Herman's Hermits - Retrospective (2004) PS3 ISO + DSD64 + Hi-Res FLAC

No less than 26 hybrid, SACD-remastered tracks from Peter Noone and crew you're into something very good! "I'm into Something Good"; "Mrs. Brown, You've Got a Lovely Daughter"; "Can't You Hear My Heartbeat"; "No Milk Today"; "I'm Henry VIII, I Am"; "There's a Kind of Hush"; "A Must to Avoid"; "Silhouettes"; "Hold On"; "Just a Little Bit Better"; "Leaning on a Lamp Post"; "(What a) Wonderful World", and more. Every hit!

The 26 tracks on Retrospective show that it's not enough to just have hits, you have to have hits with the right songs. Herman's Hermits came to prominence during the early days of the British Invasion with a mix of odes to teenage love such as "Can't You Hear My Heartbeat," "Mrs. Brown, You've got a Lovely Daughter," and "I'm Into Something Good" and mildly rocked-up versions of ancient English music hall songs like George Formby's 1937 hit "Leaning on a Lamp Post" and the 1911 chart-topper "I'm Henry the VIII, I Am." By 1966, two years after lead singer Peter Noone and his band mates scored their first hit, they were pigeonholed as a novelty act and their records stopped charting. Which is too bad because their later songs like "No Milk Today," "East West," and "Don't Go Out Into the Rain" are delightful dollops of late 1960s British pop. Many of these later songs featured string arrangements by John Paul Jones and guitar parts by Jimmy Page, who were both studio musicians before they formed Led Zeppelin. Herman's Hermits were not among the most important bands from the British Invasion, but their best songs perfectly captured the giddy spirit of the times and are certainly worth revisiting.

Herman's Hermits are widely seen as a lightweight, novelty cousin to the Beatles, fronted by a lovably dorky moppet and musically negligible. Sure, they are lightweight at times, Peter Noone is a lovable moppet, and their popularity would never have been possible without the Beatles, but one listen to Retrospective proves that they were not lacking in the musical department. Setting aside "I'm Henry the VIII, I Am" (which proves everything the critics say about the band), the group, and producer Mickie Most, had a surefooted straight-ahead approach that let the songs' hooks sink in deeply. Noone's pleasant voice and the band's sympathetic but never boring backing always goes down easy, and when they get excited – like on "Hold On" or "A Must to Avoid" – they almost rock. Thanks to the generous outlay of tracks and the improved sound, Retrospective takes over as the definitive collection of the Hermits' work. It leaves off their final two singles recorded for RAK in 1970, but otherwise the 26 songs here include 23 that made the Top 40 in the U.K. or the U.S. Many of the tracks are among the best the British Invasion had to offer, including "A Must to Avoid," "I'm into Something Good," "There's a Kind of Hush," and "Listen People." It also shows the band's range with the lovely Baroque pop of "East West," the laid-back R&B of "(What A) Wonderful World," the folk-rock with strings of "Don't Go Out in the Rain," the British psychedelia of "Museum," and the Bee Gees-styled orchestrated pop of "Here Comes the Star." The band was really much more versatile then given credit for and not as lightweight, either, as melancholy tracks like "No Milk Today" and "My Sentimental Friend" prove. Another thing Retrospective makes clear is that, much like another underrated '60s group, they were able to maintain a high-quality output even as the hits were smaller and farther between; 1968's "Sunshine Girl," 1967's "I Can Take or Leave Your Loving," and 1968's "Something's Happening" are just as hooky and memorable as their early work, and may even be better songs as they are the work of a more mature and assured group. They just weren't able to make as big an impact due to the times they were released. If you have even a passing interest in the band you should pick this disc up; it will win you over and soon you will join the proud ranks of Hermit boosters.

Tracklist:

01. I'm Into Something Good
02. Can't You Hear My Heartbeat
03. Silhouettes
04. Mrs. Brown, You've Got A Lovely Daughter
05. Wonderful World
06. Hold On
07. Henry The VIII, I Am
08. Just A Little Bit Better
09. A Must To Avoid
10. Leaning On The Lamp Post
11. End Of The World
12. Listen People
13. There's A Kind Of Hush
14. East West
15. No Milk Today
16. It's Nice To Be Out In The Morning
17. This Door Swings Both Ways
18. Dandy
19. Sleepy Joe
20. Don't Go Out In The Rain, You're Going To Melt
21. Sunshine Girl
22. Museum
23. I Can Take Or Leave Your Loving
24. Something's Happening
25. My Sentimental Friend
26. Here Comes The Star

Analog to Digital Transfers: Ten Landi & Peter Mew at Abbey Road Studios.
Sound Restoration & Archive Coordinator: Steve Roscnthal at The Magic Shop.
Mastered by Bob Ludwig at Gateway Mastering.


Thanks to PS³SACD!
Uncompressed SACD ISO size > 2,66 GB
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