A solid compilation of Heart's early and later material
351791
Next to Blondie, Heart is one of my personal favorite bands that I grew up listening to (especially their '80s material). Over the years I have seen so many best of/greatest hits released that it has gotten a bit silly, even for this lifelong fan. I mean really? How many best of/greatest hits cds do we really need? And I really think that anything with the two words "The Essential..." tacked on before the artist/band's name is getting a bit cheesy and out of control. I'm just waiting for "The Essential Kathie Lee Gifford" to come out (not). These "Essential" compilations have really spread like a fungus, and not necessarily in a good way. Still, after seeing the tracklist for the Heart compilation, I thought this compilation looked quite appealing especially since they included one of my personal favorite Heart songs that wasn't included on past comps, "Secret". That and the band's live covers of Led Zeppelin's "Rock and Roll" and that cavity-inducing ballad "Unchained Melody" intrigued me. Well,I loved the Led Zep cover but loathe the "Unchained Melody" cover. That is another song that should never be covered. Hated the original, hate Heart's version. Overall the inclusion of both of the band's '70s and '80s material was a great idea. I think we have seen enough comps of just the band's '80s music or their '70s music. I thank the gods that they didn't include that treacly ballad "Almost Paradise" or the cheeseball "Surrender" (like on their last greatest hits (from the past decade). I think the live version of "You're The Voice" is a lot better than the studio version. I still loathe "All I Wanna Do...". Hideous song, and of course written by Mutt Lange. Blech! Overall solid compilation, even though anything with the word "Essential" tacked on is getting tiresome and cheesy IMO.
1719356
Review no. 132. Nicely assembled 16 track compilation of hits / fan favorite tunes off the arena rock master's first three albums, self-titled('76), 'Don't Look Back'('78) and 'Third Stage'('86). Plus there are three exclusive cuts here that you cannot find on any other CD, "Tell Me","Star Spangled Banner" and "Higher Power" which are so-so. Not even sure if 'Greatest Hits' is geared toward the Boston die-hards or the casual fans. Either way,it does make for decent listening. Oh, great cover, don't you agree?
4351055
I remember picking up a John and Beverly Martyn vinyl in the seventies "Road to Ruin" I think it was called. It was not bad, with a great cover illustration. Then "One World"-which suited my more melancholy coming of age years. Sigh-what a wimp I was then, me balls in me pocket. After that, I thought he was past his use by date-I had moved onto new wave/punk and reggae. More Patrik Fitzgerald than the lumpy Mr Martyn. So it was good to recently pick this up and enjoy 34 tracks of vintage folk, folk/pop. It covers eight albums from 1971 and as a compilation gets it mostly right. There are jewels but all tracks are workmanlike. Nothing that jars or falls flat. I still enjoy his nasal crooning voice, bitter sweet lyrics and sensual guitar playing. Good for the background when you want gentle sounds to bubble through your day, without cloy. It is a good introduction to a talented singer/songwriter.
3609131
I enjoy listening to this CD, and I also like the packaging.  This CD is a  compilation the material from Led Zeppelin after 1972.  I think that it has  something to offer those unfamiliar with LZ as well as the die-hard fans.  There also seems to be enough for people who are prone to complaining.  For  those who are new to LZ, I feel that this CD is as good a place to start as  any.  After four landmark albums, the band was expanding their musical  direction.  There are still two blues numbers here which have been  significantly rearranged (TRAMPLED UNDERFOOT Robert Johnson & NOBODY'S  FAULT BUT MINE Blind Willie Johnson).  LZ continued to be powerful Blues'  Interpreters.  ACHILLE'S LAST STAND & TEN YEARS GONE feature the  "guitar orchestra" of which Jimmy Page is so fond.  You may  recognize KASHMIR from the GODZILLA soundtrack which Jimmy Page wrote with  Puff Daddy. ;D  In 1975, when K was released, it diverged completely from  what the band had previously done.  It has become one of the most  influential tracks of their catalogue.  Although the albums are listed in  the liner notes, they are not matched to the corresponding songs.  Just to  help out: 1&2 Houses of the Holy; 3,4,5&6 Physical Graffiti;  7&8 Presence; 9&10 In through the Outdoor.  For someone wondering  what to purchase next, I would recommend the Page&Plant NO QUARTER  release.  It contains live reworkings of these and other songs from the LZ  albums.  For the die-hard fans there is a video clip of the band performing  KASHMIR.  It is a good night, and they successfully negotiate the coda.  There are also pictures of the band over the years.  Although many of these  photographs have been in circulation, they have never appeared on an album.  This is your chance to impress your friends with your command of LZ  trivia.  For example, on which of the five nights in May 1975 at Earls  Court, London were these photographs taken.  Or, what is Bonzo doing in  front of the Hyatt Hotel, Los Angeles on 24 June 1972 when the band has a  show in Berkeley -- I hope he is on his way to the plane. ;D  Finally, to  address the complainers.  Puhleeeeeeeeeeeeeeease!  If your favourite LZ  song is ommitted from this collection, simply listen to that song on the  CDs you already own. duh!  At least, the playlist is printed on the outside  of the CD unlike 8 of 10 of the studio LPs.  Next the complaint that the  songs have somehow been compromised because the sacrosanct original album  oriented order has been altered is unfounded.  First, Jimmy Page has  already veered from the original album order on previous compilations.  Second, KASHMIR follows TU just as it does on PHYSICAL GRAFFITI.  Satisfied?  The problem is that LZ never played them in that order on  stage.  From the first show of 12 January 1975 at the Voorst Nationaal, in  Brussels, Belgium, K followed THE RAIN SONG, and TU followed NO QUARTER --  how could they?!?! ;D  It remained that way through the entire tour, even  when they crossed the Atlantic to North America.  As much as the lads gave  their best effort, they never got it in the correct order.  On 11 August  1979, at the Knebworth Festival, they came close, but still missed the mark  when the playlist was WHITE SUMMER/ KASHMIR/ TU/ SICK AGAIN.  Perhaps, if  you listen to this CD as many times as you have listened to the albums, you  will become convinced that this playlist is indeed adequate.  If you are  interested in the music of Led Zeppelin after STAIRWAY, or in the music  which has dominated the past three decades, this CD will be interesting to  you.
1916208
For a long time, Roy Acuff was poorly represented on CD but this box released in 2004 finally provided us with what his fans wanted - the complete recordings from his early years. Everything here is presented in nearly chronological order beginning with Great speckled bird from 1937 and ending with It's all right now in 1950. Two 1936 tracks appear as tracks 3 and 4 on CD 1 to disturb the chronological sequence slightly. Within this box, you can find all of Roy's famous tracks from the years when he was at the peak of his popularity. The box includes an extensive booklet that tells you, among other things, how Bashful Brother Oswold got his name; his real name is Beecher Kirby, though he prefers to be known as Pete.

Of course, Roy maintained a successful career for the rest of his life and even wrote a few great songs in later years, most notably Blue eyes crying in the rain, the song with which Willie Nelson revitalized his career in the late seventies. Following the success of that song, interest in Roy's own music increased for a while and he had some success with his own music on the country charts. Aside from Blue eyes crying in the rain and the hits that followed, every Roy Acuff song that really matters can be found here, and then some.

Roy recorded several train songs during this period. It is particularly interesting to note that the original 1936 versions of two of them (Wabash cannonball, Freight train blues) featured band member Sam Hatcher as the singer. Roy re-recorded them with his own vocals in 1947. You'll find both versions in this box. Other train songs to be found here are Streamlined cannonball, Fireball mail, Night train to Memphis, Tennessee central #9 and Midnight train. Roy also sang about other forms of transport as you can hear on Steamboat whistle blues, Autombile of life and Wreck on the highway.

Roy sang plenty of songs about love and heartache including Blue ridge sweetheart, Broken heart, Be honest with me, I know you're saying goodbye, Lying woman blues and You are my love, but he seemed to have a fascination with eyes, writing and singing Bonnie blue eyes, Answer to sparkling eyes, Beautiful brown eyes and Eyes watching you. Roy alkso recorded several gospel songs. Apart from Great speckled bird, they include Will the circle be unbroken, Drifting too far from the shore, When I lay my burden down, Waiting for the call to glory and Jesus died for me. Roy was not afraid to comment on social issues when he felt strongly, as in Old age pension cheque.

Among the classic songs that I haven't mentioned so far are Precious jewel, Prodigal son, Pins and needles, Our own Jole Blon and I'll forgive but I can't forget. If you like country music at its most traditional, you'll love Roy Acuff - and this is by far the best compilation out there.
2501316
I've been a fan of Paula Abdul for a few years, even before American Idol fame, and this is a pretty good compilation of her hits. Not perfect, but it gives you a good impression of her body of work. Some may scoff at having a GREATEST HITS album after only 3 albums (not including the remix album), but she did have quite a few hits, and there's some bonuses here for fans. However, I could have done without the Megamix Medley. I think this would have served better purpose on a cd single than on this compilation. It takes up over 9 minutes which could have been used for other songs. There is also the bonus track "Crazy Love", which was a left over from the HEAD OVER HEELS album.
Paula does not have the best voice, in fact it sounds quite weak on some songs (she sounds very off key on "Promise of a New Day"). She has a nice tone but the vocals are not very strong. Nevertheless, the sound engineers obviously found a way to smooth out these imperfections and make her sound a little better. I really like the ballad "If I Were Your Girl", although it's a wonder why it's on here since it wasn't even a single. "My Love Is For Real" and "Crazy Cool" are great songs, that are underrated in my opinion.
From her early career we have "Cold Hearted", "The Way That You Love Me", "Straight Up", "Forever Your Girl", "Rush Rush", "Knocked Out", and many others. A lot of these songs are pretty memorable. Perhaps she will never record again, but I guess there is a resurgence in interest in Paula since American Idol has taken off. This is a pretty good collection if you want an introduction to her music.
2958497
With so many girl group and girl singer anthologies and reissues on the market, it's hard to know where to start one's collection. Varese's generous 25-track collection provides a valuable tutorial, with a song selection that includes both iconic hits and lesser-known regional singles, it cuts a wide swath through girl groups (e.g., Shirelles, Chiffons, Dixie Cups, Murmaids, Paris Sisters, Shangri-Las), pop songbirds (e.g., Linda Scott, Marcie Blane, Kathy Young), and soul and R&B singers (e.g., Betty Everett, Claudine Clark, Barbara Lewis, Barbara George, Barbara Mason, Barbara Lynn).
Nearly all of these tracks started life on indie labels, some well known (Red Bird, Sceptor, Wand, Laurie), and some hopelessly obscure (Tuff, Seville, A.F.O., Arctic). They were produced and hustled to radio in a time when regional hits on indie labels could still break out nationally. Then again, some of these gems remained regional favorites; the Philly soul favorite "The 81" only touched #51, failing to ignite a nationwide dance craze, and Yvonne Carroll's sophisticated ballad "Laugh or Cry" was well known in Pittsburgh, but never cracked the national charts. And though Motown's Detroit sounds are missing, Felice Taylor sounds remarkably like Diana Ross on the Barry White produced "It May Be Winter Outside (But in My Heart It's Spring)."
In addition to the girls in the studio, the talent behind the glass is equally impressive. Songwriters anthologized here include Kenny Gamble (who would later co-develop the famed 1970s Philly Sound with Leon Huff), David Gates (whose "Popsicles and Icicles" is even stickier than his later work with Bread), and Brill Building stalwarts Jeff Barry & Ellie Greenwich, Gerry Goffin & Carole King, and Barry Mann. Producers heard here include Kim Fowley (who would develop a rather different girl-sound with The Runaways in the late 70s), Phil Spector, Van McCoy and Shadow Morton, along with lesser-known names whose talent is laid down in these grooves.
Varese's gathered together an impressive number of stereo masters (1-3, 7-11, 15, 19-20, 23-25, possibly 4 and 12), and several of these tracks (6, 9, 13, 19, 21) are reasonably rare in CD circles, making this a good catch for both collectors and neophytes.
4-1/2 stars, if allowed fractional ratings.
1749633
These days, it's not difficult to find music from the 1980s - there are digital music stations, FM radio stations dedicated solely to this decade, and, of course, downloads.  However, there are still songs that elude a dedicated 80s fan, and this compilation is a worthy addition to one's collection.  Personally, I bought this CD for Deon Estus' "Heaven Help Me", but was happy with the other songs, including Hipsway's "The Honeythief", "10-9-8" by Face to Face and "No More 'I Love You's'" by The Lover Speaks (most listeners will be familiar with Annie Lennox's version).  There are songs from ABC, Hall & Oates and the Thompson Twins, as well as from more obscure acts like The Models and One 2 Many.  Like the album promises, these are the hard to find songs, the ones that have been forgotten (for the most part).  If you're looking for 80's pop music other than Rick Springfield, Journey or Pat Benatar, this is the collection for you!
550573
One disc 39 minutes in length approximately.  The sound is good,considering when and under what conditions these tracks were recorded.  Be aware that this music is in mono,which gives it even more of a period feeling,but some listeners may object to listening to something so "ancient".  These tracks have been remastered for best sound,but don't expect miracles.  The accompanying booklet lays out a good overview of the era when this music (doo-wop/r&b) was in it's prime.  It connects Sun Ra with his love of this type of music and the different groups he used for his various music projects.  This is volume 1 of a 3 disc release from Norton Records.

All of these tracks are unreleased rehearsal or studio sessions from the 50's by several vocal groups,except for one track under Sun Ra's name-"Tony's Wife",a home recording featuring Ra on piano/vocal,from 1949,which was a big band hit.  At the beginning of the track,if you listen closely,you can hear the sound of the elevated train rumbling past Ra's apartment.  For those who have heard the 2 CD collection "The Singles" under Sun Ra's name,this is a continuation of some of the r&b/doo-wop singles heard on that collection.  There is another set-"Spaceship Lullaby",that features more of this music,on the Atavistic label.

Let me repeat-this is not the "usual" Sun Ra that most people have come to appreciate.  There are no free jams,no long keyboard workouts,no blazing John Gilmore solos (or anyone else for that matter) to be found here.  This is straight doo-wop/rhythm and blues.  There is even a delicate solo-vocal/recitation by Juanita Rogers ("Love Letters Full of Promises"),that is innocent sounding even for the era.  The next track ("Teenager's Letter of Promises")has  a combination of sung-vocals and recitation in a  man's deep bass voice,in stark contrast to Roger's voice.  For people of a certain age (like myself) this style of music will bring back memories from long ago-when this type of music was heard on any popular radio station.  About the closest this music comes to sounding like a Sun Ra release most people would be familiar with,is track 9-"Africa" (which has an (slightly) extended percussion workout),by the NU SOUNDS,who went on to become the most recorded group of all Sun Ra's vocal groups.  But the next track is a rehearsal by the same group-"Dabba Dabba Dabba Du Bay",written by Sun Ra,which is squarely in doo-wop territory.

Obviously this release is for Sun Ra listeners who want everything he had a hand in recording.  Or for people who appreciate doo-wop from the 50's,even if some tracks are obviously rehearsal tracks.  Saying that,this collection has a curious effect,knowing that Sun Ra was responsible for recording and releasing music of this type,its difficult to reconcile the Ra listeners know,and this music,which is close to polar opposite of his African/space jams.  The short playing time is something else to consider.  Why the folks at Norton Records didn't combine these three releases into two  discs is a mystery,unless they are strictly out for the money.  Too bad.  But in the end this is enjoyable music from an era that will never be repeated.
3482832
Containing all his solo studio albums up to 1986, three hits compilations and a live album, this box has the added bonus of an album that John recorded in 1966, which was only pressed to give a few copies to family and friends, here titled John Denver sings.

As a long standing fan, I have reviewed some original albums and some compilations. I am re-acquainting myself with other original albums that I once had on vinyl but didn't upgrade to CD, and hearing for the first time albums that I never heard at all. Even the ones I have on CD sometimes sound better than before.

John's albums after 1986 (and not here) are generally not as well known as the music here, but his final album of new recordings,<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/All-Aboard/dp/B0000029ZZ/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">All Aboard</a>, is an outstanding collection of train songs, proving that he was still able to record great music right to the end.

The bonus CD from 1966 includes four Beatles covers, some original songs and other covers. Babe I hate to go (which John wrote) would later be re-titled Leavin' on a jet plane, in which guise John recorded it for Rhymes and reasons, later becoming a huge hit for Peter Paul and Mary. The final track is Farewell party, in which John doesn't want his funeral to be mournful - a stark contrast to a different song of the same title that Gene Watson recorded. John's Farewell party song closes an excellent album that might not have sold in huge quantities had it been released commercially, but is definitely worth a listen.

I'll review at least some of the other albums individually as and when I feel like it, and may occasionally revise my existing reviews of John's earlier releases. Suffice to say that this is a great collection.

Finally, here's a list of the albums involved, with the numbers that are conveniently put on the spine of each sleeve alongside the name. 10 and 11 were, of course, originally issued as a double LP.

1. Rhymes and reasons (1969)
2. Take me to tomorrow (1970)
3. Whose garden was this (1970)
4. Poems, prayers and promises (1971)
5. Aerie (1971)
6. Rocky mountain high (1972)
7. Farewell Andromeda (1973)
8. John Denver's greatest hits (1973)
9. Back home again (1974)
10 and 11. An evening with John Denver (1975)
12. Windsong (1975)
13. Rocky mountain Christmas (1975)
14. Spirit (1976)
15. John Denver's greatest hits vol. 2 (1977)
16. I want to live (1977)
17. John Denver (1979)
18. Autograph (1980)
19. Some days are diamonds (1981)
20. Seasons of the heart (1982)
21. It's about time (1983)
22. John Denver's greatest hits vol. 3 (1985)
23. Dreamland express (1985)
24. One world (1986)
25. John Denver sings (1966)
3126187
I'm a huge Crosby fan, and have been since I very first head him sing. It was almost certainly in a movie like White Christmas, since I came along much later than his heyday as a radio star.

This is an outstanding collection covering dozens of his early radio hits, some still famous standards, some mostly forgotten. The quality of some of these tracks is a bit spotty. I hold back a star because of that, and because frankly this has always been a bit pricey even for a four album collection. Many of the songs have more "single listen interest" value than repeat listening value, so it would be nice to see at least the MP3 version sold at a better bargain for that reason.

Still, songs like Dancing in the Dark, Stardust, June in January, Red Sails in the Sunset, I'm an Old Cowhand, Pennies from Heaven, Sweet Leilani, Too Marvelous for Words, You Must Have Been a Beautiful Baby, Easter Parade, Moonlight Becomes You, Swinging on a Star, I'll be Seeing You, Don't Fence Me In, Ac-Cen-Tchu-Ate the Positive and many more make this an interesting and enjoyable collection.

They take you back to the day when the "old standards" were new thrills, made famous by a legion of crooners, none more skilled or popular than "Der Bingle".

Highly recommended.
2425449
Phil Collins is a difficult artist to get next to, at once quite friendly and yet also remote and distant. He has such an affable manner that it takes a while to recognize that he allows only limited proximity to himself and his own thoughts and feelings. Of course, he was enormously successful in the eighties and nineties both commercially and critically, and he was, for a while, at least, seemingly everywhere one looked.  What he offers here is a collection of hits from that period.  And quite a collection it is.
From the opening "Another Day In Paradise", a take on the economic and emotional contradictions modern society represents, to "True Colors", an offer to bare one's soul to a friend, this is an engaging song cycle.  Collins is nothing if not modern, and his take on issues as in "Easy Lover", Two Hearts", and "I Wish It Would Rain" are provide interesting commentary on the state of emotional relationships in contemporary society. Then we have more calculated commercial efforts such as "Against All Odds", written for the movie of the same name, and a wide range of numbers such as "Sussudio", "Something Happened On The Way To Heaven", and "Both Sides Of The Story" which were huge commercial hits.
So too we have interesting numbers such as "Separate lives", "One More Night", and my personal favorite, "Something In The Air Tonight". He rounds out the gretest hits collection with "Dance Into The Light", a cover of the old hit "A Groovey Kind Of Love", and "Take Me Home".  All in all, this is a very well-constructed collection of Phil Collins hits, and a fairly concise recapitulation of his solo work. I always like listening to it, and I think you will, too. Enjoy!
1110397
~ This 50-minute, 20-song collection released in 2001 along with it's companion&nbsp;<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/Girl-Group-Greats/dp/B000059T9D/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">Girl Group Greats</a>&nbsp;serve as a wonderful introduction to the fabulous music created by the best 1960's girl groups and several solo artists.  The two disks also provide the listener with a great survey of the wonderful music coming out of the Brill Building in the early-to-mid 1960's.  Many of the tracks are written by such notables as Carole King, Gerry Goffin, Jeff Barry, Ellie Greenwich, Cynthia Weil, and Barry Mann.  Most of the songs will be familiar to anyone who was alive in the early-to-mid 1960's, although a few tracks (like "`Til" by The Angels) are lesser-known gems.  The sound quality if excellent; much better than I remember hearing through my transistor radio.  Production values, many of which are by George "Shadow" Morton, are in the "wall of sound" vein usually associated with Phil Spector.
~ The reason for the 4-star rather than 5-star rating is the short timing of the disk.  Rhino has demonstrated on their numerous other compilations that they have licensing access to enough great music to have fleshed this CD out to a more reasonable 70+ minutes.
3728495
Total of 40 songs and one vintage interview clip makes this release worthwhile. One thing you might want to keep in mind, is that Steve Winwood isn't on here. I thought I heard him on maybe like three songs on disc one, but I'm not sure. Very nice compilation of SDG's repertoire of pure British Invasion blues rock. Most of the cuts here are at least good if not near excellent. Tracks I got the most out of are "Let's Have A Party", "I'm A Man", "Gimme Some Lovin'", "Mr. Operator", "Sure Need A Helping Hand", the foot stomping "Mr. Second Class", "Feel Your Way", "Stop Me I'm Falling" and "Morning Sun". Duration of 2 1/2 hours. Comes with 8-page booklet with photos and liner notes. Line-up: Spencer Davis - guitar & vocals, Eddie Hardin - keyboard & vocals, Ray Fenwick - guitar, Charlie McCracken - bass and Pete York - drums (who's recently reuinted with Davis). A nice choice, would make a good gift.
1853539
These tracks appear to be the A and B sides of 45 rpm and some 33 1/3 rpm LP records that I have tucked away in my closet. Volume One is a very good cross section of The Beatles hits early in their career, along with songs that are (were) rarely heard on the radio, particularly Matchbox (sung by Ringo) which was originally recorded by Carl Perkins, a country rock-a-billy or country rock artist. Yes It Is, is a soulful love song sung (and probably written) by John Lennon. Unique to The Beatles are their early appearances in a night club in Hamburg, Germany thus the two tracks sung in German. What you hear and hopefully enjoy while listening to this CD, is the energy, warmth, passion and diversity that John, George, Paul and Ringo put into each song. There are better, less well known, cuts that show a greater diversity of the Fab Four. But Volume One is a good place to start for a neophyte "The Beatles" fan.
2570857
Scott Walker is one of those "legendary" names that I'd heard of for many years, but until recently I don't think I'd actually ever heard a song by him. But I heard one tune on a various artists compilation that really struck me --- or should I say, that amazing voice of his struck me --- so I decided to splurge on this collection of his solo recordings. I don't love everything on here, but I find it to be a good introduction to his music.

All of the songs on this single disc collection are from 1967-1969, along with one tune recorded in 1973, his cover of "Any Day Now". I think what will strike most new listeners, like it did me, is just how mellow these tunes are. I wouldn't quite go as far as to dub this easy listening, but honestly, as far as the arrangements, and even Scott Walker's vocal style, it's pretty much in the same neigbhorhood as crooners like Andy Williams and Johnny Mathis --- both of whom I also like --- but with a twist. It's mellow, but not lightweight. Walker's rich vocals have a deeper and darker timbre to them at times, giving the songs added weight and gravitas. He also has a flair for the theatrical as show on his covers of four Jacque Brel songs. My favorite tracks on here are the two Tim Hardin covers, "The Lady Came From Baltimore" and "Black Sheep Boy." Sheer vocal magic! I'm also quite fond of "Joanna", "Lights of Cincinatti", and "The Amorphous Humphrey Plugg."

The CD comes with a thin booklet that include a short essay about Scott Walker's recording career by Daryl Easlea. If you're a neophyte Scott Walker listener like I was, you might also like this introductory collection to his music. Although it covers only a short period of his career, it's packed some very lovely tunes. I'm impressed.
1319631
The Treasure Chest compilation limited edition is a good, economical way for fans new to the band to get acquainted with Helloween's earlier work.  This compilation touches every facet of Helloween's illustrious career--covering all 11 (at the time of release) of Helloween's albums.  Included are the classics such as Ride the Sky, Murderer, A Little Time, Future World, the 13+ minute epics Halloween and Keeper of the Seven Keys, the humorous Dr. Stein, the hard to find Michael Kiske version of Starlight, and the beautiful Eagle Fly Free, just to name a few.

The interesting thing about this album is that Andi Deris, who took over singing duties after Michael Kiske left, was supposed to re-sing some of the tracks on Treasure Chest.  Also, the live version of How Many Tears, as it appeared on I Want Out Live, was supposed to be on this compilation.  I thought it would have been cool to hear Deris' interpretation of some of these songs, but this did not happen.  However, I did get to hear these songs live when I saw Helloween in October 2003 in Chicago.  Anyway, back to the review.

The third disc in this compilation is a collection of some of Helloween's singles from 1991-2000.  There are some really cool b-sides on this disc that are really hard to find.  It would cost hundreds of dollars to get this single b-sides if you bought each individually.  Included are 4 of the 7 original Master of the Rings b-sides, some of which should have been on the album instead of b-sides.  Really very cool, though.  However, Helloween has so many b-sides that the band could have easily included another disc.  At any rate, this limited edition is a great buy for any Helloween fan--beginner and seasoned vet alike.