The Best of The Ronettes
By The Ronettes
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Track listing
- 1 Be My Baby 2:40
- 2 Why Don't They Let Us Fall in Love 2:39
- 3 I Wonder 2:44
- 4 Baby, I Love You 2:50
- 5 (The Best Part of) Breakin' Up 3:02
- 6 So Young 2:36
- 7 When I Saw You 2:43
- 8 Do I Love You? 2:50
- 9 You, Baby 2:56
- 10 How Does It Feel? 2:40
- 11 Walking in the Rain 3:16
- 12 Born to Be Together 2:57
- 13 Is This What I Get for Loving You? 3:21
- 14 Paradise 3:37
- 15 Here I Sit 2:54
- 16 I Wish I Never Saw the Sunshine 3:49
- 17 Everything Under the Sun 3:43
- 18 You Came, You Saw, You Conquered 2:49
- Total length: 54:06
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3 Issues
22 Reviews
I find myself annoyed with a lot of compilations not only for the fact that "an album is an album for a reason" but because they generally lack a few of a group's most essential songs. But this compilation that actually does compile the Best of The Ronettes. Every song is a divine example of crazy/genius Phil Spector's signature Wall of Sound that stabilized The Ronettes as possibly the best girl group of the 1960's. "Be My Baby" is absolutely perfect and that's been stated at least a million times, but it can never be stressed enough.
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"Be My Baby" is one of those few epochal pop songs that drops the rockists in swoons. Ronnie Spector's precise, mannered verses ooze into a stunning chorus that brings back the recently-passed glory of the sock-hop slow jam. The triad percussion (low-end piano, castanets, snares) really bury this one deep. So? And? And it's not even the best cut on here, arguably. There's a number of swaying, insistent monophonic pop tunes crammed with texture. If you're the type not to give pop its emotional due, close your eyes and imagine Bruce Springsteen circa Born to Run. That's what Jon Landau did.
Unfortunately, the set is larded with samey ballads, when it's a string of showstoppers that makes this disc a must. "How Does It Feel?" is a brat anthem without peer, with those pissed-off bass piano chords contrasting with a bouncy, Broadway-style number and Ronnie's uber-New Yawk shit-talking. The best instrument on the cut is her diction. "(The Best Part) of Breaking Up" has a sudden intro that, within a quarter-second, ranks among rock's best. "You Came, You Saw, You Conquered" has a fattish low end and a lovable bounce that's begging for your attention at your next impromptu cabaret... the strings strafe like in John Cale's "Big White Cloud," released the next year.
(But if we're talking ballads, I gotta inform you that "I Wish I Never Saw the Sunshine" is exhausting. If you've got half a heart - look at me loading the deck! - that drawn-out chorus will render dust your heart.)
Unfortunately, the set is larded with samey ballads, when it's a string of showstoppers that makes this disc a must. "How Does It Feel?" is a brat anthem without peer, with those pissed-off bass piano chords contrasting with a bouncy, Broadway-style number and Ronnie's uber-New Yawk shit-talking. The best instrument on the cut is her diction. "(The Best Part) of Breaking Up" has a sudden intro that, within a quarter-second, ranks among rock's best. "You Came, You Saw, You Conquered" has a fattish low end and a lovable bounce that's begging for your attention at your next impromptu cabaret... the strings strafe like in John Cale's "Big White Cloud," released the next year.
(But if we're talking ballads, I gotta inform you that "I Wish I Never Saw the Sunshine" is exhausting. If you've got half a heart - look at me loading the deck! - that drawn-out chorus will render dust your heart.)
Published
I have mixed feelings about Phil and his Wall o' Sound but Ronnie has a nice voice and these are some good tunes, for the most part. "Be My Baby" is the immortal classic but I also dig "So Young", "Why Don't They Let Us Fall In Love?", "Walking In The Rain" and "Born To Be Together".
Published
"Be My Baby" is the type of song that pretty much any music fan could cotton to. It's infectious quality will outlive styrofoam.
Published
Phil Spector's Wall of Sound changed music. The Ronettes had great voices. "Be My Baby" is an all time pop classic. I get it. 54 minutes of The Ronettes 50 years later provides very limited enjoyment, and it stopped for me somewhere around "How Does It Feel?"
An important part of music history? Definitely. A good album? Not for me.
An important part of music history? Definitely. A good album? Not for me.
Published
Reverb, girl group vocals, massive Spector productions. Absolutely undeniably great. The bizarre relationship between Ronnie and Phil only adds to the impact on these pop classics.
Published
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1
Be My Baby
-
2
Why Don't They Let Us Fall in Love
-
3
I Wonder
-
4
Baby, I Love You
-
5
(The Best Part of) Breakin' Up
-
6
So Young
-
7
When I Saw You
-
8
Do I Love You?
-
9
You, Baby
-
10
How Does It Feel?
-
11
Walking in the Rain
-
12
Born to Be Together
-
13
Is This What I Get for Loving You?
-
14
Paradise
-
15
Here I Sit
-
16
I Wish I Never Saw the Sunshine
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17
Everything Under the Sun
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18
You Came, You Saw, You Conquered
Published
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Very close to friggin' perfect, that's what this is. Every tune a knock-out and the productions are just sheer frightening. Every home should have one!
Published
0777 7 80316 2 8 CD (1992)
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Catalog
1 Feb 2024
26 Nov 2023
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1
Be My Baby
-
2
Why Don't They Let Us Fall in Love
-
3
I Wonder
-
4
Baby, I Love You
-
5
(The Best Part of) Breakin' Up
-
6
So Young
-
7
When I Saw You
-
8
Do I Love You?
-
9
You, Baby
-
10
How Does It Feel?
-
11
Walking in the Rain
-
12
Born to Be Together
-
13
Is This What I Get for Loving You?
-
14
Paradise
-
15
Here I Sit
-
16
I Wish I Never Saw the Sunshine
-
17
Everything Under the Sun
-
18
You Came, You Saw, You Conquered
23 Oct 2023
4 May 2023
26 Mar 2023
20 Mar 2023
17 Mar 2023
31 Jan 2023
5 Aug 2022
21 Jun 2022
2 May 2022
23 Apr 2022
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1
Be My Baby
-
2
Why Don't They Let Us Fall in Love
-
3
I Wonder
-
4
Baby, I Love You
-
5
(The Best Part of) Breakin' Up
-
6
So Young
-
7
When I Saw You
-
8
Do I Love You?
-
9
You, Baby
-
10
How Does It Feel?
-
11
Walking in the Rain
-
12
Born to Be Together
-
13
Is This What I Get for Loving You?
-
14
Paradise
-
15
Here I Sit
-
16
I Wish I Never Saw the Sunshine
-
17
Everything Under the Sun
-
18
You Came, You Saw, You Conquered
21 Apr 2022
19 Apr 2022
15 Feb 2022
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