Reviews (25)

You Can Find Better
Obviously, since this does indeed have many of Skynyrd's best songs on it, it is going to be a good album. However, it is not the best Skynyrd "best of" album that you can find. It could've been a lot better. For instance, Tuesday's Gone, my all-time favorite LS track isn't on this disc at all! Neither is the studio version of Freebird! To have a Skynyrd disc that is missing those two songs and to call it "All Time Greatest Hits" is blasphemy! Get The Essential Lynyrd Skynyrd instead.

Pretty darn good.
Man, do I love Skynyrd. An this here graetest hits is definitly a smoking record. I mean, it starts off with Sweet home Alabama, and this is a song that goes back to when I was like 13, and taking my dads truck over to my girlfriends and picking her up, and taking her for a ride and showing her what a good time really was. Gimme three steps, is great, Simple man almost makes me cry, but I can hold it in. Call me the breeze is a classic, me and my buddies listend to it when we dropped out of high school in 74, driving around in my dads truck singing along. the live version of Freebird they put on here just shows what a great band Skynyrd was, and even though ROnnie aint with us no more, aint nuthin gonna stop skynyrd!

The South will not rise again
This album is for trailer trash, you don't want to be that do you?

Definitely the BEST!!
These are their best songs. Gotta love Sweet home Alabama, Simple Man, Gimme Back My Bullets, and of course, Free Bird.

Absolut Rubbish.
This is one of the worst album I have ever heard in my life. It seems like they are so engrossed in their confederate issues that their music has begun to stink worse than their excretions from the behind. Great music for the KKK and emotional skinheads. This is garbage. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Billy Idol's secret is one that he shares with, of all people, Trent Reznor--the ability to take a pop base and disguise it with layers of other genres, most notably hard rock. His adaptability is on display throughout this 16-song career retrospective. It's amazing just how well the former Generation X frontman's songs have aged. Songs such as the disco-punk hit "Dancing with Myself," "White Wedding," and "Cradle of Love" are as appealing as ever, as is even "Shock to the System," just about the only listenable thing from 1993's Cyberpunk, an object lesson on the inadvisability of jumping blindly on a bandwagon. Fleshing out this best-of is a newly recorded cover of Simple Minds' "Don't You (Forget About Me)," as well as a live, acoustic version of "Rebel Yell," and a few other choice rarities. --Genevieve Williams ... Read more

Reviews (48)

Ultimate Hits Collection From '80s Icon
Most of us know Billy Idol from a few songs, most notably "Rebel Yell," "Dancing With Myself," "White Wedding," "Eyes Without a Face," and his remake of Tommy James and the Shondells' "Mony Mony". All of those hits are included, but so are less-popular but equally great songs such as the haunting "Sweet Sixteen" and the open-road scream of "Don't Need a Gun". The album, which is conveniently in chronological order, wisely does not venture too heavily into Idol's impressive but commercially-ignored album "Cyberpunk," and it only includes one new song--a surprisingly good remake of Simple Minds' "(Don't You) Forget About Me" [useless fun fact: Billy Idol almost sang the original version back in 1985]--but the album is full of hits. That in itself is impressive since most greatest hits albums are nothing but a few stellar singles with some also-rans pasted on for effect, but it's doubly so in Idol's case since a lot of Idol's minor hits are just as good as his bigger ones. If you already own all of Idol's albums, you shouldn't waste your money on an album that only has one new song, but for those just getting into Idol, this is an excellent place to start.

Now THIS is Vital.
I remember so long having to make due with his remixed "Vital Idol" disc for a "hits" package. This is what I wish I had all that time. Don't get me wrong, it was good, but this is way more complete. 16 rebel tracks in all. "White Wedding", "Rebel Yell", and "Cradle of Love" are the BIG hits, but it's "Eye's Without a Face", "To be a Lover", and "Sweet Sixteen" that make this totally awesome! It's hard to pick favorites though, these really are ALL classic songs from the blonde, punk Elvis. Included are the covers "Don't you forget about me", and The Doors "LA Woman" from the "Charmed Life" album. I actually would have liked another track from that one. His newer "Shock to the System" is pretty good too. I would highly suggest getting this. You'll be "dancing with yourself" in no time.

Greatest Hits of Billy Idol
Billy Idol was simply one of my favorite artists of the 80's, he was not only a good singer but also a charismatic stage artist. Idol( who become a big teen idol, through the 80's)started as a punk rocker in Generation X in the late 70's, it wasn't before he started solo that he become the big star. His Punk image still existed but he mixed the punk with new wave 80's rock to become one of the 80's big names.

On this album you'll find all of his big hits. Including trademark "Rebel Yell" where the screams the lyrics, catchy uptempo "Hot In The City" "Dancing with Myself" with Generation X. His R&B influented version of "Mony Mony" and his own "Got To Be a Lover", Goth "White Wedding" And beautiful ballads "Sweet Sixteen" and "Eyes without a face". For the first time we'll also get his 1990 hit "Cradle of Love" on a compilation. But also "Shock the System" from Cyberpunk, (a album from 1993 that didn't work out) and a un-released version of Don't You (Forget About Me).

In 1988 Billy Idol released a best of album called "11 of the best" and apart from 5 news song this album is simular. However "Cradle of Love" one of his best songs was not released yet back then. I think this album is wortwhile, especially if you like Billy Idol. This is the ultimate collection, i don't expect to see another "greatest hits" album anytime soon, so get this.

Finally a greatest hits that contains ALL his hits
This greatest hits is so good and so complete that you can sell your other billy idol cd's.

Has every good song that I know of from him.

Essential Idol!!!
This great CD collects the best of Billy Idol's career on one nice shiny CD!!! 16 great songs in all!!!Essential Idol!!! Includes:Dancing With Myself,Mony Mony,White Wedding,Rebel Yell,Flesh for Fantasy,Cradle Of Love,LA Woman,Catch My Fall,Eyes Without A Face,Rebel Yell(live and acoustic),and more!!! A great one disc collection!!!Great remastered sound!!! Two thumbs up!!! Five stars!!! A+ ... Read more

Album Description

John Hiatt recorded Master Of Disaster with the North Mississippi All Stars as his backing band. The CD is being released as a Hybrid Super Audio CD. This CD plays on all CD players, including CD players with SAC/5.1 Surround Sound. ... Read more

Amazon.com

John Lennon's solo work has been anthologized so many times that it's hard to believe there wasn't a definitive compilation before this one. And, depending on your particular take, you might not find Lennon Legend quite hitting the mark. However, since it does contain the brilliantly scathing "Working Class Hero," doesn't ignore the woefully underrated Rock 'n' Roll album, and catches the hopeful renewal that came toward the end of his foreshortened life, it's probably about as close as anyone's going to come. His great songs shine, meditations like "Imagine" and his rockers had form and content, as in "Whatever Gets You Through the Night." He was an icon, and this does him justice. --Chris Nickson ... Read more

Reviews (125)

Seventies classics from former Beatle
Ultimately, John's reputation rests primarily on the songs he wrote and the music he recorded as a member of the Beatles, but he also recorded some great music after the Beatles split up and this collection includes the best of it.

Of the tracks here, the most famous of all is the truly brilliant song Imagine, but the lyrics demonstrate the difficulty of achieving world peace. John asks us to imagine there's no countries, no religion, no possessions - of course, these are the things that are the cause of all the wars.

There are several other well-known songs here, including Power to the people, Just like starting over, Woman, Give peace a chance (this song was recorded and released as a single while John was still with the Beatles) and the Christmas classic Happy Xmas War is over. All these songs were big hits from John in Britain and elsewhere.

Also included here is John's original version of Jealous guy, a song that he wrote but which eventually became a British number one hit for Bryan Ferry. John showed that he could also record other people's songs - his version of Ben E King's sixties classic is included here.

Even though the overall standard does not match what he did as a Beatle, there is plenty of great music here - easily enough to justify five stars. All fans of seventies pop and rock should have some of John's solo music and this collection provides all the essentials.

How Many "Love & Peace" Anthems Do We Need?
First of all, it must be said that John Lennon is a bonafide musical giant. His work with the Beatles remains a cornerstone by which everything else in popular music should be judged. But his solo career has recieved an overabundance of praise for what has amounted to a repeated mantra of "Make Love, Not War". This message would've been fine if it was restricted to a few classic songs such as "Imagine". But Lennon rewrote "Give Peace a Chance" several times hereafter in the forms of "Happy X-Mas", "Mind Games", "Love" and "Power to the People". Even "Instant Karma!", one of his best solo songs, is a variation on this theme. Stressing "love and peace" tenfold over five albums does not make for a riveting career (even Bob Dylan moved away from straight protest songs after two albums). It doesn't help that Phil Spector's stark arrangements lack the subtle charms of George Martin's Beatles production.

Even when Lennon began to break out of his simpistic political agenda, he began recording very slick pop singles with only "Watching the Wheels" (a peak into Lennon's genius for introspective songwriting) holding its own with his finest songs. The music on this collection isn't bad, it's merely misguided and highly overrated. For people who want a better taste of Lennon's enormous talent, pick up a copy of any later-day Beatles album and simply listen.

Beginner to Lennon - Dream, Imagine, love, make peace!
WOW..just WOW! I dont know how to describe the genius of Lennon. First off, I wanna call myself new to Lennon's solo works. I bought this CD for "Imagine" and "the hype". But only now I realize "the hype = Brilliance" of John Lennon. I am a young adult, who loves alternative and rock like so many other kids out there. I never thought I would buy into an old man music and his philosophies. But this is pure genius! This is the best mix of music and lyrics I have EVER heard.

Stand out tracks (although every track has its own merit):
1. Imagine - THE BEST song ever written. The simplest of melodies with such relevant lyrics.
2. Mother - I miss my mom now!
3. Jealous Guy - Such a cool melody..a very sweet song.
4. Cold Turkey - Rocks!
5. Dream - My favorite track after Imagine.. Lennon shows his genius again in simple harmonies with such nice lyrics!
6. Stand By Me - Really good acoustic track.
7. Beautiful Boy - Really sweet song.
8. Watching the wheels - About Lennon.
9. Happy Xmas - The Best Christmas song. ever.

Well these are my fave tracks. Ofcourse, you will have yours! This album is a MUST buy for any music lover. This is the epitome of music. You can't get better melodies and lyrics for your money's worth.

Amazing
Well i bought this cd about a month ago and it truly is amazing. the songs that really satnd out are IMAGINE, #9 DREAM, MOTHER, WORKING CLASS HERO,and GIVE PEACE A CHANCE

Great Compilation!
Okay so if you WANT to be unadventurous and just go for John
Lennon's greatest hits this is the place to get them!And yes-
this will even please the true fan who,while probably having all of his albums already,will need songs like "Instant Karma",
"Cold Turkey" and "Give Peace A Chance" which never appeared on
an album.The mastering is fine and it runs in chronological order from the highly unsettling "Mother" to his buyount final
hits "Nobody Told Me" and "Borrowed Time".So classic rock compilation lovers this ones for YOU!!! ... Read more

Album Description

Huey Lewis and his clan of good-time San Francisco-based pop-rockers had a long run of scaling the charts in the '80s and '90s with unforgettable radio hits. Fusing '60s R&B, U.K. bar band vigor, and classic rock 'n' roll, their spirited sound netted a pair of #1 albums anda slew of signature songs. A quarter century after they formed, they're still going strong, and many of their biggest tracks get the band's always crowd-pleasing send-up on this cookin' live album recorded in concert on their Northern California home turf in December 2004. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

I'm not happy to be stuck with this...
I'm not ashamed to admit that like most children of the '80s, Huey Lewis was an important part of my life's soundtrack and every time he, Sean, Bill and Johnny (it's not The News without Chris Hayes and Mario Cipollina and I'll never deal with it!) and their backing band put out a new CD, I'm on it like an Ethiopian on a Big Mac (another '80s reference), and when I saw that they were FINALLY putting out a live album, I thought, "FANTASTIC!"

Then I played it.

I hoped Huey threw on some unlisted bonus tracks (i.e. the DVD bonus songs) as it's hard to imagine a live CD without "Walkin' on a Thin Line," "Jacob's Ladder," "Couple Days Off," maybe some of the covers off Four Chords like "Your Cash Ain't Nothin' But Trash" or INSERT SONG FROM BACK CATALOGUE HERE, AS LONG AS IT ISN'T "STUCK WITH YOU"!This should have been as well-endowed songwise as Huey is, allegedly.Why this wasn't a double CD, I guess they figured lack of interest.They are a people's band, though, right up there with NRBQ and The Saw Doctors, and despite there being a slightly reasonable amount of decent tracks on it for a single disc, it's hard not to feel like you got the fries, but the server forgot your burger.

All I want is a couple more tracks!
Signed,
epsteinsmutha

Here For A Good Time
So, what have Huey Lewis & the News been up to since their heyday - the days of their back to back monster albums Sports & Fore? (Sports & Fore! produced many of the band's most recognizable hits, including "Heart & Soul", "The Heart of Rock & Roll", "I Want A New Drug", "Stuck With You", "Jacob's Ladder", and "Hip To Be Square", among others.)

Huey & company have continued to produce quality music based in the great traditions of American rock and R & B, releasing fine albums like "Hard At Play", "Four Chords & Several Years Ago", and most recently, "Plan B". The News has shifted their style over the years away from great rock with a great hook to great R & B with a great hook. And that shift, along with the passing of time, has pushed the band away from the mainstream, appealing primarily now to a large core of die hards.

Huey Lewis has said for years that he has always wanted to release a live concert album, and for the first time today, he and the band have come through with a live CD spanning songs from their 25 year career.

The CD is stuffed with 16 tracks and the set list won't surprise the die-hard NewsHeads. The tracks are a well-chosen sample of the News' albums through the years. Following the band's live performances since 1983, one can tell there are certain songs that Huey likes, despite the fact that they are not commercially popular. Huey included a track from their self-titled debut and three songs from "Plan B", which were never heard by most listeners on commercial radio. And the songs that didn't make the cut include "Stuck With You", Huey's biggest hit ever (3 weeks at number 1) and "Jacob's Ladder", another top 5 smash. Like he has said in concert, so many hits, so little time...

The disc really captures the pacing and energy of a typical Huey Lewis show. Light on banter with the crowd, he begins with "The Heart of Rock & Roll", and starts to unwind a bit when introducing Johnny Colla's sax solo mid-song. And he really loosens up toward the end of the underappreciated soulful second song, "So Little Kindness", extending the end of the song well beyond the recorded version, begging, pleading for just a little kindness. At this point, he and the band are hitting their groove and the night is still very young.

After a smooth and soulful "Thank You #19", Huey & the boys kick into a traditional highlight, the guitar-driven "I Want A New Drug". In recent years, Huey has taken to jamming a shorter version of "Drug" and rolling into "Small World", which features some snappy riffs from the News Brothers horn section and nice keyboard work by Sean Hopper. It definitely works here.


A by-the-books version of "If This Is It" makes way for a rocking "Power of Love", featuring Stef Burns on guitar. A deftly reworked version of their first big hit, "Do You Believe In Love", is a pleasure and could hit the Adult Contemporary charts today if recorded in studio.

After the traditional accapella break, the band hits the accelerator and doesn't look back. The crowd-pleasing segment kicks off with a News classic, "Heart And Soul", jumps to the foot-stomping "But It's Alright", and spins into the slightly reworked crowd-pleaser "(Too) Hip To Be Square". Huey & the News don't let up here, kicking into their out-of-the-box classic from "Plan B", "We're Not Here For A Long Time", and finishing the hand-clapping set with a long-overlooked staple, "Back In Time". To finish the disc, Huey ends with one of his greatest sing-a-longs, "Doing It All For My Baby".

Throughout the show, Huey's voice retained it's patented gravelly quality, rough around the edges, for sure, but hasn't it always been that way? The band was tight as ever, the crowd was cheering and dancing, and a great American rock and roll band was captured doing what they do best. This is what they call "feel good" music. My only regret was that the disc had to end at 16 songs. So many hits, so little time, indeed...

So many hits, so little time . . .
Boom-boom boom-boom boom-boom boom-boom . . . and there you are, in the heart of rock and roll and rhythm and blues. Huey Lewis has always been an upbeat force, but live is a separate dimension. Buy this record, crank it up, and experience the News in a whole new and always catchy way.

Good call on the "Drug/Small World" mix and a special edition of "Do You Believe In Love." And, really, is there any better closer than "Back In Time"? I don't think so. The band is in its usual snappy groove, and Mr. Lewis belts and purrs his sonic trademark straight into your soul. Yes, Huey, we're still with you.

Rilke wrote, "Music is closer to us, then; it streams toward us; we stand in its way, but then it goes right through us. It is almost like a higher air, we draw it into the lungs of spirit and it gives us a greater blood in the secret circulation." Breathe this record in, and curry favor by buying an extra copy for someone you like.

Geoff Cronin
Boston
... Read more

Amazon.com essential recording

Van Morrison went a long way towards defining his wild Irish heart with his first two classic albums: the brooding, introspective Astral Weeks (1968), and the expansive, swinging Moondance. If the first was the work of a poet, its sequel was the statement of a musician and bandleader. Moondance is that rare rock album where the band has buffed the arrangements to perfection, and where the sax solos instead of the guitar. The band puts out a jazzy shuffle on "Moondance" and plays it soulful on "These Dreams of You." The album includes both Morrison's most romantic ballad ("Crazy Love") and his most haunting ("Into the Mystic"). "And It Stoned Me" rolled off Morrison's tongue like a favorite fable, while "Caravan" told a tale full of emotional intrigue. Moondance stood out in the rock world of 1970 like a grownup in a kiddie matinee. --John Milward ... Read more

Reviews (124)

My Own Private "Moondance" with Van.....
This review refers to the Warner Bros. audio tape of Van Morrison's "Moondance"....

I have to confess...I bought this "fantabulous" album on tape so I could pop it in my walkman and have my own private time with Van Morrison, his band and the exhilarating music. But alas, I always get caught. The music and the lyrics are just ones that I can't help singing aloud with(you know...'LA LA LA LA... LA LA LA'...), and playing on my own air instruments!

The familiar and soothing voice, the soulful and oh so recognizable tunes, will "let your soul and spirit fly Into The Mystic". It's always "a marvelous night for a Moondance", and who could ever tire of "Come Running" and "Caravan". So 'rock your Gypsy soul', 'turn it up',and fall in love again to "Crazy Love".....'she give me love love love love...crazy love'.It'll 'seem like and feel like' a "Brand New Day" every time you play it.

All the great sounds of the vocals and the band, including the wonderful solos sound great on this tape.If you are just starting to collect Van Morrison, start with this one.It's definitive of his work and one that you just won't be able to get enough of... 'And so you know, it's got soul'(see buying info for complete list of songs)

Van..."Can I have just one more 'Moondance' with you"??? Just let me know and I'll "Come Running"....
enjoy...Laurie

It's a marvelous night for "Moondance"
Moondance is a wonderful album. Van Morrison is a truly gifted songwriter, not to mention his wonderful, yet unique voice. If you want to hear music that is more flash and glitz and commercialism, give Moondance a listen. Just reading the lyrics to this album could stir your soul. The lyrics are amazing, and the music is great too. In addition to the great acoustic guitar playing, bass and drums, Van has also added saxophones, flutes, clarinets and pianos to many of the songs, giving the album a rather distinct sound. My favorites are Come Running, Moondance, These Dreams Of You, Caravan and of course, the BEST song on the album, maybe Van Morrison's best song: Into The Mystic. This album would get 5 stars just for Into The Mystic even if all the other songs were bad. Fortunately though, that's not the case. Moondance is marvelous from start to finish.

Ice cold audio orange juice
It's not as complex, beautiful and enigmatic as "Astral Weeks" and it's not as much of a soulful, one-two-punch workout as "Blowin' Your Mind," but for sheer, consistent, horn-driven happiness, you can't do much better than "Moondance."

But because of my affection for those other two disks, I admit, I generally tend to underrate this album. But "Moondance" keeps coming back to me in the most unexpected ways at the most unexpected times: I'll hear "Caravan" in "The Last Waltz," or "Everyone" at the end of "The Royal Tenenbaums" or "Glad Tidings" three times in the "Sopranos" Season 5 finale, or notice "Into the Mystic" on the PA at the grocery store and be reminded that I need to let it out to play more often. That's the sign of a truly great musical work.

he got stoned all rite!
yo my parentz lissen tu dis cd! i mean theyre old, and i am an informed consumer uv hot topic clothing! so i must have a better taste in muzak, rite? i mean, da shtuff i lissen too is on da billbored chartz! like, American Idol peeps so bust Van da man fer rekord salez!

Excellent introduction in Van Morrison
I was only familiar with the Brown Eyed Girl and Gloria Van Morrison but bought this because of the strong 5 star rating with nearly 130 reviews. They are right. This is a great CD filled with easily listened to (not easy listening) music. The lyrics are absolutely heartfelt. The speed of the music fluctuates from not to fast to slow and cool. This would be great entertaining music for a small group of people or just for that one person. ... Read more

Amazon.com essential recording

"Sister Morphine," the heart of guitarist Mick Taylor's first full studio album with the Stones, doesn't get the airplay of "Brown Sugar" or "Wild Horses." But it's one of the most vivid, horrifying songs about drug abuse ever recorded--as Mick Jagger sings "from my hospital bed," the ringing guitars of Taylor and Keith Richards build to full catharsis behind him. On that and lighter songs like the countryish "Dead Flowers" and the rocker "Bitch," Charlie Watts establishes himself as rock's prototypical drummer. He's creative and propulsive and knows how to swing, but he never overwhelms the song or the other Stones. --Steve Knopper ... Read more

Reviews (147)

Fantastic classic rock album
If there were a rock'n'roll heaven, the Stones would be saints without question. "Sticky Fingers" is dirty, funky and rockin' the entire way through. From the opening power chords of "Brown Sugar" to the heart-tugging ending ("Moonlight Mile"), the Stones rip their way through one of their best albums.

There really isn't one bad song on this entire album. Some of the songs aren't downright fantastic, but they certainly don't detract from the overall atmosphere of the record.

For example, "Dead Flowers" is kind of a corny song, but it's funny enough to keep with the light mood that most of the album stays in.

There are moments where Mick and company sway from being light-hearted, however, and it is those moments that truly make this album classic. "Wild Horses" is quite possibly one of the most moving love songs in all of classic rock, and "Sister Morphine" might be the best (and most frightening) song about drug abuse this side of an Eminem track.

When all is said and done, this is the Stones in rare form. Hard rockin' and tough talkin'. That's why they're one of the best bands in the history of music.

The Height of the Mick Taylor Era
Does it get any better than this? Here we've got the Stones at the apotheosis of their raunchiness, decadence and political incorrectness (the lyrics are priceless). Perhaps the most surprising thing about STICKY FINGERS is its eclecticism. There are the expected rockers with the requisite killer riffs ("Brown Sugar," "Can't You Hear Me Knocking," and "Bitch"), classic and original blues ("You Gotta Move" and "I Got the Blues"), ballads ("Wild Horses") and a hilarious country parody ("Dead Flowers"). All of which makes this an interesting counterpoint to EXILE ON MAIN STREET, which was a more monolithic-sounding album.

From a strictly musical standpoint, this could be the most exhilirating album in the Stones' catalog, and that says a lot. "Can't You Hear Me Knocking" is just staggering. It starts out as a snarling rocker, then morphs into a hypnotic Santana-like electric guitar interlude punctuated by Bobby Keyes's masterful saxophone. How this was left off of FORTY LICKS is beyond me. Billy Preston delivers a bravura organ solo in the middle of "I Got the Blues." Yup, that really is Ry Cooder playing guitar on the majestically creepy overdose song "Sister Morphine." You haven't heard that one until you listen to it alone in the dark, especially with a slight buzz. "Wild Horses" is one of their great love songs. Actually, the GIMME SHELTER documentary film has an even prettier version of that tune, with Jagger singing it with only an acoustic guitar accompaniment. "Moonlight Mile" ranks up there with "Salt of the Earth" and "You Can't Always Get What You Want" as one of the most cathartic closing songs on any Stones album. In my humble opinion, this rivals or perhaps even exceeds LET IT BLEED as the greatest Rolling Stones CD.

Note: In 1994 Virgin Records released a "limited edition remaster" of Sticky Fingers which replicated the original album art by Andy Warhol, including the infamous fly on the front cover that zips up and down. It sounds about as good as the Abkco remasters that came out in 2002, but is no longer in print. Virgin also released a limited edition remaster of Exile On Main Street the same year.

Head Full Of Snow
Sticky Fingers is no more a drug album than the world is a heavy place, or so Keith Richards once said. One of the handful of greatest albums of any genre, Sticky Fingers defies criticism. From the opening suspended chord of Brown Sugar to the final strings of Moonlight Mile, on Mick Taylor's first Stones album proper (he played a few notes on Let It Bleed) everything is right. The funk break in Can't You Hear Me Knocking, the mean woman blues of You Gotta Move, the Otis Redding copy I Got The Blues, Paul Buckmaster's strings on Moonlight Mile, the Gram Parsons's "influenced" Dead Flowers and Wild Horses (Keith recently admitted that he can't recall the extent of Parsons's writing those songs due to the drug haze surrounding the sessions), the harrowing heroin horror-show of Sister Morphine, and the violent R&B/Rock that the Stones had perfected and were more than happy to flaunt on Sway (my personal favorite), Bitch, and Brown Sugar offer an encyclopaedic masterful display of music. The fact that this baby opens with greatest single ever only seals its fate and every serious (or even joking) record collection should reserve an important place for Sticky Fingers. If you don't own it, you don't enjoy rock music.

Underrated? Well, actually, yes.
It's pretty easy to avoid overpraising an album that is bracketed by two of the best expressions of the rock'n'roll sensibility ever recorded. "Sticky Fingers" followed 1969's apocalyptic masterpiece "Let It Bleed" and preceded 1972's kaleidoscopic riffmixer "Exile on Main Street" in a string that also included "Beggars Banquet" and "Get Yer Ya-Ya's Out;" many agree with me that no popular music act ever matched that stretch of sustained excellence. Of these records, I have to say that "Sticky Fingers" may have suffered from being the most accessible; it's been the rule with me that hating a record on first listen means a love affair in the making. I sure didn't have that problem with this one. At age fourteen, I melded the snippets that I heard of "Sticky Fingers" into my personal soundtrack of the summer of 1971. "Brown Sugar" shook me when I first heard it; "Wild Horses" had a similarly seismic effect on my teen hormones. I'd hear bits and pieces wafting from that gorgeous 18-year-old brunette's apartment, near the beach at Ocean City, and think, hmmmmm. Maybe I have to buy this one soon. When I did, no adjustment period was required. (I mean, I HATED the other records in this string when I first heard them.)

You know? Maybe the REALLY great stuff is like THAT. If I could only save one record (please God let that cup pass my lips) from my blazing bedroom, "Exile" might still be it. But I'd tell the firefighters not to come out without this one. Its first three songs may be the best 1-2-3 punch on any rock record. "Brown Sugar" is the most overplayed number I still insist on playing; it's still air-guitar/air-sax heaven, with bathroom-mirror singing parts. I'm happy, though, to see all the plugs on this site for "Sway," my favorite Stones song. The lyrics are powerful, Mick's countdown at the start a moodsetter, the Mick/Keith duet drowned by the solo at the end classic Stones harmony, the rhythm guitar majestically orchestral (one almost doesn't need the strings that one thanks God are in there to lift the song into the upper atmosphere at the end), Mick Taylor's lead solo soaring like no other on a Stones song (it actually starts to peak right at the fadeout). When I put this record on to hear one song, "Sway" is always it; when I grab a selection, "Sway" is always one of them. But the album keeps moving from strength to strength: the country perfection of "Wild Horses" and "Dead Flowers" (the Stones are the world's best C/W band); the pure blues of "You Gotta Move" and the blues/gospel tints of "I Got the Blues," the dirty swing of "Bitch," the strung-out nightmare of "Sister Morphine" (actually my least favorite on this record full of favorites), and finally "Moonlight Mile," proving once and for all that it takes a really strong rock band to be gentle. The string chord at the end of this song ties in my mind with the final notes of "From the Morning" from Nick Drake's "Pink Moon" for best record closer ever.

(And I had to come back to plug "Can't You Hear Me Knocking," one of the alltime great guitar workouts. This album is that good.)

"Sticky Fingers" is in no way one of those records that reveals new layers with every listen. There's not a busted pick on this record I haven't heard a thousand times. Rather, the things you keep on hearing, keep on delivering, time after hi-test time. Underrated? Hmmmmm. Maybe not. I'll check back and let you know how high this one eventually goes on my all-time best list. It's on the Up elevator. And climbing.

MADE THE SUMMER OF 1971 A GREAT TIME TO BE ALIVE
Sticky Fingers finds the Stones riding at their peek and white-hot. It is also the first time the Stones were out from under the shadow of the Beatles. Somehow, when they were no longer competing with the Beatles they were able to come into their own. Freedom was good for them.

The Stones were also free from the sixties and all that "revolution" nonsense. The Stones could be their own kind of "cool" and millions ate it up.

Production values also changed. As a close listen to this record will show, stereophonic sound now had a presence in which the listener seemed to find himself in the midst of the instruments and musicians. This was exciting at the time and gave the listener a new sense of realism in the playing. Later in the seventies, this approach was driven so far that many records felt claustrophobic. The sound was so up close and precise that it became unreal. In the Stones' hands, however, the sound was tight but the feeling was loose and free.

The album opens with "Brown Sugar" and "Sway". Wonderful lyrics, good solos, rocking rhythm. Definitely forbidden subject matter. But this was all a part of the new era of freedom and frankness of the time. It was all about being "past all those hang ups".

"Wild Horses" is a touching, tender ballad that somehow manages to drip with masculinity. "Can't You Here Me Knocking" is perhaps the greatest lost Stones song. Perhaps it is all the drug references or because the instrumental section reminds many of Santana, but it is smart and tough and all cool. It is unjustly ignored.

"You Gotta Move" is a slide guitar blues song that seems inconsequential but you find yourself playing it in your head weeks later. "Bitch" is simply one of the Stones best with a growling guitar line, snapping drums and a tight horn section all trying to keep up with swaggering Jagger.

Things slow down with "I Got The Blues" and "Sister Morphine". Then the mood lightens up with the comical country song "Dead Flowers". Finally, we get 'Moonlight Mile". 'Moonlight Mile" is a wonderful romantic and gentle song that flows like a quiet river over the listener and slips out into the sea. It deserves repeated listening and the Stones themselves would try to rise again to the same level in other songs-but they never got it as perfect as they did here.

OK, I count 6 great cuts out of 10 strictly speaking. But even the lesser songs hold up and are memorable over thirty years later. This is the Rolling Stones at their best. It is a shame all some remember is the Andy Warhol "jeans" artwork. Sticky Fingers is smart, sexy and commanding. It helped make the summer of 1971 a good time to be alive. ... Read more

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Experience Hendrix brings together the major singles with a stack of majestic album tracks and the career-defining live Woodstock version of "The Star Spangled Banner" on a fat 20-tracker. While best used as a sampler to direct new listeners to the immortal Are You Experienced, Electric Ladyland, and so on, the CD (which supplants the short-lived Ultimate Experience collection) does hang together as a listen. Its blend of Hendrix the rocker and Hendrix the underrated soul man is suggestive, painting a picture of a multifaceted genius and transcending its plainly mercenary origins. In the end, its effect--like that of all Hendrix's best records--is to remind us of a Jimi very, very much alive. --Rickey Wright ... Read more

Reviews (128)

Experience Hendrix in all his glory....
My good friend Aaron first got me started on Jimi with this album, and I quickly borrowed it from him, wanting my own copy. Now, while this package is missing a few essentials, it is not at all bad (I think it's impossible for one to include everything necessary in a greatest hits set, boxsets included).

Now, of course you have Purple Haze, Fire, and Foxey Lady, and then you have a trip; If 6 Was 9. My personal favorite track would have to be Voodoo Child (Slight Return), but no doubt you have your own favorite.

Some of the (not-so popular?) songs such as Little Wing, Castles Made Of Sand, and Bold As Love are all awesome, and you even have a little treat with Star Spangled Banner, which also is featured on Live @ Woodstock, but it is still awesome, and remains a classic to this day.

I'd have to say that if you are just getting into Hendrix, you should get this, or Are You Experienced?, or, if you don't have enough cash for those, Smash Hits contains enough classics to suffice, but you should go with this.

A very good introduction to Jimi.
I'm not really crazy about compiliations. Although some are definitely better than most--Rolling Stones Hot Rocks 1963-1971, The Who Ultimate Collection, and Beatles 1 are all pretty good--there's always something missing if you don't purchase the original albums.

And Experience Hendrix is no exception. Where are classics like Burning Of The Midnight Lamp, Like A Rolling Stone, Voodoo Chile, and Machine Gun? Hendrix's short career has a lot of hidden gems that won't be featured in a comprehensive overlook.

However, for a compilation intended to introduce fans to the guitar mastery of Hendrix you can't go wrong. All of the selected material is strong, and I like how they put material from First Rays Of The New Rising Sun on here. The rest of it are mostly popular radio tunes, which does not make them inferior in the least. This is Jimi we're talking about. Few guitarists could approach him in any era.

This will get your foot in the door. Once you become a fan, you will want to seek out Electric Ladyland and Are You Experienced? to supplant this album. You might also want to check out Jimi's live recordings as well.

True Rock.
This album definitly has a lot of great material, and will appeal to any Jimi Hendrix fan and most other people as well. Although some may argue about which song should or should not have been placed on this disk, it doesn't really matter, because almost everything Jimi played was good anyway. Please disregard "seawasp" if you are considering buying this album. He either has extremely poor taste in music or has never listened to the CD and just writes reviews for fun.

Starting point
Jimi is THE MAN. I bought it 3 years ago and my life was never the same again. also buy LENNY KRAVITZ GREATEST HITS

Great compilation!
This CD basically singlehandedly changed my views on what great music truly is. It was the first "album" of Jimi's I bought and have since gotten 30+ more. He is my favorite artist of all time.

I already wrote a review for the CD, giving it only three stars, but I decided to give it a solid five. The reason being a greatest hits compilation of any artist could never, ever be perfect. You take what you can get. And this CD just so happens to feature most of Jimi's best songs. Some might disgrace Jimi by calling the tunes on this album "nothing but Jimi's pop songs." Some might even call you a fool for starting here (just check out a few of these reviews), but it's how I got my foot in the door. I don't regret purchasing it at all.

Glaring omissions? You betcha. Machine Gun. Like A Rolling Stone. Burning Of The Midnight Lamp. Are You Experienced. Third Stone From The Sun. Hear My Train A Comin'. My Friend. The list is endless. But, as I said, greatest hits albums are never perfect, especially in Jimi's case.

Start here. Go further. Get experienced. ... Read more

Amazon.com essential recording

Hot on the heels of The River, his commercial breakthrough, Springsteen's decision to release the stark, demo-quality Nebraska seems downright perverse. But the genius of the album is unmistakable--with just an acoustic guitar and his howling harmonica to back him, Springsteen tells the stories of characters walking on both sides of the law, some of them directly on the line in between. The effect is that of a powerful series of black-and-white photographs--the details are bleak in and of themselves, but they ignite the imagination in ways that are more satisfying than full-color shots would be. "Mansion on the Hill," "Highway Patrolman," "Atlantic City," and the frightening "Nebraska" are among the most sharply rendered and memorable works of Springsteen's career. --Daniel Durchholz ... Read more

Reviews (95)

Bruce's Finest
I always preferred when artists go acoustic, and record a low-quality album. Albums like Nebraska capture an artist at their most intimate. This was Bruce Springsteen's stark, low-key acoustic record. It was very dreary, as it was beautiful. His tales of suffering and being on the wrong side of the law was profound and you can feel it in his howl and his singing. He already had the reputation of being a high-energy, bombastic satdium act but Nebraska captured him in a whole new light. It was more reserved than Born to Run, and it had more personality than many of his albums. Songs like "Atlantic City," "State Trooper," and "Highway Patrolman" send chills down my spine, whereas other songs like "Nebraska," "My Father's House" and "Used Cars" express Springsteen in a more vulnerable, yet very striking voice, particularly Nebraska's tale of a serial killer. Even non-fans of The Boss can appreciate this album for its sense of intimacy and depth. Springsteen would never be this bare after this album, although certain subsequent works do show his profound side (particularly Tunnel of Love and the Rising).

Not for Everyone
"You wanna know why I did what I did; well, sir, I guess there's just a meanness in this world." So ends the first and title track of this album. The song 'Nebraska' is based, like Terrence Malick's 1973 movie 'Badlands', on the story of the 1950's killer, Charles Starkweather. As with all the songs here, Springsteen sings in the first person, becoming the characters he breathes to life. The first song, chilling and nihilistic, sets the tone for the rest of the album, which portrays the stark working class existance of small town life.

Here we meet people living on the edge. People with a thin sense of hope running on empty. Yet out of the initial depression and bleakness of his landscape, Springsteen can find a humanity in many of his people, still shining just beneath the surface.

This is not an album for everyone. Certainly, it is different from most of Bruce Springsteen's music, perhaps finding it's closest echo in 'The River'. The sound is raw, apparently recorded in Springsteen's own basement, and features a solo performance with only guitar and harmonica. It's tone and sometimes despair recalls the desperation of the dust bowl blues; the lyrics resonate like Raymond Carver stories put to music. Never before or since has Springsteen created such evocative slices of life with such an economy of words.

All in all, an extraordinary album. Unique, wild, raw, and beautiful. Deceptive in its simplicity, and disturbing too. A great album.

Shows his true artistry and ability
Bruce decided he had to make this album to further himself as an artist, as to not get stuck in a routine of writing typical pop songs. It took a lot of guts to do, especially because he knew that it wouldn't be an immediate big smash, and because he also knew that he could have easily remained in the same vein he had been in and sold more records at the time. In the book "Howling At The Moon," Walter Yetnikoff, who was President of CBS Records when Nebraska came out, described the first time he listened to it with Bruce. He said Bruce was very nervous, because he knew it wasn't a commercial album, and so Yetnikoff, who was drunk at the time, listened to it, and responded by calling the album the wrong name, "Yeah, I really like 'Omaha,' Bruce." A mistake in the name, but it was not a mistake to release this album. It allowed Bruce to explore darker and different areas of his craft, and to master them, while showing people that he is not the one-dimensional caricature that many make him out to be. Highlights on this album include: Nebraska (very scary), Atlantic City (it's interesting to listen to the original version and compare it to the version on the Live in NYC DVD; really one of his best songs ever), Highway Patrolman, State Trooper (his visceral screams are the highlight of the album), and Open All Night. You can really hear his influences on this one, including Dylan, Orbison, and Buddy Holly. It paved the way for him in the future by opening up his creativity, and for fans of typical "Born in the USA" Bruce, this is a realy eye-opener, and it might take a while to grow on you, but believe me it will!

"Deliver me from nowhere..."
Raw and unrelenting, Nebraska is a shock to the casual Bruce fan's system. Alike nothing he had created before, it was a true testament of Bruce's artistry. He rarely gets enough credit for the chances he took musically through the years--Nebraska being probably his biggest one. This album could have been awful. It could have cemented the notion that Bruce could never be anything close to "Dylanesque." This could have done to him what going electric did to Dylan. But...it didn't. Not only does Nebraska prove Bruce's lyrical talent, but it also proves that he is not just the electric guitar wielding, theatric stage performer that we all know and love.

Recorded on his own tape recorder, in his bedroom, it's just Bruce and his acoustic guitar yearning for redemption, deliverance, and a reason to believe. The lyrics on this album will get inside you immediately, within the first few lines of the title track. They will pull you into the desolate world of his disparaged and lonely characters. Bruce is a master at painting portraits of life in his words by creating characters you can feel, see, and love. On 'Nebraska', he creates antiheroes for the common man. In "Johnny 99" you start to empathize with the main character as he descends toward madness after losing his job at the plant in Mahwah late last month. In "Highway Patrolman" Bruce displays the moral ambiguity of an honest man torn between his duty as a law officer and his own flesh and blood. Others like "Used Car" and "Mansion on the Hill" are Bruce's retelling of his childhood memories. They will leave you feeling lost in time, like you are looking into the soul of an old black and white portrait.

"State Trooper" is a song like no other. Bruce himself wasn't sure if it could be even called a song, but he threw it on the record anyway. I wouldn't recommend listening to it while driving alone, especially after midnight, because it might scare the s*** out of you. Either that, or you will go mad and drive endlessly trying to escape from nowhere.

'Nebraska' is one of those albums that takes on a whole new persona depending on when you listen to it. In the daytime, it is a realistic journey into the past, a walk with each character down the street of hopelessness towards a meaningful existence. At night, however, it turns into a descent into loneliness, desperation and uncertain fear. Listening to this record will definitely take you somewhere. It may be somewhere unpleasant, somewhere to close for comfort, to real to discern. It may take you to a place where everything you've ever known in life fails you. And it may strike you kind of funny...but at the end you'll somehow be left with more of a reason to believe.

Taped it off the radio in 1982
Maybe it's got something to do with my frame of mind at the time, but I really found myself able to enjoy Nebraska while not having much use for The Ghost Of Tom Joad past "Youngstown". My original tape of Nebraska came directly from radio when it first came out. I had to sacrifice one of my precious Beatles tapes for Nebraska, but I considered it a good trade. I was about to leave work as it was starting and wasn't going to make it home in time to tape it there, so I stuck the Beatles tape in and let it record on my boom box while I listened in the car on the trip home. I wound up sitting in the car and listening to the whole thing, then went to work to retrieve the tape the next day. I know people who absolutely hate Nebraska because it "depresses" them, (these people also consider BITUSA his best work,) but I've always just considered it moody. It's perfect for late night drives on dark and lonely highways, and that's where I was back in 1982. It always reminded me of a Johnny Cash album, something that hit home years later when Johnny recorded "Johnny 99". ... Read more

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The album feels even more like a collection of singles (instead of an actual movie soundtrack) than Help! or A Hard Day's Night, but maybe that's because every song sounds like it could have been a hit single--with the natural exception of the goofy/weird instrumental "Flying." Even George's "Blue Jay Way" paints a vivid sound-portrait in fascinating detail. (I consider Joni Mitchell's "Car on the Hill" from Court and Spark to be a companion piece about sitting in the Hollywood Hills, waiting for somebody to show up.)And although the goofy TV movie may have been mostly Paul's baby, this album features the two 45 rpm masterpieces that sum up the quintessential best of Lennon and McCartney at this stage of their development: Paul's "Penny Lane" and John's "I Am the Walrus." --Jim Emerson ... Read more

Reviews (350)

Enjoy The Tour Through Strawberry Fields And Penny Lane
At first impression, this Beatle recording is devoid of many rock n roll elements. Where are the guitars? And oh so many brass and string arrangments.

However, what stands out the most are the melodies. Most of them are extremely catchy. This certainly overrides the lack of a good guitar/bass presence. Really its just a minor beef when you are dealing with Lennon and McCartney.

Anyway, Strawberry Fields Forever is one of John's most reverred songs at least to my ears. The delightful arrangement and keyboard tones just take me to a delightful other world.

And Penny Lane is such a cheery bouncy tune that it warms your soul with its presence. Paul's vocal accents are oh so charming.

Outside of those two standout tunes, the lighweight Your Mother Should Know has a pleasing sing a long appeal and steady drumming. I Am The Walrus is another one of Lennon's trippy gems. And simple was never so effective in the album closer, All You Need Is Love.

A few little drawbacks. Flying is a nothing special instrumental interlude. Blue Jay Way gets pretty tiresome fast. And The Magical Mystery Tour sure could have been stretched out a little more both lyrically and with the piano jam at the end. However, there are plenty of good tunes on here for a four star rating.

First tracks for Sgt. Peppers are on Magical Mystery Tour
More a collection of singles than any other album the Beatles recorded, Magical Mystery Tour has some wonderful songs. Strawberry Fields and Penny Lane were the first two songs recorded for the Sgt. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band album, but didn't fit as the concept album developed. Those songs were the impetus that began this adventure. Much more a Paul influenced album (as was Sgt Pepper's) there are a few non memorable, but great Paul songs ie Hello, Goodbye and Your Mother Should Know. John wrote only 3 of the songs, but All You Need Is Love was a defining anthem for a period of time where the worlds culture was strongly influenced by the Beatles. (All You Need Is Love was chosen by Britain to represent their nation in the first world wide transmission of television. That's pretty damn historic stuff!) The surreal sound and imagery of Strawberry Fields is one of the best experimental tracks ever recorded by the Beatles. Baby You're A Rich Man, like A Day In The Life on Sgt. Pepper is a song where Paul and John collaberated together in writing. As in the latter, each wrote their part of the song and blended them together. The collaberation was something they had not done often the last year and a half, and would not take advantage of again until Abbey Road. This may be one of the fab four weakest albums, (only Let It Be could be considered a cousin) but it was and is a Beatles album and they never produced anything bad. Appreciation for the Beatles will live forever because of their unique dynamic, incredible talent and their passion for writing and recording. They were the hardest working band in rock and roll and should enjoy the pinnacle of fame and success they worked so hard to earn.

Another great poll topper!!!
Recently,a poll was taken as to which songs were the greatest ever,with many songs from Tour making the list... sniveling malcontents can cry over that fact,but the truth is the truth,oh,its true!!!

Magical Mystery Mediocrity
"Mind altering music"....yeah sure, believe what you want. And exactly what is the "phycadelia" regarding I Am the Walrus? One of the worst albums of 1967. Easily.

Mind-altering album
If anyone has anything bad to say about this album, then their tongue with which they taste music would be missing taste buds. This 11-track album is a mind-altering experience, starting out with the all-around fun Magical Mystery Tour and the beautiful Fool on the Hill, and ending with a flourish, the inspiring All you Need is Love. In between there is the nonsense phycadelia song, I am the Walrus, and many others. If I had to pick the weakest song, iit would have to be from another album from another band, as this one is a masterpiece. If you liked Sgt Pepper, then you'll eat this one up. Of course, there could be no better endorsement than from John Lennon, who said it was the best Beatles album. It truly is a magical mystery. ... Read more

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The Who's mighty catalog of beautiful, poignant, and often silly pop songs bashed out with Cassius Clay finesse has suffered in the past at the hands of multiple, butcher-shop best-ofs and horrible packaging. But this thrilling band--undeniably one of ye classicke rocke's greatest--gets the career-spanning entry-point compilation it deserves with the double-disc Ultimate Collection. The songs included here are no-brainers, for the most part--if they aren't huge hits like "My Generation," "I Can See for Miles," or "Baba O'Riley," they're long-standing fan favorites such as "Boris the Spider," "Pure and Easy," and "Squeeze Box." And while this reviewer wishes different songs were chosen from Tommy, and more than one tune was gathered from their arguably finest (and definitely silliest) album, The Who Sell Out, this record really isn't for fans (aside from the total trainspotter types) but for newcomers.--Mike McGonigal ... Read more

Reviews (98)

Good overview to The Who
The Who's The Ultimate Collection is a great overview to The Who's history which came out in June of 2002. This set showed us what great musicians guitarist Pete townshend, drummer Keith Moon and bassist John Entwistle were and how great vocalist Roger Daltrey got over the years. This was the first collection where they remastered the original mixes of The Who's tracks for a compilation. The obvious classics are here like I Can't Explain, My Generation, Substitute, Boris the Spider, Happy Jack, I Can See For Miles, Magic Bus, Pinball Wizard, Won't Get Fooled Again, Who Are You and You Better You Bet among others. The 1996 My Generation Best Of were remixes and left some important tracks off like I'm Free, Summertime Blues, Behind Blue Eyes, My Wife, Love Reign O'er Me, Sister Disco and Eminence Front. I first had the US edition then sold it once I picked up the Britiish edition which had a different cover and five bonus tracks of Had Enough, Don't Let Go the Coat, The Quiet One(one of the late John Entwistle's post-My Wife tracks) and the rock radio staples Another Tricky Day and Athena(a hit for The Who in 1982). This disc went Gold upon release in June of 2002 and went Top 40 and is the best start point to get into The Who.

Top Ten Reasons To Buy "The Who: The Ultimate Collection"
10. It's more concise than the 4-CD boxed set.
9. The inferior 2-CD "Hooligans" compilation is out of print.
8. It has informative liner notes, listing the date each song was recorded.
7. The booklet includes pictures of all the Who album covers, and has some great photos of the band in action.
6. The remastered songs sound great, even on a moderately priced stereo system.
5. The song selection is superb, without a single weak track.
4. The recently deceased John Entwistle plays the greatest bass guitar licks of all time on "My Generation." This has never sounded clearer than the version on this compilation.
3. Roger Daltrey's vocals and Pete Townshend's songwriting are perfectly showcased on this great collection.
2. The first CD clocks in around 67 minutes. The second CD clocks in at nearly 69 minutes. Add in the bonus disc, and you have nearly two and a half hours of great Who music!
1. The bonus disc of 4 songs feature noticeably different versions of well known Who songs. Particularly outstanding is the acoustic version of "Happy Jack." Because it's a limited edition, you shouldn't wait too long to buy the aptly named Ultimate Collection.

a masterpiece
this is as good as music can get.this compilation represents the best value for money as almost all their hits like i can see for miles,pinball wizard,5.15,wont get fooled again, happy jack are featured .it would be difficult to get a better compilation of this great band at this price so please go and get it and enjoy the music.very very recommended along with live at leeds from this band.

The Who
This is aimed at two types of people who may be looking at this album: people who have heard nothing of The Who and want to see what all the fuss is about, and people who have tried some of The Who and enjoyed what they heard.
For the first type of person:
The Who are known for having an unusual amount of 'best of' albums. Personally, I reccomend this one. It's a great introduction to a great band. All the members are considered some of the greatest musicians in their respective fields, particularly Entwistle (bass) and Moon (drums). All hits (and a few misses from the post-Moon era) are accounted for. Some fan favorites are missing, but this is not a fan-album. It's a good overview of the Who's eclectic catalogue. I also like that it is chronological, it's interesting to hear the sound progress.

For the second type of person (the one i'm more interested in) who likes what they know of the 'orrible 'oo so far, please don't buy this album. It's a waste of your money.
The Who have five masterpieces: "Tommy", "Quadrophenia", "The Who Sell Out", "Live at Leed's" and "Who's Next".
The first three are all concept albums. They have a story (or in the case of Sell Out a theme) that is lost when only the hits are plucked out. It's impossible to understand the cathartic power and energy of "See me, Feel Me" and "Love Reign O'er Me" without listening to the albums as a whole. They are the final moments of two stories (Tommy and Quadrophenia, respectively). On these albums Townshend was able to combine art and rock without sacrificing any of the music's raw power. After you have listened to these albums you'll understand, it's impossible to pick a favorite song from them because all the songs belong together, as one entity. They stand on their own, to be sure, but are not as impressive. Only one song from Sell Out was included here and none from Leed's, the definitive live Rock album. I would reccomend starting with "Tommy" or Who's Next", their most commercialy succesful and influential albums. Honestly it doesn't matter which of the five you start with, because you'll want to own them all. After "Tommy" The Who became an 'album' band rather than a 'singles' band, and a collection of singles really doesn't do them justice, especially in the case of the aforementioned concept albums.

I don't write a lot of reviews, but only one more was needed to kick Infadel off the page...
Don't diss my boys unless you're willing to back it up with a valid opinion.

Excellent Who overview
The Who's The Ultimate Collection is a great overview to The Who's history which came out in June of 2002. This set showed us what great musicians guitarist Pete townshend, drummer Keith Moon and bassist John Entwistle were and how great vocalist Roger Daltrey got over the years. This was the first collection where they remastered the original mixes of The Who's tracks for a compilation. The obvious classics are here like I Can't Explain, My Generation, Substitute, Boris the Spider, Happy Jack, I Can See For Miles, Magic Bus, Pinball Wizard, Won't Get Fooled Again, Who Are You and You Better You Bet among others. The 1996 My Generation Best Of were remixes and left some important tracks off like I'm Free, Summertime Blues, Behind Blue Eyes, My Wife, Love Reign O'er Me, Sister Disco and Eminence Front. I first had the US edition then sold it once I picked up the Britiish edition which had a different cover and five bonus tracks of Had Enough, Don't Let Go the Coat, The Quiet One(one of the late John Entwistle's post-My Wife tracks) and the rock radio staples Another Tricky Day and Athena(a hit for The Who in 1982). This disc went Gold upon release in June of 2002 and went Top 40 and is the best start point to get into The Who. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Over a remarkable 30 years, Aerosmith has delivered near-perfect hybrids of rock and balladry, converting generations of listeners into devout fanatics. O, Yeah! Ultimate Aerosmith Hits drives chronologically through 30 of their best songs, providing a tour of the construction process. And what a process! Listen to "Mama Kin" and you might not recognize Aerosmith at all--here is a young Tyler, before finding his distinctive gritty wail, fronting a simple blues-bar band. But the phenomenal energy and synchronization that developed between Tyler and Perry starts here, and is followed up by successive wonders. "Dream On" captures plodding despair; "Last Child" bears witness to Tyler's mastery of harmony and shriek; "Back in the Saddle" explodes with swagger. Built from the low-end up, Aerosmith's heavy kick, driving bass lines, steady rhythm guitar, and blaring exclamation-point horns create a perfect foundation. And the dirty, harmonic souls of Steven Tyler and Joe Perry do what they do best--put on an over-the-top, flawless show.--Laura Etling ... Read more

Reviews (125)

O, Yeah! O. O.K.?
Aerosmith is one of those artists' that you get so use to that their music, is great no matter what the material. And on O, Yeah! Their ultimate greatest hits and classics along with the recent hits are found here, but with that said this album just is their "Young Lust"-anthology all over again minus the live versions and studio recordings, but don't get me wrong, O, Yeah is still a good hits package, on this hits package we find, hits like ones you'd expect like "What It Takes", "Janie's Got A Gun", "Cryin'", "Jaded" and "Dude(Looks Like A Lady)", you know the hits, and there are also additions from "Nine Lives" like "Fallin' In Love" and "I Don't Want to Miss A Thing" which appears and an Aerosmith album for the first time ever(remember the song originally appeared on the Armageddon soundtrack), and plus their two new songs, "Lay It Down" and I can't believe I'm going to say this, the pointless current song "Girls Of Summer" which doesn't sound like Aerosmith it sounds more like an 'N Sync-type song. And also the album is missing some songs not alot, like "Hole In My Soul", "Fly Away From Here" and "Sunshine". But with all of that the album is still good and that is why I bought it, because it's Aerosmith enough said. Grade B.

4 Decades Of Rock N' Roll
Yet another Aerosmith best-of-compilation has hit the shelves, although the last one ("Young Lust: The Aerosmith Anthology") was released not even one year ago. However, "O Yeah! Ultimate Aerosmith Hits" (what a name!) is the first collection (after six best-of's and four live albums) which really covers Aerosmith's musical journey from the very beginning in 1973 to today.

Disc one takes you from 1973 to 1989, including their classic hits "Mama Kin", "Sweet Emotion", "Walk This Way" and the prototype powerballad "Dream On". It's a pleasant surprise to see "Seasons Of Wither" here, but other favorites like "Train Kept A Rollin'", "Toys In The Attic" or "Rats In The Cellar" are missing. Just two discs don't seem to provide enough space for all of Aerosmith's hits. And their 80s repertoire already follows, with popular songs like "Janie's Got A Gun", "Love In An Elevator" and "What It Takes".

Disc two shows us the slick, hit-producing Aerosmith of the 90s, including alltime-favorites like "Cryin'", "Crazy" and "I Don't Want To Miss A Thing". And there are two new songs: "Girls Of Summer", a catchy midtempo popsong and "Lay It Down", a emotional ballad, focused on Tyler's vocals.

So, who should buy this album. Die-hard fans might buy it for the two new songs (it's your decision). And it's definitively a good point to start an Aerosmith collection for "beginners", as say get quite a good overview of their music over four decades. But we have to realize, that a double-album is way to little to give a complete representation of this band. However, it's a well recommended buy for the casual listener.

Definite Aerosmith
"O,Yeah! Ultimate Aerosmith Hits" is definite Aerosmith. I have been an Aerosmith fan for a long time, and I can think of nothing better than a box set with great Aerosmith music for more than two hours. None of the songs on this box set are bad. The best things about this box set are two new bonus tracks ("Girls of Summer" and "Lay it Down"), the South Beach mix of "Pink", the radio remix of "Just Push Play", and the version of "Walk This Way" Aerosmith performed with Run-D.M.C. But even though those bonuses are the best part of the whole box set, the best song is "Angel" because the lyrics, music, and singing are pretty. Also,when I listen to it, it reminds me of a very special girl who is very important to me. Plus, if you want a girl to think you're romantic, playing this song for her on a date would do just that.

Definitive Aerosmith
First let's address the album's atrocious title. On top of being a mouthful, "O Yeah! Ultimate Aerosmith Hits" is one of the lamest names for a Greatest Hits collection ever. But to be fair, Aerosmith have put out so many hits collections that they're running out of good titles to use. That said, this is definitely the Aerosmith hits collection you'll want to get. "Greatest Hits" and "Big Ones" were both snapshots of a certain point in Aerosmith's career, but "O Yeah!..." encapsulates their entire career (through 2002). All their bigs are here, conveniently in chronological order, except for the Run-DMC version of "Walk This Way" which is wisely put at the end of Disc 2 (the original is on Disc 1). Listening to the songs in order, it's easy to track Aerosmith's career from rock underdogs to the comeback kids to '90s ballad kings. And since everybody has a favorite Aerosmith track, or five, you can be guaranteed that the album will have something for everybody.

On top of 28 of their hits, the albums includes two new numbers: "Girls of Summer" and "Lay It Down". The former is something of a miss: it's basically just generic top 40 summer rock. The latter is a should-have-been-a-hit ballad in the vein of "Angel".

Inevitably Aerosmith will continue to release albums, and by extension, greatest hits albums. But for right now, this is the one with all their hits, and it's worth every penny you'll spend.

Their best collection
And there are many out there. But Aerosmith has rarely let the standard drop over the years, and this two-disc set boasts strong remastered sound and a wealth of great tunes. The first ten on Disc One approximate the original Greatest Hits, including classic rockers like "Walk This Way," "Same Old Song and Dance," "Sweet Emotion" and "Back In The Saddle Again" as well as the oft-played "Dream On." There's also the humorous "Big Ten Inch Record," which you can't be without.

The last half dozen tracks on Disc One pick up with the 1987 LP "Permanent Vacation," and although there's more ballad and melody in the now-clean band (i.e. "Angel," "What It Takes"), there's plenty of finger-snapping rock and roll: "Rag Doll" echoes "Walk This Way," and "Janie's Got A Gun" displays a social conscience and is one of their most powerful songs. There are several big hits from the album "Pump" to open Disc Two, with memorable rockers like "The Other Side" and "Livin' On The Edge," and the more recent stuff is strong as well. Sure, "Don't Want To Miss A Thing" is a tad sappy, and "Just Push Play" nods obviously to hip-hop. But "Pink," "Jaded" and "Falling in Love Is Hard on the Knees" are classic Aerosmith.

The remake/hybrid of "Walk This Way" with Run DMC is included, and it's enjoyable in the spirit intended--Perry's guitar sizzles, by the way. The final tracks, "Girls of Summer" and "Lay It Down," were new at the time of release. "Girls of Summer" is a melodic rocker with just a hint of Eastern influence. "Lay It Down" is a fine ballad. Sure, there are countless compilations of this great band out there, and I'm sure Aerosmith diehards get tired of seeing them. But for the casual fan, this is an awfully good place to start. ... Read more

Amazon.com

For a single disc, this is an admirable chronological tour of superstar Eric Clapton's mid-'60s-to-early-'80s career. It begins too late to include his gestational work with the Yardbirds and John Mayall's Bluesbreakers. However, the singer-guitarist's days in Cream ("Sunshine of Your Love," "Crossroads," "White Room"), in Blind Faith ("Presence of the Lord"), as a fledgling solo artist ("After Midnight," "Let It Rain"), in Derek and the Dominos ("Layla," "Bell Bottom Blues"), and through the rest of the '70s ("I Shot the Sheriff," "Cocaine," "Wonderful Tonight," "Promises") to his '81 hit "I Can't Stand It" are well documented by this collection's 19 cuts. The down side is that the CD also vividly illustrates how insubstantial Clapton's work turned in the mid-'70s. But that won't be a problem for fans seeking hits. --Ted Drozdowski ... Read more

Reviews (71)

Truly the very best of the former rock God, and then some.
I fully agree with the reviewer from Little Rock, AR about the fact that the one true flaw of this collection is that it's missing "Lay Down Sally". I have already written about that in my former review of 1982's "Time Pieces", an earlier Clapton compilation that did include it, along with a good version of "Swing Low Sweet Chariot". Anyway, this particular album is real great for what it's worth, including very classic "Cream" from the '60's, and a bunch of cool still classic solo Clapton tracks from the '70's, up to 1981's "I Can't Stand It". My favorites included would have to be "After Midnight", "Let It Rain", the original, fast-paced rock ballad "Layla", and Clapton's remake of Bob Marley's "I Shot The Sheriff". I also like "Knockin' On Heaven's Door" and "Cocaine". Hey, I almost forgot to mention, I also sort of like the first three on this album from the mid '60's from when Clapton was part of Cream. Does anyone else out there know that the former lead singer of the early '80's girl group the Go-Go's, Belinda Carlisle, covered "I Feel Free", and it's included on "Her Greatest Hits", which I own and have already reviewed? That sure is interesting, her version is almost better than the original, I think. So, I do indeed recommend this collection, now for me it's on to review the third in the "Classic Clapton Trilogy" as I call it, the '80's to '90's "Chronicles" collection. See you over there!

Excellent single-disc representation of a musical genius
For nearly four decades, Eric Clapton has been one of the finest rock musicians the world has had to offer. However, he has played in a number of bands, and casual fans may not want to hunt down a greatest hits album for every band. But, at long last, a solution has arrived - The Cream Of Clapton. The title of this compilation is deceiving in that this is a retrospect of most of Clapton's career, not just Cream material (although there is certainly no shortage of that.) Read on for some pros and cons on this compilation.

First of all, the pros. As stated above, this covers EVERY MAJOR BAND Clapton has played in (Cream, Blind Faith, Derek And The Dominoes,) as well as his solo material. Most of Clapton's big hits can be found here (Sunshine Of Your Love, White Room, Crossroads, Badge (co-written by George Harrison), After Midnight, Let It Rain, Layla, Cocaine, Wonderful Tonight, and I Can't Stand It,) plus the compilation has some covers of Bob Dylan's Knockin' On Heaven's Door and Bob Marley's I