Top-40 radio gold 1964-66 w/lots of true stereo
hyperbolium | Earth, USA | 04/27/2005
(4 out of 5 stars)
"Varese's provided a generous 25-track count that surveys a wide swatch of the wonderful jumble that was Top-40 radio. Though several of these artists had careers that spanned multiple radio hits and seminal albums (e.g., The Beach Boys, Zombies, Monkees, Sonny & Cher), there are quite a few who's one shot of mass appeal is heard here.
Billboard one-hit wonders include The Ad Libs ("The Boy From New York City"), The Larks ("The Jerk"), Terry Stafford ("Suspicion"), Betty Everett ("The Shoop Shoop Song (It's in His Kiss"), Robert Parker ("Barefootin'"), Barbara Mason ("Yes I'm Ready"), The Capitols ("Cool Jerk"), and The Rivieras ("California Sun"). All great singles, and nearly all issued on (now-defunct) independent labels - another great aspect of 1960s radio that's no longer in play today.
True stereo can be found on all tracks except 1, 2, 6, 7, 9, 15, 17, 19, 20, and 22. In a few cases, the expansiveness of a stereo mix lessens the single's original radio-ready punch (e.g., The Vogues "Five O'Clock World" is quite disconcerting in stereo), but for the most part it's a pleasure to hear these singles unfolded in cleanly mastered hi-fi. Tunes like The Ad Libs "The Boy From New York City," The Capitols "Cool Jerk" and Petula Clark's "Downtown" had sophisticated arrangements and dynamic playing (particularly the drumming) that couldn't squeeze through the limitations of the AM band.
One can excuse the absence of Beatles or Rolling Stones tracks due to licensing, but given the flood of British acts who followed the Beatles success on American charts, the disc tilts a bit heavily to U.S. hitmakers. On the other hand, you can't cover everything in 25 tracks, what's here is great, and the British Invasion material is readily available elsewhere. The liner notes are quite informative and the chart and label info is top-notch. This is a nice buy for collector's seeking clean masters and stereo sources, as well as fans and newbies seeking 66 minutes of non-stop radio gold."
Very strong--on the American hits, that is
Matthew G. Sherwin | last seen screaming at Amazon customer service | 01/26/2008
(4 out of 5 stars)
"Rock & Roll: The First 50 Years - The Mid-'60s has a whopping twenty-five tracks to help people remember those great `60s tunes as they first heard them on the radio. Of course, anyone else who also enjoys this music will find this to be an interesting album. The quality of the sound is quite good.
The Beach Boys open with "Help Me Rhonda;" this catchy tune has lots of harmonizing and they never miss a beat! I love that percussion, too. Petula Clark's "Downtown" is easily a highlight of this album; Petula never sounded better and her voice is as clear as a bell! I like the way Petula is able to effortlessly handle those subtle key and tempo changes at the same time.
Betty Everett turns in an awesome hit with "The Shoop Shoop Song (It's In His Kiss);" the female backup chorus is excellent, too. Betty sings very well. "Time Won't Let Me" by The Outsiders is an excellent `60s rockin' tune and that touch of psychedelic flavor to make it stand out from the others. Listen also for the great Gene Pitney performing "It Hurts To Be In Love;" his voice is strong, full of warmth and very energetic.
The Dixie Cups do "Chapel Of Love;" this was always one of my very favorite tunes from the 1960s. They harmonize sweetly and the musical arrangement lacks nothing--it's THAT good. The Dixie Cups give us an excellent example of a `60s girl group at their very best.
The Ad Libs' "The Boy From New York City" is a peppy little number; and Sonny & Cher's "I Got You Babe" always pulls at my heartstrings. "I Got You Babe" is a touching romantic ballad.
The Vogues's "Five O'Clock World" is a song that so many people can easily relate to; and Del Shannon's "Keep Searchin' (Follow the Sun)" is very nicely done. I love those key changes on "Keep Searchin' (Follow the Sun)!"
The liner notes include chart information; and there's more info about the songs and artists, too.
My one complaint is that, just as other reviewers noted, this CD leans too heavily on just the American artists. What happened to the "British Invasion?"
I recommend this CD for people who want a fine single CD retrospective--of American `60s hits. There's a Donovan tune here but one or two tunes from British artists out of twenty-five tracks just isn't enough for this album to truly represent the music from the mid 1960s.
"
+ 1/2 stars...Not Enough British Invasion Artists
Steve Vrana | Aurora, NE | 03/01/2005
(3 out of 5 stars)
"Varese Sarabande has done a nice job with its ROCK & ROLL series, and this 25-song collection of top 10 hits (inluding 8 No. 1s) is packed with some of the biggest hits of the mid-60s giving the buyer plenty of bang for his buck. The only serious misstep here is the almost total lack of British Invasion artists. Sure, Donovan is here with his only No. 1 hit "Sunshine Superman" and the Zombies' classic "Tell Her No," but Chad and Jeremy were more folk than rock, and Petula Clark was a 32-year-old British actress when "Downtown" topped the charts. Of course, the Beatles and Stones are missing because of licensing agreements; but where are the Kinks, the Animals, the Hollies, Gerry & the Pacemakers or countless other British Invasion bands of the era? For a period in pop music history dominated by British acts, there is way too much emphasis placed on American acts to be representative of the era. These are enjoyable songs; but taken as a whole they don't tell the entire story."
Track Listings (25) - Disc #1
