Little Richard - Greatest Hits Recorded Live [Live]

Little Richard | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (October 25, 1990)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Live
• Label: Sony
• ASIN: B00000267D
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Audio Cassette  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #182,183 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Little Richard's First Live Album Should Have Been Better, March 31, 2000

By 

plsilverman (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Little Richard - Greatest Hits Recorded Live (Audio CD)

Mr. Penniman's first (documented?) live *recording* was made at the Domino in Atlanta, Georgia, USA, January, 1966 and apparently withheld until after this Okeh album was released the following year. Whatever the reason, both records contain some of the most exciting sounds ever laid down on disc! Until the Modern set re-emerges (hopefully remastered sans added crowd noise), we can enjoy the (requested by European fans)session from the makeshift "Okeh Club"- actually live in a studio! It was probably Richard's best-selling album of the 1960's and for good reason: his in-person charisma is captured on disc. But, sadly, his MUSIC does not fare as well. With arrangements emphasizing horns and not rhythm, his struggle to keep the band in sync and his voice from giving out, we ultimately have an album that should have been. Incredibly, we still do not have a real live-in-concert album by the Quasar of Rock! [By the way, the final two numbers are better known as "Baby, What You Want Me To Do" (Jimmy Reed) and "Don't Fight It" (Wilson Pickett)].

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars CLASSIC FUNKY SOUL LIVE BY THE INNOVATOR OF ROCK N SOUL, August 25, 2008

By 

B. Robyn Donison (Fort Qu'Appelle, Saskatchewan Canada) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Little Richard - Greatest Hits Recorded Live (Audio CD)

Little Richard, as everyone knows, thundered a new sound (explosive, funky R&B) across the airwaves in 1955, which was a primary key in the transition from R&B to what became known as Rock n Roll. In 1957, he became a born again Christian and abandoned the secular music industry for Bible college and the ministry. From 1964 until 1977, he 'backslid' into secular music until he returned to the ministry. At first (in 1964/65, record execs tried to capture his mid-50s style, but it didn't return him to the top of the charts. Then, in 1966 he was reunited with his old friend that he met in New Orleans in 1955, Larry Williams, who was groomed by Specialty Records to take over 'the throne' when Richard bolted from the secualr music world. Larry produced funky, soul-style Little Richard music for EMI/Columbia's R&B/Soul label Okeh Records, with Johnny Guitar Watson replacing Jimi Hendrix on guitar for Richard, in a Motown 'on the fours' pace. The Okeh studio records should have hit big, with sensational singles such as "Poor Dog (Can't Wag His Own Tail)", but it is a bit of a mystery (many think poor pr to the proper market) as to why the recordings by the innovator of Rockin and Rollin, Rhythm & Blues Soulin' didn't return him to chart prominence. After he left Okeh and the Rock n Roll Revival period of the late-60s began, this collection of some of the live Okeh Club recordings was released and by far outsold the studio recordings. It is an experience to listen to 'The Architect' performing these soul classics live with support from Williams and Watson, who released their own funky soul album together from the same period. Any fan of Little Richard, who wants to sample something other than his 50s classics (or rerecordings of same) best jump into this one - a fun, rollicking rollercaoster - with both feet!!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Too much talking and not enough music!, March 24, 2007

By 

Dave P. (Nashville, TN) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Little Richard - Greatest Hits Recorded Live (Audio CD)

First, let me say that when Little Richard is playing, the music is exceptional even though he does erroneously call himself "I Am" which is a Biblical term for God. Little Richard is great but not that great. As I said, the music is great.

The biggest and most annoying problem with this CD is the excessive talking between songs. While this is a normal thing to expect in any live concert, the producers of this CD should have curbed most of the talk and let the music play. However, since the CD is only about 30 minutes long, the deletion of the talking would have made this a 15 minute long CD. Not worth the purchase.

Unless you are a die-hard Little Richard fan (like me I guess), purchase any of his other CDs. They are longer in length and have more of his music. I wish that more of his live performances would be available except with more music and less talking.