Search - Various Artists :: 60's: Gold

+ 1/2 stars...'60s GOLD Will Satisfy That Nostalgia Craving

Steve Vrana | Aurora, NE | 07/17/2006

(4 out of 5 stars)

"'60s GOLD is the latest release in Hip-O Records' "Gold" series. As usual they do a fine job in remastering and song selection--and amazon.com's discounted price makes this a real bargain! I have purchased several previous "Gold" series releases (SOUTHERN ROCK, '70s, BLUES, among others) and have always been pleased, and this is no exception.



However, here are a few points to consider:



*Most of these tracks are from the mid-Sixties. Twenty-six of the tracks were released from 1964 to 1967--eleven from 1967 alone! [Note: All tracks are presented chronologically.]



*There is a heavy emphasis on Motown hits. [Five of which are duplicated from MOTOWN GOLD.] My only concern is why was it necessary to include three(!) Supremes songs?



*The British Invasion is represented by only three artists--The Mindbenders, The Troggs and Procol Harum. The heavy hitters (Beatles, Stones, Kinks, Who, et. al.) are missing. Also, two of America's biggest bands--The Beach Boys and The Doors--are also MIA.



*Finally, with each disk under sixty minutes, it would have been easy to add another ten to twelve tracks and perhaps rectify some of the above concerns.



But if you're looking for a collection of songs guaranteed to satisfy your Sixties nostalgia craving, there are few releases that will provide that fix better than '60s GOLD. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED







"

Awesome '60s hits

Matthew G. Sherwin | last seen screaming at Amazon customer service | 03/04/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"'60s: Gold is an incredible two CD set that gives us many, many great hits from the `60s. Of course, even two CDs couldn't possibly capture all of the best of this decade; but as a two CD set goes this is really rather good. I like the artwork; and the sound quality is very, very good.



The Miracles start it off right with their "Shop Around." This was recorded years before The Captain & Tennille did it; and man, how they sound good! The backup vocals work well to bolster this number, too. The Marvelettes sing "Please Mr. Postman" with all their heart and soul; and I really like "Please Mr. Postman" very much. The Marvelettes are an excellent example of a `60s girl group. Listen also for Leslie Gore's "It's My Party;" Leslie never sounded better and this number always makes me smile because of that certain innocence of the lyrics.



Fontella Bass sings "Rescue Me" passionately; she sounds a bit like Diana Ross but she holds her own very well. "Rescue Me" has a good rockin' `60s beat to it and it's always been one of my very favorite songs from this decade. Len Barry performs "1-2-3" with a lot of positive energy that proves to be infectious--the musical arrangement has some pretty awesome percussion!



"98.6" by Keith still sounds as fresh as ever all these years alter; and Spanky & Our Gang do a great job on "Sunday Will Never be The Same." "Sunday Will Never Be The Same" profits from major and minor key modulations and this folk rock type of ballad really works well. Procol Harum, of course, scores big with their classic "A Whiter Shade Of Pale." This ballad has a very lush musical arrangement and they play this like the pros they always were! There's also Strawberry Alarm Clock doing their "Incense And Peppermints;" this psychedelic rock number was also one of my favorites and it's great to have it here on this CD.



"The Rain, The Park & Other Things" was one of the biggest hits ever for The Cowsills; they harmonize so well and the lighter type of folk rock sounds so good here. Marvin Gaye also scores a huge hit with "I Heard It Though The Grapevine;" he sings this to perfection. Marvin's excellent diction bolsters his performance. The second CD closes with Steam's memorable hit entitled "Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye." What a strong ending for this two CD set!



Overall, true fans of the `60s may already have most if not all of these tunes in their collections. However, casual fans of `60s music may be more interested in this set; it helps them avoid buying numerous CDs by giving them so much on a two CD set. This is also a great starter CD set for people just becoming acquainted with this genre of music.

"

'60s: Gold Various Artists

P. EGAN | Ft. Lauderdale | 08/03/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This series Gold, put out by Universal Music Co. is usually of top quality. Culling from the vast Universal Catalog, the '60s, has an excellent selection of well known standards as well as several "hard to find " chestnuts. The sound quality is very good and 40 songs, make this a thrifty purchase for the asking price."