News

The opening salvo ahead of our upcoming holiday gift guides is here! To wit: Paul McCartney recently announced the limited-edition release of The 7″ Singles Box, which features 80 (count ’em!) 7-inch Paul McCartney singles culled from all across the full wingspan of his long and winding solo career, for December 2. The preorders have already been fast and furious, so read on to see if you can secure your own copy now in advance, and/or need to get all buddy-buddy with the retailer of your choice ASAP. . .

You asked for it, and now you’ve got it. To wit: Verve Records/UMe and Third Man Records have partnered together to resurrect the popular Verve By Request reissue series. Focusing on rare gems and fan-requested jazz albums from the Verve Label Group’s stable of iconic labels, this intriguing vinyl series will offer two titles per month, each entry having been handpicked by Verve and Third Man. These selections will include long-out-of-print titles from the vault, in addition to first-ever vinyl pressings for albums released in the 1990s and 2000s that were only available on CD and digital formats. Read on to find out which vintage albums are making the initial Verve/Third Man 180g cut for proper reissuing between November 2022 and June 2023. . .

The Beach Boys sailed into quite a creatively fruitful period in 1972, and a new 180g 5LP+1EP box set dubbed Sail On Sailor - 1972 — slated to be released on November 18 via Capitol/UMe — captures the gist of their labors during such a key transitional year in the band’s history. In addition to the linchpin bookend releases Carl And The Passions – “So Tough” and Holland, this 105-track collection also includes 80 unreleased outtakes, live recordings, demos, alternate versions, alternate mixes, instrumentals, and a cappella tracks. Read on, reader to find out everything that lies within this historical Beach Boys collection. . .

This past Saturday, vinyl mastering gurus Bernie Grundman and Ryan K. Smith, together with Acoustic Sounds founder and CEO Chad Kassem, all partook in a fascinating livestream event during which they discussed the mastering process and its role in creating a “perfect” vinyl LP. Read on to find out more of what they said, and how you can check it out firsthand. . .

Celluloid heroes never really die, and neither do The Kinks. To wit: The Kinks will be releasing Muswell Hillbillies / Everybody’s In Show-Biz - Everybody’s A Star in a deluxe box set configuration that combines deluxe LP reissues of these two classic early-1970s Kinks albums in addition to an all-new Ray Davies remix LP on September 9, 2022, via BMG. Full details, including who cut what and where for the LPs, follow. . .

Gregg Allman left his mark on the music world at large as a natural-born blues-hewn vocalist, insightful and revelatory songwriter, and a consummately influential keyboardist. To properly fete him in style, a multi-generational all-star lineup of musicians from the worlds of rock, blues, and country joined together at Atlanta’s historic Fox Theatre on January 10, 2014 for All My Friends, a once-in-a-lifetime concert event tribute. Eight years later, All My Friends: Celebrating the Songs & Voice of Gregg Allman will finally be made available on vinyl via a 4LP box set that will be released on September 30, 2022 by Rounder Records. Read on to learn more about this historic release, and all its color-vinyl variants. . .

Jim Davis, president of Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab, posted an official statement yesterday about the company’s mastering process, following a recent spate of customer concerns about the possibility of digital steps in said mastering process. We are including his statement here verbatim, and invite your Comments below.