Absolutely the Best [Original recording remastered]

Bobby Goldsboro | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (April 15, 2003)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Original recording remastered
• Label: Varese Sarabande
• ASIN: B00008W2UF
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #297,094 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Honey

2. See the Funny Little Clown

3. Summer (The First Time)

4. Watching Scotty Grow

5. Whenever He Holds You

6. Little Things

7. Voodoo Woman

8. It's Too Late

9. Blue Autumn

10. The Straight Life

11. I'm a Drifter

12. Autumn of My Life

13. With Pen in Hand

14. And I Love You So

15. I Am a Rock

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant pop singer of the sixties and seventies, June 13, 2005

By 

Peter Durward Harris "Pete the music fan" (Leicester England) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Absolutely the Best (Audio CD)

Bobby was never a prolific hit-maker but he wrote and recorded plenty of great songs. Most of the best songs are included in this wonderful compilation, which primarily focuses on his American hits.

Bobby's biggest hit came with a song he didn't write - Honey, a song that many people have strong opinions about. Honey made number one in the American pop and country charts in 1968. It also made number two in the UK pop charts that year. Re-released in the UK in 1975, Honey again made number two. Many singers have covered this song but the strangest cover is that by Tammy Wynette, who adapted the lyrics, taking the role of the woman who died in the song and singing from beyond the grave, even apologizing for dying.

Bobby's first American hit came in 1964 when he made the top ten with See the funny little clown. Apart from Honey, he never again made the American top ten though he came close with Little things (a UK top five hit for Dave Berry) and Watching Scotty grow. His other American top forty hits were Summer the first time (which made the UK top ten for Bobby), Autumn of my life, Voodoo woman (different from Bobby's usual mellow style - this one has an R+B feel to it), Whenever he holds you, It's too late, The straight life and Blue autumn. Bobby had other American hits that didn't make the top forty including With pen in hand (written by Bobby but it had previously been a hit for both Billy Vera and Vikki Carr), And I love you so (a cover of a Don McLean song that gave Perry Como a major international hit) and I'm a drifter. The compilation is completed by Bobby's cover of I am a rock (Simon and Garfunkel).

This compilation does not contain every Bobby Goldsboro song worth having. For example, it omits Hello summertime (a UK top twenty hit) and Cowboy and the lady (covered by Dolly Parton as Cowgirl and the Dandy for her album, Here you come again). Nevertheless, this is a very strong compilation of Bobby's music.

It is worth noting (in case you're tempted by a track listing of a rival compilation) that some compilations contain inferior re-recordings I do not mind re-recordings as such, but with Bobby's music, it is wise to stick with the originals. If you only want one compilation of Bobby's original recordings, this is the one to choose. If you decide to buy a different compilation, make sure that you know what you're buying.

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great CD - Great Trip Down Memory Lane, August 20, 2003

By 

Priscilla J. Pena (Washington, DC United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Absolutely the Best (Audio CD)

I received this CD yesterday from Amazon.com and played it on the way to work this morning. I graduated in 1965 from Biddeford High School in Maine and at that time Bobby Goldsboro was at the height of his popularity. This CD is great! My favorites are: Honey, See the Funny Little Clown and Autumn of My Life but the entire CD is excellent. Out of the 15 songs in this CD, Goldsboro wrote 10 of them. If in the 60's you enjoyed his music and just want to enjoy something from that era, do buy this CD.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Original recordings remastered, November 4, 2005

By 

William (Australia) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Absolutely the Best (Audio CD)

As another reviewer pointed out, this compilation stands out among all of the Bobby Goldsboro collections. This fine selection contains the original recordings remastered beautifully. BEginning with the world famous hit "Honey", you just know you have got yourself a great CD. My all time favourite "Summer, the first time" is included and is such a spine tingling song - haunting and beautiful. Also included on this compilation are his impressive covers of "I am a rock" and "And I love you so".

If you are looking for the best Bobby compilation, this is the one. It does not contain any of the re-recordings that he did in the early 90's (urgh).