I have begun to really become disillusioned with the big labels (what's left of them).  This year has been historically pitiful when you look at releases of any kind, comparing against previous years.  We are beginning the second half of 2010 and I have yet to become excited by many announcements.  In fact, we have yet to see any real enticing releases, frontline or catalogue reissues.

It's been said for a long time that there needs to be innovation in the pipes, but I look at this largely as a failed catalogue push.  What would I want?  I'm selfish like the rest of us who want to see well-done remasters with definitive content. Of course this has to be seen as a profit point for labels and obviously I cannot argue with that. But it seems to me that that if you begin to create ultimate editions of our classics, there should bs enough of us Golden Age fans to move the product along.

Imagine if Atlantic worked a deal with Page and company to dig into the vaults and find outtakes from those classic sessions that produced albums that we cannot forget.  Bolster it with a DVD, LP, or other cool things and create boxed editions that are similar to Springsteen's Born To Run set (and the upcoming Darkness Box).  We'd buy those up. Fast.

There are so many potentials that are getting ignored that I'm afraid that I won't see classic works before I hit retirement and can no longer be as free with my money as I can be now.  I've said for years now that those that grew up in the Golden Age of Rock and Roll want fresh reissues.  If there aren't the millions of us as before, there are certainly a small army of us.

Call me stupid, selfish, unrealistic, or whatever you want, but I really believe that potentials are being ignored at a scale that is appalling.  And unforgivable.  I don’t know where our treaures will end up and in whose hands they will be entrusted.  But wherever they are, wherever they end up, I sincerely hope that some of us will get some great packages before we do whatever it is that older people do.

This is a bit of an extension from my last post but I've really been shifting my perspectives these days. Life is too short.

Monday is the extended weekend that is a celebration of Independence Day in the US. As usual, TAP will be "off the grid" until July 7. But we're still working hard on bringing our new site design to fruition. It seems as if the fisnishing has been harder than piecing it together. We'll get it though.

When I come back, I'll introduce a new band that I'm liking. You've heard them (you may not know them) on a commercial on the telly.

Happy 4th to those that celebrate it.

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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The Eels will release Good Morning on CD scheduling the album on their own e works label for August 24.

If you're a Planets fan like I am (thanks to Tomita, whose Planets version is pretty awesome), then you might be pleased to hear that the Andre Previn conducted The Planets suite by Holst is being reissued on vinyl LP and scheduled for August 17.

Water Tower Music will reissue the Hans Zimmer/James Newton Howard score of Batman Begins on CD on September 7.

Interscope plans the release of The Cherrytree Sessions (CD) from Lady GaGa as well as The Remix (CD, DD, LP), all planned for August 3.

Eagle Rock Video will release Acoustic & Electric from The Pixies on BD (Blu-ray) scheduling for August 24.

PIAS America Records plan the release of Lovetune for Vacuum from Soap&Skin on CD for August 24.

Universal Republic has scheduled July 27 as the release date of the vinyl LP version of Let Loose the Horses by The Rescues. The CD and DD are scheduled for July 6.

Capitol Records will release The Reason Why by Little Big Town on August 24.

Capitol Records also has the new Katy Perry album planned for August 24 called Teenage Dream.

Epic Records has Kaleidoscope Heart by Sara Bareilles on the calendar for September 7.

Warner Bros Records has Something For the Rest of Us by Goo Goo Dolls scheduled for August 31.

I've already mentioned the upcoming new album coming by The Sword named Warp Riders in a previous post but I didn't have a cover shot for you. I have it now. As a reminder, Warp Riders is scheduled for August 24 from Kemado Records.

RCA has God Willin' & The Creek Don't Rise by Ray Lamontagne & The Pariah Dogs planned for CD and LP release on August 17.

JSP Records will release Lost Tracks 1929-1959 on behalf of Judy Garland on August 10. The set will contain 4CDs.

Decca US will release Confessions by Liza Minelli on September 28.

Micro Werks will release the 3Disc set of For Lack of Honest Work by Todd Rundgren on August 24.

Atlantic Records will release Going Back by Phil Collins on September 28. This is an album of Soul covers (songs like "Uptight (Everything's Alright)," "Papa Was a Rolling Stone," "Going to a Go Go," and "(Love is Like a) Heatwave," to name a few from this 18-track project).

Red General Records will release an album by Micky Dolenz, who performs his versions of Carole King classics. The album is called King For a Day and is scheduled for August 31.

Eleven Seven Music will release Time For Annihilation...On the Road and On the Record by Papa Roach. It's planned for August 31.

Fistful of Alice is being reissued as a 180g vinyl LP for Alice Cooper on August 17.

Bear Family Records will release The Last Time Around: 1970-1982 for Rick Nelson on September 7. The set is captured on 7CDs and will retail for over $200.