Reviews (48)

A Good Retrospective
A nice best-of consisting of every song that a casual Santana fan would consider essential (Black Magic Woman/Gypsy Queen, Evil Ways, Samba Pa Ti, Oye Como Va, Winning, Soul Sacrifice, etc.) as well as some slightly more obscure but equally worthy tracks like Dance Sister Dance and Europa. This album is a throwback to the time when experimentation was encouraged in music, where you didn't have to sound like everybody else. This is something that's sadly lacking in our music industry today. If someone put out an album with music like this on it it'd probably never even get published. Just be thankful that such music was created at one time and that we can get a lot of it in one place, such as on this disc.

Good enough, but is it the best?
This is a not a bad album for Santana fans, but you don't have to listen long to realize that the band really went off the boil after the first three albums, and although there is a nice version of the Zombies hit She's Not There and a pretty tune from a later album called Europa in this collection, the purchase of Abraxas (their second album) on its own might be more satisfactory for many Santana fans.

One of the problems with a "best of" Santana is that there were several different line ups, though all included guitarist Carlos Santana, so you are not necessarily getting the best of one particular act.

This album does not include hits from Santana's recent pop revival with albums like Supernatural and Shaman.

As I have posted a number of reviews, here is what I mean by my star ratings:

* A really worthless CD
** A CD that has some good stuff, but some major defects.
*** An OK CD that will please fans of the artist in question.
**** An excellent CD that represents the best work of the artist in question and can be bought with confidence.
***** An absolute classic that is the best, or among the best, of its genre. Your collection should start here.

A historical band
First at all Carlos Santana established a decisive croosroad when he linked, in the last sixties, the latin sound with the rock disonances.
Yes indeed, he opened a road filled with great possibilities : it's fair to name some isolated efforts but not in constant mood of War. with that cult niger voice as Eric Burdon was.
But two emblematic films in that age like The last days of Fillmore and Woodstcok , allowed this band difuse his music all around the world. The key around Santana was the erotic sound involved in rhytmics songs as Jingo, Soul Sacrifice, and specially Black Magic woman and Samba pa ti; two jewejs songs from Abraxas Album, and add to all these innovative songs, Everybody's everything, Europa and Moonlight.
This album is an excelent account that resume as few anthologies the essential spirit of Carlos Santana, that living legend musician.
It's useless advise you that one of the most dyonisiac momenys in Woodstock Festival 1969 was Soul Sacrifice. If you still doubt about Santana virtuosi sound watch in this musical document.
The images will speak by themselves.

A great intro!
This is a great intro into one of the worlds greatest bands of all time Santana! This is the best of Santana, this is what you should get if you are a newer Santana fan, dont bother with Vol. 2 cause it isnt that good. Once you Own this you will want to get Santanas albums. Santanas first five albums and Supernatural are his best so you will want those. But please start with this so you know in what direction you want to go with Santanas music. Carlos is one of the top 3 guitar players of all time, and if he sat on a chair and played for 19 hours strait you would be amazed the whole way through. He really is the shineing moment of everything Santana, he was the band, he was their the whole time and kept everything together and this best of is one of the few good compelations out there. After this you need Santana, Abraxes, and Moonflower those are Santanas best albums, and this is what will help you deside if you want more or not, becuase this has all Santanas hits like 'Black Magic Woman' 'Jingo' 'Evil Women' 'Europa' and many more. So please get this you wount regret this.

Santana's Best Songs
THE BEST OF SANTANA collects the best material from Santana's albums from throughout his career, including his later uneven work. If you're just starting a Santana collection, get the first three albums, the two BEST OFs, ESSENTIAL SANTANA, and GREATEST HITS- all at once- and then move on to later albums like BORBOLETTA and INNER SECRETS. ... Read more

Amazon.com

The Dirty South is the sixth album by Muscle Shoals, Alabama-based Drive-By Truckers. While previous Southern rock bands have celebrated certain regional mythologies, this quintet revels in the towering glory of small, gritty realities. They can kick up a righteous storm, as on the country lick-filled opener "Where the Devil Don't Stay," or the swamp and fuzzy "Lookout Mountain." However, within the latter is a daunting verse: "If I throw myself off Lookout Mountain, No more for my soul to keep, I wonder who will drive my car, I wonder if my Mom will weep." It's clear these guys deliver emotional wallops at every turn. "Carl Perkins' Cadillac" honors the honesty of Sam Phillips, while writhing in the melancholy of changing times and circumstances. --David Greenberger ... Read more

Reviews (11)

Power Ballads Galore
If you're a big fan of the power ballad, let me introduce you to the flagship band of that genre(with Journey as a close second). REO Speedwagon falls into that fateful category caught between hard rockers and pretty boy posers. But don't count that against them. These songs are good. They might get a little sugary at times, but, overall, this is a solid album of big hits for the 'Wagon.

"I Don't Want To Lose You" sets the stage on this album. It lets you know what's in store. What follows is a songlist of primarily power ballads with a few rockers thrown in for good measure. "Keep On Loving You," "In My Dreams," "Can't Fight This Feeling," and "Here With Me" are all included. The cautious tale "One Lonely Night" shows a darker side to love songs. The rockers here include a live version of the "last song, people" biggie "Ridin' The Storm Out," "Roll With The Changes," and "Keep Pushin'."

Other songs that I enjoyed on this album include "I Don't Want to Lose You" and "Time For Me To Fly."

These guys, along with bands like Styx, Foreigner, etc. often catch a lot of flack for sounding too slick to be considered real rock bands. Don't let that deter you from the fact that these bands knew how to make hit records. You may question their motives, but in the end every band is in it for the money, no matter what they say. So take this album for what it is. It's a good compilation of huge commercial hits for a good band. It's also a "sure thing" when you want to get that special someone in the right mood......

Excellent compilation
REO Speedwagon have been called "one of the superpowers of Arena Rock." Ever since they started releasing albums, they have been a band that almost never fails to please. Having heard many of the band's songs on the radio and having enjoyed them, I bought this compilation. Read on to see how it measures up.

First of all, the pros. You get just about every major hit the band has ever had (Roll With The Changes, Keep On Loving You, Take It On The Run, Can't Fight This Feeling, Time For Me To Fly, and Ridin' the Storm Out.) These songs still get radioplay to this date, and with good reason. Also, the compilation doesn't just rely on the hits. The opener, I Don't Want To Lose You, demonstrates beautifully that a band's big hits aren't always the best tracks. Here With Me and That Ain't Love further demonstrate this.

As good as this compilation is, it's not perfect. The major problem is that it overemphasizes the band's eighties material (these were their "power ballad" years.) Most of the band's hard rock material came out in the seventies, and sadly, this compilation deprived us of some excellent cuts. Likewise, It doesn't quite fill the eighty minutes that can fit on a CD. Surely, at least two more tracks, preferably from the seventies, could have filled that gap.

Final verdict? If you're a casual fan of this band, or maybe you just like a song or two, this is the compilation for you.

REO's best from late 70's to 80's
The groups Foreigner, Foghat, Styx, Journey, Air Supply, and the subject of this review, REO Speedwagon, can cause a lot of debate among music fans due to the "corporate rock" effect that took place in the 1970's, where artists' albums were guaranteed platinum sales if they became part of the well-oiled machinery that may have yielded hits on the radio, but remained in an uninspired and uninnovative cozy rut. As someone into all kinds of music, I find myself in a very untenable position. I like REO Speedwagon, yet I like classic punk and disco, two genres of music that broke the musical cul-de-sac America seemed to be going into.

Having established that, the Hits, which came out a year after REO's last studio album of the 80's, 1987's Life As We Know It, encapsulated material from their R.E.O. 76 album up to Life As We Know It, with two new songs. The first one, the intense and yearning "I Don't Want To Lose You," was written by the team of Tom Kelly and Billy Steinberg (Heart, Bangles) and the languid "Here With Me," which was a close cousin to "In My Dreams" released the previous year.

Life As We Know It was released when I first got into them and,"That Ain't Love" was quite a rocker by their standards, as I had the preconception that they were mellow rock like latter day Chicago, but no, this fiery affirmation that "say what you want to hear, do what you want to do" ain't love, told me otherwise.

However, the third single, co-penned by lead singer Kevin Cronin and ace songwriter Tom Kelly, "In My Dreams" sounded more what I expected to hear, soaring lead vocals, inoffensive harmonies, in other words, the mainstream rock ballad. The two singles represented the two kinds of songs mainly done by REO, love songs and leaving songs.

Now, for their two signature tunes, "Keep On Lovin' You" and "Can't Fight This Feeling" their two #1s from Hi Infidelity and Wheels Are Turning respectively. A fiery guitar on the first and the trademark 80's synths and lovey-dovey vocals on the second. There was a time when I couldn't tell them apart from Chicago, the harmonies and sound were so alike. That has been rectified.

Speaking of Hi Infidelity, one of my favourites by them, "Take It On The Run" with that "heard it from a friend" rumour-mongering that leads to a fed up "I don't want you around." This sports one of their best fiery guitar solos.

Of course, they got started on the road to big status with the boisterous "Roll With The Changes" from You Can Tune A Piano..., which was their first Top 40 hit. Yes, there is a piano in this song. Also on that album was "Time For Me To Fly," which set the standard for the #1 songs they eventually made. But the sound that places them in the 70's is best represented by "Keep Pushin'" from R.E.O., as does the hard-rocker "Back On The Road Again," which the most hard-driving track here.

A live version of the title track to their Ridin' The Storm Out album finishes this collection, which seems to overlap the First Decade and Second Decade compilations, but for someone who grew up in the 80's, the Hits will do just fine. While not innovative, at least REO comes through with a consistent and familiar sound, slightly altered with synths in the 80's, be it harder stuff or rock ballads.

A great single disc REO Speedwagon best of!!!
This is a great single disc REO Speedwagon best of!!! The hits:Time For Me To Fly,I Can't Fight This Feeling,Ride The Storm Out,Keep On Loving You, there all here!!! And many more!!! Two thumbs up!!! Five stars!!! A+

The 80's can't sound any sweeter than this
The 1980's music scene established synch pop as a modern sound. It also introduced rap and pop. The highlight of that era, however, was the low key, softer and more intelligent music of such bands as Journey, Air Supply, and of course, REO Speedwagon.

This compilation of best hits by REO Speedwagon is a must-have for the fans. It's time you put away those long player records and cassettes and enjoy REO on compact disc!

All the wonderful hits are here; possibly the best ballads ever written Can't Fight This Feeling, and Keep On Loving You; the cool charmers Roll With The Changes, Don't Let Him Go, Take It On The Run, and Keep Pushin'.

The 80's cannot sound any sweeter than this.

Recommended

B ... Read more

Reviews (39)

Columbia revamps this album and improves it 100% but still..
The original issue of this album, released in 1984, was attrocious. It contained the big hits (Wayward Son, Dust, Hold On) and a few key album rock staples (Point of Know Return, Song for America and The Wall). But the rest of the album was devoted to dire tracks from their 1980s output: The generic hard rock of Fight Fire With Fire, Play the Game Tonight and No One Together, and a perfectly dreadful "previously unreleased" track, Perfect Lover. Their first three albums, surely their most artistically accomplished (if not most commercial) were represented by the lone track "Song for America". In essence, this seemed a desperate effort to paint the group as still vital by placing undue focus on their then-recent output.

In a word: Worthless.

This reissue, in addition to modest improvement in fidelity, gooses the track list to make it much more palatable. The terrible Perfect Lover has been jettisoned completely, and in its place we get three new additions: The Pinnacle (from Masque), The Devil Game (from Song For America) and Closet Chronicles (from Point of Know Return). The album is now a far better balanced view of Kansas' career. There are still many more excellent tracks from their first five albums that could have been used in place of the 1980s filler (and surely one track from the not-completely-horrible Monolith could have been included), but this isn't bad.

Great for the casual fan
Everyone has heard "Carry On Wayward Son," "Dust in the Wind" and "Point of Know Return" thousands of times on the radio, but they sound great in this environment. "The Wall," a non-hit, is one of the band's very best songs, however, a soaring tale of hope which is exquisitely played and arranged. The live "Closet Chronicles," one of the new additions to this re-released set, sounds great, and "Pinnacle," an excellent long track with nods to progressive rock bands like Yes, Rush and Emerson, Lake & Palmer, is a tremendous choice. "Devil Game" is new to this set, and the mediocre "Perfect Lover" was dumped. Both were good moves.

Some of the later hits for Kansas weren't as effective: "Hold On" is overdone, both lyrically and musically, and "Fight Fire With Fire" was released in 1983 after personnel changes and sounded nothing like what fans were used to. "Play The Game Tonight," although a substantial hit, sounded a bit too much like the competition as well. The hit "People of the South Wind" wasn't included, which is disappointing, and "Song For America" is still in edited form. I'm not sure why, since--as other reviewers have stated--there was room on the disc.

All in all, though, a fine representation of a very good band, and the improved sound and stronger selection makes this edition of "The Best of Kansas" a winner. Note: While the double CD set "The Ultimate Kansas" packs a great deal of music and samples heavily from the band's early days, I wouldn't necessarily recommend it for anyone who isn't a devoted Kansas fan. Much of the band's output, while very good in its own right, is much more progressive and less radio friendly than the huge hits which put the band on the map. If it's the Kansas hits you want, with a small handful of well-chosen nuggets alongside, the reworked "The Best of Kansas" is for you.

The best is decent.
I must say, there are a number of classic rock hits on here, but none of them excite me very much. I probably wouldn't even own this if it wasn't for "Dust In The Wind". That song is excellent, and reminds me of some of the better stuff from "Crosby Stills & Nash" and "America". Otherwise this also has "Carry On Wayward Son", "Point Of No Return", "Hold On", and "Play The Game Tonight", all of which are good, just not the caliber of "Dust In The Wind". I think my problem is that some of the more rocking songs remind me of "Styx", and I can't stand them. Overall it's a decent bunch of tunes, but I guess I just can't be a big fan of "Kansas", when I'm from Missouri.

Great introductory chapter for KANSA FANS
I've been KANSAS fans for over 20 years.They had ups and downs.I think this CD is a best introductory for the beginner for AMERICAN PROGRESSIVE ROCKS.This band's pop sides are strongly stressed in this hit collection.If you are a DIEHARD fans KANSAS,dig another fulllength albums.So many long time complex pieces are omitted here.This GREAT BAND can't be told with only this CD.This is a good main gate for the AMERICAN PROG-ROCK SEEKERS.

The Autobiography of a Supergroup
Each track on this handy compilation embodies all of the genuine elements that made Kansas one of the all-time greats, consisting of the Topeka-homegrown innocence (without the cliched naivety) combined with weary-eyed looks at the past, present, and an uncertain future. Springing from the virtuous, innocent American heartland, Kansas was a band that remained honest in their hopeful-sad-determined subject matter, and became one of the premier supergroups of its time (and remaining unmatched in their genre to this day). They proved they could pull off their love of British progressive rock without sounding overblown or overproduced, while keeping an authentic Southern jam essence. This slightly made-over version of the original release showcases examples of the things that made Kansas stand out; whether it's the doleful realizations of 'Dust in the Wind,' the power of 'Point Of Know Return' or 'Carry on Wayward Son,' or reflections of Kerry Livgren's search for redemption through Christianity, every song here remains some of the best work released during their respective times. However, it should be noted that "The Best Of Kansas" is not necessarily a place to start for new fans; rather, Kansas is one of those bands whose immense creativity is best experienced with each individual album, and no compilation completely does them a significant amount of justice. Nonetheless, it's still a relatively sturdy overview, and a fascinating musical biography. ... Read more

Reviews (109)

Uneven, Yet Still Rocks
A compilation of greatest hits should be just that: greatest hits. Having stated that, now I'll contradict myself by thanking Boston for including "Higher Power" (both tracks)and an energized, well vibed "Star Spangled Banner/4th of July Reprise" on this CD. Both cuts are soothing nirvana for those of us who appreciate clean, powerful guitar rifts.

BOSTON - GREATEST HITS contains several of the band's most memorable hits, including "More Than A Feeling," "Don't Look Back," "Amanda," and several others. I'll respectfully disagree with another reviewer who lamented the inclusion of "Rock & Roll Band" on this album; to the contrary, this is one of the band's signature songs in terms of style, instrumentation, and energy. What I don't get is the inclusion of tracks that fall remarkably short when compared to the rest of the music on the CD--singles like "A Man I'll Never Be" and "Tell Me," the very first song.

Overall, BOSTON - GREATEST HITS will placate and please the band's legions of fans, but this must be said: if you really want to listen to Boston's "greatest hits," look no farther than the group's debut album, aptly titled "Boston."

All the Boston most will need... with a flaw or two.
Being a Boston fan from day one must have been very tough on the devoted. Tom Sholtz, guitarst, keyboardist, and a meticulous studio wizard that makes Mutt Lange recordings sound like Nirvana, worked at a snail's pace, taking almost 3 years to record their follow-up to their mega-hit debut, and calling that 'rushed'. It took 6 years each for the next two albums to be recorded and released, and by that time, Boston was basically Sholtz's solo project.

Through it all, as this cohesive collection shows, the sound remains the same, layered, harmonized, smooth, crisp. Best of Boston collects 5 songs from their debut, a few more each from Don't look Back and Third Stage, and one from the underrated '94 release, Walk On. It flows like a good album should, with some songs going right into the next just as they did on the original albums. Very few things are missing except notably, Hitch a Ride, but that would have placed too much reliance on their debut. Another song from Third Stage and Walk On would've also been nice, they're underrepresented here.

The new songs are considerably more problematic. Higher Power is a great song, bringing back original vocalist Brad Delp back into the mix, but two versions of it are unneccesary. The Sholtz-sung Tell Me is very weak, meandering, and uninteresting, and The Star Spangled Banner? What? Didn't Hendrix already do this? It should've been left in the history books. Removing the SSB and the second Higher Power would've cleared way for a couple more late-period songs that deserved it.

This collection serves as a fine introduction to Boston. None of the songs are edited as they sometimes are for radio play (especially Long Time, which is one of their best songs), and it chronicles the studio wizardry of Sholtz and the soaring vocals of Brad Delp (and the others) flawlessley. For the man who has to have everything, the new tracks are little enticement, except Higher Power. Buy this, then move on to buying Third Stage and Walk on if you're a completist, because there's more than enough of the first two albums already here.

Another Sony Greatest Hits With Significant Omissions
Maybe I'm flogging a dead horse - but once again I reiterate what I have said time and time before when it comes to oldies compilations [and, like it or not, Boston now qualifies as part of the oldies group]. If a company is going to issue such a collection under the title "Greatest Hits" they had better make sure that all the hits are there - especially when the artist concerned only HAD a handful to begin with.

Boston - consisting of MIT mechanical engineer graduate Tom Sholz on guitar and keyboard, vocalist Brad Delp, guitarist Barry Goudreau, Fran Sheehan on bass, and drummer Sib Hashian - had exactly six hits for Epic from 1976 to 1979 - and one of those is left out of this compilation - 1977's Long Time which reached # 22 in March and, as such, was a "greater" hit than any of Peace Of Mind [# 38 in June 1977], A Man I'll Never Be [# 31 in January 1979], and Feelin' Satisfied [# 46 in May 1978].

Each of those are here, along with their first, More Than A Feeling, which peaked at # 5 in November 1976, and their best for Epic, 1978's Don't Look Back, which topped out at # 4 that October. But why leave out one of their better Epic offerings? Also, Feelin' Satisfied was their last hit as a multi-artist group as the band broke up at this point, with Goudreau later forming Orion The Hunter in 1982 [one minor hit in 1984].

In 1986 Scholz and Delp got back together as a duo with MCA and, still calling themselves Boston, had a smash # 1 with Amanda, but this really had no connection to the larger band sound of the 1970s. They also had a # 9 in early 1987 with We're Ready and a # 20 that May with the Can'tcha Say (You Believe In Me)/Still In Love medley.

In 1991 Delp and Goudreau helped form RTZ which had two minor hits and one # 20 in 1991/92, and in 1994 Scholz put together another multi-member Boston along with Fran Cosmo [ex of Orion The Hunter], vocalist Tommy Funderbunk, guitarist Gary Pihl, bassist David Sikes, and drummer Doug Huffman. Their lone hit for MCA was I Need Your Love [# 51 in August 1994].

While I can understand the exclusion of two of the duets and that last one from this album, I cannot go along with omitting one very good hit from their glory days, not to mention NOT ONE of their Epic hit single B-sides, or even My Destination which backed Amanda. The sound quality is excellent, but while the insert contains the lyrics for each selection, along with the musicians involved with each track, there are no background notes of the type I just provided here.

I really think fans appreciate having such information when looking back at artists from their past and, as mentioned above, these guys DO go back over a quarter of a century. To put that into some perspective, 28 years prior to their appearance on the scene you were looking at 1948 - and for anyone who became a fan of Boston in 1976, 1948 was ancient history.

Powerful
What a powerful group when they came on the scene!! "More than a Feeling" boosted them into worldwide following. "Peace of Mind" and "Don't Look Back" are great tunes on this album!

A Good Alternative To Buying Boston's Albums...
Boston-Greatest Hits(1997). Boston's First Compilation.

Boston, between 1976 and 1986, was arguably one of the most popular rock bands around, with Boston, Don't Look Back, and Third Stage all breaking waves on the Billboard Charts, solidifying their place in Rock N Roll history. On a regular basis, Boston's songs can be heard on the radio, and tracks like "More Than A Feeling","Dont Look Back","Peace Of Mind", and "Foreplay/Long Time" are recognizable to almost anybody, and were huge hits back in the Late 70's-Early 80's, so it's only fitting that a compilation was released. So How does Boston-Greatest Hits Stack Up? Read On To Find Out...

PROS-
-CONTAINS ALL OF BOSTON'S BIGGEST HITS- When you get Boston- Greatest Hits, you can expect such huge Boston hits as "More Than A Feeling","Dont Look Back","Peace Of Mind","Foreplay/Long Time", "Amanda", "Smokin'", "Rock N Roll Band", and "Feelin' Satisfied".
-MANY GREAT NON-HITS ARE HERE- "Cool The Engines", "Livin' For You", "Party", and "A Man I'll Never Be" are all Very Good songs that weren't hits, yet were included.
- CONTAINS SONGS FROM ALL OF BOSTON'S ALBUMS- With Boston's Greatest Hits, you get songs from Boston, Don't Look Back, Third Stage, Walk On, and Corporate America(It has a remix of "Livin' For You"), so Boston's Greatest Hits provides a career spanning retrospective perfect for those who don't want the albums.
-4 NEW TRACKS- "Tell Me", "Higher Power", "The Star Spangled Banner/4th of July Reprise", and a Remix of "Higher Power" can be found on Boston's Greatest Hits and nowhere else, so this makes it a must for fans.
-CHEAP!- At most stores, including Best Buy and Circuit City, Boston's Greatest Hits has been clearanced, so you can find it cheaper than Boston's albums! It's a Steal!
-LYRICS- Unlike most all compilation, Boston's Greatest Hits includes the lyrics to most(Not All) of the songs on this compilation!
-75 MINUTES LONG!- Unlike most compilations, Boston's Greatest Hits manages to fill up most of the 80 Minute space, something almost no other compilation available does!
-GREAT ALTERNATIVE TO BOSTON'S ALBUMS- Since Boston's true strength lied in their singles, this compilation really makes it unnecessary to buy all of Boston's albums(They only have a few though)!

CONS-
-EXTRA TRACKS ARE SUB-PAR- I'm glad Boston put some Extra Tracks here, but other than their re-do of The Star Spangled Banner, the extra tracks, "Tell Me" and "Higher Power" just plain suck!
-NOT NEEDED FOR FANS- If you already own all of Boston's albums, there's really nothing new or good here to entice you!
-BOSTON ARE HIPPIES!- This won't effect my rating, but it's just too funny! Read The Liner notes, and you'll notice every page has a picture of animals, and the last page explains why Boston are diehard "Vegeterians, Animal Lovers, and Support Peace". Pretty Funny!

Overall, Boston's Greatest Hits is a compilation that depthly covers every aspect of Boston's career, from the Superstar sucess of the Late 70's-Mid 80's, and the critical and commercial disaster 90's. Other than the sub-par Extra Tracks and "Livin' For You", I loved every minute of this compilation! A Great Alternative to buying Boston's records, since their true strength always lied in their singles!

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED! BOSTON'S GREATEST HITS IS SURE TO SATISFY ANY CASUAL FAN OF BOSTON OR FANS OF ROCK IN GENERAL, AND MANY POP FANS WOULD ALSO LIKE BOSTON!

Also Recommended-

Journey-Greatest Hits
Boston- Boston
Van Halen- 1984

Thanks For Reading! ... Read more

Amazon.com

About as complete a selection of fan and artist favorites as any single-disc Bruce collection could be, this is a surprisingly coherent listen given the many stylistic and attitudinal shifts it charts. The inclusion of only four of Born in the U.S.A.'s seven Top 10 entries leaves space for less obvious choices like "Atlantic City" and four new cuts, among them songs recorded by a briefly reunited E Street Band. The pace lags a bit near the end--"Secret Garden" is turgid enough to take its place on a Sting album--but Greatest Hits earns its place in the car CD player with stuff like "Born to Run," "The River" and "Dancing in the Dark." --Rickey Wright ... Read more

Reviews (125)

20 years,14 hits and 4 new songs
Here are fourteen of Bruce Springsteen's GREATEST HITS with 4 new songs. They are entitled SECRET GARDEN,MURDER INCORPORATED,BLOOD BROTHERS and THIS HARD LAND. This album was released in 1995,spanning two decades of Springsteen's career. He and Columbia Records labelmate Billy Joel are just two of the biggest-selling artists of all time. They both wrote almost every song they ever recorded. Now for the songs: BORN TO RUN and THUNDER ROAD are from 1975's BORN TO RUN,the album that drove Springsteen to superstardom. BADLANDS is from 1978's DARKNESS ON THE EDGE OF TOWN. From 1980's THE RIVER,Springsteen's first megahit,come THE RIVER and HUNGRY HEART. From 1982's NEBRASKA comes ATLANTIC CITY,which tells about the New Jersey town,famous for its gambling facilities. From BORN IN THE U.S.A.,Springsteen's second megahit released in 1984 come BORN IN THE U.S.A.,GLORY DAYS,DANCING IN THE DARK and MY HOMETOWN. From TUNNEL OF LOVE,his third megahit released in 1987,is BRILLIANT DISGUISE. From HUMAN TOUCH and LUCKY TOWN,simultaneously released in 1992,are HUMAN TOUCH and BETTER DAYS,respectively. STREETS OF PHILADELPHIA is from the movie "Philadelphia" starring Tom Hanks,released in December '93 or January '94. The rhythm of that song inspired Natalie Merchant's 1998 hit,KIND & GENEROUS(Springsteen and Merchant are both managed by Jon Landau). I would suggest Springsteen release a Greatest Hits 2 with songs like,TENTH AVENUE FREEZE-OUT,PROVE IT ALL NIGHT,ADAM RAISED A CAIN,ROSALITA,FADE AWAY,RAMROD,THE TIES THAT BIND,COVER ME,I'M ON FIRE,I'M GOIN' DOWN,TUNNEL OF LOVE,ONE STEP UP,LUCKY TOWN,57 CHANNELS(AND NOTHIN' ON),YOUNGSTOWN and any hits from his most recent album,THE RISING.

Will Never Satisfy All Fans But OK For New Ones
As much as I love Bruce, this CD is just very unsatisfying. You really can't go by Top 40 performance as it leaves out many far better tracks.

That being said, this compilation does cover the basics ("Born To Run", "Glory Days", "Hungry Heart", etc.). If the hits are all you need, this is the disc to buy. The sound is terrific as well.

Personally, I've never been a fan of "Dancing In The Dark" and several hits (like "Hungry Heart", "My Hometown" & "Born In the USA") are just way too played out for me.

Really, do yourself a favor and buy the original albums and burn something MUCH better. Here's what I threw together. Have to say it flows together great and these songs just have more durability than several of the songs on "Greatest Hits":
1. Thunder Road
2. The Promised Land
3. Tougher Than The Rest
4. Out In The Street
5. Tenth Avenue Freeze Out
6. Downbound Train
7. Sherry Darling
8. Tunnel of Love
9. Darkness on the Edge of Town
10. Candy's Room
11. Brilliant Disguise
12. The Ties That Bind
13. Born To Run
14. One Step Up
15. Spare Parts
16. Prove It All Night
17. Badlands
18. Racing In The Street

Yeah, I know it leans a bit on "Darkness On the Edge of Town", but let me just wrap this up by saying you are FAR better off with at least "Born To Run", "Darkness...", "The River" and "Tunnel of Love" than this CD. Seriously, every time you play it, it will frustrate you when you think about what's missing.

These are Better Days
Bruce Springsteen (if he authorized this album) has outdone himself. Not only is this a great collectable for diehards, but if you've never heard the Boss, this will turn you on to his music in a second.....the second it begins......

1. Born To Run - ***** - Classified under one word: Classic! Absolutely brilliant desperation track that made everybody love Springsteen in the seventies - and why not?

2. Thunder Road - ***** - Intro to the "Born To Run" album with harmonica that somehow became the centerpoint of the entire song

3. Badlands - ***** - Began the record "Darkness On The Edge Of Town," and anyone can say it is still the best track after twenty years. The first time I heard it, Bill Murray was singing it on Saturday Night Live as Nick Thinblood! But the Boss did it WAY better

4. The River - ****1/2 - A song that (lyricly) slightly sounds like Led Zeppelin (only because they wrote a lot of story songs). Sort-of country track

5. Hungry Heart - ***** - Definitely one of my favorites. A tale about a husband and father that left his family (sort of) and Springsteen originally wrote it for the Ramones

6. Atlantic City - ***1/2 - Not one of my favorites, but another good acoustic story about gangsterism in Jersey

7. Dancing In The Dark - ***** - The second track I ever heard from Springsteen and remains as one of his best, in my opinion. A great song to sing along to

8. Born In The USA - ***** - His greatest anthem. Period. There has never been a better patriotic/painful jam in E-Street history. The primary reason that immortalized the album and defines why he's called "THE BOSS"

9. My Hometown - ***1/2 - I don't really listen to this song to much, but it's a good song that makes you appreciate where you were raised

10. Glory Days - ***** - The very first track I heard from him. It's, of course, about his high-school glory days. It's also the couch-potato's anthem. There's so much thickness (musically) in this song that you can't pick what your favorite musical "part" is, from the vocals to the keyboards to the percussion to.....anything! But my favorite part of the song is at the end when Boss and the backing singer are exchanging "exclaimations", like "Alright!"s and "Ooh-Yeah!"s

11. Brilliant Disguise - *** - The song is better than the video

12. Human Touch - **** - Pretty cool song that somehow also reminds you of where you grew up (musically), that is, if you were raised in a small town, like me

13. Better Days - **** - The title says it all. Bruce hasn't been this good since '84 (Born In The USA)

14. Streets of Philadelphia - **** - The key change in this song is immortal. Everybody knows it. As soon as they hear it, even if their not a fan, they'll remember this key change.

15. Murder Incorporated - ***** - This is, without a doubt, his greatest triumph since Born In The USA. A very Richie Sambora sounding track, possibly because of the telecaster sound....

16. Secret Garden - *** - Another track that I don't listen to very much

17. Blood Brothers - **** - Sounds a lot like MY HOMETOWN in a different key

18. This Hard Land - **** - Okay song that also sounds a lot like Richie Sambora, this time probably because of the vocals and organ

But then of course, most greatest hits compilations leave off at least one, if not several, of the artist's best. Several top ten hits, even number ones, were missing from this one. For this album those missing include:
1. I'm On Fire - "Born In The USA" 1984
2. Cover Me - "Born In The USA" 1984
3. Rosalita (Come Out Tonight) - "The Wild, The Innocent, and The E-Street Shuffle" 1973
4. No Surrender - "Born In The USA" 1984
5. Fade Away - "The River" 1980
6. Point Blank - "The River" 1980
7. Tunnel of Love - "Tunnel of Love" 1987
8. One Step Up - "Tunnel of Love" 1987
9. Roll of the Dice - "Human Touch" 1992
10. Trapped - "We Are The World (Various Artists)" 1985
11. I'm Goin' Down - "Born In The USA" 1984
12. 57 Channels - "Human Touch" 1992
Plus More
Anyway, If you don't have this album, GET IT. There are few reasons not to: 1. You can't pay for it 2. You don't have a CD/Tape player 3. You just don't like music. Now, what was your excuse?

Abysmal collection from a great artist
That someone actually had the "cajones" to put the title "Greatest Hits" on this mess is still mind-boggling. It is missing so many "great hits" that the title is truly insulting. For example, where is "Tunnel of Love," "One Step Up," "Rosalita Come Out Tonight," "Pink Cadillac," "I'm On Fire," "Prove It All Night," and "Cover Me"? That's just to name a few of the MIA's from this travesty. So finally the 2-disc "Essential" comes out and all is well, right? Guess again. It too is an uneven, incomplete collection. Will someone please help us casual Boss fans with a single or 2-disc set that "contains all the hits" career retrospective of this man? There are a variety of "box sets of B-sides" and other esoterica from this artist, why not a decent hits collection? Don't buy this, it just isn't worth it.

Songs from his "Glory Days".
With an artist the caliber of "Bruce Springsteen" it would be difficult to narrow his career down to 18 tracks, but mostly I think these are good picks. This is also a good time to point out that this is a "Greatest Hits", not a "Best Of", therefore his most popular material was selected. Of course I'll still ask where's "Tunnel Of Love", "Tenth Avenue Freeze Out", "I'm On Fire", and my personal fave "Pink Cadillac"? But, it does include "Born To Run", "Dancing In The Dark", "Human Touch", and "Secret Garden", and that should please most casual fans, which this collection is for anyway. If you would like twice as much, check out "The Essential Bruce Springsteen". ... Read more

Amazon.com essential recording

Rarely mentioned as one of the great double albums, Goodbye Yellow Brick Road had to settle for ending up in a few million record collections. So sprawling that it doesn't quite measure up to the earlier, more laid-back Honky Chateau or the later, pushy Rock of the Westies, this still holds claim to a lot of brilliant, very pop-savvy music: the winking rebellion of "Bennie and the Jets" and "Saturday Night's Alright for Fighting," the ready-made nostalgia of "The Ballad of Danny Bailey," the downbeat melodicism of "Harmony." --Rickey Wright ... Read more

Reviews (124)

Solid Effort!
Okay, I'm aware that I'm overrating this one a bit. But after writing several negative Amazon reviews for Elton's first three U.S. studio albums, I'm ready to praise this pop effort. Honky Chateau, Don't Shoot Me, Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, Captain Fantastic, and Rock of the Westies (no, I didn't forget Caribou...I'm just not all that crazy about it) mark Elton's best period. And one has to admire Elton's effort to release a double-record of pure pop. Bennie and the Jets still remains one of my all-time favorite pop songs. Nevertheless, I feel that this would have made a perfect single album. Elton John is a genius, no doubt about it, but he's a frustratingly inconsistent genius. He's an influential and talented songwriter who, sadly, never recorded a truly great album. Oh, he's made some very good records (Honky Chateau), but never a classic. If he'd trimmed some of the fat off of this record, Goodbye Yellow Brick Road would qualify as one of pop music's most important recordings.

Elton's Best Album Of The 70's- A Pop Landmark
The 1973 classic, Goodbye Yellow Brick Road is Elton John's masterpiece. It is a monumental, two-disc opus (now a remastered disc), which has a wide-array of styles from classical to rock. On this album, Elton experiments with the ARP synthesizer and keyboards. His band, guitarist Davey Johnstone, bassist Dee Murray, and drummer Nigel Olsson are energetic as even. Bernie Tapuin wrote great lyrics and themes on here. So, what's the problem? The whole album itself, is a little uneven. It should've been cut into a single album. Ok, let's get to some of the songs. "Funeral for a Friend/ Love Lies Bleeding" is a ll-minute prog-rock classic. I think it's an ode to Elton's music. "Candle in the Wind" is one of Elton's best-known classics. It's really sad because it's dedicated to Marilyn Monroe. Davey Johnstones's guitar work is great and Nigel's drumming is powerful."Bennie & the Jets" is a Bowie-like, glam rock classic. It actually sounds like a R&B flavored track. It's one of my favorite songs by Elton. The next song, "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road" is a ballad that is still EJ's best ballads. The next 3 songs, "Jamaica Jerk-Off", "I've Seen That Movie Too", and "This Song Has No Title" are entertaining, but they are somewhat throwaways. "Sweet Painted Lady" is a gentle song with Elton singing about a seaside hooker. It's one of my personal favorites on this album. Another hit, "All The Girls Love Alice" is about a girl who is a lesbian that dies. It's probably the most self-indulgent song on here. "Saturday Night's Alright For Fighting" is one of Elton's well-known tracks. It is a hard-rock tune that has Davey playing his best guitar hooks. The ending, "Harmony" is a great, but depressing ballad. Elton John's Goodbye Yellow Brick Road is a milestone in pop music. Though, it excessively has filler, it still stands as his masterpiece. All of Elton's best work is here. It is a worthy addition to your collection. A-

Great Classic
This is a great classic CD. Every Elton fan should have this one!
He is one of America's best ever pop stars. He is strongest when he teams with Bernie Taupin. Some of his best songs of all time are on this record made 30-some years ago.

A real treat ...
It can be argued that the early 70's were Elton John's best era. If you were to listen to "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road" you will see why so many people say this. Elton's voice was so young and beautiful, and compositions with Taupin had a pure magic to them.

The opening track "Funeral for a Friend/Love Lies Bleeding" pulls you in leaving you spellbound. The album is most famous for the countless hit singles lifted from the album including "Benny & the Jets", "Candle in the Wind" and the title track.

These are excellent tracks, but the real surprises to me were the album tracks which hold up well against the chosen singles. My favourite track on the album is "This Song Has No Title", simply so beautiful. Never tire of hearing this. It is followed by "Grey Seal", another favourite of mine.

Like most albums, there are the odd fillers here and there, but they still represent well crafted pieces of work.

This is an album that deserves a place in your CD collection.

I keep purchasing this CD.
-not much of a music expert, here. However, I know what I like. And, keep coming back to this recording from time to time and it still amazes me (the talent of diversity). Must have owned at least a dozen copies from LP to cassette to CD. This may sound cliche..., but great pop music keeps sounding good year after year. First heard it when I was a mere 9 years old & still enjoy it, today. This CD is definately worth your time & money. It's pretty much got something for everyone. ... Read more

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Popularly known as the "Brown Album," this is the collection people first think of when this august outfit's name is mentioned. The four-parts Canadian, one-part Arkansan quintet's sophomore effort boasts more soon-to-be-staples than any other Band studio recording, what with the likes of the Joan Baez hit "The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down," "Across the Great Divide," and "Up on Cripple Creek" standing out among the dozen uniformly memorable tracks. Lesser-known group originals such as the achingly lovely "Whispering Pines" and the cryptic "Unfaithful Servant," however, play crucial roles in giving this 1969 classic its unique flavor. Given the high standard established by The Band and its better-still 1968 predecessor, Music from Big Pink, it's not surprising the Band peaked early as a recording group. As with all the 2000 Band reissues, this remastered reissue boasts a number of bonus tracks, though all but "Get Up Jake" are alternate takes of album selections. --Steven Stolder ... Read more

Reviews (57)

A trip around America's heartland
The Band are undoubtedly one of the most underrated bands of all time. And a band this talented didn't need any fancy name to call themselves. Or their albums. Which is why, in 1969 when they originally released The Band, true fans of music knew that they had something special on their hands. The album was so simply recorded, which makes it interesting, because everything you hear on that album was played or sung by Band members Garth Hudson, Richard Manuel, Levon Helm, Rick Danko, and Robbie Robertson, along with the album's engineer John Simon. This is where The Band's multi-instrumentalism comes into play. Intricate string and horn arrangements are played by The Band and Simon. Anyway, get this album cause it's awesome. Highly recommended to Bob Dylan and Neil Young fans. The remaster has 7 bonus tracks so it makes it even more worth the buck, and for you hit lovers you have "Rag Mama Rag", "The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down", "Up On Cripple Creek", "The Unfaithful Servant", and "King Harvest." Not bad.

Still unsurpassed after all these years
I doubt that any single album has so many great songs played so well. I've come back to this album time and again over the last XX years and it's never disappointed me.

At a time when most popular music was permutating the basic guitar-bass-drums line-up, The Band were blending those instruments with reeds, horns and keyboards. Using a tuba as the bass on Rag Mama Rag, no less The sound is simultaneously rough yet sophisticated. The singing blends sweetness and hard edge. Rural but definitely not country.

For music lovers born in the 50s and 60s (and maybe earlier) this album is an absolute sure-fire must-have. For those born later, I wonder whether it sounds as compelling - years of multi-track recording and studio wizardry have raised the taste for smoothness so this one might be a tad too grainy for them.

The version I have is the unremastered CD. I wonder about the additional tracks on this one - more can sometimes diminish the perfect integrity of a great album. If record companies want to give the fans a little extra, bless them, then I personally would prefer them on a 2nd CD.

Did The Band write better songs than Dylan and the Beatles?
I think so. They absorbed Dylan's lyrical approach completely, threw away the bad parts, and made it better by adding musicianship...unlike the Beatles, they didn't [dig] around with psychedelic delusions, but made ordinary life wonderful instead.
This album is so good I almost can't stand it. It is literally overflowing with integrity, strength, and hope. It simply doesn't get any better than this. How dare they write songs this good.

Essential listening - a perfect album in every way
N.B. The official review above is somewhat misleading as it is written as if Joan Baez composed "The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down" from this album; she did not. Robbie Robertson, guitarist of the band is the composer for anyone who didn't already know. Anyway, now to the important stuff...
Having had this album for a couple of months I find myself in a far more settled place in which to write a review that I know I can stand by for good. This band is absolutely essential, in the way that the Beatles, Elvis, Cash, Springsteen, the Stones, Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye etc. etc. are essential. They captured in its purest form a method of storytelling that still has as much potency and passion now as it ever did back in the late 1960's. This, in my estimations (as well as many, many other musicians and music-lovers) forcefully eclipses any of the "classic" albums at the time (St. Peppers and Pet Sounds being the most acclaimed) in every single way.

From the stunning sway of "Across the Great Divide", right through to the undeniable anguish of "King Harvest", each song tells a vivid and engaging story, sung with such passion and played with such amazing talent, that this is simply the most artistically important album of the 20th century (in my eyes at the very least; I know at least some people agree).

If nobody knows the members of the Band, prepare to be engaged in the kind of enthralling empathy that no other band I have come across has yet instilled in me...

The Band consists of three vocalists; Richard Manuel (Pianist), Rick Danko (bassist) and Levon Helm (drummer), of which Richard was most definitely the lead. His voice is truly inspiring, breathtaking, and (once you know his fate) absolutely heartbreaking. Listen to "Whispering Pines" or "Rockin' Chair" off this album and you will know what I mean... indeed, buy the "Classic Albums" dvd of this to see just what sort of impact Richard had on the music and people involved with the Band. For those of you who do not know the Band, Richard committed suicide back in 1986 while touring with the reunited (ex-Robertson) band.

Let's not forget the force of the other vocalists and musicians within however, because each made a massive impact upon the music that came out of the "Big Pink" and "Band" sessions. The most impressive songs on this album are, without doubt "Across The Great Divide", "...Dixie...", "Unfaithful Servant", "Whispering Pines", "Rockin' Chair" and "When You Awake", all bona-fide classics. The other songs are just as impressive once you know the Band's music, but are a little more dense in scope and may take a few listens to fully appreciate.

Helm, a superb drummer, singer, and mandolin player, sings "Dixie" with the kind of passion nobody from out of the South of the US could. It's undeniable and frighteningly haunting. Similarly, Danko (also deceased) puts in superb vocal performances on "When You Awake" and "Unfaithful Servant".

All the musicians (except Robertson, who wrote nearly all the songs) are exceptional multi-instrumentalists who exhibit the kind of genius (and that includes Robertsons' guitar playing and songwriting) that maybe just one part of every classic band has; the disturbing thing is that every member of this band has it in spades.

The music itself is breathtaking in scope, not because of its component parts (although they too are magical), but because of the force and complexity of the textures that these musicians created... created, may I add, in the midst of post "St. Peppers" flimsy and whimsical psychedelia, and not scarred in any way by it (as much of the late 60's, early 70's music was). The underbelly of the songs is based upon Helm's substantial drumming, Danko's persistent and beautiful bass and Garth Hudson's complex textures of hammond and Clavinette.

This is timeless music for timeless troubles, music we can all grasp something from, whether it is hope, empathy, sadness, (envy!), or simple inspiration and respect.

Once of the very few "perfect" rock albums, in my opinion far greater than any album that came out of the '60's or 70's and simply one of the most awe-inspiring examples of songwriting, storytelling and musicianship that you will ever bear witness to.
Timeless and essential.

Greatest Album Ever
That said, I wanted to respond to the Canadian's post which contradicted the statement that The Band's music is genuinely American, stating that it is completely Canadian because 4 of the 5 members were born in Canada. Right, you can hear all their great Canadian influences like Muddy Waters, Sonny Boy Williamson, Elvis and Bob Dylan. And when the started playing rockibilly as the Hawks that was certainly born out of the old tent shows of Ontario, not brought up from Arkansas by Ronnie Hawkins and Levon. Regardless of where these fellas may have been born, there is no music is more truly American than theirs, especially their stuff on this particular album. ... Read more

Amazon.com essential recording

What Highway to Hell has that Back in Black doesn't is Bon Scott, AC/DC's original lead singer who died just months after this album was released. Scott had a rusty, raspy, scream of a voice, like he might break into a coughing fit at any moment. In other words, on crunchy, hook-heavy metal classics like the title track, and on "Get It Hot" which is more roadhouse rock than metal, he had the perfect instrument for such wild-living anthems. Too perfect, it turned out.--David Cantwell ... Read more

Reviews (44)

Bon's fond farewell 25 years on
Australian hard rockers AC/DC released their album Highway to Hell in July of 1979. This was the first of three albums that AC/DC would work with producer Robert John Mutt Lange and coincidentally the band's first Top 20 charting and Platinum selling album here in the US. Ironically, Highway was the last album with the late Bon Scott before he died in February of 1980 after a long night of drinking. The album is pure AC/DC. Every track is great. You get the rock radio staples of the title cut, Girls Got Rhythm and Shot Down in Flames. Other highlights include If You Want Blood(a song named after their live album from 1978), Shot Down in Flames and Walk All Over You. One of the best song's on the album is Love Hungry Man which is somewhat of an overlooked gem in the AC/DC repertoire. The last track is the spooky Night Prowler which caused controversy when an AC/DC hat was worn by "the Night Stalker", a murderer who used AC/DC as a scapegoat for his evils. The song, ironically enough, was about what teenagers used to do, sneak out of their windows to their boyfriend/girlfriend's house whilst the parents were asleep. Bon was at his best on his last album. You really have to listen to whats not played on the radio to understand how great he was. Today, the album still sounds competent in 2004 with its digitally remastered edition.

One of the greatest hard rock albums of all time!
Highway To Hell by AC/DC has got to be one of the greatest hard rock albums of all time! Its load, its raw, and its heavy! Its the perfect album, well almost.

Highway To Hell was AC/DC's last album with front man Bon Scott, because he died like right after it was released. Besides Back In Black this is AC/DC's best album. Its there most raw and powerful. Its bluesy as well. The first four songs are the best on the record with the amazing title track, 'Girls Got Rhythm' 'Walk All Over You' and 'Touch Too Much.' All of which are classic AC/DC songs. The opening title track sets the pace for the rest of the amazing album. 'Beating Around The Bush' is goodd but nothing to brag about. 'Shot Down In Flames' is classic. 'Get It Hot' and 'Love Hungry Man' are both decent songs. 'If You Want Blood (You Got It)' is a classic, killer AC/DC song. 'Night Prowler' is one of AC/DC's best songs. Its a bluesy track and its heavy. This is AC/DC's most contraversal song because some guy stalked some chick and wore an AC/DC hat around the time this was released.

This is Classic, its among AC/DC's best albums. As far as Bon Scott goes this was his best album so dont miss out!

The best with Bon
Highway to Hell is considered by many to be AC/DC's best work. I agree that it is their best with Bon Scott but not their best overall.

AC/DC again explored some bluesey riffs on Walk All Over You and Night Prowler but they had honed the skill since 1976's Dirty Deeds. Don't get me wrong this is a heavy album. One of their heaviest. The songwriting is excellent the Young brothers' guitar work is crisp and clean and Scott's vocals are delivered with his trademark snarl.

This is an outstanding album and should be a staple in any hard rock/metal fans collection.

Grade A-
HIGHWAY TO HELL is AC DC's finest with their old lead singer Bon Scott. The playing is tight, the songs are constructed for maxuim punch, and production is crisp and clear.
THE GOOD
HIGHWAY TO HELL, GIRLS GOT RHYTHM, SHOT DOWN IN FLAMES, WALK ALL OVER YOU, are some of their finest. This is the cd to start your Bon area with. "Mutt" does a first class job on production, as always.
THE BAD
Including IF YOU WANT BLOOD, YOU GOT IT, which was just released on a live cd at the time.

C.P.O.V.
With a song title like HIGHWAY TO HELL, you can pretty much tell were this song and cd is headed. GIRLS GOT RHYTHM, TOUCH TOO MUCH, BEATING AROUND THE BUSH are all about sex in the first degree. Lyrics are suggestive for then, but kind of tame for today's standards-EJW

Another AC/DC classic
High Way to Hell is great every single song is worth listening to. The title track High Way to hell is just freaking awesome Angus Young really knows how to play those solos each song is filled with altleast one or two kik a** solos. Anyone who listens to good old rock n roll will love this ablum and some other great AC/DC albums High Voltage,Let there Be Rock,Dirty Deeds done Dirt Cheap,Powerage,Back in Black,'74 JailBreak,Back in Black and For Those about to Rock. I give this album 4 stars since all the songs are worth listening too and the great thing about having the digipak is you can get to read some tidbits about the bands history and some well written articles. Buy this album and you'll be totaly satisfied with the songs on this record. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Indeed, there were many who thought that it would take an event as cataclysmic as the one described in the album title to get these seminal '70s soft-rockers back together. But here they are, revisiting some of their most beloved tunes as well as four new ones, on this mostly live, largely acoustic disc. Frey, Henley, Walsh, Schmit, and Felder tackle iconic Eagles standards like "Hotel California," "Tequila Sunrise," "Take It Easy," "Desperado," and "Life in the Fast Lane" and new tunes like "Get Over It" and "Love Will Keep Us Alive" with the smoothly cocky assurance that originally made them icons. --Scott Schinder ... Read more

Reviews (91)

Hell Won't Freeze Over
The music of The Eagles mainly defined the California sound of the 70's. For them to reunite was like a dream come true, according to many of their fans.

That dream came alive in 1994. With the release of Hell Freezes Over, The Eagles signature sound was revived on mainstream radio. The album contains live material from all of their classic hits, including their version of Don Henley's solo hit, New York Minute, and four newly recorded songs: Get Over It, The Girl From Yesterday, Love Will Keep Us Alive, and Learn To Be Still.

While most of the 90's music remained as Hip Hop, Rap, and Teen Idols, it was so nice to see one of the most legendary bands of music history come back to the top. I'm so glad that The Eagles did just that.

Don, Glenn, Joe, Tim, & Don, 'nuff said!
I'm not sure that I can say anything that the other 69 people haven't already said about this 15 song work of art. Just an unbelievable live album, probably the best live recording ever. These songs really need no introduction, because they're such well known classics. 'Tequila Sunrise', 'Hotel California', Take It Easy', 'Life In The Fast Lane' and 'Desperado' are 5 superb classics played to absolute perfection. The 11 live songs on this album sound as good as a studio recording,(they're that great). 'Wasted Time' and 'I Can't Tell You Why' are a couple more of my fav songs on here. There are 4 newly recorded studio tracks on here: 'Get Over It', which has a cool guitar- intro, and Don Henley ripping it up on vocals. 'Love Will Keep Us Alive' is one of the most beautiful ballads of all time, and a true instant Eagles classic. 'The Girl From Yesterday'(G. Frey) and 'Learn To Be Still'(D. Henley) are both grade-A musical perfection. I can't recommend this one enough, it is truly enjoyable to listen to time after time. If you don't have it, you know what to do. ROCK ON!

Waht happend to Joe Walsh material?????
have the DVD of this show, great show but the CD doesnt have Joe Walsh`s song, too bad or this would have been a better write up.... Eagles were great in there hey day but its over now, pack it in guys..... should have done alot more of the oldies.... new stuff aint cutting the mustard......

Possibly the Greatest CD ever made
The Eagles are one of those timeless bands whose music can appeal to anybody. Hell Freezes over is the finest example of the Eagles. All the songs on this CD are spectacular and deserve special mention, but the remake of Hotel California is the most brilliant. It is far better thant the original, and that is saying a lot. If you weren't an Eagles fan before, the new Hotel California will win you over. I enjoy listening to this CD when I'm traveling for a while on the highway, it relaxes and soothes you. If you like James Taylor or Fleetwood Mac you MUST listen to this CD. Hell Freezes Over is a great CD for anybody. In a world of horrible music such as Eminem, Britney Spears, and American Idol, it is nice to see that the classics still live on. Just like cars used to be built to last so was music. The Eagles are still listened to today (Farewell One tour ticket sales indicate the massive extent of this). Like new cars which are flashier and more high tech, but not built to last, so is new music. Computerized beats and effects are used in place of beautiful acoustic chords. New music is designed to be catchy but has no lasting appeal (spice girls anyone? or how about new kids on the block?). The Eagles are a band you will listen to over and over again because the songs do not get old. If you want to see what American Music truely is then you owe it to yourself to buy this CD.

great package
The Eagles almost full length live album is pure brilliance. The four first tracks are new and 'Get Over It' is a fast paced masterpiece. My favourite song on this album would have to be 'New York Minute' but the Eagles prove they KNOW how to put on a live show. Their live versions of 'Tequila Sunrise', 'Hotel California', 'Take It Easy' and 'In The City' are fantastic. One of the best albums ever to grace my CD collection. ... Read more

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Good-natured rock & roll wise guy Joe Walsh not only made a name for himself as guitarist for The Eagles and The James Gang, but he also had a successful solo career. Known for his self-deprecating sense of humor ("Life's Been Good") and his dirty guitar boogie (the pulsating "Rocky Mountain Way"), Walsh drew a fan base from those who were fond of the harder edge he gave to The Eagles. He was easily one of the better guitarists of his generation, not so much for flashy licks but for his rhythmic sensibilities and awareness of restraint and economy. Yet Walsh continued to view himself as an "Ordinary Average Guy." His keen self-awareness and his understanding of the importance of rock in the overall scheme of things was further evidenced in "A Life of Illusion." Even the title of this collection, Greatest Hits: Little Did He Know shows Walsh, for all of his talent, never lost sight of the fact that it's only rock & roll. The album also contains the memorable "Funk#49," "Bolero," and "Midnight Man." --Steve Gdula ... Read more

Reviews (12)

Classic Collection
When people talk about guitar legends they usually talk about Jimi Hendrix, Jimmy Page, Jeff Beck, Santana, but rarely do they mention the guitar heroics of one of the best-Joe Walsh. Maybe it was his self styled "Ordinary Average Guy" image or some of his jokey lyrics that made critics overlook him in the pantheon of rock greats, but he was definately the people's choice. Joe Walsh is the coolest and this collection rocks the house right out of the gate with "Funk #49" and continues with more groovy tunes from his days with The James Gang through his classic solo hits like "All Night Long", "Life Of Illusion" and the immortal "Life's Been Good". He could get heavy too, like on "The Confessor" which was one of the more ominous sounding rock songs coming out of radios in 1984. Also, in the middle of "The Bomber" he does his own take on "Bolero" that is just as magnificent as Beck's {or Ravel's). Walsh's humor and guitar virtuosity are all well spotlighted here on his greatest performances. A must have for any Classic Rock fan!

Excellent compilation, excellent artist
Although the Eagles disbanded, many of its members went on to solo careers. A popular member of the band to go on to a solo career was Joe Walsh. Both before and after the Eagles, he shelled out a number of pop-rock masterpieces - now available in a single collection. Read on for my review of Joe Walsh's Greatest Hits.

PROS:
-This compilation is exactly what the casual fan will want. Walsh's biggest solo hits were Life's Been Good and Rocky Mountain Way, and they're both here.
-This compilation covers James Gang material (the band he was in BEFORE the Eagles), so you get Funk Number Forty-Nine and Walk Away.
-The compilation doesn't just rely on the hits, there are a number of underrated masterpieces here as well.
- It's good to finally have all of these tracks in one place.

CONS:
-This is a JAMES GANG AND SOLO COLLECTION and nothing more, so don't buy this expecting to find any Eagles tracks.

OVERALL:
Despite a few complaints, this is an excellent hits package. Any fans of Joe's would be doing themselves a huge favor by picking up this compilation.

joe walsh-what a waste of songs
great selection of songs. but alot of the sound quality was bad. until it got to the confesser. part of it was mastered and the other was done digitally.

The best available Joe Walsh-compilation
This is the definitive Joe Walsh-collection. The double-disc "Look At What I Did" is simply too much for anyone but the very serious fan (and the very serious fan probably has Joe's studio albums and doesn't need a compilation album).

But this one gets it right. Fifteen songs culled from Walsh's solo career, as well as his James Gang-days (although a real James Gang-lover should probably go get their Greatest Hits in addition to this album).

And all the best and best-known songs are here: "Walk Away", "Turn To Stone", "Help Me Trough The Night", "All Night Long", "Life's Been Good" and ten more. No filler at all, and even though some fans could probably point to one or two tracks that definately should have been here, this will satisfy almost everyone who doesn't want to invest in the original albums.

Buy "Look What I Did!" instead
This is a great collection, but "Look What I Did" is a 2-CD anthology: Songs from The James Gang, Barn Storm and Solo. This one does capture "The Confessor" which I miss from my LP. BUT- "Look What I Did" has the song "ILBT's" which (for a GUY with a sense of humor)is one song worth the price of the entire double CD set. You can't get "You Bought It, You Name It" so get "Look What I Did" instead! ... Read more

Amazon.com essential recordings

Music from Big Pink stands as one of those rare albums that turned the rock world on its axis. On this record, released in 1968 at the height of the psychedelic revolution, the five members of the Band (along with producer-sideman John Simon) eschewed spacey diversions, opting for an earthier route. Soon enough, wah-wah pedals and tape loops were making way for fiddles and mandolins. The group's most democratic effort (Robbie Robertson would soon emerge as the ensemble's mouthpiece), the debut's 11 songs come from Robertson, bassist Rick Danko, and pianist Richard Manuel, who contributes two songs and cowrote the doleful opener, "Tears of Rage," with Bob Dylan. Manuel's role would diminish from this point hence and the balance he brought to the quintet would be missed. Many would argue that Big Pink's sequel, The Band, represents their crowning achievement. The truth is, Big Pink is the purest distillation of the Band, and their preeminent recording. This remastered reissue is generously expanded to include nine bonus tracks, a bunch highlighted by a Robertson rarity ("Ferdinand the Imposter") and a cover of the Stanley Brothers's "If I Lose." --Steven Stolder ... Read more

Reviews (34)

Timeless
The Band's "Music from Big Pink" is as timeless a classic as any album you will ever listen to. The music is still fresh and exciting even though the album is more then 30 years old. From the first track, the moving "Tears of Rage", the listener knows that this is not going to be an average listening experience.

And why is "Music from Big Pink" so distinct? Well, there are a lot of contributing factors, but the sheer talent and range of The Band is what sets them apart. The voices of Levon Helm, Rich Danko and Richard Manuel are some of the best in rock and roll: they're filled with character, which allows the characters in their songs to come alive. Robbie Robertson's guitar playing is superb, though he plays no solos, choosing to rely on other instruments to help carry the songs, especially the organ playing of Garth Hudson, who really shines. Lastly, the song writing. Although Robbie Robertson doesn't come into his own until The Band's self-titled second album, the collected song writing talents of The Band, plus Bob Dylan, manage to create a unique and inspiring collection of songs.

Highlights of the album are "The Weight", a classic, "Chest Fever", a blast to listen to, the aforementioned "Tears of Rage" and "Long Black veil", a cover that tops any other version of the song.

"Music from Big Pink" is the type of album that can be listened to at any time and still feel like your first listen.

A Timeless Classic
When I first heard the songs on this album, I thought The Band had covered a bunch of old American folk songs in a rock style. Then I bought the lp, scoured the credits, and realized that they had written all of the songs themselves (with the exception of "Long Black Veil"). These songs sound like they come from the heart of Appalachia, or the Mississippi delta. They tap into some some timeless American musical vein that will forever remain fresh.

And the musicianship! Levon's drumming and singing throughout... Richard Manuel's achingly beautiful vocals on "Tears of Rage" ... the ragged but right harmonies of "The Weight"... Robbie Robertson's exquisite guitar solo on "To Kingdom Come"... Garth Hudson's manic organ intro to "Chest Fever". And how about a round of applause for the unsung sixth member, producer John Simon. He was obviously an integral part of their unique sound, and now he should get the credit he deserves.

On this album, each member of The Band subsumed his ego to serve the songs, and they never again hit the perfect combination of relaxed, good-timey vibes with incredible rock 'n' roll energy. This is a record I will enjoy as much when I am eighty years old as I did when I was in college.

The bonus tracks are a nice addition. They practically double the length of the original album, and while their quality is not up to the original songs, they definitely add a lot of value to the package. Kudos to Capitol Records for putting out an excellent reissue. The liner notes are outstanding, and the sound quality is top-notch.

"We don't Jam"
I have heard Eric Clapton say on several occasions that this is the album that changed his life. Make that two changed lives. The Band has a way of blending all kinds of American musics into seemless masterpieces of poetry. Music from the Big Pink is the Band's perfect expression of this idea. Every song on here is a winner. But to me, the real jems are the upbeat Caledonia Mission and We Can Talk. They just have of way of celebrating music and sounding like it on these songs. Eric Clapton went to see the Band after breaking up with Cream. Robbie Robertson told him that they didn't do jams. Ironically, the Band jam on this album with four minute songs of pure folky bliss.

Music From Big Pink
I think that the biggest misconception about The Band is that Robbie Robertson is the mastermind behind the whole deal. In truth, many of the members of The Band helped co-write the songs, including stellar performances by Richard Manuel and the often forgotten Levon Helm. Pick up a copy of This Wheel's On Fire, an autobiography by Helm, and you will get more of an insider's look. There is no doubt that Music From Big Pink is a phenomonal album, and that The Band is simply one of the best groups ever comprised. Each individual influence blends with the others to form a truly fresh sound. However, if you want the best of The Band, I suggest you hear them live. I happened to obtain a rare live album from the mid-70s, right before they disbanded, and it is simply my favorite album ever.

The greatest album in my collection? Possibly...
From the excellent harmony and musicianship to the lyrics and arrangements (though the latter are a slight bit dated), "Music From Big Pink" is a journey through an America you simply cannot find anymore. This is the perfect album that could never be released today. If you want to hear talent, pick this up. Any individual member of the Band had more talent than nearly any band out there today.

Imagine five great players, three great singers, two great songwriters and mix it all up in a garish pink house in the Catskills, and you get "Music From Big Pink." ... Read more

Amazon.com

Given a five-decade career that's been one long series of critical write-offs and subsequent comeback triumphs, it's tempting to argue that the natural elements are actually earth, wind, fire, water--and Cher. Anchored by her 1998 international mega-success "Believe" (the song that made Cher the oldest woman to score a chart topper) and its equally club-savvy contemporary collaborations with producers Mark Taylor and Brian Rawlings, "Song for the Lonely" and "A Different Kind of Love Song," this 21-track anthology is indeed the first to contain all her No. 1 hits, stretching back to her epochal 1965 duet with Sonny Bono on the faux-Dylan "I Got You Babe." And if it shortchanges her Phil Spector-rooted origins and a true perspective on her '60s and '70s career (though kitsch classic chart toppers "Dark Lady," "Half-Breed," and "Gypsies, Tramps and Thieves" are all here) to focus on her string of '80s and '90s pop successes in service of writers like Diane Warren ("If I Could Turn Back Time") and Desmond Child ("Just Like Jesse James"), it's good to remember that, according to the pop soothsayers, none of them were even supposed to happen, let alone make her an icon for a whole new generation. It's a tribute to sheer, fashion-defying willpower--and as unlikely an argument for the notion of "the singer, not the song" as one is likely to find. --Jerry McCulley ... Read more

Reviews (147)

Cher and Cher Alike.
I realize that confessing a love for Cher is credibility suicide in many circles, but I couldn't resist reviewing her latest greatest hits CD, which has been selling rather well. Whether you like Cher or not, you have to admit that her ability to endure five decades is hardly a result of mere blind luck. As we all know, the media and public can be ruthless to divas who are past their sell-by date, but Cher has been able to outlive them all. You can credit that to tenacity, a strong will, and the ability to market yourself as shrewdly as Madonna. On "The Very Best of Cher," we witness the singer formerly known as Ms. LaPierre embrace the good, the bad, and the tacky in pop music. There are the predictable songs from her days with Sonny Bono ("I Got You, Babe"), her remarkably solid solo work from the 1970s ("Half Breed" and "Gypsies, Tramps, and Thieves"), her affair with adult contemporary pop rock schlock ("If I Could Turn Back Time," "I Found Someone"), and glittery neo disco ("Believe," her biggest single to date). At 21 tracks, the collection captures all eras of her career impressively, but it does have flaws. It omits "We All Sleep Alone," and Rodney Jerkins' remix of "Different Kind of Love Song" is inferior to the original album version. But "The Very Best of Cher" gets bonus points from me for including the fantastic discocentric "All Or Nothing," an underrated and overlooked flop single that's just as good as "Believe." Cher is hardly a critics darling, and many will turn their nose and laugh contemptuously. Who cares? "The Very Best of Cher" makes for a qualified guilty pleasure from one of the most resilient female entertainers around.

Cher's Most Accurate Overview...as of 2003
Cher has had quite a winding career over the past 40 years, as her songs have touched various genres like folk, girl group, soft rock, disco, arena rock, adult contemporary, and house. She has also had the fortune of producing hits in each of these genres, so a career like hers should result in a rich, sprawling greatest hits compilation. Unfortunately, over that same period of time, she has worked with three different major labels, and thus her collections have generally resulted as incomplete introspectives.

And, all things considered, the 2003 issue THE VERY BEST OF CHER follows that trend, but it's actually Cher's most complete collection to date. The reason for that it contains more of her big hits than any prior collection from the infamous "I Got You Babe" with Sonny Bono in 1965 to the insistent "Believe" in 1999, while taking in other essential tracks like "All I Really Want to Do"; "The Beat Goes On"; "Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down)"; "Gypsys, Tramps, and Thieves"; "Half-Breed"; "Dark Lady"; "Take Me Home"; "I Found Someone"; "After All"; "If I Could Turn Back Time"; and "The Shoop Shoop Song."

But the biggest problems with this collection do not really consider that some big songs are still missing. First off, there are too many tracks from BELIEVE and LIVING PROOF; "Believe" was the only top 40 hit Cher had in those two albums, and the rest of the material was pretty generic. The sequencing of this collection also does not work very well (even if it does roughly work from the present to the beginning) largely because those particular tracks from the last two albums, plus the new mix of "A Different Kind of Love Song," slow down the collection's pace considerably. It is because of these flaws that the collection only emphasizes what's missing: "You Better Sit Down Kids"; "Where Do You Go"; "Alfie"; "Living in a House Divided"; "The Way of Love"; "All I Ever Need Is You"; "A Cowboy's Work Is Never Done"; "Train of Thought"; "We All Sleep Alone"; and "Love and Understanding" could have been possible candidates.

But yet, if you're trying to look for that one definitive Cher collection, THE VERY BEST OF CHER is the closest record to that title. And even if the overall listen is a little tiring because of the unnecessary tracks, it is still nice to have a concise collection that gives consideration to all of the styles Cher has achieved fame with over the years.

despise it
please get rid of this cd and this old woman who should call it a day.it is a shame to call this package of 21 terrible songs as best of collection as to me it sounds more like lousy hits.trash this immediately.avoid.

really awful
i would request that this is one album which you should avoid at all costs.this awful cd is bad beyond description and i really wonder when this old woman will call it a day and stop harrasing us.she only became famous because of her short lived association with the great greg allman.avoid.rating 1/2 out of 10.get rust in peace from megadeth instead.

This album would convert anyone...
1. Believe: awesome dance song 5 stars
2. If I could turn back time: ditto
3. Heart of Stone: nice, 4 stars
4. Just like jesse james: the best rock song of all time 5 stars
5. Save up all your tears, catchy, 4 stars
6. After All: ok one of the greatest love songs/duets of all time, instantly likeable, will make you cry, 5 stars
7. I found someone: i actually love the verses more than the chorus, 5 stars
8. one by one, um i don't know about this one, not modern ear friendly, 3 stars
9. stong enough, great dance song again, 5 stars
10. all or nothing, ditto
11. song for the lonely, ditto
12. take me home, not my fav, 2 stars
13. it's in his kiss: classic 4 stars
14. all i really want to do, not my fav again, 1 star
15. bang bang, much better live, 1 star
16. Half-breed: so original, tribal but pop sound at same time, 5 stars
17. gypsies, tramps and thieves - i love this one, 5 stars
18. dark lady - i like these creepy mystical songs, we need more of them, very catchy, 5 stars
19 and 20, classics
21. a different kind of love song - this remix is great for this song, 4 stars ... Read more

Reviews (51)

I'm sinking in the quicksand of my thought
Before the arrival of the Thin White Duke or Ziggy Stardust, there was Bowie, just before the Spiders were about to take England and the world by storm. Hunky Dory came out the year before and to me, was the best album he put out in the 1970's.

"Changes" is classic Bowie from opening note to the closing saxophone, done by Bowie himself. It's a hand-up to the younger generation who have problems from the old fogies who look down on them with contempt and pity.

I'm also partial to the sauntering piano and vocal of "Oh! You Pretty Things." which comes alive with Mick Woodmansey's drums mid-song. The mellowness continues with "Eight Line Poem."

"Life On Mars?" is one of the biggest justifications for Bowie's existence. Well, that and "Space Oddity." Oh then there's "Time Will Crawl" and then, ... well, the symphonic wall and piano surrounding the chorus that break in beginning with "Sailors fighting in the dance hall..." The line about "the Lawmen beating up the wrong guy" brings to mind Rodney King.

It would've been interesting to have the kind of parents on the light-hearted "Kooks." A click or so away from conventionality, it seems. Classic line: "And if the homework brings you down/Then we'll throw it on the fire." Equally light is "Fill Your Heart" a quick jazz-swingy number of freeing one's heart with love and forgetting one's mind. Apart from Sgt Peppers, the people of Pepperland might accept this song heartily.

The reflective "Quicksand" is the opposite and presents a gloomy, dark vision, having the guitar of "Space Oddity." The piano and strings come into play effectively as in "Life On Mars?" especially when juxtaposed with the apocalyptic "Don't believe in yourself/Don't deceive with belief/Knowledge comes with death's release."

Sound bites: The acoustic guitar is really strong on rhythm in "Andy Warhol" With Mick Ronson's snarling glam-rock guitar, "Queen B-tch" can be considered the first volley by the Spiders. Compare this to "Suffragette City." And finally, "Song For Bob Dylan" is exactly what it sounds like, a nod to one of if not America's greatest songwriter and storyteller.

To say that his recent album 'hours' was close to this misses the mark, although there are overtones. Alternately upbeat and melancholy, with not too many traces of the Spiders invasion that would suddenly come the following year.

Let Me Make it Plain: Gotta Make Way for the Homo Superior!
Hunky Dory (1971) is David Bowie's second album--released after The Man Who Sold the World and prior to The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust. Hunky Dory is the most enjoyable and entertaining of all of Bowie's albums to me--unlike most, every song is very entertaining and pleasant here. If you don't know any other of his records, I certainly recommend that you start with this one. Albeit this is the most commercial of all his works, it still possesses that guaranteed Bowie "edge." Even though Ziggy Stardust--the supreme concept album of the 1970s--is more purposeful and focused, Hunky Dory is more musically amusing and accessible than that one. While most of the tracks are not incredibly intellectual or may not require deep analysis, when it comes to writing great pop songs, Bowie is a genius. Although he doesn't usually write cheesily or with cliché, he [along with Bob Dylan] is one of the few people who can successfully pull it off when he decides to--"Kooks" is one of the silliest and funniest songs ever written, and even though it is ridiculous, it's without a question my favorite. I also really like, of course, the fittingly mournful "Song for Bob Dylan"--it's quite possibly the best tribute ever written! "Changes," the hit of the album, along with "Fill Your Heart," both integrate well and embellish the rest of Hunky Dory's childish animation and hopefulness. Directly following the release of Ziggy Stardust, David Bowie publicly announced his bisexuality, and Hunky Dory certainly has more than a few hints of this budding flamboyance. Though many of the songs are very light, many of them also expound upon Bowie's frustration with his bland society, especially "Oh! You Pretty Things:" "What are we coming to? ...Homo sapiens have outgrown their use... Gotta make way for the Homo Superior!" Bowie's style changes from album to album, but the songs on Hunky Dory are upbeat and extravagant, yet still very simple [if that's possible]. I really don't have much else to say, except that this album is very good and very nice and you should hear it as soon as you can.

3.5 stars - Still finding his way
Hunky Dory (1971.) David Bowie's fourth album.

David Bowie had only been making music for about half a decade when the seventies came around, but he had already shifted his sound more times than most artists do in their entire careers. He'd gone from an oldies-pop sound to more of an acoustic-style folk rock one. And come the new decade, and he was about to shift his stylings once again, in more of a rock-style direction. With guitarist Mick Ronson, he recorded his third album, The Man Who Sold The World. One year later, he recorded his fourth LP, Hunky Dory, also featuring Ronson. Read on for my review.

Let me start by saying that this album is a step up from Bowie's previous albums (I feel each one of the first five David Bowie albums is an improvement over its predecessor), but he still hadn't found his voice as a rock star yet (that wouldn't happened until 1972's Ziggy Stardust.) Despite this, Bowie serves up a pretty good album. Changes would become one of Bowie's biggest hits, and why not? It's seventies-style pop rock at its very best. The other tracks are hit and miss, but there are a few gems here. Life On Mars would become a fairly popular track, and the favorite of many Bowie fans. It's not my favorite, but solid nonetheless. The acoustic stylings of Quicksand are also excellent - you've gotta love the lyrics here. Andy Warhol, Song For Bob Dylan, and Queen Bitch are also very good. In the end, this album seems like a definite improvement over its predecessors, but at the same time, it leaves a lot to be desired - some of the tracks are subpar.

Like with the other David Bowie remasters, the foreign Ryko versions have bonus tracks that can't be found on the American reissues. If you're a Bowie maniac, I suggest shelling out the extra cash and getting the remasters; you may enjoy the extra tracks. However, if you're just a typical Bowie fan, the American reissues will do just fine.

In the end, this is a good album, but I remain confident that it could have been done better. I really only recommend this album to David Bowie die-hards - It may give his casual fans the wrong idea about his music, and we sure as hell don't want that happening (getting the wrong first impression of a musical artist is NEVER a good thing - and David Bowie is no exception.)

Classic
(...)All I can say is that I'm glad I gave this time the propper amount of time to really seep in because now I'm a full blown David Bowie convert. As far as this album goes this is the one where David Bowie really finds his sound. If you hear Space Oddity first that one has it's moments but it doesn't resonate as well as the next 4 albums. Also, I'd just like to add that Queen Bitch is one of the most underrated songs and I just gotta say that song is one of my all time favorite Bowie songs.

Bowie at his Best!
I was not alive during the highlights of David Bowie's career. My mom is a huge Bowie fan though, and I often listen to her cds. Hunky Dory caught my attention because of its title, but I finally listened to it when looking for quotes to put in my paper about Andy Warhol. I couldn't stop listening. It's fantastic. No one song on this is bad, although some I like better than others. This is a must have for the Bowie fanatic or anybody just interested in an introduction to the amazin David Bowie. ... Read more

Reviews (7)

OK, so it's a bit eclectic...
I think that was the whole idea behind this collection. Country, folk, stadium rock, R & B, pop, Motown, funk, disco, and a little jazz; it's all there. Sure you could argue that some really great songs from the 70's have not been included, but this is a compilation of Sony owned music; some of these records I remember as being on ABC Records and Epic. I grew up in the 70's and I would recommend this collection just for the cheap trip down memory lane!

Great compilation CD!
This CD series has a bunch of really great songs from the 70's - early to late. It is a winner for the value ratio too! Check it out and you'll love what you hear.

This is a slack compilation
I think the seventies have many more representative hits than the offered in this compilation. A good compilation needs at least 10 cd's to bring together the highlights of "golden era of music production" This is not a good stuff to buy. I recomend AM Gold Collection, Superhits of the 70's (have a nice day) - rated by myself as the best - , a year of your life, and others.

Garden Variety Compilation
The sound is good, and that earns my three stars. What some call eclectic, I call incoherent. There's no theme. It's a random post-mortem of 70s pop that includes one of the most hated tunes of that era: "Arizona", by Mark Lindsey. Where's the masterpieces? There are none. The 70s deserves much better recognition than is offered here. This is not testimony, it's nearly slander.

Must Have Multi-Set
so many Great songs here.this really captures the 70's&it's full range of styles&Artists that represented the time period.this was the Era of Songwriters&story-telling.I have all of these songs be it on the Artists Albums or on other sets this 3 Disc Set is a Must have. ... Read more

Reviews (15)

This is TRUE STYX
I think the Styx of the late 70s and especially that utter embarassment which was 'Kilroy' overshadows the great band they once were in the early 70s.The Wooden Nickel Collection demonstrates this perfectly with their first four albums.Early Styx is awesome hard hitting prog/heavy metal with of course, some occasional silly moments.But you have to excuse some of the silly stuff (Plexiglass toilet song, Grove of Englatine) because this was potheaded 70s music anway! It's funny that Styx I never had a proper CD release ever though at the same time, Styx II could easily be found at Targets and Walmarts all over the country.It was because of that 'Lady' song!Sail Away, Paradise Theatre fans should be careful because stuff like 'Witch Wolf' and 'Man of Miracles' will melt your fragile feeble ears with 70s caveman singing, mean mellotron riffs, and searing guitar solos!

Dennis = Styx
The best thing with the name Styx on it since Edge of the Century.

Excellent music + great value = good times
Wow! What an amazing release! I just want to point out a few things many others haven't said:

1.$14.99 for four albums on 2 discs! Are you kidding me? Way to go Styx & Hip-o records!

2.Like most, I first took notice of Styx with The Grand Illusion. It's very cool to hear this band develop over these...four albums for $14.99...are you kidding me?

3.The sound quality and production are outstanding...four albums for $14.99...are you kidding me?

If you like the '70's era Styx you'll be very surprised. JC on guitar is cool and different from TS later work. Lot's of different styles. Pick this up now...four albums for $14.99...are you kidding me?

Best Collection of thier Early Years.
When I became a fan of Styx in 1976, I started "digging around" the vinyl bins looking for thier other releases. I picked up all four original Wooden Nickel albums and have always enjoyed them over the years, even though I feel they werent among the bands best albums. (My favorites: Equinox, The Grand Illiusion, and Pieces of Eight - all classics!)

If you only know Styx's A&M-era albums and hits prepare yourself for some big musical surprises. These albums are pure early 70's AOR - "All Over the Road!" Big ballads, hard rockers, art/prog-rock pieces, Power Pop, instrumentals, southern "boogie" rock, even stabs at funk, (Moody Blues inspired) poetry and off-the-wall comedy. It seemed Styx tried anything to get radio and music fans attention in thier early days. Not everything works, but the band's early attempts to be highly eclectic with superb musicanship and terrific showmanship are admirable. Everything on the first 4 albums set the stage for Styx's huge superstar success in the late 70's and early 80's.

This box set is a lot of fun for younger fans to hear how the band evolved before they broke nationwide. Compared to the cheaply done One Way and expensive RCA Japan imports the sound quality has been greatly improved, and the liner notes and low price are a sweet bonus. Ignore those rip-offs and purchase this excellent compilation by Hip-O.

Early Styx now available -- cheap!
Wow, after reading some of these reviews it is hard to believe that so many people have never heard this stuff! I first discovered these Wooden Nickel gems in the early 80's, thanks to the RCA re-issues with the cartoon covers. In 1999, Japan re-mastered the Wooden Nickel albums but they came at a hefty price -- something like 40 bucks a piece! This is priced right and includes the long out of print, and never on CD "Unfinished Song" the BEST Wooden Nickel era tune. Lots of other greats here, "Witch Wolf", "A Day", "You Need Love" and Johnny really shines on "Earl Of Roseland". I can only imagine discovering this stuff for the first time in 2005, over 30 years since the original releases. If you have never heard this stuff, you need to order it NOW. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Just as Don Henley's work with the Eagles in the 1970s chronicled a culture that was rapidly spinning out of control, his '80s output cataloged and criticized a decade of greed, cruelty, and prurient interest in the misfortune of others. But this is music, not journalism, and despite the overt seriousness of such songs as "Dirty Laundry," "All She Wants to Do Is Dance," "The Boys of Summer," and especially the somber, elegiac "The End of the Innocence," Henley's field reports were tuneful in the extreme. The two new tracks on Actual Miles--"The Garden of Allah" and "You Don't Know Me at All"--didn't quite click, but otherwise this greatest-hits package couldn't be more solid. --Daniel Durchholz ... Read more

Reviews (52)

Where's Johnny?
When Mr Don Henley left the Eagles most of us sighed - no more over blown pomp rock (critics called it "the Southern California sound" - they must sleep a lot there). His first solo single, at least in Australia, actually made me take interest, it was an electronic and therefore adventurous (at least by Eagles standards) pop song titled 'Johnny Can't Read'. Like all Henley songs there was an unsubtle underlying message, but who cares? It had a melody most song writers would kill for. So, from there I followed (at a safe distance) Mr Henley as solo artist. I heard 'Dirty Laundry'. Actually bought the single 'Boys of Summer' (the b-side 'A Month of Sundays' was a better song). 'All She Wants to Do is Dance' aroused suspicisions that a full length album of Henley's would be too much to take. This was confirmed by 'The End of the Innocence' (despite a couple of good singles), which I bought while drunk in Germany. So, after three albums and four or five good songs I decided Mr Henley's best-of hits would be bought (and the CD player would be programmed appropriately). Here it is and not only is there no 'Month of Sundays', there's no 'Johnny Can't Read'!! What the hey?

Solid Collection From the Eagles' Solo Star
The Eagles' reunion, welcomed by most, shortcircuited the solo career Don Henley had to that point. With the Eagles, Henley played southern California's John Lennon to Glenn Frey's poppy Paul McCartney; solo, he delivered pointed observations on decaying morals and lifestyles while Frey delivered drive-tape raveups like "The Heat Is On." (If the call-girl expose' "You'll Never Make Love In This Town Again" is to be believed, Henley knew that decadence first-hand.)

With stellar backup including members of Tom Petty's Heartbreakers, Toto, Bruce Hornsby (on the gorgeous "End of the Innocence")Sheryl Crow (her backup vocals on the preposterous "Garden of Allah") Take 6 and even ex-Eagles, Henley guides us through a decade gone wrong. He spotlights ugly Americans overseas ("All She Wants To Do Is Dance"), street crime ("New York Minute"), insensitivity personal ("The Last Worthless Evening," "Heart of the Matter") and media-generated ("Dirty Laundry,"). Throughout, Henley writes with character detail and empathy missing from Eagles' chestnuts like "Desperado" and "Life In The Fast Lane." The two new songs notwithstanding, "Actual Miles" serves as an audio photo album through the decade of Gordon Gekko and Ollie North, and establishes Henley in front of the drum kit as a first-rate singer-songwriter.

Classic Hits 4.5 stars
Don Henley is a great singer/songwriter and was in one of best bands of all time. This is great cd to chronicle some classic hits.
1. Dirty Laundry- 4 stars-catchy pop rock song
2. The boys of summer- great ballad and seems to touch alot of people hearts and remind them on memories in the past- seems to be favorite among the fans- 5 out of 5 stars
3.All she wants to is dance- 4 stars
4.Not enough love in the world- 3.5 stars
5.Sunset Grill- 4 stars
6.The end of the innocence- Great song , brings back memories for me- 5 out of 5 stars
7.The last worthless evening- another great ballad- 4.5 stars
8.Newyork Minute- 4 stars
9.I will not go quietly- 3.5 stars
10.The heart of the matter- 4 stars
11.The garden of allah- 3 stars
12.You dont know me at all- 4 stars
13.Everybody knows- 3 stars
Overall good album/ worth purchasing

I got this as a gift...
and it was probably pre owned by someone who realised they had done a horrible mistake in buying this cd. Anyone want to trade?

Concert Memories
Purchased this CD after seeing the Eagles in concert. Love this music. ... Read more

Amazon.com essential recording

Inevitably, when critics praise a new Dylan album, they label it the "best since Blood on the Tracks," and with good reason. Inspired by a crumbled marriage, and recorded after a tour with The Band had apparently re-ignited his creativity, Blood is among Dylan's masterpieces. The album's epic songs are well known, but its real high points are the shorter numbers--"You're a Big Girl Now," the flawless blues "Meet Me in the Morning," and the sweetly devastating "Buckets of Rain." These are songs of "images and distorted facts," each expressed through tangled points of view, and all of them blue. --David Cantwell ... Read more

Reviews (43)

The best record I own
That's right.
I have a lot of CDs, enough for me to have lost count a long time ago, but this one I keep coming back to.
I'm not saying that this is necessarily my all-time favorite album, although it is certainly one of them. But I do believe that it is the best.

A quiet, understated album, "Blood On The Tracks" is dominated by strummed acoustic guitars, perhaps a piano, and once in a while a drummer playing a gentle rock shuffle.
The melodies, and the lyrics, too, are among the best things that Bob Dylan have ever written. Lovely and melancholy all at once, and production is superb.

And there is literally not a weak track on this entire album. It opens with the wonderful "Tangled Up In Blue", Dylan singing softly and pleasently, accompanied by a shuffling backbeat and gently ringing guitars, one picked, one strummed.
"Simple Twist Of Faith" is just a bass and two or three acoustic guitars, and a superb, slightly folkish tune, almost a ballad.
And the sparse, acoustic instuments work perfectly. These tunes are too beautiful to be buried beneath layers of electric guitars and pounding drums.

The slow, mellow "You're A Big Girl Now" starts of with an immediately catchy guitar intro, two acoustic guitars playing Spanish-style melodies, and sports a similarly Latin-tinged tune.
And then follows the eight-minute "Idiot Wind". Dylan sings without pause for seven minutes and three seconds with not a single instrumental break, accompanied by drums, organ and guitars (still acoustic). The chorus is lovely, superbly melodic, yet the lyrics are whithering:
"Idiot wind / blowing through the flowers on your tomb /
Blowing through the curtains in your room /
Idiot wind / blowing every time you move your teeth /
You're an idiot, babe /
It's a wonder that you still know how to breathe!"

"You're Gonna Make Me Lonesome When You Go" is a fast, country-like song with lots of harmonica, one of only two songs on the album less than four minutes long. It is followed by one of the few lesser-known songs off this album, "Meet Me In The Morning" (again, great job arranging those guitars), a genuine blues, A-A-B and everything. I mean, who doesn't love a slow, bluesy groove and an acoustic slide guitar?

"Lily, Rosemary And The Jack Of Hearts", an up-tempo folk rock song, goes on for sixteen verses and almost nine minutes. "If You See Her, Say Hello" is a gentle tale of lost love set to a simple, yet very pretty tune. Kudos again to the superb studio musicians who backed Dylan on "Blood On The Tracks", guitarists Charlie Brown, Barry Cornfield and Kevin Odegard among them.
And if you've only heard "Shelter From The Storm" played live, you'll be surprised how pleasant and melodious it sounds here, as does the closing number, the bluesy "Buckets Of Rain", which opens with a groovy bass riff and a clanging guitar figure.

All the tunes on this magnificent album, every single one of them, are musical and lyrical masterpieces. I have never heard a finer collection of songs than "Blood On The Tracks".

His Best?
in my mind BLOOD ON THE TRACKS and HIGHWAY 61 REVISITED are perfect albums.
i'd like to think of them as equal.

"tangled up in blue" is an undisputed masterpiece, and it's the perfect opening track for this album (5/5).
"simple twist of fate" is a slower song that is filled with knowing sorrow. like many of the songs on this album, dylan is blindly moaning in pain. no, he is collected and reflective, and this is what makes this song (like many of the songs on this album) so painful (5/5).
"you're a big girl now" has, perhaps, the most beautiful melody i've ever heard. the lyrics are also amazing; the "bird on the horizon" verse is especially magical (5/5).
"idiot wind" is something to behold. it's been said that it is in the same vein as "like a rolling stone," but "idiot wind" is much more bitter and sharp. whether it's actually better than "like a rolling stone" is impossible for me to decide, but the fact that it deserves to be mentioned alongside it should tell you something (5/5).
"you're gonna make me lonesome when you go" is one of the more playful tunes on the album. only dylan can be so profound and silly at the same time (5/5).
"meet me in the morning" is dylan singing the blues. one could easily argue that this is dylan's greatest blues song (5/5).
"lily, rosemary and the jack of hearts" is quite a tale. the only song on the album that doesn't seem like it is an almost direct reflections of dylan's personal life, this is nothing short of amazing (5/5).
"if you see her, say hello" is the most depressing piece of music i have ever heard. the line "she might think that i've forgotten her, don't tell her it isn't so." will make me cry under the right circumstances (5/5).
"shelter from the storm" is another undisputed masterpiece. one of those moments bigger than music that dylan is so known for creating (5/5).
"buckets of rain" is sad enough. the last verse is as reflective as other point on this album . . .

"Life is sad
Life is a bust
All ya can do is do what you must.
You do what you must do and ya do it well,
I'll do it for you, honey baby,
Can't you tell?"

amazing song (5/5).

pain has never been so beautiful.
BLOOD ON THE TRACKS is one of the top five greatest albums ever recorded.

A Lyrical Masterpiece
Few artists can match the impact that Dylan has had on the music industry and Blood On The Tracks is simply on of the best albums ever made. No one before or since has been able to match the passion and the brilliance that Dylan demonstrates on this record. "Idiot Wind" is one of the best written songs of all time and "If You See Her, Say Hello" still manages to stop me in my tracks whenever I hear it...possibly my favorite of all Dylan's songs. This record should be a cornerstone in every music lover's collection and is the perfect place to start for those who are new to Dylan. Quite simply the perfect album.

Amazing does not even begin to describe this....
My mother has always been a big fan of Dylan and I liked a few of his songs (i.e. Hurricane, Shelter from the Storm) but it wasn't until I heard the entirety of Blood on the Tracks that I truely appreciated Dylan's genuis. The album starts out with one of the most deeply moving and thoughtful ever. Tangled up in Blue is really food for the soul following a young man's on and off romance with a girl. The other excellent song is Idiot Wind. I must've played this songs more time than any other. It's amazing that a song could you keep your intrest for 7:50 minutes. Idiot Wind is a rant against the self obsessed but still makes you feel, and thus is a masterpiece. I have heard people complain that Bob Dylan's voice ruins what otherwise could've been a very good album. I have but one thing to say, no one else has felt what Dylan has felt and therefore no one could put the same emotion and passion in to his songs.
Buy this, you won't regret it.

One of Dylan's masterpieces.
Great great recording. I'd give it a 10 if possible. The best thing Dylan did in the 70s. ... Read more

Amazon.com

The 1980s were about excess and Heart, with those sweeping chords and soaring vocals, were as representative of the decade's musical immoderation as anyone. True, this collection of Heart stretches up to the mid-'90s, but Heart's sensibilities were thoroughly entwined with '80s guitar rock. This collection reaches only back to 1985, so it lacks such early hits as "Barracuda" and "Magic Man." It's also marred by filler, such as Ann Wilson's lugubrious duet with Cheap Trick's Robin Zander on "Surrender to Me," which originally appeared on the soundtrack to Tequila Sunrise. Still, since much of Heart's late-'80s and early-'90s output is no longer in print, this collection is your best opportunity to get some of their more recent rockers and power ballads on CD. --Genevieve Williams ... Read more

Reviews (35)

Heart is one of my all time favorite bands
Heart was my very first concert I saw back in the early '90s. Ann and Nancy Wilso so rocked my world when I was in high school. I liked their early material but my most favorite music they did was in the '80s through the early '90s. Finally there is a greatest hits of their more popular material that does this band justice. Their last greatest hits cd was a complete disappointment and left out a lot of great songs off of "Desire Walks On" and "Brigade".

My one sole problem with this greatest hits is that "Secret" is nowhere to be found on this cd. I love that song, and I know that it was the last single released off "Brigade". Other than that, I was quite pleased to hear a studio version of "You're the Voice" as well as "Black on Black II" and "Back to Avalon". I thought that Ann's Duet with Robin Zander of Cheap Trick was rather cheesy but it was still good nevertheless. This cd is excellent for any casual Heart fan or diehard fan.

Some rockers, and a few power ballads
Made in CAN in 2000, Serial# 72435-26803-2-0, Playing Time 72:58

This is the second consecutive "greatest hits" package to be released by Capitol (the 1st in 1997 was called "These Dreams"), but this time it focuses on the 1985-1995 era only.

The problem is, 10 out of these 18 tracks were on its predecessor, so I feel a bit cheated. On the other hand, this time we get the tracks in chronological order, which I believe is the best way to follow the changes in sound the band went through.

Here's a quick run-down of the sources for the material, all included in full-length form:

Tracks 1 to 5 from "Heart", tracks 6 to 8 from "Bad Animals", track 9 is from the soundtrack to "Tequila Sunrise" (Richard Marx recorded his own song on his 1997 "Flesh And Bone" album); tracks 10 to 13 from "Brigade"; track 14 from a promo-only single (studio version, but available live on "Rock The House"; also a HUGE hit in the mid-80's by John Farnham, on his "Whispering Jack" album); tracks 15 to 17 from "Desire Walks On"; track 18 is the uncredited and last track on "The Road Home".

Most of the material on this disc is "electric" and shows the powerful side of Heart. The trouble with "greatest hits" or "best of" albums is that you're favorite might not be on it. If you're fairly new to the band, especially from that era, this CD puts together many of their most popular songs from these albums. And it sounds a lot more cohesive than the "These Dreams" CD.

Highly recommended to the HEART newbie, but also recommended for the fan because I don't think you'll skip any of the tracks on this CD.

the first of a kind rock band straight out of seattle
seattle really doesn't have much to remember its music scene by except for about as many fingers as I have on one hand...Heart, Mix-a-lot, Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Foo Fighters..those are the biggest names out of here anyway...Heart is what I consider the pioneer of Seattle music...sure seattle seems boring and it is but I'm proud to have a few good people like the ones named above represent my city..Heart is what I would hear on the radio growing up...I can't say I'm a die hard Heart fan but when I'm in the right mood I will kick back with this album and take a long drive in the rain and listen all the way through...Heart is one group that could never possibly fall off the face of the earth...heart is known to everyone at one time or another

Die Hard Heart Fan!
This is a testament to the pioneering women of rock!!
Excellent collection!

Heartfelt, But Not More
I really just don't seem to see such good music out there anymore, from women in Rock music. (...). Sometimes, I always go to older artists to find what Britney Spears doesn't have, the actual feel for real Rock. As I looked back, I noticed Heart. They arguably have proven the status of women who do showcase those shoes quite well. There is no doubt about it for Ann and Nancy Wilson. Although many people don't seem to give Heart credit anymore as a inspiartion, they just are conjured into the throwback category of people in their prime. Still, the Wilson sisters have more to the table.

Their Greatest Hits 1985-1995k, really brought Heart their star power to the ultimate level of power. The songs here may seem like a throwback to the 80's, but their music is just timeless, and full of great power ballads, including Alone, the wonderfully created These Dreams, and one of my favorite Rock anthems, Never. There is just a whole right over here that is beautifully enchanted. The album also showcases a few songs here that are rare to find, including the studio version of You're The Voice, and Nancy's collaboration with Robin Zander on Surrender To Me. Although some of these songs can bore you after awhile, it is well worth noticing Heart.

I only suggest you get this, if you're a die hard fanatic of Heart. This isn't one album for anybody who has a previous hits collection of Heart's music with all these great songs, but well worth it from the Ann & Nancy Wilson group. This one is worth it to all newcomers of Heart alike, like myself. ... Read more

Amazon.com

These are the greatest hits of the version of Big Mac that produced Hits with a capital H! While pre-Stevie Nicks-Lindsey Buckingham versions of the group charted in the U.K. five times between 1968 and 1973, the post-blues-rock edition of the band reached unprecedented commercial heights beginning with "Rhiannon," a No. 5 smash in the spring of 1976. It's on this 16-track solid-gold set, along with the rest of the hits up through 1988's "Everywhere." A long version of "Sara" and some bonus tracks are included for extra value. --Steven Stolder ... Read more

Reviews (91)

Greatest Hits, but not their best songs
Good for the casual fan who enjoyed this Fleetwood Mac lineup and radio presence but wasn't interested in great LP's like "Fleetwood Mac," "Tusk," "Mirage," "Tango in the Night" and the magnificent "Rumours." Fourteen of the 16 tracks included are from these five LP's ("As Long As You Follow," a minor hit, and "No Questions Asked" were new at the time of release). For the uninitiated, the group had a much different sound when Peter Green ran the show--well before Buckingham and Nicks joined.

Like other reviewers, I feel that many of this band's album cuts bested the singles on many occasions...songs like "The Chain," "Silver Springs," "Monday Morning," "Oh Daddy," "World Turning" and more. For that reason, the aforementioned albums all get at least four stars, and "Rumours" is very close to a perfect pop album...five stars doesn't quite do it justice. Just know that you'll enjoy those LP's every bit as much as you like the songs on this collection. This is indeed a fine place to start for new fans to the band.

Listen to this one 'Everywhere'!
This is a great, great collection of songs by the legendary group, all from the first 13 years of the Buckingham-Nicks era 1975-88. Almost all of the best ones are here, the ones that I feel are missing are 'Landslide', 'Gold Dust Woman' and 'Second Hand News off of the album "Rumours" and 'Monday Morning' off of the 1975 album "Fleetwood Mac". They have so many great songs that this could easily have been a 2-disc set. However this is still an immaculate 5-star collection in my book. Stevie Nicks' songs 'Rhiannon', 'Gypsy', 'Dreams', 'Sara' and 'No Questions Asked' are my favs, the other 11 songs are a very close 2nd. Stevie's background vocals on 'Little Lies' are simply magical. These 5 members pour their heart and soul into their music, that's why they were and still are one of the premier groups of all-time. I also hear that they are about to begin work on a new album to be released sometime in the next year or so, and you know it will rock. If you want all of their greatest songs, get this 'greatest hits' collection, 'Rumours' and the 1975 'Fleetwood Mac' album. Also a great live CD is 'The Dance'. If you want to listen to great music, then listen to this group. ROCK ON!

make it better----add some songs
What a shame that it's been 16 years and Fleetwood Mac has not Remastered this great but could be better album. Do us fans proud and make this album remastered/reissued with 20 songs. Please use 4 off the following as add on's : "Landslide,Golddust woman,Silver springs, the chain, love instore or seven wonders". You can't go wrong with these major hit's as a bonus for the CD. Fleetwood Mac really needs a first class SINGLE HITS CD-----in todays new world.I know I would buy it---So Listen up !!!

Fleetwood' Greatest Greatest Hits!
Fleetwood Mac could had been bigger than the Beatles. But they didn't unfortunately. The songs on this cd are excellent. There wasn't one I didn't like, despite that I'm only 21 (b. 1983) and wasn't there when they were everywhere. Still played on classic rock stations and on MUZAK, Fleetwood's music never sounds old or irritating. A good production for when you are driving at night or just want to relax after school or work. Worth every dime, "Greatest Hits" won't dissapoint you.

Have a "Mac" attack.
In case you haven't heard yet, "Fleetwood Mac" is one of the most popular and best selling groups in rock history, and this 16 track "Greatest Hits" is a good reason why. Included here are the big hits "Don't Stop", "Sara", "Go Your Own Way", and "You Make Loving Fun". Plus fan favorites like "Everywhere", "Gypsy", "Dreams", and "Over My head". The only song I don't care for is "Tusk", and I would easily replace that with "Gold Dust Woman" or "Seven Wonders". There's also the newer 2-disc "Very Best Of", if you want more than what's here. Any fan of "Fleetwood Mac" might also want to check out "Timespace: The Best Of Stevie Nicks". It's a little more 80's, but just as good. ... Read more