Probably best known as Bob B Soxx in Phil Spector’s stable of artists, this first compilation of Sheen’s key output shows just how wider he ranged from being a puppet for the Wall Of Sound. Drawing from the later doo wop era with material from The Robins and the novelty end of that particular spectrum with The Ding Dongs, Sheen shows that he paid all his early dues as a versatile journeyman vocalist, way before he encountered Spector.
Gifted with a lilting tenor, he’s at his best when able to soar above the instrumental tracks, effortlessly extending vocal lines beyond their usual span. This is particularly well shown on the first four tracks here, both sides of singles from 1966 and 1973, with Dr Love being a pop-soul floorfiller for dancers. One of these B-sides, Sweet Sweet Love, is a real killer, with a Gene Page Spector-inspired arrangement lifting a great song with the help of Blossoms backing vocals. Of the earlier Robins tracks, How Many More Times allows Sheen to show how he could pack a full emotional punch – a skill that’s revisited on My Shoes Keep Walking Back To You from just after his Spector tenure; a time which, on this compilation, is just part of his fine musical journey.
