Customer Reviews

20 Golden Greats

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I have just, recently, acquired this disc and I must say that sonically I am most impressed.It enjoys tremendous clarity and solid definition. To my experience, these are rare qualities for a Hollies disc which have historically been, to my dismay, very thin in regards to sound. My hat is off to those responsible for this achievement .... for it has long been overdue and the Hollies are most deserving of a sound which befits their marvelous harmonies.In terms of song selection, I do have a few concerns. While there are a number of truly classic tunes here, unfortunately, the producers of this disc has also included some tunes whcih are not necessary representative of the Hollies finer work ..... and this in the end serves only to compromise the quality of the disc as a total listening experience. The Hollies created some absolutely wonderful, timeless tunes. However, their writing did get a bit thin at times resulting in what I can only consider to be rather awkward and somewhat foolish lyrics all in the name of rhyme. The producers are to be applauded for their efforts but unfortunately their good intentions do not favourably alter the outcome. That being said, I am very happy to have this disc in my collection and I am sure that it will bring endless hours of listening pleasure as I merrily sing along with their golden harmonies.

The Hollies had more than twenty hits in their UK homeland, but the big ones can all be found here including all those that reached the top ten. The proof of their continuing popularity in Britain is that many of these songs turn up regularly on various artists compilation albums. The most popular is He ain't heavy he's my brother, which is not a surprise as it was a top three hit in the sixties and a number one hit in the eighties following its use in a TV commercial. The air that I breathe, Carrie Anne, Bus stop, I'm alive and Just one look seem to be the most popular of the others. Less common are Jennifer Eccles, Sorry Suzanne, On a Carousel, Stop stop stop and Look through any window, but these were all huge UK hits for the Hollies.

If you just want a single Hollies CD containing all the essentials from the sixties and seventies, this will satisfy your needs. If you are looking for other excellent but less successful (in the UK) songs like If I needed someone and King Midas in reverse, or you want songs that were successful in other countries but not the UK, you can find them on more comprehensive collections, particularly the Greatest hits double CD released in 2003, which contains all these songs and which I've already reviewed.

Serious Hollies' fans will, of course, want more than this--but for the casual listener of great pop music, this is an essential CD. Most of the really big hits from their long career are here, and the variety of songs is striking.
While very few groups are in the same league as the Hollies for harmony, lead singer, Allan Clarke, should be mentioned--distinctive, powerful, and strangely under-rated, Allan was the driving force of the Hollies' sound.
Except for the Beatles, not many groups had as many hits as the Hollies--yet they are still not in the "Rock n' Roll Hall of Fame", a glaring omission as this CD proves.

A very happy footnote dated 15 December 2009--at long last the Hollies will be inducted into the Rock n' Roll Hall of Fame ! Long overdue !

There are now lots of Hollies anthologies available, but as far as I know this is the only one which in one cd adequately surveys the whole of their hit-period career (1963-1976). Their early period includes several major English hits (e.g. 'I'm Alive,' 'I Can't Let Go,' and 'Here I Go Again') that were either not released in the U.S. or poorly promoted; these are present here but are usually missing in U.S.-oriented collections. The middle period classics ('Bus Stop,' 'Stop Stop Stop,' 'On A Carousel,' 'Carrie Anne,' etc.) are all here, and even the late works ('He Ain't Heavy,' 'Long Cool Woman in a Black Dress,' 'The Air That I Breathe'). Personally, I would have traded a couple of the lesser knowns from these twenty for the superb 'Tell Me to My Face' and 'Clown' (from the album "Stop Stop Stop"), or the middle period minor hits 'Pay You Back With Interest,' 'Dear Eloise,' and 'King Midas in Reverse,' but all in all the twenty chosen are very reasonably representative. What is really needed is a *carefully* chosen *two*-cd anthology; will someone please get busy?

The SOUND of the Hollies is unique and so groovy you will not belive it. With 20 golden hit you get all you need. "Listen to Me", "Carrie Anne", "The Air I Breathe", "On a Carousel", "Long Cool Woman" and "Jennifer Eccles" are the essentials. The rest just make for a good, well rounded CD.

Of all readily available Hollies compilations this has by far the best sound - good transfers with no digital manipulation.

This package is a true gem from a band who rank among the best for their pop ballad/love songs.And the music is among the most versitile of any band that ever lived.

The British band, The Hollies, made an unforgettable mark on the 1960's and early 70's.
They really capture the innocent feel-good folksy 60's sound with such great hits as 'Look Through Any Window' (1965) with its portrayal of suburban/village bliss, the erotic 'Stop Stop Stop' (1966) Carrie Anne (1967) and Jennifer Eccles (1967).
Before switching to the rock mode of the early 70's with 'Long Cool Woman In A Black Dress'(1971).
A great band from a great era.