Customer Reviews

You'll Never Walk Alone

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This set is the latest in a series of boxes that compile complete (or nearly complete) classic discographies of EMI artists from the '60s. The first was released several years ago and was apparently available only in the UK; it contained the EMI masters recorded by the original Animals. More recently, EMI released the superb "Down the Road Apiece", containing everything you'll ever need by (the original) Manfred Mann.
Gerry and the Pacemakers were friendly competitors of the Beatles, and their early hits are just as lively and entertaining as Beatles music circa 1962-1964. Gerry Marsden had a sweet tenor voice that was a kind of Brit equivalent to Roy Orbison, so that pure pop like "How Do You Do It?" (turned down by the Beatles, incidentally) and ballads like "You'll Never Walk Alone" and especially "Don't Let the Sun Catch You Crying" stand up remarkably well today. The band was less successful with rockers--their version of "Slow Down", for instance, can't hold a candle to Lennon and company, and the mangled Franco-Spanglish of "Jambalaya" is unwittingly comic.
Unfortunately, in the years after 1964 or so, the Pacemakers were essentially side-lined as Gerry was groomed as a singer of pop standards; backed by the kind of saccharine orchestrations that do nothing to enhance either the song or the singer, this produced versions of "Strangers In the Night" and "Who Can I Turn To", among others. This dreck appears twice, in mono and in stereo, so that the full horror of the overkill can be enjoyed(?).
Luckily, though, disc 4 also includes stereo masters of "Don't Let the Sun Catch You Crying" and "Ferry 'Cross the Mersey"; more important is the inclusion of both the original EP (in mono) and the full recording in stereo of a series of songs recorded live in Oakland, CA. Since the scream level is less than that evident on, say, "The Beatles at the Hollywood Bowl", the songs themselves--including "Don't Let the Sun", "How Do You Do It?" and "I Like It"--are perfectly audible. The kind of energy and enthusiasm typifies the Pacemakers at their best.
The overall excellence of this set makes it self-recommending to anyone who already loves this music, and the later stuff can safely be sampled once and then forgotten. I hope the series will continue, perhaps with sets for The Hollies, and how about the full Monty for the Nashville Teens?

Good time music by one of the best of the British Invasion era bands, Gerry & the Pacemakers!
Most of the collection is in terrific sounding mono. Everything recorded by the group for EMI between 1963 & 1966 is included. Some solo Gerry Marsden is also included.
You know the hits, but so many of the other tracks are just as tuneful melodic, energetic, well written & performed, its staggering!
To top it all off, an entire concert from 1964 recorded in pristine stereo takes up much of disc 3!!!! This was a rockin little combo!!!
Disc 4 contains stereo versions of many hits & interesting lp & b sides.
This 4 disc retrospective of one of the greatest British groups of the 1960's is more than worth the money!
Heres hoping a similar collection is one day issued for Herman's Hermits, Freddie & the Dreamers & the Dave Clark Five!

Wow. The record companies are getting their act together with the complete series sets. I own 3 different ones now and they are all fantastic!

There were many groups that came out of the first "British Invasion" in 1964. Some were truly great. These groups included the Kinks, the Zombies, the Stones, The Hollies, and the Animals (who were really the first band to bring a scruffy young folksinger named Bob Dylan to public knowledge). After those groups, there were groups who were good, but did not have the staying power of the groups mentioned above. These groups included Peter and Gordon (who recorded Paul McCartney's "World Without Love and "Woman"), Chad and Jeremy, Them (with Van Morrison), The Searchers, and, of course, Gerry and the Pacemakers. Gerry and the Pacemakers did something that no other British band has done since: their first three UK singles all went straight to number one in the UK charts. after that, they had more chart success, but did not have the songwriting talent of the "great" bands. I firmly believe that Gerry Marsden could have developed that talent; however, he did not want to leave his home in Liverpool for the pressure of the London music business. This collection gives the listener all of the recordings he made for EMI records from 1963-1965. he does pop-rock songs, folky songs, Broadway tunes, and blues tunes. Marsden had the talent; but not the drive. I wonder what he could have done if he did....