Customer Reviews

Into Something Good: The Mickie Most Years 1964-72

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

 

 

This first fairly comprehensive compilation of the Hermits' material is welcome but is lacking in some respects, and die-hard fans will find it difficult to justify the steep price tag for the few unreleased songs included.

Other reviewers apparently do not realize that the Hermits' producer, Mickie Most, hated stereo and most of the group's songs were only issued in mono. The songs which were issued in stereo but are included here in mono are: "A Must to Avoid," "All the Things I Do for You," "Bidin' My Time" (though the mono version makes its CD debut), "Hold On!" the LP version of "Leaning on a Lamp Post," "The George and Dragon," "Where Were You When I Needed You" and "Wild Love." The shallow stereo mix of "A Must to Avoid" was perhaps wisely omitted, while the other hits simply were not issued in stereo. Disc 4 purports to contain a previously-unissued stereo mix of "Moonshine Man," but it is instead a terrible and completely unnecessary rechanneled mono mix which is rechanneled one way for the first 20 seconds of the song and then shifts to a different type of rechanneling for the rest of the track.

Also omitted are the true stereo, alternate version of "Listen People" (from the film "Where the Boys Meet the Girls") and two key mono tracks: the single version of "Leaning on a Lamp Post" and the much longer mono mix of "Ace, King, Queen, Jack." The set also does not include any of the tracks from the group's unreleased 1968 LP of cover versions which was rejected by MGM.

Seven tracks, five by the Hermits and two by Noone, are previously unissued. Of those by the group, the extended version of "My Old Dutch," with the previously excised "Show Me the Way to Go Home" coda, is interesting, and "The Colder It Gets" is a decent rocker that would have fit well on "Blaze." But "Wait for Me, Here I Come," an awkward ballad, "A Year Ago Today" with its dreadful "glory, hallelujah" chorus, and "Big Ship" (in stereo), a goofy pop song with an embarrassing brass arrangement, were wisely left in the can when they were recorded.

The Noone solo tracks are only those he recorded for Most's Rak label, so his later solo outings for Philips, Casablanca and Bus Stop are omitted. The last two of the Rak recordings included here were apparently recorded for a final, unreleased Rak single, and are worthwhile. Most of the other Rak single sides make their CD debut here, including the excellent "Because You're There," co-written by Noone with Graham Gouldman (and borrowing somewhat from Gouldman's earlier "That's How (It's Gonna Stay)," which he wrote for and recorded with his mid-'60s group, the Mockingbirds). Of course, the Hermits also recorded a number of Gouldman tunes, all included here except their cover version of "Tally Man," written by Gouldman for Jeff Beck. Recorded by the Hermits for their rejected 1968 LP, it is the one track from that LP which deserves to be part of this collection. The set also excludes the Hermits' post-Noone recordings, which are not controlled by Most.

The liner notes are skimpy and offer little insight into the group's impressive history. A much thicker booklet with a more thoughtful and thorough dissertation should have been mandatory and would have made this set a more attractive purchase for the fan who already owns most of the material.

What is right:
Almost everything recorded by the Hermits is here with a few exceptions (see below). There are also a handful of rare and unreleased tracks plus another handful of singles and unreleased tracks from Peter Noone's early solo career. The "full" catalog has been reissued a couple of times, first by Repertoire, and second by Toshiba Japan: each reissuing a UK Hermits LP supplemented by bonus tracks containing non-LP singles, EP tracks, US-only tracks, etc. At roughly US $10 per CD if purchased from AmazonUK, this set is the lowest cost alternative to either of the earlier reissues.

What is missing:
1. The alternate (and stereo) version of Listen People from the "When The Boys Meet The Girls" soundtrack, presumably because the rights are not owned by EMI. This track is available on the out-of-print Rhino CD "Hollywood's Best: The 60's"
2. The single versions of "Hold On!" and "Leaning On The Lamp Post", which are available on the ABKCO "Retrospective" CD.
3. A few other slightly alternate mixes (East West, Dandy, Kind of Hush) also available on "Retrospective".
4. Missing stereo tracks: All tracks from "Hold On!" were available in true stereo. Only two tracks in this collection are (Gotta Get Away, Make Me Happy). These stereo cuts would've made fodder for disc 4 but most likely would've pushed this into a 5-disc collection.

What is wrong:
Haphazard compilation:
Of all the 4-disc collections EMI has put out so far for several of their British Invasion artists (Gerry and the Pacemakers, Swinging Blue Jeans, Manfred Mann), this one has simply been thrown together. In fact, it appears as though the Toshiba reissues were simply pasted together (Herman's Hermits LP followed by bonus tracks, Both Sides LP followed by bonus tracks, etc), one after the other, making the collection a chronological mess compared to the other collections. "You Won't Be Leaving" inexplicably appeared as bonus track on the Toshiba "Both Sides" disc, presumably because it was a non-LP single. However, the Japanese compilers failed to note that the song is in fact on the "There's A Kind Of Hush" LP and so it appears on that CD as well, in the context of the LP. It appears twice on this collection too, both times on Disc 2. Ooops! I suppose no one at EMI UK noticed this either. Also, the bonus stereo mix of "Moonshine Man" is really an electronically-reprocessed fake stereo mix.

Mastering problems:
The tracks breaks are slightly off for a handful of songs, starting with the beginning of "There's A Kind Of Hush" stuck on the tail end of "Make Me Happy". This continues up to our old friend "You Won't Be Leaving"

Sound:
This release is somewhat stifled sound-wise by the overuse of noise reduction. It sucks the "air" and the ambience from the recordings. Also, there is a large amount of compression and volume boosting that increases over the set making the tracks sound overly loud and bass-y (the "loudness wars" effect). Disc 1 doesn't have the excessive loudness but by the time you get to Disc 3, Herman and pals sound as loud and as booming as a Red Hot Chili Pepper's CD. Check out the ABKCO "Retrospective" CD for how to make these old recordings louder without sacrificing ambience and dynamic range.

The dream box (dream on, that's all I can do):
1. All the tracks in rough chronological order, in MONO except for the "Mrs. Brown (soundtrack) songs which can be left in stereo.
2. The rare tracks (minus the worthless "stereo" Moonshine Man)
3. The Peter Noone singles as included here.
4. A bonus disc with the stereo mixes for the Hold On and Blaze and any stereo other stereo alternates that I may have missed.
5. Oh yes, and please...ease up on the noise reduction, compression, and excessive volume boosting so that the recordings can "breathe" a little and sound a bit more natural.

...not going to happen? I guess that is what turntables and CD burners are for.

Overall, this box is really no worse than the collections preceding it. It is the cheapest alternative to those collections and the best place to get all of this in one concise package. For the budget conscious person who wants it all, here it is.

If you are a huge fan of HERMAN'S HERMITS, this 4 CD set is for you! It has every song that Peter Noone and the Hermits did in the 60's through the early 70's. I had all the hits already on many other CD's, but this one has obscure songs that I was missing. It ties it all together very conveniently to have all the songs in one set. I was surprised that most of their catalog was recorded in mono. I'm puzzled why they used mono tapes. In the US, the albums were released in both stereo and mono. Too bad , as this is probably the only time that we'll see a complete Herman's Hermit's set. Where are the stereo masters? There are some stereo tracks here, mostly starting with their 1966/1967 songs, and after that. Of course, if you just want the hits, buy one of the many greatest hits CD's. This is for the collector, the ultimate completist. The group made some great records, and these songs still live on 40+ years later. Who can not like such great songs as DANDY, NO MILK TODAY, LISTEN PEOPLE, A MUST TO AVOID, and scores of other hits that they had? And their 1967 album " BLAZE " is here , a neglected near classic that has some good original songs.

The rarities are a few unreleased songs, and non-album tracks such as BIG MAN, WINGS OF LOVE and MUM AND DAD , which were on the US Best of, Volume 3. 10 of Peter Noone's solo songs after the Hermits are included , but it does not include the songs he recorded for Casablanca. Still, just finding those will cost you more than this CD probably. My other critique is that they made this set fit into a double sized jewel case. I've heard this described as a " box set " , and it is not. The record company has cut costs by having the printing so condensed into rather a short 8 page booklet that it does not befit the amount of material on here, nor the price tag. They should have spent more money on a book size cover & booklet. After all, this is the complete history of the group, and this was the time to do it, it should be done right. They shortchanged the fans and the group in this regard. It is rather skimpy and short, and it falls short. So, for amount of songs on here, it's great. BUT, they could have done a much better, more thorough job with stereo versions [ if they have them still ] and with packaging. Also, some comments from other members of the group would have made it better [ Peter Noone has some quotes that they used in the booklet and Keith Hopwood is thanked ].

Herman's Hermits were almost as successful in the UK as The Beatles and The Rolling Stones; achieving a similar breakthrough in the USA with their catalogue of happy, catchy tunes which made their impact at first hearing, aided by the group's attractive close harmony vocal style which was smoother and more compatible than their rivals. This was especially true of their chosen easy listening songs which appealed to a wider audience, although livelier elements were often at work for the youngsters. However, it has to be said their cute and mischievous Manchester UK-born front-man had much to do with supplying the feel-good factor whenever the lads appeared on television and in movies during the colourful Sixties.

According to statistics, Herman's Hermits had ten Top Ten hits with a further seven Top Twenty singles and twenty-six such exhilarating sides were recently released by EMI as THE BEST OF HERMAN'S HERMITS.

This expansive four-CD box-set also includes them, with its title number, I'M INTO SOMETHING GOOD - recently purloined by Halifax Bank for TV adverts, heading THERE'S A KIND OF HUSH, SOMETHING'S HAPPENING, SILHOUETTES and NO MILK TODAY amongst the hits squeezed within its 121 tracks and over five hours playing time. That also means inclusion of all the album and EP tracks, film soundtracks, "B" sides, and some previously unreleased performances; adding charismatic Herman's solo sides after he reverted to his real name Peter Noone - all shot through with pop fervour and added simple charm with much credit due to their record producer, Mickie Most.

This release is definitely a must for devout fans, obsessive collector's and those who relate to or were involved in the cosmic shift in the axis of popular music during the crowded world of Sixties pop.

This is a good cd that covers everything the Hermit's did and that is neat for the old baby boomer here. Many good songs are on the cd that are never played on the radio of course except for cousin Brucie's show. Album cuts and B sides i am sure but it is good to hear some of the forgotten favorites.

This is a must-have for Herman's Hermits/Peter Noone fans! For years I've been searching for a CD with some of the LP/EP tracks I came to love as a teenager (long time ago). This is the pot of gold! The sound is great and all are original. As a special bonus, some of Peter Noone's songs are included (without Hermits), which are a wonderful addition to this set. Well worth the cost!

Great CD set. Every song you can think of and more on these CDs. A must have if you like Peter Noone and the Hermits and 60's music.

Being a fan of Herman's Hermits since their beginning, I've been waiting for years for a complete retrospective of their unjustly forgotten music. However this isn't it. The sounds is dreadful. Mostly in mono, due to Mickie Most preference, these recording are poorly transferred to cd in this set. While the liner notes of of modest interest, they do not include specifics on the songs. A very cheaply made cd reissue of music that should be restored to the mainstream but not in such horrid let's see how cheaply we can get away with this approach. If you enjoy their music, hunt down the two cd collection EMI Set: Best of EMI Years: Herman's Hermits Vol 1 & 2. The sound is much better and while many are primarily mono, the sound is crystal clear.

For me, the only thing that stops me from rating the set 1 Star is I like this much of this music and only wish it were given the respect in reissuing it deserves. That said, if you like the Hermits, this collection is "A Must To Avoid". If like me you MUST have it, get it used or cheap under $25.00 and don't expect much.

When EMI described the product as Stereo/Mono I assumed that I'd receive BOTH versions!!! Especially when it comes to their famous hits.
There are ZERO stereo versions of the most popular songs!!!

The only stereo tracks were pretty obscure later material which was interesting.
ok so where the f#*k are all the stereo masters??????