"Of course, the music is absolutely great. Songs like "all I have to do is dream", "Bye Bye Love", and "When Will I be Loved" are so much a part of the public imagination, it's great to sit back and listen to why they were great in the first place. The sound is wonderful, warm, spacious, a step above and beyond any other EB compilation on the market. The stereo cuts are especially great. "Send a message to mary" could be used as reference for setting up a stereo, it's so well engineered. As the cut begins you should hear the boys singing together hard left, if you are in the sweet spot, they should "feel" almost uncomfortably close, and although in perfect harmony, each voice should be clearly discernable, as if they were beside you--- bass starts in hard right, percussion *dead* center, then things get complicated-- guitar flourishes and tons of inner detail a good stereo will resolve. Whew! They don't make 'em like that anymore! The natural quality of the voice gives new meaning to the term "magical midrange" this is DCC's best project sonically since the "All Time Best of Roy Orbison" It's amazing how much info Steve Hoffman extracts from antedelluvian master tapes! My gripe? Well, I feel kind of cheated-- it could be longer with more songs, and I really, really, wish they had included more tracks in stereo! I know it's not historically correct, but it sure would sound good!"
Best ever Everly's compendium available
10/23/2000
(5 out of 5 stars)
"This long-postponed and finally newly-reissued greatest hits disc by one on the truly pioneering acts of rock is another godsend from DCC Compact Classics. All the clasics are here--"When Will I Be Loved", "Bird Dog", "Wake Up Little Suzie", et.al.---In best-ever sound. A perfect compliment to the Rhino "Cadence Classics" compilation, which it nearly duplicates in track selection, sacrificing two songs from that set but making up for it by including the immortal "Cathy's Clown", recorded later for Warner Brothers. Get both CDs and don't miss out."
Everly's pure gold
Jeffrey Harris | South San Francisco, CA United States | 01/27/2002
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Finally someone has taken the time to make the great music of the Everly Brothers sound as great as it should. Remastering engineer Steve Hoffman has done just that with "The Everly Brothers' Best". Using only the original first generation mono and stereo master tapes that haven't been touched for over 40 years, tracks like "Bye Bye Love", "Let It Be Me", and "Cathy's Clown" really show off Bill Porter's brilliant engineering, and have a clarity and fidelity that I've never heard on any previous Everly's compilation. One can only hope that there will be a second volume with tracks like "Walk Right Back" and "Ebony Eyes". But like all DCC gold titles, they are licensed from the labels for a brief period of time and go out of print. If you've ever heard Steve's work on "All The Greatest Hits Of Roy Orbison" and Elvis Presley's "24 Karat Hits" you know exactly what I'm talking about. Grab a copy of this while you can get it."
Audio heaven
Rob Damm | 03/06/2001
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Sure, all the great hits are on here, but the real difference-maker over other compilations is the sound. DCC turns out a great product and this gold cd is true to form. The intricate layering of the gorgeous harmonies is right there to be heard in all its glory. Hard to believe that recordings made in the late '50s can sound this good. This is the one to buy."
DCC is excellent
Joseph Reader | USA | 04/26/2002
(4 out of 5 stars)
"I have heard several DCC discs and they are all sonically excellent (especially so, considering the age of the source tapes). I had wanted an Everly Brothers CD but suspected that, due to the age in which they were recorded, I could not find one with good sound-quality. But, if you like the music, THIS record should please you, because DCC's sound-quality is excellent. They take extra care in their remasters. Of course, (unfortunately) their records do cost more than most others'; but this truly is a case of getting what you pay for. This label (DCC) is one you should explore and support."