"Now Yearbook Extra '73: 60 More Essential Hits From 1973" by VARIOUS ARTISTS – Featuring Mud, T.Rex, Mott The Hoople, David Bowie, The Allman Brothers Band, Thin Lizzy, Elton John, Carly Simon, Helen Reddy, Wizzard, Slade, Hudson-Ford, Paul Simon, Timmy Thomas, The Sweet, Jackson 5, Diana Ross & Marvin Gaye, The Detroit Spinners, Dobie Gray, Status Quo, Edgar Winter Group, Electric Light Orchestra, Gilbert O’Sullivan, Paul McCartney & Wings, 10cc, Mud, Nazareth, Albert Hammond, Donny Osmond, Suzi Quatro, Barry Blue, Geordie and many more (October 2023 UK Sony Music/EMI 3CD Themed Collection – Now Yearbook Series – Collectors Edition - Various Remasters) - A Review by Mark Barry...

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"…Solid Gold Easy Action…"

While its Big-Daddy 4CD 82-Track compilation compatriot Now Yearbook '73 is a Cum On Feel The Noize Slade-slammin' 5-stars (released the month prior in September 2023) – its 3CD little brother compadre Extra '73 struggles to say the bleeding least (3-stars). 

Across sixty (more) tunes of supposed Solid Gold Easy Action T.Rextasy, there's a serious amount of badly dated Pop cack here, much of it borderline embarrassing into the pile-'em-high bargain. I am glad I got this at a knock-down price of under six quid from Amazon in one of their regular Sales purges. 

But (and this is the big but) - as with all these Now Yearbook sets – the goodies in-between the line-up cracks rescue your listen big time. "Lamplight" by David Essex is a stormer forgotten to time, the stunning "Frankenstein" from Johnny's brother Edgar Winter must be up there in the top 5 greatest Rock instrumental singles ever (dig that huge synth break rattling around your speakers) and the cool/beauty of "Why Can't We Live Together?" and "Drift Away" by Timmy Thomas and Dobie Gray never date for me – they are both Soul/R&B genius – even 50-years hence. Wings, E.L.O., Quo and Alice Cooper liven things up too. Skweeze Me, Pleeze Me Indeed. 

To the Lamplights, Pyjamaramas, Ghetto Children, Paper Planes, Hell Raisers, Ball Park Incidents and Free Electric Bands…details Mickey Most please... 

UK released 13 October 2023 – "Now Yearbook Extra '73: 60 More Essential Hits From 1973" by VARIOUS ARTISTS on Sony Music/EMI CDYBENOW73 – 0196588268823 (Barcode 196588268823) is an Extra Collectors Edition 3CD compilation in the 'Now Yearbook Series'. All tracks are 45-singles except when Album Versions are used (see NOTES after each CD list to identify), the whole collection is Remastered by Sony/EMI (some use specific date Remasters, again see NOTES) and I have provided UK release dates and catalogue numbers for each entry – info that is not in the card sleeve (no booklet). It breaks down as follows:

CD1 (68:10 minutes):

1. Skweeze Me, Pleeze Me - SLADE (June 1973, Polydor 2058 339)

2. Angel Fingers (A Teen Ballad) - WIZZARD (August 1973, Harvest HAR 5076)

3. Solid Gold Easy Action - T.REX (December 1972, EMI/T.Rex MARC 3)

4. Hell Raiser - THE SWEET (April 1973, RCA Victor RCA 2357)

5. Daytona Demon - SUZI QUATRO (October 1973, RAK Records RAK 161)

6. Hypnosis - MUD (June 1973, RAK Records RAK 152) 

7. Do You Wanna Dance? - BARRY BLUE (October 1973, Bell Records BELL 1336)

8. All The Way From Memphis - MOTT THE HOOPLE (Album Version, July 1973 UK LP "Mott" on CBS Records S 69038)

9. Pyjamarama - ROXY MUSIC (February 1973, Island WIP 6159, 1999 Remaster)

10. Lamplight - DAVID ESSEX (November 1973, CBS Records S CBS 1902)

11. The Dean And I - 10cc (August 1973, UK Records UK 48)

12. Why Oh Why Oh Why - GILBERT O'SULLIVAN (November 1973, MAM Records MAM 111)

13. The Twelfth Of Never - DONNY OSMOND (Album Version, from the 1973 UK LP "Alone Together" on MGM Records 2315 210)

14. Daddy's Home - JERMAINE JACKSON (April 1973, Tamla Motown TMG 851)

15. The Look Of Love - GLADYS KNIGHT And THE PIPS (Album Version, a 1968 song from the US 1968 LP "Silk N' Soul" on Soul SS-711 in Stereo)

16. Break Up To Make Up - THE STYLISTICS (February 1973, Avco 6105 020)

17. Skywriter - JACKSON 5 (Album Version, from the July 1973 UK LP "Skywriter" on Tamla Motown STML 11231)

18. I'm Doin' Fine Now - NEW YORK CITY (May 1973, RCA Victor RCA 2351)

19. Ghetto Child - THE DETROIT SPINNERS (September 1973, Atlantic K 10359) Spinners in USA

20. Why Can't We Live Together (7" Glades Version) - TIMMY THOMAS (February 1973, Mojo 2027 012, 2013 Remaster)

NOTES on CD1:

Tracks 8, 13, 15 and 17 are Album Versions

Tracks 9 and 20 are Remasters from 1999 and 2013 respectively

CD2 (71:06 minutes):

1. Hi, Hi, Hi – WINGS (December 1972, Apple R 5973 - Double A-side with "C Moon" - Although only credited to WINGS - it was Paul McCartney's band - both tracks Non-LP at the time of release)

2. Showdown (Single Version) – ELECTRIC LIGHT ORCHESTRA (September 1973, Harvest HAR 5077)

3. Joybringer – MANFRED MANN'S EARTHBAND (August 1973, Vertigo 6059 083)

4. Broken Down Angel – NAZARETH (March 1973, Mooncrest MOON 1)

5. All Because Of You – GEORDIE (February 1973, EMI Records EMI 2008)

6. Paper Plane – STATUS QUO (November 1972, Vertigo 6059 071)

7. Frankenstein (Single Version) – THE EDGAR WINTER GROUP (April 1973, Epic S EPC 1440)

8. Hello Hooray – ALICE COOPER (January 1973, Warner Brothers K 16248)

9. God Gave Rock And Roll To You – ARGENT (February 1973, Epic S EPC 1243) 

10. The Free Electric Band - ALBERT HAMMOND (May 1973, MUMS Records S MUM 1494)

11. Ramblin Man – THE ALLMAN BROTHERS BAND (October 1973, Capricorn K 17513)

12. Pick Up The Pieces – HUDSON-FORD [ex Strawbs] (August 1973, A&M AMS 7078)

13. Loves Me Like A Rock – PAUL SIMON (with The Dixie Hummingbirds) (August 1973, CBS Records S CBS 1700)

14. Baby I Love You – DAVE EDMUNDS (December 1972, Rockfield ROC 1)

15. Hallelujah Day (Single Version) – JACKSON 5 (May 1973, Tamla Motown TMG 856)

16. Keep On Truckin' (Part 1) (Single Version) – EDDIE KENDRICKS (October 1973, Tamla Motown TMG 873)

17. Take Me Girl, I'm Ready – Jr. WALKER And THE ALL-STARS (January 1973, Tamla Motown TMG 840)

18. You're A Special Part Of Me – DIANA ROSS & MARVIN GAYE (November 1973, Tamla Motown TMG 879)

19. Pillow Talk – SYLVIA (April 1973, London HLU 10415)

20. Drift Away – DOBIE GRAY (March 1973, MCA Records MU 1184)

NOTES on CD2:

Tracks 1, 2, 7, 15 and 16 are Single Versions (Track 1 was a Non-LP 45-Single)

Track 5 features Brian Johnson, future Lead Vocalist with AC/DC

Track 13 features the famous Doo Wop/Acapella Group 'The Dixie Hummingbirds'

Track 14 is a cover version of the December 1963 Ronettes US 45 originally on Philles 118. Produced by Phil Spector, Dave Edmunds produced his cover in the same Phil Spector Wall-of-Sound style

Tracks 1 and 4 are 2018 and 2009 Remasters respectively

CD3 (61:53 minutes):

1. Daniel - ELTON JOHN (January 1973, DJM Records DJS 275)

2. The Right Thing To Do - CARLY SIMON (March 1973, Elektra K 12095) 

3. Time In A Bottle - JIM CROCE (November 1973 USA, ABC Records ABC-11405, February 1974 UK, Vertigo 6073 272)

4. Delta Dawn - HELEN REDDY (July 1973, Capitol CL 15757)

5. Rocky Mountain High – JOHN DENVER (January 1973, RCA Victor RCA 2312)

6. Duelling Banjos - ERIC WEISSBERG and STEVE MANDELL (November 1972, Warner Brothers K 16223)

7. My Friend Stan - SLADE (September 1973, Polydor 2058 407)

8. The Groover - T.REX (June 1973, EMI/T.Rex MARC 5)

9. Ball Park Incident - WIZZARD (November 1972, Harvest HAR 5062)

10. Honaloochie Boogie - MOTT THE HOOPLE (May 1973, CBS Records S CBS 1530)

11. Randy - BLUE MINK (June 1973, EMI Records EMI 2028)

12. Step Into A Dream - WHITE PLAINS (January 1973, Deram DM 371)

13. Say, Has Anyone Seen My Sweet Gypsy Rose - DAWN featuring TONY ORLANDO (July 1973, Bell Records BELL 1322)

14. Pinball Wizard/See Me, Feel Me - THE NEW SEEKERS (February 1973, Polydor 2058 338)

15. Avenues And Alleyways - TONY ORLANDO (October 1972, MCA Records MCA MKS 5101)

16. I've Been Hurt - GUY DARRELL (July 1973, Ponsa PNS 4)

17. Spanish Eyes - AL MARTINO (November 1965 USA original on Capitol Capital 5542, Reissued UK August 1970 on Capitol CL 15430 and reached No. 49, re-entered the UK singles charts again in July 1973 and rose to No. 5 

18. Fool - ELVIS PRESLEY (August 1973, RCA Victor RCA 2393)

19. The Old Fashioned Way (Les Plaisirs Demodes) - CHARLES AZNAVOUR (April 1973, Barclay BAR 20)

20. Monster Mash - BOBBY (BORIS) PICKETT and THE CRYPT-KICKERS (July 1961 US Original on Garpax P-1, September 1962 UK Single Originally on London HLU 9597, re-issued August 1970 in the UK on London HLU 10320, re-entered the UK charts in September 1973 and rose to No. 3

NOTES on CD3:

Track 6 from the movie "Deliverance"

Track 14 is a Medley of two Who cover versions

Track 16 was originally a hit in 1964; Track 17 originally in 1965; Track 20 was a US No. 1 in 1962

The packaging on these Extra Yearbook 3CD Sets is bog-standard and basic – three-flap foldout card sleeves with the CDs in die-cuts on the inside. The track-by-track info beneath those grooves always offers more than the rear sleeve basics, albeit in minuscule print. Some are Album Versions and others are specific Remasters - Track 10 on CD1 for instance is "All The Way From Memphis" by Mott The Hoople, but the small print tells you that it's the Album Version which is longer than the harder to find on digital shorter version of the 45-single mix. The Roxy Music and Timmy Thomas songs are 1999 and 2013 Remasters, Donny Osmond and Gladys Knight And The Pips are LP versions too. Other years - the Gladys Knight cover of the famous Burt Bacharach song is from 1968 but released in 1973 – Bobby 'Boris' Pickett and The Crypt-Kickers doing "The Monster Mash" ending CD3 is the same – a witty US 1962 No. 1 Novelty song reissued to chart success in 1973 (a graveyard smash, oh dear).

There is no mastering credit, but you can tell these are good Remasters – the audio crack-a-lacking throughout – song after song impressing. The problem lies in the material. Anyone who bought the 4CD Now Yearbook '73 set will know that it's chock full of audio goodies in both the Rock and Soul spheres with a mishmash of Pop and Glam thrown in. Here you get a concentration on the Pop end of Glam, the crooner tunes, and a big hunk of the teen idols and their sickly-travelled saccharine pap. For sure there are moments – "The Free Electric Band" by Albert Hammond is 1973 Pop-Rock at its best, "The Right Thing To Do" by Carly Simon is gorgeous and arguably better than the more famous "You're So Vain" (which is on the 4CD set) and I will take "The Dean & I" by 10cc over their too familiar "Rubber Bullets" any day of the 1973 week (both from their debut album). 

While Al Martino and Tony Christie may make you smile with "Spanish Eyes" and the British gangster lean of "Avenues And Alleyways" - The New Seekers, Elvis Presley, Charles Aznavour et all kills off any good nostalgia vibe. It's also understandable that huge albums of 1973 like Floyd's "Dark Side Of The Moon" and Mike Oldfield's "Tubular Bells" don't make it even if there were singles off both, but where is the "Aladdin Sane" stuff from Bowie or McCartney's "Band On The Run" album or something from Elton's "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road". Where is "Innervisions" by Stevie Wonder with its killer songs and superlative singles? 

There are too few genuine tear-jerking remembrance moments too, like "Gaye" by Clifford T. Ward that ends CD2 on the 4CD set followed by a magisterial "Albatross" by Peter Green's Fleetwood Mac (a November 1968 single and magnificent instrumental that had re-charted in 1973). Instead, you get syrupy goo like Sylvia, John Denver and Helen Reddy - while Diana Ross tries to out-credit Marvin Gaye on a tune that does neither of them any favours. Goodies do come with Paul Simon, Nazareth and The Detroit Spinners, providing moments of Rock and Soul greatness – but for me there are too few of those and too much of the other.

A good set then rather than a great one. If you must buy - get the four-disc Now Yearbook '73  set first (reviewed separately) and start your way to this – albeit cautiously…