Search - Eddie Money :: Eddie Money - Greatest Hits

Live Suprise!

08/30/2002

(2 out of 5 stars)

"This is a Live CD, which I did not expect since the product info does not specify that. I like some Live music but this is not what I wanted. Order a different one."

You've probably seen (or heard) this set of songs before

William Matson | Maine | 11/03/2005

(3 out of 5 stars)

"This Eddie Money album, 'Greatest Hits Live: The Encore Collection' is a budget priced edition of a previously released album. That album was 'Shakin' with the Money Man' from 1997. 'Shakin' with the Money Man' was a quality release that came out through a smaller label, CMC International. It featured four brand new studio cuts, including a Christmas tune, and a strong live performance of Eddie Money's greatest hits. Most of these cuts have been repackaged here for this 1998 release through BMG.



The real difference between the two is that four songs are missing from the source album and the liner notes here (compared to the original release) are bare-bones. When you view this track listing, the final two tracks to close this album are a couple of Eddie's new studio cuts from 1997. Two other new studio cuts, "Everybody loves Christmas" and "Something to believe in" that were originally on 'Shakin' with the Money Man', in 1997, are missing from this album. That is a shame, since the two studio cuts that were left off are better than the other two that were used here.



Of the ten live songs from 'Shakin' with the Money Man', eight of them are used here. "She takes my breath away" and "Everybody rock & roll the place" did not make the trip over. I suppose those were the two easiest choices to leave off, as the live cuts actually used here are the best.



Probably the worst thing on this collection is the running order. On the source album, the four studio cuts opened the album and then were followed by the ten live tunes. This time around, the live songs are used first and the studio cuts that made it on are at the very end. Now, this doesn't make a major difference. Where the real problem lies is that the live tracks are now out of order. The track listing is different than before. On 'Shakin' with the Money Man', the songs all flow together in a nice sequence like an actual concert. 'Greatest Hits Live: The Encore Collection' has them laid out so that the cd sounds poorly edited and chopped up.



Still, these songs by Eddie Money (studio and live cuts) are very good. Mr. Edward Mahoney (Money's birthname) is in fine singing form, at the top of his game. This budget priced cd is a little bit cheaper than 'Shakin' with the Money Man', though not by much. You have to ask yourself how big of a Money fan are you? Are you willing to settle for a second rate presentation of a fine album or would you rather pay a couple more dollars to get the real thing? If you are a casual Eddie Money fan, you won't be called a fool for buying this cd. However, a dedicated fan will do better to pick up 'Shakin' with the Money Man.'



If you came here expecting any unreleased material or an alternative live album (from a different show), you will be disappointed. You've heard this all before. If you haven't heard this before, there are separate reviews online of the original album, 'Shakin' with the Money Man'.



Buying Note:



The label here, BMG, has a particularly nasty habit of taking previously released live albums and repackaging the songs under a different title. BMG has done this with REO Speedwagon, Thin Lizzy, Motorhead, Warrant, Lynyrd Skynyrd and several others. They like to do this a couple years after the release, when most people have already either purchased the original live recording or forgot about it. Their trick is to change the running order and drop a couple of songs from the original copy to fool people into thinking it is taken from a different show. They have done this extensively under a series called 'Extended Versions', though some BMG collections have titles similar to this ('Greatest Hits Live: The Encore Collection'). When in doubt, search for all of the listed live recordings for an artist and compare the track listings."

Wrong item!

William Matson | 03/12/2003

(1 out of 5 stars)

"After receiving the cd in the mail, I opened it up and played it, and swore they shipped the wrong cd. This cd is Live, and they don't tell that in the details. It is also a poor version, even if you like Live music, I don't think you will like this."