MERLE HAGGARD; "The Original Outlaw" (Time Life) ***

Haggard (the "Okie From Muskogee") has numerous compilations under his belt. This one is yet another box set, but it's unique thanks to songs culled from every major record label in his 40-plus-year career. The track list doesn't waste any space and gives the listener a heavy dose of Haggard's best-loved songs. — S.I.

EMMYLOU HARRIS; "Songbird: Rare Tracks & Forgotten Gems" (Rhino) ****

With four CDs and one DVD, this is the ultimate Harris collection, with all of her best-known songs, along with a number of duos and trios. There's also a fabulous 200-page book, with an introduction by Harris, a track-by-track commentary and tons of photos. — C.H.

BILLIE HOLIDAY; "Lady Day: The Master Takes and Singles" (ESP-Disk) *** 1/2; BILLIE HOLIDAY; "Rare Live Recordings: 1934-59" (Legacy/Columbia) ****

The four-disc "Lady Day" set is composed of first-rate remasters but misses some songs that are not in Columbia's catalog. Still, fans will enjoy. But the "Rare Live Recordings" set is just that, and as such provides a fabulous trek through Holiday's career via a variety of performance venues — in performance halls, and on radio and television, from 1935-59. "Rare Live" is a must-have for fans.— C.H.

SLY & THE FAMILY STONE; "The Collection" (Epic/Legacy) ****

Each Sly & the Family Stone album — from the uncharted 1967 debut "A Whole New Thing" to 1974's "Small Talk" — are here. Stone's solo outing "High on You" and the last Family Stone release "Back on the Right Track" (1979, Warner Bros.) are missing, but what is in this box set is undeniably the cream of the group's career. A '70s music treasure chest. — S.I.

THE STANLEY BROTHERS; 'The Definitive Collection (1947-1966)" (Time Life) ****

Carter and Ralph Stanley stand tall in the world of bluegrass. With their harmonies and musicality, the two were together for nearly 20 years. This three-CD box set is the "only official" career retrospective, with and without the Clinch Mountain Boys. Sixty songs, including "Blue Moon of Kentucky," "Man of Constant Sorrow," "Theme & Cotton-Eyed Joe" and "Orange Blossom Special," demonstrate the duo's finesse. —S.I.

IKE AND TINA TURNER; "The Ike & Tina Turner Story: 1960-1975" (Time Life) ****