Reviews (50)

Cool 80's music!
Huey Lewis & The News are a cool band from a cool decade. Their unique sound fuses together a broad spectrum of musical talents. In addition to guitar, bass, and drums, they also play Sax, Keyboards, and Huey plays a harmonica on occasion. This is a great collection from their heyday, 12 greatest hits and 4 new tracks from '96. I liked the new tracks fairly well, but the greatest hits are my fav tracks. Anyone who remembers the 80's will know these great songs. The classic 'The Power Of Love' from the "Back To The Future" soundtrack is my fav. Also 'I Want A New Drug', 'The Heart Of Rock-n-Roll', 'Heart And Soul', 'Stuck With You'(my 2nd fav), 'Doing It All For My Baby', 'Bad Is Bad', and 'Do You Believe In Love' are here. 'Trouble In Paradise'(live), and an accapella track 'But It's Alright'. All songs are digitally remastered so they sound even better than ever. Cool songs from a cool decade are what you'll get with this collection. If you don't have it, get it. ROCK ON!

I'm Glad It's Not Called "The Greatest Hits"!
I've stated this before: "Best Of..." and "Greatest Hits" ARE two different things! If this was called "Huey Lewis and The News: Greatest Hits", then I would give it just two stars. Because it's "Best Of..." hits will be left off and replaced with what they think ARE their best work.

With that in mind, I admit even as a "Best Of...", it still does not work. There's nothing from "Small World" (I actually like that album better than "Picture This"); I like "Walking On A Thin Line" better than "I Want A New Drug" and that's missing.
There are no liner notes, just song credits and a dozen or so B & W pictures. As a positive, there are four new songs so in some ways it does justify buying this CD.

Like other reviewers, I do feel it's time for a two CD hits set or even a four CD box set with rarities and unreleased material. I hope the fans agree with me.

As a note, there is a UK import which contains more hits. You may be able to find it online. I don't have that CD so I can't say it's better than "Time Flies".

please do it RIGHT
I'm mad that in today's world this band does not have a GOOD HITS CD. There are to many badley done, so called hit's CD's buy HUEY LEWIS on the market, that it makes me sick. Do us fans proud and make a GREAT,20 song ( all hits )---in your face HITS CD and make some history by doing a job right. From a fan--SO LISTEN UP !!!!!

Wonderful News!
First off, Huey Lewis has one of the greatest blues voices of all time. The song writing is simplistic, muscianship is decent, but it is all how it is presented! "The Heart of Rock and Roll" is a great song, enough said. Everything on this CD is filled with soul and makes every other artist in this genre look incomplete. The only songs on here that were not as well known to me were "So Little Kindness," ""'Til The Day After," "When The Time Has Come." They are pretty good but, "I Want a New Drug," "Do You Believe in Love," and from the film Back To Future "The Power of Love" are the best. Some of the songs have an 80's bent to them, but the core is the blues. This guy breaks any rules that say a white guy can't sing the blues.

A Terrific (But Incomplete) Retrospective
In the Sixties, the feel-good band of the era was The Lovin' Spoonful. In the Eighties that title went to Huey Lewis & The News, hands down! The knock on them by the rock music press was that they were no more than a glorified bar band. My response to that complaint is "So what?" Most of their hits were penned by the band, their harmonies were tight (it would have been nice to include their a capella rendition of the national anthem from the '86 49ers/Jets game) and instrumentally the band played like a finely tuned machine. Sure, MTV and the golden age of videos didn't hurt their career. But if the band didn't have the goods, they wouldn't have been able to pull this off and stay on the charts for more than a decade--not bad for a bar band from California, huh?

My only complaint is that for a compilation that was released after their last big hit, 1993's "It's Alright" from the Curtis Mayfield tribute album, there are nine Top 40 hits left out. [It's the only reason I couldn't give this a 5-star rating.] Among the missing in action are the No. 1 "Jacob's Ladder," along with such Top 10's as "Hip To Be Square," "I Know What I Like" and "Perfect World." Solution? This should have been a 2-disc set. If this music doesn't put a smile on your face, you just might want to check your pulse. (You might be dead!) HIGHLY RECOMMENDED ... Read more

Amazon.com

Like the Black Crowes themselves, the greatest-hits collection A Tribute to a Work in Progress hearkens back to the good old days of best-of collections: you get a bunch of songs you've probably heard on the radio a million times and that's it. These are arguably the group's best songs, but there are no unreleased outtakes or remixes to force rabid collectors to purchase the disc for the sake of two songs. This straightforward document of a straightforward band is also the best entryway to the group's fabulous, swaggering, ballsy, bluesy rock & roll--that is, next to their 1992 breakthrough, Southern Harmony & Musical Companion. While arranged chronologically, what one hears here is the Atlanta-based group playing great, unpretentious Stones-, Faces-, and Zep-influenced rock. This music was made for pure, visceral enjoyment, so play it really loud and dance around. --Mike McGonigal ... Read more

Reviews (34)

Gotta Have The Black Crowes!
Since this is a hits package, one of which the band doesn't rip off the buyer by adding a bonus unreleased track like so many other artists do, I felt this was a good spot to praise one of the great bands that kept rock on the map and don't go by trend. I don't even have this collection because I have all their albums. If you are a fan of the 70's era Stones or the Faces and haven't heard the Crowes, check this collection out! Unfortunetly, this CD was released in 2002 and doesn't include tunes from their over-looked and great LP "Lions". These guys will make you smile and groove, doobie in hand or not!
If I were in charge of this collection I would have to make it a double CD. Too many damn good songs missing! People kinda lost interest or John "Q" public forgot about them after "Amorica". What a shame because "Three Snakes And One Charm", Their 4th effort is incredible and you get a taste here.
In 1998, they re-released the first 4 CD's and if you bought the box set you got a live EP. This is a great starter and grab "Lions". Then I bet you will go back and get the rest!

The Black Crowes Rock!!
This is the first CD by the Black Crowes that I ever brought and it's EXCELLENT! It's got my favorite songs that I've heard over the years on the radio and then some. I'm just sorry I didn't buy it sooner. I can't decide what song is my favorite. Between "Jealous Again," "She Talks To Angels," "Hard To Handle, and "Remedy" it's impossible to choose. You just have to listen to it over and over again. Chris Robinson's voice is mesmerizing especially in songs like "Thorn In My Pride" and "Bad Luck Blue Eyes Goodbye." If you're a Black Crowes fan get this and play it LOUD since there's really no other way to listen to it.

Here is a thing for Pac VS Lennon
I dont care about this stupid CD but why diss the man who is not the best rapper but he is Top 5 Tupac Shakur.Tupac is about a million times more reveareed then John Lennon and Lennon is good but notn 2Pac.Plus Tupac is even bigger then Jimi-Jimmy-That ugly 1960s girl(Janis Joplin)and even Biggie Smallz but he is No Elvis Presley there is only a couple of people to challenge the Beatles.Yes 2Pac maybe a little over rated but no where near that John Lennon guy who aint bad but no Paul

i think you'll like it
its too bad these guys broke up. the crowes reminded me alot of old rod stewart. you can feel the blues influence in the way rich robinson plays. and cris robinson's soulful voice. this is a must own cd

i love it
its too bad these guys broke up. the crowes reminded me alot of old rod stewart. you can feel the blues influence in the way rich robinson plays. and cris robinson's soulful voice. this is a must own cd ... Read more

Amazon.com

One shouldn't have too much difficulty imagining a two-disc Van Halen compilation entitled The Best of Both Worlds. The first disc will showcase the David Lee Roth-fronted version of the band that reenergized hard rock with its titanic 1978 debut and peaked commercially with 1984's, uh, 1984. Disc two will take up where David Lee was left off--from 1986 on, when Sammy Hagar (and, briefly, Hagar-sound-alike Gary Cherone) took over the mike. Well, unfortunately, that's not the anthology assembled this time out. Rather than sequence the selections chronologically and, in the process, display the band's evolution (or devolution, depending on where one stands in the great Roth/Hagar debate), the band has opted for a more eccentric sequencing strategy. After the opener "Eruption" confirms the sass and chops of the young VH, three fairly uninspired new tracks featuring a back-in-the-fold (for now?) Hagar interrupt the flow. Unfortunately, the flow never really recovers, as Roth and Hagar tracks leapfrog one another through the next 29 selections. Three live Hagar takes on songs from the Roth era finish things off in confusing fashion. Obviously, there's plenty of powerful music here, but do fans really need a lesson in what happens when worlds collide? And didn't David Lee earn at least one photo in the package? --Steven Stolder ... Read more

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While his fellow ex-bandmates busied themselves with various high-profile projects (John Lennon with Imagine and a series of high-profile media events; George Harrison with All Things Must Pass and The Concert for Bangla Desh), Paul McCartney climbed into a van with his wife and a few journeyman players and gigged at university student unions for what amounted to spare change. Of course, by 1976 they were one of the biggest draws in rock, having the last laugh--if not necessarily the final word. Gathering the cream of their recorded output on a generous double-disc sampler-cum-TV-special-soundtrack seemed a promising effort at historical revisionism, but Wingspan itself is a distinct misnomer: fully 17 of the 40 tracks here hail from various pre- and post-Wings McCartney solo albums. Completely overlooked are unheralded B-sides such as "Oh Woman, Oh Why," "Little Woman Love," "Country Dreamer," "The Mess," "Walking in the Park with Eloise," "Sally G," and "Girl's School"--some of McCartney the bandleader and solo artist's scrappiest and most interesting work. All the expected hits are here and more, ranging from spunky rockers and hook-rich bubblegum to syrup-drenched ballads. What's lacking is a fresh and less myopic perspective. --Jerry McCulley ... Read more

Reviews (209)

This is why Paul is the wealthiest ex-Beatle...
If you all ready own McCartney's "Wing's Greatest Hits", and/or "All The Best", trade them in at the used CD store and purchase this 2-CD set.... this "Wingspan" is the only "best of" collection you'll need as of the year 2001. Disc 1 concentrates on most of Paul's best FM-pop stuff. The best of the best are here... "Band On The Run", "Another Day", "My Love", "Silly Love Songs", "Junior's Farm", etc. Please note that his corny "Say Say Say", his mushy "Ebony & Ivory", and his comical duet with the king of pop Michael Jackson "The Girl Is Mine" are omitted (a good thing in my book). Between the earlier collections and this one, there is much duplication. Disc 2 starts out with several hits, but then trails off into some of his deeper album cuts. Nice to see that "Helen Wheels", "Rockestra", "Venus & Mars", and "Let Me Roll It" were included - personal favorites of mine. The one and only song I would've liked to have had on this one was "Nineteen Hundred & Eighty Five" from "Band On The Run". Tho some of his songs for his wife Linda were somewhat sappy, Paul's "Maybe I'm Amazed" is truly incredible and I get a wee-bit emotionally listening to it depending on the time of the day. It would've been nice to have both the live & studio recordings of this song. Paul is so incredibly talented (I'm taking nothing away from the brilliance of John & George... and... um, Ringo) and just a sampling of this CD is proof enough to me that Paul's post-Beatles material was the most entertaining, the most accessible, and the most pleasing on the ears. This is a great compilation and if you're into rock & pop music, you owe it to yourself to seek out this 2-CD set.

A brilliant overview of one of the greatest musicians....
I was thrilled to find this excellent overview of Paul McCartney's illustrious career. It covers all of his biggest hits in one place for the first time, including the million-sellers Live And Let Die, My Love, Band On The Run, Goodnight Tonight, Silly Love Songs, Listen To What The Man Said, Coming Up (studio version), Let Em In, Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey, and the biggest-selling English hit for seven years, Mull of Kintyre. Added to this, you get a number of first rate compositions that were only slightly less successful than these, such as Jet, Another Day, Junior's Farm, Helen Wheels, No More Lonely Nights and With A Little Luck. For me, though, the highlight of this set has to be its inclusion alongside these big hits of some of his lesser-known compositions, but which stand up against the hits remarkably well (indeed, despite the non-hit status, these songs are actually better than most stuff recorded nowadays). These include the excellent Maybe I'm Amazed, Take It Away, Tug of War, Let Me Roll It and Hi Hi Hi. I have only two negatives about this set. Firstly, you don't get any of Paul's duets, such as Say Say Say (with Michael Jackson) or Ebony and Ivory (with Stevie Wonder), but both of these hits are on All The Best. Secondly, more recent material, such as the brilliant Hope of Deliverance and C'Mon People from Off The Ground (1993) is largely ignored. Overall, though, this is an excellent set, and essential for any true McCartney fan.

Superb--but for the newcomer or casual fan.
As a relative newcomer to the work Sir Paul did with Linda and his band after he left The Beatles, I used to be only a casual fan of Paul's work, listening to it mostly on the school bus going to and from school. However, when I saw this 2 CD set I sat up and took notice right away because I had a good hunch that there was quality to it. And from a newcomer's perspective I was right! GRIN

The first CD consists mostly of the songs I remember hearing on the radio in the 1970s. There are fantastic songs such as "Listen To What The Man Said," "Silly Love Songs," and "Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey." The listener also has the beautifully mellow "Mull Of Kintyre" paired up with the ever so aggressive "Live And Let Die" from a James Bond movie.

The second CD offers the beautiful "The Lovely Linda," "Maybe I'm Amazed," and "Venus and Mars/Rockshow" (from the album Venus and Mars).

Overall, this is an excellent retrospective for the newcomer or casual fan who wants to hear more of Paul's work or have a small encapsulation of his work with his peers. However, as many other reviewers have noted, even a relative newcomer like myself knows that there can be no way that 2 CDs alone can TRULY be a thorough retrospective of what Paul and the other great artists together have produced. Thus a complete retrospective this is not. Because I can't give 4 ½ stars I give this 2 CD set 4 stars and hope along with many others that a FULL set of Paul's work is released for his fans soon!

Basically, a Good Collection, But It's Certainly Not Enough.
Paul McCartney is my favorite ex-Beatle for good reason: There isn't a lot he can't do musically, from changing his voice to his amazing ability to manage so many different instruments, not to mention he has great songwriting chops. Unfortunately, you sometimes get the impression that he's overwhelmed by his own talent, and that makes it easier to figure out what motivates him to put out stuff that can't be labelled any other way than pompous drivel. It would seem most McCartney fans are agreed on this point, because each one has a different idea of what is good or bad about his music. One thing you definitely can't say is that, though he has a signature sound, he repeats himself.

This two-cd set's release, launched by a highly publicized and highly forgotten ABC interview with his daughter Mary, sold more due to hype than actual content. Sure, you get all the hits, but I have yet to meet a McCartney fan that likes all of his hits. He's just too broadscale to appeal to everyone in the same way. For instance, I don't care if I never hear the lounge lizard stylings of "Goodnight Tonight" or the aggrivatingly hoarse yelping of "Coming Up" ever again. Some people probably can't stand "Silly Love Songs" or "My Love," so I'll like both for them.

Now, certainly, I'm pleased with this collection in general, but I don't understand the inclusion of boring "Waterfalls" or the awful remix of "No More Lonely Nights." I do love that he included my favorite of all his songs, the beautifully jazzy "Take it Away" and the great Smokey Robinson flavored "Girlfriend." What's missing here, though, is a lot of great material that can't be covered by a two-disc compilation. I would love to see great songs on here like "Arrow Through Me," "Baby's Request," "Only Love Remains," "Ballroom Dancing," and "Somebody Who Cares." There are more that I can't think of right now, but other people have their favorites as well that have nothing to do with mine.

Yes, this is a good collection for all practical purposes, but I think I speak for lots of Macca fans when I say we want more.
Since he took liberties and included material that had nothing to do with Wings, is it asking too much for his next collection to include twice as many cd's? In the meantime, get yourself a copy of his 1982 album Tug of War and hear what a very nearly perfect McCartney disc is all about.

Paul Mccartney: Another mucisians musician
I got this with the 3-D cover just to add to my collection. However, I DID play this and was quite pleased with the selections and the quality of the cd.

I myself would likened to have seen some of his more obscure tunes here as you could only get those on the limited series that were put out on Parolophone sometime in the mid '90's. That I think may have attracted more buyers.

All in all this is a fair sampling of Paul McCartney who has kept us listening for all these years. A definite must have for any fan of the embodiment of Sir Paul. ... Read more

Amazon.com

If Bryan Adams's no-frills, blue-collar image evokes a Canadian take on Springsteen, his voice--and especially his pop sensibility--recalls Rod Stewart during his post-Faces Top 40 years. There's a deceptively effortless sincerity that masks the sometimes mundane themes of the infectious hits (the cheap nostalgia of "Summer of '69" and the various romantic concerns of "Run to You," "The Best of Me," and "Please Forgive Me") gathered on this updated hits collection. (Just five of the tracks appear on his previous So Far, So Good anthology.) It's hardly surprising to learn that Adams began his career as a tunesmith covered by everyone from BTO and Loverboy to Kiss and Bonnie Tyler. That eclecticism bubbles up throughout this modern compilation, from the flamenco flavors of Don Juan De Marco's "Have You Ever Really Loved a Woman" to the MTV Unplugged classical-strings-backed rendition of "I'm Ready" and the surprisingly effective electronica of "Cloud Number Nine." This collection chronicles Adams's rise from '80s AOR (album-oriented-rock) contender to '90s MOR (middle-of-the-road) superstar, thanks to his Grammy- and Oscar-winning hit "(Everything I Do) I Do It for You" from Robin Hood and harmonizing with Sting and Stewart on Three Musketeers' "All for Love." --Jerry McCulley ... Read more

Reviews (23)

Best But Not Best.
I learned about that CD couple months ago, before it was released in the United States. I've been looking for it even in the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame And Museum, with no results. Now, it finally came out 3 years after the United Kingdom's release of this compilation in 1999.

It's a good compilation because it has a retrospective point of view on the Adams' career. However, the album supposed to be 'the best of' Bryan, and it's missing some other great songs that definitely should be here: Do I Have To Say The Words?, Heaven, Somebody, and Kids Wanna Rock.

'The Best Of Me' suprisingly (NOT) includes 3 excellent songs from the album '18 'Til I Die' which was considered by some critics to be the falldown of Bryan Adams as a singer. They should rather consider the album "Into The Fire" which doesn't have any song included on that CD, even though it was a good one anyway.

The album also have finally available song "All For Love" which was only available before on the soundtrack to the movie "The Three Muskeeters" starring Kiefer Shuterland, Oliver Platt, and Rebecca De Mornay besides others.

The booklet includes lyrics to the all of the songs.

Basically, it's a very good compilation to buy. However, let's hope for really 'the best' in the future.

Fantastic!!!!!
This is an essential buy whether you are a die hard Bryan Adams fan or not, it's a must for all music-lovers. Okay, I admit it's not as good as So Far So Good which has a better collection, but its still absolutely mindblowing! Besides, So Far So Good doesn't have "Have you ever really loved a woman" which happens to be my all-time favourite. I think all the songs are great, though I like "Summer of '69 ", "Inside Out" and "I'm Ready" the best. "I'm Ready" in particular, is spellbinding. Bryan's mesmerising voice, of course, adds to the beauty of all the songs and will leave the listener speechless. If your mind is oscillating as to whether you should buy this or not, go for it, without a second thought. It is, indubitably one of the best audios I have come across in a long time. It is the perfect blend of frothy songs like "The Only Thing That Looks Good On Me" and heartmelting ones like " Have You Ever Really Loved a Woman" and "Cloud #9." The title track is also impressive. All in all "Best of Me" is truly a masterpiece, the true work of a GENIUS!!!!!

Not All That Best
It just surprises me when it really comes to hits collections. They really don't seem to hit the nail on the head. It really isn't anything new here, especially when a better hits collection by the same artist was issued earlier. Bryan Adams truly knows about making great songs, but not always hits collections. During his beginnings in the 80's, he defied the feeling of Rock music and Pop combined. That still hasn't changed here. His music is still as universal, with a lot of strength that people think of a guilty pleasure. Well, he might seem like that right now, but there is more to this Canadian than guilty.

The Best Of Me, the second Bryan Adams Greatest Hits collection of his big songs from the 80's and 90's. All in all, the songs here include his biggest hits from the era, including his biggest movie ballads, Everything I Do (I Do It For You) from Robin Hood: Prince Of Thieves, Have You Ever Really Loved A Woman? from Don Juan Demarco, as well as other great pop songs to his career. The album also includes other great songs that were also on his earlier hits collection such as Summer Of '69, Can Start This Thing We Started, and Run To You. The album also adds some other goodies such as Back To You from his appearance on MTV Unplugged, Cloud Number Nine, and Let's Make A Night To Remember.

There also are some downsides to this collection, the album does overlook some of Bryan's die hard hits from the 80's such as Heaven, This Time, Cuts Like A Knife, It's Only Love his duet with Tina Turner, and other good songs. Those songs were featured on his earlier hits collection, So Far So Good from 1993. All in all, fans might seem a whole lot uninterested in this collection, but is a strong welcome to any Bryan Adams and his strong feel in music. If this was combined with the other hits collection, than more people would've bought The Best Of Me. Still, Bryan Adams quality hasn't changed in the music, and people still appreciate his music today, straight from that heart.

The best is the best.
It's very good album my favourite rocker,its from serie N.Carter.D,Chervet,,Leap of faith''.Its my best music and i like it.yeah rock going on...

Grade B+
This greatest hits collection picks up were the last hits collection, SO FAR SO GOOD, left off. SO FAR.. covered Bryan during his bigger cds, and ALL.. in his lesser days, that maybe why the new collection carries five songs off the first collection. ALL.. may cover the lesser selling cds, but they were still descent to good cds, and deserve a place in Adams history along side the bigger selling cds. There is stil plenty to listen too, and plenty of boyhood songs to crank up, though done reaches the heights of SUMMER OF 69, & EVERTHING I DO, so that maybe the reason they included on this collection, instead of going more into depth on the latter cds. Still a good listen. ... Read more

Amazon.com essential recording

The most striking thing about this two-disc overview of Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers is the powerful case it makes for its creators as the most consistent band of not only their era, but of all time. Think of another rocker who can claim to have created a quarter-century of recordings that, when ranked on a 10-point scale, never dip below a solid 7? Indeed, while disc 1 reflects a marginally more aggressive mindset than disc 2, it wouldn't be difficult to imagine the discs flip-flopped; maturity has yet to induce lethargy for Petty and the boys. Occupying the solid middle ground between the 18-track Greatest Hits and the six-disc Playback box, Anthology serves up 34 selections, nearly every one an FM staple. From 1976's "Breakdown" through the collection's only new offering, 2000's "Surrender," this retrospective never flags. But how could it? --Steven Stolder ... Read more

Reviews (31)

Puts the old greatest hits to shame
Since the mid-late seventies, Tom Petty And The Heartbreakers have been one of the finest pop-rock bands on the face of the earth. Even after all these years, Petty and his band are still fully capable of creating excellent songs that will continue to stand the test of time. The band released a hits compilation in 1993, but it was painfully lacking. Finally, the band has released a dual-disc compilation. How does this one measure up? Read on and find out!

PROS:
-You're not going to be disappointed by this collection if you're a casual fan of Tom Petty And The Heartbreakers. All of the band's biggest hits are here for your listening pleasure, including Breakdown, American Girl, Refugee, Here Comes My Girl, Even The Losers, The Waiting, You Got Lucky, Free Fallin', I Won't Back Down, Runnin Down A Dream, Learning To Fly, Into The Great Wide Open, and Mary Jane's Last Dance.
-Tom Petty's duet with Stevie Nicks, Stop Draggin' My Heart Around, can be found here. It was not on the 1993 hits compilation.
-You Don't Know How It Feels, also not found on the 1993 hits compilation (it came out after that compilation's release), can be found here.
-You get a number of underrated masterpieces on this compilation that were never big hits, but that are no less in the quality department.

CONS:
-This compilation is two-disc, and two-disc compilations always cost more than single-disc ones.
-There are no tracks on here from Tom Petty's days as a member of The Traveling Wilburys. That bites.
-The release of this compilation predated that of the band's The Last DJ album, so the title track from that album and the hit Have Love Will Travel aren't here.
-The release of this compilation also predated that of the Concert For George (Harrison), so the band's covers of The Beatles classics I Need You and Taxman aren't on here.

OVERALL:
This isn't a perfect retrospective, but it's more than enough to make any casual fan of the band happy. If you're a Tom Petty fan but you're not willing to shell out the cash for all of his albums, this compilation makes a fine alternative.

A PERFECT PETTY BALANCE BETWEEN THE HITS CD & PLAYBACK BOX!
Tom Petty And The Heartbreakers Anthology: Through The Years/MCA

This new 2 CD set Anthology: Through The Years/MCA collects 35 classics from Tom Petty And The Heartbreakers MCA years. All 17 of the 18 songs that make up the Greatest Hits CD issued in `93 are all here excluding "Something In The Air". This new set adds 17 more songs including "Stop Draggin' My Heart Around with Stevie Nicks and the new song "Surrender" that was written in `77 but not recorded until 2000. This is most likely the selling point to get this CD set, since this is the only place you can get it. A nice 11 page booklet filled with Petty & Co. info/photos rounds out the packaging. Whether you are a new fan or just discovering the band this collection strikes a perfect balance between the Greatest Hits & the Playback box set.

It's what you've been "Waiting" for.
Well if the "Greatest Hits" didn't do it for you, this 2-cd set should. "Anthology" is a great example of not just quality, but quantity as well. Included is everything from "Breakdown", "Refugee", and "Stop Draggin' My Heart Around", to "Don't Come Around Here No More", "Learning To Fly", and all the hits from the "Full Moon Fever" album. Unfortunately, like the other "Hits" disc, this also has nothing from his excellent "Wildflowers" album, which was on a different label. However, that album and this anthology together would make a great "Tom Petty" collection. This alone is a good start though.

Highly Recommended
I remember buying "Greatest Hits" by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers in the early '90s, thinking it was probably the best CD I had ever owned. In many ways, I still believe that to be true. However, this compilation of Heartbreakers material, ANTHOLOGY, is just as good, and even more definitive.

The sound is remastered and crisp, the packaging top notch.

It's near impossible to put together a collection that will include everyone's highlights, and certainly there are some songs missing here that I would have included, for instance "King's Highway" and "A Face in the Crowd." But those are minor errors, and this collection easily covers the best of the best of the band's years at MCA Records. (They are now signed to Warner.) If you can listen to "Greatest Hits" all the way through without skipping tracks, you will be able to do the same with this collection, while enjoying more songs and looking deeper into their back catalog for some of those long lost gems (like "Straight Into Darkness" and "Waiting For Tonight"). It's worth the price!

Here's hoping Warner begins to collect the best (so far) of Tom Petty and the Hearbreakers while recording for their label.

Through the Years made me a fan...
I first bought this 2CD-Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers album as a compulsive buy. Was I glad that I bought this album, I instantly became a huge Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers fan. Buy this album, your not going to be disapointed! ... Read more

Amazon.com

For his second Broadway musical (and first time out writing a full show directly for the stage), Elton John certainly set his sights high by turning to one of the grandest of all operas as a source. His continued collaboration with lyricist Tim Rice has produced a work far closer to the agreeable pop style and formula of the team's Disney musical, The Lion King, than to the majesty and tragic passion of Verdi's opera. But the compelling tale of conflicting loyalties and star-crossed lovers--retooled in part by acclaimed playwright David Henry Hwang--inspires some of John's signature melodic felicity, as in "Elaborate Lives" and "Every Story Is a Love Story." And the original cast recording marks a dramatic leap forward from 1999's dreary mishmash studio concept album, thanks to the heat generated by Heather Headley and Rent star Adam Pascal as the forbidden lovers. Sherie René Scott can turn on a dime from a parodic stance ("My Strongest Suit") to sad resignation ("I Know the Truth"), while the three get to blend in the ensemble "A Step Too Far"--a pop counterpart to the intensity of operatic ensemble. The score touches on reggae and gospel, and on all-out rock balladry (where it's fun to hear Pascal clearly imitating John's characteristic vocal inflections), but it's most touching in the more reflective moments given to Headley's dignified Nubian princess. --Thomas May ... Read more

Reviews (220)

Elton John and Tim Rice are the perfect collaborators ever!
Ever since The Lion King, I have loved Elton John and Tim Rice, they're the perfect team! They prove that, yet again, with this wonderful musical; Aida! Heather Headley has proved her talent with, my favorite musical, Julie Taymor's The Lion King! She has the most beautiful voice and acting talent! And I'm so glad to hear her singing again, and still in full power and beauty. Adam Pascal made an amazing transformation from RENT to Aida! He plays Radames perfectly, besides the fact that he sings wonderfully! The songs on this CD are all great, absolutely NO FILLER! Every song is perfect! The Elaborate Lives song (original & reprise) are possibly my favorites. We hear two full length songs that are absolutely perfect! I LOVE THEM~! I also truly love the songs Every Story is a Love Story, Written in the Stars, Not Me, The Gods Love Nubia, and Easy as Life! Not to exclude the others, but those ones are my favorite, but I never skip any of the songs, for they are all perfect. The musical has so many different sounds, the music is so different from itself...but they bind superbly! You'll love this CD! Enjoy!

One more thing....I think the Tony people should be ashamed! What is their problem! They didn't even nominate Aida for best musical! What's up with that? Huh! AAAAH! 'Cause I can think of some other musicals that could AND SHOULD be excluded from the category! Aida is wonderful and should have been nominated! At least Heather Headley one best actress in a musical! Dang straight! Go Heather! And to the voters...Grrr...

it has its good points....
first off, lemme just say AIDA is my third favortie musical of all time. It really is a good cd (if you ignore the screeching of Heather Headleys voice). I admit, at first i bought this just to hear my all time favortie guy, Adam =) i fell in love with him from my RENT cd, and thank goodness his voice is still just as sexy and powerful and moving! his voice alone if worth the price of this cd. He is amazing!!! Another outstanding (and usually overlooked) performer is Sherie Rene-Scott. She is so cute!!! I love her to death, she is a true performer with a wonderful voice, one that i must say far surpasses that of Heathers. Ive also seen the show, so i can say Sherie is also more pleasing to look at than Heather is =P Adam and Sherie together make for some wonderful songs on this cd, and the Elton John music isnt bad at all. I dont like the Zoser songs on this cd (Another Pyramid, Like Father Like Son) but other than that the music is quite good. If you just ignore Heather, this cd is 100% enjoyable =)

Pretty overrated, but decent.
I write this review as someone who has not seen the actual show but has listened to the soundtrack, so I will not be commenting on the quality of the show itself -- especially considering this is supposed to be a review of the actual soundtrack rather than the show as a whole, correct?

I have heard a lot about Aida, as many seem to be taken under its spell, if you will. I will admit that I was relatively unimpressed upon listening to the soundtrack. Many of the songs resemble another on the album...there are plenty I could have done without. I especially looked forward to hearing the seemingly phenomenal Heather Headly in the role of Aida, but I was also unimpressed by her as well. I will admit, she has a good voice, but that's about it. She is certainly no match to someone like Idina Menzel (Wicked), or Linda Eder, who is famous for a reason. Heather Headly is good, yes, but in my opinion, not nearly as good as everyone makes her out to be.

The person on this album who I feel overshadows her (and everyone else) is Sherie Rene Scott (Amneris), who I had heard virtually nothing about prior to listening to the recording. Perhaps she shines because she is the only character with any real DEPTH to work with, as the story is generally flat and at least she manages to entertain. Her voice shines in "Every Story is a Love Story" and especially "My Strongest Suit." She keeps your attention, and I am glad she is given the first and last songs in the show.

My favorite songs on this recording: "Not Me," "My Strongest Suit," "Every Story is a Love Story," & "Radames' Letter."

Songs the album could have done without: Most of the others, especially Zoser's songs (as most reviewers have mentioned). Most of Aida's songs are overrated and sound the same, as with Radames' songs. Basically, once you've heard one of them, you've heard them all.

I wouldn't spend money on this recording. I myself checked it out from the library and am content to have done so. I've heard it, there are a couple decent songs, but all in all, I could have gone without it. If you are looking for a great recording of a Broadway show, go with something like "Wicked" or "Miss Saigon."

Perfect...
This IS musical theatre. Gorgeous, beautiful, rich soundtrack, amazingly talented actors, and a wonderful story to work with makes this one of my personal favorites. Those who criticize this obviously don't know what they're talking about and should keep their mouths shut if they have nothing better to do than put down what can only be described as perfect.

The worst POP concert I've ever seen!
This is a pop concert that masquerades as musical theater. And not even a good one at that. The voices aren't good and the lines so trite I wanted to laugh while the actors were delivering them seriously.

Just go see The Lion KIng. Nothing beats the original. ... Read more

Album Description

The first-ever compilation bringing together the best oftheir Warner Bros., Grateful Dead records, and Arista years on a single disc - TV-marketed and remastered in HDCD! 17tracks including 'One More Saturday Night' (live, 1972).Slipcase. 2003. ... Read more

Reviews (12)

take a listen
if you are just getting into them get this. it covers the deads entire career. remember though this is the dead at its most radio friendly. always with a hits collection it misses some songs plus only one live song for a band at its best when live. a few songs that were hits but rarely performed live are here, TOUCH OF GREY, GOLDEN ROAD. still where is ST. STEPHEN, CHINA CAT SUNFLOWER, DARK STAR, the modest hit GOOD LOVIN', TERRAPIN STATION, and anything from the deads final studio album? if you only want 3 albums of studio material get this, WORKINGMANS DEAD and AMERICAN BEAUTY then get all the live stuff for full effect of the greatest jam band of all time.

The one and only "best of" album to date
This is the very first compilation that covers the band's entire career, including works from both Warner Brothers (1967-72), Grateful Dead Records (1973-75) and Arista (1977-89). This 17 track CD is to be considered a "greatest hit" rather than a "best of" collection, which would have contained more live material. This album contains some of their most famous songs, like "Truckin'", "Touch of grey", "Sugar magnolia", "Eyes of the world", "Friend of the devil", "Estimated prophet", "U.S. blues" and "Uncle John's band". Grateful Dead was never a single's band, so this CD doesn't pay a fair duty to the band, but it's perfect as a starting point. This is definitely the place to start. And if you're satisfied with one Grateful Dead CD only, this should probably be the one.

But this CD shouldn't be you only Grateful Dead CD in your collection. Grateful Dead was, by all means, a LIVE BAND, and on this CD you'll find only one live version ("One more Saturday night"). So, if you should happen to like this CD, check out some of their live recordings too. There are a whole bunch of live albums available, so it's often hard to decide which one to buy and which one to avoid. Well, let me help you. You can't go wrong if you buy either of the following three albums: "Ladies and gentlemen..." consists of live recordings from five shows at the closing of Fillmore East, April 1971. "Stepping out...England '72" is a compilation of highlights from their UK gigs on their famous European tour in April and May 1972. "The closing of Winterland" covers the entire New Year's show at Winterland 1978/79. All three CDs show Grateful Dead on top of their career, and it will sure give you an experience of a lifetime!

Back to the CD: The period from 1971-72 is, for some reason, not represented in this "very best of" collection. The majority of the songs (7 of 17) are from 1970, including five from their best studio album "American beauty". The rest of the songs are mostly from 1973 to 1978. "The golden road" (1967) represents their early years while "Touch of grey" and "Hell in a bucket" are songs from their commercial break through, as late as 1987.

One single CD with the very best of Grateful Dead will always cause problems. Since everyone has their own favourites, you can't put all the best songs on one CD. It's just impossible. But some songs are definitely missing. OK, I can understand why a 23 minutes "Dark star" wasn't included, but what about songs like "Scarlet begonias" and "Playing in the band"? They are way more essential than "Fire on the mountain" or "Hell in a bucket"! Songs like "China-cat sunflower", "The other one" and "Me and my uncle" could easily have made it to this compilation too. Personally, I would have liked to see "Going down the road feelin' bad" on this CD.

But don't misunderstand me, this is a great record, and it should be found in every music lover's CD collection. It's a highly recommended CD!

Beats "Skeletons" by a long shot.
This is the Dead's best greatest hits album. A good place to start for new fans, but I wish it had more live tracks...

Great Sound Quality/Haphazard Collection
For a band with a duration of nearly thirty years, the Grateful Dead haven't been anthologized nearly as much as people might assume. Their San Francisco peers, the Steve Miller Band and the Jefferson Airplane have produced so many anthologies that it has underminded the integrity of their original releases. The Dead, on the other hand, have had a much longer career trajectory and this is the first single cd anthology that covers their entire career span...well, sort of. This anthology is overly reliant on their Twin Towers studio albums, "Workingman's Dead" and "American Beauty". I have probably heard "Truckin'" over 10,000 times in my life and sitting though that song is the sonic equivalent of fingernails on a chalk board. "Uncle John's Band" seems to never wear thin and thousands of listenings later, it remains the most unique and powerful statement of the Dead's collective metaphysics.

Among the missing and unaccounted for are; "Dark Star," "Jack Straw," "Black Peter," "Stella Blue," "Brokedown Palace," "Playing in the Band," "Wharf Rat," and "Terrapin Station." The biggest puzzler is what happened to "Aoxomoxoa" and "Anthem To Sun?" The tribal elders of the Deadhead nation are certain to frown upon any collection that omits "St. Stephen", "China Cat Sunflower", "The Other One" or "Alligator." These two albums broke open more musicial space than any other Dead albums, and are the cornerstones of the Haight Ashbury psychedelic renissance.

Now that the Grateful Dead has remastered all of the 22 official albums, the hardcore Deadheads will probably want to recollect all of the orginal releases, because there is a significant improvement on the sound of the remastered editions. The track separation has dramtically improved the listenability of even some of their most ragged sounding efforts. Each time I've listened to the remastered editions of these tunes I've picked up on musical subtleties that were unmasked by the remixing of the analog masters, using the highly developed digital technology that we now call "state of the art". So for me, I will be buying (for the third time) all the 22 Grateful Dead offical releases that have been remastered. It will take some time however, because there seems to be no end to releases from Dick LaVala's archieves or ones from "The Vault" that keep on coming. Until I can afford to rebuy all of the remastered offical releases, this haphazard collection of Dead tunes sounds fantastic.

A Beginners Guide To The Grateful Dead.
The Rhino/Warner Brothers compilation "The Very Best of The Grateful Dead" is the first to span the band's entire career in a single disc. It is also the first Dead compilation to encompass material from different record labels. So not only is the Dead's formative years with Warner Bros. covered, material from Arista and United Artists labels are also included.
This CD includes the Grateful Dead's most commercial material and its best known hits such as the signature classics "Truckin'", "Uncle John's Band", "Box Of Rain" and "Ripple" as well as their only top 40 smash "Touch Of Grey" from 1986.
Elsewhere are Deadhead favorites such as "Estimated Prophet", "Franklin's Tower", "Fire On The Mountain" and "U.S. Blues".
This is only one side of The Grateful Dead. The bands other side is what they are better known for - extended jams. Unfortunately "The Very Best Of" does not capture the bands improvisational and experimental side. It does however display the Dead's diverse range and their ability to craft radio-friendly material flawlessly and effortlessly.
This compilation is highly recommended for beginning Deadheads who'd like to hear the more commercial side of the band. For their improvisational side, "Live/Dead" is an excellent place to start. For their more experimental work, check out "Anthem Of The Sun", "Aoxomoxoa" or "Blues For Allah". These albums as well as this compilation provide a well-rounded textbook for those starting their collection of Dead recordings. ... Read more

Amazon.com

"Better music through science" was the Epic Records-coined slogan that Boston leader Tom Scholz hated, but this masterwork of studio-happy, high-school-parking-lot music earned it. Scholz fine-tuned his overdubbed guitar orchestra to a pitch that a thousand subsequent album-rockers couldn't resist. And why should they? Where the band's later records were hardly worthy of note, Boston pulls together classic after classic: "More Than a Feeling," "Peace of Mind," "Hitch a Ride." The pseudo-cosmic ambience invites scoffs as the year 2000 approaches, but it's really just part of the disc's charm. Let it take you home tonight. --Rickey Wright ... Read more

Reviews (164)

Boston: Hard Rock/Pop-Rock/Arena Rock Perfection
Boston, the project of MIT graduate Tom Scholz, stands alone as the greatest debut (rock) album ever. Scholz knows how to write great songs and the production on Boston is way ahead of it's time. Do you ever listen to an older cd and wish it would be remastered because the sound did not stand the test of time? Not so with this album, it does not need to be updated. Scholz knew what he was doing (a master's degree in engineering will do that for you).

The songs are all staples of classic rock radio from the emotional masterpiece "More Than A Feeling" to the rockin' "Smokin'" and the epic "Foreplay/Long Time", this album is brilliant. You can sense the depth and feel the emotion in every note. Scholz has a talent for writing very melodic guitar parts coupled with extremely catchy vocal melodies. The lyrics aren't complex (you don't get that with Boston) but who cares? The songs are great.

Brad Delp should also be noted for his amazing vocals. This guy is one of the best.

I never tire of this album. It is truly one of the great rock albums of all time. Thanks, Tom, you made Boston what they were and still are today.

PURE ROCK AND ROLL
Do you enjoy music that is basically upbeat and mind blowing? Look no further. Boston was, and is, one of the definitive bands of the 70's, and hold a rare world record. They hold the record for "The biggest selling debut album". Over 15 million copies of this superb album have been sold, and no wonder! This is pure rock and roll. There are no depressing, slow paced, cry your eyes songs here. The hits "More Than A Feeling", "Peace Of Mind", and Longtime, plus, the other songs are good to listen too, especially if you're feeling the blues, they can pick you up. You know those rock and roll bands who perform music and you can hardly understand a word they are saying? Well, these guys aren't like them. This is the kind of music that borders on Heavy Metal, but is more like Hard Rock. There's not a bunch of cursing as compared to other artists, and you will find yourself wanting to raise the windows in your place and let the whole neighborhood hear what you are listening too. It's that good. There is absolutely no mistaking what these boys are playing.There's tons of guitar play, some keyboard, and of course rockin bass and drums. Anyone who knows anything about music will NOT mistake it for country, or rap, or blues. This is KICK REAR ROCK AND ROLL. No matter your age, no matter your sex, no matter your religion, no matter what country you're from, no matter if you're rich or poor, no matter what, If you like music that will stur your soul, you WILL love this CD. I own it, and I thoroughly LOVE it.

Essential classic rock
Where would classic rock be had Boston's self-titled debut album not been released? This is one of the greatest cds I own. 3 years ago, I had never heard of them...and now I own all of their albums and even saw them in concert last summer - which was an experience I will never forget! If you're new to classic rock, I think Boston's debut album would be a terrific place to start.

I just can't live without it
This spaceship called BOSTON landed in my mind in the late 70s.Since then I have been a BOSTON fan for more than ten years.This first album captures the solidness and excellent melodies that blow our body and soul.Rock music can express the spacy feelings without utilizing the synthesizers.TOM SHULZ has the wide range of musical capacity and musical ideas.Those specific abilities made BOSTON world wide phenomenon.This elaborate contrived album is the masterpiece we must pay attention to.

One of 1976's highlights aside my birth
A few months after my arrival a fellow group from my native Boston, Mass. coincidentally called Boston released their self-titled debut album in September of 1976. Boston was a great band that was the mastermind of guitarist Tom Scholz and frontman Brad Delp. In addition, there was guitarist Barry Goudreau, bassist Fran Sheehan and drummer Sib Hashian. The album was maily recorded in Scholz's basement but you would not have known. The album is still a staple of album rock and classic rock radio today and is the largest selling debut album in history(not even poseurs like Alanis Morrisette or the 90s equal to The Starland Vocal Band called Hootie and the Blowfish could topple) with 17 million sold in the US alone and peaked at #3. I first heard and received this album on my 11th birthday on cassette in January of 1987 and still is one of my favorites today. The album's opener More Than a Feeling was a great song and was a monster hit. Other standouts are the rocking Peace of Mind and the first half closing Foreplay/Long Time. Tom did most of the guitar work on the album while Barry did not join until the sessions were just about finished nor did Fran. Rock and Roll Band was written about how the band got their deal with Epic. Smokin, Hitch a Ride, Something About You and Let Me Take You Home Tonight round out this masterpiece. Despite the fact it was recorded in 1976, it sounds like it was recorded yesterday and this band got the success it deserved because of the music and not how well they dressed! Highly recommended as well as Don't Look Back, Third Stage, Walk On and Greatest Hits but avoid Corporate America. ... Read more

Reviews (290)

Good album, but...
Not a great one. The inclusion of "The Original Jam" (originally titled 'Apple Jam') simply does not warrant this. Any musician can get his friends together in the studio and jam, record and release it. But George does this and it inflates the cost of his 2 disc set. For what? As it is, the orignal 2-disc set (with some exceptions) more than stands on its own. "I'd Have You Anytime" has George starting out his first solo disc with a slow, almost dreamy, country sounding (The Band comes to mind) song. Super tune with a beautiful guitar solo near the end. "My Sweet Lord", despite the lawsuits with this song, when I hear those big acoustic guitars and that chanting, I remember that this was THE song of late 1970. "Wah-Wah" is one the few songs hurt by the big Phil Spector production employed on this disc. Being that it is such a good song, it simply doesn't need it. However, Ringo excels on drums. "Isn't It A Pity" is a superb song. Nice arrangment by John Barham with the strings and good counter melody played by George on guitar but the song goes on too long. "What Is Life" is George's pop song--and a darn good one too. Catchy, with stinging guitar and good horns. More country leanings with Dylan's "If Not For You." This song benefits from an uncluttered arrangement. Kudos here to steel pedal guitarist Pete Drake who performs magnificently on this song as well as others on this disc. "Behind That Locked Door" is another fairly sparse countryish production, although not as good as the previous song. "Let It Down" has Harrison going back to the big production and succeeding. Cannon drum shots cut through the reverb to highlight one of Harrison's more thoughtful songs. "Run of the Mill" boasts George singing (very well) a gorgeous tune. A definite highlight of this disc. "Beware of Darkness," lyrically could be the high point for Harrison on this set. A very interesting and moody piece. "Apple Scuffs" is just an ode to the fans who hung around the Apple offices. Simple and to the point, and it works. "Sir Frankie Crisp" a piano driven piece of no real consequence. "Awaiting On You All" is another bloated production that is today, almost unlistenable. Besides, its too preachy. "All Things Must Pass" was debuted during the "Let It Be" sessions. This song could be the jewel of the set. Passionately mournful, expertly sung with beautiful words. Harrison outdoes himself. "I Dig Love" is a dud. Filler. Did he forget all of a sudden how to write words? "Art Of Dying." Can there be a religious, up tempo pop song about dying? Sure, but does anyone want to hear about it, that is the real question. "Isn't It A Pity (version 2)". There is no need for this. Version one sufficed well enough, thank you. And finally we have "Hear Me Lord" which closes out the set. It's not a bad song but by now the overall preachiness of the set has worn in and another song about religion is overkill. This is unfortunate as the backing for the song is tremendous. The only redeemable features for me regarding the bonus materials were "I Live For You" featuring more superb playing by Pete Drake and the alternate backing track of "What Is Life," which has the different arrangement which I enjoyed. The 2 demos ("Beware of Darkness" and "Let It Down") didn't peak my curiosity much. The re-do of the hit "My Sweet Lord" was just awful. It's interesting that Harrison would never again use the big Spector production approach again for his material (for the most part). By cheapening the album with a 'jam' that had no relevance to the rest of the set, Harrison hurt the overall feel of the disc. However, the disc was a success because of the good songwriting, superb musicianship and crafting of each song.

The First And The Greatest Solo Record By An Ex-Beatle
What can I say that hasn't already been said? Well, nothing, but oh well. This record easily beats out any of the other records put out by the other Beatles at this time. Also, after being shut up for so many years, George was finally able to freely write, record, and release his own work. Sure, Phil Spector's production seems overblown today, and I'll admit that I'm not a huge fan of his "wall of sound" technique, but "All Things Must Pass Naked" would be a terrible travesty and an insult to the music that George Harrison made. It also stands as a testament to the times. Almost every song on this record is excellent, and even the songs that aren't as good are still WAY better than anything released today. My personal favorites are "My Sweet Lord", "Wah-Wah", "Isn't It A Pity" (The version from side 1), "What Is Life", "Let It Down", "Beware Of Darkness", "All Things Must Pass", and "Art Of Dying". I've seen several complaints that George is too preachy on some songs (i.e. "Awaiting On You All"). Well, George was a religious person, and he wrote good enough lyrics, so it doesn't matter if it's too preachy. The bonus tracks are pretty good, although I prefer the original "My Sweet Lord" to the reworked version, but that one's also pretty good. Also, I think that Phil Spector should have used the backing track of "What Is Life" offered in the bonus tracks, instead of the original, but that's just a small detail. I'm also glad that the Apple Jam was preserved, instead of left off, because you can't blame them for jamming, especially when you have an all-star team like they did on this record. My only beef is that the Apple Jam is out of order. Overall, this is definitely an essential record to any rock music collection, and if you're a guitar player, you'd like the Apple Jam.

My Sweet Lord.
this is one of the greatest thing ever recorded by human kind. I CAN'T SAY MORE. love ya george!

The Best Of George Harrison!
When The Beatles were a group Harrison was the least noticed of
the "Fab Four".When the Beatles decided to break up and go out on their own he rocked the world with this album.This album
became a best seller and an instant hit.When you would turn on the radio during the 1970's you would hear a song off of this album.Not only was the album a best seller,Harrison also had two
singles that were also big.One of the songs was "What Is Life".
The other song that turned into a megahit was "My Sweet Lord".
You can still turn on the radio today(30 years later) and still
hear this song being played.Another song that I still remember
from this album was "If Not For You".George Harrison had struck
it big on his own.He recently died and will be sorely missed.If
you want to hear good music and own a piece of history purchase
this CD.You will never forget it.

I should have passed
I like the Beatles, and I thought George's were the best Beatle songs. I like Concert for George and I like other people playing his music. After watching/listening to Concert for George, I decided to get a George CD to round out my music a bit.

Read all the glowing great 5-star reviews for ATMP, and recognized a couple of the popular songs, so I figured I was in for a treat. However, as much as I hate to say it, I can't even give it an average rating. I've listened to it enough times on the way to work (and once at home during an exercise in music appreciation) to be caught by any catchy tunes or inspired songs, and I'm afraid there aren't very many. Yes, there is My Sweet Lord, Isn't It a Pity, What Is Life, If Not For You (isn't it a Dylan song) - and that's about it. I try to get into Wah-Wah (though somewhat muddled) and try to like some of Beware of Darkness. Beyond that it is a struggle to listen to, I'm sorry to say. ... Read more

Amazon.com essential recording

Proclaiming his intentions with "Are You Ready for the Country?" Young detoured briefly to the Nashville mainstream. On this No. 1 1972 album, even the singer's acquired-taste voice comes across smooth and beautiful--the smash "Heart of Gold," with steel guitars and Linda Ronstadt's backup vocals, is by far Young's most commercial-sounding song. His usual dissonant touches, like the otherworldly guitar in "Out on the Weekend," are less spooky in this new context. The last two tracks, the deceptively gentle "The Needle and the Damage Done" and the hypnotic rocker "Words (Between the Lines of Age)," predict "Tonight's the Night," Young's haunted 1975 classic. --Steve Knopper ... Read more

Reviews (92)

Golden Harvest
After his two previous albums contained a heavy guitar sound, Neil Young returned to his acoustic based roots on Harvest. The album has a country flavor and employs strings, banjos, steel guitars and other quieter instruments. "A Man Needs A Maid" is a gorgeous, string drenched song sung in a tender voice. The title track is another well orchestrated song and "Out On The Weekend" opens the album with the feeling of an old hoe down. "Heart Of Gold" is far and away the biggest hit of Mr. Young's career. With it's searing steel guitar and top notch backup vocals from Linda Ronstadt and Nicolette Larsen, the song became his only number one song as well as his only top ten solo hit. "Old Man" has a plucking banjo line over some deep and introspective lyrics. "The Needle & The Damage Done" is an acoustic tale about the destruction heroin causes. The album ends with Mr. Young reverting back to guitar rock with "Words". Harvest would ride the success of "Heart Of Gold" to the top of the album charts and become his biggest selling album and only solo number one album of his career.

Possibly his Masterpiece
HARVEST by NEIL YOUNG just might be his masterpiece. Mr. Young is very adept at changing his sound from album to album without ever missing a step or being afraid to experiment. The sounds on this album are very laid back and soft spoken with a country, folkish sounding melodies that make the listener fall in love with them. Now Neil doesnt have that great sounding of a singing voice, but his voice comes across here sounding very well. His songwriting ability has never been a question, but here it is at the fore front of the album. Here we have 10 songs that just flow one into the other without missing a beat, and it is hard to find an weak material here. A MAN NEEDS A MAID is a great number complete with an orchestra. HEART OF GOLD is the classic song from this album that to date has been Neil's biggest hit and after listening to it you will know why. THE NEEDLE AND THE DAMAGE DONE, I think is the next best song on this album and the song lyrics deal with watching drugs take away the people you might care about. OUT ON THE WEEKEND, HARVEST, OLD MAN, ARE YOU READY FOR THE COUNTRY and ALABAMA are other songs that I think you should give a good listen to, you will really enjoy them. This is a highly recommended album for fans of serious music. On a side note, for the reviewer below who wrote that ALABAMA was the song that prompted a response song from LYNRYD SKYNRYD, the song was actually SOUTHERN MAN that was the reason for the response.

Laid Back Country Rock
This album reminds me of a southern fried version of Syd Barrett's Madcap Laughs. The songs bounce lazily along taking time and reflecting on life and the past and what is to come. This is definitley a must for any rock or country fan because there is a nice helping of both. This is one of Young's most commercial and accessible albums. This is a good into to Young's music. Ragged Glory is the exact opposite of this album so I reccomend any new comers to pick up both to see a full view of Young's styles. Anyways good album, highly reccomended.

Neil is great!
This earlier album is one of the best. Buy it for your collection.

Great Album!!
If you are going to get one of Neil's older albums, this is the one to choose. A good variety of melody and meaning!! ... Read more

Reviews (28)

NOT THE GREATEST, BUT CLOSE TO IT FOR A PURPLE HITS CD
Deep Purple The Very Best Of Deep Purple (Warner Archives/Rhino)

The Very Best Of Deep Purple (Warner Archives/Rhino) collects 15 of Purples' hardest hitting tunes from the various incarnations of the band from the very first LP Shades Of Deep Purple in 1968 to Perfect Strangers in 1984. These songs are culled from the huge Purple box set Shades 1968-1998 (Warner Archives/Rhino) and all are digitally remastered and are FIREBALLS! All songs are the original long album versions except "Kentucky Woman" that is the single version & "Speed King" which is the U.S. Deep Purple In Rock album version and is a shorter version than the release on the U.K. album. All the hits are here "Smoke On The Water," "Hush," "Woman From Tokyo" & "Demon's Eye" to name a few. The booklet has some nice pictures, U.S. album discography and song by song info by 2 DP archivists. Play this LOUD & BURN! A+.

This is a great compellation!
Deep Purple are of the best hard rock bands to ever play together. And I am a strong beliver that when Richie Blackmore isnt in Deep Purple, its not Deep Puprle, I mean the man is a pain, but man can he play the guitar. I love Deep Purple while Blackmore is their, and when he isnt Deep Purple isnt a good band. THis is a good compalation cause it gets the best of the Blackmore years, you get the worldsmost famous song 'Smoke On The Water' and the classic 'Highway Star' and 'Woman From Tokyo' you also get the ever so underrated 'Knocken At Your Back Door' all of which have killer drumming, Keyboards, Vocals, bass, oh and of coarse that amazing guitar. But 'Child In Time' to me is Deep Purples best song and in my openion Blackmores best solo, and probly the best solo of all time! All the good stuff is her, so you are missing out if yo dont own this, but you must pick up Machine Head, and In Rock as well as this collection!

Some Older Songs, Some Newer Songs
This album explores the songs of the three major line-ups and clearly shows Purple's movement from Hammond-heavy songs to riff-crazy hard rock classics. Classics such as "Smoke on the Water" and "Hush" are found here along with lesser known gems such as "Kentucky Woman" and "Demon's Eye." There's something for everyone to like here. My only complaint is that the record label appears to think that The Very Best of Deep Purple just so happens to be their top hits, when I think that's quite the opposite. I don't doubt that every song from the Machinehead album that appears on this album belongs here, but why include "Woman From Tokyo?" Sure, it was a 70's hit, but it's also one of their least Purple songs; not at all indicative of their talent or style.

I think that it's significant that this cd ends with 1984's "Knocking at Your Back Door," since that's when Deep Purple put out their last great album. I know that's harsh, but it's significant for the new listener to be aware of this band's strong albums and weak albums. The ones following 1984's Perfect Strangers are really for hard core Deep Purple fans as they don't really feature memorable songs.

I would suggest that you start with "Made in Japan" and then move on to this cd. Purple is a great live act, then and now. Remember that this is just a beginner's guide, so to speak, to a very complex and ever changing band.

Better than Deepest Purple
Overall, I think that this CD is better than Deepest Purple and When We Rock, We Rock and When We Roll, We Roll but this greatest hits compilation isn't quite perfect but I'm going to review it song by song.

Hush: Deep Purple's first hit released in the summer of '68 hitting the Top 5 on the American Billboard charts but this song isn't one of my favorites, it's a good psychedelic song but it isn't a great Deep Purple song. 4/5

Kentucky Woman: Despite the fact that this is only the single version but I think that this is a great song to listen to and it's one of the few remakes that I actually like better, that's something that I don't say too often, sadly for vocalist Rod Evans he left within a year later after recording this song. 5/5

Black Night: I don't know which album this song was off of but it's a really cool song, wish that it can be a little longer but this is the song that we get to hear Ian Gillan sing and hear Roger Glover play. 5/5

Speed King: Ian Gillan can really sing on this song and it rocks! 5/5

Child in Time: This is a good song and it's hard to believe that it's over 10 minutes long although it doesn't seem like it, believe it or not, they actually used the opening riffs from It's a Beautiful Day's Bombay Calling. 5/5

Strange Kind of Woman: I love this song and it's probably my favorite Deep Purple song from the pre-Machine Head albums, good catchy chorus. 5/5

Fireball: Great organ riffs by keyboardist Jon Lord, this song reminds me of the washing machine! 5/5

Demon's Eye: Although this song has a great chorus but this song isn't one of my all time favorites, it's still good. 4/5

Highway Star: When I first heard of this song on Dazed and Confused, I used to think that it was called Highway Storm, ain't that funny or what, this song is about fast cars. 5/5

Smoke on the Water: Despite how much airplay this song gets, this song has one of the best riffs in hard rock history, and this is also Deep Purple's most famous song. 5/5

Space Truckin': Another minor hit off of Machine Head but this song isn't one of my favorites. 4/5

Woman From Tokyo, Another one of the classic rock staples and this is a cool song, I like the fact that it goes in different directions, sadly vocalist Ian Gillan and Roger Glover would leave the band within a year or so later but this song is a classic. 5/5

Burn: Here we meet new vocalist David Coverdale (who would later go onto great success a decade later with Whitesnake) and new bassist Glenn Hughes, this is probably my favorite Purple song with David Coverdale on vocals. 5/5

Stormbringer: It is my understanding that guitarist Ritchie Blackmore was dissapointed by the album cause they didn't want to record a remake of a certain song that he liked and this song isn't nearly as good as Burn. 4/5

Knocking at Your Back Door: After almost a decade of Deep Purple breaking up, they got back together and recorded a strong Deep Purple album called Perfect Strangers. 5/5

If you're a casual Deep Purple fan you'll want this album and I wish that Deep Purple would make a double greatest hits album cause there are songs that I would want to hear on a compilation album like Mary Long, Mule, Mistreated, Sail Away, Gettin' Tighter, Perfect Strangers and Lazy, other Deep Purple albums that I would recommend is Machine Head.

Good Stuff
This album Kicks As*! The title is right,it is THE BEST OF DEEP PURPLE. Its amazing how old this band is...Deep Purple is WAY before my time, but i still love them! If your just getting into Deep Purple, i suggest this CD.

*smoke on the water, fire in the sky*.... ... Read more

Amazon.com

Simon & Garfunkel have two 3-CD box sets collecting their entire career output, one with out-takes and live recordings, but the duo who were among the bestselling acts of the 1960s only recorded five studio albums throughout the entire 1960s! Their studio perfectionism is never better served than here. This greatest hits is simple and to the point, a perfect collection for anyone looking to get the basic idea (and hits) without committing to a more serious relationship. The harmonies, Paul Simon's masterful songwriting, Garfunkel's soaring choirboy voice, are all here. --Rob O'Connor ... Read more

Reviews (65)

Only the applause is distracting (and out-of-tune Paul)
As stated above, I too was very distracted by the applause from the live tracks spilling into the intros of the classic studio versions. It would seem that the only people that wouldn't be bothered by this listen to all their music on the radio. I like to hear a composition from the beginning to the end. Also, Paul's out of tune voice (characteristic of his live singing) on Homeward Bound really ruins this version. I was wishing I was listening to the original. Of course the bottom line is this is Simon & Garfunkel, and these songs are great and classic despite the intrusive nature of the arranger(s) of the CD.

Sentimental Value gives CD 5-Star Rating
This CD was one of my favorite at a time when I was nursed emotionally by music. I found the music very beautiful and appealing, which I found out is rare and peculiar for my generation (the one currently at the college age).

I believe I first fell in love with "Mrs. Robinson" from watching the film FORREST GUMP. Then I hooked this CD and listen to classic after classic. Each song has a quality about it, it conveys a certain s

"Boxer" is despair, "Bridge Over Troubled Water" is friendship, "Bookends" is memories, "Cecilia" is sexual excitement.

There isn't an emotion that Paul Simon doesn't cover in his song-writing. Garfunkel complements his childhood friend almost perfectly.

The classic duo of popular music will remain a favorite of mine for the rest of my life, and the songs will have a certain value for me that I almost cannot describe, so I will not try. Buy the CD and see if the songs click with you. They helped me shape my tastes of music so perhaps that is why I like it so much.

But perhaps my favorite song, "America"--I just find it so beautiful that I cannot fathom how anyone wouldn't fall in love with this song.

The title says it all!
On this compilation,Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel give their fans their very best,of course. It was released in 1972,the same year as Simon's self-titled solo debut. MRS. ROBINSON from the 1967 movie "The Graduate",was just one of a handful of their #1 hits. THE BOXER from 1969's BRIDGE OVER TROUBLED WATER lacks a verse later heard,surprisingly on THE CONCERT IN CENTRAL PARK. The title track from BRIDGE OVER TROUBLED WATER is cool. THE SOUNDS OF SILENCE is not the original recording from WEDNESDAY MORNING 3 AM,S&G's 1964 debut. This version has added percussion,as heard on the 1966 album,SOUNDS OF SILENCE. SCARBOROUGH FAIR is a nice,easy listening piece. HOMEWARD BOUND and FOR EMILY,WHEREVER I MAY FIND HER were recorded live. Also from SOUNDS OF SILENCE is I AM A ROCK. AMERICA is a nice piece. I wonder if that inspired the three-guitarist band of the same name. All the other songs are good. Most songs on this album were recorded for THE CONCERT IN CENTRAL PARK in 1981. S&G split before the release of this album and Garfunkel also went out on his own.

Classic folk rock
What¡Çs not to like? Simon and Garfunkel created many wonderful songs and their greatest hits (which is not necessarily synonymous with ¡Æbest songs¡Ç) are presented here. You¡Çve heard them all a thousand times before probably, but if you love them and consider them a part of your life, you can¡Çt go wrong with this purchase.

Fan of Simon and Garfunkel Since Childhood!
I have been listening to Simon and Garfunkel for 35 years. Since I was a child, I have respected their melodies and the gentleness and humanity that flows through their songs.

"Homeward Bound" and "Sounds of Silence" are truly originals.

I know I will have a life long love for these very special artists! ... Read more

Amazon.com

John Lennon was celebrated for the ornate and avant-garde adornments he brought to the Beatles, but he also at times responded to a powerful impulse to strip his music to its raw essence. Indeed, Lennon would have flourished in the unplugged era, when the nakedness of his best lyrics and the cutting directness of his astonishing voice would have been in the fore. Since John never got around to doing an acoustic collection, the task has fallen to Yoko Ono, who's pulled together 16 skeletal Lennon tracks, including seven previously unreleased selections. Of particular note are riveting newly surfaced Plastic Ono Band demos of "Well Well Well," "God," and "My Mummy's Dead," and a harsher-than-the-electric version of "Cold Turkey." Three early '70s live recordings and a smattering of later demos flesh out the collection. The booklet includes lyrics, tablature, and chord diagrams, though the liner notes are unfortunately skimpy. --Steven Stolder ... Read more

Album Description

Packed with over 2 1/2 hours of groundbreaking andcareer-spanning cuts, all remastered for stellar sound.Features the previously unreleased studio version of'Celebration Of The Lizard'. Slipcase. Elektra/Rhino. 2003. ... Read more

Reviews (43)

Excellent collection, but could have been better
I agree with one of the previous reviewers that Disc One is terrific and Disc Two suffers, particularly due to the "Celebration of the Lizard" effort which is impossible to appreciate. That could have remained permanently unreleased except to diehard fans on the Doors' own label.
Otherwise it's a great collection, but here's another complaint. Why can't we ever get the single versions of the hit songs on a greatest hits collection? "Light My Fire" went to the top of the charts in its edited, shortened version, but it's always the album version now included on these greatest hits collections. The same is true of "Gloria" the 1983 release. I'd like to have the single, shortened version on CD.
An additional comment on "Celebration of the Lizard." Instead of including this, why couldn't this release have included a few novelties like "You Need Meat", the Danish TV version of "Love Me Two Times," the Absolutely Live song "Close to You" by Ray, etc. Including these and a few other songs would have made this 2-CD set superior to all else, and there certainly would have been room for it without "Celebration."

A MUST OWN!!!!
This is the definitive Doors collection that has been produced to date. Whether you are a longtime Doors fan or this is your first time, I strongly reccommend this collection. Top five reasons why you need this:
1. Jim Morrison's masterpiece "The Celebration of the Lizard" studio version heard for the first time EVER
2. More songs than any other Doors collection
3. Beautiful packaging with previously unreleased photos that even big time fans haven't seen
4. Songs are in chronological order so you can listen to the progress
5. Produced and selected by the band themselves- not some executive at Elektra Records

Make sure you add this to your collection- "...untill the...END"

Not exactly the band's "absolute best"
Some of the very best Doors songs are missing from this collection: "You're Lost, Little Girl", "Love Street", "The Soft Parade", "Ship of Fools". Instead, seven-or-so minutes is wasted on disc two with "Celebration of the Lizard", an interesting outtake, but hardly among the band's "absolute best". And though "Wishful Sinful", included here, was a minor hit, it was also something of a minor song; "Take It As It Comes", not included here, was both a bigger hit and a better song.

This collection does however feature good remastering.

Spectacular music, spectacular quality
Perhaps if you already have all the Doors' albums, this is somewhat superfluous. But I didn't. I had the previous 2-CD best-of collection, which was great. But the quality of sound on this collection (due apparently to great remastering) is absolutely SPECTACULAR. And it has many more Doors' songs -- which I think we all agree are phenomenal. Plus, the price is very fair for 2 CDs that have over 75 minutes apiece on them.

Despite being famously frugal with my dollar, I do not for a moment regret "upgrading" my previous best-of collection with this incredibly excellent one. Top group, their top songs, huge quantity, incredible sound quality, and a good price. Go for it!

Definitive? Well, Pretty Inclusive...
I don't know about "definitive", but this is the most comprehensive "unboxed" Doors collection to date. (The original "Doors Box Set", in my opinion, contains much filler and substandard performances, and is for diehards and completists only.) This 2-disc collection contains all their chart hits (seven top 40 singles, including two #1's) and most of their better album tracks, including the two epics, "The End" and "When the Music's Over". Generally, the track choices are on the money, although I would have liked to see the title track of "The Soft Parade" included. Also, I have mixed feelings about "Celebration of the Lizard", a lengthy unreleased work which contains the original version of "Not to Touch the Earth", and has more archival than musical value. If you have no Doors in your CD library yet, however, this is the best collection out there. ... Read more

Album Description

Expanded & remastered (HDCD) version of the band's 1970classic featuring many of the Dead's best-known songs plus6 bonus tracks 'Truckin' (single version) & 5 live tracks'Friend of the Devil', 'Candyman', 'Till The MorningComes', 'Attics of My Life' & 'Truckin'. Digipak.Warner/Rhino. 2003. ... Read more

Reviews (20)

The Best Greatful Dead Studio Album!
This is by far the best studio album The Greatful Dead ever recorded. Workingman was good but this is just that much better. Jerry Garcia's amazing guitar playing comes through full blast here on this classic album. The lyrics are the best they had been up untill this point.

The album starts off with the bands all time best song 'Box Of Rain' its a slower ballad with some beautiful lyrics. The album also closes with The Greatful Dead's second best song 'Truckin' this song is The Deads most rock and roll song, and it has Jerry Garcia's greatest guitar solo of all time! Other classics include 'Friend Of The Devil' 'Sugar Magnolia' 'Ripple' and the awsome 'Ripple' The band was never tighter then on this album.

Like I said you cant get better then American Beauty for The Greatful Dead, Working Man's Dead is good but this is bettter. Dont be fooled by the people who tell you that the live albums are better, beacuse they can get boring some of the songs are like 45 minutes long on Europe '72. If you want a good live album stick with Live Dead, its their only decent live album.Col

3 of their best tunes
This is supposed to be the Grateful Dead's masterpiece. I'm not quite sure. It has what are probably the best 3 Dead songs of all time, Sugar Magnolia, Friend of the Devil and Truckin. But, the rest of the tracks are not that great. I feel that some portions of the album border on boring, with Garcia droning while you wait to get the great stuff. Note that this is the worst of the Rhino remasters of the WB records.

This is the Dead's first complete collection of real, straight ahead rock songs. The first four albums were a mixture of studio rock songs, live music and some really wierd stuff (except Live Dead, which was all live). The fifth album, Working Man's Dead was heavily country/folk oriented. So this was the first accessible rock album from the Dead. And it did have the 3 monster tracks plus some other good ones. And during the sixties, it was unusual to get even 2 monster songs on one album.

Rhino records (which was bought out by Warner Brothers) has remastered all of the Grateful Dead's WB released. They originally came in the boxset, The Golden Road, but are now available individually.

Rhino has done a great job in remastering the ablums. Although, there are some differences in sound from the original LP's and I think I prefer the LP versions. But, mostly the sound is great.

With these remasters, Rhino has used up every possible second on the CD with bonus material, so they are all 80 minutes long. What I like is that there is a least a 10 second pause between the original material and the bonus material.

American Beauty has the worst bonus material of all the Rhino releases. The bonus material starts out with the single version of Truckin'. I just get done listening to the fantastic full length version of Truckin'. I don't want to hear the edited version directly after that. There are a few other worthless single versions. Then there are live versions of the tracks on the album. They feature a very stripped down, laid back sound. They are interesting to hear, but nothing special. The versions on Europe 72 are much better.

If you already have American Beauty in some form, this remaster is not worth getting. There are remasters of other albums you should get before this one. If you don't already own a copy of American Beauty, this is one the Dead albums that is a must have.

less than 5 stars?
I wonder sometimes what motivates people to say what they do and why. This CD is a desert island disc, or , if you only had 10 cd's to own, or, if you wanted to pick out music that was the most significant and important in rock n roll history, this is one of them. And this is not coming from a "Deadhead". This album is a gem. Not one bad tune. It re-defined the role of American themes and genres in a contemporary setting. It is a record almost perfect : we should all be so lucky if someone down the line could produce something equally as significant.

Excellent album
This was the first Dead cd I bought and I loved it right away. Classics like Truckin, Candyman, and the great overlooked song, Operator, and the live songs are awesome to listen to. Any fan of classic rock should own this.

American Beauty- "True to it's name"
What can I say about this album? In my opinion it's one of the best Dead albums ever made. I know that's up for debate, because they made so many albums, but this one seems to have such a cohesivness and rock solid feel to it, it's hard to think otherwise.
I've been a dead head for a long time, at least since the very early stuff they did. For starters, I've never seen another band that in my opinion is as versital as The Grateful Dead. Start with their first album. They just seemed to be kicking to get out of the stall. Then get into Anthum of the Sun and Aoxomoxoa. Now, down the road here we get back to their roots and have an album called American Beauty, and boy what a beauty it is. What a colection of songs, finely crafted and very cohesive together. Still, they have the variety and style of the one and only, Grateful Dead. How could you not like a song like Sugar Magnolia, or the bluegrass oriented Friend of the Devil. It's almost too much fun for one album. Then you get soulful with songs like Box of Rain and Ripple. In the words of good old American slang: "It just don't get no better than this". These guys can play their ass off on songs like Dark Star and Turn on your love light, then turn around and do something like Box of Rain or Ripple. What a nice transition. To me this just shows the incredible versitility of the band called "The Grateful Dead" Long live The Grateful Dead. They'll stretch you're musical horizons. ... Read more

Amazon.com essential recording

After laboring in Buffalo Springfield and Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, Neil Young finally hit perfect pitch--if his endearing off-center whine can be called "perfect"--with his third album. He's equally passionate with trippy riddles (has anybody figured out what "We've got mother nature on the run" means in the title track?) and pointed protest (after 30 years of rock-radio overplay, "Southern Man" still rings with truth about redneck racism). His creaky ensemble, including pianist Jack Nitzsche and rotating members of Crazy Horse, transforms ramshackle country and folk songs into soulful hippie hymns. --Steve Knopper ... Read more

Reviews (78)

A PERIOD PIECE BUT ALSO A GREAT SINGER SONGWRITER ALBUM!
I'm gonna get this off my chest first. To be honest I have never been a huge Neil Young fan. Don't get wrong he has done some great stuff throughout his musical career but so have his peers like Stephen Stills and Graham Nash etc; (sometimes they've done better things) and for whatever reason they do not get as much recognition. However I felt I hadn't really given Neil a chance. So I decided to pick up two of Neil's most critically acclaimed albums: 'Harvest' and of course 'After The Gold Rush'.

Fresh of the success of Deja Vu, Neil Young decide to conquer more ground in 1970 on his own. 'After The Goldrush' was recorded and released to a 'any type of material from CSN&Y' hungry public. The album was a monster sky rocketing Neil into new levels of super stardom.

It wasn't just hype either. 'After The Goldrush' has some great music on it.The first four tracks are truly gold. Opening with TELL ME WHY; a nice charming acoustic piece. The title track AFTER THE GOLDRUSH has some awesome lyrics. ONLY LOVE CAN BREAK YOUR HEART is beautiful and of course everyone knows the classic rocker SOUTHERN MAN which rocketed up the charts that year. TILL THE MORNING COMES is a short ditty that is pleasing but could have made way for an actual song. OH, LONESOME ME is a slow paced country piece. It's beautful but a tad depressing for me. DON'T LET IT BRING YOU DOWN is another classic here. BIRDS is another beautiful piano piece with excellent vocals. WHEN YOU DANCE YOU CAN REALLY LOVE is another great rocker. While I BELIEVE IN YOU is a laid back country rocker with some good guitar and lyrics. The final track CRIPPLE CREEK FERRY is another short yet pleasing ditty. However like I said with TILL THE MORNING COMES, it could have made way for actual songs.

Overall 'After The Goldrush' is a classic. If you want to go back to 1970 this is a good CD to take you there. At first I didn't really like this album. However after a few more listens I realized the excellence this album possessed. The lyrics are wonderful. Neil Young could really write some good music! He knew how to do a beautiful country ballad and he defiently knew how to rock! Highly recommend!

Striking Gold
Neil Young had recently had scored a number one hit as part of Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young with Deja Vu when he released After The Gold Rush. The album is a brilliant collection of songs that have a strong sense of social commentary as well of heartbreak. "Southern Man" is a strong condemnation of the redneck ideals of the South. The song has a stinging guitar that perfectly complements the angry lyrics that are dripping with venom. Songs like "Tell Me Why", "Only Love Can Break Your Heart", the sprightly "Til The Morning Comes" and the Don Gibson cover "Oh, Lonesome Me" deal with longing, loss and heartache. The title track is a hauntingly, beautiful yet cautionary tale. Mr. Young, singing over just a piano, lays out a song that turned out to eerily prophetic in the wake of what would occur in the 1970's. The album was a triumph on every level and became his first solo top ten hit peaking at number 8 in late 1970.

Truly one of Neil Young's classics
I don't exactly consider myself a big Neil Young fan, I'm not the kind of person who would buy every album with his name on it (especially many of the albums he done in the 1980s, such as Landing on Water), but After the Gold Rush, his third album (second with Crazy Horse) is truly deserving of classic status. This album has been with me most of my life, thanks to my parents owning a copy. This album also premiered a certain 17 year old by the name of Nils Lofgren, on piano. This album has many different styles from acoustic ballads, to rockers, to short singalongs. The album starts off with "Tell Me Why", which is a truly great acoustic piece. The title track is a piano-oriented ballad with an enviromental theme concerning the new decade (the 1970s, that is). "Only Love Can Break Your Heat" is not a cover of the Gene Pitney song, but another Neil Young original, in this case, a piano-oriented ballad. I don't think I need to mention the epic "Southern Man" as it's the song that receives plenty of FM radio airplay. The song obviously gave Lynyrd Skynyrd their response song four years later (1974) with "Sweet Home Alabama". Side one of the old vinyl ends with a nice, short, singalong cut called "Till the Morning Comes". Side two (of the LP) features a cover of Don Gibson's "Oh Lonesome Me", plus another nice ballad with "Don't Let It Bring You Down", plus a totally overlooked, but great rocker with "When You Dance You Can Really Love". There are two songs that don't seem to do a lot for me, that is "Birds" and "I Believe in You". The album closes off with another great singalong with "Cripple Creek Ferry", which is very much in the vein of "Till the Morning Comes". This album really takes me back to that bygone era of 1970 (even though I wasn't alive then). This album is a no brainer, if you're a Neil Young fan, get this album.

neil's best album
This is one of the best albums in the rock history.
It contains some "normal" songs and some masterworks
"Southern man" is among the ten best songs of rock and contains one of the five best riffs, such as "fire" of Hendrix or "brown sugar" of the stones.

Nothing tops this
The song "After the Goldrush" was 1st introduced to my ears while listening to the radio in my dad's pickup truck when I was 9 years old. Twelve years later my feelings for that album have not wavered. I have seen reviews by Rolling Stone magazine that say that this album was released prematurely. Upon reading Neil Young's biography and listening to many of his other albums, you will discover that whatever Neil releases is EXACTLY what he wants people to hear.
After the Goldrush is an album with mixed emotions. I am not a professional reviewer, but I know that the album brings out emotions of both reflection and love. It's an album of great contrast as well. Some songs like "Tell Me Why" and "Cripple Creek Ferry" are sort of light hearted and uplifting while the songs "Don't Let It Bring You Down" and "Oh Lonesome Me"...I think the names speak for themselves.
Do yourself a favor and get this album. You will never forget it. ... Read more

Amazon.com

After the disorganized and often unlistenable Alan Douglas-produced reissues in the '70s and '80s, MCA has been releasing the vast Hendrix archives in an intelligent and methodical manner. Blues is a perfect example, making the case that--on top of everything else--Jimi Hendrix was one fine blues guitarist. Combining the fluid lines of B.B. King with the spikiness of Hubert Sumlin and the crying tone of Elmore James with his usual synapse-frying intensity, Hendrix manages to both honor the music tradition while remaining uniquely himself. These studio outtakes and warm-ups (plus one previously released track, the magnificent "Hear My Train a Comin'") include a playful "Mannish Boy," the slow burn of "Once I Had A Woman," and a metallic "Bleeding Heart." --Steven Mirkin ... Read more

Reviews (72)

Pure Blues and Still Unmistakably Jimi - Beyond Words
In all honesty, I have never heard anything quite like the guitar work on this album. Although most people start off with Are You Experienced?, I was fortunate enought to discover this gem about 14 years ago, and my life has never been the same. In recent years, compilations of Jimi's lost works have been released; as they should be. Blues is one of the "lost and found" set. His influences shine through here, but Jimi is the pilot of this journey through the power of the blues.

While Hendrix encompassed virtually all genres of guitar in his music - rock, jazz, blues, funk, and even slight signs of classical - it is his ability to keep from limiting himself to any certain style that makes this album beyond words. While staying true to the feel and history of the blues throughout, the guitar work on this album is completely individual. At times, this is my favorite Hendrix album. It captures the versatility of the blues from the heartwrenching "Once I had a Woman" to the skyscraping agression of tracks such as "Voodoo Chile Blues." Hendrix's greatest feat here is that he manages to recognise the blues greats, Muddy Waters, T-Bone, Robert Johnson, BB King, etc., and still shines through with his own personal style and signature licks such as the opener from "Red House." His ability to express himself through his instrument is virtually unmatched.

To truly appriciate the legacy and ability of Jimi Hendrix, this album is essential. If God was a guitarist, he would be a Jimi Hendrix clone.

Jimi Hendrix was one of the greatest
I've been told that Stevie Ray Vaughan sounded a lot like Hendrix. I had never heard any Hendrix, and so I decided to buy a C.D. I was browsing through his vast sets of CD's, and my eyes fell upon this album: "Blues." So I bought the CD, and went home to listen to it. What I heard was possibly the best blues songs ever recorded. Hendrix was a master of the blues, and he proved this with songs such as "Red House" and "Voodoo Chile." Yes, Stevie Ray Vaughan sounds a lot like Hendrix, and I can see why SRV wanted to copy the blues great: because Hendrix had the blues, and he could express them better than anyone I've ever heard. SRV pales in comparison to Hendrix. Jimi Hendrix really was an amazing guitar player. Not only could he play great leads, but he FILLED the music. Most of the songs on this album consisted of just Hendrix, and a bass and drums. That's NO rythym guitar to fall back on when a solo doesn't work out as planned. He made that small number of instruments sound awesome. Any blues fan would love this CD. Any Hendrix fan would love this CD. It will hopefully bring the blues back.

Sacred
this is album was passed down to us by the gods. this is the greatest guitar album of all time. say what you want, but hendrix truly is the most untouchable guitarist of all time

NEW HENDRIX FAN!!!!!!!
Two days ago I was an 18 year old rap fan who was tired of listening to the CDs in his collection and wanted something new. So what did I do, for some strange reason unknown to me, I went through my dads collection and came across this Jimi Hendrix Blues album and another greatest hits type CD. I'm still a big rap fan, but I have found something new and very refreshing in Jimi Hendrix's music. I have found something new that I love and I havent listened to anything else since putting these in my CD player.

If you are a rock fan or a blues fan you have probably already heard this albuma and love it, so this is mainly to people who havent heard it.... Even if you love a totally different style of music; give Jimi Hendrix a GOOD listen and I promise you that you will fall in love with his music. He is truly a LEGEND!!!

The Best Blues Album
Jimi Hendrix was such a inspiring musicians with alot of great talent he mostly had with the blues. This album titled Jimi Hendrix Blues is filled with 8:00 minute jams on songs like Catfish Blues, and Once I Had A Women. It contains alot of unreleased studio work Jimi Hendrix did during his short lifetime. This album is one of the best Jimi Hendrix blues albums ever. I bought this a while ago at Fye Music the first time I listened to this I was floored. The guitar solo's are everywhere they keep runing on their complicated, bluesy, and worth listening to.

Their are so many Jimi Hendrix fans 30+ years latter due to his vibrant music that no one ever forgot 30+ years latter. Of course everybody loves the orginal albums like Are You Experienced, and Axis Bold As Love, also Electric Ladyland but the Compact Disc like this one are the true one's that are a must have for any Jimi Hendrix fan. If you love to listen to all of his radio hits then this one is not for you. But for me this album was everything I loved this album inside and out like I said its a must have for any Hendrix fan so go buy this if you want real Jimi Hendrix blues. Highly Recomened!!!!!!!!! ... Read more

Amazon.com

The ill will that initially greeted Rattle and Hum--the follow-up to the band's massively successful Joshua Tree album--was due in large part to the bloated and self-important feature film that accompanied it, which showed the band as being simultaneously naive and pretentious as it "discovered" America. But as the film mercifully slips from memory, the music has remained, from the furious swirl of "Desire" and a clutch of live hits to insightful musical nods to heroes such as Bob Dylan, John Lennon, and Billie Holiday. Songs like "When Love Comes to Town," a supercharged blues duet with B.B. King, suggests the quartet knew more about America from listening to its music than Phil Joanou's unintentional mockumentary suggested. --Daniel Durchholz ... Read more

Reviews (83)

U2 with cowboy hats
Hey, check it out. Rattle and Hum (1988)was U2's (highlights) from the Joshua Tree Tour, new songs and singles. Whop-dee-doo!!!

Helter Skelter (live)- Uh, well... never been that big of Beatles fan. U2's version is great. 9/10

Van Diemen's Land- Who sings this, Edge? Does Bono play the guitar? PERFECT LENGTH!!! End is weird, but hey, this is a live album. I wonder if cowboys sing this. 10/10

Desire- Awesome, but so short. After the first 2 verses, things slooooooow down. 10/10

Hawkmoon 269- What's with the 269? Too simple and long for me. Ok, but enough with the freaks singing in the background. 8.5/10

All Along the Watchtower (live)- Bob Dylan wrote it? LAME!!! 4/10

I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For (Live)- HOLY COW!! Live version with choir is much better than the original (as if that wasn't good enough?) 10/10

Freedom for my People- Don't bother skipping it, it's only :38 long 1/10

Sliver and Gold (live)- Good enough for middle song. 7/10

Pride (live)- HOLY another COW!!! This is the best version ever!!! So shut up! No, you can still talk. 10/10

Angel of Harlem- 2nd single, the bomb man. Sounds like an angel. 10/10

Love Rescue Me- The Blues- I don't think so? 4/10

Whe Love Comes to Town- Whatever happened to U2 music? Who wants to hear BB King and his guitar? 3/10

Heartland- To slow, never is too good. 6/10

God Part 2- Good rock I guess. 5/10

The Star Spangled Banner- JIMMI ROCKS!!! 10/10

Bullet the Bliue Sky (live)- Best version EVER dude!!! 10/10

All I Want is You- Good for the first 3 minutes. Edge's great. 10/10

U2 + American music = Great record
U2 were completely panned by the press and some hardcore U2 fans for 'Rattle & Hum' (1988), which is purported to be U2's ill-fated egocentric exploration into American music. Leaving pretentiousness in the eyes of the beholder, a lot of people liked this record, a mix of studio songs and live tracks from 'The Joshua Tree' tour and for good reason. Here's a song-by-song:

1. "Helter Skelter" [Live]. OK, the ego does get a bit out of hand here, but this is one of the standout cover tunes.

2. "Van Diemen's Land". The Edge takes vocals on this nice ode to the working man which is abruptly cut off in mid-verse.

3. "Desire". The first single, an obvious musical tribute to blues legend Bo Diddley, continues to be one of their most popular and infectious songs.

4. "Hawkmoon 269". Although there is some lyrical help from Bob Dylan, this is one of the studio tracks that really does not work.

5. "All Along the Watchtower" [Live]. An uninspired cover which is memorable only if you saw the movie.

6. "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For" [Live]. With embellishments by a real gospel choir, the song is performed the way it was meant to be.

7. "Freedom for My People". This is just a snippet of a street performer.

8. "Silver and Gold" [Live]. A great live version of a non-LP track, seethingly delivered by Bono toward an apathetic American audience.

9. "Pride (in the Name of Love)" [Live]. What live record would be complete without the consumate U2 anthem.

10. "Angel of Harlem". As one of the songs recorded at the historic Sun Studios, complete with a horn section, this lyrical ode to Billie Holiday is a U2 classic.

11. "Love Rescue Me". With the accompanyment of Bob Dylan, this one never really picks up.

12. "When Love Comes to Town". Although many U2 fans did not appreciate the prominent vocals and guitar of B.B. King, the lyrics are "fantastic" (as the King puts it in the movie), and if you love the blues . . .

13. "Heartland". You can almost see the Mississippi going by on this song, a mood piece which works much better than "Love Rescue Me".

14. "God Part II". A great rocker about contradiction and a lyrical and musical prequel to U2's "reinvention" in the 1990s.

15. "Bullet the Blue Sky" [Live]. With a recorded intro of Jimi Hendrix doing "Star Spangled Banner", this is the consumate version of this song.

16. "All I Want Is You". Although it seems a bit out of place on this record, this is simply one of the best U2 ballads ever.

More Massive Than It Seems
During the "Joshua Tree Tour", director Phil Joanou captured a massive amount of footage, to be sorted and used in a documentary about U2 and this tour. To quote Edge: "No one could really remember when it went from being this small project that we all knew what it was and could deal with it, to being this big thing, but at some point that shift occured." Indeed it did, and this documentary morphed into a massive project, resulting in a movie and eventual home video, and a new album, a double album of sorts, a mix of live material from the "Joshua Tree Tour" and brand new studio material.

As far as the live stuff is concerned, U2 are a phenomenal live band, so the live stuff is great. But some of the best live performances that were in the movie were left off the album(Streets, With Or Without You, Running..., and the powerful Sunday Bloody Sunday on the night of the Enniskillen bombing, featuring his now notorius 'f**k the revolution' speech). The best thing to come out of "Rattle And Hum" is the new material. 'All I Want Is You', 'Angel Of Harlem', and 'Desire' are classics, and are part of the live set to this day. The B.B. King collaberation, 'When Love Comes To Town' is a sore spot among U2 fans...some love it, some hate it, I think it's good but not great. Lesser-known gems from this record are 'Hawkmoon 269', 'Heartland', 'Love Rescue Me', and 'God Part II', and 'Van Dieman's Land', which is one of three songs in the U2 catalog to feature The Edge on lead vocals(the previous one was on "War" and entitled 'Seconds').

U2 recieved quite a bit of backlash when "Rattle And Hum" was released, labeled as arrogant and presumtious to put themselves in the rock pantheon of the Beatles and Dylan. It was clearly misunderstood by these critics though, as Bono later explained, 'We weren't saying we were up with those guys, we made that record as fans, that's why we put in a picture of us looking at their posters'(something like that). This is a must-have for any U2 fan. This was the last U2 release of the 80s. After this was released, and U2 concluded its "Joshua Tree" and "Lovetown" tours(Lovetown was simply a renamed last two legs of the "Joshua Tree Tour" in Australia and Ireland among other places), U2 found themselves actually bored of playing the same music every night, becoming, as drummer Larry Mullen Jr. put it, "a human jukebox". The band were united in this boredom and fatigue and general disenchantment with where they could possibly be headed, and they knew that had to make big changes, because they didn't have the joy and excitement required to make great music anymore. As Edge put it, much later during the "Elevation" tour, 'When you're on tour, it has to be unpredictable. As soon as it becomes comfortable, it's time to stop. And we learned that lesson on the Lovetown tour'.

So, at one of the last shows of 1989, in Dublin, Bono made his now famous speech, saying, 'This is just the end of something for, for U2. It's no big deal, we just have to go away for a while...and dream it all up again'. What that led to is for a different review. "Rattle And Hum" is a documentary of U2 on the path that would lead to the end of an era, and it shouldn't be missed.

U2's Energy is truly felt on this album!
More often than not, you can only tell what kind of band you are listening to by seeing them in concert or by listening to a live recording. Rattle and Hum is a recording of various concerts in the same tour of U2 in the 80's just after the Joshua Tree. the energy is incredable!
The first track starts out with the cheering of the croud. Then you hear Bono say "This is the song Charles Manson stole from the Beatles...we're stealing it back." And then Edge plays the opening riffs to Helter Skelter. The hole album is an experiance. If you are a new comer looking for a good taste of U2, or an old fan looking for somthing classic, but unique- this is the album you've been praying for! "F*ck the revolution!"~Bono

Mix of good and bad tunes.
I'm amazed how inconsistent this album is. Here you have one outstanding track (Heartland), some decent tracks (Angel of Harlem, Desire, All I Want Is You), a few mediocre tunes (When Love Comes To Town, Hawkmoon, God Pt. 2), and the rest is...plain crap, including poor live performances (a tuned down version of Pride, with no delay on guitar). Also why does Bono try to sound country in every song? You know what I mean, that frog in throat trick he employs. It sounds TERRIBLE. Two stars for being a double cd and ergo twice as expensive when instead it should have been separated into a live cd and a studio b-sides compilation. ... Read more

Album Details

Absolute Animals 1964-1968 (2003 Remastered Edition) is Quite Simply the Best, Most Comprehensive Single CD Animals Compilation Available in the World, Covering the Legendary Band's Output from Beginning to End, Incorporating the First Era of R&b-styled Classics and the Second Era of Spacey, Psychedelic Excursions. All their Classic Hits Are Present. With 20 Tracks at 78 Minutes Duration and featuring Extensive Liner Notes, this is a Must for Animals Aficionados and Lovers of Enduring and Quality Music Alike. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Two decades overdue....comprehensive and reasonably priced!!
I have been searching for a comprehesive collection of The Animals since I was collecting vinyl. I never found one. The only collection I ever saw that included all of their hit records was a 2 CD set from Britain that contained far more material than I wanted at a price I was unwilling to pay. This set, from Australia's Raven records, is a real gem. It includes all of the M-G-M hits from the original 1964-1966 Animals as well as hits by the new incarnation of the group known as Eric Burdon and the Animals from 1967-1969. The set includes just about all of their charted records and a couple of bonus cuts. And the price is right. Raven records has also included a 12 page booklet describing the history of the group and what the group members are up to today. I saw Eric Burden at a local festival a couple of years ago. He looks and sounds just the same. If you are an Animals fan or a collector, I would snap this one up while it is available. A great buy!! ... Read more