Before 1985, when Sammy Hagar became the second frontman for Van Halen, he had a fairly successful career as a solo artist. Unboxed compiles his best songs from the decade before he replaced Diamond Dave. In truth, this is probably the best way to hear Hagar solo because, like David Lee Roth and Joe Walsh, Hagar's individual records were never really strong enough to stand alone. Standout tracks on Unboxed include "Heavy Metal," a murky, futuristic cut recorded for the film of same name, the bluesy, blustery "Three Lock Box," and the anthemic radio cut "I Can't Drive 55." In 1997, Hagar left Van Halen to recharge his solo career. —Jon Wiederhorn

"A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away..." It's been 30 years since those immortal words were first seen on movie screens nationwide and it was the start of a worldwide phenomenon and the beginning of the most successful movie franchise of all time.

The Star Wars Vault: Thirty Years of Treasures from the Lucasfilm Archives, With Removable Memorabilia and Two Audio CDs by Stephen J. Sansweet and Peter Vilmur (HarperEntertainment; on-sale October 30, 2007; $85.00) is the official illustrated book celebrating this year's 30th anniversary of George Lucas' first Star Wars movie, and includes removable reproductions of memorabilia, along with two CDs containing vintage radio ads, original cast interviews, George Lucas' commentary, and even Carrie Fisher singing in the Star Wars Holiday Special.

The Star Wars Vault is the insider's look at the development and making of all six movies, and the huge cultural impact they've had. In addition to hundreds of photos and pieces of artwork, the book includes fifty interactive, rare, and some never-before-seen pieces of memorabilia.

Among the book's features are:

The special questionnaire for the first and only test screening of the original Star Wars — and the invitation to attend itGeorge Lucas' hand-written treatment for The Empire Strikes BackLucasfilm Christmas cardsIron-on T-shirt transferThe very first concept sketch drawn for Star WarsBlueprints of Star Wars vehicles and setsOriginal hand-written directions for ground-breaking special effects

The Star Wars Vault is the ultimate, one-of-a-kind insider's look into the sensation that launched a phenomenon that includes six feature films; two spin-off films; three television series with more to come; and an extensive collection of licensed books, comics, video games, action figures, trading cards, and many other products worldwide.

If you only want the essentials, this is the package to get. Greatest Hits is an early collection, dating back to 1974, and it does a good job of skimming the cream from the band's classic 1969-71 period, which yielded the first three albums, Santana, Abraxas, and Santana III. It also avoids the great, sprawling mass of ephemera and second-line material that pads Santana's later catalog: The peaks after '71 are far more thinly spread—and are seldom as lofty. On the other hand, if you're an enthusiast, you might want to take a step up to the grander Best of Santana or Viva Santana collections, each of which covers more ground. —Gavin McNett

The Arista debut of Carlos Santana and band gives fans of the soulful guitar vet two albums in one, but it's a decidedly good-news, bad-news proposition. First, there's a fine collection of late-'90s-model Santana—tastefully tooled songs driven by Latin jazz and Afro-Cuban rhythms ("[Da Le] Taleo,""Africa Bamba,""Migra,""Primavera," and the emotionally charged instrumental "El Farol") that allow Carlos plenty of elbowroom for his passionate soloing. Then there's the collection of tracks featuring a lineup of de rigueur alternative and hip-hop stars, including Dave Matthews, Everlast, Rob Thomas, Lauryn Hill, Wyclef Jean, and Eagle Eye Cherry. To their credit, Matthews ("Love of My Life") and Eagle Eye Cherry ("Wishing It Was") muster enough chemistry to make the fusion work. But the rest of the collaborations feel like an unnecessary stretch to reach out to a younger demographic that El Jefe has little trouble attracting on his own terms. —Jerry McCulley

How could Carlos Santana hope to follow the massive comeback album Supernatural? The solution he settled upon was to once again pull in as many guest artists as possible. Shaman features a slew of stars, but, despite their presence, the instrumental "Victory Is Won" is the standout track here, as Santana blazes through an exhibition of his patented fusion of Latin and rock. In contrast, the sugary pop single "The Game of Love," sung by Michelle Branch, illustrates the lack of consistency that mars the album. Only Ozomatli and Macy Gray seem to totally get Santana. That said, his cover of Angelique Kidjo's "Adouma" is storming, and Santana stands strong when he ventures into world-music territory ("Foo Foo,""Aye, Aye"). However, if the celebrated guitarist had concentrated a little more on who he is and not on who he believes people would like him to be, he'd have made a better album. —Jake Barnes

The horn-backed swing of "Fireworks" will charm the ear of countless Gen-X listeners and their parents, as will most of this historically themed collection of songs from the ingeniously educational Schoolhouse Rock animations. Lyricists Lynn Ahrens and jazz vocal great Bob Dorough make fine yarns out of a (homogenized) overall narrative of the United States, which all seems pretty peachy in this context. This isn't a set to teach the nuances or vagaries of U.S. history, but "I'm Just a Bill" can leave kids in the single digits tracking the progress of legislation and asking what suffering and suffrage have to do with each other ("Sufferin' Till Suffrage") and inquiring about the Bill of Rights. The music is gentle but never silly or unlikable. Like that of the other volumes in the Schoolhouse Rock series, this CD's length is brief, but these themed packages seem to bear their pithy contents well. —Andrew Bartlett

Selena's Grammy-winning Live album is a sizzling reminder of her electric stage charisma and blossoming talent as a performer. The album's nine live tracks—recorded in February 1993 at the Coliseo Memorial in Selena's hometown of Corpus Christi—showcase the late singer's uncanny ability to infuse a love song with both girlish innocence and a heated sexuality. Particularly effective are extended versions of "Como La Flor,""Baila Esta Cumbia," and "La Carcacha." You can almost feel the heat seeping through your speakers. The album also includes three new studio tracks—"No Debes Jugar,""La Llamada," and the Emilio duet "Tu Robaste Mi Corazon"—which foreshadow Amor Prohibido, Selena's final Spanish-language album. —Joey Guerra

Before Sinead O'Connor became conservative America's most reviled musician when she ripped up a picture of the Pope on TV and refused to perform live at a New Jersey venue following "The Star Spangled Banner," she vocally supported the IRA at home in Ireland and generally roused the rabble. Indeed, she's one female pop star who's truly earned her army boots. Though her once meteoric musical career has suffered due to her outspokenness, the powerful voice and presence found on her second album is beyond reproach. Best known as the source of O'Connor's breakthrough cover of Prince's "Nothing Compares 2 U," this is a moving, intensely passionate work full of dark beauty and longing, constructed with a fierce independence and a taste for the unique. This undeniably pop album (albeit with modern-rock and folk elements) has more than held up through the years. —Lorry Fleming

For a time, it seemed as if Sly Stone would change the world, and it's only because his music was so ambitious that we forget, sometimes, that he did just that. His integrated band played funk-based jams, but always with touches of soul, blues, rock, and lots and lots of pop, a synthesis that spoke to its time even as it predicted the future. Comprising some of the most accomplished and inspirational music ever created, this 20-song set contains all but the last of his hits as well as a few hard-edged album tracks. Until a proper box set is put together, this will have to do. —David Cantwell