Merseybeats
The Very Best of the Merseybeats - Spectrum 1998
Tracks: 1. I Think Of You / 2. Don't Let It Happen To Us / 3. Wishin' And Hopin' / 4. I Love You Yes I Do / 5. I Stand Accused / 6. Last Night / 7. Long Tall Sally / 8. It Would Take A Long Long Time / 9. Milkman / 10. It's Love That Really Counts / 11. Fortune Teller / 12. Mister Moonlight / 13. Hello Young Lovers / 14. He Will Break Your Heart / 15. Really Mystified / 16. Good Good Lovin' / 17. Don't Turn Around / 18. See Me Back / 19. Jumping Jonah / 20. All My Life
Comments:
The Merseybeats were not among the most original bands to some out of the Liverpool area in the early 1960's. Their recorded output is also rather limited ( one album and less than a dozen singles ), but most of it actually very good and pleasant listening.
This well-compiled collection contains all their singles A's and B's, a couple of album tracks + a live-track. Most of their singles were nice pop-ballads of which some did pretty well in the charts in 1964. One their strongest recorded vocal performances is the single "I Love You, Yes I Do", which could easily be mistaken for a Beatles song from the "Please, Mr. Postman" era.
The group were supposedly also a fine live-band which the track "Long Tall Sally" seems to confirm. Like many other Liverpool bands they were not able to maintain their popularity and they disbanded in early 1966. The two lead-singers Tony Crane and Billy Kinsley reunited in the duo "The Merseys" and they recorded a string of uneven singles through 1966-68. Only the first, "Sorrow", lived up to their early fine moments.
This CD is really nice listening and their music does not sound out-dated like that of many of their contemporaries like "The Swinging Blue Jeans" or "The Dave Clark Five".
Besides the outstanding "I Love You, Yes I Do", songs like "Milkman", "Really Mystified", "Last Night", "See Me Back" and the Elvis Costello covered "I Stand Accused" stand out, but with a few exceptions this is an overall very consistent collection.
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