Customer Reviews

20 All-Time Greatest Hits

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I have virtually every CD by Johhny Maestro both with the Crests
and with the Brooklyn Bridge.In fact I booked Johnny many years
ago.

This is THE BEST sound quality I have ever heard
for the Crests.Every song is crisp&clear.Mastered with love.

Carey Mansfield and the crew at Varese Sarabande deserve kudos.Mastering by Marty Wekser is crisp and warm unlike other Crests disc which are either muddy 4th Generation or overly boosted and tinney.

Lee Rudnick
NY Media Consultant

The caption is taken from the 5 pages of liner notes written by Bill Dahl for this wonderful offering from Varèse-Sarabande which, in addition to being virtually as complete a compilation of someone's "greatest hits" as any can be, has excellent sound reproduction and comprehensive liner notes.

To assign it just 2 stars, as did "New York City Historian" back in 2005, just doesn't wash. Besides, his comment regarding the omission of "the hit My Juanita from 1958" belies his claim to being a historian of any measure. That song happened to be the uncharted B-side of the # 86 Pop hit Sweetest One, billed to "The Crest's" on Joyce 103 in July 1957, with the backing of the Al Browne orchestra

Yes, that too is missing here, but likely because Varèse-Sarabande couldn't get publishing rights. Also, the group that sang that lost one member, 15 year-old Patricia Van Dross, before the then all-male group hooked up with Coed, which then covered all their subsequent hits. If he wanted to nit-pick he could have pointed out that the total number of actual "hits" compiled by the group was 14 - counting Sweetest One - and not 20 as claimed on the cover, and that the compilation leaves out 10 Coed B-sides in favour of some failed singles. But even that wouldn't have accounted for the deduction of 3 stars and would be quibbling to the nth degree.

All the Coed hits are here along with two B-sides, all detailed in the discography which appears on the reverse of the jewel case: 16 Candles (# 2 Pop/# 4 R&B in late 1958 on Coed 506), Six Nights A Week (# 17 R&B/# 26 Pop in spring 1959 on Coed 509), Flower Of Love (# 79 Pop in June 1959 on Coed 511), The Angels Listened In (# 14 R&B/# 22 Pop in September 1959 on Coed 515), A Year Ago Tonight (# 42 Pop in December 1959 on Coed 521), Step By Step (# 14 Pop in March 1960 on Coed 525), and Trouble In Paradise (# 20 Pop in June 1960 on Coed 531) were all billed as The Crests.

Journey Of Love (# 81 Pop in September 1960 on Coed 535), Isn't It Amazing (# 100 Pop in October 1960 on Coed 537) and I Remember (In The Still Of The Night) (# 102 Pop Hot 100 Bubble Under in December 1960 on Coed 543) were each billed to The Crests featuring Johnny Mastro (sic). Model Girl (# 20 Pop in March 1961 on Coed 545) was billed as Johnny Mastro The Voice Of The Crests, What A Surprise (# 33 Pop in May 1961 on Coed 549) was billed Johnny Maestro The Voice Of The Crests, while Mr. Happiness (# 57 Pop in August 1961) was billed Johnny Maestro with The Crests.

The only two B-sides offered are Beside You (b/o 16 Candles) and I Thank The Moon (b/o The Angels Listened In). The rest are either failed singles, or selections that never made it onto single releases.

But as I said, that's a quibble. This is a 5-star release in every way.

A fabulous CD for anyone who wants to understand what this important kind of American music was like (or to revisit the happy, golden moments of those days). It was just prior to the British Invasion whose enormous impact on music altered so much of what came after.
The lyrics on this CD are sweet and innocent, the harmonies heavenly and the lead voice of the late Johnny Maestro is smooth perfection.

Hard to believe, but 2007 marks 50 years since The Crests first charted with "Sweetest One", which should have been included on this CD, along with "My Juanita". It's still a great CD, with the amazing voice of Johnny Maestro singing lead, and superb backing vocals from J. T. Carter, Tommy Gough and Hal Torres. If you google "Johnny Maestro", the first listing should be for his official website, and e-mail can be sent to the guys there.

lOVE, LOVE, LOVE THIS CD !!! Music was before my time, but I got into it, and now am "addicted". In fact, it is playing at this moment :} This is the epitome of REAL DOO WOP, and Johnny Maestro has that UNMISTAKABLE voice that makes this a GEM !!! So, so COOL :}

Although sometimes tagged as doo-wop artists, Johnny Maestro and the Crests produced some of the best pop tunes of the early American rock and roll era. Clever lyrics, bouncy arrangements and Maestro's vocals combined to make catchy tunes like "Step by Step", "The Angels Listened In" and "Trouble In Paradise" as listenable now if not more so than when they first charted.

This new compilation from the dependable Varese Vintage people is very similar in content and sound quality to the Rhino piece of ten years ago. Included here are two more cuts with four that do not duplicate the Rhino selection.

Sound quality is excellent with tracks 6,8-10,14-20 in true stereo. Included is an eight-page booklet with pics and a history of the group.

If you're a real fan, this adds a few more cuts to your collection if you already own the Rhino piece. If there's a choice to be made, I give this one a slight edge.

As A doo-wop fan reminds me of when of when I was a kid (about5) happy daze!!!!

absolutly the best doo wop cd out there. It really brings you back to a different era. I have a couple of old classic cars, they go good together.

I love the CD verey much I play it almost everyday whem I am driving into town.

I can't believe this man's voice. Everything he sings is outstanding!
Wish I could see him in person, locally in Baltimore. Also wish I could email him.