Review by Frederick Baptist

Beware! This is not from the 1996 masters but from 2002 which means Lee and Bob's work have been overdubbed by Ozzy's current band members. The result may not be what you expect. Just know exactly what you are buying here which is not the original band members.

Unless you're an audiomaniac, you're not really gonna notice any "drop-outs" and overall, the sound quality of this HDCD version of "Fragile" is very good. The mini-lp sleeve packaging is a work of art and it even includes an 8-page booklet of colour pictures of the band members. Everybody knows "Roundabout" but what struck me most about this album was the various genres that are represented here. We have an adapted version of a movement from a Brahms' symphony, great classical solo guitar work by Steve Howe on "Mood For a Day" (my favourite piece), great hard rock on "Heart of the Sunrise", great pop on "Long Distance Runaround" and the rest are excellent tracks as well. This is essential listening for any progressive rock fans and especially for aspiring guitarists as Steve Howe does simply brilliant work on this album. Whichever version you decide to get, make sure you get this. Highly recommended!

Love 'em or hate 'em at least for a brief moment in the mid-90s this was the band on everybody's lips. Musicians and those who have some understanding of music would probably agree that the band's ego is probably a lot bigger than its talent but one cannot deny the quality of some of the tracks here and indeed, many of the tracks here most probably represent the best work that Oasis have ever done anyway. "Wonderwall" is a deceptively simple and yet musically interesting piece to play as a guitarist and will probably go down as a classic single over the years. Other not so brilliant but still interesting tracks include: "Champagne Supernova", the album's opus, "Hello", "Roll With It", "Don't Look Back in Anger", "Hey Now!" and "She's Electric" which is practically the whole album anyway. This is why this album could very well be a greatest hits compilation of the band and this is also why anyone looking for Oasis' best album need look no further. The sleeve design and the remastered sound make this a treat for fans as well. Recommended.

Hard to believe but we've had 30 years of "More Than A Feeling" already! And to commemorate this occasion, we now have a "remastered" mini-lp sleeve replica version of Boston's best album which should also rank among the best ever debut albums of the 70s as well. The packaging is a work of art as it very faithfully follows the original vinyl packaging down to the last detail but that's not where the fun stops; in addition to the insert with the lyrics in both English and Japanese, we also get 12-page colour booklet with very amusing liner notes written by none other than Tom Scholz himself! And now the not-so-good points: the album has been remastered but the sound quality is still not that great. Many of the tracks sound pretty muddy and way below what you'd expect from remastered cds given today's technology. Still, I've heard worse and I guess if you don't already have this and if you are a fan of mid-70s classic rock, this is probably the best version of the album that's out there right now.

This album will always hold a special place in my heart and was the reason why I decided to pick up the guitar and to learn to love and adopt music as a hobby. Now, this album comes remastered for a better, cleaned up although not the best sound I've heard on other remastered albums and the mini-lp replica sleeve very faithfully recreates the original vinyl sleeve design. In addition, we get all the lyrics in English and Japanese, a tiny sticker, a 12-page full colour booklet and 4 bonus tracks. The best tracks here are "Don't Stop Believing", "Who's Crying Now", "Stone in Love", "Still They Ride" and "Open Arms." That's half the album already and the other tracks are decent as well except perhaps for the 2 weakest tracks, "Dead or Alive" and "Lay it Down." The 4 bonus tracks consist of the B-side of the "Still They Ride" single and 3 live tracks from a Houston concert in 1981. The Journey sound is a thing of beauty; the Steve Perry vocals and Neil Schon guitar sound are so unique that you just know you're listening to a Journey tune after the first few measures. One of the greatest albums of the 80s and very highly recommended.

After the wildly successful commercial breakthrough of "Escape", Journey followed up and attempted to consolidate this success with the release of "Frontiers". This album is more of a mixed bag in that it contains some of the better tracks that Journey have ever done but combined with some obviously poor fillers. Still, on the strength of the good singles though, this album managed to sell loads of copies as fans found tracks like "Faithfully", "Send Her My Love", "Separate Ways" and "After the Fall" too hard to resist and hence were forgiving of duds like "Rubicon" and "Edge of the Blade". This version of the album though is a very good replica of the original vinyl sleeve version and the sound quality is well remastered. It also includes a sticker, all the lyrics in English and Japanese, a 12-page all-colour booklet, a 1983 all-colour calendar and 4 bonus tracks: "Only the Young", "Ask the Lonely", "Liberty" and "Only Solutions". Overall, this is a good version of the album to get if you don't already have it and as there are bonus tracks as well with some digital remastering done, you may also want to decide to upgrade should you have an older version.

Compilation albums by their very nature usually mean disjointed sounding albums which lack a proper flow to the tracks and this album is no exception. Although we get 17 tracks here, this album lacks a coherent flow and worse still, the allegedly remastered sound quality is quite poor. It sounds like yet another proper remastering job needs to be done as only the last two bonus tracks sound any where near decent sound quality wise. The mini-lp cardboard sleeve replica is actually one of the better ones that I've seen and so it's quite disappointing the sound quality is poor. Still, if you get this album and "Big Ones", you'd have a pretty good representation of the best work Aerosmith have ever done.

Great as Earth, Wind and Fire is, they have never really been known as anything other than a singles band but if you are looking for their best non-compilation album, this one has to be it. Even the filler tracks here are good and with "In the Stone", they have what is probably one of the best ever tracks to have ever opened any album. Other all-time great EW&F tracks are here such as "After the Love is Gone", "Boogie Wonderland" and "Star". In this version, we also get a very well designed and executed mini-lp replica sleeve which very faithfully resembles the original album cover as well as an insert with all the lyrics in English and Japanese. The biggest plus of this version is the remastered sound quality which is very good. For all fans of EW&F and of great soul/acid jazz/r&b music, this version of this album comes highly recommended.

This double cd set very faithfully recreates the original vinyl recording sleeve all the way down to the liner notes on the inner sides of the gatefold sleeve. While disc one contains Berlioz's "Symphonie fantasique" the second disc for me contain the more interesting and certainly lesser known works of Macmillan, Freedman, Mercure and Morel. These modern composers continue the vein of Berlioz's programme style of music and evoke comparisons with Debussy and Smetana. The sound quality of the discs though leave some to be desired and are not remastered as well although the Toronto Symphony's performances cannot be faulted. Perhaps the original master tapes had deteriorated too much but despite the lower volume levels and obvious hiss and other sonic limitations of the tape to cd transfer, this is a worthy addition to your classical music library.

This Japanese press is a very faithful recreation of the original vinyl sleeve down to the inner sleeve as well which delightfully even includes a how-to-take-care-of-your records and needle guide! For a 1960 recording, the sound quality is quite good although not great but I suppose coming off what must be a severely deteriorated master source, this is the best that can be expected. Serkin's interpretation of Brahms' 2nd Piano Concerto though is excellent even if the sound quality of the recording is a little less so. Sony has done a great job with the mini-lp replica sleeve design though and if you don't already have this or if you are looking at replacing a worn out copy, this is a good version to get.

This 1960 recording of the great George Gershwin's "Concerto in F" and "Rhapsody in Blue" has been reissued in an accurate replica of the original vinyl release. The sound quality though isn't that great and is barely audible at normal volume levels. Still, Andres Previn and Kostelanetz are not to be blamed and their performances of Gershwin's works stand the test of time and remain standards along with perhaps Bernstein's version. Although the hisses and other audio deficiencies have not been completely eliminated in this cd transfer, this is still a worthy addition to your classical music library - at least until something better comes along. That might just be some time though....

The sound quality, is really very good even though it's in mono and there are 10 tracks here instead of the original 6 which makes for a nice bonus. Like a true classic, this album makes you want to listen to it over and over again and each time you seem to discover something new. We get the great moody, modal tracks as well as a little bebop and a lot of great soloing from not just Miles but also Coltrane and Chambers all future giants of the genre. This has to be after "Kind of Blue", Miles Davis' best album and this remastered version with extra tracks is highly recommended.

What's there to say that hasn't already been said about "Kind of Blue"? If you are new to jazz or would like to start a collection, you've come to the right place and with the wonderful sound quality and remastering job, this is the disc to get. This album will never get old and generations upon generations will be listening and marvelling at what these guys did back in the mid 50's.

Ever the innovator and experimenter, Miles Davis does it again and this time he tries his hand at a brilliant classical masterpiece that was originally composed for guitar by the late, great composer, Rodrigo for his friend the also late and great, Segovia. In fact, he does such a good job that you'd be forgiven for thinking that this was always meant to be a trumpet concerto. The other Spanish themed tracks are also very well interpreted making this a welcome change of project from what one is used to when it comes to Miles' music. This version of the album is also a treat for fans as the mini-lp replica sleeve design is very well executed and the mastering job is very well done for a very good sound quality making this album a very pleasant listening experience. Recommended.

Ever the innovator, Miles continues along the fusion path on this album with his new electric quintet all the members of which have gone on to have great solo careers and read almost as a who's who list of jazz history: Herbie Hancock, Chick Corea, Wayne Shorter, John McLauglin and Josef Zawinul among others. Not quite as way out there as "Bitches Brew" was to become and hence is a little more accessible but this is a very good representation of Miles' earlier electric fusion output. This version of the album is a real treat for fans too as the mini-lp replica sleeve design is very well executed and the mastering is very well done as well resulting in a very good sound quality and hence listening experience. Recommended.

This 2-disc set has been remastered very well and has never sounded better and certainly calling it jazz/rock does not quite do it justice. It's been hailed as a leading representative of the Jazz Fusion genre and I guess that'll have to do for want of a better description. The music here is meant to shock and to force a rethink on what music and improvisation specifically is all about. In that sense, it closely resembles avant garde and modern art. Just like modern art, this album is designed to force a response either positive or negative from its audience and in that sense, it succeeds very well. The material in Disc 2 is a little more assessable and more closely resembling jazz as one thinks of it in the main. An album that grows on you and seems to get better each time you listen to it, it has inspired and influenced countless other jazz fusion artists and so is very important in the overall history of music let alone the jazz genre in itself. Essential listening and a worthy addition to any music-lover's collection. Recommended but expect to be shocked, surprised and to move out of your musical comfort zone for about 90 minutes.

This is not remastered but still the sound quality is quite good. Perhaps a properly remastered version of this album with no changes and no additional tracks added will be released soon. If they leave the tracks unchanged, they would be improving upon one of the best ever best of compilations ever made with a truly perfect track order without adding the very poor tracks by the newer version of the band. This greatest hits album is that rare breed of perfect best of compilations that didn't sound like a compilation because the track order was perfectly chosen and the whole album has a cohesiveness and flow that made it sound like a very good classic album. They couldn't have chosen a better track to begin the album in "It's a Long Way There" and to end the album with "Cool Change". Every track in between seemed to be destined to be in that order and like a classic album should, the complete package sounded a lot better than the sum of the individual tracks. Hopefully a remastered mini-lp sleeve version of this album, tracks and track order unchanged, will be released.

This would eventually turn out to be the second last studio album of Queen but it is clear from the choice of material and subject matter of the tracks that they thought that this would be their swansong. Tracks covering issues about various aspects of life from the womb to the tomb are here and especially the standout track "Those Were the Days of Our Lives", a track that still moves me whenever I hear it. The rest of the album is also very good and I'd say that this ranks among Queen's top 5 albums ever. This version is remastered although not that well. Highly recommended for all music fans, Queen or otherwise.

There are few Greatest Hits albums that really flow and sound great track after track until you feel kinda sad when you reach the end. Of these, this album by Queen is the best ever! Every track is a rock classic already or will be in time to come. This disc has also been recently remastered and includes a bonus track from the "Day at the Races" album. Also, this and "Queen 2" have the coolest album covers as well. This is definitely a must have for any music lover's cd collection. Very highly recommended!

This Japanese, mini-lp sleeve remastered version of Grand Funk's best album is the best version that's out there. Not only is the sound quality brilliant, the packaging is a work of art as well. The gold outer covering includes an insert with all the lyrics in English and Japanese as well as 4 stickers (2 blue and 2 red). Produced by Todd Rundgren, the quality of the original master is very evident on these tracks. We also get 4 bonus tracks which include an acoustic version of "Stop Lookin' Back" and a 2002 version of "We're An American Band." This, the title track is to Grand Funk as "Smoke on the Water" is to Deep Purple. The band seems to be a little self conscious, talking about all the hotel rooms they'd thrashed and how "bad" they are as a band and it seems to me as if they were trying to get their listeners to accept them as worthy representatives among rocks elite at the time which was dominated by British giants like Deep Purple, Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath etc. Listening to this album, although the tracks are not all excellent, this is still overall a very, very good rock album. This is essential listening for all 70s rock fans. Highly recommended.