Billy Joel - The Stranger: 30th Anniversary

Track Listing

Disc: 1

1. Movin' Out (Anthony's Song)

2. Stranger

3. Just the Way You Are

4. Scenes from an Italian Restaurant

5. Vienna

6. Only the Good Die Young

7. Always a Woman

8. Get It Right the First Time

9. Everybody Has a Dream [Stranger Reprise]

Disc: 2

1. Miami 2017 [Live]

2. Angry Young Man [Live]

3. New York State of Mind [Live]

4. Just the Way You Are [Live]

5. She's Got a Way [Live]

6. Entertainer [Live]

7. Scenes from an Italian Restaurant [Live]

8. Band Intros [Live]

9. Captain Jack [Live]

10. I've Loved These Days [Live]

11. Say Goodbye to Hollywood [Live]

12. Souvenir [Live]

Disc: 3

1. Stranger [DVD]

2. Just the Way You Are [DVD]

3. Intro [DVD][Live]

4. Miami 2017 (Seen the Lights Go out on Broadway) [DVD][Live]

5. Movin' Out (Anthony's Song) [DVD][Live]

6. New York State of Mind [DVD][Live]

7. Entertainer [DVD][Live] 8. She's Always a Woman [DVD][Live]

9. Root Beer Rag [DVD][Live]

10. Just the Way You Are [DVD][Live]

My Thoughts : This new boxed set is released to celebrate the 30th anniversary of Billy Joel's breakthrough album "The Stranger". The album, originally released in 1977, made Billy Joel a household name. The first disc is the original album, the second disc is a live recording from his sold out Carniege Hall shows in June of '77. As for the DVD sets, it includes two live promotional videos for "The Stranger" and "Just The Way You Are", a half hour documentary about the making of the album with interviews. Also on the DVD is an additional one hour concert from England.

Overall, as a hard core fan of Billy Joel, this set would be a collectable items. But, it would be repetitive as most of the true fan must have own "The Stranger" remastered edition and some of his other catalogs. So the re-release of this album in an extravagant boxed set is just a money grabber.

Aretha Franklin - 3O Greatest Hits [Best Of]

Track Listing

1. I Never Loved A Man [The Way I Love You]
2. Respect

3. Do Right Woman - Do Right Man

4. Dr. Feelgood [Love Is A Serious Business]

5. Save Me

6. Baby, I Love You

7. [You Make Me Feel Like] A Natural Woman

8. Chain Of Fools

9. Since You've Been Gone [Sweet Sweet Baby]

10. Ain't No Way

11. Think

12. I Say A Little Prayer

13. The House That Jack Built

14. See Saw

15. The Weight

16. Share Your Love With Me

17. Eleanor Rigby

18. Call Me

19. Spirit In The Dark

20. Don't Play That Song

21. You're All I Need To Get By

22. Bridge Over Troubled Water

23. Spanish Harlem

24. Rock Steady

25. Oh Me Oh My [I'm A Fool For You Baby]

26. Day Dreaming

27. Wholy Holy

28. Angel

29. Until You Come Back To Me [That's What I'm Gonna Do]

30. I'm In Love

My Thoughts : This is by far the most definative collection of Aretha Franklin. Recorded for Atlantic Records between 1967 and 1974. It carries all her best work. First released in 1985, this album still in print today. This Queen of Soul has certainly live up to its name as every songs she sings comes from her heart. Be it heart wrenching, sorrow, or upbeat, The Queen of Soul has given all to you.

With the release of the Box sets in 1992 called "Queen of Soul : Atlantic Recording, Aretha Franklin"which carries 4 CD with 88 tracks ride with great packaging and 80 + pages booklet, I would still prefer this 2 CD collection with 30 tracks. Of course, leave the Box Sets to the die hard fan as the sets carries all her Atlantic outputs with the standard hits, and if one is looking more than soul, that is, Gospel singing. This sets will definately be satisfied.

Queen of Soul: The Atlantic Recordings [BOX SET]

Track Listing

Disc: 1

1. I Never Loved a Man (The Way I Love You)

2. Do Right Woman, Do Right Man

3. Save Me

4. Respect

5. Baby, Baby, Baby

6. Dr. Feelgood (Love Is a Serious Business)

7. (You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman

8. Soul Serenade

9. Drown in My Own Tears

10. Chain of Fools

11. Baby, I Love You

12. Ain't Nobody (Gonna Turn Me Around)

13. Since You've Been Gone (Sweet Sweet Baby)

14. You Are My Sunshine

15. Going Down Slow

16. Never Let Me Go

17. I Wonder

18. Prove It

19. Good Times

20. Come Back Baby

21. Change

22. You're a Sweet Sweet Man

23. Good to Me as I Am to You

24. People Get Ready

25. Ain't No Way

Disc: 2

1. Think

2. See Saw

3. House That Jack Built

4. Night Time Is the Right Time

5. I Say a Little Prayer

6. You Send Me

7. My Song

8. I Take What I Want

9. I Can't See Myself Leaving You

10. Night Life [Live]

11. Today I Sing the Blues

12. Pitiful

13. Tracks of My Tears

14. River's Invitation

15. Share Your Love With Me

16. It Ain't Fair

17. Sit Down and Cry

18. Honest I Do

19. Weight

20. When the Battle Is Over

21. Eleanor Rigby

22. One Way Ticket

23. Call Me

24. Pullin'

Disc: 3

1. Son of a Preacher Man

2. Try Matty's

3. Thrill Is Gone [From Yesterday's Kiss]

4. Dark End of the Street

5. You and Me

6. Let It Be

7. Spirit in the Dark

8. Why I Sing the Blues

9. Don't Play That Song

10. Young, Gifted and Black

11. Border Song (Holy Moses)

12. Brand New Me

13. You're All I Need to Get By

14. Spanish Harlem

15. Rock Steady

16. Oh Me Oh My (I'm a Fool for You Baby)

17. Day Dreaming

18. All the King's Horses

19. Bridge over Troubled Water

20. Angel

Disc: 4

1. Spirit in the Dark (Reprise) [Live] - Ray Charles, Aretha Franklin

2. How I Got Over [Live]

3. So Swell When You're Well

4. Master of Eyes (The Deepness of Your Eyes)

5. Somewhere Listen

6. I'm in Love

7. Ain't Nothing Like the Real Thing

8. Until You Come Back to Me (That's What I'm Gonna Do)

9. Every Natural Thing

10. Without Love - Ray Charles, Aretha Franklin

11. With Everything I Feel in Me

12. Mr. D.J. (5 for the D.J.)

13. Look into Your Heart

14. Sparkle

15. Rock With Me

16. Break It to Me Gently

17. Something He Can Feel

Back to Mono (1958-1969) [BOX SET] - Phil Spector

Disc: 1

1. To Know Him Is To Love Him - The Teddy Bears

2. Corrine, Corrina - Ray Peterson
3. Spanish Harlem - Ben E. King

4. Pretty Little Angel Eyes - Curtis Lee

5. Every Breath I Take - Gene Pitney

6. I Love How You Love Me - The Paris Sisters

7. Under The Moon Of Love - Curtis Lee

8. There's No Other Like My Baby - The Crystals

9. Uptown - The Crystals

10. He Hit Me (It Felt Like A Kiss) - The Crystals

11. He's A Rebel - The Crystals

12. Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah - Bob B. Soxx And The Blue Jeans

13. Puddin' N' Tain - The Alley Cats

14. He's Sure The Boy I Love - The Crystals

15. Why Do Lovers Break Each Other's Hearts - Bob B. Soxx And The Blue Jeans

16. (Today I Met) The Boy I'm Gonna Marry - Darlene Love

17. Da Doo Ron Ron - The Crystals

18. Heartbreaker - The Crystals

19. Why Don't They Let Us Fall In Love - Veronica

20. Chapel Of Love - Darlene Love

21. Not Too Young To Get Married - Bob B. Soxx And The Blue Jeans

22. Wait Til My Bobby Gets Home - Darlene Love

23. All Grown Up - The Crystals

Disc: 2

1. Be My Baby - The Ronettes

2. Then He Kissed Me - The Crystals

3. A Fine, Fine Boy - Darlene Love

4. Baby, I Love You - The Ronettes

5. I Wonder - The Ronettes

6. Girls Can Tell - The Crystals

7. Little Boy - The Crystals

8. Hold Me Tight - The Treasures

9. (The Best Part Of) Breakin' Up - The Ronettes

10. Soldier Baby Of Mine - The Ronettes

11. Strange Love - Darlene Love

12. Stumble And Fall - Darlene Love

13. When I Saw You - The Ronettes

14. So Young - Veronica

15. Do I Love You? - The Ronettes

16. Keep On Dancing - The Ronettes

17. You, Baby - The Ronettes

18. Woman In Love (With You) - The Ronettes

19. Walking In The Rain - The Ronettes

Disc: 3

1. You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin' - The Righteous Brothers

2. Born To Be Together - The Ronettes

3. Just Once In My Life - The Righteous Brothers

4. Unchained Melody - The Righteous Brothers

5. Is This What I Get For Loving You? - The Ronettes

6. Long Way To Be Happy - Darlene Love

7. (I Love You) For Sentimental Reasons - The Righteous Brothers

8. Ebb Tide - The Righteous Brothers

9. This Could Be The Night - The Modern Folk Quartet

10. Paradise - The Ronettes

11. River Deep-Mountain High - Ike & Tina Turner

12. I'll Never Need More Than This - Ike & Tina Turner

13. A Love Like Yours (Don't Come Knockin' Everyday) - Ike & Tina Turner

14. Save The Last Dance For Me - Ike & Tina Turner

15. I Wish I Never Saw The Sunshine - The Ronettes

16. You Came, You Saw, You Conquered - The Ronettes

17. Black Pearl - Sonny Charles And The Checkmates

18. Love Is All I have To Give - The Checkmates

Disc: 4

1. White Christmas - Darlene Love

2. Frosty The Snowman - The Ronettes

3. The Bells of St. Mary - Bob B. Soxx and The Blue Jeans

4. Santa Claus is Coming to Town - The Crystals

5. Sleigh Ride - The Ronettes

6. Marshmallow World - Darlene Love

7. I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus - The Ronettes

8. Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer - The Crystals

9. Winter Wonderland - Darlene Love

10. Parade of the Wooden Soldiers

11. Christmas (Baby Please Come Home) - Darlene Love

12. Here Comes Santa Claus - Bob B. Soxx and The Blue Jeans

13. Silent Night - Phil Spector and Artists

My Thoughts : I have always love box set. It is a collectible items showcasing some rich diversity of an artist throughout the years of hard work.

During the Peak years of Phil Spector, he has produced some of the finest pop music. This collection is in chronological order for the first three CD's which feature the cornerstone of any collections of 50's and 60's music. The fourth CD is his famous Christmas album, which is available separately for those who don't want the other music.

Phil's first success was with To know him is to love him (Teddy bears). Other early classics include Spanish Harlem (Ben E King) and I love how you love me (Paris sisters) but he is best remembered (apart from the Christmas album) for producing the Crystals, Ronettes and Righteous brothers.

Most of the tracks spawn over the 3 CD features the sounds of girl groups, The Crystals and Ronettes, The Checkmates and The Treasure which makes me think of The Best of Girl Groups Series release by Rhino in year 1990.

The Crystals are represented here by classics such as Da doo ron ron, Then he kissed me and He's a rebel. Whereas, The Ronettes are represented here by their signature hits, Be my baby and Baby I Love You. Both girl groups are superb however, The Ronettes hits are pale in comparison to The Crystals. The Righteous brothers recorded their two most famous tracks with Phil Spector, these being You've lost that loving feeling and Unchained melody. Others worth mention are Darlene Love, Gene Pitney, Curtis Lee and Ike and Tina Turner.

The rendition of their Christmas songs is superb. All the songs are sings with brilliant and energy in compare to the traditional Christmas tunes. This is a brilliant boxed set and a fitting tribute to one of the most important producers in pop music history.

The only problem is the songs are not jumbled properly. I would prefer to hear different artist in every number instead of 3 songs continously by 1 artist, so that it could appear not so boring.