Available either as a ten-CD or 16-LP set,
Complete Studio Albums and Rarities contains every album
Stevie Nicks released between 1981's
Bella Donna and 2014's
24 Karat Gold: Songs from the Vault, adding two discs of rarities for good measure. Naturally, the main attractions here are those two discs of B-sides, soundtrack cuts, and other non-LP tracks. The first disc features
Nicks' contributions to the
Heavy Metal and
Fast Times at Ridgemont High soundtracks -- "Blue Lamp" and "Sleeping Angel," respectively -- setting the tempo for a disc that's largely situated in the glory days of MTV and album rock. The next disc features some stray B-sides from the '90s but largely consists of songs released on the soundtracks of
Boys on the Side,
Party of Five,
Practical Magic, and
Sweet November, with a few retail exclusives and a version of
Buddy Holly's "Not Fade Away" added for good measure. While nothing here is especially compelling, the two discs function as a fascinating time capsule of the shifting fortunes of mainstream rock during the '80s and '90s. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine
