Pros: A good sample of The Sweet's music all in one CD.
Cons: None, except perhaps omission of some of the band's harder edged material.
The Bottom Line: The Best of Sweet is a must have for any Sweet fan or someone who wants to learn just how diverse and wonderful the band was during their career.
tonya66's Full Review: The Best of Sweet [Capitol 1993] by Sweet
As I am approaching my mid to late 30's, I find myself becoming nostalgic about a lot of things, but especially the music I grew up listening to. For all the criticism the music of the 70's tends to get, there is no denying that the decade produced some of the best classic rock material and legendary artists.
Though largely dismissed in the US as a band that was a part of the collective glam rock movement of the early to mid 70's, listening to The Sweet's music with more mature ears indicates that there was a lot more substance here than this band often got their due credit for. The Sweet had all the elements of what makes a band great. Excellent songwriting, brilliant melodies, eye popping showmanship, a strong lead singer with a wonderful vocal range (the late Brian Connolly), a strong, powerhouse drummer (Mick Tucker), a great guitarist able to deliver memorable licks (Andy Scott), and a rhythmic bassist (Steve Priest).
The Best of Sweet, is largely just that. It is a good representative sample of this band's work and if you are attempting to introduce someone to The Sweet's music for the first time, it would be the CD I would suggest buying. It is the first compilation CD I ever purchased from the band, and though there have been many compilations of The Sweet's music released since, The Best of Sweet remains my most favorite.
For the most part, the tracks on The Best of Sweet spotlight the band's well known hits chronologically. The great part about this offering of hits is that it gives the listener a sample of each phase of the band's musical stylings, which ranged from bubblegum to hard rock. The Sweet were able to reinvent themselves musically and creatively throughout their career, another accomplishment for which they rarely get proper credit.
The 16 tracks on The Best of Sweet are as follows:
1. Little Willy...This was the band's first hit in the US and is typical of their earliest work with super producers Nicky Chinn and Mike Chapman, which is referred to as their "Chinichap" years.
2. Wig Wam Bam...Another Chinn/Chapman pop hit, perhaps more popular in the UK than in the US, but still a great, lighthearted pop song.
3. Blockbuster...A song from the band's glam phase, which features memorable guitar licks similar to David Bowie's Jean Genie.
4. The Ballroom Blitz...A famous rock crowd pleaser which still manages to get people on the dance floor in clubs to this day whenever it is played. People may not always know the name of the band, but they immediately recognize the drum intro and the famous opening liner mentioning each member of the band; "Are you ready Steve...?"
5. Teenage Rampage...A signature pop song from the band at the height of their career.
6. The Six Teens...Another signature pop song by the band which is classic Sweet at its best.
7. Fox On The Run...A perfect blend of pop and rock which signaled the band's turning point to a more harder edged sound, away from the bubblegum and glam of their earlier phase.
8. Action...Another harder edged track which shows off the band's brilliant vocal abilities.
9. The Lies In Your Eyes...Another song in the hard rock genre with an ending which will leave you wondering, "How did they manage to hold that note at the end of the song???"
10. Lost Angels...Another rock tune which features excellent harmonies which were typical between Brian Connolly and Steve Priest.
11. Fever Of Love...Yet another hard rock tune which showcases Brian Connolly's brilliant voice.
12. Stairway To The Stars...A great rock tune with brilliant high ranged vocals which would make someone like Mariah Carey envious!
13. Love Is Like Oxygen...The last track on the CD to feature Brian Connolly on vocals, ushering yet another phase for the band which featured more quiet, melodic music. Connolly would leave the band following this period, forcing the band to continue as a threesome rather than the quartet it had been prior.
14. California Nights...A post Connolly era accoustic-like pop song featuring bass player Steve Priest on vocals.
15. Mother Earth...A song which shows a dreamy, more experimental sound from the band.
16. Sixties Man...Another song featuring Priest on vocals.
Whether you are a die hard fan or someone entirely new to the music of The Sweet, The Best of Sweet is a must have for your music collection, even if you just enjoy the music of the spectacular 70's!
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