The Pye Anthology

AMG Review of The Pye Anthology

Thom Jurek
All Music Guide

For starters, this Sequel edition features no less than 56 tracks, making it a whopping collection. It includes every recording Brit superstar Sandie Shaw recorded for Pye between 1964 through her biggest hit "Puppet on a String," in 1967. There are two complete albums here, a boatload of singles, rare EP and live tracks, an alternate mix of "I'd Be Far Better Off Without You," gloriously remastered sound, a foldout booklet with cool pictures and a full bio, as well as complete discographical information. Given that this is provided at a budget price -- two import CDs for the price of a single domestic one -- there is no need to debate. Anyone interested in the female singers of the era, from Jackie DeShannon to Cher to Dusty Springfield, needs this set -- and badly. After listening to the first half of this, there can be no doubt as to why everyone from the British Electric Foundation to Morrissey wanted her on their records in the 1980s.