25 Years : 1968-1993

Though it took over a week for the item to arrive, it did arrive in excellent condition. This retrospective is probably the only way you're going to find their hit song, "I Love You", which is also one of my favorite songs. I had tried to buy it as a single but it wasn't available. Nearly every song on this two disc set is a standout, especially, "Couldn't Get it Right", one of the best and most underrated songs of the '70's. For nearly two years, I had been waiting for the price to drop or find a seller that was selling the CD at a resonable price (a year ago the lowest price for this CD in new condition was over $50.00). I paid $14.99 for the CD, an outstanding bargain for some outstanding songs by this outstanding band!

I have Tightly Knit, Plays On, and Sense of Direction by this band and enjoy them very much. I was introduced to the band by a friend who had FM / Live which I thought was good, but not as good as their studio efforts. My reaction to this collection is a small amount of disappointment. The early stuff is good but missing is "Going to New York" and "Amerita/Sense of Direction" which I would expect on a career overview. The inclusion of "I love You" and "Couldn't get it right" help make this collection a must for those who only want one album by this band. I was not familiar with the later output of "Climax" and while I was happy that it was included, I didn't find it as enjoyable as their earlier efforts. Like nearly every other band in the late seventies they were the victims of tight FM playlists and the commercialization of the music to get it on the radio.

There are many reasons, some of which may sound obvious but for some reason many label execs just don't get it, why this compilation is among the best that has been made to properly showcase the life's work of any band.Like most if not all of the people who actually bought this set, I never really knew or even cared much about the Climax Blues Band until I had heard "I Love You." With my wedding coming soon at the time, I frantically sought out cds where I could find the song. Knowing that it was by CBB, I obviously started there but was continually frustrated until I found it here. I got the cds in the mail too late to use them for my wedding though.However, I know now the reason why such a big hit of theirs would not be on any best of compilations of CBB on their own major labels and that the best hope of getting the song is from independent labels that license the rights and make their own compilations just as Repertoire Records has done here or as Rhino Records regularly does for other bands as well.The song was pretty much a solo effort by one band member, Derek Holt, who not only wrote and arranged the song, he also sang it. Holt and the rest of the band had creative differences and soon left the band taking his prized possession with him. These things happen quite often in the music business and if ever you happen to be looking for a tune by any artist and have similar difficulties, especially if the artist has changed labels, personnel etc, a very similar case is most probably the reason.Anyways, why is this package so great? First of all the sound quality is very, very good; the original masters must have been perfectly preserved because this sounds better than many allegedly digitally remastered cds that I have had the misfortune of buying of which the list is too long to put down here.Secondly, the packaging is fantastic with two jewel cases packed and slides out easily from a cardboard holdall that itself is very colourfully and artfully designed. The 42 page booklet is brilliant as it has great photos of the band and most important of all, the great liner notes from no other than the frontman of the band himself, Colin Cooper!Colin seems to imply the he also had a hand in selecting the tracks which is important if you want to know which tracks the band themselves thought that they did their best work on were and believe me that's rare as many times it's the record company execs who do this without involving anyone from the band. Colin is also brutally honest and very frank when he describes each track even admitting that they succombed to commercialism at times and that he even regretted bowing to the pressure of the execs to do so instead of staying true.Although I bought this in the beginning just for "I Love You,", after seeing just how good a compilation this is and listening to the other tunes, I now like the whole package for the reasons mentioned above. You can also see as each track progresses, how the band improves as musicians as well as songwriters and the cds end very appropriately with a return to their roots, a live version of the great Sonny Boy Williamson track "Don't Start Me Talking."Great sound, great packaging, great way to do a retrospective with the artists' massive involvement and that's how you make a brilliant anthology of any band. Personally, as I dislike plastic cases, the only thing that they could have done better was to completely cardboard the packaging but that would be nit picking.Folks the band is more than just Derek Holt and "I Love You" and you may just be pleasantly surprised at the other tracks and grow to love CBB. I know I have.

I have so many CBB albums...some of what I didn't have is here and its nice on a CD. This is one of the better forgotten bands of the late 60's - 70's and they sound as good as ever now. If you've ever wanted to know what listening to a blues based band was all about you should check the Climax Blues Band out.

Always a great band

Gifted - my friend loves it!

Very pleased with this collection. Now, I don't have to wait until some DJ gets around to playing the songs.

Like others, wasn't too happy to have to purchase entire CD(s) to get "I Love You" but also like others have said, it is nice to hear more of this band's music. All the songs are pleasant.

CD1 is interesting, a collection of English Blues/Rock from the 60's & early-mid 70;s.CD2 however couldn't get it right (pun intended), at least not after that particular track and the band descended into saccharin schmaltz and ironically far more commercial success than ever before!

This gives you two CD's and a little 'book' to read. I liked the first CD, not every song though, and that is not unusual, BUT, the second CD I loved ALL the music! There, as I have said in other reviews, is a song on the second CD that I always loved when I was a kid, and when I listened to the CD package that I bought I was reviewing the music and I finally know who put out the song! 'I Love You' is the song and it is AMAZING! I would recommend the set to anyone! See ya!

I really bought this cd because of the 2 songs i heard on the radio years ago. They were excellent and the rest of their music on the cd were pretty good as well. Excellent musicians they were pretty versatile in expanding their repertoire of musical styles to span the 4 decades. I would recommend this cd to music lovers..

Mid-nineties remastering by the Repertoire Label. I'll say mostof the cuts on this 2 CD set are available on the individual discsthat have been released in the last year. The key songs fromthe catalog have been included. I just ordered 2 copies of thistitle for $32 inclusive.....It's not cheap but the price of orderingall the albums is way out there. Best deal is right here...right now!

coole Blues-rock Band im J. J. Cale Stil - verdient mehr Beachtung - could'nt get it right war seinerzeit in den Charts