In a way, Rialto's
Archive isn't all that bad, even if the packaging seems a little shoddy and the sound isn't all that great. Also, the facts are a little iffy.
Archive claims to concentrate on
Wizzard's recordings instead of
Roy Wood's solo material, but that's not entirely true. There are a couple of selections from Eddy & the Falcons, plus a few singles, such as "Are You Ready to Rock" and "Rock and Roll Winter," and a variety of B-sides, but the 20-track collection concentrates mainly on
Wood's solo material. In particular, it has
Mustard as the centerpiece -- every song, save the brief musical introduction and interlude, is here. Also, there are a handful of solo singles, like the terrific "Oh What a Shame." Like many
Wood compilations, it suffers from too many instrumental B-sides -- which are interesting in isolation but tend to stall the momentum of the collection -- but overall, it contains more than its fair share of prime
Wood, which makes it somewhat of a bargain if found at a bargain price.
–
Stephen Thomas Erlewine, Rovi