5 CD SET

Rating: (out of 8 reviews)

List Price: $ 28.98

Price: $ 21.55

The California Guitar Trio have always played cover versions but on Echoes, these graduates of Robert Fripp’s League of Crafty Guitarists go over the top in paying homage to their roots. From progressive rock to arena rock, art music to classical music, they bring it all to their 18 strings. Although their primary instruments are acoustic guitars, they aren’t averse to a little electric processing and that helps them when they tackle two progressive rock epics, Pink Floyd’s “Echoes” and Mike Oldfield’s “Tubular Bells.” They compress them both in time, but hit the highlights, exposing new, pastoral nuances in “Echoes” and just ripping into “Tubular Bells” to reveal its minimalist roots. These two tracks alone make Echoes worth it. CGT violate the purity of their trio concept with side musicians on a few tracks, including bassist Tony Levin and stick player Tom Griesgraber, who allow them to plug into the electric energy of some of the music. Although the two vocal tracks at the end, sung by Bonnie “Prince” Billy, a.k.a. Will Oldham, seem out of place in this instrumental setting, the closer makes it worthwhile. CGT responds to that bane of all progressive rock concerts, answering the shouted request for Lynard Skynard’s “Freebird” by actually playing it, albeit in a reggae groove. — John Diliberto

Rating: (out of 7 reviews)

List Price: $ 15.98

Price: $ 62.30

Featuring Bobby Kimball (Toto), Whitfield Crane (Ugly Kid Joe), Doug Pinick (Kings X) Ripper Owens, Aynsley Dunbar, Eric Singer, Vinnie Appice, Jeff Pilson, Jimmy Bain, Phil Soussan, Craig Goldy, Blues Saraceno, Steve Salas, Steve Lukather, Ritchie Kotzen & more. 11 tracks. 2002.

List Price: $ 37.99

Price: $ 14.71

Japanese only 2 x SHM-CD (Super High Material CD – playable on all CD players) pressing. Universal. 2008.

Rating: (out of 13 reviews)

List Price: $ 63.98

Price: $ 63.98

Japanese only SHM pressing. The SHM-CD [Super High Material CD] format features enhanced audio quality through the use of a special polycarbonate plastic. Using a process developed by JVC and Universal Music Japan discovered through the joint companies’ research into LCD display manufacturing SHM-CDs feature improved transparency on the data side of the disc allowing for more accurate reading of CD data by the CD player laser head. SHM-CD format CDs are fully compatible with standard CD players. Universal. 2009.

Rating: (out of 13 reviews)

List Price: $ 57.98

Price: $ 57.98