Customer Reviews

Cryan Shames

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

 

 

Crisp & clean, fantastic harmony and REVERB!...A great rock album for serious oldies buffs interested in the Chicago Garage Band sound of the mid 60's early 70's era. Hauntingly reminding of a great era, gone but not forgotten.

This is some of the best of the Cryan' Shames...including songs that aren't on the "Sugar & Spice" compilation like their brilliant version of "If I Needed Someone". Legend has it that George Harrison nixed them releasing this cover (originally found on the Beatles freshman effort "Please Please Me") as a single...even though it's so faithful to the original. And there is a great send-up of "We Gotta Get Out Of This Place", or "Out of this Place We're Gotten To Get" as mirthful lead singer Tom Doody calls it, using his fake British accent that caused many people to mistakenly think he was a Brit. Of course there is there signature tune "Sugar & Spice" (also done at the time by the Searchers--who had the bigger national hit). Another great tune and a favorite in Chicagoland to this day on oldies radio is "I Wanna Meet You". Jim Peterik, leader of the Ides of March (another Chicago band), Survivor ("Eye of the Tiger") and the brains behind 38 Special once awed at the Cryan' Shames...he said they could walk up on the stage, plug in and "Boom...I first saw you in a magazine, I wanna meet you..." They were pro's, and this is where it started.

Cryan Shames. I first heard this album When it came out and was impressed by this Chicago based group. The whole album showed their style was a little different but just basic soft rock. Bought it and went back in time.

You never hear about this band among 1960s pop vocal bands, and that's just a cryi........ok, I won't.

But unlike the 5D or to a much greater extent the Letterman, these guys were actually playing rock and roll. Most of Sugar and Spice is covers: the Beatles "I Needed Someone," and the Animals "We Gotta Get Out Of This Place."

The Cryin Shames popified this music, and that is a lot different than prettying it. The vocals are the most layered, and the music is jangle pop, and it has a fun jaunt to it, driven by open guitar and never falling into sap.

You know you are not listening to Hendrix, but for what this is, it is the best of the sound

Anyone who grew up within the coverage range of WLS or WCFL radio in the 60s knew these songs by heart. This CD contains the tracks of the original 1966 Columbia LP, plus six bonus tracks. Nicely packaged by Sundazed/Sony, the collector/historian of Chicago music will enjoy the detailed leaflet that accompanies this CD reissue.