We Five were the highest charting act to emerge from San Francisco until the rise of Creedence Clearwater Revival. Their summer 1965 smash, You Were On My Mind, was as important as Mr Tambourine Man in introducing the publ... more »ic to the notion of folk-rock.The Big Beat compilation There Stands The Door - The Best Of We Five brings overdue reassessment of this important group who, with the powerful lead vocals of Bev Bivens, had one of the most distinctive sounds in 60s pop.The collection draws upon the groups three albums for A&M, mostly produced under the careful auspices of Frank Werbers Trident Productions, as well as featuring rare gems such as the non-LP single There Stands The Door and a host of previously unissued sides.Produced with full co-operation from the groups members and illustrated with many rarely-seen photos, There Stands The Door - The Best Of We Five is an essential purchase for any lover of mid-60s pop.« less
We Five were the highest charting act to emerge from San Francisco until the rise of Creedence Clearwater Revival. Their summer 1965 smash, You Were On My Mind, was as important as Mr Tambourine Man in introducing the public to the notion of folk-rock.The Big Beat compilation There Stands The Door - The Best Of We Five brings overdue reassessment of this important group who, with the powerful lead vocals of Bev Bivens, had one of the most distinctive sounds in 60s pop.The collection draws upon the groups three albums for A&M, mostly produced under the careful auspices of Frank Werbers Trident Productions, as well as featuring rare gems such as the non-LP single There Stands The Door and a host of previously unissued sides.Produced with full co-operation from the groups members and illustrated with many rarely-seen photos, There Stands The Door - The Best Of We Five is an essential purchase for any lover of mid-60s pop.
Don Loiacano | Bowling Green, KY United States | 04/11/2009
(4 out of 5 stars)
"I've always loved the We Five, ever since seeing a clip in the mid 90s on the Hullaballoo video set of them performing 'You let a love burn out'; this was followed by a 'duet' with Soupy Sales of 'Daydream', then on the charts for the Lovin' Spoonful.
This set is another wonderful treatment by Big Beat and the liner notes are EXTREMELY thorough, revealing things I never knew about the band [it was a pleasant surprise to see and hear that they were an integrated touring and recording group]. The saga of their Coke commercial fiasco is worth the price of admission.
I can't give this a five star review, however. The version of 'Love Me Not Tomorrow', a song which opens their first LP, included here is the letdown for me, almost burying Bev Bivens' vocals. The CCM version of their two LPs includes a version that just JUMPS out at you, giving Bev's voice the full treatment. It being my favorite 'forgotten' We Five track, it sends me running for the other CD everytime. But, of course, that just means more We Five!
So buy this AND the CCM twofer of their first two A&M LPs and you've got the original lineup in all its glory."
FINALLY!
Duane R. Wirdel | 03/24/2009
(5 out of 5 stars)
"For years members of the current We Five and their fans have been lobbying to get "There Stands the Door" out on cd. Sundazed botched it and didn't put it on their disc of the first two albums, the people who did "Love is the Song We Sing" boxed set didn't and now HERE IT IS! This cd is great and shows the band at their folk rock/proto psychedelia best, but the song "There Stands the Door" is a forgotten classic that hit number 100 and died. We Five's leader, Jerry Burgan is quite proud of it and well he should be. It has droning sitar-like 12 strings, an Indian motif and some of Bev's best singing. Buy this cd before it goes OOP. If you love San Francisco 60's music, folk-rock or psychedelia YOU NEED THIS cd!"
It sounds like someone re-mastered when they shouldn't have.
Rower | Leverett, MA USA | 11/25/2009
(4 out of 5 stars)
"If you like folk rock, this is a very good album. It also contains some blues, rock and even tunes with blue grass and country flavors. It's an enjoyable collection of tunes from a group of skilled musicians, writers and a first rate singer (on most cuts).
I've been a hard core fan of the original We Five since "You Were On MY Mind" first came out, and was delighted when one could get the original album on the "You Were On My Mind / Make Someone Happy" CD. However, for those Beverly Bivens fans out there, be prepared for a disappointment. It sounds like her voice is actually "diminished" on some cuts. It's especially noticeable on "Love Me Not Tomorrow" and "Poet." It's blatantly obvious on cuts where the string/guitar base volume has been increased when compared to earlier recordings (the base was increased as well as her voice lowered, separate but simultaneous changes). This did not sound like a general shift in equalization, but sounded like many cuts had been re-mastered. Too, too bad. As much as I loved the We Five, I couldn't give this 5 stars. If you would like to hear a truly remarkable voice, listen to the first six cuts on the "You Were On MY Mind / Make Someone Happy" CD. Nevertheless, "the best of" is also worth owning.
"
The incredible sounds of We Five
Matthew G. Sherwin | last seen screaming at Amazon customer service | 07/06/2009
(5 out of 5 stars)
"We Five turned out some pretty good music in their time; and this CD showcases their awesome talent. This will appeal to both fans and newcomers alike; the selection of songs is pretty good even though it's not a complete retrospective--that would take more than just one CD! The quality of the sound is excellent and I like the artwork.
The album starts with one of their biggest hits ever, a cover of a song performed by Ian and Sylvia, "You Were on My Mind." "You Were On My Mind" has a fantastic melody that mixes very well with their vocals; and it's a great way to start the CD. The drums, percussion and those electric guitars really enhance the music, too. Wisely, however, the music stays slightly in the background; this keeps the vocals up front and it works wonders for this ballad. "There Stands the Door" has some mighty fine singing; the "layers" of their singing enhance the number and I'm very impressed. Again, the drums and electric guitar work make "There Stands the Door" a very good number. "If I Were Alone" has a great sound to it that I always love to hear; We Five performs this with panache--and they never let go of a single superfluous note! I love it.
"Let's Get Together," a Kingston Trio folk song, is very nicely done; and I really like "High Flying Bird" with its touch of psychedelic rock. Moreover, "What Do I Do Now" has We Five squarely front and center; and that's more than quite all right by me! "What Do I Do Now" gets a most passionate treatment and it's a major highlight of this album. Terrific! "The First Time" rocks, too--as only We Five could make it rock! "What's Goin' On" has some excellent harmonizing as they sing and play this to perfection--and beyond!
"I Can Never Go Home Again" has a nice folk rock touch to it and it makes this number really shine. "I Can Never Go Home Again" charms me with its natural beauty; they do this one up right! We Five also does a sublime cover of "Walk on By." Listen also for We Five to do "The Thing I Like" really well; "The Thing I Like" features great singing, drums and guitar all at once and this is yet another gem on this CD.
"Past Asking" is another folk rock sounding tune that is quite well done; and I really like "After All." "After All" has that mid 1960's flavor to it and I think you'll like this song if you haven't heard it before. "Whatcha Gonna Do" gets the royal treatment from We Five; "Whatcha Gonna Do" shows them handling very complicated tempo and key changes like the pros they were and still remain! "How To Make a Soft Drink Commercial" is a good number for historical reasons; We Five was the first group to record music expressly for Coca-Cola. The ending of the CD shines every bit as brightly.
We Five really made the airwaves sizzle back in the day; and they still rule in my book! I highly recommend this CD for their fans; and it's also a great starter CD for anyone just getting into their incredible sound."
The Gretness of We Five
Stuart Snyder | New York, NY USA | 02/02/2010
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I've just listened to this for the first time, and I absolutely love it! A true testimony of how great We Five truly was. Unfortunately they didn't receive the proper support they needed from A & M Records, for if they did, there's no telling how far this brilliant and talented combo would have gone.
I must agree with reviewer Don Loiacano, that Bev Bivens' vocal is poorly mixed on "Love Me Not Tomorrow". Despite this, I'm still giving There Stands The Door 5 stars, for it is plainly and simply GREAT! I would love to know what else remains in the vaults from We Five.