The gift of music: Our critics recommend box-set and greatest-hits

0 Comments | Deseret News (Salt Lake City), Dec 19, 2003

ERASURE; "Hits -- The Very Best of . . . " (Mute Records) ***

No one does '80s techno-pop better than Andy Bell and Vince Clarke, and this two-disc release doesn't disappoint. Disc one features 20 favorites -- "Oh L'Amour," "Sometimes," "Chains of Love" and "Love to Hate You," as well as covers of Abba's "Take a Chance On Me" and "Voulez Vos," and Peter Gabriel's "Solsbury Hill." Disc two features 18 more songs -- all megamixes. In all, you'll get three versions of "Oh L'Amour" and two versions of just about everything else. Overkill? What else would you expect from Erasure? -- Todd Curtis

JEFF FOXWORTHY; "Double Wide Single Minded: the Best of . . . " (Warner Bros./Rhino) ** 1/2

Tired of Redneck jokes? Well, if you're not, then this new Jeff Foxworthy greatest hits is for you. Most of these selections were taken from his live shows. "You Might Be a Redneck If . . .," "Southern Accent," "You Can't Give Rednecks Money," "Still More You Might be a Redneck If . . ." and "Every Single Hair on Her Body" are classic Foxworthy fodder. The package includes a DVD with "Redneck Stomp," "Party All Night" and "Redneck 12 Days of Christmas." -- S.I.

MICHAEL FRANKS; "The . . . Anthology: the Art of Love" (Warner Bros./Rhino) ** 1/2

Jazz-pop vocalist Franks surrounded himself with great musicians. While he only hit the Billboard Top 100 with "Popsicle Toes," back in 1976, he became a sort of cult legend. He's worked with the Yellowjackets, Brenda Russell and Crossfire. This two-disc compilation features Franks at his best. "Popsicle Toes," "Eggplant," "Sanpaku," "Tahitian Moon" and a live version of "The Dream," featuring the Yellowjackets, are among the 31 tracks. -- S.I.

THE FUGEES; "Greatest Hits" (Columbia) ***

Lauryn Hill, Wyclef Jean and Prakaz "Pras" Michel were the Three Musketeers of hip-hop during the mid-1990s. Hitting the scene as the Fugees -- short for "Refugees" -- the group caught the ears of suburban and urban youth with a soulful remake of Roberta Flack's "Killing Me Softly." Another remake included an easy-beat take on Bob Marley's "No Woman, No Cry." The trio showed it could stand on its own hits with "Vocab," "Nappy Heads" and "Fu-Gee-La." All those songs are included in this exciting hits package. -- S.I.

PETER GABRIEL; "Hit" (Geffen Chronicles) ****

Trying to downplay his success since leaving Genesis in 1975, Gabriel has named his greatest-hits compilation "Hit," with tongue firmly in cheek. Gabriel is one of those people who lives with his art. He has blended pop music and world music with jazz, rock and fusion. "Shock the Monkey," "Solsbury Hill," "Sledgehammer," "Steam," "In Your Eyes," "Biko" (his tribute to activist Stephen Biko) and "Big Time" are all here to show Gabriel's development. There are also a couple of newer tunes, "Cloudless" and a live version of "Downside Up." -- S.I.

GRATEFUL DEAD; "The Very Best of . . . " (Warner Bros./Rhino) ***

Editing a 36-year career down to only 17 tracks is a daunting task. Certainly some Deadheads will be disappointed that their favorite songs aren't included in this "Very Best" retrospective. Still, old staples include "Truckin'," "Sugar Magnolia," "The Golden Road (to Unlimited Devotion)," "Uncle John's Band," "Friend of the Devil" and "Casey Jones" can be heard intermingled with more recent Dead tunes, "Hell in a Bucket," "Fire on the Mountain" and "Touch of Grey." This CD is the condensed and more affordable version of the recently released box set "The Golden Road." -- S.I.