The Flamin' Groovies: Groovies' Greatest Grooves CD Track Listing

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The Flamin' Groovies Groovies' Greatest Grooves (1989)
Originally Released August 8, 1989\n\nAMG EXPERT REVIEW: During their early period with Roy Loney as lead singer, the Flamin' Groovies made one great album (Teenage Head), one very good one (Flamingo), and one that was flawed but enjoyable (Supersnazz). When Cyril Jordan took over as the band's unquestioned leader following Loney' s departure, the Groovies shifted gears from supercharged roots rock to neo-British Invasion pop, and while every record they released had more than a few brilliant moments, they seemed incapable of making an album that was solid from front to back. Thankfully, some bright penny at Sire Records got the idea of putting together a Flamin' Groovies compilation CD, and the result, Groovies' Greatest Grooves, makes a superb case for the inconsistent but undeniable brilliance of their post-Loney repertoire. Groovies' Greatest Grooves harvests pretty much every great track from the group's three albums for Sire (Shake Some Action, Flamin' Groovies Now!, and Jumpin' in the Night) and tosses in one superb cut with Loney (the masterful "Teenage Head"), two hard-to-find ravers with short-time vocalist Chris Wilson (including the much-covered "Slow Death"), and a rough but exciting demo of "River Deep, Mountain High" cut for a proposed collaboration with Phil Spector. While Jordan's edition of the Flamin' Groovies may not have rocked as hard as Loney's, that doesn't say that they couldn't rock hard when they wanted to, as "Jumpin' in the Night," "Tallahassee Lassie," and "Please Please Girl" easily prove, and "Shake Some Action," "You Tore Me Down," and "All I Wanted" are as transcendent as pop music gets. A satisfying 75 minutes of pure bliss, Groovies' Greatest Grooves is a one-stop shopping place for anyone wanting the cream of the Flamin' Groovies' faux-Brit era, and a fine introduction to one of the best American bands of the period. -- Mark Deming\n\nAmazon.com Editorial Review\nAlways out of place, the Flamin Groovies were almost always great. When San Francisco was drowning in late-'60s hippie excess, the Groovies responded with tight, riff-heavy pop songs such as "Teenage Head" and "High-Flyin' Baby." Predictably enough, not too many people noticed. So what do the Groovies do? They move to England, transform themselves into a hard-rocking, jangly merseybeat outfit, and release the critically acclaimed Shake Some Action. The year was 1976, a period better known for punk than for retro-pop. Oh well and too bad for the Groovies, but not so bad for us, as this collection demonstrates. With should-have-been hits like "You Tore Me Down" and "Slow Death," Groovies' Greatest Grooves is the perfect introduction to San Francisco's most accomplished misfits. --Percy Keegan \n\nAmazon.com Customer Review\nGosh, where could I start?, January 27, 2001 \nReviewer: Simone Oltolina from Morbio Inferiore, TI Switzerland \nFlamin' groovies are quite possibly the best "classic rock" band you've never heard of... Being a cult band they never hit commercial success. Why? Well, because they played the wrong kind of music (bluesy rock 'n' roll, with a pinch of British Invasion in the mix) in an era which was soon going to be dominated by "hippie culture and raga-rock freakouts" as the All Music Guide states. Let's be honest: most alleged "classic" rock sounds outdated and definitely overrated but the Flamin' are just as good today as they were 30 years ago! This collection contains truly their best songs and is therefore the record to own! \n\nAmazon.com Customer Review\nA Compilation Somewhat Flawed But Worthwhile, October 29, 2000 \nReviewer: John Spokus from BALTIMORE, MARYLAND United States \nThe Flamin' Groovies were like two separate bands. The first with original vocalist Roy Loney is grossly under showcased here with just the classics "Teenage Head" and "Slow Death" as a token nod to a line-up that actually made the group's best music. This collection mainly highlights the albums by the Loney-less later line up led by guitarist Cyril Jordan and vocalist Chris White whose biggest claim to fame is the proto- power pop classic/anthem "Shake Some Action" included here along with an overview of the rest of that line-up's output which owes a lot to the mid sixties Beatles and maybe more to The Byrds jangly Rickenbacker 12 string sound. As they went on the original ideas became less and less and they did a lot of cover versions (Beatles, Stones, Byrds, Dylan etc.). Still this compilation is a fun rock n'roll party record, but a little more of the earlier stuff would've been nice. \n\nAmazon.com Customer Review\nWhatever happened to ?, March 18, 2000 \nReviewer: Bill Woods from ROSE HILL Mauritius \nIt is a shame this band never reached the commercial success that their music warranted. Possibly the Big Guy Upstairs got them mixed them up with the Knack when it was supposed to be their shot at the big time. Anyway, there are a couple of really classic songs on this album which deserve wider recognition. The opening to Shake Some Action has to be the one of the best ever. If John Lennon ever heard these guys he would be really proud. Anyone reading this should do whatever it takes to track down anything by the Sunnyboys or Radio Birdman, Australian bands circa 1976-1983, who were heavily influenced by the Groovies; although they both have a harder edge. In particular look out for 'Aloha Steve and Dano' by Radio Birdman which uses the Hawaii Five-O theme in a way you will really dig. Good luck. \n\nHalf.com Album Notes\nFlamin' Groovies: Chris Wilson, Roy Loney, Cyril Jordan (vocals, guitar); Mike Wilhelm, James Farrell, Tim Lynch (guitar); George Alexander (bass); David Wright, Danny Mihm (drums).\n\nProducers: Dave Edmunds, Richard Robinson, Flowerboy Venus, Cyril Jordan, Roger Bechirian.\n\nIncludes liner notes by Michael Goldberg and Michael Snyder.\n\nAn excellent distillation of the Flamin' Groovies' three late-'70s albums for Sire Records, SHAKE SOME ACTION, NOW!! and JUMPIN' IN THE NIGHT--plus the pre-Sire nuggets "Teenage Head" and "Slow Death"--this 24-track compilation distills an uneven but often excellent period in the Groovies' long and checkered career. When the Groovies reappeared in the mid-'70s with Chris Wilson replacing rockabilly-obsessed singer Roy Loney, they repositioned themselves as a throwback to the British Invasion, complete with matching suits and guitarist Cyril Jordan's note-perfect Beatles and Hollies knockoffs.Hearing them for the first time, you will swear that "Yes It's True" and "I'll Cry Alone" are old Billy J. Kramer B-sides. Covers of '60s originals like "Absolutely Sweet Marie" (a la the Byrds) and the Spector classic "River Deep Mountain High" put Jordan's obsessions into context. Conveniently dispensing with the lesser bits of these three uneven albums, GROOVIES' GREATEST GROOVES is the perfect Groovies document.
This rock cd contains 24 tracks and runs 75min 48sec.
Freedb: 6311c218
Buy: from Amazon.com

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