Serious art rock fans would not consider this compilation to represent the best of the group, as it concentrates on their early pop-oriented singles of the late '60s and early '70s, not their most ambitious, conceptual 666 period. If psychedelic pop is more your bag, though, it does signify their best phase, including of course their big 1968 European hit (which made number 30 in the U.K.), "Rain and Tears." This is actually, at its core, more akin to sentimental Mediterranean pop than far-out psychedelia. Leading the way is Demis Roussos, whose quavering vocals are similar in some respects to those of the Bee Gees' Robin Gibb, though they can be gratingly cloying in a way the Bee Gees rarely were. Unfortunately, this is missing the 1969 B-side "Marie Jolie," one of their best songs.
© Richie Unterberger /TiVo