Special View

Only Ones | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (December 29, 1990)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Sony
• ASIN: B0000025HD
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #307,009 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Englishman Peter Perrett will forever be remembered as the scraggly blonde junkie who launched a thousand punk-rock cover bands with his spacey, riff-rocking paean "Another Girl, Another Planet." There's more to the oft- brilliant Special View (a condensation of their first two British releases) than just that tasty nugget, though. The band crashes power-pop hooks into guitar muscle on "City of Fun" and "Lovers of Today" as well; and Perrett doles each one out in his perfectly deadpan voice. Fans of mop tops like the Plimsouls, the Neighborhoods, and the Replacements (who nicked "Another Girl" as well as other licks from Perrett) will find little not to enjoy here. --Michael Ruby

Product Description

Digitally remastered reissue of 1979 album with original artwork packaged in a tri-fold digipak. CBS. 2004. --This text refers to an alternate Audio CD edition.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Yet another great band doomed to obscurity, March 28, 2003

By 

Roy Pearl (Vancouver, BC) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Special View (Audio CD)

The Only Ones were immortalized by the single "Another Girl, Another Planet", but this compilation of the best moments from the band's first two British albums ("The Only Ones" and "Even Serpents Shine") proved they were far more than one hit wonders. Peter Perrett's vocals were saturated with a weird, ...charisma, lacking in neither melody nor emotion even though he sounded like the sulky, pockmarked kid contemplating suicide in the back corner of the classroom. The band behind him was made up of (if you'll excuse the term) professional musicians - stubborn old musos with enough chops and experience to defiantly inject drama and subtlety into the simple three-chord-bamalama of late 70's punk. Consequently - and quite naturally - the Only Ones were exiles of their own era, never fitting in to any flavor-of-the-month scene or hyped sub-genre. In other words: rock & roll.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Come back, Peter Perrett, November 18, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Special View (Audio CD)

Peter Perrett was a genius, and he found the perfect band of misfits to surround himself with in the Only Ones. The best place to start with to hear this exciting, smart, yet supremely decadent band (the very essence of rock'n'roll) is on this compilation. Some will tell you that this band made one great song: "Another Girl, Another Planet." I'll tell you that if you like that song, you'll discover a gold mine of equally thrilling treasures on this and the group's other albums. Perrett was a brilliant songwriter and engaging if odd singer, the rhythm section was one of the best I've ever heard (Mike Kellie, genius drummer!), and John Perry (now an author) was the greatest flash guitarist you never heard, finding a middle ground between Sterling Morrison and Mick Ronson that was just perfect for this not-quite-punk band.

What does it sound like? Well, it's like a high-energy cross between Lou Reed, Ray Davies, and Bob Dylan--but it rocks the way you always wanted them to, but they never quite did.

Like most good things, it couldn't last, and the Only Ones were history after three official albums, plenty of misadventure, and massive public apathy. Perrett disappeared into a quagmire of drug addiction until the early '90s, when he reemerged with The One (containing no other Only Ones members). Interestingly, his songwriting and singing hadn't declined in the slightest. This longtime Only Ones fan was in heaven. Then he disappeared again...what a loss. Buy this CD and you'll see why.

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars power pop fun, March 29, 2001

By 

C. Chambers (Greensboro, NC USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Special View (Audio CD)

I really dig this record for two reasons: it's fun and it's really catchy. The singer kind of sounds like Steve Shelley of the Buzzcocks with nasal cojestion, but it's great. This is one of those records that great to listen to in the car on a warm sunny day with all the windows down. It's a great, catchy, feel good, post punk/power pop album. Highly recommended.