GREATEST HITS

I listened to this album in the CD format several years ago. I even have it recorded in one cassette. I have to say that I`m not a Fan of this kind of music, but this band had very good quality as musicians, and the songs also have good quality too.This band had some hits which even in these days are played in Oldies Music FM radio stations in my city, particularly "Spinning Wheel", my favourite from them, and "You`ve Made Me So Very Happy", which is also a good song. Their music is similar in some ways to CHICAGO`s music, but I think that BLOOD, SWEAT AND TEARS was a better band than CHICAGO, less commercial, and with more influences from Jazz music. The arrangements are very good, but I can find some differences between the songs recorded with Al Kooper as singer and the songs recorded with David Clayton-Thomas as singer. With Clayton the band became more Jazz influenced, I think.

Being a "Greatest Hits" album relased in 1972 I think that it was a premature compilation, but this band then still had some original members. Years later the band`s name became like a franchise for other musicians who were not in the original line-up. I think that drummer Bobby Colomby is the owner of the name which he licenses to new musicians to work as BLOOD, SWEAT AND TEARS . Last year a TV channel here broadcasted a concert played by this band in the same year in a city in the north of my country. My opinion is that the musicians who use the name of the band in the present are still very good and they work very well to keep the name of the band in respect from their fans.

In conclusion, this compilation is very good for the people who never have listened to this band and wants to know it.

My first encounter with the music of BLOOD, SWEAT & TEARS. And so far the only one - but this is saying more about my lazyiness than about my taste. I like this one. It's not the music to die for, but it's certainly pleasant. If you don't mind overall easy listening attitude and you're inclining towards jazz-rock, this might be for you.

Songs are warying from "not bad" to "great". They get a tad boring at the moments - some predictable r'n'b/soul/blues moments here and there, but most of the time it's just fine. At it's very best, this compilation contains some really cunning arrangemets, complex chords progressions, unusual solutions - but it's all brilliantly packed in the pop package. Another band that was able to blend two oppisite sides of music is QUEEN, and in fact I can imagine Freddie & Co. singing and playing some of the BS&T songs, such is "I Can't Quit Her". Withot the brass section of course. This is testifying the band's quality. But don't take this comparison too literaly because it might be misleading, two bands have nothing in common, that was only my impression.The band that could be compared - and often is - is CHICAGO. If you like it you may like this band as well, it's just more powerful and daring.

It seems that BS&T discography is hiding many more gems - that are much less pop oriented; it also seems that compilations are always on the poppier side. If so, this band is cetainly worth investigating; if you are fan of jazz-rock, 70's rock, or simply good music. I gave this one a spin after more than 5 years and yes, now it sounds "progressive" in my ears. There's a hint of MOODY BLUES in beautiful blues "I Love You More Than You Will Ever Now"...and a few other trick up the band's sleeve...some chord progression are simply a killer...while the main brass them remains quite simple. A sweet moment worth mentioning is in "Go Down Gamblin'", their hard rockin' tune: a tuba solo! Did you ever heard a tuba solo before?

For the end, I will mention "Sometimes In Winter": it's one of my top 10 most favourite songs of all times. It's beautiful. It's perfect. Flute, drums, melody. Vox organ.(?) Reverb. Some hippie feeling. Some melancholy. Great.

Well, if the band's catalogue is hiding one or perhaps two more songs that are just half as good as this one, and if they were equally daring and less mainstream in the early years, I'm more than willing to check BS&T's discography out. Because of overall poppy orientation of this compilation, I won't rare it with four stars, but this is really worth checking.

This is a good jazz influenced pop record, but I don't think a lot of people would call this progressive rock. Instead BS&T, on this record at least, show that they have a lot in common with sophisticated jazz influenced pop artists such as Steely Dan and Paul Simon. Just like the other two mentioned artists, BS&T displays a broad knowledge of pop-jazz over several decades and seems to be influenced more by Hart/Rogers than Lennon/McCartney. Their strong point is their inventive use of a small brass/woodwind section that is cleverly arranged and thouroughly integrated into every tune. In this respect they are similar to 60s jazz composers who worked with small orchestral ensembles, such as Quincey Jones and Herbie Hancock.

The biggest problem with BS&T, is that even in their own decade, they always sounded like your parent's rock band. There is something about their flashy slick horn arrangements that conjures up images of swingin cats who work the Vegas scene when they aren't with Doc Severinson on Carson's Tonight Show. For example, dig this lyric; 'you always showed me that, lovin you is where it's at' ... groovy. In contrast, other rock bands with horn sections, such as early Chicago or Edgar Winter's White Trash, had just as much rock edge as the more guitar dominated bands of their era. I think the other problem with BS&T is vocalist David Clayton-Thomas. David is obviously a way better singer than your average bluesy shouter, but his style has more in common with Tom Jones than most rock singers.

There are two excellent tunes on this album that stand out from the others. Go Down Gamblin really rocks and is reminiscent of some of Buddy Miles' better material. The other song worth mentioning is Sometimes in Winter, a beautiful ballad with a very original melody and arrangement. BS&T's small orchestra approach really works well on this one.

This isn't a bad album, but if you want to hear some better progressive rock with horns try Chicago's first album, Earth Wind and Fire's futuristic jazz/RnB on Gratitude, or almost any of Billy Cobham's early albums (ironically enough, many of Cobham's records feature ex-BS&T trumpeter Randy Brecker). If you want to hear a totally different take on horn-driven rock check out King Crimson's avant-rock masterpiece Lizards. That's where it's at.