Gimme Shelter! The Best of Leon Russell (1996)

The 40 tracks on Gimme Shelter — many from Russell's '70s peak — are culled mostly from his own Shelter Records albums. Included are eclectic tunes like ''A Song for You'' and ''This Masquerade,'' which became hits for the Carpenters and George Benson, respectively, and which Russell reclaims here. Licensing hassles kept much of his '80s work from this set, but it's still a thrilling display of his talent — and that great boogie-woogie piano. B+