Customer Reviews

Johnny Rivers - Greatest Hits

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

 

 

If you want the originals buy the Capitol records Version. This is one of those disc's where the artist had to re-record the songs on his own label to avoid legal action. Very mis-leading. Johnny Rivers is a great artist with classic songs, but he must have got a raw deal on his song rights. Maybe we'll see his story on 'Behind The Music' some day.

You won't recognize some of the songs as they're not the originals. In fact it doesn't even sound like Johnny's regular back up musicians. Most are live and he's changed them in an interesting way, but it simply doesn't measure up. Note that the cover of this album is the same as another one that does have the originals, and I find that misleading.

Pass this one by... it may have the songs, but not the quality... done in a live and Re-mixed format it is a DISAPPOINTMENT!!!!

I bought this CD hoping to hear Johnny's great performances of "Mountain of Love", "Summer Rain", "Swayin' To the Music (Slow Dancin')", etc. Unfortunately, all but the latter sound like new recordings of the old hits. The re-recordings are not all bad, but I would have hoped to have had all of the originals.

This is a "live" cd, it is done very well, but it isn't studio quality. I was specifically looking for the song, "Summer Rain". Basically the cd suffices but I wish it were the "real deal" the songs I remember from ol' radio days

As I feared, the cuts on this CD were not the familiar studio versions of my favorite Johnny Rivers hits, but live cuts, and therefore, missing some of the rich sound quality and off tempo from what my ear has grown accustomed to for thirty (ouch!) years. The selection of titles is still good but I was disappointed. Also, technically, two of the tracks are out of sequence according to the liner.

I was lucky to find an original issue of this LP, released originally on Imperial House Records in 1980 or 1981. When I purchased it, I was unaware the songs were re-recorded but I found the album a lot more interesting when it I realized these were newer versions of Rivers' classics.

If anything, these newer recordings are far more polished than their earlier counterparts, and that is not necessarily a good thing. Rivers's strength was his early rawness and spontaineity. I actually prefer the originals, but these updated recordings are still great! If you have an open mind, and are not wedded to the past and its seeming glories, you can still hear Rivers' talent shining loud and clear.

Johnny Rivers is - I believe - one of the most underrated contributors to pop/rock/country music. His string of hits is incredible, and virtually everyone has at least one Rivers' song on the tip of their tongue which they can join in with as soon as they start hearing it played.

Rivers' voice is edgy and energetic. He's an excellent guitar player. Basically, he's part of the foundation of 60's and 70's music. (Did you know he's credited with 'discovering' the 5th Dimension and wrote some of their biggest hits?)

Yet, Rivers rarely receives accolades often given to much less talented singers and groups. I'll always remember walking down the street one day in Milwaukee. Tacked to the pole was some cheap flyer announcing "Johnny Rivers playing at such-and-such-a-bar on such-and-such-a-night." It was the kind of promotion you'd expect for someone's garage band - not someone who was a major player in popular music.

It's with my great respect and love for Rivers' music that I bought this CD. Well, I was disappointed.

Each song on this CD is a recording from a live performance. Virtually every song lacks the 'bite' and energy of the original recorded hit. It's almost like listening to Rivers' hits in a karaoke bar. It leaves me thinking that Rivers is a better studio musician than live performer - yet it was his live performances in LA that resulted in him being discovered by the commercial music world.

My love and respect for Rivers hasn't changed, but I am getting the original studio versions of his hits that I truly love.

Johnny Rivers is one of the few musician of 60's who doesn't change music style with time. Through out his musical career, he always maintains bluesy singing style. Johnny refused to jump in the psychedelic rock band wagon of the late 60's. "I never wanted to jump on that (progressive) stuff because I didn't need to and (for me) it wasn't honest," he says, "I would have fallen on my ass just like the rest of them who tried it and didn't do it honestly."

Many of Johnny River hits are the re-make of another hits.. Johnny took the original songs like Smokey Robinson's "Track of My Tears" and Four Top's "Baby I need Your Loving", and sang them with his original style. The result is that Track of My Tears and "Baby, I need Your loving" are more uptempo and more bluesy. Secret Agent Man is the most played song on Radio this day and is my most favorite song. Poor Side of Town became Johnny's number hit.

I SAW JOHNNY RECENTLY IN FT COLLINS CO., AND HE DID A EXCEPTIONAL AND SURPRISING PERFORMANCE:)

HE PLAYED FOR ABOUT TWO HOURS AND IT WAS REALLY GREAT TO ""HEAR"" HIS VOICE AND "FEEL" LIVE GUITAR---HE HAS THAT SEXUAL POWER THAT HE HAS ALWAYS HAD---MAYBE MORESO??

JOHNNY JOGS EVERYDAY, NOT AN OUCE OF FAT ON HIM AND SINCERELY> GIVES ENERGY OUT< TO THE AUDIENCE.
ITS NOT BABY I WANT YOUR LOVIN' --- BUT, BABY I "NEED" YOUR LOVIN'
THE FINALE IN REAL TIME "SECRET AGENT MAN" IS A FUN RETROSPECTIVE--- FOLLOWED BY A SILVER PEN AUTOGRAPH TO: OWEN,
JOHNNY RIVERS, '03.

THANKS JOHNNY, I SUGGEST EVERYONE SEE YOUR PERFORMANCE.
THIS CD REMINDS US HOW MANY BIG HITS JOHNNY ACTUALLY HAD/HAS:)

TAKE A (ROCK- N - ROLL) ON THE RIVER- JOHNNY RIVERS IS ORIGINALLY FROM NYC, THEN ONTO BATON ROUGE LA., ---GET YOUR TICKET TODAY AND TAKE A RIDE ON THE RIVER:)