VA - British Invasion - Gold [Remastered] (2006)

To some, the term "British Invasion" conjures up memories of Merseybeat; to others, it signifies UK R&B groups; for some others, it was about getting recognition for Blighty's traditional pop divas (male and female). To its credit, the two-disc British Invasion: Gold -- a rare installment of the Universal Music Group series in that it focuses on a genre, not an artist -- covers all those bases and more, leading the musical revolution right up through psychedelia, folk-rock, and the singer-songwriter movement.

It's only 32 tracks, which, spread over two CDs, isn't quite the bargain it should be. Then again, there are a lot of hard-to-find one-off singles here. Although it leads off with "Ain't She Sweet," the one Beatles master anyone can license (and a song which lends weight to everything negative ever said about the band), this compilation is tasteful and knowledgeable enough to touch upon The Mersey's "Sorrow," The Fortunes "You've Got Your Troubles," Billy J. Kramer and the Dakotas' "Bad To Me" (along with the Silkie cover of "You've Got To Hide Your Love Away," the only Lennon-McCartney numbers here), and other songs your overprogrammed local oldies station forgot existed. It creaks from the effort at times, getting a little too literal in some places (The Troggs' "Wild Thing," which is too garage to really count) and not literal enough in others (Tom Jones' "What's New Pussycat" doesn't quite fit the bill). Still, it's a great introduction to the genre.