All Time Greatest Hits 1959-1965, The - Drifters (The)

Advantages: All the hits in one place.
Disadvantages: The songs appeal to different people.

...I should make it clear that I am reviewing here Cher's Greatest Hits 1965-1992, not "Cher - The Greatest Hits" released in 1999. This is basically a collection of Cher's most memorable singles, right through from a TOTP perfomance of "I Got You Babe" to the number one hit, "The Shoop Shoop Song" - and it's obvious that before Believe, Cher had quite the career going as a rock star. A collection of timeless rock classics (including "Dead Ringer For Love" with Meat Loaf) and a few acoustic numbers ("Heart Of Stone") and a cover version thrown in for good measure ("Many Rivers To Cross" - Live) and you'll see this is quite the eclectic mix. It's hard to see how many people will enjoy *all* the tracks from 90s through 60s, and the vast proportion are firmly rooted in the latter part of her career. Nevertheless, a great introduction to Cher... Read review

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Advantages: All the hits on one Album, Easy Listening, Value for Money
Disadvantages: Addictive

...IT'S YOU - THE SHIRELLES (1961) 8. PLEASE STAY - THE DRIFTERS (1961) 9. WHATS NEW PUSSYCAT - TOM JONES (1965) *This song hardly needs reviewing. I doubt there is anyone who hasn't heard this song. I personally dislike Tom Jones very much but I kinda have to admit that what's new pussycat is a great catchy song. Like many of Bacharachs songs, what's new pussycat was the signature tune to the Woody Allen film of the same name. Film critics deemed the film as decadent and immoral. The film was also Woody Allen's film debut and Tom Jones' second hit after it's not unusual. 10 TOWER OF STRENGTH - GENE MCDANIELS (1961) 11 (THE MAN WHO SHOT) LIBERTY VALANCE - GENE PITNEY (1962) This is a very bouncy song. Written by Gene Pitney with the music by Bacharach and Davis Hal. The song was written for the film of the same name released... Read review

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Advantages: Two seminal albums from rock's greatest singer-songwriter
Disadvantages: Rather an odd coupling

...culminates in a descent into a world of dark imagery and startling happenings in the 11-minute magnum opus "Desolation Row". 'John Wesley Harding', recorded nearly three years later after Dylan's period of hibernation (the story at the time was that he had an almost fatal motorbike accident, but now it seems that may have been a smokescreen), is a more reflective, relaxed piece of work. Mainly acoustic, with little more than bass and drums accompanying his vocals, harmonica and acoustic guitar, its themes are steeped in Biblical and religious imagery on songs like "All Along the Watchtower" (immortalised by Hendrix a few months later) and "I Dreamed I Saw St Augustine", wild west mythology in the title track, and what many take to be an autobiographical lyric, "Drifter's Escape" - in other words, his escape from the punishing schedule of his... Read review

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