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Jim Croce Photographs & Memories: His Greatest Hits

 Rating 4
enlarged image: Jim Croce Photographs & Memories: His Greatest Hits
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80% Recommended by our customers.
Label: Rhino / Wea
Catalog: Music
Release date: 1995-09-19
Media: Audio CD
discs number: 1
Format: Original recording remastered
Ean: 0075679257024
Upc: 075679257024
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Artist:
Jim Crocesee more Popular Music by Jim Croce

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Album tracks: (14)
 Bad, Bad Leroy Brown
 Operator (That's Not the Way It Feels)
 Photographs and Memories
 Rapid Roy (The Stock Car Boy)
 Time in a Bottle
 New York's Not My Home
 Workin' at the Car Wash Blues
 I Got a Name - Jim Croce, Fox, Charles [1]
 I'll Have to Say I Love You in a Song
 You Don't Mess Around with Jim
 Lover's Cross
 One Less Set of Footsteps
 These Dreams
 Roller Derby Queen

Professional Review:
Until his untimely death, Jim Croce was a force to be reckoned with on radio playlists. Photographs & Memories repackages some of his best work. Romantic acoustic-oriented songs were his hallmark, and songs like "Time in a Bottle," were huge hits because of their easy sentimentality. "I Got a Name" was the singer as well-worn folk traveler, while "Bad, Bad Leroy Brown" and even "You Don't Mess Around with Jim" followed standard boogie chord progressions, albeit with Croce's softer rock feel. There wasn't much really separating the overt emotions of "I'll Have to Say I Love You in a Song" and "Operator" from his sap-dripping contemporaries, but there was just enough of an edge in Croce's warm voice to elevate his love songs to another level. Like a, oh, moderately priced wine, Croce remains a classic--accessible, affordable, and easy to enjoy. -- Steve Gdula

User Reviews:
 Rating 5   Written on May 8, 2006
   Summary: You Don't Mess Around With Jim
As with any greatest hits album you get someone else's idea of greatest hits. Yet if you only intend to buy one Jim Croce album you can not go wrong with this one. At least it has my favorites. In case you have not heard Jim before, the album is a mixture of fast and slow paced songs; yet all of them have his signature voice and style. These are his later recordings and were released just before he was killed in a plane crash. You may also want to pick up am album of his earlier recordings to see how he progresses through the years.

 Rating 4   Written on January 28, 2006
   Summary: I wouldn't listen to the fact that he was genius
I'm probably like most guys who weren't around when Croce made his music. I know a handful of hits and thought the rest of this would be pleasant but bland folkish pop. (The disc is actually my wife's.) Once I found the time to sample this, I was pleasantly surprised for the most part. Croce seems able to both write convincing uptempo pop-rockers as well as melancholy balladry with an eye for the telling detail that marks the best lyricists.

HIGHLIGHTS:
"Bad,Bad Leroy Brown" was a man 'meaner than a junkyard dog' who meets his comeuppance when he dallies with the wrong man's wife. "Operator" is told stream of consciousness style..Croce trying to call and make amends with the woman who ran off with his best friend and faltering again and again ("Operator/oh could you help me place this call/'cause i can't read the number that you just gave me/There's something in my eyes/You know it happens every time/I think about the love that I thought would save me..") "Rapid Roy" combines Croce's musical attempt at an acoustic rendering of the classic Chuck Berry riff with a character study of an ex moonshine runner turned racer. Croce's wit is apparent here. ("He got a tattoo on his arm that says "Baby"/He got another one that just say "Hey") "Time in a Bottle" is a transcendent expression of love that deserves every bit of the airplay it gets. Anyone who argues this is "sappy" is devoid of heart. "Workin' at the Car Wash Blues" is rapid fire wordplay with a fantastic opening line. ("Well, i had just got out from the county prison/Doin' 90 days for non-support..") It's a shaggy dog tale of a man trying to pick up the pieces at a thankless job. "I Got a Name" is a classic plea for recoginition of self-worth amid the sea of people that is our world. "You Don't Mess Around with Jim" is another catchy tale of a tough guy being done in. Despite repeating the theme of "Leroy Brown" more or less, it's still a keeper. "Lover's Cross" is Croce's refusal to become a martyr for the sake of a woman.

LOWS:
"These Dreams" is a great lyric about breaking up ("Once we were lovers/But that was long ago/We lived together then/And now we do not even say hello..") but the melody comes off like an attempt to re-write "Time in a Bottle". "Roller Derby Queen" suffers from the same fate, sounding like a carbon copy of "You Don't Mess Around with Jim" musically. The lyric's also not terribly memorable.

BOTTOM LINE:
I've underestimated Croce. "Rapid Roy" and "Lover's Cross" are likely to become favourites of mine with more play, and I already knew I loved the "radio stuff" (Operator,You Don't Mess Around with Jim,Bad Bad Leroy Brown, Time in a Bottle) A nice collection from an underrated singer-songwriter.


 Rating 5   Written on December 24, 2005
   Summary: Super Singer/Songwriter!
When Billy Joel wrote "Only the Good Die Young" Jim Croce could have easily made the list of the greats called back to God's house in the prime of their careers. Photographs and Memories Jim Croce's Greatest Hits is still to this date a big seller. This was his first Hit's CD. Jim was just scratching the surface of being a star. By producing 8 top 40 hits and released 3 #1 albums in a 2 year span, TV appearances, radio talk shows and a cartoon version of Bad Bad Leroy Brown (which can be seen on his DVD "Have You Heard Jim Croce Live" a very likeable artist. Could you imagine what this guy could have done if his career was able to continue? Great collection of hits.

 Rating 4   Written on January 20, 2005
   Summary: One Fun Album
Jim Croche had a lot of talent with his style of folk-rock. The voice is memorable and the guitars are great too. It's a shame that he died so early in his life. This album shows all of the essential highlights. It's a great beginner's guide to Jim.

1. Bad Bad Leroy Brown: It was one of his greatest hits for a reason. It's catchy to the point of madness. What a way to start off. 9.5 out of 10.
2. Operator (That's Not the Way It Feels): Not only could Jim rock, but he could wind down and sing very good soft folk rock. This is a great example here. 9 out of 10.
3. Photographs and Memories: Another good sentimental slow song. It can make you stop and think, it's that good. 8 out 10.
4. Rapid Roy (The Stock Car Boy): Now we're back to the fast-paced fury of Rapid Roy. The riffs sound like Chuck Berry, but the lyrics can become repetitive after a few listens. Good song still. 8 out of 10.
5. Time in a Bottle: This is a very popular song by him, but it's not one of my favorites. I guess it's too slow, but I have listened to it sometimes with interest. 7 out of 10.
6. New York's Not My Home: For some reason, this song sounds better than Time in a Bottle despite the same pace. I think it's the singable chorus. 8 out of 10.
7. Working at the Car Wash Blues: Very country here. Don't let the blues title fool you. It's still a comical and listenable tune. 8.5 out of 10.
8. I Got a Name: It's a good song. No complaints, no praises. It's average Croche. 7.5 out of 10.
9. I'll Have to Say I Love You in a Song: A sweet soft country ballad. Only Jim could have made this song special like this. 9 out of 10.
10. You Don't Mess Around with Jim: It's the first song by Jim I heard on the radio. You can't get that tune out of your head. One of his best. 9.5 out of 10.
11. Lover's Cross: Very enjoyable. The lyrics are inventive and the melody is sweet and mellow. Great song. 8.5 out of 10.
12. One Less Set of Footsteps: Fun, catchy and fast. Jim knew how to make his acoustic guitar sound addictive. 8.5 out of 10.
13. These Dreams: It's OK. Again, Jim plays a little too slow. Maybr that's not the way to go, Jim. 7 out of 10.
14. Roller Derby Queen: The collection ends with one of his most underrated tracks. It's a very funny song and it sounds so good, that it makes you want Jim to come back. 9.5 out of 10.

Overall rating: With only a few minor blemishes, this collection is a recommended listen, especially with the cheap price.


 Rating 5   Written on September 3, 2004
   Summary: This is a Classic!
"I've Got a Name," "Operator," and the title track all speak to the most important part of the human race, the human heart!
It's too bad Jim's life was tragically cut short. He could have been such a force for good in pop music.


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Our price$8.97$7.97$13.99$9.99$9.99$8.99
List price$11.98$9.98$18.98$18.98$18.98$13.98
Lowest used price$2.45$2.00$8.45$2.95$6.94$2.45
Lowest new price$5.99$3.99$9.99$4.89$6.98$6.24
Collectible price$11.98--$18.98-$13.98
CatalogMusicMusicMusicMusicMusicMusic
Release date1995-09-192000-09-262002-04-021990-10-252003-04-081990-10-25
MediaAudio CDAudio CDAudio CDAudio CDAudio CDAudio CD
discs number111111
FormatOriginal recording remasteredOriginal recording remasteredOriginal recording remastered---
Ean007567925702407314546889250081227828721002521800022200812273837250746431350238
Upc075679257024731454688925081227828721025218000222081227383725746431350238
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