The famous red sleeved Fleetwood Mac's "Greatest Hits" album was an essential part of every decent album collection in the early 1970's as it represented the first greatest hits package from Fleetwood Mac, covering the period from the band's beginning in 1968 through to 1971. Fleetwood Mac in their original incarnation were led by led by guitarist Peter Green and were leaders of the second British Blues boom of the late 1960s, Fleetwood Mac enjoyed several hit singles in the United Kingdom at that time and these are collated here for this album originally issued on CBS Records only in the U. K. 'Albatross' was a huge chart hit in the UK whilst the single 'Black Magic Woman'helped to break Fleetwood Mac in the U. S.A via a cover version by Santana, who placed their version in the Billboard Top 40. The album gatefold shows a full-size photo of the post-Peter Green line-up of the band with Christine McVie, even though she just plays piano on a couple tracks and wasn't a full-fledged member untilafter the"Kiln House" LP was released

Weird Scenes Inside the Gold Mine was The Doors' second compilation album (following 13) and first to be released after the death of Jim Morrison, in January 1972. The album's title is a lyric from the song "The End". The album was released on compact disc for the first time on 19 May 2014 (almost exactly a year after keyboardist Ray Manzarek died). The album was certified Gold by the RIAA. The album cover was designed by Bill Hoffman, with inside band shots by Joel Brodsky.

Two of the songs on the compilation, "Who Scared You" and "(You Need Meat) Don't Go No Further," were originally released as B-sides to 1969's "Wishful Sinful" and 1971's "Love Her Madly," respectively. They were not included on albums until "Who Scared You" appeared in the The Doors: Box Set in 1997 and "(You Need Meat) Don't Go No Further" appeared in the 2006 Perception box set.

The version of "Who Scared You" that was released on The Doors: Box Set is an edited version, as part of the last verse is omitted. The full length song was released in 1999 on Essential Rarities and later on the 2006 remastered release of The Soft Parade as a bonus track.

(www.wikipedia.org)

Originally released in 1972, Weird Scenes Inside the Gold Mine was one of the earliest "best-of" Doors collections, compiling 22 tracks from the band not just limited to their many ubiquitous hits but including some more experimental tunes and a few obscure B-sides. This strange and sprawling playlist is heavy on material from L.A. Woman, and seems particularly invested in the darker, more sinister side of the band. Lesser-known songs here include "Who Scared You" and the goofy, awkward blues run "(You Need Meat) Don't Go No Further" sung by keyboardist Ray Manzarek. With the exception of a few pop moments, this lengthy collection sets a heavy and sometimes menacing mood, highlighting the Doors' most depraved, shamanistic moments in tracks like the brooding "The End," "Maggie McGill," and the absolutely evil groove of "When the Music's Over."

(by Fred Thomas, All Music Guide)

For almost two decades before King Crimson's catalog became a minefield of odd retrospectives, live oddities, and archival treasure troves, A Young Person's Guide to King Crimson was the only worthwhile retrospective the band had ever had -- or seemed likely to receive. Originally released in 1976 following the band's apparently irrevocable split of the year before, this Robert Fripp-compiled double album rounded up an excellent, if somewhat idiosyncratic, survey of the group's seven years together, its contents ranging from the unimpeachable classics to unimaginable rarities -- the pre-Crimson demo of "I Talk to the Wind" was a collector's dream at the time, while the presence of "Groon" took the heat off anyone who missed out on its sole previous appearance, as the B-side of 1970's "Cat Food" single. Of the other tracks, three-fifths of the debut album included the anthemic poles of "21st Century Schizoid Man" and "Epitaph," and served to remind just how powerful In the Court of the Crimson King was on release, while more recent highlights included both "Red" and "Starless" from the band's final album (Red), Starless and Bible Black's eternally atmospheric "The Night Watch," and, as if to prove that the band's sense of humor was never far from the surface, the ribald saga of "Ladies of the Road." A vast booklet of facts and figures, again compiled by Fripp and drawing from his own squirrel-like horde of King Crimson memorabilia, rounded off the package. It's a sign of just how well conceived this collection was that, no matter how many more so-called "best-ofs" the band has endured, A Young Person's Guide remains the definitive study of the original King Crimson.

(by Dave Thompson, All Music Guide)

This is a nice cross-label compilation which features some of his best work (stuff recorded for Vertigo, Elektra, and Mooncrest) as well as some of his least interesting work. If you are a fan of Matthews, you likely own all these records already. If not, this compilation will help you decide which areas of his career you will need to concentrate on in order to build your Ian Matthews collection.

(by Jim Worbois, All Music Guide)