Excellent set from Illini's finest
931869
The speedwagon was at it's peak with this collection. All the major hits are here (minus In Your Letter & Keep the Fire Burning - two more EXCELLENT songs). They rock on Don't Let Him Go, Roll with the Changes & Ridin' the Storm Out (a true classic).
Then we get a little slower with the always great Take It On The Run, Keep on Loving You & Time for Me to Fly. Mid-tempo I don't wanna Lose You, That Ain't Love & In My dreams are always good.
You cannot possibly lose with this one ;)
1991451
If you don't know these pieces very well, this might be the perfect set for you. Pollini plays flawlessly, with the greatest finesse and sensitivity, very much in tune with each composer's personal style. His performances are exemplary in every respect. The video and audio are quite acceptable, given their 1970s vintage. Bhm and Abbado are at home in this repertoire, and the Wiener Philharmoniker in excellent form, notwithstanding a few strange noises coming from the horns. These are not live performances--no audience is present--perhaps they were filmed at dress rehearsals. If you are, on the other hand, really familiar with these concertos, you may be somewhat disappointed. Pollini is not the reason, as he finds original insights in each score. Bhm, on the other hand, is so much steeped in routine and the Austrian Kapellmeister tradition that he seems unable to shed any new light on the orchestral parts. True, they are perfectly played, if you don't mind his "Viennese" sugarcoating of Mozart. But there are no surprising highlights (many passages in the woodwinds could shine forth, instead they are drowned by the strings, the brass are tame etc.), very few individual accents are produced, and the orchestral accompaniment is occasionally bland to the point of being generic. The best of the lot is the Beethoven 5, which the Philharmoniker must have played dozens of times with other conductors, and here Bhm pretty much gives them free rein. I have often wondered how Bhm acquired his reputation of greatness: drilling an orchestra to perfection does not amount to breathing life into the score. Abbado does infinitely better with his temperamental, often fierce realization of the score, and you will be fascinated by the powerful give and take and the often furious interplay between soloist, conductor and orchestra in the Brahms. This is a truly great performance.
1868598
First off , ordering from Amazon UK will save you a ton.

Now on to the discs.

At 4 discs covering Ian's years with Chrysalis (1979-1981) , you get Ian at one of his most creative peaks (although there have been many).
The set contains a selection of rarities , where some have been available before , and some have not. An entire concert from 09/81 previously only available on VHS as "Ian Hunter Rocks" is on the 4th disc.

Having followed Ian since the first Mott The Hoople album in 1969 , and having attended countless shows , I can tell you you won't find a more intelligent writer than Mr. Hunter. At 73 , he is still performing great and has a fantastic new release in "When I'm President".

This period from the 1979-1981 had some of his best , and at this price , (or any) it's a great buy !
4939747
Your blues-loving family and friends will certainly love you if you present them with this wonderful CD box set. "The Perfect Blues Collection" contains 25 classic blues albums in miniature LP sleeves, some with bonus tracks (get out your magnifying glass to read the liner notes), as well as a booklet with track listings, recording information, and additional notes in English and French. The recordings were originally issued between 1951 and 2003 by Columbia, RCA, and other major labels now owned by Sony. This collection is usually available brand new from Amazon resellers for less than $40, or about $1.50 per disc. What a deal!

A complete list of the CDs in the set:

1) Bessie Smith - The Bessie Smith Story
2) Big Bill Broonzy - Big Bill Blues
3) Little Richard - Little Richard & Buck Ram
4) Mahalia Jackson - Live at Newport 1958
5) Chuck Willis - Wails the Blues
6) Elvis Presley - For LP Fans Only
7) Jimmy Witherspoon - In Person
8) Robert Johnson - King of the Delta Blues Singers
9) Sonny Boy Williamson & Memphis Slim - Sonny Boy Williamson & Memphis Slim
10) Aretha Franklin - Unforgettable: A Tribute to Dinah Washington
11) Son House - Father of Folk Blues
12) Johnny "Guitar" Watson & Larry Williams - Two for the Price of One
13) Champion Jack Dupree - Anthologie du Blues, Vol. 1
14) Otis Spann with Fleetwood Mac - The Biggest Thing Since Colossus
15) Johnny Winter - Johnny Winter
16) Percy Mayfield - Sings Percy Mayfield
17) The Johnny Otis Show - Live at Monterey!
18) Willie Dixon - I Am the Blues
19) Hubert Sumlin & His Friends - Kings of Chicago Blues
20) Taj Mahal - The Real Thing
21) Muddy Waters - Hard Again
22) Stevie Ray Vaughan & Double Trouble - Texas Flood
23) Keb Mo - Just Like You
24) Etta James - Life, Love & the Blues
25) Buddy Guy - Blues Singer

Quibblers may object to the inclusion of releases by rock, R&B, soul, and gospel artists like Elvis Presley, Little Richard, Aretha Franklin, and Mahalia Jackson, but these musical immortals felt the blues deeply and performed it with conviction (and in the case of Richard and Aretha, they still do). Their albums perfectly complement essential blues men and women like Robert Johnson, Bessie Smith, Son House, Willie Dixon, Muddy Waters, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Etta James, and Buddy Guy.

Also recommended are "The Perfect Jazz Collection" and "The Perfect Country Collection," matching import boxes from Sony. Each holds 25 albums from the architects of classic jazz and country music at similarly low prices.
2696350
This is unquestionably some fine Beethoven here, with exceptionally fine quartet playing by the Artemis Quartet, scrupulously attentive to fine musical details.  The set is well-recorded and comes in a nicely packaged box with a full set of notes.  Though I am still also a huge fan of versions by the Tokyo, Alban Berg, and Talich quartets, this set is a worthy competitor to any version now on the market.
4956052
This is a wonderful set.  It is certainly not as interesting as last year's FORD AT FOX set, in terms of variety and type of films.  This is a mostly silent film collection; several are "all-talking," and some have the original Movietone sound and effects tracks.  At least one, SONG O' MY HEART, features separate prints of both talkie and "silent" versions.

And, no, there is no talking version of CITY GIRL(1930) included in this set.  In the accompanying documentation, it is stated that Murnau requested a release from his contract before his work on a talkie version could even be started.  A talkie version was completed without his input, with significant changes in plot.  He had become (ironically, given this set!) disgusted with Fox over increasing interference with his work.  He quit after only 3 films with Fox, one of which (4 DEVILS) no longer exists (and is represented here by a 41-minute visual essay/reconstruction using script, photos, etc).  So, Murnau is represented by only 2 films here--SUNRISE and CITY GIRL.  Both are important works, but one strongly suspects that 4 DEVILS was the best picture of the three--aren't all lost films the greatest?

Borzage has 10 titles here, not including a 56-minute reconstruction of THE RIVER(1928)....which is missing a few scenes early on and the final reel.

The print qualities range from really great (most of the talkies), to really beaten up with some of the silents.  Of course, considering that the negatives for most of these films never survived, we're lucky just to be able to enjoy them today from these extant prints (some provided by the Czech film archive, Nederlands Filmmuseum, MoMA, et al).

There are a few audio commentaries (few-maybe 2), lots of stills galleries, some text notes, screenplays, scenarios, etc.  In short, lots of still image/text material.  The grandest supplement is a superb 105 minute documentary produced for this set called MURNAU, BORZAGE, and FOX; presented by John Cork.  In a really great way, this documentary ties together these 3 disparate characters, and explains much about early filmmaking on their journey.

The two "coffee table books" are this time out large paperbacks.  One is all about the lost film 4 DEVILS (which is a little redundant given the audio essay by Janet Bergstrom on the disc) and the other contains additional info/photos RE: our three lead characters.

Overpriced?  Well, this one is certainly not as extensive as the Ford box was....and doesn't have the same number or type of bonus features.  In today's market, this one is certainly more "specialized" than the Ford set....so we're probably just lucky to have it at any price.

One thing is sure; this is a limited release and they will eventually sell out.  The Ebay bloodsuckers are already obtaining their copies....so if you want it and have the dough now..........
386094
I love classical music, classic jazz -- and The Clash.
Go figure!
The 40 songs on this 2+ hour set run the gamut from the enraged to the inspired.  Regardless of the extreme, there is incredible intelligence here and a mastery of more musical forms than one might have thought possible. The second disc (in particular) will leave you slack-jawed. LONDON CALLING and TRAIN IN VAIN are magnificent and beautifully remastered too.
The best thing I can say about the collection is that THE ESSENTIAL CLASH is the perfect collection for the music-lover who "hates punk" because, in the final analysis, The Clash played more than punk.  They performed a splendid variety of rock 'n roll, soul, reggae and world music, produced it thoughtfully, played it with fire, and created lyrics that will outlive us in more ways than one.
And this from a guy who has a statue of Giuseppe Verdi on his piano. Go figure.
4474606
The Reader's Digest ten-LP set entitled THE GREAT BAND ERA (1936-1945) (RD4-25) is arguably the finest collection of its kind.

Every one of its 120 tracks are original recordings, dubbed from restored 78 rpm master plates or archived discs. RCA's simulated stereo effect has been sparingly used and filtration is minimal. The result: sparkling tracks that sound better over speakers than the shellac records.

Each album has a stock paper sleeve, all of different colors and finely illustrated. The ten LPs are stored in an incredibly strong box with a drop-down door to make access a snap. This box slides into an outer case of similar thickness. It's an set seemingly built to last centuries!

Also included is a 24-page 12"12" booklet containing notes for each song, synopses of events for individual years, an essay on the Big Band era and a layman's description of how transfers from record to tape was accomplished. There's also bios for 36 band leaders and two contents list breakdowns: by bands, by songs.

Disc One contains 12 theme songs. The other nine were designed for stacking on a record changer. Thus, 1937 Part 1 is on record 3-A; '37 Part 2 on 4-A, and so on. Altogether a perfect mix of some familar and many lesser-known tracks, highest recommendation here to all vinylphile lovers of classic band music!
.

RANDOM TRIVIA (includes LP sides)--
Down Beat magazine chose "Christopher Columbus" (2-A) as the "The Best Swing Composition" of 1936.
Martha Tilton's debut Benny Goodman record is "Bob White" (3-A).
After replacing vocalist Billy Holiday, "I Have Eyes" (5-A) was Helen Forrest's first record with Artie Shaw.
"My Reverie" (6-A) was the recently organized Larry Clinton band's first hit.
Hoagy Carmichael wrote "Blue Orchids" (7-A). Tommy Dorsey's arrangement is by Paul Weston.
Glenn Miller's "The Lamp is Low" (8-A) was adapted from Ravel's "Pavane for a Dead Princess."
"Frenesi" (10-A) was brought back from Mexico by Artie Shaw after his first self-imposed exile.
Dolores O'Neill, vocalist on "With the Wind and the Rain in Your Hair" (10-A) was a relative of playwright Eugene.
Meredith Willson, creator of Broadway's&nbsp;<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/THE-MUSIC-MAN/dp/B000YG72HY/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">THE MUSIC MAN</a>, wrote the melody for "You and I" (10-B).
Dinah Shore was about to leave NY for home when she was invited to wax her first record, "Yours" (10-B).
Composer Bobby Troup was a 21-year-old college senior when "Daddy" (9-B) launched his musical career.
Lyrics for "The Hut-Sut Song" (9-B) were by a California attorney named Leo Killion.
"Sleepy Lagoon" (8-B) and "Blues in the Night" (7-B) are previously unissued Tommy Dorsey sides.
"Moonlight Mood" (6-B) was recorded at Glenn Miller's last session before he joined the Army Air Force.
Glenn's "Blue Rain" (3-B) went unnoticed in 1940. The AFM recording ban of '43 gave this track a second life.
Johnny Mercer was inspired to write "On the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe" (2-B) while he was stuck at a train crossing.
"Take the 'A' Train" (1-A) succeeded "East St. Louis Toodle-Oo as Duke Ellington's theme song.
When a 'B' Side was needed for "Sunrise Serenade," Glenn Miller named an untitled tune "Moonlight Serenade" (1-A)
"Goodbye" (1-B), Benny Goodman's show-closing theme, was written by Gordon Jenkins.

FOR A COMPLETE PLAYLIST, SEE COMMENT #1, LOCATED BELOW
2820047
This is a great set!  The only reason that I didn't give it a full 5 stars is because I had all of the material on disc 2. If you are getting those songs for the first time, you are in for a treat. The main reason why I bought this was because all of the Dean Hightower tracks are included. I have the LP, but I'm glad to have them on disc. Those songs alone are worth the price. Hope you enjoy it!
465387
The Savoy and Dial Sides recorded by Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie and Miles Davis (yes you are reading this correctly) between 1944 and 1948 are collected in their entirety on this 8 CD box set which was issued in 2000.  Now some of this material had been issued in part before on vinyl on various savoy 2 LP set and single LP sets as early as the 1970s, or even before on other labels, but this is clearly the definitive collection of the Savoy and Dial sides, which were originally 78 rpm highly valued by collectors.

This is to modern jazz what the rosetta stone is to modern archaeology--the beginning, and perhaps, the end, of all ye seek, for in it are melded the talents of Diz, Bird, Miles and many others, including guest vocals from Sarah Vaughan, Tiny Grimes, and even a bonus disc featuring Red Norvo.

This is not just a box set for completists or archivists.  This is the holy grail of Jazz.  This is the bop that drove Neal Cassady and Jack Kerouac across country and fueled on the Road and the Beat Generation, that spawned the Sixties, John Coltrane, long rock jams, and inevitably, the Grateful Dead, the Sixties and the counterculture.

This is where it all began--with Charlie Yardbird "Bird" Parker.

Begin your studies with Ornithology and devote yourselves to the Bird!

Beware--this item is out of print, and rare.  The downloads on itunes are incomplete, and do not contain all of the materials on the 8 CD box set.  Also, you must be sure that the sets you purchase have the corrected 4th CD--there was an error in pitch in the original 8 CD box set, but registered users received an updated 4th CD with an apology letter from Orrin Keepnews and an erratum sheet, and the replacement CD 4 is correctly pitched.

This is important, because CD 4 is probably the most important in the entirely set, both musically and historically.

Don't buy from settlers who do not have the proof of the authenticity of the correct 4th CD!

Having said that, strive, seek and ye shall find jazz happiness!

Art Kyriazis
akyriazis@msn.com
artifacts/final vinyl revival
107133
This two CD collection brings together great tunes from all periods of Donovan's career including his early material issued on Hickory Records.  The set is well programmed chronologically and disc one features mostly the mono versions from his catalog while disc two is mostly stereo.  The booklet is nice but unfortunately lacks session notes about the various musicians who play on his albums.  Still a great set that I recommend for all fans and those interested in Donovan's transcendent words and music.
518884
I could not be happier with this two volume collection of Tennessee Williams plays.  The set is much more than just a chronological collection.  There are notes by the playwright with many of the plays, a superb chronology of his life and work, early and obscure one act plays later expanded, and textural notes.

The price of the books is more than fair for what the reader gets.

I have never owned The Library of American edition of anything before, though I recognize the series distinctive black and white covers.  The book production is scrupulous and careful.  The books are sturdy, made to last, and come in a thick protective box that fits well on any bookshelf.  I noticed another reviewers complaint about the paper being thin, fragile, and transparent.  Ive been reading these volumes for several days now and had no difficulties.  The pages turn easily, without tearing, and while there is a degree of transparency, it never entered my consciousness while reading. The paper is intentionally lightweight since these two volumes contains 2,053 pages in a very manageable size.

A sincere thank you to The Library of America and the editors of this set.
3947954
This set is one of the best-presented boxed sets I've come across. There are extensive notes, a discography, pictures of LP sleeves and other pictures too. The set opens like a hardback book, with the CD's on the inside of the front and back covers. The music is dominated by her years on Capitol (especially the 1940's), but begins with three tracks from her Benny Goodman days, followed by two with Bob Crosby. What can a woman do? (track 6 on CD 1) is the first time we hear Peggy's own music, but the rest of that CD and the other three CD's concentrate entirely on her studio singles, up to Some cats know (1975), her last new single. Senza fine, a Japanese single in 2001 that was originally recorded in 1964, plus five studio out-takes, including false starts and rehearsals, complete the set.
Even on 4 CD's, it is not possible to include all Peggy's singles, but it is clear that a serious effort has been made to include singles which had not been previously available on CD - there are almost fifty of them, plus one song, Moments like this, which was going to be a single but was never released. Live and album versions of the song have been previously released, but the original single version is available here for the first time ever.
Of the previously released material, the most obvious omission is Riders in the sky, which was an American number two hit for Peggy in 1949, but this is readily available on other compilations. All the tracks that are absolutely essential - Manana, The folks who live on the hill, Fever and Is that all there is? - are included. Black coffee was never released as a single, so does not qualify.
This is a cleverly compiled set which is designed to include as much as possible for Peggy's committed fans who have a lot of her CD's already (I have over 20), while making it an attractive purchase for somebody who just wants one big collection of Peggy's music.
784075
Weber, known largely for Die Freischutz and the two Clarinet concerti, was a rival of Beethoven, and (rightly) highly regarded in his day.

This set, including the two Symphonies, several operatic overtures, the clarinet concerti, (but not the concertino), and the piano concerti, is an excellent collection for those unacquainted with this chap's other works.

The Symphonies are clearly a bridge between the formalism of Haydn/Mozart, and the overtly Romantic works that followed Beethoven. They largely sparkle here, if perhaps lacking the whimsy of Haydn, or the Bombast and even bathos of Beethoven.
In places, the treble winds are somewhat harsh

The piano concerti are truly virtuosic, the first more-so.
And, the much loved Clarinet works get excellent treaments.
I find the overtures slighter works, rather lacking in character, though are well played, and I was led into looking at operas other than Die Freischutz.
These are all top-flight perfomers and ensembles, and the recordings mostly good, though I take exception to the harshness of the treble wind in the Symphonies.
Minor quibble, true.
Great value (on Brilliant), all up, so give the bloke a go.
1752008
Outstanding, invaluable and affordable collection of WATAIN's first four VINYL releases (thankfully including most of the tracks from their very first cassette-only attack "Black Metal Sacrifice"  on "Rabid Death's Curse" - although 2001s cassette-only live release "The Ritual Macabre" remains out of the picture). This exceeding fine box set also includes a booklet containing ALL the lyrics - a very welcome addition to the WATAIN saga. This and the also quite accessibly-priced double DVD set "Opus Diaboli" don't only provide a great overview of the Swedish Black Metal pioneers career, they are certain to whet your appetite to search out the entire oeuvre - vinyl singles, cassette tapes, and the gorgeous "Wild Hunt" box set (if you can find one, its well worth the search!).  Blood-soaked, aggressive, commanding onslaught of the best Black Metal has to offer.
2040671
I purchased this used, but in excellent condition, and I must say that I was very pleased indeed with this DG compilation.  The performance by the LaSalle Quartet I found very enjoyable, if not flawless; and the notes sent with the 3 CD's were wonderfully done.  Although I am not such the expert in judging classical music, I wonder why this set is not more sought after.  If one were to purchase just one set of the late quartets, I believe this should be considered, noting its quality, thoroughness and resplendency.  [DG also  produced a similar anthology of Brahms finest chamber music too, btw, but with the Amadeus Quartet.]
2117432
Very pleased overall with this box set; another bargain (the discs are full of music; all 60+ minutes, many 70+ minutes). Please see the other longer, excellent reviews about this box - they are all very accurate. I can confirm that the music is wonderful with amazing sound quality for the dates of the recordings. The older mono recordings may sound slightly stark compared to some modern stereo recordings, but the mastering and lack of hiss, etc. is fantastic, and I think they have a very "realistic" sound. (I am not an audiophile, just a fan of good music.) I have most of these works as single issue CDs. At least the booklet included in the box set has good listings of the works/recordings and the liner notes from the single CD issues. You do miss out on the interesting art work included in the single CD issues. Also, the booklet does not include an essay about the Masterworks Heritage series in general (disappointing, thought it would). Anyway, music = 5 stars, documentation = 4 stars. Looking forward to Masterworks Heritage 2.

Addendum: Just so no one buys this set and puts on Disc 2 and thinks I'm crazy: that disc has recordings from the "acoustic era", recorded in the 1910's. It has great violin performances but LOTS of hiss and surface noise to the recording. I view it more as a historical document. The sound quality of the other discs is excellent.