Gene Pitney - Looking Through: The Ultimate Collection

This major 2 CD retrospective is a comprehensive collection of his 21 greatest hits and more! Lavishly packaged, it features top ten classics like 'Twenty Four Hours From Tulsa', 'Something's Gotten Hold On My Heart', 'Backstage', 'Nobody Needs Your Love', 'Looking Thru The Eyes Of Love' & 'I'm Gonna Be Strong' plus the #1 1989 comeback hit of 'Something's Gotten Hold On My Heart' with Marc Almond. 50 tracks in all. Standard jewel case in a slipcase. Album Description

Pitney's Power is Tower Tall

Gene Pitney was my initial pubescent love affair with Pop. Bob Dylan would supercede him three years hence when I would forsake the clean-cut smile for the sardonic glare, the homeknits and tie for the hounds-tooth coat and elasticized boots, the careful grooming for disdainful art-school unkemptness. Until then, Pitney comfortably ruled the aural world emanating from my small bedside radio, just as Bob's discs ground an expanded language into my consciousness. The big stringed dramas, the androgyny of the voice in shrill ecstasy, Gene was out there, with hot competition(Orbison and Valli) to be sure, but he let it rip as no other. His uniquley tough tenor may be an acquired taste. At times it's a tool, not so much rising above the surge of strings, drums and trumpets, as lasering through them. This double set is as complete as I need, and I'd quickly add that most of my memories and continued thrills continue on the first disc. I know the hit factory mentality driving the sort of thing Pitney did. At his height, Pitney drew on the best the Brill buiding could offer; the two and a half minutes of adrenalin rush perfected by the likes of Burt Bacharach and Hal David.Ineveitably a formulaic concrete sets and one starts to quote from oneself, or at least, the bods surrounding the artist do. By the 70s the hits had ceased, however you might defend the guy...and that's the story of the second disc. I like the Italian stuff, and when you get a wad of Italian Pop on the radio as I did in Sicily over 3 months last year, you can understand how Pitney holds appeal for them. His operatic reach is so apt for ears accustomed to the theatrics of Pop's power plays. Can't say much for the George Jones country departure. 'Fool' on the 2nd disc is tender and beautiful(another Bacharach/David piece that Gene kept on his set-list until his death), a pity this direction hadn't proved more fruitful. I wasn't a fan of 'Mecca','Tulsa', 'Town Without Pity' or,'Liberty Valance' and the sexism of,'Who Needs It' has dated. But the simple joy, the naiviety of some early hits still ruffles the nerves, and,'Every Little Breath I Take' is pure exhileration, capable of casting its spell over both my 20 yr old and 8 yr old girls. Finally, though,'Tower Tall' hovers on sentimentality, its inclusion in the collection helped determine my choice given its absence on other anthologies. Gene, you're still tower tall with us in the pantheon of strident vocalists, the Terry Reids, The Buckleys, The Aaron Nevilles, The Alim Qasimovs, the Antony(plus his Johnsons). This last named may have title as our current century's songbird. But Gene was the pirouetting high altitude aviator of last century's sixth decade! June 16, 2008

Great Stuff

I only have hazy memories of Gene Pitney during his glory days. (I was only a little kid back then). I do remember Liberty Valance, It Hurts To Be In Love and especially Town Without Pity which I sent my grandfather out to buy, without success! LOL. This is a great set. If you want to know what great 60's music was like sung by one of the best 60's crooners, you cant top Gene Pitney. This has many more songs than the other compilations and is worth the extra price. Great music doesnt date and this is 60's music at its best! August 16, 2005

No...not quite "ultimate"...darnit

Yes...it's a marvelous package with a first-rate interview with Gene Pitney himself, but, amazingly, of the 17 mono or rechanneled tracks, 10 of those in mono....have been previously issued in stereo on other collections! Pitney's producer was known for producing Pitney (from "Liberty Valance" on) using multi-track stereo equipment. In some cases, additional harmony vocals were added to the mono mixdown. That explains why "It Hurts To Be In Love" has never been issued in stereo. (On the plus side, one of the mono tracks here, "That Girl Belongs To Yesterday" is usually issued in stereo missing the harmony vocal!).

So...on this "Ultimate" collection, "Mecca" is in mono (why??). Same goes for "True Love Never Runs Smooth", "Twenty Four Hours From Tulsa", "Who Needs It", "Yesterday's Hero", and "Looking Thru The Eyes Of Love", among others.

I own it...but I'm disappointed. This previously-available-in-stereo mono issue also hampers finding a definitive CD by The Searchers.

April 24, 2005

Truly the ultimate Gene Pitney collection

This is a very comprehensive collection of Gene's finest music. All his British and American hits are here, including his American country hits with George Jones and his late eighties duet with Marc Almond.

In the sixties, Gene had many high-charting pop hits in Britain and America. Curiously, none of them reached number one, although he reached number two in both countries with different songs. He finally got to number one in Britain when Marc Almond and Gene recorded Something's gotten hold of my heart as a duet.

I'm gonna be strong was Gene's only hit to reach the top ten in both Britain and America. Gene's other top ten American hits to be found here are The man who shot Liberty Valance, Only love can break a heart and It hurts to be in love. Gene's other top ten British hits to be found here are Twenty four hours from Tulsa, That girl belongs to yesterday, I must be seeing things, Looking through the eyes of love, Princess in rags, Backstage, Nobody needs your love, Just one smile and the original solo version of Something's gotten hold of my heart.

With a total of fifty tracks this collection includes not just the essentials, but all the minor hits and even a couple of songs recorded in Italian. It also includes his original version of Hello Mary Lou, a song he wrote before he had a recording contract and which was a huge hit for Ricky Nelson.

You won't find a better compilation of Gene's music anywhere, although if you just want a basic sixties hits collection there are plenty of single CD's to choose from. March 31, 2003

SIX STARS RATING ON PITNEY

THIS 2 CD COMPILATION RANKS AS ONE OF THE GREATEST DEALS AVAILABLE AT AMAZON.COM.I HAVE COLLECTED MOST OF GENE'S MUSIC OVER THE PAST 40 YEARS AS HE CONTINUES TO BE ONE OF THE GREATEST MUSICAL ENTERTAINERS OF ALL TIME.TO DENY YOURSELF THIS WONDERFUL PIECE OF MUSIC HISTORY WOULD BE SINFUL-HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. August 27, 2001

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