Earth Quaks

A celebration to mark 50 years of Manfred Mann’s Earth Band! Mannthology brings together all of the band’s singles from 1971 to date, including some from solo projects, and contains previously unreleased tracks, hard-to-obtain B sides and rare mixes. The set showcases Manfred’s striking ability to identify, arrange and perform other people’s songs to make them his own, including songs by Dylan, Springsteen, Marley, Weller and Sting.

An R&B band that only played pop to get on the charts, Manfred Mann and its various permutations ranked among the most adept British Invasion acts in both styles. South African-born keyboardist Manfred Mann was originally an aspiring jazz player, moving toward R&B when more blues-oriented sounds became in vogue in England in the early '60s. Original Manfred Mann singer Paul Jones was one of the best British Invasion singers, and his resonant vocals were the best feature of their early R&B sides, which had a slightly jazzier and smoother touch than the early work of the Rolling Stones and Animals…

A 10 CD box set with all the albums of the legendary Dutch Prog Rock Formation Earth and Fire. The nine albums packed in a monumental box, some albums of which no longer available for years, specifically for this release packed into replicas of the original sleeves. Besides there is an extra bonus CD with non-album singles, special single releases, b-sides and more. The accompanying booklet includes rare photos and clippings from the private archive of singer Jerney Kaagman.

The second collection covering hit singles from the '70s top funk and soul band, Earth, Wind & Fire. This anthology has recently been supplanted by a box set covering virtually all of their big Columbia singles and some early Warners material. If you enjoyed their disco and late '70s cuts more than the early tracks, this anthology is worth getting.

Columbia's 1998 collection of Earth, Wind & Fire's Greatest Hits in many ways stands as the group's definitive compilation. Even though there have been more extensive overviews of the group's work, such as the triple-disc set The Eternal Dance, this is the first collection to contain all of the group's biggest hits on one disc. All but one ("Love Music") of the ten songs from 1978's The Best of Earth, Wind & Fire are included, while six of the ten songs from The Best Of, Vol. 2 are featured; the remaining two cuts on the 17-track collection are the minor early single "Kalimba Story" and the album cut "Gratitude." These are fine additions to the album, but the true meat of the collection lies in the hits – "Shining Star," "That's the Way of the World," "Sing a Song," "Getaway," "Got to Get You Into My Life," "September," "Boogie Wonderland," "After the Love Has Gone," "Let's Groove," and so many others. They might not be presented in chronological order (the only flaw in this otherwise flawless collection), but it's a sheer delight to have all of the hits on one terrifically entertaining and valuable disc.