The 70s Preservation Society Collection

Back in the early 90's Razor & Tie Music were one of the 1st companies to begin releasing 70s compilatoin CDs effectively beating both Time Life and Rhino to the punch. Using the 70s Preservation Society name, the series while small compared Rhino or Time Life's sets, are still fun CDs and I recomend them highly. However, it should be noted that a few of the titles are quite hard to find these days, but well worth the hunt. If you are looking for a small collection of 70s music that is pretty representative of the period, then look no further than Razor & Tie's 70s Preservation Society collection.

The first disc in the collection is Those Fabulous 70s. A collection of pure 70s Pop Music that doesn't fail to deliver that really 70s feel. A single CD collects 23 unforgettable (or maybe forgettable) pop gems like Billy Don't Be A Hero and Seasons In The Sun. Not for the feint of heart.

Another thing that makes this entire collection stand out are the wonderful covers for each installment. The use of vintage clothing and items from the 70s, in my opinion, are the real selling point of this collection. That is mainly why I started collecting these great CDs. Most of the covers are really cool.

I mean, just look at all of the great 70s stuff in that picture! I want each and every item. In fact most of that stuff I do have. Funny how that worked out. I'd love to get a copy of the TV commercial for this Cd. I remember seeing it but just never caught it on tape. If anyone out there has it, please let me know.

This CD must have sold thousands of copies considering how many used copies are floating around out there. This one should be no problem finding.

The second CD in the set is another one disc collection that gathers together some of the best of 70s Funk called Those Funky 70s. 21 Funky hits (well 20 actually. They threw in Rick James's Superfreak as a bonus 80s track) covering the entire decade. And just look at that girl's great outfit and platform shoes.

This collection is perhaps my least favorite in the collection. While I still love it, I just don't listen to it as often as I do some of the others. Still a good collection, but for me just not as memorable as the previous release. I guess I'm not into funk all that much.

Some tracks include Jungle Boogie and Tell Me Something Good. This disc is rather difficult to find these days, but it can be tracked down with just a bit of persistence.

The first of The 70s Preservation Society's mega 2 disc sets, Those Rocking 70s is a great collection of the more FM rocking sounds of 70s radio. 40 rocking hits (and a few album cuts) really bring the 70s Arena Rock period to life.

Songs include Takin' Care Of Business, Lovin', Touchin, Squeezin' and All Right Now. Several of these tracks are the full length album versions versus the edited radio versions. That, in my book, is a real plus.

Again, this set is rather hard to find but it can be found. At the moment there are a few listed on Amazon (along with Those Funky 70s) and can be had for around $30.00.

The next (and probably biggest seller considering the shear number of used copies that are forever popping up) 2 disc set in the collection is Disco Fever. One of the very first Disco collections released, this puppy sold tons of copies. This was my very first set I bought in the collection and I bought it right off TV when it was first advertised. In fact, somewhere on video tape, I have the commercial for this CD. I didn't save it on purpose, but was taping something else and the commercial just happen to run while I was taping.

As the cover boasts, it contains 40 hits from things like The Hustle to Knock On Wood. A word of caution, there are no Donna Summer tracks on this collection. A side from that, this is a great, great collection of the best of Disco.

This should be a fairly easy set to find. I've seen at least 2 different listings for it on Amazon. Next to Those Fabulous 70s, the easiest set to find in the entire collection.

After the success of Those Fabulous 70s, the 70s Preservation Society came back in 1991 with the 2nd volume of great pop tunes called More Fabulous 70s.

Once again filled with 23 great 70s pop tunes from One Bad Apple to Hooked On A Feeling and Little Willy. This disc is my second favorite in the collection and once again the disc is graced with a super great cover showing even more great 70s stuff.


This disc is really difficult to find. I got lucky and got a still sealed copy from eBay for a mere $10.00. You'll need a bit more patience to track this sucker down but again well worth the hunt.

Ok, here perhaps the single most difficult set in this collection to track down, Sweet 70s Soul. I got very, very lucky and picked up a copy of it on eBay for $25.00 so it is out there but again only the true collectors will have the patience to keep searching for it.

A 2 disc set that contains 40 of perhaps some of the very best of 70s Soul. Songs include I've Found Someone Of My Own, Proud Mary and Rock The Boat.

I'm not all that thrilled with the cover, but it does work to a degree. By now, the name The 70s Preservation Society was no longer appearing on the cover of the CDs, but it still appears on the spine and inside the sets.

The final disc in the set (at least until 1995) was Easy 70s and is pretty much what it says. The best of soft rock from the 70s. For me, this cover was a great improvement over Sweet 70s Soul. I feel that it perfectly give one that mellow feeling with rainbows and hearts floating all around you.

Another 2 disc set with 40 soft rock classics. Well actually 39. For some reason they threw in Air Supply's All Out Of Love on the set. While this song was a hit in 1979 it was only released in Australia until the 1980 album Lost In Love was released here in the US.

Other songs include You Light Up My Life, Summer Breeze and Precious And Few. For this being one of the last sets to be released, it is fairly common and easy to find. There are several listing for it on Amazon with most of them still sealed. As a note to be aware of, while the set can be found still sealed, after the first printings the inside booklet is slightly different. Instead of a three page fold-out, most are now only a two page booklet. Missing is a close-up posed shot of the cover models in their 70s garb and the 70s Preservation Society logo page. Not a big loss, but at least noteworthy.

Razor & Tie in 1995 were not quite ready to abandon the 70s Preservation Society name so out came this 2 disc set called Super 70s. Along with Sweet 70s Soul, this is hands down just as difficult to find.

This collection gathers together of the best Rock, Pop, Disco and Soul of the 70s in a more Top 40 oriented collection. 40 hits with songs like Two Out Of Three Ain't Bad (radio edit), Rich Girl, You're So Vain and American Pie.

Please be aware that this compilation does have a few duplications of tracks previously released on earlier sets in the collection. All in all, not a bad release and I really love the cover. Very 70s.

This would be the final set in the collection for another two years.

Finally in 1997, the 9th and final CD was released.

Suddenly 70s, is a collection of 40 hits. Be warned that there are two versions of this CD. The first, originally released in 97, is a two disc set and was only available through mail order and TV commercials. Later in 2001, a 'retail' version was released as a single disc with only 18 of the original 40 tracks. The two disc set is more of an AM Top 40 kind of release similiar in style as Rhino's Super Hits of the 70s series. Several of the tracks on the two disc set are tracks that The 70s Preservation Society had not released before making this set a nice top off to an already great set. However, the rather bland and unimaginative cover make this set, perhaps, the most unattractive set in the entire collection.

A few of the great tracks available on this set are, Go all The Way, Let Her In and Bad Blood.

The 2001 single disc version is also the only 70s Preservation Society CD still in print and the 70s Preservation Society name only appears on the very back of the CD and inside the case.

Well, there you have it. The entire 70s Preservation Society CD collection. Like I said, if you are looking to have a small 70s music collection, then this is the set for you. You will have to have some patience and perseverance to track down all of the CDs in the collection but I think they are well worth it. The great selection of tracks combined with imaginative covers make this one of my favorite 70s music collections.