Bargain For Paradise

The two-DVD set Live at Montreux 2004 actually contains two very different Phil Collins concerts. As the release's title suggests, the main attraction is his Montreux Jazz Festival performance from 2004, during his "First Final Farewell Tour." This show runs two hours and 17 minutes and includes two dozen songs spanning Collins' solo career. While most of the show features Collins front and center on vocals, the opening "Drums, Drums & More Drums" finds him behind the kit for a percussive workout. He kicks off with a solo, soon joined by the show's primary drummer, Chester Thompson. Percussionist Luis Conte also joins in, topping off an exciting instrumental performance.

Ultimate Classical Chill Out: The Essential Masterpieces basically delivers what it promises: a large selection of mellow classical music appropriate for unobtrusive background listening. The pieces are from a variety of genres, including orchestral, symphonic, vocal, chamber, and keyboard music. Most are gently lyrical and are from the Romantic and post-Romantic periods, but there are also pieces from the Baroque, Classical, and Modern eras. The performances come from Decca's extensive archive and are consistently top-notch in quality, and the notes identify the performers of each piece. The sound ambience varies somewhat from track to track, but it is never less than very good. This five-disc set with over six hours of music is a good bargain for anyone looking for a broad assortment of quiet classical pieces.