History Set

this is a great 2 cd set by family, as any die hard family or roger chapman fan knows by now an amazing box set came out last year that has everything on it with the exception of bbc stuff but it costs a bit over 200 bucks so if you are not die hard enough for that or the price, this is the best next compilation to grab, a very well priced 2 cd set that covers familys best work from 1968 through 1973, of coarse you may find folks that say this is not on this disc or that is not on it BUT you cant fit everything on just 2 cds can you???? anyway im very happy with this and the remastering is awesome !!!! this also comes with a nice informative booklet about the band so if you do not want to grab the big box set ( amazon uk has it) then i would grab this next as it is a very very well done budget compilation, this comes in a nice booklet style and is not a cheap budget issue this is one of the better 2 cd compilations to come out by this long lost amazing rock band, i try a lot when i get asked WHO DOES FAMILY SOUND LIKE???? but i can never say or think of another band that sounded like family or anything like them in the last 50 years, any fan WILL LOVE THIS CD!!!! ENJOY. THE MUSIC!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Well, you either love them or hate them. There isn't much in between. A band that sounds like no other.....ever! Friends of mine will leave the room if I put them on. It is great for emptying the place when you want piece of mind. That being said, I've always loved this band. They can be concise and write beautiful ditties like "Children" or "My Friend The Sun"..... but most of the time they sound like they are going completely off the rails with no return in sight. Try listening to "Good News Bad News" or "Strange Band" and see if it doesn't send you to the mental ward. If you survive it you may even enjoy the strange mysterious ride. Roger Chapman can sound like he's exorcising demons that only he can see. His voice is hard to describe. It's pointless to even try. I think it's beautiful but I'm slightly mad so you'd best sample it before taking the plunge. "History" is a 2 disc set of re-mastered tracks from their amazing career. It's really hard to believe they lasted as long as they did because they were so weird and different. I consider their first album "Music In A Dolls House" a psychedelic masterpiece. But it's not indicative of their entire output. They got a bit more soft and squishy in their later albums "Bandstand" and "It's Only A Movie" but they were still fantastic with a more subtle approach (if you could ever use the word "subtle" regarding Family)! If you are afraid after reading this you might just want to try "Fearless" which has a bit of both their madness and softness. It's a classic that I never get tired of. But you might want to stay away from "Anyway" which could bring the men in the white coats to your door. All of their albums are worth their weight in gold to me. I only wish the current music scene could be this exciting. Try them out if you dare!!! This "Family" might become your new relative that you will never want to part with.

I agree with everything that has gone before that Family were a wonderful, groundbreaking, but woefully under appreciated, group whose music, especially their early work, still excites and should be recognised. We have all awaited a comprehensive collection of their work which includes material from their first 2 albums ( Music in a Doll's House and Family Entertainment). On the face of it this double CD would appear to fit the bill but please note that the tracks from these 2 albums actually come from the compilation "Old Songs, New Songs". This explains why the Weaver's Answer comes first before the Doll's House tracks and then the other two Entertainment track so that the chronology is distorted. Although the band preferred the new mixes many of us grew up listening to the original albums and I might have preferred to hear these represented and to keep the original order. Anyway, i would still have bought this album but I might have viewed it in a slightly different light. It is probably more of an emotional comment than anything else. Ultimately having everything Family ever released is the real solution.

A great band gets the compilation they deserve. I could grumble about not getting all my favorite songs in on a double disc set (Larf n Sing?) but numerous highlights from their diverse output are well covered. The sound? Their original CD's were well mastered, maintaining a pleasing, if polite quality. This remastering is livelier, maybe a little over aggressive, but well suited to the rough nature inherent to their visceral delivery. This is really good stuff for mind and body.

My favorite Family song is "Good News Bad News" and as someone else said something like "if you want to clear the room, play Family" kind of like Can.... Family is definitely a acquired taste... This is a good condensed collection.

At long last, a 2CD compilation that includes all of Family's greatest songs and most of the stand-out tracks from each of the studio albums, lovingly re-mastered, nicely packaged and all for around a tenner! Previous such efforts have always fallen well short (whoever heard of a Family set that didn't include "The Weaver's Answer", "Observations from a Hill" and "Hung Up Down", for example? Unforgiveable!) This issue sets that record straight and is essential listening for new and old (very old, in my case) fans alike. The re-mastering really brings the original mixes to life; despite its stand-out tracks, I always found the "Family Entertainment" album rather flat in that respect but here, for example, Ric Grech's bass work is sublime and the interplay between Charlie Whitney and John Weider on the "A Song for Me" tracks is a revelation. I guess everyone will have their own views on what should/shouldn't have been included; personal favourites I would have liked to have seen include "How-Hi-The-Li", "Willow Tree" and "Top of the Hill" but these are readily available on the original albums and it would be churlish to bemoan their absence, given the constraints of 2CDs. In summary, an excellent, timely issue - outstanding value for money. Until I can save up enough (or Amazon substantially drops the price) to buy the comprehensive but very expensive "Once Upon A Time" box set - as much as I love Family, this is 40+ year old back catalogue stuff, after all - "Family History" more than adequately fills the gap. Highly recommended - get it now!

I am a longstanding fan of Family and recently acquired a second copy of this compilation, having mislaid the first. I'm happy to have it but I do have reservations, mainly on the sound balance. As has already been pointed out the remastering has not especially improved Chappo''s vocals, which at times seem lower down in the mix than on the original albums.That bit out of the way, what about the contents? Well it is not a bad run through of their fabulous songs and shows anybody with a passing interest in the band what superb musicians they were. The dynamics employed are at times stunninng, especially Charlie's guitar, bass playing generally top class with violin, keyboards and the powerful drumming of Rob Townsend.I suppose that the main attraction of this compilation is the inclusion of earlier tracks like Weaver's Answer, Observatins From a Hill, which are missing from other compilations like 'In Their Own Time', which for me is a better sounding set, running order and less 'produced' overall. There is an element of carelessness in this new set when after the live 'Good News Bad News' Chappo announces 'Willow Tree' only to launch into 'Holding The Compass' - all tracks on the 'Anyway' album.Will not argue with the general choice of tracks but for my money I would recommend 'In Their Own Time' and the first 2 albums, 'Music In a Dolls House/ Entertainment' for better balance of sound and a much better selection from the 'Anyway' album, one of my favourites.

Slightly disappointed in this collection. On the plus side it's undeniably good value and gives a good overview of the band's career. On the negative side the versions of songs chosen are not necessarily the ones you'd expect, and the liner notes do not give any info on where they have been sourced (e.g. no info on some of the live versions used - though I suspect most are from the Anyway album). Also what liner notes there are are difficult to read given they are printed in mid-brown and chocolate. A little more thought could easily have produced a much improved product.That said, it's probably still the best value overview of Family's career currently on the market..

I have been a family fan since entertainment come out. My first album purchase! Have all their original studio albums on vinyl .... Well used ones. So purchased this box set of remastered tracks in hope it would refresh my tired collection. For the most the tracks are musically much improved over the vinyls. Most noticeable are the crisper top ends of cymbals, and punchier brass. Vocals, especially Chapman's, actually sound like the have been pushed into the background slightly compared to the vinyls. It maybe because the instruments have been brightened up and so its a relative effect. But for sure Chapman's central vocal on the remastered weavers answer is significantly diminished compared to the original on vinyl. Even on my tired old LP his voice commands attention to every word, but on the cd it sounds as if he is singing under a blanket. On balance I like the musicality of History, but vocals have not benefited.

Way back when I purchased some of their singles and saw them live but never delved into their album material and for the life of me I cannot remember why.. but at that time their was such a diversity of great music to listen to and to go see..which is why I have only just got around to delving into Family in more depth and what a treat It is.. Ok you have to get use to Roger Chapmans distinctive vocal style but it works it really does.. This album shows a wide range of influences, rock, jazz, folk, R and B, Americana though I dont think that term was in use back then..Family could rock and do justice to gentler stuff as well. They included some great musicians in their ranks and featured instruments such as saxaphone harpsichord flute violin and Vibrophone.. All to great effect.A great collection...Love it..