Come on Get Happy! The Very Best of the Partridge Family (CD - 2005)

The Partridge Family: George Bohanon (horns); Jim Hughart, Max Bennett, Joe Osborne (bass guitar); Chuck Findley, David Cassidy, Dennis Budimir, Hal Blaine, Jackie Ward, Joe Porcaro, Larry Knechtel, Louie Shelton, Mike Melvoin, Shirley Jones , Stan Farber, Tom Bahler, Tommy Tedesco , Ben Benay, John Bahler, Ron Hicklin.

Personnel: David Cassidy, Shirley Jones (vocals); Dean Parks, Dennis Budimir, Donald Peake, Al Casey, Brendan Cahill, Larry Carlton, Louie Shelton, Mike Anthony, Richard Bennett , Tommy Tedesco , Ben Benay (guitar); Bob Hardaway, Jackie Kelso, Bill Perkins (saxophone); George Bohanon, Lew McCreary (trombone); Tom Bahler (horns, background vocals); Chuck Findley (horns); Larry Knechtel, Mike Melvoin (piano, keyboards); Lincoln Mayorga, Michael Omartian, Larry Muhoberac (keyboards); Hal Blaine, Jim Gordon (drums); Joe Porcaro, Gary Coleman (percussion); Jackie Ward, Stan Farber, John Bahler, Ron Hicklin (background vocals).

Liner Note Author: Ken Sharp.

Recording information: A&M Studios, Hollywood, CA; Western Recorders (Studio 2), Los Angeles, CA.

Arrangers: Wes Farrell; Mike Melvoin; Donald Peake; Billy Strange.

The Partridge Family don't get much respect from the standard history of rock from the early '70s. Much like their fellow made-for-TV brethren the Monkees, their contributions are written off as pre-fab concoctions that are too trifling to be bothered with. If you fall in line with that kind of thinking you are going to miss one of the best pop acts of the era. Utilizing the cream of behind-the-scenes songwriters from Neil Sedaka to Hot Chocolate's Errol Brown, and the lush vocal harmonies of the uncredited (at the time) background singers, the Partridge Family's songs are solid AM pop, with hooks galore and a light but not saccharine sound. Add to that the excellent (and under-rated) vocals of David Cassidy and you have some top-notch disposable pop that has stood the test of time. Come On Get Happy! The Very Best of the Partridge Family replaces the 1989's decent Greatest Hits and streamlines 2001's Definitive Collection by taking away all the David Cassidy solo tracks. The bulk of the songs here appear on both those collections, though, including their smash hit "I Think I Love You" plus other gems like "Echo Valley 2-6809" and "Doesn't Somebody Want to Be Loved." The collection also includes four previously unreleased tracks, two of which ("Together (Havin' a Ball)" and "Let the Good Times In") appeared in the show's first episode and were sung not by Cassidy but by Ron Hicklin, a member of the backing vocal crew. The other two feature Cassidy and are as good as any of their hits, "Baby I Love, Love, I Love You" is particularly fun. Whether the unreleased four songs belong on a" Very Best Of" collection is up for debate: On one hand it might have been better to add more songs that people remembered. but on the other it is nice to have the rarities unearthed. Either way, this is the best Partridge Family collection available. ~ Tim Sendra minimize