For casual listeners only!
347189
I don't know what compelled me to want to buy GHV2 considering that I already have 13 out of the 14 tracks on the cd. I think it was more for the packaging than the music. The countless pix of Madonna in the cd booklet is excellent. It amazes me how much she has evolved as an artist. Musically, I found this compilation to be shoddy and thrown together at the last minute.
All of the songs here are radio edits which that in itself spoke volumes that Warner Brothers wants your money badly. Nothing worse than hearing songs like "Frozen" and "Bedtime Story" edited. That's just wrong. Secondly, the original film version of "Don't Cry For Me Argentina" was used, not the dance remix which received more airplay than the original version. Finally I'm missing "Nothing Really Matters", "American Pie", "You'll See", "Rain" and "Fever". Sure they received minor airplay but they were great songs that should have been added on to the cd. If Madonna was involved in the project, this cd would have been just as great as "The Immaculate Collection" but she wasn't and this compilation is mediocre at best. Definitely not one of the better greatest hits compilations I have ever come across.
1218159
Paid [$] for 10 cd's which I consider "about average" - not really a great deal, but I thought if they were all re-done ("digitally re-mastered" is what I believe the infomercial stated), they would sound great. PROBLEM - From one song to the next, there is significant change in VOLUME; one song will be loud, the next you can barely hear, the next one loud again.
There are alot of great songs from this era that were not on the cd's & MANY filler songs I had never even heard of. Others were not by the original artists! Why waste the space?-
The T.V. ad is VERY misleading! From this entire collection, I only found 71 songs that I liked from the late 60s to early 70s. That means instead of spending [$](+tax +s/h) for the entire collection, I could have purchase my favorite songs, on-line, for less[...]AND I wouldn't have to listen to FILLER music of less popluar flip-side songs.

I expected much better from Time-Life!
2352179
You have all got to be kidding!  I heard this CD for the first time yesterday and have to say it was awful!  Have any of you actually listened to these words (I cant call them lyrics!) that he imposed on these beautiful, beautiful pieces of music.  Sacrilege!  Come on people! Go listen to Pavarotti singing Nessun Dorma.  Neil, stick to schlocky pop songs.
1762907
ok, lets listen to a bunch of pointless songs with horrible guitar mush in the background.  CRAP!!
4483826
Unless you're only going to play these DVDs in a CD player that doesn't have a display to tell you what's playing and who the artist is, I strongly suggest getting the MP3 version of the album for the extra $2. The first disc of the non-MP3 album includes Opendisc, a player I've never heard of and which starts when you put disc 1 in your computer's optical drive. It's a very basic player and does not reveal the name of the song that's playing. After disc 1 finishes and you insert disc 2, your on-board player takes over (in my case, Windows Media Player). It is unable to show the song names or composers, primarily because of the file formats; get nothing by tiny squares where the names should be. Because of this, I returned the album. But the music itself is superb and I still want the music! So I may order the MP3 version, but only after I confirm that the titles and artists will be displayed when it plays.
2342422
First off this record aint no good! 2nd if you are into bad warbly out of tune voices set against some vaugely interesting music then this might be for you 3rd if you're a fan of the Elephant 6 label just stick with early Apples in Stereo... 4th I have no idea what the appeal is here but this record is clearly overrated.
Instead try the new disc by The Tyde called "twice" plenty of melody set against some interesting gritty psych twang.  CHEERS!
4710897
You are simply better off listening to their older stuff. This is derrivative, and not even all that.  You can tell they are trying, but somehow it all falls flat. I think its time to move on chaps - what worked back then, needs to move forward. So difficult, when that formula worked so well. Then again, it may not be the stlye of the music thats wrong, so much as the soul of the content.
1952030
What?  They don't have a Lite Rock or Classic Rock radio station where you live?  Why else would you need to buy this CD?  Every song on here is an easy listening hit.  But just because you have heard them all before, doesn't make the songs good.
Sure, other reviewers will tell you that this is the top selling album ever, or some such line. But that is still no reason to buy it.  That just means you probably know several people who already own it.  Buy something else!  Greatest Hits are for housewives and little girls! These songs are mostly just boring schmaltz that somehow manages appeal to the lowest common denominator of Yuppies and Rednecks alike.  And what is the deal with all of the "ooh oooh" and "whoa oh"?  All 10 songs feature someone (lead or background) singing "ooh oooh" and/or "whoa oh"...  It is not quite as noticeable on "Desperado", which by the way, is just about the wussiest outlaw song in the history of music.  The best thing about it was a funny bit on Seinfeld about a guy who was way too into the song.
You like country rock?  Try the Byrds, Steve Earle, Uncle Tupelo, Old 97's, Wilco, Son Volt, the Flying Burrito Brothers, the Bottle Rockets, Neko Case, the Jayhawks, the Waco Brothers, Robbie Fulks, Lucinda Williams, the Band, anything else.  There is no prize for being the one billionth person to buy the Eagles Greatest Hits.
1538979
Sorry to say I listened once then donated it.  Was hoping to hear some nice tunes sung by some musical icons but so much of it was just plain noise to my ears....oh well, others clearly knew what they were buying and I did not!
4238008
A major disappointment. This compilation was carelessly done. The listener can hear the difference in volume from one group of music to another. I recognize that some albums would have been produced at a softer volume than others however, for the sake of consistency with a compilation, those kinks should have been worked out. It is annoying to have to keep adjusting the volume literally sometimes from one song to the next. Who has that kind of patience? It is a pity for the music is (when one can hear it) quite lovely.
This was not a good purchase.
2155220
For completists only, as the quality of the recording is subpar.
2716399
This, and all of the "Music for..." series consist mostly of 1940's 'old-timey' recordings transferred to CD, with very little (if any) remastering. If you are looking for relaxing background music, this is not a very good choice. If you're on a budget, "the intro collection" box sets, also sold through Amazon, is much better.
2807701
Hm

Its a pretty wretched album. Theres the odd good track (Quinn the Eskimo) but - God! - what on earth is he thinking crooning with himself on "The Boxer"

I can't imagine this being pulled out too much. Its not bad, as such. Songs like Belle Isle, The Boxer.. they're actually good songs

But Dylan sounds really bored. Minstrel Boy - what is that? Even the Band sound bored on that track

Are there interesting tracks? Sure! But so much of this album isn't really sung very well. I mean, God help us, I hope Bob didn't spend much time singing these tracks

Certainly the mans worst double album

Theres always the case of a double album that can be whittled down to a GREAT single album. Blonde on Blonde, The Beatles White Album.. they would've sounded great with songs like "Revolution 9" left off

But where does that leave Self Portrait? Do you just have a 45 single of the tolerable tracks (Wigwam, Sadie, Tired horses)

I can't imagine many Dylan fans really play this album too much. Granted, Down in the Groove is more bland (at least here the songs are more memorable - you NEVER forget Dylan's take on "The Boxer" - ouch!)

His worst? I don't know. Maybe Dylan, or Dylan and the Dead. Or the wretched Budokan double set (which is ruined by a flute on several numbers; indeed you can barely recognize "Maggies Farm"!)

Its an .. interesting .. album. Dylan went into the studio pretty damned quick after the reviews savaged this. Thankfully he went on to better things (the Band helping out bigtime on a live and studio disc on Asylum)

But by this point, Dylan obviously didn't care. Definitely this album is in his bottom 5. The only thing more painful is watching all four hours of Renaldo and Clara

A wretched dispirited disc altogether!
4746773
Its just some classical music.  Big whoop.  If you like classical music, I'm sure you'll find this to be a good listen.  I think I rec'd it free, if I'm remembering correctly, so for that price there's not much to complain about.  Wouldn't pay much for it though, because albums like this are a dime a dozen; nothing special going on here.
3950501
It is hard to imagine a more boring and lifeless album than this one! Okay, I can "imagine" Norah Jones's three albums, so Mrs. Elvis Costello does have some real competition in the realm of 'boring singer-songwriters'.

To be fair, Ms Krall is a vastly more accomplished performer than Norah "Snorer" Jones, AND she's made some reasonably good albums in the past.... and, believe it or not, I've occasionally enjoyed hearing them. However, this new album simply has had all the life and passion sucked out of it. What happened? One too many Mogadons before the recording session?

The songs are sung with a lilting and listless voice and it rarely rises about a whisper most of the time. One can detect that Diana Krall isn't actually a bad performer, it is just that it becomes quickly and overwhelmingly apparent very quickly when one is listening to this album that Ms Krall is entirely apathetic about and disinterested in the material she is singing. She seriously sounds like she is half asleep much of the time! I am not joking!

Why couldn't she sing something with a bit of fire? Even slow and pensive songs can be delivered with some passion and fire, albeit, subtle fire and restrained passion! We hear none of that here.

Please, Diana, on your next album, drag your hubby into the studio and take some of his advice. Try to sound angry or passionate, or at least engaged with the music for a change! Maybe sing "Watching the detectives" or "Oliver's Army"! Elvis wrote some pretty cool songs in his length and vibrant career!
2993817
If not for that, this would be a very soporific little piece of chirpy, syrupy music. But geez, all I have to do to hear cars going down the street is to step outside my house, I don't expect to hear them on a relaxation mp3. Bah, leave off the engine-driven modes of transportation next time, please?
2476047
NOT MUCH MUSIC HERE - THIS IS MORE OF A COMMERCIAL FOR A RECORDING COMPANY - NOT INTENDED FOR LISTENING PLEASURE