The Best of the Alan Parsons Project - ARISTA 1983
Artist: The Alan Parsons Project
Community Score: 7.50

The 12 tracks that appear on The Best of the Alan Parsons Project include some of their greatest singles, like "I Wouldn't Want to Be Like You" from 1977's I Robot and the inducing "Games People Play" off of The Turn of a Friendly Card. Even though these songs are splendid all by themselves, they seem to lose their conceptual weight when taken... Read More

The Best of Family
Artist: Family
Practically Wired...Or How I Became Guitarboy
Artist: Bill Nelson

Satisfying guitar albums are pretty hard to come by, in my opinion; when it comes to virtuosos, there's a a mighty thin line between self-indulgent wankery and cloying Muzak. If anyone could pull it off, though, it would be Bill Nelson. Nelson is approaching elder statesman status; his work as the founding member of Be-Bop Deluxe and with his... Read More

Mark I
Artist: Empire

Recorded in 1974, this has a few fillers, and it occasionally falls into the prog habit of going six minutes when four would do, but it's still mystifying that this perfectly solid collection would go missing for so long. Empire's sound bridges the West Coast funk of Cold Blood and the jazzy guitar of early Yes, and it works surprisingly well.... Read More

Pre-Modern Wireless: The Peel Sessions 1971-1974
Artist: Gong

Pre-Modern Wireless: The Peel Sessions 1971-1974 consists of nine tracks taken from three BBC sessions and is an essential archive release that would provide a perfect introduction to an interested newcomer to Gong, or provide the experienced Gong fan with some fine live material from throughout the peak of Gong's career. In addition, the album... Read More

The Best of Kayak - RENAISSANCE
Artist: Kayak

This uneven compilation focuses on the band's later -- and glossier -- albums, and ignores tracks from the band's first two albums and only one ("Chance of a Lifetime") from their third release. The result is a collection of their overproduced, later tracks that don't stand up particularly well over time. ~ Gina Boldman, All Music Guide Read More

How High the Moon: Live at the Viper Room
Artist: Masters of Reality

Even though they play hard rock, the Masters of Reality's sensibilities have always been more in line with the improvisatory nature of late-'60s blues-rock than the plodding chords of late-'70s arena-rock. Consequently, it shouldn't be a surprise that How High the Moon: Live at the Viper Room captures the band at their best, running through... Read More

Missing Period
Artist: Brand X

Recorded before the release of the Brand X debut Unorthodox Behavior, these 1975-76 recordings represent the earliest known preservations of the group's beginnings. These are quality recordings that include previously unavailable material. The shining talent and genius of this, the most important of Brit jazz-fusion groups, comes through... Read More