Customer Reviews

Louie Louie / Very Best

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

 

 

It says VERY BEST OF, but it's more of a singles collection, really, including some B-sides (The Kingsmen managed to have B-sides that really were among their best stuff). In that case, it loses on both counts: what, no "Haunted Castle"? No "Bent Scepter" (their tribute to Wand Records)? And what about later gems like "Daytime Shadows" and "Childrens's Caretaker"? "Grass Is Green"? Singles or B-sides, all. And some of the very best of, indeed. Ah well. "Louie Louie" is, for better or worse, their signature after all. And it's great. But so was all that other stuff that isn't to be found here. Seek it out.

Essential for any and all true Kingsmen fans,and I know you're out there.Well-assembled compilation CD of Portland's premier band of frat rock.Okay,you win,it's garage rock.Same thing,isn't it?All the songs you remember are here,like "Louie Louie","Jolly Green Giant","Annie Fanny","Killer Joe",their Isley Brothers cover "Shout",the instrumental "Night Train" and twenty others.Better,of course than their 'Since We've Been Gone' CD(see my review).Will appeal to fans of the Troggs,Chocolate Watchband,Standells,Paul Revere&The Raiders,the list goes on.

This collection is indeed "The Very Best" of the Kingsmen. This CD is packed with well written and well known songs such as "Louie Louie" and "Money(That's What I want)". That's just a fraction of the CD, considering it contains a whopping 26 songs! The Kingsmen were once the number 1 touring band in America and this CD lets you hear why. If you buy only one CD at Amazon.com, make it this one. "Louie Louie:The Very Best" won't dissapoint you!

....I'm not sure why anyone would want to listen to this. I guess I had too high of expectations for this, I thought I would be getting a tight, garage-rock band. Instead I felt I got jokey novelty songs and very bland, vanilla covers of classic songs (like "Shout"). Overall, this was a disappointment to me.

This is a good, not great, compilation. The one song it lacks that would fill that void between good & great is "David's Mood".

This has all the big songs and a few I had forgotten about. It is a good selection with few duds. It has a good range from the classic Louie Louie to their more humorous songs like Long Tall Texan. I recommend it for a trip down memory lane.

Exactly what it says it is. There are a few rarities I would have liked
to have seen but it is well organized with good fidelity and solid notes.

I'm assuming you already know "Louie Louie" (and if you don't, you've got a lot to learn). It's one of rock n roll's greatest performances, an explosion of overwhelming, inarticulate energy that'll probably have humanity dancing well into the 30th century. And... that's about it.

"Louie Louie" aside, the Kingsmen were little more than a standard issue, R&B-influenced frat-rock cover band. They played music for teenagers who wanted to get in a couple of dances before convincing their date to come with them to Lover's Lane and- I'll tell you when you're older. Which is, of course, a noble effort, just not one whose fruits age particularly well. The songs are, for the most part, dull and unoriginal covers of the rock standards of the day- there's a stiff, plodding rendition of "Mustang Sally" that doesn't capture an ounce of the smoldering sexuality found in Wilson Picket's version, while their take on "Death of an Angel" is an unbearably annoying bit of melodrama. The group also murders "Fever," stripping the song of its eerie subtlty and atospheric tension. They reduce the Isley Brothers' breathless "Shout" into a boring mood-killer that sits somewhere between high-speed polka and the worst of high school garage band music. They attack instrumentals with the same ham-fisted unoriginality, cranking out an incredibly tedious version of "Night Train." And then there's the incredibly annoying "Little Sally Tease" and "Killer Joe," a transparent "Louie Louie" rehash that drains the song of its unique magic.

Now, don't get me wrong- there are a few good songs here other than "Louie Louie." "Jolly Green Giant" is a rockin' novelty song, and "The Climb" is a rousing, catchy, pounding number that should have you clibing that dancefloor for a few minutes. "Don't You Just Know It" has a certain, ultra-sloppy, appeal, and "Gimme Some Lovin'" is a great ruccus-raining party anthem. Ditto for "Long Green."

Still, this disc is the demonstration of a mediocre rock band who only managed to record one truly great song. This is an album full of filler, and probably not one that you'll play all that often. Still, if you absolutely insist on having a Kingsmen disc in your collection (or if you want a good exapmle of what a typical 60s teen hop or frat party would've sounded like), this isn't a bad purchase. Although, you might want to buy Rhino's The Best of the Kingsmen instead. It's the more concise disc, and it has the way-cool b-side to "Louie Louie," a stormin' surf instrumental entitled "The Haunted Castle." In either case, happy listening!

Bet of the Kingsmen? The only problem is, how can you distinguish it from the WORST of the Kingsmen? Let's face it: they were godawful. A lotta throwaway knock-offs on the twelve-bar blues form, which a lot of groups of that era did. When I say they were awful, I say it with a certain fond affection. They were the quintessential frat party kegger band, and if you're my age it'll certainly take you back. Ah, yes, Louie, Louie, a veritable masterpiece of pre-flower-power dreck. Wonderful! I'd suggest just downloading the MP3 of Louie Louie instead of buying this double CD. After a few repetitive tracks, the camp value starts to fade. A little bit of it is fun, but it rather quickly starts to get on one's nerves. I can't in good conscience give this more than two stars, and one of those is just for 'Louie, Louie." Hey, if nothing else it'll give you a fresh appreciation of what the Beatles brought to the rock scene.

I bought the album just for the song "Louie Louie". The other songs are ok but I have heard better.