Led Zeppelin BBC Sessions (Atlantic)

Recorded live in '69 and '71, this 158-minute double CD is a tribute to a time when white fops squealed the blues, touring guitarists packed whips and schoolgirls everywhere tingled with nervous anticipation (i.e. the good old days). Nowadays, of course, the lemon juice running down Plant's leg is stale piss, but that doesn't negate the tremendous power of Page's guitar and the REAL drum & bass [ha, ha -ed] courtesy of Bonzo and Jones. Two versions of "Whole Lotta Love," three versions of "Communication Breakdown," an 18-minute version of "Dazed and Confused"--it's a veritable stairway to hoser heaven. 8/10 (Al South)

Bob Dylan The Best of Bob Dylan (Sony Music Direct)

In 1964's "The Times They Are A-Changin'," Bob Dylan warned "Mother and fathers" that "your old road is rapidly aging." In 1997, a Dylan album is still a great gift for mom and dad. 7/10 (Chris Yurkiw)

The Residents Our Tired, Our Poor, Our Huddled Masses (Cryptic/Ryko)

The Residents are the most popular band in utter obscurity. By obscurity, I mean that these four freaky fellows have ensconced themselves in a shroud of deliberate enigmatic weirdness. Hiding behind their tuxes and oversized eyeball masks, they make music that is terrifying and otherworldly, in a creepy, quiet kind of way. At times they twist the mainstream pop iconography of the Stones, Elvis and James Brown into barely recognizable telegrams from the land of the dead. At others, they generate odes to moisture, moles and Eskimos. This double disc marks the 25th anniversary... here's to another 25. 9/10 (Rupert Bottenberg)

Simon and Garfunkel Old Friends (Columbia)

Three CDs that chronicle everything your parents ever sat cross-legged and drank lemonade to. The collection is immense, every hit is included plus unreleased tracks and live recordings. There is still something actual about S&G's music; squeeze as much as you can onto a tape, go for a long drive one Sunday morning, play it loud and tell me it doesn't somehow touch you. It's probably the next best thing to a hot cup of tea after a long day and 15 hours in the metro. 9/10 (Toby Blakey)

Muddy Waters and Friends Goin' Way Back (Just a Memory/Justin Time)

1997 has been an amazing year for blues reissues, but this is the best I've heard so far (and put out by a Montreal label no less!). This 1967 recording shows Muddy kickin' back in a rooming house on Prince Arthur and the intimacy and camaraderie is palpable. As the title infers, Muddy does indeed take us way back, and his destination is the porch where he learned his licks. Although never intended for release, this may be the great Muddy Waters at his most genius. 9/10 (Johnson Cummins)