New CD Releases, September. 18: James Blunt, Reba McEntire, Mark Knopfler
James Blunt “All the Lost Souls”
The singer/songwriter returns with his sophomore set, which follows the mega-hit “Back to Bedlam.” “All the Lost Souls” was produced by Tom Rothrock–who also oversaw Blunt’s debut–and features the leadoff single “1973.”
Blunt was one of the biggest “overnight” success stories of 2005-06. Thanks to some major help by Oprah Winfrey, who featured the singer on her highly rated daytime television show, Blunt rose from relative obscurity to sell more than 11 million copies of “Bedlam” worldwide. His best-known single, “You’re Beautiful,” was one of the most-played tracks on radio last year.
Blunt is currently scheduled to make three concert stops to back “All the Lost Souls.” He has dates set for San Francisco (Sept. 23), Los Angeles (Sept. 25) and Toronto (Oct. 1).
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Reba McEntire “Reba Duets”
The country queen has called upon her talented friends to lend a hand on her new album. The diverse crop of players hail from both the country and pop worlds, including Kenny Chesney, Kelly Clarkson, Ronnie Dunn, Vince Gill, Don Henley, Faith Hill, Carole King, Rascal Flatts, LeAnn Rimes, Justin Timberlake and Trisha Yearwood.
The first single from “Reba Duets” is “Because of You,” which features Clarkson. That single is already a hit–in fact, according to a press release, it’s McEntire’s fastest-climbing song since 1998’s “Forever Love.” The tune also marks the performer’s 55th Top 10 single, tying her with Dolly Parton for the female artist with the most Top 10 hits, according to Net Music Countdown.
McEntire is making a few concert appearances in support of “Reba Duets.” Her next gig is Oct. 15 at Carnegie Hall in New York.
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Mark Knopfler “Kill to Get Crimson”
The Grammy-winning guitarist–who came in at No. 27 on Rolling Stone’s list of 100 greatest axe men of all time–is set to follow last year’s “All the Roaadrunning,” which was a collaboration with country vocalist Emmylou Harris.
“Kill to Get Crimson” is Knopfler’s fifth solo record. Despite the success he’s had in the solo world, however, Knopfler remains best known for his work as the leader of Dire Straits. That band has sold some 100 million records across the globe.
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KT Tunstall zDrastic Fantastic”
Having drawn some rave reviews for her performance at the recent Live 8 event, Scottish songbird Tunstall is now ready to release a follow-up to 2006’s popular “Eye of the Telescope.”
Tunstall can only hope that this sophomore set, “Drastic Fantastic,” will prove as popular as her debut. “Eye to the Telescope” was certified platinum in the US and featured three hit singles, one of which–“Black Horse and the Cherry Tree”–was nominated for a Grammy.
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Luciano Pavarotti “Pavarotti’s Greatest Hits”
The legendary singer, who died Sept. 6 at age 71 following a lengthy battle with cancer, is remembered on this two-disc set. The collection features the Italian tenor singing pieces by such composers as Puccini, Verdi and Bellini.
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More new releases:
Chamillionaire, “Ultimate Victory” (Motown)
Dropkick Murphys, “The Meanest of Times” (Born and Bred)
Gloria Estefan, “90 Millas” (Sony)
Emmylou Harris, “Songbird: Rare Tracks and Forgotten Gems” (Rhino)
Diana Krall, “The Very Best of Diana Krall” (Verve)
Barry Manilow, “The Greatest Songs of the Seventies” (Arista)
Pat Monahan, “The Last of Seven” (Sony)
Paul Potts, “One Chance” (Sony)
Various Artists, “Hannah Montana: Karaoke” (Disney)
Various Artists, “High School Musical 2: Karaoke” (Disney)
Various Artists, “Love Is the Song We Sing: San Francisco Nuggets 1965-1970”
Eddie Vedder, “Music for the Motion Picture Into the Wild” (J-Records)
Soundtracks and scores:
“House M.D. Original Television Soundtrack” (Nettwerk)
“The Simpsons: Testify” (Shout Factory)
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