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Play the System

Exactly what the title says: 18 tracks from 1963-67, including 14 non-LP B-sides, three non-LP A-sides, and the odd 1964 EP-only cut "The System," which was used in a 1964 film. The ten songs on side one are a pleasure for fans of the early Searchers sound, and also serve as a showcase for the group's songwriting talents, as all but one are originals. Rarely surfacing on album, let alone on A-sides, it was only on B-sides that the band deigned to (or was allowed to) pen their own material. It's not like these are brilliant works on the level of Lennon-McCartney or Ray Davies, but they're very pleasant numbers highlighting the Searchers' strengths: melodies, harmonies, and clean arrangements. "It's All Been a Dream" and "Saturday Night Out" are good, energetic Merseybeat tunes; "This Feeling Inside" recalls the early Hollies; "Don't Hide It Away" is a good moody, downbeat tune; and "Till I Met You" is an exquisite ballad. Side two is a different story, showing the group trying to keep apace of '60s trends toward more sophisticated lyrics and arrangements with far less success than, say, the Hollies. It's not so much that the group weren't up to the task as performers; it's simply that the material (all dating from 1966-67, except the closing track "The System") is weak. The collection, with fine liner notes from Brian Hogg, can nonetheless be unreservedly recommended to Searchers fans on the strength of the first side alone.
source: Richie Unterberger, Allmusic Guide