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Seventeen performances by some of the many pop and rock acts who appeared on Ed Sullivan's variety show during its heyday are on display in this, the second of the Ed Sullivan's Rock 'n' Roll Classics boxed set's nine discs. "Chart Toppers, Volume 2" is somewhat short on star power; Smith, Oliver, Spanky and Our Gang, and the Brooklyn Bridge aren't exactly household names, then or now. But there are some interesting oddities here as well, such as the Beach Boys appearing without Brian Wilson for "Do It Again" and Karen Carpenter playing drums on the exquisite "We've Only Just Begun." As is the case elsewhere in the boxed set, some songs appear to have been edited for length, and the frequent lip-syncing (or singing live to prerecorded tracks) is a drag. But what may be the weakest disc of the box still packs enough appeal to make it worth checking out. --Sam Graham

Description
On Sunday nights throughout the '50s and '60s, Ed Sullivan brought pop culture into America's living rooms with th e most influential show of its kind. If you made it there, you had it made because for the first time, the entire county was at home watching. During the course of the show's run, many of the early rock and roll legends were featured in career-defining p erformances. These cultural milestones have been compiled for Ed Sullivan's Rock 'n' Roll Classics, along with archival footage and narration for insight on the artists, their eras, and their classic appearances. Now seen with half a century of hindsight , it's clear Ed Sullivan was right--his was a "really big show."

Top Hits of 1968: Gary Puckett & The Union Gap ("Lady Willpower"), Tommy James & The Shondells ("Mony Mony"), The Chambers Brot hers ("Time Has Come Today"), The Beach Boys ("Do It Again"), Spanky & Our Gang ("Like To Get To Know You"), Tom Jones ("Delila h").

Top Hits of 1969: Smith ("Baby It's You"), Oliver ("Jean"), Brooklyn Bridge ("Worst That Could Happen"), The 5th Dimension ("Aq uarius/Let The Sun Shine In"), Creedence Clearwater Revival ("Proud Mary").

Top Hits of 1970: B.J. Thomas ("Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head"), The Jackson 5 ("I Want You Back"), The 5th Dimension ("One Less Bell To Answer"), The Carpenters ("We've Only Just Begun"), The Supremes ("Someday We'll Be Together"), The Jackson 5 ("T he Love You Save").