The holiday season has returned! And it's not going to go away.
If you're putting off shopping, the day of holiday gift-giving will be upon you all too soon.
So, for those of you who still have no idea what to get your loved ones and friends, you might want to consider something from this sampling of multi-CD box sets that have recently been released:
AMERICA; "Highway: 30 Years of America" (Warner Archives/Rhino). *** 1/2 — Although America is viewed as passe these days, there was a time when the folk-rock group composed of Air Force brats was heard nonstop on the radio. Warner Bros. and Rhino have teamed to bring those 62 additional tracks together in a three-CD box set. "Horse With No Name" "Sister Golden Hair," "Lonely People" and, of course, the band's last big hit "You Can Do Magic," have all been collected. A rare demo of "Ventura Highway" and two seemingly lost soundtrack tunes — "Watership Down" and "The Last Unicorn" — have also been unearthed for this package, which includes at 78-page booklet on "American" history. — Scott Iwasaki
LAURIE ANDERSON; "TheLaurie AndersonAnthology" (Warner Archives/Rhino). *** — This two-disc Anderson overview (with the usual suspects, "O Superman," "Big Science," "Sharkey's Day," "Language Is a Virus," etc.) is fun but perhaps unnecessary. Anderson isn't one of those people who releases albums with a couple of good songs and the rest is filler. In fact, she's actually not a "singer" in the traditional sense; she really is a performance artist. Compiling pieces of her works doesn't really do any of them justice; each of her albums is cohesive, and the individual pieces just feel incomplete. But then again, perhaps that's just because I know each album so well. Hey, if this collection prompts any listeners to seek out Anderson's earlier albums, then all right.— Chris Hicks
GEORGE BENSON; "Anthology" (Warner Archives/Rhino). ** 1/2 — Few in the jazz industry are as lucky to be as renowned as George Benson, who still makes do quite well with his jazz guitar, thank you very much. He's played with greats known far beyond himself, as well, and many of those magic moments caught here — Herbie Hancock stopping in with his piano, Grover Washington Jr. with his saxophone, among others. A wholly uneven collection, exposing him at his prime with its surprises — a version of Jefferson Airplane's "White Rabbit" is simply amazing — it also shows way too much of his smooth jazz side, where he does too much singing and not enough playing. Case in point, "The Greatest Love of All." 'Nuff said. What this set does end up showcasing is how far Benson has strayed from the world of lively, instrumental jazz and deep into FM-100 territory. — Dainon Moody
CHUCK BERRY; "The Anthology" (Chess/MCA). **** — The man who pioneered the rock 'n' roll guitar style is not Marty McFly in "Back to the Future." He's Chuck Berry. And this two-disc set has been long overdue. Partly because Berry, although he's still making appearances at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and doing guest shots on the talk-show circuit, isn't getting any younger. The 50 tracks and the 20-page booklet included on this release span and detail Berry's exciting 45-year career. "Maybellene," "Roll Over Beethoven," "Johnny B. Goode," "Sweet Little Rock & Roller" and "Little Queenie" are the highlights of the first disc. "Back in the USA," "Let It Rock" and the live 1972 version of "My Ding-A-Ling" are just a few irreverent highlights on the second disc. — S.I.
CHER; "The Way of Love" (MCA). *** —This two-CD collection is just the latest in a string of greatest-hits compilations drawn from the '60s and '70s — an attempt to capitalize on Cher's latest burst of popularity. Two-thirds of the 40 songs are drawn from four albums — 1971's "Cher" (later retitled "Gypsys, Tramps and Thieves"), 1972's "Foxy Lady," 1973's "Half Breed" and 1974's "Dark Lady," but the collection also ranges from 1965's cover of Bob Dylan's "All I Really Want to Do" to 1979's disco anthem "Take Me Home." And there are five duets with Sonny Bono, including live versions of both "I Got You Babe" and "The Beat Goes On." Most of this is available on other Cher compilations, but in addition to the familiar hit singles and additional tracks from the hit albums, there's lesser-known material like a pair of Bono-penned songs — the single "Classified 1A," and its flip side, "Don't Put It on Me," as well as torch songs "Am I Blue?" and "I Got It Bad and That Ain't Good," from the 1973 album "BIttersweet White Light." — Scott Pierce
PETULA CLARK; "The Petula Clark Anthology: Downtown to Sunset Boulevard" (Hip-O). *** — The "Downtown" girl has grown up, and her mature take on a number of Broadway show tunes (including "As If We Never Said Goodbye," from her stage triumph, "Sunset Boulevard") make up the bulk of the second disc in this double-disc set. But the first disc is the reason to buy it, with "I Know a Place," "Round Every Corner," "A Sign of the Times," "Color My World," etc. "Don't Cry for Me Argentina" just can't compete with her early hits. — C.H.
SANDY DENNY; "No More Sad Songs: the Anthology" (A&M). *** 1/2 — Rock audiences know vocalist Sandy Denny because of her duet with Robert Plant on "Battle of Evermore" on the "Led Zeppelin IV" album. What a lot of rock fans don't know is Denny was a featured vocalist in Richard Thompson's Fairport Convention. This anthology centers on the late English folk singer's career. Songs from her time in the Celtic-inspired workings in Fairport Convention to her last solo studio effort, 1977's "Rendezvous," have been compiled on this two-CD set. Her clean, haunting storytelling is found in such tracks as "Fothringay," "The North Star Grassman and the Ravens" and"Carnival." Denny's voice and style could easily be considered the forebear of the so-called new age movement that hit in the late '80s, nearly a decade after she succumbed to a brain hemorrhage in her friend's London flat. — S.l.
DEVO: "Pioneers Who Got Scalped: The Anthology" (Warner Archives/Rhino). *** — Spuds of the world unite! Warner Bros., the original record label for Devo, has finally done us a favor and released as definitive a collection from the cult-adored new-wave synth-pop act. This two-disc set's accomplishments include showing that the group was more than a one-hit novelty act. Though "Whip It" is included, that song is dwarfed by other, better songs in the compilation, including such rarities as "Be Stiff" (originally available as a single only) and crazed covers of "Secret Agent Man" and Nine Inch Nails' "Head Like a Hole." Though the first disc (which includes material recorded in 1981 or earlier) contains the more consistent songs, there are a few treasures on the more spotty second disc, including a surprisingly competent, live-acoustic version of "It Doesn't Matter to Me" and the kooky "The Words Get Stuck in My Throat," a new composition recorded for this release. — Jeff Vice
THE EAGLES; "Selected Works 1972-1999" (Elektra). *** 1/2 — All the essential Eagle hits, fan favorites and band choices have been included in this long-awaited four-CD collection. And the 44-page booklet ends with notes written by Eagle Glenn Frey. Early songs like "Hollywood Waltz," "Midnight Flyer" and "Outlaw Man" are mixed in with "Take It Easy," "Witchy Woman" and "Tequila Sunrise" on the first disc. The second features only the ballads — "Wasted Time," "I Can't Tell You Why," "Try and Love Again" and "Desperado," among others. "Life in the Fast Lane" and other rockers like "Heartache Tonight," along with a radio outtake of the guys joking around with the lead-guitar mix of "One of These Nights," are bound to put a smile on listeners' faces. And for you who feel you can never get too many live Eagles tunes, disc four is the Millennium Concert recorded by the band at the Staples Center in Los Angeles on Dec. 31, 1999. "Those Shoes," Joe Walsh's "Funk 49" and "Victim of Love" are the never-before-released-live highlights. — S.I.
THE FLYING BURRITO BROTHERS; "Anthology: 1969-1972" (A&M). *** — While the psychedelic movement was happening in San Francisco, there was a country-rock thing blooming in L.A. Artists like Poco, the Byrds, the Stone Canyon Band, Linda Ronstadt and Jackson Brown were emerging as the next phase of music. The Flying Burrito Brothers were an offshoot of the Byrds. Gram Parsons and Chris Hillman formed the Burritos in 1968. A few lineup changes welcomed early Eagle Bernie Leadon in the fold. Though the band didn't have any charting hits, it was a very influential group because of its sound — think L.A.'s country/rock equivalent of New York's punk pioneers, the Velvet Undergound. "Sin City," Wheels' "To Love Somebody" and "White Line Fever" are all here on this 43-track, two-CD set. — S.I.
FOREIGNER; "Anthology: Jukebox Heroes" (Atlantic & Atco Remasters/Rhino). ** — There was a time when Foreigner was cool. Although the English/American band wasn't as hard as Ted Nugent, nor was it as artsy as Yes or Styx, there was a solid pop-rock feel to the songs. Then, the music began to weaken. This two-CD box set only reiterates the fact that Foreigner's stronger works were toward the beginning of its career. "Feels Like the First Time," "Cold as Ice," "Double Vision," Hot blooded," "Head Games" and "Dirty White Boy" are a few of the stronger Foreigner works from the band's first three albums — "Foreigner," "Double Vision" and "Head Games." Representing the 1981 No. 1 album "4," are "Urgent," "Juke Box Hero" and "Waiting for a Girl Like You." That's about it for the good songs. The ho-hummers include "I Want to Know What Love Is" and "Reaction to Action" as well as lead-vocalist Lou Gramm's "Ready or Not" and "Midnight Blue." — S.I.
Al GREEN; "Take Me to the River" (The Right Stuff). *** — The Rev. Al Green has been on a comeback trail since he broke his silence at the concert for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum a few years back. On the heels of a project that remastered and re-released his catalog, he's back again with a two-CD set called "Take Me to the River." It's as essential as it can be. "I'm Glad You're Mine," "Let's Stay together," "So Good to be Here," live versions of "For the Good Times," "Sha-La-La (Make Me Happy)" and "God Blessed Our Love" are just a few gems included in these 30 songs. — S.I.
JIMI HENDRIX EXPERIENCE; "The Jimi Hendrix Experience" (Experience Hendrix/MCA). *** 1/2 — Packed in a nice, velvet, purple, paisley box, this four-CD set is composed of never-before released works. Now, don't misunderstand — "Purple Haze," "Foxy Lady," "Little Wing," "Wind Cries Mary" and "Voodoo Chile (Slight Return)" are here. It's just that the recordings on these four discs are earlier takes of the songs than we've heard before. There are also live tracks and vintage Hendrix tunes, such as "Star Spangled Banner" and "All Along the Watchtower," but the focus is to give Hendrix fans and others a chance to hear some of these songs before they were riddled with reverb and other studio effects. All the stages of Hendrix's professional career are documented here — from the Experience to Band of Gypsys. Each disc is an intimate study of Hendrix, guitarist and creative artist. The 80-page liner-note booklet gives the play-by-play on all the songs, including "Burning of the Midnight Lamp," "Fire," "Room Full of Mirrors" and "Gloria." — S.I.
JACKSON FIVE; "Anthology" (Motown). *** —This is actually a stripped-down version of the 1996 box-set "Soulsation." Even the liner notes are an edited version of what appeared in that four-CD set. "Anthology" is only two CDs, but it gets the point across. "I Want You Back," "Maybe Tomorrow" "Goin' Back to Indiana," "ABC" and "Dancing Machine" are represented in their full remastered glory. — S.l.
ELTON JOHN; "To Be Continued. . ." (Universal). *** — Looking for something for the Elton John fan who has everything? Look no further than the reissued "To Be Continued . . ." — a four-CD, 68-song compilation originally released in 1990. It's sort of an Elton's-greatest-hits collection (1965-90), including five songs that topped the charts and 14 more that made the top 10. Just about all the big hits from those years are here, including "Your Song," "Crocodile Rock," "Philadelphia Freedom," "Tiny Dancer," "Honky Cat," "Daniel," "Pinball Wizard," "Island Girl," "Mama Can't Buy You Love," "Blue Eyes," "I'm Still Standing," "Sad Songs," "Nikita," "Candle in the Wind" and more. But what's great about "To Be Continued . . ." is the less familiar, harder-to-find stuff. There's "Come Back Baby," a 1965 song by Bluesology, a band to which Elton belonged. There's the 1968 single "Lady Samantha." There's a demo version of "Your Song." There's an alternate version of "Grey Seal" and a live version of "Carla Etude." There are a pair of collaborations with John Lennon — "One Day at a Time" and a live version of "I Saw Her Standing There" (which was originally the flip-side of the "Philadelphia Freedom" single). There's even a dance version of "I Don't Want to Go on With You Like That." That and more, all gorgeously wrapped in a collector's box, four individual CD cases (which form a single picture of Elton) and including a scrapbook that fans will want to read through — and pore over — for hours. "Step Into Christmas," indeed, Elton fans. — S.P.
B.B. KING; "Anthology" (MCA). **** — Collectors may be a little put off that this two-CD, 34-song collection doesn't have much in the way of songs that haven't been released before — save the very excellent 10-minutes-plus complete version of "Call it Stormy Monday" with Albert Collins. But one listen through the set — or two, or three even — reveals what a fine set it is. It shows some of King's finest work from 1962-98 — including a fabulous live take of "Every Day I Have the Blues" from the even more fabulous "Live at the Regal" album, a jumping version of "Let the Good Times Roll" with Bobby Bland, and "How Blue Can You Get?," sampled heavily in the Primitive Radio God's 1996 hit "Standing Outside a Broken Phone Booth with Money in My Hand." Add extensive 26-page liner notes and you end up swirling in a bit of B.B. Heaven. — D.M.
TOM LEHRER; "The Remains of Tom Lehrer" (Warner Archives/Rhino). *** 1/2 — It could also be "The CompleteTom Lehrer." Politically incorrect, sometimes a bit tasteless and always hysterically funny, Lehrer's song-and-piano routine is some kind of demented genius at work. He speaks specifically to the boomer generation that grew up in the '50s and '60s, of course, but just about anyone (except perhaps for the most extreme taste-zealots) will guffaw at tunes that are anarchic ("Poisoning Pigeons in the Park," "The Hunting Song"), political ("The Wild West Is Where I Want to Be," "It Makes a Fellow Proud to Be a Soldier") and just plain sick ("I Hold Your Hand in Mine," "The Masochism Tango"). And, of course, the still timely "A Christmas Carol" ("Angels we have heard on high/tell us to go out and buy"). Lehrer's repertoire, however brilliant, was also somewhat limited, so three discs call for a lot of redundant material. But fans won't mind; each one is as riotous today as it was more than four decades ago. — C.H.
LITTLE FEAT; "Hotcakes & Outtakes" (Warner Archives/Rhino). ** 1/2 — When guitarist/vocalist Lowell Gearge succumbed to heart failure on June 29, 1979, the band Little Feat went into haitus. In 1985, the band regrouped and has been hitting the road with some nice crisp new tunes. Although it never had a hit single, Little Feat, the seminal honky-tonking, blues-rock-folk band from Los Angeles, has had one heck of a 30-year history. This four-CD box set tries to capture it all. The 82 tracks are cover the band's creative era, and the fourth CD is a platter of outtakes and rarities that have been locked away in the Warner Bros. vault. Tunes ranging from "Willin' " to "Eden's Wall" have been chornicled and remastered for this set. As for the highlights of the outtake disc, fans will find "Eldorado Slim" and "Ace in the Hole (Hi Roller)" from the "Dixie Chicken" sessions, as well as "Texas Rose Cafe," which the band recorded as a demo for the Doobie Brothers. — S.I.
LOS LOBOS; "El Cancionero Mas y Mas" (Warner Archives/Rhino). **** — Finally, a box set commemorating one of the best ethnic bands of the decade. East Los Angeles-based Los Lobos hit the big time — at least with the American public — with its rendition of Richie Valens' "La Bamba," recorded for the 1987 film of the same name. Valens' family agreed to doing the movie on one condition: Los Lobos had to do the soundtrack. "La Bamba" is on this four-CD set, as is a remake of Valens' "Come On, Let's Go." (The info is included in the 78-page booklet.) But remakes aren't the only thing that make Los Lobos tick. Original Latin-rockers like "How Much Can I Do?" and "We're Gonna Rock" are here. And the folk-rock inspired "Will the Wolf Survive?" and "River of Fools." And let's not forget the Grateful Dead connection with a Los Lobos cover of "Bertha." — S.I.
LYNYRD SKYNYRD; "Collectybles" (MCA). ** 1/2 —This two-CD set is for fans only. It's not like the original Skynyrd box set that was released, but it's kind of cool to hear "Freebird" in its stripped-down version. And there are some live versions from in-studio jams on WMC-FM. But the cream of the crop are the two "Street Survivors" outakes — "I Never Dreamed" and "You Got that Right." But once again, this is for fans only. Others who love Skynyrd, including me, might think that releasing this set, along with all the other Skynyrd packages that have been unleashed since Ronnie Van Zandt's death in 1977, is just robbing the grave and selling off the bones. — S.I.
RICK NELSON; "Legacy" (Capitol). *** — Though Nelson began simply as the kid who sang that '50s rock 'n' roll on his parents' TV show, "The Adventures of Ozzie & Harriet," he quickly zoomed to rock-star status at age 16 with his first recording, "A Teenager's Romance." The song hit No. 2 on the charts in 1957 and began a singing career that lasted until his death in a plane crash in 1985. All the hits are here, of course — "Be-Bop Baby," "Poor Little Fool," "Travelin' Man," "Lonesome Town," his 1972 "comeback" hit "Garden Party," and many that weren't quite as popular. In fact, with 100 songs on four discs, it's hard to imagine what might have been left out. What comes through, however, is Nelson's strong, sensitive, appealing voice, his sincere interpretations and a relaxed, laid-back style. It also charts his growth as a singer over nearly 30 years. Fans will love it. Others may feel it's overload. — C.H.
OASIS; "Familiar to Millions" (Epic). *** — Britain's bad boys — led by Liam and Noel Gallagher — caused quite a stir (on the charts and in the tabloids) when they hit the music scene in 1993. This double album, recorded during two sold-out shows last summer at Wembley Stadium (except for one track recorded at a U.S. gig), is just one more confirmation of their talent and outrageousness. Oasis' skills are apparent on songs like "Wonderwall," "Cigarettes & Alcohol," "Champagne Supernova" and "Supersonic." But it's the down-time between songs where the band's naughtiness is really apparent, with song introductions and asides peppered with all sorts of profanity. "Familiar" does manage to capture the excitement of a concert witnessed by 70,000 fans, but therein lies another problem: poor sound quality. — Todd Curtis
THE OSMONDS; "The All-Time Greatest Hits of the Osmond Family" (Curb).** 1/2 — Anyone remember the screaming-guitar, hard-rock song "Crazy Horses"? If so, do you remember that it was the Osmonds who wrote, recorded and released that hit? Well, with this three-CD set, you'll be able to relive that song and more. In the '70s, the Osmonds were very much in demand over the AM airwaves. "Crazy Horses," "One Bad Apple (Don't Spoil the Whole Bunch)" and "Let Me In" are on the first disc. The second features Donny Osmond's trademark "Puppy Love" and "Go Away Little Girl." Then there's the third, which features Marie's whiny "Paper Roses," Jimmy's "Long Haired Lover From Liverpool" and Donny & Marie hits "I'm Leaving It All Up to You" and "Make the World Go Away." — S.I.
ELVIS PRESLEY; "That's the Way It Is: Special Edition" (RCA). *** — One of Elvis' rockumentary albums has been re-released as part of a three-CD box set. The 1970 soundtrack album, "That's the Way It Is" has been remastered and put together with two never-heard-before live CDs that capture the King at the beginning of his slow and painful slide to rhinestone and jumpsuits. Although the music on "That's the Way It Is" is a little on the loungy side — with big lush orchestrations — the quality of the recording is crisp. This is true with the live CDs in the set, as well. And Presley's voice is strong, although there are cuts within the set that are peppered with the singer's nervous banter. Disc 1 is the original album, with the hits "I've Lost You," "The Next Step Is Love," "You don't Have to Say You Love Me" and "Patch It Up." Disc 2 is Presley's Aug. 12, 1970, midnight concert in the Las Vegas Hilton — arguably one of his best. And the third disc is the concert's rehearsal. Presley gave his soul. This is especially evident with "Don't Cry Daddy," "I Got a Woman" and "In the Ghetto." — S.I.
RICHARD PRYOR; ". . .And It's Deep Too: the Complete Warner Bros. Recordings (1968-1992)" (Warner Archives/Rhino). *** — Listen up! This nine-CD box set isn't for anyone under 17. It contains explicit language. Then again, when has Richard Pryor been subtle? The stand-up comic-turned-TV star-turned-movie-star has been through his trials and faced his demons. These CDs follow this brilliant funny-man through each divorce, each racial slur and his infamous drug-induced, fiery suicide attempt. And he lived to tell about them in thought-provoking, analytical monologues. While some people might pass Pryor off as being exploitative, harsh, obscene and crude, others will find his style of humor real, gritty and full of truth. Everything from his 1968 self-titled album to his 1983 release "Here and Now," featured with a rare interview, is packaged neatly in this set. There is also an extra disc filled with outtakes and new material that deals with his battle with multiple sclerosis. — S.I.
STEELY DAN; "Showbiz Kids: the Steely Dan Story 1972-1980" (MCA). *** — This two-disc set is as close to a box set for Steely Dan as it could ever be. "Do It Again," "Rellin' in the Years," Rikki Don't Lose That Number," "Peg," "Josie," Hey Nineteen" and "Third World Man" are a few of the Top 100 treasures that Donald Fagen and Walter Becker offered to the world. — S.I.
VANESSA-MAE; "Violin: the Classical Collection, Part 1" (Emi Classics). *** 1/2 — Violinist Vanessa-Mae is among today's premiere crossover artists. She plays arrangements of pop tunes with the same fervor and dedication she puts into her performances of classical music. And this three-CD set shows off her remarkable talent unusually well. Culled from recordings the young virtuoso made about a decade ago with three different orchestras, this set is absolutely stunning. She gives a finely crafted, strong and dramatic performance of the Tchaikovsky concerto, and a lyrical and ethereal interpretation of the Beethoven. In between these two mainstays of the violin repertoire, there is an abundance of delightful selections, including Sarasate's demanding Concert Fantasy on "Carmen" and four pieces by Kreisler. And on the fun side, she tackles Lennon and McCartney's "Yellow Submarine," Mancini's theme from "The Pink Panther" and Richard Rodgers' "My Favorite Things." This is a highly enjoyable and musically rewarding compilation of performances by one of this generation's most versatile young artists. — Edward Reichel
VARIOUS ARTISTS; "Brain in the Box: The Science Fiction Collection" (Rhino). *** — Greetings, Earth geeks! You will experience great audio enjoyment with this five-CD package, which includes movie and TV tunes, pop singles, novelty songs and lounge music with a science-fiction theme. "Forbidden Planet," "2001: a Space Odyssey" and "The Matrix" are a few of the movies represented. (There is no "Star Wars"; Rhino couldn't get the rights.) The TV themes range from "The Twilight Zone" to "Star Trek" to "Star Trek: the Next Generation" to "Doctor Who" to "The Thunderbirds." Nilsson's "Spaceman" and the Ventures' "Fear (Main Title from 'One Step Beyond')" are a couple of the pop tunes. And the lounge disc features Les Baxter's "Lunar Rhapsody" and Russ Garcia & His Orchestra's "Frozen Neptune." The best disc offers loads of novelty tunes like Ella Fitzgerald's "Two Little Men in a Flying Saucer," Sheb Wooley's "Purple People Eater" and the B-52's "Planet Claire." — S.I.
VARIOUS ARTISTS; "The Funk Box" (Hip-O).*** 1/2 — It takes more than a guy sporting a big afro and a purple suit to claim to be "the" self-proclaimed king-of-funk collections. How do you drown out the competition? With photos of more than a hundred guys/girls (I counted) in the liner notes (though Billy Preston could take 'em all on with his bees' nest of a do). This four-CD ultimate funk box of 55 songs, boasts the best-known (and least-known) cats in the gone-but-not-forgotten arena. Consider: James Brown, Ricky James, War, The Average White Band, George Clinton, The O'Jays, Chaka Kahn, Cameo, Teena Marie — and did anybody else know that Jermaine Jackson played a mean guitar in his day? The first three here are the fieriest of all, but the final CD does drag a bit — jamming without creativity isn't all that much fun to listen to. The best touch of all? The box set is encased in velvet — purple velvet. — D.M.
VARIOUS ARTISTS; "School House Rock!" (Kid Rhino). **** — Much like the box set released in 1996, "School House Rock! The Box Set" is a four-disc compilation of the original educational tunes seen between weekend-morning cartoons from 1973-85. Discs one, two, three and four — dubbed "Multiplication Rock," "Grammar Rock," "America Rock" and "Science Rock," respectively — contain the favorites "My Hero Zero," "Lolly, Lolly Lolly Get Your Adverbs Here," "I'm Just a Bill" and "Electricity, Electricity." However, unlike the 1996 deluxe edition, this current box set isn't set up in a three-ring, loose-leaf binder. Its packed in a lunch box. And gone are the extensive liner notes that explained the "School House Rock!" phenomena. Also gone, and somewhat mercifully, are the popular-artist remakes of songs like "The Tale of Mr. Morton" and "Electricty, Electricity," which was remade by Skee-Lo and Goodness, respectively, for the 1996 box. — S.I.
VARIOUS ARTISTS; "Voices of the Shoah: Remembrances of the Holocaust" (Rhino). **** — From the first few minutes of disc one, the emotions begin to well up and the tears begin to flow. And to think there are three more discs in this powerful documentary box set. "Voices of the Shoah" is composed of interviews and first-person narration about what happened during the Holocaust. Narrated by Elliot Gould, these discs are a disturbing, powerful and in-depth look of evacuations, the death camps, the ghettos, the rise of Adolf Hitler and America's involvement in Word War II. The set even touches on Japanese-American soldiers liberating the Jews in Auschwitz while their own families were detained in U.S. internment camps. The set is accompanied by an illustrated hard-bound transcript book. In the opening liner notes, the producers of the box set encourage parental advisory when listening to the CDs, which include sound effects and traditional Jewish folk music. They also encourage family discussions and reflect on how we as a global society can prevent similar events in the future. — S.I.
STEVIE RAY VAUGHAN AND DOUBLE TROUBLE; "Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble" (Legacy/Epic).*** 1/2 — Stevie Ray Vaughan died in a helicopter crash on Aug. 27,1990. But the music of this Texas-bred guitar-slinger continues to inspire such new artists as Kenny Wayne Shepherd and Jonny Lang. This box set is composed of three music CDs and one DVD. They chronicle Vaughan's career from his early days in 1977 as a member of the Cobras to his second-to-last-concert in Wisconsin on Aug. 25, 1990. The DVD is an "Austin City Limits" concert recorded in October 1989. At any rate, Vaughan had developed as a blues guitarist extraordinaire. With his trademark tunes "Texas Flood," "Scuttle Buttin' " and "Couldn't Stand the Weather," Vaughan had broken through the modern pop of the 1980s and wound up on regular rotation on MTV. Something that is nearly impossible these days. Still, it wasn't good looks or flash that got him there. It was music. Here, we have everything from dueting with Albert King on B.B. King's "Ask Me No Questions" to some loyal live versions of Jimi Hendrix's "Voodoo Child (Slight Return)" and "Little Wing/Third Stone from the Sun" medley.— S.I.
MUDDY WATERS; "Rollin' Stone: the Golden Anniversary Collection" (MCA). **** — There ain't nothing like classic blues. The kind of blues that tears your heart out. The late Muddy Waters, one of the original torch bearers of Chicago blues, is the subject of a two-CD set. The 50 tracks include "Gypsy Woman," recorded back in 1947, and "Who's Gonna Be Your Sweet Man," which was recorded in 1952. Other trademark tracks include "Walkin' Blues," Howling Wolf" and three alternative takes of "All Night Long." — S.I.