First Time on CD
07/21/2003
(4 out of 5 stars)
"This is the first time -- and, who knows, maybe the last -- many of these Freddy Weller classics have been represented on CD. Weller was an interesting and unheralded act. In the late 1960s, he emerged from the Bill Lowery axis (which produced other important acts like Joe South, Jerry Reed, Ray Stevens and Tommy Roe). He earned his chops playing bass for the rock band Paul Revere and the Raiders, yet his own solo material barely hinted at his rocking roots. Though he was a credible songwriter (he wrote Roe's "Dizzy," among other hits), most of Weller's big hits were remakes of songs penned by others, in particular Joe South and Chuck Berry. South's "Games People Play" represented his first big hit, and Berry's "The Promised Land" and the Cowsill's "Indian Lake" cemented his reputation as a hitmaker. Weller's willingness to hold in check his own creativity may have doomed his long-term recording career. Yet, during his peak recording period, Weller made many choices that were controversial for the time. For example, he included the druggie anthem "One Toke Over the Line" on his breakthrough "Promised Land" LP. When retailers began to squawk, the conservative Nashville office of CBS records hastily re-released without the offending track. His 1974 hit "Sexy Lady" was the first charting country song to have any form of the word "Sex" in it, causing a few staight-laced stations to ban it. "Ballad of a Hillbilly Singer," released as a single in 1973, climaxed with the emasculation of a philandering troubador -- not your typical pre-Outlaw country fare. Weller bolted CBS in the mid-1970s. He jumped to the dying ABC label, which released but one album that effectively ended his half-decade long chart run. He returned to Columbia in the late 1970s, but could not recapture his career momentum. "The Very Best of Freddy Weller" rolls up all of Weller's hits and a couple choice deep cuts. Liner notes by the usually wonderful Colin Eastcot are a little skimpy this time around. But, it doesn't matter -- the music more than speaks for itself."
Better ThanThe Others
Debra | Chicago, IL United States | 04/09/2003
(4 out of 5 stars)
"Of all the Freddy Weller compilation CD's on the market, this one in my opinion is the best. It contains all of the standards found on previous CD's, but also added are songs that people may have forgotten about. These come from Freddy Weller's later albums. There is a nice mixture of songs ranging from the more common country sound to the country rock era. Of all the greatest hits style CD's put out by Weller, this one is my all time favorite. I would definitely recommend this CD over all the others."
Very Best . . . Means What It Says
C. J. Elrod | Fort Wayne IN | 01/27/2005
(5 out of 5 stars)
"All his hits, from remakes to originals, epitomize real Country Music! From the sensual boldness in "Another Night of Love", "Sexy Lady" or "I've Just Got to Know How Loving You Would Be" to the whimsical storylines followed in "Ballad of a Hillbilly Singer" and "Legend of Paul Revere" - Freddy Weller was ahead of his time! An outstanding songwriter and artist!"
Track Listings (22) - Disc #1