The British Invasion: History of British Rock, Vol. 7 (1991)

About this title: Despite the presence of some very big hits, British Invasion: History of British Rock, Vol. 7 relies more on second-tier singles and cult favorites than any previous installment in the series, which may make it more interesting to collectors than casual listeners. Nevertheless, fans of '60s British pop only familiar with hits may find a lot of the lesser-known songs of interest, even if not every song is great. Certainly, the Smoke's "My Friend Jack," the Wild Uncertainty's Everly Brothers cover "Man With Money," the Merseys' "Sorrow," Jonathan King's "Everyone's Gone to the Moon" and "Smashed! Blocked!" by John's Children (featuring Marc Bolan, the future founder of T. Rex) are at the very least interesting, and better than latter-day singles from Petula Clark, Chad & Jeremy, the Animals and Gerry & the Pacemakers. Those lesser-known tracks enhance the value of the disc for collectors, and they offer a nice counterpoint to familiar hits like the Easybeats' "Friday on My Mind," Los Bravos' "Black is Black," Donovan's "Mellow Yellow," Dusty Springfield's "You Don't Have to Say You Love Me," the Walker Brothers' "The Sun Ain't Gonna Shine Anymore," the Hollies' "Carrie Anne," the Tremeloes' "Silence is Golden," the New Vaudeville Band's "Winchester Cathedral" and the Bee Gees' "To Love Somebody." Like the previous volumes of British Invasion: History of British Rock, Vol. 7 has a good mix of hits and obscurities that makes it a definitive portrait of mainstream British pop in the late '60s. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, Rovi

Tracks on this album

Note: This is a general synopsis. Each listing is described below.