The Best of Kansas

Recorded between 1963 and 1967, two dozen of the Nitty Gritty Girl’s finest recordings for Congress and Columbia, many written by her mentor Lincoln Chase.
Includes Shirley’s unforgettable signature hits ‘The Nitty Gritty’, ‘The Name Game’, ‘The Clapping Song’ and ‘Soul Time’ (all in stereo), many other great singles, and highlights from her 'In Action' and 'Sugar, Let’s Shing-A-Ling: Soul Time With Shirley Ellis' albums.

Herman's Hermits were never taken seriously, not when they were having hits in the '60s and not in the decades since. This indifference makes Bear Family's decision to release a celebratory 50th Anniversary Anthology all the more surprising: not only is it a rare dip into the British Invasion for the American roots-besotted label, but the act seems too frivolous for their tastes. Sometimes, the double-disc The Best of Herman's Hermits: The 50th Anniversary Anthology does feel a little light, particularly on the earliest recordings when the group is mincing through "Mrs. Brown You've Got a Lovely Daughter," but the set – produced and compiled by Ron Furmanek, who presents all takes in true stereo for the first time (there are eight exceptions to this rule), and annotated by Andrew Sandoval – is smartly assembled, so it gains momentum as it proceeds headlong through its 66 tracks.

Memphis Minnie held her own in a genre famous for its casualties, and as a blues guitarist, few players in the 1920s could cut her, and that, coupled with Minnie's natural showmanship and a penchant for marrying her guitar duet partners (Casey Bill Weldon, Kansas Joe McCoy, Ernest Lawlars), makes her one of the most colorful figures in blues history. This set brings together key tracks that she recorded for Columbia Records between 1933 and 1937, but it's just a small part of this musician's prolific recording catalog (she also recorded for the Bluebird, OKeh, Vocalion, Regal, Checker, and JOB imprints during her four-decade career). The sound is good, though, which makes this a nice place to start.

Procol Harum is a band that is (these days anyway) rather obscure, but has had a definite influence on rock music, in general, and progressive rock, in particular. "Best Of" albums seldom are that, and whether or not this one is certainly falls under the area of debate. However, the album is a good introduction to the many sides of this complex and intriguing band. For those who only know of the group's two hits, "Whiter Shade of Pale" and "Conquistador," the disc provides both of them. However, for the more knowledgeable fans, it has a purpose, too. Fans of progressive rock will certainly find a lot of the material here of interest. Besides the aforementioned "Whiter Shade of Pale," which some consider the first progressive rock song, there are other showings of early prog here. "A Salty Dog" is certainly one of these. The song "Simple Sister" is both a solid rocker and, seemingly, a big influence on Chicago's "25 or 6 to 4." "Shine On Brightly" showcases the group's psychedelic tendencies and Beatles influences.