5 comments about Crazy Diamond.

1. If you feel like you'll have a love of this artist, it pays to buy this and get it all plus several alternate syd only takes. These I think show off his skill more then the gilmore produced with the backing band



2. GRAN CANTIDAD DE EMOCIONES TE ENVUELVEN AL ESCUCHAR LOS TRES CD QUE REUNE ESTA CAJA...ASPERA MUSICA QUE TRATA DE MANTENER AL ARTISTA ENCENDIDO..ERRATICOS LATIDOS QUE FORMAN CANCIONES PARA PULSAR UN SENTIDO QUE VES PERDIDO...BELLEZA SENCILLA, AUSTERA, ANTIPATICA, GOZOSA POR MOMENTOS...PODES VER COMO EL ARTISTA VA CAYENDO EN UN CALEIDOSCOPIO DE TONOS GRISES, SALPICADO POR ARCO IRIS DE LLUVIAS SALADAS COMO LAGRIMAS..ES CIERTO, SYD YA SE HABIA IDO.. PERO DEJO ESTE LEGADO DE MUSICA HUMANA, IMPERFECTA Y HERMOSA COMO HUELLA.



3. this box set is great but it isnt the end of the road for hardcore syd fans. I just got the box set entitled "Have you Got it all Yet?" which is a 7 disc set all about syd!!Track it down if your hardcore



4. Syd Barrett will be greatly missed. His whimsical songwriting style was unique and greatly influenced many famous musicians like David Bowie. This cd is an essential purchase for those wishing a taste of genius.



5. Long out of print in the USA, Crazy Diamond with its extra tracks and full color booklet gives an entirely complete look into the solo recordings of rock's most misunderstood man, Syd Barrett. A founding member of the Cambridge-based psychedelic pop group The Pink Floyd, Barrett left the band in 1968 after a series of mental breakdowns which led to his final demise as a recording artist in 1971. This box set compiles the known studio recordings, rehearsals and rough demos Barrett made for albums released on the Harvest label, "Madcap" - 1970, "Barrett" - 1970 and the "lost recordings album - "Opel" released in 1988.
   Complete with new artwork and date/track listings - HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!! WOOF WOOF!!!

No comments about The Collection, Vol. 2: Nebraska/Lucky Town/In Concert.

2 comments about The Original Jazz Masters Series, Vol. 1.

1. If you are new to jazz or an old time jazz lover this mix will definitely make you happy for hours and hours. It's beautiful.



2. I highly recommend this set. As a (reasonably) young person that didn't really know much about Jazz, I purchased this set on a whim. I am very glad I did! If you are interested in learning about a wide range of good, listenable music, this is a great set. Has a wide range of Jazz artists and styles on it and every song is great. I cannot vouch for the other volumes of this series, but Volume 1 is outstanding.
   
   It's a great place for an all around introduction, or to listen to find out artists/groups that you want to find out more about.

5 comments about Brain in a Box: The Science Fiction Collection.

1. First off, the design of this boxed set is outstanding, from the 3-D panels showing a brain in fluid to the CDs and cases themselves, which highlight various grade-Z schlock sci-fi themes. The construction, however, is another story, as the box itself is sloppily made, and the foam padding which houses the CDs is not the ideal method, as it makes re-inserting the CDs without damaging them a bit annoying. The accompanying book is an interesting (if hodge-podge) overview of pop sci-fi culture. As for the music itself, kudos go to Rhino for their excellent compilation, which is head-and-shoulders above other compilations of novelty music, though one can argue that some of the obscure selections should remain obscure. Still, many should enjoy the discs devoted to movie and TV themes; I, for one, was overjoyed to see the inclusion of the theme from The Blob (by Burt Bacharach!) on the Novelty disc.



2. The first thing you will notice is the beautiful box. Though not metal (decorated to look as if), it has a really cool hologram on three sides, with all track listings on the back. Decent construction, though some may not like the foam insert inside which holds the 5 discs and book.

   The 5 discs are packaged with their own cardboard sleeve that is decorated in a 50's style retro design and categorized by a main theme: T.V., Movie, Lounge, Novelty & Pop. But the best part of the inserts is the small hard cover book included. It is chock full of old B-movie posters and artwork, news/articles, and information/history on 'space' related music over the years. This is truly a gem and adds quite a bit to this collection. You will spend hours marveling over the old retro designs and comic like appearance of all things sci/fi that are within this books covers.

   Now why only 4 stars? Well though you will be giddy to hear old show tunes like 'Lost In Space', 'The Outer Limits', and some of the movie themes and lounge, it does lack some heavy hitters. One can argue that Rhino probably had hundreds of tunes to sift through, and they picked what they could for licensing reasons and taste, but while others may enjoy some tunes, others will wonder how this made it into the collection. For me, I was a little let down by the Novelty disc....some songs were actually annoying to me.

   The biggest let down, and I realize the issues behind it, were the absence of a few major players: There is no Star Wars theme, no Cantina, no Dune, no Klingon music, a few TV shows that were not represented, but you can't please everybody right?

   Otherwise a very good collection...and a stellar book.




3. If you're the kind of person that stays up weekends until 4AM just to see a rare '50's sci-fi drive-in movie on the tube, start saving up,you've got to have this. The other reviews point out the superb packaging (I can't imagine anyone bringing out a better graphic design for CDs this year,give the Grammy right now) and the esoteric music, and I fully agree. But I think I've found how to enjoy this set the most:stick all the discs in your 200-CD jukebox and use random play mode. This stuff is the greatest for spicing up your round-the-house listening! Extremely highly recommended (if you're into old sci-fi and unusual music).



4. This offering from Rhino Records sets a new standard for graphic design! Really, it's absolutely terrific. Before ever getting around to opening the box, I luxuriated in the marvelously rendered details, the perfect switches and gauges, the tongue-in-cheek labels from the "brainstorm" light to the warning to "replace fluids every 3000 hours." I got more kicks from just reading the box than I've gotten from many novels!

   And the box is only the beginning! The 200-page booklet is a sheer delight for fans of 1950s sci-fi B-flicks. Really, you can't appreciate the genius that went into this package until you experience it for yourself! More than a box, it's Art.

   Very highly recommended!




5. With an ultra-cool holographic box that instantly transports you back to the sci-fi B-movie days of the past, "Brain in a Box" also serves as a fairly comprehensive library of all kinds of music relating to science fiction, from movie and TV themes to pop and novelty songs. If I had to introduce someone to sci-fi music, this wouldn't be a bad way to do it. I could easily quibble over what's missing, but I prefer to focus instead on what you DO get: an excellent hardbound book with info and commentary, several tunes I would never have heard otherwise (like "Tiny Space Man"), and the amazing brain storage container that is it all comes in. I do have complaints: the sound quality varies widely (couldn't be helped, I'm sure)

5 comments about The Dawn of Doo-Wop.

1. This collection really ought to be called "The Roots of Doo Wop," as it reaches back quite a bit farther than any point that could reasonably called the dawn of doo wop. For example, the song most commonly cited as doo wop's first, Sonny Til and the Orioles' "It's Too Soon To Know," turns up only on the second disk. Even among the songs recorded several years after that one, most don't quite fit into the genre. All the essential elements are there (except for the nonsense backing vocals in most cases), but they haven't quite gelled into what we now know as doo wop.
   
   That said, doo wop fans are likely to enjoy what they do find here all the same. It's a nice sampler of early black group harmony, reaching back as far as 1940 and featuring giants of the pre-rock era such as the Mills Brothers, the Ink Spots and the Ravens, along with plenty of lovely performances from more obscure groups. Interestingly, even among groups represented here that did make some doo wop records (notably the Five Keys and the Robins), most of the selections included here are better described as group harmony than doo wop. The one clear exception is the Clovers' "Fool, Fool, Fool." Its presence at least shows how the various elements heard in the other songs finally came together. One other distinction is the adult nature of many of the songs, particularly the Larks' selections such as "When I Leave These Prison Walls" (yes, a true story).
   
   Overall, this set lacks the innocence and exuberance of most doo wop collections, but it shows where those essential elements came from. It will probably appeal to most doo wop fans the in same way those rare early recordings on your favorite band's box set can be appealing.



2. The Dawn of Doo-Wop doesn't really have too many true Doo Wop songs on it but instead focuses on the R&B and pop vocal group harmonies that laid the groundwork for the 50's Doo Wop explosion.
   The songs on this set date from 1940 to the early 1950s and feature many seminal groups such as the Inkspots, the Mills Brothers, the Orioles, the Ravens and many others.
   There are many obscure songs here and the sound quality is very good.
   Also included in a nice booklet of liner notes jam-packed with information.
   This is another Proper box set that excels in quality and value.



3. This is a good collection of often obscure songs and artists. Unfortunately, the sound quality is terrible. Every pop and hiss is included and really detracts from the listening experience. It seems to me that if Proper thought enough of this material to package it they would have put in at least a little effort to clean the sound up. I won't order any of their other collections as I have my doubts that the quality would be any better.



4. This is a spectacular, if mis-named collection of early group harmony gems. Out of 100 sides, there isn't a real Doo-Wop in the bunch. But it's certainly a bonanza for fans of the "roots" of R'nB harmony groups. Almost all of the "Grandfather" groups, & several of the "Fathers" are represented, with a few omitted, such as the Hollywood Flames, Cats & the Fiddle, Clovers & Brown Dots. I have over 5,000 records in my personal collection, but only 6 or 7 of these sides, all on 78's......I loved it, & the price is definitely right......D-J



5. This is an intelligently constructed overview of pre- and early
   doo wop from the 1940's and early 1950's with a first class 52 page booklet and 100 songs on four cd's with excellent sound quality. You get the superstars of classic group harmony--the incomparable Five Keys on Aladdin, still the heavyweight champions of the genre;the excellent Swallows on King, Larks on Apollo, early Orioles, Ravens, Robins plus many rare and obscure items never before on CD like the Lewis Bronzeville Five and many more gems for fans and collectors. This is the finest box set in the genre so far, and at an incredible price--about one-third the cost of the Rhino boxes with a similar number of cuts. Check out other Proper boxes of similar bargains for blues, R & B, Jazz and Country. My highest recommendation.

5 comments about The Complete Sun Recordings 1955-1958.

1. What can one say re JC? He was the master and this 3 cd set proves it. I was more a modern JC fan, think teh American series. that and his greatest hits. and for sure i was not and am still not a country music fan. this is definately something different. recorded at the legendary sun studio in memphis. those who did not quite fit the nashville country mold were relegated to the lesser "nashville west" memphis music scene. at least one other music icon cut his teeth at teh same place as JC, a yong man from Tupelo. if you want to hear great pioneering rock and roll get this collection



2. My father has been a lifelong Johnney Cash fan and after we saw the movie, He mentioned several times that there was a album collection of Cash's early recordings with the sun label that he could never find in the stores.
   
   I did a Amazon search on Johnney Cash and this CD popped up. I took a chance and ordered it....This present was a hit! I would recemmend this for all hardcore Johnney Cash fans. I have never heard the CD, but I get rave reviews for giving it as a present.



3. Johnny in his early days. Packaged nice and it has all
   of Johnny's early recordings. What a talent!!



4. From the liner notes:
   
   "After Johnny left Sun, many of these recordings were overdubbed in different ways. Choruses, additional instruments, echo, and applause were added at various times. However, as Johnny proved during his last years, nothing beats the sound of Johnny Cash with just the simplest of backings. And so, for this collection, we have removed virtually all the overdubs, allowing you to hear the Sun recordings exactly as they were first captured."
   
   Buy this collection today!!! One version of every song recorded by Johnny Cash at Sun, in the least dubbed form available. Perfect!



5. The music is great, and the set is well produced. I'm glad to own this. Why 4 stars? Because each disc is about 45 minutes long. All 61 performances could easily fit onto 2 discs.

5 comments about Singles 1963-1965.

1. The purpose of this review is to completely compare the contents of "Singles Collection: The London Years" to the 3 "Singles" box sets which as a group contain the same songs plus more. There are some good comparisons in the other reviews, but also several omissions and inaccuracies, so hopefully this 1-to-1 comparison will clear things up a bit as to what songs are included on each, and which "missing" songs can also be found on the other ABKCO CD's, particularly "More Hot Rocks: Big Hits & Fazed Cookies". Each of these collections is rather expensive, so hopefully this may help you decide which sets you really need or want.
   
   To settle one thing first though, the songs on the "Got Live If You Want It" EP contained in the "Singles 1963-1965" box set are NOT included on the full length CD "Got Live If You Want It". They share the same title but that's all, and were actually two different releases. Buying the full length CD will NOT get you all the same songs on the EP as indicated in another review. With that out of the way.....
   
   "Singles 1963-1965": "Singles Collection: The London Years" contains all of the songs included in this box set, with the exception of 3 original British EP's exclusive to the box set. The first EP contains You Better Move On (also available on "December's Children") and Poison Ivy, Bye Bye Johnny & Money (all 3 also available on "More Hot Rocks: Big Hits & Fazed Cookies"). The second EP (originally titled "5 X 5") contains If You Need Me, Empty Heart, 2120 South Michigan Avenue, Confessin' The Blues and Around & Around, all of which are also available on the "12 X 5" CD. The third EP (the afore mentioned "Got Live If You Want It") contains early live versions of We Want The Stones, Everybody Needs Somebody To Love, Pain In My Heart, Route 66, I'm Movin On & I'm Alright, none of which are available on any other CD (with the possible exception of I'm Alright which may or may not be the same version included on the full-length "Got Live..." CD).
   
   Conclusion: Both "The London Years" and "Singles 63-65" contain the early single/B-sides Come On (also available on "More Hot Rocks") as well as I Want To Be Loved, I Wanna Be Your Man & Stoned which aren't available on any other ABKCO CD. So both sets contain 3 songs not included elsewhere, plus the box set includes the live EP. So the deciding factor between "The London Years" and "Singles 63-65" would appear to be the live EP.
   
   "Singles 1965-1967": "Singles Collection: The London Years" contains all of the songs included in this 2nd box set, with no exceptions. Both contain the single/B-sides Long Long While & We Love You (also available on "More Hot Rocks") and Sad Day & Who's Driving Your Plane? which aren't available on any other ABKCO CD. So both sets contain 2 songs not included elsewhere. No further conclusions.
   
   "Singles 1968-1971": "Singles Collection: The London Years" contains all of the songs included in this 3rd box set, with a few unique exceptions. The third box set additionally contains Everybody Needs Somebody to Love (also available on "The Rolling Stones Now!") and three non-ABKCO B-sides + 3 remixes exclusive to the box set. The B-sides are the Ry Cooder instrumental Natural Magic (from the film "Performance" soundtrack...Memo From Turner was the A-side) and Bitch & Sway which were the B-sides to Brown Sugar & Wild Horses. My guess is the licensing rights to these B-sides belong to Virgin Records, etc. and hadn't yet been negotiated when "The London Years" was originally released back in 1989. The remixes appear to be 3 different "rap" style remixes of Sympathy For The Devil. The box set also contains a bonus DVD (see the item description for more on that).
   
   Conclusion: Both "The London Years" and "Singles 68-71" contain the B-side Child Of The Moon (also available on "More Hot Rocks") and Brown Sugar & Wild Horses (also available on "Hot Rocks 1"). So the deciding factor between "The London Years" and "Singles 68-71" would appear to be the three non-ABKCO B-sides, the three remixes and the DVD contained in the box set.
   
   Final Conclusion: For the completest collector who has to have absolutely everything on CD, you basically have 2 choices. Buy all 3 box sets, or buy "Singles Collection: The London Years" and the two box sets "Singles 63-65" & "Singles 68-71" (a lot of duplication, though "The London Years" runs a little cheaper than the box sets + you don't have to change CD's as often).
   
   A slightly cheaper option if you're mainly interested in completing the ABKCO Rolling Stones "canon" not released on the regular studio full-length CD's is to buy "Singles Collection: The London Years" and "Singles 1963-1965". You'd only be missing the three non-ABKCO B-sides and the 3 Sympathy For The Devil remixes.
   
   A cheaper option still, if you're only interested in the very early singles & live EP and can live without a few later ABKCO B-Sides, is to buy "More Hot Rocks: Big Hits & Fazed Cookies" and "Singles 1963-1965". With those 2 you'd only be missing Sad Day, Who's Driving Your Plane? and the three non-ABKCO B-sides and the 3 remixes.
   
   In truth, the 2nd & 3rd discs of "Singles Collection: The London Years" make an interesting listen because each is primarily made up of A & B sides not included on the regular studio CD's. So they're almost like listening to independent CD's without repeating too many songs you'll hear when listening to the other albums. The 2nd disc from "More Hot Rocks" and also "Through The Past Darkly (Big Hits Vol. 2)" do the same, only with different selections of songs, so comparing these two further is highly recommended as well.
   
   Decisions, decisions. Hope this helps.



2. You've heard it before, but I might as well say it: this is the worst gimmick ever concieved. If you remember the Stones from back in "the day" (I wasn't even alive in "the day", mind you), and miss the covers to your old Stones' 45's, I guess this is for you. The rest of us will be better suited with the what I call the main singles collection (that is, the 3-disc version spanning all of their singles from 1963-1971).
   The quality of the music itself is middling at best. Back then (in 1963-1964, anyway), the boys hadn't quite found their voice, instead covering lots of older songs or else writing extremely derivative, forgettable originals. That being said, there are a few very good covers, like I Just Want to Make Love to You, Time Is On My Side and I Wanna Be Your Man, plus the unjustly forgotten instrumental Stoned.
   The Stones didn't really take off, be it artistically or commercially, until 1965. Little Red Rooster topped the UK charts in that year, though it was all but forgotten in the US. And that's just too bad, because it's them at their bluesiest and best. Then, Keith Richards wrote the unforgettable Satisfaction riff in, as we all know, his sleep (now a part of Stones mythology) and the Stones became the Stones we know and love. After Satisfaction, they gave us Heart of Stone, Play With Fire, The Last Time and several others. The best songs by far come later, so I'd reccomend the 1963-1971 box over this, and the other two.



3. If you were living in London when "Come On" was released, if you went to your local record store and played it and its marvellous "B" side - "I Want To Be Loved" - on your mono, low-fi record player over and over again, if you went back to the store and bought each single and EP as they arrived and put every track through the same repeat play process, if you still have them in your attic in a lovingly scratched, wholly unplayable state or if you've lost them over the years then this is all you could ask for. Or is it?
   
   Well, the good news is that they're all here... every "A" side, "B" side and EP track from the period when the Stones really were the most exciting thing around. And, unlike many groups of the time, their "B" sides and EP tracks were good - not just fillers but, as "I Want To Be Loved", "Stoned", "Little By Little", "Good Times, Bad Times", "Off The Hook", "Play With Fire", "Bye Bye Johnnie", "Money", "Empty Heart", "Around & Around" & "2120 South Michigan Avenue" amply evidence, essential parts of what all the fuss was about. Thirty three memories in one boxed set.
   
   And the bad news? Cleverly but annoyingly the whole lot is spread over 12 beautifully packaged individual CD's with each one containing the A & B side of a single or the contents of an EP. Great to look at and, for those around at the time, a real walk down memory lane, but an expensive production and one that's difficult to play without hopping out of your chair every five minutes or so to load yet another disc. At this price it would have been much more sensible and user-friendly to have included a couple of full length 16 track CD's in addition to the individual releases but, as it stands, you'll need to burn them down to your own CDs or playlist them through your iPod for the whole process to become manageable.
   
   The alternative? Well, that depends on what you want and how much you're prepared to pay... all the "A" & "B" sides from this period are included on the first disc in the "The Singles Collection - The London Years" boxed set which also includes both sides of their single releases through to 1970. All the tracks from their first EP are included on the "More Hot Rocks" compilation, all the tracks from the second EP are on their "12x5" album and all the tracks from the third EP are on their "Got Live If You Want It" album. An even more expensive option, with a lot of duplication, but then you do get a great deal more for your money.
   
   So... an indispensable but oddly delivered memory bank for those of us who were there and want to be there again, and an intriguingly expensive "coffee table" purchase for those who weren't.



4. This box set is amazing. It just rocks and the packaging is cool as hell. the tracks sound great. good re-mastering job. I have a CD changer and just load them all in, and open up a beer. good times.



5. I've got to listen to 12 cds to get through thirty-three stones songs? Most of them clock in under three minutes! Yeah, great jacket covers and all, but I'm really concerned with the music. I'm surprised they don't include latex gloves so I'll never have to soil the cd jackets with the oils from my fingers! Careful! Okay, I've had my fun, but really, this one is truly for collectors only. I'm a huge fan, not a collector. If you want all the early singles the Stones ever released in one set, get the SINGLES COLLECTION: THE LONDON YEARS instead. It contains all the singles from 1963-1971, plus a few rare gems. The one interesting thing about SINGLES '63-'65 is the inclusion of the three brit EPs. While the actual EPs were never released here, all the songs from the two studio EPs, THE ROLLING STONES and FIVE BY FIVE are available on various U.S. releases (12x5, MORE HOT ROCKS and DECEMBER'S CHILDREN). The third EP, GOT LIVE IF YOU WANT IT (a shameful effort to "catch the boys live"), is no better than the full-length american counterpart. Both are painful to listen to. If you have the early Stones U.S. releases, you'll already have these songs in studio format.
   SINGLES 1963-1965 is a neat gimmick with all the original covers, but I'm gonna pass on it.

5 comments about Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band Live - 1975-85.

1. Live albums. Some artists shine. The live recordings show why they are so popular when they hit the road. Others should run screaming when their record label or their manager suggests a live project! Springsteen is one of the former. He and his band have always had a reputation as a killer live act. Live 1975-1985 shows that their reputation is well deserved.
   
   By the time these cds were released just before Xmas, 1986, Springsteen had made seven records, including one double. This is sixteen sides of music. Each was a classic. There are about forty songs on this live collection. If you subtract five non-Springsteen songs we are left with thirty-five live songs. That would be about two songs for each LP side! Thus, these three discs should contain la crème de la crème. Discs one and two certainly get us off to a great start. The cuts are primarily from concerts heard between 1975 and 1980. Unfortunately, thereafter, for me at least, the set runs out of steam a little as we are given seven songs from Born in the USA - my least favourite of his first seven records. However, all in all, I shouldn't quibble with the song selection. After all, my favourites are not necessarily yours.
   
   The singing and the playing are, as one would expect, first class throughout. Bruce is always in good voice. The E Street Band is as tight as it is in the studio. The balance between vocals and instruments is mixed perfectly. The base and drums rumble deeply, the piano tinkles brightly, the vocals are clear, the guitar solos are crisp. All is in balance. The pacing of the songs, often so screwed up in live performances - too damned fast - is right on. Several songs are actually slowed down to great effect (e.g. Thunder Road).
   
   Live albums are often only for the diehard fans. This set is an exception. If you own no other Springsteen records and you are looking for an introduction this would be a great start. I cannot honestly say that I am a huge Springsteen fan. Although I have nearly all of his releases I do not think about him the way I think about, for instance, Van Morrison or Elvis Costello. Having admitted this, I must also admit that every time I spin a Springsteen record I am surprised by my reaction. I start to listen and expect to enjoy the experience. I end up believing that he is one of the great talents of all time.



2. This album has taken all the best live performances and put them into one album... since they are all live the have woven the tracks from one to the other seamlessly so this album seems like a live concert...
   great album.



3. The BOSS is the best in the BIZ. I love his music and I finally wore out the cassette copy of this music I recieved from my sister back in the early 90's. I am sure I will listen to this CD for decades to come.



4. 
   I ordered the boxed set of Springsteen Live: 1975-85. I had this set on casette years ago when it came out. I literally wore it out.
   This item was delivered to me promptly and I am well on my way to wearing it out....Thank you .....Velma



5. The product arrived in good time and was exactly as described. I wouldn't hesitate to buy again from this vendor.

1 comments about The Coasters on Atco - There's A Riot Goin' On.

1. The Coasters were arguably the greatest vocal group of the early days of rock and roll. This four CD collection features all the songs that they recorded for Atco Records. It begins with 12 songs by an earlier incarnation of the group, when they were called the Robins. These songs were originally released by Spark Records, but they were purchased by Atco when they signed the group. Some of the Robins didn't want to move from the west coast to the east coast when they signed with Atco, so the group was reorganized as the Coasters. They recorded many great songs, most of which were written by their regular producers, Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller. But there was a big misstep made in 1960, when the Coasters recorded an album of standards called One By One. These songs (not produced by Lieber and Stoller) were given very dull easy listening type arrangements, and this type of material was wrong for the Coasters' singing style anyway. But for what it's worth, bass singer Dub Jones did a pretty good job on the songs which were sung by him (most songs featured just one Coaster singing solo, with none of the group's trademark harmony singing). After that album bombed, the group went back to doing the type of songs that they excelled at, thank goodness. But in late 1962, Lieber and Stoller left Atco, and the group ended up working with other producers for the next three years. Atco seemingly lost faith in the group, and booked only six recording sessions for them during that period, recording 13 total songs. Most of these songs were decent, although not up to the standards of the group's classics, but none of them were very successful. The Coasters' contract with Atco quietly expired in 1966 and was not renewed. The first three discs of this collection contain all of the Coasters' master recordings. Disc Four features "Unreleased, Alternates & Rarities". These are interesting variations of the songs on the other discs, although some are just the stereo versions of the songs. This is a great collection for fans of the Coasters, although the terrible One By One album prevents me from giving it 5 Stars (but it wouldn't have been right not to include it in the collection).
   
   Disc One: Masters 1954-1958
   1 The Hatchet Man
   2 I Love Paris (prev. unissued on US CD)
   3 Whadaya Want?
   4 If Teardrops Were Kisses
   5 Wrap It Up
   6 Riot In Cell Block #9
   7 Loop De Loop Mambo
   8 One Kiss
   9 I Must Be Dreamin'
   10 Framed
   11 Smokey Joe's Cafe
   12 Just Like A Fool
   - the 12 recordings above by The Robins
   13 Brazil
   14 Down In Mexico
   15 One Kiss Led To Another
   16 Turtle Dovin'
   17 Lola
   18 Sweet Georgia Brown
   19 Young Blood
   20 Searchin'
   21 My Baby Comes To Me
   22 Idol With The Golden Head
   23 What Is The Secret Of Your Success?
   24 Wait A Minute
   25 Dance! (prev. unissued on US CD)
   26 Gee, Golly (prev. unissued on US CD)
   27 Zing! Went The Strings Of My Heart (stereo master*,
   prev. unissued in stereo on legal US CD)
   28 Three Cool Cats (original single mono master)
   Disc Two: Masters 1958-1960
   1 Yakety Yak (stereo master*)
   2 Stewball (stereo master*)
   3 Sorry But I'm Gonna Have To Pass (stereo master*)
   4 The Shadow Knows (stereo master*)
   - four above prev. unissued in stereo on legal US CD
   5 I'm A Hog For You (I'm A Hog For You Baby)
   (original single, dubbed mono master)
   6 Crocodile (stereo master, prev unissued on legal CD)
   7 Charlie Brown (stereo master*)
   8 Hey Sexy (stereo master*)
   - two above prev. unissued in stereo on legal US CD
   9 Along Came Jones
   10 That Is Rock & Roll
   11 What About Us
   12 Poison Ivy (original edited single, mono)
   13 Run Red Run
   14 Keep On Rolling
   15 Besame Mucho Part 1
   16 Besame Mucho Part 2 (prev. unissued on US CD)
   17 The Snake And The Book Worm
   (original single mono master) - prev. unissued on (legal) CD
   18 Wake Me, Shake Me (mono master)
   19 Lady Like (prev. unissued on US CD)
   20 But Beautiful
   21 Satin Doll
   22 Gee Baby, Ain't I Good To You
   23 Autumn Leaves
   24 You'd Be So Nice To Come Home To
   25 Moonlight In Vermont
   26 Moonglow
   27 Easy Living
   28 The Way You Look Tonight
   29 Don't Get Around Much Anymore
   30 Willow Weep For Me
   31 On The Sunny Side Of The Street
   - 12 last above stereo masters*
   Disc Three: Masters 1960-1966
   1 Thumbin' A Ride
   2 Shoppin' For Clothes (stereo)
   3 Ridin' Hood (Riding Hood) (stereo master*,
   prev. unissued on legal US CD)
   4 Girls Girls Girls Part I (mono master, prev. unissued on CD)
   5 Girls Girls Girls Part II
   6 Little Egypt (Ying-Yang)
   7 Hongry
   8 Teach Me How To Shimmy
   9 My Babe (stereo master*)
   10 Bad Blood
   11 (Ain't That) Just Like Me (stereo master*)
   12 The Climb (vocal) (stereo master*,
   prev. unissued on legal US CD)
   13 Bull Tick Waltz
   14 The P.T.A.
   - two above prev. unissued on US CD
   15 T'Ain't Nothin' To Me (live, stereo*)
   16 Speedo's Back In Town (live, stereo*)
   17 Bad Detective
   18 Lovey Dovey
   19 Wild One
   20 I Must Be Dreaming
   21 Money Honey
   22 Let's Go Get Stoned
   23 Crazy Baby
   24 Bell Bottom Slacks And a Chinese Kimono
   25 She's A Yum Yum
   26 Saturday Night Fish Fry
   - nine last above prev. unissued on (legal) US CD
   Disc Four: Alternates 1957-1962
   1 Yakety Yak (take 5, stereo outtake)
   2 Three Cool Cats (take 1, alternate arrangement, stereo)
   3 My Baby Comes To Me (alternate outtake)
   - three above prev. unissued on legal record
   4 Ridin' Hood (Riding Hood) (take 28, uptempo stereo version;
   prev. unissued on legal record)
   5 The Shadow Knows (take 2, stereo outtake)
   6 I'm A Hog For You (slow version, stereo)
   - two above prev. unissued on legal record
   7 Charlie Brown (alternate stereo outtake;
   prev. unissued on legal US CD)
   8 Poison Ivy (unedited stereo master)
   9 That Is Rock And Roll (dubbed stereo arrangement;
   prev. unissued on US CD)
   10 The Slime (stereo master*; prev. unissued in stereo on US CD)
   11 Run Red Run (stereo alternate)
   12 Hey Sexy (Sexy) (take 4, alternate arr., stereo - Gardner, lead;
   prev. unissued on legal record)
   13 The Snake And The Book Worm (The Snake & The Bookworm)
   (alternate arrangement, stereo)
   14 Bad Blood (stereo alternate)
   15 Keep On Rolling (Keep On Rollin' ) (stereo alternate)
   16 Along Came Jones (stereo alternate; prev. unissued on US CD)
   17 Little Egypt (stereo edition)
   18 Girls Girls Girls Pt 1 (stereo edition)
   19 What About Us (stereo alternate)
   20 I'm A Hog For You (Yea Yea) (takes 6, 7 + 8 complete;
   prev. unissued on legal record)
   21 Crocodile (take 1, alternate, stereo; previously unissued)
   22 Yakety Yak (take 3, alternate, stereo; previously unissued)
   23 Wake Me, Shake Me (stereo master)
   24 Poison Ivy (alternate version, stereo; prev. unissued on CD)
   25 I'm A Hog For You (undubbed stereo master,
   prev. unissued on legal US CD)
   26 Three Cool Cats (take 12, extended stereo master;
   prev. unissued on legal US CD)
   27 Dance (extended alternate edition; prev. unissued on legal CD)
   28 Yakety Yak (alternate stereo version)

5 comments about Box of Pearls: The Janis Joplin Collection.

1. Five discs, five stars..five reasons to embrace this work:
   talent, cruelty, loneliness, beauty and...the voice..the voice that knew despise pain and succumbed to alcohol and the proximity of what was supposed unattainable ....



2. The first concert I ever attended in my life was seeing Janis perform at Cal Expo, in Sacramento, just a few weeks prior to her death. I had been a fan since I was about 13, much to the dismay of my parents, who found her voice untenable -- well, Mom & Dad, this boxed set of just about everything Janis Joplin ever recorded will bring it all back for you -- just as it did for me -- except that I love every cry and screech and note of emotion with the same devoted passion today as I did 40 years ago.
   
   Not only does this collection give us Janis in all her shouting glory from her days with Big Brother and the Holding Company, but we get a sense of her transition into her more bittersweet period of ballads and introspective songwriting that dominated her last years from the albums "I Got Dem Ol' Kozmic Blues Again Mama!" and "Pearl". Since all four of her original studio releases have been digitally remastered for the CDs in this box set -- and each album supplemented with previously unreleased bonus tracks and outtakes -- if you have Janis in your heart you now can have her forever in your ears. Like Janis sings "Get It While You Can...."



3. everything i thought if would be.
   
   great artist, hours of great listening



4. Though, if my friend hadn't suggested I buy this collection of records, it is a sign, we don't always know what it is we are looking for. Lucky for me, the breatth of this angel was blown into my ear.



5. This is a must have for the Janis fans. Alot of music for a low price!