Customer Reviews

Best of the Sixties: 20th Century Masters (Millennium Collection)

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4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(2)
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I've given up arguing against MCA's continued swindling of the American record-buying public with these Millennium series collections, so let's just take a look at the music, okay? At just over 40 minutes, this 12-song cd is a little more generous than most. Are these songs the "Best of the 60's" as the title implies? That's a bit open to interpretation. After all, the title isn't "No. 1 Hits of the 60's" (although four of these songs are). It's not even called "Top Ten Hits of the 60's" (because two of these songs never reached the Top Ten, and it wasn't until 1972 that "Nights in White Satin" reached No. 2 in the U.S.--five years after Days of Future Past was released).

The other two non-Top Ten songs are "With a Little Help From My Friends," which was a U.K. No. 1 but peaked at only No. 68 in the U.S. Its inclusion can, however, be justified because of Joe Cocker's spell-binding performance of the song at Woodstock. The other is "What a Wonderful World." While Louis Armstrong knocked the Beatles' "Can't Buy Me Love" from the top spot in 1964 with "Hello Dolly," Armstrong--who was born in 1901--was hardly embraced by the flower child generation in 1967 when "What a Wonderful World" hit No. 12 on the Adult Contempory (old fogeys) chart. The song no doubt makes the list after its chart success (No. 32) when it was rereleased as a single from the Good Morning Vietnam soundtrack.

The rest of the songs were huge hits and for the most part are representative of the era. The biggest flaw is how do you represent an entire era with a mere twelve songs? On the plus side, there's only one pre-1965 song: the Angels' "My Boyfriend's Back" from 1963. The rest of the songs are from the Sixties rock era, although Steppenwolf's "Born To Be Wild" and Jefferson Airplane's "Somebody To Love" are the only songs here that really rock. But how do you argue with such choices as "My Girl," "California Dreamin'," or arguably the best pop single ever recorded--Marvin Gaye's "I Heard It Through the Grapevine"?

The U.K.'s ACE label put out a similar release last year called Chartbusters U.S.A. for about the same price, but ACE packed thirty songs onto a single disc. Why can't MCA be as generous? [Okay, I know I said that I was going to stick to looking at just the music, but I couldn't help myself.]

So who would buy this album? My guess is that MCA is relying heavily on impulse buyers. These albums usually get a high profile display in the discount stores and if there are several songs on here that you absolutely have to have the price isn't too bad, but unless MCA slashes their list price in half you're better off sticking with your favorite Classic Rock radio station. It's cheaper and you get a better song variety.

Overall a good selection of original sixties songs, every one a good one. Sometimes a collection has one or two in it that you don't care for, but this one is a very good one. My 5th graders even love listening to it, they especially love It's a Wonderful World by Louis Armstsrong.

20th Century Masters - The Millennium Collection: The Best of the 60's is yet another CD that just doesn't fulfill the promise of the title. You think you're going to get a lot of great music from the 1960s, but the number of tracks from the early `60s is woefully short. You do get good sound quality; and we get some good songs. However, it's just not a retrospective that is true to the title of the album.

The Angels start the CD off with a bang as they do their "My Boyfriend's Back." I believe that the other reviewer is right when they mention that this is the only track recorded before 1965! The Angels, however, do sing this really well and the tune has a catchy, upbeat flavor to it that I really like.

Fontella Bass does great with her classic "Rescue Me;" Fontella sings this with all her heart and soul and it shows when you listen to this ballad. "Rescue Me" rocks really well with some great lyrics that a lot of people can relate to when they're feeling alone and unloved. Fontella sings "Rescue Me" to perfection!

The Mamas & The Papas perform their "California Dreamin'," a number that inspired so many young people to move westward to California in search of inner peace and a better quality of life. Awesome tune! Procol Harum also are here with their classic entitled "Whiter Shade Of Pale." I really like "Whiter Shade Of Pale."

Louis Armstrong's "What A Wonderful World" does come off the Adult Contemporary charts; but this is just so darn good that I'll happily let it stay here anyway. Joe Cocker also does a great cover of "With A Little Help From My Friends," too.

Steppenwolf has the final cut with their "Born To be Wild;" I really like this rockin' tune and it makes a strong ending for this album. The electric guitars work very well.

The liner notes have basic information about the songs; but that won't rescue this album. The problem here is that there just isn't enough from the early 1960s to call this a "best of the 60's" CD. What a shame. This is purely for the casual fan who happens to like the tunes on this CD.

I bought this for my mom. She loves it and listen to it all the time.

Every one of these songs blared from my little Magnavox radio. Hearing them now really brings back the memories...Wolfman Jack. XEG 100,000 watts! Mexico.

Music from a time when the USA was richer and simpler. The best it ever got in the USA. The Neo-con wrecking crews were still in the future but Nixon was beginning to undermine...

The best of sixties rock,soul, and soft rock. Temptations, Mamas&Papas, Steppenwolf, etc. are all included. The Doors are strangely missing on this collection however.