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The Swing Low in Hi Fi/A Look at Monaco two-fer from Collectables features a pair of out of print LPs by Percy Faith, both originally issued on Columbia in 1956 and 1963, respectively. Highlights include orchestral versions of traditional spirituals, including "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot," "Deep River," and "Go Down Moses," followed by an audio documentary on Monaco featuring narration by Princess Grace and, with the exception of "National Anthem," original music composed by Percy Faith and performed with Orchestre National de l'Opera de Monte Carlo.

There is no doubting that Percy Faith was one of the great arrangers in contemporary American music, but the nice side of the two-fer Bon Voyage/Carefree is that it not only explores Faith's delightful arrangements, but also showcases his clever compositions. Of the two records, combined here on one CD, it is Carefree where the too often overlooked Percy Faith as composer is explored. Every song in this section is a soundtrack for happy walking through the park on a beautiful snowy day. The first section of the disc, the album Bon Voyage, is a bit more serious, with Faith's renditions of several complex and challenging themes by a slew of composers, but no less cinematic. In fact, the whole 68 minutes serve as a magical aural theme park perfect for conducting imaginary orchestras while driving to and from the grocery store. Bon Voyage/Carefree is a fun listen.

Lavishly produced and packaged, Cry marks the continued ascent of Faith Hill from the lowlands of down-home authenticity to the heights of pop superstardom. Though plenty of Nashville A-team players back her up, the sound they churn out has almost nothing to do with country music. Riding a tide of massed synthesizer textures, sweeping orchestral strings, thundering drums, rock guitar licks, and melodramatic dynamics, Hill strives for the biggest possible gestures in her performance. The result is the kind of glitzy fireworks normally associated with Star Search or American Idol, in which the lyric takes a distant backseat to raw exhibitionism and only the most cursory nod is made toward country lyrical convention.