Complete Singles Collection

Hello were one of the more exciting bands of the mid-70s glam explosion in the U.K., cutting some effervescent, almost giddy slabs of wax bolstered by thundering drums, heavy guitars, huge hooks, and boyish vocals. Not too many were hits, but a quick run through this collection of singles and their flip sides makes it clear that many more should have been. Starting in 1972 with the boogie glam of You Move Me and ending with a solo single from their drummer Jeff Allen from 1982, the collection covers a decades worth of worthy attempts to scale the charts as tastes and sounds shifted around them. 1974s rocked-out cover of the Exciters Tell Him was their biggest hit, reaching number six on the U.K. singles chart. 1975s New York Groove was their other biggie; it didnt make it as far, but it has had a much longer shelf life and still sounds fresh decades later. Much of this collection does. The band were always game for anything, and their enthusiasm surges through the speakers whether they were tackling more oldies like their romp through Bend Me Shape Me, doling out whip-smart proto-metal on Another School Day, showing off some impressive soft rock chops on Shine on Silver Light, dipping a sequined toe into the disco craze with 1979s Feel This Thing, or even surfing the new wave under the name Local Boy Makes Good with 1981s Horoscope. Along the way, there are some really fun hidden gems uncovered -- the romping Out of Our Heads is a frothy Small Faces-meets-Sweet rocker, Seven Rainy Nights is sterling AM radio pop worthy of Neil Diamond, and 1978s hard-rocking Too Much Hesitating could have been a hit in some alternate universe -- and theres never a moment where the band sound anything less than fun. Their discography has been served up in various manners, but this collection is the best way to chart their eventful trip through the musical landscape of the day. ~ Tim Sendra