Recordings

Best Classic Bands offers smart, informed and unbiased assessments of the latest rock album releases and reissues to offer readers guidance on what sounds they might enjoy.

‘Bob Dylan 1970’—New Treasures from the Vaults: Review

This is your chance to be a fly on the wall and listen in as Dylan explores his options, tries out different voices and delivers a wide variety of songs.

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Tommy James and the Shondells Complete—Review

With 17 Top 40 hits, and covers by everyone from Springsteen to Dolly Parton, they were a major act. Now, finally, all of their work is in one place.

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Joni Mitchell’s ‘Archives’ Collected in a New Boxed Set: Review

Like Dylan before her, Mitchell transitioned almost overnight fromimpressive but derivative covers artist to an original singer/songwriter

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Steve Forbert Tips His Hat to ‘The Father of Country Music,’ Jimmie Rodgers

The two Mississippi singer-songwriters share more in common than a birthplace. Forbert brings a contemporary, personal touch to these American classics.

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Fleetwood Mac ‘1969 to 1974’ Revisited in New Boxed Set: Review

The collection includes seven complete studio albums featuring the early lineups of the band, before they became a household name.

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Jesse Colin Young Gets it Together on New Acoustic Solo Album

The recent material is excellent, but longtime fans will likely be most interested in the re-recordings of Youngbloods classics and early Young solo tunes.

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The Jimi Hendrix Experience Live in Maui 1970: Review

Thanks to today’s studio technology, the original, elusive hour-and-40-minute concert recording has been enhanced and released on a two-CD set.

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Cameo-Parkway Records’ ’60s Dance & Soul Compilations: Review

A trio of new collections highlight the dance crazes that emanated from artists like Philly’s Chubby Checker and Dee Dee Sharp, plus classic soul.

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Bee Gees’ Rare Performances Collected in New Box Set: Review

The sound quality and performances are excellent, many different from the well-known studio versions. And the set lists cover lots of territory.

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Nick Mason Re-Psychedelicizes Early Pink Floyd on New Live Release: Review

Don’t come here looking for ‘Dark Side of the Moon’ or ‘The Wall.’ The drummer’s focus is solely on the earlier, more trippy Floyd material.

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