Search - Drifters :: The Drifters' Golden Hits

Feeling Cheated.

J. Anderson | 02/27/1999

(1 out of 5 stars)

"If you're an audophile who likes the sound of old records popping and warped tapes getting louder and softer, this recording could be for you. If you want your recordings to sound crisp, this isn't. And if you want your greatest hits of a group to be the classic recording, not of some other version with less colorful instrumentation, this isn't for you. "Under the Boardwalk," "Up on the Roof," and "Stand by Me" are not performed with the instruments that made them classics. Most of the stuff here are in acoustics. "There Goes My Baby" sounds as though it had been "remastered" from worn tapes, with pops and wavering dynamics. With only a little more than twenty-four minutes of playing time, this is one CD Drifters fan can avoid!"

Uh

J. Anderson | Lincoln, NE United States | 11/27/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The review right below this one is the one you should pay attention to; the guy complaining about the short running time and "acoustic versions" is, uh, high. As you probably already know if you're looking at this page, "Stand By Me" isn't even a Drifters song...Ben E. King did that one solo.



This is a very nice collection that really includes all of what the Drifters had to offer...they existed in the later years of the "hit single" era, pre-album rock, and all their best singles are definitely included here. I owned this hits collection on vinyl before I got it on disc, and I've always really loved it for what it is: a nice portrait of a truly groundbreaking, genre-bending early 60s R&B act."

The most affordable Drifters compilation.

Josh P. | 05/22/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Released in 1968, this set chronicled the golden era of the Drifters (1959-1964). This starts right off with the sound of the "new" Drifters with Ben E. King on lead: "There Goes My Baby"; timeless classic. Next "If You Cry" and "Dance With Me" a double-sided hit; both very nice, nice songs. I dig the string arrangements. The hits continue with "This Magic Moment" and

"Save The Last Dance For Me." "I Count The Tears" is one I always liked because of the "na-na-na-na-na late at night", and that's right; the Grass Roots copied that for "Let's Live For Today." Uh-uh. "Some Kind Of Wonderful" is some kind of gem; it hardly gets any attention. "Up On The Roof" and "On Broadway" feature Rudy Lewis on vocal and are ageless songs. "Under The Boardwalk" and the answer to it, "I've Got Sand In My Shoes" are really crafty and neat songs as well as "Saturday Night At The Movies" which I loved ever since I first heard it. Those three feature Johnny Moore. The Drifters were one of Atlantic Records best-selling groups and their songs are absolutely timeless and ageless never seeming to grow old. They sort of transport you to another place where you can escape the outside world. The Rhino compilation is the best alternative for this one because of track number and sound quality. Yes, this one is pretty short but the sound is quite good actually and a lot of songs are in stereo. If you're an original album collector liking to collect CD versions of old LPs, this is a definitive set."