Ramsey Lewis - Greatest Hits [MCA] [Import]

Ramsey Lewis | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (October 13, 1989)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Import
• Label: Universal Int'l
• ASIN: B000002O4L
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #133,962 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. The 'In' Crowd

2. My Babe

3. Since I Fell For You

4. Something You Got

5. A Hard Day's Night

6. Hang On Sloopy

7. The Caves

8. Dancing In The Streets

9. Felicidade (Happiness) (From The Movie 'Black Orpheus')

10. Wade In The Water

11. Ain't That Peculiar

12. Blues For The Night Owl

13. Function At The Junction

14. Lonely Avenue

15. 1-2-3

16. Look-A-Here

17. High Heel Sneakers

18. Uptight (Everything's Alright)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Funky Juke Box Soul Jazz 101, January 9, 2001

By 

Eddie Landsberg "My 10th year as a reviewer !... (Tokyo, Japan) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Ramsey Lewis - Greatest Hits [MCA] (Audio CD)

Its funny, in retrospect, while Ramsey Lewis definitely as a VERY popular following, the so called Acid as well as straight Jazzers don't seem to drop his name as quickly as one might Horace Silver and Les McCann... (and Ramsey would later on to do some great Rhodes driven electric Jazz too, such as "Sun Goddess") however, back in the mid '60s, especially afte Herbie Mann's big score with Memphis Underground, and even the popularity of Ray Charles's formula Genius Plus Jazz = Soul, the soul Jazz combo with its funky yet heavy swinging gospel meets Jazz approach mnaged to find its ay to the juke boxes. Ramsey Lewis's treatment of "The In Crowd" and "Hang on Sloopy" served as the epitome of this and like most of the tunes on this album are essential "Acid"/"Soul" Jazz listenings. My personal faves on this CD incidentally are Wade In The Water and Something You Got) (get out the tamborines and head to the discotech !)- -

In retrospect, viewing this compilation as a portrait of a era, in many ways I thin Ramsey stood above many of his compatriots, mainly in his willingness to not only be a Jazz pianist, but tackle real chart busting pop tunes that weren't even R & B in his repoitoire - - and this is where his genius came in... today we have "smooth jazz", is music moreso for working in the office to and relaxing at night... Jazz to most people now-a-days is soft music. Ramsey represented a school that was quite the opposite. Instead of taking pop tunes and playing them smooth he said, "I'm going to take the Jazz and make it even funkier than it was before," - - he did and the public embraced it because then, like today, dance music sells... Now, I wonder, suppose the public today could listen and learn from Ramsey Lewis - - that Jazz and pop music are not natural enemies, and that people can dance to Jazz too... and that Jazz done right sould always have a funky toe tapping quality - - hmmmmmmmm, I wonder what would happen if people realized this.

Suggested Listening : Any Horace Silver album with Filthy McNasty, Psychadelic Sally, Cannonball Adderly and Eddie Jefferson's THINGS ARE GETTING BETTER. This *is* soul Jazz.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Very Good Overview of Ramsey Lewis major hits 4 1/2 satrs, May 9, 2000

By 

"williedynamite" - See all my reviews

This review is from: Ramsey Lewis - Greatest Hits [MCA] (Audio CD)

The greates hits of Ramsey Lewis is a swining collection of some of Ramsey Lewis' most popular hits. Ramsey Lewis is famous for remaking pop standards and giving them a swinging jazz sound. The studio tracks are good but what really makes this CD stand strong are the live cuts. It's magical to hear the the crowd sing the chorus on hang on sloopy. Standout cuts: The In crowd, My babe A hard days night, hang on sloopy, Wade in the water, high heeled sneakers

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Best of My Times and of Anyone's Time, October 24, 2009

By 

E. S. Barnes "Back Porch Reader" (Dallas North 40, Texas USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Ramsey Lewis - Greatest Hits [MCA] (Audio CD)

This is the best of all the old remastered music I have ever heard. I can't tell that it wasn't recorded yesterday it's impact is so pure. Even at my advanced age of 78, I want to jump up and gyrate to the music just as I did way back when. The beat is so steady and strong in the trio that even a tone deaf individual could manage to keep time to it. It changes my feelings for the day from passive to active, it renews something in me that I thought was gone, like so many things are gone now. Suddenly I'm alive, alert, active and anxious to see what other good things will happen today.