Get it on (T Rex) (LP 311)

Various 20 Solid Gold Hits Vol II (Vinyl - Music For Leisure, 1971) ***

Genre: Compilations, but really it is its own genre in New Zealand

Places I remember: Back in 1971 - I think I got this from Woolworths in Three Kings - it was a store next to the new foodmarket; 2019 copy from Hastings second hand record shop for $15. Finding a cleanish copy has been difficult over the last few months, as it was a party album in 1971 and so was manhandled mercilessly. This is the best copy I've been able to find (so it needs a clean, but is otherwise in very good shape). 

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: Imagine - John Lennon




Gear costume: Meet Me On The Corner - Lindisfarne; Theme From "Shaft" - Isaac Hayes; Day After Day - Badfinger; Good Morning Mr Rock n' Roll - Headband. 

Active compensatory factors: This is the album that really kick started and confirmed my love for John Lennon, the solo artist. 

I'd seen him on The Ed Sullivan Show in the mid sixties, I'd gazed at his photo on the cover of Hey Jude in 1970 and I had loved this song and its affect on me beyond any other song I'd heard up to 1971. 

From here it was buying a copy of the Imagine album and then anything else he'd done.

The pleasure of this compilation was that it contained some other brilliant pop songs (see the 'Gear costume' section above), as well as a couple of good kiwi tracks from Headband and Suzanne (but also a Craig Scott song for balance).

Being a hits compilation and being the early seventies it has some bizarre people on it: for every John Lennon there is a Tom Jones, for every Badfinger and T Rex there is a Dawn and for every Isaac Hayes there is an Al Martino.

Where do they all belong? Remarkably, I didn't buy any other 20 Solid Gold Hits packages like this back in the early seventies - this volume came along at the exact right time - before I thought it was really uncool to own it and just as I needed a compilation that had on it all the songs I was listening to on the radio.

Good to be here? (Lindisfarne) (LP 179 - 181)

Lindisfarne Back and Fourth (Vinyl - Charisma, 1978) **
Lindisfarne The News (Vinyl - Phonogram, 1979) ***
Lindisfarne "Lindisfarntastic!" Live (Vinyl - LMP Records, 1983) **

Genre:  Folk

Places I remember: Vinyl Countdown (New Plymouth) 

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: Run For Home (Back and Fourth)




Gear costume:  Call Of The Wild (The News)

Active compensatory factors: Back And Fourth is clearly the band's fourth studio album (I've covered the first three in an earlier post).

It's a disappointing record.

Unfortunately, it's a case of ever diminishing returns with Lindisfarne (the first two albums are immense, then from Dingly Dell to Back and Fourth it's a slide) until The News perks things up somewhat. However, they were never going to ever return to the joy and freshness of the first two albums.

The live one is Lindisfarne as a party band. May have been great to be a part of that experience but it doesn't make for a great listen stone cold sober alone at home.

Where do they all belong? That's it for Lindisfarne. If you are new to the band go directly to a best of compilation. Inevitably, it will focus on all the great early stuff. 

Steeleye Span is the next vinyl member of the Folk genre collection.

We can swing together (Lindisfarne) (LP 117 - 119)

Lindisfarne Nicely Out Of Tune (Vinyl - Philips, 1970) **** 
Lindisfarne Fog On The Tyne (CD - Charisma, 1971) *****
Lindisfarne Dingly Dell (Vinyl - Charisma, 1972) *** 

Genre: Folk

Places I remember: The vinyl is from Real Groovy (Auckland) and the CD from HMV (Stratford Mall, London)

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: Lady Eleanor, Meet Me On The Corner.






Gear costume: It may be a little glib to say but everything else on the first two albums is pretty gear. There are some amazing songs on Nicely Out Of Tune and Fog On The Tyne. Dingly Dell has some great moments but it's without a killer track. 

Active compensatory factors: I'm a late comer to Lindisfarne albums, although I did buy Dingly Dell way back in 1972 (I sold it along the long and winding road, so this is a 'new' copy). Instead, over the years, I have used a great compilation as my Lindisfarne go to item.

The albums are something of a revelation to someone like me who just has all the hits on the best of CD. One great song after another from the principle song writers Alan Hull and Rod Clements.

Like a lot of classic musical combos, having the different vocalists, subtle stylistic changes associated with having different, strong song writers, and the multi tasking musicianship makes for a great great sound and, more important - album!

Where do they all belong? Kind of like Wishbone Ash and Black Sabbath, the first three or four albums of their career were never bettered. Next up for Lindisfarne was a couple of crap albums before Back And Fourth, which is coming up, eventually. Interesting that all of these other bands also abandoned fancy album titles and went for Wishbone Ash 4; Black Sabbath Vol. 4. Just sayin'.

I can see for miles and miles and miles and miles and miles and miles and miles and miles...(The 'Oo)

I've reorganised my collection again and moved all the Greatest Hits compilations into their own section.

These compilations are often record company marketing decisions rather than artistic statements by musicians so I (mostly) feel justified in separating them.

There are always exceptions, though, where either the artist has an input or the collection just clicks or else the band is so great that every song is a must have. These are the ones I want to focus on. Here are some of my favourites.

The Who - Meaty Beaty Big And Bouncy. When Pete Townshend reviewed the album for Rolling Stone magazine in 1971 he called it 'the greatest of Who albums'. As a celebration of 'Oo singles it is without peer. Hit after hit after hit after hit...

Favourite moment: My name is Bill and I'm a headcase (from I'm A Boy)

Neil Young - Decade. A bespoke collection from Mr Shakey himself. A perfect collection of his best moments, a lot of which were first released on this triple album!

Favourite moment: Winterlong.

The Raspberries - The Raspberries. Capitol put this out in 1991 under their Collectors Series banner and it scoops up all the hits by the best U.S. power pop band (Badfinger are, of course, the U.K.'s representative). Twenty tracks and every one delivers.

Favourite moment: Baby don't go!! Eric Carmen's heart felt cries (from If You Should Change Your Mind).

The Beach Boys - Ballads. The number of Beach Boys compilations must easily exceed the studio albums as repackaging of hits has continued throughout the years in a helter skelter fashion. Ballads contains twelve tracks and it goes without saying that all twelve are superb creations. The thematic idea of just including twelve ballads works brilliantly, much better that the Beatles' Ballads collection which had far too many tracks (20).

Favourite moment: Warmth Of The Sun captures the feeling of the warm rays in song. Everything great about the group is right there - the unique blend of voices, Brian's musical genius, Mike Love's succinct lyrics.



Mary Chapin Carpenter - Party Doll and Other Favorites. I've bought quite a few of her albums and so far none can compare to this compilation. It really shouldn't hold together as well as it does - there are live tracks, studio tracks including Jagger's weird title song and her brilliant version of Lennon's Grow Old With Me mixed in with the hits and album tracks.

Favourite moment: This shirt.



Ricky Nelson - 22 Golden Greats. This compilation is perfect - all the timeless hits from the whole of Ricky Nelson's career. Often because bands appear on different labels their career best collections fail to include all the good bits, frinstance I've not yet found a good Small Faces compilation. This one is a thorough and brilliant collection.

Favourite moment: Lonesome Town.



Lindisfarne - The Best of Lindisfarne. There are 16 reasons why Lindisfarne are an important band on this CD. Sixteen tracks is about perfect. I really much prefer a succinct CD like this to double CD bloated efforts.

Favourite moment: Lady Eleanor.



The Hollies - He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother. Like The Beach Boys, The Hollies have been compiled to death. I have a number of them and this is the best somehow. I think it's the sequencing of songs (it's definitely not a 'hits' collection). Again it shouldn't work - there is no chronology or even reason behind some of the selections and there are some notable omissions, instead, it's that unpredictability and depth that I like.

Favourite moment: The kitchen sink drama of Too Young To Be Married

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