Gold assembled a handful of knowns and unknowns to make special cameos on this melodic and fun collection of original and classic Halloween tunes with a pop-rock bent. Among the haunted are David Cassidy, Karla Bonoff, Linda Ronstadt, Stephen Bishop, Nicolette Larson, and Gold's children and wife. From the Beatlesesque touches of "It Must Be Halloween" (parts seemingly lifted from "Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite") to Boris Karloff's "Monster Mash" and "The Addams Family" theme song, Gold and company offer up treats that kids and their parents will like, including the "Ghostbusters" theme. But with cooler original fare like "The Creature from the Tub" and "Spooky, Scary Skeletons," you have to wonder why they relied on so many predictable cover songs.

Upon leaving the Go-Go's, Belinda Carlisle felt no compunction in leaving behind the band's energetic new wave. On her own, she dove right into the mainstream with the assistance of producer Michael Lloyd, embracing the big radio-ready sheen of the mid-'80s on her 1986 debut, Belinda…

The greatest New Zealand rock band, they evolved from quirky art rockers into a pop powerhouse thanks to the skills of the brothers Finn. This Australian-only box set covers the period of the band's peak in popularity (1980-1984). Beginning with True Colours and ending with their swan song, See Ya Round, it shows the band in perfect pop form. While this is too ambitious for the casual fan, the devoted will find this essential for considerably improved sound and the bonus disc of previously unreleased tracks.

This double-disc is a very solid collection of Sally Oldfield's recordings for the CBS subsidiary Bronze (don't laugh, Uriah Heep was on there too). Before her brief resurgence in the '90s, Oldfield's recordings were new age before there was such a term. She brought not only a songwriter's sense of elegance to tape, but also an instrumentalist's sense of silence and dynamic. Brother Mike Oldfield helped out on "Waterbearer," perhaps he best-known offering here, as well as on some of the subsequent tracks on later records. Oldfied was the real precursor to people like Enya and Loreena McKennitt, marrying a classicist's sense of arrangement and dynamic to a mystic's heart and a Celtic woman's abiding folk history, myth, and legend. These two discs are impeccably remastered and offer a wonderful introduction to a talent who, at least on this side of the pond, never got her proper due.

One of Italy's best-loved artists, Adriano Celentano has been equally successful in film and music. Whether singing Elvis Presley-inspired rock, as he did as a member of the Rock Boys in 1957, or romantic balladry, Celentano found a dedicated market for his music…

The group's second album, cut late in 1967 amid their first major British success, is less focused than their first, but also presents a more majestic sound than its predecessor…

Martika appeared after teen girls like Tiffany and Debbie Gibson returned adolescent bubblegum to the pop charts. Martika was born as Marta Marrero in Whittier, CA, on May 18, 1969. Her parents were originally from Cuba; however, they left the country during a revolution. Raised in California, Martika started acting before launching a recording career, appearing in the film version of Annie in 1982 and on the TV series Kids Incorporated from 1984 to 1986…

Let's make no doubt about this review from the start: Alvin Lee solo is not the same thing as Ten Years After and such comparisons miss the mark entirely…

Ray was a founder member of The Moody Blues, a band whose legacy and classic albums need no introduction. He was a musical pioneer, introducing the flute into the context of a rock band before such luminaries as Ian Anderson of Jethro Tull. Ray’s contribution to the Moody Blues was immense, and when the band went on a hiatus in the mid-70s, Ray recorded two solo albums for the band’s Threshold label: “From Mighty Oaks” and “Hopes, Wishes and Dreams”.

In the 1960s, The Hep Stars were Sweden’s biggest band - inspiring screams and Beatles-like devotion. For the first time outside Sweden, Like We Used To: The Anthology 1965-1967 collects them at their peak, from being one of the era’s wildest bands - emphasised on the live tracks - to performers of affecting songs with a yearning atmosphere.
The band’s songwriter Benny Andersson later achieved global fame with ABBA and Like We Used To features classic early compositions, including the first-ever song he wrote. Also collected is a rare early collaboration with his future ABBA companion Björn Ulvaeus - the first song they wrote together…

Released at the front end of 1999's Lilith Fair, Mirrorball is a take-home sampler of the live performances that catapulted Sarah McLachlan into the modern rock stratosphere. Over half of the album's 14 songs are radio hits (including four of the first five), proving McLachlan's worth as a pop songstress bar none, but also hinting at an underlying stagnation in her recent musical output. Though fans of McLachlan and folks who missed her Lilith performances will likely enjoy Mirrorball, it's a little too by-the-book to win any converts or please critical listeners. There is little dialogue between songs, for example, and the sound quality is so pristine that if it weren't for the occasional hoot and holler from the audience, one would never know it's a live album.

Jon Bon Jovi's first official solo album, Destination Anywhere (apparently Blaze of Glory doesn't count because it was a soundtrack) finds the hard rocker attempting to simultaneously make his signature sound more mature and more contemporary. Producer Stephen Lironi tones down the sample-driven rhythms that characterized his work with Black Grape, giving Bon Jovi a laid-back and modern musical bed. Of course, the singer chooses to write melodies and lyrics very similar to those of his full-time band, only less bombastic. And that's the key to Destination Anywhere – it really couldn't have been made by the band, because there are too many subtle sonics and melodies for the group. So, in a sense, it's a breakthrough for Bon Jovi, because it is the first time he sounds like he's come to terms with adulthood. That doesn't mean Destination Anywhere is a complete success – it, like his other records, is hampered by filler – but none of his contemporaries were able to age this well, and the record is a fine example of late-'90s mainstream pop.