Recycled
eveoflove | North York, Ontario Canada | 07/14/2001
(2 out of 5 stars)
"Made in UK in 2000, Serial# ESMCD-879, Playing Time 79:29Yes, he's the man who recorded "Baker Street"...But this album isn't about that; and careful with the "best of" in the title.This CD is made up of 2 things: a) the first 13 tracks are in fact GR's 1st solo album, 1971's "Can I Have My Money Back?"; b) the next 12 tracks make up a "best of" from material of his previous collaboration, the HUMBLEBUMS, recorded back in 1969 and 1970.So if you're thinking about getting a "best of" of Gerry Rafferty (covering later material), there's quite a few out there.This is a "Best Of 1969-1971"..."
NOT His Greatest Hits. Just Some Great Early Music.
Eric R. Last | San Bruno, CA United States | 02/06/2004
(5 out of 5 stars)
"The one review currently listed (from 7/13/01) is entirely accurate in its description but way off in its star rating. The first 13 tracks were originally released in 1971 as Rafferty's first solo album "Can I Have My Money Back". This album is a delight from start to finish. I highly advise anyone who loves his more well known music ("Baker Street', etc.) to give this a try. Definitely 5 star material, and I don't give out that rating lightly. The remaining 12 tracks are from an earlier band Rafferty was in, the Humblebums. I don't find these tracks to be nearly as appealing but they have their moments. It is true that the record label is being very misleading in calling this "The Best of Gerry Rafferty". But there is a lot of outstanding music to be found here, and it deserves 5 stars for that alone, even if the title is a con job. By the way, just to fill in the blanks, after recording his solo debut, Rafferty formed the band Stealer's Wheel, most famous for the hit song "Stuck In The Middle With You". After a few albums with Stealer's Wheel, he returned to solo recordings with "City To City", which has his most well known song, "Baker Street", and he's continued to record as a solo artist ever since. His latest album, "Another World", came out in 2000."