Another decade, another repackaged Hendrix compilation; but like the Beatles and the Doors, his music has a timeless quality perfect for younger generations to rediscover time and time again. Voodoo Child covers the best of his studio work and live performances recorded over the four years in the run-up to his untimely death in 1970. As with many of the previous "best of" collections, CD 1 (the studio side) is packed heavily with the instant pop hits of his debut Are You Experienced with only a handful of hits from his subsequent two "proper" albums. All the usual big names are here, "Purple Haze", "Hey Joe", "Crosstown Traffic", "Voodoo Child" etc. but tacked on the end are some of his finer low-key moments, such as the soulful funk of "Izabella", the epic theme to his Rainbow Bridge film, "Hey Baby" and the sublime space-rocking car ad "Third Stone from the Sun". CD 2 is collected from his numerous live albums and includes some defining moments in the guitarists brief history such as the passionate political thriller "Machine Gun" with his Band of Gypsies; mammoth blues romp "Hear My Train a Comin'"; the now legendary version of him tearing through "Wild Thing" at Monterey and of course his signature tune, the "Star Spangled Banner" Live at Woodstock. Being such a prolific writer, performer and recording artist it will always be difficult to cram his best work into two discs but Voodoo Child serves as a more than adequate introduction to one of the greatest rock icons in history, with no glaring omissions (apart from the bold decision not to include the studio "Foxey Lady") or unworthy inclusions to upset his many disciples. -David Trueman.

The orchestral-pop hit "Iris" (from the soundtrack to City of Angels) proved the Goo Goo Dolls were no one-hit wonder with 1995's "Name". One listen to "Slide", the crafty, yearning second track off their sixth release, suggests the streak continues for Buffalo's finest. Not surprisingly, aspects that make the aforementioned songs memorable-warm, acoustic stylings; strings; heartrending hooks-also make Dizzy come alive elsewhere. Ultimately, the effort documents the band's continued migration from indie rock toward the mainstream. Thus, while "Slide" and the reprise of the wondrous "Iris" might shine for weeks (or even years) of repeated listens, attempts to keep alive the group's power-trio past often have a been-there/done-that feel. -Neal Weiss.

The album cover of this self-titled release depicts the nine members of Slipknot in creepy masks, the dark image confirmed by the presence of a parental advisory sticker. Inside, foul language and subversive lyrics complete the picture. Yet Slipknot are no Insane Clown Posse, using hyperbole to mask a lack of talent. Slipknot's sound, while indebted to the likes of Korn, is more aggressive and creative; indeed, it's a closer kin to Slayer and death metal, yet listenable and surprisingly melodic. The common denominator among Slipknot and the late 1990s crop of neo-metal-rap bands is producer Ross Robinson (Korn, Limp Bizkit), who discovered the Iowa-bred Slipknot and signed them to his label, I Am Records. His stellar production, melded with wonderfully creepy percussive elements, a sampler, a DJ, metallic-grind guitars, and singer Corey Taylor's immense passion and wide melodic range, makes Slipknot immensely listenable. Slipknot isn't for everyone, but they provide a visceral and satisfying ride for fans of the hard stuff. -Katherine Turman.

With valuable assistance from producer Rick Rubin, the Peppers find just the right blend of punk, funk, and hip-hop. Even with a running time of 74 minutes, this 1991 breakthrough has continuity and cohesion both within and across the 17 cuts. Riding Flea's surging bass, Anthony Kiedis delivers his explicit lyrics with a rapper's flair, extolling the virtues (and outlining the dangers) of sex and drugs. Plaintive ballads such as "Breaking the Girl", "I Could Have Lied", and the hit "Under the Bridge" give the album depth and provide contrast to the raw energy of "Mellowship Slinky in B Major", "Funky Monks", and "Give It Away". Rubin masterfully fuses John Frusciante's raunchy guitar with the irresistible grooves. -Marc Greilsamer.

Before Keith Richards' bad habits took over for a time in the mid-'70s, his work ethic was quite high. Stories abound of the long, if somewhat off-schedule, hours he spent working on this classic album in the basement of his home in France. Hanging together as much because of great songwriting ("Rocks Off," "Soul Survivor") as its fabled grungy atmosphere, Exile caps the Stones' great 1968-'72 run with a force that belies their supposed spiritual tiredness. What some of these songs are about is anybody's guess-Keith claims "Ventilator Blues" was inspired by a grate, while the song plays like an ode to a pistol-but that's just part of this album's hazy game. -Rickey Wright.

Dutch rockers Within Temptation have surpassed themselves with The Heart of Everything. Never a band known for understatement, this is by far their biggest and best album yet, 11 epic tracks that are impressively grandiose and proudly hyperbolic. Where other bands would be content with a string section, Within Temptation incorporate an entire orchestra (plus a choir). In addition, they also sample the sounds of machine guns, explosions, car crashes and even Winston Churchill. Complemented by Sharon den Adel's impressive vocal range, it all works spectacularly, evoking imagery of men on horseback wielding axes. Each song is a mini-saga, from "The Howling" with its suggestions of Middle Earth battlefields to the anti-war "Our Solemn Hour", which features a Latin chorus, "Sanctus espiritus," taken from Roman Catholic mass. Only the radio-friendly and relatively understated ballads "All I Need" and "Forgiven" sound out of place, (though the orchestra still features on the former). Fortunately, everything else on The Heart of Everything sounds like barbarian soundtrack music. Which is to say that this is a proper heavy metal music. -Ted Kord.

With valuable assistance from producer Rick Rubin, the Peppers find just the right blend of punk, funk, and hip-hop. Even with a running time of 74 minutes, this 1991 breakthrough has continuity and cohesion both within and across the 17 cuts. Riding Flea's surging bass, Anthony Kiedis delivers his explicit lyrics with a rapper's flair, extolling the virtues (and outlining the dangers) of sex and drugs. Plaintive ballads such as "Breaking the Girl", "I Could Have Lied", and the hit "Under the Bridge" give the album depth and provide contrast to the raw energy of "Mellowship Slinky in B Major", "Funky Monks", and "Give It Away". Rubin masterfully fuses John Frusciante's raunchy guitar with the irresistible grooves. -Marc Greilsamer.

Greatest Hits attempts to sum up the history of the Red Hot Chili Peppers, but its focus is firmly in the second half of their career. Early on, in the late 1980s, the Chili Peppers were an LA band who played a unique fusion of punk and funk-four guys, united by a love of partying and playing music. But they had a problem: although they were developing an underground following, nobody was buying their albums. Their first three albums failed to set the charts on fire, though they finally had a bit of a breakthrough with 1989's Mother's Milk. It wasn't enough-their label, EMI, dropped them. EMI's A&R department must be kicking themselves now because the Red Hot Chili Peppers have since gone on to become one of the most popular bands in the world. Their next album. Blood Sugar Sex Magik, was a massive, worldwide hit, containing such huge singles as "Give It Away" and "Under the Bridge". It's follow-up One Hot Minute was frankly a bit poor, but it hardly stalled their upward trajectory. These funky punks had matured and they found a whole new audience on albums such as Californication and By the Way. [+]

Tom Waits's hipster persona began to evaporate at the beginning of the 1980s, but not before he released the transitional- but eminently worthwhile-Heartattack and Vine, which contained "On the Nickel", a Dickensian tale of street life, and "Jersey Girl," a song Bruce Springsteen gave a far wider airing to on his Live 1975-1985 box set. You can hear hints of Waits's style growing more trenchant on songs like "Downtown" and the stark, bluesy title track, which contains the immortal line "Don't you know there ain't no devil / That's just God when he's drunk. " Indeed. -Daniel Durchholz.

Lullabies to Paralyze is the first Queens of the Stone Age album released since the rather messy departure of co-conspirator Nick Oliveri, but this by no means sounds like a Josh Homme solo project. Granted, opening track "Lullaby" is a mellow ballad, but as it's sung by Mark Lanegan, it can hardly count as Homme's flirtation with self-indulgence. And besides, once "Medication" kicks in with the tell-tale chugga-chugga guitars that have marked every previous QOTSA release, it'd be impossible to mistake this album for anyone else. The loss of Oliveri is almost compensated for by the appearance of some top-flight guests: from Billy Gibbons of ZZ Top (on the appropriately bluesy "Burn the Witch" and on the penultimate track) to Garbage's Shirley Manson and The Distillers' Brody Dalle. Best of all, though, is the accelerating riff of "Someone's in the Wolf", which is one of the most air-guitar-worthy songs of recent years. On the whole, Lullabies to Paralyze is never as good as Rated R or Songs for the Deaf, but few modern rock albums are. If the Queens of the Stone Age have one fault, it's that they've set their own standards too high. -Robert Burrow.