5 comments about Greatest Hits of the 80's.

1. There are some very obscure and unfamiliar songs included on these 8 cds. Not sure where they were "hits" because I never heard them before. Maybe they were top 40 in places like the middle east or europe in the 80s - I don't know. I didn't like most of them. I think after reviewing all the disks I liked perhaps 15 songs in the entire collection. There is nothing wrong with the disks or the music. The Quality is good. Just be sure that you review the song list before purchasing.



2. I only reconized 12 of the songs on these cd's. most of them were wimpy dippy songs I hated. Where are the real hits? there were numerous hits by The Police, Peter Gabriel, Simple Minds, Duran Duran and others which would hve been far better that the junk on this set. What a disappointment!



3. Being a BIG fan of 1980s era music, finding this 8 CD box set was really a treasure. Sure, I have a lot of the songs available on the discs in my huge 80s MP3 song collection (16 discs worth so far and still growing), but there are so many others included that I would never have known about or heard since they only aired in the UK. Of course, there are a few other excellent European music artists that do not show up in the set. People like Shakin' Stevens, Don McLean, English Beat and Madness; but they can be mostly found in other collected sets (with the exception of Shakin' Stevens, which is a shame, because his rock n' roll music is excellent). My only complaint about this box collection is the lack of information in concerns to the album each song was taken from and the confusion I have about the two numbers after each title (for example: Adrian Gurvitz: Classic 3,39). Does this mean track 3, Billboard rating 39? I don't know. Other than this minor issue, I highly recommend this CD set for any fan of the 80s music era. You won't be disappointed at the selection and quality.



4. This box set has something for everyone, especially if you want an idea of what was popular in Europe during the Eighties, i.e. names like Sandra, Kajagoogoo, Mel & Kim, Duran Duran, Ultravox... Many, many big hits and a bunch of unknown gems for those who want to explore.



5. In a few words, I can explain why I think this collection fails as a "greatest hits of the 80's" album. There is an absence of: Eurythmics, George Michael, Corey Hart, Wham, and just take a look at the track list, because mine goes on. I guess for the bargain price, expectations can't be set that high. You get what you pay for.

5 comments about Stax Story.

1. This is a good review of the Stax catalog. The "live" CD is especially good. I didn't care much for the way they categorized the music. One CD is call Finger Snappin' music. Most of the songs on that CD don't have that tempo. Overall, it's a good way to hear music from some of the lesser know talents in the Stax fold.



2. As an intro to the label from soulsville usa, Stax Story can do little wring. with favorites from hitmakers Otis Redding, Sam and Dave, and Isaac Hayes, to the sweet,sweet b-sides of Booker T, Rufus Thomas, and the Staple Singers, the only complaint from this reviewer is that there simply wasn't enough (despite over 100 tracks).



3. Together with my wife always been big fan of the Stax performers. Wasn't aware one can find still this music and even on CD. Over here in Europe, market is rather weak. Since I am working in the states I was happy to see the opportunities with the Amazon offers.
   Just one word: GREAT



4. Then buy this set of quality disks before the sun sets! (Sun Recording, Memphis has already set!) THIS IS THE true Memphis sound and one that many of us have tried to copy over the years. At the center of the Memphis sound are the several music pros in this set...if you get a chance, attend a Memphis Blues Festival held annually (at different dates and times) and puts all the rest to shame. This music was around a long time before Beal Street ever came on the scene and it's a real treat to sit in the clubs during Festival and watch who walks up from the audience and sits in...some well knowns, a lot of unknowns but don't let appearances fool you. It is a treat for me and likely for you to put one of these disks on, sit back in an easy chair and I defy you to not tap your foot and snap your fingers! This is music at it's finest........



5. WOW, This is the real thing...The motherlode...Incredible!!! Sure the Complete Stax Volt Singles 6-CD box set gives you every single released up until Atlantic pulled out as their national distributor. The Atlantic Rhythm & Blues collection covers the years 1947-1974 and includes numerous artists of the late forties and fifties like Ruth Brown, Al Hibler, Big Joe Thorton, Lavern Baker and Ray Charles. Then there's the Rhino box set, Thirty Years of Rhythm and Blues, a great retrospective in that it crosses over numerous labels and artists. This is a great place to explore the diversity of styles covering all the great regional styles from Motown to Philly to Memphis.

   But if your bent is hard driving, gut wrenching, R&B with a pinch of gospel and soul, then look no further. This collection is the bomb. With 98 (count 'em...98) bonifide super soul hits, this is positively essential for any collector. Five Stars just scratches the surface. This one should get 98 Stars (count 'em...98) one for every great single in this marvelous set.

5 comments about Q: The Musical Biography of Quincy Jones.

1. Beautiful music. This is lovely bio-discography. Jazz, movie, pop, funk .... for all kind of music, he is #1 . Fans of Q, u have to buy it !



2. I had no idea who Quincy Jones really was until I watched a PBS special the other night called American Masters. I am a big fan of his album "Big Band Bossa Nova" and I was amazed to see that he did a great deal of big-band styled music. This box set encompasses so many different aspects of his career. Big band music, movie & television scores, to producing some of pop music's greatest stars. I am extremely pleased with this purchase. There are so many great songs on these 4 discs they will be in heavy rotation on my MP3 player for quite some time.



3. This collection runs the gamut of pop and jazz musical styles. When songs differed between the single and album version, the single version is used. For a Rhino box set, this title has excellent remastering. Instead of the usually over-bright presentation, Bernie Grundman is the remastering engineer here -- and he treats these tracks with a slight hand, allowing the original musicality of the master tapes shine through. You probably don't have these tracks sounding this good elsewhere in your collection (unless you own the Grundman remastered Michael Jackson albums).



4. The wide array of music in this collection is amazing - I've always enjoyed his later albums (The Dude, Back on The Block) but this collection opened up the depth of his earlier work to me. I had originally ordered this from Amazon, but cancelled it after I found it at a discount club (Costco)...



5. Jones's musical biography is a history of American music. The variety and depth of the music compiled on these CDs is amazing.

5 comments about The Collected Recordings - Sixties to Nineties.

1. Well, this is a great collection. And I am one of Tina's biggest fan...of my 19 years walking this earth, 16 of those were walked to the sound of Tina...
   
   So...
   
   I of course love anything of hers.
   However, this collection seems an attempt at a complete collection. Which, as said, it kind of achieves, in that its the most complete so far.
   
   But I think for us die hard fans, there needs to be a Complete Solo Recordings CD containing all that she has recorded since her break up with Ike.
   
   Something I have long wanted on Disc is the version of One Of The Living that appears in Mad Max: Beyond Thunderdome.
   The version on the soundtrack is great - as the song is awesome, but in the films opening credits, there is a quite different mix. Both mixes need to be out. As is the same with many of her songs: there needs to be a complete collection featuring all the different mixes.
   And why is Break Every Rule always left off her collections? I think its one of her best tracks.
   
   So overall: this is the best you can buy.
   But it could be better - complete it Capitol - give us every record...please



2. The reason why I titled this review like this is because this collection could have been much, much better.
   This Collection was released in 1994 and contains her early years hits with her ex husband Ike Turner, some rare recordings and Tina's solo hits.

   *DISC 1 (Ike and Tina):
   This cd contains the collection of Ike and Tina's hits and some of their best recordings. This goes from 1960 to 1975.
   Their biggest hits were "A fool in love", "It's gonna work out fine", "I idolize you" and "Proud Mary". "Nutbush city limits" and "River deep-mountain high" were recorded during the Ike and Tina years but were official Tina singles.
   Together they recorded several albums and singles but they were just big on stage. With this I'm not saying that they were bad, they were very good, they even won a Grammy in 1971 and toured in Europe with the Rolling Stones and alone but it didn't work very well in the charts.
   On this cd you can also find some covers that were moderate hits like "Come together", "I've been loving you too long", and "Honky tonk women".
   I also really like "I want to take you higher" and "Crazy 'bout you bay".

   *DISC 2 (Tina's rare recordings):
   On this cd you'll find some songs that were recorded for soundtracks, various albums, live songs, duets and even demos that Tina recorded to get music deals after she broke with Ike Turner.
   The opening track "Acid queen" was specially recorded for Tina's part in "Tommy", "Total control" appears in the "We are the world" album, "It's only love" (I don't know why this song is here because it was a very big hit that she recorded with Bryan Adams so it should be in disc 3), "Don't turn around" is a wonderful song that she recorded for her "Break every rule" album but it only appeared as the B side of her "Typical male" single. Finally you'll find "Addicted to love" a song that Tina has been singing sience 1986 on stage. And the duets with Eric Clapton and Rod Stewart "Tearing as apart" and "It takes two".

   *DISC 3 (Tina's hits sience 1983):
   This disc contains Tina's hits but some are missing and others like "Help" and "Paradaise is here" which are great songs but were not big singles are here, leaving behind "One of the living", "Two people", "I don't wanna lose you", "Show some respect" and "Way of the world" which were big hits.
   The great hits that are here are: "Let's stay together", "What's love got to do with it", "Private dancer", "Better be good to me", "We don't need another hero", "Typical male", "The best" and "I don't wanna fight".

   In general this collection is good but they should do a real collection with all the hits and more rare songs and even songs that were not released as singles but are great recordings.




3. I love this set so much it is the perfect set for a tina addict
   highly recomended



4. When Capitol records announced the release of "collected recordings" at the end of 1994, I was really thrilled. They said it would be a three disc collection. Disc one would focus on the Ike and Tina days, Disc Two would have RARE Tina recordings and disc 3 would be Tina's solo greatest hits. I think the collection starts great with the Ike and Tina disc. It's a good compilation of the duo starting with "Fool in love" from 1960 and including their greatest hits and also some songs which have been not easy to find over the last years ( for example "Letter from Tina" and "It ain't right Loving to be loving" from their 1969 album "Come together" ). What disappoints me about this collection is especially disc 2. This is suposed to be a disc with rarities, but what we get is not that rare at all. Only two songs on this disc I consider rare and these are "Games" and "Johnny and Mary". What about her b-sides "Don't rush the good things", "Don't turn around" ( later covered by Ace of Base and Aswad ), Stronger than the wind,... + their must be tons of Tina recordings which have never been released before...Maybe capitol is saving them for future releases.... The booklet also mentions her 1985 single "One of the living" taken from the Mad Max soundtrack, but it's not on the disc. Also on disc three some of her greatest hits are missing. Where are "Two People", "Girls", "Break every Rule", "I don't wanna lose you", "Show some respect",... This collection is a nice effort, but definately not the Ultimate Tina Turner collection. I think Capitol/EMI should consider putting together a new collection and make it MINIMUM a 5 disc set, because Tina's been doing what she does best for over 40 years now ! You can't get the picture of her career on three discs...



5. Could a Tina fan/addict ask for more? A wonderful 3-CD box full of great songs plus a wonderful booklet... A MUST FOR EVERY TINA FAN OUT THERE !!!!!!!!!!!! BUY IT...NOW!!!!!!!!!!!!

No comments about Soul Directions.

5 comments about The Rolling Stone Women In Rock Collection.

1. In the immortal words of Frank Costanza, "Rolling Stone, What the hell were you thinking?!" No Joni Mitchell? Half the artists on this list reference her and Patsy Cline as influences to their music. Easily six or so artists could've been bumped onto a fourth CD to make room for some of the other women listed by other reviewers. By the way, BS (Britney Spears), should not be on the list! There's the biggest Disney Corp sell-out there ever was!



2. ...how could they overlook such artists as Blondie, Paula Cole, and (gasp!) Alanis Morrisette? How could you, Rolling Stone? I hope they make up for this terrible mistake. In spite of it, I really liked this album. Every CD in the album gets better than the others; my personal favorite was the second one (1972-1986), with singers like Pat Benatar, Chrissie Hynde, and Annie Lennox but I just loved the whole collection, so pleeeease, do release a new, improved version with more artists. All in all, this collection is a great buy, so do yourself a favor and take it home.



3. Let me be the FOURTH reviewer to say. Why is Stevie Nicks not part of this? Also, it would have been nice if Cass Elliot would have been included or a Mammas & Pappas song but it is not as glaring as the ommission of Stevie Nicks. And I like Patsy Cline just fine but she is a COUNTRY singer.



4. While I liked all of the artists that were included on this cd collection, I feel like a lot of great female musicians were left out. Namely, I think that big album sellers like Alanis Morissette, Hole, Liz Phair, Britney Spears, Paula Cole, Dolly Parton, Mariah Carey, Celine Dion, and Bette Midler should have been included on in the complilation. All of them are great artists, but did not get any show. Maybe Rolling Stone could release a volume two to add in all of the divas that were left out.

   On a bright note, I was VERY pleased that Madonna, Tori Amos, Sheryl Crow, and so many other great artists were included. Those were all some great choices for inclusion here.




5. What a great CD! I have a radio show that focuses on women in music, and I got this CD for christmas this year. I was more impressed with it after I listened to it, finding gems like Belly's "Feed the Tree," Lucinda Williams' "Side of the Road," Gladys Knight and the Pips' "Midnight Train to Georgia" and even Dionne Warwick's "Walk on By" sounding even better among other top women's music of the times. Rolling Stone shows a strong interest in women's music not only through this album but also through their book 'Women in Rock' which goes hand in hand with this album (check it out too). Some of the people Rolling Stone could've included in this compilation are Joni Mitchell (I am really surprised she doesn't appear on here), Siouxie Sioux, Karen Carpenter, and Liz Phair, but the collection they do have should only be added to, nothing should be removed. This is an anthology for women of our times, an anthology of anyone who likes rock and roll, and it should be a staple in any music lover's collection.

3 comments about Masters at Work Part two 1996-2000.

1. MATERS AT WORK: The Tenth Anniversary Collection
   PART ONE: 1990-1995 (4 cd's) `silver box'
   PART TWO: 1996-2000 (4 cd's) `gold box'
   The Definitive Remixes and Original Productions.

   If you love the "Sweet-House" you must have this collection. It's a "PRECIOUS" work. This box is a treasure that I keep in my heart and my ears too. Solid gold. Sober gold and silver finishes for a collection of gems with the stamp of two heavyweights of New York's house scene: Kenny 'Dope' Gonzalez and 'Little' Louie Vega, i.e. Masters At Work. Two lusciously presented box sets, which each contain jewels for the enjoyment of modern music lovers. In this exhaustive tenth anniversary recompilation a large part of their work is brought together, both their own compositions and their remixes 'to order'. The first box features their work under the alias Nuyorican Soul, one of the outstanding examples of the fusion of jazz, Latin sounds and House, with classics such as 'The Nervous Track'. With regard to their work as remixers, the list of artists favoured with the MAW touch has no end. Highlights include their reworks for Daft Punk, Chic, Roni Size Reprazent, Karen Ramirez, Ultra Nate, Jerald Daemyon, Tony Touch, Mel B. and many more... Real House, Latin Style, Jazz and other delights. The amazing track "Dancing in Outer space - Atmosfear" it's a great remix and the beautiful "Runaway - Nuyorican Soul feat. India" and "MAW Expensive - Masters At Work" is incredible the most excellent track. This collection (Part One & Part Two) contains the essential house music that makes you relax and dance. Masters At Work are "SOLID GOLD".

   The Masters also deserve to be compared with Larry Levan, the most influential dance music practitioner of the eighties. Vega's four-and-a-half year residency at the Sound Factory Bar provided the dance music underground with a crucial lifeline given that the Shelter was about to close and Body & Soul had yet to open. And in terms of remixing and production, MAW's efforts in the nineties have surpassed those of Levan in the eighties. Like Levan, they have survived the cutthroat climate of the studio for a long ten years. Like Levan, they have moved from the world of remixing to the universe of production. And like Levan, they have revolutionized the way people listen to music, introducing a series of sounds that have become so entrenched in the dance psyche that it's hard to remember that night-world didn't always sound like this.

   Most importantly, 'Little Louie 'Vega and Kenny 'Dope' Gonzalez have maintained an elaborate and unswerving eclecticism at the heart of their work. As with Levan, this hybridity has nothing in common with the superficial skimming of multicultural tourists, whose level of engagement begins and ends with the casual flick of a download button. No, MAW's diversity is grounded in a set of serious musical roots, and it has evolved in conjunction with the kaleidoscopic populations of New York's night network. The Loft, The Gallery, The Paradise Garage, The Shelter, The Sound Factory Bar, Body & Soul and Dance Ritual lie at the heart of this practice, and, more than any other remixing and production team, Masters at Work have provided this creative cultural community with a relentlessly varied soundtrack. Kenny and Louie have demonstrated that we can still dance together, even if today's increasingly factional market demands otherwise, and the wonderful music on this compilation embodies that vision. The first ten years have been `extra`MAW'dinary', and we look forward to the next ten with huge anticipation.




2. There are many fine compilations out there that are a pleasure to listen to. But there aren't many that will stand the test of time. This is one that will. This collection testifies to the mystery of ART and artworks whose life-span is determined by the aura of that which has no name. Some call it 'orginality'. Some call it 'authenticity'. Some call it 'a voice'. Whatever. Kenny and Lil Louie must love, I mean LOVE, what they do to a level not matched by others in the business. The collection packaged here is more than a sampler of what-has-been. In their inimitable way, K and L have bent time to bring back that which never left. Who'd have thunk of doing a George Benson to House without any of that trademark Housebeat, nice tho' that is, and still make great Housemuzik? It is the mark of a great artist, made great by the love he has for his medium, to throw in the unexpected and make it sound like it was the most natural thing in the world. (It is only the lesser ones who are obsessed with "experimentation" and end up botching what would have been a passably palatable product.) It is somewhat ironic that the art that is most democratic in form and appeal should be given an aspect of perfection by two artists who are so thoroughly ARISTOCRATIC in taste. Taste is, in the end, everything.



3. For those who hasnt experienced these two puerto ricans.. you are making a big mistake. MAW consists of Little Louie Vega and Kenny"dope"Gonzales. For the house genre, MAW has ment alot, and they have kept The "nostalgic" house alive by remixing pop and other house music to their and our deliberate taste. They have worked with many many artist from the old times like George Benson and the great timbal percussionist Tito puente (R.I.P) and many others. People who has house genre as fave should not miss MAW. theire essential for house! These cd`s delivers pure nostalgic house. By listening to it, it reminds you of the old era of soul music, with new generation music like daft punk, mel-B and Eternal. It also contain lots of music from Little Louie`s own Nyorican Soul project that some of you may have bumped in to. so this is pure house running with rythmic elements of acoustic sound. House lover must fetch this essential reproduction and remixes. Its allready a milestone for my world of music! Its MAW, and its The best house ever remixed! All respect to little louie and Kenny Dope. you take house seriously and make it real!

5 comments about Ray Charles: The Complete Country & Western Recordings 1959-1986.

1. Very Attractive Package (which i like), but if you really want the truth, aside from all the laurels Mr. Charles deserves, the first two disks of this set are nothing short of terrific. So, if you like boxed sets, handsome ones at that, buy this. If you are in it just for the music, buy the first two disks separately. The other disks in this set are almost not worth listening to, especially the duets (which as a general category i detest).
   
   Ah, what the hell, if you're a Ray Charles fan, buy the box set and use the other three disks for coasters!!!



2. I had some of this material when we still bought records. It is an absolutely great deal. Ray Charles is one of my favourite Country Singers. As far as I can see everything is here excepting the cut with Conway Twitty, from the friends album, 'Rainy Night in Georgia.' A pity, one of my favourites. I guess someone refused to sign. Go figure.



3. Ray Charles: The Complete Country & Western Recordings 1959-1986
   This is a must have collection from Ray Charles. Though he's long passed away the music is so alive that you have the feeling he is just there with you in your living room. This is really a masterpiece of a genius production. Ray Charles has always been my idol but this collection has proved it. I knew some of the tracks on vinyl back then but thanks to Amazon I now have the full and complete collection on CD. God knows how many years I've been craving for this very collection from Ray Charles. I am really overwhelmed. I am really over the top about my latest find.



4. This is rates as an historical collection of a cross over genre in any Ray Charles collection, whilst low on contemporary base notes it still holds its own in relation to a collection that covers an extensive period of time. It is a collection that you can play to a variety of generations of music lovers as it tells the stories that interests all. I believe time will prove this is a set you will never regret having.



5. Album just great I play it every day,and enjoy it tremendesly. I would recommend it to any one who likes Ray &country.

5 comments about Can You Dig It? The '70s Soul Experience.

1. Let me just start by saying this is quite simply the greatest
   compilation ever unleashed on man or beast. This is the most deluxe boxed set I have seen- 6 discs in an 8 track carrying case
   style package. This will take you back to the days of shag carpets,lava lamps and monster size afro hairstyles. Classic 70's Soul is my favorite genre of music and to find such a lovingly compiled set just blew my mind. 136 of the very best cuts of this era including the obvious smash hits like "Cruising","Let's Stay Together", Mr. Big Stuff", I Wanna get Next to You" alongside lesser known or forgotten tracks like "I'm Doin Fine Now" by New York City, "Golden Touch" by Rose Royce.and "Why can't We Live Together" by Timmy Thomas.The set also comes with a beutiful 76 page booklet packed with photos, track by track commentary and artist bios. Obviously a package like this will set you back a bit financially but the fact that you will never stop playing this for the rest of your life makes it worth every penny.



2. This is a nice collection of some of the best R&B songs of the 70's. My cousin used to always watch "Soul Train" when we were growing up so these songs pleasantly remind me of my childhood and visiting with my beloved grandparents at the holidays.

   The box the discs come in is also cleverly designed to look like it's filled with 8-track tapes. This would make a great gift for anyone who loves 70's soul.




3. I love this cd box set, and I love the way it looks! Rhino has done a good job of capturing the look, sound, and feel of 70's soul music with this attractive six cd collection. I love how they made the outside of the box look like an old 8 track tape rack! And it's great to hear songs like Betcha By Golly Wow, I'll Be There, Rainy Night in Georgia, War, Didn't I Blow Your Mind This Time, Family Affair, Let's Stay Together, and so many others once again. I felt like it was 1973 all over again!

   I do have one minor complaint: Over 20 of these songs are on another Rhino Box set that I have called "Have a Nice Decade." I felt a little cheated, that Rhino could have sampled some other songs. Moreover, there were some great soul artists that didn't have songs represented on this collection at all: Stevie Wonder, Diana Ross, Aretha Franklin, and a few others.

   But this is still an excellent collection, and if you love 70's soul music, you might want to splurge and buy it.




4. One of the very best, top of the line soul/r&b collections you could possibly own! Man oh man, do these classic tunes bring back so many fine memories! This type of talent as far as singing & songwriting is sorely lacking in today's music world. Today's youth should try giving this set a listen to hear what real talent was actually like. If you are a major fan of 70s soul/r&b like I am, then this is a MUST-HAVE collection. Very highly recommended.



5. Recommended listening. Sandwiched in time between the Motown of the 60s and the emergence of rap in the 80s is the forgotten cool of 70s soul. I remember these songs from watching Soul Train after American Bandstand and Casey Casem's Top 10, and was delighted with the richness of the sound and song. Makes me almost embarrassed by what I listened to as a teenager in the 80s, it doesn't hold up as well as the songs in this collection.

   Even if you don't like soul, R&B, get it anyway if you can. It will broaden you horizons. Added bonus is the booklet that accompanies the grammy-nominated packaging - you will enjoy every aspect of this set.

5 comments about Pure Genius: The Complete Atlantic Recordings (1952-1959).

1. Rhino exhausted the Atlantic vaults of its Ray Charles catalogue, added a smart hardcover book, threw in an obscure concert on DVD and packaged everything in a magnificent carry case that resembles a vintage 45-record player. The result is the ultimate tribute to one of the giants of modern music, and raises the bar in box sets.
   
   I don't see how anyone can improve on PURE GENIUS. The 6 CDs (each averaging 78 minutes) of Ray's released music are a sheer pleasure to listen to over and over. Credit Ray but also the sequencing.
   
   Instead of arranging the tracks by album release date (i.e. The Velvet Underground and Cream boxes), Rhino gambles by sequencing according to *recording* date. Remember that until 1967's Sgt. Pepper, pop albums were hodge-podges of songs gathered from various sessions. With Ray's albums, songs spanned entire years. Rhino's approach allows the listener to enjoy each phase of Ray's recording career, from his soul breakthrough on disc one to the big band of disc six.
   
   Another consideration is that Ray recorded in so many genres at once: gospel-tinged soul one week, straight jazz the next and back. Rhino's sequencing highlights Ray's versatility and virtuosity, which you cannot find on any other compilation and certainly not a greatest hits package which compiles only songs. I was expecting soul vocals with the Raelettes, but was blown away by Ray's instrumental jazz, which his big hits have unjustly overshadowed.
   
   Disc seven--of outtakes and sessions (a fire destroyed all other session tapes)--provides a glimpse of an early recording session as well as part of a later one. The disc demonstrates Ray's growing confidence in the studio. However, this disc is for Ray's hardcore fans rather than casual listeners. And for the hardcore, it's a gem.
   
   Another bonus is disc 8: the DVD of Ray's ultra-rare 1960 concert at the Newport Jazz Festival. It's a stationery camera shooting grainy black-and-white footage, but Ray's performance is assured through nine numbers. A 20-minute interview by Taylor Hackford of Ahmet Ertegun (who signed Ray to Atlantic) is another gem.
   
   Liner notes in the hardcover book avoid empty hype and offer insight into Ray's brilliant career at Atlantic (written by biographer David Ritz). A detailed discography is another plus.
   
   Now, what can I say about the packaging? I own several box sets and this one takes the prize for originality. It resembles a 45-turntable. Lift the "turntable" and the book and discs rest beneath. And the handle makes it portable.
   
   A caveat: this box ain't cheap, and it's intended for hardcore Ray fans. More casual admirers should pick up the 3-CD BIRTH OF SOUL or a greatest hits package, but those don't include Ray's magnificent jazz sides.
   
   Obviously, PURE GENIUS was a labour of love by the folks at Rhino. Some box sets are a formulaic mix of greatest hits, a few unreleased tracks, and some live tracks. This goes one further: it places the artist's music in its proper context which makes you appreciate his overall career even more.
   
   If you find this box, get it. I did and it's worth every penny I paid and then some. I love PURE GENIUS.



2. The Atlantic Period was Ray Charles at his best. This is all his recordings in great sound quality. The extra disc reveals Brother Ray's creative process. The DVD shows the reaction by the beatniks to Ray's music at the Newport Jazz Festival. All in all a very worthwhile purchase for all levels of Ray's fans.



3. This collection solves one common problem with Ray Charles compilations. Usually , you only get the best of the VOCAL Ray Charles. Sure , the vocal Ray is the Ray most know and love best; but that only tells part of the story. The vast majority of Ray's instrumental works were also terrific recordings. With this package , you get everything Ray did with Atlantic for seven glorious years. Pure genius indeed.



4. This is a beautifully presented collection of Ray Charles, excellent value, does however contain some songs which could stand better edit techniques to bring out a better spread in the spectrum of the sound quality, however if one takes into account the improvement in technology since that time it probably gives a more accurate indication of the simpoler recording process of the time. Again an excellent collection which may well disappear of the shelves in years to come I do not believe any dedicated follower of Ray Charles over the years could afford to miss this collection



5. For my taste, there seems to be three phases of Ray Charles' career... 1. His early Swing Time days (when he sounded more like Nat King Cole than Ray Charles) 2. The Atlantic Years (where the sound was raw, cutting edge, and powerful) 3. The ABC Years & Later (where the craft was more refined, instrumentally and vocally). What I had longed for was a compilation or box set that focused on those Atlantic days and drilled down past the standard Ray songs that are on just about EVERY Ray Charles CD you can find. For that, this set is unmatched. In addition to some of the more popular "live" cuts, there are a good 50 songs on here that I had never heard (I'm talking beyond the songs on "Anthology" or the movie soundtrack) that are fantastic and are every bit as much a part of my Ray Charles i-pod rotation as "I Got a Woman" or "Mess Around".
   
   The real treat (in my opinion), is the 30 or so outtakes and rehearsal cuts. Here, you get to hear what it was like in the recording studio with Ray Charles... there is actually an 8 minute track that covers the recording of "Night Time is the Right Time", which allows you to experience how particular Ray was with the sound HE wanted. Knowing from past readings that multiple takes on a song were a pet peeve of his, one can actually hear his tone change with the band and the guys in the booth as the takes begin to add up... great stuff for any Ray fan who has wondered (as I often have), "How in the world does he do that?"
   
   The only reason this set gets 4 stars from me instead of 5 is that there are many (as in 25 or so) instrumental tracks. Don't get me wrong, they are all solid jazz tunes (as good as any other jazz CD I own) but I would have preferred more of Ray's vocals. Still, my rating may very well not be fair. Afterall, it is the COMPLETE Atlantic Recordings.
   
   It's quite a bit of money to put down and I pondered it for quite some time, but well worth it if you're looking for more than what you can find on a Greatest Hits compilation.