Album Review: Blood Sweat & Tears – The Complete Columbia Singles
For some years there, BS&T was a true hitmaking juggernaut. And a lot of their music was – for whatever reason – the kind of thing that your parents might have admitted to liking, too. Maybe that’s down to the tight horn work, done to arguably less appealing effect by Chicago. Or maybe it’s the vocals of David Clayton-Thomas, though I’d give him the award for Pop’s Most Annoying Vocalist.
This 2CD set collects all the a- and b-sides, including many most will find unfamiliar. The 1968 debut single, “I Can’t Quit Her” b/w/ “House in the Country” is excellent, and puts the lie to the idea that the soon-departing Al Kooper was an unsuitable vocalist for the band. Said band had a veritable revolving door; the sixteen songs on Disc 2 cover the band’s post Clayton-Thomas period. The twelve pages of liner notes devote just over a page to the second half of the band’s catalog. Still, there’s good material throughout. Those looking for a best-of should keep moving; too much to see here. But for an overview of the band’s more commercially-minded material (read: singles), it’s an ideal survey.
Note: Due to an unusually full schedule this week and next – you wouldn’t believe me if I told you – my posts will be a bit shorter than typical. Once the dust settles, my normal wordy posting will recommence.
Follow “the_musoscribe” on 
Twitter and get notified
when new features, reviews and essays are published.
About the Author
Bill Kopp
With a background in marketing and advertising, Bill Kopp got his professional start writing for Trouser Press. After a stint as Editor-in-chief for a national music magazine, Bill launched Musoscribe in 2009, and has published new content every business day since then (and every single day since 2018). The 4500-plus interviews, essays, and reviews on Musoscribe reflect Bill's keen interest in American musical forms, most notably rock, jazz, and soul. His work features a special emphasis on reissues and vinyl. Bill's work also appears in many other outlets both online and in print. He regularly hosts lecture/discussions on artists and albums of historical importance (including monthly events Music to Your Ears and Music Movie Mondays), and is a frequent guest on music-focused radio programs and podcasts. In Spring 2023 he taught a history of Rock 'n' Roll at UNC Asheville's College for Seniors. He also researches and authors liner notes for album reissues -- more than 30 to date -- and co-produced a reissue of jazz legend Julian "Cannonball" Adderley's final album. His first book, Reinventing Pink Floyd: From Syd Barrett to The Dark Side of the Moon was published by Rowman & Littlefield in 2018, and in paperback in 2019. His second book, Disturbing the Peace: 415 Records and the Rise of New Wave, was published in 2021 by HoZac Books. His third book, What's the Big Idea: Great Concept Albums will be published in 2024. Read even more about him here.