Los Bravos - Black Is Black. The Anthology 1966-1969 [@320]

 

Los Bravos - Black Is Black. The Anthology 1966-1969

Black Is Black: The Anthology 1966-1969 Review by Tim Sendra.

The Spanish band (with a German singer) Los Bravos will forever be remembered outside their home country as a one-hit wonder. What a hit it was, though. "Black Is Black" is a towering example of what made the '60s so great musically, with a Motown beat, soul-jazz organ, glitzy soul horns, and over-the-top emotional vocals. If Los Bravos had done nothing else, they'd still be legends. This collection of tracks taken from their four-year run shows that there was more to them than just the one gigantic hit. Though they were never able to recapture that giddy height, they made a great deal of interesting pop music, and Mike Kogel's expressive vocals are always a source of joy and wonder. Like "Black Is Black," many of the songs Los Bravos recorded (or more accurately, the session men who played instead of them) were sourced from outside their ranks, including Oviedo-born performer/composer (and subsequent music label executive) Manolo Diaz. The two discs of material here include plenty of excellent horn-driven pop, some attempts to clone "Black Is Black," a few tough rockers (like the desperate "Trapped"), the occasional baroque pop confection, and even some tracks that call to mind a frantic Tom Jones. Apart from their big hit, Los Bravos' finest moment was their brief partnership with the Easybeats' Harry Vanda and George Young. They met up while touring, and the pair proceeded to send Los Bravos the song that should have been their second big hit, "Bring a Little Lovin'." It wasn't to be, however, and the group eventually ran out of steam and Kogel left to start a solo career. Though they aren't considered one of the great bands of the era, listening to the music on this compilation is proof that, unlike a lot of bands, they had a sound that was unique and easily identifiable. Plus, they had a lot of good songs. Black Is Black: The Anthology 1966-1969 may not be an essential purchase for the casual fan of '60s pop, but for someone looking to dig deeper and discover some hidden gems, it totally fits the bill.

Tracklist:

Disc 1:

 

1. Los Bravos - Black Is Black

2. Los Bravos - No sé mi nombre

3. Los Bravos - Will You Always Love Me

4. Los Bravos - Quiero gritar

5. Los Bravos - Una flor corte

6. Los Bravos - Recopilacion

7. Los Bravos - I Want A Name

8. Los Bravos - Trapped

9. Los Bravos - Baby, Baby

10. Los Bravos - Make It Easy For Me

11. Los Bravos - She Believes In Me

12. Los Bravos - Stop That Girl

13. Los Bravos - Give Me A Chance

14. Los Bravos - I'm Cuttin' Out

15. Los Bravos - Two Kinds Of Lovers

16. Los Bravos - You Won't Get Far

17. Los Bravos - Baby, Believe Me

18. Los Bravos - I Don't Care

19. Los Bravos - Don't Be Left Out In The Cold

20. Los Bravos - Uno come noi

21. Los Bravos - Going Nowhere

22. Los Bravos - Brand New Baby

23. Los Bravos - I'm All Ears

24. Los Bravos - You'll Never Get The Chance Again

25. Los Bravos - Like Nobody Else

26. Los Bravos - I'm wearing a smile

27. Los Bravos - Te quiero asi

28. Los Bravos - Bye bye Baby

29. Los Bravos - Don't get in my way

30. Los Bravos - Come when I call

 

Disc 2:

 

1. Los Bravos - Show me

2. Los Bravos - Sympathy

3. Los Bravos - I've been hearing things

4. Los Bravos - Then the sun goes down

5. Los Bravos - Get out of my life

6. Los Bravos - This way, that way

7. Los Bravos - Down down

8. Los Bravos - Bring a little lovin'

9. Los Bravos - Make It Last

10. Los Bravos - Play with fire and you'll get burned

11. Los Bravos - You got until the morning

12. Los Bravos - I'll see you through

13. Los Bravos - Deeper roots

14. Los Bravos - Yakipo

15. Los Bravos - She's my girl

16. Los Bravos - Dime donde estoy

17. Los Bravos - If I were a river

18. Los Bravos - Just Holding On

19. Los Bravos - We'll Make It Together

20. Los Bravos - Save Me, Save Me

21. Los Bravos - Baby I Love You

22. Los Bravos - Cool It

23. Los Bravos - Individuality

24. Los Bravos - Viva la vida

25. Los Bravos - Amor y simpatía

26. Los Bravos - Dirty Street

27. Los Bravos - Live Girl

28. Los Bravos - Wait A Minute

29. Los Bravos - Como Superman

30. Los Bravos - Two People In Me

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