ALICE IN CHAINS; "Nothing Safe" (Columbia) ***1/2
Whether a fan of grunge or not, this album is what greatest hits collections should be. Sure, the requisite radio mainstays are here ("Man in the Box," "Rooster"), but a hefty portion of unreleased tracks, demos and live songs balance those out, giving the scraggly-haired, unshaven headbanger in a flannel shirt (wait, that's Eddie Vedder) more bang for his buck. -- Dainon MoodyALL; "All" (Owned & Operated Recordings) ***
As talented as its members are, this spinoff of California pop-punk pioneers the Descendents has always paled by comparison. Fortunately, this greatest hits package strikes a somewhat better balance of material. And even though "All" draws its songs from different eras with three different vocalists, there's a consistent focus to the music -- mostly angst-ridden, but uptempo, catchy numbers like "She's My Ex." -- Jeff Vice
BILLY BRAGG; "Reaching to the Converted (Minding the Gaps)" (Rhino) ***1/2
British neo-folkie Billy Bragg had a strong U.S. debut with the terrific singles compilation, "Back to Basics," and then never recorded anything half as good. However, this "greatest misses" anthology, which compiles B-sides and other rarities, at least comes close. In fact, many of the songs are at least as good as the singles they were originally packaged with. Retooling "Wishing the Days Away" as a ballad was a wise move, and covers of tunes by Ry Cooder and the Beatles, as well as "Walk Away Renee," prove that Bragg can really croon when he has a mind to. -- J.V.
JEAN CARNE; "Closer than Close: The Best of Jean Carne" (The Right Stuff) **1/2
The shining back-up singer for Earth, Wind & Fire tried to break out with her self-named debut back in 1977, when she spelled her name Carn (by 1986, she'd added the "e"). Although she had also worked with Duke Ellington, she didn't get very far. This "Best of" album is pretty run-of-the-mill '70s pop soul. Incidentally, none of her songs charted. -- Scott Iwasaki
ERIC CLAPTON; "Clapton Chronicles: The Best of Eric Clapton" (Reprise) **1/2
This umpteenth greatest hits collection for the rocker-turned-soft is mostly a collection of his radio hits of the past decade, with a few new songs ("Blue Eyes Blue" and "(I) Get Lost" among them). While the 14 tunes here are great, the focus is on his softer vocals and not his guitar work, which is where the emphasis should be. -- D.M.
JIMMY CLIFF; "Ultimate Collection" (Hip-O) ***1/2
Born James Chambers, Cliff became the most covered reggae artist of the '70s. Bruce Springsteen, the Neville Brothers, even Bob Dylan have each taken songs by him and made them their own. Cliff isn't the best-known reggae artist of his time -- that honor goes to Mr. Tuff Gong himself -- but who doesn't remember "Many Rivers to Cross?" Some great tunes on this package, "Give the People What They Want" and "Bongo Man" among them. -- D.M.
THE COMMODORES; "The Best of the Commodores" (Motown) ****
The group that made a career with Lionel Richie's love songs and the hard funk of the trademark "Brick House," has another "Best of" release. This one is comprised of 11 songs on a single disc. "Sweet Love," "Easy," "Three Times a Lady,' "Sail On" and "Still" are the staples, while post-Richie tunes "Nightshift" and "Machine Gun" round out this collection. -- S.I.
ROBERT CRAY BAND; "Heavy Picks: the Robert Cray Band Collection" (Mercury) ***
Multi-Grammy Award-winning guitarist Robert Cray has finally let loose a hits package, though it's more like a favorites disc. The man who plays "blues-oriented R&B" looks back on his 17 years with Mercury Records with "Phone Booth," "Playin' In the Dirt," "Bad Influence," "The Dream," Willie Dixon's "Too Many Cooks," etc. A must for smooth-blues-with-a-groove fans. -- S.I.
RICK DANKO BAND; "Live on Breeze Hill" (Woodstock Records) **1/2
This is a nice nostalgia trip. Bassist Danko and his band have released a live album recorded in his home state of New York. Danko does the Band hits, "Twilight," "Stage Fright," "Ophelia," "Caledonia Mission," "Chest Fever" and the Grateful Dead's "Next Time You See Me." There's also a newly-recorded studio track, "Sip the Wine," added to the album's opening as a special bonus. -- S.I.
THE DELLS; "Anthology" (Hip-O) ****
With only one line-up change since it began in 1953, the Dells has carried on its pioneering rhythm-and-blues soul harmonies intact. The group is as long-running as the Four Tops but predates the Temptations by seven years and the Spinners by eight. Two CDs, with songs like "Oh, What a Nite," "Stay In My Corner," "Always Together," "I Can Sing a Rainbow" and "Give Your Baby a Standing Ovation" are packaged along with a 16-page booklet of the band's history. -- S.I.
DENNIS DeYOUNG; "Ultimate Collection" (Hip-O) **1/2
The keyboardist-lead singer-songwriter for Styx became a reluctant solo artist in 1984 when his multi-platinum-selling band went on a six-year hiatus. This collection is a compilation of some of the more popular hits from his solo releases, including the Top 10 single, "Desert Moon," along with "The Karate Kid II" theme, "This Is the Time." One of the major draws (for Styx fans, anyway) is the inclusion of the reworking of the Styx classic "The Grand Illusion," orchestrated by movie-score vet Alan Silvestri. -- S.I.
NEIL DIAMOND; "The Neil Diamond Collection" (MCA) ***
This collection of Neil Diamond songs comes from his early MCA albums. "Cracklin' Rosie," "Brother Love's Traveling Salvation Show" and "Cherry, Cherry" are here. Add those to "Soolaimon," "I Am . . . I Said," "Crunchy Granola Suite" and "Song Sung Blue," and you have the gist of Diamond's personal songwriting style. -- S.I.
DOKKEN; "The Very Best of Dokken" (Elektra/Rhino) **1/2
One of the more edgy pop-metal bands of the '80s was Dokken. Guitarist George Lynch's virtuoso playing and riffs were the rant, but lead singer Don Dokken's vocals and lyrics were a bit on the bubble-gum side. The song list includes "Breaking the Chains," "Into the Fire," Alone Again," "The Hunter" and "In My Dreams." Also here is the Don Dokken solo single, "Mirror Mirror." -- S.I.
PERRY FARRELL; "Rev" (Warner Bros.) ***
With this compilation, Farrell ends his relationship with Warner Bros. Records, as he moves to the Virgin label. But the leader of Jane's Addiction and Pornos for Pyros goes out with a bang. Two new tracks, "Rev," and a crawling blues remake of Led Zeppelin's "Whole Lotta Love," kick-start this album, which also features Jane's Addiction tunes "Stop" and "Ripple." Pornos tracks include "Kimberly Austin," "Tonight" and "Pets," to name a few. -- S.I.
THE FIXX; "The Ultimate Collection" (Hip-O) **1/2
The Fixx have dueling compilations out on the racks today. While the other set (released on the band's new label CMC International) features all the hits re-recorded live, this one is the Fixx tunes a lot of the radio listeners of the '80s heard. "Stand Or Fall," "One Thing Leads to Another," "Red Skies" and "Saved By Zero" have been digitally remastered, giving the songs a bit of a sparkle. -- S.I.
FLOCK OF SEAGULLS; "Greatest Hits Remixed" (Cleopatra) **
The remixed cuts on this album don't quite live up to the freshness of the originals. In fact, only "Space Age Love Song (KMFDM Remix)" is interesting. Why mess with something that was good to begin with? -- S.I.
FOUR TOPS; "The Best of Four Tops: The Millennium Collection" (Motown) ***
If rating a greatest hits album means by the number of songs that are known by heart, this one is gold. "Baby I Need Your Loving," "I Can't Help Myself (Sugar Pie, Honey Bunch)" and "Reach Out I'll Be There" are soul classics in their own right. Motown was lucky to get them when the former accomplished jazz musicians decided to switch genres. Grand tunes, all of them. -- D.M.
JEFF FOXWORTHY; "Greatest Bits" (Warner Bros.) ***
America's favorite redneck -- that's Jeff Foxworthy, not Jesse Ventura -- has released a greatest hits album. "Greatest Bits" are pretty much Foxworthy's career, minus his canceled TV show. Spoken favorites include "You Might Be a Redneck," "Supersize Them Fries," "Clampetts Go to Maui," and music favorites "Redneck Stomp," "Party All Night" (with Little Texas), "Redneck Games" (with Alan Jackson) and "Redneck 12 Days of Christmas" are also on this disc. -- S.I.
GENESIS; "Turn It On Again: The Hits" (Atlantic) ***1/2
Throughout its career, Genesis -- featuring core members Tony Banks and Mike Rutherford -- has always put out great musicality. Whether it was Peter Gabriel, Phil Collins or Ray Wilson singing leads, once the chord progression started, you knew it was Genesis. "Turn It on Again" focuses on the Top 40 hits. Collins' up-beat title cut and "Invisible Touch" are here, with Wilson's "Congo." As for Gabriel's stuff, there's "I Know What I Like (In Your Wardrobe)" and a Genesis reunion with Gabriel, Collins, Banks, Rutherford and guitarist Steve Hacket on "The Carpet Crawlers 1999." -- S.I.
MARVIN GAYE; "The Best of Marvin Gaye: Volume 1 -- The '60s" (Motown) ***
Gaye's signature songs are here, such as "I Heard It Through the Grapevine" and "How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You)," as well as great tunes like "Pride and Joy" and "You're a Wonderful One." The evident high quality captures the freshness of an era when R&B and soul dominated the charts much the way rap does today. -- D.M.
GIN BLOSSOMS; "Outside Looking In: The Best of the Gin Blossoms" (A&M) **1/2
Pop rocker Gin Blossoms had a nice sound during the '90s. It wasn't groundbreaking but the easy harmonies, jangly guitars and restless lyrics hit a nerve, swaying some listeners away from the Seattle punk sound of Nirvana. The album includes the hits "Follow You Down," "Hey Jealousy" and "Found Out About You." Too bad the band's version of Kiss' "Christine Sixteen" didn't make the cut. -- S.I.
BUDDY GUY; "Buddy's Baddest: The Best of Buddy Guy" (Silvertone) ***
One of the greatest collections of blues to hit this year. Never mind the fact Buddy's been "in the business" since 1957, and that all of these songs were recorded in the past decade. There are three new songs as well, the best being the mid-tempo "I Need Your Love So Bad." Still, the album would have been more aptly titled "The Best is Yet to Come," regardless of his decision to wear overalls. -- D.M.
JOHN HIATT; "Greatest Hits: the A&M Years '87-'94" (A&M) ***1/2
The singer/songwriter with the "Pretty Good Guitar" has finally released a "Greatest Hits" compilation, and it rides well, thanks to Hiatt's bluesy, toe-tapping arrangements. Songs taken from his five A&M albums grace this disc. "Memphis In the Meantime," "Slow Turning," a live cut of "Angel Eyes" and "Real Fine Love" are a few of the 18 gems that shine here. -- S.I.
HOWLIN' WOLF; "His Best, Vol. 2" (Chess/MCA) **1/2
The late singer/harmonica player had chops, that's for sure. Who can say differently after hearing him growl through the tune, "I'm the Wolf?" It's just unfortunate that the quality isn't better on this album. For the emotion and intensity that Mississippi-born Howlin' Wolf lets across in nearly every one of its 20 tracks, however, it's almost worth the money. -- D.M.
INK SPOTS, THE; "The Best of the Ink Spots: The Millennium Collection" (MCA) ****
The four-part harmony of the Ink Spots is at once warm and reassuring on this collection, but it's Billy Kenny's tenor that places the group at the top of the copycats that followed. The tone he reaches is unreal, and immediately noticeable from the first song, "If I Didn't Care" -- which put them on track to charting nearly 50 songs between 1939 and 1951. It doesn't hurt that Ella Fitzgerald lends her chops on two: "Into Each Life Some Rain Must Fall" and "I'm Beginning to See the Light." -- D.M.
JACKSON 5; "The Best of the Jackson 5: the Millennium Collection" (Motown) ***
Wanna see what little Michael Jackson looked like before his alien-like metamorphosis? This album contains various liner notes that include a couple of pictures of the beloved J5 back in its heyday, before the skin-bleaching and plastic surgery. But pics aside, the music is what really counts. The group's first single, "I Want You Back"; the song that earned a gig hawking General Mills' Alpha-Bits cereal, "ABC"; and the disco-turning "Dancing Machine" are all here. -- S.I.
JEFFERSON STARSHIP; "Greatest Hits Live" (CMC International) **
The Jefferson Starship reunion made a few ripples last year. Original singer Marty Ballin returned, but Grace Slick did not. Consequently, Slick's absence was the meat of all the stories, and this collection proves that she's truly missed. Balin's voice cracks and reels at times during his hits, "Miracles" and "Count on Me." This album was recorded live and that might be the problem. Too bad -- keyboardist Paul Kantner, bassist Jack Cassidy, drummer Prairie Prince and guitarist Slick Aguilar are right on. -- S.I.
GLADYS KNIGHT & THE PIPS; "Essential Collection" (Hip-O) ****
There are other Pips collections out there, but this one is fabulous, and perhaps the most complete, catching all the best of Knight and her brother and cousins. There are 18 terrific tunes arranged chronologically, beginning with the group's first hit in 1961 -- when Knight was just 16 (and her voice was already rich and mature beyond her years). Was it really 1996 before they got into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame?-- Chris Hicks
LED ZEPPELIN; "Early Days: The Best of Led Zeppelin Vol. One" (Atlantic) ***
For those of you who can't afford the many Led Zeppelin box sets out on the market, you might want to look at this single-disc "Best of" collection, a comprehensive compilation including "Good Times, Bad Times," "Communication Breakdown," "Whole Lotta Love" and "Immigrant Song." The last five songs are taken from the popular "Led Zeppelin IV," and, yes, it includes "Stairway to Heaven." -- S.I.
LIGHTNIN' SLIM; "The Best of Lightnin' Slim" (Hip-O) **1/2
Another little-known blues great, Lightnin' Slim learned by imitating the sound with his guitar instead of taking lessons. Add the harmonica, a gravely "been there" voice and the blues become his own, done especially well on songs like "Nothin' but the Devil" and "I'm Evil." -- D.M.
NILS LOFGREN; "Ultimate Collection" (Hip-O) ***
The guitarist/pianist from Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band did have a solo career. This tight, comprehensive collection features some of Lofgren's trademark tunes, such as "I Don't Want to Know," "I Came to Dance," "Keith Don't Go (Ode to the Glimmer Twin)" (a song for Keith Richards) and "Mud In your Eye." -- S.I.
MISSING PERSONS; "Remixed Hits" (Cleopatra) **
This album is for Missing Persons fans only. And those fans must be selective, because the music, while it might sound revolutionary, sometimes gets in the way. That is, the original "Destination Unknown," "Walking In LA" and "Words" had that charismatic draw. The new club-pulsers only distract from the sing-a-long style of the band. To make matters worse, Sen Dog of Cypress Hill makes an appearance on one of the many versions of "Walking In LA." -- S.I.
NAUGHTY BY NATURE; "Nature's Finest" (Tommy Boy) 1/2 star
These "bad boys" could've made this album about an hour shorter by ending it after the first two songs, "Hip Hop Hooray" and "O.P.P." Honestly, did "Guard Your Grill" even chart? And be sure to check out the photo included in the liner notes, where the three are posing inside a thrashed home and menacingly holding a chainsaw. Oh, the terror. -- D.M.
JEFFREY OSBOURNE; "Ultimate Collection" (Hip-O) *1/2
Everybody remembers "On the Wings of Love." The same argument could be made for "Love Power" with Dionne Warwick. The songs were OK, to be kind, but nothing else in this collection strikes a remembrance . . . or has a tempo change. Is it too late to rename it "Ultimate Yawn?" -- D.M.
OS MUTANTES; "The Best of Os Mutantes" (Luaka Bop/Warner Bros.) **1/2
Not as well known as Sergio Mendes and definitely not as accessible, the Brazilian trio Os Mutantes (The Mutants) is frighteningly creative. Though nearly all of the 14 tracks are in the group's native Portuguese tongue, this band from the '60s seems largely influenced by the Beatles' psychedelic experimental era. Its lush string work and looping instrumentals work well when they do, but also fail miserably on occasion. Don't be surprised to be pushing the track-forward button more than once before a song is over. And "Cantor De Mambo" just grates. -- D.M.
ROBERT PALMER; "The Best of Robert Palmer: The Millennium Collection" (Island) ***
Many in the MTV generation will be surprised to discover Palmer has done more than just "Addicted to Love" and its close cousin, "I Didn't Mean To Turn You On." But, even with only 10 tracks, this album is a nice skim of the sharp-dressed Brit's music. On "Sneakin' Sally Through the Alley," a track from his debut of the same name, he sounds more Allman Brothers than Elton John, and appropriately so. Little Feat and The Meters both helped him as backup bands. -- D.M.
THE PLATTERS; "The Best of The Platters: The Millennium Collection" (Mercury) ***
Music to make your girlfriend melt -- or any female within earshot, for that matter. This collection of 11 tunes could easily be done a cappella style. My favorite from the many: "(You've Got) The Magic Touch" is perfect for bear hugging on the dance floor. -- D.M.
MARTHA REEVES & THE VANDELLAS; "The Best of Martha Reeves & The Vandellas: The Millennium Collection" (Motown) ***
How's this for a local connection? Martha created her Vandellas by combining Van Dyke Street and the singer-turned-actress Della Reese, from "Touched by an Angel." (If only Gladys Knight's "Pips" were so easily explained). It's hard not to like a collection that puts "Nowhere to Run," "(Love is Like a) Heat Wave," "Love (Makes Me Do Foolish Things)" and -- the song that gave them their jumpstart to fame -- "Dancing in the Street" together on one album. -- D.M.
SMOKEY ROBINSON & THE MIRACLES; "The Best of Smokey Robinson & The Miracles: The Millennium Collection" (Motown) ***
Their songs have been heard on adult contemporary stations and, most recently, fast food commercials (the rooster dancing to "Love Machine"). When The Miracles stepped out of the picture, Smokey stepped up. This collection includes not only the group's hits, but a couple of solos by Smokey as well. A highly enjoyable listen. -- D.M.
DIANA ROSS & THE SUPREMES; "The Best of Diana Ross & the Supremes: The Millennium Collection" (Motown) **
The songs here are indeed the group's biggest hits, but with 11 tracks that take up only 31 minutes, there should have been much more. Look instead for the earlier Motown collection noted in the liner notes here, "The Ultimate Collection," which is more comprehensive -- 25 tunes! -- a better bargain for the same price. -- C.H.
SHALAMAR; "Greatest Hits" (Solar) **1/2
The disco trio that gave Jody Watley her break has collected "Second Time Around," "Uptown Festival" (which pays tribute to Motown) and "Dancing In the Sheets," among others. Staying true to a greatest-hits "thing," it even includes cuts from the later Shalamar albums with Watley's replacement Delisa Davis -- "Why Lead Me On" and "Games." -- S.I.
SHANICE; "Ultimate Collection" (Hip-O) *1/2
To her credit, Shanice, a k a Shanice Wilson (all singers have only one name, and it's always their first name) sings well enough, but otherwise this collection lacks any of the spark and ingenuity that pushed her contemporaries into America's pop spotlight. Like Mariah Carey, her high tones are screeches that take on the sound of traffic whistles, and her low notes disappear beneath an overly synthesized and cheesy accompaniment. All 18 tracks are typical pop-ish songs that sound just like Janet Jackson's and begin to run together from the get-go. -- Lucy Campbell Weber
STEPPENWOLF; "All Time Greatest Hits" (MCA) **
The same greatest-hits album the band released in the early '70s, only this one's digitally remastered. If the 8-track is getting dusty or your tape player ate it, pick this up. Nothing new, just clearer. -- D.M.
THE TEMPTATIONS; "The Best of The Temptations -- Volume 1 -- The '60s" (Motown) ***1/2
Every song is stellar, in all their gray-suited, finger-snapping, syncopated glory. The original boy-band. -- D.M.
.38 SPECIAL; "Live at Sturgis" (CMC International) **
It's the same old complaint. Some live albums just don't capture a band's energy. And when it comes to .38 Special, the new "Live at Sturgis" just doesn't do the group justice. Even the Southern-rock ditties of "If I'd Been the One," "Rockin' Into the Night" and "Hold On Loosely," tunes this band lived to play live, won't do for the listener what the studio tracks did. -- S.I.
TOAD THE WET SPROCKET; "P.S. (A Toad Retrospective)" (Columbia) **1/2
"P.S." is a collection of big hits and concert favorites. The album doesn't offer much in the way of new material (a remixed version of "Hold Her Down"? Oh, goody!), but should help rabid followers out of that $15 that is so anxiously burning a hole in their pockets. And early studies are still sketchy, but evidence shows that listening to the entire album in one sitting helps cure insomnia. -- D.M.
VARIOUS ARTISTS; "Bluegrass Essentials Vol. 2" (Hip-O) ***
Bela Fleck, Sam Bush, and even the hot local talent, Ryan Shupe, had to have influences. This compilation features the original bluegrass pioneers -- Bill Monroe ("The Walls of Time"), the Whitstein Brothers ("Rose of My Heart"), the Stanley Brothers ("The Darkest Hour Is Just Before Dawn") and the Osborne Brothers ("Ruby"). Also appearing on this album are today's roots music stars, like Here Today ("I'll Love Nobody But You") and Gillian Welch ("By the Mark"). -- S.I.
VARIOUS ARTISTS; "Broken-Hearted Soul Essentials" (Hip-O) ***
This album is filled with sad slow-jam classics. Smokey Robinson & the Miracles' "The Tracks of My Tears" and Klymaxx's "I Miss You" are on this tear-jerking compilation. Along with the Temptations' "I Wish It Would Rain," the Spinners' "How Could I Let You Get Away" and the Commodores' "Still." -- S.I.
VARIOUS ARTISTS; "Goth: Music from the Shadows" (K-Tel) ***
This collection features ghoulish dark tunes by foundation setters Christian Death ("Mysterium Iniquitatis"), Bauhaus ("Dark Entries"), London After Midnight ("Kiss") and Switchblade Symphony ("Drool"). Also appearing in misty mixes are Nosferatu ("The Witching Hour") and Sister of Mercy ("Walk Away"). -- S.I.
VARIOUS ARTISTS; "Home of the Blues" (MCA) ***
A fabulous anthology, containing new blues (Johnny Lang), old blues (Slim Harpo) and Southern-fried blues (The Allman Brothers). Great album to pick up if you're unfamiliar with blues artists but have a genuine fondness for driving guitar riffs and so-painful-they-sound-great songs. -- D.M.
VARIOUS ARTISTS; "Lynyrd Skynyrd Solo Flytes" (MCA) **1/2
After Lynyrd Skynyrd's plane crashed in 1977, killing half the band, the Southern rock scene actually took flight. "Solo Flytes" is a collection of hits that were done by former members of Skynyrd -- Rossington Collins Band's "Prime Time" and "Pine Box," along with Artimus Pyle Band's "Red Hot Light" and "Make More Rock." -- S.I.
VARIOUS ARTISTS; "Southern Rock Essentials" (Hip-O) ***
Basically the history is the same as the "Lynyrd Skynyrd Solo Flytes" (see above), but instead of the intertwining relationships that Skynyrd had with Rossington Collins Band and Artimus Pyle's Band, "Southern Rock Essentials" features such notables as Sea Level ("Nothin' Matters but the Fever") and Little Feat ("Dixie Chicken"). -- S.I.
VARIOUS ARTISTS; "Totally Hits" (Arista) *1/2
Much like the "Now" series, this compilation packages songs that appeal to the teenage population and are inevitably requested over and over again. Most singers here fall into the same typical categories: whiny boy bands, little girls in skimpy clothes and too much mascara, or aging "divas" attempting to revamp their sound and make it new again (Madonna, Whitney). The one redeeming track is Santana's "Smooth," with Rob Thomas. For everything else, just turn up the radio and save your money for Christmas gifts. -- D.M.
WARRANT; "Latest and Greatest" (Deadline) *
Warrant is one of those bands that brought about the demise of metal. Anthemic pop rockers like "Down Boys" (the video was even worse) and the laughable "Cherry Pie" were what was wrong with the so-called "heavy metal" of the '80s. Power ballads "Heaven" and "I Saw Red" only add insult to injury. -- S.I.
GROVER WASHINGTON, JR.; "Ultimate Collection" (Hip-O) ***1/2
It's honestly too bad most people associate Mr. Washington with the FM-100 staple, "Just the Two of Us," with Bill Withers, which is actually one of the weaker numbers on this album. He's so much more expansive than that, as this collection demonstrates. "Mister Magic" and "Ain't No Sunshine/Theme from 'Man and Boy' ('Better Days')" will have your head bouncing and toes tapping in no time. -- D.M.
MARY WELLS; "The Best of Mary Wells: The Millennium Collection" (Motown) **
Good hits, but at 11 cuts and 30 minutes, it's just another skimpy disc from Motown (see Diana Ross and the Supremes above). Look for the previously released "Ultimate Collection," with more than twice as many songs for the same money. -- C.H.
WHITE LION featuring Mike Tramp; "Remembering" (Deadline) **
Although the concept was good, the album fails to deliver. White Lion's front man, Mike Tramp, has recorded a new album of his former band's songs. New versions of "When the Children Cry," "Wait" and "Little Fighter" have been stripped down, as Tramp says, "to make a raw sounding album." Not the case. -- S.I.
WILLIAMS, HANK; "The Best of Hank Williams: the Millennium Collection" (Mercury) ****
For fans who are too short of cash for the box set (called "Complete Hank Williams"), this one-disc definitive collection fills the need. "Hey Good Lookin'," "Move It on Over," "Honky Tonk Blues," "Lovesick Blues," "Jambalaya (On the Bayou)" and "Lost Highway" are included among the 12 tracks. -- S.I.
STEVE WINWOOD; "The Best of Steve Winwood: the Millennium Collection" (Island) ***
If you're looking for Steve Winwood's solo stuff, you won't find it here. This compilation concentrates on gems from the three bands he was a part of -- Spencer Davis Group, Traffic and Blind Faith. "Gimme Some Lovin'," "I'm a Man," "Dear Mr. Fantasy," "Pearly Queen" and "Can't Find My Way Home" are a few of its best. Too bad "Glad" is missing in the mix. -- S.I.
DWIGHT YOAKAM; "Last Chance for A Thousand Years: Dwight Yoakam's Greatest Hits from the 90's" (Reprise) ***1/2
Dwight Yoakam, once he ages a couple more decades, will be the Willie Nelson of his generation. He's a country artist not afraid to lose his twang in lieu of all the crossover mania, yet he manages to sound fresh with each new song he puts out. His version of Queen's "Crazy Little Thing Called Love" is especially good. -- D.M.
ROB ZOMBIE; "American Made Music . . . " (Geffen) **
Rob Zombie, the former frontman for White Zombie, has a remix album of his greatest hits. But why? He has only one album to his (own) name. And there are no tracks from any of the White Zombie albums. "Dragula" and "Living Dead Girl" have been rehashed and mixed with neato sound effects. But other than that, there isn't any reason to get this album, unless you like photos of '60s powder-puff cheescake or Zombie's outrageous horror comic drawings. -- S.I.