"Once again, Universal has released another Buddy Holly CD, and once again, they've dropped the ball. There is nothing here that wasn't released on last year's GOLD. And that was a rehash of THE BUDDY HOLLY COLLECTION. This time we get even less, since almost half the tracks are missing.
In 2009, Buddy Holly's recordings will enter the public domain. Maybe then Bear Family or someone who cares will release the box set containing Holly's complete works."
Excellent collection
DCP | 06/27/2008
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I'm a big fan of Buddy Holly's music, but I quickly found myself frustrated to discover just how many different Buddy Holly collections there are out there to choose from. I compared many of them & found that most of them all had his biggest hits, but they were also missing several of his other key, less popular songs that I really wanted. Then I came across this collection & found that it had just about all of his hits that I wanted & then some. I admit that I was then a little skeptical at first that these were going to be the true original recordings that I looking for & to my surprise, it was. So if you're like me & want to get as much bang for your buck as possible, then I would definitely recommend picking up this collection.
"
Works for me
Justin Gaines | Northern Virginia | 03/15/2008
(4 out of 5 stars)
"I'll keep this one short and sweet. If the fact that another Buddy Holly compilation is on the market bothers you - don't buy it. I really don't get why people are so worked up over this release. If you have a Buddy Holly collection that you prefer, that's great. Nobody is being forced to buy this one.
The Definitive Collection is a great collection of Buddy Holly material that is perfect for folks like me who want to get a better idea of what the pioneering rocker's sound was all about without laying out a lot of money for individual albums or box sets. You get 26 amazing rock & roll/rockabilly songs, all digitally remastered (they sound fantastic), for a bargain price. What's not to love?
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A simply great CD if limited for room or budget!
Robert G. Martinez | Brooksville FL | 02/04/2009
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I can't believe that they are actually bad reviews on this compilation. There are 26 classics here...all in excellent sound..on one disc. I also have the Buddy Holly Collection, an excellent 2 disc set that carries 50 songs. But if you are limited in space...want just one CD...and on a budget..this is the best deal out there. All of these songs have stood the test of time. It's amazing how many of his songs have been covered later on by such varied artists as Elvis, Peter & Gordon, Linda Ronstadt, Rolling Stones, The Beatles, James Taylor, Blind Faith (w/Clapton & Winwood) and others. He will prove to be an enduring songwriter of classic rock as well as a wonderful early rock band. He was only 22 when he perished on Feb. 3, 1959. I was 13 when I heard the news. One of the saddest days I can remember. He was a good kid too."
Kudos to whoever did the remastering/remixing on this CD
JerseyTomato | 08/22/2009
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I'm reviewing the MP3 version of this collection. I downloaded it on a whim because it was on sale at a very low price, and I didn't know what to expect. I've never gotten around to buying any Buddy Holly music, so for me any collection is a good thing. But I've been terribly disappointed with the sound quality of several oldies reissues lately, so I held my breath when I started it up on my car stereo.
Ahhhh... It sounds wonderful. None of the extreme stereo separation that bugs the heck out of me, with instruments obviously coming out of the left front speaker of my car, and disembodied vocals from the right front speaker. No exaggerated percussion that takes over and distracts from the feel of the song.
The sound is clear and crisp, but well mixed together so you get one cohesive sound. The sound is so lush on True Love Ways and Raining In My Heart that I came close to tears. Every song is a keeper; I can play it start to finish without skipping one song. I'm a little too young to remember how this music sounded on the radio or on record when it first came out, so I can't say how authentic the production is. But I can say it sounds pretty darned good--not even considering the original recordings are now 50+ years old."