Simply Red The Very Best

This two-disc, European import serves up a nice career overview of U.K.-based, blue-eyed soul/Sophisti-Pop outfit Simply Red. Split into two parts, disc one ("Hold Me") focuses on the ballads ("Holding Back the Years," "If You Don't Know Me by Now," "Stars," and "We're in This Together"), while the second disc ("Thrill Me") narrows its sights on the group's penchant for radio-friendly dance-pop ("The Right Thing," "Moneys Too Tight (To Mention)," "Something Got Me Started," and "Fairground"). At 38 tracks, Very Best of Simply Red may be a bit much for the casual fan (2008's definitive 25: The Greatest Hits remains the group's most cohesive and streamlined collection), but it's a goldmine for listeners who have followed Mick "Red" Hucknall and his rotating cast of players since 1985.

The Coasters were the 1950s' (and early rock's) dominant novelty/comic R&B ensemble, benefiting from Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller's lyrical wit and inspired production. They weren't simply proficient clowns; the Coasters were a skilled vocal unit whose talents were utilized on slice-of-life narratives, prophetic youth manifestos, and even an occasional teen anthem, as well as the prototype humorous vehicles "Yakety Yak" and "Poison Ivy." Although Rhino has already given them the deluxe two-disc treatment, consumers who either don't want that much Coasters material or prefer only the hits are nicely served by this 16-track anthology. It contains every major release, plus valuable lesser-known selections such as "Shoppin' for Clothes" and "What About Us."

3CD, 58 track compilation cd from EMI featuring tracks from Queen, Abba, Elton John, David Bowie, John Lennon & many more.

Emmylou Harris is an artist whose body of work is so consistently strong one could almost pull 20 songs at random from her catalog, string them together, and end up with a pretty listenable disc – which suggests that the real choices in putting together a "best of Emmylou" album has as much to do with what not to include as what should be on hand.

Emmylou Harris is an artist whose body of work is so consistently strong one could almost pull 20 songs at random from her catalog, string them together, and end up with a pretty listenable disc – which suggests that the real choices in putting together a "best of Emmylou" album has as much to do with what not to include as what should be on hand.