Search - Y&T :: Ultimate Collection

Underrated but highly recommended

John Wright | Virginia, USA | 05/24/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I can think of three hard rock/metal performers from the 80's that never received their due: Gary Moore, Accept and Y&T. Like Moore ("Victims of the Future") and Accept ("Restless & Wild", "Metal Heart"), Y&T bring at least two great things to the hard rock game. First, the songs are very melodic, solid rock pieces with memorable hooks. Second, the lead guitar work is amazing.It's a shame that the band didn't get the widespread love it deserved, because Y&T lead guitarist (and singer) Dave Meniketti should have a place in the pantheon of guitar gods. He shreds, but does so with great precision and invention. It makes me want to pick up my guitar and jam every time I hear him. And his singing is very competent... perhaps not as stylized or strong as some, but nonetheless solid. And the band around him is tight and talented.For some reason, Y&T didn't hit as big as other bands with amazing guitarists (Dokken, Dio, Ozzy, Scorpions) or mediocre guitarists (Motley Crue, Def Leppard, Quiet Riot, Twisted Sister). Timing? I know it's not because of content... the songs on this cd can stand right up there with all those bands. For me, "Mean Streak" justifies purchase of the cd on its own... great riff, solo, and memorable chorus. Other highlights are "Hurricane," "Midnight in Tokyo," and "Black Tiger". If you've come this far in viewing this page, chances are you'll love this cd... so buy it! And then pick up "Mean Streak", "Earthshaker" and the exceptional "Yesterday & Today Live"... great stuff."

A Great Collection From a Largely Overlooked Group

James Choma | 01/31/2004

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I like Y & T. While they earned the respect of their peers, they never achived the same commercial success. Maybe it was because there was a glut of metal bands on the market at the time: Ratt, Motley Crue, Whitesnake, Bon Jovi, etc... Each was very good in their own right and achieved fantastic commercial success. These bands had their own style and appearance, but catered to a common audience. While they were the headliners, Y & T always seemed to remain the perpetual opening band. Dave Meniketti was the band's lead vocalist, songwriter and guitarist. He's got a bit of a deeper voice, but it grows on you after awhile. He's still at it today, releasing an album every few years under his own name, and playing live. Y & T was a very tight group. To use a worn out cliche, they were all about the music. They had some great riffs!Now that the heyday of Hard Rock and Heavy Metal is gone, it's interesting to go back and look at all of these groups again to see if there was any "staying power" to the music. I find myself coming back to only a few of them -- one of them being Y & T. This album is a great starting to point to get an idea of the band's sound. This collection gives you the highlights from their 25+ year career, from 1976's "Yesterday and Today" to 1997's "Endangered Species." You get a mix of ballads (I Believe in You) and good 80's hard rock (Forever). If you loved the hard rock music scene from the 80's and haven't heard of these guys, do yourself a favor and pick this album up. It's a great starting point to redsicover a great, sadly neglected band."

Good compilation by an awesome band

Darian Dennison | Walla Walla, WA | 04/06/2004

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I'm surprised that Y&T (originally called Yesterday and Today) didn't achieve the huge success that they deserved but they were fairly big back in their prime and they earned alot of respect from their fans and they got strong reviews by the press as well, the singer's voice reminds me of Sammy Hagar back when he was in Montrose.My only gripe about this CD is that they didn't put Lipstick 'N' Leather on this compilation but it's no big deal cause this CD, but if you're a casual fan of Y&T or a casual fan of hard rock/metal music then this CD is a must have but I would recommend their other hits compilation Best of '81-'85 which contains their best songs from their prime period and this CD has most of their songs from the late 70's stuff to the mid 90's."