Gerry & the Pacemakers - Essential

EMI was always somewhat dismissive of Gerry & the Pacemakers; compared to, say, the Hollies, they were never treated with a lot of respect. Part of this may have to do with the fact that after their initial handful of hits, the group ended up being distinctly more popular in America for a lot longer than they were in England, where they were quickly overwhelmed by the maturing of the British Invasion at home in 1964-1965. This 28-song CD is a welcome change, assembling not only all of the group's hits, in order and in state-of-the-art sound (and many listeners will be surprised how hard this band did rock and what a hard, steady rhythm section they had), but also very worthwhile rarities like "Hello Little Girl" and oddities such as "Girl on a Swing" and a cover of Paul Simon's "Big Bright Green Pleasure Machine," both remnants of the group's unfinished third British album. Read More