Their Greatest Hits

When it first appeared on CD around 1987, this 16-song compilation was easy to justify, as there are no other domestic compilations of the group's work and imported CDs were difficult to come by. And it isn't bad, as far as it goes -- encompassing all of the significant American chart singles and their most recognizable songs. This disc is probably the most easily available Herman's Hermits CD that there is, and it could be the place to start and finish with the group as far as any awareness of their popularity goes. Over the years, however, EMI in England has issued far more generous and better-sounding collections of the group's work, with the result that Their Greatest Hits is no longer competitive on that level, nor is it remotely the place to get the fullest account of the group's range, which went considerably beyond AM radio hits. EMI's The Very Best of Herman's Hermits offers more songs (and better sound) at a lower price, and any of the Repertoire Records reissues of their albums, though the hits aren't all represented, will give the listener a fuller account of the group's full capabilities, which were highly underrated. ~ Bruce Eder