The Best Of The Ronettes

Includes liner notes by David Hinckley.

The thunderous drumbeats kicking off "Be My Baby" form a rock archetype every bit as powerful as Keith Richards' guitar riff in "Satisfaction" or the final chord of "A Day in the Life." And it's only the beginning: From that totemic opening to Ronnie Spector's final vocal wail over the fade two minutes and 40 seconds later, "Be My Baby" is dead-on perfect, certainly Phil Spector's masterpiece and one of the greatest rock & roll singles ever. At heart, it's just one of dozens of sweet little teen love songs by Jeff Barry and Ellie Greenwich, but Phil Spector's Technicolor production opens up the song; the layers of percussion, strings, and pianos take Spector's early arrangements for the Drifters to their logical conclusions. Yet the Ronettes' girlish vocals are somehow never overpowered by the grandeur of their setting. THE BEST OF THE RONETTES is a perfect career overview.