The Spencer Davis Group were one of several excellent British R+B bands of the sixties. Best remembered in Britain for Keep on running (one of the best songs of the sixties, regardless of genre), by the time they started to make an impression in America, they were on the verge of losing their key man, Steve Winwood…

While Fleetwood Mac didn't invent "the British blues," they were certainly one of the early bands to master the form. This 30-track, double-disc anthology contains everything one would expect from the Peter Green and Jeremy Spencer-fronted blues-rock juggernaut…

While Bon Jovi managed to stick a couple of killer album tracks onto all of their records, their main strength had always been writing singles. Released in 1994, Cross Road collects all of their biggest hits, adding a couple of new songs (including the international smash "Always," which helped the album go platinum in multiple countries) and Jon Bon Jovi's solo hit, "Blaze of Glory," for good measure…

For all of his many attributes, one thing Frank Zappa most certainly was not is commercial. Presumably, the title of this collection is ironic. Strictly Commercial: The Best of Frank Zappa is a compilation not of the composer's hits – he only broke the Top 40 on one occasion, with "Valley Girl" – but rather, a collection of his best-known material, from "Don't Eat the Yellow Snow" to "Sexual Harassment in the Workplace."…

The Hell of Steel: Best of Manowar is a compilation album by heavy metal band Manowar. It was released in 1994 by Atlantic Records due to contractual obligations and featured 14 tracks from albums released under the Atlantic label (Fighting the World, Kings of Metal and The Triumph of Steel)…

Anyone who has ever loved "Me and You and a Dog Named Boo" will find plenty to explore on The Best of Lobo, which contains 18 tracks including "I'd Love You to Want Me, " "Don't Expect Me to Be Your Friend, " "How Can I Tell Her, " and, of course, "Me and You and a Dog Named Boo."

The early '80s saw an explosion of new metal bands. Some focused on penning epics (Iron Maiden), others focused on melody (Def Leppard), and quite a few dressed in snazzy outfits (Mötley Crüe). Manowar managed to combine all three elements together, issuing a string of albums right off the bat that many longtime fans consider to be their best…

Rolled Gold: The Very Best of the Rolling Stones is a compilation album by The Rolling Stones released without the band's authorisation by its former label Decca Records in 1975. It is a double album that reached No. 7 on the UK chart and was a strong seller over the years…

The album comes with a DVD that features five songs drawn from a concert in Ferrara, including such old favorites as Last of the Rock Stars. There are also two music videos, a discography, and a brief biography.

Peter Green is regarded by some fans as the greatest white blues guitarist ever, Eric Clapton notwithstanding. Born Peter Greenbaum but calling himself Peter Green by age 15, he grew up in London's working-class East End. Green's early musical influences were Hank Marvin of the Shadows, Muddy Waters, B.B. King, Freddie King, and traditional Jewish music. He originally played bass before being invited in 1966 by keyboardist Peter Bardens to play lead in the Peter B's, whose drummer was a lanky chap named Mick Fleetwood…

UK compilation from the veteran band spotlighting their early years as a British Blues outfit under the guidance of guitarist Peter Green…

There's a certain relief that the 2002 double-disc set The Very Best of Fleetwood Mac doesn't even attempt to dabble in the early blues work of the Peter Green band, and treats the addition of Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks as ground zero…

Countless blues-rock guitar greats emerged during the late '60s – the most recognizable names being Jimi Hendrix and Eric Clapton. But one who usually gets overlooked is the great Peter Green, who led Fleetwood Mac early in their career…

Snakes & Ladders is a fine 12-song overview of the Faces, containing some of the group's best songs ("Had Me a Real Good Time," "Stay With Me," "Miss Judy's Farm," "Sweet Lady Mary," "Ooh La La," "Cindy Incidentally"), along with a couple of mediocre cuts ("Pineapple and the Monkey," "Flying") and the unremarkable, single-only "Pool Hall Richard." Though it gives a sense of what made the Faces a great rock & roll band, it falls far short of being a definitive retrospective or introduction…

A handy and generous double-disc (one live, one studio) compilation of Gary Moore's four Virgin label blues albums is predominantly an excellent introduction to this showy hard rocker turned midlife third-generation bluesman. The 31 tracks liberally sample from his relatively short five-year association with Virgin (roughly 1990-1995) but ignore his excellent 2001 Back to the Blues release on Sanctuary…