Customer Reviews

Wall of Sound: The Very Best of Phil Spector 61-66

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4 star:		(2)
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I've collected this material several times, just trying to get something listenable. When I saw this release was on Legacy, and checked out the rave reviews, I bought it immediately. Bad move.

Although as a collection it is excellent - all of the Crystals' and Ronettes' hits, several solos by Darlene Love, a few by Bob B. Soxx and the Blue Jeans with "You've Lost That Lovin' Feeling" and "River Deep, Mountain High" thrown in - soundwise it's a major disappointment. Sony tried to equalise in the low end that was missing, and largely wound up with a very hollow, empty sound. Some of the tracks lost their high end in the process. Many of these recordings have the bass mixed so far back you can't even tell if it's there. "He's A Rebel, for instance. Some of the Ronettes stuff sounds okay, and "Zip-A-Dee-Do-Dah" is probably the most improved. But the Crystals' hits sound better on the Spector/ABKCO release, and the Ronettes sound better, in stereo, and the Marginal disc from Brussels. "You've Lost That Lovin' Feeling" also sounds better on the ABKCO disc. Much better. I was thinking "River Deep, Mountain High", being the latest recoding on the disc, might sound better. Forget it. It's the worst. Find the A&M 45.

This is the first Sony Legay disc I've bought that disappointed me. They put their premium brand on junk recordings. Let's hope this isn't going to become a trend for them.

In the lull between the primordial spark of `50s rock `n' roll and the `60s echo brought by the British Invasion, Phil Spector reinvented the pop single. He broke into the music industry in the late `50s with his group, The Teddy Bears, and subsequently elevated the stature of "record producer" with his unique Wall of Sound methods. Starting in New York, and eventually decamping to Los Angeles, Spector's fame eclipsed that of his artists. Though the Ronettes and Crystals got star billing, and the A-list studio players got their historic due as the Wrecking Crew, these singles have collectively become known as "Phil Spector records." And given Spector's reclusive lifestyle and his 2009 incarceration, the records are more than ever his public legacy.

This 19-track collection samples the key years, 1961-66, during which Spector produced for his own Philles label. With the Philles catalog now in the licensing hands of Sony Legacy and EMI, the fiftieth anniversary of the label's 1961 founding is being celebrated with a new round of reissues. Alongside this remastered collection of Spector's hits are collections for the Ronettes, Crystals and Darlene Love. This set stretches from the Crystals' and Philles' first single, 1961's "There's No Other (Like My Baby)," through the 1966 release whose chart failure is reported to have broken Spector's heart, Ike & Tina Turner's "River Deep, Mountain High." In between are key sides from the Ronettes, Darlene Love, Bob B. Soxx and the Blue Jeans, Righteous Brothers and more from the Crystals, gathering together all of the label's Top 40 singles except for three mid-60s releases by the Righteous Brothers.

This is a great look at the peaks, both commercial and artistic, of Spector's run at Philles. It's missing the warm-up act of pre-Philles sides with Ray Peterson, Gene Pitney, Curtis Lee and the Paris Sisters, as well as Spector's comeback work in the `70s and 80s, but as a single disc overview of the Wall of Sound, and given the per-track royalty model for U.S. releases, it's hard to argue with the choices. To reach deeper into the Phil Spector and Philles catalogs, to hear B-sides, album tracks and the few non-charting Philles singles, seek out the individual artist collections being issued in parallel, dig up a copy of the out-of-print box set Back to Mono, or spring for the imported Phil Spector Masters. This isn't the vault archaeology that fans seek, and many will complain about the mono line-up (all except "River Deep"), but it is a welcome overview of one of pop music's greatest auteurs. [©2011 hyperbolium dot com]

I purchased all 4 Very Best of CD's released in 2011 by Legacy (Phil Spector, The Crystals, Darlene Love, and The Ronettes). My aim is to get the finest sounding examples of these recordings possible, and these sets deliver the finest MONO sonics possible from the almost-50 year old recordings. Almost 50 years-WOW! Where does the time go, from AM radio to digital files played on CD's, IPODS and cellphones? Thanks Phil, for giving us kids the "little symphonies"! BTW, the packaging and liner notes are excellent also.

Phil Spector once declared he wanted to create a sound that would be good for at least fifteen consecutive hits. A lofty ambition, when few record producers in the 60's could score more than one or two. But the proof is here, and it's an impressive proof. This is the Wall Of Sound, and Vic Anesini's mastering is to be commended here, as on the other three discs in this series. Finally, the bombastic intensity of these brilliant singles can be heard digitally for the masterpieces they all are.

The tracks which are unique to this hits retrospective are "Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah" (the first true "Wall" production produced at Gold Star Studios), "You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'" (sounding infinitely better here than ever heard before) and "River Deep, Mountain High" which I would have preferred in its original mono mix for consistency with the rest of the album. As it is however, it's a superior mastering.

This is much, much more than just another 60s hits collection or a label compilation: it's a one-disc statement by a musical genius and highly-influential producer which underscores what he's said for years: "Let the music speak for itself."

Crank it up loud!

When dealing with the music of Phil Spector's Wall of Sound, this is a best single collection available at present to cover the well-known hits.

Finally, we have a remastered single disc of Phil Spector's greatest productions. The sound is as good as can be, considering the age of these recordings. Mono never sounded so good. This is missing several key tracks, which may find themselves on a future multi-disc collection: To Know Him Is To Love Him(The Teddy Bears), I Love How You Love Me (The Paris Sisters), Every Breath I Take(Gene Pitney), Spanish Harlem(Ben E. King), and other hits by the Righteous Brothers and Curtis Lee. Particularly missed is the wonderful Black Pearl by Sonny Charles & The Checkmates. But this is the collection to get on CD, though the most comprehensive one remains the vinyl-only Phil Spector's Greatest Hits, from 1977 on Warner/Spector.

Various Artists
"Wall Of Sound: The Very Best Of Phil Spector 1961-1966"
(Sony Legacy, 2011)
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A strong collection of classic oldies from one of the great pop producers of the 1960s... Plenty of the Crystals and Darlene Love as well as Bob B. Soxx and the Ronettes, and even "You've Lost That Loving Feeling" by the Righteous Brothers. Spector's multi-layered "wall of sound" was one of the highpoints of 1960's monophonic pop production, and this is a great single-disc overview of his best work, more compact and economical than the many box sets, etc., that also cover this era. Great place to check out his work. (DJ Joe Sixpack, Slipcue music reviews)

Phil Spector was the first great record producer. There have been others since him; Don Was and T Bone Burnett come to mind. It is doubtful, though, that samplers of Was's or Burnett's production work will ever be released where they receive top billing over the performers. Phil Spector was as important, if not more important, to the success of these phenomenal recordings as the artists themselves. "Be My Baby," "Da Doo Ron Ron," and "Then He Kissed Me" are great songs and would probably have been hits no matter who produced them; Spector's Wall of Sound takes them beyond great to immortal status, songs as powerful today as when they were first released.

This sampler of Wall of Sound highlights from 1961-1966 is a credible testimony to the genius of Phil Spector. Fifty years down the road, his creations are still stunning and awe-inspiring. No producer has yet to achieve the grandeur that Phil Spector did. These songs are joyous, beautiful, and almost impossibly catchy.

By the way, I'm glad most of this set is in mono. I like mono.

What a collection of early 60's music!! Every song has many memories of high school & dating. This truly is the best of Phil Spector & I highly recommend it.

Why buy the CD's by each group separately. This one has all the hits by the Ronettes, Crystals, Darlene Love, etc. on one disk for the money. Great stuff from the sixties.