Search - Archies :: Absolutely the Best

World's greatest rock'n'pop group

Doc Savage | 01/02/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"What do you have when you put redheaded loverman Archie Andrews on guitar, rascally scoundrel Reggie Mantle on funky bass, and rhythmic eating machine Jughead Jones on drums? Man, you get one outtasite band! These kids were only 17, but they were absolute masters of their instruments. Just listen to the bassline of "Jingle Jangle" for Reggie's brilliance! Or the rhythm track of "Sugar Sugar"--Jughead is in the groove, baby! And man, what sweet guitar Archie plays on the wonderful "Melody Hill." These cats cannot be beat! If you want a self-contained hit machine, these are your boys! The only thing I don't get is why they always put cartoons on their album covers! Weird!"

Absolutely the Best CD!

Laura Pinto | St. Petersburg, FL United States | 11/04/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

""Absolutely the Best" may be a bit of a misnomer for this excellent Archies compilation. In order to qualify as 'absolutely the best' of the Archies, a CD would easily need more than twice as many tracks than are offered as this one. However, if we the consumers are forced to make do with only 16 Archies songs, these are 16 good songs to make do with!If you're a babyboomer like I am, the very first track will instantly transport you back to September 1968, when The Archie Show premiered on Saturday-morning CBS-TV. Apart from a Television's Greatest Hits CD I own, "Absolutely the Best" is the only compact disc to feature the television version of "Archie's Theme (Everything's Archie)," complete with the tambourine brought forward to coincide with Betty's closeups and lead singer Ron Dante's enthusiastic "C'mon, let's go with the Archie Show" at song's end. This version differs from that released on the self-titled Archies debut LP, and it's so good hearing it again in its original form. Fifteen more great tracks follow, including the group's first single, "Bang Shang a-Lang;" their fourth attempt, "Jingle Jangle," which earned a second gold record; and of course the million-selling third single, "Sugar, Sugar." Cuts from all five Archies studio albums are represented on "Absolutely." The artwork is excellent, as are the liner notes, giving credit where credit is due (Ron is mentioned often, as are music supervisor Don Kirshner and composer/producer Jeff Barry), and the orange CD is a nod to the Calendar/Kirshner label on which the original recordings were issued.For those of you not familiar with The Archies, take it from me ... this is true rock and roll, not kiddie stuff. Ron Dante did a terrific job as the voice of the group; his beautiful voice has a nearly limitless range as well as a rainbow of color (the man can shift vocal styles as effortlessly as the automatic trannie on a Caddy), and his tight overdubbed harmonies with himself showcase his flawless ear. And the songs are good, too!If you want a taste of what the Archies would sound like today, grab a copy of Ron Dante's solo CD "Favorites" while you're here."

Overall, the best Archies CD

Zub | Forks Twp., PA | 11/09/2001

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Over the years, the market has been flooded with more than its share of Archies compilation CDs, most of which have been marginal or just plain miserable. This effort by Fuel 2000 is among the few high-quality Archies CDs to come along. Most notably, along with a selection of album cuts and TV-series related tunes, it contains every single to make the top-100 charts, a claim few other Archies compilation CDs can make. For a reasonably priced piece, the production is top-notch. Sound quality is respectable and far better than most other Archies CDs. All the tracks except 1 and 8 are in stereo. The eight-page liner notes booklet contains five pages of detailed and interesting musical backround on the studio group behind the name. Overall, if you're looking for an Archies collection, this should be at the top of your list."