Search - Little Richard :: Best of

LIKE LISTENING TO LITTLE RICHARD IN FRONT OF THE BANDSTAND

Alex Scarbrough | Denver, Colorado | 03/21/2001

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I own both "The Esssential Little Richard" as well as "The Best of Little Richard" (Madacy). The former's tracks are the original recordings that we all heard on the radio or on 45 rpm record players in the 1950s while the latter represent re-recordings of most of the same songs. Although as a purist I still prefer the original recordings EXACTLY as I heard them 45 years ago because of the memories that they evoke (poor sound quality, lyrics generally drowning out the large band, poor mixing of inturmentation, etc.), the re-recordings on this edition of "The Best of Little Richard" have their own merits. The tracks are recorded in stereo and the sound mixing is excellent and far superior to the original releases. Little Richard's vocals are strong and driving, all of the insturmentation is clear, distinct, and hard-hitting with a perfect balance between the two. Unlike Chuck Berry, whose talents and voice rapidly deteriorated with age, Little Richard on these 1974 re-recordings just seems to get better like a fine wine. To me listening to this version of "The Best of Little Richard" is just like attending one of his concerts where he is backed by his full big band with multiple saxophones, other horns, piano, bass, and drums, etc; you can HEAR them ALL! Turn your stereo up and the all of the sounds of the talented side-men that compliment Little Richard's frenzied emotionally-charged vocals will punch you right in the gut just like you were standing in front of the bandstand! That's something that you won't get from any of the compilations of his releases taken from the original labels such as the Specialty Collection; the recording equipment and talented engineers necessary to capture the true sound of the sessions just weren't used on the original 45 rpm releases. Even re-mastering of the latter has it's limits. I think the re-recordings on Madacy's "The Best of Little Richard" as well as the original releases available on "The Essential Little Richard" and other issues are BOTH essential to a fan of the utterly fantastic Richard Penniman and TRUE rock n'roll."

Re-recorded

Alex Scarbrough | 09/11/1999

(1 out of 5 stars)

"This is NOT the best of Little Richard. The best of Little Richard are his original recordings.I hate it when artists go back into the studio and re-record all of their classic hits for release on another (usually smaller) record label that then promotes these recordings to an unsuspecting public as the "best" or "greatest" hits. I have been burned by this practice before, and no matter how good a re-recording might be, it just isn't what I thought I bought --the original songs. Therefore, on principle, I must give this 1 star."

1976 (almost) note-for-note re-recordings.

plsilverman | USA | 08/09/2000

(3 out of 5 stars)

"Little Richard recut his hits many times, and next to the 12-64 session which yielded the Vee Jay recordings, this (reportedly)08-76 set for K-Tel is perhaps the best known - and like the Vee Jays, the subject of discontent for those who expect the Specialty classics. The big difference is that the '64 cuts used completely different arrangements from the originals and the '76 cuts used the SAME ARRANGEMENTS! Objectively, these later tracks are very good musically: Mr. Penniman did a very impresssive shall we say "50s sound alike" job vocally [with some soulful embellishments] and (presumeably) instrumentally - although the keyboard has been attributed to another player! His voice sounded much stronger than on the the "Second Coming" album made for Reprise four years before. Another point of interest is that *three* of these '76 numbers actually made the charts overseas! Finally, those who enjoyed the "Little Richard" made-for-TV movie might be interested in knowing that several of these recuts were used, mostly in the stage sequences. For those really ambitious vinyl collectors, look for the "audiophile" AUDIO ENCORES album from c. 1980, which, believe it or not, contains four alternate takes of these remakes. Oh my Soul!!"