Customer Reviews

Collectors Series: The Outsiders

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

 

 

Great CD. One of the most overlooked bands in pop music for one reason...the special sound created on Time Won't Let Me. The Outsiders from Cleveland married the Motown sound and the British Invasion and generated a sound that featured horns, a Hammond B organ and a biting guitar. This sound would later influence groups started and directed by Jim Guercio which included the Buckinghams, Chicago, and other midwest pop bands.You can even hear the Outsiders sound in the 80's band...Huey Lewis. The CD has other great cuts including the Isley Brothers remake of "Respectable" which landed in the Top 15. Had the Outsiders released this song right after Time Won't Let Me it would have made the Top 10. Management decided "Girl in Love" featuring Sonny Geraci would be a better choice. This is a hint of what Sonny would later do with Climax and the mega hit "Precious & Few" in 1972. Had "Respectable" been the second release, the Outsiders "mercy rock sound" would have earned more notable recognition. Sonny Geraci still performs a night club act for casinos, cruises and corporate parties and is performing better than ever. Actually he is a much overlooked talent who comes in somewhere between Bobby Darin and Dean Martin. Buy the CD it is great.

Essentially the Outsiders were a one-hit wonder. Even though they actually placed four songs in the top 40 in 1966, does anyone really remember anything other than "Time Won't Let Me"? It's an engaging, hook-laden single with a catchy horn riff and this Cleveland-based quintet road it all the way to No. 5. It was their finest hour.

Several follow-up singles were modest successes. The saccharine "Girl in Love" (No.21) is a fairly lifeless ballad. "Respectable" (No. 21) continued the Outsiders' horn-sound. "Help Me Girl" (No. 37) downplays the horn section in favor of a harpsichord which expands the group's sound, but doesn't excite fans and it becomes their last hit.

The numerous album tracks offered here aren't much of a revelation. The band attempts to rock out on "Gotta Leave Us Alone" with an uninspired guitar break. "Was It Really Real" is a respectable ballad. "What Makes You So Bad" is a Yardbirds-style raver with its bluesy harmonica break. "I'll See you in the Summertime" is a generic ballad (complete with seagulls!). "Lost in My World" has the Outsiders essentially rewriting their biggest hit. (If any other band had recorded this song, they would have been guilty of plagiarism. It's practically a note-for-note copy!)

All told, this anthology in for completists only. Most people will be content with "Time Won't Let Me," which can be found on any number of various artists collections. [And the recommended one is Rhino's Nuggets 1965-1968. Let's face it, there were dozens (hundreds?) of sixties artists who put out one or two terrific singles. Save your money, buy this box set, and experience sixties euphoria. You won't regret it!] If you want even more from the Outsiders, consider Collectables' live disc 30 Years Live with a re-formed Outsiders featuring original guitarist Tom King, but minus original vocalist Sonny Geraci.

...then try this "best-of" disc; it's remade about 3 or 4 times! The Outsiders tapped into that white-soul thing of the mid-60's, probably best exemplified by the Rascals and a bunch of do-it-yourself garage bands. The Outsiders smoothed off all the rough edges, though, creating a uptempo mellow groovy kinda thing. They weren't the most original songwriters (you'll hear a lot of the same chord progressions, arrangements with chugging organs and wailing brass), Sonny Geraci's "emotional" voice wavers in and out of tune, and the CD, with 20+ tracks is only for the curious or the true fan (most of these songs didn't come close to the top 40), but it's not without its merits. Besides their biggest hit, other good ones include the spare, tragic ballad "Girl in Love" (nice harmonies), the Isley Brothers' "Respectable", "Help Me Girl", "I'll Give You Time (To Think it Over)", and "I'm Not Trying To Hurt You", which includes some studio patter that's always fun. "Oh How It Hurts" (to be in love, of course!) has nice 60's orchestral bombast. The band hung around for longer than you would think, releasing music into the early 70's to a ever-decreasing fan base. Sonny's probably best remembered by that time for his lead on "Precious and Few" by Climax, one of the decade's treacliest (but edible, still) pop hits, and the Outsiders' latter output tends to reflect that. I thought the group deserved a mention--I'm the first to write anything about them?! :) Golllly....

Like most of my Amazon purchases, I bought this album for nostalgic reasons. I grew up in the 60's and this brought back memories of first love and high school nonsense. In particular, I liked "Time won't let me " and "Respectable". I never heard much from The Outsiders after the summer of '66 but thoroughly enjoyed drifting back in time with them.

David O'C
Drogheda, Ireland

Not only do you get some great music with this cd, you get the beginnings of Climax as well. (The last 2 cuts are essentially Sonny Geraci solo songs done by 1/2 of the band that would play on Climax records)

Includes their 4 hits (Time Wont let me, Girl In Love, Respectable & Help Me Girl) and a slew of other VERY like-minded material. If you like any of their 4 hits, you will LOVE the rest. If you like Climax, you should buy this for the 2 last songs which are essentially Climax tunes.

Think "Time Won't Let Me" makes The Outsiders nothing but a one hit wonder?Think again!This collection presents a nice comprehensive set of hits,near hits,rarities and the great sound alike parody of "Time Won't Let Me" called "Lost In My World".(Which could've easily been their breakthough song had it been released first!)Excellent liner notes to boot.
Cleveland Rocks!

USED TO LISTEN TO THIS WHEN I WAS IN MY 20'S ON A REGULAR STEREO WITH A TURNTABLE. WHEN I SAW THIS, I JUST HAD TO BUY IT. CAN NOT WAIT TO LISTEN TO IT TO SEE THE IMPROVEMENT OF THE QUALITY ON CD.

First off, I wanted to mention how much more I liked this Outsiders release than their later reunion CD '30 Years Live' (see my review). As huge of a live lp fan that I've always been, this band is one that I would really rather listen to their original album versions than their live takes on their material. Total of twenty-five tracks, as I soaked my thoughts heavily into "Time Won't Let Me", "Girl In Love", the rocking "Backwards, Upsidedown", "Since I Lost My Baby", the awesome "Help Me Girl", "Gotta Leave Us Alone" and "Think I'm Falling". Now, I can fully understand why so many of their old fans liked them for their soul-inspired sound. Works real good here, I thought. Definitely recommended.

My cousin was the original drummer on The title cut Time wont let me. We watched him grow up thru the ranks of amatuer to professional. When I here that song today I still get a kick hearing it. He has since passed away, but this small reminder still lives on!
Thanks Denny!

I can't recommend this CD highly enough. Why The Outsiders aren't better known and haven't been inducted into the Rock 'n Roll Hall of Fame is beyond me. A person can't really have all the basic CDs from the 60s and 70s without owning this one.