Greatest Hits (And More) - Dr. Hook

Author's product rating:   

Originality	Definitely a cut above the rest
Lyrics	Thought-provoking
Quality and consistency of tracks	Mixed
How does it compare to the artist's other releases	Average
Value for Money	Good

Advantages:	Some classy Dr Hook songs
Disadvantages:	Some classy Dr Hook songs missing from this album

Recommend to potential buyers:

no

Full review

My friend and I used to skive off school and buy a big bag of Revels with the money from cashing his Dad's Embassy Regal cigarette coupons - those chockies with the mixture of maltesers, orangey ones... anyway it was one for you, one for me, the coconut were first to go, then the minstrely ones, it wasn't easy determining what was in the middle of each when we selected; I often mistakenly chose the toffee ones - and we'd wait for 'The Millionaire' by Dr Hook to come on Radio 1. It made us feel rugged and laid back, no,stretched out! And destined for a life of crop picking and rural bars. That single didn't do much in the charts. The bloke with the black eye patch, Ray Sawyer, was the lead singer-

"I could get myself a nose job, I could diet for a year
But I'll never be Robert Redford, 'cause I'm much too fond of beer
Please don't misunderstand me it's not love I'm trying to buy
It's just I got all this here money and I'm a pretty ugly guy"

It was the same year Ray Sawyer gave Whispering Bob Harris an electric shock on the Old Grey whistle Test with a joke radio.

As the seventies wore on the other singer in Dr Hook Dennis Locorriere, fronted, as they charted with a series of syrupy hits like that one with the line 'who's gonna water my plant, who who oooooo if not you…', 'When you're in love with a beautiful woman', 'Better love next time', 'Sexy eyes', 'A little bit more'...

A gorgeous cover of Sam Cooke's 'Only Sixteen', is one of the highlights on this album. Rock to it on the porch with greying stubble and a bourbon and cherryade and the years will fly backwards.

I'd have preferred more of the living in a shack by a river with unkempt hair and an unironed neckerchief numbers on this album such as 'Sleeping Late', 'Everybody's makin it big but me', You make my pants want to get up and dance', and of course 'The Millionaire'

However you like your medicine though there's still some classy spoonfuls on here. I've listened to better compilations, though, like Dr Hook's Greatest Hits.
Heres the track listing-

1. Sylvia's Mother
2. The Cover Of The Rolling Stone
3. Only Sixteen
4. A Little Bit More
5. Walk Right In
6. Making Love And Music
7. I Couldn't Believe
8. A Couple More Years
9. Sharing The Night Together
10. When You're In Love With A Beautiful Woman
11. Better Love Next Time
12. Sexy Eyes
13. Years From Now
14. The Radio
15. Sweetest Of All