The Very Best Of Johnny Rivers

Johnny Rivers

Capitol, 1990

http://johnnyrivers.com

REVIEW BY: David Bowling

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED: 07/10/2018

Johnny Rivers rose to fame as the house band/artist at the Whiskey-A-Go-Go Club in Los Angeles during the mid-1960s. During the next 15 years he would sell 30 million records, place nearly two dozen songs on the Billboard Top 100, and establish his own record label.my_heart_sings_the_harmony_web_ad_alt_250

Rivers' albums were better than the norm for his era, but it was his single releases that set him apart. His ballads and up-tempo pop songs were perfect confections for AM radio play. His songs have been re-released in a number of forms but the best introduction to his music is the 1990 release The Best Of Johnny Rivers. It gathers together most of his hit singles to create a picture of mid-1960s-to-early-1970s pop music.

Rivers may not have changed the course of American music, but he made it a lot more enjoyable.His early releases were mostly covers. Chuck Berry's "Memphis" and "Maybelline" are re-imagined as pop tunes with a thumping bass section. Harold Dorman's 1960 hit "Mountain Of Love" follows the same formula. It was his own songs, however, that solidified his career. "Secret Agent Man" from the TV series and "Seventh Son" are perfect lightweight ’60s radio fare.

Despite the energy of his up-tempo material, it was his ballads that were his most popular songs. "Baby I Need Your Lovin'," "Summer Rain," "The Tracks Of My Tears," and the number one "Poor Side Of Town" remain good listens a half-century after their release.The final two hits of Rivers’ career were rockers. Covers of Huey Smith’s "Rockin' Pneumonia And The Boogie Woogie Flu" and Carl Perkins’ "Blue Suede Shoes" brought some life to these often-covered classics.

Johnny Rivers has been playing the oldies circuit for years and is mostly remembered by the generation that matured in the 1960s and 1970s. His music remains his lasting legacy and when the best of his recordings are gathered together, it’s a memorable listening experience.

Rating: B+

User Rating: Not Yet Rated


Comments

 








© 2018 David Bowling and The Daily Vault. All rights reserved. Review or any portion may not be reproduced without written permission. Cover art is the intellectual property of Capitol, and is used for informational purposes only.