CYPRESS HILL; "Playlist: the Very Best of Cyprus Hill" (Columbia/Ruffhouse/Legacy) ** 1/2

South Gate, Calif., was home to Sen "Sen Dog" Reyes, Louis "B-Real" Freeze and Lawrence "Mixmaster Muggs" Muggerud, known collectively as Cypress Hill. The group introduced Latino Rap to the Hip-Hop Nation, and this CD has it all. "How I Could Just Kill a Man," "Latin Lingo," "Insane in the Brain" and "The Phuncky Feel One" are only three of 14 beat-heavy, urban savvy anthems. And the parental-advisory sticker is used well. — S.I.

CELINE DION; "My Love: Ultimate Essential Collection" and "My Love: Essential Collection" (Columbia) ** 1/2

Out of these two releases, it would be best for Celine Dion fans to buy the two-CD "Ultimate Essential Collection." It contains all the songs on the single-disc "Essential Collection" and more. Her hits "Beauty and the Beast," "Because You Loved Me," "My Heart Will Go On" are included, along with "The Power of the Dream" and the bombastic Jim Steinman hit "It's All Coming Back to Me Now." The "Ultimate Essential Collection" features "Dance With My Father," "There Comes a Time" and "The Prayer" with Andrea Bocelli, to name a few. However, if you don't like Celine but need to have her in your collection, the "Essential Collection" will suffice. — S.I.

DREAM THEATER; "Greatest Hit ( ... and 21 Other Pretty Cool Songs)" (Atlantic/Rhino) ***

For Dream Theater fans, this compilation's title says it all. For the casual listener (are there really any casual Dream Theater fans?) the title may be a bit hard to understand. Let's just say Dream Theater's progressive metal anthems took a cue from Led Zeppelin's "Dazed and Confused" and crushed it into the works of Yes, Rush, Metallica and Renaissance in one mighty swoop. The "hit" refers to the opening track "Pull Me Under," which found its way to the Top 10. The remaining 21 songs on the two CDs (categorized as the "Dark Side" and "Light Side," which details the metal and melodic) in this collection are fan and band favorites. "Lie," Peruvian Skies," "Another Day," "I Walk Beside You" and "Disappear" are a few of the tasty prog-rock conjurings which made Dream Theater famous. — S.I.