Search - Little Richard :: Little Richard - 20 Greatest Hits

Not the original 50's releases!

Candace Scott | Lake Arrowhead, CA, USA | 11/19/2000

(2 out of 5 stars)

"Avoid this like the plague! Little Richard, one of the greatest pioneers of early rock 'n roll, is not properly represented here. These versions were recorded by Richard in the early 60's and are completely inferior to his stellar 1950's recordings. Let's take "The Girl Can't Help It," one of the greatest rock songs sung by anybody, anywhere. The original 1956 version is a superlative record, infectious, fun and nearly perfect. This VeeJay 1964 version stinks up the joint. An appreciation of Little Richard is essential in understanding rock 'n roll. His influence on the Beatles is particularly important. Don't shortcharge yourself by wasting money on this collection, seek out Richard's Speciality Sides, available ... and he'll knock your socks off."

1964-5 Vee Jay recordings: not exactly "20 Greatest" ...

plsilverman | USA | 08/16/2000

(3 out of 5 stars)

"This collection is obviously similiar to the scores of reissues of Little Richard's Vee Jay tracks, usually titled "The Best Of...", "His Greatest...", etc. If you really want to hear his original classics, look for the Specialty sides. If you want to hear many interesting remakes and mostly successful attempts at progressive Rock and Soul, dig the more unfamiliar titles in this bunch, particularly "Talkin' 'Bout Soul" and "Groovy Little Suzy". One number, the slow blues ballad "I Don't Know What You've Got", unfortunately presented here in its abbreviated form, was a modest Soul hit in '65, and features Jimi Hendrix and (reportedly) Billy Preston and Don Covay - harmony vocal. Today it's considered a SOUL classic - an amazing feat for the Quasar of *R-O-C-K*! An exciting jazz/blues is the Eddie Cleanhead Vinson "Cherry Red", an intense vocal and powerful arrangement, anticipating the later work of Blood, Sweat, and Tears, Chicago, and countless others. On the down side, there is a completely rejectable remake of "The Girl Can't Help It". This seems inexcusable when other quite brilliant LR Vee Jay tracks ("Lawdy, Miss Clawdy", "You Better Stop", etc.) were not included. Maybe one of these days we'll actually get true stereo on the recuts and alternate and previously unreleased takes of perhaps the most recycled material in the history of the record business!"