Search - Fabulous Thunderbirds :: Collection

The best!

Docendo Discimus | Vita scholae | 01/25/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"It's a shame that so many people go out and buy Epic's "Hot Stuff - The Greatest Hits", thinking that they've acquired the best of the Fabulous Thunderbirds.

In fact, "Hot Stuff" only covers the Thunderbirds' late-80s/early-90s Epic releases, missing out on their best early Chrysalis material (songs from the "Girls Go Wild", "What's The Word", "Butt Rockin'" and "T-Bird Rhythm" albums).



This is the really good stuff, free of rock commercialism and too-slick 80s procuction, a great collection of gritty blues rock, R&B and slow blues.

Among the numerous highlights are the slow blues ballad "Full Time Lover", the supremely funky, harp-driven "Walkin' To My Baby, and the deeply groovy "She's Tuff", all from the group's debut album. From 1980s "What's The Word" comes a great rendition of harpist Lazy Lester's "Sugar Coated Love" (check out the superb original as well), the up-tempo blues "Learn To Treat Me Right", and the R&B of "You Ain't Nothin' But Fine" and "The Crawl", and "Butt Rockin'" provides "One's Too Many And A Hundred Ain't Enough", the piano-driven "I Believe I'm In Love", and the swinging, melodic "Mathilda".

And finally, from "T-Bird Rhythm", an updated version of Blind Blake's acoustic prewar classic "Diddy Wah Diddy", and the lean, mean "How Do You Spell Love".



Not all 26 songs are masterpieces, of course, but this is still a very fine compilation which manages to include almost all of the Fabulous Thunderbirds' best material from their first four LPs.

4 1/2 stars - highly recommended."

The T-Birds Tear It Up

Steve Vrana | Aurora, NE | 01/23/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The Fabulous Thunderbirds hit paydirt with the Dave Edmunds-produced Tuff Enuff from 1986 and the title track hit the Top Ten. What most people don't realize is that by that time the T-Birds were a road-tested band with four critically acclaimed records under their belt. It's those four Chrysalis albums that are the basis of this collection. The band was fueled by Jimmie Vaughan's slinky Stratocaster and Kim Wilson's gritty vocals and ace harp playing. This is Texas roadhouse blues at it's best. Vaughan left the band a decade ago, and Wilson continues to tour with various incarnations of the band. But for my money, this is the T-Birds at their rockin' best. [Note: The domestic version of this album is out of print and contained only twenty songs--16 of which are duplicated here. So even if you have the original, this is a modestly price CD to get an additional ten tracks--including the essential "Los Fabulosos Thunderbirds."] HIGHLY RECOMMENDED"

Yeah. This one is more than tough enough

Kurt Olav Helle | Lonevåg, Osteroy Norway | 03/14/2006

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Greatness shines on this one. 26 Tracks with soulfoul blues. Quality marked, so to say. 75 minutes, with short and effective songs. Track 1 The Crawl. Crawlin` good with it`s sneakin and effective simpel down to earth song. Track 2 She`s tuff, with it`s laidback and cool rythm with harmonica and a vocal which is rough,ready, and very steady. Track 3 That`s enough of that stuff, follow in the same tradition. Rough,ready, and steady. Track 4 Full time lover has a traditonal beginning, and it`s more in the quality old sence of blues. Track 5 Sugar-coated love sound`s like it`s from the classical heydays with an very effective clappin rythm. Track 6 Sugar coated love, follows up with more airy sound picture. Ok. Track 7 Los Fabolus Thunderbirds, its over nearly before it begins. Just 1.11. and thats it. Certainly ok.

Track 8 I`m a good man is once again in the classical track

tradition. Great solo though. Track 9 Baby scratch my back, sound`s like a poor man`s creedence song, but the harmonica is the one effective thing in this one. Talkin singin doesn`t help either. Track 10 Walkin to my baby. This is great in the rythmic rock and roll sence with a plink and plunckin guitar to build up the sound picture.

Track 11 You aint nothin but fine. Its very fast and over in 1.48.minutes. A cute shorty. Track 12 Marked Deck. Sreamable vocal. Sounds fine, but some cliches here and there. Track 13 Learn to treat me right, are in the classical sence of quality. Track 14 I belive im in love. There ya goo. Classical Fab song, with harmonica and effective jerry lee piano in the background. Track 15 How do you spell love. A good vocal, with very rythmic and effective backbeat.. Track 16 Mathilda. Well right there in the traditional style of soul and blues. Track 17 One`s to many, it`s the weak and boring one. Track 18 Dirty work, follows in the same footsteps, sorry to say. Track 19 Tip on in, its ok, with an effective backbeat, and a good a simple vocal Track 20 Cherry pink and appel blossomwhite is an effective instrumental harmonica played blues song. Track 21 . Cant tear it up enuff is my all time favourite Fab blues song. Every thing is right on this one. It sparks, it kicks, and make`s a hell of a listening experience with all its power. Powerfull and magical. Track 22 Give me all your lovin is fast and effective. A good treat more in the rock & roll classical corner. Track 23 The Monkey. The weird screamin jay hawkins inspired track with monkey sounds in between. Realy special and somethin else. Track 24 My Babe. Woaa. This one blows you over. Fast hardtop backbeat sprint song this one.

Track 25 Diddy Wah Diddy. Cool enough. Track Roll, roll, roll. A new sprinter to end the CD. 75 minutes. Yeah man. This one is more than tough enough."