Once again I take time out from my busy schedule to buy some CDs, listen to them and tell you what I think. Itís a dirty job but somebodyís gotta do it. And once again, I have chosen some new compilations to evaluate. Remember, everything you read below is merely my opinion. If you buy something I recommend and donít like it, I am not financially responsible.

Wingspan - Paul McCartney Hits and History (Capitol)
Itís more than just a Wings "best of" and itís less than a full blown anthology of McCartneyís entire post Beatle career. So what exactly was Sir Paul aiming for when he put together this double disc collection of 40 fab tracks? Iím thinking Wingspan is a lot like a typical Paul McCartney song lyric. It may not always make sense, but it sure is fun to listen to. And when you play this particular McCartney compilation, you donít have to worry about stopping the CD before "Ebony & Ivory" pops up. Yes, in a much appreciated exercise of good judgement, Paul wisely left that one off the set list this time around. Unfortunately, he also passed over some great Wings B-sides in favor of lesser efforts like "Girlfriend" and "Call Me Back Again." (Címon, wouldnít you rather hear "Country Dreamer" or "Little Woman Love" instead of those songs or a second version of "No More Lonely Nights"?) But thatís just nit-picking and Iím sure everyone will come up with their own personal gripes over whatís missing. And for those of you looking for rarities, thereís only one of note - a medley of "Bip Bop/Hey Diddle" performed by Paul & Linda on their farm as they were being filmed for no apparent reason. So if you have all the albums, you donít need this. But if you do buy it, youíll probably play it more than some of those Macca discs you already own. And, of course, it instantly falls into the category of "a great gift idea" for those who only have a couple or no CDs in their collection by Wings, Paul McCartney & Wings, Paul & Linda McCartney or just plain Paul McCartney.

Sacred Hearts & Fallen Angels - The Gram Parsons Anthology (Rhino)
Screw Garth Brooks and his new shirt per album cover nonsense. Iíll take Gram Parsons in a Nudie suit any day of the week. This two disc set is the first compilation to cover all facets of the late Mr. Parson's far too short career and collects material from his stints in the International Submarine Band, the Byrds and the Flying Burrito Brothers, as well as a generous 21 tracks from his final stretch as a solo artist. If you donít own anything by this man, hereís a great opportunity to elevate the quality of your CD collection with one single purchase. Even if youíre an avid GP fan who has spent valuable time, money and effort collecting everything you can get your hands on, youíll still wanna pick this one up and play it religiously. The sound is great and it provides a nice cross section of Cosmic American Music for your listening pleasure without having to load up the changer and fuss with programming it. And the book is pretty nice, too.

Emmylou Harris Anthology - The Warner/Reprise Years (Warner Achives/Rhino)
While Linda Ronstadt was putting on red undies and giving the readers of Rolling Stone Magazine a thrill, Emmylou Harris was busy carrying the torch handed to her by her former singing partner and mentor, the late Gram Parsons. And even though itís kind of tough to hold a torch and play guitar, she persevered and recorded some of the finest traditional and contemporary country folk pop rock of the 70ís, 80ís and 90ís. And sheís still doing it today.  Now, I'm not familiar enough with Emmylou's recorded output to carp over the track selection for this compilation, but I do know it's a fine listen from start to finish. No need to worry about a sudden blast of heavy metal thunder or a misguided jog down the disco path. The closest thing to a sore thumb on this collection is the 40ís nostalgia number Mister Sandman, which comes across as a novelty tune in the context of the collectionís higher aspirations. So 44 tracks and only one of them slightly off putting. Not bad. And the sound is produced by BILL INGLOT, which is a real person and not one of those made up things like Dynagroove.

The Best of The 1910 Fruitgum Company: Simon Says
The Best of The Ohio Express: Yummy Yummy Yummy (Buddha)
Thereís such a thing as too much of a good thing and these two collections of sixties bubble gum music is a perfect example of that. Okay, so this stuff falls more under the category of a guilty pleasure than a good thing, but songs like "Indian Giver" and "Chewy Chewy" were never meant to be anything but catchy harmless pop music in the first place. K-Tel put out a single disc that contained five songs each by these two "groups" and thatís just about the right amount to suffice oneís appetite for the audio sugar produced by the Kasenetz-Katz team that ran the Buddha hit factory. Most of the other songs on these discs are weak filler, although one or two may invoke a pleasant memory from those who recall with fondness the site of those trippy 45 labels. Then there are other songs that are best forgotten, like "Pinch Me (Baby, Convince Me)," a lame Ohio Express single Buddha dared to release without the trademark voice of Joey Levine on lead vocals. Mercy! Yes, the sound has been improved on these CDs so you can hear every tap of the tambourine with amazing clarity, but this is music that was meant to be heard from a car speaker or a small monaural record player, not in surround sound. In short, these collections are nice to have around but not worth shouting "Goody Goody Gumdrops" over.
1/2

Editorís Note: It should be pointed out that after turning in the previous review, the author could be heard singing "Down at Luluís" in the copying room.

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