A few nodes over, The Second Disc has posted a brilliant "what if" scenario with a 2CD, Box-like collection of Neil Diamond's songs from his Bang! Records years.  It is filled with various selections like alternate takes and stuff like that.  It interests me from the perspective that I'm a big Neil Diamond fan up to his '80s stuff, where I start to drop off precipitously.

Joe Marchese, the author of the article, did his research well, utilizing a Diamond collector fansite with some important info.  Following the link, I found that the fansite also had a love for one of my favorite Neil Diamond album, the underrated (when compared to classics like Beautiful Noise or Moods) Serenade.

Serenade is an album of 8 perfect songs, all of which can latch onto your mind easily enough.  From its single, "Longfellow Serenade," to the reggae flavored, "Reggae Strut," to songs of depth like "I've Been This Way Before" (also a single), "The Last Picasso," and "Lady Magdalene," Serenade is a brilliant gem of great music.  It's also an album that I can revisit indefinitely.

To tie this up and to bring purpose to this rambling, in following the link from the wonderful dream set written about by Joe Marchese, I discovered (unbeknownst to me) that the Quad version of Serenade contained some bonus tracks.  It got me to thinking about us woeful fans (of any band or artist) and how we would love definitive versions of our favorite albums.  It's very clear that some of us would love to hear, even off the track gems like Serenade, in a fresher light, with all the bonus materials.  The probably very small niche market for stuff like that likely negates any go ahead green lights for these kinds of projects.  But what if it could be done cheaply enough?  Would it be worth it?  Would you buy this?  I know that I would.

It's an unlikely scenario but, like Marchese's article, we sure can dream.  Right?

(By the way, there IS a Quad mix of Serenade available with bonus cuts but, unfortunately, it's found in the dark alleys of the world.)

We have no release news for today except the news that Recovery by Eminem is expected to release on June 22.

We have two reviews for you today by friends of TAP. The first one is by John Dunphy, who has been off doing tons of great stuff including a teaching stint in Korea. He reviews Safe in the Steep Cliffs, the latest new album by Emancipator.

We also have a review of the recently released Raw Power Legacy Edition by Iggy and The Stooges. At times, we have posted several reviews of the same title because, well, perspectives can be different. Mike Duquette of The Second Disc has contributed his review of this great album and we're happy to present it.

See you on Friday!

As some of you know, I have recreated this MusicTAP website. It's in the process of being completed after 6 months of intensive work, I'm hoping that you'll like it as much as I do. Here's the link; take a peek. I'm continually updating it even though it is not live as of yet. If you have suggestions, let me know. I've already fielded a few and have made some changes. There are also some lids being closed on some things, most notably the review pages. I'm reducing the info (removing the Facebook, MySpace, Last FM buttons and links, produced by info, etc) that is found within the content of the pages. Click the lnk below to get a sneak peek.

MusicTAP

I want to alert TAP readers to the fact that I have finally put together a FaceBook fan page that you can access and join by clicking on the badge below.  What this offers is the exact same thing as my Twitter feeds provide and that is first buzz on upcoming releases and free offered downloads, many announcements  that beat our main post, sometimes by days.  We also provide a Google BUZZ page that expands on most of the Twitter/FB feeds. On Buzz, you can even hear the music stream if a stream is offered.  There are still things that I'm working on in the FB page, like calender notes as well as links to great sites like The Second Disc.  I invite you to join us at our FB page and bookmark it.  Visit it daily and you'll be rewarded with much news and info.  Of course, you'll still want to come to the main MusicTAP page for our noisy commentaries.  Remember, with our Twitter feeds, you can elect to receive the news bursts as text on your mobile phone keeping you effortlessly up to date with stuff.  Lots of choices.  Find one, or two, that fits.

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Reprise Records announce that they will release Mojo by Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers. The album is scheduled for June 15.

Roadrunner Records will release Bingo! by the Steve Miller Band on June 15 in both standard CD issue and a Special Edition CD.

Fueled by Ramen Records (WEA) will release PA and Edited versions of Lazarus by Travie McCoy on June 8.

Sire Records will release a Limited Edition CD and a standard CD of White Crosses by Against Me!, both planned for June 8.

Reprise Records will release Believe by Katherine Jenkins on June 8.

New Elektra (what?!?!) will release the 14-track Sex Dreams and Demin Jeans by Uffie on June 8.

I'm guessing someone didn't like the original release title of Rock 'n' Roll Widowers: An MCA Travelogue, a collection for Wishbone Ash that was destined for June 8. While the date remains the same - and the formats (CD, DD) - the title has changed. We now see it as Sometime World: An MCA Travelogue. For those unaware, "Rock 'n' Roll Widow" is a song from their 4th album, Wishbone 4, while "Sometime World" is a standout track from their 3rd recording, Argus. Either way, we'll see what this new collection brings.

Hip-O Select will reissue Marcus Garvey (1975) and Garvey's Ghost (1976) by Burning Spear on a two-fer CD expected on July 27.

Hip-O Records will release Pomp & Pout by Elvis Costello on June 29.

Aftermath Records will release Recovery by Eminem on June 22.

Valory Records will release Sweet and Wild, a Country title from Jewel, on June 8.

Hip-O Select will also reissue I Am My Brother's Keeper (1970) by brothers, Jimmy and David Ruffin, originally released on Motown. It is planned for release by Hip-O Select on August 10.

Hip-O Select will release The Complete MGM and Mercury Singles for Clyde McPhatter on July 27.

Decca Records will release 20th Anniversary Edition featuring The Original Three Tenors, scheduling for June 29.