TIME LIFE MINES THE ARCHIVES OF

THE ROCK & ROLL HALL OF FAME

FOR TWO EXCLUSIVE

NEW RELEASES

THE DIGITAL ONLY 10-VOLUME ROCK & ROLL HALL OF FAME LIVE SET AVAILABLE AT iTUNES.

Plus

3-CD SET The Best of Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame & Museum LIVE IN STORES

I got a-hold of the 3-CD Set.I expected some fan favorites, and some great songs by some great stars… but, it’s a party, and it’s live. How good could it be? And how much production value could it have? Man, was I ever wrong!

Let me stop right here and say this. If you have a rock n roller in the family. If you yourself are a rock n roller, then this is one great stocking stuffer. 3 Cds, 51 Songs by some of the (obviously, duh! It’s the HOF) best songs done by combinations of super stars that at first glance seem weird, but absolutely work.

Okay, that’s out of the way. From the opening track on disk one- each Disk is sub titled, Disk 1 being “All day And All Of The Night”, 2 is “Sunshine Of Your Love” and 3 is “Sweet Emotion” – we have Chuck Berry with Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band doing “Johnny B Goode” . The Boss has over the history of the HoF been one of it’s biggest supporters and contributors to the live concerts that take place during the enshrinement ceremonies. This tune is no different, the E Street Band just rocks, and Springsteen plays second guitar to Chuck, and let me tell you. Chuck Berry has never sounded happier than on this tune.

The second tune is worth mentioning (as are they all) because it is introduced as Rhythm Guitar Player heaven. Here’s the line up for “Train Kept A Rollin” Jeff Beck, Jimmy Page, Ron Wood, Joe Perry, Flea and Metalica make up the rhythm section! It’s a four on the floor drag race on this great tune.

We’ve got Al Green doing the Sam Cooke favorite, “A Change Is Gonna Come”, The Ronettes doing “Be My Baby”, Kid Rock and the Rock Hall Jam Band doing “Sweet Little Rock and Roller” Mick Jagger, Springsteen, Billy Joel, Ringo Starr and Jeff Beck doing a free wheelin’ and exuberant “I Saw Her Standing There”, Joan Jett and John Mellencamp doing “I Saw Her Standing There”, The Kinks, The Righteous Brothers, Jagger, John Fogerty , Springsteen and Beach Boy turned Bad Boy, Mike Love doing “Satisfaction”, Eric Burdon and Bon Jovi on “It’s My Life”. It goes on and on and every performance is fantastic and every tune brand new.

Disk 2, Opens with the reunited Cream doing “Sunshine Of Your Love’ which is also the sub title of the disk. They sound just as good if not better than they did in the 60s.

One of my favorite on disk 2 is “While My Guitar Gently Weeps” performed by Tom Petty, Jeff Lynne (both friends with George Harrison and band mates in The Travelling Willburys) Steve Winwood, Dhani Harrison and covering the beautiful guitar parts Prince. Great great cover. Disk 2 also has James Taylor doing “Woodstock”, “Green River” performed by Fogerty and Friends, and it’s a shame he can’t make peace with the other members of CCR, The Who performs “Won’t Get Fooled Again” Traffic is represented, “Midnight Rider is here, done by Sheryl Crow and The Allaman Brothers Band, Metalica covers “Iron Man” , the Doors with Eddie Vedder on Jim Morrisons vocals do “Roadhouse Blues”, Al Green is on this disk doing “Tired Of Being Alone”.

Disk 3, “Sweet Emotion”, opens with “Tie Your Mother Down” a great tune from Queens early career, performed by The Foo Fighters and the surviving members of Queen with Dave Ghrol on lead vocals. It is a loud and thunderous punk-glam delivery that brought the house down. Fleetwood Mac is here as is Aerosmith, doing the disks title tune, “Sweet Emotion” with Kid Rock funk-i-fying it with his mix of turntables and the mic. Another highlight on disk 3 is R.E.M with Dave Ghrol doing “Man On The Moon”. Maybe the best performance here is Springsteen inducting U2 and performing a raw, gospel sounding and soul shaking version of “Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For”.

What’s clear when you listen to these disks is the sheer magic and the absolute respect these music monsters have for their talent. These tracks weren’t performed as throw-aways, they were delivered with all the emotion, fun, and attitude of musicians worthy of…well, The Hall Of Fame.