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      The
      Beach
      Boys
     
     
      The
      Greatest
      Hits
     
     
      —
      Volume
      1
     
    

    
     
      EMI
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Arguably
      the
     
     
      greatest
      musical
     
     
      group
      ever,
      the
     
     
      Beach
      Boys
      were
     
     
      known
      for
      their
     
     
      outstanding
      har-
     
     
      monies
      and
      inno-
     
    
   
   
    
     
      vations.
      This
      CD
     
     
      (A+)
      takes
      the
     
    
   
   
    
     
      listener
      through
     
    
   
   
    
     
      the
      bands’
      career
      fro
     
     
      the
      “cars
      and
      surfing”
     
     
      days,
      the
      studio
     
     
      marvels
      of
      Brain
     
     
      Wilson,
      and
      wraps
      up
     
     
      with
      the
      groups’
      1988
     
     
      hit
      “Kokomo.”
      With
     
     
      gems
      like
      “Little
     
     
      Deuce
      Coupe”
      and
     
     
      “Good
      Vibrations,”
     
     
      this
      is
      a
      solid
      CD
     
     
      worthy
      of
      steady
     
     
      listening.
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      -O’Connor
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      ve
     
     
      et
      There
      Be...
     
     
      Ruff
      Ryders/
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Pinterscope
     
    
   
   
    
     
        
       
     
     
        
     
     
         
     
     
         
     
     
         
     
     
       
     
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      ve,
      originally
      on
     
     
      Dr.
      Dre’s
      Aftermath
     
     
      abel,
      has
      since
     
     
      elocated
      to
      the
      Ruff
     
     
      Ryders
      camp.
      She
     
     
      omes
      through
      on
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
        
     
     
         
     
     
           
     
     
        
     
     
       
     
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      her
      first
      album
      with
     
     
      funny
      and
      original
     
     
      skits,
      only
      a
      few
     
     
      featured
      artist,
     
    
   
   
    
     
      wicked-ass
      beats
      fro
     
     
      Swizz
      Beatz,
      and
      hard
     
    
   
   
    
     
      rhymes.
      Ruff
      Ryders’
     
     
      First
      Lady
      makes
      the
     
    
   
   
    
     
      grade
      (A-).
     
    
   
   
    
     
      -MacDonald
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Oist
     
     
      ercedes
      Five
      And
     
     
      Dime
     
    
   
   
    
     
      MI
     
    
   
   
    
     
        
     
     
           
     
     
         
     
     
        
     
     
          
     
    
   
   
    
     
      he
      third
      full
      length
     
     
      Mclease
      from
      the
     
     
      David
      Usher
      lead
     
     
      proup
      (B),
      it
      sports
     
     
      heir
      driving
     
    

    
     
      hythm
      in
      a
      more
     
     
      extured,
      heavily
     
     
      Produced
      way
      than
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      before.
     
    

    
     
      If
      their
      hit
      “Breathe”
     
     
      tickles
      your
      fancy,
     
     
      you're
      liable
      to
      enjoy
     
     
      the
      full
      album.
      More
     
     
      mature
      sounding
     
     
      than
      before,
      this
      CD
     
     
      will
      keep
      the
      fans
     
     
      happy
      —
      as
      well
      as
     
     
      convert
      some
      new
     
     
      fans.
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      -O’Connor
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Richard
      Wood
     
     
      Fire
      Dance
     
    
   
   
    
     
      It’s
      impossible
      to
     
    
   
   
    
     
      listen
      to
      this
      CD
      (B)
      §
     
     
      and
      not
      feel
      Wood’s
      §&
     
    
   
   
    
     
      passion
      for
      the
      fiddle
     
    
   
   
    
     
      His
      fourth
      release,
      it
      ¥
     
    
   
   
    
     
      features
      a
      mix
      of
     
    
   
   
    
     
      originals,
      covers
      and
      §
     
    
   
   
    
     
      traditional
      pieces.
     
     
      Ranging
      from
      an
     
    
   
   
    
     
      emotional
      air
      such
      as
      [3
     
    
   
   
    
     
      “Kimura,”
      to
      the
     
     
      rocking
      dance
      beat
      o
     
     
      the
      title
      tracks,
      this
     
     
      CD
      is
      a
      delight.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      -O’Connor
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      (sles)
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Richard
      Wood
     
     
      Me
     
    
   
   
    
     
      If
      you
      thought
      the
     
     
      previous
      CD
      was
     
    
   
   
    
     
      again!
      His
      fifth
     
     
      release
      (A),
      Wood
     
    
   
   
    
     
      with
      new
      styles
      and
     
     
      sounds.
      The
      title
     
     
      track
      is
      a
      piece
      of
     
     
      studio
      wizardry,
     
     
      capturing
      his
      raw
     
     
      energy
      perfectly.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      fuss
      is
      about!
     
     
      -O’Connor
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Come
      Dance
      With
     
    
   
   
    
     
      cutting
      edge
      —
      think
     
    
   
   
    
     
      manages
      to
      keep
      the
     
     
      integrity
      of
      the
      tradi-
     
     
      tional
      fiddle
      sound
      as
     
     
      it
      is
      worked
      together
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Find
      out
      what
      all
      the
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Chris
      Cornell
     
    
   
   
    
     
      “Euphoria
      Morn-
     
     
      ing”
     
     
      A&M/Universal
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Surprisingly
      low-key
     
     
      considering
      that
      this
     
     
      is
      his
      first
      solo
      post-
     
     
      Soundgarden
      release,
     
     
      Chris
      Cornell
      has
     
     
      created
      a
      very
      fine
     
     
      and
      somewhat
      eclec-
     
     
      tic
      release
      (A-).
     
     
      Except
      for
      a
      few
     
     
      songs,
      don’t
      expect
     
     
      something
      that
      you’d
     
     
      expect
      from
     
     
      Soundgarden.
      Most
     
     
      of
      it
      isn’t
      heavy
      and
     
     
      fast
      rock,
      with
      his
     
     
      usual
      loud
      lyrics.
      It’s
     
     
      a
      bit
      lighter,
      and
     
     
      much
      more
      attention
     
     
      has
      been
      paid
      to
     
     
      melodies
      and
      subtle
     
     
      studio
      effects.
      Some
     
     
      of
      his
      side
      melodies
     
     
      would
      make
      very
      fine
     
     
      songs
      on
      their
      own.
     
     
      This
      was
      totally
     
     
      digitally
      recorded,
     
     
      but
      old
      equipment
     
     
      was
      filtered
      through
     
     
      the
      new
      high-tech
     
     
      gear,
      so
      unique
     
     
      sounds
      emerge.
      It’s
     
     
      emotional,
      a
      bit
      more
     
     
      personal,
      and
      at
      times
     
     
      quite
      touching.
      These
     
     
      songs,
      some
      soft,
      one
     
     
      an
      homage
      to
      60’s
     
     
      R&B
      ballads
      (my
     
     
      fave),
      and
      some
     
     
      rockers
      have
      won
      me
     
     
      over.
      Kudos
      to
      Chris
     
     
      on
      what
      I
      deem
      an
     
     
      excellent
      start
      to
      a
     
     
      solo
      career.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      -McQuaid