4 comments about Malt Shop Memories.

1. It was a blessing to find that Amazon carried some of these Time-Life collections. Time-Life itself is known for fraudulent business practices in its direct marketing, including unauthorized credit card charges and signing customers up without their knowledge or consent for ReservationRewards, a negative-option marketing scam perpetrated by WebLoyalty.



2. I feel like I'm the only young man (I just graduated high school) who appreciates this type of music. Since my parents grew up with this music, it rubbed off on me because as a child, I heard it a lot! If you love the classic music of the 50's and 60's, you'll definitely love these! My favorites are My Boyfriend's Back, Love is like a Heat Wave, My Guy, Big Girls Don't Cry, Stand By Me, Sherry, The Shoop Shoop Song, I Get Around, The Little Old Lady From Pasadena, It's my Party, The Lion Sleeps Tonight, I Will Follow Him, Don't Be Cruel, The Twist, 16 Candles, and Earth Angel. These are my favorites.



3. My husband and I could not be happier with this collection. It brings back such great memories. Memories of when we were so much younger. It is just great.



4. These were my "teen years" and I did not realize what good voices most of the singers had and how beautiful some of the songs were. These cds transport me back to "the good old days". I am surprised that I remember most of the songs. I really, really enjoy this music.

5 comments about Selected Works: 1972-1999.

1. WOW! The collections of music put together for the EAGLES Selected Works 1972-1999 is well worth the money spent. It's a great selections of music that sort of "paints the picture" of where the Eagles came from, who they are and what thankfully, for America and the World, they became.



2. A great set of CD's ..all the good stuff and some that we hadn't heard, that were good too. I recommend it to all country fans and early rock fans.



3. First off, I'm an Eagles fan, so that fact may or may not bias my opinion of this boxed set.
   
   If you don't already have any Eagles albums on CD (or if you just have 1 or 2), this boxed set is the way to go. It has ALL of their 70s hits and a few not-so-well-known singles as well ("Try and Love Again" is fantastic). The 4th disc was recorded live on New Year's Eve in 1999 (therefore titled "The Millenium Concert") and is fairly decent, though I have heard better. The song selection for this disc is pretty weak. They play mostly "b-side" singles and a few of their minor hits as well as a couple of cover tunes.
   
   I only had a few Eagles albums on cassette, so this boxed set was the way to go for me. There are some "outtake" tracks from studio sessions that shows a humorous side to the band which, I for one, found very funny and refreshing. Now we know why it costs millions of dollars to record an album!
   
   There is a nice booklet in this set that tells the Eagles story and has some nice photographs (mostly black & white) of the band from then and now.
   
   All in all, it's a good purchase, but again, if you already have the Eagles albums on CD, you might want to save your money.



4. EAGLES-SELECTED WORKS 1972-1999: If ever a music act could be rightfully accused of "feathering their nest", it would have to be the Eagles. Never mind that they initiated the era of the overpriced concert ticket, charging a then unheard of $75 for their first reunion tour in the mid-90's. SELECTED WORKS 1972-1999 is a superflous box set that stretches the point by...oh, let's say twenty years (after their last studio LP, '79's THE LONG RUN, they've only managed to dole out five new songs, none memorable). Worse, if you already own the Eagles' half dozen albums, you also own everything here, save a lame live disc containing a pair of tracks from Don (You want your face ta freeze like that, dude?) Henley's solo flight, a Joe Walsh tune, a Tom Waits cover, and not one, but TWO Xmas cuts! So how many EAGLES concert classics IS that exactly? (Don't even bother doing the math-even THOSE are available elsewhere). Let's call this un-thology what it really is---THE GOOSE (or better, THE TURKEY) THAT LAID THE GOLDEN NEST EGG! Man, I sure hope Randy Meisner is at least gettin' his cut! RATING: ONE BAD YOLK



5. They had the right idea. Giving each disc a theme ( "The Early Years", "The Ballads", "The Fast Lane")and selecting the songs appropriately almost works except for a couple of enormous missteps. First, each of these discs includes bits of studio jackassery that is neither particularly funny or even slightly enlightening. The space taken up by this nonsense would have been better used for missing selections, possibly a few from the band members' pre-Eagles days. Secondly, the fourth disc, titled "The Millenium Concert"is a disappointment. The song selection here is tepid at best, while Glenn Frey singing the lead on "Take It To The Limit" two or three octaves below the original Randy Meisner vocal borders on sacrilege. I held on to this package for over a year, and gladly traded it in for the Catalog Box Set. If that is more than you want to spend, get the two disc best of. It's cheaper than "Selected Works", and you won't have to listen to multimillionaire rock musicians cleverly calling each other "farthead" while goofing off in the studio.

5 comments about Orphans [Deluxe Limited Edition -- Bound 94 page booklet].

1. This was my 1st time using another seller for a used item (CD box set) and even if one of the cd is showing finger prints they are playing ok. Shipping was not as fast as an Amazon purchase.



2. The old version of Tom Waits, with the jazzy backdrop, lush orchestrations and tales of down-and-out losers and hookers in the dark bowels of the barroom night, seems assuredly gone forever at this point. One can relive those days vicariously through the artist's catalogue for Elektra/Asylum (plus the soundtrack to Francis Ford Coppola's ONE FROM THE HEART), but Waits has rigorously steered away from that previous incarnation since then, recording some of the most willfully idiosynchratic music since Captain Beefheart hung up his skates, as well as some of the most heartfelt songs--you know, with verses and choruses--anyone's ever written. ORPHANS has a lot of both, being a compilation of songs leftover from the sessions for his albums, contributions to tribute albums and soundtracks, fully-realized Waits versions of songs he's written for other artists, and a bunch of brand-new music in the bargain as well. Waits has helpfully sequenced this collection into a CD of loud 'n raucous stuff ("Brawlers"), a CD of ballads ("Bawlers") and a CD of completely unclassifiable material("B**tards), and a lot of it is great. The things that aren't you can skip over effortlessly, because there are enough gems to choose from on each disc, and, in a strange way, the collection serves as a good distillation of how Waits has morphed as an artist from 1983's SWORDFISHTROMBONES onwards. Even if you can't listen to the whole thing in one sitting (at least I can't), ORPHANS is as rewarding as any of Tom Waits' regular-issue albums, postcards from somewhere over the edge....or maybe just around the block. Real good.



3. Tom Waits has had a great last decade gaining a wide audience of people from all walks of music (this guy is insanely popular with people into death metal as well as people into blues but not the other etc) and ages. Grizzled sea shanties, blues rockers, jungle warbles, garbles of chewed up tape, gourds as xylophones. This is pretty much what you would expect from the Tom Waits as of recently, only instead of a concentrated choice of cuts it appears everything recorded was released as a whole. It seems incomplete ideas and filler get left in, but thats not a bad thing at all . I must say for a guy that has spent the best half of his career mimicking Captain Beefheart (who was mimicking Howlin Wolf) he is making steady progression in sound while still being the same dirty old hat.



4. ...not so much because the music reflects every single phase of Tom Waits' distinguished history (it doesn't really have anything that sounds like his first few albums), but because it's very hard to believe that such a massive and diverse collection of songs could simply be Waits' latest release. Sure, some of these tracks are reissued from the last ten years (soundtracks and other compilations), but for the most part this three-disc collection shows that Tom Waits has apparently got an inexhaustable muse.
   
   "Orphans" is an ideal purchase for both the long-term, diehard Waits fan AND the curious newcomer looking to find out about him. There are so many great songs it's pointless to discuss them all, but I think "Tell It To Me" might be the prettiest tune Waits has ever written. Meanwhile, "Lie To Me," "2:19" and his cover of "The Return of Jackie and Judy" (one of two Ramones covers here) rock as hard as anything he ever did. And for your more wigged-out moods, try "First Kiss" or "The Pontiac" on for size. There's something for everyone!
   
   Special mention goes to "Sea of Love" - Waits turns the original (a fairly formulaic love song fit for high-school dances c. 1962) into a spooky, bluesy moaner, with a brilliant lyrical twist in the chorus.
   
   For an artist to come up with this much new and worthwhile music 35 years into his career is an absolute inspiration.



5. tom waits is one of the best and this album is further proof of his excellentness.

3 comments about Yes Indeed.

1. I was too young to appreciate Jo Stafford's music or to know much about her, but I always loved the song "I'll Be Seeing You" without knowing who had sung the version that I loved. In recently searching all of the versions on iTunes, I learned that it was Joe Stafford's version that I had remembered and it was the best by far. That made me begin searching for other songs by her and I ordered this album. It is the best album set I have ever owned, because out of 100 songs, there are very few that I do not appreciate - primarily up tempo numbers - with the far majority being outstandingly beautiful songs. When I was young I thought that Barbra Streisand was the greatest female singer, because she had such a strong voice, now I believe she cannot compare to Jo Stafford: who was reputed to have a perfect pitch, enabling her to sing songs that no one else could carry, and an amazing vocal range, while also projecting an exceptional warmth and a personality in her voice that Barbra Streisand is lacking. Jo Stafford and Doris Day recordings have convinced me that the best singing voice is not the loudest voice. The amazing thing about this album is that I had thought that all of the really great old standards were still being sung today, or at least had been rerecorded by Barbara, and that only the inferior songs have been forgotten. Was I wrong. There are many songs on this album I have never heard of before, like "Manhattan Serenade, Trouble in Mind, If I ever love Again, How Sweet You Are" that are just amazingly good, at least when sung by Jo Stafford. These are songs that should have become old standards, because they are as good or better than the ones that have. There are also other songs that I never liked very much, like "Embraceable You" and "Some Enchanted Evening," that are amazingly good when sung by Jo Stafford. The last one I associated with strong male operatic voices and excessive theatricality, sort of a male version of Barbra Streisand, never expecting that I would come to really like the song when delivered with more subtlety, warmth, and personality. This album has convinced me that when singing operatically from the diaphragm with great volume it becomes almost impossible to project warmth, subtlety, and personality -- while those latter attributes, along with always singing perfectly on key, are what make Jo Stafford's music so truly exceptional.



2. Although I understand those who appreciate the songs Ms Stafford made popular in the fifties, it is her singing of the great standards that I find immensely appealing - it is this combination that provides the reason this 4CD set is well worth the investment.
   In the forties, the "cool" style of female singing reached its apex I believe, along with the domination of the strong female roles in cinema often in FILM NOIR. Such singers as Ms Christy and Ms O'Day kept a distance from the material, even adopting an ironic stance to the lyrics. This "distancing" had its own appeal, and its own sexiness, as we knew that she knew that we knew it's just a song. Although, Ms Stafford is not a stylist of the same level as either of those two singers, she too maintains a distance but has also a "sweeter" voice tinged with a touch of melancholy. But in such songs as AMOR, AMOR and THE TROLLEY SONG
   the songs seem written for her. With so many great songs, this collection is a bargain.



3. Jo was one of the best singers of her generation, and this box clearly demonstrates that. All the 26 tracks available on the Capitol collectors series CD are included here, plus 73 other tracks, all mastered to the highest quality.
   
   The set covers Jo's entire period with Capitol, so it starts with a few songs featuring Jo as lead singer of the Pied Pipers doing typical big band stuff, but the remaining tracks all feature Jo as solo singer, with an occasional duet. Besides including all the essential hits and a few lesser ones, there are many great covers of classic songs which Jo sings brilliantly. The track listing says it all.
   
   Long ago and far away, I love you, It could happen to you, Candy, Trolley song, There's no you, That's for me, Symphony, Day by day, The things we did last summer, Temptation, Feudin' and fightin', Serenade of the bells, Some enchanted evening, Whispering hope, Ragtime cowboy Joe and No other love, all American top ten hits for Jo, are among the hits included here.
   
   If you enjoy this and you'd like more of Jo's music, I recommend the compilation Jo Stafford on Capitol, which has very little overlap with what's here, and which contains most of the lesser hits that were omitted from this set. I also recommend Jo's fifties music, for which the strongest compilation is Columbia hits collection. If you like the Pied Pipers tracks, there is a compilation just focusing on that music. Jo is well served by CD releases, although there are still some treasures yet to be released on CD.
   
   If you haven't got any of Jo's music, I suggest starting with the Columbia hits collection, then you can decide how much of her forties music you want. If you only want the big hits, the Capitol collectors series will be enough, but if you enjoy it a lot, this is the one to buy - it's about double the price, but has nearly four times as many tracks.

5 comments about Harry Chapin: Story Of A Life.

1. This 3 CD set is exactly what I was looking for, has all of Chapin's best songs on it and is comprehensive of his work. And the CDs are inserted in a book with photos and stories from people in his life which are very interesting to read. I would definitely recommend it!



2. I had thoroughly enjoyed Harry's music in years past and found this to be a wonderfully complete collection allowing me to just remember those days!



3. A really great balladeer. I love listening to this set.



4. I think this set really shows who Harry Chapin was. Great to have such a large selection of his music in one place also



5. I ordered this box set because it contained all the songs from the Harry Chapin Anthology which for some odd reason is not available on CD. I was hoping to get all the original recordings as found on Anthology, but as usual with many box sets live renditions are substituted for a number of the artists more popular songs. I enjoyed them all the same as they offered a glimpse of the wit and personality of the artist, but I prefer the sound, quality, and presentation of the original recordings. The producers of this set could have easily added a fourth CD with live versions of the Chapin's most memorable songs and left the original recordings intact. In addition to the CD's there is also a lengthy booklet which details Chapin's life and career which any fan would enjoy reading. By far this is the best collection of Chapin's work available of CD.

5 comments about The Concert for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

1. Made the 9 hour drive to be at this show. The whole thing was on HBO as well. Too much is missing from this CD set. The show was over 6 hours long and many of the best artists are not featured here at all.



2. What artists deserve to be in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame but have been overlooked for whatever reason?
   Here are the top 20 according to an internet poll:
   1. Pete Townshend (solo)
   2. Peter Gabriel (solo)
   3. Van Halen
   4. Lynard Skynard
   5. Genesis
   6. Alice Cooper
   7. Moody Blues
   8. Iron Maiden
   9. Rush
   10. Foreigner
   11. Chicago
   12. John Mellencamp
   13. Steve Miller
   14. Doobie Brothers
   15. The Cars
   16. Dire Straits
   17. Blondie
   18. Yes
   19. Thin Lizzy
   20. Styx
   [...]



3. Fantastic concert, especially John Mellencamp's version of ROCK IN THE USA is not to be missed, great energy. Jerry Lee Lewis, the Late great Johnny Cash, Aretha Franklin, Al Green, the list goes on, the CD is worth a listen.
   
   But when is this concert going to be on DVD?? It is long overdue! What's the story, put the concert on DVD already for everyone to see. I was overseas serving my country when the concert was broadcast, so I missed out, help us out who missed the concert!



4. I've never liked the idea of a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame; it seems to me that institutionalizing the music and setting up some kind of semi-official Rock Aristocracy defeats much of the spirit and thrill of the music. It also seems to be yet another excuse for a lot of Rolling Stone nerd-critics to try and attach their names to those of their musical heroes.

   And, with few exceptions, this album proves how misguided this whole concept was. The inclusion of Melissa Ethridge is annoying but predictable; the fact that she gets more tunes on this 2-CD package than Springsteen, Dylan, Johnny Cash or any other artist is beyond belief. It would be understandable if she did something special but she is dull as dishwater, screaming "Hello Cleveland!" (that's a deep sentiment repeated ad nauseum by almost every singer on this CD) before screeching "Can you remember the fine days when Rock and Roll...wore a drrrrrrress?!?!?!" Kind of an odd sentiment coming from a woman who refuses to wear dresses, but that's neither here nor there, the important thing to keep in mind is that Etheridge can't sing and has an extremely hard time finding the melodies of the three classic tunes she tackles. The Ronettes and Supremes were due more homage than this.

   Disc 1 is rescued, temporarily, by Al Green, the most underrated singer of his generation, who turns in gorgeous renditions of "Tired of Being Alone" and "A Change is Gonna Come," but Chrissie Hynde does her very best to break the mood by screaming the name of every Cleveland suburb at the top of her lungs before phoning in a lackluster mumbling of "My City Was Gone."

   After that things pick up for quite a while. Johnny Cash, Aretha Franklin, James Brown, John Fogarty all deserved more space on Disc 1, and Jerry Lee Lewis rocks on Disc 2. Springsteen's "Shake Rattle & Roll" is surpisingly slow and doesn't display the Boss's usual energy, but he understands what he's doing, something that can't be said for every act on this CD.

   Once The Killer and The Boss leave the stage, the show collapses. Natalie Merchant, Jackson Browne, Bruce Hornsby and especially the Allman Brothers all phone it in, stumbling through dull performances of songs it makes no sense for them to sing. Browne's version of Bob Marley's great "Redemption Song" is downright shameful, and it is embarassing to listen to Slash trying to remember the guitar parts to Hendrix' "Red House."

   Most annoying of all are the constant reminders that the show is in Cleveland, Cleveland rocks, this is for Cleveland and, over and over and over, "Hello Cleveland!!!" Outside the city limits, WHO CARES?!? For whatever reason, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame has decided that Cleveland is the center of the universe...which probably goes a long way towards explaining why this album, and the Hall itself, have been ignored everywhere outside of Ohio.

   The Hall may have been a good idea, and the concept of this CD--a group of Rock giants covering classic Rock tunes in front of a live audience--is a good idea. Unfortunately, the reality of the Hall and the CD fall far short of the dream.




5. THIS RECORDING IS ONLY A SMALL PART OF THE EXPERIENCE OF THE OPENING OF THE HALL OF FAME. A LOT OF ARTIST THAT PERFORMED THERE WERE NOT INCLUDED ON THIS CD. MAYBE ANOTHER VOLUME WILL FOLLOW WITH ERIC BURDON, BON JOVI, CHUCK BERRY, HEART, LITTLE RICHARD.... THERE WERE SO MANY IN THE 7 HOUR CONCERT, THAT A SINGLE CD COULD NOT COVER THAT CONCERT. IT WILL BE A COLLECTORS ITEM FOR THE AVID ROCK N ROLL FAN. I WAS THERE, AND I'LL NEVER FORGET IT AND IF YOU MISSED IT, YOU'LL NEVER GET THE CHANCE AGAIN EXCEPT TO HEAR US 65,000 FANS SCREAMING ON THE CD.

5 comments about The Doors Box Set.

1. I picked this up at my local FRIES and Electronics. I am sure you have one where you live. Anyways onto the review. I had already heard most of the songs off this set thanks to a cd burner and mp3s, but i wanted better quality. This box has some rare live cuts of songs and assorted rarities from different stages of the Doors career. It even has some songs of the ACETATE they shopped around to record companies before they got signed. To actually get that phsysical acitate in my hands just would be great. The live disc is nice too, but it is infact not LIVE with an audience. The live disc is mostly the doors rehearsing at The Fillmore or somewhere with added crowd noise and studio overdubs. They really screwed us by lying about it on the outside packaging and even going as far to talk about it in the nice booklet you get inside the box! The last disc is just another greatist hits disc basically. You could just use the last disc as a coaster or shoot it.
   
   So to sum this up is it worth it in the end. Yes it is if you are a die hard fan then get this. If you have just discovered The Doors i recommend Perception. Get the ORIGINAL PERCEPTION (Box) it has DVD-A 5.1 surround mixes. Enough said.



2. Why is this box set so hated.I understand that the fourth disck sucks but look at disk 1 ,2 and 3. they have a lot of unreleasd songs on it.
   some of the song might not ever be put on album for example the demo was on the box. i wish they had just made one cd of the demo but o well
   you get to hear some studio songs that wernt on any album and some live songs. i didnt like it how they add the band favoriets cd they should have did another live cd or something butt his box set grows on you after you listin two it a few times so buy or dont....



3. There is a raw fever that exists below of the skin of a man, in the corners of the mind hidden past all sense, its the subconsious. We know this is the legacy of THE DOORS to slip ever so softly ever so violently into the relm seldom found by the dying masses and that is exactly why this box set is perfect, every other box set has that same old shiney packaging and remastered same olds and dont get me wrong that is phenom in itself but for those cats scratching below the surface of a culture that calming; excessive fusion of minds own creative energy and if ever you wished just to pick apart and dive deep inside the cornerstones of the creative world lingering behind the eyes of these four fragile members better known as The Doors then just just listen to these sounds. All the b-side warped out fixings, all the hidden scraps of infinite creation, all the reject gems, and all the raw power of a man facing down a sea of freaks........in other words little monkeys BUY THIS BOX SET!!!



4. Live in new york,that's an amazing live-cd! That one gets 5 stars..the rest is just like any of the greatest hits...to answer the previous review,Smokie is a lot worse than the doors on releasing Greatest Hits!! i've seen about 20 greatest hits with smokie and some of them are even 3 discs! Yuck!



5. Dont let the negative reviews keep you from getting this box set from The Doors. Sure the sound quality does vary but its everything that made the group appealing. The live disc is the BEST DOORS live set regardless of where its from and has great renditions of Celebration of the Lizzard and The End. The third disc has a great overall feel of some of the Doors best songs with superb live cuts like Crystal Ship from The Matrix and a nice cheerful song about death called Someday Soon. The first disc has the infamous Five to One from the notorious Miami performance and great renditions of Queen of the Highway and Who Scared you. Sure this set isnt perfect. Rock is dead sounds nothing more than a disjointed mess of recording space and Mental Floss is Jim's poetic muses at its worst but overall there is much to like about this set. Is it perfect? Nope, its everything that was great and pompous, chilling and dysfuntional. In short this Box Set is The Doors as personal as a fingerprint warts and all for those who wish to hear.

5 comments about Solo Collection.

1. Wow! I am always amazed (and have been since the early '70's) at the quality and power of Freddy Mercury's incredible voice. Before I listened to Queen music, I did not care for rock. Once I heard the magic of their vocals, and the amazing harmonies that Queen incorporated into their songwriting, I was hooked. They got me interested in classic rock for the first time. I was 13 at the time. While this CD set is not by Queen, per se, it does showcase Freddy Mercury's amazing talents. Pairing him with an opera singer was an original and innovative idea. Any Queen fan would find these CD's enjoyable, if they are open to other forms of music than classic rock. These CD's are meant to be enjoyed from a vocalistic point of view, and there is no greater voice than Freddy Mercury's clear smooth tenor. I believe that opera singers may find this an enjoyable experience as well, and it may help them to understand that many rock singers have operatic talent as well, and are to be equally respected as classical singers are.



2. Of the three members of Queen who went solo Freddie Mercury was, is and likly always will be the most popular and best. Thats not just because efforts like Brian Mays Back To The Light is boring and Roger Taylors attempt at capturing Queens 70s style Space Frontiers falls flat, but also because Freddie Mercury wrote most of Queens songs (Including The Miracle and Innuendo, check out the Official Queen Site for details 54 songs to Brian Mays 51) as well as most of Queens hits (and you cant argue about the value of songs like We Are The Champians and Somebody To Love). Freddie Mercury needed Queen?! Im surprized at anyone who thinks so, just listen to You Take My Breath Away (Live) and My Melencholy Blues and find thats not the case. Queen needed Freddie. Brian May himself said without Freddie Mercury thier is no Queen, Mercury therefore prooved that he did not need Queen, he was Queen to a huge extent (and lets not forget it was Mercury who gave the band its name). This collection really shows why Queen chose Mercury as frontman. He was an incredible singer and songwriter akin to John Lennon (though he lived to be 5 years older then John and had a shorter solo career but longer one with his band). Theres only slight misfires that Mercury had, his few covers and some dance related stuff, I also wonder if he could have played a bit more piano but for the most part he was an artist of grandious perfection. One more thing: to listen to Freddie and miss the musical talents of the other members of Queen is pointless and stupid. Its like listening to John Lennon and missing Pauls bass, Ringos drums and Georges guitar or Peter Gabriel and missing Tonys keyboards, Mikes bass, Phils drumming and Steves guitar. As much as I like Queen I missed nothing of Brian May, Roger Taylor and John Deacon. Freddie used mainly competent musicians anyhow (check out Mr. Bad guy) who supported his style well.



3. Any fan of Freddie Mercury needs this collection in addition to everything he ever recorded. Perhaps the most gifted vocalist ever. What a loss.



4. If you own freddie mercury music don't buy this. For me, however, this was perfect. I have liked queen since I was in 5th grade. I bought all their albums. I wanted to hear more queen so I turned to the bands solo careers. In one purchase I became the owner of virtually all of Freddie's major releases.(If you own his stuff already all you are getting is the exact same music just in one box) Freddie Mercury, I find having listened to this compilation, is the master of creating moods in music. I definitly would recomend a purchase of this box set to anyone unless they are willing to buy the big imported expensive box set instead.



5. First of all, the display picture is inaccurate; It refers to the 10 CD + 2 DVD British edition of the complete solo recordings.

   This 3 CD (2 1/2) collection brings back to life a remastered version of the exquisite "Barcelona", and the rare, melodic and strong "Mr. Bad Guy". The sound is crystal clear, and it does pay up for its price.

   An excellent choice for the Mercury fan who won't spend 120+ on 10 CDs which can be "resumed" in this edition. I would recommend getting both "The Great Pretender" and "The Freddie Mercury Album" as accompanying audio selections and "The Freddie Mercury Video Collection DVD" for viewing pleasure. A great gift for a friend, lover or relative.

5 comments about Genesis Archive #2 1976-1992.

1. Genesis' second box set entitled Genesis Archive # 2 1976-92 was released in November of 2000.
   This set, like Genesis Archive 1967-75, covers a chapter in the band's legacy. Unlike 67-75 where it covered the Peter Gabriel led band with unreleased gems, live recordings and B-sides, this set features the rare B-sides and live tracks from the Phil Collins fronted era.
   Many complain that some B-sides were deleted (in case of "Match of the Day", Tony Banks and Mike Rutherford hated it and in "Me and Virgil's case, Phil didn't like it). Apart from those, we get B-sides that were left off of A Trick of the Tail ("It's Yourself" (with premature fade at band's insistence), Wind and Wuthering ("Pigeons" and "Inside and Out"), And Then There Were Three ("The Night The Light Went Out" and Vancouver"), Duke ("Evidence of Autumn" and "Open Door"), Abacab ("Paperlate", "You Might Recall", "Naminamu" and "Submarine" (with edited ending due to tape master damage)), Invisible Touch ("I'd Rather Be You", "Feeding the Fire" and "Do the Neurotic") and We Can't Dance ("On the Shoreline" and "Hearts On Fire"). All of the tracks were great.
   The only ugly parts were the 12" mixes of Invisible Touch, I Can't Dance, Land of Confusion and "Tonight, Tonight, Tonight". A surprise gem here is the early version of "Mama" which is nice to hear.
   Disc 2 and pieces of disc 3 are a collection of live stuff such as "Entangled" from 1976, "Burning Rope" from 1978, "Deep in the Motherlode", "Ripples", "The Lady Lies" and "Duke's Travels/Duke's End" from 1980. "No Reply at All" and "Man On the Corner" from 1981. "Illegal Alien" and "It's Gonna Get Better" from 1984. Plus "Your Own Special Way" and "The Brazilian" from 1986/87. Lastly, "Dreaming WHile You Sleep" from 1992
   This set comes packaged with a cool informative book and the sonic quality buries the bootlegs and original CD singles that these tracks came from.
   Recommended.



2. "Genesis" has been around for close to 40 years (1968), & this little band is responsible for the solo careers of many fine "pop"
   musicians. Phil Collins, Peter Gabriel and Mike Rutherford (MIKE + THE MECHANICS) have all enjoyed much success as solo stars, all three of them started out playing with GENESIS. All three of them were also together in the band for the better half of the 1970's.
   
   However, this boxed set solidifies GENESIS' rise to the top of the "pop" charts in the late 1970's and the better part of the '80's. Phil Collins had taken over on vocals for Peter Gabriel in 1975, and the band was reduced to a trio by 1978. Luckily, this trio was responsible for some
   of the greatest achievements in modern music, especially based on "singles."
   
   You get three discs of prime classics and b-sides, which have never
   before been released on compact disc. There are the classic singles like "Invisible Touch" and "I Can't Dance," as well as the rarities like
   "You Might Recall" (Three Sides Live LP) and "Hearts on Fire," which
   is an out-take from the 1991 sessions for "We Can't Dance" - Phil's
   Swansong with the group.
   
   I got the whole package for a measley $20 bucks, but that's becuase I
   got it at the great "Bull Moose Music" in Portland, ME. There are also
   many live versions of such GENESIS concert staples as "Ripples"
   "Your Own Special Way," "It's Gonna Get Better" and "No Reply at All."
   
   ... and GENESIS will be performing "Ripples" for the first time in over
   25 years. I will be in attendance for the reunion of Tony Banks and
   Mike Rutherford with the great, Phil Collins, in September '07, on their
   TURN IT ON AGAIN TOUR. Well, I suggest that all of the GENESIS fans who
   are members of Amazon.com get this set. It's the best thing I bought all
   year, and with the in-depth booklet that comes along with the package,
   you really can't go wrong.
   
   This box immortalizes the 15-year experiment that GENESIS endured after
   the departure of the very talented, Peter Gabriel, and later on, the
   guitar genius, Steve Hackett (1977). GENESIS would go on to create
   some of the best loved anthems of the 1980's, and Phil Collins would
   branch off from the trio and create 4 solo albums, while still being
   employed as GENESIS' drummer, vocalist and overall leader.



3. Will try not to say too much that's been said already, but... When Tony, Mike & Phil were assembling this set, it's clear they were pleasing themselves and not thinking in terms of what fans would want. Thus they put the songs in an illogical order that *they* thought sounded good; they left off things the fans would want but *they* didn't like; and so on.
   
   I personally have little or no use for the 12" remixes (except the "I Can't Dance" one), the work-in-progress version of "Mama", or even many of the live tracks. To me, this set is mainly worthwhile for the non-album studio tracks (including the songs from the U.S. THREE SIDES LIVE, the CD release of which is out of print, hard to find & didn't sound very good anyway). I listen to these easily as often as the albums they were left off of! So it annoys me (just as it does other fans) that certain things were omitted -- Match Of The Day, Me & Virgil, the unedited Mama & It's Gonna Get Better. But at least all of those can be found in CD form, although it takes some looking (and M&V sounds like CRAP). What *really* bothers me -- and which I haven't seen mentioned here thus far -- is that two of the non-LP songs have been tampered with. "Submarine" is missing its original ending (due to master damage) so part of it is repeated and faded. "It's Yourself" is faded early, entirely unnecessarily -- *they* just liked it better that way; this is a crime because the song is otherwise unavailable on CD and even the original single is hard to find.
   
   So... this is essential for the fan, but it doesn't give all it could have.



4. Let's get through the three cd and see what's interesting.
   Disc one : two cuts only "Evidence of Autumn" and "Inside and Out"
   Disc two : A good version of "It's gonna get better", "Deep in the Motherlode" and four jewels here, I am talking about "Ripples", "Your own special way", "Entangled" and "Duke's Travel-Duke's end". "Burning rope" isn't bad also.
   Disc three : there's just "The lady lies" that is worth listening.
   Overall, 34 songs on the three cd pack and 10 worth listening to.
   
   I have nothing to do with discoteque version of the Invisible Touch album (Invisible Touch, Tonight, tonight, tonight and "Land of confusion"
   
   Why don't we have more stuff with Steve Hackett ?
   What about the "Supper's Ready" 1982 version that the band performs that year ? This cd pack could have been a lot better if more songs when Steve Hackett was in the band were included. It could have been better also with a better choice of songs after Hackett's departure. A very big dissapointement.



5. I've been a major Genesis fan ever since the early 80's. I have every album/video since Duke & this box set is a fine addition to my collection. The B sides, live & 12" versions are all great. But I especially liked the new songs that were never released (hearts on fire, I'd rather be you & evidence of autumn). I can't believe great songs like these were never released before now! These could've easily all been singles! What were they thinking? I also can't believe how some fans are trashing this set & it's songs. Alot of the people who gave this set bad reviews are fans of the "old genesis". Those fans who only like the progressive era really shouldn't be reviewing this set cuz it's more for fans like me, who grew up in the 70's/80's & know & appreciate great pop music. Phil Collins took this band to new heights & musical creativity & w/out him, Genesis would never have been near as successful as it was. If you are a true fan of Genesis & aren't biased against the pop-oriented direction the band took, you won't go wrong buying this set.

5 comments about Dance of the Rainbow Serpent.

1. This is a 5 star affair but it would be nice to get a huge boxset of Santana's work. That said, the production is excellent and for a fan just starting out this is a fantastic overall view of Santana's output up through the 90s. He personally picked out the songs and that always seems to cause consternation among fans. Afterall, we all have our favorites and we expect that he would pick those songs. But it's great and the booklet has some nice insight into each of the songs and what made them, and continues to make them, special to Carlos.
   
   Thankfully, there is nothing from Supernatural or Shaman.



2. Okay, Santana has been alive and recording long enough, that it would take a small loan from a bank to gather all his collective recording together for purchase (not that you could find them all at one source)... so, in an effort to condense them all, I would recommend getting this recording.
   
   I suspect if you are buying this collection, you must already know something about Santana... so I won't go into every song on this outing, but some really good ones are the Woodstock playing of Soul Sacrifice... that is quite good. The drumming is good, if you enjoy drumming that is.. then the jam kicks in and it is quite enjoyable.
   
   One of my favorite CS songs is Samba Pa Ti. This version is so clean and production so good, it sounds like heaven in the earphones.
   
   Another great song is the tune (on the third CD) called Wings Of Grace. Sometimes I feel as though in an effort to make his songs sound so free, CS often gets clumbsy, but this song Wings Of Grace is so soaring.
   
   Side Note: I saw CS in 97 before Supernatural made him the great comeback kid, and he opened up for Dave Matthews (who really gave CS a shot in the arm introducing him to an audience that helped spur the sales of Supernatural) and there were only a spotty bunch of us in the crowd that was not there to see DMB, but to see CS. It was fun.. we had the T Shirts on and kept yelling CARLOS inbetween songs. Roots opened up for CS that night, then it was on to DMB all three sets were great...



3. This fabulous collection of Santana's best (as of this collection's release date, anyway) is a feast for his fans and sure to attract new ones from the present generation. The tracks on Disc One alone make the set worth its purchase price with its splendid renderings of "Black Magic Woman" and "Oye Como Va". Thanks, Carlos, for giving such a treat to your fans.



4. 
   Although the packaging for this set is lavish, the sound quality of the earlier tracks is very disappointing. "Evil Ways" sounds like it's coming out of an AM radio station, and the tracks from "ABARXAS" don't sound much better.
   
   Fans should skip this set and buy the first 3 Santana albums that were remastered in 1998 (which sound better than even the Mobile Fidelity CD's).
   
   Those 3 CD's also contain extra live tracks from the era of the original album's release that make ownership a must.
   
   In addition: Columbia/Legacy has released the first Santana album as a "Legacy Edition". Expanded to two discs, it delivers the first album, remastered again in 2004, with additional session tracks; the first, discarded recorded sessions for that album, plus for the first time, the entire Woodstock performance set.



5. Driving cross country last year, my brother picked out a dozen CD's to help me along my way. I didn't want any jewel cases to save space. Of these many disks, disk three of Dance of the Rainbow Sperpent was included. It has no track information on the disk and only the title "Spirit Disk 3". I had no idea who I was listening to until I returned home. I thought the CD was a best of various guest artists disk like John Lee Hooker and Vernon Ried. I also wondered why he gave me disk 3 only. There was a reason.
   
   Frankly I loved disk 3, particularly "Mudbone" of which the sample listed here only hints at it's potential. The song builds in intensity with all the instruments coordinated such that I thought perhaps a single artist layed the whole thing up in a studio. I strongly recommend those reading this, at the very least, download this piece of music as an mpeg file.
   
   I like Santana. Overall, I didn't think much of this CD. I'd rate disk 1 as a 3 or 4 (better to buy the LP Abraxis than this), disk 2 as a weak 2, and disk 3 as a very strong 5. Disk one included a live version of Soul Sacrafice that is weak compared to the studio edition. By the way, I'd rate Abraxis as one of the best LP of all time, so why include any of it here, when that LP stands so strongly on it's own?
   
   All in all, I liked the rhythm and subtlety of the song Mudbone on disk 3, so much that I was tempted to rate this album a 5 for that alone. I listened to that song over an over on autorepeat driving through the desert. Two tracks on disk 3 inlude John Lee Hooker, "The Healer" and the excellent "Chill out (Things are Gonna Change)". "Every Now and Then" with Vernon Reid is excellent also. When you mix talent like this, something wonderful happens.
   
   The question is this? Do you want to buy all three disks to get disk 3? If it was me, I'd say yes it's worth it. On the other hand, if you listen to mpeg files, you'd be better off paying for and downloading just those few songs.