Refreshed

It's that time of year again, the Yuletide holiday season. Whether you're celebrating Christmas, Chanukah or Kwanza, the same question bedevils you: what do I get Great Aunt Hortense as a gift? Fear not, O gentle reader, we at High Bias have come to your rescue with the High Bias Holiday Shopping Guide, a handy breakdown of current reissues and compilations that are sure to please. (It, um, also gives us a chance to cover a bunch of records we didn't get to earlier in the year.) Just call us your personal Santa's elves.

For both the unrepentant classic rocker or the young turk who needs a lesson in rock & roll history, there's Reason to Believe: The Complete Mercury Studio Recordings (Mercury/Chronicles), a three-disk set collecting all of Rod Stewart's 1969-1974 recordings for that label, including the albums The Rod Stewart Album, Gasoline Alley, Every Picture Tells a Story, Never a Dull Moment and Smiler, plus assorted odds and ends. Those of us who grew up with the Rod of "Do Ya Think I'm Sexy," "You're in My Heart" and (gulp) "Love Touch" will be shocked by the wealth of quality music found herein. Stewart and his tight-knit band (featuring Martin Quittenton and his Faces mate Ron Wood on guitars, bassist/keyboardist Pete Sears, genius keyboardist Ian McLagan and others) sported a brilliantly arranged acoustic/electric rock sound that seamlessly meshed rock, soul, folk and even country into a hybrid not unlike what the Rolling Stones were doing around the same time. It's a timeless aesthetic that would have broad appeal even now. Even better, Stewart was at the top of his song-pulling game; his covers (the old folk tune "Dirty Old Town," Dylan's "Mama You Been On My Mind" and "Only a Hobo," Elton John's "Country Comforts" and "Let Me By Your Car," Etta James' "I'd Rather Go Blind," a bizarre orchestral take on the Who's "Pinball Wizard") are brilliantly arranged and his originals ("You Wear It Well," "Mandolin Wind," "An Old Raincoat Won't Ever Let You Down," "Every Picture Tells a Story" and, of course, "Maggie May") reveal a contemplative, soulful yearning his future decadent success would prevent him from ever touching again. It's hard to believe the revelatory music on this set was made by the same guy who did "Passion" and fucked every supermodel he came across. Recommended as a present for any music fan you know—hell, pick one up for yourself while you're at it.

If Stewart's scratchy voice isn't to your sweetheart's taste, there's always The Essential Heart (Epic/Capitol/Legacy), a two-disk compilation that covers both the band's classic rock years in the 70s and their domination of the top 40 chart in the 80s. Hip rock fans who are honest with themselves will admit to getting a kick out of wailing Me-Decade icons like "Heartless," "Straight On," "Crazy On You" and, of course, "Barracuda," but they'd be perfectly justified in cringing at bombastic, synthesized crap like "Never," "Alone" and the treacly "These Dreams"—unless they're fans of the MTV era that launched those songs into the firmament, in which case they'll be in hog heaven. The set ends with several tunes from the early 90s, including a duet with Alice in Chains' Layne Staley on Bob Dylan's "Ring Them Bells," but, really, who's going to care? Underground rockers will be more interested in Rebirth of the Heavy (The Music Cartel), a compilation put together by Bully Magazine and The Music Cartel that highlights today's breed of neo-classic heavy rockers, including stalwarts like Electric Wizard, Sons of Otis (whose "Mile High" is really all the Otis you'll ever need) and Electric Frankenstein, journeymen like Fireball Ministry, Suplecs and Los Natas and newcomers like Novadriver, Ratos De Porao and the Cumshots. If your loved one wants to bang his or head against the tree this Christmas, not to mention discover a wealth of new rock bands, this is a good way to go.

The Essential Santana (Columbia/Legacy) gives fair coverage to the band's 20-odd years on Columbia. The first disk is the strongest, relying mainly on the group's fiery Latin jazz/rock fusion, such as "Soul Sacrifice," "La Fuente Del Ritmo" and "Samb Pa' Ti," plus the intriguing "Everybody's Everything," which is like Santana doing Motown. Of course, the usual radio hits are there, too, but aren't we all sick to death of "Oye Como Va?" The second disk is full of the pop/rock and fusion lite crapola foisted upon the band by the powers that be, though it has its highlights ("Europa [Earth's Cry Heaven's Smile]," a strange cover of the Zombies' "She's Not There" with an absolutely searing guitar solo). As dire as much of the material is (the cover of Buddy Holly's "Well All Right" is just plain embarrassing), it's hard not to argue with bandleader Carlos Santana's piercing six-string explorations, so the guitar freak on your list might well appreciate adding this to his collection. If said freak is really serious about his instrument, he might also want a copy of the Hellecasters' Essential Listening Vol. 1 (HighTone), a compilation of tracks from the three albums on which guitarist Jerry Jorgenson, Jerry Donahue and Will Ray tear up the fretboards with passion and precision. The disk ends with an otherwise unreleased cut, the chooglin' solo-a-thon "Bucket of Fish." (more)

Album reviews of new music by:

Joseph Arthur

For his latest album, Arthur takes a confident step toward accessibility, highlighting engaging melodies as never before and downplaying the strange noises and audio clutter that characterize his past records. (more)

Badly Drawn Boy

Despite the eclecticism, the sonic aura remains consistent, due to Gough's impressive sense of melody, distinctive voice and yearning romantic worldview. (more)

The Chieftains

Nearly every track is a pleasure that offers a new, or at least better, appreciation for country's Celtic roots. (more)

The Cynics

The band has always represented the best of what can be accomplished within the seemingly limited confines of 60s-inspired garage rock. (more)

The Green Pajamas

Northern Gothic contains a set of the band's most melodic, enticing songs yet, despite the usual dark and melancholy subject matter. (more)

Ramsay Midwood

Midwood's characters wander through an American landscape of hard times, rotten romance and blasted hopes, where the only surcease from boredom is violence. (more)

Opeth

Deliverance delves deeply into the Swedish quartet's death metal roots, while still retaining its ever-increasing fondness for progressive rock song structure. (more)