VIA PRESS RELEASE | The Oracle, Godsmack’s fifth album, was the band’s third consecutive number one on the Billboard 200. The record’s first single, the adrenalized “Cryin’ Like a Bitch,” became an anthem for the UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship).

The Oracle is a special entry in the Godsmack catalog, as it’s the band’s first album written entirely collaboratively. It is also Godsmack’s first album produced by Dave Fortman, who produced both of Evanescence’s multi-platinum albums, along with albums by Superjoint Ritual, Mudvayne, Otep, Simple Plan, and Slipknot. The 10-track album is a white-knuckle ride through thrash metal, hard rock, and blues-rock that concludes in classic Godsmack style with the majestic power ballad, “The Oracle.”

On May 2, experience The Oracle like you’ve never heard it before with exceptional remastered audio. Fans can choose the timeless appeal of a standard black vinyl, or dive deeper into the experience with the deluxe limited-edition gatefold colored vinyl.

The deluxe edition, titled “Saints And Sinners,” pays homage to the album’s original working title and features an exclusive 7” single of “Whiskey Hangover,” which rocketed to #1 on the Billboard Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks, and it is backed by the seething bonus track “I Blame You,” making it a must-have for fans and audiophiles alike. Pre-order The Oracle vinyl HERE.

Celebrating Tom Scholz, born on this day in 1947. —Ed.

Boston: Home of the Boston Tea Party! And Boston baked beans! But who gives a shit? Boston is first and foremost the home of Boston, the “corporate rock band” that sold like 80 billion copies of its first album, 1976’s eponymous Boston, thanks to its power pop melodies, Brad Delp’s histrionic vocals, band mastermind’s Tom Scholz’s big guitar, and a production job that was slick as jizz thanks to Scholz’s notorious perfectionism—he once made his drummer play the kick drum some 18,000 times because it “Just didn’t sound perfect”—which gave the album the luster and sheen of a fresh-off-the-line Lamborghini. I mean, this baby was so slick you could hardly hold onto it long enough to put it on your record player.

But it sounded great back in 1976, even though I can remember debating with friends over whether Scholz was playing an actual guitar or some synthesized approximation of such, that’s how good his guitar sounded. Me, I loved it when Boston came out, and it still makes me nostalgic because it was the first LP I ever got high to—with my friend Dave beneath the Littlestown Railroad Bridge, and on 8-track no less.

Perhaps the most amazing thing about Boston’s debut is that, despite its reputation for over-production, it was actually recorded for several thousand dollars—a pittance in those days. This is largely because Scholz recorded the bulk of the album in his tiny home studio in Watertown, Massachusetts, sidestepping Epic, which wanted the LP to be recorded in a professional studio. In addition, he recorded the acoustic guitar parts with a $100 Yamaha guitar.

No matter what you think of the LP—within two years the albums sounded unbearably slick to my ears, and I wondered why I’d ever loved it—there is no denying genius of the sheer guitar histrionics and cool riff that make “More Than a Feeling” a staple of FM radio, or that chorus for god’s sake. Boston’s lyrics were never better than mediocre, although they touch on universal teen themes. On the hard-charging “Peace of Mind,” for example, Delp utters the trite lines, “People living in competition/All I want is my peace of mind,” but by god the words sound good coming out of his mouth, especially with Scholz’s guitar roaring behind him.

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VIA PRESS RELEASE | Owl John, came to life between Frightened Rabbit records—originally released 6 August 2014—the project was a chance for singer Scott Hutchison to shift gear, recuperate after a lengthy touring campaign, to connect with the love of it, explore landscapes without expectation, experiment for the crack, all in a new place with a loose deadline.

Hunkered down in an old school on the Isle of Mull with bandmates Andy Monaghan and Simon Liddell in tow, then taken to Scott’s new home Los Angeles, the plan to make something free from pressure or preconception.

Originally released with minimal press and promotion, the album was met fondly by fans of Scott’s work; since has gained a cult following and been a seed of inspiration to many. The new vinyl includes a zine with recollections from the time and unseen photos from the making of the album.

As noted in the original press release, “with the band on a break following the release of their 4th album Pedestrian Verse (their first with Atlantic Records) reaching the Top 10 in February 2013. Scott headed to the Isle Of Mull with the mission to write and record an album in two weeks. For a fortnight they made music by day and drank whisky by night; at the end an album was made and Owl John was born.

The Owl John album, which showcases Scott’s trademark brutal honesty, sees a different direction from the music of Frightened Rabbit. Raw, powerful and often heart-breaking, Owl John will see Scott step out of Frightened Rabbit’s shadow.”

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Watching her, and listening to her, it’s easy to imagine that Babes in Toyland’s Kat Bjelland is The Exorcist’s Regan MacNeil all grown up. But still possessed. There’s the shrieking, the eerie laughter, the speaking in tongues. And the horrible noises she produces with her electric guitar. And those eyes! They’re too big and too empty. And the way her pupils seem to literally click from here to there in their sockets—scary. They’re horror movie doll’s eyes. You can’t take your eyes off her, because you’re afraid.

Hardly what you’d expect from a high school cheerleader and huge Rush fan (saw ‘em four times!) whose first gig was with her uncle in a band called the Neurotics, but then Manson right-hand-man Tex Watson was the captain of his high school football team and everybody’s favorite berserker Gibby Haynes was “Accounting Student of the Year” at Trinity University. It’s the normal ones you have to keep your eye on.

Bjelland formed several short-lived bands (including Pagan Babies with frenemy Courtney Love) before moving from Portland to Minneapolis in 1986, where she met Lori Barbero and told her that never having played drums before made her the ideal drummer—she had nothing to unlearn. Just add bass player, and presto, Babes in Toyland was born.

And thanks to Bjelland’s fractured, jagged punk songs, unhinged baby doll on fire vocals and slasher flick guitar, Babes in Toyland went on to produce three celebrated full-length LPs, play the festival circuits and somehow find themselves on a major label before breaking up in late 2001. The torch, it seemed, had been passed to Hole and Love, whose famously abrasive vocals sound downright prim when compared to Bjelland’s.

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VIA PRESS RELEASE | Dan Fogelberg’s seminal second album, Souvenirs, will be celebrated with a special 50th-anniversary release.

The album, originally released in 1974, will be available as a 180-gram audiophile vinyl LP (order HERE) and a digitally remastered edition featuring bonus tracks via Legacy Recordings, the catalog division of Sony Music. Both will be released by Impex Records/Sony Music, in conjunction with Iconic Artists Group. The vinyl reissue, limited to 3,000 numbered copies, will ship on May 30, 2025, while the digital release will be available to stream on all major DSPs on April 4, 2025.

Souvenirs marked a pivotal moment in Fogelberg’s career, solidifying his place as a leading voice in the singer-songwriter movement. Produced by Joe Walsh, the album showcased Fogelberg’s diverse musical talents and his ability to connect with audiences on a deeply personal level.

The 50th-anniversary vinyl edition has been meticulously remastered by Chris Bellman at Bernie Grundman Mastering from a flat 1:1 transfer of the original analog tapes, ensuring the highest possible audio quality. The deluxe gatefold packaging includes a 16-page booklet featuring rare and previously unseen photographs from renowned photographer Henry Diltz, along with insightful liner notes by author and music historian Charles L. Granata.

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Remembering Townes Van Zandt, born on this day in 1944. —Ed.

Released in March of 1987, Townes Van Zandt’s At My Window was the celebrated singer-songwriter’s only studio album of the 1980s. It’s a tidy 10-song set that captured him in solid form with the assistance of his longtime producer “Cowboy” Jack Clement plus sturdy backing from session pros including guitarist Mickey White, fiddler and mandolinist Mark O’Connor, and harmonica player Mickey Raphael. 

At My Window was not only Townes Van Zandt’s only ’80s studio record (there was also a solitary live album, Live & Obscure, issued in ’87), it was his first studio effort in nine years, belatedly following up Flyin’ Shoes, which was released by Tomato in ’78. A lengthy break of this sort is often indicative of personal struggles, but the established story here is that Van Zandt was living pretty well during this stretch, with royalty money rolling in amidst a period of stable home living.

The cash flow derived from the successes far more famous commercial country performers were having with his songs, none bigger than Willie Nelson and Merle Haggard’s “Poncho and Lefty,” a No. 1 smash on the country chart released in 1983. Contrasting, Van Zandt remained a cult figure with a fervent listenership including other musicians, as the sticker slapped upon the shrink-wrap of At My Window in ’87 quoted Steve Earle: “Townes Van Zandt is the best songwriter in the whole world and I’ll stand on Bob Dylan’s coffee table in my cowboy boots and say that.”

The relative handful of Van Zandt newbies who were inspired to buy this record blind in 1987 hopefully recognized Earle’s statement as zealous stumping for an underappreciated contemporary on the scene, but the set is also inspired enough, and full of high quality songs, to provide first time listeners with comprehension of Earle’s passionate advocacy.

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VIA PRESS RELEASE | “The musical document you are about to enjoy came as a ‘surprise’ to me. I did not realize (at the time) the depth of the music we played and how our lives would become intertwined as time passed. I am overjoyed to realize this today. Music is an ongoing experience. It traces our lives here and beyond. It is also true of the friends and fellow travelers we meet on the way. The period of our lives that this occurred in can only be explained in the simplest of ways. I (for one) am so happy that this music was played and documented. Experience it in the ‘spirit of the times.’”
—William Hooker, August 2024

Featuring William Hooker (drums), David S. Ware (tenor saxophone), and Alan Braufman (alto saxophone), this recording captures a rare and electrifying moment in time. Recorded live at the New York Jazz Museum on January 14, 1977, the album has been newly mastered by Joe Lambert and released for the first time on March 28, 2025 via Valley of Search (Alan Braufman, Patricia Brennan, Masma Dream World).

This album was recorded at a pivotal moment in each musician’s career. William Hooker, already recognized as one of the most innovative drummers on the free jazz scene, was forging new paths with his fiercely creative compositions and collaborations.

David S. Ware was on the verge of debuting as a bandleader with Birth of a Being (Hathut), foreshadowing the spiritually charged and deeply expressive playing that would define his influential career. And Alan Braufman had recently released his debut album, Valley of Search (India Navigation), establishing himself as a key figure in the loft jazz movement.

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What do I have to do to send you home in a UFO today? Now hear me out, dear buyer here at Area 51 Motors, because I know what you’re thinking—UFO was a very good English heavy metal band that put out some very good albums back in the seventies, but nowadays they’re a big name only in places outside our solar system.

And the best of them (1977’s Lights Out) isn’t even on the lot! I sold it to a Hawkwind fan who obviously had it confused with UFO’s rather desultory foray into space rock, 1971’s UFO 2: Flying. (Hey, this UFO salesmen can’t afford to have scruples—he’s got a wife and kids!)

But here’s the thing—for a couple of years in America’s bicentennial decade UFO, thanks in large part to the fancy fretmanship of wunderkind Hun guitarist and Scorpions defector Michael Schenker, produced some tasty and surprisingly melodic heavy metal that deserved better than it got. And what we’re looking at here (feel free to give the tires a kick) is my personal favorite, 1975’s Force It. As you can tell just by looking it’s cherry. Only one previous owner, a kindly little old lady who only drove it to Black Sabbath shows on black sabbath.

If you have a bathroom plumbing fetish, the shiny stainless steel fixtures on the cover are a real turn on, and if you’re more of a traditionalist there are also a couple of the members of Throbbing Gristle going at it hot and heavy amidst all the gleaming German steel and blinding white porcelain, although the powers that be in the US MADE THEM TRANSPARENT so if you bought the album in the states you basically got shafted by puritanism. But lucky for you, the baby you’re looking at is an import!

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VIA PRESS RELEASE | Rhino continues the career-spanning archival series honoring Robert Hunter’s work as a solo artist with a deluxe reissue of his 1975 studio album, Tiger Rose. While Hunter is widely revered as the primary lyricist for the Grateful Dead, this series explores the depth of his solo work, offering a renewed appreciation for his exceptional artistry. Tiger Rose (50th Anniversary Editions) will be available on March 28 from Rhino as a 2-CD (Deluxe Edition), as well as a 1-LP and digitally.

Originally released in March 1975, the Jerry Garcia-produced Tiger Rose features contributions from Garcia, Mickey Hart, and Donna Jean Godchaux. The Tiger Rose (50th Anniversary Editions) have been remastered from the original analog tapes by GRAMMY® Award-Winning Engineer David Glasser using Plangent Processes tape restoration and speed correction. The 2-CD Deluxe Edition introduces a freshly remastered version of the original album alongside nine previously unreleased alternate versions of album tracks.

In the Deluxe Edition liner notes, Jesse Jarnow (author, DJ, and cohost of the “Good Ol’ Grateful Deadcast”) deftly captures the essence of the album: “Complex and inviting, the world of Tiger Rose overflows with Hunter’s lyrical signatures, painting new corners of the already wide landscape he’d begun to map with the Dead. There are stacks of simple and beguiling images (“Dance A Hole”), cosmic advice (“One Thing To Try”), dispatches from mystical landscapes (“Rose Of Sharon”), and folkloric characters (“Wild Bill”).”

Robert Hunter’s Tiger Rose Rarities will also be available as a 1LP exclusively at select independent music retailers as a part of Record Store Day 2025 on April 12. Find your nearest participating retailer HERE.

VIA PRESS RELEASE | On April 18, 2025, Mercury Studios will release a 3LP package of the South Park 25th Anniversary Concert.

Recorded over two nights on August 9 and 10, 2022 at the famed Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Morrison, Colorado, this concert features performances from South Park creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone, along with Primus and Ween. Also included is a special performance of “Closer to The Heart” with Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson from the band Rush.

Featuring performances of fan favorites from the South Park TV series, films South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut, Team America: World Police, and Cannibal! The Musical, this triple LP spans the creative life of Trey Parker and Matt Stone with help from Primus and Ween.

Previously released for April 2024’s Record Store Day as an individually numbered limited edition “Towelie Blue” 3LP package, the South Park 25th Anniversary Concert was one of the hottest titles for RSD, with copies selling out at most retailers within minutes of opening. This new version will be available to all retailers and is being pressed on black vinyl.