E - G

Eagles 

Perhaps the kings of the country rock is The Eagles. Eagles:The Very Best Of is a two-disc overview that spans their career. A limited edition included a third disc DVD of "Hole In The Wall," etc. The sound quality is excellent. A 48 page booklet is included with commentary of each song in the words of Don Henley and Glenn Frey. 

The Eagles
1 Take It Easy
2 Witchy Woman
3 Peaceful Easy Feeling
Desperado
4 Desperado
5 Tequila Sunrise
6 Doolin-Dalton
On the Border
7 Already Gone
8 The Best of My Love
9 James Dean
10 Ol' '55
11 Midnight Flyer
12 On the Border
One of These Nights
13 Lyin' Eyes
14 One of These Nights
15 Take It to the Limit
16 After the Thrill Is Gone
Hotel California
17 Hotel California
1 Life in the Fast Lane
2 Wasted Time
3 Victim of Love
4 The Last Resort
5 New Kid in Town
Single
6 Please Come Home for Christmas
The Long Run
7 Heartache Tonight
8 The Sad Café
9 I Can't Tell You Why
10 The Long Run
11 In the City
12 Those Shoes
Eagles Live (7/28/80)
13 Seven Bridges Road
Hell Freezes Over
14 Love Will Keep Us Alive
15 Get Over It
Single DVD
16 Hole in the World

Duane Eddy 

Duane Eddy's two-disc Twang Thang Anthology is an excellent overview of his career. This collection covers his most successful period between 1958 - 63 and goes clear through 1987. In addition to originals, there are numerous cover songs. Plenty of guests appear including Ry Cooder, Paul McCartney and George Harrison.

Some of the regular musicians he recorded with are top notch and had excellent careers themselves. Full musician credits are included with each track within the 50 page liner notes. 

The Faces 

The Faces are unquestionably an all star line-up of musicians; Rod Stewart, Ian McLagan, Ron Wood, Ronnie Lane, and Kenney Jones. Upon disbanding in 1975 Stewart went on to a solo career (many of the faces play on his early records) and Wood was recruited into  The Rolling Stones. While Kenny Jones would go on to fill the shoes of Keith Moon in The Who, and McLagan and Lane went on to solo projects and session work.  

In 2004, a four disc Faces box-set, Five Guys Walk into a Bar was released. Its quantity of music is generous where each disc runs between 74 - 79 minutes. Further, a 64 page booklet with essays, track details, and photos is included. The music is not sequenced chronologically and many of the tracks were previously unreleased.

There are plenty of great cover songs included such as: McCartney's "Maybe I'm Amazed," Lennon's "Jealous Guy," Robert Johnson's "Love in Vain," performed a la The Rolling Stones.

One draw back to the Five Guys Walk into a Bar is that some of the material is not of the best sonic quality. 

Single Disc
Casual fans may prefer the 19 track compilation The Best Of Faces: Good Boys When They're Asleep.

Double Disc
In 2007, The Definitive Rock Collection was released. This is the best value. All of this material is on the box set. This release takes 1999's The Best of the Faces, and adds to it.

Fans of the Faces will certainly be interested Jeff Beck's two albums with Stewart and Wood (bass) in the band, Truth and Beck-Ola and Rod's early career that is well represented in Gold and even better, the out of print The Mercury Anthology.

Aretha Franklin 

Because Aretha's single and double collections miss several of my very favorite tracks we highly suggest her box-set, Queen of Soul. It includes most of her  songs through This Girl's In Love With You as well as a fair sampling of material after that, of which that I am less interested in. It may cost more, but it is worth it. It includes a book with detailed credits with musicians, an Atlantic discography, photos, essays, etc. This is an excellent box-set!

Additional Aretha Franklin content

Jerry Garcia 

Jerry Garcia's solo career is quite diverse and we have expansive coverage of both his electric and acoustic bands with frequent updates in our Garcia section. 

The disc to the right, Don't Let Go would be not be close to a consensus of being Garcia's best electric band release, but it is easily our favorite.  Garcia's interaction with pianist Keith Godchaux gives this release its appeal.

Additional Jerry Garcia content
Jerry Garcia profile
Rock: guitar and piano
Guitar greats
Expansive Grateful Dead section

Danny Gatton

Danny Gatton is one of the hottest guitar players. He had the ability to blend diverse musical styles from rockabilly, country, blues, jazz, rock, etc. He is definitely a guitarist guitar player. Upon hearing Danny play you'll hear some of the most amazing guitar riffs. On occasion elements of guitar legends like Jeff Beck, and Roy Buchanan arise from within his solos.

Some of Gatton's album are out of print. His two disc compilation Hot Rod Guitar: The Danny Gatton Anthology is a generous 30 track overview and may be all a curious fan needs. 

Additional Danny Gatton content
Instrumental

Danny Gatton.com | Gatton page
Drummers Journal

David Gilmour 

We used to have David Gilmour's first two solo albums, and were not blown away by either, though, they each have their moments. We tend to reach for Pink Floyd when we want to hear Gilmour on guitar.  However, if you already have your stock pile of Pink Floyd and want more, Gilmour's solo albums are worth consideration. 

His second release, About Face, is more accessible than his first output. The song compositions are more simple than Pink Floyd, and there is plenty of quality guitar solos.

Additional David Gilmour content
Pink Floyd profile
Videos

Govt. Mule 

Guitarist Warren Haynes is quite busy. In addition to Govt. Mule, Haynes is a member of both the Allman Brothers Band, and The Dead. His band leans a bit more towards hard rock.

A 2004 article

Additional Govt. Mule content
Govt. Mule's official page
Govt. Mule Bio. - by Django
Mule Base -The source for Gov't Mule set lists.

David Grisman 

David Grisman is truly a creative musician 

While most mandolin players stick to bluegrass, country, or perhaps rock, Grisman's playing went beyond the norm and traditional stereotypes. While Grisman is a master of bluegrass, he also incorporated jazz into his playing, forging un-chartered realms and shaping what would be called Dawg music, and laying the groundwork for new grass music.

Much of Grisman's jazz influences are rooted in the Hot Club of France that featured the legendary Django Reinhardt and Stephane Grappelli. Truly, it is thrilling to hear the renditions of some Hot Club material with the mandolin replacing the acoustic guitar rhythm section, and also taking some fascinating solos. 

When you combine the traditional bluegrass and jazz background you have sort of a Bill Monroe meets the Hot Club of France. Much of Grisman's early material focus on these inferences, and his  self titled debut is a good place to start, where he features an all-star line-up of musicians.

Grisman has had a strong musical relationship with guitarist Jerry Garcia. He added some mandolin on the Grateful Dead's classic album American Beauty. They also played together in several bands; 1973's Old and in the Way, 1974's Great American String Band (a la Grisman's early solo work), and the numerous Garcia Grisman releases. We have reviews of each of these diverse albums that range from Dawg, to traditional American music, to jazz. 

The Pizza Tapes session pictured to the right gets better upon each listen. It captures David Grisman, Jerry Garcia, and Tony Rice jamming in David's home studio on February 4 and 5, 1993. 

Additional David Grisman content
Garcia Grisman
Old and in the Way
Instrumental music

The Grateful Dead 

We have expansive coverage of the Grateful Dead on many topics including extensive album reviews. 

One of the Grateful Dead classic releases is the video Closing of Winterland that captures the band performing three sets to close this legendary venue the Winterland Theater on 12/31/78.  There is loads of bonus material too on this two disc release.

Additional Grateful Dead content
Grateful Dead profile
Personnel chart
Videos
Books
Essays
Reviews and discography
Dylan and the Grateful Dead

Guns N' Roses