Spectacular music--sound quality leaves a bit to be desired
Benjamin Lukoff | Seattle | 10/23/2002
(4 out of 5 stars)
"This is a great collection--all of Ronnie Lane's 70's singles with the exception of the one from the Pete Townshend collaboration. However, the sound quality isn't up to the standard of the music. To begin with, the disc appears to have been mastered at a low level, so you've really got to turn up the volume on this one. The CD really does sound like it was made in the 80's, whether because of substandard source tapes or deterioration or simply shoddy mastering I can't tell. That said, the music is superb and it's better having it like this than not having it at all! It is a shame Ronnie Lane's solo efforts remain relatively obscure compared to his work in the Faces, Small and otherwise, and with Townshend. Amazing to realize the same man responsible for "Itchykoo Park," "Tin Soldier," and "Ooh La La" (among many others!) also managed to come up with classics like "How Come," "The Poacher," and "Kuschty Rye" (the latter featuring a fiddle break that just about sounds like it came out of a Chinese folk song), but there you have it."
Crusty Gem From An English Gentleman
M STILPHEN | deer isle,me | 03/10/2004
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I was mildly shocked at the depth and beauty of this album. Lanes songs from the Faces were often the best and gave the group a much needed shot of class amidst the boozy, retrobate semen riffing of Wood and Co. Lane is criminally underrated; an utterly original rock alchemist who is often written off as a "pub" player. His songs have a particular/peculiar English soulfulness to them much like Rod Stewart but without Rod's histrionics. " The Poacher" and "Been Through This Before" are classic rock songs that should have charted much higher. It is a collection of singles thus the songs were presumably thought of as accesible to the general public. A great introduction to Ronnie Lane and a highly recommended album."
A Gem of an Album!
keef7 | Fort Lee, New Jersey USA | 11/16/2001
(5 out of 5 stars)
"My connection to Ronnie Lane was first as a Stones fan who got into The Faces and then found Ronnie Lane. I bought this album in 1999 in NYC and it has been in or around my CD player ever since. I put this on for people who have heard of Ronnie Lane and for those who haven't got a clue who he is- and they all love him. 99% of the tunes on this album work well, and there are a lot of tunes. If you are reading this review, you stumbled on a gem of an album. Do yourself a favor and pick it up. You will not regret it."
Track Listings (19) - Disc #1