5 comments about Elton John - Greatest Hits 1970-2002.

1. Who doesn't love Elton John? This CD set has almost all of my favorite EJ songs.



2. I LOVE this collection...great songs,very nice package.Makes a wonderful gift for anyone who loves Elton John.



3. beware of this cd if you already have any greatest hits cd's from Elton John....They are basically copies of two others cd's plus a few other songs from later years....This would be Ok for those that don't have either, but on one cd I own(I have two)has all the same songs and also the same poor quality( the other one is better but still some volume fluctuation between tracks... I even put it on a sound editor and all the sound waves and volume are all over the place....some of them actually "straight line" (flatten out) within the same song.....
   I used my sound editor to get the volume even and add some "cleanup" and base boost and burned them to a cd...it sounds a lot better, but still not the best it could be...would benefit a great deal from re-mixing all the soundbites.
   
   as is ; you may be disappointed in the sound quality and the volume variance .....there is nothing more annoying than listening to a CD that has such inconsistency in the volume (even within the same track0 some of the track to track volume is so bad you will have one blasting away one minute and then can hardly hear the next....still looking for remastered/remixed tracks of older Elton John tunes ......



4. The elton John cD arrived on time and in good condition, as
   advertised!



5. 
   It is my pleasure to comment on Elton John's - Greatest Hits 1970-2002. There are not too many occasions when you find all of the songs you enjoy by Elton John on two CDs. As a living legend, Elton John's music is like "fine wine" it gets beter and better through time.
   
   Thank you.
   
   Sincerely yours,
   
   Frances Priester,
   Consumer

5 comments about The Complete Studio Recordings.

1. If you are of my vintage, you likely still have boxes on vinyl LPs in your garage, but have bought digital compliations of your favorite music from the 60's and 70's. I am so happy to have the actual albums now living in my iTunes. A must have collection for any LZ fan regardless of age. And if you can catch it on special (I got for $67 on a gold box deal, it's a sweet deal!



2. Received my order very quickly and in perfect condition! Would definitely do business again.



3. My wife got this for me for my birthday. Yes I am in my late 30s and hard to shop for. She hit a home run with this one. I love this. Everything Zeppelin. No modifications, no goofy remixes. Just a remastering by the Master Jimmy himself. I love this box set. I have it on my iPod and it gets played anytime I am on the commuter rail headed to work. I also listen to it at work when i get swamped and have to work on a presentation or something. The noise drowns out those around me and I keep it too loud to hear the phone. A must buy if you like Zeppelin, a little expensive but you'll never need to buy another Zeppelin anything every again.
   
   [...]



4. First, the box; it holds all of the CD cases and the included LZ booklet comfortably and easily accessible BUT the CDs are held in slip cases which are inconvenient. If you do buy this set, get some good ol' jewel cases along with it; you buy CDs for the music, not the packaging.
   
   There's no need to worry about the sound quality, it's great.
   
   My collection came in with two coppies of LZ1 and no copy of LZ2. I'm sending it back to get LZ2. Everybody makes mistakes; this one is minor but a previous customer mentioned it happened to them as well.
   
   For $100+ I'd say this is a pretty good set, aside fron the inconveneint box. But another reveiwer offered a good suggestion; Chances are that if you're buying the complete LZ studio collection then you might be familiar with all, if not, most of their stuff. so do your self a flavor and buy the albums (that you want) individually; it'll be cheaper.



5. Only thing good about this box set is the packaging and design and so on. However the booklets the CDs come in
   fall apart easly and some of the disc come pre-scratched as they fit too tight.
   
   As for the recordings, Jimmy said it well, they again are flat sounding.
   
   Too bad the Mothership wasn't a complete box set, tracks are clean and clear!

5 comments about All Things Must Pass [BOXED EDITION].

1. Having been 7 years old in 1970, I didn't know the Beatles had broken up, even though I was also aware of John's and Paul's solo albums, which my brother was wise enough to pick up right as they came out. Out of the three, I much preferred All Things Must Pass. I didn't know it then, but George was my favorite Beatle and he always will be. Paul and John were much too extreme in their respective charming showman and curmudgeonly angry-young-man cynic, but George had a nicely measured blend of both, and it is apparent in this album.
   
   Since all albums typically open with a strong lead-in track, "I'll Have You Anytime" seems to be an odd choice on the surface, but its production stays with you and packs a punch. It immediately sets the tone for the entire album, and the remastering brings out the underlying atmosphere of the recording that I knew was there before, but it's more apparent now. It's one of the songs that bears repeated listening. It really makes you want to reach out to people you love. It's devastating. "My Sweet Lord" and "Wah-Wah" are his versions of "Plastic Ono Band - Primal Album" material. Reaching out to God for peace and lambasting his former bandmates for giving him headaches (to say the very least) are just as potent as Lennon's "Love" and "I Found Out" as well as, ironically enough, "God". John and George are both basically saying they'd had enough of Paul Mc Cartney, that he was making them physically ill and that he made himself out to be much more than he actually was, thereby suffocating the two, and they have to break away from the Beatle thing or else they'll both go insane.
   
   "Isn't It A Pity" packs a punch in so many ways. It not only echoed Lennon's feelings about society in general, but it's also George's way of smirking in Paul's face as a parody of the structure of Paul's beloved "Hey Jude" with its simple acoustic guitar opening leading to the bombastic coda repeating "what a pity", not to mention the song's 7-plus minute length. Thankfully, George was wise enough to not do any annoying scat singing at the end.
   
   This album has so much bright about it that it bears a separate review for each side, so that's exactly what I'm doing here. Individual reviews of sides 2, 3 and 4 will follow on their own, then I'll have as look at the bonus tracks.
   
   It's getting a bit late, so I must be on my way to face another day.



2. After first hearing this as young kid in the early 70's I've always felt it never received enough attention. Well written and played--such a significant production. Album's tracks have a well suited variety, from relaxing purity to peacefully spiritual to guitar jammin'. Since buying the CDs I've heard it included on my teenager's iPod. Intergenerationally superior.



3. The item was as described and in excellent condition. Very happy with delivery time, it was very fast. Would recommend this seller to anyone wishing to buy from him. Price was very competetive and very reasonable.
   
   Cheers,
   
   JimB7082



4. It was a long time ago since I heard this one, but due to the remastering it sounds als music from today. The man was better than many people thougt



5. And so, armed with a pretty great portfolio of songs rejected by John and Paul, the quiet Beatle decides to blow his wad and release the whole damn thing in one go as a triple album. Classic little-brother move there. He was king for a day. Foolhardy at first glance--some would argue he should have rationed this A-list material out more carefully--but it was probably a good idea. Judging from bootlegs from this era, even minor songs that never saw the official light of day were more compelling than what would come later. In short, George was in the zone--a place he'd never been, and would never be again. I think it was a smart move going for broke here.
   
   That said, I've always had reservations about this album. George had an exasperating habit of keeping his sly humor out of his songs, leaving us with his rarely attractive sermons (and what a born scold he was, even before he found God--maybe that was why he could relate to Dylan). And, as George rather grumpily suggests in his liner notes, Phil Spector's often magnificent production does, at times, steamroll over the delicate material. Still, he has Phil to thank for crafting the only sonically rewarding album in his catalog. Overblown at times, perhaps, but this is a sublime piece of record-making.
   
   I've been terrorizing the wife and kids for the past year with my guitar-playing around the house, and in learning the 'All Things Must Pass' songbook I have gained a new dimension of appreciation for these strange, beautiful constructions. George knows when to haul out the Dsus2 and the F#m7, but also knows when to keep it simple. It's that uncanny Beatles-coached balance of instinct and hyper-fluent attention to detail.
   
   I have little patience for the George Harrison cult, those people who would have us believe that he was the equal of (or better than) John and Paul. He wasn't. But there is such a thing as a George Harrison Song--with its own lovely qualities, born right out of that Harrison hard-drive--and it finds its perfect moment in this very necessary, if never repeated, freedom-drunk masterpiece.

5 comments about How the West Was Won.

1. This album shows Led Zeppelin doing what they do best. Play Live. This album has everything that you want to hear from Led Zeppelin, great Guitar drum solos, and some superb jam sessions from the masters themselves.



2. I bought this 3 disc set about a month ago, and have to say that after comparing it to the BBC Sessions this one wins the fight. Not to condemn the BBC Sessions entirely, but those live performances are just not up to par with this album. I believe the BBC set is an interesting representation of the band in their earlier days, as opposed to this one which was taken from two different concerts in 1972. The band is noticeably tighter and more refined after performing together on the live scene for 4 years. On top of that, I believe the sound quality is better on these discs. To me, the BBC Sessions feel thinner and lack the enthusiasm that How the West Was Won delivers. I have owned the 2 disc Led Zeppelin concert DVD set for a while as well, and can hear the similarity between this album and the middle performances on that DVD set. If you enjoy the tunes in the Madison Square Garden and Knebworth portions of the DVD, I think you will enjoy this CD as well.
   
   I give it four stars because I am found wanting to hear live versions of "Thank You" and "How Many More Times," which are not on this set but I know have been bootlegged from these concerts. Also, some of the songs are ridiculously long and drawn out to a point where they're playing in a different key and a totally different tune. If you like listening to a song transition into a funky groove for ten minutes so that you forget what song it is, then you might not mind. It's just a minor thing I'm not crazy about on this compilation. It's a good representation of Led Zeppelin's live show, but I think it goes too far in a couple songs.
   
   Even with a couple minor setbacks, this album is the best live representation of Led Zeppelin to date if you ask me. I think hardcore Zeppelin fans will cherish it, and casual Zeppelin fans will appreciate hearing the raw versions of their favorite songs. Compared to other live Zeppelin albums, How the West Was Won is the way it oughtta be.



3. The first time I listened to Rock and Roll, (on disc 2,) I had my headphones on - (more like bloody great ear muffs, actually!) It nearly blew me away! I must have listened to that track about six times straight, before I moved on to Moby Dick. Then I had to listen to Moby Dick at least twice, just to hear that cataclysmic sound of John Bonham on the drums one more time!
   
   This album makes the Song Remains the Same seem somewhat monolithic and plodding. (And I really like The Song Remains the Same... Well, I always did, until I heard this!!)
   
   Aside from Led Zep at their rawest, rocking best, there are also some really wonderful acoustic guitar passages that just fill-out the performance nicely and provide some lovely breathing space between all the hard rocking electric guitar riffs and John Bonham's drums. Instead of a pounding dentist's drill, the audience is really ready for the rock when it hits.
   
   Complete with bum notes, slightly off-tune guitars, feedback and overheated valve distortion - (not to mention a couple of occasions when Robert Plant's voice completely cracks!) - this is just wonderfully raw and exciting. Led Zep at their live-performing best! I could listen to this album all day and every day, if I had the chance - and if my neighbors would put up with it!



4. Content-wise, this double-disc DVD-Audio set is pretty much the same as the 3CD set, but it is mixed for 5.1 surround sound that can be played back in a DVD-Audio player or a DVD-Video player in Dolby Digital.
   
   The album is a collection of songs performed live at venues in Southern California between the band's landmark "fourth" album and their creatively stellar 'Houses of the Holy' record, circa 1975. This DVD-Audio disc captures a time in history when live audiences came to hear performers play and would sit through and enjoy 25-minute versions of "Dazed and Confused" and 19-minute "Moby Dick" drum solos. Today, audiences more often than not have to be mesmerized by pyrotechnics, lasers and video screens rather than by virtuoso performances.
   
   One of these performances of note is on one of the band's signature songs "Heartbreaker," featuring the guitar handiwork of Jimmy Page, which on How The West Was Won includes a long, stream-of-consciousness solo. The tune starts off meandering through a few verses until it gets to the solo. This is when the 5.1 mix takes a very tasty "Heartbreaker" solo to new levels, considering that the crowd interaction with the solo makes the listening experience richer. About 30 seconds into a hoedown portion of the solo, the crowd starts to clap along. When listening to the DVD-Audio mix, you want to follow along. You feel like there are other fans directly behind you, yet the performance is still in front of you. Ultimately, Page breaks the solo down into a little sloppy classical guitar work and you get a chance to hear some of the more subtle additions that the DVD-Audio format makes to the recording.
   
   Another example of little details sounding better on DVD-Audio is on "Going To California," where you can hear the mandolin better than on the CD. It sounds more rich and textured on DVD-Audio and in surround sound.
   
   The surround mix doesn't put too much besides crowd noise and acoustic ambience in the rear speakers, but there are times when it seems like the engineer is pushing to make more of the recording than is there in terms of an adventurous surround mix. A good example of this is on Robert Plant's vocal on "The Immigrant Song," which is mixed in such a way that seems a little too loud for the rear speakers for a few brief moments.
   
   With surround sound now in the mix and backwards compatibility to all DVD players, all Led Zeppelin fans should have 'How The West Was Won' on DVD-Audio. The most important reason is the historical importance of the performance, paired with the excellence in musicianship captured in the master. But buyer beware -- this DVD-Audio makes listening to Led Zeppelin more fun live, but it is not a reference caliber DVD-Audio surround sound disc. We have yet to delve into the master tapes of the classic Zeppelin records and attempt to remix them for discrete surround. Some say that because of the four-track recording techniques used on the early albums, the project may be close to impossible. Others suggest that it can be done and point to the Beach Boys' 'Pet Sounds' as an example of an older recording taking on wonderful audio quality in DVD-Audio and surround sound. Nevertheless, 'How The West Was Won' is better and more exciting on DVD-Audio than on CD. -- Jerry Del Colliano, 10/2003



5. I was forunate enough to be at the LA Forum show on 25Jun1972. It's the best live show I have ever been too. I have attended over a 100 concerts in my life and this one sticks as the best live show ever. I'm so glad they came out with the CD music from this concert. Now I can listen to the music from that special night again and again.

5 comments about Greatest Hits I, II & III - The Platinum Collection (3CD).

1. Like my title says, this platinum collection is very good, but I'm surprised at the songs not included. I know we all have our favorite Queen songs and I'm sure many of them weren't included, but the absence of the following songs really confuses me: Sheer Heart Attack, Tie Your Mother Down, Get Down Make Love, and Keep Yourself Alive. I mean those weren't some obscure Queen songs, they were bonafide hits just like the rest of the collection from the first two discs. Some of the garbage/filler on the third CD could have easily been replaced with those songs. What garbage/filler do I speak of: The Show Must Go On, Under Pressure, Barcelona, Somebody To Love, Another One Bites The Dust (the worst of the garbage/filler), and Thank God It's Christmas. Otherwise there really isn't much to complain about.
   
   As for CD three, I feel this platinum collection is worth it over just buying Greatest Hits 1 & 2 for the song These Are The Days Of Our Lives, one of Queens best songs IMO. Plus some of the songs from Made In Heaven are decent as well as the unexpected gem Princess of the Universe from A kind Of Magic. I would say there is enough on disc three to warrant its purchase as well as a place on your hard drive/MP3 player. The reason for four stars instead of five is for the inclusion of the worthless songs listed above and the exclusion of songs that deserved to be included.
   
   Queen is one of the most important bands ever in the history of rock and roll, and this collection is a good place to start as an introduction. I would hope you would not stop here though, but rather go on to buy the classic albums from which these songs came.



2. Would've given it 5 stars if not for that 3rd CD. It is a travesty that was included and I would never have bought the pack if I had found out sooner about that 3rd horrible CD. Still worth the low price just for the 1st & 2nd CD. 3rd CD...BLAH!



3. I was amazed at the amazon.com price for this collection. iTunes does not even give you the option to buy the Platinum Collection, so the amazon.com price was awesome, plus you get the box CD set and music. I have not had the chance to really listen to all of the 3rd CD, but since Freddy has a great voice, I'm sure they are just great. I know there has been complaints about the 3rd CD, but come on now!



4. After releasing the entire Queen CD catalogue in terrific remastered versions, Hollywood Records re-packaged the hits into the 'Classic Queen' and 'Greatest Hits' compliations. Then a few years ago, they finally issued the original British 'Greatest Hits' and 'Greatest Hits 2' CDs ... now, here once again, are those two compilations along with a mis-titled 'Greatest Hits 3', which is actually a complilation of duets between the surviving members of Queen and some UK pop stars such as Elton John, along with a few stray authentic Queen and Freddie Mercury solo tracks. While interesting, disc 3 would have been better had it been a real hits collection of actual Queen recordings - perhaps some classic album tracks or B-sides. Still, for the price of 2 CD's you get most of Queen's radio hits, which will be enough for casual fans. But these discs only skim the surface of Queen's musical legacy.



5. Great addition to any collection! This CD boxed set and enclosed booklet presents the versatility, talent and history of this awesome band.

5 comments about Original Bad Company Anthology.

1. This is a sampling of the best from their first six albums only, plus several new songs recorded for this collection. The "original" in the title refers to the original lineup, although later lineups also made excellent records. Unless you want the new recordings or outtakes or different mixes on this collection not available elsewhere, the "10 from 6" greatest hits collection is far superior to this one because that collection sounds like it could stand together as its own album. This collection just doesn't come together for some reason. The songs on the first disc sound cumbersome. They lumber along and are too deep sounding. In contrast, the songs on the second disc sound bright and are more musical and melodic, almost as if the lineup and musical direction of the band had changed. Graded separately the first disc is 3-4 stars and the second is a solid 4 stars. My preference would be to listen to all six albums in their entirety, as each one has its own internal cohesion, rather than this disparate collection.



2. This two-disc set compiles all the Bad Company one person really needs, taking the cream of the crop as its selections and omitting the lesser tunes from their five albums released 1973-1981. Sound has been remastered and is excellent, and the set comes with a thick booklet with lots of photos and an essay which I haven't read yet. The last four tracks on the second disc were recorded in 1998, and guess what--they're really, really good. And what's even weirder is that they sound like they were recorded much earlier than 1998 and could have fit in nicely on one of their original albums. Thus, they don't stick out stylistically from the rest of the tracks.



3. I really can't recommend getting an anthology of this groups music.
   
   This is one group that you really need to buy the albums instead.
   There are too many songs that never hit the airwaves that you will find
   are great and some cases better than what did hit the airwaves.
   
   These guys are great live.
   
   What should be done...
   
   A remastered set of their albums in Hybrid SACD so nobody get's left out in the
   cold, priced reasonably would be worth buying, and don't do just the first 6 albums.
   
   It's all pretty good stuff.



4. The perfect CD for Bad Company fans. Brings back many great memories of their tours.
   The CD arrived very quickly!



5. This cd is great. I was lucky to find it. All the record stores could'nt get it anymore (discontinued) AMAZON had it!!!!! Get it while you can.

5 comments about Peace In The Valley: The Complete Gospel Recordings.

1. If you like gospel and Elvis then this is the product for you. It's wonderful, the music couldn't be better. This CD is a must have for anyone with a like for the singer and older hymns of all kinds, that are sure to bring pleasure to your collection. I do plan on purchasing further products from this company. Service was easy,quick and good quality.



2. I had this in cassette, but don't have a cassette player anymore. I was so glad to see Amazon had it and at a very reasonaable price. I listen to it quite often. thank you deb



3. I gave this as a gift to my dad for Father's Day. He absolutely loved it!



4. No one sings gospel like Elvis Presley. I was never interested in gospel music until I heard this CD. You can tell from this cd that elvis really enjoyed singing gospel. All 3 cds are great. If you are not an elvis fan you might not like the 3rd CD since it is mostly recorded at sun studios in the 50's. A great value for your money



5. A miraculous RCA/BMG production, of course containing the three E.P. Gospel albums, the 1957 Extended Play, and all the individual songs adorning the secular Presley releases. That pretty much covers the first two Discs; Disc Three is the *fun* one, with relevant selectioons from "The Million Dollar Quartet", and some priceless "fly on the wall" home performances - he's still *Elvis*, but he's as relaxed as he's gonna be, just singing his heart out with his friends. There's an extended version of "Saved" from the TV Special and an incredible solo on "The Lord's Prayer". He's firmly in Opera territory on this "informal" opus.
   Some small onjections: there's no reason not to have the tunes in chronological order; there's no reason to include the *Inspirational* songs "I Believe", "You'll Never Walk Alone" and "Life", as engaging as they are. (I still can't forget an earlier Elvis Gospel collection which featured "Where Did They Go, Lord", which was *not* a Gospel song!); lastly, why include the 1956 home recording of "When The Saints Go Marching In" where after about 15 seconds it shifts into parody. It's not bad, as parodies go, with Elvis intentionally singing off-key, surely a dfifficult thing to pull off. It opens Disc Three. Well, it's still Elvis...and his does have his piano.
   "His Hand In Mine" tracks open Disc One, recorded in late 1960. This appears to be a very personal tribute to the "Quartets", and by extension to the assembled choir right in the Nashville studio, as he defers to the song, the arrangement, and the singers, in a vocal approach almost devoid of mannerism - he stays in that falsetto range for the most part, rarely employing chest tone. It's a beautiful sound but one wonders how much greater some things like "Joshua Fit The Battle" or "Swing Down, Sweet Chariot" would have fared with more "signature" Elvis, shall we say. Another issue is in the mixing here, where Elvis' voice is basically isolated in the center. That, in itself, shouldn't *be* an issue, but where he steps back to let the Jordanaires have the spotlight, there's a sense of self-control which can be disconcerting to the listener: we get a small silence between his last note and the group's closing notes.
   Interesting that the one song which was sent to the shelf, "Crying In The Chapel", became a huge international hit in 1965, and most likely instigated the "How Great Thou Art" album, released in '67!
   That album is also on Disc One, to me a better album than "His Hand In Mine", A and R-wise and in performance. Once again, Presley's under-appreciated talent for arranging is a big part of this Grammy award winner. Although he's perhaps not in his best voice, and to my ears is projected from a slow running master tape, this album is a classic. I think RCA missed the boat when they didn't issue the title song on a single at the time. With Charlie Hodge's input, they got together a brilliant arrangement, which provided a platform for one of Elvis' greatest long high notes. His idol, Mario Lanza, would not have been unimpressed.
   Disc Two has the 1972 "He Touched Me" album, his all-around best. I prefer the songs on the second album, but here Elvis' voice is strong, with almost none of the stylistic business as before. He soars on "I, John" and "Bosom Of Abraham" (aka "Rock A-My Soul"), and delivers a creative re-wording of "There Goes My Everything", with "He Is My Everything".
   A very interesting time-line is detected with "Peace In The Valley". It appears that the jam session version from late '56 led to the Ed Sullivan rendition which led to the polsihed studio recording. Another one is with "When The Saints Go Marching In", twice in '56, then a movie soundtrack medley element. Then, of course, the "Farther Along" revisistation on "How Great Thou Art".
   I deckine from 5 stars because of a somewhat monotonous sound on "His Hand In Mine" and a some tired tracks from "How Great Thou Art"; plus the few considerations mentioned above.

5 comments about Decade.

1. And I'm glad I did.
   
   I'll say only that if you love Neil Young's music, this is a must.
   
   Just look at the track listing, and decide for yourself.



2. If your a Neal Young fan this one is a must. Great price and great to here these songs again.



3. I don't have many words. I just love this. Neil Young fans will understand. The man has so much depth, lyrically and musically.



4. Decade is a compilation album that was first released in 1977 as a 3 record set and is now released as a 2 CD compilation. Here we get 35 tracks worth of music and the album was hailed by critics when it was released and Allmusic and Robert Chritgau gave the album top marks and I agree with this. All the tracks have been compiled by Young himself and we get handwritten notes on each track. The booklet does not have any of the lyrics but does have unsigned liner notes and some nice photographs from the time that this compilation was released. 5/5.



5. the is fine...exactly what I wanted...could not find it in a store...but Amazon had it...and a good price too.

5 comments about Led Zeppelin.

1. Unless you want to invest in the entire Zeppelin catalog (which would be understanable), this is still BY FAR the best Zep retrospective you can find, even 20 years-on. And when you filter in the $38.99 price tag @ Amazon as if my writing (3/10), its a no-brainer.



2. This IS the way zep was meant to sound!Page has done a miraculous job on these tracks.The book is great too!I was able to pick it up in very good condition for under $25.Whether you are just interested in the legend or a die hard,you'll love this set!!!!Amazon rules while Ebay drools hahahaha....



3. I bought this box set when it first came out, I have found this to be an invaluable tool as far as the music is concerned, the choice of songs and the quality is superb. I actually prefer the individual CD's I guess because they remind me of when the Albums fist came out but there are songs available on here that I enjoy but I would never have purchased the whole CD. Also there are songs that never made to to any CD, I would hear them on the radio and couldn't figure out what album they were on, not I have them.



4. For anybody who wants to buy a huge amount of Led Zeppelin material but doesn't want or need everything they have ever released, then this is the collection for you. You get the vast majority of the classic Zeppelin tunes. While they left off SOME popular songs, this 4-CD set gives you most of them. The sound quality is superb. The tracks are re-mastered to sound better than ever. Some songs really benefit from the re-mastering more than others. A good example is the song Achilles Last Stand. Crystal clear.
   
   If you're somebody who tends to buy "greatest hits" CDs, then this is the collection for you. I recommend these 4 CDs more than a single CD because there are so many good Zeppelin songs and so much material over the course of their career. Included in this set is a booklet detailing their entire career, with lots of interesting facts and stories about the band members, along with great photos.
   
   I highly recommend this collection. It is worth the extra money spent.



5. It's 2009, 40 years after "I" came out; almost 20 years after this box set hit the market. Remastered versions of the original albums have been available for more than a decade now. As one review said: this box set is passe. LZ has always been an album band. Get the original discs. I'm here to provide an opposing view, not to the historical and entertainment value of the original albums, but rather to wonderful alternative provided by this set. The four CDs here (and two discs of box set 2) enable you to listen to Zeppelin in a larger context, spanning the different styles of songs, moods, and instrumentation, in a way that makes sense and ultimately captivating.
   
   In my frequent readings of reviews posted on the Amazon site, a common theme for just about any artist or band is the disputed role of compilation CDs. From the viewpoint that they provide all you need of the artist, invariably loyal fans will point out that this or that chestnut is missing and therefore you cannot be happy with just that CD. From the view of the listener who first explores the band, gets a taste for it and starts digging into the original albums, the compilation quickly becomes obsolete. (Should have listened to the reviews and gone for the original albums...)
   
   But what about the proposition: suppose an album is put together of the best songs of the artist. Could that collection be better than any of the original CDs? That's where this box set comes in strongly. Through clever sequencing the four discs included in this set not only collect the bulk of the best songs produced by Led Zeppelin, they also provide a most satisfactory listening experience, one that goes beyond the original albums and adds something new, enabled by the longer CD format.
   
   Purists who gringe at the idea should consider this: In the days that these albums came out, the sequencing of the song was adapted to the two sides of an LP. That's why, on "IV" for example, "Stairway" concluded side one--as such it was not immediately followed by another song, leaving the listender time to reflect and hold those last chords in his/her ear. In line with this thinking, in all compilations thus far, "Stairway" concludes a disc. Not so on the reissue of the original album: with the final chords of "Stairway" still ringing in your ears, noisy Misty Mountain Hop comes up as a not yet wanted intruder...
   
   This is not to put down the original albums in CD form (the music is timeless), but instead of listening straight through on the discs as they are, I challenge the purists to see if, for Houses of the Holy, for example, the sequence 1. The song remains the same, 2. Dancing days, 3. D'yer mak'er, 4. The rain song, 5. Over the hills, 6. No quarter, 7. The Ocean, 8. The crunge, doesn't make for a better listening experience than the simple sequence of putting the two LP sides back to back. On "IV", try
   the sequence: 1. Black dog, 2. Rock and roll, 3. Four sticks, 4. Going to California, 5. The battle of evermore, 6. When the levee breaks, 7. Misty mountain hop, 8. Stairway to heaven. Isn't that closer to the spirit of the orginal LP sides? Knowing that these albums comprised two "programs", is there really anything "sacret" about the song order of the issued CDs?
   
   The key here is the pacing of the songs. I read that Jimmy Page himself put this box set together. Like LZ concerts of the days, I wouldn't be surprised if he didn't deliberately followed the format of those concerts in these CDs, i.e. an energetic opener of three or four songs, a slower/quieter middle part, then picking up steam again for the final conclusion. And boy does it sound good! The original album sides were sequenced that way too, although the effect is not as clear because of the relatively brief playing length. In this box set you see this sequencing very clearly in discs one and two. Discs three and four pick up on the direction Zeppelin went into starting on "IV": songs that are loud, dirty, and droning. Of these, disc three cherry picks perhaps the best of the type, and keeps going with high energy from beginning to end ("No quarter" provides some respite). Disc four attempts to do the same; although it does not sustain the quality of disc three it still contains great songs sequenced in way that enhances the impact while allowing you to take a breath from time to time.
   
   Many of the songs contained in the second box set are ones that often dissuade me from listening to some of the original albums (the ones that I think hold up best as separate CDs are "III", "I", and "Physcial Grafiti", in that order). It's not that these are bad songs, but they're just not ones that I long to hear. There are still many great songs on the second box, though, and together with this first box, you have all songs that were issued. And you have them in a format that makes sense 30-40 years hence.

5 comments about Live: 1975-85 (3CD).

1. I was 12 years old when my best friend gave me his copy of "Born in the USA." His mother was against any kind of rock n roll and so he had to give it up. I was instantly a fan as I played Darlington County and Never Surrender. When a Springsteen song came on the radio in the car I would beg my mom to turn it up. She like his music too and for Christmas 2 years later she bought me the 5 record set of "Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band Live/1975-85." I played those records without end and learned so many new songs I had never heard before. I skipped school the day "Tunnel of Love" came out and ran to the store to buy it.
   
   Years later I bought "The Rising" and "Devil and Dust" but I had grown older and never put them in the CD player. I had gotten over my Bruce Springsteen phase. Then one night I was watching the Super Bowl with my 12 year old daughter and The Boss was on stage for the half-time show. When he finished my daughter said "I like him, who is that?" I no longer had the cassette tape of "Born in the USA" and my 5 record set had been lost over the years from moving and a divorce.
   
   I found the 3 CD set and bought it along with "Born in the USA" and "Tunnel of Love." My daughter has favorites songs and she loves The Big Man. When I bought the DVD "Live in Barcelona," she watched it from beginning to end with me. We had rediscovered Bruce.
   
   "Live/1975-85" is by far the best collection to own. One reviewer stated it was the only Springsteen CD you would ever need. I disagree. However, I believe it should be the first CD anyone should get if they had never listened to Springsteen before. There is such a great variety of songs and you can feel the energy that must have been pouring out of Bruce and the E Street Band those nights. When The River plays my daughter sits quietly and listens to Bruce talk about his relationship with his father before the song starts. I can see it in her eyes, she is just as big a fan as I was and now am again. I just recently bought the 3 CD set for her birthday and she gave me a big hug.
   
   If there is no other Springsteen CD you ever will buy, then this live set is the one you should own. Put it in the CD player and sit back and relax. It is just like being there.



2. If you want to see and hear Bruce live, get the Live Hammersmith 1975, Live in NY and Live in Barcelona on DVD. This is a nice "setlist" style of songs, but this is a teaser once you've heard soundboard bootlegs, it's hard to listen to all the way through, or have favorite versions of a particular song. When you go "no Thundercrack, no Jungleland, no Prove it all Night", and have to stop, I know he couldn't put everything on there, but you do feel he might've been better releasing a compilation from the 84-85 tour when he put this one out.



3. Explanation of the cd mentions jersey girl so I think it is on the cd, which is the song I wanted. Very upset and disappointed when I rfeceived it and it waSN'T EVEN ON THERE.



4. As always listening to Bruce Springsteen is a special experience, but listening to his live performances with the audience in the backgroud makes you feel like you are at one of his concerts. This cd set is one of my favorites and I highly recommend buying it.



5. My wife & I had just seen them in concert, so I wanted to recapture that great feeling. While I had several of his studio CD's - which I love - this CD rekindled the experience of his Live performance. The energy and grit can never be truly recaptured, but this 3 disc CD comes close. I love it. Some of his lesser known songs (i.e. not the big hits played on mainstream radio) such as Seeds, and Rosalita, are best heard on Live albums or in person. This CD gives you a glimpse into why Springsteen and his band are among the best in arena performers.