· In a world where it seems every niche guilty-pleasure recording is currently in print in some corner of the planet, there isn't much big game left roaming the out-of-print album grasslands. From Rhino Records' catalog to re-issue-only imprints such as Superfecta, a music fanatic's "short list" of lost recordings is probably that - a short list. After at least 10 years of wailings over his handfuls of long-out-of-print albums and rumors of a 12-CD box set of goodies, Neil Young has held his cards close to his chest. While his new Greendale album has been bumped up to August, Young is ever-refreshing and doing it his own way, this time bravely performing the album in its entirety on tour, without the hits and fan favorites. I get chills thinking about the simple beauty of this new music being heard for the first time each night, simultaneously, by loving fans. And Lord knows I love that man and respect his right to control his recording legacy. This Tuesday the Reprise label drops a serious ripple in these robust re-issue waters with four elusive albums but loses the war with the bootlegger and the CD burner. The four albums, On the Beach (1974), American Stars 'n' Bars (1977), Hawks & Doves (1980), and Re.ac.tor (1981), are often debated by pundits, with On the Beach showing up everywhere on critics' and fellow musicians' lists of most personally treasured albums. But my face is scrunched in puzzlement. These four albums have been available as bootlegs for years, with most pressings packed with bonus underground tracks of amazing acoustic demos and alternate versions. With such nuggets swirling around in cyberspace, why not give the people what they want and follow Frank Zappa's "Beat the Bootlegs" campaign?

· This Tuesday is a big day for soundtracks, led by Columbia Records' release of Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle, featuring Pink & Beck's "Feel Good Time" and Nickleback & Kid Rock's cover of Elton John's "Saturday Night's Alright for Fighting." Look for Pink to make a film cameo as an underground motorcyclist with real-life boyfriend Carey Hart. The Charlie's Angels' '70s spirit is also well represented with Donna Summer's classic "Last Dance" and a newly recorded version of "Rebel, Rebel" by David Bowie. Two other soundtracks worth looking for Tuesday include the 4AD Records' release of Whale Rider, the New Zealand film with new work by Dead Can Dance vocalist Lisa Gerrard, and XL Recordings' soundtrack to Danny Boyle's new film 28 Days Later, featuring John Murphy, Brian Eno, and Grandaddy.

Television Alert:

The Tonight Show with Jay Leno welcomes Dwight Yoakam tonight, Justin Timberlake on Thursday, Pink on Friday, Train on Monday, and Liz Phair on Tuesday; Late Night with Conan O'Brien hosts O.A.R. on this evening overnight, Solomon Burke on Friday overnight, and Huey Lewis & The News on Tuesday overnight; Last Call with Carson Daly sits down with David Banner on Thursday overnight and The Mooney Suzuki on Monday overnight; and Saturday Night Live's musical guest this weekend is Good Charlotte.

New Releases Coming Tuesday, June 24:
... and like the winds, young grasshopper, are subject to change

Black Eyed Peas - Elephunk (A&M) with guests Papa Roach and Travis Barker of Blink 182

David Bowie - Aladdin Sane (Virgin) 30th anniversary re-mastered re-issue expanded to two CDs with bonus live tracks from 1972

Michelle Branch - Hotel Paper (Maverick) with guests Dave Navarro and Sheryl Crow

Michaels Burks - I Smell Smoke (Alligator) deep blues and funky rock

Blu Cantrell - Bittersweet (Arista) with guests Missy Elliott and Lady May; look for the first pressing to contain a bonus DVD

Delerium - Chimera (Nettwerk) with guests Leigh Nash of Sixpence None the Richer, Matthew Sweet, Sarah McLachlan, and Julie Cruise

Eastmountainsouth - Eastmountainsouth (DreamWorks) gorgeous melodies from the duo of Kat Maslich and Peter Adams, on tour now with Tracy Chapman

Jay Farrar - Terroir Blues (Artemis) with former Son Volt bandmate Eric Haywood

Gang Starr - The Ownerz (Virgin) with guests Fat Joe, Jadakiss, and Snoop Dogg

Guster - Keep It Together (Reprise) enhanced CD

Karl Hendricks Trio - Gesture of Kindness (Spirit of Orr) re-mastered and expanded CD re-issue of the group's fourth album

Glenn Hughes - Songs in the Key of Rock (Frontiers U.K.)

I Can Lick Any Sonofabitch in the House - Put Here to Bleed (In Music We Trust) rough and raw barroom rock featuring the anti-gun "Dear Mr. Heston"

Rick James - Motown Funk Essentials (Motown)

KRS-One - KRStyle (In the Paint/Koch)

The London Suede - Introducing the Band (Music Video Distributors) two-hour live DVD featuring backdrop films by the late Derek Jarman and his production team

Madlib - Shades of Blue (Blue Note) new from this tourmate of Peanut Butter Wolf, putting a hip-hop spin on classic Blue Note artists such as Horace Silver, Bobby Hutcherson, and Donald Byrd

Nicolas Matar - Sun Dance (Journeys By DJ) nightlife mix CD featuring pulsating rhythms from the Future Funk Essentials and DJ Q

Michael McDonald - Motown (Motown) covers of classic Motown songs from the Doobie Brothers vocalist

Danny McDonald - Summer City (Zip Records) energetic new power pop from the Australian vocalist, featuring the track "Let's Get Drunk to You & Me"

Don McLean - American Pie (Capitol) CD re-issue with two bonus tracks and restored original vinyl artwork

Memphis Bleak - M.A.D.E. (Def Jam) with guests Trick Daddy and Jay-Z

Novel - The Word (Rawkus/MCA) following in the footsteps of his grandfather, Solomon Burke, this vocalist debut features guest Smokey Robinson on "Peach"

Liz Phair - Liz Phair (Capitol) with guest Pete Yorn

Sand - The West Is Best (Zip Records) swampy roadhouse rock from Roy Sweden and Los Angeles legend Kim Fowley

Swell - Bastards & Rarities (Badman) collecting tracks from out-of-print seven-inch singles and EPs from 1989-94

Otis Taylor - Truth Is Not Fiction (Telarc Blues) fantastic new album of passionate vocals and deep "trance-blues" from this W.C. Handy Award winner, featuring a cover of Big Joe Williams' "Baby, Please Don't Go" and the Native American-themed "Kitchen Towel"

Vendetta Red - Between the Never & The Now (Epic) major-label debut from Seattle featuring the single "Shatterday"

Roger Waters - The Wall: Live in Berlin (Mercury) DVD release of this 1990 project

Josh White - Empty Bed Blues (Sepiatone) re-issue of his final album, with liner notes by Scott Barretta of Living Blues

Dwight Yoakam - Population Me (Audium/Electrodisc) with guest Willie Nelson on "If Teardrops Were Diamonds"

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