The superb two-disc anthology Houseparty concentrates on the rousing, full-throttle blues-boogie of their heyday, including a full album's worth of live material (ten songs from their three live albums). The pop success of "Love Stinks" and "Freeze Frame" makes sense in the context of the set, but the songs that cut the deepest are the blues-rock numbers on the first disc and the live songs. Thankfully, the compilers (Trouser Press editor Ira Robbins and bandmembers Peter Wolf and Seth Justman) end Houseparty with three songs from Sanctuary, helping secure the image of the J. Geils Band as one of America's top rock & roll groups. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide
Track List
Disc 1(try tracks 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,13,14 and 15)
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Disc 2(try tracks 1,2,3,4,5,6,8,9,10,16,17,18 and 19)
while NRBQ is certainly overated,the same can't be said for the J. Geils Band. I saw them on a bill with Chuck Berry and the MC5 (way back in the day) and they were outstanding: a great "live" party band!
The only people who continue to refer to the J. Geils Band as one of "America's top rock and roll groups" are rock critics. Put 'em up there alongside NRBQ as "America's most overrated bar bands".