Flap Your Wings (2000) - The Choir
Fantastic little album from a long forgotten pop-gospel group. Hey Gene is a beatiful eulogy to Gene Eugene from Adam Again, Daniel Amos, etc. Mercy Lives Here is great folk rock and I Don't Mean Any Harm is a brilliant electrified love song.
The Ultimate Collection (2002) - Hank Williams
Two disc collection of Hank Williams recordings; the second disc is mostly made up of solo recordings, just Williams and his guitar, and a handful of live recordings. Because of this, it doesn't replace 40 Greatest Hits; also because of this, its a unique experience. I particularly enjoyed the solo recordings; even with just a guitar, Williams was the master. Every emotion in the world is here.
Arise, My Love: The Very Best of NewSong (1999) - NewSong
Variable greatest hits; when NewSong is awesome, they are awesome indeed, as on Rhythm of the World, Miracles and a handful of others. Best of all is a genuinely moving tribute to Billy Graham, Hero of the Faith. When they are weak, they are very forgettable indeed, as on several songs here.
In the Light: The Best of Charlie Peacock (1996) - Charlie Peacock
Fantastic compilation; Peacock's one of the great voices of all time, mainly because of his stunning ability to mimic everyone from Paul Simon to Gladys Knight and Peter Gabriel, and his production abilities are even better than his voice. Still, the best song here, My Mind Played a Trick on Me, is just Peacock and his electric guitar narrating the story of a married man's affair. At his best, he understands human frailties and talks about them with honesty and energy. Brilliant; highly recommended.
Music for a Darkened Theater, Vol. 2 (1996) - Danny Elfman
Two CDs of incredible music; some of it's been released before but is still incredible (Sommersby, for one). Some of it's unreleased and often brilliant (Dead Presidents, for one), and the second disc which delves into some real trivia is just loads of wacky fun. And, Dan, where's Vol. 3?