The Essential Phil Spector

If you are over 70 you will absolutely recognize every song on this two CD set. It plays in my shop every day or two.

Hearing Vic Anesini's remastering of these classic tracks is like hearing them (at least those on CD2 - see below) for the first time. The Abkco re-releases were muddy in comparison but these tracks really let you hear the Wall of Sound as it was meant to be heard and allows you share a little of what those at the Gold Star Studios way back when heard.I had a problem with two sets of these CDs. CD1 would not play on my Shanling T-300 CD player. Both copies of CD1 were recognized but either would not play or the music kept cutting out to be replaced by a horrible crackling noise, I thought my CD player was dysfunctional but CD2 played fine as did 10 other random CDs from my collection. Fortunately, I was able to return these to Amazon for replacement/refund but would caution others.A similar problem happened with some CDs released by Ace Records UK in the summer and was the result of a disc manufacturing issue known as "track pitch" where the CDs were not made to Redbook specifications, It only happened on what Ace's Tony Rounce termed "high end" CD players and he found that what wouldn't play on his main system worked fine in his daughter's CD Walkman. Ace - as always- notified customers of the problem and replaced the defective disks.So apart from this manufacturing issue (and I'll wait until the bad batch are remanufactured to reorder), these are a must for every 60s music fan. Thank you Mr. Anesini!

During the early sixties when doo wop was starting to fade though not totally and before the Beatles inaugurated the British invasion, Phil Spector's wall of Sound took the pop music world by storm. Curtis Lee, The Ronnettes, The Crystals, The Righteous Brothers, Darlene Love, Ike & Tina Turner, Gene Pitney, Bobby Sox & The Blue Jeans (in no particular order), and several other recording artists were all swarming the top 40. Their common denominator was Phil Spector, the music studio sound wizard that made his Wall of Sound magic come alive on every release. Not much later on the Beatles, including George Harrison's debut All Things Must Pass album. (Unfortunately, there are no Beatles or George Harrison tracks on this CD). However, there is more than enough to go around for everyone to enjoy. All I can say is give him a listen. He was very much in demand and he was calling the shots in the recording sessions and in the process making his slice of pop music history all happen. He also had that commonly identifiable sign post of genius through artistry, eccentricity. Phil Spector was the real deal and his legacy continues to live on today. All of this and probably more than I am capable of articulating in this review are captured in The Essential Phil Spector. If you were there then you know what I am trying to say. If you weren't there then listening to this piece of pop music history come alive on this CD is well worth your investment. Listen and enjoy!

"The Essential Phil Spector" is a delightful set. The sound is crisp and crystal clear on these delightful classic recordings. The string arrangement on Ben E. King's "Spanish Harlem" is utterly gorgeous. It may have only gone to #10 on the pop chart in 1960; but it holds its beauty after all these years. Gene Pitney's reading on Carole King & Gerry Goffin's "Every Breath I Take" is a lovely recording with Pitney's vocals high and passionate. The Crystals' "Uptown" didn't chart as well as "He's a Rebel" or "Da Doo Ron Ron," but I love this recording so much with the plucked strings and Spanish guitar, "When I take his hand, there's no man who can put him down." On the second disc, Spector's production touches are astounding as on the lovely "Walking in the Rain" by The Ronettes with the opening thunderclaps. The three top ten tracks by The Righteous Brothers, "You've Lost That Loving Feeling," "Unchained Melody" & "Edd Tide," are some of the best classic pop music of the last century -- utterly gorgeous. In retrospect, it's amazing that Ike & Tina Turner's "River Deep, Mountain High" didn't chart better because the recording certainly has grown in stature with time. If I had a quibble with this package, they had room to include a few more gems on each disc. But "The Essential Phil Spector" is an excellent collection. Enjoy!

I had been trying to find the best balance / compilation of Phil's best work for a long time. Lately I've taken to delve into his life story, the Wrecking Crew Story and his creative process. I never realized how much there is about him on the web. At the height of his career, I was about 14 years old. Even at that age I couldn't get enough of that wall of sound on WMCA and WABC radio when I was living in Brooklyn for the first 29 years of my life. It was nuts. This guy had a hit for what seemed like every other week. That was when radio was radio and you had your favorite disc jocky. Mine.....B. Mitchel Reed (Hay Scotters!) on WMCA (7 PM to midnight). Phil was so focused, determined and knew exactly what he wanted. It was a time when the music was magic and the times were even better. The sound on these CD's is great. I turn it upppppppp whenever I listen to them, which these days, is very often. For all you old guys and gals out there, don't hesitate, just buy it. Phil Spector might have shot his girl friend in the mouth and that's no accident......but he was a genious at a very young age.P.S. The music today sucks.

Doesn't matter what you think of Spector the man, or how / where he ended up in life. Amateur human being, genius record producer. Whatever. The proof of his genius is right here in the grooves. An absolutely essential collection for anyone with even the slightest interest in the history of American Pop culture. Very highly recommended.

Great photos and as good a greatest hits as you'll find given the enormous number of repackages that Phil's work has undergone. This is not for those seeking a comprehensive library of his work but a great summary of his career.

Clocking in at 1 Hour and 40 minutes, this 2 CD compilation consists of 35 songs produced by Phil Spector between 1958 and 1969. Most of the classics are here and the songs and their production & arrangements are at times breathtaking. Presented in Spector's favoured mono, there are many highlights. The beauty and perfection of the Ronettes 'Be My Baby' still haunts Brain Wilson to this day and Ike & Tina Turner's 'River Deep, Mountain High' is a tour de force where Turner delivers a career defining vocal performance. Further highlights included the Righteous Brothers 'You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'' and the girl groups, who easily rank alongside those of Motown. Housed in a standard jewel case and featuring a comprehensive booklet that includes all the recording details, this is indeed the Essential Phil Spector.The track / artist list:Disc 11. To Know Him Is to Love Him - The Teddy Bears2. Corrine, Corrina - Ray Peterson3. Spanish Harlem - Ben E. King4. Pretty Little Angel Eyes - Curtis Lee5. Every Breath I Take - Gene Pitney6. I Love How You Love Me - The Paris Sisters7. There's No Other Like My Baby - The Crystals8. Uptown - The Crystals9. He's a Rebel - The Crystals10. Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah - Bob B. Soxx & The Blue Jeans11. Puddin' n' Tain - The Alley Cats12. He's Sure the Boy I Love - The Crystals13. Why Do Lovers Break Each Other's Heart? - Bob B. Soxx & The Blue Jeans14. (Today I Met) The Boy I'm Gonna Marry - Darlene Love15. Da Doo Ron Ron - Bob B. Soxx & The Blue Jeans16. Not Too Young to Get Married - Bob B. Soxx & The Blue Jeans17. Wait 'Til My Bobby Gets Home - Darlene LoveDisc 21. Be My Baby - The Ronettes2. Then He Kissed Me - The Crystals3. A Fine, Fine Boy - Darlene Love4. Baby, I Love You -The Ronettes5. (The Best Part Of) Breakin' Up - The Ronettes6. Hold Me Tight - The Treasures featuring Pete Anders7. Stumble and Fall - Darlene Love8. When I Saw You - The Ronettes9. Do I Love You? - The Ronettes10. Walking in the Rain - The Ronettes11. You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin' - The Righteous Brothers12. Unchained Melody - The Righteous Brothers13. Ebb Tide - The Righteous Brothers14. This Could Be the Night - The Modern Folk Quartet15. Paradise - The Ronettes16. River Deep, Mountain High - Ike & Tina Turner17. I Wish I Never Saw the Sunshine - The Ronettes18. Black Pearl - Sonny Charles & The Checkmates Ltd.

Of course it's all down to personal taste, but I loved hearing all these again and have played them alot. It's become one of my favorite CDs (along with Ray Charles, I rediscovered him after seeing 'Ray') and brings back great memories.

La raccolta essential, racchiude i suoi brani più conosciuti e anche meno, l ho trovata interessante ,sicuramente una compilation da avere per rappresentare il sound e le hit di quell'epoca 60/65

This double CD chronicles singles produced and/or written/co-written by the ingenious Phil Spector spanning the years 1958 - 1969. Most of the singles feature his wall of (monophonic)sound for which he became renowned. The set's first track is "To Know Him Is To Love Him" performed by the trio The Teddy Bears of whom he was a member. The song still ranks amongst the best love ballads ever written. Most of the tracks are performed by acts signed to his Philles label, a joint venture set up by Mr. Spector and Lester Sills.There are hits galore, big and small, from girl groups The Ronettes and The Crystals and Darlene Love & The Blossoms who were never credited with singing on The Crystals' only American # 1 , Gene Pitney's "He's A Rebel" and the follow-up "He's Sure The Boy I Love". (Her vocals were erased on "Da Doo Ron Ron" but are still audible if you listen attentively!) Other highlights are the late Gene Pitney's "With Every Breath I Take" and The Paris Sisters' poignant love ballad "I Love How You Love Me" which oddly,never charted in the UK.Spector's tour de force, The Righteous Brothers' seminal "You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'" and their brilliant follow-up "Unchained Melody" are, needless to say, included along with Ike & Tina Turner's dynamic piece of rhythm & blues, "River Deep - Mountain High" which, inexplicably, bombed in the States forcing co-writer and producer Phil Spector into years of retirement. As Mr. Spector was a mono fiend, all tracks appear in glorious mono albeit quite a few are available in true stereo (and sound even better!) For those who want to be introduced to the essential work of the legendary songwriter and ace producer, this CD is more than good.