AMG Review of Definitive Collection

Al Campbell
All Music Guide

The Definitive Collection unites original recordings from Humble Pie's early-'70s A&M output, highlighting the gravelly vocals of ex-Small Faces frontman Steve Marriott along with the driving guitars of first Peter Frampton and then Frampton's replacement, Dave "Clem" Clempson. During their peak years, Humble Pie were the premier boogie band. Their output of the era inundated album rock radio with the originals "Hot 'n' Nasty" and "30 Days in the Hole," Eddie Cochran's "C'mon Everybody," and the Ray Charles-inspired epic "I Don't Need No Doctor," which was recorded live at ~the Fillmore and was Frampton's swan song with the band. Also included are several hard-edged cover versions of blues classics -- "Four Day Creep," "Rollin' Stone," and "I'm Ready" -- which were a significant part of their regular live set at the time. While there are other, more exhaustive compilations, such as the double-disc 1994 set Hot 'n' Nasty: The Anthology, this is the best concise overview of the group's career, containing the most hits on a single disc.