The Best of Melanie

As an icon of the '60s peace and love movement, this long haired flower child sang in a voice only helium could seemingly induce. Melanie's high pitched squawking is both a period curio and a disarmingly gentle weapon. The tracks assembled here vary in quality. She was given to novelty songs ("Animal Crackers," "Brand New Key") but was at her interpretive best with something as difficult as the Rolling Stones' "Ruby Tuesday." These 18 tracks include several songs emblematic of her era--"Lay Down (Candles in the Rain)" about Woodstock and "Peace Will Come (According to Plan)"--that shed light on an often overlooked singer-songwriter inextricably linked to a specific era. --Rob O'Connor