Kon-Tiki 1958-1961 ORIGINAL RECORDINGS REMASTERED SET

This mostly instrumental compilation is pure ear candy, these fellas played sublimely. My least favorite tracks were those with vocals (other than the beautiful "All My Sorrows"). I'm really glad I took a chance on this. It's a keeper!

The first CD is excellent. The second CD skips and looks grubby.

By concentrating on the years up to 1961, this collection contains all the complete releases featuring the original line-up of Hank Marvin, Bruce Welch, Jet Harris and Tony Meehan (Wonderful Land also had the same line-up but new drummer Brian Bennett featured on the B-side). It includes the early material they recorded when they were called the Drifters, as well as the 1958 single that marked Hank (when he was still Brian Rankin)and Bruce's debut by the Five Chesternuts, formed by the drummer Pete Chester. Unlike the official Columbia compilations, this set also includes their released live recordings, three of which appeared on the Cliff Richard LP Cliff (Jet Black, Driftin', Be-bop-a-Lula), including At The Colosseum, Johannesburg, an EP that was recorded on 15 March 1961 and released only in South Africa. It includes their debut album The Shadows in full, and sounds considerably better than on the official 2-on-1 CD of their first two albums, released in 1991. Wherever commercially available, stereo masters have been used (although the record numbers listed in the sleeve notes are for the mono releases). This means that only the first ten tracks and the South African EP are mono. The album Cliff was released only in mono, but two EPs of eight tracks from the album were released in mono and stereo versions shortly afterwards. Be-bop-a-Lula did not appear in stereo until 1987 when the whole LP Cliff was finally released in stereo, on CD. Both Jet Harris and Tony Meehan were to leave the Shadows shortly after the period scanned on this set, and for some things were never the same again. This makes a handy collection of this classic period.

As a life long 60+ Shadows fan I just had to have this although I already have all the tracks on other CD's it adds to my collection

By concentrating on the years up to 1961, this collection contains all the complete releases featuring the original line-up of Hank Marvin, Bruce Welch, Jet Harris and Tony Meehan (Wonderful Land also had the same line-up but new drummer Brian Bennett featured on the B-side). It includes the early material they recorded when they were called the Drifters, as well as the 1958 single that marked Hank (when he was still Brian Rankin)and Bruce's debut by the Five Chesternuts, formed by the drummer Pete Chester. Unlike the official Columbia compilations, this set also includes their released live recordings, three of which appeared on the Cliff Richard LP Cliff (Jet Black, Driftin', Be-bop-a-Lula), including At The Colosseum, Johannesburg, an EP that was recorded on 15 March 1961 and released only in South Africa. It includes their debut album The Shadows in full, and sounds considerably better than on the official 2-on-1 CD of their first two albums, released in 1991. Wherever commercially available, stereo masters have been used (although the record numbers listed in the sleeve notes are for the mono releases). This means that only the first ten tracks and the South African EP are mono. The album Cliff was released only in mono, but two EPs of eight tracks from the album were released in mono and stereo versions shortly afterwards. Be-bop-a-Lula did not appear in stereo until 1987 when the whole LP Cliff was finally released in stereo, on CD. Both Jet Harris and Tony Meehan were to leave the Shadows shortly after the period scanned on this set, and for some things were never the same again. This makes a handy collection of this classic period.

My Husband has been a Shadows fan forever! This bought so many memories back since his vinyl collection had been relegated to the Charity shop!

Great to hear one of my favourite groups playing their hits in their hit period. The strains of Hank Marvin in Apache are unmistakable.

I like the CD's , but the first CD was slightly damaged, i.e. the hole in the middle has a fairly large chip out of it. It does not play very well , so I am a little disappointed with it. The tracks on CD no.2 are very good & I love the early sound of The Shadows, it has been well recorded. That's about all I can say.