The Cascades began aboard a Navy ship in the early '60s, writing songs and cutting demos on cheap equipment. After pounding on some in Hollywood, they saw their first release on the tiny Valiant label in 1962, which is where this compilation of the group's best begins. Both sides of their debut disc, "There's a Reason" and "Second Chance," set the squeaky-clean tone of this retrospective. The Cascades were pure vanilla ice cream in their harmony approach; so much so that when they were recording their hit, "Rhythm of the ...
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The Cascades began aboard a Navy ship in the early '60s, writing songs and cutting demos on cheap equipment. After pounding on some in Hollywood, they saw their first release on the tiny Valiant label in 1962, which is where this compilation of the group's best begins. Both sides of their debut disc, "There's a Reason" and "Second Chance," set the squeaky-clean tone of this retrospective. The Cascades were pure vanilla ice cream in their harmony approach; so much so that when they were recording their hit, "Rhythm of the Rain," at the Gold Star Studios, producer Phil Spector asked them if they were cutting a demo for Ricky Nelson! Although only "Shy Girl," "The Last Leaf," and "A Little Like Lovin'" made the charts, but all the group's best performances from their run at Valiant and later at RCA Victor are aboard in this solid little compilation. As an extra bonus, this 19-track collection also sports five previously unreleased masters from the RCA vaults recorded in 1963, a prime year for the group. For a supposed one-hit wonder, the Cascades had a lot of great music to show for their efforts nonetheless. ~ Cub Koda, Rovi
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