Robert Charlebois' discography is plagued by halfhearted budget-priced collections from both the vinyl and digital ages. The best-of Gamma released in 1993 as part of the series Québec Love la Collection stands three heads atop any other similar release. For the fan used to short (the Collection Souvenir CDs barely pass the 30-minute mark), arbitrary, unremastered collections, this CD is a miracle. Through 79 minutes of music, it covers the complete Gamma period, essentially Charlebois' psychedelic years from 1967 to 1971. All the essential tracks have been included ("Lindberg," "Te V'la," "Ordinaire"), except for "Le Mont Athos" and "Mr. Plum," but their exclusion is understandable. The track selection was left to a handful of Quebec music journalists instead of some record company executive. All tracks have been remastered and are presented in chronological order. The booklet contains a short but informative biography, photos, and -- even more valuable -- a complete detailed discography. The two closing tracks -- "Jouez Québec" (a rare 1969 single commissioned by the Quebec government) and "Archipel" (a 50-second rehearsal bit) -- will not satisfy the die-hard fan's craving for unreleased material, but casual listeners will find Québec Love la Collection a comprehensive set of the singer/songwriter's best early songs -- some of the wildest music he has ever recorded. Considering the complete albums are very short (35 minutes) and cost a lot on import, this CD comes strongly recommended. ~ François Couture