THREE DOG NIGHT
The Complete Hit Singles (Universal Chronicles)
Reviewed by Shaun Dale

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One of the best live shows I've ever seen was a performance by Three Dog Night at the Universal Amphitheater back in the old open air days. I never would have bothered, though, if it hadn't been for the terrific run of singles they served up between 1969 and 1975. 21 of them are collected on this disc, eleven of them top tens on the pop charts and four of them #1 hits.

Much of the attention, of course, went to the impressive vocal trio that fronted the band, Danny Hutton, Chuck Negron and Cory Wells. They were a band though, a full one, and guitarist Michael Allsup, drummer Floyd Sneed, bassists Joe Schermie and Jack Ryland and keyboardists Jimmy Greenspoon and Skip Conte were all part of the magic. They also had great big ears and drew on the talents of some of the best songwriters of the era for material, including Harry Nilsson, Laura Nyro, Randy Newman, Paul Williams, Hoyt Axton and John Hiatt.

Great talents performing great songs was a formula for great performances and, happily, great success. Listening to this collection is nothing short of great big fun.

Track List:

One * Try A Little Tenderness * Easy To Be Hard * Eli's Coming * Celebrate * Mama Told Me (Not To Come) * Out In The Country * One Man Band * Joy To The World * Liar * An Old Fashioned Love Song * Never Been To Spain * The Family Of Man * Black & White * Pieces Of April * Shambala * Let Me Serenade You * The Show Must Go On * Sure As I'm Sitting Here * Play Something Sweet (Brickyard Blues) * Til The World Ends

© 2004 - Shaun Dale