Subtitled "Rare and Unreleased 1989-2006", Tell Tale Signs, the eighth of Dylan's long running Bootleg series of officially approved outtakes, comes in two formats. The two-disc version consists of 27 tracks, including alternate versions of songs from his last three studio sets: Oh Mercy, Time out of Mind and Modern Times. Even non-obsessives will be seduced by the highlights here. A lovely sparse solo version of "Most of the Time", just Dylan strumming guitar and blowing a wheezy harmonica, outdoes the Daniel Lanois-produced original. The bleak, stately "Can't Escape from You", the sad and beautiful Civil War epic "Cross the Green Mountain", "The Lonesome River" a bluegrass standard with vocals from Ralph Stanley and a great, lo-fi live version of Reverend Gary Davis's influential "Cocaine Blues" are all standouts. Two versions of "Dignity"--a piano demo that reduces it to an oddly naked state and an unexpected rockabilly take--neatly capture the idea behind these volumes--to expose dedicated fans to the overlooked and underestimated parts of Dylan's constantly shifting oeuvre. --Steve Jelbert

Clearly a five star album, 19 Nov 2008
How this is averaging so low is beyond me - it's the best album I've heard all year by a country mile. The alternative take of Can't Wait - magestic, unsettling, and superior to the original release in every way - would alone make this unmissable. Add to that the alternative takes of Mississippi - his greatest song of the last decade - and the wonderful unheard track, Girl from the Red River Shore, and this is absolutely essantial. Don't listen to the naysayers - this is a great record.

"You can always come back, but you can't come back all the way", 16 Nov 2008
This is effectively a follow up to Bootleg series vol 1 - 3 (1961 - 91)
How anyone thought they could find 2 let alone 3 discs worth of recent material to compare with those glory years is beyond me. Dylan has had several peaks over the decades, but each has hit a lesser height.

Dylan's released work of the last ten years, while good, does not match the mid seventies era (Planet Waves / Blood on the Tracks / Desire), let alone the mid sixties classics. These outtakes reflect that drop in quality. There is nothing here to match "Blind Willie McTell" or "Last thoughts on Woody Guthrie" that appeared on the vol 1-3 set.

Anyway, the bad stuff first:
There is far too much filler here. The two (two!) versions of "Mississippi" are mediocre demos add nothing to my appreciation of the released version. "Series of Dreams" apppeared as a finished outtake on vol 1-3, why do we need an inferior demo on this editon? Some of the live tracks reflect Bob's inconsistency as a performer. "High Water" may have a sentimental resonance for the people of New Orleans, but it is a rotten performance.

Good stuff:
Two versions of Dignity - in two different arrangements with different lyrics (but one would have been enough!).
"Red River Shore" / "Greenbriar Shore" a Dylan original and the folk song it is based on.
"Ring Them Bells" live - a superb live performance - but why is it the only track from the four nights he recorded at the Supper Club?

The remaining tracks vary from ok to good. The finished movie songs being the better ones.

The best yet, 04 Nov 2008
The standard of the bootleg series has been consistently high - this collection demonstrates that Bob's output since Oh Mercy is as strong as anything he's done in his career.

Some suprise acoustic versions of songs (Most of the Time, originally off Oh Mercy and Mississipi from Time out of Mind), the opportunity to get Tell Old Bill and Cross the Green Mountain in a Dylan rather than a movie soundtrack collection and excellent live tracks plus Red River Shore as a completeley unrealeased song, make this a great collection.

I know people moan about the rip off 3 disk version, get the third disc elswhere and enjoy this two disc collection!

Brilliant stuff.

Every track tells a tale, 29 Oct 2008
This 8th in the series of Dylan Bootleg Series was well worth the wait.
There is some dedate over which version to buy, both the single and double CDs are good value, both coming with the excellent 64 page booklet, which for hardcore Dylan fans is worth the price alone.
For me, it's the cooking Live tracks from 2002/2003 which make this a must-buy, plus the superb unreleased tracks from "Oh Mercy" and "Time out of mind". Both these albums were heralded as returns to form and the best Dylan product of their respective decades, the 80s and 90s.
Side 1 ends with "High Water" which is such a delight, you just want to be in the crowd giving it large. Similarly, "Lonesome Day Blues" on side 2 is as smoking a live track as you'll hear this year.
People who raved over the discovery of Blind Willy McTell on the 1st set of the Bootleg Series will not be disappointed by the gems unearthed on this superb album.

Review the reviews!, 27 Oct 2008
Most of the very negative reviews pertain to the ridiculously overpriced three CD version of this album--buyers of that version (me among them) are rightly outraged at the low value for money.

Please note that there's nothing wrong with the two CD version, which is in fact the one that should be reviewed at this place (there's also a one CD version--the "Single" version--but that's best left on the shelves).

Whatever version you consider, the album in itself contains a more than decent collection of tracks; as many reviewers found, however, there might have been a little more new or unknown material.

The two-disc retrospective The Essential Leonard Cohen traces the Canadian bard's musical maturity from poet and novelist who sang a little, to multidimensional artist whose oracular vocals and increasingly rich arrangements are every bit as compelling as his verse. Even when Cohen came to prominence through the 1960s songcraft of "Suzanne" and "Bird on a Wire", the "folksinger" tag never really fit. Later highlights ranging from the deadpan drollery of "Tower of Song" and "Everybody Knows" to the apocalyptic anthemry of "First We Take Manhattan" and "Democracy" suggest that other labels might be more appropriate: cabaret surrealist, spiritual gadfly, sensual prophet, agent provocateur.

Cohen chose the selections, drawing more than half of the 31 tracks from three landmark albums--his 1967 debut Songs of Leonard Cohen, 1988's I'm Your Man, and 1992's The Future--along with four from 2001's Ten New Songs. The collection justifies its title as deep as it goes, though it's a shame that Cohen's commercial profile couldn't justify the more elaborate box set his artistry warrants (one that would at least include lyrics and musician credits). Those who sample the consistently inspired music here might come to the conclusion that everything Cohen records is essential. --Don McLeese

Clearly a five star album, 19 Nov 2008
How this is averaging so low is beyond me - it's the best album I've heard all year by a country mile. The alternative take of Can't Wait - magestic, unsettling, and superior to the original release in every way - would alone make this unmissable. Add to that the alternative takes of Mississippi - his greatest song of the last decade - and the wonderful unheard track, Girl from the Red River Shore, and this is absolutely essantial. Don't listen to the naysayers - this is a great record.

"You can always come back, but you can't come back all the way", 16 Nov 2008
This is effectively a follow up to Bootleg series vol 1 - 3 (1961 - 91)
How anyone thought they could find 2 let alone 3 discs worth of recent material to compare with those glory years is beyond me. Dylan has had several peaks over the decades, but each has hit a lesser height.

Dylan's released work of the last ten years, while good, does not match the mid seventies era (Planet Waves / Blood on the Tracks / Desire), let alone the mid sixties classics. These outtakes reflect that drop in quality. There is nothing here to match "Blind Willie McTell" or "Last thoughts on Woody Guthrie" that appeared on the vol 1-3 set.

Anyway, the bad stuff first:
There is far too much filler here. The two (two!) versions of "Mississippi" are mediocre demos add nothing to my appreciation of the released version. "Series of Dreams" apppeared as a finished outtake on vol 1-3, why do we need an inferior demo on this editon? Some of the live tracks reflect Bob's inconsistency as a performer. "High Water" may have a sentimental resonance for the people of New Orleans, but it is a rotten performance.

Good stuff:
Two versions of Dignity - in two different arrangements with different lyrics (but one would have been enough!).
"Red River Shore" / "Greenbriar Shore" a Dylan original and the folk song it is based on.
"Ring Them Bells" live - a superb live performance - but why is it the only track from the four nights he recorded at the Supper Club?

The remaining tracks vary from ok to good. The finished movie songs being the better ones.

The best yet, 04 Nov 2008
The standard of the bootleg series has been consistently high - this collection demonstrates that Bob's output since Oh Mercy is as strong as anything he's done in his career.

Some suprise acoustic versions of songs (Most of the Time, originally off Oh Mercy and Mississipi from Time out of Mind), the opportunity to get Tell Old Bill and Cross the Green Mountain in a Dylan rather than a movie soundtrack collection and excellent live tracks plus Red River Shore as a completeley unrealeased song, make this a great collection.

I know people moan about the rip off 3 disk version, get the third disc elswhere and enjoy this two disc collection!

Brilliant stuff.

Every track tells a tale, 29 Oct 2008
This 8th in the series of Dylan Bootleg Series was well worth the wait.
There is some dedate over which version to buy, both the single and double CDs are good value, both coming with the excellent 64 page booklet, which for hardcore Dylan fans is worth the price alone.
For me, it's the cooking Live tracks from 2002/2003 which make this a must-buy, plus the superb unreleased tracks from "Oh Mercy" and "Time out of mind". Both these albums were heralded as returns to form and the best Dylan product of their respective decades, the 80s and 90s.
Side 1 ends with "High Water" which is such a delight, you just want to be in the crowd giving it large. Similarly, "Lonesome Day Blues" on side 2 is as smoking a live track as you'll hear this year.
People who raved over the discovery of Blind Willy McTell on the 1st set of the Bootleg Series will not be disappointed by the gems unearthed on this superb album.

Review the reviews!, 27 Oct 2008
Most of the very negative reviews pertain to the ridiculously overpriced three CD version of this album--buyers of that version (me among them) are rightly outraged at the low value for money.

Please note that there's nothing wrong with the two CD version, which is in fact the one that should be reviewed at this place (there's also a one CD version--the "Single" version--but that's best left on the shelves).

Whatever version you consider, the album in itself contains a more than decent collection of tracks; as many reviewers found, however, there might have been a little more new or unknown material.

Soulfood Essential, 23 Aug 2008
This is as fine an introduction to the works of Leonard Cohen as could be imagined. The track list, selected by the man himself, covers almost every period of his recorded output (Cohen is not prolific in the way, say, Bob Dylan is, or Neil Young), but I do feel some truly great stuff has been overlooked, i.e. the hushed, but haunting version of 'Story Of Isaac' from 1973's LIVE SONGS, which is one of the most profound things that anyone has ever written, the great live recordings from FIELD COMMANDER COHEN: Tour Of 1979, which admittedly was not released until after THE ESSENTIAL LEONARD COHEN appeared. Of those songs, I feel the title track is as good and epic a song as any he's recorded, and the version from NEW SKIN FOR THE OLD CEREMONY would have sufficed over e.g 'Take This Longing' which already appears on his GREATEST HITS. As for the Passenger version of 'Lover Lover Lover', what can I say? It is blistering! Likewise (from that same album) versions of 'The Window', 'The Smokey Life', 'The Stranger Song', 'The Gypsy's Wife' (long since a staple of the live act) and an unforgettable reading of 'Memories' from the unfairly-maligned DEATH OF A LADIES' MAN, are all worthy of inclusion. In fact, it's true to say that all Cohen's output is essential, but I would also have included 'Ballad Of The Absent Mare' and 'Came So Far For Beauty' from RECENT SONGS, 'The Old Revolution' from SONGS FROM A ROOM (if only for discovering it had been a minor hit in the UK: hats off to Dale Winton for pointing that out to me!), the live 'Joan Of Arc', 'One Of Us Cannot Be Wrong' and 'Hallelujah' from 1993's COHEN LIVE, 'Coming Back To You' and 'The Captain' from 1984's VARIOUS POSITIONS, but the greatest omission surely has to be the Lorca-inspired 'Take This Waltz' from the brilliant I'M YOUR MAN. I could eulogise forever. Suffice to say, if your not familiar with the man's work, this is the perfect place to start. After that, buy THE SONGS OF LEONARD COHEN, his debut (perhaps, alongside Jeff Buckley's GRACE and THE VELVET UNDERGROUND AND NICO, the greatest debut of all time, for my money).

It's like sipping your best brandy whilst puffing on a quality cigar, 04 May 2007
The voice is the first thing you notice. The early poetic renditions on such classics as "Suzanne", "Sisters of Mercy" and "Famous Blue Raincoat" are presented in a voice that is deadpan but not as gruff as in later years. This was at a period when he was a well kept secret and with a style and presentation that not everyone took to. Move onto disc 2 and you notice how the voice deepens and the songs become bigger. One thing that Cohen has never failed to deliver is quality songs with curious stories to tell. He has an almost hymn-like or gospel touch on a lot of his work, usually enhanced by superb backing singers and wondrous musicians and arrangements.

I move between both of his periods with equal ease, but I find the latter stuff more appealing these days. Some people could sing the contents of the telephone directory given the right voice, he is one of them. "Democracy", "Tower of Song", "First we take Manhattan" and "Hallelujah" are stand out tracks but I defy anyone not to get lost in "Closing Time". This is by far my favourite. A fun song, with so many catchy hooks it just pulls you off your seat and invites you to dance with the nearest partner. You can almost smell the smoke and alcoholic fumes as if you are drinking in the bar with him. A tremendous talent......but what great assistance from his backing singers.

This is a great selection of his work. If you are a fan, you'll want it in your collection. If you are just curious, buy it.........it's a great introduction.


A lesson for what really music is, 02 Feb 2007
There's nothing missing from this collection. Not the quality, not the deep, truthful voice, not the fully poetic and inspirational lyrics, nothing. My boyfriend bought this CD and we can't get enough of it- especially DISC 2.
Cohen is and will remain unique in this industry, mainly because he has something solid yet so delicate to say, because he is a musician, because he possesses the gift to sing stories instead of 'telling a song'. Great music, great lyrics, great singer.

Simply Blown Away.....New Convert, 27 Nov 2006
Well I cannot believe I have lived for 42 years without listening to a Cohen Album.I tried this on spec seeing the reviews and having been a big Dylan/Springsteen fan for many years.For me this album has been like meeting a soulmate in a slightly run down but all too comfortable bar and wishing you had met them much earlier in your life!!!!!
Songs like "Democracy" and "I'm Your Man" cover the dark side of politics and personal relationships superbly and the former should be essential listening for the Neo-Cons of the White House.
I will not go over everything already written but this double disc set seems a top introduction to Cohen's development and style.I have already ordered 2 more albums from his back catalogue and I feel this discovery could hit my bsank balance hard in the near future.Totally recommended.

A wonderful cross section of Cohen's music, 18 May 2006
This album is superb value, two generous discs crammed with very special music. It spans the whole range of Cohen's output (up to "Ten new songs") and you can hear his voice becoming deeper and more melancholy as the tracks go by.

Whilst everyone will have his favourite Cohen track, it must be said that there is not a bad track in the collection. Whilst all are clearly "Cohen", there is within that heading a tremendous range of moods and styles from the driving rhythms of "Democracy" to the more reflective favourite "Suzanne". In the later songs Sharon Robinson (the co-writer) plays a big part, but I find these songs just as good as the "pure" Cohen: in any case one of Cohen's strengths is that he changes in style, but still remains distinctly himself.

As always the lyrics are superb and blend in perfectly with the music: really the two cannot be separated. For me the very ambiguity and different possible interpretations of the words of such songs as "Alexandra leaving" add to their universality and give them an appeal to so many people (and make them suitable for so many moods).

When I purchased this disc I had not listened to Cohen for some time and had forgotten just how much I liked him and just how unique he is. I regard it as one of the best discs in my collection

Clearly a five star album, 19 Nov 2008
How this is averaging so low is beyond me - it's the best album I've heard all year by a country mile. The alternative take of Can't Wait - magestic, unsettling, and superior to the original release in every way - would alone make this unmissable. Add to that the alternative takes of Mississippi - his greatest song of the last decade - and the wonderful unheard track, Girl from the Red River Shore, and this is absolutely essantial. Don't listen to the naysayers - this is a great record.

"You can always come back, but you can't come back all the way", 16 Nov 2008
This is effectively a follow up to Bootleg series vol 1 - 3 (1961 - 91)
How anyone thought they could find 2 let alone 3 discs worth of recent material to compare with those glory years is beyond me. Dylan has had several peaks over the decades, but each has hit a lesser height.

Dylan's released work of the last ten years, while good, does not match the mid seventies era (Planet Waves / Blood on the Tracks / Desire), let alone the mid sixties classics. These outtakes reflect that drop in quality. There is nothing here to match "Blind Willie McTell" or "Last thoughts on Woody Guthrie" that appeared on the vol 1-3 set.

Anyway, the bad stuff first:
There is far too much filler here. The two (two!) versions of "Mississippi" are mediocre demos add nothing to my appreciation of the released version. "Series of Dreams" apppeared as a finished outtake on vol 1-3, why do we need an inferior demo on this editon? Some of the live tracks reflect Bob's inconsistency as a performer. "High Water" may have a sentimental resonance for the people of New Orleans, but it is a rotten performance.

Good stuff:
Two versions of Dignity - in two different arrangements with different lyrics (but one would have been enough!).
"Red River Shore" / "Greenbriar Shore" a Dylan original and the folk song it is based on.
"Ring Them Bells" live - a superb live performance - but why is it the only track from the four nights he recorded at the Supper Club?

The remaining tracks vary from ok to good. The finished movie songs being the better ones.

The best yet, 04 Nov 2008
The standard of the bootleg series has been consistently high - this collection demonstrates that Bob's output since Oh Mercy is as strong as anything he's done in his career.

Some suprise acoustic versions of songs (Most of the Time, originally off Oh Mercy and Mississipi from Time out of Mind), the opportunity to get Tell Old Bill and Cross the Green Mountain in a Dylan rather than a movie soundtrack collection and excellent live tracks plus Red River Shore as a completeley unrealeased song, make this a great collection.

I know people moan about the rip off 3 disk version, get the third disc elswhere and enjoy this two disc collection!

Brilliant stuff.

Every track tells a tale, 29 Oct 2008
This 8th in the series of Dylan Bootleg Series was well worth the wait.
There is some dedate over which version to buy, both the single and double CDs are good value, both coming with the excellent 64 page booklet, which for hardcore Dylan fans is worth the price alone.
For me, it's the cooking Live tracks from 2002/2003 which make this a must-buy, plus the superb unreleased tracks from "Oh Mercy" and "Time out of mind". Both these albums were heralded as returns to form and the best Dylan product of their respective decades, the 80s and 90s.
Side 1 ends with "High Water" which is such a delight, you just want to be in the crowd giving it large. Similarly, "Lonesome Day Blues" on side 2 is as smoking a live track as you'll hear this year.
People who raved over the discovery of Blind Willy McTell on the 1st set of the Bootleg Series will not be disappointed by the gems unearthed on this superb album.

Review the reviews!, 27 Oct 2008
Most of the very negative reviews pertain to the ridiculously overpriced three CD version of this album--buyers of that version (me among them) are rightly outraged at the low value for money.

Please note that there's nothing wrong with the two CD version, which is in fact the one that should be reviewed at this place (there's also a one CD version--the "Single" version--but that's best left on the shelves).

Whatever version you consider, the album in itself contains a more than decent collection of tracks; as many reviewers found, however, there might have been a little more new or unknown material.

Soulfood Essential, 23 Aug 2008
This is as fine an introduction to the works of Leonard Cohen as could be imagined. The track list, selected by the man himself, covers almost every period of his recorded output (Cohen is not prolific in the way, say, Bob Dylan is, or Neil Young), but I do feel some truly great stuff has been overlooked, i.e. the hushed, but haunting version of 'Story Of Isaac' from 1973's LIVE SONGS, which is one of the most profound things that anyone has ever written, the great live recordings from FIELD COMMANDER COHEN: Tour Of 1979, which admittedly was not released until after THE ESSENTIAL LEONARD COHEN appeared. Of those songs, I feel the title track is as good and epic a song as any he's recorded, and the version from NEW SKIN FOR THE OLD CEREMONY would have sufficed over e.g 'Take This Longing' which already appears on his GREATEST HITS. As for the Passenger version of 'Lover Lover Lover', what can I say? It is blistering! Likewise (from that same album) versions of 'The Window', 'The Smokey Life', 'The Stranger Song', 'The Gypsy's Wife' (long since a staple of the live act) and an unforgettable reading of 'Memories' from the unfairly-maligned DEATH OF A LADIES' MAN, are all worthy of inclusion. In fact, it's true to say that all Cohen's output is essential, but I would also have included 'Ballad Of The Absent Mare' and 'Came So Far For Beauty' from RECENT SONGS, 'The Old Revolution' from SONGS FROM A ROOM (if only for discovering it had been a minor hit in the UK: hats off to Dale Winton for pointing that out to me!), the live 'Joan Of Arc', 'One Of Us Cannot Be Wrong' and 'Hallelujah' from 1993's COHEN LIVE, 'Coming Back To You' and 'The Captain' from 1984's VARIOUS POSITIONS, but the greatest omission surely has to be the Lorca-inspired 'Take This Waltz' from the brilliant I'M YOUR MAN. I could eulogise forever. Suffice to say, if your not familiar with the man's work, this is the perfect place to start. After that, buy THE SONGS OF LEONARD COHEN, his debut (perhaps, alongside Jeff Buckley's GRACE and THE VELVET UNDERGROUND AND NICO, the greatest debut of all time, for my money).

It's like sipping your best brandy whilst puffing on a quality cigar, 04 May 2007
The voice is the first thing you notice. The early poetic renditions on such classics as "Suzanne", "Sisters of Mercy" and "Famous Blue Raincoat" are presented in a voice that is deadpan but not as gruff as in later years. This was at a period when he was a well kept secret and with a style and presentation that not everyone took to. Move onto disc 2 and you notice how the voice deepens and the songs become bigger. One thing that Cohen has never failed to deliver is quality songs with curious stories to tell. He has an almost hymn-like or gospel touch on a lot of his work, usually enhanced by superb backing singers and wondrous musicians and arrangements.

I move between both of his periods with equal ease, but I find the latter stuff more appealing these days. Some people could sing the contents of the telephone directory given the right voice, he is one of them. "Democracy", "Tower of Song", "First we take Manhattan" and "Hallelujah" are stand out tracks but I defy anyone not to get lost in "Closing Time". This is by far my favourite. A fun song, with so many catchy hooks it just pulls you off your seat and invites you to dance with the nearest partner. You can almost smell the smoke and alcoholic fumes as if you are drinking in the bar with him. A tremendous talent......but what great assistance from his backing singers.

This is a great selection of his work. If you are a fan, you'll want it in your collection. If you are just curious, buy it.........it's a great introduction.


A lesson for what really music is, 02 Feb 2007
There's nothing missing from this collection. Not the quality, not the deep, truthful voice, not the fully poetic and inspirational lyrics, nothing. My boyfriend bought this CD and we can't get enough of it- especially DISC 2.
Cohen is and will remain unique in this industry, mainly because he has something solid yet so delicate to say, because he is a musician, because he possesses the gift to sing stories instead of 'telling a song'. Great music, great lyrics, great singer.

Simply Blown Away.....New Convert, 27 Nov 2006
Well I cannot believe I have lived for 42 years without listening to a Cohen Album.I tried this on spec seeing the reviews and having been a big Dylan/Springsteen fan for many years.For me this album has been like meeting a soulmate in a slightly run down but all too comfortable bar and wishing you had met them much earlier in your life!!!!!
Songs like "Democracy" and "I'm Your Man" cover the dark side of politics and personal relationships superbly and the former should be essential listening for the Neo-Cons of the White House.
I will not go over everything already written but this double disc set seems a top introduction to Cohen's development and style.I have already ordered 2 more albums from his back catalogue and I feel this discovery could hit my bsank balance hard in the near future.Totally recommended.

A wonderful cross section of Cohen's music, 18 May 2006
This album is superb value, two generous discs crammed with very special music. It spans the whole range of Cohen's output (up to "Ten new songs") and you can hear his voice becoming deeper and more melancholy as the tracks go by.

Whilst everyone will have his favourite Cohen track, it must be said that there is not a bad track in the collection. Whilst all are clearly "Cohen", there is within that heading a tremendous range of moods and styles from the driving rhythms of "Democracy" to the more reflective favourite "Suzanne". In the later songs Sharon Robinson (the co-writer) plays a big part, but I find these songs just as good as the "pure" Cohen: in any case one of Cohen's strengths is that he changes in style, but still remains distinctly himself.

As always the lyrics are superb and blend in perfectly with the music: really the two cannot be separated. For me the very ambiguity and different possible interpretations of the words of such songs as "Alexandra leaving" add to their universality and give them an appeal to so many people (and make them suitable for so many moods).

When I purchased this disc I had not listened to Cohen for some time and had forgotten just how much I liked him and just how unique he is. I regard it as one of the best discs in my collection


hits and pieces, 26 Oct 2008
WERE THE DC5 AS GOOD AS THE RECENT ARTICLES I HAVE READ SUGGEST?
WERE THEY THE NEXT BEST THING TO THE BEATLES AT THE TIME?
ER NO!! AS THIS RELEASE PROVES.
LIKE MANY I REMEMBER THE MAIN HITS, BITS AND PIECES, GLAD ALL OVER AND CATCH US IF YOU CAN, AND THEY WERE GREAT POP SONGS. BUT AFTER THAT I REMEMBER VERY LITTLE AND I DID GROW UP IN THE SIXTIES. THIS RELEASE PROVES WHY. IT CONTAINS A NUMBER OF AVERAGE COVER VERSIONS AND SOME MEDIOCRE ROCK AND ROLL COVERS THAT LACK THE PASSION OF THE REAL THING. THE SOUND IS AVERAGE, THE COVER IS TERRIBLE AND THERE IS A C.D. BOOKLET THAT PAYS HOMAGE TO DAVE CLARK, I.E. DAVE DID THIS, DAVE DID THAT, BUT PAYS LITTLE ATTENTION TO THE REST OF THE BAND. VERY LITTLE BAND HISTORY, NO RELEASE DATES AND NO U.K./U.S.A. CHART POSITIONS.
THIS COULD, AND AFTER ALL THIS TIME SHOULD, HAVE BEEN A FAR BETTER PRODUCT.

Not shoddy at all, 25 Oct 2008
This is a pretty comprehensive compilation, though the absence of 'Red Balloon' is disappointing. However, contrary to Mr Christopher W. Barratt's review, 'Everybody Get Together' IS included - Amazon's track listing accidentally excludes it, but it is definitely on the CD (so, Mr Barratt, do you actually own this disc or did you review it on the basis of Amazon's track listing? Now that would be shoddy!).
The sound quality is excellent as Dave Clark makes his usual good job of remastering (remember his Ready Steady Go compilations of a few years back?) and the songs, particularly the singles, are all very enjoyable. Buy this collection for a nostalgic wallow in some of the great sounds of the 60's.

2½ minute pop songs at their best., 18 Oct 2008
Now this is unexpected. Dave Clark is very protective of everything he's been involved in and it was a bit of a shock to see this in the schedules. A greatest hits package that can best be grouped into three sections: the bad, the good and the 'blimey, this is a surprise'

To get the negatives out of the way first: the sleeve is nothing but a disgrace. This isn't some sort of cheap K-Tel type budget release; it's from a man who keeps rigorous control over anything associated with the group and all those involved should be thoroughly ashamed by allowing this to pass quality control. The other negative is that this compilation contains songs that shouldn't be included and misses out on others that should. The accompanying booklet is OK but I would have preferred a bit more information on the tracks themselves. The title is also a bit of a misnomer, but more of that later.

Twenty three of the songs on here are identical to those of the long deleted `Glad All Over Again' package from 1993 but, with the improvement in technology over the preceding 15 years, and considering much of this was recorded on, by today's standards, anitiquated analogue machines, the quality is much improved. What isn't improved is the sequencing of tracks; they aren't in any chronological order, jumping from `Good Old Rock `n' Roll' (Dec 69) to `Sha-Na-Na Kiss Him Goodbye' (Oct 73) then back to `Here Come Summer' (Jul 70). The earlier songs fair no better with `Because' May 64) coming after `Catch Us If You Can' (Jul 65). There may very well be a reason behind this seemingly haphazard order but I can't think of one.

Anyway, to the good bits. This CD is a `tub-thumping' joy. Amongst many, `Glad All Over', `Bits And Pieces', `Catch Us If You Can' and `Wild Weekend' are sing-a-long tunes at their best; `All Night Long' is an instrumental that, had it been recorded by The Stones or Yardbirds, would be staple diet for any blues based groups; turn up the volume for `Any Way You Want It' 30 years ahead of its time, being the forerunner of thrash metal; `Nineteen Days' is pop at its finest, whilst `Everybody Get Together' is the DC5's `lighters in the air' song. In fact, if you want to sample The Dave Clark Five, this is the only place to do it, other than the 50 track USA `History Of', which is why this review gives 'The Hits' a four star rating

So, to the misleading title. `Don't Let Me Down', 'I Like It Like That' and 'Til The Right One Comes Along' were never issued on singles over here whilst 'Try Too Hard', 'Put A Little Love In Your Heart', and the aforementioned 'Nineteen Days' and 'Sha-Na-Na' failed to trouble the charts but are all included. `Thinking Of You Baby' (a #26), `The Red Balloon' (#7), 'No One Can Break A Heart Like You' (#28) and `Live In The Sky' (#39) did but aren't anywhere to be seen. We can be grateful, however, that `Tabatha Twitchit' failed to make the final list.

What other reviewers have failed to mention is the surprise. Track 28, is a previously unreleased song called `Universal Love', which sounds as if it's from the early 1970's Dave Clark And Friends sessions. Being a plea to end our differences with planetary peace, whilst it's not the greatest song you'll ever hear, its mere inclusion on here suggests that Clark is no longer reticent in allowing unissued material to see the light of day. Hopefully, this may be the start of a campaign to finally issue The Dave Clark Five's UK and US albums on legal CDs, all with bonus material.

Shoddy, 16 Oct 2008
The worst cover of a mainstream release I have seen in quite some time, the same old mono mixes & far too many hits missing (how about the UK #8 The Red Balloon, & the sublime Everybody Get Together) - the music on here is fantastic, the execution of this project is appalling and cynical in the extreme.
I would like to own a DC5 hits collection, but I'd rather just survive with my cd-r of 1993's out-of-print (and far superior) Glad All Over Again - the packaging of this effort means I might as well.
One almighty missed opportunity AGAIN

Thumpers , 14 Oct 2008
Dave Clark 5 recordings have been difficult to come by in the CD age, due presumably to Clark's control over their output. Indeed, a read through the extensive sleeve notes rather emphasises his influence almost to the point of propaganda. The sales figures are impressive and there's little doubt that the band were extremely popular during the mid-1960s, but claims that their stature exceeded that of such as The Rolling Stones is exaggerated.

Nevertheless, at their best they made some of the most exciting records of their era, driven by an explosive backbeat. They also managed to capture a live-like hysteria-inducing passion that eluded most of their contemporaries. 'Glad All Over', 'Bits And Pieces' and 'Any Way You Want It' are the best examples of this, but the band's energy shines through most of this collection. Like most bands, adrenaline levels diminished gradually, but tracks like 'Catch Us If You Can' and 'Nineteen Days' partly make up for this with greater craft.

They were less suited to slower songs. Both songs titled 'Everybody Knows' were successful, but sound a little awkward. 'Because', in contrast, is a lovely song. As with most hit compilations, the cream appears in the first half of the CD, and there are a few odd inclusions toward the end, though these are justifiably at the expense of a few of their later hits, which were more music hall than rock and roll. It's easy to see why they ended up, like everyone else, in The Beatles' slipstream after initially competing with them, but this is a hugely enjoyable collection of mostly self-penned songs.

Clearly a five star album, 19 Nov 2008
How this is averaging so low is beyond me - it's the best album I've heard all year by a country mile. The alternative take of Can't Wait - magestic, unsettling, and superior to the original release in every way - would alone make this unmissable. Add to that the alternative takes of Mississippi - his greatest song of the last decade - and the wonderful unheard track, Girl from the Red River Shore, and this is absolutely essantial. Don't listen to the naysayers - this is a great record.

"You can always come back, but you can't come back all the way", 16 Nov 2008
This is effectively a follow up to Bootleg series vol 1 - 3 (1961 - 91)
How anyone thought they could find 2 let alone 3 discs worth of recent material to compare with those glory years is beyond me. Dylan has had several peaks over the decades, but each has hit a lesser height.

Dylan's released work of the last ten years, while good, does not match the mid seventies era (Planet Waves / Blood on the Tracks / Desire), let alone the mid sixties classics. These outtakes reflect that drop in quality. There is nothing here to match "Blind Willie McTell" or "Last thoughts on Woody Guthrie" that appeared on the vol 1-3 set.

Anyway, the bad stuff first:
There is far too much filler here. The two (two!) versions of "Mississippi" are mediocre demos add nothing to my appreciation of the released version. "Series of Dreams" apppeared as a finished outtake on vol 1-3, why do we need an inferior demo on this editon? Some of the live tracks reflect Bob's inconsistency as a performer. "High Water" may have a sentimental resonance for the people of New Orleans, but it is a rotten performance.

Good stuff:
Two versions of Dignity - in two different arrangements with different lyrics (but one would have been enough!).
"Red River Shore" / "Greenbriar Shore" a Dylan original and the folk song it is based on.
"Ring Them Bells" live - a superb live performance - but why is it the only track from the four nights he recorded at the Supper Club?

The remaining tracks vary from ok to good. The finished movie songs being the better ones.

The best yet, 04 Nov 2008
The standard of the bootleg series has been consistently high - this collection demonstrates that Bob's output since Oh Mercy is as strong as anything he's done in his career.

Some suprise acoustic versions of songs (Most of the Time, originally off Oh Mercy and Mississipi from Time out of Mind), the opportunity to get Tell Old Bill and Cross the Green Mountain in a Dylan rather than a movie soundtrack collection and excellent live tracks plus Red River Shore as a completeley unrealeased song, make this a great collection.

I know people moan about the rip off 3 disk version, get the third disc elswhere and enjoy this two disc collection!

Brilliant stuff.

Every track tells a tale, 29 Oct 2008
This 8th in the series of Dylan Bootleg Series was well worth the wait.
There is some dedate over which version to buy, both the single and double CDs are good value, both coming with the excellent 64 page booklet, which for hardcore Dylan fans is worth the price alone.
For me, it's the cooking Live tracks from 2002/2003 which make this a must-buy, plus the superb unreleased tracks from "Oh Mercy" and "Time out of mind". Both these albums were heralded as returns to form and the best Dylan product of their respective decades, the 80s and 90s.
Side 1 ends with "High Water" which is such a delight, you just want to be in the crowd giving it large. Similarly, "Lonesome Day Blues" on side 2 is as smoking a live track as you'll hear this year.
People who raved over the discovery of Blind Willy McTell on the 1st set of the Bootleg Series will not be disappointed by the gems unearthed on this superb album.

Review the reviews!, 27 Oct 2008
Most of the very negative reviews pertain to the ridiculously overpriced three CD version of this album--buyers of that version (me among them) are rightly outraged at the low value for money.

Please note that there's nothing wrong with the two CD version, which is in fact the one that should be reviewed at this place (there's also a one CD version--the "Single" version--but that's best left on the shelves).

Whatever version you consider, the album in itself contains a more than decent collection of tracks; as many reviewers found, however, there might have been a little more new or unknown material.

Soulfood Essential, 23 Aug 2008
This is as fine an introduction to the works of Leonard Cohen as could be imagined. The track list, selected by the man himself, covers almost every period of his recorded output (Cohen is not prolific in the way, say, Bob Dylan is, or Neil Young), but I do feel some truly great stuff has been overlooked, i.e. the hushed, but haunting version of 'Story Of Isaac' from 1973's LIVE SONGS, which is one of the most profound things that anyone has ever written, the great live recordings from FIELD COMMANDER COHEN: Tour Of 1979, which admittedly was not released until after THE ESSENTIAL LEONARD COHEN appeared. Of those songs, I feel the title track is as good and epic a song as any he's recorded, and the version from NEW SKIN FOR THE OLD CEREMONY would have sufficed over e.g 'Take This Longing' which already appears on his GREATEST HITS. As for the Passenger version of 'Lover Lover Lover', what can I say? It is blistering! Likewise (from that same album) versions of 'The Window', 'The Smokey Life', 'The Stranger Song', 'The Gypsy's Wife' (long since a staple of the live act) and an unforgettable reading of 'Memories' from the unfairly-maligned DEATH OF A LADIES' MAN, are all worthy of inclusion. In fact, it's true to say that all Cohen's output is essential, but I would also have included 'Ballad Of The Absent Mare' and 'Came So Far For Beauty' from RECENT SONGS, 'The Old Revolution' from SONGS FROM A ROOM (if only for discovering it had been a minor hit in the UK: hats off to Dale Winton for pointing that out to me!), the live 'Joan Of Arc', 'One Of Us Cannot Be Wrong' and 'Hallelujah' from 1993's COHEN LIVE, 'Coming Back To You' and 'The Captain' from 1984's VARIOUS POSITIONS, but the greatest omission surely has to be the Lorca-inspired 'Take This Waltz' from the brilliant I'M YOUR MAN. I could eulogise forever. Suffice to say, if your not familiar with the man's work, this is the perfect place to start. After that, buy THE SONGS OF LEONARD COHEN, his debut (perhaps, alongside Jeff Buckley's GRACE and THE VELVET UNDERGROUND AND NICO, the greatest debut of all time, for my money).

It's like sipping your best brandy whilst puffing on a quality cigar, 04 May 2007
The voice is the first thing you notice. The early poetic renditions on such classics as "Suzanne", "Sisters of Mercy" and "Famous Blue Raincoat" are presented in a voice that is deadpan but not as gruff as in later years. This was at a period when he was a well kept secret and with a style and presentation that not everyone took to. Move onto disc 2 and you notice how the voice deepens and the songs become bigger. One thing that Cohen has never failed to deliver is quality songs with curious stories to tell. He has an almost hymn-like or gospel touch on a lot of his work, usually enhanced by superb backing singers and wondrous musicians and arrangements.

I move between both of his periods with equal ease, but I find the latter stuff more appealing these days. Some people could sing the contents of the telephone directory given the right voice, he is one of them. "Democracy", "Tower of Song", "First we take Manhattan" and "Hallelujah" are stand out tracks but I defy anyone not to get lost in "Closing Time". This is by far my favourite. A fun song, with so many catchy hooks it just pulls you off your seat and invites you to dance with the nearest partner. You can almost smell the smoke and alcoholic fumes as if you are drinking in the bar with him. A tremendous talent......but what great assistance from his backing singers.

This is a great selection of his work. If you are a fan, you'll want it in your collection. If you are just curious, buy it.........it's a great introduction.


A lesson for what really music is, 02 Feb 2007
There's nothing missing from this collection. Not the quality, not the deep, truthful voice, not the fully poetic and inspirational lyrics, nothing. My boyfriend bought this CD and we can't get enough of it- especially DISC 2.
Cohen is and will remain unique in this industry, mainly because he has something solid yet so delicate to say, because he is a musician, because he possesses the gift to sing stories instead of 'telling a song'. Great music, great lyrics, great singer.

Simply Blown Away.....New Convert, 27 Nov 2006
Well I cannot believe I have lived for 42 years without listening to a Cohen Album.I tried this on spec seeing the reviews and having been a big Dylan/Springsteen fan for many years.For me this album has been like meeting a soulmate in a slightly run down but all too comfortable bar and wishing you had met them much earlier in your life!!!!!
Songs like "Democracy" and "I'm Your Man" cover the dark side of politics and personal relationships superbly and the former should be essential listening for the Neo-Cons of the White House.
I will not go over everything already written but this double disc set seems a top introduction to Cohen's development and style.I have already ordered 2 more albums from his back catalogue and I feel this discovery could hit my bsank balance hard in the near future.Totally recommended.

A wonderful cross section of Cohen's music, 18 May 2006
This album is superb value, two generous discs crammed with very special music. It spans the whole range of Cohen's output (up to "Ten new songs") and you can hear his voice becoming deeper and more melancholy as the tracks go by.

Whilst everyone will have his favourite Cohen track, it must be said that there is not a bad track in the collection. Whilst all are clearly "Cohen", there is within that heading a tremendous range of moods and styles from the driving rhythms of "Democracy" to the more reflective favourite "Suzanne". In the later songs Sharon Robinson (the co-writer) plays a big part, but I find these songs just as good as the "pure" Cohen: in any case one of Cohen's strengths is that he changes in style, but still remains distinctly himself.

As always the lyrics are superb and blend in perfectly with the music: really the two cannot be separated. For me the very ambiguity and different possible interpretations of the words of such songs as "Alexandra leaving" add to their universality and give them an appeal to so many people (and make them suitable for so many moods).

When I purchased this disc I had not listened to Cohen for some time and had forgotten just how much I liked him and just how unique he is. I regard it as one of the best discs in my collection


hits and pieces, 26 Oct 2008
WERE THE DC5 AS GOOD AS THE RECENT ARTICLES I HAVE READ SUGGEST?
WERE THEY THE NEXT BEST THING TO THE BEATLES AT THE TIME?
ER NO!! AS THIS RELEASE PROVES.
LIKE MANY I REMEMBER THE MAIN HITS, BITS AND PIECES, GLAD ALL OVER AND CATCH US IF YOU CAN, AND THEY WERE GREAT POP SONGS. BUT AFTER THAT I REMEMBER VERY LITTLE AND I DID GROW UP IN THE SIXTIES. THIS RELEASE PROVES WHY. IT CONTAINS A NUMBER OF AVERAGE COVER VERSIONS AND SOME MEDIOCRE ROCK AND ROLL COVERS THAT LACK THE PASSION OF THE REAL THING. THE SOUND IS AVERAGE, THE COVER IS TERRIBLE AND THERE IS A C.D. BOOKLET THAT PAYS HOMAGE TO DAVE CLARK, I.E. DAVE DID THIS, DAVE DID THAT, BUT PAYS LITTLE ATTENTION TO THE REST OF THE BAND. VERY LITTLE BAND HISTORY, NO RELEASE DATES AND NO U.K./U.S.A. CHART POSITIONS.
THIS COULD, AND AFTER ALL THIS TIME SHOULD, HAVE BEEN A FAR BETTER PRODUCT.

Not shoddy at all, 25 Oct 2008
This is a pretty comprehensive compilation, though the absence of 'Red Balloon' is disappointing. However, contrary to Mr Christopher W. Barratt's review, 'Everybody Get Together' IS included - Amazon's track listing accidentally excludes it, but it is definitely on the CD (so, Mr Barratt, do you actually own this disc or did you review it on the basis of Amazon's track listing? Now that would be shoddy!).
The sound quality is excellent as Dave Clark makes his usual good job of remastering (remember his Ready Steady Go compilations of a few years back?) and the songs, particularly the singles, are all very enjoyable. Buy this collection for a nostalgic wallow in some of the great sounds of the 60's.

2½ minute pop songs at their best., 18 Oct 2008
Now this is unexpected. Dave Clark is very protective of everything he's been involved in and it was a bit of a shock to see this in the schedules. A greatest hits package that can best be grouped into three sections: the bad, the good and the 'blimey, this is a surprise'

To get the negatives out of the way first: the sleeve is nothing but a disgrace. This isn't some sort of cheap K-Tel type budget release; it's from a man who keeps rigorous control over anything associated with the group and all those involved should be thoroughly ashamed by allowing this to pass quality control. The other negative is that this compilation contains songs that shouldn't be included and misses out on others that should. The accompanying booklet is OK but I would have preferred a bit more information on the tracks themselves. The title is also a bit of a misnomer, but more of that later.

Twenty three of the songs on here are identical to those of the long deleted `Glad All Over Again' package from 1993 but, with the improvement in technology over the preceding 15 years, and considering much of this was recorded on, by today's standards, anitiquated analogue machines, the quality is much improved. What isn't improved is the sequencing of tracks; they aren't in any chronological order, jumping from `Good Old Rock `n' Roll' (Dec 69) to `Sha-Na-Na Kiss Him Goodbye' (Oct 73) then back to `Here Come Summer' (Jul 70). The earlier songs fair no better with `Because' May 64) coming after `Catch Us If You Can' (Jul 65). There may very well be a reason behind this seemingly haphazard order but I can't think of one.

Anyway, to the good bits. This CD is a `tub-thumping' joy. Amongst many, `Glad All Over', `Bits And Pieces', `Catch Us If You Can' and `Wild Weekend' are sing-a-long tunes at their best; `All Night Long' is an instrumental that, had it been recorded by The Stones or Yardbirds, would be staple diet for any blues based groups; turn up the volume for `Any Way You Want It' 30 years ahead of its time, being the forerunner of thrash metal; `Nineteen Days' is pop at its finest, whilst `Everybody Get Together' is the DC5's `lighters in the air' song. In fact, if you want to sample The Dave Clark Five, this is the only place to do it, other than the 50 track USA `History Of', which is why this review gives 'The Hits' a four star rating

So, to the misleading title. `Don't Let Me Down', 'I Like It Like That' and 'Til The Right One Comes Along' were never issued on singles over here whilst 'Try Too Hard', 'Put A Little Love In Your Heart', and the aforementioned 'Nineteen Days' and 'Sha-Na-Na' failed to trouble the charts but are all included. `Thinking Of You Baby' (a #26), `The Red Balloon' (#7), 'No One Can Break A Heart Like You' (#28) and `Live In The Sky' (#39) did but aren't anywhere to be seen. We can be grateful, however, that `Tabatha Twitchit' failed to make the final list.

What other reviewers have failed to mention is the surprise. Track 28, is a previously unreleased song called `Universal Love', which sounds as if it's from the early 1970's Dave Clark And Friends sessions. Being a plea to end our differences with planetary peace, whilst it's not the greatest song you'll ever hear, its mere inclusion on here suggests that Clark is no longer reticent in allowing unissued material to see the light of day. Hopefully, this may be the start of a campaign to finally issue The Dave Clark Five's UK and US albums on legal CDs, all with bonus material.

Shoddy, 16 Oct 2008
The worst cover of a mainstream release I have seen in quite some time, the same old mono mixes & far too many hits missing (how about the UK #8 The Red Balloon, & the sublime Everybody Get Together) - the music on here is fantastic, the execution of this project is appalling and cynical in the extreme.
I would like to own a DC5 hits collection, but I'd rather just survive with my cd-r of 1993's out-of-print (and far superior) Glad All Over Again - the packaging of this effort means I might as well.
One almighty missed opportunity AGAIN

Thumpers , 14 Oct 2008
Dave Clark 5 recordings have been difficult to come by in the CD age, due presumably to Clark's control over their output. Indeed, a read through the extensive sleeve notes rather emphasises his influence almost to the point of propaganda. The sales figures are impressive and there's little doubt that the band were extremely popular during the mid-1960s, but claims that their stature exceeded that of such as The Rolling Stones is exaggerated.

Nevertheless, at their best they made some of the most exciting records of their era, driven by an explosive backbeat. They also managed to capture a live-like hysteria-inducing passion that eluded most of their contemporaries. 'Glad All Over', 'Bits And Pieces' and 'Any Way You Want It' are the best examples of this, but the band's energy shines through most of this collection. Like most bands, adrenaline levels diminished gradually, but tracks like 'Catch Us If You Can' and 'Nineteen Days' partly make up for this with greater craft.

They were less suited to slower songs. Both songs titled 'Everybody Knows' were successful, but sound a little awkward. 'Because', in contrast, is a lovely song. As with most hit compilations, the cream appears in the first half of the CD, and there are a few odd inclusions toward the end, though these are justifiably at the expense of a few of their later hits, which were more music hall than rock and roll. It's easy to see why they ended up, like everyone else, in The Beatles' slipstream after initially competing with them, but this is a hugely enjoyable collection of mostly self-penned songs.

The Very Best of Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons, 17 May 2008
Fantastic CD & quality reproduction only disappointment is "Proud One" isn't included. Can't find this song on any Frankie Valli/Four Seasons CDs any ideas ?

Top quality pop music , 15 May 2008
Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons were hugely successful in America, where they had a long string of major hits, especially in the sixties. They were less successful in Britain but still managed seven top ten hits including a number one. Here you can find all the classics. From the sixties, there are Sherry, Big girls don't cry, Walk like a man, Rag doll, Let's hang on and many others. From the seventies, there are My eyes adored you, Who loves you, Night (a track recorded for Motown), December '63 Oh what a night (their only British number one hit) and Grease. One obvious omission from the seventies is Silver star (a UK top three hit).

Aside from their own hits, covers of their songs were also successful for others, four of them becoming UK number one hits via covers. The original Four Seasons versions of The sun ain't gonna shine anymore (Walker brothers), Silence is golden (Tremeloes), Bye bye baby (Bay city rollers) and Working my way back to you (Detroit Spinners) are all included here.

This is an excellent double CD collection of music by Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons, one of the best American groups of the sixties and seventies, released to coincide with opening of the West End musical Jersey Boys. Please note that a 3CD+DVD set covering the music of the Four Seasons in much more detail is available for those who want it and can afford the extra cost.

Clearly a five star album, 19 Nov 2008
How this is averaging so low is beyond me - it's the best album I've heard all year by a country mile. The alternative take of Can't Wait - magestic, unsettling, and superior to the original release in every way - would alone make this unmissable. Add to that the alternative takes of Mississippi - his greatest song of the last decade - and the wonderful unheard track, Girl from the Red River Shore, and this is absolutely essantial. Don't listen to the naysayers - this is a great record.

"You can always come back, but you can't come back all the way", 16 Nov 2008
This is effectively a follow up to Bootleg series vol 1 - 3 (1961 - 91)
How anyone thought they could find 2 let alone 3 discs worth of recent material to compare with those glory years is beyond me. Dylan has had several peaks over the decades, but each has hit a lesser height.

Dylan's released work of the last ten years, while good, does not match the mid seventies era (Planet Waves / Blood on the Tracks / Desire), let alone the mid sixties classics. These outtakes reflect that drop in quality. There is nothing here to match "Blind Willie McTell" or "Last thoughts on Woody Guthrie" that appeared on the vol 1-3 set.

Anyway, the bad stuff first:
There is far too much filler here. The two (two!) versions of "Mississippi" are mediocre demos add nothing to my appreciation of the released version. "Series of Dreams" apppeared as a finished outtake on vol 1-3, why do we need an inferior demo on this editon? Some of the live tracks reflect Bob's inconsistency as a performer. "High Water" may have a sentimental resonance for the people of New Orleans, but it is a rotten performance.

Good stuff:
Two versions of Dignity - in two different arrangements with different lyrics (but one would have been enough!).
"Red River Shore" / "Greenbriar Shore" a Dylan original and the folk song it is based on.
"Ring Them Bells" live - a superb live performance - but why is it the only track from the four nights he recorded at the Supper Club?

The remaining tracks vary from ok to good. The finished movie songs being the better ones.

The best yet, 04 Nov 2008
The standard of the bootleg series has been consistently high - this collection demonstrates that Bob's output since Oh Mercy is as strong as anything he's done in his career.

Some suprise acoustic versions of songs (Most of the Time, originally off Oh Mercy and Mississipi from Time out of Mind), the opportunity to get Tell Old Bill and Cross the Green Mountain in a Dylan rather than a movie soundtrack collection and excellent live tracks plus Red River Shore as a completeley unrealeased song, make this a great collection.

I know people moan about the rip off 3 disk version, get the third disc elswhere and enjoy this two disc collection!

Brilliant stuff.

Every track tells a tale, 29 Oct 2008
This 8th in the series of Dylan Bootleg Series was well worth the wait.
There is some dedate over which version to buy, both the single and double CDs are good value, both coming with the excellent 64 page booklet, which for hardcore Dylan fans is worth the price alone.
For me, it's the cooking Live tracks from 2002/2003 which make this a must-buy, plus the superb unreleased tracks from "Oh Mercy" and "Time out of mind". Both these albums were heralded as returns to form and the best Dylan product of their respective decades, the 80s and 90s.
Side 1 ends with "High Water" which is such a delight, you just want to be in the crowd giving it large. Similarly, "Lonesome Day Blues" on side 2 is as smoking a live track as you'll hear this year.
People who raved over the discovery of Blind Willy McTell on the 1st set of the Bootleg Series will not be disappointed by the gems unearthed on this superb album.

Review the reviews!, 27 Oct 2008
Most of the very negative reviews pertain to the ridiculously overpriced three CD version of this album--buyers of that version (me among them) are rightly outraged at the low value for money.

Please note that there's nothing wrong with the two CD version, which is in fact the one that should be reviewed at this place (there's also a one CD version--the "Single" version--but that's best left on the shelves).

Whatever version you consider, the album in itself contains a more than decent collection of tracks; as many reviewers found, however, there might have been a little more new or unknown material.

Soulfood Essential, 23 Aug 2008
This is as fine an introduction to the works of Leonard Cohen as could be imagined. The track list, selected by the man himself, covers almost every period of his recorded output (Cohen is not prolific in the way, say, Bob Dylan is, or Neil Young), but I do feel some truly great stuff has been overlooked, i.e. the hushed, but haunting version of 'Story Of Isaac' from 1973's LIVE SONGS, which is one of the most profound things that anyone has ever written, the great live recordings from FIELD COMMANDER COHEN: Tour Of 1979, which admittedly was not released until after THE ESSENTIAL LEONARD COHEN appeared. Of those songs, I feel the title track is as good and epic a song as any he's recorded, and the version from NEW SKIN FOR THE OLD CEREMONY would have sufficed over e.g 'Take This Longing' which already appears on his GREATEST HITS. As for the Passenger version of 'Lover Lover Lover', what can I say? It is blistering! Likewise (from that same album) versions of 'The Window', 'The Smokey Life', 'The Stranger Song', 'The Gypsy's Wife' (long since a staple of the live act) and an unforgettable reading of 'Memories' from the unfairly-maligned DEATH OF A LADIES' MAN, are all worthy of inclusion. In fact, it's true to say that all Cohen's output is essential, but I would also have included 'Ballad Of The Absent Mare' and 'Came So Far For Beauty' from RECENT SONGS, 'The Old Revolution' from SONGS FROM A ROOM (if only for discovering it had been a minor hit in the UK: hats off to Dale Winton for pointing that out to me!), the live 'Joan Of Arc', 'One Of Us Cannot Be Wrong' and 'Hallelujah' from 1993's COHEN LIVE, 'Coming Back To You' and 'The Captain' from 1984's VARIOUS POSITIONS, but the greatest omission surely has to be the Lorca-inspired 'Take This Waltz' from the brilliant I'M YOUR MAN. I could eulogise forever. Suffice to say, if your not familiar with the man's work, this is the perfect place to start. After that, buy THE SONGS OF LEONARD COHEN, his debut (perhaps, alongside Jeff Buckley's GRACE and THE VELVET UNDERGROUND AND NICO, the greatest debut of all time, for my money).

It's like sipping your best brandy whilst puffing on a quality cigar, 04 May 2007
The voice is the first thing you notice. The early poetic renditions on such classics as "Suzanne", "Sisters of Mercy" and "Famous Blue Raincoat" are presented in a voice that is deadpan but not as gruff as in later years. This was at a period when he was a well kept secret and with a style and presentation that not everyone took to. Move onto disc 2 and you notice how the voice deepens and the songs become bigger. One thing that Cohen has never failed to deliver is quality songs with curious stories to tell. He has an almost hymn-like or gospel touch on a lot of his work, usually enhanced by superb backing singers and wondrous musicians and arrangements.

I move between both of his periods with equal ease, but I find the latter stuff more appealing these days. Some people could sing the contents of the telephone directory given the right voice, he is one of them. "Democracy", "Tower of Song", "First we take Manhattan" and "Hallelujah" are stand out tracks but I defy anyone not to get lost in "Closing Time". This is by far my favourite. A fun song, with so many catchy hooks it just pulls you off your seat and invites you to dance with the nearest partner. You can almost smell the smoke and alcoholic fumes as if you are drinking in the bar with him. A tremendous talent......but what great assistance from his backing singers.

This is a great selection of his work. If you are a fan, you'll want it in your collection. If you are just curious, buy it.........it's a great introduction.


A lesson for what really music is, 02 Feb 2007
There's nothing missing from this collection. Not the quality, not the deep, truthful voice, not the fully poetic and inspirational lyrics, nothing. My boyfriend bought this CD and we can't get enough of it- especially DISC 2.
Cohen is and will remain unique in this industry, mainly because he has something solid yet so delicate to say, because he is a musician, because he possesses the gift to sing stories instead of 'telling a song'. Great music, great lyrics, great singer.

Simply Blown Away.....New Convert, 27 Nov 2006
Well I cannot believe I have lived for 42 years without listening to a Cohen Album.I tried this on spec seeing the reviews and having been a big Dylan/Springsteen fan for many years.For me this album has been like meeting a soulmate in a slightly run down but all too comfortable bar and wishing you had met them much earlier in your life!!!!!
Songs like "Democracy" and "I'm Your Man" cover the dark side of politics and personal relationships superbly and the former should be essential listening for the Neo-Cons of the White House.
I will not go over everything already written but this double disc set seems a top introduction to Cohen's development and style.I have already ordered 2 more albums from his back catalogue and I feel this discovery could hit my bsank balance hard in the near future.Totally recommended.

A wonderful cross section of Cohen's music, 18 May 2006
This album is superb value, two generous discs crammed with very special music. It spans the whole range of Cohen's output (up to "Ten new songs") and you can hear his voice becoming deeper and more melancholy as the tracks go by.

Whilst everyone will have his favourite Cohen track, it must be said that there is not a bad track in the collection. Whilst all are clearly "Cohen", there is within that heading a tremendous range of moods and styles from the driving rhythms of "Democracy" to the more reflective favourite "Suzanne". In the later songs Sharon Robinson (the co-writer) plays a big part, but I find these songs just as good as the "pure" Cohen: in any case one of Cohen's strengths is that he changes in style, but still remains distinctly himself.

As always the lyrics are superb and blend in perfectly with the music: really the two cannot be separated. For me the very ambiguity and different possible interpretations of the words of such songs as "Alexandra leaving" add to their universality and give them an appeal to so many people (and make them suitable for so many moods).

When I purchased this disc I had not listened to Cohen for some time and had forgotten just how much I liked him and just how unique he is. I regard it as one of the best discs in my collection


hits and pieces, 26 Oct 2008
WERE THE DC5 AS GOOD AS THE RECENT ARTICLES I HAVE READ SUGGEST?
WERE THEY THE NEXT BEST THING TO THE BEATLES AT THE TIME?
ER NO!! AS THIS RELEASE PROVES.
LIKE MANY I REMEMBER THE MAIN HITS, BITS AND PIECES, GLAD ALL OVER AND CATCH US IF YOU CAN, AND THEY WERE GREAT POP SONGS. BUT AFTER THAT I REMEMBER VERY LITTLE AND I DID GROW UP IN THE SIXTIES. THIS RELEASE PROVES WHY. IT CONTAINS A NUMBER OF AVERAGE COVER VERSIONS AND SOME MEDIOCRE ROCK AND ROLL COVERS THAT LACK THE PASSION OF THE REAL THING. THE SOUND IS AVERAGE, THE COVER IS TERRIBLE AND THERE IS A C.D. BOOKLET THAT PAYS HOMAGE TO DAVE CLARK, I.E. DAVE DID THIS, DAVE DID THAT, BUT PAYS LITTLE ATTENTION TO THE REST OF THE BAND. VERY LITTLE BAND HISTORY, NO RELEASE DATES AND NO U.K./U.S.A. CHART POSITIONS.
THIS COULD, AND AFTER ALL THIS TIME SHOULD, HAVE BEEN A FAR BETTER PRODUCT.

Not shoddy at all, 25 Oct 2008
This is a pretty comprehensive compilation, though the absence of 'Red Balloon' is disappointing. However, contrary to Mr Christopher W. Barratt's review, 'Everybody Get Together' IS included - Amazon's track listing accidentally excludes it, but it is definitely on the CD (so, Mr Barratt, do you actually own this disc or did you review it on the basis of Amazon's track listing? Now that would be shoddy!).
The sound quality is excellent as Dave Clark makes his usual good job of remastering (remember his Ready Steady Go compilations of a few years back?) and the songs, particularly the singles, are all very enjoyable. Buy this collection for a nostalgic wallow in some of the great sounds of the 60's.

2½ minute pop songs at their best., 18 Oct 2008
Now this is unexpected. Dave Clark is very protective of everything he's been involved in and it was a bit of a shock to see this in the schedules. A greatest hits package that can best be grouped into three sections: the bad, the good and the 'blimey, this is a surprise'

To get the negatives out of the way first: the sleeve is nothing but a disgrace. This isn't some sort of cheap K-Tel type budget release; it's from a man who keeps rigorous control over anything associated with the group and all those involved should be thoroughly ashamed by allowing this to pass quality control. The other negative is that this compilation contains songs that shouldn't be included and misses out on others that should. The accompanying booklet is OK but I would have preferred a bit more information on the tracks themselves. The title is also a bit of a misnomer, but more of that later.

Twenty three of the songs on here are identical to those of the long deleted `Glad All Over Again' package from 1993 but, with the improvement in technology over the preceding 15 years, and considering much of this was recorded on, by today's standards, anitiquated analogue machines, the quality is much improved. What isn't improved is the sequencing of tracks; they aren't in any chronological order, jumping from `Good Old Rock `n' Roll' (Dec 69) to `Sha-Na-Na Kiss Him Goodbye' (Oct 73) then back to `Here Come Summer' (Jul 70). The earlier songs fair no better with `Because' May 64) coming after `Catch Us If You Can' (Jul 65). There may very well be a reason behind this seemingly haphazard order but I can't think of one.

Anyway, to the good bits. This CD is a `tub-thumping' joy. Amongst many, `Glad All Over', `Bits And Pieces', `Catch Us If You Can' and `Wild Weekend' are sing-a-long tunes at their best; `All Night Long' is an instrumental that, had it been recorded by The Stones or Yardbirds, would be staple diet for any blues based groups; turn up the volume for `Any Way You Want It' 30 years ahead of its time, being the forerunner of thrash metal; `Nineteen Days' is pop at its finest, whilst `Everybody Get Together' is the DC5's `lighters in the air' song. In fact, if you want to sample The Dave Clark Five, this is the only place to do it, other than the 50 track USA `History Of', which is why this review gives 'The Hits' a four star rating

So, to the misleading title. `Don't Let Me Down', 'I Like It Like That' and 'Til The Right One Comes Along' were never issued on singles over here whilst 'Try Too Hard', 'Put A Little Love In Your Heart', and the aforementioned 'Nineteen Days' and 'Sha-Na-Na' failed to trouble the charts but are all included. `Thinking Of You Baby' (a #26), `The Red Balloon' (#7), 'No One Can Break A Heart Like You' (#28) and `Live In The Sky' (#39) did but aren't anywhere to be seen. We can be grateful, however, that `Tabatha Twitchit' failed to make the final list.

What other reviewers have failed to mention is the surprise. Track 28, is a previously unreleased song called `Universal Love', which sounds as if it's from the early 1970's Dave Clark And Friends sessions. Being a plea to end our differences with planetary peace, whilst it's not the greatest song you'll ever hear, its mere inclusion on here suggests that Clark is no longer reticent in allowing unissued material to see the light of day. Hopefully, this may be the start of a campaign to finally issue The Dave Clark Five's UK and US albums on legal CDs, all with bonus material.

Shoddy, 16 Oct 2008
The worst cover of a mainstream release I have seen in quite some time, the same old mono mixes & far too many hits missing (how about the UK #8 The Red Balloon, & the sublime Everybody Get Together) - the music on here is fantastic, the execution of this project is appalling and cynical in the extreme.
I would like to own a DC5 hits collection, but I'd rather just survive with my cd-r of 1993's out-of-print (and far superior) Glad All Over Again - the packaging of this effort means I might as well.
One almighty missed opportunity AGAIN

Thumpers , 14 Oct 2008
Dave Clark 5 recordings have been difficult to come by in the CD age, due presumably to Clark's control over their output. Indeed, a read through the extensive sleeve notes rather emphasises his influence almost to the point of propaganda. The sales figures are impressive and there's little doubt that the band were extremely popular during the mid-1960s, but claims that their stature exceeded that of such as The Rolling Stones is exaggerated.

Nevertheless, at their best they made some of the most exciting records of their era, driven by an explosive backbeat. They also managed to capture a live-like hysteria-inducing passion that eluded most of their contemporaries. 'Glad All Over', 'Bits And Pieces' and 'Any Way You Want It' are the best examples of this, but the band's energy shines through most of this collection. Like most bands, adrenaline levels diminished gradually, but tracks like 'Catch Us If You Can' and 'Nineteen Days' partly make up for this with greater craft.

They were less suited to slower songs. Both songs titled 'Everybody Knows' were successful, but sound a little awkward. 'Because', in contrast, is a lovely song. As with most hit compilations, the cream appears in the first half of the CD, and there are a few odd inclusions toward the end, though these are justifiably at the expense of a few of their later hits, which were more music hall than rock and roll. It's easy to see why they ended up, like everyone else, in The Beatles' slipstream after initially competing with them, but this is a hugely enjoyable collection of mostly self-penned songs.

The Very Best of Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons, 17 May 2008
Fantastic CD & quality reproduction only disappointment is "Proud One" isn't included. Can't find this song on any Frankie Valli/Four Seasons CDs any ideas ?

Top quality pop music , 15 May 2008
Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons were hugely successful in America, where they had a long string of major hits, especially in the sixties. They were less successful in Britain but still managed seven top ten hits including a number one. Here you can find all the classics. From the sixties, there are Sherry, Big girls don't cry, Walk like a man, Rag doll, Let's hang on and many others. From the seventies, there are My eyes adored you, Who loves you, Night (a track recorded for Motown), December '63 Oh what a night (their only British number one hit) and Grease. One obvious omission from the seventies is Silver star (a UK top three hit).

Aside from their own hits, covers of their songs were also successful for others, four of them becoming UK number one hits via covers. The original Four Seasons versions of The sun ain't gonna shine anymore (Walker brothers), Silence is golden (Tremeloes), Bye bye baby (Bay city rollers) and Working my way back to you (Detroit Spinners) are all included here.

This is an excellent double CD collection of music by Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons, one of the best American groups of the sixties and seventies, released to coincide with opening of the West End musical Jersey Boys. Please note that a 3CD+DVD set covering the music of the Four Seasons in much more detail is available for those who want it and can afford the extra cost.

More of the same from "recycled Rod", 14 Nov 2008
Ok Ok so it's Christmas time again, time for "YET ANOTHER" Rod's Greatest hits collection.
Now, please don't get me wrong here, I appreciate that dear old "Rodders" needs lots of money to pay for all those ex wives and kids, but PLEEEEASE give us something fresh!!
I must admit that it's my wife that is the Rod fan in our house, and every year she looks out for Rod's latest offering around Christmas time, and lo and behold, this year it's yet another "Greatest hits" compilation.
I am writing this review 2 days before the release of this album because we have already heard it.........loads of times, poor old Maggie May has been on more albums than the Beatles, She must be knackered!
So, please Rodders, if you read this, lets have something fresh, not the same tired old stuff, in a different order, yet again!

What once seemed Queen's greatest liabilities--a preening flamboyance and pompous, overwrought theatricality--have ironically become their most enduring charms in a grey, postmodern pop-music landscape. While it eschews the glammy, pre-punk hard rock of live faves such as "Stone Cold Crazy" and "Tie Your Mother Down" for the band's more quirky club-beat string of latter-day hits , this 51-track triple-CD anthology goes a long way toward documenting the true dimensions of the band's music and fame. It even includes some solo work by Brian May and Freddie Mercury, whose duet on "Barcelona" with diva Montserrat Caballé transcends boundaries of both time and genre. A previously unreleased live performance of "The Show Must Go On" featuring Elton John on vocals is also included. --Jerry McCulley

Clearly a five star album, 19 Nov 2008
How this is averaging so low is beyond me - it's the best album I've heard all year by a country mile. The alternative take of Can't Wait - magestic, unsettling, and superior to the original release in every way - would alone make this unmissable. Add to that the alternative takes of Mississippi - his greatest song of the last decade - and the wonderful unheard track, Girl from the Red River Shore, and this is absolutely essantial. Don't listen to the naysayers - this is a great record.

"You can always come back, but you can't come back all the way", 16 Nov 2008
This is effectively a follow up to Bootleg series vol 1 - 3 (1961 - 91)
How anyone thought they could find 2 let alone 3 discs worth of recent material to compare with those glory years is beyond me. Dylan has had several peaks over the decades, but each has hit a lesser height.

Dylan's released work of the last ten years, while good, does not match the mid seventies era (Planet Waves / Blood on the Tracks / Desire), let alone the mid sixties classics. These outtakes reflect that drop in quality. There is nothing here to match "Blind Willie McTell" or "Last thoughts on Woody Guthrie" that appeared on the vol 1-3 set.

Anyway, the bad stuff first:
There is far too much filler here. The two (two!) versions of "Mississippi" are mediocre demos add nothing to my appreciation of the released version. "Series of Dreams" apppeared as a finished outtake on vol 1-3, why do we need an inferior demo on this editon? Some of the live tracks reflect Bob's inconsistency as a performer. "High Water" may have a sentimental resonance for the people of New Orleans, but it is a rotten performance.

Good stuff:
Two versions of Dignity - in two different arrangements with different lyrics (but one would have been enough!).
"Red River Shore" / "Greenbriar Shore" a Dylan original and the folk song it is based on.
"Ring Them Bells" live - a superb live performance - but why is it the only track from the four nights he recorded at the Supper Club?

The remaining tracks vary from ok to good. The finished movie songs being the better ones.

The best yet, 04 Nov 2008
The standard of the bootleg series has been consistently high - this collection demonstrates that Bob's output since Oh Mercy is as strong as anything he's done in his career.

Some suprise acoustic versions of songs (Most of the Time, originally off Oh Mercy and Mississipi from Time out of Mind), the opportunity to get Tell Old Bill and Cross the Green Mountain in a Dylan rather than a movie soundtrack collection and excellent live tracks plus Red River Shore as a completeley unrealeased song, make this a great collection.

I know people moan about the rip off 3 disk version, get the third disc elswhere and enjoy this two disc collection!

Brilliant stuff.

Every track tells a tale, 29 Oct 2008
This 8th in the series of Dylan Bootleg Series was well worth the wait.
There is some dedate over which version to buy, both the single and double CDs are good value, both coming with the excellent 64 page booklet, which for hardcore Dylan fans is worth the price alone.
For me, it's the cooking Live tracks from 2002/2003 which make this a must-buy, plus the superb unreleased tracks from "Oh Mercy" and "Time out of mind". Both these albums were heralded as returns to form and the best Dylan product of their respective decades, the 80s and 90s.
Side 1 ends with "High Water" which is such a delight, you just want to be in the crowd giving it large. Similarly, "Lonesome Day Blues" on side 2 is as smoking a live track as you'll hear this year.
People who raved over the discovery of Blind Willy McTell on the 1st set of the Bootleg Series will not be disappointed by the gems unearthed on this superb album.

Review the reviews!, 27 Oct 2008
Most of the very negative reviews pertain to the ridiculously overpriced three CD version of this album--buyers of that version (me among them) are rightly outraged at the low value for money.

Please note that there's nothing wrong with the two CD version, which is in fact the one that should be reviewed at this place (there's also a one CD version--the "Single" version--but that's best left on the shelves).

Whatever version you consider, the album in itself contains a more than decent collection of tracks; as many reviewers found, however, there might have been a little more new or unknown material.

Soulfood Essential, 23 Aug 2008
This is as fine an introduction to the works of Leonard Cohen as could be imagined. The track list, selected by the man himself, covers almost every period of his recorded output (Cohen is not prolific in the way, say, Bob Dylan is, or Neil Young), but I do feel some truly great stuff has been overlooked, i.e. the hushed, but haunting version of 'Story Of Isaac' from 1973's LIVE SONGS, which is one of the most profound things that anyone has ever written, the great live recordings from FIELD COMMANDER COHEN: Tour Of 1979, which admittedly was not released until after THE ESSENTIAL LEONARD COHEN appeared. Of those songs, I feel the title track is as good and epic a song as any he's recorded, and the version from NEW SKIN FOR THE OLD CEREMONY would have sufficed over e.g 'Take This Longing' which already appears on his GREATEST HITS. As for the Passenger version of 'Lover Lover Lover', what can I say? It is blistering! Likewise (from that same album) versions of 'The Window', 'The Smokey Life', 'The Stranger Song', 'The Gypsy's Wife' (long since a staple of the live act) and an unforgettable reading of 'Memories' from the unfairly-maligned DEATH OF A LADIES' MAN, are all worthy of inclusion. In fact, it's true to say that all Cohen's output is essential, but I would also have included 'Ballad Of The Absent Mare' and 'Came So Far For Beauty' from RECENT SONGS, 'The Old Revolution' from SONGS FROM A ROOM (if only for discovering it had been a minor hit in the UK: hats off to Dale Winton for pointing that out to me!), the live 'Joan Of Arc', 'One Of Us Cannot Be Wrong' and 'Hallelujah' from 1993's COHEN LIVE, 'Coming Back To You' and 'The Captain' from 1984's VARIOUS POSITIONS, but the greatest omission surely has to be the Lorca-inspired 'Take This Waltz' from the brilliant I'M YOUR MAN. I could eulogise forever. Suffice to say, if your not familiar with the man's work, this is the perfect place to start. After that, buy THE SONGS OF LEONARD COHEN, his debut (perhaps, alongside Jeff Buckley's GRACE and THE VELVET UNDERGROUND AND NICO, the greatest debut of all time, for my money).

It's like sipping your best brandy whilst puffing on a quality cigar, 04 May 2007
The voice is the first thing you notice. The early poetic renditions on such classics as "Suzanne", "Sisters of Mercy" and "Famous Blue Raincoat" are presented in a voice that is deadpan but not as gruff as in later years. This was at a period when he was a well kept secret and with a style and presentation that not everyone took to. Move onto disc 2 and you notice how the voice deepens and the songs become bigger. One thing that Cohen has never failed to deliver is quality songs with curious stories to tell. He has an almost hymn-like or gospel touch on a lot of his work, usually enhanced by superb backing singers and wondrous musicians and arrangements.

I move between both of his periods with equal ease, but I find the latter stuff more appealing these days. Some people could sing the contents of the telephone directory given the right voice, he is one of them. "Democracy", "Tower of Song", "First we take Manhattan" and "Hallelujah" are stand out tracks but I defy anyone not to get lost in "Closing Time". This is by far my favourite. A fun song, with so many catchy hooks it just pulls you off your seat and invites you to dance with the nearest partner. You can almost smell the smoke and alcoholic fumes as if you are drinking in the bar with him. A tremendous talent......but what great assistance from his backing singers.

This is a great selection of his work. If you are a fan, you'll want it in your collection. If you are just curious, buy it.........it's a great introduction.


A lesson for what really music is, 02 Feb 2007
There's nothing missing from this collection. Not the quality, not the deep, truthful voice, not the fully poetic and inspirational lyrics, nothing. My boyfriend bought this CD and we can't get enough of it- especially DISC 2.
Cohen is and will remain unique in this industry, mainly because he has something solid yet so delicate to say, because he is a musician, because he possesses the gift to sing stories instead of 'telling a song'. Great music, great lyrics, great singer.

Simply Blown Away.....New Convert, 27 Nov 2006
Well I cannot believe I have lived for 42 years without listening to a Cohen Album.I tried this on spec seeing the reviews and having been a big Dylan/Springsteen fan for many years.For me this album has been like meeting a soulmate in a slightly run down but all too comfortable bar and wishing you had met them much earlier in your life!!!!!
Songs like "Democracy" and "I'm Your Man" cover the dark side of politics and personal relationships superbly and the former should be essential listening for the Neo-Cons of the White House.
I will not go over everything already written but this double disc set seems a top introduction to Cohen's development and style.I have already ordered 2 more albums from his back catalogue and I feel this discovery could hit my bsank balance hard in the near future.Totally recommended.

A wonderful cross section of Cohen's music, 18 May 2006
This album is superb value, two generous discs crammed with very special music. It spans the whole range of Cohen's output (up to "Ten new songs") and you can hear his voice becoming deeper and more melancholy as the tracks go by.

Whilst everyone will have his favourite Cohen track, it must be said that there is not a bad track in the collection. Whilst all are clearly "Cohen", there is within that heading a tremendous range of moods and styles from the driving rhythms of "Democracy" to the more reflective favourite "Suzanne". In the later songs Sharon Robinson (the co-writer) plays a big part, but I find these songs just as good as the "pure" Cohen: in any case one of Cohen's strengths is that he changes in style, but still remains distinctly himself.

As always the lyrics are superb and blend in perfectly with the music: really the two cannot be separated. For me the very ambiguity and different possible interpretations of the words of such songs as "Alexandra leaving" add to their universality and give them an appeal to so many people (and make them suitable for so many moods).

When I purchased this disc I had not listened to Cohen for some time and had forgotten just how much I liked him and just how unique he is. I regard it as one of the best discs in my collection


hits and pieces, 26 Oct 2008
WERE THE DC5 AS GOOD AS THE RECENT ARTICLES I HAVE READ SUGGEST?
WERE THEY THE NEXT BEST THING TO THE BEATLES AT THE TIME?
ER NO!! AS THIS RELEASE PROVES.
LIKE MANY I REMEMBER THE MAIN HITS, BITS AND PIECES, GLAD ALL OVER AND CATCH US IF YOU CAN, AND THEY WERE GREAT POP SONGS. BUT AFTER THAT I REMEMBER VERY LITTLE AND I DID GROW UP IN THE SIXTIES. THIS RELEASE PROVES WHY. IT CONTAINS A NUMBER OF AVERAGE COVER VERSIONS AND SOME MEDIOCRE ROCK AND ROLL COVERS THAT LACK THE PASSION OF THE REAL THING. THE SOUND IS AVERAGE, THE COVER IS TERRIBLE AND THERE IS A C.D. BOOKLET THAT PAYS HOMAGE TO DAVE CLARK, I.E. DAVE DID THIS, DAVE DID THAT, BUT PAYS LITTLE ATTENTION TO THE REST OF THE BAND. VERY LITTLE BAND HISTORY, NO RELEASE DATES AND NO U.K./U.S.A. CHART POSITIONS.
THIS COULD, AND AFTER ALL THIS TIME SHOULD, HAVE BEEN A FAR BETTER PRODUCT.

Not shoddy at all, 25 Oct 2008
This is a pretty comprehensive compilation, though the absence of 'Red Balloon' is disappointing. However, contrary to Mr Christopher W. Barratt's review, 'Everybody Get Together' IS included - Amazon's track listing accidentally excludes it, but it is definitely on the CD (so, Mr Barratt, do you actually own this disc or did you review it on the basis of Amazon's track listing? Now that would be shoddy!).
The sound quality is excellent as Dave Clark makes his usual good job of remastering (remember his Ready Steady Go compilations of a few years back?) and the songs, particularly the singles, are all very enjoyable. Buy this collection for a nostalgic wallow in some of the great sounds of the 60's.

2½ minute pop songs at their best., 18 Oct 2008
Now this is unexpected. Dave Clark is very protective of everything he's been involved in and it was a bit of a shock to see this in the schedules. A greatest hits package that can best be grouped into three sections: the bad, the good and the 'blimey, this is a surprise'

To get the negatives out of the way first: the sleeve is nothing but a disgrace. This isn't some sort of cheap K-Tel type budget release; it's from a man who keeps rigorous control over anything associated with the group and all those involved should be thoroughly ashamed by allowing this to pass quality control. The other negative is that this compilation contains songs that shouldn't be included and misses out on others that should. The accompanying booklet is OK but I would have preferred a bit more information on the tracks themselves. The title is also a bit of a misnomer, but more of that later.

Twenty three of the songs on here are identical to those of the long deleted `Glad All Over Again' package from 1993 but, with the improvement in technology over the preceding 15 years, and considering much of this was recorded on, by today's standards, anitiquated analogue machines, the quality is much improved. What isn't improved is the sequencing of tracks; they aren't in any chronological order, jumping from `Good Old Rock `n' Roll' (Dec 69) to `Sha-Na-Na Kiss Him Goodbye' (Oct 73) then back to `Here Come Summer' (Jul 70). The earlier songs fair no better with `Because' May 64) coming after `Catch Us If You Can' (Jul 65). There may very well be a reason behind this seemingly haphazard order but I can't think of one.

Anyway, to the good bits. This CD is a `tub-thumping' joy. Amongst many, `Glad All Over', `Bits And Pieces', `Catch Us If You Can' and `Wild Weekend' are sing-a-long tunes at their best; `All Night Long' is an instrumental that, had it been recorded by The Stones or Yardbirds, would be staple diet for any blues based groups; turn up the volume for `Any Way You Want It' 30 years ahead of its time, being the forerunner of thrash metal; `Nineteen Days' is pop at its finest, whilst `Everybody Get Together' is the DC5's `lighters in the air' song. In fact, if you want to sample The Dave Clark Five, this is the only place to do it, other than the 50 track USA `History Of', which is why this review gives 'The Hits' a four star rating

So, to the misleading title. `Don't Let Me Down', 'I Like It Like That' and 'Til The Right One Comes Along' were never issued on singles over here whilst 'Try Too Hard', 'Put A Little Love In Your Heart', and the aforementioned 'Nineteen Days' and 'Sha-Na-Na' failed to trouble the charts but are all included. `Thinking Of You Baby' (a #26), `The Red Balloon' (#7), 'No One Can Break A Heart Like You' (#28) and `Live In The Sky' (#39) did but aren't anywhere to be seen. We can be grateful, however, that `Tabatha Twitchit' failed to make the final list.

What other reviewers have failed to mention is the surprise. Track 28, is a previously unreleased song called `Universal Love', which sounds as if it's from the early 1970's Dave Clark And Friends sessions. Being a plea to end our differences with planetary peace, whilst it's not the greatest song you'll ever hear, its mere inclusion on here suggests that Clark is no longer reticent in allowing unissued material to see the light of day. Hopefully, this may be the start of a campaign to finally issue The Dave Clark Five's UK and US albums on legal CDs, all with bonus material.

Shoddy, 16 Oct 2008
The worst cover of a mainstream release I have seen in quite some time, the same old mono mixes & far too many hits missing (how about the UK #8 The Red Balloon, & the sublime Everybody Get Together) - the music on here is fantastic, the execution of this project is appalling and cynical in the extreme.
I would like to own a DC5 hits collection, but I'd rather just survive with my cd-r of 1993's out-of-print (and far superior) Glad All Over Again - the packaging of this effort means I might as well.
One almighty missed opportunity AGAIN

Thumpers , 14 Oct 2008
Dave Clark 5 recordings have been difficult to come by in the CD age, due presumably to Clark's control over their output. Indeed, a read through the extensive sleeve notes rather emphasises his influence almost to the point of propaganda. The sales figures are impressive and there's little doubt that the band were extremely popular during