5 comments about Academy Award Winning Songs: Box Set.

1. With 13 years passed since this excellent box set, it's time for a Disc #6 to pick up where the set leaves off. Or, better yet, update the box, correct the flaws, add the last 13 years and release a new up to date version. It would be nice to have all the original versions in one place.



2. This is an excellent compilation and movie fans will no doubt enjoy it very much. The liner notes alone are worth the price, but It would be perfect if only Rhino could have provided all the original performers: instead of Madonna, Barbra Streisand, Bruce Springsteen or Irene Cara, we get covers, in some cases by unknowns. Having said that, Paul Williams'take on his own "Evergreen" is sweet and unexpected and the bulk of the songs are the soundtrack versions.



3. Wow That is it i have nothing left to say this is a grat collection of music. I listen to it all the time. I got the set when i was in the 6th grade,Im a sophmore now and i still listen to it

   I absolutly love it




4. I really loved this collection. I want to get it for a friend. I hope it comes back soon.



5. This the perfect set to slip into your randomizer on your cd player. It has a little of everything that also bring an array of memories. You have to love a collection that includes everything from Doris Day to Berlin. A definite investment for any movie buff.

5 comments about The Beach Music Anthology.

1. This box set simply does not come close to the quality we expect of oldies on CDs nowadays. Especially because reissues that are remastered with care, from original master tapes, can sound so great. In terms of audio quality, then, this box set is out of date. It is mediocre sound quality at best. I work as a mobile DJ and when I play a track from this box over my professional sound system, there is a noticeable drop-off in quality compared to the vast majority of my other "oldies" CDs!!! If you're just listening to it through a "boom box" or other cheap stereo system, however, you might not notice as much of a difference.



2. This CD set is by far the most comprehensive collection of East Coast beach music to be found today. There is a song for every audience in this box set. As a mobile DJ service we recommend it for every music library.



3. This is a great collection of music from the folks in South Carolina, home of Carolina Beach Music. The box set is worth every penny you pay but all the songs that the package listing shows are not on the discs. It also should be noted that many of these recordings are needle drops and have a lot of compression added. If you're a beach music fan you're sure to like, but if you are thinking that everything is as listed, it's not.



4. This set is incredible. We have worn out disc#1. Some great shaggin music. Missing an all time favorite - Under the Boardwalk!



5. I ordered this wonderful CD with a few "favorites" in mind. When the CD came, however, some of the songs listed on the website were not on the box cover. For instance, Disc 1 is supposed to have "With This Ring"-Platters and Disc 2 is supposed to have "Something Old, Something New"-Fantastics". They aren't event on the discs at all. "Ms. Grace" - Tymes now appears on Disc 2. If you order this, before opening the packaging, check and see if the songs you are expecting are there. I wish I had....

1 comments about Hits of the 80's.

1. I've been heard once and again this collection. It's great, but I missed 80's pop icons, like Culture Club and others. After all, I did an excellent bought.

3 comments about Freestyle Heaven Vol. 1-2-3-4.

1. i'm a die hard fan of freestyle but the other people who reviewed this box set are stuck in the past. I like the way freestyle music has progressed. They still have their roots and are trying new things. Great group of songs, really got me movin. Plus I really don't mind the aversion from the basic beat to something more uptempo as long as its not trance



2. This CD is Koo because you get all of the collection for 25 dolllars. BUT, out of all 4 CD's excluding the Euro Invasion(forget about those euro invasion cd'd) there are enough songs to probably make 1 good cd. I'll break it down: A lot of songs don't belong on this CD, and they ain't from Canada and make the CD look good. Goods songs are Disc One: tracks 1,2,17,19,20. Disc Two: 2,8(P.S #7 the ughy hughy dughy song is hella gay. Disc Three: 2,4,7,9,10,15, Disc Four: 1,2,3,4,10,11,12,13,15(Best CD). all other songs either were used and has nothing to do with freestyle heaven or are straight up bogussssssss!



3. Well you can see by my title to this comment i was defenetly dissapointed with this 5 cd box set.I cant belive i only found one track to be appealing to me, and i love freestyle and i'll give any type of new freestyle a chance, as long as they dont cross the line into euro , progressive type of beats. Well sure enough 85% of these cd's contain euro beats all that progressive stuff you would hear at your downtown club atmosphere.If i wanted to buy a euro/progressive cd i would've done that. I admit they threw in a lil' suzy here and a lil stevie b there but those songs are the 2000 version and do not sound THE SAME.The voices were the original artists but the tones and they way they sing them is totatly diferent from the original way they usually sound .As a freestyle die hard fan i was sad and dissapointed beacause here i thaught i was gonna listen to some new artists and keep the freestyle alive, but now i see why freestyle isn't around anymore because if they come out with music like this and call it freestyle theres no wonder why us the loyal fans stay away from it.Oh and one more thing these songs are not complete from begining to end, they made it a mix wich totaly made me angry.Well is not like if i wanted to hear them in there full versions because this NEW FREESTYLE isn't good anyway.

   A TRUE FREESTYLE FAN FROM CHICAGO

   P.S.
   I'M STILL A FAN BUT NOT THIS TYPE OF "FREESTYLE" FAN.
   I almost forgot don't think i gave it a star, in order for your comment to be posted you gotta give it at least one star.But by all means i dont mean any disrespect to amazon or cdnow.com, i just dont like this cd at all other than that cdnow and amazon are a great cd provider and with out this service i couldn't find cd's at all beacuse music stores dont carry any freestyle.

2 comments about Great Earth, Wind & Fire.

1. Earth,wind&fire are One of the Greatest Music acts that I have ever heard period. this whole collection captures the Genius,Greatness&timeless material that made this band truly stand out.nothing like hearing the Kalimba solo from maurice white or there strong 70's Grooves&slow Jams.this Band truly covered a wide range of styles but always maintained there signature vibe that was Soulful.



2. This ultimate 3-CD collection will uplift and transport you to classic era of the 70's and 80's. I would have given this 3-CD set a 10 on a scale to 5 but, the third CD of the set was sorta pieced together with a couple unpopular or less becoming songs like "System of Survival", "Magnetic" and "I Wanna Be The Man". If they had replaced these songs with songs like "Sun Goddess" and instrumentals of "Africano" and "New World Symphony", this CD rating would have been off the chart. Bar none, to date, this is the best collection of Earth,Wind and Fire songs for a group with zenith talent.
   
   My only complaint about the CD is the sound quality. The CD should have been remastered (better). For that reason I actually give it a 4.75/5.0. None the less - a great compulation.

5 comments about Live! One Night Only.

1. In my book Patti is the Queen of Gospel Soul. She brings soul, fire and inspiration to the songs she sings. She bares her soul and offers up her voice to sing the praises of love, disappointment, hope and redemption for all. This is a must own for any serious musicc lovers.



2. Nothing and nobody can come close to the awesome vocal power, presence and delivery that emerges from Patti LaBelle. This CD is a definate winner that will prove to be a jewel in your CD collection. This live concert recording features her greatest hits seasoned with some old cuts from her Laura Nero days with the Bluebells and also a few from her days with LaBelle. The song list contains all of her better known work from the 80's and 90's that always has the crowds to their feet when she performs them. This is by far the very best Patti LaBelle CD available.



3. A lifetime investment. I couldn't wait for this CD to be released in my country. From the first song, 'I Believe', my all time favourite right through to her sign-off, 'Over the Rainbow' (all due respect to Judy Garland), Ms Patti does it again. Highly recommended for people who appreciate some really beautiful and powerful singing. "You Are My Friend" really shines in this album. With guest appearances by Eddie and Gerald Lavertt and Mariah Carey, this album portrays the strength in this Diva's voice. "Powerhouse" Kia Kaha Ms Patti



4. This is a visual and audio thrill. Patti's One Night Only showed her at her best. To hear her is divine to see and hear her made us want to dance and sing to each other. Any one who loves Patti, will love this set. It is a must have young or old, in love or not.



5. Patti does what she always does...., give of herself like no one else can. At age 54, she shows that she hasn't lost a step at all. She still hits the notes up in the clouds. From the beginning to the end, this CD/video is the emotional rollercoaster ride performance that Ms. LaBelle is known for. What else can I say??? There will never be another Patti!!!!

5 comments about Star Time.

1. It's not an accident that almost all reviews of this box set give it five stars; it's also no accident that several people say they've owned this for over a decade and still find it fresh. James Brown was the most important American musician ever, completely altering the shape of music the world over, and this admirably complete collection will give you all the evidence you need as to why. Often shortened for 45s and radio play, the songs are presented in their full length; a few tracks (besides those from JB's famous "Live at the Apollo" record) are presented in well-selected live versions, giving those of us who never attended a concert some idea of the James Brown Band's consummate musicianship.
   
   The first CD, "Mr. Dynamite", covers Brown's early years up to the recording of "Papa's Got a Brand New Bag". His major innovations were still to come, but he was a powerful conventional R&B singer and arranger, and the material stacks up very favorably with other '50s acts. The second CD, "The Hardest Working Man in Show Business", is where the magic happens: the band stretches out, rhythmically and in song length, such that tracks like "Cold Sweat" inaugurate a musical revolution -- and JB begins to articulate the new black consciousness in unforgettably clever aphorisms. "Soul Brother No. 1" illustrates the full-bore funk of Brown's "New Breed" (Bootsy Collins et al.); "The Godfather of Soul", the weakest CD (although that's not saying much), covers Brown's late-'70s and '80s output.
   
   Out of all the CDs I ever purchased, these are my clear favorites: and if any of the non-rock popular music of the last thirty years (hip-hop to house) has moved you, this will help you get an idea of where it all began.



2. This is as close to a complete retrospective of James Brown's legendary recording career from 1956-1984 that will ever be available. The 71 tracks are from original session tapes or the original single and album masters. The sound quality - in particular on the oldest material - is outstanding.
   
   The collection starts with Please, Please, Please (1956) and ends with Unity (Part I), which features Afrika Bambaata on co-vocals.
   
   Some of my favorites are Try Me, Night Train, Papa's Got A Brand New Bag (Parts I, II & III), Bring It Up (Hipster's Avenue), Say It Loud - I'm Black And I'm Proud (Part I), Funky Drummer, Make It Funky (Part I), King Heroin and My Thang.
   
   Along with bassist Bootsy Collins, Brown has worked with many dynamite musicians, led by long-time organist, Bobby Byrd. The saxophonists include Maceo Parker, Pee Wee Ellis, Michael Brecker & Joe Farrell, with such trombonists as Randy Brecker, Fred Wesley & Jon Faddis bolstering Brown's signature Funk and R&B sounds.
   
   You can count on one hand the true pathfinders in American popular music. There are three individuals who must be on every list; Louis Armstrong, Miles Davis and The Godfather of Soul.



3. James Brown has always been my favorite, but I was never able to find much of his music in the CD era before the internet exploded. Unfortunately, it took his death to remind me of how much I liked his sound. I've been on a buying spree since. Usually, after you get through the best 5-10 hits an artist has on one greatest hit collection, the rest is hum drum filler. I have to say that in the case of James Brown, the more I find the more I love the man!!! He is truly the progenitor of Funk and hip hop.



4. Very rarely has the passing of a public figure made me feel such deep emotions as I felt this Christmas day when we lost James Brown. Although I was fortunate enough to see him live and in concert before, I was looking forward to seeing him again on December 28th at a NJ venue and had been lucky enough to get second row seats, but it was not to be. I can literally separate my music listening life into two distinct periods: BEFORE and AFTER I heard JB. Once I heard him everything changed, and I couldn't look at music the same again after hearing him. What I thought was funky or groundbreaking before seemed tepid and uninspired after I heard him. I distinctly remember hearing "Sex Machine" at a party one night and the proverbial light went off. Since that time I have purchased all the JB I can get my hands on, including this collection. The music and message of JB has become ingrained in who I am over the years and has shaped so much of my appreciation for music. JB fused elements of soul, R&B and jazz to lay the foundations of what would later be known as funk music, and then managed to create what would become (in my opinion) the most memorable and definitive funk music ever recorded. But the man didn't just make good time party music; he always had something to say, whether it be unabashed pronouncements of black pride or urging kids to stay in school or away from drugs. JB's influence was so far reaching it almost seems incomprehensible; VERY few recording artists have managed to sustain careers that spanned several decades and remained relevant. His influence was felt on other continents as evidenced in Fela Kuti's music in Nigeria and the creation of Afrobeat, which Fela himself confessed was directly influenced by the rhythms present on James Brown's recordings. JB even had a hand in the early rap scene when artists like Public Enemy began sampling his music on their tracks in the mid 1980's. (And lets not forget that JB was one of the first to rap back in the early 1970's, check out "King Heroin" on this collection if you need a refresher.) The music contained on these four discs is a well chosen overview of his incredible career. As a general warning though, this probably won't be the end of your James Brown collection. I have found that his music is so infectious that I have kept buying more and more of it over the years. However, any newcomer to his music will find this collection to be an excellent place to start, and really any and every music fan should own this. I've said it before and I'll say it again: you ain't human if this doesn't move you. This past summer I was in the heart of the inner city waiting outside of a fast food restaurant in the take out line with my windows down, and blasting a live version of the JB's tearing through "Pass The Peas". I slowly turned as I saw some movement out of the corner of my eye, as three men who had been asking for change got up and began to dance. They yelled "GODFATHAAA!", and ended up coming to my window to ask what CD the song was from or if it was the radio. I'm sure everyone who has been touched by his music has a story like this, because the music of James Brown was something that brought us all together as people. Thank you for all the memories and God Bless you Godfather.



5. I had to write this review in lieu of the recent passing
   of one of the latter 20th Century's greatest musical innovators!
   James Brown was a revolutionary of music, of performance,
   and with his bold "I Don't Want Nobody To Give Me Nothing /
   Say It Loud, I'm Black & I'm Proud" socio-political statements
   that came to black america at a time when they were really needed!
   
   This box set is the most comprehensive collection of his
   groundbreaking work that I know of!
   I've owned this set now for about 14 yrs. and have
   played it a billion times probably by now!
   Yet it's still fresh, funky, energetic and positive!!--
   And yes, it speaks of truth!!
   This man was so far ahead of his time, yet OF HIS TIME!
   In these last few days since his passing,
   his music means even more to me!
   He was given a funeral befitting royalty because he WAS ROYALTY!!
   God Bless Your Soul Mr. Brown!! (May 3, 1933 - December 25, 2006)
   Your gut-bucket funky grooves, your straight-from-the-heart messages
   and your electric stage presence will be studied, emulated
   and enjoyed by generations to come!
   There'll never be another one!---R.I.P. GODFATHER!!

No comments about Sweet Soul Music.

No comments about Love & Happiness.

No comments about The Collection: Piano Man/52nd Street/Kohuept: Live in Leningrad.