Customer Reviews

16 Greatest Hits

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I waited a year for this CD and was truly disappointed. These songs are not the original ones you heard on the radio. This is one of the reasons collectors download off the internet. At least if it's not original, it wasn't a waste of time & money. All older music should state whether it is original or not. I gave it one star for the cover!

I heard the song "Down in Mexico" on the DVD of Tarantino's "Death Proof." It's the song to which Butterfly performs her lap dance for Stuntman Mike. The song has a catchy, propulsive chorus that sounds fitting in today's music scene, but still has the timbre and character of a much older song.

This song alone inspired me to pick up this cd a month or two ago, and I certainly didn't regret that choice. I don't know enough about the musical context in which these songs were originally written and performed to write an analysis of the influences that you'll hear here, but they're certainly not anything like what is being written and released these days. There's humor, harmony, hints of an almost barber-shop style dialog and playfulness, as well incredibly catchy songs that will get stuck in your head. I especially recommend "Love Potion #9", "Whip It On Me", "Poison Ivy" and of course "Down in Mexico."

This was actually the first Coasters album I ever owned. I bought it under another title in the mid-1980s as a young high-schooler, having no clue that it wasn't the original group.

I firmly agree that "Greatest Hits" compilations should be very clear if the songs contained on the album are not the originals. According to the Coasters Web site, this album was origninally released in 1975, with most tracks recorded in 1973. Ten of the tracks include only one of the original Coasters (Carl Gardner) and six were recorded with Billy Guy in 1962.

You will be disappointed if your goal is to hear the original hits of the Coasters from the 1950s. On the other hand, I enjoyed listening to these songs for many years before learning they were not originals. The songs are fun and well-performed, and the recording quality is superior to much of what The Coasters actually did record in the '50s. Unfortunately, there is a lot of faux Coaster music out there by groups with little to no connection to the original band, and some are frustratingly bad. At least these are good recordings, if lacking historical value.

The CD features re-recordings of the songs. All the main hits are present, and the quality of the songs is good, but listening through the CD is still a disappointing experience. Look for another compilation from The Coasters that features only original recordings.

This is a must for all do wop fans great tunes from an excellent group.