Charmed Life
Artist: Billy Idol
Community Score: 8.32

Like any Billy Idol album, Charmed Life is wildly inconsistent, but it has enough strong songs -- like the gloriously tongue-in-cheek hard rock of "Cradle of Love" -- to make most of the filler on the record forgivable. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide Read More

Brother
Artist: Cry of Love
Community Score: 7.00

Cry of Love's debut was a near-perfect fusion of classic British hard-rock influences (read Free) and Southern rock sensibility, bringing a refreshing honesty to the dreary radio landscape of the early '90s. Vocalist Kelly Holland's gritty delivery (at times reminiscent of Billy Squier) is a perfect foil for the Hendrix flourishes of guitarist... Read More

Time Circle (1968-1972)
Artist: Spirit

From the opening riff of "Fresh Garbage," with its jazzy electric piano and fuzzy rock guitar, Spirit set out to carve a unique, eclectic niche in the music world of the late '60s. Though the band achieved only limited commercial success, the music they produced from 1968-1972 still sounds fresh decades later. Time Circle collects the bulk of... Read More

Archeology (1967-1977)
Artist: The Troggs

A double-CD, 52-track box set that proves there was a lot more to The Troggs than "Wild Thing" and "Love Is All Around." This archetypally primitive British Invasion quartet scored many hits in the U.K. that barely dented the charts in the U.S., like "With A Girl Like You," "Night Of The Long Grass," and the notoriously racy "I Can't Control... Read More

Kaleidescopic Compendium:The Best of the Blues Magoos
Artist: Blues Magoos

The Blues Magoos were one of the most underrated U.S. bands of the late '60s, known almost exclusively for their one irresistible hit "(We Ain't Got) Nothing Yet," which charted at number five in July 1967. Kaleidescopic Compendium: The Best of the Blues Magoos confirms the group's depth. The disc compiles a generous 23 tracks from their first... Read More

Sugar & Spice (A Collection)
Artist: The Cryan' Shames

The Cryan' Shames have never gotten the attention they deserve. A sharp garage, folk-rock band out of Chicago, they released three joyous albums (Sugar and Spice, A Scratch in the Sky, and Synthesis) during their peak years of 1966-1969, before disbanding as the 1970s began. Obviously fans of the Beatles and the Byrds, but with a sunshine pop... Read More

Tomorrow
Artist: Tomorrow
Community Score: 10.00

Tomorrow's sole album was a solid effort, with quite a few first-rate tracks. "My White Bicycle" was one of the first songs to prominently feature backward guitar phasing, "Real Life Permanent Dream" has engaging English harmonies and sitar riffs, "Revolution" is an infectious hippie anthem, and "Now Your Time Has Come" features intricate... Read More

The Storm
Artist: The Storm
Community Score: 10.00

The Storm are a prime example of a makeshift musical project built for instant success, but even that aspiration fell short from this group of mainly ex-Journey members. "I've Got a Lot to Learn About Love," with its clichéd power-ballad recipe, managed to crack the Top 30 in 1992, reaching the number 26 spot, but that was all the fame that the... Read More

The Best of Peter & Gordon - RHINO
Artist: Peter & Gordon

Though it's been outclassed by 2001's The Ultimate Peter & Gordon, Rhino's The Best of Peter & Gordon from a decade earlier is still one of the best collections of the British Invasion group's work. Along with their Lennon/McCartney-penned hits "A World Without Love," "Nobody I Know," and "I Don't Want to See You Again," it also features their... Read More

Legendary Masters Series
Artist: Gary Lewis & the Playboys

One of the most engaging pop acts of the mid-'60s, The Playboys benefited from strong songwriting (Al Kooper cowrote "This Diamond Ring") and studio personnel (courtesy of Leon Russell). It's still light, catchy pop with the enjoyable, unaffected vocals of Gary Lewis on top, and still fun. ~ William Ruhlmann, All Music Guide Read More

There's Gonna Be a Storm: The Complete Recordings 1966-69
Artist: The Left Banke

Though it's missing a few rarities -- namely the Steve Martin single for Buddha that reunited him with Michael Brown -- this is the most definitive Left Banke compilation. It features the entirety of their two late-'60s albums, as well as a couple of singles that didn't make it onto LPs at the time (though they later appeared on Rhino's History)... Read More

Egyptian Candy (A Collection)
Artist: Kaleidoscope

The '60s cult psych band Kaleidoscope was so multi-faceted that a single-disc compilation can't do much more than scratch the surface. However, the excellent, well-chosen Egyptian Candy does do a more-than-adequate job of presenting this Los Angeles conglomeration of blues purists, ethnomusicologists, and general freaks. This collects tracks... Read More