(2021) Hello - Complete Singles Collection [FLAC]
Review:
Hello were one of the more exciting bands of the mid-’70s glam explosion in the U.K., cutting some effervescent, almost giddy slabs of wax bolstered by thundering drums, heavy guitars, huge hooks, and boyish vocals. Not too many were hits, but a quick run through this collection of singles and their flip sides makes it clear that many more should have been. Starting in 1972 with the boogie glam of “You Move Me” and ending with a solo single from their drummer Jeff Allen from 1982, the collection covers a decade’s worth of worthy attempts to scale the charts as tastes and sounds shifted around them. 1974’s rocked-out cover of the Exciters’ “Tell Him” was their biggest hit, reaching number 6 on the U.K. singles chart. 1975’s “New York Groove” was their other biggie; it didn’t make it as far, but it has had a much longer shelf life and still sounds fresh decades later. Much of this collection does. The band were always game for anything, and their enthusiasm surges through the speakers whether they were tackling more oldies like their romp though “Bend Me Shape Me,” doling out whip-smart proto-metal on “Another School Day,” showing off some impressive soft rock chops on “Shine on Silver Light,” dipping a sequined toe into the disco craze with 1979’s “Feel This Thing,” or even surfing the new wave under the name Local Boy Makes Good with 1981’s “Horoscope.” Along the way, there are some really fun hidden gems uncovered — the romping “Out of Our Heads” is a frothy Small Faces-meets-Sweet rocker, “Seven Rainy Nights” is sterling AM radio pop worthy of Neil Diamond, and 1978’s hard-rocking “Too Much Hesitating” could have been a hit in some alternate universe — and there’s never a moment where the band sound anything less than fun. Their discography has been served up in various manners, and this collection is the best way to chart their eventful trip through the musical landscape of the day.
Tracklist:
DISC ONE
1. YOU MOVE ME
2. ASK YOUR MAMA
3. C’MON
4. THE WENCH
5. ANOTHER SCHOOL DAY
6. C’MON GET TOGETHER
7. TELL HIM
8. LIGHTNING
9. GAMES UP
10. DO IT ALL NIGHT
11. BEND ME SHAPE ME
12. WE GOTTA GO
13. NEW YORK GROOVE
14. LITTLE MISS MYSTERY
15. STAR STUDDED SHAM
16. JENNY DREAM
17. TEENAGE REVOLUTION
18. KEEP US OFF THE STREETS
19. LOVE STEALER
20. OUT OF OUR HEADS
DISC TWO
1. SEVEN RAINY DAYS
2. REBEL
3. LET IT ROCK
4. ANOTHER SCHOOL DAY (LP MIX)
5. SHINE ON SILVER LIGHT
6. GOTTA LOTTA SOUL
7. GOOD OLD USA
8. MIDNIGHT STRANGERS
9. HEART GET READY FOR LOVE
10. VOODOO EYES
11. SLOW MOTION
12. THE IN PLACE
13. HI HO SILVER LINING
14. TOO MUCH HESITATING
15. FEEL THIS THING
16. BACK SEAT TALKING
17. FEEL THIS THING (12” EXTENDED VERSION)
18. HOROSCOPE
19. HYPNOTIC RHYTHM
20. GOOD TIMES
Media Report:
Genre: rock
Format: FLAC
Format/Info: Free Lossless Audio Codec, 16-bit PCM
Bit rate mode: Variable
Channel(s): 2 channels
Sampling rate: 44.1 KHz
Bit depth: 16 bits