Search - Lee Michaels :: Best of

Good keyboards at a good bargain!

J. E FELL | Carterville, Illinois United States | 02/03/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I picked this up on a whim when I noticed it was less than $10. Lee Michaels was predominantly a keyboard player/songwriter for A&M Records from the late sixties until the early seventies. His popularity declined and he then switched labels. This bargain releases compiles the better cuts from his 6 A&M albums from 1968-72. The disk highlights his stature as one of the better blue-eyed soul singers of his era. The music is a mixture of rock, pop, psychedelic, soul, and blues. Michaels also contributed guitar to a number of the cuts. Highlights include "Do You Know What I Mean" and a cover of "Can I Get A Witness" his two biggest hits. Other favorites include the funky "Heighty Hi", "Hold On To Freedom" and his take on "Stormy Monday" which spotlights his organ playing skills. The lyrics are par for this era with diatribes against the war such as on the songs "War" and "Thumbs". An interesting aspect of his music is that he often incorporated the harpsichord into his songs. His organ playing was impressive enough to be asked to jam at sessions with Jimi Hendrix. In comparing this set with Rhino's "Collection" another anthology of Michaels' work from this period one finds that this set is cheaper and contains more music. This set however has no liner notes. The length of this disk while longer than the Rhino disk is still only about 68 minutes. Two of my favorites "Murder In My Heart For The Judge" and "Keep The Circle Turning" appear on the Rhino set but not on this set. They could have easily fit on this set. "Forty Reasons" another of my favorites appears on neither set. However 68 minutes of music for under $10 is hard to beat and it provides a good introduction to Lee Michaels' unique brand of psychedelic soul."

Lee & Frosty - underrated to a crime!!

John Casey | Wheatland, Ca. USA | 09/10/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Don't know how you feel about 60's music and some of the pioneers, but this man (and his hefty drummer) Barry Frost-Smith, personify the California Summer-of-love (and beyond)as well as any of the bands of that era. Don't hold it against him that he scored a couple of top-40 hits ("Heighty Hi" & "Do You Know What I Mean") that are still played today. His soulful vocals set a standard that are inexplicably overlooked in most historical settings; but if "Thumbs" (for example) and the covers "Can I Get A Witness" and "Stormy Monday" don't move you, then you're beyond hope! His live performances were awesome ear-shattering events (saw him in Hawaii in '69 & '70) that mostly overshadowed the headliners! Lee & Frosty make you glad you have a volume control that goes to 10!! Thanks for the music Lee!!"

TOTALLY UNIQUE

Pieter | Johannesburg | 04/02/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Mostly remembered for his 1971 top 3 hit, "Do you know what I mean," Lee Michaels is underrated and made lots more great music. All his songs are melodic and catchy and his style is unique with the prominent sound of the organ. My favourites on this delightful album include Hello, Carnival Of Life, Sounding The Sleeping, Stormy Monday, Day Of Change, Do You Know What I Mean and Can I Get A Witness? There are a lot of anti-war songs too, reflecting the concerns of the times. Very elegant, sometimes exuberant, rock music of a style that no one else has explored since."