

It’s hard to imagine just how big the Mickie Most–produced Herman’s Hermits were in the '60s. It’s also hard to imagine just how critically dismissed they were based on their safe-for-mom coifs, suits, and songs, such as “I’m Henry the VIII I Am” and an absolute bubblegum version of Sam Cooke’s “(What A) Wonderful World.” It’s too bad, because the gems were many, and singer Peter Noone was blessed a soothing radio tenor that not only drove teen girls crazy but also let the songs age really well. And the tunes are more varied than many might think. The waltz-timed “East West,” “Sunshine Girl,” and “My Sentimental Friend,” for example, all have a decidedly California sunshine-pop sound, while others touch on the baroque, such as the irresistible and string-backed “No Milk Today” and “Here Comes the Star.” Even the ubiquitous hits (“There’s a Kind of Hush,” “Can’t You Hear My Heartbeat,” and Goffin-King's great “I’m Into Something Good”) take on certain relevance in this historic context, where 23 of the 26 songs made the Top 40 in either the U.S. or the U.K.