Customer Reviews

Buddy Holly/the Crickets 20 Golden Hits: Buddy Holly Lives.

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Assuming this is identical to the 1978 vinyl disc that I own...

This is probably the best place to start for anyone who wants to learn about Buddy Holly and his music. Compiled by Holly expert John Beecher in England, it sold over 500,000 copies. The Gold Record was awarded to Norman Petty shortly before his death from leukemia in 1984.

These 20 tracks showcase a particularly brilliant stretch of Holly's extraordinary range and creativity. Unlike many artists, with Holly it was never, "here's Buddy and the Crickets doing this song, and here they are doing another song...". Buddy approached each session as if he had never recorded a song before. He often created a completely new sound just for that song. The classic example is the single "Peggy Sue/Everyday". The two sides do not remotely resemble one another.

Three posthumous overdubs that charted as singles in the U.K. are here:

"Peggy Sue Got Married" is the Jack Hanson Orchestra overdub, 1960. "Bo Diddley" and "Brown Eyed Handsome Man" are Fireballs overdubs from the 1963 album "Reminiscing". "Wishing" is undubbed, and all other tracks are original releases in Holly's lifetime.

One wonders why MCA/USA has not reissued this stellar gold record compilation. Apparently the present catalog (old recordings) producers seem to be "purists" reluctant to release overdubs. I can't argue with that, except to say it keeps some fine Holly performances out of their catalog.

Meanwhile the Crickets have been screwed royally...

Unlike this album, MCA no longer credits the Crickets on its Buddy Holly releases. Even the Brunswick recordings ("That'll Be the Day") which were originally released as simply "The Crickets".

Perversely, adding insult to injury, someone in authority between 1985-1990 gave license to a group called the Picks to overdub any and all Holly songs with their vocal harmonies. These modern overdubs deface Holly's finest work, and are widely distributed as "Buddy Holly and the Picks".

As result, there are surely a lot of people out there who think Holly's band was the Picks, and that Holly and the Picks were not very good (they're not).

The price for this single disc CD is admittedly outrageous -- but if the sound quality is good it's worth every penny.

If you want to introduce someone to Holly, this is probably the most impressive CD you could give them.

Nine Top Ten hits in barely two years and then a fateful flight on a small plane (some claim was called the American Pie) and Buddy Holly entered the realm of rock & roll legend. The superb 1978 MCA record album BUDDY HOLLY / THE CRICKETS 20 GOLDEN GREATS (MCA-1484) has all their 'A' and some 'B' sides, as well as a few stereo songs released posthumously. A career's worth of classic tunes that seemed to come from nowhere, just as Lubbock's Charles Hardin Holley and his band had in mid-1956.

The Crickets were Buddy Holly (lead guitar and vocalist), Niki Sullivan (guitar), Joe B. Mauldin (bass), and Jerry Allison (drums).

PROGRAM--

(S = stereo)

SIDE ONE

[2:16] That'll Be The Day

[2:35] Peggy Sue

[2:01] Words Of Love

[2:12] Everyday

[2:25] Not Fade Away

[2:11] Oh Boy

[2:06] Maybe Baby

[3:26] Listen To Me

[2:13] Heartbeat

[2:50] Think It Over

SIDE TWO

[2:16] It Doesn't Matter Any More (S)

[2:14] It's So Easy

[2:18] Well...All Right

[1:53] Rave On

[2:52] Raining In My Heart

[2:51] True Love Ways (S)

[2:10] Peggy Sue Got Married

[2:24] Bo Diddley (S)

[2:07] Brown Eyed Handsome Man (S)

[2:08] Wishing

TOTAL TIME: 47:28

This is a review for the MCA CD release of "20 Golden Greats" by Buddy Holly & the Crickets." Everything on this disc was recorded between 1956 and 1958,

and the most famous recordings were released between 1957 and 1959.

By the way, The Crickets were Jerry Allison , an innovative drummer,

Joe B. Mauldin on bass and eventually newcomer Nikki Sullivan on rhythm guitar

It's hard to know where to begin with this CD, there's so much to discuss and all of it was done in such a short time. Leading off are the big hits like "That'll Be the Day" and "Peggy Sue," although to me just about everything on this reissue of the 1978 LP was or should've been a hit record. It makes one wonder what Buddy would've done had he lived, he certainly had the ability to stay on top for as long as he cared to.

You have cuts like "Heartbeat," "Everyday," and the classic "Not Fade Away,"

followed by goodies like "Oh Boy!" "Maybe Baby, " and "Listen to Me."

One thing is clear, listening to these recordings, Buddy was not happy unless

he or the group came up with some type of new or at least novel sound for every recording, they always seem to be trying a different approach.

"Listen To Me," "Heartbeat," "Think It Over" and "It Doesn't Matter Anymore" each have their own flavor and listening to "It's So Easy," "Well....All Right," a particular favorite of mine along with "Rave On," "Raining In My Heart" and "True Love Ways" makes one realize what a variety of musical atmospheres Buddy and producer Norman Petty must've considered for these recordings.

Finally you have four titles that were not released in Buddy's lifetime,

"Peggy Sue Got Married," "Bo Diddley," "Brown-Eyed Handsome Man" and "Wishing."

That sums up this must-have CD for any fan of early rock, yes, there are more complete collections available, but foreign or domestic, this is a concise

collection of what Buddy Holly and The Crickets were doing all those years ago and why they and their music will not fade away. Not in memory or in our hearts.

What more can I say about a legend of rock n roll!!!!

A must have for any rock fan:-)

This is the best buddy holly greatest hits collection. All songs are original version. Good quality recordings.Buddy holly fans of all types will love this album.

I have listened to this tape every day over and over again. The tape is great and it arrived fast so I could enjoy it sooner than expected. I love Buddy Holly. You can get into all his songs.

20 Golden Greats is 45 minutes and 16 seconds long and released in May 1978. 20 Golden Greats went Gold on November 14, 1983. On it this cassette are some of Buddy Holly's better known and a few not so know songs. Included is his only number one hit; That'll Be the Day. This Rockabilly style and love songs are great to listen. Even those who have not heard of Buddy Holly will not be disapointed with this cassette. All songs are original recordings. This gets an AAAA++++ from me.

Program 1

That'll Be the Day

His only #1 song

#1 U.S. Billboard Hot 100 Singles-1957

#1 U.S. Billboard Rhythm & Blues Records-1957

Peggy Sue

#3 U.S. Billboard Hot 100 Singles-1957

#3 U.S. Billboard Rhythm & Blues Records-1957

Bo Diddley

#116 U.S. Billboard Hot 100 Singles-1963 (posthumous)

Everyday

Did not chart

Not Fade Away

Oh Boy

#10 U.S. Billboard Hot 100 Singles-1957

#15 U.S. Billboard Rhythm & Blues Records-1957

Maybe Baby

#17 U.S. Billboard Hot 100 Singles-1958

#8 U.S. Billboard Rhythm & Blues Records-1958

Listen To Me

Did not chart

Heartbeat

#82 U.S. Billboard Hot 100 Singles-1958

#4 U.S. Billboard Rhythm & Blues Records-1958

Think It Over

#27 U.S. Billboard Hot 100 Singles-1958

#9 U.S. Billboard Rhythm & Blues Records-1958

Program 2

It Doesn't Matter Any More

#13 U.S. Billboard Hot 100 Singles-1959

It's So Easy

Did not chart

Well...Alright

Rave On

#37 U.S. Billboard Hot 100 Singles-1958

Raining In My Heart

True Love Ways

Did not chart

Peggy Sue Got Married

Did not chart

Words of Love

Did not chart

Brown Eyed Handsome Man

#113 U.S. Billboard Hot 100 Singles-1963 (posthumous)

Wishing

Did not chart

Must have for Buddy Holly fans. I chose this one because of "Rave on". It is one of my favorites and not often found. CD has all the greats and the rest are very good.

This is about the best collection of Buddy Holly songs out there unless compared to 'The Complete Buddy Holly', a vinyl(5)record Box Set. My only regret is that it doesn't have 'Ollie Vee' to represent his rock-a-billy style. Every song here is a winner, perfectly illustrating Buddy's diverse repertoire. Sound quality is crisp & clear and the price couldn't be better. Unfortunately no liner notes to make this a true collector's prize but then again, the music's what's most important, right! With twenty perfect gems, how can you go wrong! If you're new to Buddy Holly this is a great CD to start off with. Latch on and enjoy the ride.