Search - Various Artists :: Have a Nice Day 10

+ 1/2 stars...More Big Hits Than the Previous Volumes

Steve Vrana | Aurora, NE | 02/29/2004

(3 out of 5 stars)

"What Rhino's Have a Nice Day series does, is put together a collection not of the biggest hits by the biggest stars, but rather an eclectic collection of big (and not so big) hits by artists who for the most part had very brief careers on the charts. And with volume 10 (which focuses mostly on 1973), they continue to do a very good job.A noticeable difference with this volume, however, is how many of these were in fact huge hits. All but two of them cracked the Top 10. The first that did not is folk artist Loudon Wainwright's tribute to road kill, "Dead Skunk." [Though this was his lone hit, he continues to record to this day and has a legion of rabid fans--myself included. (Check out my review of his latest SO DAMN HAPPY.)] The other answers the question "What did Looking Glass do to follow up with their No. 1 hit "Brandy (You're a Fine Girl)?" The answer is their No. 33 (and last) hit "Jimmy Loves Mary-Anne." Sometimes it's better to have been just a one-hit wonder. Albert Hammond had a million-seller with "It Never Rains in Southern California," and Stealers Wheel (which included Gerry Rafferty) hit the Top 10 with the infectious "Stuck in the Middle With You." But does anyone remember either of their follow-up hits? [Answer: It was "I'm a Train" (No. 31) and "Star" (No. 29 ) respectively. ("Star" shows up on vol. 12.)] A couple of the one-hit wonders pulled off the ultimate by taking their only charting single all the way to No. 1. Vicki "Mama's Family" Lawrence did it with "The Night That the Lights Went Out In Georgia," as did Stories' song of interracial love "Brother Louie."Other one-hit wonders that seldom get anthologized are the 30s-inspired "Oh, Babe, What Would You Say?," Edward Bear's heart-wrenching "Last Song," and Skylark's romantic "Wildflower." [Trivia alert: David Foster, a member of Skylark, went on to be a top producer of hits like "Hard To Say I'm Sorry" and "St. Elmo's Fire."]All things considered, there's a lot of memories in these songs--some you probably haven't heard since they were hits on the radio. The only reason I've never been able to give any of these a four-star rating (or higher) is the limited bang for your buck that Rhino gives you. Yeah, the smiley face CD is cute, and the liner notes are filled with trivia...but the bottom line is that you are only getting a dozen songs! With that in mind, it's simply a matter of how many memories does THIS particular batch of songs have for you?"

The SuperStar of the SuperHits series!

John A. Kuczma | Marietta, GA USA | 07/06/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Volume 10 of the "Have a Nice Day" series stands head and shoulders above its compatriots and is the centerpiece of the 25 volume set.There are a number of unusual, difficult to find tracks on this disc, highlighted by the powerful, socially conscious "Brother Louie" by Stories and Stealers Wheel's smash hit "Stuck in the Middle With You." Other strong entries are "It Never Rains in California", "Cover of the Rolling Stone", "Wildflower", and the marvelous "Drift Away." "Jimmy Loves Mary-Ann" and "Dead Skunk" are the stinkers of this collection (sorry, couldn't resist that) and they're not all that bad.If you can only take one volume from this series, Volume 10 is the one. It provides an excellent microcosm of the music of the 70s; one wonderful musical memory after the other. Highly recommended!"

Good old Rock and Roll

Peter Smith | Northern Wisconsin, United States | 07/29/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"It is hard to find a bad CD in this anthology series, if you are a true fan of 70's Rock and Roll. The diversity of selections in the series is extraordinary. This volume has a number of songs that make you want to sing your heart out along with the group. The best in this category are "Cover of the Rolling Stone" by one of my favorite groups, Dr Hook, "Drift Away" by Dobie Gray, and "Oh Babe, What Would You Say?" by Hurricane Smith. But almost all the songs in this volume have their good points and I would rate 9 of them in the "I want" category. This CD is well worth the price as are most of the other CD's in this series."