Retrospective (Dig) [Original recording remastered]

Herman's Hermits | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (July 20, 2004)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Original recording remastered
• Label: Abkco
• ASIN: B0002IQAC2
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (34 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #52,477 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

The 26 tracks on Retrospective show that it's not enough to just have hits, you have to have hits with the right songs. Herman's Hermits came to prominence during the early days of the British Invasion with a mix of odes to teenage love such as "Can't You Hear My Heartbeat," "Mrs. Brown, You've got a Lovely Daughter," and "I'm Into Something Good" and mildly rocked-up versions of ancient English music hall songs like George Formby's 1937 hit "Leaning on a Lamp Post" and the 1911 chart-topper "I'm Henry the VIII, I Am." By 1966, two years after lead singer Peter Noone and his band mates scored their first hit, they were pigeonholed as a novelty act and their records stopped charting. Which is too bad because their later songs like "No Milk Today," "East West," and "Don't Go Out Into the Rain" are delightful dollops of late 1960s British pop. Many of these later songs featured string arrangements by John Paul Jones and guitar parts by Jimmy Page, who were both studio musicians before they formed Led Zeppelin. Herman's Hermits were not among the most important bands from the British Invasion, but their best songs perfectly captured the giddy spirit of the times and are certainly worth revisiting. --Michael John Simmons

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

46 of 46 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars First rate anthology of an important mid sixties group, October 19, 2004

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Paul Tognetti "The real world is so much more... (Cranston, RI USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Retrospective (Dig) (Audio CD)

In May of 1965 I was 14 years old and just getting interested in pop music. I remember it like it was yesterday. I was shopping at a local discount store with my parents and I begged them to let me buy my first 45 rpm record. That record was "Mrs. Brown You've Got A Lovely Daughter" by Herman's Hermits. I have been collecting music ever since. "Retrospective" is a long overdue collection of one of the 1960's most popular groups. And I have nothing but good things to say about it.

In "Retrospective" you will find every single one of the groups 19 charted U.S. hits as well as a handful of gems from the groups LP's. Most people forget just how dominant Herman's Hermits were back in 1965. For the better part of that year the group always seemed to have multiple tunes riding high on the Billboard Hot 100. Songs like "Silhouettes", "Wonderful World" and "I'm Henry VIII,I Am" were staples on Top 40 radio. In addition, unlike many of their contemporaries whose success was limited to single releases, the group was selling albums like crazy. All three of the groups 1965 album releases including "Introducing Herman's Hermits", "Herman's Hermits On Tour" and "The Best of Herman's Hermits" were wildly successful. In fact, "The Best of Herman's Hermits" would remain on the Billboard Top Pop Album chart for just over two years! In addition to the three big hits mentioned above you will also find great pop classics like "Can't You Hear My Heartbeat", "There's A Kind of Hush" and the original 45 rpm recording of "Leaning On The Lamp Post" which for some reason has been unavailable for decades. I was also pleased to find songs like "Hold On" as well as the Hermits beautiful rendition of the Skeeter Davis hit "The End Of The World".

As I mentioned earlier there is absolutely no downside to this collection. The fact of the matter is that the remastering job is so superior that you feel like you are listening to many of these songs for the very first time. The attached 19 page booklet is chock full of info about Peter Noone and the group and it all comes in a very attractive package. And to top it all off the price is right. You wonder why it took so long but if you are a fan of the British Invasion I would snap this one up pronto before it disappears. Highly recommended.

23 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A wise purchase: The Essential HH, October 29, 2005

By 

David Elliott "18 Year Old Music Collector" (North Haven, CT) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Retrospective (Dig) (Audio CD)

This compilation is definitely a wise investment for those looking for the essential Herman's Hermits disc. I sincerely hope the following points guide you towards purchasing this CD:

-The Sound quality: This "SACD" plays spectacularly on CD players, with gorgeous remastered fidelity. I, personally, own every Herman's Hermits album on mono vinyl, but I realize that most people are not into collecting LP's, so I will not impose my views on vinyl's superiority here on a review for a *CD*. But I *will* say that this is best sounding Herman's Hermits compact disc on the market, plain and simple. You won't find a better sounding disc.

-This album is comprised of the original singles (45) versions of the tunes. Which will delight most collectors. The following songs especially: Hold On! (7" version - Totally different take than the one that appeared on the Hold On! LP), Leaning on the Lamp Post (Again, totally different take than that on the Hold On! LP) and also, A Must to Avoid has s much more pronounced tambourine track than the album cut.

One small detraction from this set: The mastering on Sunshine Girl seems to be rather rushed, as a very tiny portion of the beginning is clipped. Rather than "Sssssssunshine girl, I'm leaving soon..." it sounds more like "Ssunshine girl, I'm leaving soon..." This may be an anal point that only an obsessive collector like myself would point out (and care about for that matter), but I figured it was worth mentioning.

A piece of advice: Yes, this compilation is probably the most expensive Herman's Hermits single-disc set on the market, but it is totally worth it. Why would you place your trust in some $5.99 hits package put out by some no-name label and end up with a disc of inferior re-recordings? Place your trust in this disc. Original hit versions, amazing new remastering.

22 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Hermits out of hiding with superb sound!, August 7, 2004

By 

Olaf Owre (Finnsnes, Norway) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Retrospective (Dig) (Audio CD)

Allen Klein's ABKCO Records, who own the release rights to the entire Herman's Hermits back catalog on US MGM, have until now restricted their re-issue program to only one rather sub-standard «Greatest Hits» CD released in 1987. For a group who was a household name alongside The Beatles and The Rolling Stones in the 60's, and sold more than 60 million records worldwide, it's about time that ABKCO release a compilation that do the group more justice.
«Retrospective» is exactly what we've been waiting for. The sound is absolutely superb as the disc has two layers. One is a normal CD, the other layer is SACD (Super Audio Compact Disc) of the same songs. Both layers benefit from DSD technology used during the remastering process, and sounds that were lost and inaudible on the original records have been found and restored so you can hear every nuance of the original master tapes. A brilliant job!
The 26-track compilation covers not only their peak years from 1964 to 1967. It also includes the singles from 1968-69, when the decline in sales and popularity in the US set in, and the group dropped from the charts. In the UK and Europe, however, the group continued to have hits until 1972.
Also for the first time on CD are the original single versions of «Hold On» and «Leaning On A Lamp Post» (MGM K 13500), both recorded in England in early 1966. These are quite different to the versions recorded in America shortly after, for the «Hold On!» soundtrack album (MGM E/SE 4342ST).
ABKCO Records have also done a fine job with the packaging this time. The CD comes with a nice digipak cover with a 19-page booklet. This contains photos and a detailed biography, as well as info about recording dates and studios used for every track on the CD. With all the info at hand one wonders why the songs are not presented in chronological order all the way on the CD?
The biography by Jim Bessman also contains a few inaccuracies. For instance Lou Reed is mentioned as co-writer of «There's A Kind Of Hush», but that was Les Reed. And it's a rather bold statement to say that the Hermits rarely played on their records. The fact that future Led Zeppelin members Jimmy Page, John Paul Jones and other session men appeared on some of their recordings, has led people to believe that the Hermits weren't up to the task. Not so! What made the use of session men a necessity in those days was mainly the group's gruelling tour schedule, especially in 1965-66, when they were almost bigger than The Beatles in America. All of the Hermits were in fact excellent players, and they played on the majority of their own records, including their big hits «I'm Into Something Good», arranged by guitarist Derek Leckenby, and «Mrs. Brown». On some recordings they didn't play their usual instruments, because Mickie Most had hired sessioneers to lay down the backing tracks while the Hermits were out on the road. However, Peter Noone, Keith Hopwood and Karl Green sang on all of them. As for John Paul Jones, who was an arranger for many of Mickie Most's artists (Donovan, Lulu etc.) he actually came on a German tour with Herman's Hermits in 1968, playing organ. He was asked to join as a permanent member after the tour, but instead of becoming the «6th. Hermit» Jones a few months later emerged as bassist with Led Zeppelin!
ABKCO's «Herman's Hermits retrospective» is an excellent CD with a superb sound. Buy this - the music is better than ever!