Search - Gary Puckett, Union Gap :: New Gary Puckett & Union Gap Album / Gary Puckett

FINALLY - The New GPUG and GP solo albums

L. R. Webber | Salt Lake City, Utah | 08/03/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"They're here at last and both discs (in one package) are great examples of the incomparable vocal talent of Gary Puckett! This Gott Discs product is the reissue, on CD, of the original Columbia LPs of: 1) The New Gary Puckett and the Union Gap Album (1970) and 2) The Gary Puckett Album (1971 - without the UG) plus 8 bonus tracks.



If you care about tremendous vocal talent and great arrangements and orchestrations, this 2 CD set is definitely for you. However, if you really only care about the GPUG hits, there are many "Greatest Hits" collections available that might be more preferable to you. I would invite everyone, even the music snobs and those with axes to grind, to put away your preconceived notions and listen - REALLY LISTEN - to the clear, distinct, velvety, smokey, silky smooth yet very powerful singing voice of Gary Puckett presented on these 2 discs. You bet, I am a GP fan and right proud to announce it. But I also have over 1000 LPs and CDs from the 1930s through the 1990s in every musical genre imagineable (except Rap - of course), all of which I very much enjoy. In terms of vocal quality, talent and ability alone, there are VERY FEW singers of the past century in Gary Puckett's class. These 2 CDs are a wonderful slice of this man's musical gifts. 10 of the 29 songs on these CDs were written or co-written by Gary.



Put the CDs on, turn up the volume, sit back, close your eyes and really listen to: My Son / Home / Lullaby / Shimmering Eyes and Let's Give Adam and Eve Another Chance. Then wrap your mind around: Stay Out of My World / Simple Man / Out In the Cold Again / Could I / The Beggar / Feeling Bad / Hello Morning / All That Matters and If We Only Have Love. Allow yourself to get better acquainted with lesser known "Bonus Tracks" No One Really Knows / Life Has It's Little Ups and Downs / I Can't Hold On / Leavin' In the Morning and Bless This Child. Believe me, you will come out of that listening experience shaking your head increduously that any man could sing so very well. And then you will be a GP fanatic forever.



IF YOU ENJOY FABULOUS SINGING AND GREAT MUSIC, PURCHASE THIS 2 CD SET ASAP!!!"

The Rise and Fall

Louis J. Perillo | Pensacola, Fl, USA | 08/12/2006

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Gary Puckett is one of my all-time favorites. I have all the original albums and the 45s, group and solo. "The New.." is a 5 star disc. The solo album is not nearly as good, but the combo explains alot. Gary either got terrible advice, or contributed to his own demise:

"His Other Woman" would have been a hit if released as an A side, instead of the inane Adam & Eve - even "Could I" would have been a much better choice. For his solo outing, he shouldn't have gone back to being a cover artist; "Gentle Woman" might have been a hit - "I Don't Know" was also hurt by the arrangement(the "Like a...." part, and the faded out/chorus crippled ending); "No One Really Knows" would have been a better followup than "...Customer...". I doubt that Gary did these things to himself, because the songs he co-wrote were the ones that were relegated the B sides in favor of inferior performances. Well..., I'm happy to get this off my chest after 35 years. Buy the discs, enjoy them, and see for yourself."

Everything Old is New Again.....

K. McComb | Huntington Station, L.I., NY | 01/04/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Well, it's about time someone got the rights to release these on CD. I've had to deal with my LP transfers onto CD for many years, and the sound quality just does not compare to the remastered cd's. Not only do the previously released songs have a new sparkle to them, but the unreleased songs are "INCREDIBLE". I have not been able to stop listening to the "I'll Be Leaving In The Morning" track since the first time I had played it. The sincerity in Gary's voice and the notes he reaches in the chorus are amazing (too bad one is in the middle of the fade, like it was in "Woman, Woman"). Being a GP fan for many years, I was surprised that these bonus songs had escaped me over the years. "I Can't Hold On", unheard of by me until now, is okay, but does sound like it should have been a song the GrassRoots should have recorded. The other two surprises, "No One Really Knows" and "Bless This Child" are a nice addition to Disc 2. "Keep the Customer Satisfied" brings back memories of Gary singing on the Ed Sullivan show (I remember a railroad background, for some reason....), and although his popularity started to diminish about the time the New GP & UG LP had come out, the true fans that bought both albums can relish in the richness of Gary's voice once again, without all the snap, crackle and pop of yesteryear's vinyl. For those of you who enjoy more than just the "Greatest Hits" collections, these albums are a must. Although some of the "bonus" tracks have appeared on previous compilations I have purchased before this, it was certainly worth my investment to get them combined in this collection. And, for those that enjoy these cd's, check out the LOST TAPES offered on the Gary Puckett website. They were recorded shortly after the Gary Puckett solo album, but his voice still has the power and range of his earlier recordings. All in all, this was one of my all time best purchases of music."