Best ofs 8

I first heard Free as a boy near the end of Junior School. We had this tradition of miming to songs for the Christmas party and one group chose to do All Right Now, which has a great riff but is rather aggressive for my liking. I later heard My Brother Jake, which another boy owned. I eventually persuaded him to sell it to me and for the last 20 years or so it has been my favourite song of all time. I'm not sure quite why. I've tried to analyse it and all I can come up with is that it builds and may be the mellotron is doing something subliminal.

I always wanted a copy of The Free Story LP but never got to own one. More recently I bought this best of CD of 14 tracks All Right Now. There is a certain sameness about several of the other tracks, which is not necessarily a criticism. I know little about the group but I always feel somehow that a more upbeat and vocally gifted Paul Rogers is singing to the guitarist Paul Kossoff (who eventually committed suicide) and trying to help him on. An attempted ordering of faves would be

1. My Brother Jake
2. All Right Now
3. Little Bit of Love
4. Wishing Well
5. Fire and Water
6. Travellin' in Style
7. Come Together in the Morning

Best ofs 07

Although no-one's actually contacted me I can guess that many of you are wondering what ever happened to the best of series of albums here (the last one was back in September I am surprised to realise). No? Anyway what happened was that I thought the Monkees would make a good next item. I really enjoyed their TV show as a kid. Anyway when I got the CD out (Definitive Monkees - one CD not the boxed set) and downloaded it I found that I was unfamiliar with half of the 29 songs on there (I'd previously had a smaller vinyl collection). In the end my top ten is not changed though I've enjoyed listening to some of the lesser known stuff on there over recent months. My top 10 goes

1. I'm a believer
2. Day dream believer
3. Monkees theme
4. A little bit me, a little bit you
5. I'm not your stepping stone
6. Last train to Clarksville
7. Pleasant Valley Sunday
8. I wanna be free
9. Words
10. Listen to the band

Best ofs 06

Next up is an album of 25 hits by the US answer to the Beatles - The Byrds. The key to the Byrds sound, I guess, is the Rickenbacker or what I call the jangly guitar. A large part of the genius is taking Bob Dylan and making him palatable to non-purists like me. This Definitive Collection probably has too many tracks on it and would have been improved by being pruned. Less is more. But then we may have missed the two Arthur Reid Reynolds tracks (Jesus is just alright and Glory, glory). Who was that guy? Also glad to see Turn Turn Turn (from Ecclesiastes) here Bells of Rhymney - words by Monmouthshire born Idris Davies. My favourite seven:

1. Chestnut Mare
2. Turn Turn Turn
3. My back pages
4. The bells of Rhymney
5. Mr Tambourine Man
6. I'll feel a whole lot better
7. All I really want to do

Best ofs 05

The Beach Boys are technically before my time but I have pieced together something of their history over the years. Someone in college had a tape of their hits so I got to know them a bit then. The 20 track compilation The Very Best of the Beach Boys is sold at a snip and is enough for me. I was staying over somewhere once and being left to myself I had chance to play through the legendary Pet Sounds which was okay but I guess I was just too late for it. I love the Beatles parody Back in the USSR. More here. Anyway top seven Beach Boys hits?

1. Barbara Ann

2. Sloop John B

3. Good vibrations

4. I get around

5. Surfin' USA

6. California Girls

7. I can hear music

Best ofs 04

The eighties was definitely not my period musically but somehow Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark sneaked under the radar and I bought The Best of OMD first on vinyl (18 tracks) then CD (20 tracks). More here. I don't know much about them and there aren't quite seven tracks I really like, but I do like these six.

1. Talking loud and clear

2. Electricity

3. Joan of Arc

4. Maid of Orleans

5. Tesla Girls

6. Enola Gay

Best ofs 03

Having highlighted Don McLean there is a logical step to Buddy Holly. Holly died the year I was born but his music is still very popular. I keep promising myself a trip to the musical some time. Of the greats from that era he's my number one. The nerdiest looking of them, what I love about him is the simplicity of the numbers, his great voice and the nice tunes. Some of the ballads with orchestra work as well as the earlier rock numbers I feel. Of course, his early death and obviously under-explored talent adds to the whole thing. That tag "the single most influential creative force in early rock and roll" is intriguing.

The CD I have is one of the many compilations, a 20 track thing called The best of Buddy Holly. On my itunes I have transmuted it into the alternative 36 track The very best of Buddy Holly and the Crickets. (I notice that there are still 13 tracks form that album that I don't have). I also have the instrumental Holly hop there. I notice there is an Ultimate Collection on itunes but it doesn't include that last track. Even the simplest things are complicated. More on Holly here.

And my top seven? (Crying, waiting hoping and Love is strange not considered as they are not on this CD)

1. Rave on

2. Listen to me
3. Every day

4. Not fade away

5. Peggy Sue
6. Oh boy
7. It's so easy

Best ofs 02

Also in the CD drawer of 'Best of' albums is a Don McLean album entitled American Pie - The Greatets Hits. It contains 20 tracks. I like nearly all of them. I was first aware of the tracks American Pie (which fascinated me) and Vincent (which fascinated me adn made me cry) through the radio. At school Graham Pearson (Rev Gary Davies and Leo Kottke fan) assured us all that McLean was the only decent player on the pop scene. I was also aware of McLean being held in high regard by others. The discovery that my mother's version of 'And I love you so' by Perry Como was written by McLean had an effect and whenever I went to someone else's house who was a little older they always had a copy of the original American Pie album, which in the end I bought. My top seven:

1. Empty chairs

2. Vincent

3. American Pie

4. Everyday

5. Crying

6. Fools Paradise

7. Castles in the air

More here

Best ofs 01

At least one drawer of my CD collection is filled with 'Best of' albums. These include 'The Kinks Ultimate Collection' a two CD assembly of 44 tracks. I grew up in the sixties. We only had 'All of the day and all of the night' at home but I would hear them on the radio. I also know some songs from covers. Sadly, 'The village green appreciation society' is not included. I'm familiar with about a dozen of them so it's more than I need. Some of them I'm getting to know. My top seven:

1. Tired of waiting for you

2. You really got me

3. Sunny afternoon

4. Dedicated follower of fashion

5. Apeman

6. Days

7. David Watts

More here