For Certain Because (Mono/Stereo) - Hollies (The)

Advantages: Original singles, B sides and rarities in stereo for the first time
Disadvantages: That you hadn't known about this group earlier!!!!

...Well I had seen the reviews of 'Odyssey and Oracle' on another music website and then I also happened to come across this, which i listened to first, as i wanted more of a thorough overview of this band which i knew not much about, apart from the songs 'Time Of the Season' and 'She's Not There.' It's pretty easy to skim thru a load of short and snappy pop songs to decide if you like them or not. I knew I HAD to own this after just skimming thru the first CD. I have no idea what the original mono songs sounded like, but i am not worried. Clarity counts for a lot when i listen to music. Yes, Colin Blunstone certainly had an 'incomparable' voice. -Some people of around my age (30 -something) may recall some of his solo tracks from the 70's, his hit record with Dave Stewart in the 80's "What Becomes of The Broken Hearted" and his guest... Read review

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Advantages: All the classics on one album
Disadvantages: Some tracks not really classed as power ballads

...not be complete without a track from Journey. A very distinctive sound and a good one for the car! 11: CHICAGO - HARD HABIT TO BREAK Peter Cetera who fronts Chicago always comes across as a sickly sweet all American gooey singer, but this is one of the band's better songs. Probably a bit more of a girly record than a lot of the tracks on the album, but nevertheless a very good ballad. 12: ROXETTE - LISTEN TO YOUR HEART One of the best duo's to come out of the early 1990's., this is a very powerful track with a bit of grit to it. The stereo needs to be turned up high to get the true effect! 13: FRANKIE GOES TO HOLLYWOOD - THE POWER OF LOVE This always reminds me of Christmas, not because of the song itself but because of when it was released in the UK. Nevertheless, Holly Johnson as front man of the band expresses his vocal strengths with true... Read review

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Advantages: Brian Wilson's best work
Disadvantages: Originally released in Mono

...remotely like Pet Sounds. The first time I heard Pet Sounds, the first thing that struck me was the poor quality of the sound. While other music from the same era, such as Sgt Pepper by the Beatles or any of Elvis's mid-sixties records, sounded as if they could have been recorded yesterday, Pet Sounds sounded flat and lifeless. The reason for this is that it is not in stereo. Brian Wilson made this questionable mixing decision while under the influence of Phil Spector whose much-vaunted Wall of Sound recording technique had made a big impact on him. The underlying philosophy was that the whole sound had to be transmitted through both speakers in a stereo system, otherwise the music would not be heard in its purest form. Later both Spector and Wilson embraced - or rather accepted - stereo, but the first stereo version of Pet Sounds did... Read review

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