Reviews :
Here is, bar none, the most all-inclusive anthology ever assembled to honor the greatest singer ever considered to be a "Rock and Roll artist." But Roy Kelton Orbison was so much more: behind his ever-present sunglasses and beneath his shock of raven-black hair, clad in black, he was rock's Mystery Man, the possessor of the most glorious voice ever to soar on such signature songs as "Only The Lonely," "In Dreams," "Running Scared," "Crying" and "Oh, Pretty Woman," to cite a mere handful of his Top Ten hits.

As Orbison's widow, Barbara, who is also this collection's Executive Producer, points out in her loving annotation contained in this four-CD package: "For the first time, you will have a chance to hear Roy's first recording to the last time he ever sang--Dec. 4, 1988, in Akron, Ohio. Roy recorded for several different labels [including 15 covered in this 107-song collection] and toured the world many, many times--we have numerous unreleased masters [specifically, 12 in this package] and live performances included in this box set to make it truly special."
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Hard rock producer Paul O'Neill, renowned for his work with Aerosmith and Savatage, teamed with the latter band's Jon Oliva to create Trans-Siberian Orchestra, an inspired fusion of classical music and rock-opera pageantry. Their first two releases are visionary and timeless Christmas-themed concept albums, spotlighting lead guitars and classical string sections alike, and they became instant contemporary holiday classics. 2004's The Lost Christmas Eve, which completes their symphonic rock Yuletide triology, underscores Billboard's recent comment that TSO "seems to be turning into a Christmas tradition."
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Reviews :
Nice Collection
A nice collection of songs and though they were used, the condition was as described by the seller.

What can I say? It's the Who
Good introducition to the band and probably the best compilation available to the casual fan. For a more complete collection of Who songs it would be better to buy some of their albums in addition to this one. Who's Next, Quadrophenia and Tommy are Essentials to any serious collector, but this collection will have pretty much all of the songs that anyone has heard on the radio. I'm not a fan of their 60's material, so that is the reason for the 4 stars. Otherwise, the Who made some great music. They have never been one of my favorite bands, but they were one of the biggest and most influential bands to come out of the 60's and into the 70's. Along with The Rolling Stones, Led Zepellin and Pink Floyd.
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Nina Simone was one of those controversial figures American pop music puts forward from time to time, with the notable exception that she started her controversy earlier in the 1960s than, say, Bob Dylan. To see this African-American woman get angry about the racial situation in her country, right there on stage, was a shock to people who'd come to hear her sing "I Loves You, Porgy." Not that she cared; she figured that it was the artist's job to deliver the truth, and if the truth hurt, so be it. Of course, events wound up proving her right, but she never stopped being prickly about one thing or another. It was just part of who she was, and part of why her music has endured while that of some of her contemporaries has faded: she's still contemporary.

To Be Free: The Nina Simone Story is a 3 CD Career Retrospective (1957-1993) including her work for Bethlehem, Colpix, Philips, RCA, CTI and Elektra, PLUS a DVD featuring the 1970 Emmy-nominated never-before-released documentary. This package includes 54 songs, 8 previously unreleased tracks, including some never recorded elsewhere. The box includes all chart hits (U.S. and U.K.) and her most famous signature songs. An added bonus are liner notes which include track-by-track commentary from Simone biographer, David Nathan, and introduction by Ed Ward, NPR's "rock & roll historian", and never-before-seen photos from her family archives, recording sessions and performances.
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Reviews :
This is the first attempt to consolidate all of Sir Elton's hit singles, from three labels, in one collection. It once would've required at least four CDs to own the best stuff here. Many think the legendary performer was at his best in the early to mid-'70s, and the incredible string of singles that ran from 1970's "Your Song" through 1977's "Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word" remains mighty impressive. But in retrospect, as they're presented here, '80s hits like "I'm Still Standing" and "Sad Songs" add much to an already amazing legacy. Three Disney tunes, the lush "The One," and two from Songs from the West Coast, which was hailed as a return to those '70s golden days, represent the later years. Collectively, these tracks reinforce the notion that, despite Michael Jackson's later proclamations, John was once the closest thing post-'60s music had to a genuine king of pop, respected by hipsters and the mainstream alike. --Bill Holdship
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Reviews :
Awesome!
I love this item. I bought it for my husband he had it once, but somehow lost every other CD. This was a great deal the price was amazing. He LOVES! Thank You!!!!

Essential Zeppelin
On the occasion of receiving the new Definitive Collection mini lp set this holiday season, I decided to take another look at this set, which I purchased when it was first issued and have treasured ever since. Complete Studio Recordings corrects the first two Led Zeppelin box sets ill-advised change of the running orders of songs that were timeless in their original incarnation. Nearly everything you need is here; you can augment this with the live "How the West was Won" and have a fairly complete Zeppelin collection. The remastering has held up very well over the years, and the packaging is first rate. If you cannot afford the mini lp set, this is a must have.
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What once seemed Queen's greatest liabilities--a preening flamboyance and pompous, overwrought theatricality--have ironically become their most enduring charms in a gray, postmodern pop-music landscape. While it eschews the glammy, pre-punk hard rock of live faves like "Stone Cold Crazy" and "Tie Your Mother Down" for the band's more quirky club-beat string of latter-day hits, this 51-track triple-CD anthology goes a long way toward documenting the true dimensions of the band's music and fame. Some songs may not be instantly familiar to American fans because of yet another irony: just as their U.S. fortunes waned during the punk and new wave era, the band was exploding into true international superstars. Thus, there may be a sense of discovery here, whether of latter-day Queen material or solo work by Brian May and Freddie Mercury, whose duet on "Barcelona" with diva Montserrat Caballé transcends boundaries of both time and genre. A previously unreleased live performance of "The Show Must Go On" featuring Elton John on vocals is also included. --Jerry McCulley
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What's left to be said about Andrew Lloyd Webber's adaptation of The Phantom of the Opera a decade after its premiere? That it's maddeningly ubiquitous? A stitch-up of various themes shoplifted from the Italian operatic repertoire? A critic-proof crowd pleaser that's probably being staged somewhere in the world as you read this? A megahit that will likely outlive Titanic in the pop-culture pantheon, Phantom has largely redefined--for better or worse--the manner in which modern musicals are conceived, staged, and marketed. Its influence has reached far beyond the traditional confines of London and Broadway. A favorite example: an abridged version that was the centerpiece of Los Angeles's longest-running transvestite revue, replete with 14-inch chandeliers and a man-playing-a-woman-playing-a-man in the title role. --Jerry McCulley
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Reviews :
For the first time, the DVD premieres the previously unseen historic 1978 Tokyo concert, aired only once on Japanese TV. Bonus features include a new interview with the band plus two songs taped at 2008 Budokan Anniversary Show. Two CDs feature At Budokan: The Complete Concert, newly remastered, while an additional disc includes the audio counterpart to the DVD plus four bonus songs not included in the original film.
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Reviews :
Bob Dylan has always been incredibly prolific, only releasing a fraction of what he records. Such a policy has made him a prime target for bootleggers over the years, finally prompting this sanctioned 1991 triple-disc dive into the Dylan vaults. It consists of rare tracks, unreleased outtakes, early versions of classics ("Times They Are a-Changin'," "Like a Rolling Stone," "I Shall Be Released"), and alternate versions that sometimes cut the originals ("Idiot Wind"). A measure of Dylan's depth is his list of discarded songs ("She's Your Lover Now," "Blind Willie McTell," "Series of Dreams") that would be the crown jewels of most catalogs. These 58 tracks serve as a shadow history of one of our most important artists. --Ben Edmonds
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