5 comments about There Is a Season.

1. If you are a Byrd's fan - this CD collection is a MUST. The music brings me back to my college days - and this is a good representative of their musical styles.



2. This box set is a "steal"!!!!! 4 full cds, a dvd AND a book for less than $30!!! We checked it out at Borders Books for $80...EVERY Byrds fan should have this!!! and if you're not a Byrds fan, this will make you one!!!!



3. It was the summer of 1965 and I remember hearing that marvelous, jangling, chiming guitar, and those heretofore unheard harmonies coming out of little radio speakers dialed to the local AM top-40 stations. Pop music was dominated by the likes of the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, the Kinks, Gerry and the Pacemakers and many more such groups. The time has subsequently been dubbed as "The British Invasion." It seemed that Great Britain was the place to look toward for good rock'n'roll. Such an irony! An American form of music was being recreated, reinterpreted, and exported back to the land of its birth.
   
   And here were the Byrds singing Bob Dylan's hobo anthem "Mr. Tambourine Man." No one hit wonders, they soon followed up with "Turn, Turn, Turn", and another Dylan cover "All I Really Want To Do." At last, it was America's answer to the Beatles. And the Byrds were no less a pioneering rock group, mining folk music, and later country music all with Roger McGuinn's signature Rickenbacker twelve string guitar. This boxed set "There Is A Season" documents their entire career from their formation and early recording sessions in 1964 to an attempted reunion in 1990. It's all here, folk-rock, country-rock, psychedelic-rock, raga-rock, and back again. Buy this record, you'll be glad you did.



4. this is an excellent boxed set. brings back a lot of good times and memories.
   better than the beatles. really cool!



5. It's just about impossible to overstate the influence The Byrds had on contemporary pop music in the sixties and early seventies. After putting the tweleve string jingle-jangle into Bob Dylan's Mr Tamborine Man, one could hear that sound clear across the Atlantic as The Beatles, particularly George Harrison picked up on it on Rubber Soul. Listen to Harrison's composition If I Needed Someone and you can't help but think of The Byrds. The love affair continued on into Revolver. The Lennon/McCartney song And Your Bird Can Sing owes a debt to Roger McGuinn's It Won't Be Wrong. Listen to George Harrison's compostions I Want To Tell You and Taxman, both are indelibly stamped with The Byrds signature tweleve string sound.
   
   The influence dosen't end with The Beatles. It continued to be felt and heard by everyone from Van Morrison on Brown Eyed Girl to Donovan's Sunshine Superman to The Kinks A Well Respected Man and The Turtles I Only Want To Be With You and eventually back to Dylan himself as he embarked on his classic Nashville Skyline album. And the most obvious Byrd devotee Tom Petty kicked off his career with An American Girl, a song that many thought actually was recorded by The Byrds.
   
   This box set gives both first time listener and Byrd afficianado an in-depth overview of their vast and varied body of work. From their PreFlight orgins to their folk-rock emergance of Mr. Tamborine Man and Turn Turn Turn to the raga-rock thunder of Eight Miles High and Fifth Diminsion to the Nashville West incarnation of Sweetheart of The Rodeo and Dr Byrds & Mr Hyde. It's all here. Listen and think back to the days when McGuinn and company were blazing a new path and so many were born to follow.

5 comments about Fifty Years: The Artistry Of Tony Bennett (5CD).

1. Aside from Frank Sinata, no greater singer has carved a niche in the collective soul of American popular music than Tony Bennett. For over 50 years, the man who entered this world as Anthony Benedetto has given us some of the best and most beloved recordings of timeless songs that to this day help define our deepest emotions and most important moments in our lives.
   
   This 5 disc collection is a magnificent introduction into the world of Tony Bennett, containing some of the most beautifully interpretted renditions of our most cherished standards by great writers such as The Gershwins, Cole Porter, Irving Berlin, Jerome Kern and other legends of the craft.
   
   Discs 1 and 2 chronicle Bennett's rise to stardom in the early 1950s' to mid 1960s'. Tony proved to be a force of nature right from his first single release, "The Boulevard Of Broken Dreams," which still sounds as fresh and soulful as it did 54 years ago. Throughout the rest of the 1950s', Tony scored a string of hit singles that went on to become defining numbers in the Great American Songbook, including "Because Of You," (a wedding perennial), "Cold, Cold Heart" (a country hit for Hank Williams that Tony helped introduce to the pop world), "Blue Velvey," the timeless "Rags To Riches," "Sing You Sinners" and many other classic hits that he still does to this day.
   
   Also from this classic era are lesser known but eqqually excellent albums such as "While The Music Plays On," the splendid "Ca, C'est Amour," the gorgeous "Lazy Sunday," "I Get A Kick Out Of You," (perhaps the only version that rivals Sinatra's defintive 1953 rendition), a magnificent "September Song" and a swingin' "Lullabye Of Broadway" with Count Basie.
   
   The 1960s' continued to bare more fruit for Tony, including classics such as "The Best Is Yet To Come," "Tender The Night," "Once Upon A Time," the stinging "I Wanna Be Around," and the lush "The Good Life." It was during this period of productivty he cut what to me, are his two best songs.
   
   The first is "I Left My Heart San Francisco," his 1962 hit and (deservedly) his most popular song, a melancholy slice of vintage Americana sung so passionately by Tony against a gloriously understated and utterly breathtaking Grammy winning arrangement by Marty Manning.
   
   The other would be "When Joanna Loved Me," which ranks alongside Sinatra's "I've Got You Under My Skin" and Darin's "Mack The Knife" as one of the most perfect recordiings in American history, a song that represents pure human emotion at its most raw and honest. Tony's singing on this song is sincere and heartbreaking, and remain so to this day.
   
   Discs 3 and 4 mark a period of transition and eventually resurrection for Tony. By the mid 1960s', Tony's appeal began to dwindle, as hit singles had begun to dry up. He still cut quite a few certified classics (among them "Smile," "The Very Thought Of You," "For Once In My Life," and his personal favorite recrding, "I Do Not Know A Day I Did Not Love You"), but by the early 1970s', the music world wasn't as kind to Tony commercially. Artistically, however, Tony was still capable of churning out some excellent music. His collaboration with Bill Evans yielded such gems as "My Foolish Heart" and "But Beautiful," and he turned in a magnificent performance of the "Cabaret" classic "Maybe This Time."
   
   By 1986, Tony had mounted a very successful comeback with "The Art Of Excellence," which yielded his beautiful performance of "How Do You Keep The Music Playing" and the playful and seductive "What Are You Afraid Of." His newfound sreak of good luck continuted with his Irving Berlin tribute, which yielded the beautiful "I Got Lost In Her Arms" and a haunting a capella take on "When I Lost You." Tony also scored a latter day classic with the beautiful "When Do The Bells Ring For Me."
   
   Disc 5 chronicles Tony's 1990s' revival, when he helped introduce the wonderfuls tandrards of the past to a new generation and connected with young listeners and contemporary entertainers. Tony added yet another classic to his reusme with the Fred Astaire tribute "Steppin' Out With My Baby," and teamed with contemporary artists such as Diana Krall ("Alright, O.K., You Win"), B.B. King ("Let The Good Times Roll"), Ray Charles (the amazin' "Evenin'"), and two wonderful duets with k.d. lang ("La Vie En Rose" and "What A Wonderful World"). This disc is an excellent overview of his later years up to today, and Tony is still very much alive, well and performing.
   
   This boxed set contains a superb booklet filled with great essays and rare photographs. The boxed set is affordable and the sound quality is superb. Do yourself a favor and purchase this magnificent collection as soon as possible.



2. Fifty Years: The Artistry of Tony Bennett
   My mother in law LOVED this gift. Had it shipped to her location for Christmas with no problem, and in perfect condition!



3. This boxset is a great start for someone just discovering or long-time fan who wants a great overview of Tony's career on CD, what I love about this set is that features songs that showcase Tony as the Jazz singer, it does feature alot of pop standards but Tony swings on those too! and the ballads are just beautiful!
   and the sound quality of this boxset is awesome!



4. Tony Bennett has always moved me with His voice. from the time I was a child through now His Voice has always been on point to me."I Left my Heart in San Francisco" is still One of My all time Favorite Songs.I dig how He uses His Vocal Tone on Tracks&Keeps things cool.TB has always kept it cool on whatever Project he was working on.



5. Essentially, this IS the "Forty Years" offering plus an extra CD for the past decade. Considering the plethora of gems, especially live music, that must (please God) still be available in the archives, this set is a disappointment to owners of "Forty Years". Of course, its still Tony Bennett, arguably the greatest interpreter of American popular standards, there's lots of music, and the selections are generally solid. However, the sound quality is a bit uneven at times and grossly under-represents his live contributions (shockingly, Carnegie Hall 1962 is still the only all-live generally available recording from his first three decades of output). Still, this collection is the definitive take on Mr. Bennett's musical life work to date. Tony Bennett...long may he live.

5 comments about 75 Chansons.

1. While the first cd is technically poor (much noise and static), the chanteuse is riveting. Maybe you can pretend that you are listening to her on a radio of that time. The second disk is technically much better with a few exceptions, and of course the chantuese... I am writing this before I have listened to the third disk.



2. Well...rendering me helpless ,at least.
   I am listening to this 3-CD set as I type this,and I am marveling at the depth of emotion in her voice.She was a little waif of a woman,but her voice could have guided ships through the fog.Unbelievably powerful,fraught with emotion in every note.
   I am trying to learn French,and immersing myself in her music has helped.
   Of all of her torch songs,my favorite is "Adieu,Mon Couer." Without understanding most of the words,(until I translated them)I still feel the emotion she is feeling.
   She was and will always be a treasure.
   May I suggest that you buy/rent "La Vie en Rose," the movie made about Piaf last year? It will kill you,but in a good way.



3. this is a compilation of all my favourite Piaf songs, many of which I only had on old tapes, so I now have them on one CD. Marvellous as I have always thought of her, and I now listen uninterrupted as I drive along motorways, singing along desperately out of tune, but imagining myself in a Left Bank cafe.



4. Disks 1 and 2, the older songs, are mediocre; disk # 3 is musically and technically superb.



5. The songs in this 3-disc collection called "75 Chansons" appear to be the same songs as those on the last 3 out of 4 discs in another collection called "100 Chansons." When "75 Chansons" discs are copied to computer for personal enjoyment, album art for "100 Chansons" appears, and the discs are labeled 2 thru 4 (instead of 1 thru 3). Both collections apparently arrange songs chronologically. The "75 Chansons" set, therefore, seems to represent later works of the artist.

5 comments about Alive! Box Set.

1. REALLY BEAUTIFULLY PUT TOGETHER THIS SET THE BOOKLET ON ITS OWN IS WELL WORTH GETTING !! BUT YOU ALSO GET ALIVE REMASTERED AND ON ONE CD !! PLUS ALIVE 11 & ALIVE 111



2. this is a great cd especially the 2000 cd its the oringal 4 doing the other material from lick it up to revenge. if your a kiss fan it's a must.



3. This box set is great because it contains recently remastered material. Well, at least I hope that is a good thing because I don't have the original CD's to compare it to.
   
   This box set has a lot of duplicate tracks. Seventeen to be exact. There are four different versions of Rocka and Roll All Nite. The bad thing about this is the the value of the box set is diminished. The good thing about this is that you get to choose which version of the song you like best.
   
   I would hate to get stuck with the versions from the Millennium Concert because they are slow and lifeless. I only kept three out of the fifteen songs, and only because they weren't duplicates.
   
   Then there is my favorite Alive, ALIVE III. The duplicate songs on this album are much better than those of the previous two. Extra effects are added and it sounds a lot bolder and cleaner.
   
   And then exist the other two albums which are also great, although they don't sound as good as III.
   
   Overall, this is a good compilation of KISS. It doesn't have every hit that I'd like, but I'm satisfied with the purchase.



4. Had this been done earlier. For instance, if none of their albums weren't ALREADY available and they were just now releasing them on Disc. But since the "KISS" albums for the most part were already re-mastered way back in '97 up to "Crazy Crazy Night's" anyway, there really wasn't any need for this box set save for the re-master of "Alive 3" & the unreleased "Millennium" concert. Just another part of the M-O-N-E-Y game, the all mighty dollar. Sure, this is a great place to start, if you're just getting into KISS, but who didn't already have everything in this box set except the "Millennium" concert? If they'd just finished re-mastering the catalog where they left off at and released the "Millennium" show separate, that would have saved alot of people some Money and also we would have had the rest of the albums re-mastered.



5. ok i went to best but to get the version with bonus tracks which werent included anywhere else (or at best buy lol). they sent replacement discs to the stores which i never got cuz some great mind put the 2 bonus tracks on a site for a week to download. now everyone knows kiss alive is one of if not the best live album ever. i think alive 2 is but thats probally because it was my 1st 8 track tape and it holds special memories fo me. but now on here they made it possible to sueeze rock n roll all nite onto alive 2 so all 4 alive have it included, oh joy. alive 3 was not the best live album ever but damn solid and half the material was from the non make-up days back when they still liked to create music and the added track of take it off is nice to have on cd. now the show formerly known as alive 4 aka the millenium show is probally a pretty good show if there was video backing it up. but on cd it may be nice to have as a fan but not a enjoyable listening experience. now for some reason alive 1 and 2 were always 2 cd sets when seperate. now they cram them on 1 cd each now that they dont have to worry about socking you for them a 2 cd sets. but overall it is nice to have this all together but why not throw the unplugged show in there that was live? and there was a lost alive with songs that wee on alive 1 that could have ben included to make it more worth the money. but again like the big box set this has great packaging and a nice booklet inside. but heres just another way to get the die hards to cough up 40 bucks on something they already have 75 percent of. 3 stars for awsome packaging.

1 comments about Forever Frankie Valli & the Four Seasons.

1. Went to see Jersey Boys Musical in Houston and didn't get enough of the music. Ordered several CDs from Amazon at a fraction of the price charged at the Hobby Center. Happy Music from an innocent time!

5 comments about Talking Heads.

1. I was very excited to finally see these titles get remastered. Aside from the musical content, which is excellent, this package could not have been more poorly manufactured. First, you get a easy to crack plastic outer box. No booklet is included other than the individual CD liner notes. When I purchase a box as expensive as this, I expect excellent quality packaging, as well as audio fidelity. This set does not deliver.
   
   On a normal tray-style CD player, these discs function fine. In slot load drives however, simply inserting these discs can damage your player. The dual-disc format is just too wide. It can jam the motors, or get caught in the slot and not come out. If you attempt to rip these for MP3's, get ready for disaster. It can take forever, if they rip at all. Lot's of errors and skips. Computers just don't like these, especially Macintosh's. These actually caused my G4 iBook to fail to recognize the disc drive, and then they could not be ejected. It took me two hours to get the disc out of the computer! Read all the other peoples bad reviews on this if you don't believe me.
   
   As for the bonus content, it's nice, but nothing special. Most have a few demo's and alternate versions on the CD audio side, and throw away 5.1 audio mixes and a couple videos on the DVD side. All in all there really isn't that much content on DVD sides. Rhino could have easily made these as normal CD's, and thrown in a single bonus DVD disc for all the content contained on the flipside's in this entire box. Instead, they chose the unreliable, easily scratched/smudged, dual-disc format. I suggest you wait until this gets reissued again before purchasing these albums again. Go with the cheaper, non-remastered versions that really don't sound that bad.
   
   The price on this box isn't exactly that great either. You really are getting scr*wed by the man on this one. Shame on Rhino for this huge error. They know how a good box set should be made, and this isn't the way.



2. The ultimate collection, all lyrics and cover art included. If you're a fan this collection rocks.



3. My husband loves the Heads and has been waiting to receive this album for a long time. We had to purchase online because we were unable to find it in stores. The husband is extremely happy to have it! He says there are a few little strange quirks in the backgrounds of some of the recordings, but overall is very pleased.



4. This was a Christmas present for our son-in-law. Shopping online for this seemed easier than shopping locally for something we were unfamiiliar with. The item arrived quickly, in great condition at a reasonable price.



5. It's pretty simple. Great music, but lousy packaging. I owned all of their albums, so I wanted CD versions of them. I had read some of the reviews talking about the inferior packaging, but figured how bad could it be? So, I got this box set, and here are my issues with it: 1) You have no clue which CD is in which case. The sides of the jewel cases are blank white, so you need to start pulling them out of the cheap plastic box to find the one you want. 2) Three of the jewel cases were broken at the hinges, so the covers pop off. 3) One of the cases was cracked all along the bottom of the front.
   
   The quality of the music is great, some nice bonus tracks, and some great extras, like music videos, but...they could have made it even better with good packaging.

5 comments about Box of Fire.

1. What an awesome collection...it has Aerosmith's early beginings...to their knock you out of your seat hits!! I purchased Aerosmith's box of fire for my husband who is a huge Aerosmith fan...this collection has alot of extras that you can't find elsewhere!



2. Box of Fire
   It's Incredible, It's amazing ... It is certainly the best time of the band. A box unparalleled, 100% Rock & Roll, 100% Attitude, 100% of good music, a very good opportunity for people who know the band recently.
   
   This has got to be one of the best sets ever, it has pretty much all the hits, and some bonus songs too. It is excellent, and so is Aerosmith. Aerosmith Rocks!!!!!!!!!!



3. I see a lot of reviews that seem clueless as to why this box set was released the way it was. Some history might clear this up.
   
   Aerosmith started off on the Columbia label, under which they released 12 official albums. This box set includes those 12 specific albums in their entirety, along with a bonus EP of rarities. After cleaning up their drug problems in the mid-1980s, they switched to Geffen in 1985 and stayed with them through 1994. November 1994 saw the release of both "Big Ones" (a compilation of hits from the Geffen years) and "Box of Fire".
   
   This was no coincidence, because the band was ending their contract with Geffen and returning to Columbia (on which they released everything from 1997's "Nine Lives" onwards). You have to realize that in the music world, a band's label largely determines how the release of compilations and box sets are made. When a band with a huge back catalog signs to a new label, it's not unusual to see the new label re-release the old catalog themselves, because a new label is not interested in promoting a band that has classic albums that still sell on a different label! In this case, Aerosmith returned to Columbia, who in turn remastered and rereleased the Columbia catalog here in "Box of Fire".
   
   Some people are complaining about the redundant tracks, or the fact that you could use less discs to fit the same music. Again, this is a re-release of the first 12 Aerosmith albums, as a collector's set. They're going for completeness. They were however released for individual sale too, so boxing 12 of what they were selling separate seemed simple enough I'm sure. Unfortunately, the band is notorious for having way more than their share of live albums and official studio compilations. In the case of their first dozen albums, 3 were live, and 2 were compilations!
   
   So who would want to buy the first 12 at once? Especially with "Greatest Hits" included? (The other compilation, "Gems", is at least unique in that it has the rare single "Chip Away at the Stone"). Granted the box is beautifully put together, the music is classic, and buying this is cheaper than buying the discs individually. But die-hard fans would no doubt already own the CDs, and casual fans of old Aerosmith would be happy with the 1991 "Pandora's Box" box set.
   
   One last thing to keep in mind is that in 1994, many were finally replacing their cassettes and vinyl with CD. So for fans who didn't make the switch yet, this was a good all-in-one buy! It worked for The Police box set and "complete studio" Led Zeppelin too (then again these had no redundant tracks to deal with). "Box of Fire" is still good for the price, but these days I'd say it's overkill for all but the die-hard fan.



4. thats really dumb i wish i knew whos bright idea it was to but aerosmiths greatest it cd wen al the songs on it are in te first 5 albums before it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! plus i think tey could have puttin other albums instead of live stuff on some cds but overall great collection!



5. A superb 13 - CD box set and all,but WHO has time to listen to this? You obviously need to check out,say several discs at a time to make it fun. 'Box Of Fire' includes all twelve of their albums from '73's self-titled Aerosmith to '87's 'Permanent Vacation' plus one five-track EP that has some real tough-to-find songs of theirs including the instrumental "Subway" and "Circle Jerk". A great find,but 'Box Of Fire' is obviously aimed toward the HUGE Aerosmith fan, with a hunk of disposable income. A must-have, but PRICEY.

5 comments about Walk a Mile in My Shoes: The Essential 70's Masters.

1. I recommend this collection highly. I just love hearing the interaction between people in the studio and some of the false starts. After viewing pictures of Elvis and his group in a studio setting, I can close my eyes, listen to these recordings and I am "there in the studio". Great!



2. This five CD box set covers Elvis Presley's 1970s recordings. The discs are broken up into different categories. The first two discs cover the a-sides and b-sides of his singles, including UK singles that were not released in the US. The third and fourth discs include studio recordings that were not released as singles. The last disc features live recordings, not including live recordings that were released as singles. Several of these recordings had not been previously released, although some of the songs had been released in different versions. This is an excellent overview of Elvis Presley's best 1970s recordings.



3. It's about time this box set was rereleased with better packaging and more recent remasters. That goes for the 60's masters box set, too.



4. As always Elvis has done it again. This is a great set with all of his seventies songs from his last concerts and studio songs with him and the boys sitting around and playing and singing. This is a great compilation of his music and a good variety from rock to country. I listened all day to these 5 CD's on his birthday. It also comes with a great book to see pictures of him and it tells where the concerts were and what he was singing. A great set!



5. Those who say that Elvis was no longer relavant, or "setting the tone" for music in the 70's have forgotten the most obvious fact. Elvis had already set the tone in the 50's, and all those who came after were products of that - like it or not. So they were only following Elvis' lead when you say Elvis was out of the loop. The boxed set is genius. Elvis voice is soulful, powerful, and comes with a huge whollop.

5 comments about The Best of James Bond 30th Anniversary.

1. The CD is excellent for James Bond music fans. The music is not the original title tracks, however the orchastration is very good and the music unmiskabably BOND.



2. I ordered this and was looking forward to listening to it. What I got was elevator music , none of the artist voices were on there just gay singing along music. There are much better CD's for the money like the CD with a blue cover"Bond's Greatest Hits". Please don't get stung like I did.



3. These songs are so fine. From Shirley Bassey to Ah-Ha they conjure up vivid images of that super cool spy that every man dreams of being for a moment. John Barry's arrangements are a style all his own. I love it.



4. This is exactly what I was looking for. I would recommend this to anyone looking for a good mix of Bond classics.



5. With so many James Bond theme imitations out there, it was refreshing to finally find the originals on Amazon. Even iTunes does not have this. There is only 1 Shirley Bassey, Carly Simon, Anthony Newley, etc. This is it, forget anything else. Even the newer themes don't match up to the first 007 themes.

5 comments about Peel Slowly and See.

1. Heroin, sadomasochism, paranoia, hangovers, seductive ladies and a big banana on the cover. The Velvet Underground was unique in 1967 -- even if it never made big sales -- and remains unique to this day, no matter how many bands are influenced by them. Not bad for an arty band with zero mainstream appeal!
   
   Lou Reed tears through a variety of songs, ranging from gritty hard rock to strange ballads. The most memorable song here is undoubtedly slashing, exotic S/M ode "Venus in Furs" ("Comes in bells, your servant, don't forsake him/Strike, dear mistress, and cure his heart"). Elsewhere, he dips into pure rock in the desperate "Run, Run, Run," but takes a softer turn with surreal junkie ballads and the eerie, soft "Sunday Morning."
   
   However, German ex-model Nico -- who departed the band in hazy circumstances after this album -- leads with her seductive monotone. She only had a handful of songs, but they remain some of the best: singsong "Femme Fatale," steady and slow "All Tomorrow's Parties," and the exquisite ballad "I'll Be Your Mirror."
   
   The Velvet Underground was probably the first real art band in rock history, formed at a time when megabands like the Rolling Stones were at their peak. But they couldn't have been more different from the heavily-publicized bands -- creepy, dark, and both beautiful and ugly. The Velvet Underground was the reverse of mainstream.
   
   The music isn't complex, but it is strangely compelling -- the wiggling guitar at the beginning of "Black Angel's Death Song," or the tambourines Nico played in her songs. Nowhere else could musical compositions like "Sunday Morning" -- the delicate tune reminiscent of a music box -- seem so haunting as they do here.
   
   The vocals are excellent, although listeners will probably like one or the other. Lou Reed's high thin voice is a sharp contrast to Nico's accented, husky croon. (Nico left the band after this album, which is a shame), but it's the writing that makes it stand out The songwriting is outstanding, and since the frank references to kinky sex and drugs are nowhere near as shocking now as they were then, the raw quality of the songs can shine.
   
   The sparse, slithering music and excellent singing add solidarity to the reputation of the Velvet Underground as a classic. Dark and brooding, debut album "Velvet Underground and Nico" is an exceptional album.



2. Hard to criticize the great music on this box set, but there are some missteps in the track listings and packaging. You would expect the demos, live tracks, & extras from the respective time periods to be at the end of the official releases, right? Not so. It's also disappointing that this isn't the box set that includes everything that is commercially available.
   
   On disc 1 there are demo versions exclusive to this release. We are all excited to hear new Velvet's material, but it's mostly Cale singing the same verse over and over accompanied by Reed on acoustic guitar. Interesting, but you won't be anxious to hear this more than a couple of times.
   
   On disc 2 there's the short version of All Tomorrow's Parties (Single Version) which is before The Velvet Underground & Nico. There is no reason for this to start the disc; it's the shorter, lesser version of the song. The huge bonus on this disc is the live track Melody Laughter, which is VU live w/Nico; wish there was more tracks like this on here.
   
   Disc 3 features demos and live tracks before the main release that is White Light/White Heat. Again, all of these tracks should be at the end of the official release. The live tracks Guess I'm Falling In Love and Booker T. are particularly noteworthy, but are awkward listens before the showcase release.
   
   Disc 4 has a live version of What Goes On and you get to hear the "closet" version 2 tracks later. A minor annoyance, but still. The live and bonus tracks on this are outstanding.
   
   Disc 5 I have little to complain about. Loaded precedes all of the great extras.
   
   On to the packaging. Comes in a great book shelf worthy cardboard case w/a vinyl peel off banana that encloses the discs themselves which are in plastic cases as opposed to the annoying cardboard digipacks that are customary these days. There is also the awesome 80 page booklet w/musings from the Velvets as reported by David Fricke. What is disappointing about the packaging is that the original LP covers are reduced to thumbnails on the back of the cds. These are replaced, on the front cd cover, by scans of the analog tape cases w/hand written notes; very cool, but not worthy enough to replace the original covers.
   
   In conclusion, lots to like here, but my big gripe is I wanted an all inclusive box set w/track listings that were suitable to my tastes.



3. Must have for all Lou Reed fans. The bonus tracks really throw it over the top.



4. Astonishing in its diversity, this influential album appeared like a supernova and endures as a classic because of the quality of the songs. With the exception of the discordant Black Angel's Death Song and to a lesser extent European Son, every song is underpinned by a lovely melody line.
   
   This is especially evident on the melancholic Sunday Morning, the resigned Femme Fatale and the wistful All Tomorrow's Parties, but by no means lacking on more confrontational tracks like Venus In Furs or Heroin. I'll Be Your Mirror has the same folky feel as Sunday Morning, while the roughness of Black Angel and European Son (the latter dedicated to poet Delmore Schwarts, one of Reed's heroes) has become more digestible as the mainstream has caught up with this pioneering work.
   
   The voice of Nico, the archetypical Teutonic Blonde, adds a strange and eerie dimension to the album as a whole. These songs have often been covered; to name just a few of my favorite interpretations: Sunday Morning by OMD, Waiting For The Man by John Cale and Nico on various of their solo albums, Femme Fatale by Propaganda, All Tomorrow's Parties by June Tabor on Freedom and Rain, There She Goes Again by REM on Dead Letter Office.
   
   The legacy of the VU, and of this album in particular, may be observed in the beautiful sonic sojourns of bands like inter alia Mercury Rev, My Bloody Valentine, Jesus and Mary Chain, Sonic Youth, and Swans. The "Banana" album remains a monument to the fierce spirit of rock 'n roll.



5. I regret that i got carried away by the recommendations given on my previous purchases as well as the other reviews on this compilation
   "Peel slowly and see" is definitely one of the worst in my collection.
   
   It sounded more like a jam session by a not so talented garage band! Do i say more.
   Can i have my money back or atleast exchange the same for some better music?