Unlimited Streaming
Listen to this album in high quality now on our apps
Start my trial period and start listening to this albumEnjoy this album on Qobuz apps with your subscription
SubscribeEnjoy this album on Qobuz apps with your subscription
Digital Download
Purchase and download this album in a wide variety of formats depending on your needs.
The problem with the Bay City Rollers is that they tried to have a meaningful career. Their life span, after all, divides neatly into three very separate parts -- the first few years of local underachievement, living off the glories of a one-off U.K. hit in 1971 ("Keep on Dancing"); two years of absolute supremacy, bookended by the "Remember" single and Dedication album; and two more of increasingly desperate floundering, as they tried to escape their (admittedly ghastly) image and establish themselves as a viable serious rock group. Guess which one they took most seriously? And guess which one everyone else cares about? Between 1974-1976, the Rollers were the supreme deities of pop, purveyors of a dozen killer singles, a pair of largely interchangeable albums, and right at the end, a first grab for the elusive ring of critical respectability with the aforementioned Dedication. The band's first album to be cut away from longtime hit-writers Bill Martin and Phil Coulter, it literally blistered with well-chosen covers and well-crafted originals, and on long dark nights when sleep is elusive, scholars still lie awake wondering how the band ever slipped from the sublimely knowing irony of "Yesterday's Heroes" to the turgid banalities of "The Way I Feel Tonight," "Another Rainy Day in New York," and "You Made Me Believe in Magic." Absolute Rollers shares their befuddlement. Twenty-one tracks do, it is true, stray somewhat into the dark days at the end of the band's life, but more than any other compilation out there, they document the peak of Rollermania with the passion of a true tartan terror. The first half of the album is unsurpassed commercial brilliance, a straightforward rendering of all the vital hits -- including the surprisingly seldom-documented "Keep on Dancing"; the second half, the aforementioned deviation notwithstanding, cherry picks albums and B-sides to highlight the phenomenal strengths that the Scottish lads kept in reserve. There are a few crucial omissions -- "Yesterday's Hero," of course; their trailblazing version of Kenny's "The Bump"; and the teenaged Ian Mitchell's showcase, "Dedication." One can also mourn the absence of the B-side "Bye Bye Barbara" and the original versions of "Remember" and "Saturday Night" (the hit versions were re-recorded tracks cut with founding vocalist Nobby Clarke). But still, Absolute Rollers delivers a powerful package, and the most convincing proof yet that, beneath the tartan, beneath the gimmickry, and beneath the pretensions that ultimately crushed them, the Bay City Rollers might well have been the perfect mid-'70s pop group. They certainly made some of the most perfect mid-'70s records.
© Dave Thompson /TiVo
You are currently listening to samples.
Listen to over 100 million songs with an unlimited streaming plan.
Listen to this playlist and more than 100 million songs with our unlimited streaming plans.
From $17.49/month
Bay City Rollers, Associated Performer, Main Artist, Associated Performer - Phil Coulter, Composer, Lyricist, Producer - Bill Martin, Composer, Lyricist, Producer
(P) 1974 Arista Records Inc.
Bay City Rollers, Associated Performer, Main Artist, Associated Performer - Bill Martin, Composer, Lyricist, Producer - Phil Coulter, Composer, Lyricist, Producer
(P) 1975 Arista Records LLC
Bay City Rollers, Associated Performer, Main Artist, Associated Performer - Bill Martin, Composer, Lyricist, Producer - Phil Coulter, Arranger, Composer, Lyricist, Producer
(P) 1974 RCA Records, a division of Sony Music Entertainment
Bay City Rollers, Associated Performer, Main Artist, Associated Performer - Bob Gaudio, Composer, Lyricist - Bob Crewe, Composer, Lyricist - Phil Wainman, Producer
(P) 1974 Arista Records LLC
Bay City Rollers, Associated Performer, Main Artist, Associated Performer - Raymond, Composer, Lyricist - Hawker, Composer, Lyricist - Jimmy Ienner, Producer
(P) 1976 Arista Records LLC
Bay City Rollers, Associated Performer, Main Artist, Associated Performer - Bill Martin, Composer, Lyricist, Producer - Phil Coulter, Composer, Lyricist, Producer
(P) 1974 Arista Records LLC
Bay City Rollers, Associated Performer, Main Artist, Associated Performer - Phil Wainman, Composer, Lyricist, Producer - John Goodison, Composer, Lyricist
(P) 1975 Arista Records LLC
Bay City Rollers, Associated Performer, Main Artist, Associated Performer - Bill Martin, Composer, Lyricist, Producer - Phil Coulter, Arranger, Composer, Lyricist, Producer
(P) 1974 Arista Records Inc.
Bay City Rollers, Associated Performer, Main Artist, Associated Performer - David Bowie, Composer, Lyricist - Harry Maslin, Engineer, Producer
(P) 1978 Arista Records LLC
Bay City Rollers, Associated Performer, Main Artist, Associated Performer - Eric Faulkner, Composer, Lyricist - Stuart Wood, Composer, Lyricist - Phil Wainman, Producer
(P) 1975 Arista Records LLC
Bay City Rollers, Associated Performer, Main Artist, Associated Performer - Willi David Young, Composer, Lyricist - Phil Wainman, Producer
Originally released 1971. All rights reserved by Arista Records LLC
Bay City Rollers, Associated Performer, Main Artist, Associated Performer - Muff Winwood, Producer - Eric Faulkner, Composer, Lyricist - Stuart Wood, Composer, Lyricist
(P) 1976 Arista Records LLC
Bay City Rollers, Associated Performer, Main Artist, Associated Performer - Faulkner, Composer, Lyricist - Wood, Composer, Lyricist - Phil Wainman, Producer
(P) 1975 Arista Records LLC
Bay City Rollers, Associated Performer, Main Artist, Associated Performer - Jeff Barry, Composer, Lyricist - Ellie Greenwich, Composer, Lyricist - Phil Coulter, Producer - Bill Martin, Producer - Philip Spector, Composer, Lyricist
(P) 1974 RCA Records, a division of Sony Music Entertainment
Bay City Rollers, Associated Performer, Main Artist, Associated Performer - Len Boone, Composer, Lyricist - Harry Maslin, Producer
(P) 1977 Arista Records LLC
Bay City Rollers, Associated Performer, Main Artist, Associated Performer - Harvey Shield, Composer, Lyricist - Harry Maslin, Producer
(P) 1977 Arista Records LLC
Bay City Rollers, Associated Performer, Main Artist, Associated Performer - Faulkner, Composer, Lyricist - Wood, Composer, Lyricist - Harry Maslin, Producer
(P) 1978 Arista Records LLC
Bay City Rollers, Associated Performer, Main Artist, Associated Performer - Chris Adams, Composer, Lyricist - Harry Maslin, Producer
(P) 1977 Arista Records LLC
Bay City Rollers, Associated Performer, Main Artist, Associated Performer - Faulkner, Composer, Lyricist - Wood, Composer, Lyricist - Phil Coulter, Producer - Bill Martin, Producer
(P) 1974 Arista Records Inc.
Bay City Rollers, Associated Performer, Main Artist, Associated Performer - Tim Moore, Composer, Lyricist - Colin Frechter, Producer
(P) 1976 Arista Records Inc.
Bay City Rollers, Associated Performer, Main Artist, Associated Performer - Gaudio, Composer, Lyricist - Crewe, Composer, Lyricist - Eric Faulkner, Composer, Lyricist - Stuart Wood, Composer, Lyricist - Phil Coulter, Composer, Lyricist, Producer - Muff Winwood, Producer - Phil Wainman, Producer - Bill Martin, Composer, Lyricist, Producer
(P) 1974 Arista Records LLC
Album review
The problem with the Bay City Rollers is that they tried to have a meaningful career. Their life span, after all, divides neatly into three very separate parts -- the first few years of local underachievement, living off the glories of a one-off U.K. hit in 1971 ("Keep on Dancing"); two years of absolute supremacy, bookended by the "Remember" single and Dedication album; and two more of increasingly desperate floundering, as they tried to escape their (admittedly ghastly) image and establish themselves as a viable serious rock group. Guess which one they took most seriously? And guess which one everyone else cares about? Between 1974-1976, the Rollers were the supreme deities of pop, purveyors of a dozen killer singles, a pair of largely interchangeable albums, and right at the end, a first grab for the elusive ring of critical respectability with the aforementioned Dedication. The band's first album to be cut away from longtime hit-writers Bill Martin and Phil Coulter, it literally blistered with well-chosen covers and well-crafted originals, and on long dark nights when sleep is elusive, scholars still lie awake wondering how the band ever slipped from the sublimely knowing irony of "Yesterday's Heroes" to the turgid banalities of "The Way I Feel Tonight," "Another Rainy Day in New York," and "You Made Me Believe in Magic." Absolute Rollers shares their befuddlement. Twenty-one tracks do, it is true, stray somewhat into the dark days at the end of the band's life, but more than any other compilation out there, they document the peak of Rollermania with the passion of a true tartan terror. The first half of the album is unsurpassed commercial brilliance, a straightforward rendering of all the vital hits -- including the surprisingly seldom-documented "Keep on Dancing"; the second half, the aforementioned deviation notwithstanding, cherry picks albums and B-sides to highlight the phenomenal strengths that the Scottish lads kept in reserve. There are a few crucial omissions -- "Yesterday's Hero," of course; their trailblazing version of Kenny's "The Bump"; and the teenaged Ian Mitchell's showcase, "Dedication." One can also mourn the absence of the B-side "Bye Bye Barbara" and the original versions of "Remember" and "Saturday Night" (the hit versions were re-recorded tracks cut with founding vocalist Nobby Clarke). But still, Absolute Rollers delivers a powerful package, and the most convincing proof yet that, beneath the tartan, beneath the gimmickry, and beneath the pretensions that ultimately crushed them, the Bay City Rollers might well have been the perfect mid-'70s pop group. They certainly made some of the most perfect mid-'70s records.
© Dave Thompson /TiVo
About the album
- 1 disc(s) - 21 track(s)
- Total length: 01:07:28
- Main artists: Bay City Rollers
- Composer: Various Composers
- Label: Arista
- Genre: Pop/Rock Pop
(P) 1995 Arista Records, Inc.
Improve album information
Why buy on Qobuz...
-
Stream or download your music
Buy an album or an individual track. Or listen to our entire catalogue with our high-quality unlimited streaming subscriptions.
-
Zero DRM
The downloaded files belong to you, without any usage limit. You can download them as many times as you like.
-
Choose the format best suited for you
Download your purchases in a wide variety of formats (FLAC, ALAC, WAV, AIFF...) depending on your needs.
-
Listen to your purchases on our apps
Download the Qobuz apps for smartphones, tablets and computers, and listen to your purchases wherever you go.