‘Catalogue’ Releases From Company Vaults

Compact disc fans still spend almost as much money on old--or “catalogue”--albums as new product, so it’s no wonder that record companies keep searching their vaults for new ways to tempt the CD buyer.

The good news is that most of the old (generally pre-1984) releases are introduced in CD as part of the labels’ budget lines, meaning the albums retail for between $8.99 and $12.99 as opposed to the $14.99 to $15.99 price charged for front-line CDs.

Here’s are some recent “catalogue” CD releases. The albums are rated on a scale of 1 (poor) to 4 (excellent).

“Dr. Buzzard’s Original Savannah Band” (RCA)--Though August Darnell would go on from this 1976 project (co-written by Stony Browder Jr.) to start the similar-spirited Kid Creole and the Coconuts, this imaginative disco-swing merger was an even more stylish display of cabaret pop. Trivia fans note: Tommy Mottola, the new president of CBS Records, was mentioned in the album’s most appealing track, the spunky “Cherchez La Femme.”***

The Four Lads’ “Moments to Remember” (Columbia)--Though released at a time (1955) when teen-age America was in the earliest stages of its rock obsession, this ultra-sentimental title tune spent 6 months in the national Top 40 and eventually became the song at high school proms and graduations. Though probably less so than the more sophisticated Four Freshmen, the ballad-conscious Canadian vocal group was also an influence on the the Beach Boys’ harmony style.** 1/2

Peter Gabriel’s “Peter Gabriel” (Atco)--In his first (1977) solo album after leaving Genesis, the English singer-songwriter celebrated his independence with a wonderfully eclectic series of songs that were every bit as ambitious as anything he had done with the old band, yet whose themes were generally more concrete and whose arrangements were more accessible. Includes one of Gabriel’s most popular concert numbers, “Solsbury Hill.”*** 1/2

Randy Newman’s “12 Songs” (Reprise)--Recently voted one of the 50 best albums of the last two decades, this excellent 1970 collection serves as a virtual blueprint of the themes (from the Southern character to selfishness) and approaches (dark humor to social satire) that would be utilized in future LPs by one of the finest craftsmen of the modern pop era. ****

The Sweet’s “Desolation Boulevard” (Capitol)--The cover photo may have been taken on the Sunset Strip, but the band (a big hit a decade ago in its native England) never made much headway in this country despite three energetic, pop-conscious Top 10 singles, two of which (“Ballroom Blitz” and “Fox on the Run”) are included in this lively, if somewhat dated 1975 package.***