The Hassles
The Best Of The Hassles: You've Got Me Hummin'
© Razor & Tie
February 15 - 21, 2026
Year of Release: 1999
Rating:
Warming Up
Just Holding On
A Taste Of Honey
Every Step I Take
(Every Move I Make)
Coloured Rain
I Hear Voices
I Can Tell
Giving Up (Version 2)
Fever
You Got Me Hummin'
I'm Thinking
I'll Be Around
Country Boy
Night After Day
Hour Of The Wolf
4 O'Clock In The Morning
Cat
Land Of Despair
Further Than Heaven
When I Get Home
Look And You Will Find
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The Hassles - A rock group from the 1960s, consisting of Little John Dizek (Vocals, harmonica, tambourine), Richie
McKenner (guitars), Howie Blauvelt (bass), Jon Small (drums) and a name that would become very famous in later decades -
keyboardist and vocalist BILLY JOEL. The Hassles recorded two albums: The Hassles (1967) and Hour Of
The Wolf (1968). Blauvelt left in 1968, but later returned. Dizek left the group in 1968, with Billy Joel as their
main vocalist. The compilation The Best Of The Hassles: You've Got Me Hummin' (released by Razor & Tie) has
tracks from both of their albums, plus a B-side single, and demo sessions. Various tracks were written/co-written by
Billy Joel.
The first 10 tracks from the compilation were from The Hassles first album. In fact, these 10 tracks would
be the entire first album. "Warming Up" (written by Billy Joel) is a short instrumental. 1960s Rock gets
"Just Holding On" In the liner notes of this compilation, there is mention of The Hassles being compared to
another 1960s group, Vanilla Fudge. This is proved on The Hassles' cover of "A Taste Of Honey." Very, very
impressive. "Every Step I Take (Every Move I Make)" (co-written by Billy Joel) - once again, has the garage band
1960s Rock. Vanilla Fudge gets the comparison again on "Coloured Rain" (originally written and recorded by the
band Traffic). "I Hear Voices" is another good 1960s Rock track, and you're now discovering that The Hassles
is a very good Rock band, despite they did not become popular, like many other bands would become during the 1960s Rock
decade. "I Can Tell" (written by Billy Joel) continues the band's impressive sound. "Giving Up (Version 2)"
(written by Van McCoy ["The Hustle"]) is a slow-driven and another impressive track. "Fever" is very
psychedelic; it's the classic that many has covered, and The Hassles' version is unique, given their own sound and style.
"You Got Me Hummin'" (Sam & Dave) is a rockin' and soulful track, given again, their own sound and style.
"I'm Thinkin'" was the B-side to "You Got Me Hummin'"; another great 1960s Rock track. And as in the liner
notes, The Hassles were compared to other 1960s bands, such as The Spencer Davis Group, The Rascals, and The Box Tops.
"I'm Thinkin'" is in that range of bands. "I'll Be Around" (session demo) has the Rascals comparison.
The next 7 tracks were from the second album Hour Of The Wolf: "Country Boy" (co-written by Billy Joel)
is another great 1960s Rock track. The slow-driven (and another impressive) "Night After Day" (written by Billy
Joel) has the style of Crosby, Stills, Nash (and/or) Young. "Hour Of The Wolf" (co-written by Billy Joel) is a
12-minute epic masterpiece. Psychedlic, maybe even Progressive; ahead of its time. And you can hear the familiar singing
voice of "William Joel." There's also heard, a drum solo! A "classical sounding" piano solo, too! Performed by Billy
Joel, no doubt. And a scorching guitar solo! "4 O'Clock In The Morning" (written by Billy Joel) combines Rock and
Blues, in The Hassles' own Rock style. "Cat" (written by Billy Joel) has a Rock/Blues feel, kinda jazzy.
"Land Of Despair" (hard rock) and "Further Than Heaven" (1960s Rock, and another epic [Progressive] 7-minute
track) were both co-written by Billy Joel. The Hour Of The Wolf has 99.9% of all the tracks on this compilation.
The only track not in this compilation was "Hotel St. George." But this overall a "complete" best of, with the
B-side, and demos.
The remaining 2 tracks were session demos: The Beatles' "When I Get Home" has The Hassles' own touch on an
early Beatles track. "Look And You Will Find" an upbeat Rockin' track, as in the style of The Rascals.
They say everyone had the beginnings. This is how Billy Joel started, and quite honestly, The Hassles were definitely
a band that should have been more recognized and more popular. Their musical style defined all the boundaries of Rock
music: Rock, Psychedelic, hard rock, folk, blues, jazz. Their comparisons to bands such as Vanilla Fudge, The Spencer
Davis Group, The Rascals and The Box Tops could have easily made their name just as popular as the ones mentioned.
"Hour Of The Wolf" alone definitely defined them of a later genre of music that would later become more famous:
Progressive Rock. Explore "what could have been" for The Hassles. A band that just may have been ahead of their time in
Rock music. And, the humble beginnings of "William Joel" : Billy Joel. After The Hassles' breakup, Billy Joel and
Jon Small would form another band, the two-man group "heavy metal" Atila. The self-titled Atila was their only
album. That album will be reviewed at a later date.
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