Music
70 AMERICANWAY
DECEMBER 15 2008
GOODTHINGS,
SMALLPACKAGES
Theseboxsets, someofour favorites from2008, areall packedwith tonsof classic
tunes and appealing extras. They’ll be the perfect gift for themusic lover on your
list— or a little something special for yourself. (Formore of our favorite box sets
of the year, check out our website at www.americanwaymag.com.) By BobMehr
The owner of rock’s most haunting and powerful voice finally gets a
proper box-set treatment with this 107-track marvel. Produced by Orbi-
son’s widow, Barbara, the four-disc collection covers the entire expanse
of a five-decade careermarked bymusical triumph and personal tragedy,
stretching from his earliestwork for SunRecords to his posthumous radio
smash “YouGot It.”
TheSoul ofRockandRoll
RoyOrbison
(Monument/OrbisonRecords/Legacy, $60)
LoveTrain: TheSoundof Philadelphia
VariousArtists
(PIR/Legacy, $50)
Theprivatearchiveof lategonzo journalistHunterS. Thompson is explored
in this lavishly packaged collection of personal audio recordings and inter-
view tapes. Thefive-disc set documents Thompson’s groundbreakingwork
from the mid-1960s to the mid-1970s, capturing everything from his fly-
on-the-wall coverage of the Hells Angels to his chronicling of the historic
1972presidential campaign andbeyond.
Hailedas oneof thegiants ofmusical theater, composer/lyricist
Stephen Sondheim (
West Side Story
,
Sweeney Todd
) is the
subject of this richly textured career overview. This collection
features thebest of Sondheim’s 15 stage shows aswell as hiswork for filmandTV. But the true
treasure trove comes in a batch of 30-plus previously unreleased songs, including demos from
Sondheim’s personal collection and a handful of pieces fromprojects that never came topass.
TheStorySoFar…
StephenSondheim
(SonyClassics, $55)
Though often overlooked for soul-music capitals likeDetroit orMemphis,
theCityofBrotherlyLovewas amajorR&Bplayer throughout the 1970s.
Thismultidisc collection puts the focus on the legendary Philadelphia In-
ternational record label— thebrainchildof producersKennyGamble and
Leon Huff — featuring the sophisticated, dramatic songs of artists like
theO’Jays, HaroldMelvin& theBlueNotes, BillyPaul, andmany others.
TheGonzoTapes: TheLifeandWorkofDr. HunterS. Thompson
Hunter S. Thompson
(Shout! Factory, $60)
Aplaylist toget
you through the
holidays, whichever
ones you celebrate.
ByZacCrain
The
Monthly
Mix
SnowPatrol
, “TakeBack theCity”
(
AHundredMillionSuns
, 2008)
VinceGuaraldi
, “Christmas Time IsHere”
(
ACharlieBrownChristmas
, 1965)
MyMorningJacket
, “OneBigHoliday”
(
It StillMoves
, 2003)
TheyMightBeGiants
, “Feast of Lights”
(
Holidayland
, 2001)
TheRamones
, “MerryChristmas
(IDon’tWannaFight Tonight)”
(
BrainDrain
, 1989)
Eisley
, “TheWinter Song”
(
MaybeThis Christmas Too?
2003)
Goldenboy
, “SingAnother Song for theWinterlong”
(
BlueSwanOrchestra
, 2002)
TheDecemberists
, “RecordYear”
(
Always theBridesmaidVol. III
, 2008)
FrankBlack/BlackFrancis
, “TheHolidaySong”
(
FrankBlack Francis
, 2004)
JulianKoster
, “SilentNight”
(
TheSingingSawat Christmastime
, 2008)
