All 31 songs
the Merseybeats ever recorded manage to fit on this single-CD compilation. That includes the A-sides and B-sides of all eight of their 1963-1965 singles, all of the tracks from their sole album that weren't on 45s, the songs from their 1964 On Stage EP (none of which made it onto any other format at the time), and even German versions of "I Think of You" and "It's Love That Really Counts." That doesn't leave much to complain about. Nonetheless, it has to be said that if you have their Edsel best-of, Beat & Ballads, which concentrates on their best singles, you're not missing much, even if it's only half the length. Of the cuts here that aren't on Beat & Ballads, few are memorable, largely encompassing some mediocre group-penned B-sides and drab covers, some of inappropriately
pop-oriented tunes. Among this material, really, the only song that's up to the standards of what was selected for Beat & Ballads is a lively
rockabilly arrangement of
Rodgers & Hammerstein's "Hello, Young Lovers." And the liner notes aren't as good as those for Beat & Ballads, though they do have some comments by
merseybeat-for-a-time
John Gustafson. Still, this
does have everything, at no more expense than you'll likely incur from a used copy of Beat & Ballads. And much of the best stuff, like "Don't Turn Around," "Milkman," "Don't Let It Happen to Us," "I Stand Accused," and "It's Love That Really Counts," rates among the better unknown (in the U.S., anyway)
merseybeat, with "Last Night" counting as one of the best obscure early
british invasion pop/rockers. ~ Richie Unterberger, All Music Guide
