AMG Review of Ultimate Collection

Greg Adams
All Music Guide

Benny Hill was primarily a comedian, but he was also a credible singer who charted a string of U.K. novelty hits beginning in the early '60s. The Ultimate Collection gathers 23 of his Pye and EMI recordings from 1961-71, all of which are humorous songs rather than comedy recitations. Hill covered a lot of ground, touching on rock, folk, country, and ethnic styles while delivering rapid-fire double entendres and silly puns, some of which were recycled more than once. The collection concludes with "Ernie (The Fastest Milkman in the West)," a number-one hit in England and an enjoyable send-up of Western story songs. Although there are funny jokes throughout, many of Hill's compositions can stand on their musical merits alone.