Album release update

My listing of key album releases over the next few weeks. With the runup to Christmas now fully loaded there are lots of hits collections and big-name releases. This year's annoying trend would seem to be that if you don't have a new product to release, just put out your last one and call it a "deluxe" edition. Dates reflect UK release dates:

October 29

• Britney Spears - Blackout. See my review.
• Freemasons - Unmixed. Not sure what's on this.
• Backstreet Boys - Unbreakable. Kevin's gone now, but the other four are still at it, releasing their 6th album. While their last album, the 2005 comeback Never Gone, gave them a decent-sized hit in "Incomplete," the first single from this album, "Inconsolable," is a flop.
• Ministry of Sound (Various Artists) - The Annual 2008. The annual 3-CD release of current dance hits.
• The Libertines - Time for Heroes: The Best Of. Greatest hits set from Pete Doherty's infamous defunct group. Includes tracks such as "Can't Stand Me Now" and "Up the Bracket."

November 5

• Westlife - Home Again. Their 9th studio album, which, judging from the tracklist contains a number of remakes such as first single "Home" (Michael Buble), "Have You Ever" (Brandy), and "I'm Already There" (Lonestar).
• McFly - Greatest Hits/All the Greatest Hits. Greatest Hits contains only #1 hits, "That Girl," and three new tracks, while the longer All the Greatest Hits includes all that plus other singles that weren't #1s.
• Amy Winehouse - Back to Black (Deluxe Edition). Includes a bonus disc with some new songs plus "Valerie."
• Dannii Minogue - Unleashed. A remix disc.

November 12

• Spice Girls - Greatest Hits. Finally finally finally the Spice Girls release their greatest hits collection. And they even reformed for it, are touring, and have a new single, "Headlines (Friendship Forever)."
• Leona Lewis - Spirit. This may be the first album worth buying from an X-Factor winner, Britain's current answer to American Idol. Leona is set to hit #1 this afternoon with her second single, "Bleeding Love."
• Celine Dion - Taking Chances. This is a return of sorts for Celine, who hasn't released a hit-seeking English language album since 2003's One Heart (Miracles, her 2004 Anne Geddes tie-in looked like a one-off). First single "Taking Chances" is actually pretty decent.
• Killers - Sawdust. The Killers B-sides, rarities, and remixes set is thankfully heavy on B-sides and rarities, so unless you're a collector, it may feel like a new album. Includes singles "Shadowplay" (US release) and "Tranquilize" (UK release).
• Craig David - Trust Me. British Pop/R&B singer Craig David releases his fouth album, featuring first single "Hot Stuff (Let's Dance)," which features a liberal David Bowie sample.
• Seal - System. Mr. Heidi Klum puts out his fifth album, only his second not to be named just "Seal." Includes a duet with his wife, "Wedding Night," (cringe) and first single "Amazing," which isn't bad. Rumour is that it will be more dance-oriented like his first album.
• David Gray - Greatest Hits. Predictable collection that includes new single "The World to Me."
• Garth Brooks - Ultimate Hits. Two-disc collection of Garth Brooks' singles, which gets an earlier (Nov. 6) release in the US.
• Take That - Beautiful World (Deluxe). Another re-release, presumably to also include current hit "Rule the World"
• Groove Armada - GA10 (Greatest Hits). Celebrates 10 years of the band with a 2-CD set of hits, such as "I See You Baby" and last summer's Mutya Buena collaboration, "Song 4 Mutya (Out of Control)"

November 19

• Alicia Keys - As I Am. Her third album, released too late in the year to qualify for a Grammy nomination. Maybe next year. Features first single "No One."
• Girls Aloud - Tangled Up. Their fourth album, to include recent single "Sexy! No No No..."
• Now 68. The latest hit collection.

November 26

• Kylie Minogue - X.If I said earlier this year that Kelly Clarkson's My December was the album I was most anticipating this year, I was lying. It's this one, Kylie's first album in 4 years, featuring first single "2 Hearts."
• Shayne Ward - Breathless. The former X-Factor winner puts out his second album.
• Justin Timberlake - FutureSex/LoveSounds (Deluxe). Another re-issue, to include the new duet version of "Until the End of Time" with Beyonce.

December 3

• Mary J. Blige - Growing Pains. Her 8th album.

December 10

• Nelly - Brass Knuckles. His 5th album, which gets a November 13 release in the US.

December 18

• Natasha Bedingfield - N.B. (US version). Natasha Bedingfield's second album succumbed to a serious sophomore slump--its third single, "Say It Again (feat. Adam Levine)," didn't even chart in the top 75 when it released. Ouch! She's having better luck in the US so far though, with "Love Like This (feat. Sean Kingston)" charting strongly on the top 40 airplay chart.

Not on the list:

• Mariah Carey. Her 10th studio album has been pushed back to February 2008.
• Dido. Current estimated date is March 2008, four and a half years after Life for Rent. According to Q Magazine the album will be more acoustic than her first two.
• The Feeling. Second album, The Moon, is expected in early 2008.
• Goldfrapp. Their fourth album, titled Seventh Tree, is due in February.
• Whitney Houston. Clive Davis promised us an amazing album by the end of the year, but it's not in the cards. Frankly if this ever gets released it will be a miracle. No word yet on a date
• Madonna. Her 12th studio album is expected in March 2008, with a greatest hits package to follow sometime after she's done promoting singles from it. This will finish out her Warner Bros. contract so she can begin her Live Earth era.