Sir Douglas Quintet - Complete Singles 19641966 (18 tracks) +Album Reviews

Stick with mono

Fredric A. Cooper | Los Angeles, CA | 03/17/2009

(2 out of 5 stars)

"The main reason to buy this is to obtain true stereo versions of The Sir Douglas Quintet's two early hits, "She's About A Mover" and "The Rains Came". What they don't tell you on the packaging is that "She's About A Mover" here is an alternative vocal version, in dubious sounding stereo. This is NOT the original hit version. I know, I have the mono single. Now about the questionable stereo. Even "The Rains Came" sounds more like electronically reprocessed to simulate stereo to me. It is certainly not wide-range stereo separation. So it's rather bogus to tout this as a major archive find when in fact it is more like we are being duped. As for the other tracks, "The Story of John Hardy" is excellent (and why on earth was it stuck on the B-side of a single?) but several others are weak attempts to create another "She's About A Mover". Not to put the band down for this, but how do you follow up perfection anyway? This collection is useful to a point, collecting all the singles and B-sides, but to put on an alternate version of a major hit and not state it on the cover is deceptive. By the way, the reviewer Cary E. Mansfield produced the CD."

Mono Versions Sound Much Better

G. Sauter | 04/21/2009

(1 out of 5 stars)

"I just received my copy of She's About a Mover: Singles A's and B's 1964-1967 CD from Varese. As usual I was looking forward to any new release from Varese. Those folks usually do a great job. NOT THIS TIME. I was so dissappointed with the sonics of this new collection. "She's About A Mover" doesn't even sound as good as the stereo version on ERIC, and I wasn't thrilled with that remix. All the stereo cuts have a murky squashed sound, lacking the clarity that would come from a mix utilizing a multi-track, as the source. I A/B'd this CD with the Sundazed "Best Of', released in 2000, albeit from mono masters. No comparison in my humble opinion. The mono versions win hands down. I don't know if the varese CD is utilizing "synch-ups" or DES, but the result is awful and it's a shame because it is a missed opportunity."

Tinny, horrible, weird sound

B. Margolis | Minneapolis, MN United States | 04/30/2009

(1 out of 5 stars)

"I read a lot about this CD, with lots of first-time stereo, on the "Both Sides Now" website. Everybody was upset at the weird, distorted, tinny stereo mixing that hardly sounds like the original mono masters. It's unfortunately all true. Varese hired Tom Moulton to do the remixes and his recent remixing style has nothing to do with the original sound. Mr. Moulton did the same weird job on the "Motown Stereo Box" a few years ago.

I like the Sir Douglas Quintet Tribe recordings, but these have such a harse, weird sound that I don't recommend it at all."

Sir Douglas Done Right!

Jill A. White | Lincoln, Ne | 03/21/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I just wanted to weigh in on this GREAT new CD. When I was a kid in Kansas growing up, listening to KOMA Oklahoma City gave me a great opportunity to hear most of the early workings of Doug Sahm and the Sir Douglas Quintet. Over the decades, his band in one form or another has traveled the land spreading the "Tex-Mex sound" message unlike any other. I now live in Lincoln, Nebraska, where Doug has often played our "Zoo Bar".

When I received this CD, it was a great revelation to hear the 65/66 prime era Tribe records in true stereo for the first time. Despite another review here, I find the stereo to be mixed well and unlike many first time stereo mixes of 60's songs, these hold the same energy the original 45s held in 1965/6! Some are extremely rare cuts and some of the faves hold a longer fade that is always a welcome--slightly longer versions of the original hits!! The booklet has well informed information and some nice photos and ads from the era.

Another reviewer here dissed the songs as sounding too much alike. I assume he thinks any song with the keyboard sound heard in these songs makes them all alike? It was a sound I'd never heard, before "She's About a Mover" first came on my radio from KOMA in 1965. In the midwest, the hits continued like "The Rains Came", "The Tracker" and "She Digs my Love"--all top 40 KOMA hits. It was a sound (and still is) that just is never heard elsewhere. "It's a groove, man"--as Doug Sahm would say.

I was prompted to write this review after picking up our Lincoln, Nebraska paper this morning and seeing a 1/4 page article on DOUG SAHM! This just shows how Sahm's popularity is national. Apparently, there is going to be a fundrasing concert in November in Doug's hometown of Austin, Texas to help build a marker or statue of Doug in honor of Doug's importance to the Austin music scene (You can get more info at [...]. In the article, Dave Alvin of Los Lobos comments about hearing Sir Douglas Quintet on "Shindig" in 1965 when he was 8 years old and saying "When I grow up, I want to be Doug Sahm." He got his chance this week in a tribute to Doug concert. I was 9 years old and taping that same show with my dad's reel to reel recorder! I still have the tape of them performing "She's About a Mover" and "The Tracker" and Doug's vocal was spot on with the records! It's fun to dig out and listen to, but now I can listen to this CD and get an even better representation of the vocals and instrumentation in those musty recordings!

Tuesday, a tribute to Doug Sahm CD was released, "Keep Your Soul", featuring Los Lobos, Flaco Jimenez, Augie Meyers, Jimmy Vaughn and members of Doug's Texas Tornadoes band. YET, with this Sir Douglas Quintet CD I am reviewing now, you can find the man and band in its' infancy and it best! Why go for a tribute when you can hear the real deal--taken from the original master tapes with some volume levels corrected, some extended mixes, and often in new stereo mixes unheard before!!!

BTW, the Lincoln Star article can be found[...]"

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