Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Super set of '70s radio candy, October 13, 2003
It's hard to imagine the highly balkanized radio formats of today producing the wide-range of beautifully crafted hits heard on this collection. From the heavy rock guitars of "More Than a Feeling" and "Hocus Pocus" (not to mention the latter's signature yodels, something sorely missing on today's charts!) to the R&B soul of "Groove Me," "Do You Know What I Mean" and "Starting All Over Again" to the contemplative pop and singer-songwriter angst of "Reflections of My Life," "Time in a Bottle" and "Shannon" (the last will still make you tear-up, after all these years), these are the torch-bearers of a golden decade of top-40 radio.The '70s also saw terrific hybrids, like Bonnie Tyler's singer-songwriter-soul-country-Rod-Stewart-rasping "It's a Heartache," Blue Haze's reggae-remake of the '50s doo-wop standard "Smoke Gets in Your Eyes," the barely-out-of-the-60s spirituality of "Spirit in the Sky," Richie Haven's acoustic-folk-soul remake of "Here Comes the Sun," and the ressurected Neil Sedaka's Elton John backed pinnacle, "Bad Blood." And these could be heard spun back-to-back (okay, back-to-announcement-to-commercial-to-station-ID-to-back) on the same radio station -- something that's unimaginable on today's commercial radio dial. These tracks are generally well represented on '70s anthologies, and anyone working on a complete collection of the '70s top-40 will find a great deal of overlap with discs they already own. But that's not really the point of this disc -- what really recommends this collection is the care with which the tracks were selected and organized into a terrific program that yields a super solid '70s spin.
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5.0 out of 5 stars
Then: Totally Oldies 70's, Vol. 6 CD review, August 26, 2009
When I was still relatively young, these tunes played on the radio and they made the airwaves sizzle! I remember and enjoy hearing these songs today; and quite a few of them still make me want to jump up and dance practically wherever I am! The quality of the sound on this CD is excellent; and the variety of songs is good. The artwork, although somewhat standard for this CD series, is well done, too.
Boston starts the track set with one of their biggest hits, "More Than a Feeling. "More Than a Feeling" has some awesome electric guitar going on in the arrangement and Boston handles this like the champs they always were! They also handle tempo and key changes seemingly effortlessly--but, of course, we know it really wasn't all that easy; their talents always carried them through. Great! "Groove Me" by King Floyd is absolutely terrific; King Floyd delivers this with style and they never miss a beat, either! "Groove Me" is easily a major highlight of this album. Listen for yet another gem in "How Long" by Ace. Ace really shines on "How Long;" they perform this faultlessly and it's a cool, smooth type of music that I really like.
Richie Havens does a terrific cover of The Beatles' "Here Comes the Sun;" and then there's Lee Michaels doing "Do You Know What I Mean." The music fits perfectly; but wisely the music never steals the show when Lee is singing; his vocals are squarely in the spotlight and I love it. Jim Croce's "Time in a Bottle" is also a splendid ballad that moves me with its natural beauty--now THIS is great music! Bonnie Tyler also does an outstanding number with her "It's a Heartache;" this country flavored song was something my French teacher loved to sing when we had a little "down time" in class and she felt like being silly for a while! Bonnie's excellent diction enhances her performance and that's grand.
"Couldn't Get It Right" by Climax Blues Band is one of their best songs ever; and it's another highlight of this CD. The song has quite a good beat to it and Climax Blues Band does this so well it sounds smoother than silk. "Reflections of My Life" by Marmalade is another whopping number; and I really like "Spirit in the Sky." "Spirit in the Sky" leaves nothing to be desired. The Blackbyrds do "Walking in Rhythm" flawlessly; I always liked this tune and it still sounds fresh today.
Bobby Caldwell's "What YouWon't Do for Love" is very well done; Bobby and the musicians make this memorable with their sophisticated treatment of this number. The album even ends strong with Neil Sedaka and Elton John doing a terrific duet, "Bad Blood." It always leaves me wanting more!
Overall, this is one awesome CD with 70's music that could never be forgotten. There are cover songs and original numbers; and I like the mixture of the tracks. I highly recommend this for people who enjoy 70's music; and it's also a great CD for people who are just discovering that magical 70's sound.
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5.0 out of 5 stars
Superb 70s Collection bar none !, November 7, 2007
During this past very hot summer, I got out a box of old vinyl 45 RPM records from the 1970s. In my musings, I attempted to play without much luck, a lot of the tracks on this excellent CD. Of most interest to me was a version of "Smoke Gets In Your Eyes" by an English Band called Blue Haze, released on A&M records, yes Herb Alperts' label, in December, 1972. Of course, Amazon had the best deal on the net when I finally knew that this was a must for my music collection (if you know what I mean). Anyways, if you are a fan by any means of the 70s, this very diversified collection is recommended as I sit here reflecting on my life kowing that the smoke may never ever leave my eyes !!!!! ******
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