Search - Buddy Holly :: Very Best of Buddy Holly

Brief life but a lasting legacy

Peter Durward Harris | Leicester England | 01/31/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Buddy Holly's place in popular music history is significant. He was a major influence on the Beatles and Rolling Stones as well as many other singers in a variety of genres. Whole tribute albums have been devoted to him. The Hollies named themselves after him. Yet, all this was achieved despite his limited recorded output.On this album, you get all the classics - Heartbeat, That'll be the day, Peggy Sue, Oh boy, Rave on, True love ways, Raining in my heart, Everyday, It's so easy, Listen to me and It doesn't matter anymore among them. Many of these (and others) have been covered frequently down the years, and new versions continue to appear on a regular basis. The Rolling Stones covered Not fade away and it first appeared on one of their early B-sides. In 2002, British jazz singer Claire Martin recorded a magical version of Raining in my heart, perhaps the best cover of a Buddy Holly song I've ever heard - and I've heard a lot.Besides those classic songs, there are some great covers here, some of which were also hits for Buddy. They include Blue Suede shoes (Carl Perkins), also covered by Elvis, and Brown eyed handsome man (Chuck Berry). With 36 tracks, there is still enough room to include some interesting but seldom-heard songs, such as What to do, Learning the Game, Look at me and Take your time.This is the best single-CD collection of Buddy's music that you are ever likely to find."

The best one volume Holly collection

Candace Scott | Lake Arrowhead, CA, USA | 04/18/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This is a marvelous collection and by far the best single-CD collection out there on Buddy's music. Most people listening to Buddy's music for the first time can never stop at just one CD, so this will serve as a fine introduction to some of the best music you'll ever hear. Though these songs are all more than 45 years old, they wear well and are timeless.Most casual rock fans can name only a few Holly tunes: "That'll Be the Day" and "Peggy Sue," but there is so much more than that. This collection includes two of his most haunting, beautiful ballads, "True Love Ways" and "Raining in My Heart." Listen to the innovative string arrangements on these tunes and you'll plainly know why Paul McCartney (who owns the Holly musical catalogue), adopted these arrangements ten years later as a Beatle. In addition, this CD includes the musicians and Buddy counting down as an intro to these two songs. It's sad to realize that just months later, he would be dead.Perhaps the best song on the album is the amazing It Doesn't Matter Anymore, about a love gone wrong. Again, the string arrangement is years ahead of its time and makes you ponder what might have been had Holly's life not ended so tragically and prematurely. He was a genuine innovator and talent. This compilation proves that. The sound quality is superb, I can't recommend this CD enough."

Best single-disc Holly offering; presentation varies but ove

Scott MacGillivray | Massachusetts, USA | 12/27/2007

(4 out of 5 stars)

"This 1999 release is a 36-song sampler of Buddy Holly's best recordings. Unlike some Holly collections, which include an overdose of his earliest, pre-stardom stuff, this material showcases Buddy at his height. You get all the hit singles ("That'll Be the Day," "Peggy Sue," "Maybe Baby," "Oh Boy!," "Rave On," etc.) as well as some good B-sides ("Take Your Time," "Everyday," etc.). The music itself ranges from good-time rock-'n'-roll to catchy pop, to funky rhythm-and-blues to introspective ballads, and Holly does justice to all of it.



Buddy Holly recorded so prolifically that his record label kept issuing new singles for 10 years after his death. One-third of this CD consists of Holly vocals overdubbed by studio musicians and released posthumously. Of his last six compositions (known among fans as "the apartment tapes," because he recorded the demonstration vocals at home), four are included here. "What to Do," "Crying, Waiting, Hoping," and "Learning the Game" are the 1964 versions, with surf-guitar arrangements; "Peggy Sue Got Married" is the 1959 version with backing vocals added. Holly's last single, "Love Is Strange," is also featured here.



Considering that three dozen songs are crammed onto a single disc, the fidelity for the most part is surprisingly good, with a few exceptions ("Peggy Sue Got Married" is muffled, with the last couple of seconds abruptly chopped off).



The price tag for this one disc may be a bit high in some situations; some dealers price it high, so you could get multiple-disc Holly sets for the same money. But if you're looking for single-disc portability and convenience, this CD has the best overall assortment. Incidentally, there is a production error: the track listing in the liner notes cites only 35 songs. So you might call track #36 a hidden "Easter egg": it's "Not Fade Away," the B-side of "Oh Boy!""