Tuesday , March 19 2024
Their latest release is a semi-triumph.

Music Review: Triumph – Greatest Hits Remixed

Triumph was a Canadian hard rock band that many times was taken for granted. They were never the most popular or the most talented but would churn out excellent rock ‘n’ roll for almost two decades. They reached the height of their popularity during the late seventies and eighties. They released ten studio albums between 1975 and 1993, eight of which would receive gold and platinum awards for sales in their home country and five would achieve that status in The United States.

The band was formed during 1975 by drummer/vocalist Gil Moore, bassist/keyboardist Mike Levine, and singer/guitarist Rik Emmett. Guitarist/keyboardist Rick Santers was added in 1984. Emmett would leave in 1988 and guitarist Phil Xenidis would be a member from 1992 until the band’s dissolution in 1993. Recently the original members have played some dates together.

They have just released Greatest Hits Remixed. It is a three disc set which encompasses their career. As with any compilation albums, there can always be debate of what was included vs. what was left off, but in general they get it right as songs such as “Allied Forces,” “Hold On,” “Lay It On The Line,” “Magic Power,” “Follow Your Heart,” and “Somebody’s Out There” are all included among the fourteen tracks contained on the first disc. I might have replaced their version of “Love Hurts” with 1980’s “I Can Survive” but it’s a minor point.

One should really take note of the album’s title as the tracks are remixed and not rerecorded. My only complaint is the drums are mixed too loud, which in some cases overpowers the guitar sound.

The DVD disc contains many of their videos. While they are interesting, I would have preferred concert material as they were an excellent and powerful live band. Having said that the videos are a nice slice of personal and rock history.

The final disc contains three bonus videos that should please hardcore fans of the group. They include “Child Of The City” with guitarist Phil X, “Blinding Light Show,” which was a bootleg video filmed by a fan, and “Love Hurts” from a YouTube video.

A final note should mention the enclosed booklet which is one of the better ones I have seen this year. It presents an excellent overview of the songs and the band.

Greatest Hits Remixed may not be a perfect release, but it is still very good. It presents the best of Triumph, which should please their large fan base and hopefully earn them some new ones as well.

About David Bowling

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