By Gil Kaufman
Enquirer contributor

Just as Hollywood pulls out its big gun holiday releases, the music industry counts on the shopping season for more than 25 percent of its annual revenue.

American Idol runner up Clay Aiken already has kicked things off with his debut album, Measure of a Man, but November and December will be filled with special CD/DVD packages, greatest hits and live albums and a massive box set from The Man in Black.

Two months after his death, a project Johnny Cash was working on during the final year of his life will be released as Unearthed (Nov. 25, $79.98). The five-CD box set features 64 never-before-released tunes recorded between 1994 and 2002, including a traditional gospel album entitled My Mother's Hymn Book.

Among the bands releasing special CD/DVD packages are Linkin Park, who will offer Live in Texas (Tuesday), which includes a live DVD of a concert from the band's stint on Metallica's "Summer Sanitarium" tour.

Coldplay will also get in on the live DVD action with the two-disc Live 2003, as will the Dave Matthews Band (Tuesday), Red Hot Chili Peppers (Tuesday), U2 (Tuesday), Bruce Springsteen (Tuesday) and Rage Against the Machine (Dec. 9).

The holiday season is typically a time to roll out archival releases from music's biggest stars, which explains why there are no less than four major Beatles-related packages in the offing. The John Lennon DVD, Lennon Legend (Tuesday, $24.98), contains never-before-seen footage of Lennon and Yoko Ono, rare newsreel and private footage and 15 new and remastered music videos.

The Beatles will also return with Let it Be ... Naked, a remastered version of their final album, minus the "Wall of Sound" production from Phil Spector.

Also slated for release on Tuesday is Concert for George ($29.99), a two-DVD set of the 2002 concert honoring the late George Harrison and featuring Eric Clapton, Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr and Tom Petty, as well as rehearsal and behind-the-scenes footage.

The Ed Sullivan Show Featuring the Beatles ($29.95) is a two-disc set compiling all four episodes on which the Beatles appeared, not seen in their entirety since they first aired in 1964.

Fans of jokey rock duo Tenacious D can tap the motherlode with Tenacious D - The Complete Master Works ($19.98), a jam-packed two-disc collection that compiles all the episodes of the Jack Black-fronted duo's short-lived HBO music/variety series, as well as music videos, behind-the-scenes material and live concert footage.

As the original members of the new wave giants prepare for next year's reunion album, fans of Duran Duran can satisfy themselves with Duran Duran Greatest - The DVD ($34.98), two discs that compile all of the band's music videos, censored, uncensored and alternate takes, in addition to a 30-minute interview with members Nick Rhodes and Simon LeBon and a gallery of all of the band's lyrics.

Pearl Jam released a long-awaited, two-disc rarities collection called Lost Dogs last week, and smooth crooner Neil Diamond gets boxed up in the six-CD live compilation Stages ($59.98), packaged with a live DVD featuring such hits as "America" and "Cracklin' Rosie."