Track Listing
Prime 17 Ultimate Classic Rock (2007) may not be the Ultimate and some of these songs may not be classics, but there’s a lot to like on this CD. There seems to be a little something here for almost every taste in rock music.
The Velvet Underground rubs shoulders with Mitch Ryder and the Detroit Wheels. Classics like “Smoke on the Water,” “In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida” (short version), and “Slow Ride” still sound great.
I was also amused by this CD’s logo: 17 ORIGINAL RECORDINGS — 8 TOP 10 HITS! I would have thought all these songs hit the Top 10 but apparently not. Do you remember these songs? Any favorites here? GRADE: B+
Love The Ramones, Velvet Underground, Mitch Ryder, MC5, J. Geils. Never liked Deep Purple, Bad Company. or Foreigner. Really dislike Ratt and Twisted Sister. Really a mixed bag here. The ones I like the most are the least likely to get played on ‘classic” rock stations.
Steve, I agree with you on the song choices on “Classic” rock stations. They prefer Deep Purple, Bad Company, and Foreigner.
Such a mish-mash! This collection had to be based on the copyrights the company had in its possession, as opposed to something more thematic. I like some of the songs here, but they’re such a mixed bag, I don’t think I’d want to listen to the CD all the way through: too much whiplash in terms of style.
Deb, it was like they took a bunch of songs and put them in a musical blender! No logic or theme to this CD! But, I like some of these songs.
I am probably the most un-hip reader pf your blog, George. Most of these dongs and groups are well beyond unfamiliar. Whatever happened tp the good ol’ classics like “Blue Tailed Fly” and “Casey Went Out with the Strawberry Blonde”?
I’m old.
Jerry, we’re all growing older. I consider my Life a fight against Entropy. That begin said, I’m always open to new music.
Yes, but Jerry, not every latter day K-Tel album George finds at a gas station can be devoted to A Night at Club 47 in 1966 (it has finally dawned on me why, in part, WGBX-TV Boston’s 1970s “nightclub-style” variety show Had to be called CLUB 44, aside from that being the channel number of WGBH’s little sibling station…the show became popular enough that GBH stole it and retitled it THE CLUB, though their “safer” choices on the Big station made for a less interesting mix). And how many proto-bluegrass recordings of “If You Knew Susie (Like I Know Susie)” can you expect George to be handed by a busy librarian, suspecting no one else will take it away from the book/etc. sale?
Todd, I miss Club 47, having spent many a wonderful evening there. And to a lesser degree, The Unicorn, which to me never had the ambiance of Jim Rooney’s club.
I would miss it, too, much as I miss dc space in Washington (mostly punk and jazz shows, but also gallery exhibits, etc….”district creative space”)…hell, I’d like to see CLUB 44 tapes…
Always loved the Vanilla Fudge cover of “You Keep Me Hangin’ On” but would be hard pressed to name anything else by them. Same for the Iron Butterfly track. Love the Velvets, MC5, Ramones, and Yes. The rest I can take or leave, mostly leave. Nobody here that I actively hate, but if I went over the list again I’d probably find one. Oops, I looked again and found Twisted Sister. For the most part I just don’t like compilations and can honestly say that I don’t own a single one.
Michael, a few years ago the largest record stores in Western New York, RECORD THEATER, closed. But, before they closed, they held a gigantic sale. Guess who bought dozens of compilation CDs for a song?
No, Jerry, I am the most un-hip. At least when it comes to rock music. My youth (before 1970) and my children’s (1987-95) constitute all the music I know.
Patti, over the 40 years I spent as a college professor, I listened to my car radio during my commute to and from my workplace. Hours and hours of rock, classical, jazz and folk music! The big bonus to living on the Border was the access to Canadian radio stations who played great music with little or no commercials.
And, Patti, Mitch Ryder and the Wheels an the (Motor City) MC5 might’ve caught you either way! Though I suspect you might’ve liked the former better than the latter when they, and you, were new…
Whereas I’d suggest this reminds me of the playlist of an prototypical frosh DJ at the campus radio station in, say, 1984. The Velvets, MC5 and Ramones never got too close to the top 10 in any other market, though the late rarities album VU (1984?) did well commercially, and the three bands had enormous influence–the old joke ran, no one bought the Velvet Underground’s albums while they were originally released, but everyone who did went ahead and started their own band.
I’d say that among the bands such as Foghat, Twisted Sister, Deep Purple, Foreigner and Vanilla Fudge (their angsty luded-out version usually hands me a laugh), the compilers picked among he most listenable of endlessly played songs. Don’t remember the Yes, Ratt, or INXS songs at the moment, but probably would if I put hem on. Whenever I think of Paul Rodgers, I tend to think of his (adult) kids’ band Boa, which was better. And while the necessary Doobies track is always “Long Train Runnin'”, they came close again a lot.
I did put on “Long Train Runnin'” on YouTube, and their next suggestion for me was the album UNDERGROUND by the Thelonious Monk Quartet…they definitely have my algorhithm…
The only thing I liked about Twisted Sister was the video version starring Douglas Neidermeyer himself, Mark Metcalf. I have the original “First I Look at the Purse” by The Contours on a 4 CD Motown collection. It was co-written by Smokey Robinson.
We’re seeing the Doobie Brothers this summer (with Michael McDonald) on their 50th Anniversary Tour. We’ve seen MC5 and the J. Geils Band in the past. And we saw Mitch Ryder (without the group) in a free concert years ago. That would be my #1 pick from this mish mosh.
Jeff, mish mosh pretty much sums this CD up. Very random. Diane is a big fan of Michael McDonald.
An interesting mix of selections here.
Probably my favorite is the Mitch Ryder medley.
I never heard of First I Look at the Purse.
Beth, the theme of the song can be summed up here:
“A woman can be fine as can be
With kisses sweet as honey
But that don’t mean a thing to me
If she ain’t got no money
‘Cause if the purse is fat, that’s where it’s at”.
Jeff, that’s very reminiscent of “Money (That’s What I Want)” by Barrett Strong:
“The best things in life are free
But you can give them to the birds and bees
I need money (That’s what I want)
That’s what I want (That’s what I want)”
Beth, Diane uses the word “interesting” in a lot of contexts. You’re right, the mix of music on this CD is interesting.
George, there are other songs with a similar theme too.
Jeff, didn’t the Beatles sing “Money Can’t Buy Me Love”?
Are these the L.A. Big Hair Bands I’ve heard about? Mostly off my radar!
Bob, at this age, hair is something to cherish!
You mean, hair on one’s scalp rather than trying to grow on one’s earlobes?
Ratt (perhaps more in reference to long-tailed combs) is the only hair-metal band here, but a Whole Lot of Long Haired folks…never really put hair metal and California together…
Oh, sorry, middle-aged moment…Twisted Sister is hair metal, too, though in a more cartoonish way.
Todd, I suspect Twisted Sister had a cartoonish hair strategy to attract interest.