Thomas D. (RockerBoomer) from SOUTHAMPTON, NY Reviewed on 3/26/2011...
Not a bad CD but I would recommend "Start The Party Again" UPC: 632427137627, which has all the songs on this CD plus 10 more all on a single disc.
CD Reviews
Unfairly derided aspect of rock history
03/03/2003
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Got this disc in a never-ending quest to own a complete history of rock 'n' roll on CD beginning with the late 40's and going at least until the early 70's, by which time I'll be broke but undoubtably satisfied with that wasted life. Going in I thoroughly knew Gore's biggest hits (tracks 1, 2, 5, 8 & 18), plus the collection's sugary title track from her appearance in "Ski Party" (a hoot of a film in which James Brown appears out of the snow to sing "I Got You" and afterwards is promptly ushered out the door to fend for himself against wolves and the elements). These songs were all well written, produced (by Quincy Jones) and sung, but like so many songs from that era were overplayed on radio, TV and in the movies in recent decades, as well as being included far too often on those generic "Hits of the 60's" compilations. Thus it was more out of historical obligation and completist mania I got this than anything.So what a revelation it was to hear the rest of her output, which was consistantly strong as well as musically diverse, too often a rarity in many careers, as these songs run the stylistic gamut, from the downcast "I Don't Want To Be A Loser" to the raucus, Spector-like "Look Of Love". While the themes may be similar, mostly revolving around love, especially dealing with untrue boys, the perspectives and outlooks contained within constantly change from song to song, as does the musical atmosphere behind them, making the disc refreshingly non-repetitive. Gore's double tracked vocals shimmer and she manages to throw in some effective growls, especially on the infectious "That's The Way Boys Are", that belie her clean cut image. There truly isn't a bad song to be found, and in fact, the first two cuts, by far her biggest hits, are comparatively the weakest of the lot, which is saying something.As for the packaging and notes, while containing no bells and whistles, they are uniformly solid, with 6 pages of biographical information and song by song summary, plus the requisite chart and release info and a few pictures, while the sound quality of the disc is immpecible. The one complaint is the lack of 5 lower charted songs from '65 & '66, while not essential, would give a complete overview of her career. What Mercury & Rhino see in withholding them is anyone's guess. Other than that, all of her charted records are here, plus a few B-sides, and the picture these songs paint is a vibrant one of an underappriciated singer and style.The "girl group" sound of the early to mid-60's is often put down by those seeking something more earth-shaking in their rock 'n' roll, but as long as one of the roles of music is to provide aural enjoyment for those listening, there will always be a place for catchy, simple, but not simplistic, songs like these. The real mark of just how well Gore fulfilled that need is evidenced by the fact she burst upon the scene in 1963, at the pinnical of the girl group era, yet unlike so many of the time who quickly faded away, she wracked up 19 hits through 1967. Meaning she surivived and thrived amidst the surf-rock tidal wave of '63, the British Invasion of early '64 and subsequent blues-rock imports from later that year, the folk-rock explosion of '65, the avant garde experiments of '66 and the psychedelic Summer of Love in '67, not to mention the steady presence of Motown and southern soul, plus all the momentary trends that came and went during those five years.That's a pretty impressive feat no matter how you slice it, and the irrefutable proof that Lesley Gore earned every bit of that success can be found on this collection."
Rhino Records does it again!
Jason Piecuch | Merced, California, USA | 04/08/2005
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Rhino and Hear Music are the best labels out there today. Period. The packaging, the liner notes, the photos, and their niche in the music industry have proven time and time again that a quality "greatest hits" package can be done well.
Lesley Gore was pure bubblegum pop of the times. The production with the likes of a Mr. Quincy Jones, combined with excellent song talent date stamp most of this period perfectly. The collection is great, and the packaging makes the voyage back to this time more special.
If you want a greatest hits comp that is done well, remastered perfectly, and packaged in a mature, sophisticated way. This is it. Excellent bargin too. Well done Rhino. Thanks!"
Lesley Gore: the Sixties Queen of Adolescent Yearning
Lawrance M. Bernabo | The Zenith City, Duluth, Minnesota | 06/07/2003
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I saw Lesley Gore described as a "one-hit wonder," and while she hit #1 with her very first release "It's My Party" in 1963, she was had a lot more hits. Her follow-up song, "Judy's Turn To Cry" made it to #5 that same year and in 1967 she made it back to the Top 20 with "Sunshine, Lollipops & Rainbows" and "California Nights." You should not be surprised because Leslie Gore was one of the dominant female singers associated with the "girl group" sound in the early 1960s, who had Quincy Jones producing most of her early sessions and doing double-track vocals of songs written by Gerry Goffin & Carole King, Ellie Greenwich & Jeff Barry, and Marvin Hamlisch. In addition to the three aforementioned hits there's "Maybe I Know," "I Don't Wanna Be a Loser," "She's a Fool," "that's the Way Boy's Are," and the song that should endear Gore to the proto-feminists, "You Don't Own Me." The result is that Gore was as commercially successful a female solo singer as there was on the face of the planet during this period. Obviously we are not talking about the lady singing soul, but while other practitioners of the angst of adolescent yearning would come and go (e.g., Shelley Faberas and "Johnny Angel"), Gore personified the idea for several profitable years. The problem was that "It's My Party" and "Judy's Turn to Cry" started Gore out with the image of a whinny teenybopper and when you consider her entire catalogue those songs do not define the mainstream of her work which goes in the other direction as this hits collection amply proves. There are several equally strong Lesley Gore hits collections out there, but this one is from Rhino and you know they go the extra yard in putting these things together."
Best Among The Expanded Array Of Leslie Gore CDs
Jason Piecuch | 07/31/2007
(5 out of 5 stars)
"For the longest time the only CD available covering her hits was the Mercury release The Golden Hits Of Lesley Gore. It was nice to see more and more coming onto the market the past few years for this highly- underrated singer, and this one from Rhino is easily the best.
From tracks 1 to 14, and 17 and 18 it repeats the contents of the above-mentioned CD, but then adds four that were not easily obtainable before in a quality CD. These are: I Won't Love You Anymore (Sorry) which reached # 80 Hot 100 in 1965; Start The Party Again from her 1966 LP Lesley Gore Sings All About Love; Summer And Sandy, a # 65 Hot 100 in the summer of 1967; and Brink Of Disaster, her last Hot 100 which hit # 82 in the fall of 1967.
Lesley would also have two Adult Contemporary-only hits, the first coming in 1969 when a medley of 98.6 and Lazy Day reached # 36, and the other in 1970 when Why Doesn't Love Make Me Happy topped out at # 39 - her last hit single. The former is currently available only in an expensive box set, while the latter does not appear to be included in any of the CDs currently available.
During her career three of her hits also crossed over to the R&B charts, a good illustration of her widespread appeal [It's My Party, Judy's Turn To Cry, and She's A Fool - nos. 1, 10, and 28 respectively], and she was backed by some of the biggest names in orchestras at that time, among them Claus Ogerman, Don Costa, Alan Lorber, Jack Nitzsche, and Hutch Davie. All this is detailed in the insert where you also get a discography of the contents, and seven pages of background notes by Richard Henderson to go along with several more nice shots of Lesley.
As James Austin of Rhino A&R says in an opening statement "would you believe that the same person who celebrated '60s teen angst with It's My Party and Judy's Turn To Cry was a fan of such jazz singers as Chris Connor and June Christy? Well, it's true." That comes across clearly in several tracks, but especially 14. Recommended."