Best Gospel
Today, aside from gospel veteran Amy Grant, who balances the sacred and secular, and Randy Travis, that concept has long faded. The spare instrumentation is surprisingly robust behind his flawless readings of "I'll Fly Away," "Softly and Tenderly," "How Great Thou Art," "Are You Washed in the Blood?," and "The Old Rugged Cross," all as beguilingly unpretentious as any of his country hits.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"I bought this cd because it is my grand daughter's favorite cd."
"this is one of the best cd's i own."
"I never thought that I would find a gospel album that I love as much as Don't Overlook Salvation by Ricky Van Shelton. If you love gospel music you will love this one."
"It offers a great selection of songs which are sung superbly with sincere warmth."
"Love the old standard hymns!"
During his tenure on the show, Gokey impressed the judges with his versatility and a voice that could sing any style of music and turn any song into a compelling moment.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"This album is such a rarity whereas nowadays albums contain a couple of quality songs and the rest is just filler."
"I'm so glad I got this the songs are awesome, I was honored over 2yrs ago to meet Danny & his wife at my church what a great man fo God if you don't have this get yours now!!!!!!"
"I ordered this for my mom."
"gift for daughter who loves the message of the songs."
"Love this CD!"
"Beautiful CD... very good for a mending heart."
"This seems to be a mix of love songs to Danny's wife and Gospel songs."
"Very pretty album of songs that touch the heart."
The companion DVD will feature live and concept videos from William Murphy (Arise You Are Good), Casey J (Im Yours), Jonathan McReynolds (Pressure) and Israel Houghton/Tye Tribbett (Chasing My Down) to name a few.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Item received as promised in great condition and In great condition."
"My daughter is over joyed."
"the best and the price was perfect."
"Love it."
Best Gospel Praise & Worship
Not even the staunchest music skeptic expected A Piece of My Passion, Juanita Bynum's third album, to become the gospel smash it did in 2006. The two-disc set topped Billboard's Top Gospel Albums chart for weeks, and it wasn't long until Bynum scored for herself her first gold album.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Actually this is the only CD I own by Ms Bynum."
"fantastic songs and inspirational."
"the worship comes through!"
"This music CD is in heavy rotation in my car and in my home especially during the Sabbath (Shabbat) Prophetess Bynum sings some of the sweetest spiritual music ever."
"I met juanita bynum in Wilmington de this women is a prophet bless by Jesus Christ our Lord and savior.I love her cd I listen to them over some bring me to tears.she has blessed millions .I pray for all GOd anointed I want to preach one day myself.buy her cds and listen and be truly bless ."
"SHE LOVES JUANITA BYNUM, THIS CD WILL BE PLAYED IN OUR PRAYER & WORSHIP SERVICE."
"Juanita's voice is so strong and commanding, and her choir is stellar-love it when they inch up the octaves on the chorus towards the end of some of these."
"To be honest I'm not a huge fan of Juanita Bynum but there's something about this CD that draws you in to the presence of God."
Best Gospel Instrumental
The Burger Estate, in conjunction with Spring Hill Music Group, is releasing a new CD, The Hymns Collection, featuring the renowned keyboardist playing such timeless classics as ?Old Rugged Cross,?
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Great Pianist and very sad to see he passed away at such an early age........"
"Always enjoy Anthony Burger's talent."
"Great background, relaxing, lovely music."
"If you grew up with these hymns, like I did, the words will flow into your mind again, and tears of joy will follow."
"Mr. Burger was a very talented musician and I have enjoyed his diverse renditions of spiritual songs."
"These hymns are performed magnificently and are incredibly relaxing and comforting to listen to."
"Oh how I love to hear Anthony Burger play the piano."
"He was a pianist for the Billy Graham ministry. for a long time."
Best Traditional Gospel
Culled from her sides for Columbia in the 1950s and 1960s, some of the arrangements in the set are not ideal and may sound quite a bit dated, but that voice shines and soars and dives straight to the center of your heart. Whether backed by a simple organ or piano or with full studio accompaniment, Jackson's booming, instantly recognizable contralto is indescribable, exciting, and forever a wonder to behold.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon""and let her take you from there.All the tunes are good and will lift up any spirits.The booklet is informative and well illustrated with photos of this immortal artist(Why do I feel like I'm back in Mrs. Tripp's 4th grade writing a book report?"
"I tend to think that a lot of today's gospel music imitates music that would typically have no place in a worship service."
"Memories flooded my soul!"
"My mother Love Mahalia Jackson."
"Beautiful and classic compilation."
Best Urban & Contemporary Gospel
On his 11th album, Kirk Franklin once again establishes himself as the frontrunner in Gospel music.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"This was definitely different from past recordings by Kirk Franklin, there were a few songs that grabbed me the rest of the album will take some time to appreciate."
"Listening to Kirk Franklin's latest album of this year got me to listen up some songs the same I heard on Praise 102.5 FM Atlanta. Kirk Franklin have it going on with the music and even doing some preaching at the beginning of the album."
"Kirk hits the heart and is very relational."
"Great music to worship with truly enjoy it really glad I purchased it."
"Gave as a gift and they loved it!!!!"
"The album is what I expected from Kirk Franklin.... Mostly contemporary with a little traditional mixed in."
"Kind of on the fence about the opening spoken-word-type of piece."
Best Pop
"Hamilton" - which transferred to Broadway following a sold-out run at The Public Theater in NYC - is the acclaimed new musical about the scrappy young immigrant Alexander Hamilton, the $10 Founding Father who forever changed America with his revolutionary ideas and actions.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Then avoid this album at ALL COSTS. Soon your family will start experimenting with this album and know Aaron Burr and Alexander Hamilton are more than just a trivia question from the Got Milk commercial from 1993. I'll leave it at this: I enjoyed this album enough to: -sing along with it. -move along with it. -make plans to fly out to Broadway to watch and support this show. -most importantly: find out more about Alexander Hamilton beyond the 1993 Got Milk commercial. I hope you enjoy this album as much as I have."
"This excellent cast album has it all: songs about desire, triumph, love, heartbreak, power, obsession, family, cheating, status, happiness and loss. After an eight year absence from visiting NYC, Hamilton has inspired me to book a plane ticket and a ridiculously expensive hotel room in the Big Apple just to see this show in the Fall."
"It's a brilliant pastiche of musical and poetic styles, all perfectly tailored to each particular character, yet woven into an intricate narrative that will inspire, entertain, and break your heart. I was privileged to see the show the week that it opened, and can't stop telling people about it, so I was beyond thrilled that the production team, including writer/performer Lin-Manuel Miranda and producer Ahmir Khalib Thompson (aka Questlove) chose to produce a full-length soundtrack that skipped nothing from the original show. Now an entire generation of theater-goers will arrive at Hamilton already knowing the music and words, and that's probably a great thing, because it's incredibly complex and fast-paced."
"I've been immersed in American musical theater my entire life and work in it full-time now."
"Totally met all my expectations. Took the advice from friends to do your research."
Best Folk
They're drawn by songs like "Ho Hey" and "Stubborn Love," Americana-inflected barn burners in the vein of the Avett Brothers and Mumford & Sons.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"I'm not very good at writing about music but if you like stuff like the Avett Brothers or Low Anthem or The Head & the Heart I'm pretty sure you will like this."
"If I had to characterize The Lumineers, I'd say they're similar to Bright Eyes, except 10 times better and a tenth as annoyingly self-infatuated."
"Submarines is what really caught my attention as well as Ho, Hey. If you, like me, sometimes want to find a new band/artist to stimulate your musical taste, I would not hesitate to recommend The Lumineers."
"Fame found them, but when you watch them or listen to their music, you appreciate how deeply they care about their music."
"I may never have bought it if wasn't that low. Yes, the stand out song is 'Ho Hey', but as much as I listen to that song, I find myself equally drawn to 'Submarines' with its upbeat warm feeling. Kind of gives me that warm feeling of being wrapped up in a blanket on a cold morning. Another song worth mentioning is 'Stubborn Love' with its haunting cello. While I do think it's somewhat of a sad sounding song, it somehow keeps drawing me in. In my opinion, if I had just bought one song, namely 'Ho Hey', I would have cheated myself out of an entire listening experience."
"They all have a catchy pure sound and make me smile; Flower in Your Hair is my 2nd favorite so far! I'm looking forward to playing this CD over and over during short trips to work, home, etc."
"Amazing album, amazing band!"
"Great CD!!!"
Best Metal
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!"
"Great rock band, great music!"
"Sigh."
"Packaging and arrival of product were great."
Best Rock
Pink Floyd- The Dark Side Of the Moon LP. "Breathe" (listed as "Breathe in the Air" on the original LP label) 2:43 3.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"The remastering is just incredible."
"Like the original, it came with the original notes, posters and stickers along with an extra wax sleeve to protect your vinyl while leaving the other in tact for collectibility."
"If you consider yourself a 70's rocker and don't have this vynil, whether original or a repress, well..."
"This is the best selling album of all time for a reason."
"Of course the content is fantastic."
"Love this record, was excited that amazon had this available at a great price."
"My main drive for this version was to purchase a Multichannel version that was perviously only available on SA-CD (Super audio CD) This box includes a quad and a 5.1 mix. I would also not feel cheated if they had included a rebate for the 3 box sets when you bought the Big box of Pink Floyd."
"When music was at its best."
Best Blues
The album also topped many critics' "albums of the year" lists and gathered major music awards in the process, including eight Grammy Awards.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"I like to play her music at home, while having a glass of wine and cooking and it's a good end to the day or to start a weekend."
"Her voice sounds even better than ever in this format. The combination of her voice and this music, along with the spaciousness of the sound, make for a great SACD."
"I highly recommend this CD if you love female vocalists - jazz, pop, country western - and to be introduced to a singer who will certainly make her mark on the music scene for years to come."
"This album was a gift to that young women who has enough of an ear to know that vinyl has a better sound than the compressed electronic formats that kids download today."
"Very talented, great voice and great songwriting as well."
"This record is perfect for laying on the floor on a warm afternoon with the sun shing through the window."
"I love the mix of tunes on this album -- and Nora sings every song from her heart."
"One of my favorite vinyl records."
Best R&B
"Hamilton" - which transferred to Broadway following a sold-out run at The Public Theater in NYC - is the acclaimed new musical about the scrappy young immigrant Alexander Hamilton, the $10 Founding Father who forever changed America with his revolutionary ideas and actions.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Then avoid this album at ALL COSTS. Soon your family will start experimenting with this album and know Aaron Burr and Alexander Hamilton are more than just a trivia question from the Got Milk commercial from 1993. I'll leave it at this: I enjoyed this album enough to: -sing along with it. -move along with it. -make plans to fly out to Broadway to watch and support this show. -most importantly: find out more about Alexander Hamilton beyond the 1993 Got Milk commercial. I hope you enjoy this album as much as I have."
"This excellent cast album has it all: songs about desire, triumph, love, heartbreak, power, obsession, family, cheating, status, happiness and loss. After an eight year absence from visiting NYC, Hamilton has inspired me to book a plane ticket and a ridiculously expensive hotel room in the Big Apple just to see this show in the Fall."
"It's a brilliant pastiche of musical and poetic styles, all perfectly tailored to each particular character, yet woven into an intricate narrative that will inspire, entertain, and break your heart. I was privileged to see the show the week that it opened, and can't stop telling people about it, so I was beyond thrilled that the production team, including writer/performer Lin-Manuel Miranda and producer Ahmir Khalib Thompson (aka Questlove) chose to produce a full-length soundtrack that skipped nothing from the original show. Now an entire generation of theater-goers will arrive at Hamilton already knowing the music and words, and that's probably a great thing, because it's incredibly complex and fast-paced."
"I've been immersed in American musical theater my entire life and work in it full-time now."
"Totally met all my expectations. Took the advice from friends to do your research."
Best Jazz
Regarded by many critics as the greatest jazz album of all time and Davis's masterpiece.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"We both love Miles Davis and now that we both have vinyl players this was the perfect Christmas gift for her."
"All time classic that needs no introduction or review."
"Every note placed somehow perfectly even though there was no rehearsal beforehand."
"Got this as a refund."
"This is a classic Vinyl for any Jazz lover."
"classic album."
"The album is great."
"While not as rich as the Mobile Fidelity version, this is a very clean cut of one of the greatest blues players of all time (as long as you don't read his biography)."
Best Country
(2LP) Grammy Award winning 2015 debut solo album from US singer-songwriter blending country, southern rock & bluegrass influences.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"While today's country music is filled with songs detailing long drives on back country roads with a beer in the console, this album actually inspires you do actually get in your car and drive. If you like, country, blues or southern rock at all, this album is a must have!"
"This album is an apology for 20 years of what Nashville called Country music."
"You may have not lived the life the song speaks about, but you sure have had the feelings the song provokes . GREAT songs take you to a place that you are familiar with and allows you to relive that moment in time."
"I'm not really a country music fan (though I used to be), but this album is great!"
"Thank you to whoever convinced him to do this, and i'll buy Chris Stapleton albums as long as he's putting them out!"
"This is a bad ass record....I want to LP and have tried twice now, yet Mercury Records must have the worst quality control ever on LP pressing."
"In fact, one of the last songs on the album is "Outlaw State of Mind" - shades of Waylon Jennings."
"I bought this after seeing Chris Stapleton on the CMAs singing with Justin Timberlake, which if you haven't watched that video, it's definitely a must see!"
Best Latin
Buena Vista Social Club - The original Buena Vista Social Club album was recorded for World Circuit Records over seven days at the vintage EGREM studios in Havana.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"This CD is an awesome compilation of Cuban music with various artists playing multifarious instruments!"
"This vinyl is great addition to my collection."
"Superb mastering by Bernie Grundman."
"Beautiful, thick vinyl!"
"Bernie Grundman mastering and excellent pressing."
"Took me years to finally get this, sorry I waited."
Best New Age
At times, the analog synthesizers used in this 1984 recording sound dated and a little cheesy, particularly on "Deck the Halls" and "Good King Wenceslas." As pleasant and soothing as a Willard Scott birthday wish, Christmas does offer one selection that truly merits "classic" status: the reverent, prayerful, slow-motion interpretation of "Silent Night" ("Stille Nacht") for piano and strings that closes the album--a beautiful and heart-touching work.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"arrived faster than expected and is perhaps my favorite manheim steamroller album played all the way through with out any notice of scratches as well."
"love all mannheim steamroller."
"Great music , but I should have looked at what the songs were."
"My favorite Christmas cd!"
Best Classical
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"I first found out about this because my teenager nearly blew out my eardrums as she ran screaming from her room that Pentatonix was releasing a Christmas album. Each of the five musicians have gifted voices and talents and are essential to the group's unique style."
"A few of the songs on here skeptics may think the songs have been overdone and have no way of being different, but pentatonix found a way to twist the songs enough to keep the original magic but make it their own enough that it really stands out from other covers and brings the excitement of listening to that song for the first time again."
"Heard this group on the Christmas TV special - amazing voices, and acappella!"
"I love Pentatonix!!!!"
"Very interesting album - the voices are really good and close harmony I enjoy it and my guests were pleased."
"A fun new spin on holiday favorites, and sung by the talented Pentatonix and a few featured artist."
"This is by far our favorite Christmas album."
"'This was good but not half as good as last years."
Best World Music
Originally released in 1984, Bob Marley's LEGEND illustrates the remarkable life and recording career of one of reggae music's most important figures.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"If you have a home theater with 5.1 Surround sound and an appreciation for the art of music and quality audio, you will LOVE this set."
"Bought it as a surprise for my mother to go along with a Bluetooth suitcase record player from Amazon as well."
"THE MOST GORGEOUS VINYL IN MY COLLECTION!!!"
"Great song."
"How can you go wrong with Bob Marley?!?"
"I love Bob Marley and this CD has lots of the old favorites."
"What can I say, It's one of my all time favorite artist and albums. Wore the last disk out."
"There is just something about Bob Marley's music and sound."
Best Christian
An invitation to encounter God in worship is at the heart of Lauren Daigle's first full-length project, HOW CAN IT BE.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"The voice I hear on Lauren Daigle’s debut, How Can it Be, reminds me of Adele and the International House of Prayer’s, Misty Edwards. The handclaps bring a smile, as well as the chorus, “When you don’t move the mountains I’m needing you to move/When you don’t part the waters I wish I could walk through/When you don’t give me answers as I cry out to you/I will trust, I will trust, I will trust in you.” I hear an endearing lightness and it’s easy to identify with the thought of life being a battle and more than a little unpredictable. “Let the waters rise I will stand as the oceans roar/Let the earth shake beneath/Let the mountains fall/You are God over the storm/And I am yours.” This is unshakeable confidence framed in majesty. Though our world be shaken, “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble” (Psalm 46:1). Daigle’s voice makes this regal, fitting for a King that presides over all. She starts off soulfully and becomes increasingly earnest, “Oh let this be where I die/My Lord with thee, crucified/Be lifted high as my kingdoms fall/Once and for all/Once and for all.” It brings to mind what Dietrich Bonhoeffer wrote, “When Christ calls a man, he bids him come and die.”. One of my favorite thoughts from Scripture highlights our need: “We all stumble in many ways” (James 3:2). As Robert Robinson wrote in a hymn, “Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it, Prone to leave the God I love; Here’s my heart, O take and seal it, Seal it for Thy courts above.” It’s why I like the line, “Be lifted high as my kingdoms fall.” Live enough years and it’s not hard to see the wreckage."
"I was out driving when I heard the single "How Can It Be" on my local Christian station."
"Only problem, there was no packing material/bubble wrap with this cd and the case was broken."
"I'm a new fan of this woman after God's own heart...her lyrics are raw, they're scriptural, and above all they are motivating and spiritually stirring."
"Great writing and Lauren's voice pulls you into the song."
""Peace be Still" by the Belonging Co. not on this CD but here is that great voice, exuding humble worship."
"Best new Christian artist I've heard or met in a long time."
"I listen to this often."
Best Opera & Vocal
It's the most successful musical of all time, the best-selling cast album ever-and now it sounds better than ever!
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"I was fortunate to see aproduction of the play and was thrilled to do so..Have been in love with it ever since i saw it...I love everything about it.."
"The music of Andrew Lloyd Webber is so soulful and beautiful it is hard to find anything negative about the opera."
"This is the best version of this amazing opera."
"An incomparable performance by Sarah Brightman."
"Although I love the 25th anniversary rendition much better than this original cast performance, that version would not be around without this one."
"If you like Broadway musicals, then Phantom of the Opera is one to see."
"Not much to say, the music speaks for itself."
"Saw it for the First Time Ever Last Saturday It Was Fantastic!!!"
Best Soundtracks
"Hamilton" - which transferred to Broadway following a sold-out run at The Public Theater in NYC - is the acclaimed new musical about the scrappy young immigrant Alexander Hamilton, the $10 Founding Father who forever changed America with his revolutionary ideas and actions.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Then avoid this album at ALL COSTS. Soon your family will start experimenting with this album and know Aaron Burr and Alexander Hamilton are more than just a trivia question from the Got Milk commercial from 1993. I'll leave it at this: I enjoyed this album enough to: -sing along with it. -move along with it. -make plans to fly out to Broadway to watch and support this show. -most importantly: find out more about Alexander Hamilton beyond the 1993 Got Milk commercial. I hope you enjoy this album as much as I have."
"This excellent cast album has it all: songs about desire, triumph, love, heartbreak, power, obsession, family, cheating, status, happiness and loss. After an eight year absence from visiting NYC, Hamilton has inspired me to book a plane ticket and a ridiculously expensive hotel room in the Big Apple just to see this show in the Fall."
"It's a brilliant pastiche of musical and poetic styles, all perfectly tailored to each particular character, yet woven into an intricate narrative that will inspire, entertain, and break your heart. I was privileged to see the show the week that it opened, and can't stop telling people about it, so I was beyond thrilled that the production team, including writer/performer Lin-Manuel Miranda and producer Ahmir Khalib Thompson (aka Questlove) chose to produce a full-length soundtrack that skipped nothing from the original show. Now an entire generation of theater-goers will arrive at Hamilton already knowing the music and words, and that's probably a great thing, because it's incredibly complex and fast-paced."
"I've been immersed in American musical theater my entire life and work in it full-time now."
"Totally met all my expectations. Took the advice from friends to do your research."
Best Special Interest
Songs include Science is Real, Meet the Elements, I Am a Paleontologist w/Danny , The Bloodmobile, Electric Car w/Robin , My Brother the Ape, What is a Shooting Star?, How Many Planets?, Why Does the Sun Shine?, Roy G. Bib, Put it to the Test, Photosynthesis, Cells, Speed and Velocity w/ Marty Biller, Computer Assisted Design, Solid Liquid Gas, Here Comes Science and The Ballad of Davy Crockett (in Out Space)! The toe-tapping sequence of science topics presented in sight and sound has something for every grade level in the areas of physical, earth, and life sciences. Teachers can use the songs and video to begin a unit of study, assess prior knowledge of a topic to help plan instruction, differentiate instruction, stimulate further discussion of a topic, expose students to new concepts, and develop science vocabulary and comprehension. Enter your model number to make sure this fits.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"An awesome album in the style of glazer and Evans. Truly sad, because if you take "Science is Real (the song)" to heart, the kids might learn something useful."
"So I guess I missed the news that the sun was no longer made of gas but it was now a miasma of incandescent plasma, but now I know and so does my son's kindergarten class, This was announced during the morning weather report (and yes he can now define all these words)."
"My oldest son's musical taste/interest progressed beyond songs about the alphabet and numbers several years ago and I purchased this thinking it would make a fine early introduction to science and TMBG for our toddler."
"He sings the songs all the time and I love that he's learning and enjoying himself at the same time!"
"Digging, and digging, and digging, and digging... And many other songs about Science stuck in your head, courtesy these cool guys and their magical lyrics."
"We are not creationists--which is why we wanted our kids to hear this album... to combat the theologic myths that try to pass themselves as scientific or proven to be anything more than that."
"TMBG ventured into the children's music world as soundtracks to some kid shows (Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, Higgly Town Heroes, etc) and they had success with Here Come the ABC's and Here Come the 123's, and both of those albums are decent, but Here Comes Science is their children's tour de force."
"Kids love this CD!!!"
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 Classic Rock
Led Zeppelin’s debut album, newly remastered, and including an additional CD and double LP featuring a previously unreleased October 1969 concert from Paris, France. Super Deluxe Edition Box Set Includes: CD1: Original album newly remastered in vinyl replica sleeve CD2: Companion audio featuring a previously unreleased October 1969 concert from Paris, France in a new sleeve Vinyl 1: Original album newly remastered in single sleeve replicating the original album on 180 gram vinyl Vinyl 2/3: Companion audio on two LPs (180 gram vinyl) in a new sleeve featuring negative artwork based on the original album artwork, and featuring a previously unreleased October 1969 concert from Paris, France HD Download card with the original album @ 96/24 and the live concert from Paris @ 48/24 LP sized, individually numbered, high quality print of the original album cover Album-size hardback book (72 pages) Replica of original Atlantic press kit".
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Much of this music evolved from Jimmy Page's Yardbirds period. I own the Complete Studio Recordings CD Box Set from the early 1990's, mixed by Jimmy Page himself. As a electrical engineer knowledgable about the evolution of audio equipment, and particularly Analog to Digital Converters, it is my opinion that this recently pressed Japan SHM CD is the best sound of this recording to date."
"For our listening pleasure, Jimmy Page has decided to remaster the Led Zeppelin catalog, beginning here in 2014 with the first three albums, all being released today, June 3rd. For many years, audio of Zeppelin's 1969 show in Paris has been floating around, and was considered a treasured chronicle of the band in its early days. The remaster for Zeppelin II and III both have studio rough cuts, backing tracks, and alternate takes, which are great for the rabid Zeppelin fanatic, but the average fan will probably appreciate this deluxe edition the most, with the classic debut album and a brilliant live show from a young, hungry Zep from '69."
"Very few albums I feel this way about, one of the others would be Pink Floyd's "Dark Side of the Moon" Albums such as these never grow old but stand the test of time. These are the same albums in the box sets, but you will have to make up your own minds to see if all the extra goodies from the deluxe box sets are worth it. As for me, I see myself possibly getting "Physical Graffiti" when it's released & possibly "Houses of the Holy" but I'm going to have to let most of these (sadly) go by the wayside."
"Just the other day I noticed ,while zep l was playing in my computer that only disc 2 of this edition displays the words deluxe edition. Both cd disc 1 and disc 2 on led zep lll display the word deluxe edition, which is what I would think is correct cause that`s what I payed for."
Best Rap & Hip-Hop
Originally released in 1984, Bob Marley's LEGEND illustrates the remarkable life and recording career of one of reggae music's most important figures.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"In any genre, Bob Marley, alone, has the highest sales percentage of any reggae performer or group. He recorded for nearly 20 years, with his groundbreaking Island catalog coming in 1970 with the release of Catch A Fire and ending in 1980 with Uprising. His calypso and ska days won't be found here and in truth, many renditions of the tracks on Legend are equaled or surpassed on other albums or black-market releases such as his 1975 concert at The Quiet Nights Club in Chicago. (Although, his TDK studio recording of Catch A Fire in Toyko (1970-71) is outstanding as well.). Having own quite a few of his blackmarket/ underground concerts none of the official "live" recording of the Wailers stacks up against the ones that are privately owned and circulated, but there is the sense in listening to the few live tracks on this album of what a Bob Marley & The Wailers concert meant."
"If you have a home theater with 5.1 Surround sound and an appreciation for the art of music and quality audio, you will LOVE this set."
"Bought it as a surprise for my mother to go along with a Bluetooth suitcase record player from Amazon as well."
"I was not pleased with the packaging, normally you put bubble wrap or something of that nature when you box something like this!!!"
"THE MOST GORGEOUS VINYL IN MY COLLECTION!!!"
"Great song."
"How can you go wrong with Bob Marley?!?"
"The hole in the center of the record was too small and I was not able to fit it on my turntable."
Best Children's Music
Directed by the renowned filmmaking team of Ron Clements and John Musker (The Little Mermaid, Aladdin, The Princess & the Frog) and produced by Osnat Shurer (Lifted, One Man Band), Moana sails into U.S. theaters on Nov. 23, 2016.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"As a 30-something who grew up in the age of the Disney Renaissance of the 1990s and had (still has) a collection of all the original Walt Disney classics, I can be hard to convince in this age of CGI...but "Moana" is perfection...and so is the soundtrack. I'm not a big "Hamilton" fan, but I can appreciate Miranda's considerable talent - and it shines in this soundtrack. No, it doesn't "sound" like the rest of the soundtrack - but who says it's supposed to?"
"Her father is the village chief and she feels drawn to the ocean that surrounds their beautiful, tropical Polynesian island of Motunui. If you purchase the audio CD version, the lyrics are listed inside the booklet, along with the character who sings them. Some of the songs are energetic and full of adventure whereas others reflect the darker tone when Moana and Maui are faced with their main task. Auli'i Cravalho has a beautiful voice and does an amazing job with all of the songs, my favorite being "How Far I'll Go," which can be heard multiple times on the soundtrack. The score is a lot of fun too and we enjoy figuring out which part of the movie the current song is from."
"If the music isn't stuck in your head yet from your kids constantly watching and rewatching the movie, it will be by the time you're done listening to this in the car for the tenth time."
"I purchased this so my daughter could listen to the soundtrack on our Echo since she loves the movie."
"We leave this in my car every day and my kids want to listen to it every time we get into the car."
"Not neccessarily my favorite, but my two four year old grandaughters love it."
"I bought it shortly after seeing the movie for the first time and have been listening to it non stop."
"Daughter loves the movie and singing all the songs."
Best Dance & Electronic
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 Alternative Rock
Blurryface is the much anticipated second studio album from twenty one pilots.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"One of the bigger breakout sensations of the past few years from the indie band circuit, Twenty One Pilots (or TOP, as I will frequently refer to them from here on) are also an increasingly polarizing band, as a perusal of the early reviews for their second studio album Blurryface will verify. While some see Blurryface as a continuance of growth and maturity from Vessel, others see it as a step back, a disappointment compared to what they showed they were capable of in their previous albums (they have two very popular self-released albums that preceed Vessel: a self titled album, and the now unavailable Regional at Best.). Once the lyrical depth really hit me, which actually happened while listening to a song from their self-titled album titled "Addict With a Pen", I fell hard and fast for TOP, and have been trying to "share the love" with as many family and friends as I can ever since! Stressed Out, Lane Boy, and Ride all were released in advance of the album, in three consecutive weeks leading up to today, the album's official release date (though it actually ended up coming out yesterday.). Whether you fall into the camp of this being a great album, or just an okay or good album, will probably hinge somewhat on how you feel about artists mixing it up, and deviating from their signature sound. For instance, Imagine Dragons created a similar rift of opinion with their release of Smoke + Mirrors earlier this year, which featured almost as many different kinds of songs as it had tracks, and most of them weren't like what made them popular in their first studio album Night Visions. I'm going to do a brief track by track overview, so if you already feel your patience with this review wearing thin, just skip down to the final paragraph to get my final verdict on this album! Heavydirtysoul - TOP is known for bringing it on their album opening tracks, and this one is certainly no exception! I wasn't crazy about this track upon first listen, but after many repeated listens, it has moved up my favor almost as fast as the beat moves the song along! Stressed Out - If any song on this album can be described as a "typical" twenty one pilots song, this would be it. The "character" of Blurryface is introduced in this song, and will make a few more appearances throughout the rest of the album, as he is what Joseph refers to (in various interviews discussing the album) as the personification of his insecurities, doubts, and fears. Tear in My Heart - When TOP fans were online prior to this track's release, speculating about what it would be about, some people specifically said that "They said they'd never do a love song", so it can't be that. My favorite song on the album, and bonus points for being the song that finally convinced my wife to like twenty one pilots! This song deals with the record industry, and takes not so subtle digs at the way it's run, and the expectations that get put on artists to put out certain types of "common" songs, which Joseph admits there are a couple of on this album. Not one of my favorites from the album, but still a very good track. The Judge - One of the things that TOP did that was very popular on Vessel, is having a couple of songs that featured the ukulele, and that is back here on Blurryface, first on this upbeat track. It's a solid track, no doubt, but it's meaning is more ambiguous than normal (that's saying something for a TOP song! ), as some insist it's a song about Tyler singing towards his band-mate and drummer Josh, while others, like myself, feel it makes more sense if it's another "love song" to Jenna. Message Man - I have a feeling this is going to be my "Migraine track" on Blurryface - a song that most of the TOP fans love, and list amongst their favorites, and I am only so-so about, and list it towards the bottom for that album. Hometown - After what has been (for me) a string of solid but unspectacular tracks, things take a sharp turn, and my second favorite song on the album drops in! Hometown is another one of the divisive tracks on this album that some people love, but a lot of TOP fans list towards the bottom of their favorites, due to its radical departure from "typical" twenty one pilots sound. Being a fan of all of those artists, I am naturally a big fan of this track, and while it does stray from the style TOP typically deal in, it works here, and I wouldn't mind seeing another track or two like this in future albums - provided there aren't many more than that. Not Today - This is another peppy, upbeat track, in the vein of The Judge (minus ukulele), with bouncing piano and drums driving it along as Joseph sings about a subject he describes in the song as being "down", thus making the music a contradiction. Goner - Tyler Joseph has written a plethora of emotional songs over the years for twenty one pilots, and even refers to him and his fans the Skeleton Clique as "the few, the proud, and the emotional" on Fairly Local. I hope it was of help to you (even if you skipped the track by track portion), and that it offers a solid basis for my belief that this is one of the best releases of the year so far, in a year that has been PACKED with excellent new albums by great artists! So while it's definitely a 5 star album in my book, I'll give it a 9 out of 10 and a 1-10 rating scale, as it drags a little bit in my opinion towards the end, through tracks 9-11, and there is too much reliance on "yeahs" and "nos" throughout the album, which I think only "hit" about 50% of the time, and seem like needless filler the remainder of the time."
"I highly recommend buying that CD if you like the hit songs as well as music with a hint of Linkin Park and a hint of 311."
"I thought it would be difficult to follow up an album like Vessel but Twenty One Pilots nailed with authority."
"My Kids are in love with Twenty One Pilots!"
"Each song is unique and doesn't sound like the next."
"I love Twenty One Pilots."
"I honestly feel a little frenzied sometimes because I want to listen to every song at once."
"Had Amazon send a replacement and it did it also."
Best Broadway & Vocalists
"Hamilton" - which transferred to Broadway following a sold-out run at The Public Theater in NYC - is the acclaimed new musical about the scrappy young immigrant Alexander Hamilton, the $10 Founding Father who forever changed America with his revolutionary ideas and actions.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Then avoid this album at ALL COSTS. Soon your family will start experimenting with this album and know Aaron Burr and Alexander Hamilton are more than just a trivia question from the Got Milk commercial from 1993. I'll leave it at this: I enjoyed this album enough to: -sing along with it. -move along with it. -make plans to fly out to Broadway to watch and support this show. -most importantly: find out more about Alexander Hamilton beyond the 1993 Got Milk commercial. I hope you enjoy this album as much as I have."
"This excellent cast album has it all: songs about desire, triumph, love, heartbreak, power, obsession, family, cheating, status, happiness and loss. After an eight year absence from visiting NYC, Hamilton has inspired me to book a plane ticket and a ridiculously expensive hotel room in the Big Apple just to see this show in the Fall."
"It's a brilliant pastiche of musical and poetic styles, all perfectly tailored to each particular character, yet woven into an intricate narrative that will inspire, entertain, and break your heart. I was privileged to see the show the week that it opened, and can't stop telling people about it, so I was beyond thrilled that the production team, including writer/performer Lin-Manuel Miranda and producer Ahmir Khalib Thompson (aka Questlove) chose to produce a full-length soundtrack that skipped nothing from the original show. Now an entire generation of theater-goers will arrive at Hamilton already knowing the music and words, and that's probably a great thing, because it's incredibly complex and fast-paced."
"When else does lively and engaging history get you singing about "when are these colonies gonna rise up?" Lots of hip-hop, rock, a little classical, ballads, and a touch of Motown--wonderful music that make history feel like it is happening right now. As history, you know how it ends, of course, but the feeling is so immediate, I actually found myself holding my breath to see if these colonies would win against the global superpower and cried when they did. There are no weak performances, but I want to give a shout out to Phillipa Soo as Eliza Hamilton, Leslie Odom Jr.as Aaron Burr, and Renée Elise Goldsberry as Angelica Schuyler."