Where Have All the Flowers Gone - Johnny Rivers, Seeger
Secret Agent Man - Johnny Rivers, Barri
(I Washed My Hands In) Muddy Water - Johnny Rivers, Babcock
Poor Side of Town - Johnny Rivers, Adler
Baby, I Need Your Lovin' - Johnny Rivers, Dozier
The Tracks of My Tears - Johnny Rivers, Moore
Summer Rain - Johnny Rivers, Hendricks
Positively 4th Street - Johnny Rivers, Dylan
Muddy River - Johnny Rivers, Hendricks
Into the Mystic - Johnny Rivers, Morrison
Sea Cruise - Johnny Rivers, Smith
Rockin' Pneumonia - Boogie Woogie Flu - Johnny Rivers, Smith
Blue Suede Shoes - Johnny Rivers, Perkins
Track Listings (18) - Disc #2
Help Me Rhonda - Johnny Rivers, Wilson
Swayin' to the Music (Slow Dancin') - Johnny Rivers, Tempchin
Curious Mind (Um, Um, Um, Um) - Johnny Rivers, Mayfield
That's Alright Mama - Johnny Rivers, Crudup, Arthur "Big
Honey Don't - Johnny Rivers, Perkins
Big River - Johnny Rivers, Cash
Matchbox - Johnny Rivers, Perkins
Down at the House of Blues - Johnny Rivers, Rivers
Closer to You - Johnny Rivers, Hamblin
Blue Suede Shoes [Tribute to Carl Perkins] - Johnny Rivers, Hendricks
Last Train to Memphis - Johnny Rivers, Rivers
China [Live] - Johnny Rivers, Georgiades
Midnight Special [2004 Version] - Johnny Rivers, Traditional
I'll Be Back - Johnny Rivers, Lennon
Going Back to Big Sur - Johnny Rivers, Rivers
Feel a Whole Lot Better - Johnny Rivers, Clarke
Rollin' Stone [#] - Johnny Rivers, Waters
Let It Rock [#] - Johnny Rivers, Berry
Produced by the legendary Johnny Rivers himself, the 36-song, two-CD set Secret Agent Man: The Ultimate Johnny Rivers Anthology 1964-2006 is the most comprehensive collection of his music ever released. The anthology fe... more »atures 19 of his chart hits, including 15 hard-to-find tracks released on his own label. This set also features two brand-new recordings. Johnny Rivers vaulted to worldwide fame during the height of Beatlemania, when he released a series of albums recorded at the world-famous Whisky A Go-Go, all featuring hard-charging versions of rock Â?nÂ? roll standards. In the late Â?60s, he changed direction with the self-penned #1 hit, Â"Poor Side Of Town,Â" a soulful ballad that he soon followed up with another hit in a similar vein, Â"Summer Rain.Â" In the Â?70s he returned to his rockinÂ? roots and over the next 30 years released album after album of vibrant rock Â?nÂ? roll. Secret Agent Man is the definitive collection from this legendary artist.« less
Produced by the legendary Johnny Rivers himself, the 36-song, two-CD set Secret Agent Man: The Ultimate Johnny Rivers Anthology 1964-2006 is the most comprehensive collection of his music ever released. The anthology features 19 of his chart hits, including 15 hard-to-find tracks released on his own label. This set also features two brand-new recordings. Johnny Rivers vaulted to worldwide fame during the height of Beatlemania, when he released a series of albums recorded at the world-famous Whisky A Go-Go, all featuring hard-charging versions of rock Â?nÂ? roll standards. In the late Â?60s, he changed direction with the self-penned #1 hit, Â"Poor Side Of Town,Â" a soulful ballad that he soon followed up with another hit in a similar vein, Â"Summer Rain.Â" In the Â?70s he returned to his rockinÂ? roots and over the next 30 years released album after album of vibrant rock Â?nÂ? roll. Secret Agent Man is the definitive collection from this legendary artist.
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This disc continues an unfortunate trend that began earlier in the decade: The practice of jacking the gain on every channel to its maximum level, then deeming the result "remastered".
The previous "best audio quality" stereo JR compilation was the 1998 "The Original" on Disky Records from the Netherlands. So, that disc was my comparison source for an A/B test for this new set.
When you cue up "Secret Agent Man" on the Disky release, the channels are balanced and all instruments can be heard distinctly.
However, on this disc, the guitar in the left channel has been jacked up so loud that it drowns out the bass and drums in the right. That great twangin' bass is just buried.
JR's web site states he "personally" remastered these recordings. However, the disc booklet credits him with producing the compilation, while the actual mastering credit is listed to Mark Chalecki at Capitol Mastering.
One wonders of JR ever stepped in the door while the actual mastering work on this compilation was being done.
And, Mark? You blew it, babe. BIG TIME.
For my money, although this set has double the number of tracks, the Disky CD is the way to really enjoy JR."
Rivers Keeps Rock Roots Alive on "Secret Agent Man"
Anthony G Pizza | FL | 10/22/2006
(4 out of 5 stars)
"Roots-rocker Johnny Rivers dedicated the songs on "Secret Agent Man" - and by extension, his career - to "the grand master, C.B. (Chuck Berry)," who jams with Rivers in an opposing page photo. It's not surprising, as this fine 2CD set shows an artist flying under the radar, jump-starting and maintaining a more than 40-year career playing groove-driven, no nonsense rock, blues, and country covers.
Disc One covers Rivers' hits for the Imperial and United Artists labels (1964-73), and its first eight tunes drop you onto the Whiskey-A-Go Go's dance floor circa 1965. Rivers, bassist Joe Osborn and producer Lou Adler created an infectious series of fortified live hits ("Memphis," "Midnight Special," "Muddy Water") whose stinging guitar, groove-driven base and even hand claps sound better than ever with 21st century remastering.
Rivers was among the era's few stars of the early stars- Dion immediately comes to mind - who smoothly transitioned mid-decade to folk-rock's introspective approach. This stems not only from the memorable Beatles line in "Summer Rain," but lush, soulful Motown covers (1967's "Baby I Need Your Lovin'" and "Tracks of My Tears") and 1966's co-written #1 masterpiece, "Poor Side of Town." No Rivers cover here, from Berry to Van Morrison to Bob Dylan, tops its original ("Positively 4th Street," where Rivers substitutes heartfelt anger for the original's sneer, comes closest). But each respects the original, and Rivers delivers them gimmick-free in his trademark Cajun, R&B-flavored voice.
Disc Two cleans up his other 70s hits, then slides into first-rate oldies covers recorded over the last 15 years. He rocks on Memphis' Sun catalogue ("That's Alright Mama," "Big River," "Matchbox,") in tribute to legendary guitarist Carl Perkins, and sings jangly mid-60s folk-rock (the Beatles' "I'll Be Back," the Byrds' "Feel A Whole Lot Better." Those only knowing Rivers from Disc One's hits will be pleasantly surprised: he's in fine voice and in full command of songs he's loved and built his career around.
That career, left Rivers painfully short of superstardom but with 30 million records sold and many memorable hits. He crossed paths with seminal figures and events like Alan Freed, the Monterey Pop festival, the songs of Jimmy Webb and even country-rockers like the Eagles and Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers (Rivers wrote and recorded with extended members of those groups). If he doesn't make Rock and Roll's Hall of Fame, Johnny Rivers should be hired as a curator; "Secret Agent Man" shows him a first-class steward of classic American rock and roll.
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Great Artist, Great Anthology!
John A. Gregorio | Castalian Springs, TN | 09/18/2006
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I know some people are dedicated to the previous anthology on Rhino, but this anthology is just as good in its choice of songs. The key factor is Johnny Rivers.
In all "periods" of his musical career he has produced great music. From Chuck Berry's "Memphis" to the Lennon-McCarthy "I'll be Back." He just gets better with age.
The sound of the early tracks is much improved over the old 45's which I originally owned. I have never regretted the demise of vinyl as the main course of music.
If you haven't heard much of Johnny Rivers I highly recommend this anthology. Even if you have heard all the songs this is a great collection to have."
Career-spanning but not "ultimate"
Zub | Forks Twp., PA | 04/05/2007
(4 out of 5 stars)
"After years of commercial invisibility, in 1964 Johnny Rivers' energetic, unpretentious, yet solidly crafted studio-enhanced live recordings blasted onto the charts offering a refreshing, all-American alternative to the onslaught of British invasion music. After several chart successes in the "Whiskey-A-Go-Go" vein, Rivers changed musical direction and topped the charts with his self-penned "Poor Side of Town". Next came a pair of phenomenally successful covers of Motown songs, "Baby I Need Your Loving" and "Tracks of My Tears". For another ten years Rivers stretched from bluesy rock to lush balladry with two more songs making the top ten, keeping Rivers on the radar of the fickle music-buying public into the late '70's. All told, Rivers saw nearly 30 of his tunes make it into the top-100. With this legacy of music, anthologizing his recordings is no small undertaking. Two decades ago, Rhino did a respectable job with its two-disc collection that has held up over the years. Shout records now offers a new alternative in this "ultimate anthology". While this piece does delve further into Rivers' more recent recordings and offers two previously unreleased songs, it does this at a price. While most of his top-40 songs are included here, nearly a third of Rivers' charting singles are absent. Among those omissions, and though only a minor hit single, "Ashes and Sand" from 1977 continues to evade reissue on CD, somewhat surprising in that it was originally issued on Rivers' own Soul City label. While 18 tracks on a disc may seem to be generous enough, for an "anthology", ratcheting the count up to 24 would have allowed the inclusion of many of the missing singles and would have better justified the claim to being "ultimate". So, down one star for this perceived "stinginess". Otherwise, this set rates highly for the packaging, 20-page liner notes booklet and overall sound quality. Choosing between this and the Rhino one comes down to whether you're looking for more of Rivers' classic single records, in which case the Rhino set wins hands down, or the inclusion of Rivers' more contemporary work served only by this Shout/Soul City collection."
Do Yourself A Favour Get This CD
Anthony Barker | Victoria, Australia | 02/24/2007
(5 out of 5 stars)
"The excellent sound quality on this cd was a revelation especially when the songs date back to 1964. My previous Johnny Rivers compilation cd sounded very thin. This is not the case with "Secret Agent Man - The Ultimate Johnny Rivers Anthology 1964-2006".
You forget just how many hit records Johnny Rivers had until you have them all on a cd like this. His music is very much in the feel good mode and this disc has seldom been out of my player since it arrived. If you are a Johnny Rivers fan or simply like good music this cd is highly recommended."