The Essential Heart

Essential Heart is the only compilation that covers the group's tenure at both Epic and Capitol. All the hits of the '70s are featured on the first disc and include "Crazy on You", "Magic Man", "Barracuda" and "Straight On." The second disc includes all of their comeback material recorded in the '80s such as "What About Love?", "These Dreams", and "Nothin' at All". [Epic/Capitol/Legacy's Limited Edition 3.0 appeared in 2008 and included a bonus CD – in addition to the original, two-CD set.]

The Essential Heart is a compilation album released by the American rock band Heart in 2002, part of Sony BMG's The Essential series. The album was officially certified gold and platinum on June 11, 2011. The collection spans the band's history from 1975 through 1995 and the package includes two compact discs. Essential Heart is the only compilation that covers the group's tenure at both Epic and Capitol. All the hits of the '70s are featured on the first disc and include "Crazy on You," "Magic Man," "Barracuda" and "Straight On." The second disc includes all of their comeback material recorded in the '80s such as "What About Love?," "These Dreams," and "Nothin' at All."

Despite the group's limited commercial success, there have been several Sorrows CD compilations. Why should you get this one, whether you already have Sorrows collections or are looking for the best Sorrows anthology? Well, the 30 tracks do include everything essential from their mid-'60s prime, including both sides of their seven 1965-1967 singles; the stereo version of their 1965 album Take a Heart, which included a couple songs not on those 45s, as well as slightly different, re-recorded versions of some numbers that also appeared on singles, and four outtakes. That in fact totals up to almost everything the Sorrows recorded in the mid-'60s, not merely their best tracks, though it does omit some foreign language versions and outtakes that have appeared on previous compilations. More importantly, however, it has a 16-page booklet that's amply illustrated with vintage photos and clippings…

Heart had a second run on the charts in 1985 when they signed to Capitol Records and refashioned themselves as a mainstream pop/rock band, heavy on melodies and power ballads. The move paid off immediately, as they scored four Top Ten hits from Heart, their first record for the label: "What About Love?," "Never," "These Dreams," and "Nothin' at All." Heart kept up their hot streak for several more years, reaching the Top Ten three other times with the number one hit "Alone," "Who Will You Run To," and "All I Wanna Do Is Make Love to You." All of those songs are on Greatest Hits 1985-1995, along with 11 other tracks, including the semi-rarities of the Ann Wilson and Robin Zander duet "Surrender to Me" and the "studio version" of "You're the Voice." It may run a little long for the more casual fans, but overall, this is an excellent overview of the era, perfect for fans that don't need the full-length studio albums.

Along with The Definitive Collection, The Essential Alan Parsons Project gives the casual fan the proper mixture and proportion of radio hits, Alan Parsons' signature instrumentals, and Eric Woolfsons' thought-provoking ballads. Best of all, SONY/BMG has included the once lost gemstone No Answers Only Questions (Final Version) that Eric Woolfson composed and guitarist Ian Bairnson arranged. Everything has been digitally remastered from the best available source tapes…

Silva Screen Records present earlier composers who were masters of music on Hitchcock films, and later films with Bernard Herrmann on the second CD. The "CONCERTO FOR ORCHESTRA" is Miklos Rozsa's haunting theme which lasts over nine minutes is something from heaven. "STRANGERS ON THE TRAIN" the Dimitri Tiomkin contribution is also an outstanding track which can move the unmoveable with the heart-racing pounding sounds that the two composers generate. Both composers Rozsa and Tiomkin have a list of accomplishments a mile long, but to hear their music on a Hitchcock film is pure geneious in film making and scoring.