Customer Reviews

Best of

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Great group, great tunes, bad production quality on this particular cd. "Gimme Some Lovin'" is one of the all-time great tunes to get people partying, but I'd suggest looking for it on another cd, or play this only on a boombox on a crowded beach, where sound quality isn't so important (the sample you hear on amazon is of better quality).

There are two monster hits on this compilation (the 1966 "Gimme Some Lovin,'" and "I'm a Man" and their inclusion probably justifies the 60's music fan's purchase of this otherwise disappointing CD. Why disappointing? Because there are the most perfunctory of liner notes, nothing on track personnel, recording date, song authorship, and almost nothing biographical about the group (although Stevie Winwood, as its virtuoso and most durable musician gets added attention for his later efforts). There's nothing, really, about the band's place in British blues/rock history, just the familiar account of how the band met up, and a perfunctory list of their hits.

Still, any album that opens with their great, precocious single, "Gimme Some Lovin" is worth a look. Winwood's outstanding vocal against a raucous background chorus, the sexually tinged lyrics, and joyous, kicking beat, made it a classic-- a #2 record in England, and # 7 in the US. "Keep on Runnin'" didn't enjoy the same success, but chances are you'll recognize this R&B tune with it's buzzy guitar and bouncing beat. It's got the requisite "Hey hey hey" chorus, and could easily been done by the Stones (albeit with more sexual menace). It's got a trace of ska, not surprising considering (as the liner notes inform us) that it was a gift from Jamaican musician, Jackie Edwards. "I'm a Man" features a great beat and vocals, with an extra dose of percussion that gives it complexity and texture. Stevie Winwood's instincts, as always, are just right; he injects genuine, unstudied soul and passion into this brief but energetic song.

I Can't Stand It" is a fun song that sounds fairly typical of the era; it's a something the Yardbirds might have done, but it lacks their heavy blues-base and overall musicianship. I liked the spirit of "When I come HOme" (especially the chorus), as well as "Every Little Bit Hurts"-- mostly because of its uncanny resemblance to the Fine Young Cannibals' sound! Check it out. "Stevie's Blues" is Your_Basic-British-Blues, but Winwood's authentic sounding vocals and some totally kick-ass guitar work completely elevate it. Winwood's vocal and Davis' guitar similarly lift "Goodbye Stevie." The lead guitar also tracks Winwood's voice in the latter part of the song, an interesting change from the blistering solos preceding this.

Working On the Railroad" sounds dated, a kind of British country and western/folk/rock aesthetic that the Kinks would eventually perfect on "Village Green Preservation Society.' There are a number of other less-than-memorable tunes here (e.g., "Strong Love", Back Into My Life Again, instrumental "Trampoline," the fairly standard "Somebody Help Me"--although some listeners may have their own fond memories of these), but at the right price, this is worth it.

The Spencer Davis Group were one of several excellent British R+B bands of the sixties. Best remembered in Britain for Keep on running (one of the best songs of the sixties, regardless of genre), by the time they started to make an impression in America, they were on the verge of losing their key man, Steve Winwood.

They actually had two number one hits in Britain (Keep on running and Somebody help me) and several other big hits, including Strong love (not included here), Every little bit hurts (a cover of the Brenda Holloway song), Gimmie some lovin' (a remixed version of which was a hit in America) and I'm a man (also a hit in America).

In 1967, Steve Winwood quit to form a new band, Traffic. The other band members struggled on for a while, but those recordings are not included here (and are not as good).

This is a nice introduction to the Spencer Davis Group. If you enjoy it a lot, there is a double CD, 8 gigs a week, which contains all the music they recorded while Steve Winwood was a member of the group.

This best of compulation does not sound good at all--stereo sound is infrequent at best and the mono cuts sound muffled-Suggest trying another Best of since there are so many out. Just skip this one-also the choice of cuts for this compulation could have been better selected. Avoid this one!!!!!!!!!!!!!

If for no other reason, pick this up or any SDG CD that includes this track, "Every Little Bit Hurts"...OMG, Winwood is sublime!!!

it was in the 60's or early seventy when this group made this tape and then transferred to cd. even at that it could have been remastered.. the music i think is great but the quality isn't... pearsonally i did remaster it in to a wav file and did some enhancing.

Always liked the Spencer Davis Group when they first came out they were different to so many other bands Steve Windwoods voice is so blusey for his age. This cd has there best hits and they sound great a must have if you are a Winwood fan.

The Spencer Davis Group was perhaps the greatest R&B group to come out of England during the 1960s. However, their individual albums were cluttered with filler, something this anthology strips away. What's left is the fifteen best British R&B sides ever released, even better than the Animals or even- gasp!- the Rolling Stones. The soulfulness of Steve Winwood's vocals is even more impressive considering that he was only in his teens when these were recorded. His work on the organ is also impressive, even as it would become more so when he stretched out in Traffic and Blind Faith, and on his solo albums in the 1980s. This anthology collects everything that you need by the Spencer Davis Group.

When Stevie Winwood hits that Hammond B-3 with the Leslie amp, the sound of guitars being sold and keyboards being purchased echoed around the R&B, Rock world.
Gimmie, Gimmie some luvin'

The Spencer Davis Group was a great band, and this collection features 15 of their best songs.

Other reviewers complained, and made two statements that often enrage about reviews.

Firstly, that the collection "doesn't fill the 80 minutes it could".

So What? Why cram a CD with lesser material when you can have just 45 minutes of brilliant material?

Also people always complain about "sound quality".

I have frankly never heard a CD compliation that I would describe as having poor sound quality.
If the complilation is the original recordings and not later rerecordings, it's frankly impossible.

Do not forget that these tracks were recorded during the 60s - their sound quality is representative of the recording techniques and technologies of the time, and I believe, add to the feel, style and charm of 60's (or older) music.

Pay no attention to other reviewers.
This CD has all good tracks, perfect 60's sound quality, and is a steal at a cheap price.