Perfect partytime rock and roll
Danno | NY, NY | 02/20/2005
(4 out of 5 stars)
"One-hit wonders like the Georgia Satellites have a major advantage over career rockers - they never overstay their welcome. As a result, practically every track on this CD leaves you wanting more because the Satellites sang every song as though it were their last. Which, in retrospect, wasn't far from the truth.
"Keep Your Hands To Yourself" is the major hit here, but there are also some great covers, like "Don't Pass Me By" and "Hippy Hippy Shake." The Satellites never strayed from the same Keith Richards/Faces style rock that the more successful Black Crowes similarly mined, but the Satellites' music is tighter and cleaner. You could dance to the Satellites, whereas you couldn't to the Crowes. If the Satellites had better songwriting and management, their careers wouldn't have been as brief. Then again, groups which appear out of nowhere, hit the listener in the chest like a speeding 16-wheeler, then vanish are what keeps rock exciting for me. Well worth your time, if you want rock that really rocks."
A One-Hit Wonder...But What A Hit!!!
Steve Vrana | Aurora, NE | 08/08/2002
(4 out of 5 stars)
"If I had to choose between The Essentials and 1993's Let It Rock, I'd have to go with Elektra's 20-track anthology. But with only their debut album still in print, The Essentials is the only way to get the Georgia Satellites killer remake of Joe South's "Games People Play." While the Satellites were a one-hit wonder--the terrific "Keep Your Hands to Yourself"--their Chuck Berry-inspired brand of rock and roll filtered through the Stones and the Faces (check out their version of "Every Picture Tells a Story") were one of the bright (if fleeting) moments of the Eighties. If you loved "Keep Your Hands to Yourself," you'll love everything else on this album. RECOMMENDED"
Track Listings (12) - Disc #1