Speeches, news events, personalities, spots moments and scandals in the modern history of the world. Each disc contains original spoken word reports of each category. The "I Have a Dream" speech by the late Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., the Ford Pinto fiasco report, the Watergate break-in, Joe DiMaggio announcing his retirement and Pearl Harbor are a few of the things noted on these five CDs. For history buffs, this set, complete with a booklet loaded with information, is a practice in "Trivial Pursuit." — S.I.

HANK WILLIAMS; "The Unreleased Recordings" (Time Life) ****

Working with the Hank Williams estate, Time Life has compiled three-CDs of rare recordings from the King of Country music. Most of the songs haven't been heard since 1951. They were recorded for WSM radio's "Mothers Best" radio show and only a few were aired. After WSM purged the discs, and after a long, drawn out lawsuit, Williams' daughter, Jett, and son, Hank Jr., were awarded custody of the recordings. And now, they have decided to share them with the world. These versions of "Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain," "I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry," "The Prodigal Son" and "The Pale Horse and His Rider" and a boatload more, show the elder Williams in a loose and lively situation that brings out his heartbreaking and goosebump-rising musical genius. — S.I.

GREATEST HITS

DAVE ALVIN; "The Best of the Hightone Years" (Hightone Records/Shout Factory) ****

Dave Alvin will forever be known as the co-founder of the Blasters, which he formed with his brother, Phil. But his solo works are just as interesting. "The Best of the Hightone Years" compiles Alvin's selected solo works from his albums "King of California," "Blue Blvd.," "Blackjack David," "Museum of Heart" and "Public Domain." "Haley's Comet," "Fourth of July," "Shenandoah," and previous unreleased tracks "Dry River" and "Dixie Highway Blues" are a few songs picked by Alvin for this collection. — Scott Iwasaki

ASHFORD & SIMPSON; "The Warner Bros. Years: Hits, Remixes and Rarities" (Warner Bros./Rhino) ***

Husband and wife team Nickolas Ashford and Valerie Simpson found dance-music success with the Top 100 hit "Don't Cost You Nothing" in 1978. Until 1981, the duo made hits for Warner Bros., and those hits are represented on these two CDs with disco mixes that include "Over and Over," "Nobody Knows" and "Love Don't Make It Right." The second CD features new remixes of other dance-easy hits "Stay Free," "Tried Tested and Found True" and "It Seems to Hang On." Put it in and dance the night away. — S.I.

RICK ASTLEY; "Playlist: The Very Best of Rick Astley" (RCA/Legacy) ** 1/2