Once again I can quibble with the “36 Classic Rock Hits” subtitle of this 3-CD collection. Maybe “Bang a Gong” by T. Rex might qualify as a “Classic Rock Hit” but I question whether “Long Train Running” by The Doobie Brothers fits the bill.
Of the three CDs in this set, I prefer Disc Three which includes Joe Cocker’s “The Letter,” “Saturday Night’s Alright For Fighting” by Elton John, and “Ramblin’ Man” by the Allman Brothers.
You would think that a compilation set with a Motor Trend logo and titled Rockin’ Down the Highway might include “Life is a Highway” by Tom Cochrane…but you would be wrong.
How many of these songs do you recognize? Any favorites here? GRADE: B
TRACK LIST:
Disc One:
“Hot Blooded” — Foreigner
“Bang a Gong (Get It On) — T. rex
“Smoke on the Water” — Deep Purple
“School’s Out” –Alice Cooper
“25 Or 6 to 4” — Chicago
“Truckin'” –Grateful Dead
“Stay With Me” — Faces
“Karn Evil 9/1ST Impression, Part 2” –Emerson, Lake and Palmer
“Roundabout” — Yes
“Long Train Running” — The Doobie Brothers
“Ride Captain Ride”– Blues Image
“Can’t Get Enough” — Bad Company
DISC TWO:
“I Want to be Sedated” — The Ramones
“Whip It” — Devo
“Love Shack” — The B-52s
“Back on the Chain Gang” — The Pretenders
“La Bamba” — Los Lobos
“What You Need” — Inxs
Medley: “Just a Gigolo”/”I Ain’t Got Nobody” — David Lee Roth
“My Best Friend’s Girl” –The Cars
“Keep Your Hands to Yourself” — Georgia Satellites
“That’ll Be the Day” –Linda Ronstadt
“Ride Like the Wind” –Christopher Cross
“Soul Man” — The Blues Brothers
DISC THREE:
“Radar Love” –Golden Earring
“Ramblin’ Man” –Allman Brothers
“All Right Now” — Free
“Saturday Night’s Alright For Fighting” — Elton John
“Rocky Mountain Way” — Joe Walsh
“I’m Just a Singer in a Rock and Roll Band” — The Moody Blues
“Taking Care of Business” — Bachman Turner Overdrive”
“In a Big Country” — Big Country
“Bad Case of Loving You (Doctor, Doctor)” — Robert Palmer
“Wild Thing” — The Troggs
“The Letter” –Joe Cocker
“Free Bird” — Lynyrd Skynyrd
Maybe they think these are songs that ought to be played while driving down the open road! Like most compilations, some treasures, some trash!
Bob, I think whoever put this compilation together neglected plenty of “Highway” songs.
I know every single song here, like a lot of them, love a few of them, but it’s such a mishmash of styles and eras. Another compilation where the driving factor was, “We have rights to all these songs, how can we tie them together in a big package and sell them?” But, I must admit, not a bad compilation at all.
Deb, I was attracted to this box set by the MOTOR TREND logo. I wasn’t aware MOTOR TREND sponsored or supported a music compilation.
Whoever owns MT these days likes money, clearly. Surprise!
Todd, I suspect MOTOR TREND is concerned about the migration to electric vehicles. The old gas engines had a cult of gearheads for decades. I don’t see that transferring to an electric engine and a lithium battery.
Christopher Cross? Robert Palmer? Never cared for the Blues Brothers shtick. The David Lee Roth take on Louis Prima almost falls into the same category. “Taking Care of Business” and “All Right Now” are on unending replay in the 9th circle of hell. Troggs, Moody Blues, B-52s, Chicago, and Elton John cuts are OK.
Fred, I’m convinced the compilers of this set tried to “touch all the bases” with a variety of musical styles and artists.
Yeah, Mr. Mellowosity Christopher Cross was the first wrong note I was going to mention too. I know most of them and like several. Joe Walsh gets to sing “Rocky Mountain Way” in Eagles concerts. I agree on The Blues Brothers. Every time I hear Belushi’s karaoke version of “Soul Man” I think how pathetic it is. Only having Steve Cropper and Duck Dunn makes it barely listenable at all.
They’re NO Sam & Dave.
Jeff, I wish Sam & Dave made it into this compilation!
I’d go first and foremost with Joe Cocker’s great live version of “The Letter,” followed by Linda doing “That’ll Be the Day.”
Jeff, I would agree with your picks!
Have a safe trip to Ohio, George. We’re heading from Georgia to North Carolina today. At least the rain has stopped.
Jeff, the weather here is brisk–40 degrees–but no rain or snow in the forecast. Diane has the Rogue loaded with 5 loaves of Italian bread (they can’t get that brand in Ohio), 36 pirogies (they can’t get that in Ohio), six pounds of Wardynski’s Polish Sausage (yep, unavailable in Ohio), and a ton of Orange Chocolate for Easter (banned in Ohio for some reason). Yes, Diane is bringing Easter dinner to her sister. Barely room for my CPAP machine and our clothes!
Sounds yummy! You and Diane are the real hosts of this party.
It was cloudy and cool all the way here but stayed basically dry.
Jeff, we made it to Ohio. Tomorrow Diane and her sister, Carol, plan to do a lot of baking. I plan to do a lot of hiding…
Congratulations and all good things on your voyages, folks! George, no one sells pierogies in Ohio, or a certain brand? (I think I could find tolerable pierogies in Hawaii.)
Todd, I used to make pierogis with my mother (along with placek and golumpkis) for our annual Polish meal the day before Easter. The store-bought pierogies were always inferior.
Meat Loaf’s I Would Do Anything for Love but I Won’t Do That puts me in the speeding danger zone when I’m behind the wheel.
I also like .38 Special’s Rockin’ Into the Night for good traveling music.
Beth, Sammy Johns’ “Chevy Van” song from 1973 would have fit this set perfectly: https://www.google.com/search?q=%22chevy+van+song&oq=%22chevy+van+song&gs_lcrp=EgZjaHJvbWUyBggAEEUYOTIHCAEQABiABDIHCAIQABiABDIHCAMQABiABDIHCAQQABiABDIHCAUQABiABDIHCAYQLhiABDIHCAcQLhiABDIHCAgQABiABDIHCAkQABiABNIBCTk0MDBqMGoxNagCCLACAQ&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8#fpstate=ive&vld=cid:a44c155e,vid:RiEIToOWr64,st:0
Overly familiartunes exxcept for the ones i detest susch as Christopher Cross. and Chicago.
Steve, we share distaste for Christopher Cross.
Quite a few songs on my all time favourites list:
Chicago, Joe Cocker and a few more. I especially like these played live on concerts – tells me how much I missed being in Europe …
Wolf, one of my few regrets is that I didn’t go to more concerts when I had the opportunities.
“Long Train Running” is one of the greatest jam songs in rock, by me. What I’d be listening to instead of anything touched by Jim Steinman or the Bee Gees.
This is clearly a whole lot of Classic Rock-radio fodder…all at least heavily in rotation on that kind of formatting. As with most here, I love some, can tolerate others, and don’t much care for a few. Including these particular Ramones or Golden Earring songs, for example, and not Chuck Berry’s “No Particular Place to Go,” seems an odd betrayal of the putative concept. Surprise!
Todd, you’re right about ROCKIN’ DOWN THE HIGHWAY being a hodgepodge of songs with some solid hits mixed in with dreck.