Hello V1.5

An integral part of the early 1980s thrash metal movement, New Jersey quartet Overkill were formed in 1980 by vocalist Bobby "Blitz" Ellsworth and guitarist Bobby Gustafson, and also included bassist D.D. Verni and drummer Rat Skates (later replaced by Sid Falck). The band garnered a reputation for brutal, pounding speed and technique, but lacked the musical diversity to compete with heavy hitters like Metallica; still, Overkill built up a strong following in the metal underground with albums like 1985's Taking Over and 1988's Under the Influence…

The Long Hello was an instrumental progressive album (+ bonus track with vocals) recorded in August 1973 by David Jackson, Hugh Banton, Guy Evans & Friends (including another ex-Van Der Graaf Generator - bassist Nic Potter and guitarist Ced Curtis - both at the time of the session were members of Rare Bird) soon after VDGG was disbanded. The music on that album was truly beautiful, well-arranged, quite relaxing and very melodic (with plenty of flute, sax and classical guitar) but also dark, twisted and most of the time very similar to the early VDGG style. This unjustly underrated record was originally signed by the band members, titled 'The Long Hello’ and released in 1974 on Italian United Artists label. 2 years later it was reissued in the UK (with different cover and with reversed sides) by the band ‘The Long Hello’ themselves as a limited edition of 5000 copies. This CD has been carefully remastered from original, analogue source.

Following the success of Piledriver, Status Quo opted not to change a thing, unfurling the mind-numbing boogie attack of Hello! The strategy worked, resulting in the group's first number one album and in "Caroline," its first top-five single. Mostly, the album succeeds in spite of itself. "Roll Over Lay Down," not immediately impressive, builds into a tizzy over the course of five minutes. It is one-upped by "Caroline," the definitive Status Quo rock song, a not particularly hard or fast four-on-the-floor stomp saved by a massive, deceptively simple guitar hook. "Forty-Five Hundred Times," less catchy but harder rocking, is brutally long, but is rescued by its placement as the album's closer.

Snapper's Hello Mary Lou spotlights Ricky Nelson's hits recorded in the '50s and '60s including "Travelin' Man," "Stood Up," "Poor Little Fool," and " Hello Mary Lou." While this set isn't bad for casual listeners, the better choice is Greatest Hits on Capitol, as it includes "Garden Party" and other favorites not included on this compilation.