Customer Reviews

The Complete Collection

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With so many cheap Shangri-Las compilations arriving on digital download lately, you have to wonder if someone forgot to renew the copyrights. This set is a nearly complete accounting of the Shangri-Las official releases, including the tracks from their two albums (Leader of the Pack and Shangri-Las '65), their pre- and post-Red Bird singles for Spokane, Scepter, Smash and Mercury, the well circulated alternate take of "Give Him a Great Big Kiss," two ads for Revlon, and Mary Weiss' period "good taste tip" radio spots. All that's missing is their cover of "Twist and Shout," as it appeared on their first album and single B-side. Perhaps the second, lo-fi version of "It's Easier to Cry" that's included here was supposed to be the missing track.

These appear to be all original recordings, mono except for 1, 3, 5, 9, 11, 17 and 26. The stereo mixes exhibit some differences from the mono versions anthologized on RPM's Myrmidons of Melodrama [1 2], particularly in the instrumental balance. "Remember (Walkin' in the Sand)" is 2:41 rather than the mono version's 2:15, with the backing vocals panned left the handclaps and finger snaps panned right, and an ending that stretches the bass riff and backing vocals past Mary Weiss lead vocal. After the motorcycle crash sound effect, "Leader of the Pack" includes two extra vamps that aren't present on RPM's mono master. Assuming these are original stereo performances, they're great bonuses for Shangri-Las collectors, but it's a shame Goldenlane doesn't provide any explanation of where these came from.

Track ordering mostly front-loads the group's Red Bird era singles, though not uniformly. This leaves their pre-Red Bird singles as bonus tracks at collection's end. Track-to-track volume levels aren't perfectly balanced, though most MP3 players will fix this for you in playback. The packaging, or complete lack thereof, keeps this from reaching the pinnacle of reissue heights, but it's hard to argue with thirty-nine girl group classics for less than the cost of a typical 12-track CD. 4-1/2 stars, if allowed fractional ratings. [©2009 hyperbolium dot com]

So, we're all in agreement that the Shangri-Las are one of the greatest pop groups ever and though their songs exude '60s kitsch, they nonetheless remain timeless masterpieces of pop singing and songwriting, right? Okay, good. So let's discuss this collection in particular.

'The Complete Collection' isn't quite as its name implies. It doesn't include everything the group has ever released, but it's pretty close. The forty-four tracks here gather their first LP, 'Leader of the Pack' (minus their cover of the Isley Brothers' 'Twist & Shout' - presumably for licensing reasons), their second LP, 'Shangri-las '65!' in its entirety, 17 singles and B-Sides (essentially a third full-length album) and a few oddities (two Revlon commercials and two bizarre radio segments where lead singer Mary Weiss dispatches dating advice).

That's an awful lot of music - and probably all the Shangri-Las any pop aficionado could need. That said, this is a pretty loveless collection. The mixing isn't at all uniform and some of the tracks are quite a bit louder than the others (the low-end on 'Remember,' in particular, is pretty out of control) - but turn on iTunes' "Sound Check" feature and you won't even notice it. Aside from that, the sound quality is uniformly good, if not great, and only staunch audiophiles will be able to find fault with it.

Like most artist recollectives, the track order is all over the place and doesn't seem to follow any logic. It doesn't adhere to the albums and it isn't chronologic either. Luckily, iTunes has a solution for this as well (if that sort of thing bugs you) and it's very easy to separate this one, long album into three shorter ones (the first two LPs and a third "disc" of the singles).

So a couple minor quibbles aside, this is a fantastic collection of one of the great pop groups of all time and the price is simply remarkable. It certainly makes more sense than spending the same amount or more on a "Greatest Hits" CD, whether you're a long-time Shangri-Las fan or looking to get into them for the first time. For nine dollars, you're essentially getting three full-length CDs - an incredible incentive to dig into the group's entire catalogue.

In short, 'The Complete Collection' is a wonderful anthology any pop fan can appreciate, and the price is right as well. Get it.

Not sure who these Goldlane people are, but it seems they're from CA; I cringe at the thought. Possibly, some was released illegally.

I had about half of these songs already when I ran across this package. I almost didn't buy it for that reason and the fact that the other reviewers didn't seem to be thrilled by the quality. Well, I'm glad I changed my mind. When I A/B these versions with the ones I have, in MOST cases the difference is amazing. Yes, a few are a little heavy in the midrange and one or two are a little quieter. But, where else can you get 40 great girl group songs, by such a great group, for this price? FYI -Simon Says and Give Him A Great Big Kiss (alt) are labeled backwards.