Greatest Hits Vol. 1 June 1978 LP: Epic EPC 82754 Georg
Kajanus |
A
Glass Of Champagne |
* Sailor: new recorded version
(different lyrics) Songs 2, 6,
7, 8, 11, 13: produced by Georg Kajanus. |
Review by "All Music
Guide":
Drawn from the first four of five albums the band cut for Epic
during the mid- to late '70s, Greatest Hits is a dynamic
selection, highlighted by the two hits SAILOR scored during
1975-1976 but in no way dominated by them. Indeed, the signature
sound that the group perfected for "Glass of Champagne"
and "Girls Girls Girls" is swiftly revealed as just one
of several at its disposal. From smoky dockside cabaret
("One Drink Too Many") to nostalgically tear-drenched
music hall memories ("Josephine Baker"), SAILOR melded
catchy melody to vibrant production, then layered heavenly
harmonies over all, a trick comparable to either the Beach Boys
or 10cc - and at its most memorable, the ecologically prescient
"Traffic Jam" (from the group's debut), both at once.
Neither was there any slackening of quality as the band aged. The
two selections from its fourth album, the dramatically
surf-whipped "Romance" and the street-smart "Put
Your Mouth Where the Money Is," are as vibrant as any of
their predecessors - and that despite the band's fame and acclaim
being firmly in the past by that time. Indeed, the very release
of Greatest Hits appeared to place a full stop at the end of
SAILOR's U.K. career, although the group itself would remain a
force elsewhere in Europe until well into the 1980s. There has
never been a straight CD release of Greatest Hits. However,
1990's Girls Girls Girls - The Very Best of SAILOR serves up 13
of the original collection's 14 tracks, then adds three more. -
Dave Thompson
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