The Carpenters' box set retrospective From the Top is a 67-track, four-CD set running under 3 ½ hours (which means it could have fit on three CDs) that traces Richard and Karen Carpenter's musical efforts from the formation of the Richard Carpenter Trio in 1965 to Karen's final recording session in April 1982. This is Richard's compilation; he introduces it and writes a track-by-track commentary, and has also done a lot of refurbishing, remixing 40 tracks and providing "additional recording" on many. The set proceeds chronologically, and most of the 20 previously unreleased tracks date from the '60s, as the group's emerging sound can be traced in demos. The Carpenters' hitmaking period of 1970-75 is extensively covered from the last quarter of the first disc to the start of the third, with most of their big hits included, though Richard excludes a few without comment. Also included are many album tracks that sometimes match the quality of the singles. Richard includes a couple of the Carpenters' singles from the second half of the '70s, and devotes the rest of the third disc and most of the fourth to excerpts from stray projects – Christmas albums, TV specials, Karen's solo album (which Richard carefully notes went unreleased "at Karen's behest"). As such, there is necessarily a fall-off in the set's quality. But by sequencing the songs chronologically, choosing only the ones he wants, and remaking them to his satisfaction, Richard is telling his version of the Carpenters' story, chronicling his band's rise and fall, which occurred in artistic and commercial terms well before his sister's death.

Seals & Crofts It's possible to hear the progression of soft rock through the music of Seals & Crofts, the duo who recorded some of the genre's perennials. Over the course of the 1970s, Seals & Crofts evolved from a gentle folk-rock duo to purveyors of slick, polished pop, two sounds that became inextricably associated with the Me Decade. Practitioners of the Baha'i Faith – at the height of their fame in the mid-'70s, they'd extol its virtues to fans – the duo were drawn to the quieter aspects of rock music, developing a signature sound distinguished by their easy melodicism and mellow vibe. Their craft was evident on their biggest hits. "Summer Breeze," "Diamond Girl," "We May Never Pass This Way (Again)," and "Get Closer" remained radio staples years after their initial run on the charts, surviving long after the pair called it a day at the dawn of the '80s.

2011 issue 68-track 5-CD box set comprised of the best selling and critically acclaimed album releases 'Borrowed Heaven', 'Forgiven Not Forgotten', 'Home', 'In Blue' and 'Talk On Corners'; each album is housed in a mini LP-style card picture sleeve with the complete set presented in a sealed card slipcase.

Part Lies, Part Heart, Part Truth, Part Garbage 1982–2011 is a 2011 greatest hits album from alternative rock band R.E.M. Intended as a coda on their career, this is the first compilation album that features both their early work on independent record label I.R.S. Records in addition to their 10 studio releases through Warner Bros. Records. The double-disc retrospective was released through Warner Bros. on November 11, 2011, and was compiled by the band members; the existence of the compilation was revealed simultaneously with the group's announcement that they were disbanding on September 21, 2011.

One of the greatest figures of the 20th century, Bob Dylan helped shape the sound and form of popular music in the rock & roll era. Dylan emerged from the Greenwich Village folk scene in the early 1960s, earning a reputation as a perceptive, powerful songwriter, equally capable of penning a protest anthem or a romantic love song. His flair for impressionistic, stream-of-conscious lyrics marked a shift within folk music, an evolution Dylan also introduced to rock & roll when he picked up an electric guitar in 1965.

Music Scene is a spectacular, one-of-a-kind program that originally aired on ABC-TV from 1969-1970. The show featured the most popular contemporary performers along with many varied musical legends. Hosted by comedian David Steinberg and special guests, Music Scene was based on Billboard magazine's hit record charts and offered exclusive live performances by virtually every major star from the rock, country, soul, folk, and pop genres. Includes full-length, hit performances by: James Brown, Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, Joe Cocker, Merle Haggard, Isaac Hayes, Richie Havens, Janis Joplin, Jerry Lee Lewis, Little Richard, Lulu, Roger Miller, Buck Owens, Charley Pride, Lou Rawls, Della Reese, Bobby Sherman, B.B. King, Sly & the Family Stone, Smokey Robinson & the Miracles, the Everly Brothers, the Grass Roots, the Rascals, the Temptations, Three Dog Night, and many, many more!

Joni Mitchell Vencedora de 10 prêmios Grammy, a cantora, compositora, pintora e poetisa canadense Joni Mitchell é uma das artistas mais influentes do século XX. Ela começou a carreira cantando em pequenos bares no Canadá, e em 1965 se mudou para os Estados Unidos, onde passou a compôr para outros artistas. Em 1968, Mitchell foi contratada pela Reprise Records e lançou seu primeiro álbum, Song to a Seagull. Após o lançamento dos discos Clouds (1969) e Ladies of the Canyon (1970), a cantora lançou Blue (1971), considerado um dos melhores álbuns de todos os tempos, graças a canções como “California” e “River”. A sonoridade folk combinada com rock e jazz e as letras profundamente emocionais renderam outros 15 discos, além de inúmeras honrarias, como a indução no Rock n’ Roll Hall of Fame e um Grammy pelo conjunto da obra. O trabalho mais recente de Mitchell, Shine, foi lançado em 2007.

Irish singer Bob Geldof's third solo set, The Happy Club, finds him again being produced by Rupert Hine, although he and Pete Briquette lend a hand. Geldof eschews the guest star-laden turns of his prior albums and settles with a set band line-up, with World Party's Karl Wallinger the only name guest. While not quite the triumph of his previous outing, The Happy Club is still an engaging release through and through. Drawing on his love for Motown, the album is an often upbeat, ebullient affair starting with the lead track "Room 19," complete with "sha la las, " hand claps, and comical lyrics about cryogenics. Other standouts include the gentle, lovely "The Soft Soil," the singalong slice of neo-psychedelic pop "My Hippy Angel," and the catchy title track. Thought-provoking lyrics wrapped in some great melodies, The Happy Club is mature, adult pop/rock that doesn't forget to have a good time.

SUPERB BENEFIT SHOW FROM 1987 FEATURING STILLS & CROSBY By early 1987, both Stephen Stills and David Crosby were in fallow periods of their respective - and collaborative - careers. Stills hadn t put out a solo record since 1984 s Right By You and there hadn t been a CSN album in five years. Crosby had spent the majority of the previous year incarcerated following his arrest for drunken driving, a hit-and-run accident, and possession of a concealed pistol and drug paraphernalia. He hadn t put out a solo effort since 1971 or any new records with Graham Nash in more than a decade. But despite this CSN, in a myriad of formulations, or indeed solo, never stopped playing at benefit gigs and 87 was no exception. On 5th February 1987, Stephen Stills and David Crosby performed at the Cowboys For Indians Benefit, in Manor Downs, Austin, TX as part of a show that also featured sets by Jerry Jeff Walker, Rambin Jack Elliot and David Lindley. Stills and Crosby both performed dynamic solo sets and then collaborated for the final half hour or so, during which the marvellous Mr. Lindley joined the two veterans. This 2CD set features the entire sets by Stills, Crosby and CSL (Crosby, Stills and Lindley!) for the first time.

All six albums Joan Baez recorded for A&M during the '70s with non-LP singles-a long-overdue look at a key phase in her career! This box has every note from this fertile period, including the albums Come from the Shadows, Gracias La Vida (Here's to Life), Diamonds and Rust , the live album From Every Stage and the never-before-on-CD Where Are You Now My Son? and Gulf Winds releases.

2007 digitally remastered double CD featuring CSN' Stephen Stills' three mid-'70s studio albums. Stills was released in 1975, followed one year later by Illegal Stills. Fans had to wait another two years until the release of Thoroughfare Gap (1978). This two disc set comes in a slimline double jewelbox housed in a slip case featuring extensive liner notes.

The Best of R.E.M. is a greatest hits album by R.E.M. released in 1991, shortly after the success of the band's seventh studio album, Out of Time, released by Warner Bros. The Best of R.E.M., however, was released by the band's previous record label, I.R.S. Records, and only includes tracks from their first five albums while the group was with that label. As such, it covers their output from 1982 to 1987. The Best of R.E.M. was only issued in the United Kingdom, New Zealand, Australia and Brazil, complete with liner notes from Remarks: The Story of R.E.M. by Tony Fletcher (a domestic American greatest hits album had been released prior with a very similar track list titled Eponymous). It has no alternate mixes (unlike Eponymous); all the songs are the album versions. Three songs were taken from each of the first five studio albums and one song was taken from Chronic Town, the band's first EP, making a total of sixteen songs on the album.

Fourteen years after his last solo outing, STILLS ALONE, Stephen Stills unveiled 2005's MAN ALIVE!, a remarkably vital and dynamic album that features the veteran performer penning almost every song and playing many of the record's instruments. Although David Crosby is absent, Stills's other CSNY mates, Graham Nash and Neil Young, turn up separately. While Nash subtly sticks to backing-vocal duty, Young contributes his typically incendiary electric-guitar lines to the hard-rocking "'Round the Bend" and offers up vocal harmonies and acoustic-guitar work on the spare, soulful "Different Man." A more unlikely cameo comes in the form of pianist Herbie Hancock's prominent presence on the 11-minute epic "Spanish Suite," which also features Latin percussion great Willie Bobo. Of course, Stills is the main attraction on MAN ALIVE!, with his husky voice carrying every song, including the socially conscious CSN-like track "Feed the People" and the blues-tinged "Piece of Me".

Singer-songwriter and Dire Straits founder. In the tradition of singer songwriters such as Joni Mitchell, Randy Newman and Van Morrison, "No pyrotechnics. No car chases. Just great songs… Dire Straits without the baggage" - Gavin Report.

Days Like This is the twenty-third studio album by Northern Irish singer-songwriter Van Morrison, released in 1995. It is a diverse group of songs offering a variety of moods and styles. It ranked No. 5 on the UK album charts and was nominated for the Mercury Prize. His daughter, singer-songwriter Shana Morrison performed duets with her father on two tracks, "You Don't Know Me" and "I'll Never Be Free". "Ancient Highway" was nine minutes long and contained the words "praying to my higher self/Don't let me down". It is said to be the one song on the album where he comes closest to following his muse. The title track has continued to be a popular song in concert to the present day.