Search - The Sutherland Brothers & Quiver :: Very Best of

Pure pop-rock

Gavin Wilson | 11/01/2006

(4 out of 5 stars)

"
The Sutherland Brothers and Quiver were one of those hard-working bands of the 1970s who never made it as big as they should have. As a result, they seemed to drift from genre to genre (e.g. reggae to Eagles to Police) in order to hit upon the right success formula. In retrospect, only the reggae attempts were misguided (like many other white-men-sing-Jamaica songs of the time).



The songs that have lasted the best are the classic singles: 'Arms of Mary', 'Sailing', 'When the Train Comes' and 'You Got Me Anyway'. Indeed I was surprised how many of the tunes were familiar. I guess I'm one of the millions who had no idea that Iain Sutherland was responsible for so many standards.



Although there is the occasional tinkling of the piano or organ in the background, SB&Q were very much a guitar band, and featured the marvellous Tim Renwick on lead. To my ear, this is a very similar genre to the Alan Parsons Project and the Eagles, if such is possible.



I have to confess that this is the first SB&Q album I have bought, despite having seen the band in concert. They did a gig at my school (Oundle) in the mid-1970s, and I suspect we enjoyed it but it was just too middle-of-the-road for us hardened, progressive Henry Cow fans.



It may still be the supermarket muzak of the Noughties, but good luck to them, and let's hope they're getting all the royalties they deserve.

"

Hello old friend

Daddy Shark | seattle, Wa. | 01/15/2007

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I used to listen to SB&Q when I was in my 20's and hearing some of these song again after some 25 years, its like an old friend come home to stay. Especially the songs from Lifeboat and Slipstream. Thanx a ton."

Track listing is wrong, sorta

Bill Krohn | Richland, Michigan | 01/25/2009

(4 out of 5 stars)

"While I have been a fan of the Sutherland Brothers & Quiver since You Got Me Anyway was released as a single in the fall of 1973, there are some inaccuracies in the track listing for this very best of.

Only the first two songs were The Sutherland Brothers Band. And only the song Lifeboat was with the all star band from the English version of Lifeboat. That leaves Real Love, Sailing, You Got Me Anyway (NOT from the original version of Lifeboat as it says but a year later on the US version), Dream Kid, & Champion The Underdog, are all The Sutherland Brothers & Quiver, as is the rest of the cd but for the last two songs. Someone wasn't paying attention, both Dream Kid & Beat Of The Street were with Quiver, but according to the track listing on this cd, they were the Sutherland Brothers Band. That they may well have been but they were known as SBNQ on the albums, not The Sutherland Brother's personal band."