Osmonds - 20th Century Masters Millennium Collection (12 tracks) +Album Reviews

More Of The Same ..But

Osfan | The Great White North | 08/22/2002

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Also nice to " See He Ain't Heavy He's My Brother " gracing this CD!! Digital remastering is also encouraging. But...how many prominent 70's groups have sold millions of albums during a 40 plus year career and have one original LP out on CD to their credit? Can only think of a few and sadly the Osmonds are one of them. The true die hard fan deserves better. I would suggest to Curb/Universal to put a halt to any further Greatest Hits packages and try releasing their entire 70's catalogue of LP's to CD. This includes Osmonds , Donny Osmond , D & M , & Jimmy. And why stop there !! Their 60's catalogue needs dusting off as well. Generations of fans are missing out on all this great music !!"

Very good--as far as it goes, that is (three and one-half st

Matthew G. Sherwin | last seen screaming at Amazon customer service | 05/14/2008

(4 out of 5 stars)

"20th Century Masters: Millennium Collection The Best Of The Osmonds is like an airplane that taxis down the runway and never quite takes off because this album is just too short. How can anyone take a mere eleven songs and claim that this is a "best of" collection? The Osmonds made so much more great music than just what we have here; and that irks me. However, what we do get is excellent words and music throughout; and the artwork isn't bad at all.

The song set starts with a huge hit for The Osmonds entitled "One Bad Apple;" this tune has a funky `60s/`70s beat to it that makes me happy even all these years later! The music never drowns them out and the musical special effects are terrific. The Osmonds sing and play "One Bad Apple" with a whole lot of feeling and that's impressive. "Double Lovin'" may not be as strong as the first number; but the arrangement is very well done and the melody is still rather catchy. It's great to hear such a young Donny Osmond really opening up to sing out these tunes!

"Down By The Lazy River" was recorded a scant few years later; but already we hear a much more mature Osmonds group. The electric guitar really rocks and The Osmonds sing this with passion! I really like "Down By The Lazy River" and I predict that you'll like it, too--it's a major highlight of this album. In addition, "Crazy Horses" rocks very well as we hear The Osmonds performing with that distinctly `70s flavor. "Crazy Horses" also has great music effects and The Osmonds perform this with all their hearts.

"Goin' Home" also rocks and it's great to hear how their voices were maturing so very nicely. "Goin' Home" has a beat that is irresistible and this will make you want to get up and start dancing wherever you are! "Goin' Home" rocks and swings bright as The Osmonds turn this one out so well! Moreover, listen for "Love Me For A Reason;" this tune reverts back to a softer pop ballad that showcases their excellent ability to sing both rock and a soft pop tune without any flaws whatsoever. "Love Me For A Reason" is a very pretty tune that is worth mention and I hope you like it.

"The Proud One" showcases a more mature Donny Osmond with a musical arrangement that is extremely pretty; the percussion is used very well and "The Proud One" is yet another major highlight of this CD. The CD also ends strong with The Osmonds performing a cover of "He Ain't Heavy...He's My Brother." The Osmonds perform this with great sensitivity and panache; and it makes the perfect ending for this set of songs.

Now I have no problem with the music we get on this CD--my gripe is that there's just not enough of it for 20th Century Masters to call this a legitimate "best of" compilation! Shame on them! I will take off one and ½ stars for this problem. Osmond fans may already have most of these hits in their collections, so perhaps this is a CD best suited for the casual fan or newcomers who want a starter CD to discover just how great The Osmonds truly were.

"

Seventies Teen Idols

Pieter | Johannesburg | 02/11/2004

(3 out of 5 stars)

"The Osmond brothers ruled the UK charts in the heyday of teen-pop in the early 1970s. They were ultimately more successful in Britain than in the USA. One Bad Apple was the first hit, and was soon followed by chartbusters like Yo-Yo, Down By The Lazy River and the experimental, eyebrow-raising Crazy Horses with its impressive neighing guitars. Other hits include Goin' Home and Love Me For A Reason. This delightful collection of up-tempo pop and love ballads also includes their version of He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother which is quite good. You will love this album if you were a teenager in the seventies and you remember the times when The Jackson 5, David Cassidy, The Partridge Family and the young Michael Jackson were making headlines. As teen-pop goes, this music has aged rather well as measured against the output of a lot of today's Boy Bands."

70s pop reigns thanks to Alan, Wayne, Merrill, Jay and Donny

S. Paradoa | Miami, Florida United States | 08/16/2002

(4 out of 5 stars)

"This release includes all ten of the brothers' top 40 hits from 1971 to 1974 ("One Bad Apple" through "Love Me For a Reason" and "The Proud One") plus two additional cuts: "I Can't Stop" and their version of "He Ain't Heavy." The 1992 greatest hits compilation on the Curb label is essentially the same disc minus the two additional tracks. "I Can't Stop" was recorded in the late sixties back when the brothers were regularly on television on Andy Williams' weekly variety show. The song was released after "One Bad Apple" topped the national charts. The flip side of that number one hit was their remake of the Hollies' hit "He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother." That tune was eventually covered over the next few years by many artists, including Neil Diamond and Olivia Newton-John. If you don't already own the 1992 hits disc or the three disc box set released in 2000 (also on the Curb label) then this is the compilation for you. You may also want to get your hands on the other two recently released "20th Century Masters" collections: one covers Donny's solo hits of the 70s plus the other disc features his hit duets with sister Marie from the same decade."

Kid Pop Fun

Tim Brough | Springfield, PA United States | 02/25/2007

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Proof positive that Boy Bands existed long before N'Synch or Backstreet Boys, the family Osmond were churning out sanitized soul on the Andy Williams Show as early as 1967. (Just think about that; The Osmond Brothers' first single and "Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" in the same year.) But it wasn't until 1971, with "One Bad Apple" and Donny Osmond playing Michael Jackson to Merril's lead - ala The Jackson 5 - that they started Osmondmania.

Presenting a wholesome front to America (that they used to work for Disneyland is more than a little ironic), The Osmond Brothers ran up a string of hits. Scrubbing off all the grit from Joe South's "Yo-Yo," they scored the second Top Ten single and began a massive tour that found that Osmondmania tag. The brothers were also getting older and more confident. They took the songwriting reins and found pay dirt when Allen and Merril's "Down By The Lazy River" hit number four in 1972.

As the boys got older, so did their perspective. Despite it being out of print, the "Crazy Horses" album was a bizarre triumph. With the environmentally conscious title track (dig that psychedelic "horse whinny" keyboard sound) and the harder rocking "Hold Her Tight," The Osmonds were stretching against their perceived image. It was also where they lost the momentum of their career...sadly their teen base had outgrown them.

That doesn't mean the hits stopped coming. Several minor Adult Contemporary ballads followed ("Love Me For A Reason" peaked at number 10). It took till the mid-eighties for the Osmonds to have a resurgence. Donny had his "Soldier Of Love" comeback, and "Crazy Horses" re-charted in England! It is one of the reasons why this collection is worth having is that it culls the cream off the top of the numerous Osmond singles, plus "He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother." At a dozen songs, it's just the right amount of Osmondmainia for the casual nostalgist."

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	Osmonds 20th Century Masters: Millennium Collection Genres: Pop, Rock Track Listings (12) - Disc #1 One Bad Apple Double Lovin' Yo-Yo Down by the Lazy River Hold Her Tight Crazy Horses Goin' Home Let Me In Love Me for a Reason The Proud One He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother I Can't Stop
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