Customer Reviews

Best of

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

The J. Geils Band enjoyed its best success in the 80s with "Freeze-Frame" and "Love Stinks," but their best music, gathered on this CD, is from earlier in their career. Years before "rock and soul" described Hall & Oates' music, Geils combined Motown, Memphis and Chicago blues to make some of the most dancable rock and roll ever. They remain true to the spirit of the oldies they covered(the Marvelows "I Do," the Showstoppers' House Party") and turn a live version of the Supremes' frothy "Where Did Our Love Go," into a John Lee Hooker-style blues shuffle with some "Magic" harmonica. Their early hits like "Give It To Me," and "Must of Got Lost" are here too, making this a great album if you're having a party...or feeling like you need one.

Scorchin! Too bad this hits package is so short! I need more fat on these bones, you dig? Still, this is the best hits package there is available. The only other is FLASHBACK, and that is all the sub par eigthies material. This one here showcases the bands best years. I want to mention that this band was SHAFTED in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame vote this year. They should have nailed it. This best of was first released in 1979, before CENTERFOLD and FREEZE FRAME were conceived. Instead this disc rocks nine J. GEILS BAND show stoppers from the early days. The live renditions are the highlights, as this band was obviously a house burner of a live act. WHERE DID OUR LOVE GO, LOOKIN FOR A LOVE, and WHAMMER JAMMER are all live and rockin right. The rest are just the best. GIVE IT TO ME is a classic jam track, MUSTA GOT LOST is just a classic, hands down. This is a great party favorite; boogie, blues, rock! HOUSE PARTY jams, DETROIT BREAKDOWN jams and SOUTHSIDE SHUFFLE jams too. I DO is a doo wap track that isn't essential per se but you won't be sorry that it's here. GET DOWN WITH THIS STUFF... GET DOWN NOW!

THE J. GEILS BAND-BEST OF THE J. GEILS BAND: Boring cover art and a measly nine tracks aside, about half the ditties here are pulsating, showstopping live renditions...which should clue the unitiated that Boston's mighty J. Geils Band was one of THE premier blooze/rock concert acts of its or any other day. A ferocious hodgepodge of lean guitar work, swirling organ, heart-stopping harp, and the woofin' goofin' Peter Wolf's funky rasp, they OWNED covers of soul chestnuts LOOKIN' FOR A LOVE, I DO, and WHERE DID OUR LOVE GO. Their gritty originals were equally classic...the reggae-tinged workout GIVE IT TO ME, the peerless pop perfection of MUSTA GOT LOST, and SOUTHSIDE SHUFFLE's infectious RNB groove make this a HOUSE PARTY indeed. As comps go, this is MUCH too short, but I was going for another brew anyhoo. WHAMMER JAMMER, DICKIE!!!

RATING: FIVE FUNKY FINGERS UP

I think that J. Geils Band is a real talented band and although I'm only a casual fan of them but they sure can make some good music and I'll never forget the first time I heard the whole version of Give it to Me and the song had me floored, I wish that the House Party: the Anthology had the full version instead of the edited version cause the edited version doesn't do it for me like the full version does, the other songs are really good and I remember hearing Whammer Jammer on Problem Child 2 years ago and I didn't know who the artist was, I was surprised that it was done by the one and only, the J. Geils Band, my only gripe is that it doesn't have Hold Your Loving on this CD but that is only a minor issue to me, if you're a new fan of the J. Geils Band, this is a good way to start and get this CD instead of Flashback.

This is an album that should be framed, put under glass, hung on the wall with a hammer next to it with a sign underneath saying "In case of depression or bad funkiness, break glass and play"! When J Geils signed with Atlantic Records, they were more than "white R&B" or "white soul". They were simply R&B. Simply soul. This compilation is an amazing retrospect of those years from 1970-77 before they moved to EMI getting commercial and overproduced ("Centerfold", "Flamethrower", etc). What's great about this album, unlike some of the more recent ones, is it features the full length versions of "Give It To Me" with the great Magic Dick on harp. It features the rawest, most fun version of the Supremes "Where Did Our Love Go", and all the songs that made you want to get the funk out of your seat. All the tracks sound spontaneous, tight, and as if they could pull out the instruments and light up a room. The only bad thing is one would think that Atlantic would get around to remastering this collection. It still sound fairly muddy, but the performances more than compensate. A great good-time album.

This Greatest Hits Compilation has got spunk and style. Peter Wolf's vocals and just bursting with personality. Southside Shuffle is just such a cool groove. The guitars, keys, and harp are hip and most definitely right on time. A good summary of the early years before J Giels became chart toppers.

A good quick fix to your collection especially if you like rock n roll with some good time soul. There is a J Giels Anthology out which is more inclusive which I hope to have the opportunity to listen to. However, you cannot go wrong here.

If you're looking for the best of the best this is the cd you're looking for! It has all the songs that are played on your radio. Flashback is - well let me just say buy this one first because you will probably be disappointed with Flashback. This cd is a must have.

Sure, these are fine songs, but a nine-track compilation really doesn't do justice to the J. Geils Band, and the song selection isn't even as good as it could have been.

If you really only want one J. Geils-album on your shelf, go for the excellent double-disc anthology "Houseparty", which picks from the band's entire career, encompassing both their early R&B-styled boogie-rock and their latter-day mainstream rock.

Or if you just want a taste, pick up "The Morning After" or "Bloodshot". This brief collection is neither here nor there.

The J. Geils Band were a hard rocking R & B band that scorched many a stage in the 70's and early 80's. They attained fame in the early 80's with MTV hits like LONE STINKS and CENTERFOLD, but for true fans their heyday was the 70's, as detailed on this collection. While I can't say that this misses the bands highlights from that period, it is a rather skimpy album considering the bands vast catalog of quality material. From Peter Wolf's manic stage presence and strong vocals to J. Geils economic, but stinging lead guitar to Seth Justman's keyboard arsenal to Magic Dick's otherworldly harmonica, this band could hold it's own with any on a good night. Gems like DETROIT BREAKDOWN, the manic harmonica feature WHAMMER JAMMER, LOOKING FOR A LOVE and GIVE IT TO ME belong in anyone's playlist. Maybe one day this will either be replaced or fleshed out and present a great compilation worthy of one of the unsung bands of the 70's. Till then....

This CD is great from start to finish. I had a bad copy of the CD & replaced it. It is better than ever.