Best General
Maroon 5 aren't the first band to fuse R&B and rock, but they certainly are one of the most convincing.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Absolutely beautiful splattered vinyl."
"But it sounds like trash on vinyl."
"I'm a confirmed baby-boomer and usually buy only 60's and 70's music, but after I got XM radio in my new pickup truck I started hearing a few newer songs that I liked and almost all of them were sung by "Maroon 5". The beat is usually relentless, the chord and key shifts beautiful and often unexpected, and the high vocal harmonies (wish there were more of them) are as precise as Lennon-McCartney or Heart."
"Great music to listen to anytime."
"Buy this CD!"
"I know price shouldn't be a factor, but I found this for just $4 while browsing Amazon's MP3 department."
"Some songs never go out of style and create a mood...and Mr. Levine does it well!"
"I mainly got this album because it was pretty cheap and I love Maroon 5."
Classically trained in piano at the University of New Mexico, Fernando comes from a family of weavers and farmers who, for eight generations, have lived in Chimayo, a small village on the western slopes of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains, north of Santa Fe. The rich accompaniment of cello, accordion and strings allow the songs to resonate with a simple yet sensitive quality that gently touches every listeners heart.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Whatever Fernando Ortega puts his hands to, turns to pure gold."
"The instrumentation is good, but I didn't buy it for instrumental music - I wanted Fernando Ortega vocals."
"Love my own copy."
"I am a Fernando Ortega fan anyway - so perhaps I am biased; but this is a beautiful CD."
"I absolutely love this album, and I have waited far too long to get it."
"The piano instrumentals soothe my soul, and "What Wondrous Love Is This" is a favorite as well."
"I absolutely love this CD."
"I put in "Christian music" and, when I heard Fernando sing "I Need Thee Every Hour" his voice was like a smooth-sailing vessel that carried me directly to my soul and my inner place of worship."
Led by the accomplished Rod Argent on piano and organ, The Zombies comprised Paul Atkinson on guitar, Chris White on bass, Hugh Grundy on drums and vocalist Colin Blunstone, the latter widely acknowledged as one of the finest singers Britain has ever produced. The band made the first of several trips across the Atlantic that Christmas, where they were rapturously received - Tell Her No went Top 10 - and America has subsequently always held a soft spot for the Zombies. Popular throughout the rest of the world, the Zombies spent most of 1965 and 1966 touring Europe and America and releasing a slew of impeccable pop singles: She's Coming Home , Whenever You're Ready , Is This The Dream , Remember You were all of an unswervingly high standard. Upon their return to the UK, the Zombies signed to CBS and, determined to produce a record themselves, embarked on the making of the classic Odessey & Oracle album. Paul and Hugh both became successful A&R men, and of course the group Argent, led by Rod with Chris behind the scenes, scaled commercial heights in the mid-1970s that rivalled the Zombies' own.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"The Zombies deserve to be in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame!"
"I will tell you one thing right now: I love 60s Brit bands, but where the Dave Clark Five seemed like so much excessive Beatles wannabe confetti, and the Hollies could go from awesome to repellent in 0.5 seconds, the Zombies were indeed underrated, overly talented, and nothing short of brilliant. Exceptional in every way, not just another 60s British beat band, the group offered a more genuine version of blue-eyed soul infused with jazz and classical influences, lovely Brit dialect harmonies, and superior musicianship."
"their songs are all classic swininging, hipped,rocking ,60's groovy rock pop music with hints of r and b !! coilin blunstone's voice is so sexy very english smokey cool !!"
"I was afraid I was just re-purchasing a bunch of stuff I already had. I may have had a couple of singles way back when, but everything else I'd ever heard was the stereo re-mixes and did not know there was a difference until now."
"I have to say right up front that I am a Zombie junkie!"
"The Zombies. Zombie Heaven (4 CD box with 66 page `tall-boy' book). Between the Product Description found on this page, as well as a few excellent customer reviews, there is little reason to add anything to what has already been said, except to add my own voice to the praise that this 4 CD set deserves."
"outstanding box set Zombies music fans a must.one of the best all time brit bands from the 60s ,that can still sing and perform at the highest level."
"You get everything the guys did in the studio and a ton of BBC recordings on the 4th disc."
Best Pop Rock
Britain's greatest pop diva Dusty Springfield was the finest blue-eyed soul singer of her era, and this landmark Atlantic Records album from 1969 is a masterpiece, a perfect marriage of pop and soul.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Dusty made a debut in the. American South here, The music is exquisite and includes. every superb genre she is so noted for, including the sexy. "Breakfast in Bed", "I Don't Want to Hear It Anymore" with. its haunting back-up vocals, and the sensual dream of "The. Windmills of Your Mind"."
"I keep listening over and over."
"I really don't know how you don't give this album 5 stars!"
"O c ourse I heard it back then."
"On time and as described.."
"A great bargain and overall great track selections; too bad about the sound quality though."
"Having Dusty Springfield music playing is worth getting this wonderful compact disc or any of her music. She was truly a timeless voice of our times."
"I returned the lp and will search for a warmer more soothing sounding lp."
Best Power Pop
Rosenbergs - Mission You - Cd.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"The Rosenbergs encapsulate rock and roll from the 60's, 70's, 80's, and 90' with this pure power pop masterpiece of singing, melody, and pop intensity."
"wow, even today this band blows away the competition."
"Other standouts include "Paper and Plastic", "In Pursuit", and "Secret" If you like power pop and strong vocals/harmonies you will love this CD."
"Expansive electric guitar chords make for a very full sound, and the rhythm section keeps everything upbeat and moving."
"Expansive electric guitar chords make for a very full sound, and the rhythm section keeps everything upbeat and moving."
"It is released by Robert Fripp's DGM label, a second copy of the CD is included, and Talking Head, Tina Weymouth, provides backing vocals."
"New York's The Rosenbergs have captured a blend of muscular pop and intelligent songwriting that will make ya happy no matter if you think pop music died when Brian stopped touring with the Beach Boys, or when Cheap Trick left Budokan."
"Every song is incredible and I found myself singing their songs over and over again even without the music playing."
Best Euro Pop
Primarily this was to put baby's to sleep.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Best Contemporary Hawaiian lullabies."
"I've been using this CD for my child since birth."
"I am still looking for a CD of Hawaiian language lullabies."
"My husband & I heard this CD, Hawaiian Lullabies, while dining in a small Mediterranean-French bistro in Honolulu, and agreed it was the most angelic music we had heard in a long time."
"B-man says it's insipid but it's made to put baby's to sleep."
"I have many hawaiian cd's and there is nothing about this cd that sounds hawaiian, except perhaps, the C & H Sugar song on track four."
Best Soft Rock
Dan Fogelberg's first Christmas album is a smartly informed collection of familiar holiday hymns, carols, and deliciously original music inspired by the Renaissance period.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"If you are looking for a Christmas cd that is soft and sweet without the same old Christmas songs ( redone a million times) this is for you."
"Wonderfully arranged CD, capturing the spirit of Christmas."
"I bought a copy for my aunt who is a retired music teacher with no idea of who Dan Fogelberg was and she loves it as well."
"Old world Christmas tunes played with old world instruments and some wonderful harmonies as in "What Child is This", this is a wonderful addition to any Christmas music collection."
"It has a lot of good tracks with nice acoustic guitar playing."
"I really liked the songs that he picked for the album."
"Buy this!"
Best Adult Contemporary
December holds the distinction of single-handedly putting Windham Hill on the map and being the new age album most likely to find its way into music collections of all ilk.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"The 20th Anniversary Edition....which is now even a few years old....contains a couple of unreleased songs and the sheet music to his version of Bach's "Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring" (here just titled, "Joy")."
"Very pleasant piano music."
"It's amazing how music can set the tone for a social gathering and in my very very humble opinion, I'd say "December by George Winston" is the perfect CD for such a purpose."
"I think it is Winston's best, with "Summer" as a close second. It will give you years of beautiful listening."
"George Winston's exquisite piano talent comes alive in a selection of music that takes the listener from Thanksgiving through Christmas."
"I first heard it on a Sunday night jazz program when I was living in Charlotte, NC, To me, George Winston is like a soothing balm that goes straight to my soul."
"This is my all time favorite album (CD)."
"From the first track to the last December will capture your soul taking both it and your mind to places full of wonder, warmth and joy."
Best Easy Listening
Special Price 50 Track Double CD, Includes: La Paloma, Michelle, Blueberry Hill, Lili Marleen And More.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"This is music that I listened to when I was a youngster."
"Used to love Billy Vaughn's rendition of "wheels when I was younger."
"Very good CD."
"Yes, there are some HITS missing including US and German hits but those are available on other CD collections."
"Replacement for original purchase over five-years ago."
"I have owned this Album for about a year."
"A great CD to have in my collection."
"Always a fan of Billy Vaughn I only wish my favorite song, Look for a Star was on the 1st CD with the other best songs as opposed to being the only good one on CD#2."
Best Singer-Songwriters
Mule Variations is the twelfth studio album by American musician Tom Waits, released on April 16, 1999 on the ANTI- label.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"One of Waits' best."
"I first considered buying this album after hearing Beth perform Hold On in an episode of The Walking Dead this season."
"Filipino box spring hog....outrageous!!!!!"
"Look, I don't even know why I felt compelled to add my voice to the cavalcade of positivity, but if I had to discover him all over again, and I was only going to buy ONE CD because mom was cutting up the cards and shutting down the amazon account...this one would make me wanna get a job so I could afford the rest."
"The coffeehouse folk of his early career (and the great material it yeilded), the amazing blues-jazz of the late seventies (and some shows I shall never forget, THE GAS PUMPS)! Ranks with Tom T's Blues, Jersey Girl - better - "she closed her eyes and started......swaying, but it's so hard to dance that way, when it's cold and there's no music", man, I really love this song."
"The first song, Big in Japan, leads you to expect the same atonality and tribal-rhythm driven poundings that he delivered on his Bone Machine album. His lyrics here combine the poetic doggerel of his Small Change years without striking the same false and affected (if fun) notes found there: Down by the Riverside motel, it's 10 below and falling. by a 99 cent store she closed her eyes. and started swaying. but it's so hard to dance that way. when it's cold and there's no music. (from "Hold On"). Every song on the album has a lyric that will stay with you for days after hearing it: "She's a diamond that wants to stay coal." The traditional blues influence that has always been in Waits' music is more visible here, thanks to more subdued production than on the previous albums."
Best Instrumental Pop & Lounge
Kenton '76.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"There are several outstanding tunes on the album, but my most favorite is Hank Levy's Decoupage."
"Tim Hagans and John Harner display great solo skills."
"One of Kenton's greatest recordings."
"I have several albums by Stan Kenton and was told of this one by a GREAT friend."
"One of the best Kenton recordings of his later band with some memorable arrangements and it's in a live setting."
"It was worth every penny."
"this is a Start to finish awesome album."
Best Traditional & Vocal Pop
Britain's greatest pop diva Dusty Springfield was the finest blue-eyed soul singer of her era, and this landmark Atlantic Records album from 1969 is a masterpiece, a perfect marriage of pop and soul.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Dusty made a debut in the. American South here, The music is exquisite and includes. every superb genre she is so noted for, including the sexy. "Breakfast in Bed", "I Don't Want to Hear It Anymore" with. its haunting back-up vocals, and the sensual dream of "The. Windmills of Your Mind"."
"I keep listening over and over."
"I really don't know how you don't give this album 5 stars!"
"O c ourse I heard it back then."
"On time and as described.."
"A great bargain and overall great track selections; too bad about the sound quality though."
"Having Dusty Springfield music playing is worth getting this wonderful compact disc or any of her music. She was truly a timeless voice of our times."
"I returned the lp and will search for a warmer more soothing sounding lp."