Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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5.0 out of 5 stars
relive the magic, October 22, 2007
Given that I was turning twelve in 1966 when 'Hanky Panky' broke as Tommy James & the Shondells' first number one hit, and the fact that Tommy hailed from my backyard of Niles, Michigan, it may come as no surprise that I harbor a special place in my heart for the original versions of their fifteen or so Top 40 hits. And although many of the tracks on this 2002 release (originally recorded at The Bitter End nightclub in New York City in 1996) have apparently been overdubbed and remastered to replicate the smooth studio effects those hits possessed, it's hard not to like these energetic, digitally enhanced performances.
Anyone who thinks Tommy James and his Shondells were lightweights needs to re-examine the records. Tommy scored number one hits with 'Hanky Panky' in '66 and 'Crimson and Clover' in '68, and another six Top 10 selections with 'Draggin' the Line' (#4 in '71), 'Crystal Blue Persuasion' (#2 in '69), 'I Think We're Alone Now' (#4 in ''67), 'Mony Mony' (#3 in '68), 'Mirage' (#10 in '67), and 'Sweet Cherry Wine' (#7 in '69). All appear on this disc. James' musical sensibilities also include an eclectic mix of exhuberant pop ('Say I Am', #21 in '66) and Summer of Love angst ('Gettin' Together', #18 in '67), as well as the gritty garage-rock that later inspired artists such a Billy Idol to cover his hits. Also featured is a performance of 'Tighter Tighter', a 1970 million seller for Alive and Kickin', a song produced by Tommy James. And how many performers can afford to leave six other Top 40 hits out of the setlist, as Tommy does here?
Although none of the original Shondells are featured on this disc, the band sounds convincingly original, probably because the original Shondells weren't especially vital to recreating the band's 1960's sound. The quality musicians featured here are more than able to back up James' familiar, still strong vocals. One does want to pick this 2002 version over the original 2000 release to acquire two additional tracks, Tommy's #19 solo hit from 1980, 'Three Times In Love', and the featured track from his 1996 studio album, 'You're So Easy To Love'. But the real treat, of course, are the vintage hits that made James & the Shondells such a hot commodity in the 1960's. Relive the magic.
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by Tommy James & The Shondells 
