Columbia Years: The Definitive Anthology

Two CD set. After British singer-songwriter-guitarist Dave Mason left Traffic, the band he co-founded, he embarked on a successful session and solo career that saw him notch seven straight Top 100 charting albums for the Columbia label between 1973 and 1980. Now, Real Gone Music is releasing by far the most comprehensive collection of this crucial part of Mason's career, a two-CD set that includes 30 tracks drawn from all of his albums for Columbia (It's Like You Never Left, Dave Mason, Split Coconut, Certified Live, Let It Flow, Mariposa de Oro, and Old Crest on a New Wave). Along the way you'll hear such chart hits and FM radio faves as We Just Disagree, All Along the Watchtower, So High (Rock Me Baby and Roll Me Away), Let It Go, Let It Flow, Save Me, and Head Keeper, plus smokin' live versions of early career highlights like Feelin' Alright, Pearly Queen, and Only You Know and I Know. Bill Kopp's notes feature an exclusive interview with Dave Mason, and the package is remastered by Maria Triana at Sony's Battery Studios. Mason's solo oeuvre remains underappreciated; this collection sheds new light on one of rock's most valuable players.