderfeatures Willie Nelson (lead vocals, Trigger) supported by Mickey Raphael (harmonica), Bobby Terry (acoustic guitar, electric guitar, steel guitar), James Mitchell (electric guitar), Jim "Moose" Brown (Wurlitzer, B-3 organ, piano, synthesizer), Fred Eltringham (drums, percussion) and Barry Bales (upright bass); backing vocals are by Buddy Cannon and Melonie Cannon. Available on CD, LP, and digital formats, plus a Barnes and Noble orange vinyl exclusive, and aWillie Nelson webstore vinyl exclusivewith a 12 x 12" lyric booklet with liner notes by Mikal Gilmore and photos by Pamela Springsteen.

Crowded House, Gravity Stairs (BMG) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada)

Crowded House releases its eighth studio album, Gravity Stairs, which features Neil Finn, Liam Finn, Elroy Finn, Nick Seymour, and Mitchell Froom. Available on CD, LP, and digital formats.

Ringo Starr, Crooked Boy (UMe) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada)

Ringo's new EP - previously available on vinyl as a Record Store Day exclusive - comes to CD, wide-release standard vinyl, and digital formats today. It contains four original tracks: "February Sky," "Adeline," "Gonna Need Someone," and "Crooked Boy."

Richard Thompson, Ship to Shore (New West) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada)

Singer-songwriter Richard Thompson releases his 19th solo studio album today. Ship to Shore is available on CD, LP, and digital formats.

Various Artists, JEM Records Celebrates Jagger and Richards (JEM) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada)

The Grip Weeds, The Weeklings, The Anderson Council, and other indie rock favorites are featured on this cool tribute to The Glimmer Twins. Available on CD, LP, and digitally.

Various Artists, Long Distance Love: A Sweet Relief Tribute to Lowell George (Flatiron) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada)

Elvis Costello, Chris Stills, Joachim Cooder, Larry Goldings, Taylor Goldsmith, and Jonathan Wilson are among the artists paying tribute to the late Little Feat frontman on this new charity compilation. Available on CD and LP.

Various Artists, My Favorite Things: The Rodgers & Hammerstein 80 Anniversary Concert (Concord Theatricals) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada)

A dazzling array of Broadway talent - including Audra McDonald, Aaron Tveit, Patrick Wilson, Marisha Wallace, Maria Friedman, Julian Ovenden, Michael Ball, and Daniel Dae Kim - appear on this 2-CD tribute to the timeless musicals of Rodgers and Hammerstein. DVD and Blu-ray releases follow next week.