Artist: Buddy Holly Album: Holly in the Hills / Giant

Year: 2002
Duration: 0:0-1

A Critical Review of the Album Holly in the Hills / Giant by Buddy Holly

Buddy Holly was an American singer-songwriter during the 1950s who became one of the pioneers of rock and roll music. With his contribution to the music industry, he has influenced many artists and music genres that we love nowadays. One of his memorable albums is Holly in the Hills / Giant, which was released in 1965, four years after his untimely death. This album was a combination of songs from his previous albums and some previously unreleased tracks. In this critical review, we will take a closer look at the album, the best songs, and everything in between.

The album Holly in the Hills / Giant was a mix of country, rock, and pop. This combination was not a new thing during that time, and it was believed that Buddy Holly had contributed to popularizing this genre. The album was divided into two parts, the first containing songs from his previous albums that were commercially successful. Songs like Peggy Sue, Oh Boy! and That'll Be The Day, were included in this part. The second half of the album contained seven previously unreleased tracks.

One thing that stood out in this album was Holly's ability to experiment with melody and harmony. In some of the tracks, he combined pop and rock to create a unique sound. The opening track, Giant, is a perfect example of this. The track starts with a guitar riff and vocals that were later joined by a piano and brass section. The song Wait Till The Sun Shines Nellie also showed his dexterity when it comes to song arrangements. The song had a slight country feel, but the mixing of orchestra and electric guitar gave it a broader appeal.

The best tracks from this album include Giant, Love's Made a Fool of You, and Moondreams. Giant managed to capture Holly's creative side with its complex sound arrangement and polished production quality. The song Love's Made a Fool of You showed Holly's capacity to write catchy lyrics and sing them with a unique voice. Moondreams, on the other hand, is a slow ballad that showcased his ability to make an emotional connection with his listeners.

Despite the admirable appearances, there are also some criticisms that could be given to this album. One of them is the ho-hum nature of some of the tracks. You're So Square (Baby, I Don't Care), a song that became one of his signature tunes, seemed to be out of place in this album. It sounded more like a filler track that was placed in the album to fill the space. Smokey Joe's Cafe also fell short, and failed to highlight Holly's strengths as a musician and a songwriter.

In conclusion, Holly in the Hills / Giant is a must-listen album for any Buddy Holly fan. Aside from the commercially successful tracks included in the first half of the album, the second half also contained hidden gems that were a testament to Holly's musical genius. The album showcased Holly's versatility when it comes to song arrangement, composition, and bringing together different music genres in his own unique way. Although there are some criticisms that could be given to this album, it is still a solid collection of songs that should be in every music lover's album collection.