Customer Reviews

The Best of Foghat

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(8)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(6)

 

 

For the average fan of Foghat, there are three songs in particular that they will buy this collection for. The three songs are, Fool For The City, Slow Ride, and I Just Want To Make Love To You. Unfortunately, both Fool For The City and Slow Ride are NOT the full length albums versions! This is a great disservice to the casual fan who doesn't want to invest in the albums. The shortened versions are simply not as good as the full-length versions, and the shortened versions are NOT the versions that the radio stations play. In order to get these two songs in their proper form, you will, thankfully, only have to purchase the Fool For The City album. But, I thought I'd warn anyone else out there thinking of buying this. Otherwise, this is an ok collection of their best songs.

(By the way, is it just me, or does Rhino seem to make a habit of putting shortened versions of hit songs on its compialations and greatest hits cds?)

OK we'll start off with the obligatory gripes.

"Slow Ride" is the single edit.
"I Just Want to Make Love to You" is the studio version and not the better known version from "Foghat Live."
And a whole bunch of great songs were left off this CD to be placed on a second Volume, which is inexplicably been deleted.

Everybody happy? Great. Now on to what really matters. Despite never getting the kind of praise that would have matched their peak popularity, Foghat were a people's rock band. Chances are pretty strong that, somewhere in America, a radio station is playing either "Fool For The City" or "Slow Ride" and someone is playing air boogie guitar nearby. During their glory run, from the albums "Energized" up to "Stone Blue," Foghat saddled up Chuck Berry, Al Green and Buddy Holly next to solid originals like the masters that they were.

The format was simple. Take a basic riff, turn it up very loud and boogie like anytime was party time. And don't be afraid to indulge in some hard core blues rock like "Take it or Leave It." Add to the mix that Lonesome Dave Peverett's distinct vocals were a cut above most basic rock bands and you had the winning formula for seventies rock and roll. This was such great party rock that I and a group of fellow senior classmates went to see Foghat rock out Hersheypark Arena in 1978 just days before graduation. (With Sweet opening on their "Love Is Like Oxygen" tour, no less...sigh!)

This 16 song anthology is a much better buy than the "Essentials" dozen, and if you really want some great rock, you certainly won't be amiss if you purchase "Fool For The City," "Foghat Live" or "Night Shift." But until someone decides that the out of print Volume 2 and this CD should be matched up and the single edits be replaced with their full length counterparts, remastered and given a decent set of liner notes, this will suffice as a not quite five star collection.

RIP Lonesome Dave....

Did you guys at Rhino think we've never heard it? It's the same as when you hear Light My Fire on some stations that cut it down to a little over 3 minutes. For that reason alone, I had to knock 2 stars off the record, not because of the record itself, but because of Rhino's gaff. You Rhino wizards thought enough to put all those extra tracks on the re-released Yes albums, how did you clowns botch this?

I have followed the band Foghat from their beginnings in 1972 on through at least 1982. I have owned, purchased, or had on tape their first twelve albums, from Foghat in 1972 on through to Boogie Motel, Tight Shoes, Girls to Chat & Boys to Bounce, and In the Mood for Something Rude in 1982. So I know something of the music of this band from before, during, and after their peak. No I'm some sort of Foghat head, that thinks that Foghat was and will always be the greatest band that ever existed. I have followed late 70's hard rock, and anyone that was into the music of that period had heard of and most likely enjoyed Foghat, that's how relevant Foghat was to the genre. IMHO, although one would be missing some gems, if one had to have only one album by them, it would be Foghat Live. (Don't consider what they write at allmusic.com, they tend to be anti-70's hard rock. Thus they try to confuse readers by writing misinformation, writing rave reviews of a band's mediocre albums, and panning their relevant offerings.) Of all the hundreds or thousands of live albums by rock bands over the decades, only a few have ones that match their studios offerings, or in exceptionally rare cases, surpasses them. That's what Foghat Live does. The band Foghat hit the big time with their 1975 album Fool For The City that included arguably their two biggest all time songs: Fool For the City and Slow Ride. Foghat Live, released in 1977, was recorded during that tour, was recorded at their peak, includes those two top songs, and they played them with even more intensity. Foghat Live may have only 4 other songs on it, but oh, how those songs are played. Foghat Live represented all that Foghat was at their peak. Chances are if you don't like Foghat Live you're not going to like Foghat. However, you could have this Best of compilation and still miss out on the best of Foghat. Recording technology improved considerably throughout the 70's. The first three songs of the cd are from the early 70's, are limited by the technology and budget of the time, and sound ooooold. The sound of an album is no insignificant item (look what the crispness of Metallica's Black Album did to break them into the mainstream). So as not to be turned off by Foghat too quickly, one might be better to start with track 5 (which to their credit is from the Live album, but the least significant song on that album).

The KEY problem with this compilation, and many others justifiably have mentioned it, is that it includes the single version of no less than four songs. They are: Drivin' Wheel, Fool For The City, Slow Ride, and Stone Blue. These are perhaps Foghat's most well known four songs. The absolute idiocy of having the single versions of these songs is unbelievably unfathomable. What did the money grubbing recording producers think; that people are going to miss the normal, regular versions of the songs and then go out to purchase the regular CD's. When it comes to the greed of those in the recording industry, there are no limitations. There are numerous Best of compilations where the single versions of songs are substituted in place of the regular version. Madonna's GHV2 is another one that comes to mind. I cannot think of a single case where the single version of a song is/was better than the regular version. (OK, Hocus Pocus by Focus is a worthy attempt, but we're really stretching the memories of 70's aficionados here.) Later, hearing the regular versions, they're so different as to be almost considered completely different songs. The single versions were made for radio, being impatient to play 5 minute plus songs. And although they were the lesser version, one would rather listen to a single version of Foghat than the 5000th radio playing of a Beatles song. However, for those into Foghat, know that Foghat is a *guitar* rock, and to cut out the guitar solo of the song is to cut out the heart. Listen to the unmolested version of Honey Hush on the CD. That still retains the guitar solo... and its heart.

Why would one get this CD... well because there isn't squat else in a Best of compilation to get. The CD Slow Ride and Other Hits also lists shortened versions of the key songs, meaning probably the singles. I picked this up because I was less than a buck from getting free shipping and couldn't think of any other CD to get. I figure an inexpensive CD of the lesser versions of the songs are better than none. That is the only recommendation I could write in its favor.

One other thing to consider, is that particularly for 70's music, CD's have not generally been able to capture the intensity of the record album versions. This is particularly true for bands such as Kansas and Rainbow. Remastered versions of 70's records come close to returning to that intensity. I have read articles about it, that CD's while removing pop and hiss, lost the higher harmonics that a phonograph needle in a record groove produced from the band recording. Whatever the reason, this had been noted by many other people. (I have remastered and non-remastered versions of the same Rainbow songs on my computer, and in random play, I can tell what version of the song is playing without looking.) Now I didn't notice that this Best of compilation was remastered. So that means that your Foghat albums packed in boxes in your garage are superior in sound quality (if unbrutalized from playing) to this CD. That means unless you find this CD dirt cheap, the memory of Foghat will probably also be better in quality.

I wish I had read the other reviews before buying this compilation. Nowhere does it say that Slow Ride is the edited version until you break the seal and read page 15. It was extremely irritating to hear it fade out.

This would be a decent 'best of' collection, but the one BIG problem is that they included the radio edit version (which is 3:30) of "Slow Ride." In fact, I have purchased 3 alleged "greatest hits" compilations from Foghat that all have radio edit versions of the song. If you are a die hard Foghat fan, you will only settle for the original album version (which is almost 8:00 minutes long) which can only be found on the "Fool for the City" album.

I was saddened to read in a recent issue of Goldmine that founding member "Lonesome" Dave Peverett died of cancer earlier this year. While Foghat never had a Top Ten hit, they reached the Top 40 five time in the Seventies with their hard-driving version of boogie and blues.

Formed in 1971 when Peverett, along with Roger Earl and Tony Stevens, left Savoy Brown the band would release as its first single Willie Dixon's "I Just Want To Make Love to You" (which would reach No. 33 in 1977 when released in a live version).

Other Foghat classics like "Slow Ride," "Drivin' Wheel," "Stone Blue" and "Third Time Lucky (First Time I Was a Fool)were all composed by Peverett. Although never the critics' darlings, Foghat succeeded through non-stop touring and an unvarying apporach to no-nonsense rock 'n' roll. This 16-track anthology gathers all the hits and key album tracks. If you need more, check out The Best Of Vol. 2. RECOMMENDED

Don't get me wrong. I really appreciate you putting this thing out. Lord knows These Kids Today, with their rap music and Gothic metal and such, don't appreciate bands as solid as Foghat. And there's great stuff here. "Drivin' Wheel," "Stone Blue" and especially "Chateau Lafitte '59 Boogie." REALLY love that one and I crank it up a lot. But I've just got one question about this collection, Rhino.

WHERE'S THE REST OF "SLOW RIDE" YOU IDIOTS?!!

This compilation disc was produced for the music fan who either doesn't have any Foghat albums, or just one, maybe two at the most. There are live versions of songs included when the studio version was better, and vice-versa. Home In My Hand should be the studio version, I Just Want To Make Love To You should be live. Road Fever would have been a nice inclusion as well. I am glad Eight Days On The Road is here, it's a great song that is too often overlooked. I was really bummed when I heard Slow Ride, it's the single version, edited and shortened. Either the album cut or the live version is more appropriate, especially considering Foghat's legacy is they were a great live band and did a lot of jamming.

Lonesome Dave and Rod Price aren't with us anymore may their rock and roll souls rest in peace. Hopefully, someday, some company will put out an anthology that covers all the right bases.

...and a great place to start.
Okay, so some or other song is a faded out radio edit, but one star?! Honestly!

British blues rockers Foghat put out a handful of pretty succesful 70s albums, and this fine collection brings together almost all of their best songs. I would definitely go with this one over the "Foghat Anthology", which is not a real two-disc anthologhy, since one disc is simply a reissue of the band's first album. And "The Best Of Foghat" actually has a slightly stronger track and more diverse selection, including "Ride, Ride, Ride", the melodic "Third Time Lucky", and the ballad "Take It Or Leave It", which are missing from the (quote-unquote) anthology.

This is good ol' blues rock, tough and uncompromising and without too many finesses (or too many different chords). It's not great art, certainly, but guitar-driven blooze-n-boogie like "Home In My Hand", "Stone Blue", and "Ride, Ride, Ride" is hard to resist.
4 1/4 stars. Definitely recommended.