Sins Joan Collins

Judy Collins offers up a beautiful compilation of songs she's released on her own Wildflower label over the past decade, sampling from the wonderful Wildflower CDs The Essential Judy Collins, Judy Collins Wildflower Festival, Voices, Shameless, Judy Collins Sings Lennon and McCartney, Paradise, Bohemian, Live at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Christmas With Judy Collins, and Live in Ireland. The set includes her lilting defining version of Joni Mitchell's "Both Sides Now", only this version more closely resembles the 1968 version.

Joan Sutherland was at the height of her career when she took on the role of Leonora – arguably the most dramatic of all Verdi heroines – in 1983. Elijah Moshinsky’s production, in which he was ably supported by the Australian artist Sidney Nolans (set design), Luciana Arrighi (costumes) and Nick Chelton (lighting), was tailor-made for Sutherland, allowing Leonora to develop into a truly tragic heroine occupying the opera’s central ground. This performance at the Australian Opera, Sydney – and featuring a high quality cast under the baton of Richard Bonynge – was recorded by Australian Television on 2nd July 1983. Verdi’s powerful and passionate opera tells a tale of civil war and treachery.

Five CD box set containing a quintet of original albums from the Folk/Pop vocalist: Fifth Album, In My Life, Judith, Who Knows Where The Time Goes and Wildflowers.

This live set was recorded in the Temple of Dendur at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York with a full band and a stellar array of guests to celebrate Judy Collins' 50th anniversary as a recording artist. (This is the audio version of the performance – there is another package that includes the full concert on DVD as well as the disc.) For starters, none of Ms. Collins' elegant, mysterious, sophisticated charm has worn off over the decades. In fact, it feels less studied and more organic now.

Compared to Frozen Alive!, Live in Japan is a little more drawn-out and funky, featuring extended jamming on several songs. That isn't necessarily a bad thing - Collins and his bandmates can work a groove pretty damn well. Of course, the main reason to listen to an Albert Collins album is to hear the man play. And play he does throughout Live in Japan, spitting out piercing leads with glee. On the whole, it's not quite as consistent as Frozen Alive!, but that's only by a slight margin.