Boxed in2 the past!

More housekeeping, briefly. When I was transferring-over capsule music & book reviews from my old website 2 here a coupla wks ago, I 4got mosta the list of best-of box-sets I wrote-up last spring, so here's a quick rundown on them B4 I get back 2 the newer stuff....
* King Crimson: THE GREAT DECEIVER/LIVE 1973-74 -- This is the only box I DIDN'T 4get about, the best live album I've heard since YESSONGS. I'm still not quite sure about a lotta the improvs, & all of it could probly have bn condensed in2 2 REALLY KILLER CD's, but the good stuff is REALLY AMAZING. If U're a KC fan, it's a Must Have. Best: Larks I & II, Fracture, Doctor Diamond, The Talking Drum.
* The Who: 30 YEARS OF MAXIMUM R&B -- Learned a LOT about these guys, & thot I knew them pretty well already. It all sounds GREAT. Solid discography info. Not enuf notes from Pete Townshend, tho. Best: All the classic hits, + "The Relay," "Slip Kid," "Blue Red and Gray," "Disguises," "I'm the Face," "The Kids are Alright," "Call Me Lightning," "Mary Anne With the Shaky Hand," "Tattoo," "Dogs," "Little Billy," "Let's See Action," "Dreaming from the Waist," "Music Must Change," & alla Keith Moon's comedy bits. Completists: "Athena" isn't included.
+ Moody Blues: TIME TRAVELLER -- Bitchbitchbitch. 2 much lame late stuff, 2 much unimportant early stuff, "Simple Game" isn't included, there isn't enuf from DAYS OF FUTURE PASSED & THE PRESENT, there's 2 much from BLUE JAYS & IN SEARCH OF THE LOST CHORD, & I coulda written a better history of the band. But it all SOUNDS GREAT -- Xcept 4 "Blue World," "Sitting at the Wheel" & "Running Water," which 2 me sound like they're mastered 2 SLOW.... 2 much Good Stuff left-off 2 list. I coulda done a better job of pickin 'em....
+ Beach Boys: GOOD VIBRATIONS/30 YEARS OF -- 5 discs isn't enuf space. The choices Rn't the best on the last 2 discs, & lotsa great stuff is left off everywhere. But there IS 30 mins of previously-officially-unreleased SMILE tracks. & mosta it still sounds heavenly. But the stuff they left OFF: "Let Him Run Wild," "There's No Other (Like My Baby)," "Kiss Me Baby," "Good Time," "Girl Don't Tell Me," "Here Today," "Feel Flows," "Lady Lynda," "Let's Go Away for Awhile," "Trombone Dixie".... Best: All the timeless hits, + "The Little Girl I Once Knew," "Please Let Me Wonder," "She Knows Me Too Well," "God Only Knows," "This Whole World," "Long Promised Road," "Surf's Up," "'Til I Die," "California Saga (closing)," "The Trader," "Good Timin'"....
+ Camel: ECHOES -- Tho it leans toward the group's strained commercial side, there's some gorgeous keyboard/guitar/vocal interplay here & of course it sounds great. Best: "Never Let Go," "Lady Fantasy," "Rhayader," "Rhayader Goes to Town," "Unevensong," "Breathless," "Echoes," "Drafted," "Sasquatch," "West Berlin," "Mother Road." Left off: "Flight of the Snow Goose," "Spirit of the Water," "Rain Dances," "Down on the Farm," "Summer Lightning," "Who We Are," "Eye of the Storm," "City Life," "Manic," "A Heart's Desire/End Peace."
+ Caravan: CANTERBURY TALES -- This differs from the 1976 2-record best-of w/ the same title mainly by making poorer song choices, tho it covers more time & includes more rarities. Best: "Place of My Own," "And I Wish I Was Stoned," "For Richard (live)," everything from FOR GIRLS WHO GROW PLUMP IN THE NIGHT (their best album), "The World is Yours," "Songs and Signs," "Nine Feet Underground." The studio "For Richard" also included is like a blueprint compared 2 the live version. The live "The Love in Your Eye" suite included here is a little weak compared 2 the studio original that ain't here. There R 2 many trax from CUNNING STUNTS, & they missed (but had room 4) the only good 1, "The Dabsong Conshirtoe." Also left off: "Aristocracy," "Surprise, Surprise," "Virgin on the Ridiculous," "Can You Hear Me?" & "All the Way (With John Wayne's Single-Handed Liberation of Paris)." & don't Blieve the liner notes when they trash the band's later album BLIND DOG AT ST. DUNSTAN'S....
+ Elton John: GREATEST HITS 1970-2002 -- His REAL box set is TO BE CONTINUED, which I guess I otta track down (gotta used copy U wanna send me?), but this is fairly complete, w/ a whole disc Dvoted 2 his classic early-'70s period. Was grateful 4 "Levon," "Tiny Dancer" & mosta the hits. But among the missing R "Empty Garden," "Ego," "Step Into Christmas," "Friends"....
= KANSAS (2-CD box) -- There's some good stuff here, but it focuses 2 much on their rockin & boogeyin. Suprises include the gorgeous "Journey from MariaBronn," parts of "Incomudro," "The Pinnacle" & "Can You Tell Me?" "Song for America" has always bn pretty great. The trax from LEFTOVERTURE sound great, but even tho they chose 5 of them, they missed 3 of the best: "Miracles Out of Nowhere," "Questions of My Childhood" & "Cheyenne Anthem." "Reason to Be" & "Back Door" Rn't here, either. & "Death of Mother Nature Suite" is ugly. Disappointing.