A very nice collection with great sound quality
Byron Arnold | Baltimore, MD | 01/12/2005
(5 out of 5 stars)
"RCA finally opened the vaults and let The Bluethings out!!! For 15 years I have waited with great anticipation for this collection to be released, and I must admit the finished product is impressive. The sound quality is far better than the long out of print Bluethings Story Collections, which were taken from vinyl sources, (the only flawed master is for the track, "Man On The Street", it sounds as if the master tape is krinkled as the sound waivers slightly throughout the song). Unlike The Bluethings Story, this collection is limited to the RCA material only. If you are looking for the Damon studio recordings or the Ruff Records releases, stick with The Bluethings Story, most are represented there.
The artwork is full of great color and black & white photos of the group. Most of the pictures used for this release have never been used publicly, (the color photo of the group taken with a fish eye lense on the infamous Carnival Of Souls bridge in Lawerence Kansas really speaks for the style and times in which the band lived). The liner notes, which feature extensive interviews with the surviving member of the band, lend great insight into how the band formed, evolution of the band, what thier live shows were like and what life was like being part of this unique and talented band. Unfortunately like many great bands, The Bluethings had thier share of disagreements and grudges, which also comes through the notes at times. The surviving three members seem to resent the fact that Val Stecklien, (the bands deceased member), receives or received most of the credit for the bands success. This is however a minor point and does not detract from the overall quality of this fine collection.
If you are a Bluethings fan this collection is an absolute must have."
Track Listings (18) - Disc #1