Search - Various Artists :: Classic Rock: Gold

+ 1/2 stars...Solid Collection of Classic Rock Songs

Steve Vrana | Aurora, NE | 08/15/2005

(4 out of 5 stars)

"The term "classic rock" means different things to different people. In my mind, it's that decade from 1964 to about 1975. For others, it's the decade of the Fifties. In the liner notes of this compilation, the "golden age" of Classic Rock has been defined as the FM radio era beginning in 1968 and ending in 1987. They further define a Classic Rock song as "snatching the listener out of the humdrum here and now, and taking off..."



A quick look at the track list on this collection will certainly beg the question: Hey, where's _____? (Fill in your favorite song and/or artist.) Just keep in mind that Hip-O is limited by licensing restrictions. So what you wind up with are 33 songs (disc 2 actually concludes with Whitesnake's "Here I Go Again") that dominate FM radio playlists to this day.



I have only a couple quibbles with this collection. While it covers the span from 1968 to 1987, there is only one song ("Born To Be Wild) from The Sixties and five from The Eighties. Also, where are the AOR artists that produced great music, but didn't focus on hit singles? Artists like Pink Floyd, Emerson, Lake & Palmer, Led Zeppelin, The Allman Brothers, etc. All but a handful of songs on these two discs went Top 40, and nearly half went Top 10.



But that's a minor complaint. Overall, this is a solid collection of some of the era's best know (and best loved) songs. For maximum effect, PLAY THIS MUSIC LOUD! [Running Time - Disc 1 75:31, Disc 2 68:19] HIGHLY RECOMMENDED"

Memories

Theresa Zittritsch | Burlington, Vermont | 02/20/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Wow, all I can say is 'WOW'. This is a fantastic collection. This is what I grew up on and every song brings back memories of a particular time or place in my childhood. I've been buying various 'hits' compilations and many of them are remakes. So you start to listen and think, yea this is it, only to hear the voice that doesn't match your memories. Not so here, this collection is made up of all original recordings so your memories will be intact. Of the collections I've purchsed, it's the best. It can't match new music fidelity, but hey, neither did it in the 60's and 70's.

If you were born in 1958 like me, this will be a golden collection. I just wish it was a series and there were more sets like this one."

Classic Rock !!

Patrick T. Conway | Elkton. Maryland | 09/22/2007

(4 out of 5 stars)

"This is the music that I listened to during the college years of the mid 70's. I still enjoy this sound better than most I hear today. This collection is what you expect with one classic tune after another by some of the best groups of the 70's."