Bread Definitive Collection CD

Atlantic/Rhino's 2006 double-disc The Definitive Collection is a truncated version of Rhino's 1996 double-disc, Retrospective, which has been seriously edited for this reissue. The 1996 comp ran a generous 50 songs, featuring not only all of Bread's hits, but also solo singles from James Griffin and David Gates, including the latter's classic hit "The Goodbye Girl." The 2006 comp knocks off 20 of those songs -- well, 21, really, since "I Want You with Me" is the only one of the 30 songs here that wasn't on Retrospective -- and offers an edited version of that set's liner notes. The big hits are all here -- including "If," "Make It with You," "Baby I'm-A Want You," "Everything I Own," and "The Guitar Man." Any listener going in cold to The Definitive Collection, not knowing about the previous double-disc set, will likely find this reasonably satisfying, but Retrospective is better than this set in every way. And if given the choice between the two -- which most consumers will be, since both The Definitive Collection and Retrospective are on the market simultaneously -- there's no reason to select this one over its more comprehensive cousin. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Atlantic/Rhino's 2006 double-disc The Definitive Collection is a truncated version of Rhino's 1996 double-disc, Retrospective, which has been seriously edited for this reissue. The 1996 comp ran a generous 50 songs, featuring not only all of Bread's hits, but also solo singles from James Griffin and David Gates, including the latter's classic hit "The Goodbye Girl." The 2006 comp knocks off 20 of those songs -- well, 21, really, since "I Want You with Me" is the only one of the 30 songs here that wasn't on Retrospective -- and offers an edited version of that set's liner notes. Although the big hits are all here -- including "If," "Make It with You," "Baby I'm-A Want You," "Everything I Own," and "The Guitar Man" -- this is an inferior compilation in every respect, particularly because listeners who are dedicated enough to want a double-disc Bread compilation will want the one that's more comprehensive, since it could offer a much fuller portrait of an often-misunderstood and underappreciated band. Any listener going in cold to The Definitive Collection, not knowing about the previous double-disc set, will likely find this reasonably satisfying, but Retrospective is better than this set in every way. And if given the choice between the two -- which most consumers will be, since both The Definitive Collection and Retrospective are on the market simultaneously -- there's no reason to select this one over its more comprehensive cousin. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Audio Remasterers: Geoff Sykes; Bill Inglot.

Liner Note Author: Barry Alfonso.

Recording information: Elektra Sound recorders, Los Angeles, CA; Sound Labs, Hollywood, CA; Sound Recorders, Hollywood, CA.

Bread: David Gates (vocals, guitar, keyboards, bass guitar); James Griffin (vocals, guitar, keyboards); Larry Knechtel, Robb Royer (bass guitar); Jim Gordon , Mike Botts.

Personnel: Larry Knechtel (guitar, harmonica, keyboards); Robb Royer (guitar, keyboards); Mike Botts (drums, percussion); Jim Gordon (drums).