Ultimate Peter & Gordon, The

They weren't innovators, style setters, or particularly flashy, but Peter & Gordon knew how to pick a song, and the best of their singles from the mid-'60s have a warm, timeless appeal to them. For one, the duo knew enough to turn to the songwriting talents of John Lennon and Paul McCartney, and "A World Without Love" and "Nobody I Know," both of which are included on this 24-track collection of the best of Peter & Gordon, are clear highlights (unfortunately, a third Lennon/McCartney song the duo recorded, "I Don't Want to See You Again," is absent here). Other career highlights found in this anthology include fine covers of Buddy Holly's "True Love Ways," Del Shannon's "I Go to Pieces," and Libba Cotten's "Freight Train." Peter & Gordon didn't set the world on fire or change it much, but as this collection shows, they made it a pleasant place to hang out in for a few minutes at a time, song by song. ~ Steve Leggett