I stumbled accross the Doobie Brothers almost accidentally, but by buying this album made one of my shrewdest ever purchases. Essentially the Doobie Brothers are what would seem to be an obscure mix of rock, blues, country and gospel, yet although this album showcases all of those influences, it presents a more rock orientated Doobies. Every song is simply a classic, lingering long in the memory. The opener "Natural Thing" has a definite soul tinge, but is a fantastic song. "Long Train Runnin'" and "China Grove" are both classic songs and both perenial favourites with bar bands everywhere. However my personal favourite tracks are the ballad "Dark Eyed Cajun Woman," the awesome rocker… Read more
There are not many superlatives to heap upon this album that have not already been used. It is rare in modern music to find anything near as witty, evocative, emotional yet enjoyable as this debut album from Dire Straits. Essentially this is the "real" Dire Straits, not the electronically influenced outfit of "Brothers In Arms" fame, but a group with a classic bar band sound, who combine rock, jazz, blues, country and folk for the ultimate debut album. This shows the roots of Dire Straits, combining Mark Knopfler's folk-tinged vocals and bluesy guitar playing, a rock-solid rhythm section courtesy of Knopfler's brother David and bass player John Illsey and the jazz drumming of Pick Withers… Read more
I am a young music fan and really became interested in the Jam as a result of my Dad. For a music fan, like myself, who is new to the music of the Jam, this compilation serves as a perfect overview of their work. However there are some notable omissions evident and although their four #1 hits are here I can't help but feel that some of their best work has been overlooked in favour of other less impressive material. Most notably with "That's Entertainment" where I feel this "previously unreleased" version is vastly inferior to the sublime original.
However it is hard to critisize the work of undoubtedly one of the best British bands ever. Besides the few obvious omissions this is a very… Read more
