Customer Reviews

40 Golden Greats

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All the expected Cliff Richard vocals are here but some tracks sound muffled compared to more recent remixed/remastered releases. Ballads and more fast-paced numbers are in the mix with the Shadows (Richard's four-member backing group) providing accompaniment and back-up vocals on a majority of the tracks. 1998 is Cliff Richard's 40th anniversary in the music business and better-quality rereleases are available.

This set was the definitive Cliff Richard hits collection at the time of its original release on vinyl. Even back then, Cliff had too many hits to include them all, but all the essentials are here, although some might argue about that. A number one hit (I love you) is missing, as is Voice in the wilderness (a number two hit). Brilliant as they are, they are not as revered as some of the other songs that didn't make the top two in the charts, but which are included here. In the comprehensive six CD set covering all Cliff's singles, the first twenty years of his career uses up 75 tracks compared to the 40 here - and it omits Throw down a line (because it's counted as a duet with Hank Marvin, and the boxed set omits duets).

Apart from Throw down a line, this includes all the classics that you want from the first twenty years of Cliff's incredible career including Move it, Living doll, Travelling light, Please don't tease, When the girl in your arms, Young ones, Bachelor boy, The next time, Summer holiday, Lucky lips, One the beach, The minute your gone, Visions, In the country, The day I met Marie, Miss you nights and Devil woman - not forgetting his two Eurovision entries, Congratulations and Power to all our friends. If I haven't listed your favorite among them, don't worry - every track here is a classic.

Of course, for a really comprehensive collection, you must buy that boxed set, but if you are mainly interested in Cliff's sixties music and you don't need to have all the hits from the period this is the compilation for you.

I like early Cliff the best and there were enough early tracks here to tempt me to buy it,especially in used condition off an amazon shop it was a bargain.However I had carefully listened to the mp3 samples before I bought the CD so I knew the sound quality was good.

Having carefully listened to the actual Cds,I am very pleased with the sound quality,it is never less than good and frequently reaches excellent,the early tracks are mono,as they were never recorded in stereo,from track 7 to the end on CD1 we have all stereo recordings,as is the whole of CD2,this is much better than offered on most compilations,even the much more expensive singles collection does not offer this.

The original issue date is given as 1979,however my copy also has 1989 on it,were the tracks remastered during this 10 year period as my observations on the sound quality is different in some ways from certain other reviewers,I cannot say any more on this as it is against amazon review guide lines.

To sum up,if you like the selection of tracks,buy it as currently there is nothing better,thoroughly recommended,also do see my other Cliff reviews.

This is probably the best example of Cliff Richard's music, from his early years to the mid 1980's. I had the original version on an LP and am delighted to now have it on CD.