Let's Go/Country Classics

One Way reissued two Ventures albums from the mid-'60s, Let's Go and Play the Country Classics, on a single disc in 1997. Let's Go is one of the band's best rock & roll albums, finding the group running through a number of rockers ("Memphis," "Let's Go," "So Fine," "Wipe Out," "Hot Pastrami"), pop hits ("So Fine") and enjoyable original filler. The Ventures have a real energy this time around, which makes it of interest to casual fans, even if there are a couple of weak spots on the record. The Ventures Play the Country Classics is one of the group's better ventures into a specific style. All of the songs on the album are familiar country songs, ranging from the traditional ("Wabash Cannonball") and the classic ("Lovesick Blues," "You Are My Sunshine," "San Antonio Rose," "Steel Guitar Rag," "Sugarfoot Rag") to the contemporary ("I Can't Stop Loving You," "Oh, Lomesome Me," "Born to Lose"). The Ventures don't really play straight country, choosing to emphasize the melody instead of the beat, but that only makes the record more appealing. While this disc will still appeal to hardcore fans more than casual listeners, it's one of the better Ventures two-fers One Way has released. One Way added three bonus tracks -- "Kern County Line," "Storefront Lawyers" and "Too Young to Know My Mind" -- to their two-fer. They add value to this set, which could have been presented with better packaging and slightly better remastering. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine|