Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

This is one *weird* CD. First of all, do not believe the other reviewers here who tell you that, for the most part, you get the original versions of the S&G songs. For the MOST part what you get are NOT the original versions of the songs. You get a lot of live versions but, what is worse, you get a whole lot (perhaps 80%) of "new" versions of the classic songs. This isn't a bad thing if you already own the S&G classics -- but if you own them, why in the heck do you want this CD? Yes, the sound quality is superb, but the two CDs here by and large sound like some sort of S&G "cover" band: a very good cover band, but nowhere near the original music. This is not the first time someone has put together a "collection" of what is supposedly their greatest hits, but it's the first time I've ever heard one with such odd reorchestrations. "Cecilia" is done at half speed, "Baby Driver" with such over orchestration it goes from being cute to pretentious, "The Only Living Boy In New York" goes from intimate to overblown. And so on. Anyone who grew up with S&G (or anyone who wants the best) needs to own "Bridge Over Troubled Water" and "Parsley, Sage, Rosemary & Thyme". These two essential S&G CDs will give you both nearly every song in this "essential" collection, but give them to you in their pristine, S&G classic sound versions. Then if you want to hear new versions of these classics by all means go ahead and buy this collection. But don't buy it thinking you're getting the essentials -- this, as Robin Williams once said, is not essence, it's pee-pee-ca-ca.