30th Anniversary Collection 1963-1993
Artist: The Hollies

This three-CD, 57-track box set does a good if imperfect job of encapsulating the legacy of one of the British Invasion's better bands. This includes all of the Hollies' singles, A- and B-sides, from the '60s, as well as five previously unreleased tunes. The hits -- "I'm Alive," "Bus Stop," "On a Carousel," and others -- contain some of the... Read More

Merry Me X-Mas
Artist: El Vez

El Vez attempts to create his own brand of Christmas music on Merry MeX-mas, a nine-song record that strays farther from Elvis Presley than he does on all of his previous albums. As with every one of his other releases, this one contains an utterly baffling, expectation-defying melding of two songs. In this case, he deftly grafts the lyrics and... Read More

Unsurpassed Demos
Artist: The Beatles
Community Score: 5.00

In May 1968, the Beatles assembled at George Harrison's home to demo material for their upcoming White Album sessions. The results have been frequently bootlegged; this is the most comprehensive single-disc collection, including 24 tunes in all. Predominantly acoustic in arrangement, with minimal percussion (if Ringo is present, it's not... Read More

Complete BBC Sessions
Artist: The Beatles
Community Score: 8.00
Wild Wood
Artist: Paul Weller
Community Score: 9.75

Paul Weller deservedly regained his status as the Modfather with his second solo album, Wild Wood. Actually, the album is only tangentially related to mod, since Weller picks up on the classicism of his debut, adding heavy elements of pastoral British folk and Traffic-styled trippiness. Add to that a yearning introspection and a clean production... Read More

Joyland
Artist: Liberty Horses

Fronted by the sibling pairing of Neil MacColl and Calum MacColl, sons of writer Ewan MacColl, Joyland is a remarkably listenable album of intelligent, well-written folk-tinged pop that holds up from first cut to last. Sister Kirsty MaColl lends a hand providing backing vocals on the delightful "Shine," which conjures memories of an earthier... Read More