The Penguin Guide to Bargain Compact Discs (Penguin Guide to Bargain Compact Discs)

Rating:
Summary: Helpful although condensed for price, a keeper for value
Review: The Penguin Guide to Bargain Compact CDs, 2nd Ed. is a helpful and valued tool. I have used it alone in checking CDs and also together with the more comprehensive 1997 Penguin Guide and the Gramophone CD books. If there had to be a choice I would probably opt for the new 1999 Penguin Guide to CDs that just came out. For those seeking low price quality CDs, this guide is excellent although some of the more contemporary and obscure (lesser known)composers are scarely covered.

This is a keeper but should be supplemented by a comprehensive guide as well for those really into classical CDs. Now, if Penguin only had an Index, like Gramophone? But, Penguin justifies each of its choices rather than just reviewing one and listing others as does Gramophone.

For this alone, pushed I opt for Penguin over Gramophone. Incidentally look up almost any work and seldom is there agreement on the best works. Are music critics like economists, too? [e-mail]

Rating:
Summary: Invaluable for the collector or bargain hunter.
Review: This volume of the Penguin Guide focuses on mid-range, budget and super budget CDs only. It is a complement to the 1996 guide as well as the 1998 update. It is particularly interesting because it reviews many older yet famous recordings that I was not familiar with and makes collecting easier and less risk taking as it rates sound quality. It's nice to know that many great recordings are available for a fraction of the cost of their full price editions . Highly recommended.