2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
when will there be a retrospective that does eric justice?, June 24, 2007
This review is from: Big Smash (Reis) (Dlx) (Audio CD)
This is the Wreckless Eric's third album plus the compilation from his first two albums originally released in the US in 1979 as Whole Wide World. According to Eric's website the album plus compilatiion were first released together in 1980. My gripe is that the compilation takes many more tracks from the second of Eric's releases than the first. The second album is much 'cleaner' and more 'professional' than the first and lacks much of the first's glorious idiosyncracy. In a word, Eric's first album was in the great tradition of English eccentricity--plus it had some great rock'n'roll on it and songs with wonderful hooks. Certainly the compilation includes the stand-outs 'Reconnez Cherie' and 'Whole Wide World' but the almost equally good, but weirder, 'Telephoning Home', 'Personal Hygiene', 'Grown Ups' and 'Waxworks' were left off, as was Eric's version of Ian Dury's 'Rough Kids'.
Don't get me wrong, it's great to have so much Wreckless Eric available on CD at last but, please, let's treat this great English eccentric rock'n'roller to the quality retrospective he deserves!
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