Sweetest Things

TOP PICK — The Joshua Tree (Island)
U2's best album celebrates its 20th anniversary with a three-disc set that tags on a CD of B-sides and a DVD of a Paris concert. But it's Tree classics like "Where the Streets Have No Name," "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For," and "With or Without You" that made Bono and the boys legends.

DVD — Doctor Who: The Complete Third Series (BBC)
This six-disc set compiles all 13 episodes from the British sci-fi show's latest season. The stories can get a little confusing (what the hell is up with that blue box?), but the monsters are cool. Plus, there's more than six hours of bonus material (including outtakes, deleted scenes, and an orchestra performing a live "Music and Monsters" concert) to pull in nerds — um, fans.

VIDEO GAME — Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock (Activision)
The third and best installment of the mega-popular game (for the Xbox 360, Wii, and PlayStations 2 and 3) loads up on finger-blistering songs by Black Sabbath ("Paranoid"), Pearl Jam ("Even Flow"), and Smashing Pumpkins ("Cherub Rock"). Plus, gamers can play as real-life guitar gods Slash and Tom Morello. Best of all, the cool new wireless axes give players the freedom to work their living room like a concert arena.

CD — The Ike and Tina Turner Story: 1960-1975 (Time Life)
Before Tina became a worldwide superstar, and before Ike became a wife-beating crackhead, they made some of the most gritty and sexy gutbucket R&B on the planet. This three-disc box gathers nearly 50 songs — from their breakthrough single, "A Fool in Love," to their biggest hit, "Proud Mary." All ooze southern soul.

BOOK — Twenty Thousand Roads: The Ballad of Gram Parsons and His Cosmic American Music (Villard)
Alt-country pioneer Parsons, who did time in both the Byrds and the Flying Burrito Bros., came from money, but his tragic life played out like one of his beloved country songs. Writer David N. Meyer covers familiar ground — Parsons' Harvard schooling, friendship with Keith Richards, and drug-related death take up numerous pages. But he also uncovers the talented singer-songwriter behind the burned-out myth.

COURTESY FLUSH, PLEASE — Tony Hawk's Proving Ground (Activision)
Skateboarding sims continue to hit shelves, despite the fact that most of their tricks are as old as Hawk. The latest video game (for pretty much every console, including the Xbox 360 and Nintendo DS) adds nothing to the genre, coasting on a storyline that takes gamers from the streets to their very own Skate Lounge. Ollie, oops.