Now, I’m not usually tempted by “best of’s” because I much prefer to buy the full album to see how the songs sit within the album per the vision of the artist. However, even though Argent were perceived as a Prog band, they released killer singles that were very commercial and had chart success.
The radio edit of Take Hold Your Head Up was devoid of the huge Rod Argent Hammond solo, making it a great radio tune and I vividly remember being shocked hearing this version some years later with the added solo. Every one is familiar with God Gave Rock N’ Roll To You as made famous by Kiss, but I have always loved this version and it made a huge impression on me as a kid. Thunder And Lightning is almost an R’n’B tune, especially with the main groove, and I love the melody on the main chorus. My favourite Argent tune is Its Only Money. Superb opening, it’s very dramatic and builds into a killer song. It also has a great groove with a driving bass that changes gears into a something that early Deep Purple would be proud of.
I highly recommend this collection and if you’re any way curious about the band as it’s a good place to start.
8/10 from The Grooveman.
