Groovies Greatest Grooves

Flamin' Groovies | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (July 10, 1989)
• Original Release Date: August 8, 1989
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Sire / London/Rhino
• ASIN: B000005JAV
• Also Available in: Audio Cassette  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #112,343 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

No Description Available.
Genre: Popular Music
Media Format: Compact Disk
Rating:
Release Date: 11-JUL-1989

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Well-selected sampler of the Cyril Jordan years of the Groovies, June 27, 2006

By 

TimothyFarrell22 (Massachusetts) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Groovies Greatest Grooves (Audio CD)

During Cyril Jordan's years as The Groovies' leader, they produced one great album ("Shake Some Action") and several very uneven ones. While the albums released after "Shake Some Action" all had their moments, they were often dragged down by hastilly-written filler material and odd cover choices. This compilation and "Shake Some Action" are the only essential purchases of that era. Most of the great songs from each album are included, showing how at their best, The Groovies were one of the most exicting rock bands of the decade. If you're only a casual fan who has heard a song or two off a sampler of 70's power-pop, this is really all you need. Some will complain about the absense of material from the Roy Loney years with the exception of one song. While the band was great in that period and I feel a good compilation of those years needs to be produced urgently, the decision to leave if off this compilation may be wise. The band changed imensley when the leader changed, so its almost as if The Groovies were two different bands. The early band favored raw roots rock with a sense of humor. The latter band were very much power-pop revisionists of the British Invasion and played without any trace of irony. Having equal amounts of both periods on the same sampler may have led to a disjointed feeling. If they were to make one, it would be critical to put it in chronological order to show the evolution. Also the inclusion of the classic "Slow Death" with short-time vocalist Chris Wilson is a wise decision, as this is a classic song that wasn't included on any of the studio albums. If you don't want to purchase the albums, this compilation would be a good choice. At their best, The Groovies were one of the best rock 'n' roll bands in the world.

9 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Compilation Somewhat Flawed But Worthwhile, October 29, 2000

By 

JOHN SPOKUS (BALTIMORE, MARYLAND United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Groovies Greatest Grooves (Audio CD)

The Flamin' Groovies were like two separate bands. The first with original vocalist Roy Loney is grossly under showcased here with just the classics "Teenage Head" and "Slow Death" as a token nod to a line-up that actually made the group's best music. This collection mainly highlights the albums by the Loney-less later line up led by guitarist Cyril Jordan and vocalist Chris White whose biggest claim to fame is the proto- power pop classic/anthem "Shake Some Action" included here along with an overview of the rest of that line-up's output which owes a lot to the mid sixties Beatles and maybe more to The Byrds jangly Rickenbacker 12 string sound. As they went on the original ideas became less and less and they did a lot of cover versions (Beatles, Stones, Byrds, Dylan etc.). Still this compilation is a fun rock n'roll party record, but a little more of the earlier stuff would've been nice.

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Whatever happened to ?, March 18, 2000

By 

Bill Woods "Wildman" (ROSE HILL Mauritius) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Groovies Greatest Grooves (Audio CD)

It is a shame this band never reached the commercial success that their music warranted. Possibly the Big Guy Upstairs got them mixed them up with the Knack when it was supposed to be their shot at the big time. Anyway, there are a couple of really classic songs on this album which deserve wider recognition. The opening to Shake Some Action has to be the one of the best ever. If John Lennon ever heard these guys he would be really proud. Anyone reading this should do whatever it takes to track down anything by the Sunnyboys or Radio Birdman, Australian bands circa 1976-1983, who were heavily influenced by the Groovies; although they both have a harder edge. In particular look out for 'Aloha Steve and Dano' by Radio Birdman which uses the Hawaii Five-O theme in a way you will really dig. Good luck.