Customer Reviews

Little River Band - Greatest Hits

5 star:		(22)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(10)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(9)

 

 

Finally, a record label understands what it means to update their old vinyl/cassette catalog onto CD. When "Greatest Hits" first came out in 1982, it contained 12 tracks and nearly fifty minutes of music (fairly generous for the time). This 2000 update "Greatest Hits" has been expanded to 18 tracks and nearly eighty minutes of music. [Are you paying attention, MCA, with your pared down Millennium series?]

This new release adds the hits since the 1982 edition: "We Two" (#22), "You're Driving Me Out of My Mind" (#35) and "Playing To Win" (#60), which featured John Farnham, who replaced original vocalist Glenn Shorrock in 1983 when he left to go solo. [Shorrock would return in 1988 when Farnham left to pursue a solo career.] You also get another Farnham vocal "Face In the Crowd" from the album No Reins. In addition you get their second U.S. single "I'll Always Call Your Name" (#62) from 1977 and "It's Not a Wonder" (#51) from 1980.

This is infectious MOR pop. The Little River Band specialized in catchy hooks, lush vocals, and understated guitar leads to create a unique and wonderful sound on such lovely ballads as "Lady," "Reminiscing," "Cool Change," as well as mid-tempo rockers as "Help Is On the Way" and "Man On Your Mind." Sure, You could spring for the 2-disc anthology Reminiscing, but this has all the hits at less than half the price. RECOMMENDED

I started listening to the Little River Band in the 70's when I was a kid. My oldest brother loved them and he had several 8 tracks. Then my oldest brother moved out and my middle brother started listening to them in the early 80's and I liked them even more. I bought this greatest hits back in 1994 and I really loved it, but then I lost that version and I bought this new version of the greatest hits. I AM VERY DISSAPOINTED IN IT!!!!! THEY HAVE CHANGED THE SOUND OF THE BAND ON SONGS LIKE "MAN ON YOUR MIND", "LADY" JUST TO NAME A FEW. Well this is not okay with me, and I don't even want this cd anymore. Can anyone tell me how to get a copy of the old greatest hits. You know, the ones that haven't been touched. Please tell me there is such a version out there........In the meantime, don't waste your money on this album if you like how the band sounded years ago.

David

If you're making your decision on whether or not to pick up this CD based on all the 1* reviews out there, please note that Capitol fixed the "error" and now "Man on Your Mind", "Night Owls", and "Take It Easy on Me" are the versions that appeared on the original "Time Exposure" LP. The ONLY track that differs from its LP format is "Playing to Win" which rocks even harder than the original and, for me, represents the career misstep that resulted in the atypical, hard-rocking album of the same name. If they wanted to include a track from "Playing..." I would have picked a more LRB-ish one: "Piece of the Dream", "Don't Blame Me", and "Blind Eyes" come to mind.

Now that it has been "fixed", the 18-track "Greatest Hits" becomes the best single-disc compilation available getting the nod over 2002's Definitive Collection in terms of covering the hits. "Definitive" is one track longer and includes the full length version of "It's A Long Way There" but by including several '70s-era "album tracks" (Curiosity Killed The Cat, Emma, Everyday Of My Life, Home On Monday, Shut Down Turn Off) omits several singles: "Face In The Crowd" (from '86s "No Reins") and "You're Driving Me Out Of My Mind", LRB's last Top 40 hit ('83s "The Net") both of which feature strong lead vocals from John Farnham. Also missing on "Definitive" are '77s "I'll Always Call You Name" (from the debut) and "It's Not A Wonder" (from 1980s "First Under the Wire"): singles which failed to make it into the top 40. The biggest hits are present on both so it's really a matter of preference and in either case you get a generous sampling of outstanding music and performances (especially those incredible harmonies).

You also might want to seriously consider springing for the 2-disc, out of print Reminiscing: The 20th Anniversary Collection which features 22 of the 23 tracks contained on "Greatest Hits" and "Definitive" (Face in the Crowd is not included) PLUS an additional 12 songs including early album tracks like "Statue of Liberty", "Sweet Old Fashioned Man", "Days on the Road", non-LP single "Long Jumping Jeweler", and later-LRB tracks such as "Time for Us", "It's Cold Out Tonight", "Love Is A Bridge", "Son of a Famous Man", "Soul Searching", "I Dream Alone", the last five featuring Glenn Shorrock and his return to the band in the late '80s for the two MCA label releases "Monsoon" (a wonderful return to form) and "Get Lucky", neither of which are covered on "Greatest Hits" or "Definitive". Just about everything on the 2-disc set is classic LRB and with so much of LRB's catalog out of print this may be the easiest (certainly the least expensive) way to get it.

I was very excited when I first discovered this collection in the store. When I first played it, I noticed how great the 24-bit digital remastering sounded. In the 70's, I really loved Cool Change, The Night Owls, Lady, and my favorite was Take It Easy One Me. When "Take It Easy On Me" came on, I was really disappointed to hear that it was a "live" version of the song, and not the ORIGINAL studio recording. I immediately searched the liner notes, but there was no indication that this recording should be anything but the original. I feel that this was false advertising. I did not get what I thought I was purchasing. The first greatest hits featured the ORIGINAL recording, so why is it not here? Sure, the rest of it is good, but it is my FAVORITE LRB song!! What's the deal guys? I want my money back.

This is what should have been done: the original 12 track Greatest Hits version should have been re-released remastered 24-bit or better digitally. No track order changes but just as it is. After all, the title says "Greatest Hits"; if they wanted to add the truly pissed poor later efforts, they could have released a "Greatest Hits vol. 2".

Instead, they took what I consider to be one of the top 5 best ever best of compilations ever made and totally destroyed it by firstly changing what was a truly perfect track order and then adding very, very poor tracks that are even much much worse than the fillers on their first few albums. "Face in the Crowd" is so bad, it almost makes me want to cry tears of pain whenever I hear it. The only track that they added that perhaps I could bear after a few beers was "You're Driving Me Out of My Mind"

Before they raped this album, the original greatest hits album was that rare breed of perfect best of compilations. For a start, it truly represented the best that these guys have ever done. Secondly, it didn't sound like a compilation because the track order was perfectly chosen (who cares if it was by pure luck or design the effect was fabulous)and the whole album had a cohesiveness and flow that made it sound like a very good classic album.

They couldn't have chosen a better track to begin the album in "It's a Long Way There" (inexplicably the last track on the new version) and to end the album with "Cool Change". Every track in between seemed to be destined to be in that order and like a classic album should, the complete package sounded a lot better than the sum of the individual tracks.

Although you hardly ever see lists of best albums of all time populated with compilations, I would not have hesitated to put the original version of this together with Queen's first Greatest Hits album (UK version) on that list. Now they have gone and totally screwed up a perfectly good album. Sacrilege if you ask me.

Thanks for nothing Capitol Records. If you want to make amends, discontinue this crap version and release a proper remastered version of the original version and next time think before you "improve" aka destroy classic albums. For those of you that are interested, the proper original classic can still be found in used cd shops and on some import sites. I just got one from www.cdjapan.co.jp which by the way is an excellent place to get very good, reasonably priced imports.

This is a great example of what the music business has become, and the losers that make stupid decisions like cutting short the wonderful guitar solos in "It's a Long Way There". I will be pursuing getting my money back. What I want to know is WHO IS THE LOSER THAT MADE THAT CALL ??

A.Imposters

THE LITTLE RIVER BAND ARE NOT RECOGNISED AS SUCH IN THEIR HOMELAND OF AUSTRALIA, THE SONGWRITERS OF THE ORIGINAL SONGS CAN'T USE THE NAME LITTLE RIVER BAND ANYMORE,BECAUSE THE NAME IS OWNED BY THE BAND CURRENTLY TOURING AS LRB IN THE USA.THE CURRENT LINE UP WILL DO EVERYTHING IN THEIR POWER TO HIDE FROM THE AMERICAN PUBLIC THAT THE MAIN SONGWRITERS FOR THE GROUPS BIGGEST HITS THAT EVERYONE KNOWS AND LOVES WERE WRITTEN BY Birtles Shorrock Goble ,THIS IS THE BAND THAT YOU SHOULD CHECK OUT,WOULD YOU BUY A BEATLES ALBUM IF RINGO STARR WAS THE ONLY ORIGINAL MEMBER,I WOULDN'T ,IT IS SO NASTY BETWEEN THE 2 PARTIES,THAT IF YOU GO TO THE LITTLE RIVER BAND SITE AND PUT SHORROCK IN AS THE USER NAME IT SAYS USER NAME IS BANISHED,FOR YOU THAT DON'T KNOW GLENN SHORROCK WAS THE SINGER AND SONGWRITER THAT EVERYONE IN AUSTRALIA KNOWS SANG THE ORIGINAL 70'S HITS AND CO WROTE THE SONGS ,THOUGH THIS IS BEING HIDDEN BY THE AMERICAN TOURING OUTFIT,IT PERSONALLY SICKENS ME TO KNOW THIS IS GOING ON,I URGE MY AMERICAN FRIENDS TO NOT BE FOOLED BY THE USE OF A NAME,CHECK OUT "http://www.birtlesshorrockgoble.com" ,THIS CURRENT OUTFIT DIDN'T WRITE THE CLASSIC SONGS THEY PERFORM IN CONCERT,they are the classic rock equivalent of Milli Vanilli

A great album from an underrated and relatively obscure 80's band. Unlike many groups that advertise an album as a Greatest Hits compilation, this one is the real deal. Practically every major LRB song is part of this CD. It's was nice to see the catchy "Face in the Crowd" included as well as the terrific "It's a Long Way There" with it's sharp guitar work.

I bought the first "Greatest Hits" album from LRB back in the early 90's and was not disappointed. This "new" GH album is a great addition to any collection. The extra cuts have really made this a super album!

Of course, well-known favorites such as "Lonesome Loser", "Reminiscing", and "Happy Anniversary" are prominently displayed. But, from a personal standpoint, put me down for "The Night Owls" and "The Other Guy" as my favorites.

Regardless of which LRB cut is your favorite, OR if this is your first contact with this Australian group, you will not be disappointed! Highly recommended and, might I say, it's about time that a full CD of LRB's greatest hits is available.

I can't believe it. What was once one of the greatest extended medleys of all time (It's a Long Way There) is clipped out and the song is cut short. The intent must have been to sell FEWER COPIES! Who is the idiot that decided to do that?!?!?

Finally, a record label understands what it means to update their old vinyl/cassette catalog onto CD. When "Greatest Hits" first came out in 1982, it contained 12 tracks and nearly fifty minutes of music (fairly generous for the time). This 2000 update "Greatest Hits" has been expanded to 18 tracks and nearly eighty minutes of music. [Are you paying attention, MCA, with your pared down Millennium series?]

This new release adds the hits since the 1982 edition: "We Two" (#22), "You're Driving Me Out of My Mind" (#35) and "Playing To Win" (#60), which featured John Farnham, who replaced original vocalist Glenn Shorrock in 1983 when he left to go solo. [Shorrock would return in 1988 when Farnham left to pursue a solo career.] You also get another Farnham vocal "Face In the Crowd" from the album No Reins. In addition you get their second U.S. single "I'll Always Call Your Name" (#62) from 1977 and "It's Not a Wonder" (#51) from 1980.

This is infectious MOR pop. The Little River Band specialized in catchy hooks, lush vocals, and understated guitar leads to create a unique and wonderful sound on such lovely ballads as "Lady," "Reminiscing," "Cool Change," as well as mid-tempo rockers as "Help Is On the Way" and "Man On Your Mind." Sure, You could spring for the 2-disc anthology Reminiscing, but this has all the hits at less than half the price. RECOMMENDED