The History Collection – 09 August 2021

Judas Priest have announced they’re celebrating their 50th anniversary with a gargantuan limited-edition box set called ‘50 Heavy Metal Years of Music.’Released on Friday 15th October 2021 via Sony Music, the expansive collection boasts all 18 of Judas Priest’s studio albums to date, all the band’s live albums and 13 discs of unreleased music.
The veritable smorgasbord of heavy metal music contained within ‘50 Heavy Metal Years of Music’ was restored and mixed by Tom Allom at La Cucina W8 and mastered by Alex Wharton at Abbey Road Studios.
Judas Priest Lead singer Rob Halford said: “Judas Priest’s curated box set representing 50 heavy metal years is the ultimate treasure trove defining the band’s unwavering commitment to keeping and defending the heavy metal faith.”
Guitarist Glenn Tipton adds: “If there’s one box set you should have in your Heavy Metal collection it should be this one – it’s immortal – proclaiming and truly representing Metal for over 50 years – Flying the Flag and proudly leading the way inspiring many bands throughout the years—-this 42 CD selection says it all——it’s a big part of Metal history and as such will live forever.Bassist and founding member Ian Hill succinctly comments: “AMAZING – 50 years of metal crammed into a small box…..!

Judas Priest have announced they’re celebrating their 50th anniversary with a gargantuan limited-edition box set called ‘50 Heavy Metal Years of Music.’Released on Friday 15th October 2021 via Sony Music, the expansive collection boasts all 18 of Judas Priest’s studio albums to date, all the band’s live albums and 13 discs of unreleased music.
The veritable smorgasbord of heavy metal music contained within ‘50 Heavy Metal Years of Music’ was restored and mixed by Tom Allom at La Cucina W8 and mastered by Alex Wharton at Abbey Road Studios.
Judas Priest Lead singer Rob Halford said: “Judas Priest’s curated box set representing 50 heavy metal years is the ultimate treasure trove defining the band’s unwavering commitment to keeping and defending the heavy metal faith.”
Guitarist Glenn Tipton adds: “If there’s one box set you should have in your Heavy Metal collection it should be this one – it’s immortal – proclaiming and truly representing Metal for over 50 years – Flying the Flag and proudly leading the way inspiring many bands throughout the years—-this 42 CD selection says it all——it’s a big part of Metal history and as such will live forever.Bassist and founding member Ian Hill succinctly comments: “AMAZING – 50 years of metal crammed into a small box…..!

An iconoclast with a large, loyal audience and a long, very successful career, Neil Young has explored a impressive range of styles – from acoustic introspection and wistful country rock to blistering hard rock, electronic experimentation, blues, rockabilly, and heartfelt polemics – while sounding entirely like Neil Young at all times, with his engagingly craggy voice, his flinty sincerity, and unique gifts as a songwriter. Young's creative restlessness is a comfortable match for his prolific nature, and he's not averse to dropping his current fascinations for something else on the drop of a dime, which frustrates some fans but also helps keep his music fresh and full of ideas. Even when he's in relatively familiar musical territory (his electric music with Crazy Horse, his rootsy semi-acoustic work, the intimacy of his solo performances, his thematic albums focusing on life experiences and his take on the world around him), there's a spark of unpredictability that fuels his muse and keeps him in the present day despite a career spanning over seven decades.

An iconoclast with a large, loyal audience and a long, very successful career, Neil Young has explored a impressive range of styles – from acoustic introspection and wistful country rock to blistering hard rock, electronic experimentation, blues, rockabilly, and heartfelt polemics – while sounding entirely like Neil Young at all times, with his engagingly craggy voice, his flinty sincerity, and unique gifts as a songwriter. Young's creative restlessness is a comfortable match for his prolific nature, and he's not averse to dropping his current fascinations for something else on the drop of a dime, which frustrates some fans but also helps keep his music fresh and full of ideas. Even when he's in relatively familiar musical territory (his electric music with Crazy Horse, his rootsy semi-acoustic work, the intimacy of his solo performances, his thematic albums focusing on life experiences and his take on the world around him), there's a spark of unpredictability that fuels his muse and keeps him in the present day despite a career spanning over seven decades.

Sony are to release Elvis Presley‘s final Nashville session (from 1971), free from overdubs, as an expanded 4CD deluxe set or a 2LP vinyl package.
The sessions documented on the forthcoming Back in Nashville spawned recordings that ended up all over the place, including on Elvis Sings the Wonderful World of Christmas (1971), the gospel He Touched Me (1972), Elvis Now (1972) and Elvis (1973).
The four-CD version of Back in Nashville features an impressive 82 ‘undubbed’ tracks across themed discs (‘country/folk, pop, religious, Christmas etc.) and includes outtakes as well as master recordings.

"Release Me 2" is a compilation album of ten rare and previously unreleased recordings by American singer Barbra Streisand. Released on CD, vinyl and digital formats on August 6, 2021, it is a follow-up to her 2012 compilation "Release Me". The album debuted at #10 on the Rolling Stone Top 200 Albums Chart, selling 23,700 units (19.7k pure) in the United States and became the 3rd highest debut of the week. It also debuted at #15 on the Billboard 200 with 22,000 units sold and became the third top-selling album of the week (second by a female artist). Streisand also re-entered Billboard's Artist 100 at #15. On Billboard's Top Current Albums Sales, the album debuted at #2, while on Billboard's Vinyl Album Chart, the album debuted at #5. Sales of "Release Me 2" extended Streisand's successful chart history in the U.S., making her the only woman with a Top-20 album in each decade since the 1960s.