Saturday, 13 November 2010
Various Artists - various artists, disco
Pure 70's has some excellent tunes from the 1970s on it; although it is far from being complete. You would need a big box set for that! To be fair, however, you do get 18 songs here and that's a pretty good value for your money. The quality of the sound is excellent and I really like that artwork, too.
The album starts with Free performing a huge hit for them entitled "All Right Now." This rocks hard and that guitar work does a lot for this song. Free sings and plays this like the champs they were and still remain; and the melody is catchy and even memorable! Boston's "More Than A Feeling" has a softer rock flavor to it; but those guitars come in big to rock on the musical interlude. Boston really knew how to turn out a rock ballad! In addition, The Allman Brothers Band does "Ramblin' Man" faultlessly, this country rocking tune never had them sounding better; the tune is also quite catchy and The Allman Brothers don't ever skip a beat--great!
"Sweet Home Alabama" by Lynyrd Skynyrd really brings back memories. This tune has always been one of my favorites from the 1970s; its response to a Neil Young song was quite strong and Lynyrd Skynyrd showed they had the chops to do anything they wanted when they did this number. "American Woman" has a fine 70's flavor to it and those guitars work wonders for this tune by The Guess Who. How's about that percussion? Moreover, Eric Clapton's masterpiece "Cocaine" still shines bright all these years later; Eric sings and plays this to perfection--and beyond! "Cocaine" is easily a major highlight of this album.
Rod Stewart scored a big hit with his "Maggie May;" and listen for Steelers Wheel doing their awesome "Stuck In The Middle With You." "Struck In The Middle With You" has a great arrangement for the guitars and they never let go of a superfluous note--how's about that percussion? I also really like Blue Swede's incredibly famous and primal favored "Hooked On A Feeling;" Blue Swede never sounded better and just one listen proves it. Similarly, ELO's "Don't Bring Me Down" is a song I could never forget; this got a lot of airplay in its time and it deserved all the attention it received. It still rocks today!
10CC does "The Things We Do For Love" has a softer rock feeling to it but make no mistake about it--these guys deliver a whopper of a tune that could never be forgotten. And then there is the mysterious (at the time) song by Carly Simon, "You're So Vain." I remember how we all wondered to whom she was referring--and when we found out who it was more than just another lady or two who chimed in about how the same guy was quite the heartbreaker. (Hint: His initials are W.B.)
Elton John makes a big splash with his stunning "Sorry Seems To Be The Hardest Word;" this last tune leaves you wanting so much more. It's a very strong and beautiful ending for this album.
Overall, Pure 70's has a lot to offer but don't think this is in any way a complete overview of the great hits from the 1970s--that would be impossible on any single CD. This is best suited for people who merely want a few broad brushstrokes type of introduction to the music of the 1970s; the diehard fan would do well to find box sets of this genre of music available for sale on this website. Pure 70's
For those expecting a disco-y 70's revival, you're in for a (great) surprise. This disc is guitar-driven rock at it's best. Classic from artists ranging from Clapton to Frampton, this is by far the best recording to play air-guitar with in a long time.
If you're a fan of one of the greatest music decades of all time, then this CD is a "must" for your collection. Many of the great groups from the 70's (including Boston, Lynyrd Skynyrd, The Doobie Brothers, Elton John, The Allman Brothers, and the list goes on and on) are present on this CD containing 18 tracks. Every song's a classic rock favorite that still graces the air waves today.
My only criticism is minor - if a Thin Lizzy song was going to be included, why pick "Whiskey in the Jar" over "The Boys Are Back in Town"? But if that's the worst thing that can be said about this collection, then you know it MUST be good!
A huge hit value - you can't go wrong with this CD!
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED
If there's one thing harder to do than narrow down the 80's to one disc, it's doing that to the 70's. The truth is this collection could have had 400 different songs on it. Why these made the cut, who knows. I'll agree that most of these would be considered classic, but I think the average person is gonna already own a third of this disc, not care about a third, and be sick of the other third. I guess if you kept your CD collection under 20 discs, then this might do the trick. Good for a party, sure. Overall though, I'd probably just get an album from Led Zeppelin, David Bowie, or The Eagles. Where are they?
WE REALLY LIKE THE VARIETY OF THE SONGS AND ARTISTS ON THIS CD. WE BOUGHT IT TOGETHER WITH "THE BEST OF THE 70'S SUPERGROUPS". THERE WERE ONLY A FEW SONGS DUPLICATED ON THESE TWO CD'S, BUT OVERALL WE ARE VERY HAPPY WITH THE SONGS ON BOTH OF THESE CD'S. - Disco - Various Artists - Classic Funk - Compilations'
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