Write a Review
Critic's Review
Rob Flanagan, All Music Guide
Hot on the heels of Sandie Shaw winning the Eurovision song contest with "Puppet on a String," which also hit the coveted number one spot in the U.K. charts, Pye assembled this package, which carries on the pop/MOR tradition established by Shaw with her previous U.K. releases, Sandie (1965) and Me (1966). Shaw was a regular on the BBC during the lead up to the Eurovision competition finale. Through a voting process, several songs featured on Puppet on a String were performed over several weeks, with the title track eventually winning the heats, despite her infamous hatred of the track, which she described as "sexist drivel with a cuckoo-clock tune." There are stronger selections than that here, though, including a revamp of the often overlooked '64 B-side "I'd Be Far Better Off Without You," and undeniably catchy runner-up in the heats, "Tell the Boys." With a total of 12 tracks, this is an enjoyable listen for Shaw devotees and fans of '60s pop/MOR at its best. [This 2005 U.K. re-release contains eight bonus tracks.]
