Search - Ian Hunter :: Once Bitten Twice Shy

A great collection, but not for Hunter neophytes

curbach@sbcglobal.net | Dallas, TX United States | 06/08/2001

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Putting together a collection like this always creates a dilemma, one that is usually solved by screwing true fans who have to pay for an album full of songs they already have in order to obtain a rarity or two. Because the compilers of this collection went the opposite way, I'm really inclined to give it 5 stars on general principle.Out of the 38 songs on these two discs, only 12 are standard album versions, and of those 4 are from "Overnight Angels" and "All Of The Good Ones Are Taken" which are out of print and damn near impossible to find on cd. Everything else is an alternate take, a single edit, previously unreleased, or rare soundtrack material. Amazingly, none of these rarities coincide with the disc of rarities released with the reissue of "Short Back 'n' Sides" a few years ago. So what you have here is really a generous gift to the fans.On the other hand, as several other reviewers have noted, the lack of some of Hunter's strongest and/or most familiar material (squeezed out by the large number of outtakes and rarities) makes this a very poor introduction/overview of Hunter's career. The casual fan just looking to get a standard "best of" compilation will likely be left cold, and this is certainly not the selection of tracks I would choose to introduce a friend to Hunter's quirky charms. Nevertheless, a lot of the rarities are quite good, especially the moving live performance of "Michael Picasso". If you are already among the converted, you will definitely want this one. If you are a casual fan, caveat emptor."

Greatest Unknown Rockstar!?

jack protzo | tracy, california United States | 02/10/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I have followed Ian's career since the days of Mott The Hopple. He has released some of the best music in rock history, that is virtually unknown to the general public. All the Young Dudes is about the only recognizable song for most. This 2 CD set is a great starter for those about enter the world of Mr.Hunter. While I would have preferred to hear some other tunes that I think are perhaps better songwriting, I must leave it to Ian to provide us what HE thinks should be on His records. My only regret is that he did not include the song, American Music, one of the greatest tributes to the original roots of rock n' roll. I cannot say enough good things about this artist. Just listen to Once Bitten Twice Shy and God. Oh, by the way, the next one you should buy is Welcome To The Club with Mick Ronson, perhaps in the top 5 greatest live albums ever! Enough Said 'Rock On Ian'"

The Best of...not really.

J. Carroll | Island Heights,NJ | 12/16/2001

(4 out of 5 stars)

"No matter how you view Ian Hunter's contributions to rock, his is a long, varied, and storied career. This collection gives you a listen to a number of Hunter's best work along with a variety of other tunes that are of interest to long time Hunter fans. But your first clue that this is far from a true best of comes when you realize the songs that are missing, "Irene Wilde","Just Another Night", "We Gotta Get Out of This Place" among the many tunes that should be here. (You are told to refer to the albums for these tunes...if you can't get the best songs on a best of collection what's the point?)Then read Hunter's own comments about the song "Justice of the Peace"- "Fabricated. The whole Overnight Angels album was recorded too high for my voice"...Does this sound like a greatest hit? I enjoyed this collection and the idea of dividing the songs into Rockers and Ballads but I'm still waiting for a true Greatest Hits collection for this incredible artist."