5 comments about At the Close of a Century.

1. As much as I love Stevie Wonder as an artist, it's almost impossible to buy every last album he's ever released. Not only that, it would be way too costly to attempt (though I would say every 70s album SHOULD be bought). This set is the epitome of what a compilation set should be -- virtually every meaningful song he has made over his vast career. Highly recommended to anyone who wants to know what Stevie was about in one stop.



2. This CD box set is definitely worth the money!! My 2-year old godson loves it as well!! He runs to get his "mike" and groove to the funky sounds of Mr. Wonder... He even turns up the volume and gets me up to dance with him. It's gonna be a great asset at the family reunion this year with everyone humming, singing along, dancing and reminiscing as I have been since the day I received it in the mail. I'm gonna end this as I began it.... Definitely worth the money!!!!



3. A lot of people will give an item on Amazon 5 stars because they think it's a good cd, dvd, book, what have you. For the At The Close Of The Century box set however, I was reminded of past teachers in third or fourth grade that would never give anyone a 100 because "nothing is perfect." This box set might be the exception to that rule.
   The set covers the entire career one of the greatest minds in the history of American music from his Little Stevie Wonder days to the new millennium. Included in the first disc are some of his break-through hits like "Fingertips" and "Uptight", as well as some rare cuts like "Until You Come Back To Me," a song you're probably familiar with, but not coming from Stevie's voice. The disc concludes with one of my all-time favorite Stevie songs, "I Never Dreamed You'd Leave In Summer" and a couple very underrated tracks from the album Music Of My Mind.
   Discs two and three are essentially a complete collection of the "golden era" of Stevie Wonder. All the songs you love from Innervisions, Talking Book, Songs In The Key Of Life, and Fulfillingness' First Finale. One omission I was very upset about was "Please Don't Go" from Fulfillingness, another of my all time favorites. This is a very minute problem, however as the rest of the set more than makes up for a lack of one personal favorite song.
   Disc four has all of his "modern" hits. Some big fan favorites like "Ribbon In The Sky" and "I Just Called To Say I Love You" are on here, as well as some of his hip hop-esque experiments like "Skeletons" and "Gotta Have You" that will take you aback. The song "For Your Love" is a forgotten cut from Conversation Peace, but holds up with a wonderful, powerful chorus.
   Simply put, you have about 70 songs and over 5 hours of legendary material. I love the fact that it's presented chronologically as it really shows the growth of one of the most important figures in American history. With the exception of a few songs on the fourth disc, all of the songs have completely stood the test of time and this set will be the cornerstone of your entire music collection. All I ask is you also get your hands on the song "Please Don't Go" to truly complete the set.



4. If you are a true Stevie Fan this is a must have... It has hits from little stevie and BIG STEVIE... I brought this for my mother and she goes into a zone. It is priced just right and it is well worth it... It has over or close to 80 different songs!



5. Stevie Wonder is a true icon in the world of music. Each of his songs has touched our lives in one way or another. This box set signifies his place in the annals of music. To sum it up, AT THE CLOSE OF A CENTURY, highlights almost forty five years of music that has created so many memories. I may be 25 years old, but I can honestly say that I am one of Stevie Wonder's lifelong fans. All of my favorite songs are on this album, especially My Cherie Amour, Uptight(Everything is Alright), Yesterday, and of course Overjoyed. Stevie Wonder, keep blessing us with your music.

5 comments about The King of Rock 'n' Roll: The Complete 50's Masters.

1. If you're an Elvis Presley fan there is no need to go into the details of the music that gave birth to R&R - it's all here. Everything he recorded in the 1950s. If you were born in 1977 or later and only know of The King from hearsay, this box-set is a musical history lesson.
   
   Adding to the lustre of this wonderful collection from RCA Victor is the multi-page book containing numerous photographs, record label reproductions, including the Sun 78 rpm issues, all his LP/EP covers, poster reproductions, a complete 1950s discography, and reams of fascinating liner notes by Peter Guralnick.
   
   There is also an advertisement giving you a compete listing of Elvis videos, along with a sheet of 36 "collectable" stamps depicting his album covers.
   
   All in all, a marvelous collection which truly lives up to the adjective "essential" like no other.



2. This is the definitive early Elvis recordings collection to own as well as begin one's journey when understanding where the roots of rock and roll began and forever changed the face of popular music. It is appropriately titled, ELVIS THE KING OF ROCK AND ROLL: THE COMPLETE 50's MASTERS. These are master recordings that cover the years 1953-1959, and includes all of his legendary and classic hits, such as "Heartbreak Hotel," "Hound Dog," "Love Me Tender," and "Don't Be Cruel." Once one hears the somewhat haunting opening track, "My Happiness," a song made famous by Connie Francis, and subsequent unreleased tracks within the five CDs that have not been heard before, there is no doubt that Elvis had indeed an immaculate voice where he crossed musical genres and boundaries: blues, country, soul, gospel, rock and roll, and rockabilly; undoubtedly he said it all during a Sun recording session, " I don't sound like nobody."
   
   RCA and BMG music exceptionally and lovingly compiled this box set. Besides the five CDs, there also includes a beautifully presented souvenir book that provides a detailed chronology of Elvis's recordings, which includes his Sun and RCA records session dates as well as soundtrack sessions, catalog numbers of each US and UK album release, and most importantly, the book illustrates the excitement of Elvis mania with the display of photographs, singles, album covers, and short anecdotes and reminiscences of various sessions as noted by Peter Guralnick.
   
   ELVIS THE KING OF ROCK AND ROLL box set will leave one breathless. Elvis Presley was one of a kind, and continues to be emulated by fans and new generations alike as they discover and rediscover his music. Indeed, Elvis is still everywhere.



3. Do yourself a favor and order this collection along with the 60's & 70's. There are songs you won't find on other CD's, and hear Elvis as a regular "guy" just makes you love him more.



4. THE KING OF ROCK 'N' ROLL: THE COMPLETE 50's MASTERS is a four-CD set, with a bonus disc containing alternate studio takes, and a lot of "live" Elvis recordings-- MGM Grand stuff, mostly. Except for the acetate of "That's When Your Heartaches Begins" and the few alternates, DISC 5 is fluff.
   
   The other four CDs however are a treasure trove of the music that defined "The King." From his one-of-a-kind 1953 recording booth acetate of "My Happiness" to the 1958 fast version of "Ain't That Loving You Baby," this set documents Presley's recording career in chronological order and without gaps.
   
   The 102-page long box-sized book includes sessionography, discography, color photos of all LP, EP and 45 picture sleeves, an excellent bio in easy to read print, and lots of other color and B&W photos. Sound quality is excellent. This one gets five stars for the biggest star of all!
   
   TOTAL RUNNING TIMES --
   DISC ONE -- 71:22
   DISC TWO -- 70:40
   DISC THREE -- 71:49
   DISC FOUR -- 62:39
   DISC FIVE (Rare And Rockin')-- 61:31



5. The songs are great, but they're not listed on the CD itself-only on the case. It's frustrating to put the disks in a multi-disk changer and not know what songs are on the disk.

5 comments about The Complete '68 Comeback Special: 40th Anniversary Edition.

1. Elvis is still the greatest singer of all time. These new stars can't come close to him. Is 68 come back special is great!!!!!! everyone should
   bye it.



2. I have been a Elvis fan since 1962 and have seen RCA make one blunder after another and this collection is no exception. When I first saw the song selection, my immediate reaction was this is definitely not complete. No where to be found is take after take of the production numbers. Elvis was a perfectionist and as usual did take after take to get it right. I bought the set anyway because I buy anything RCA puts out. I am that devoted of a fan. When I listen to disc 1, I thought to myself that the original album probably left off "Sometimes I Feel Like a Motherless Child" due to limited space on a record but there is more than enough space on a CD. To call it "complete" there should be nothing in the TV special that is not included on the CD.



3. RCA / BMG, love them or hate them, have put out a number of high quality box sets over the years. Right about the time I was afraid we'd never see another they release this brilliant collection that really allows you to rediscover just how talented Elvis really was. These 4 CDs capture Elvis at a period of time where he was tested and he really rose to the challenge. Elvis would go on to always be great, but never again was he tested like he was in this special. And he more than met the challenge. He aced the test! Long live the king! This is a must have collection.



4. For me, this is the Ultimate ELVIS Presley! Not only he sings brilliantly. He looks awesomely handsome too! Two Thumbs Up, 5 STARS***** Ratings!!!



5. RCA/BMG have taken yet another potentially great idea for a new release and screwed it up again! Will it never end?! The title "Complete '68 Comeback Special" is a LIE in itself. This set is NOT COMPLETE! The big blunder is the fact that disc 1 is called "The Original Album", which is the LAST thing they should have included here! I enjoyed it when it was first released, but I think that most serious Elvis fans have learned since then that there were MANY things wrong with this LP! A lot of what should be in true stereo were only included in flat mono sound, including "Memories" and "If I Can Dream" and the opening of the Gospel Medley ("Sometimes I Feel Like A Motherless Child") was completely cut from the album. The instrumental breaks on this medley were shortened as well. A few years back, RCA released the 2-disc set "Memories-The'68 Comeback Special", and although this was far from complete, it DID include the entire Gospel Medley completely un-cut! Why then did they go back to releasing the cut version on this set which claims to be complete?! You would think a set like this would by now be the definitive version, but it's not! I really believe the label does these things purposely to get as much money out of the poor Elvis fan as they can! Even the huge DVD set of this show had a mistake in it. The "It Hurts Me" sequence was only included in separate pieces (the way it was filmed) and not in its' entirety! A 4-disc set!...and I also had to go out and buy the single disc version, which came out later, just to have this entire song sequence, which is one of my favorites! If you're a casual Elvis fan, then these things probably won't mean anything to you...but if you're a die-hard fan like me, then you'll still be longing for RCA/BMG to get something right so we won't have to keep buying it over and over!

5 comments about Michael Jackson: The Ultimate Collection.

1. If you're a Michael Jackson fan, you probably have at least two or more greatest hits compilations, but this one is truly a must have.
   Packed with all the amazing hits including many from the Jackson 5 and Jacksons era, also delivering a good number of previously unreleased tracks and original demos that any fan would more than appreciate (The demo from 'We Are the World' it's impossible to find and simply brilliant).
   
   The booklet itself is amazing, superb pictures and lots of info. Plus the Bucharest concert, if you don't have it already then here it is.
   Just LOVE IT.



2. I love this Michael Jackson collection especially the unreleased selections. I listen to it all the time.
   
   Lisa-Shaker Heights, Oh.



3. This is everything we expected and wanted. It makes a great addition to our Micheal Jackson collection we have. Thank you so much. Also my kids love it.



4. There is only one bad thing that I can say about this box set and that it wasn't hand delivered by Michael himself!
   
   All your favourites are here plus some gems that you didn't know you were missing. The booklet is great and although the DVD element has been released on it's own it's still a winner in my eyes.
   
   It comes in an impressive fold-out case that towers above any neighbouring CD's or DVD's you have displayed.
   
   Do yourself a favour and get your hands on it. Show your friends and feel even better about what you scored...
   
   Gonz
   
   Sydney, Australia



5. I just purchased this item a couple of days ago, and already I'm impressed. Not only does it contain songs from his days with the Jackson 5 all the way to the Invincible album, it also has rare and unreleased songs from albums tracing back to The Jacksons. There are four discs of music, and one DVD of the Dangerous Tour Live in Bucharest. I feel that some of the discs are missing some of his greatest singles such as In The Closet, Working Day & Night, Another Part Of Me, Liberian Girl, Leave Me Alone, Human Nature, and I Can't Help It. These are only a few to name, but here's the list:
   Disc 1
   1. I Want You Back (Jackson 5)
   2. ABC (Jackson 5)
   3. I'll Be There (Jackson 5)
   4. Got To Be There
   5. I Wanna Be Where You Are (Jackson 5)
   6. Ben
   7. Dancing Machine (Single Version)
   8. Enjoy Yourself (The Jacksons)
   9. Ease On Down The Road (duet with Diana Ross) - this song is from The Wiz.
   10. You Can't Win - also from The Wiz
   11. Shake A Body (an early demo of Shake Your Body [Down to the Ground])
   12. Shake Your Body (Down To The Ground) [Single Version]
   13. Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough
   14. Rock With You - one of my favorite tracks from the Off The Wall era
   15. Off The Wall - another favorite
   16. She's Out Of My Life - if you want to cry, listen to this song.
   17. Sunset Driver (Demo)
   18. Lovely One (The Jacksons)
   19. This Place Hotel (The Jacksons) - it's usually known as the Heartbreak Hotel.
   Disc 2
   1. Wanna Be Startin' Somethin' - Mama se, mama sa, mama koosa! Another jam by the legend and a good song to dance to.
   2. The Girl Is Mine (feat. Paul McCartney)
   3. Thriller - I used to be afraid of the music video when I was a child.
   4. Beat It
   5. Billie Jean
   6. P.Y.T. (Original Version/Demo) - this isn't the same P.Y.T. from the Thriller album. This version sounds more like a ballad than a dance song. I really like this version.
   7. Someone In The Dark - I think that you can find this song on the E.T. soundtrack. This song also sounds really good.
   8. State Of Shock (The Jacksons with Mick Jagger)
   9. Scared Of The Moon (Demo)
   10. We Are The World (Demo) - Michael is the only one singing in this version. It still sounds really good.
   11. We Are Here To Change The World
   Disc 3
   1. Bad
   2. The Way You Make Me Feel
   3. Man In The Mirror
   4. I Just Can't Stop Loving You (feat Siedah Garrett)
   5. Dirty Diana
   6. Smooth Criminal
   7. Cheater (Demo)
   8. Dangerous (Early Version)
   9. Monkey Business
   10. Jam
   11. Remember The Time - one of my favorite songs from Dangerous. I also like the video which includes Eddie Murphy, Iman, and Magic Johnson.
   12. Black Or White
   13. Who Is It (IHS Mix)
   14. Someone Put Your Hand Out - a really nice, smooth ballad that is an unreleased track from the Dangerous era. During one of Michael's costume changes from the Dangerous Tour, you can hear the pianist playing this song.
   Disc 4
   1. You Are Not Alone
   2. Stranger In Moscow - I really like this song, and Michael makes a lot of references about the USSR.
   3. Childhood (Theme from Free Willy 2) - this song is really deep. Michael sings about how he never had a childhood. One of his lyrics states "people say I'm not okay, cause I love such elementary things, it's been my fate to compensate, for the childhood I've never known,,,"
   4. On The Line - a nice ballad produced by Babyface.
   5. Blood On The Dancefloor
   6. Fall Again (demo)
   7. In The Back
   8. Unbreakable
   9. You Rock My World
   10. Butterflies
   11. Beautiful Girl (demo) - this song sounds very melodic.
   12. The Way You Love Me - this song also sounds really nice.
   13. We've Had Enough
   Disc 5: The Dangerous Tour DVD
   1. Jam
   2. Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'
   3. Human Nature
   4. Smooth Criminal
   5. I Just Can't Stop Loving You
   6. She's Out Of My Life
   7. I Want You Back/The Love You Save
   8. I'll Be There
   9. Thriller
   10. Billie Jean
   11. Working Day & Night
   12. Beat It
   13. Will You Be There
   14. Black Or White
   15. Heal The World
   16. Man In The Mirror
   This box set of Michael's ultimate collection is very good. It's missing some of his great singles, but overall it's really not a bad collection.
   9.

5 comments about The Columbia Studio Recordings: 1964-1970.

1. Simon and Garfunkel never fail to please. All five full length remastered studio albums (plus bonus tracks) are here. You can play it straight through and like every song. In my opinion, there are no bad songs in this set.
   
   Paul Simon is a poet as well as a skilled musician. Art Garfunkel has an amazing smooth voice. Together, the two make magic that's often imitated, but not duplicated.
   
   As I write this (10/2/2008), the fall season recently began. Around this time, I'm usually in the mood for their music. It goes well with brisk sweater weather, autumn leaves with multiple colors, and the smell of fresh coffee with a shot of Bailey's for good measure.
   
   If you are this type of person (as I am), I'm fairly confident the music will affect you the same way. It's a feast for the senses, because the music is both smart and fun, a rare combination.
   
   Enjoy!!



2. Love it! Had been wanting to listen to "Book Ends" for ages and the boxed set was such a deal I couldn't pass it up



3. Great music and great price
   This box set is 5 original album included
   and miniature paper sleeve original art work
   Fantastic !!!



4. This is a nice collection of Simon and Garfunkle songs. I bought a second copy because of accidental damage to my original copy. So it must be good. :-)



5. "... Clothed in crinoline of smoky burgundy, softer than the rain."
   
   Def: Organdy (noun): Organdy or organdie is the sheerest cotton cloth made. Combed yarns contribute to its appearance and it is very prone to wrinkling.
   
   God only knows what Paul Simon was thinking when he penned the bulk of his lyrics, but his perversion of the usage of fabric oriented terms, archaic language and obtuse symbolism is enough to make one wonder.
   
   Having searched far and wide for the ultimate Simon & Garfunkel collection to own and having purchased all of these albums that are contained herein before, I'm pleased to say that this is the way to go without any doubt.
   
   Simply boxed with miniature album covers that double as CD cases and individually shrink wrapped, a booklet with the original album liner notes are included as well as a small essay on each album by Bud Scoppa.
   
   The photographs are the only questionable material within this package. Several of the photos have a very homo-male-bonded look to them that in several shots look more than unsettling and have a very 'Olan Mills' wedding quality.
   
   The albums are as follows:
   
   1. Wednesday Morning, 3 AM - c. 1964
   2. Sounds of Silence - c. 1966
   3. Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme - c. 1966
   4. Bookends - c. 1968
   5. Bridge Over Troubled Water - c. 1970
   
   These albums are what was originally known as "concept albums" back when Rock and Roll was young and ideas were shaping the music industry rather than what we have today, the industry shaping the albums and the artists themselves.
   
   Strangely for that reason, young people will continually drift towards music like this as it is often seen and understood as unassuming, unpretentious and pure. It may sound over the top, but when you consider the vacuum that exists in modern music today, it's no wonder that Simon & Garfunkel albums continue to sell surprising numbers worldwide.
   
   Most are probably experiencing these albums for the first time, but I feel I should tell you that the best way to hear these albums is to play them from start to finish and without impatience and with an impartial ear. Simon & Garfunkel were writing these songs much in the same way that Bob Dylan was writing albums like Blood on the Tracks & The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan. They are a response to the social constrictions, the poverty, the hopelessness, the freedom, the infrastructure that was place for some but not for others and the political landscape. It may not be heard like that today, but in its day it was all too obvious and was a vanguard of the counter-culture and the subversive underclass of America. These albums were the soundtrack of the youth in the middle of their struggle. But one should not feel alienated by this when listening, as it's just as much your music as it was any one else's for that matter. If you're hearing `For Emily, whenever I may find her' for the first time, then the effect it has on you, is just as genuine as it was back then, but probably moreso. Things must first `wear tear' in the mind to seat into its proper place, to paraphrase a great American author and poet.
   
   Some people have only experienced Simon & Garfunkel through Greatest Hits collections, and while that's fine, in and of itself, it's actually a disservice to the mood and message that's surgically removed when listening to collections rather than the core. Some songs may come across like juvenile playground anthems, and some as just a Beckettian whisper over a trash-pile, but each has their rightful place within the consciousness of the sound of the album and shouldn't be missed at all.

5 comments about Troubadour: The Definitive Collection 1964-1976.

1. Donovan has a bad rep. He was considered poor cow to Bob Dylan bull.
   
   Donovan was an English folk singer that had the same tenor and earnestness, but a sweeter lick on the ear. Donovan had a huge mid 60's hit capturing Dylan's sweeping lyrical with "Catch the Wind". Donovan recorded a couple of LPs, released on Hickory (a C/W label !) as the new Dylan. He signed with Mickey Most, the premier producer of English bands, Animals, Herman's Hermits, Lulu, etc...
   
   Things changed...Donovan went from folk angst to hippie prophet to gentle smile to selling lipstick wear your love like heaven!
   
   This 2CD set has the start of his folk promise and his excursion into the new wonder of the mid/late 60's. "Mellow Yellow", a 1966 song that still revererates, "Season of the Witch", and "Sunshine Superman" + more.
   
   Essential and goo goo barajagal



2. TROUBADOUR: THE DEFINITIVE COLLECTION 1964-1976 contains the absolute cream of Donovan's crop of folk-turned-psychedelic folk-rock style, quickly moving from his early days as the British Dylan to a more psychedelic sound that was perfect for the flower-power era. The folk years are only represented by four or five songs, as Donovan quickly moves into more hippie-oriented turf. Even though I've never even tried any drugs not ordered by a physician, I must say that these songs are great whether your stoned or clear-headed. The fact that Donovan, like so many other post-1964 rock artists, opposes Indonesia's trumped-up 2005 drug-smuggling conviction of a young Australian tourist makes TROUBADOUR: THE DEFINITIVE COLLECTION 1964-1976 an essential purchase for both your ears AND your conscience.



3. There are a few songs I have on vinyl that are worth using to make this a three CD set, but this'll do.



4. No doubt about it, this is a good set.Fantastic for the price but for one downfall. The majority of the songs are reproduced in mono not stereo.
   I personally feel that this is a definite problem. Donavon's music is deserving of better treatment than this.
   The most off putting thing about it, is that this information is not made known, I was unable to find any mention of it in the product description.
   Needless to say I was very disappointed when I received my copy and played it.
   Perhaps for those of us that want a better version there will be one available in the future. In the meantime I will keep the CD (I did consider returning it)and make the best of it.



5. Donovan was and always will be among the top 5 favorites of mine. I am very selective with music and I agree with many reviews here that Donovan deserves the highest respect as a song writer, singer and artist. (True humans often get dismissed in the jungle of crazy ideologies).
   I was searching for his 'Happiness Runs' song and ended up downloading 2 CD's and some...Here I am, staying up all night listening and remembering our fragile humanity with this great Soul's sensitive, brilliant yet simple melodies. Blessings to you, Donovan!

5 comments about The Capitol Albums Vol. 1.

1. the music of course is what i expected. but for the dollar that i paid for this you would have expected better packaging instead of paper sleeves basically.



2. The sound on the stereo mixes is absolutely amazing, just what the original UK releases deserved the 1st time they came on CD in 1987! I was only a baby during 1/2 of the time the Beatles made it big but I remember as a kid and a teenager friends had copies of these American versions. For years, Americans thought Meet the Beatles was the Beatles' proper debut. Ok, now for the negative part. The packaging leaves a lot to be desired. It's nice to have the original artwork on the "covers" of the CD albums, but you need a magnifying glass to read the liner notes. Also, it would be nice if the CD's included a jewel case or digipack (I know you've heard almost everyone else who's reviewed this complain about this). Of course, the liner notes on the original US releases are cheezy and laughable, but nonetheless entertaining ("They have pudding top haircuts that date back to the 11th century," as if that journalist is some great historian!). More extensive interviews in the book would be nice, but the pictures are pretty cool as are the quotes from all 4 Beatles. I also liked Mark Lewisohn's introduction.
   
   Ok, here's what the CD's contain. Meet the Beatles, of course, is a light version of With the Beatles (albiet with "I Want to Hold Your Hand" and "I Saw Her Standing There" thrown in). The Beatles' 2nd Album is just a collection of leftovers from With the Beatles, singles from the UK and their Long Tall Sally EP, with "You Can't Do That" thrown in. Besides, counting Introducing the Beatles (which came out on Veejay in 1963, yes, in America), this "2nd" album would constitute as their 3rd. Something New is really a light version of A Hard Days Night (there was a soundtrack album on United Artists, with instrumental jazz renditions of Beatles' songs conducted by George Martin). This was merely Capitol's way of getting their piece of the pie, nothing really "new," except for a German version of "I Want to Hold Your Hand," "Slow Down" and "Matchbox." Beatles '65 (Capitol really should have checked the year on this one, as it was released in December of 1964) is a light version of Beatles for Sale, with "I'll Be Back," "She's a Woman" and "I Feel Fine" added on. Capitol figured if they left a track or 2 off the American version of the album released in the UK (usually 3) and threw in a few songs from singles released in the UK, eventually they would have enough tracks for a whole other album. Thus, the American Beatles fan wound up buying more albums than the English Beatles fan.
   
   To hear the stereo mixes of these done with the proper care is a real treat, and you have the option of hearing these again in mono, which also sounds good (most of these are under a 1/2 hour, so you'll get to the mono before you know it). Sometimes, in the case of "She's a Woman" and "I Feel Fine," the mono sounds a little better (the vocals are more coherent on the mono). Capitol may not have spent the same kind of care as Parlophone did in preparing the Beatles' albums but this is a nice souvenir to have. Let's hope they include At the Hollywood Bowl, Hey Jude and the American version of Rarities in later editions (I had heard The Beatles' Story was not exactly worth listening to, so I, for one, am not disappointed in its absence). Also, I hope they include the soundtracks to Help! and A Hard Days Night in their entirety, though both of them are 1/2 Beatles' music, 1/2 instrumental music from both movies.



3. I grew up in the US in the 60's and this is how i remember the BEATLES lp's.If you are a true lover of the GREATEST band in the history of music. Well, you should be ordering this as you read this review!!!! I'll be ordering vol. 2 soon.



4. In 1987 The English version of the Beatles catalog was released in America on CD for the first time. Having been American and being used to the American versions of the Beatles catalog, I was a little disappointed.
   I used to wonder if we would ever see the American version on the market again.
   The British versions have nothing wrong with them, and I enjoy them alot. They are simply not the same.
   To me the whole point is, many American and English versions differ. So if they were the same, there would be no point in collecting the American versions.
   I enjoying hearing the sitar that is missing in Norweigen Wood or some of the differences the collections have.
   I am a Beatles collector and will buy an entire CD for just a small instrumental difference or a small difference in lyrics.
   To me this is what makes the entire collection worth while.
   I like to hear the reverb in I Feel Fine or She's A Woman. I also enjoy the sound of the American discs. Over the years I heard the American albums and got used to hearing the songs in a certain order. When the English versions came out in 1987 I had to look a little harder to find my favorite songs, because the album song orders had changed. Rubber Soul and Revolver just were not the same anymore. I also have to wonder if the album that was released about 1982 called "Rarities" will be released. It will also be interesting to see if the Live album at the Hollywood Bowl in 1964 and 1965 will be released again.
   I hope and pray that Capitol releses another volume with Revolver and possibly Yesterday and Today, as well as the few others that were passed over. This collection, as the heading says is for the collector who has to have it all.
   The positive side of this is, it feels like an old friend has come back to be with you.........................Now I can remonisce about the 60's the way I remember them.



5. As an ageing fan who fondly remembers Beatlemania and occasionally feels a certain nostalgia for it all, I myself am not particularly interested in resurrecting all the hatchet-job releases we got on this side of the pond, although I completely understand long-time fans' desire to re-obtain the mixes they prefer. Too many of these albums make little stylistic sense and are, strictly speaking, jumbled and misleading versions of the real thing, although being The Fab Four, they're still good listening.
   
   Please, Capitol/EMI, this is what I'd like instead:
   
   1. A complete overhaul of the entire catalogue - all of the Parlophone LPs. Please supplement each album with contemporaneously recorded (or most appropriately so) 45 RPM releases and EPs and dump those hideous PAST MASTERS discs. So, for instance, RUBBER SOUL gets "Day Tripper"/"We Can Work It Out", REVOLVER gets "Paperback Writer"/"Rain", PEPPER gets "Penny Lane"/"Strawberry Fields" and MMT still gets "All You Need Is Love" and "Hello Goodbye". Just tack them onto the beginning or end of the disc. So simple. The early LPs would benefit greatly from this approach, too.
   
   2. A proper remastering. Bring the volume of the guys' instruments back up where it's supposed to be. Correct the anachronistic imbalance in the voices which, in the present British discs, uncomfortably emphasizes the "lead" vocalist. (Their chorus was never intended to sound like that; it was the 1960s - not the 1980s.) Lose the bizarre fetish for "previously unheard details" like giggles and snapping fingers. (Who cares about that?) Please get rid of the fake stereo; mono is plenty exciting when it's properly mixed. George Martin knew that. The Beatles knew that. And the fans who purchased millions of 45s knew it, too.
   
   3. And finally, please issue, as an adjunct to the complete British set, the American A HARD DAY'S NIGHT (Go get George Martin's instrumentals from UA) and thanks for having done HELP! and RUBBER SOUL.
   
   This is what we need.
   
   PS. Oh yeah, remember the reverb in "I Feel Fine" and "She's a Woman", too!

5 comments about Message in a Box: The Complete Recordings.

1. I love The Police and this is the definitive collection. A must-have.
   
   But there's one tragic flaw: at least in the version I have (the original boxed set release from 1993), there's a serious mastering error at the beginning of "Roxanne," arguably the most essential track in the bunch. It sounds as if the analog master tape was not up to full speed when the digital master was being recorded -- the pitch and tempo are slightly off as the track starts and then it slides up to the correct pitch. No!
   
   I haven't heard any later pressings of the boxed set so I don't know if this problem has been remedied... but if you buy this, you might still want to spend the extra 99 cents to get the Outlandos d'Amour MP3 of "Roxanne."



2. What a great idea this is! Basically this box set gathers the band's five excellent albums together which are "Outlandos d'Amour" (1978), "Reggatta de Blanc" (1979), "Zenyatta Mondatta" (1980), "Ghost In The Machine" (1981), and "Synchronicity" (1983) plus many b-sides that range from studio recordings not included in the albums or live tracks.
   
   Of course all tracks have been remastered so if you are thinking about getting the Police albums, this is the way to do it! But to complete the collection you should also get the excellent double live album that was released in 1995 too! So don't forget about that. It includes two concerts. One from 1979 and the other from 1983.
   
   For fans of the late 70's new wave movement or rock in general this group featuring Sting on vocals/bass, Andy Summers on guitar and sometimes vocals, and the awesome drumming from Stewart Copeland is essential listening as their fusion of reggae, rock, and other styles became hugely influential.
   Thanks for taking the time to read!
   Later...



3. The complete works of The Police in a four disc collection. A great classic compilation of the recordings done by The Police. If you are a fan then this collection is well worth it.



4. Message in a Box is an amazing box set, with every song The Police have ever played, and it is all neatly placed in chronological order. The Box Set also comes with a biography of the band, from their humble beginnings as a pseudo punk group, to the amazing Reggaesque group that epitamized there career. Sting and The Police were lyrical geniuses, and were candid when discussing anything from temptation(Don't Stand So), obsession(Every Breath You Take), and even the misery of war(Canary in a Coalmine, and Invisible Sun). For any classic rock listener out there, I highly recommend this band, it just kicks butt!



5. I first started listening to The Police when I was in middle high school and never got tired of them. Most of the songs on this CD set reminded me of specific times throughout my middle to high school years.They also became subjects of conversations I had with friends in college about the bands we listened to while in high school. The Police still rocks!

5 comments about Intersections 1985-2005.

1. It's a bit strange to get a question from Amazon,to write a review when you never received the item.... Hopefully Amazon takes care of the problem.... However, I have heard Intersections before and I like every bit of it....I really hopes Bruce is coming to Europe sometimes!



2. This is a great collection of Bruce Hornsby material with the added bonus of a DVD to watch. It's a wonderful addition to our box set collection. You will not be disappointed if you purchase this set!



3. This box set is awesome! I bought it for my Dad who is a big fan, and it was exactly what he wanted! He's old school, so he didn't realize the DVD had the pictures and extra stuff on it! He loves it! Great compilation of music.



4. If you're a Hornsby junkie this is f'ing awesome!! You get a ton of great music for the price. The differet treatments of his popular stuff is a great fresh breath from the only person I want to hear cover the original work. As for covers of other songs, as a rule I am NOT a fan of cover work with RARE exception, but the work on CD 4 is very enjoyable. The DVD is damn near worth the price by itself and I didn't even buy it for that.
   
   If you REALLY like Bruce Hornsby this is a Must Have.
   
   So, do I get anything for this?



5. There seem to be two types of Bruce fans out there, ones who merely like him for his radio hits (The way it is, Fields of Gray, etc) and those who can't get enough of his music because he blends great music regardless of genre from funk to bluegrass to classic rock seamlessly into one concert, one album, and many times, one song. If you like Bruce for his radio cuts and think his career peaked in 1995- buy the CD greatest radio hits and be done. There is nothing for you here. Bruce will "slaughter" your favorite song- and you'll hate him for it.
   
   However, if you know and have spent the time to know Bruce's catalog well or appreciate the evolution of music-this box set is a must. Hardly an extended greatest hits or complete recording CD- The aptly named Intersections pulls well from all Bruce's genres, jazz with Wynton Marsalis, The Grateful Dead period, bluegrass with Skaggs and others as well as some more pop-offerings. A few favorites ONLY available here: Piano solo Song F, Live version of Love Me Still, Crown of Jewels (Live), Fortunate Son/Comfortably numb and Fields of Gray/ Sam Cooke's That's where its at. Much more. This box set demonstrates a musician who did not peak with a radio hit first album, but one refining and keeps getting better and better.
   
   I have all of his studio recordings, including the Ricky Skaggs album, two concert DVD's and have seen Bruce in concert four times. Intersections provided alot of new material, and new takes on old songs that this is money well spent- The one gripe I have is it seems heavy with untouched album cuts from Spirit Trail, Big Swing Face and Halcyon Days.(More recent work) But for the price you are paying for four 70+ minute cd's +DVD- you might look at it as getting a good portion of those tracks for free.

5 comments about Biograph.

1. I have a dozen or so regular Bob Dylan albums, my favorite being "Nashville Skyline". I've been a casual fan for many years (since the 60s) and I've seen him in concert.
   
   But this three-CD set is the gold. Compare it, on a larger scale, to Eric Clapton's "Crossroads" and you'll grasp the idea of the set. Rather than to sit here in praise of Bob Dylan songs, I'll just tell you what my favorites are, all found in this package:
   
   Lay Lady Lay
   Like a Rolling Stone
   Mr. Tambourine Man
   It Ain't Me Babe
   It's All Over Now, Baby Blue
   Positively 4th Street
   Gotta Serve Somebody
   I Shall be Released
   Knockin' on Heaven's Door
   All Along the Watchtower
   
   That last entry (having been written by Dylan) is an interesting alternative to the Jimi Hendrix version which I also like, but the two have very different tempos.
   
   With the set comes a nice little 63-page biographical booklet about Dylan, punctuated with lots of photos -- it's small but still readable.
   
   I give it my highest recommendation.



2. Over the years a lot of Bob Dylan's studio work got left behind for one reason or another. Sometimes because you can only fit so much on a record and sometimes because Dylan didn't think the song was right for the particular record he was recording at the time. So, to celebrate his 24th year with Columbia, they released "Biograph" which aimed to plug a few holes in his career, or rather to release some of the good stuff that got left by the wayside.
   
   It's nice that they did this, but it would have been better if all of the fifty-three tracks would have been new or different recordings. Still there were nine unreleased songs and four very hard to get singles included on the set and that was good. The rest of the set (five records when it originally came out) was a compilation of what they (Bob Dylan and/or Columbia) decided was representative of his career, not necessarily greatest hits. So this is really a good place for someone brand new to Dylan to start.
   
   I might have preferred it if they put the stuff on in chronological order like they did with the Bootleg Series, Vol. 1 - 3, but that's just me. My good friend Sophie likes the album the way it is, with a different sounding Bob Dylan on song after song. Anyway, the extra songs alonE make this set a must own and as I said, if you're new to Bob Dylan, you won't be throwing money away here, because you will be playing these CDs over and over again, till you wear them out. Wait, I don't think you can wear out CDs, so you'll be playing this set for a long, long time and enjoying every minute of it.



3. This is an excellent three CD retrospective of Bob Dylan's career (up to 1981). It features most of his most popular material, with enough rarities to make it interesting for die hard fans who already have all his albums. Enough talk, just get it, already.



4. A great way to go beyond the typical "Greatest Hits" collection. This 3-disc set offers Outtakes, Live recordings and Unreleased tracks, mixed with some of the best known Dylan songs of all time. In the past few years many of the Unrealeased and Live tracks have become available but this is still a nice and slick way to go beyond the casual/novice Dylan fan in a very easily accesable package. Of course there is no substitute for owning the full LP releases if you really want to enjoy the artistry of Bob Dylan. If you want to get a snapshot of the music this is a good place to start.



5. This really got me into Dylan. I had 4 of his albums up to this point (Shot of Love, Infidels, Slow Train Coming, and Empire Burlesque), but this one was the jackpot. I bought everything I could get my hands on after this. This is a magnificent set, with beautifully remastered versions of his great songs, great outtakes (some better than the song he left on the album), and great alternate versions (I like the quieter version of You're a Big Girl Now here...it's so lovely, and not as angry as the studio version on Blood). Caribbean Wind, an outtake from the Shot of Love sessions, is here, and it's better than most of the songs on that album. Ditto with Up to Me, from the Blood sessions. Up to Me is a majestic song, and it's a shame it couldn't make in on Blood. Positively 4th Street makes it on this album, along with the magnificent Percy's Song. The Groom's Still Waiting at the Altar appears here. It was an outtake from the Shot of Love sessions, but garnered some airplay as a B-side. Eventually, Shot of Love would be reissued with the song. And, of course, the great Dylan songs are here in abundance. The album came out in 1985, and it covered only up until the Shot of Love sessions. No tracks from Infidels or Empire made it here. The booklet and liner notes are really revealing, and Dylan shares his incredible intelligence with us all. I'd like to see a reissue of this with material from Infidels and beyond. The 80's was a terrible decade for Bob, but this fantastic set ALMOST compensates for bad albums he put out during that decade like Knocked Out Loaded, Dylan and the Dead, and Down in the Groove. This is the best Dylan compliation out there....