Two Sides Of – THE FOUR PENNIES**

Da Doo Ron Ron/Sweeter Than You/Claudette/If You Love Me/Do You Want Me To/Love’s Journey/You Went Away/Will You Love Me Tomorrow/Now We Are Through/Pony Time/Come To Me/Why Do You Cry

British pop group The Four Pennies achieved their only UK top twenty album with Two Sides. It contains none of their hit singles, most notably the UK chart topper Juliet. For those interested in their easy on the ear songs a compilation CD including their singles would be more representative of their output. (UK:13)

"On purely musical grounds this album is disappointing, even if you have a taste for the wimpy side of early British Invasion/Merseybeat sounds. The group seems to be consciously trying to present themselves as a versatile act, able to handle various styles of pop, rather than simply, as the best British Invasion bands did, play various styles of all-out rock."

"Two Sides Of The Four Pennies alternates between very light variations of the kind of early Merseybeat favoured by The Searchers, and paler reflections of the kind of ballads for which Roy Orbison was known. But the songs - some, though well under half, by the group - just aren't too memorable, and the overall approach so effusive they make Gerry & The Pacemakers sound rather heavy in contrast."

"The Four Pennies pleasant but lightweight sound makes for a reasonably upbeat album, long on melodies and ballads which is what The Four Pennies did best, and light on the amperage. What's lacking for the most part is excitement. Not only was the wattage not there for anything heavyweight, but the quartet were simply too dignified to generate anything tougher."

"They were a great group, with a highly distinctive sound and solid original songs. To judge a British beat group by its LPs is unfair. Groups lived and died by the quality of their singles in the 1960s. Albums were an afterthought, at best, with the exception of The Beatles and a few other groups."

"Overall, this is a generally mild collection of pop songs, some of which sound dated even for the 1960s. Their music was not as much British beat as high school pop. The Pennies' best records are their singles, since their LPs are not particularly good."