A doo wop vocal group from the Pittsburgh area,
the Vogues started well in the mid-'60s with "You're the One," an infectious bit of folk-rock with enough of a British Invasion feel to earn it heavy play on AM radio. "Five O'Clock World" was an even better single, a two-minute blast of timeless release, chronicling the feel of getting off work with the whole night still ahead, that one instant when everything is a possibility and the future has not yet arrived with its schedule of deadlines and pressures. Few pop songs have ever caught that moment with more élan or conviction. Unfortunately "Five O'Clock World" was to be a high-water mark for
the Vogues, and although they enjoyed more chart success during the 1960s, particularly with their biggest seller, the ultraromantic "No, Not Much," they never really built a distinctive body of work. This set from Rhino combines their early singles for Co & Ce Records with the later work from Warner Brothers Records in an effective overview of the band's history. It's the best single disc of
the Vogues out there, and really has everything you need, including that little miracle of a song, "Five O'Clock World."