Focus - Focus At The Rainbow [Japan Ed. Live] (1973)

Year: October 1973 (CD Dec 16, 2006)
Label: Victor Records (Japan), VICP-63666
Style: Instrumental Rock, Symphonic Rock
Country: Amsterdam, Netherlands
Time: 42:33
Format: Flac Tracks 16/44,1 kHz
Size: 290 Mb

At the Rainbow (re-released as Live at the Rainbow) is the first live album from the Dutch rock band Focus, released in October 1973 on Imperial Records. The album was recorded at the Rainbow Theatre in London on 5 May 1973 by The Pye Mobile Unit, recording engineer Alan Perkins. A studio album was initially slated for release, but it was shelved due to disagreements within the band. (An album compiled from the tapes of these sessions was later released with the title Ship of Memories.) At the Rainbow was released instead.

(en.wikipedia.org/wiki/At_the_Rainbow)

The instrumental rockers of the early '70s never were any good at dulling down their musical expertise; and, indeed, it's only a matter of seconds into their first and only live release -- Live at the Rainbow -- until one realizes just how talented Focus were. Jan Akkerman, named "World's Best Guitarist" by Melody Maker in 1973 ahead of Eric Clapton and others, was amazingly on form in this performance. Thijs Van Leer, chief songwriter and performer in the band, showcased his talents on flute, vocals, and organ with unparalleled finesse. Bert Ruiter knocked out his basslines tight to Pierre Van Der Linden's drums, undoubtedly two of the finest players on their respective instruments. It would be so easy to go off on a tangent explaining the mastery that Focus had musically; suffice to say, however, the bands technical proficiency is rarely matched in the world of rock. Live at the Rainbow featured some of the band's best and most well known tracks: "Sylvia," "Hocus Pocus," "Focus II," and so on. Although much of the content sticks closely to its original studio form (12-minute tracks were regular on studio albums), with maybe an extra solo or two thrown in for good measure, a few songs host drastic changes. "Hocus Pocus," for example, is almost unrecognizable. This live version is multiple times faster than its studio counterpart -- those familiar with only the studio version are certainly in for a shock! Throughout the album the performance is simply astonishing. Live at the Rainbow is a fine purchase for any Focus fan, or, indeed, anyone looking for a band with a good degree of originality and musical ability.

(allmusic.com/album/focus-at-the-rainbow-mw0000455197)

01. Focus III (03:52)

02. Answers? Questions! Questions? Answers! (11:29)

03. Focus II (04:36)

04. Eruption (Excerpt): a. Orfeus / b. Answer / c. Orfeus / d. Answer / e. Pupill... (08:28)

05. Hocus Pocus (08:30)

06. Sylvia (02:47)

07. Hocus Pocus (Reprise) (02:47)

TurboBit            KatFile            FreeDlink

Various Artists - Masters Of Misery - Black Sabbath: An Earache Tribute [Japan Ed.] (1992)

Year: Dec 25, 1992 (CD Dec 25, 1992)
Label: Toy's Factory (Japan), TFCK-88607
Style: Industrial, Doom Metal, Heavy Metal
Country: UK, U.S., Norway
Time: 78:21
Format: Flac Tracks 16/44,1 kHz
Size: 428 Mb

Very few artists have as many tribute albums dedicated to them as Black Sabbath, the original heavy metal band. Four or five of these tributes came out around the mid '90s, and this is without a doubt the heaviest of the bunch. The songs are mostly taken from the Ozzy Osbourne years (the sole exception being 1983's "Zero the Hero"), but in many cases it would take a good ear to recognize these songs when compared to the originals. Godflesh makes "Zero the Hero" into a grinding blast of industrial metal; Fudge Tunnel turns "Changes" (originally Ozzy Osbourne's piano ballad) into a faceless doom metal track, while Ultraviolence takes a daring dive into techno territory with its energetic cover of "Paranoid." Many of the bands just turn the songs into death metal, which sometimes works (O.L.D.'s "Who Are You?") but mostly doesn't. A few of the tracks are faithful to the originals, but Cathedral and Confessor don't really add anything to these songs except for different singing styles. Still, these are really good songs to begin with, so the results of this album are at least very interesting. Hardcore Sabbath fans probably won't like this album, but fans of underground metal will probably enjoy this musical experiment.

(allmusic.com/album/masters-of-misery-black-sabbath-the-earache-tribute-mw0000240851)

01. Shock Wave (Cathedral) (04:46)

02. Snowblind (Sleep) (05:56)

03. Zero The Hero (Godflesh) (06:21)

04. Hole In The Sky (Confessor) (03:26)

05. Changes (Fudge Tunnel) (07:29)

06. Who Are You? (OLD) (08:48)

07. Lord Of This World (Brutal Truth) (05:04)

08. N.I.B. (Pitch Shifter) (04:43)

09. The Wizard (Scorn) (11:46)

10. Sweet Leaf (Cadaver) (05:05)

11. Solitude (Cathedral) (04:52)

TurboBit       KatFile       FreeDlink

Annie Lennox - Cold, Colder, Coldest [3CD Singles, Box Set] (1992)

Year: 19 October 1992 (CD 1992)
Label: BMG / RCA Records (Europe), 74321116902
Style: Pop
Country: Aberdeen, Scotland (25 December 1954)
Time: 18:17, 17:31, 14:30
Format: Flac Tracks 16/44,1 kHz
Size: 314 Mb

"Cold" is a song by Scottish singer-songwriter Annie Lennox. It was released as the fourth single from her first solo album, Diva (1992), and reached no. 26 in the UK. The single was released as a series of three separate CD singles, titled Cold, Colder and Coldest. Each CD featured the track "Cold" as well as a collection of live tracks. It was the first single to chart in the UK Top 40 without being released on vinyl.

Stephanie Zacharek from Entertainment Weekly called the song "comfortable", "with the gospel and blues touches on". A reviewer from Kingston Informer said it is "brilliant". Robbert Tilli from Music & Media described it as "nicely waltzing". Music Week named it Pick of the Week, declaring it as a "torchy and simple ballad, offering further evidence of the quality of Annie's album Diva." In an retrospective review, Pop Rescue noted that it "feels like a slow late night jazz club number", adding that Lennox' vocals "are soft but rich here and it really shows her off perfectly." The reviewer also felt that "at times, its downbeat sound feels a little reminiscent" of lead single "Why".

(en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cold_(Annie_Lennox_song))

Cold:

01. Cold (A. Lennox) (04:25)

02. Why (MTV Unplugged. A. Lennox) (05:08)

03. The Gift (MTV Unplugged) (04:41)

04. Walking On Broken Glass (MTV Unplugged. Lennox / Stewart) (04:02)

Colder:

01. Cold (A. Lennox) (04:25)

02. It's Alright Baby's Coming Back (Lenox / Stewart) (04:15)

03. Here Comes The Rain Again (Lenox / Stewart) (04:31)

04. You Have Placed A Chill In My Heart (Lenox / Stewart) (04:19)

Coldest:

01. Cold (A. Lennox) (04:25)

02. River Deep Mountain High (Spector, Greenwich & Barry) (03:41)

03. Feel The Need (A. Tilmon) (02:56)

04. Don't Let Me Down (Lennon / McCartney) (03:26)

TurboBit            KatFile            FreeDlink

Rolling Stones - Flashpoint [Live] (1991)

Year: 8 April 1991 (CD 2009)
Label: Rolling Stones Records (Germany), 0602527164281
Style: Pop Rock, Rock
Country: London, England
Time: 76:44
Format: Flac Tracks 16/44,1 kHz
Size: 560 Mb

Ferociously live, Flashpoint thunders against the cynical Zeitgeist of which Ellis’s monster is but the darkest example. Now, with concerts packaged as lip-syncing stunts and MTV pantomimes, it’s startling to hear rock & roll so craftily passionate – and from players whose ages hover near fifty and who come trailing chains of history, myth and cash.

Chronicling the Steel Wheels/Urban Jungle World Tour – one of the most lucrative tours in rock history – the Stones‘ fifth live set finds them both faithful and fresh. From the house-quake riffs of “Start Me Up” to a joyous “Brown Sugar,” the record is a textbook of rock & roll guitar. Relentlessly symbiotic, Keith Richards and Ronnie Wood trade blues, R&B and Chuck Berry motifs with ageless conviction; not only is the solo work deft (slashing on “You Can’t Always Get What You Want,” dangerous on “Miss You”), but Richards’s mastery of end-the-verse filigrees and fretboard commentary matches the soaring brio of any great bluesman. Even guest ace Eric Clapton, on “Little Red Rooster,” rouses himself from his usual tastefulness to blast the fierce pyrotechnics of old.

As for the vocals, Mick Jagger astonishingly plays it straighter than he has in years. A hint of trademark campiness colors a lovely “Ruby Tuesday,” but mainly he’s singing like he means it. Alternating the suave huskiness of a jaded dandy with gleeful monkey-man yelps on “Miss You,” he brandishes the wit that has made him one of rock’s ablest and most dramatic performers; on Flashpoint’s nicest surprise, a tough take on “Factory Girl,” the working-class valentine from Beggars Banquet, he musters true affection for the song’s hard-bitten heroine.

Full version: (rollingstone.com/music/music-album-reviews/flashpoint-251911/) Review by Paul Evans. April 8, 1991

01. (Intro) Continental Drift (00:28)

02. Start Me Up (03:53)

03. Sad Sad Sad (03:32)

04. Miss You (05:54)

05. Rock And A Hard Place (04:50)

06. Ruby Tuesday (03:33)

07. You Can't Always Get What You Want (07:25)

08. Factory Girl (02:47)

09. Can't Be Seen (04:16)

10. Little Red Rooster (05:15)

11. Paint It Black (04:01)

12. Sympathy For The Devil (05:34)

13. Brown Sugar (04:09)

14. Jumping Jack Flash (04:59)

15. Satisfaction (06:08)

16. Highwire (04:45)

17. Sex Drive (05:05)

TurboBit            KatFile

The Jimi Hendrix Experience - Axis Bold As Love (1967)

Year: December 1, 1967 (CD 1987)
Label: Reprise Records (US), 6281-2
Style: Blues Rock, Psychedelic Rock
Country: Seattle, Washington, U.S. (November 27, 1942 - September 18, 1970)
Time: 39:28
Format: Flac Tracks 16/44,1 kHz
Size: 252 Mb

Jimi Hendrix sounds like a junk heap (Ben Calder crushed monolithic mobiles bulldozed), very heavy and metallic loud. Rock’s first burlesque dancer, superman in drag, his music is schizophrenic. Axis: Bold as Love is the refinement of white noise into psychedelia, and (like Cream) it is not a timid happening; in the vortex of this apocalyptic transcendence stands Hendrix, beating off on his guitar and defiantly proclaiming “if the mountains fell in the sea, let it be, it ain’t me.” Such cocky pop philosophy shall not go unrewarded.

“EXP” is Hendrix’s white tornado advertisement aperitif (come-on), “my God Martha, it’s a white tornado”: “There ain’t no life nowhere.” The science fiction continues (Mose Allison) in “Up from the Skies,” while “Spanish Castle Magic” transforms the Clovers; in fact, much of Axis demonstrates that Hendrix stands in relation to rhythm and blues of the fifties as the Who stand in relation to mainstream rock of the fifties - “two useful transplants, indeed. “Ain’t No Telling” is all Mitch Mitchell, who is by now definitely one of rock’s most frantic drummers (from Moon to Baker). “If 6 Was 9” cracks foundations with banalized hippie lore (“wave my freak flag high”), while “She’s So Fine” positively destroys walls. If “One Rainy Wish” repairs everything (like “May This Be Love”), pomp and circumstance ushers out “Bold as Love” - “we all know that she by now has to be experienced.

Jimi Hendrix may be the Charlie Mingus of Rock, especially considering his fondness for reciting what might loosely be called poetry. But his songs too often are basically a bore, and the Experience also shares with Cream the problem of vocal ability. Fortunately both groups’ instrumental excellence generally saves the day, and Hendrix on Axis demonstrates conclusively that he is one of rock’s greatest guitar players in his mastery and exploration of every conceivable gimmick. Uneven in quality as it is, Axis nevertheless is the finest Voodoo album that any rock group has produced to date.

(rollingstone.com/music/music-album-reviews/axis-bold-as-love-252178/) Review by Jim Miller. April 6, 1968

01. EXP (01:54)

02. Up From The Skies (02:56)

03. Spanish Castle Magic (03:04)

04. Wait Until Tomorrow (03:01)

05. Ain't No Telling (01:50)

06. Little Wing (02:28)

07. If 6 Was 9 (05:34)

08. You Got Me Floatin' (02:51)

09. Castles Made Of Sand (02:47)

10. She's So Fine (02:41)

11. One Rainy Wish (03:44)

12. Little Miss Lover (02:23)

13. Bold As Love (04:10)

TurboBit            KatFile

Colosseum - Live '71 [2CD] (1971)

Year: 1971 (CD July 2020)
Label: Repertoire Records (UK), Repuk 1396
Style: Progressive Rock, Jazz Rock
Country: England
Time: 74:14, 73:34
Format: Flac Tracks 16/44,1 kHz
Size: 522, 464 Mb

“The first thing that strikes you about this new 2CD live album from Colosseum, professionally recorded across several shows in early 1971, is how sensational it sounds. Vibrant, clear, sparkling, dynamic and alive. Mixing/mastering engineer Eroc (one Joachim Ehrig, a pro recording artist in bands and solo, as Eroc, from the 70s to the 90s, now a mastering maestro) has done an astounding job!”

It’s a blistering performance, too. For those who don’t know much about Colosseum, their sound is - to my mind - part of a peculiarly British sort of jazz/rock blend, involving the likes of brass, Hammond and vibraphones, that thrived briefly for roughly a year either side of 1970. It’s a sound world that had its origins in the Graham Bond Organisation of the middle 60s - in which Colosseum mainstays Jon Hiseman (drums) and Dick Heckstall-Smith (saxes) both played - was influenced by the absurdist songwriting of Pete Brown with Jack Bruce in Cream, and that was developed by Jack Bruce’s ‘Songs for a Tailor’ (1969) album arrangements (again, featuring both Hiseman and DHS) and his 1971 touring band (which reunited him with Bond), by the Keef Hartley Band (a briefly flourishing drummer-led band with horn section), by Neil Ardley’s New Jazz Orchestra (which collaborated with Colosseum on some live shows), by the first two albums by jazz/rock arranger Michael Gibbs (1970-71) and his live band, and by one or two other acts of that brief period. It wasn’t ‘jazz-rock’ as represented by the likes of Nucleus in Britain or the Mahavishnu Orchestra in the US; rather, it was a kind of progressive rock music with jazz players and influences involved and, in Hartley and Colosseum’s cases, based more around songs than instrumentals.

(classicrockreview.wordpress.com/2021/12/05/colloseum-live-1971/)

01. Tanglewood '63 (13:08)

02. Rope Ladder To The Moon (08:39)

03. Walking In The Park (08:13)

04. Skellington (13:21)

05. The Machine Demands A Sacrifice (14:59)

06. Lost Angeles (15:52)

01. Rope Ladder To The Moon (11:14)

02. Skellington (14:17)

03. I Can't Live Without You-The Time Machine-The Machine Demands A Sacrifice (21:37)

04. The Valentyne Suite (21:13)

05. Stormy Monday Blues (05:11)

CD1:     TurboBit         KatFile

CD2:     TurboBit         KatFile

Dio - Strange Highways (1993)

Year: October 25, 1993 (CD 1993)
Label: Vertigo Records (Europe), 518486-2
Style: Heavy Metal, Hard Rock
Country: Portsmouth, U.S. (July 10, 1942 - May 16, 2010)
Time: 53:44
Format: Flac Tracks 16/44,1 kHz
Size: 368 Mb

From the moment the first guitar screamed through the speakers I new I was in for an aural onslaught of listening pleasure. It was clear that DIO has stepped up the big league in terms of production quality. A winner in every sense of the word and body.

Jesus..... The first track is brilliant, from the lyrics questioning Christianity, the structure of the song and the mood it generates. It blew me away when the guitar impersonated a saw cutting down the cross. The imagery created is first class.

The title track “Strange Highways” again takes you to the place Ronnie is writing about and the music is the sound track to the movie Ronnie is verbalising. It was at this point I started to think that this is close to the best album I have ever heard. “Strange Highways” gives us a glimpse into the madness that insecurities generated by adult figures can cause,. “I am good for nothing, So they say”. as well as the pressure of structured religion. Man I could really relate to this song.

Firehead and Hollywood Black have the hole band kicking arse. Hard and Heavy. I have never been a big fan of Vinnie Appice (Drums) but he really comes of age. There is not the obvious mistakes that can be found on Mob Rules and Holy Diver. The guitars throughout this album bring the songs to life. I love it. There is so much energy, aggression and thoughtfulness that has gone into not only the guitar planning the songs and production in total. This album comes alive and can really take a hold of you, in more ways than one if you are not careful.

“Give Her A Gun”, spews social justice and you find yourself imagining shooting the bastards yourself. It was so relevant especially with the gang rapes we have been experiencing here in Australia inflicted upon white Australians by the Muslim community.

The best track on the album to me though is “PAIN” I cannot remember the last time that a song meant so much to me before or since. A huge wall of sound intruduces the song, and like every other track on this album the guitars and bass pound your brain. I am beginning to believe that this album is the soundtrack to my life. It is dark! It is evil and it will get inside your head.

Not for the faint hearted.

There is more depth in this album than his previous outings and I hope he continues on in this direction.

(https://www.metal-archives.com/reviews/Dio/Strange_Highways/1323/) Review by DRAXSEN. December 8th, 2005

01. Jesus Mary & The Holy Ghost (04:14)

02. Firehead (04:07)

03. Strange Highways (06:54)

04. Hollywood Black (05:09)

05. Evilution (05:37)

06. Pain (04:13)

07. One Foot In The Grave (04:02)

08. Give Her The Gun (06:00)

09. Blood From A Stone (04:14)

10. Here's To You (03:24)

11. Bring Down The Rain (05:45)

TurboBit             KatFile            FreeDlink

Comus - Song To Comus (First Utterance & To Keep From Crying) [2CD] (1971 & 1974)

Year: 1971 / 1974 (CD ????)
Label: Castle Music (UK), CMEDD 1121
Style: Progressive Folk, Folk Rock, Psychedelic Folk
Country: London, England
Time: 71:50, 47:53
Format: Flac Tracks 16/44,1 kHz
Size: 448, 291 Mb

First Utterance: First Utterance was notable for its unique blend of progressive rock, folk, psychedelia, and elements of paganism and the macabre. The overall thematic tone of the album is of vulnerable innocence facing abusive power, with songs dealing with such themes as necrophilia ("Drip Drip"), rape ("Diana", "Song to Comus") and shock therapy ("The Prisoner"). These themes contrast starkly with the acoustic sound of the record, featuring acoustic guitar, violin, flute, and lyrical, almost Arcadian, female harmonies.
References to Comus by other bands and artists include Opeth, citing its lyrics in album and song titles and tattoos. Experimental outfit Current 93 also covered "Diana" as the opening song on their 1997 LP Horsey.
The cover artwork was drawn in ball point pen by Roger Wootton, lead singer and songwriter of the band. The centerfold artwork was painted by guitarist Glenn Goring.
(en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_Utterance)

To Keep from Crying: To Keep from Crying is the second album by progressive folk band Comus, released in 1974. It featured a notably different lineup from their other releases, with the violin/viola and woodwind spots replaced by keyboards and a conventional drum kit. The album's content has also been noted as sounding more mainstream than their earlier work, which centred more in conventional progressive rock and folk.
Allmusic's retrospective review praised the vocal arrangements and male/female harmonies of songs such as "Figure in Your Dreams" and "Perpetual Motion", and were even more endeared to "dark folk songs" such as "Touch Down", with its "ghostly children's chorus" and "cosmic synth tones". However, they criticized the Japanese issue of the album for editing "Waves and Caves" and "After the Dream" down to well under a minute each and concluded "The record is pretty good, but it has the misfortune of paling in the shadow of its nightmarish predecessor."
(en.wikipedia.org/wiki/To_Keep_from_Crying)

First Utterance (1971):
01. Diana (04:35)
02. The Herald (12:10)
03. Drip Drip (10:51)
04. Song To Comus (07:29)
05. The Bite (05:29)
06. Bitten (02:18)
07. The Prisoner (06:17)
08. Diana (04:24)
09. In The Lost Queen's Eyes (02:50)
10. Winter Is A Coloured Bird (08:01)
11. All The Colours Of Darkness (07:21)

To Keep From Crying (1974):
01. Down (Like A Moviestar) (04:06)
02. Tough Down (04:45)
03. Waves And Caves (01:33)
04. Figure In Your Dreams (03:10)
05. Children Of The Universe (05:38)
06. So Long Supernova (03:21)
07. Perpetual Motion (04:07)
08. Panophany (00:30)
09. Get Yourself A Man (07:08)
10. To Keep From Crying (05:39)
11. After The Dream (01:00)
12. Fiesta Fandango (03:50)
13. New Tide (02:59)

Comus - First Utterance (1971):              TurboBit            KatFile

Comus - To Keep From Crying (1974):     TurboBit            KatFile

Delaney & Bonnie & Friends - Motel Shot [Japan Ed.] (1971)

Year: March 1971 (CD Jun 25, 1998)
Label: Atco Records (Japan), AMCY-2765
Style: Blues, Gospel, Funk
Country: U.S.
Time: 45:52
Format: Flac Tracks 16/44,1 kHz
Size: 276 Mb

The magic of the late-night jam session is one of those rock & roll legends that, much like Bigfoot, doesn't have a lot of concrete evidence to support it. But Delaney & Bonnie believed in it strongly enough to try to put one on tape. Released in 1971, Motel Shot was intended to document the sound and vibe of the after-show jams that Mr. and Mrs. Bramlett often took part in while on the road. After an attempt to record one such jam in the living room of recording engineer Bruce Botnick, Delaney & Bonnie and their friends ended up doing it over again in a recording studio. But if Motel Shot doesn't seem as spontaneous as the principals wanted it to be, it does have a loose, playful feel that's honestly winning. The performances are almost entirely acoustic, and the set is dominated by traditional blues, gospel, and country standards that this crew could ease into comfortably and bend to their moods. Given that Delaney & Bonnie's friends for these sessions included Duane Allman, Leon Russell, John Hartford, Dave Mason, Gram Parsons, and Joe Cocker, it's no great surprise that this material is significantly more accomplished that most folks' musical goofing around, even if Jim Keltner is just slapping an empty box instead of playing a drum kit. And Delaney & Bonnie are both in fine voice on Motel Shot, passionate but very much in the moment, while the gospel jam of "Takin' About Jesus" features some powerful vocal interplay between Bonnie and Cocker. You can't plan a moment of spontaneous brilliance, but Delaney & Bonnie were just smart enough to know their muse didn't like to be forced, and Motel Shot is an admirable compromise between a 2 a.m. guitar pull and an acoustic studio session, and it was also their last truly effective album.

(allmusic.com/album/motel-shot-mw0000738488)

01. Where the Soul Never Dies (03:24)

02. Will the Circle be Unbroken (02:42)

03. Rock of Ages (02:17)

04. Long Road Ahead (03:25)

05. Faded Love (04:03)

06. Talkin' About Jesus (06:51)

07. Come on in My Kitchen (02:41)

08. Don't Decieve Me (Please Don't Go) (03:54)

09. Never Ending Song Of Love (03:20)

10. Sing My Way Home (04:02)

11. Going Down the Road Feeling Bad (05:12)

12. Lonesome and a Long Way From Home (03:55)

TurboBit            KatFile

Three Dog Night - The Complete Hit Singles (2004)

Year: May 25, 2004 (CD 2004)
Label: UTV Records (U.S.), B0001779-02
Style: Rock, Hard Rock
Country: Los Angeles, California, U.S
Time: 74:30
Format: Flac Tracks 16/44,1 kHz
Size: 421 Mb

Charts: U.S. #178.

The Complete Hit Singles is a compilation album by Three Dog Night. It was released on May 25, 2004 by Geffen Records.

While eight of these titles landed on the Billboard Adult contemporary chart when originally released, all twenty-one hit the Hot 100. Peaking at No. 1 on the Hot 100 were "Joy to the World," "Mama Told Me (Not to Come)" and "Black and White." On the Adult contemporary charts, the No. 1s were "Black & White" and "An Old Fashioned Love Song." To date this is the only compilation to contain all of the band's top 40 hits. There were eleven top 10s, seven of them reaching gold status.[3] Three Dog Night disbanded in 1977.

(en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Complete_Hit_Singles)

Three Dog Night ran off a string of 21 Top 40 hits between 1968 and 1975, including three number ones: "Joy to the World," "Mama Told Me (Not to Come)," and "Black & White." Despite this, they are often written off as a lightweight band who couldn't write their own songs. Granted they were laid-back and very easygoing, but they had some heft. The vocals of Chuck Negron, Danny Hutton, and Cory Wells were surprisingly soulful and the band that backed them was solid, and even rocked pretty hard on occasion. They didn't write songs -- it is true -- but their genius was picking songs. Along with producer Richard Podolor, the group found songs by writers like Randy Newman, Harry Nilsson, Laura Nyro, Hoyt Axton, Paul Williams, and John Hiatt and turned them into hits. So the group had laudable credentials, but more importantly, the songs collected here play like the soundtrack to the '70s. If you were just a casual fan, listening to Complete Hit Singles provides moment after moment of "I didn't remember these guys did that song!" exclamations. The hits just keep coming one after the other: "Joy to the World," "Celebrate," "Shambala," "Liar," "An Old Fashioned Love Song," and "Let Me Serenade You." Never sappy, never overbearing, always settled into a low-key, hooky groove, these songs are about as good as early-'70s pop gets. Another impressive thing about Three Dog Night is that they never showed any signs of slowing down. 1974's "Play Something Sweet (Brickyard Blues)" is just as good as "Eli's Coming" from 1969. The only thing that stopped them was the inevitable bout of creative differences that split the band up in 1976. This collection basically supplants the excellent Best of Three Dog Night from 1983. It boasts improved sound and one more song, their last Top 40 hit, "Til the World Ends," from 1975.

(allmusic.com/album/mw0000460244?1667741525852)

01. One (03:03)

02. Try a Little Tenderness (04:24)

03. Easy to Be Hard (03:13)

04. Eli's Coming (02:46)

05. Celebrate (03:01)

06. Mama Told Me (Not to Come) (03:19)

07. Out in the Country (03:08)

08. One Man Band (02:52)

09. Joy to the World (03:15)

10. Liar (03:18)

11. An Old-Fashioned Love Song (03:46)

12. Never Been to Spain (03:44)

13. The Family of Man (03:25)

14. Black & White (03:24)

15. Pieces of April (04:12)

16. Shambala (03:25)

17. Let Me Serenade You (03:15)

18. The Show Must Go On (03:44)

19. Sure As I'm Sittin' Here (04:47)

20. Play Something Sweet (Brickyard Blues) (04:49)

21. Til the World Ends (03:31)

TurboBit       KatFile