GRAND SLAM: THE BEST OF BABE RUTH

I usually don't like compilations (with the exception of box sets) but, since this is the only Babe Ruth album I ever found on CD in Brazil (and this is an import), I don't have any other option to review (having listened to their original LPs many years ago, I cannot write good reviews of them!). Babe Ruth was a great rock band, with great musicians (WARNING: Bernie Marsden and Ellie Hope did not play at these selections) and a powerful lead singer (Janita "Jenny" Haan, usually credited as "vocal power"); they have some progressive elements in their sound, but not a fully developed prog band. This album serves as a good introduction to Babe Ruth's first phase, when Alan Shacklock served as their leader and musical mentor. His fascination with Western movies and Tex-Mex music can be found in some songs in this album, as the covers of "For a Few Dollars More" and "Fistful of Dollars" shows. From a prog point of view, the suite "Amar Caballero" is probably the most interesting track, but there's a plenty of great music here: "Wells Fargo", "Joker", "Black Dog" (NOT the Led Zeppelin song, by the way). Babe Ruth was a very interesting band, but probably only open minded prog rockers will like their work. So, at ProgArchives this album is rated as a three-star; I would give another star if this site was called RockArchives!