Audiophile Vinyl

Rarities, remixes, outtakes and alternate tracks... Ken Kessler picks his way through the latest single-artist compilation albums to bring you the perfectly curated must-have sets

Compilations primarily used to mean ‘best ofs’ with, say, all the hits for those who just weren’t invested enough to crave an artist’s or band’s complete catalogue. While more focused than ‘various artists’ collections like the interminable Now That’s What I Call… series, they were just as variable sonically because the track selection might span several decades.

This month we review: Ben Harper With Charlie Musselwhite, Caravan, Fleetwood Mac and Jackie Deshannon.

This month we review: The Doors, The Connells, John Fogerty and The Yellow Balloon.

This month we review: Albert King, C.A. Quintet, Donny Hathaway and Randy Travis.

This month we review: John Lee Hooker, The Doobie Brothers, The Id and The Undertones.

This month we review: Lori Lieberman, Jan Gunnar Hoff, The Preachers and Talk Talk.