It's Wonderful

The Rascals

New Sound, 2024

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Rascals

REVIEW BY: David Bowling

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED: 07/29/2024

During the early 1960s, the Peppermint Lounge in New York City was a mecca for the twist craze. The house band was Joey Dee & The Starliters, which included Felix Cavaliere, Gene Cornish, and Eddie Brigati, who along with drummer Dino Danelli, would be inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in 1997 as the (Young) Rascals.

The Rascals were a leading proponent of the blue-eyed soul movement, which combined rock and pop rhythms with soulful vocals. Number one hits such as “Good Lovin,” “Groovin’” and “People Got To Be Free” made them one of the more popular American bands during the second half of the 1960s.

It’s Wonderful is a massive retrospective of most of their career. It contains all seven of their studio albums recorded for the Atlantic label in chronological order, plus alternative tracks and unreleased material. The 152 tracks contain everything you could ever want to hear by the band. The only thing missing is their two late-career Columbia label releases.

Their first self-titled release contained “Good Lovin’” and “I Ain’t Gonna Eat Out My Heart Anymore,” which are required listening for anyone interested in Sixties music. Thmy_heart_sings_the_harmony_web_ad_alt_250 e Rascals also recorded credible versions of soul classics “In The Midnight Hour” and “Mustang Sally,” but their versions of “Slow Down” and Bob Dylan’s “Like A Rolling Store” are a stretch.

Their second album, Collections, was their most consistent. Cavaliere and Brigati began writing their own material, and “Lonely Too Long,” “Come On Up,” and “What Is The Reason,” remain strong tracks. Two more soul covers are well done: “Too Many Fish In The Sea” and “Mickey’s Monkey.”

Groovin’ was the band’s most successful album. The title track, “How Can I Be Sure, “A Girl Like You,” and “You Better Run” were all successful single releases. The album, as a whole, signaled a shift in their sound, as it had psychedelic elements and was reflective of the era.

Once Upon A Dream was very experimental with an array of outside musicians. The hit single “It’s Wonderful” was added to the album just before its release and is a little out of place in all the experimentation. It remains an interesting, if not popular release. King Curtis and Herbert Laws added different textures to their music.

“People Got To Be Free” was the Rascals’ last hit and signaled the end of their commercial appeal. It was added to the double album Freedom Suite and was a beacon of light in an overall jumbled mess. “A Ray Of Hope” and “Heaven” were political songs emblematic of the times. It was an album of a few good tunes and a lot of poorly thought-out material.

See was average at best and marked Eddie Brigati’s exit from the band. The title song and “Carry Me Back” are worth seeking out as the Rascals returned to a more simpler sound.

Search And Nearness marked the end of their Atlantic run of albums. “Glory Glory” with the Sweet Inspirations was a breath of fresh air, but except for two jazz-oriented albums for the Columbia label, they would be regulated to the oldies circuit, where they are still performing.

 It’s Wonderful is probably too overwhelming for most music fans. There are a number of greatest hits releases that present the best of The Rascals’ music. However, if you want to really plumb the depths of one of the great American bands, then this is a release worth exploring.

Rating: B+

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