Similar to 1992's 20-track
Looking Glass: A Collection
, the
Repertoire
label's
The Best of Gary Puckett & the Union Gap
adds six more songs to the pot, proving that the words quantity and quality rhyme only for ironic reasons. Like
Columbia/Legacy
's significantly more economical
Young Girl: The Best of Gary Puckett & the Union Gap
, the collection front-loads the group's three biggest hits (
"Woman, Woman,"
"Young Girl,"
and
"Lady Willpower"
), causing
Puckett
's rich baritone, as impressive as it is, to grow stale about halfway through the 26 cuts. Fans looking to explore the extreme depths of
the Union Gap
will find much to love here, while those unwilling to lower themselves into the darkness would be better off with
Sony
's mercifully short (and budget-priced)
Super Hits
compilation. ~ James Christopher Monger