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I originally got this for my mom and I got into them very quickly. I love soft rock so this is a fantastic album to listen to : ) Some of my favourite songs are "The Guitar Man", "Make It With You", "Diary", and "If". I recommend this to anyone even if they are not into 70s music.
There are a few "Best of" compilations available (they did, after all, turn out a TON of songs)., but I think this is the best single-disc one.Recommended.
Most, if not all, are recognizable to any listener. Their Country influences can be felt throughout much of their work, and I mention this because a lot of reviewers fail to mention this fact. That said, the songs on this album represent the softer, poppier side of the band. So the five stars is mainly for the music. This album covers all the major hits and most of their well-known songs. these guys were head-over-heels better than any bands they may have "spawned" according to the reviews I have read. The two principal songwriters, Gates and Griffin, were from the South. The three founding members Gates, Griffin and Royer (who also wrote) had been on the circuit for years before they formed Bread and were seasoned musicians, sometimes producing, writing and performing for other established artists.
Call them soft-rock, melodic rock, country rock etc. Folks who are not familiar with the band often misunderstand them. Of course, any one who wasn't brain dead back in the early seventies is probably familiar with many songs from the original albums and is well aware of all the good album cuts that did not get on this release. The band has been somewhat misunderstood by a mainstream public that has long embraced them. They are mostly well-crafted, melodic and heartfelt creations by two very talented songwriters/producers/musicians named David Gates and James Griffin. So, here's a little background. etc. If you like any of the above genres you won't be disappointed by this collection.
This is a great album and I would recommend. I was born in 1969 so I didn't get to enjoy most of these songs when they first came out but I heard them a lot over the years as I was growing up. Again, this is a very good album (my favorite song is Baby I'm-a Want You) and you will enjoy it.
When the LP was first released, I bought it for her birthday as a way to say everything I was unable to put into words. Didn't matter though. In the mid-70s, I was (and still am) into some very hard rock like Montrose, Zeppelin, Sabbath, Stones, etc. (and after all, she wasn't into Montrose, Zeppelin, Sabbath, OR the Stones). Like any true music head, you know great music when you hear it. At the time, I was head-over-heels in love with "my first;" a girl who melted my heart all through high school. David Gates' heartfelt lyrics and phenomenal vocals capture the feelings of any man's love for his one and only woman.There is only one word to describe this classic, romantic-ballad album: TIMELESS. For those of you reminiscing about the "good ole daze," I recommend you give this fantastic collection the attention it deserves by putting on some headphones, sitting waaaaaaay back in the easy chair, lowering the lights, and then let the memories flow with high school sweethearts, breaking up, making up, proms, yearbooks, and all the rest.
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