Johnny Rivers is - I believe - one of the most underrated contributors to pop/rock/country music. His string of hits is incredible, and virtually everyone has at least one Rivers' song on the tip of their tongue which they can join in with as soon as they start hearing it played.

Rivers' voice is edgy and energetic. He's an excellent guitar player. Basically, he's part of the foundation of 60's and 70's music. (Did you know he's credited with 'discovering' the 5th Dimension and wrote some of their biggest hits?)

Yet, Rivers rarely receives accolades often given to much less talented singers and groups. I'll always remember walking down the street one day in Milwaukee. Tacked to the pole was some cheap flyer announcing "Johnny Rivers playing at such-and-such-a-bar on such-and-such-a-night." It was the kind of promotion you'd expect for someone's garage band - not someone who was a major player in popular music.

It's with my great respect and love for Rivers' music that I bought this CD. Well, I was disappointed.

Each song on this CD is a recording from a live performance. Virtually every song lacks the 'bite' and energy of the original recorded hit. It's almost like listening to Rivers' hits in a karaoke bar. It leaves me thinking that Rivers is a better studio musician than live performer - yet it was his live performances in LA that resulted in him being discovered by the commercial music world.

My love and respect for Rivers hasn't changed, but I am getting the original studio versions of his hits that I truly love.

I SAW JOHNNY RECENTLY IN FT COLLINS CO., AND HE DID A EXCEPTIONAL AND SURPRISING PERFORMANCE:)

HE PLAYED FOR ABOUT TWO HOURS AND IT WAS REALLY GREAT TO ""HEAR"" HIS VOICE AND "FEEL" LIVE GUITAR---HE HAS THAT SEXUAL POWER THAT HE HAS ALWAYS HAD---MAYBE MORESO??

JOHNNY JOGS EVERYDAY, NOT AN OUCE OF FAT ON HIM AND SINCERELY> GIVES ENERGY OUT< TO THE AUDIENCE.
ITS NOT BABY I WANT YOUR LOVIN' --- BUT, BABY I "NEED" YOUR LOVIN'
THE FINALE IN REAL TIME "SECRET AGENT MAN" IS A FUN RETROSPECTIVE--- FOLLOWED BY A SILVER PEN AUTOGRAPH TO: OWEN,
JOHNNY RIVERS, '03.

THANKS JOHNNY, I SUGGEST EVERYONE SEE YOUR PERFORMANCE.
THIS CD REMINDS US HOW MANY BIG HITS JOHNNY ACTUALLY HAD/HAS:)

TAKE A (ROCK- N - ROLL) ON THE RIVER- JOHNNY RIVERS IS ORIGINALLY FROM NYC, THEN ONTO BATON ROUGE LA., ---GET YOUR TICKET TODAY AND TAKE A RIDE ON THE RIVER:)

If you want the originals buy the Capitol records Version. This is one of those disc's where the artist had to re-record the songs on his own label to avoid legal action. Very mis-leading. Johnny Rivers is a great artist with classic songs, but he must have got a raw deal on his song rights. Maybe we'll see his story on 'Behind The Music' some day.

You won't recognize some of the songs as they're not the originals. In fact it doesn't even sound like Johnny's regular back up musicians. Most are live and he's changed them in an interesting way, but it simply doesn't measure up. Note that the cover of this album is the same as another one that does have the originals, and I find that misleading.

A GREAT SINGER AND TALENTEDGUITAR PLAYER. AN ARTISTWHO STOOD ON HIS OWN ANDBECAME A INSTANT STAR.GIVE JOHNNY RIVERS A MICRO-PHONE, GUITAR AND AN AUDIENCE AND NO BACKUP BAND. HE IS TRULY A ONE-MANSHOW.