The superb two-disc anthology
Houseparty concentrates on the rousing, full-throttle blues-boogie of their heyday, including a full album's worth of live material (ten songs from their three live albums). The pop success of "Love Stinks" and "Freeze Frame" makes sense in the context of the set, but the songs that cut the deepest are the blues-rock numbers on the first disc and the live songs. Thankfully, the compilers (Trouser Press editor
Ira Robbins and bandmembers
Peter Wolf and
Seth Justman) end
Houseparty with three songs from
Sanctuary, helping secure the image of
the J. Geils Band as one of America's top rock & roll groups.
–
Stephen Thomas Erlewine, Rovi