This collection celebrates the 50th anniversary of Spector’s Philles Records by resurrecting six of the label’s long-out-of-print albums containing eardrum-shattering rock ’n’ roll by the Crystals, the Ronettes, Darlene Love, and Bob B. Soxx and the Blue Jeans. Virtually all the hits contained on six of the seven discs here have been available elsewhere in recent years, but the original albums do contain treasures you simply won’t find anywhere else, such as the Ronettes’ faux live version of “What’d I Say” and the Crystals’ cover of “Gee Whiz Look at His Eyes.” A bonus disc collects the crazy instrumental tracks Spector often affixed to his hits as B-sides, prompting at least a few teenagers to wonder if the Ronettes et al. really were that accomplished as jazz musicians. Legacy Recordings (legacyrecordings.com). More: philspector.com. —Review: Jack Varsi
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