Best Broadway & Vocalists
"Hamilton" - which transferred to Broadway following a sold-out run at The Public Theater in NYC - is the acclaimed new musical about the scrappy young immigrant Alexander Hamilton, the $10 Founding Father who forever changed America with his revolutionary ideas and actions.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Then avoid this album at ALL COSTS. Soon your family will start experimenting with this album and know Aaron Burr and Alexander Hamilton are more than just a trivia question from the Got Milk commercial from 1993. I'll leave it at this: I enjoyed this album enough to: -sing along with it. -move along with it. -make plans to fly out to Broadway to watch and support this show. -most importantly: find out more about Alexander Hamilton beyond the 1993 Got Milk commercial. I hope you enjoy this album as much as I have."
"This excellent cast album has it all: songs about desire, triumph, love, heartbreak, power, obsession, family, cheating, status, happiness and loss. After an eight year absence from visiting NYC, Hamilton has inspired me to book a plane ticket and a ridiculously expensive hotel room in the Big Apple just to see this show in the Fall."
"It's a brilliant pastiche of musical and poetic styles, all perfectly tailored to each particular character, yet woven into an intricate narrative that will inspire, entertain, and break your heart. I was privileged to see the show the week that it opened, and can't stop telling people about it, so I was beyond thrilled that the production team, including writer/performer Lin-Manuel Miranda and producer Ahmir Khalib Thompson (aka Questlove) chose to produce a full-length soundtrack that skipped nothing from the original show. Now an entire generation of theater-goers will arrive at Hamilton already knowing the music and words, and that's probably a great thing, because it's incredibly complex and fast-paced."
"When else does lively and engaging history get you singing about "when are these colonies gonna rise up?" Lots of hip-hop, rock, a little classical, ballads, and a touch of Motown--wonderful music that make history feel like it is happening right now. As history, you know how it ends, of course, but the feeling is so immediate, I actually found myself holding my breath to see if these colonies would win against the global superpower and cried when they did. There are no weak performances, but I want to give a shout out to Phillipa Soo as Eliza Hamilton, Leslie Odom Jr.as Aaron Burr, and Renée Elise Goldsberry as Angelica Schuyler."
"Hamilton" - which transferred to Broadway following a sold-out run at The Public Theater in NYC - is the acclaimed new musical about the scrappy young immigrant Alexander Hamilton, the $10 Founding Father who forever changed America with his revolutionary ideas and actions.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Then avoid this album at ALL COSTS. Soon your family will start experimenting with this album and know Aaron Burr and Alexander Hamilton are more than just a trivia question from the Got Milk commercial from 1993. I'll leave it at this: I enjoyed this album enough to: -sing along with it. -move along with it. -make plans to fly out to Broadway to watch and support this show. -most importantly: find out more about Alexander Hamilton beyond the 1993 Got Milk commercial. I hope you enjoy this album as much as I have."
"This excellent cast album has it all: songs about desire, triumph, love, heartbreak, power, obsession, family, cheating, status, happiness and loss. After an eight year absence from visiting NYC, Hamilton has inspired me to book a plane ticket and a ridiculously expensive hotel room in the Big Apple just to see this show in the Fall."
"It's a brilliant pastiche of musical and poetic styles, all perfectly tailored to each particular character, yet woven into an intricate narrative that will inspire, entertain, and break your heart. I was privileged to see the show the week that it opened, and can't stop telling people about it, so I was beyond thrilled that the production team, including writer/performer Lin-Manuel Miranda and producer Ahmir Khalib Thompson (aka Questlove) chose to produce a full-length soundtrack that skipped nothing from the original show. Now an entire generation of theater-goers will arrive at Hamilton already knowing the music and words, and that's probably a great thing, because it's incredibly complex and fast-paced."
"When else does lively and engaging history get you singing about "when are these colonies gonna rise up?" Lots of hip-hop, rock, a little classical, ballads, and a touch of Motown--wonderful music that make history feel like it is happening right now. As history, you know how it ends, of course, but the feeling is so immediate, I actually found myself holding my breath to see if these colonies would win against the global superpower and cried when they did. There are no weak performances, but I want to give a shout out to Phillipa Soo as Eliza Hamilton, Leslie Odom Jr.as Aaron Burr, and Renée Elise Goldsberry as Angelica Schuyler."
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"I won't go on and on about it because I assume that anyone looking to buy has heard clips of it before, but needless to say--it's absolutely worth it. The booklets detail the cast and crew, full lyrics for each song, and inspirational elements, which were very interesting. Some were more obvious (Ten Duel Commandments taking inspiration from Ten Crack Commandments), but some were more subtle (Cabinet Battle 1 containing elements of The Message), and it was great to be able to sit down and listen and think about what Lin-Manuel Miranda was thinking when he composed his songs."
"There are some songs I haven't let them listen to at all (there's enough great music they don't miss it), and some songs (while educational) I limit the frequency. I'm able to pick the songs we listen to over and over again, like Non-Stop, Schuyler Sisters, 10 duel commandments, Meet Him Inside, Guns and Ships, Dear Theodosia...) So parents, get educated with the music and lyrics, read through them if you need to, so you can guide your children's education in regards to this musical."
"I was SO excited to see a version listed as "edited" and "clean", although I knew it would most likely still contain the "softer" words that most people don't mind. I realize that there is an artist's vision involved here, but as deeply as Mr. Miranda is involved in every aspect of this show and the outreach it has created for educators, I would have thought he would have acknowledged that his show needs to be presented differently to be acceptable to many people, and to educators who have to answer to parents."
Best Cabaret Vocalists
The album also topped many critics' "albums of the year" lists and gathered major music awards in the process, including eight Grammy Awards.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Her voice sounds even better than ever in this format. The combination of her voice and this music, along with the spaciousness of the sound, make for a great SACD."
"I highly recommend this CD if you love female vocalists - jazz, pop, country western - and to be introduced to a singer who will certainly make her mark on the music scene for years to come."
"Very talented, great voice and great songwriting as well."
"This record is perfect for laying on the floor on a warm afternoon with the sun shing through the window."
"A must have SACD for every Jazz collection!"
"Listened to this CD 50 times minimum."
"I love the mix of tunes on this album -- and Nora sings every song from her heart."
"One of my favorite vinyl records."
Best Classic Broadway Vocalists
The warm, crooning tones of Perry Como are sure to lend a little extra Christmas cheer to this season's festivities. This collection brings together many of his classic seasonal recordings and some tracks even collectors will be delighted to find, including "Some Children See Him," recorded in 1954 but left off The Perry Como Christmas Album .
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"These songs reflect all that I remember of Christmas, when Christmas was still Christmas!"
"Nice variety of songs -- in particular, I like Perry's version of "The Little Drummer Boy" and "Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer.""
"Perry is the voice of my childhood singing these Christmas songs."
"Good old Perry Como and his songs ."
"Always liked Perry."
"Perry Como is one of those singers who just captures the magic of Christmas with the traditional songs sung perfectly."
Best Classical
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"I first found out about this because my teenager nearly blew out my eardrums as she ran screaming from her room that Pentatonix was releasing a Christmas album. Each of the five musicians have gifted voices and talents and are essential to the group's unique style."
"A few of the songs on here skeptics may think the songs have been overdone and have no way of being different, but pentatonix found a way to twist the songs enough to keep the original magic but make it their own enough that it really stands out from other covers and brings the excitement of listening to that song for the first time again."
"Heard this group on the Christmas TV special - amazing voices, and acappella!"
"I love Pentatonix!!!!"
"Very interesting album - the voices are really good and close harmony I enjoy it and my guests were pleased."
"A fun new spin on holiday favorites, and sung by the talented Pentatonix and a few featured artist."
"This is by far our favorite Christmas album."
"'This was good but not half as good as last years."
Best Dance & Electronic
i. am, as well as 'For All Time', a previously unreleased track from the Thriller sessions that has been newly mixed and mastered by Michael Jackson.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"As with most new records these days, it has a slight warp; but with the proper tracking force it plays just fine."
"Item arrived quick and just as described!"
"Absolute classic, my little sis loves it!!"
"Specifically, the new versions of Wanna Be Startin Somethin (With Akon was really good), Billie Jean (Kayne West with a nice remix), Beat It (With Fergie which was a nice twist), P.Y.T (with Will.I.Am which is better than the original IMO) & even The Girl Is Mine (which was my least favorite on the original album but made better this time around). You get the original nine songs, the little Vincent Price rap and the 6 new versions PLUS a DVD of the Thriller videos (Billie Jean, Beat It, Thriller and the Motown 25th Billie Jean performance). With the exception of the original "The Girl Is Mine" (which I never really liked) this is the perfect version of Thriller released to date."
"One of the greatest albums of all time by one of the greatest artists of all time."
Best Rap & Hip-Hop
Originally released in 1984, Bob Marley's LEGEND illustrates the remarkable life and recording career of one of reggae music's most important figures.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"In any genre, Bob Marley, alone, has the highest sales percentage of any reggae performer or group. He recorded for nearly 20 years, with his groundbreaking Island catalog coming in 1970 with the release of Catch A Fire and ending in 1980 with Uprising. His calypso and ska days won't be found here and in truth, many renditions of the tracks on Legend are equaled or surpassed on other albums or black-market releases such as his 1975 concert at The Quiet Nights Club in Chicago. (Although, his TDK studio recording of Catch A Fire in Toyko (1970-71) is outstanding as well.). Having own quite a few of his blackmarket/ underground concerts none of the official "live" recording of the Wailers stacks up against the ones that are privately owned and circulated, but there is the sense in listening to the few live tracks on this album of what a Bob Marley & The Wailers concert meant."
"If you have a home theater with 5.1 Surround sound and an appreciation for the art of music and quality audio, you will LOVE this set."
"Bought it as a surprise for my mother to go along with a Bluetooth suitcase record player from Amazon as well."
"I was not pleased with the packaging, normally you put bubble wrap or something of that nature when you box something like this!!!"
"THE MOST GORGEOUS VINYL IN MY COLLECTION!!!"
"Great song."
"How can you go wrong with Bob Marley?!?"
"The hole in the center of the record was too small and I was not able to fit it on my turntable."
Best Rock
Pink Floyd- The Dark Side Of the Moon LP. "Breathe" (listed as "Breathe in the Air" on the original LP label) 2:43 3.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"The remastering is just incredible."
"Like the original, it came with the original notes, posters and stickers along with an extra wax sleeve to protect your vinyl while leaving the other in tact for collectibility."
"If you consider yourself a 70's rocker and don't have this vynil, whether original or a repress, well..."
"This is the best selling album of all time for a reason."
"Of course the content is fantastic."
"Love this record, was excited that amazon had this available at a great price."
"My main drive for this version was to purchase a Multichannel version that was perviously only available on SA-CD (Super audio CD) This box includes a quad and a 5.1 mix. I would also not feel cheated if they had included a rebate for the 3 box sets when you bought the Big box of Pink Floyd."
"When music was at its best."
Best Christian
An invitation to encounter God in worship is at the heart of Lauren Daigle's first full-length project, HOW CAN IT BE.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"The voice I hear on Lauren Daigle’s debut, How Can it Be, reminds me of Adele and the International House of Prayer’s, Misty Edwards. The handclaps bring a smile, as well as the chorus, “When you don’t move the mountains I’m needing you to move/When you don’t part the waters I wish I could walk through/When you don’t give me answers as I cry out to you/I will trust, I will trust, I will trust in you.” I hear an endearing lightness and it’s easy to identify with the thought of life being a battle and more than a little unpredictable. “Let the waters rise I will stand as the oceans roar/Let the earth shake beneath/Let the mountains fall/You are God over the storm/And I am yours.” This is unshakeable confidence framed in majesty. Though our world be shaken, “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble” (Psalm 46:1). Daigle’s voice makes this regal, fitting for a King that presides over all. She starts off soulfully and becomes increasingly earnest, “Oh let this be where I die/My Lord with thee, crucified/Be lifted high as my kingdoms fall/Once and for all/Once and for all.” It brings to mind what Dietrich Bonhoeffer wrote, “When Christ calls a man, he bids him come and die.”. One of my favorite thoughts from Scripture highlights our need: “We all stumble in many ways” (James 3:2). As Robert Robinson wrote in a hymn, “Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it, Prone to leave the God I love; Here’s my heart, O take and seal it, Seal it for Thy courts above.” It’s why I like the line, “Be lifted high as my kingdoms fall.” Live enough years and it’s not hard to see the wreckage."
"I was out driving when I heard the single "How Can It Be" on my local Christian station."
"Only problem, there was no packing material/bubble wrap with this cd and the case was broken."
"I'm a new fan of this woman after God's own heart...her lyrics are raw, they're scriptural, and above all they are motivating and spiritually stirring."
"Great writing and Lauren's voice pulls you into the song."
""Peace be Still" by the Belonging Co. not on this CD but here is that great voice, exuding humble worship."
"Best new Christian artist I've heard or met in a long time."
"I listen to this often."
Best Soundtracks
"Hamilton" - which transferred to Broadway following a sold-out run at The Public Theater in NYC - is the acclaimed new musical about the scrappy young immigrant Alexander Hamilton, the $10 Founding Father who forever changed America with his revolutionary ideas and actions.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Then avoid this album at ALL COSTS. Soon your family will start experimenting with this album and know Aaron Burr and Alexander Hamilton are more than just a trivia question from the Got Milk commercial from 1993. I'll leave it at this: I enjoyed this album enough to: -sing along with it. -move along with it. -make plans to fly out to Broadway to watch and support this show. -most importantly: find out more about Alexander Hamilton beyond the 1993 Got Milk commercial. I hope you enjoy this album as much as I have."
"This excellent cast album has it all: songs about desire, triumph, love, heartbreak, power, obsession, family, cheating, status, happiness and loss. After an eight year absence from visiting NYC, Hamilton has inspired me to book a plane ticket and a ridiculously expensive hotel room in the Big Apple just to see this show in the Fall."
"It's a brilliant pastiche of musical and poetic styles, all perfectly tailored to each particular character, yet woven into an intricate narrative that will inspire, entertain, and break your heart. I was privileged to see the show the week that it opened, and can't stop telling people about it, so I was beyond thrilled that the production team, including writer/performer Lin-Manuel Miranda and producer Ahmir Khalib Thompson (aka Questlove) chose to produce a full-length soundtrack that skipped nothing from the original show. Now an entire generation of theater-goers will arrive at Hamilton already knowing the music and words, and that's probably a great thing, because it's incredibly complex and fast-paced."
"I've been immersed in American musical theater my entire life and work in it full-time now."
"Totally met all my expectations. Took the advice from friends to do your research."
Best World Music
Originally released in 1984, Bob Marley's LEGEND illustrates the remarkable life and recording career of one of reggae music's most important figures.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"If you have a home theater with 5.1 Surround sound and an appreciation for the art of music and quality audio, you will LOVE this set."
"Bought it as a surprise for my mother to go along with a Bluetooth suitcase record player from Amazon as well."
"THE MOST GORGEOUS VINYL IN MY COLLECTION!!!"
"Great song."
"How can you go wrong with Bob Marley?!?"
"I love Bob Marley and this CD has lots of the old favorites."
"What can I say, It's one of my all time favorite artist and albums. Wore the last disk out."
"There is just something about Bob Marley's music and sound."
Best Special Interest
Songs include Science is Real, Meet the Elements, I Am a Paleontologist w/Danny , The Bloodmobile, Electric Car w/Robin , My Brother the Ape, What is a Shooting Star?, How Many Planets?, Why Does the Sun Shine?, Roy G. Bib, Put it to the Test, Photosynthesis, Cells, Speed and Velocity w/ Marty Biller, Computer Assisted Design, Solid Liquid Gas, Here Comes Science and The Ballad of Davy Crockett (in Out Space)! The toe-tapping sequence of science topics presented in sight and sound has something for every grade level in the areas of physical, earth, and life sciences. Teachers can use the songs and video to begin a unit of study, assess prior knowledge of a topic to help plan instruction, differentiate instruction, stimulate further discussion of a topic, expose students to new concepts, and develop science vocabulary and comprehension. Enter your model number to make sure this fits.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"An awesome album in the style of glazer and Evans. Truly sad, because if you take "Science is Real (the song)" to heart, the kids might learn something useful."
"So I guess I missed the news that the sun was no longer made of gas but it was now a miasma of incandescent plasma, but now I know and so does my son's kindergarten class, This was announced during the morning weather report (and yes he can now define all these words)."
"My oldest son's musical taste/interest progressed beyond songs about the alphabet and numbers several years ago and I purchased this thinking it would make a fine early introduction to science and TMBG for our toddler."
"He sings the songs all the time and I love that he's learning and enjoying himself at the same time!"
"Digging, and digging, and digging, and digging... And many other songs about Science stuck in your head, courtesy these cool guys and their magical lyrics."
"We are not creationists--which is why we wanted our kids to hear this album... to combat the theologic myths that try to pass themselves as scientific or proven to be anything more than that."
"TMBG ventured into the children's music world as soundtracks to some kid shows (Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, Higgly Town Heroes, etc) and they had success with Here Come the ABC's and Here Come the 123's, and both of those albums are decent, but Here Comes Science is their children's tour de force."
"Kids love this CD!!!"
Best Folk
They're drawn by songs like "Ho Hey" and "Stubborn Love," Americana-inflected barn burners in the vein of the Avett Brothers and Mumford & Sons.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"I'm not very good at writing about music but if you like stuff like the Avett Brothers or Low Anthem or The Head & the Heart I'm pretty sure you will like this."
"If I had to characterize The Lumineers, I'd say they're similar to Bright Eyes, except 10 times better and a tenth as annoyingly self-infatuated."
"Submarines is what really caught my attention as well as Ho, Hey. If you, like me, sometimes want to find a new band/artist to stimulate your musical taste, I would not hesitate to recommend The Lumineers."
"Fame found them, but when you watch them or listen to their music, you appreciate how deeply they care about their music."
"I may never have bought it if wasn't that low. Yes, the stand out song is 'Ho Hey', but as much as I listen to that song, I find myself equally drawn to 'Submarines' with its upbeat warm feeling. Kind of gives me that warm feeling of being wrapped up in a blanket on a cold morning. Another song worth mentioning is 'Stubborn Love' with its haunting cello. While I do think it's somewhat of a sad sounding song, it somehow keeps drawing me in. In my opinion, if I had just bought one song, namely 'Ho Hey', I would have cheated myself out of an entire listening experience."
"They all have a catchy pure sound and make me smile; Flower in Your Hair is my 2nd favorite so far! I'm looking forward to playing this CD over and over during short trips to work, home, etc."
"Amazing album, amazing band!"
"Great CD!!!"
Best Metal
The vinyl edition of Nirvanas hit album, NEVERMIND, which helped usher in the Grunge era of the 1990s.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"What can I say about Nirvana's Never mind CD?"
"Grew up with Nirvana and GLAD to get my hand on this Deluxe Edition Duel CD!!!"
"Im not sure the remastered version sounds any better than the original but it does sound good."
"My album collection is purely for my enjoyment, I don't worry at all about potential resale value."
"Bought for my Daughter...Big Nirvana fan!"
"Great rock band, great music!"
"Sigh."
"Packaging and arrival of product were great."
Best Classic Rock
Led Zeppelin’s debut album, newly remastered, and including an additional CD and double LP featuring a previously unreleased October 1969 concert from Paris, France. Super Deluxe Edition Box Set Includes: CD1: Original album newly remastered in vinyl replica sleeve CD2: Companion audio featuring a previously unreleased October 1969 concert from Paris, France in a new sleeve Vinyl 1: Original album newly remastered in single sleeve replicating the original album on 180 gram vinyl Vinyl 2/3: Companion audio on two LPs (180 gram vinyl) in a new sleeve featuring negative artwork based on the original album artwork, and featuring a previously unreleased October 1969 concert from Paris, France HD Download card with the original album @ 96/24 and the live concert from Paris @ 48/24 LP sized, individually numbered, high quality print of the original album cover Album-size hardback book (72 pages) Replica of original Atlantic press kit".
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Much of this music evolved from Jimmy Page's Yardbirds period. I own the Complete Studio Recordings CD Box Set from the early 1990's, mixed by Jimmy Page himself. As a electrical engineer knowledgable about the evolution of audio equipment, and particularly Analog to Digital Converters, it is my opinion that this recently pressed Japan SHM CD is the best sound of this recording to date."
"For our listening pleasure, Jimmy Page has decided to remaster the Led Zeppelin catalog, beginning here in 2014 with the first three albums, all being released today, June 3rd. For many years, audio of Zeppelin's 1969 show in Paris has been floating around, and was considered a treasured chronicle of the band in its early days. The remaster for Zeppelin II and III both have studio rough cuts, backing tracks, and alternate takes, which are great for the rabid Zeppelin fanatic, but the average fan will probably appreciate this deluxe edition the most, with the classic debut album and a brilliant live show from a young, hungry Zep from '69."
"Very few albums I feel this way about, one of the others would be Pink Floyd's "Dark Side of the Moon" Albums such as these never grow old but stand the test of time. These are the same albums in the box sets, but you will have to make up your own minds to see if all the extra goodies from the deluxe box sets are worth it. As for me, I see myself possibly getting "Physical Graffiti" when it's released & possibly "Houses of the Holy" but I'm going to have to let most of these (sadly) go by the wayside."
"Just the other day I noticed ,while zep l was playing in my computer that only disc 2 of this edition displays the words deluxe edition. Both cd disc 1 and disc 2 on led zep lll display the word deluxe edition, which is what I would think is correct cause that`s what I payed for."
Best Indie Music
The vinyl edition of Nirvanas hit album, NEVERMIND, which helped usher in the Grunge era of the 1990s.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"What can I say about Nirvana's Never mind CD?"
"Grew up with Nirvana and GLAD to get my hand on this Deluxe Edition Duel CD!!!"
"Im not sure the remastered version sounds any better than the original but it does sound good."
"My album collection is purely for my enjoyment, I don't worry at all about potential resale value."
"Bought for my Daughter...Big Nirvana fan!"
"I love this album now as much as when it first came out."
"Great rock band, great music!"
"Sigh."
Best Gospel
Today, aside from gospel veteran Amy Grant, who balances the sacred and secular, and Randy Travis, that concept has long faded. The spare instrumentation is surprisingly robust behind his flawless readings of "I'll Fly Away," "Softly and Tenderly," "How Great Thou Art," "Are You Washed in the Blood?," and "The Old Rugged Cross," all as beguilingly unpretentious as any of his country hits.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"I bought this cd because it is my grand daughter's favorite cd."
"this is one of the best cd's i own."
"I never thought that I would find a gospel album that I love as much as Don't Overlook Salvation by Ricky Van Shelton. If you love gospel music you will love this one."
"It offers a great selection of songs which are sung superbly with sincere warmth."
"Love the old standard hymns!"