Best Of Ray Stevens, The - Ray Stevens

Advantages: Classic Aerosmith Rock
Disadvantages: A sometimes over looked album.

...The second studio album, Get Your Wings was released in March, 1974 under the label Columbia Records. It was produced by Jack Douglas, Ray Colcord and Bob Ezrin. Due to the commercial failure of Aerosmith's first debut album, the self titled 'Aerosmith', the band was almost dropped from their record label (Columbia records). This album had to be special, it could potentially end Aerosmith's career before it had really even started, or set their career off. After a year of touring and hard work, the quality song writing and instrument playing had increased. Get Your Wings was not the hit that Aerosmith had hoped it would be. However, the album went gold, staying on the charts for over a year. Steven Tyler's singing style is now developed. On the previous record, Steven decided to alter his natural singing voice because he... Read review

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Advantages: Great music for all ages
Disadvantages: None

...from there and changed his name from Steven Demetre Georgiou to Cat Steven’s. Later changing it once again to Yusuf Islam. At the age of eighteen Cat Steven’s had his first hit called ‘I love my dog’ which is included in The ultimate collection. Remember Cat Steven’s The ultimate collection was released in 1999 and it has a running time of 87:53. It is the best of all Cat Steven’s work, which I personally find to be excellent. His work has been covered by many artists over the years and some even went to the top of the charts, including one that went to no1. Cat has a very emotional singing voice, which varies from song to song. Moonshadow has a very clean acoustic guitar sound; the song itself has a very driving even forcefully quality about it. . Patti Labelle back in 1971 did this as a cover song whilst in a group called... Read review

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Advantages: Amazing collection from an amazing talent
Disadvantages: Some singles still left out - it could have been a triple CD

...Roy Wood has had a chequered career, and to a younger generation the name may not mean much. To sum up briefly, he was/is leader of The Move, ELO (briefly), Wizzard, solo performer, multi-instrumentalist who can impersonate any vocalist at the drop of a mic, ace songwriter and currently frontman (Captain?) of Roy Wood's Army. This 2-CD retrospective leaves out the hits he had with the above-named groups, but still reveals him as a man of many faces - not to mention the multicoloured hair. 39 tracks originally issued on eight labels start with the clever novelty "When Gran'ma Plays the Banjo" (John Fogerty meets Ray Stevens with bluegrass 'jo), the haunting 1973 hit "Dear Elaine" which features lute, cello and recorder, its follow-up "Forever", inspired by Neil Sedaka and the Beach Boys, and the amazing Scottish reggae song "Goin' Down... Read review

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