The Hollies' Greatest (1968)

The drums on this thing are mixed so low that if I stand more than 10 feet away from the speakers, it becomes A Capella. The Hollies were all about harmonies, as was the AM Pop of the time, and as more and more bands nowadays are starting to use harmonies again, perhaps for the first time in such widespread form in rock since either the glory days of Power Pop, it's easy to like the Hollies. For a long time, I swear I thought there actually was a brief A Capella interlude during "I Can't Let Go," but no, the drums are there all lone, quietly doing what I can only describe as "metronomic pattering," in the background, along with the guitars and bass. "I Can't Let Go" is arguably one of the finest pure vocal tracks of the 60s outside of the Beach Boys, but with other songs, you realize that this is that band on the radio that you're ashamed to admit that you like those two songs of theirs, but are genuinely annoyed when another comes on. Which is why it's a Best Of. Ah, sweet nostalgia for a time when not only were you not born, but your mother might not have even yet known exactly how people get pregnant... gotta love those harmonies!