Best Adult Alternative
1 Babel
We had started writing new songs well before we got into the studio to record.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"There have been numerous acts (an American idol and a band referencing monsters, to name two) that sound pretty good, but this is the real thing."
"Love Mumford & Sons - you have to love the driving music and the accents and the rough and tumble poetry that they put into song."
"It's completely recognizable as the Simon & Garfunkel standard but Marcus adds a slight tweak to the melody line that makes it fresh and new ."
"As the follow up to the 2009 album, Babel does a lot to impress the listener. The band allows themselves to go quiet at times to paint a picture that is in compliment to what Mumford & Sons has created since their early formation."
"The heartfelt lyrics pierce the soul, at times, and the emotions build with guitars, banjos and even brass to a crescendo befitting the sentiment, never out of place or disjointed."
"Like my other review of this band-I can't listen to them ALL the time-but they are a fun romp when I am ready and always have rollicking tunes and lyrics."
"The band follows Sigh no More with a album that is even larger in sound than the first, a feat I thought impossible."
"When I tried to rip the songs off of the CD the mp3's had the same issue which makes me think it is a defect on how it's imprinted on the CD."
2 AM
Arctic Monkeys release their fifth album, entitled AM .
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Love this band."
"This was actually my favorite album of 2013.. which consisted of some really great and lesser known artists coming out with some really great albums."
"You sometimes forget that such talent exists in music now-a-days and listening to the album reminds me that there are true artists out there still."
"I did notice while listening to the CD that eight songs were in the three to four minute range, one song was roughly about two and half minutes long, while the other three songs were in the four to five minute range. Funny song title with even funnier lyrics because we all know someone in our lives that fits this song and it's lyrics. Knee Socks is another good beat song about a common item everyone wears around the house listen to lyrics might even laugh some like I did at particular lines in the song. I wanna be Yours is the last song on the album and is a good closing song because in our lives we all have someone we desire to be theirs at some point in our lives."
"I have always loved the Arctic Monkeys - just got this CD to have a tangible copy."
"This album is addictive."
"But with "AM", Arctic Monkeys have finally produced a sound that is unique to them, and after this record, I believe most criticisms of this band trying to "rip off" other artists will cease."
Double vinyl LP pressing 2009 collection from Dave Grohl and the Foos including two brand new tracks, 'Wheels' and 'Word Forward', both recorded with producer Butch Vig (who also produced Grohl's former band, Nirvana!).
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Of COURSE it satisfies). Closer to the prize at the end of the rope. (Or the ethernet cable, or wireless). All night long I dream of the day. (I Can Listen to This Music). When it comes around then it's taken away. (Wife Puts on Pop Music."
"Has all the songs I wanted."
"Being a Big Fan of The Foo Fighters, but also a person who usually despises "Greatest Hits" type albums I have to say that this one has hit the nail on the head!"
"Definitely not all their greatest hits like I thought."
Best Indie Music
The vinyl edition of Nirvanas hit album, NEVERMIND, which helped usher in the Grunge era of the 1990s.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"What can I say about Nirvana's Never mind CD?"
"Grew up with Nirvana and GLAD to get my hand on this Deluxe Edition Duel CD!!!"
"Im not sure the remastered version sounds any better than the original but it does sound good."
"My album collection is purely for my enjoyment, I don't worry at all about potential resale value."
"Bought for my Daughter...Big Nirvana fan!"
"I love this album now as much as when it first came out."
"Great rock band, great music!"
"Sigh."
Best British Punk
The Sex Pistols' only studio album, 1977's Never Mind The Bollocks, Here's The Sex Pistols was called 'just about the most exciting rock & roll records of the Seventies' in Rolling Stone's original review.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"One of my favorite punk albums growing up."
"Probably the only remaster we'll ever see of this album."
"Beautiful pressing of a beautifully amazing album!"
"I overall love the album itself, however the sound quality is subpar."
"If you love rock it's a must."
"a classic, what else?"
Best Swing Jazz
Fronted by pianist Thomas Lauderdale, Pink Martini is the real article--a band that approaches the music with unwavering seriousness yet never forgets the fun at the heart of it.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"This is my first CD from Pink Martini and it was theirs; the CD has both vibrant upbeat and more mellow romantic tunes."
"Love it."
"You don't have this in your collection already?!?"
"It's my same question with regard to music from Latin America, Europe et al. You would have to be a big time sampler of music throughout the world to find these gems."
"They can take a song like "Que Sera Sera" and turn it into a beautiful symphonic childlike ballad with a slightly edgy, off-kilter sound achieved by a singing major-key melody over a harmony that chromatically varies back and forth. If you like classical, latin, jazz, standards, and 30s-50s era pop music, then this is a CD you need to check out."
Best Adult Contemporary
Hit singles large and medium are here, often ("One of These Nights," "Hotel California") still sounding definitive and even tough.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Disc one is labeled as disc 1 and has disc 2 songs and disc 2 is labeled disc 2 and has disc 2 songs."
"We love these guys...old now, and we still love to hear them!"
"This 2 CD set was bought as a present for some friends up North simply because it is the GREATEST collection of songs by the Eagles that I have EVER run across, bar none."
"So many greatest hits albums leave out important hits, probably to make sure you buy more albums to get 'THE' collection of all the band's hits."
"A classic!"
"This is the ultimate boxed set -right up there with Led Zeppelin and Lynyrd Skynyrd."
"I think one can do no better then this two Cd package as i can find no reason not to give this collection a thumbs up.."
"I was excited to see this 2-CD album for such a reasonable price, but I was even more excited to hear the sound quality and professional production."
Best Pop Oldies
The classic original Beatles studio albums have been re-mastered by a dedicated team of engineers at Abbey Road Studios in London over a four year period utilising state of the art recording technology alongside vintage studio equipment, carefully maintaining the authenticity and integrity of the original analogue recordings.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"It has Bungalow Bill, Back in the USSR, Rocky Racoon, and Blackbird plus a lot more."
"A 2 CD "mini-box" with a picture book, and a small version of a collage poster that may have been part of the original album all those years ago."
"Album cover was slightly warped, but other than that it was sure nice to hear these old songs again."
"I could go in depth about this album in my review, but don't need to: This mono issue has different versions of many tracks that cannot be heard anywhere else, including the Anthology series."
"As any Beatles fan already knows this album (CD)may be the groups best ever compilation of original music, in my opinion the Beatles changed the face of music and created sounds that no one before them ever thought of as music, alarm clocks, crowing roosters,sustained notes the list goes on and on."
"The Beatles."
"While some tracks seem decidedly tongue-in-cheek like the swagger on "Rocky Raccoon" or "Piggies," some of these songs remain classic and the set wears well over 40 years after it was released. The White Album varies sounds and allows the band to explore and stretch, one of the most interesting and provocative of the Beatles' sets."
"Rocky Raccoon, Why Don't We Do It Ii the Road, Blackbird, I Will...I keep it in my CD player in the car as a back up to my Bluetooth device."
Best Easy Listening
Led by 'All Or Nothing At All,' this collection is stacked with standouts, including 'I'll Never Smile Again' (1940), 'I've Got The World On A String' (1953), 'In The Wee Small Hours Of The Morning' (1955), 'I've Got You Under My Skin' (1956), 'Come Fly With Me' (1957), 'The Way You Look Tonight' (1964), 'Fly Me To The Moon (In Other Words)' (1964), 'Strangers In The Night' (1966), 'My Way' (1968), and 'Theme From New York, New York' (1979), among many more.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"The reviewer who gave this set 1 star is being very nit picky about what is obviously a great representation of Sinatra's music. Sure, hardcore Sinatraphiles such as myself always want to hear more previously unreleased Sinatra music, and Sinatra's catalog of recordings is so vast that even 100 recordings is super-difficult to narrow it down to."
"This is the first time material from all three of Sinatra’s labels (Columbia, Capitol, and Reprise) are included on the same collection, and it’s also the first time many of these tracks have had any significant remastering efforts, so that alone makes this a worthy purchase."
"The most important songs IMO (the ones that are in disc 2) are mostly mastered fine, but for example the first 2 tracks on the first lp are atrociously bad sounding, i dont know where they sourced them from but i guess no mastering will save that mess."
"I'm sure the most adamant Sinatra fans would find a song or two missing but for a great overview of this man's career spanning works, this is a must have collection whether you are just discovering Sinatra's music or have been a fan for decades."
"This is the best LP I own, I've tried to listen the same songs on iTunes music and the difference is very sharp, it was really good remastered."
"If you want a brief collection of Frank Sinatra from 1939 to his last years,this is the collection for you.I am a collector and if I was to pick 100 songs that best define him,my choice would be pretty close to these selections."
"I love this collection.I have many Frank Sinatra collections but, this is by far the best."
"There's nothing to add to sinatra perfomance and songs, a excellent compilation of his songs, the pressing is excellent, highly rated in british audio magazines."
Best Pop Singer-Songwriters
The Beatles' acclaimed original studio album remasters, released on CD in 2009, make their long-awaited stereo vinyl debut. Following the success of The Beatles' acclaimed, GRAMMY Award-winning 2009 CD remasters, it was decided that the sound experts at EMI's Abbey Road Studios should create new versions of The Beatles' vinyl LPs. The project demanded the same meticulous approach taken for the CD releases, and the brief was a simple one: cut the digital remasters to vinyl with an absolute minimum of compromise to the sound. The first stage in transferring the sound of a master recording to vinyl is the creation of a disc to be used during vinyl manufacture. The older, alternative method is to cut the sound into the soft lacquer coating on a nickel disc - the first of several steps leading to the production of a stamper to press the vinyl. Having made initial test cuts, Magee pinpointed any sound problems that can occur during playback of vinyl records. For example, each vinyl album was listened to for any 'sibilant episodes' - vocal distortion that can occur on consonant sounds such as S and T. These were corrected by reducing the level in the very small portion of sound causing the undesired effect. The last phase of the vinyl mastering process began with the arrival of the first batches of test pressings made from master lacquers that had been sent to the two pressing plant factories.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"I love 180g vinyl."
"A classic, a break out album that defines al' 4 Beatles seeking their own direction toward independence."
"It has Bungalow Bill, Back in the USSR, Rocky Racoon, and Blackbird plus a lot more."
"A 2 CD "mini-box" with a picture book, and a small version of a collage poster that may have been part of the original album all those years ago."
"I was so dissapointed I left it in a corner for several months then one day I said to myself I would give it a chance so I sat down and listened to it carefully at that point I realized I was not the Beatles I was listening to but a combination of John,George,Paul & ringo showing what was to come on their solo work or first albums next thing I know it was becoming one of my favorite Beatle albums today I have it on cd,cassette and vinyl and on my way to buy a sealed one to leave for my daughter this lp is not meant for any other type of format but vinyl and on a good system so if you have a choice don't get the cd or the excessive hissing cassette."
"Album cover was slightly warped, but other than that it was sure nice to hear these old songs again."
"I could go in depth about this album in my review, but don't need to: This mono issue has different versions of many tracks that cannot be heard anywhere else, including the Anthology series."
"I bought this nearly a year ago but only recently gave it as a Father's Day present."
Best Pop Tributes
If there is no 5.1 surround sound player, please change the audio set up to stereo-pcm for better audio experience.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"A few days ago i saw the tail end of it by accident and i was glued to the television...George Jones did a couple duets and he was as always very good."
"As much as I love Harry Connick's singing, his was the only song I didn't care for."
"I see in some of the reviews that some fans that have certain expectations and ideas about how George's music should be presented weren't happy with this one."
"Update 8/12/2013: I have upgraded my system to Blu-ray (Oppo), and although my old dvd system (Oppo as well) was not "budget-item", the sync problem has disappeared (still playing the old dvd-disc)."
"George Jones has been in the forefront of the Country Music industry for a couple of generations, and this DVD shows why."
"The 2 Disc DVD is fabulous.But we bought the DVD for the selection"50,000 names on the Wall" We have been doing fund raising to bring in "The Wall That Heals" the Vietnam Memorial Moving Wall."
"Bought as a Christmas gift and it was a great price!"
"This was the 2-disc version and it seems like it may be a relatively infrequent quality problem because it's difficult to believe this problem was encountered by those giving 4 or 5 star reviews. Any feedback on the 1 disc version would be welcome as the sync problem comments don't generally indicate which version had the problem."
Best Korean Pop
1 CD (Random) + 100P Photobook + 20p The Note of 'The Most Beautiful Moment In Life' + 1 Photocard (Random 1 out of 28 Photocard + 1 Special photocard in limited quantity) + Special Stickers // This is the official release and will be counted towards Billboard / Hanteo / Gaon Charts.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"The only thing I'm upset about is that I didn't get the poster... which I for sure thought I would get since this was the link that Bighit posted on their twitter."
"I'm listening to the album for the 3rd time in a row."
"Just finished listening to it for the first time through!"
"I'm listening right now and to hear such great vocals and unexpected beat drops makes me happy."
"I pre-ordered the album for my sister's birthday gift."
"Comes with everything as promised and a special song plus commentary from the members in the book though it is all in Korean so be aware of that."
"I love the album so much I bought 3 - one for myself, one for a white elephant gift exchange and one for a fellow BTS stan!"
"I have a 15 year old niece that's obsessed with BTS and this was their newest album."
Best Teen Pop
THE VERY BEST OF FRANKIE VALLI & THE 4 SEASONS packs a single CD with 20 classics recorded for Vee-Jay, Phillips, Curb/Warner, Private Stock, and RSO between 1962-1978.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"My favorite of the three Frankis Valli CD's I bought."
"Buy the album, if you own nothing by The Four Seasons."
"Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons are incredible."
"Makes me feel young again to listen to their old hit songs."
"Every song a hit every song I remember growing up."
"This CD was a great trip down memory lane and reminded me that, much like the Beatles' music, the music of the Four Seasons is always timely and exciting."
"Someone should digitally re-due the original recordings, as they now sound "tinny" compared to the new digital recordings from the show."
"He made me an 8 track tape of the golden song of Franki Vali and the 4 seasons as he had learned this was my favorite group."
Best Euro Pop
Sweden's biggest musical export! Included are a full 19 digitally remastered hits, most notably Dancing Queen; Take a Chance on Me; The Winner Takes It All; Waterloo; Fernando , and The Name of the Game . 76 minutes of AM bliss.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"I admit that I became interested in purchasing in this collection of Gold Greatest Hits by Abba after watching the Mama Mia movie with my husband around August 2009 (when we were living in Orlando, Florida)."
"Was deliberating on getting one of the Mamma Mia soundtracks, and then figured it would be better to actually purchase this greatest hits album which contained all of those songs and more."
"Great memories from my teenage years listening to this music."
"I got this in preparation for seeing Mama Mia!"
"A great album with all of Abba's hits."
"This 19 song album has some of my favorites that I've heard over the years - Knowing Me, Knowing You, Dancing Queen, Take a Chance on Me."
"Friends gave me an old CD I could not get to transfer to my Kindle, so I purchased this so I could enjoy this delightful collection on-the-go."
"This is the perfect round up of all your favorite abba songs!"
Best Soft Rock
Hit singles large and medium are here, often ("One of These Nights," "Hotel California") still sounding definitive and even tough.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Disc one is labeled as disc 1 and has disc 2 songs and disc 2 is labeled disc 2 and has disc 2 songs."
"We love these guys...old now, and we still love to hear them!"
"This 2 CD set was bought as a present for some friends up North simply because it is the GREATEST collection of songs by the Eagles that I have EVER run across, bar none."
"So many greatest hits albums leave out important hits, probably to make sure you buy more albums to get 'THE' collection of all the band's hits."
"A classic!"
"This is the ultimate boxed set -right up there with Led Zeppelin and Lynyrd Skynyrd."
"I think one can do no better then this two Cd package as i can find no reason not to give this collection a thumbs up.."
"I was excited to see this 2-CD album for such a reasonable price, but I was even more excited to hear the sound quality and professional production."
Best Dance Pop
i. am, as well as 'For All Time', a previously unreleased track from the Thriller sessions that has been newly mixed and mastered by Michael Jackson.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"As with most new records these days, it has a slight warp; but with the proper tracking force it plays just fine."
"Item arrived quick and just as described!"
"Absolute classic, my little sis loves it!!"
"Specifically, the new versions of Wanna Be Startin Somethin (With Akon was really good), Billie Jean (Kayne West with a nice remix), Beat It (With Fergie which was a nice twist), P.Y.T (with Will.I.Am which is better than the original IMO) & even The Girl Is Mine (which was my least favorite on the original album but made better this time around). You get the original nine songs, the little Vincent Price rap and the 6 new versions PLUS a DVD of the Thriller videos (Billie Jean, Beat It, Thriller and the Motown 25th Billie Jean performance). With the exception of the original "The Girl Is Mine" (which I never really liked) this is the perfect version of Thriller released to date."
"One of the greatest albums of all time by one of the greatest artists of all time."
Best Vocal Pop
The Herald Angels SingWhite Winter HymnalSleigh RideWinter Wonderland/Don't Worry Be Happy (featuring Tori KellyThat's Christmas To MeMary, Did You KnowDance Of The Sugar Plum FairyIt's The Most Wonderful Time Of The YearSanta Claus Is Coming To TownSilent Night.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"I could get all excited about Kirstie and Avi nailing their leads ("Sleigh Ride" and "It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year" respectively) AND the fact that Kevin gets to sing several lines in "Mary..." I could rave over their original song "That's Christmas to Me" which is both beautiful and moving. But I won't......because that would take too much time that I could spend listening to this incredible album."
"I love Pentatonix so it was natural that I had to have "That's Christmas to Me"."
"I threw my nearly 16 year old golden retriever an early Christmas since cancer was taking her life."
"We drive many miles over the Christmas holidays and most often listen to Christmas CD's as we drive."
"My daughter, a dance teacher, told us about Pentatonix."
"I want to listen to Christmas music year round thanks to this awesome band!"
"i played this for when folks came to visit me near Christmastime, and they loved it just as much as i. i'd only recently heard of the group on CBN and fell in love with their unique talent and sound."
"I purchased and shipped it to 4 of my friends/family AND gave it as a white elephant gift last year for Christmas."