Herman's Hermits - Their Greatest Hits

Herman's Hermits | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (October 25, 1990)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: ABKCO
• ASIN: B000003BDA
• Also Available in: Audio Cassette  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Music
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (71 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,693 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #61 in Music > World Music > Europe > British Isles
  • #68 in Music > Classic Rock > British Invasion

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

With his thick British accent and schoolboy good looks, singer Peter Noone carried Herman's Hermits through a string of '60s hits. From the swooning romanticism of "There's a Kind of Hush," to the bubblegum bop of "Into Something Good," to the quirky novelty of "I'm Henry VIII, I Am," The Best of Herman's Hermits gathers some of the Hermits' most memorable moments. Noone brought an undeniable charm to songs like "Mrs. Brown You've Got a Lovely Daughter," regardless of the hokey lyrics. One of the more innocent bands of the British Invasion, Herman's Hermits made contemporary music seem safe with "Listen People," "Silhouettes," and "Wonderful World." "The End of the World" remains one of the all-time great breakup songs, made all the more maudlin by Noone's heartbroken delivery. --Steve Gdula

Product Description

No Description Available.
Genre: Popular Music
Media Format: Compact Disk
Rating:
Release Date: 6-JUN-2006

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

51 of 58 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Solid Collection of Harmless Hits May 12, 2000

By John A. Kuczma

Format:Audio CD

At a time when most of the British Invasion groups were looked upon as just that, an invading horde of musical monsters out to somehow subvert the United States and turn the minds of American youth into tapioca, Peter Noone and his four associates offered a clean-cut, middle of the road musical alternative.

This collection includes all of their early U.S. hits, featuring the ultra-successful Mrs Brown, You've Got a Lovely Daughter, I'm Henry the VIII, I Am and There's a Kind of a Hush. The real strength of this disc, however, lies in what it offers beyond the big three. Noone's excellent voice and dramatic delivery are apparent in No Milk Today, Listen People and, especially, End of the World.

The mastering is a bit weak, with some minor distortions but, overall, does not really detract from the quality of the disc.

If you are willing to pay the extra and wait a while, there are imported collections that are better recorded. However, for those who listen to their music without worrying about what's going to show up on the spectrum analyzer, this collection will do just fine.

25 of 28 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Guilty pleasure filler-free March 10, 2004

By A Customer

Format:Audio CD|Amazon Verified Purchase

For most of the minor British-invasion bands who weren't remotely as talented as the Beatles or the Stones, the Kinks or the Who, a greatest hits collection on CD is hard to justify. There isn't an hour, or even a half hour, of songs that were actually hits, or even that I remember hearing on the radio. It was kind of a shock to come across this CD and to realize I can remember being a little kid listening to all of these songs, and they're all good. There is no filler here.

This is a guilty pleasure, and the songs are minor. This should be an exercise in nostalgia, not an attempt to uncover a hidden treasure from the 60s. While this schlock was being made, the Beatles were making Rubber Soul and Revolver. But if you were growing up then, this is the stuff of which some nice memories are made, and there isn't a song here I don't remember well. One star off because, well, after all, this isn't Rubber Soul or Highway 61 Revisited, and there have to be SOME standards for 1965.

There are reviews below about sound quality that may be important to some serious audiophiles. These songs were originally heard by most of us on AM radio and maybe 45's on a monaural record player. This CD sounds great on my stereo today, certainly way better than on the car radio 40 years ago, and I have no complaints about the technical quality of the recording.

22 of 27 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Good, but.... December 3, 2003

By A Customer

Format:Audio CD

You better buy "The very best of Herman's Hermits". Why?. Because "A must to avoid" is in full stereo (all this recordings are mono). In my opinion "The very best..." is a better compilation. Just take a look, and compare. Both CD has original recordings. Be carfull!. The market is full of HH remakes!

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Nothing weighty and meaningful--just clean fun October 18, 2007

By Michael Leake

Format:Audio CD|Amazon Verified Purchase

Herman's Hermits were always much more pop and less serious than British Invasion contemporaries like the Beatles, but that doesn't prevent this from being a thoroughly enjoyable collection of music. None of their singles were original material and producer Mickie Most sometimes enlisted session musicians to play on their records. Nonetheless the band was musically competent, as revealed by existing live film footage, and the overall result was satisfying.

With lead singer Peter Noone at the forefront, Herman's Hermits logged well over a dozen top 40 hits from late 1964 to early 1967--many of them landing in the top 10. This CD is filled with music from that period. It was geared to top 40 radio, so all the songs are brief, catchy and very listenable. The longest track, the masterfully arranged "End of the World," clocks in at just 3:02. There are no hidden messages here, nothing weighty and meaningful--just clean fun.

From the cockney-inflected "Mrs. Brown You've Got a Lovely Daughter" to the pensive and beautiful "Listen People," this CD will have you humming along in no time. It's hard to resist tapping your toes to songs like "Silhouettes," "Dandy," "Wonderful World" and "Just a Little Bit Better." There really isn't a weak track on the CD, though I've always felt the arrangement on "This Door Swings Both Ways" could have been much better. While not musical heavyweights by any means, neither should there be "A Kind of Hush" about Herman's Hermits. They deserve more appreciation than that.

I recommend this CD to anyone interested in Herman's Hermits in particular or the mid-60s British Invasion generally.

11 of 14 people found the following review helpful

1.0 out of 5 stars Terrible sound November 13, 2005

By James C. Orvis

Format:Audio CD

I was suckered into buying this years ago and the sound was so bad that I immediately sold it as used for pennies on the dollar. I strongly suggest you buy another anthology of their music instead.

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful

1.0 out of 5 stars Buyer beware November 3, 2010

By beancounter

Format:MP3 Music|Amazon Verified Purchase

I agree with some of the other reviews--this is not the sound of Herman's Hermits that I remember. That should be made clear on the product information. It is not Peter Noone's voice, and that was an integral part of what made this band's sound so fun. The songs lack that spark.

Additional comment: The sound samples for the CD seem to have Peter Noone's voice, but the MP3 album does not. Unfortunately, I bought the MP3 album. I would love to buy the CD to get the "real" thing, but wonder if I would just get the fake Herman's Hermits.