His Best, Vol. 1
Average Customer Review:
Audio CD (25 March, 1997)
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Editorial Review

Chuck Berry, already 29 when he scored his first hit with 1955's "Maybellene," drew on his own experiences at school and behind the wheel to fashion many of the classics that made him one of rock & roll's earliest great songwriters. Linking country boogie to jump-blues licks from the likes of Louis Jordan, Berry was both in touch with the past and totally new, as proto-protests ("School Day") and odes to the freshly flourishing teen lifestyle ("Sweet Little Sixteen," "Oh Baby Doll") make clear. While His Best (and its companion volume) provide a more expensive alternative to the now out-of-print Great Twenty-Eight, there's no getting around the fact that Berry's music is as essential as it comes. --Rickey Wright ... Read more

Features

• Original recording remastered

Reviews (10)

Half of Chuck's greatest hits
If you buy this disc in tandem with "Greatest Hits II" then you will have almost all of Chuck Berry's greatest hists. The sound quality is very good, there are no live versions (which mar other Berry "greatest hits" packages), and there is nothing but great music here.

It's a shame that Chuck Berry is not universally recognized as one of the greatest rock lyricists and most innovative figures. This CD will convince even skeptics of his brilliance. Without Chuck Berry, there would be no Beatles, Rolling Stones or Kinks, or at least in the forms they eventually took.

This CD contains all of Berry's original early recordings, pristine and beautifully remastered. Who can deny that his way with words was umatched: "He never, ever learned to read or write so well, but he could play a guitar just like a-ringing a bell..." It's a tragedy that most people have grown up listening to inferior musicians do paltry cover versions of the songs Berry wrote and performed better than anyone else.

This set is an absolutely essential component of any collection, of any genre. Chuck Berry was a pioneer with words and music and his influence is sorely underestimated today. Had Chuck Berry been born white, he would be regarded as a rock God instead of being neglected and virtually forgotten in many circles. These 28 magnificent songs just about cover his catalogue of hits. This is a great sampling, but incomplete, so if you want to experience Berry's real genius, branch off into his lesser known songs. But for the money, this one rocks!

Excellent compilation
[This review covers BOTH of the "His Best" compilations.]

Chuck Berry. He's been called the godfather of rock by a number of widely successful musical artists, including the Beatles (the most successful band of all time!) How does this hits compilation, The Great Twenty-Eight, measure up? Read on and see!

THE GOOD: You get CB's big hits here. These include, but are not limited to Maybellene, Roll Over Beethoven, School Day, Rock And Roll Music, Sweet Little Sixteen, Johnny B. Goode, and No Particular Place To Go. In addition you get other lesser-known tracks that are also excellent.

THE BAD: There is only one reason I didn't give this compilation five stars. It makes a mistake many other CB hits compilations make - The omission of the Christmas songs (meaning Run Rudolph Run, one of my favorite CB songs, isn't here.) Also, it's a two-volume set, meaning you have to buy two different CDs.

OVERALL: Despite minor shortcomings, this an excellent set. However, I strongly suggest you shell out the extra money and get the three-disc Chess Box instead. It's surprisingly affordable and worth the extra cash.

the best of Chuck Berry,period
This CD is definately Chuck Berry's best work and no other Chuck Berry CD is needed,when you have this one.I highly recommend it. ... Read more

Asin: B000005KQI
Subjects:  1. Pop    2. R&B    3. Rock    4. Rock & Roll   

Sunrise
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Audio CD (09 February, 1999)
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Editorial Review

In 1954 a young Elvis Presley made musical and cultural history when he, lead guitarist Scotty Moore, and bassist Bill Black got together via Sam Phillips in Phillips's Memphis-based Sun Studios...and basically invented rock & roll. What you hear in these raw, wonderful '50s-era recordings is a perfect blend of American musical idioms, including country, blues, R&B, and Tin Pan Alley pop, all rolled into one delicious new sound. These tracks are now all legendary--and Sunrise is yet another repackaging of these tunes (making previous Sun compilations obsolete), this one supposedly featuring every outtake and "alternate" take from Presley's Sun years. A must for every serious student of rock music and popular culture. --Bill Holdship ... Read more

Reviews (30)

Great material, but redundant and incomplete
The recordings Elvis Presley made for Sun Records in Memphis are considered among the finest rock n' roll records ever made. There's an undeniable freshness about the studio tracks on these two discs that still conveys energy and fun. They're all very simply songs, quickly recorded, but they'd be absolutely impossible to duplicate.
That's probably why they've been repackaged and re-released again. With a $30 price tag, everyone from Presley fanatics to casual listeners interested in music history would be better off picking up the 5-Disc Box Set: THE COMPLETE 50s MASTERS, which gives you all the master takes here as well as many of the alternates and demos (plus all his RCA recordings from 1956-1958, including movie soundtracks, Christmas and gospel tunes and great singles like "Heartbreak Hotel", "Love Me Tender", "Jailhouse Rock", "Don't Be Cruel", "All Shook Up" and "Hound Dog") for only $25 more. That collection is well worth it.
I don't feel the unreleased studio material justifies re-releasing these songs again. With a few exceptions, it's easy to see why these alternate takes were originally rejected.
The rough tapes also don't contain the priceless moment of Elvis cracking up on a take as Carl Perkins makes faces at him through the window of the Sun Records office that looked into the recording studio. That's the kind of informal spontaneity that made the Sun Recordings so vibrant (for Presley, Perkins and plenty of other great artists). That's why I bought this collection.
What is here is some incredibly racist studio dialogue between takes that is far more shocking to a modern listener than any pelvis-wiggling might've been at the time. It's incredibly embarrassing to the spirit of fun-for-all that this repackaging of the Sun material might be trying to market to.
There's also some live tracks to fill out the end of Disc 2. They sound like Elvis was giving a concert from a distant sewer while someone was sweeping gravel off the floor in the recording studio.
I love Elvis and the Sun material is arguably the greatest accomplishment in his recording legacy, but there are better packages to get all of the material anyone would want from this collection.

value depends on your purpose
If you have all of Elvis and you're studying the history of his work starting at an early age,then this CD will be important.But if youjust want to listen to some of
the best of Elvis, I only found one outstanding cut to recommend,
Mystery Train.The scratches, noise and repeated takes
on many songs limits the usefulness of this recorded history for most people.

Truly remarkable
I don't care if you love Elvis, you hate Elvis, youi dig rock, you loathe rock, you are 8 or you are 80, this music will go right to your heart.You are hearing a truly original artist create an art form on the spot with irresistable caring and appeal.There's little here that has much do with the Elvis RCA fashioned the minute they got his contract; he isn't sinigng "Wear My Ring Around Your Neck" here.What is here is pure, undiluted genius--a mixture of blues, soul, pop, country, folk and a lot else, all distilled into the most tender, gutsy, fascinating, honest music imaginable.And Elvis' taste in material is just fascinating--he has taken music from all sorts of sources here, nothing predictable, nothing linear, and fashioned it, bent it, molded it and delivered it with genius.And there is one noteworthy moment which has largely gone unnoticed.When he sings "I'll Never Stand In Your Way" he is all but imitating the original performer, Joni James, in the most affecting and complimentary way imaginable.He could even do THAT magnifiicently. ... Read more

Asin: B00000HZTA
Subjects:  1. Pop    2. Pop/Rock    3. Rock    4. Rock & Roll    5. Rockabilly    6. Traditional Country    7. Traditional Pop    8. United States of America   

Georgia Peach
Average Customer Review:
Audio CD (05 August, 1991)
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Reviews (9)

Wxwllwnt cd of all his essential r'n'b sides
This is teh r'n'b side of Little Richard.Great boogie woogie piano, walin' sax section, and soulfully swingin' vocals.ESSENTIAL.

A wop bop-a-lu bop, a wop bam boom!
Prince and Sir Paul McCartney are two of my favourite artists of all time.What both have in common is one of their influences--a certain Richard Penniman, best known as Little Richard.Think about it:Prince's stylish clothes, razor-thin mustache, and curled hair during his Controversy through Purple Rain period are reminiscent to his illustrious predecessor, and Sir Paul's screams and high-pitched rocking voice were taken from Little Richard.Here are some highlights from the 25, count'em, 25, cuts on this greatest hits collection.

"Tutti Frutti," his earliest released on 14 September 1955, is by far my favourite song here, particularly with the "A wop bop-a-lu bop, a whop bam boom!" line.This song was considered risque so Pat Boone redid it.The lines where he talks about Daisy who drives him crazy, was changed from "boy don't you know what she do to me" to "pretty Little Susie is the girl for me."Lame!However, even before it was written, Richard edited out this line:"Tutti frutti good booty, if it don't fit don't force it."Well, darnit!

Four songs here were covered by the Beatles."Kansas City/Hey Hey Hey Hey", which is on their For Sale album is one.Little Richard's highest charting hit, "Long Tall Sally" was outdone by the Beatles as a tribute to one of their influences, but the original still rocks out.Heart's cover of this also shows a nod to Mr. Penniman."Ooh My Soul" was one of his latter hits which made it to the Top 40.And "Lucille" demonstrates Little Richard's sheer vocal power.Whew!

And the three songs that he did for The Girl Can't Help It movie are included.The title track describes a girl who's so hot "bread slices turn to toast" and "makes Grandpa feels like he's 21", and it fit Jayne Mansfield, the female star of The Girl Who Can't Help It."Yes, he does that trademark raucous yell of his."Ready Teddy" and "She's Got It" have similar rhythms so that apart from the lyrics, they're indistinguishable.Man, that 50's rock sound is really fresh, and he can be seen performing those songs in the movie.Sadly, none of these songs reached the Top Ten in the singles chart, although in order of mention, they reached #7, #8, and #9 on the R&B charts.

"Miss Ann" has a slowed down piano blues style like Fats Domino.The title refers to a black code-name for white female employees.Another song, a slower ballad, is "Send Me Some Lovin'."His voiec is similar to Ben E. King here, except with more power.

Little Richard also did cover songs.His take on "Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On" rivals Jerry Lee Lewis's version, and the raucous "Keep A Knockin'", is a tune Louis Jordan did back in 1939.I get a kick out of that "you keep a knockin but you can't come in" refrain, and those sax solos.

Other times, though, there are times Richard's songs make the line between influence and plagiarism fuzzy."Slippin' In Slidin'" was influenced by songs by Eddie Bo and Al Collins.

The bonus tracks here are B-sides of some of the singles, such as "I'm Just A Lonely Guy" being the flip-side of "Tutti Frutti."

In looking at the chart positions listed on the cover, I notice how he did better on Billboard's R&B charts.For example, "Rip It Up", "Lucille", and "Long Tall Sally" went to #1, with "Tutti Frutti", "Slippin' and Slidin'", and "Jenny Jenny" hit #2.They never did as good on the Hot 100 Singles chart, or if they reached the Top Ten, never higher than the position reached on the R&B chart.

One of the legendary fathers of R&B/rock and roll whose contributions to the genre were overshadowed by white racism prevalent in the 1950's and by artists such as Bill Haley, Elvis, and Pat Boone.

Tutti Frutti
Great music. Sound quality good. A lot of history. Enjoy it. ... Read more

Asin: B000000QMK
Sales Rank: 5953
Subjects:  1. Pop    2. V/a Compilations   

The Birth Of Soul : The Complete Atlantic Rhythm & Blues Recordings, 1952-1959
Average Customer Review:
Audio CD (01 October, 1991)
list price: $39.98
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Editorial Review

Though this is not the most recent Ray Charles box set collection, it may be the best. That's because it focuses on Ray's great growth in the 1950s, particularly his days with Atlantic Records. The set opens with Ray still in a Charles Brown, smooth-voice, mellow-piano mode, but in short order, he discovers his own identity. From the good time of "It Should Have Been Me" on disc one, though the orgiastic "What'd I Say, Parts 1 & 2" on disc three, the man they call "The Genius" rocks, rolls, raises the rafters, and sinks way down low with the blues. This box also features an excellent essay by the late music historian, Robert Palmer. --Robert Gordon ... Read more

Features

• Box set

Reviews (17)

This is the best box set ever made!
I have owned this box set for over 10 years now.I listen to all the time.I still get goosebumps everytime I hear the R&B that Ray defined.It covers the Atlantic time period where Ray finds his own and sets the goal for anyone and everyone to follow.You will never regret buying this set.I am buying another box set because I just know that I will burn the bits right off these. Can't live with out it!

Who Was Listening?
I was.I was just a kid, but there was a radio station, black-owned and black-operated, that played these songs.It was exciting and a little scary for me but not to be ignored.The mainstream stations played Sammy Kaye, Guy Lombardo, some Sinatra.The country stations, well, they played country music, some good and memorable, a lot not good.Times have changed several times over since then, but I can recall most of the songs on this great package.I can recite all of the best ones, but I invite you to buy it for yourself and listen.This is the essence of Ray Charles before he went exploring virtually every corner of the world of music which started in earnest after, well, "What'd I Say?". How great it must have been sitting in some fried chicken shack and listening to these tunes.It was a whole different time. But, darn, I was just a kid.

A Landmark in American Music
A lot of people like Ray Charles for a lot of reasons. This collection is why I love him. It finds Ray defining Rhythm and Blues in the 1950s.

The recordings here represent what I consider his golden period with Atlantic. It is prior to his move to other record labels and his experiments with country and pop standards. This is good old R&B. As I said before, it defines the genre in the 1950s as far as I'm concerned. There are few instrumentals; most tracks include vocals, and Ray's voice is in incredible form throughout, rasping, moaning, groaning, and all. A mention must also be made of the distinctive tenor sax work throughout of long time sideman, David "Fathead" Newman.

The music and Ray's voice here have a visceral quality and richness which waned, in my opinion, after Ray's Atlantic years. Later, although Ray remained one of America's greatest musicians, he became increasingly glossy. This is before the gloss. This music has real soul and lots of it.

I have enjoyed this set more than any music I own. If you would like a serious set of goose bumps and hours of enjoyment, I cannot recommend this set highly enough. I own about 25 Ray Charles CDs. I recommend this set hands down above all others.
... Read more

Asin: B000002IRW
Subjects:  1. Jazz Blues    2. Piano    3. Piano Blues    4. Pop    5. R&B    6. Soul    7. United States of America    8. Urban Blues    9. Vocals   

Buddy Holly - Greatest Hits
Average Customer Review:
Audio CD (24 September, 1996)
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Editorial Review

The early Elvis was often moony-eyed, and the Platters had their share (and someone else's, too) of romantic ballad hits, but it was Buddy Holly who all but single-handedly introduced the concept of sweetness to rock & roll. Not just on hushed near-ballads like "Everyday" either, but in many of his fastest numbers as well: "Peggy Sue," "I'm Gonna Love You Too." Even when he plays the tough guy on "Rave On," he comes on like a secret teddy bear. That understanding of love's currents, along with Holly's ingeniously calibrated performances and straightforward songwriting, make his records as timeless as anything from the '50s he didn't live through--more timeless, in most cases. --Rickey Wright ... Read more

Features

• Original recording remastered

Reviews (32)

Missing some songs
Without Buddy Holly we wouldnt have Rock 'N' Rock. We wouldnt must of the music we had in the days and today. What I am trying to say is Buddy Holly is a great singer and writer, and if you like older rock n roll, this is one of the albums you should get. Its missing a few songs, but its still a very good album.

a great representation of Holly for younger fans
if you are looking to branch out in rock music, and you are curious as to the origins of rock music, look here first.Holly was one of the best 50's rockers, his songs have aged very well (they sound really good for their time) and he would have been rocks greatest sensation had his life not been cut short.classic songs like "that'll be the day" and the oft covered "not fade away" give a glimpse of his enormous talent.If you are a completetist you will probably want a different collection with more songs, but if you are like me and you want a good overview of the songs that are truly his best (with some lesser knowns thrown in) than you can't beat this hits cd.It is definitely the best value for his music.

Buddy Holly: Master of Music
Buddy Holly is not Elvis. Buddy Holly is not Chuck Berry. He wasn't any of the British Invasion bands either. With a career spanning only two years, what did Buddy Holly do that was so special? Well, he created great music. A fun alternative to Elvis, Buddy and the Crickets could be innovative and bare-bones rock'n'roll. This collection of songs is a good example of his raw talent.

1. That'll Be the Day: Buddy Holly's breakthrough hit was a fine example of classic 50s rock'n'roll. A great way to start off the album. 9.5 out of 10.
2. Looking for Someone to Love: This a fast-paced innocent rocker that has a catchy guitar. You'll be rocking your head back and forth too. 8 out of 10.
3. Words of Love: Buddy tries to be sensitive and sincere on this track. It's not bad, but the guitars make this song more silly then classic. Try the Beatles version. 7 out of 10.
4. Not Fade Away: I'm a fan of the Rolling Stones, but this is the superior song. Wonderfully original and tough to knock that beat out of your head. 9 out of 10.
5. Every Day: Another song of Buddy trying to be a good balladeer. Again, it doesn't work out very well, but it's not terrible. 7 out of 10.
6. Oh Boy!: The first song I ever heard from Buddy. I love this song! It's fast, it's fun, it's too good for words! 10 out of 10.
7. Peggie Sue: One of Buddy's most famous songs. It's a really good song, no doubt, but it's a bit overrated. Gotta love the drums though! 8.5 out of 10.
8. I'm Gonna Love You Too: Very simple and a pretty good song. Not one of his best, but it still is listenable. Listen for the crickets in the backgound at the end (the bugs, not the band.) 7.5 out of 10.
9. Maybe Baby: This is a great song. It's not fast, but not slow. A very interesting listen that's sure to please most 50s rock fans. 8.5 out of 10.
10. Rave On: Buddy got inventive here. He adds a more heavy sound on this track, and it works perfectly. Is this an early beginning of the hard rock of today? Who knows, who cares? Just enjoy it! 9 out of 10.
11. Think It Over: Terribly short. It's such a good melody though. Most 50s song were around 2 minutes, but if this was longer, there would be a lot more to enjoy. 8.5 out of 10.
12. Fool's Paradise: Another rather silly song by Buddy. It's enjoyable, but what is with the near-retarded backing vocal? Oh, well. It's still pretty good. 7.5 out of 10.
13. Early in the Morning: The goofiest Buddy Holly song here. This song makes him sound like a hick and the backing vocals can be grating at times. The only saving grace is the wild sax in the middle. 6.5 out of 10.
14. It's So Easy: This is a pretty catchy song, but sounds very tame to his earlier hits. The guitar is addictive and Buddy's vocals are top notch. 8 out of 10.
15. Heartbeat: I'm not sure what Buddy was aiming for here with the Spanish sounding guitar here. It's an average song for someone with his kind of talent. 7 out of 10.
16. True Love Ways: Buddy finally gets a sincere song done right. He only has his voice here, no guitar, but the orchestra and the sax make you forget all about that abscence. 9 out of 10.
17. It Doesn't Matter Anymore: Take out the orchestra and you have a very country-like song. The Beatles get the credit for incorporating classic sounds to their songs first, but it's on here that Buddy should get the credit. It's a good song too! 8 out of 10.
18. Raining in My Heart: Buddy closes this collection with a very quiet and withdrawn song. It's a song that takes a while to grow on you, but you'll enjoy it after that while. 8 out of 10.

Overall: 8 out of 10. It's very enjoyable, despite a mild case of goofiness. But, hey, you can dismiss that with his looks. A recomended listen. ... Read more

Asin: B000002P4A
Subjects:  1. Pop    2. Rock    3. Rock & Roll    4. Rockabilly    5. United States of America    6. V/a Compilations   

Star Time
Average Customer Review:
Audio CD (07 May, 1991)
list price: $59.98 -- our price: $53.99
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Editorial Review

It would seem impossible to summarize James Brown's contribution to R&B--to American music--in a mere four compact discs, but somehow Star Time does it. This boxed set charts Brown's early rise as a hard-hitting R&B-styled vocalist ("Please Please Please," "Try Me") and shows how his bandleading skills (one can't forget inventive players like saxophonist Maceo Parker, bassist Bootsy Collins, drummer Jabo Starks, and many others) changed the face of soul and invented funk in the '60s and early '70s with impeccably timed ("Papa's Got a Brand New Bag"), highly rhythmic ("I Can't Stand It"), primal ("Licking Stick Licking Stick") hits. The box also does a definitive programming job on Brown's more spotty later years--another plus. This is where beginners should start, but several extended versions and rarities (like "Papa," raised an octave on original release, at normal speed) make it a must for completists too. --Don Harrison ... Read more

Features

• Box set

Reviews (37)

Totally Awesome!!!!!
I looked at this boxed set over and over. Should I or Shouldn't I. Finally I bought it. I recently seen The Godfather of Soul in concert. At the age of 71-he was just totally fantastic. Since I have purchased this boxed set-I haven't stopped listening to it. Only one little disappointment tho! I wish as a personal request that he would have put Three Hearts in Tangle on the set instead of (dothe) mashed potatoes. But I won't complain. Are you thinking of puchasing this boxed set!! If your a JB' fan by all means buy it.Also give James Brown's Divas a go. That is alsoa great buy. Especially "Summertime" Kooch!

Totally Awesome!!!!!
I looked at this boxed set over and over. Should I or Shouldn't I. Finally I bought it. I recently seen The Godfather of Soul in concert. At the age of 71-he was just totally fantastic. Since I have purchased this boxed set-I haven't stopped listening to it. Only one little disappointment tho! I wish as a personal request that he would have put Three Hearts in Tangle on the set instead of (dothe) mashed potatoes. But I won't complain. Are you thinking of puchasing this boxed set!! If your a JB' fan by all means buy it.Also give James Brown's Divas a go. That is alsoa great buy. Especially "Summertime" Kooch!

The Rosetta Stone of Funk
Welcome to Ground Zero, funkateers.Without JB, would we have Sly? P-Funk? Prince? Would Miles have gone electric? Would hip-hop exist?The answers lie within these 4 discs. This set is DENSE, but oh so fine...

I've had "Star Time" since its release in '91 (it's the reason I bought my first CD player), and it is still in heavy rotation.Worth every penny then, and now. ... Read more

Asin: B000001G1E
Subjects:  1. Box Sets (Audio Only)    2. Funk    3. Pop    4. R&B    5. Soul   

All-Time Original Hits
Average Customer Review:
Audio CD (02 November, 1999)
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Editorial Review

The lonesome two-part hill harmonies of the Louvin Brothers and Blue Sky Boys were slicked up just a bit and taken to the sock hop by the Everly Brothers. Don and Phil repeatedly scored on the pop, country, and R&B charts from the time they emerged in 1957 with "Bye Bye Love" until the Beatles (great admirers of the Everlys) changed the rules of rock a handful of years later. All-Time Original Hits serves up 16 chart favorites, the latest dating from 1962. The likes of "Wake Up Little Susie," "All I Have to Do Is Dream," "Bird Dog," and "Cathy's Clown"--No. 1 pop hits all--sound as sweet and irresistible today as they did when '50s teens where making out to them decades ago. --Steven Stolder ... Read more

Reviews (16)

Every major hit by a major influence in rock.
It was always hard to get the entire hits by the Everly Brothers on one CD because their 50's records were on Cadence then they switched to Warner Bros. in 1960.This one has them all!They were born to sing. Their harmonies are a blueprint for the early Beatles sound and countless other groups to follow.They had something like 15 Top Ten hits and they're all here.The only slight omission is "Claudette" which was the flip side to "All I Have to do is Dream".But that's a minor quibble when you realize that this is the finest greatest hits collection by the Everlys ever.The sound is excellent! Every hit on this CD is a favorite.

These guys rock!
I know I remember listening to Don and Phil the first time around. Most kids will pass on these guys as really old, but most of the seminal rockers list the Everly Brothers as prime influences. Great music sung by two guys that had it all together in the 50's and 60's.

Early Everlys
Don and Phil were huge stars in the late 50s and their influence on subsequent music was great.But many people think their best work came later.My personal all-time favorite is Bowling Green, released in 1967.This particular compilation covers the period 1957 to 1962, when they were at the peak of their popularity.It includes their biggest hits from that time.Whether it is their best work or not, it is what they will be remembered for.It is great to have the original recordings, so that you can hear them just as were.The price is good too, so if you want to know what else the Teddy Boys and Bobby Soxers were listening to besides Elvis, this is the album for you. ... Read more

Asin: B00002MZ3A
Subjects:  1. Close Harmony    2. Pop    3. Pop/Rock    4. Rock & Roll    5. Rockabilly    6. V/a Compilations   

25 All-Time Greatest Sun Recordings
Average Customer Review:
Audio CD (06 June, 2000)
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Reviews (7)

A Bit Dated But Still A Lot to Like
There are enough Jerry Lee Lewis compilations that you need not slaver over this one.I was there just 90 miles from Sun Records to hear all of their artists from the beginning.You know the standard JLL songs, stuff not to be denied; they're history.Also herein you get Stick McGee's "Drinkin' Wine Spo-De-O-Dee", the original dating back to the 40s, Roy Orbison's "Down the Line" and my favorite version of Hank William Sr's "You Win Again" (just listen to Jerry Lee on his 88s on THAT song).There are two songs used in the movies ("High School Confidential" and 2 versions of "Breathless"); they were not the last movie tunes by Jerry Lee.His singing is quite stylized in an earnest attempt to make others' songs his own BUT....Due to the age of the early tunes, many songs done RECENTLY (IN THE 50'S) have now been done to death and "Cold Cold Heart" sounds a hundred years old.They could have been left out for stuff like "What Made Milwaukee Famous" and a host of other country songs he recorded.Still, I think it deserves 4 stars.But keep your options open before you buy.

The place to start
For those of us who cannot afford the Box sets of Jerry Lee Lewis, this is a good place to start. It contains the early hits that JLL made when he burst upon the national scene in the 195os, and by and large it contains most of the Good sides he recorded for Sun Records.Sun records kept Jerry recording tunes throughout the fifties and early 1960s and did not release many of those sides until the 1970s or 1980s. Despite the fact that there were many great tracks there, it is a good thing that almost none of those recordings were released on this Sun Collection.

This is the stuff that broke big. Several of these songs were number one hits on the pop, country, and R&B charts at the time.
You get a lot of the youthful energy with spare production.You get just a lot of JLL here.

Jerry Lee Lewis is a serious artist. He has continued performing until today and like any serious artist he developed over time. I believe in the 1960s he was the best Rock and Roll performer ever, but unfortunately his music wasn't being picked up by many people and, sadly, Rock came to replace rock and role. Likewise, I think some of the sides he released in the 1970s which were more in a Southern groove were great music in and of themselves.Finally, his great country recordings of the late 1970s and early 1980s are among the finest recordings anyone has ever done in Country music. Finally, there are some real gems on some of the albums produced by Jimmy Burton that the Killer has released in the last 20 years.

One needs to have it all, or suffer the fact that our society is so backward as not to supply every citizen with all of the JLL that can be absorbed.However, this collection is a good place to start, a good place if you are interested in the history and development of rock and roll. Maybe you do just have to get it all!

Excellent collection
It's a pity that Lewis isn't given more credit these days and it's a mystery why he's sort've forgotten. This CD will settle the score and prove conclusively that Jerry Lee could really rock! This is a marvelous collection and by far the best single-CD collection out there on Jerry's music. Most people listening to this music for the first time can never stop at just one CD, so this will serve as a fine introduction to some of the best music you'll ever hear. Though these songs are all more than 45 years old, they wear well and are timeless.

Most casual rock fans can name only a few Lewis tunes, "Whole Lotta Shakin'" and "Great Balls of Fire," but there is so much more than that. This collection includes several of his most haunting, beautiful slower tempo songs, as well as some awesome rockabilly.

Jerry Lee Lewis was a genuine innovator and talent. This compilation proves that. The sound quality is superb, I can't recommend this CD enough. ... Read more

Asin: B00004TGT6
Sales Rank: 10498
Subjects:  1. Pop    2. Rock    3. Rock & Roll    4. Rockabilly    5. Traditional Country   

Very Best of
Average Customer Review:
Audio CD (22 March, 1994)
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Editorial Review

Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller were attempting mini-radio plays in the writing and production work with the Coasters that provided all concerned with a string of hits that ran from 1955 into the early '60s. They added a few things to their memories of chestnuts like The Shadow Knows, however: the new R&B's stomp and swing, along with a subversive edge that made this kid stuff sound knowing to adults. As finely calibrated as anything to come out of the era's recording studios, sides like "Young Blood," "Searchin'," and "Along Came Jones" are definitely raucous, definitively hilarious. Inspirational verse, from "I'm a Hog for You": "One little piggy ate a pizza / One piggy ate potato chips / But this little piggy's comin' over your house / He's gonna nibble on your sweet lips." --Rickey Wright ... Read more

Reviews (7)

Why Only 4 Stars?
As the man from Ottawa points out, there's no "Wait a Minute" on this compilation.It seems they ALWAYS leave that one out!Incidentally, "Smokey Joe's Cafe" was originally done by "the Robins" whose members (or some of them) re-formed as the Coasters (as in West Coast).Lieber and Stoller always favored black singers for their compositions (although Elvis Presleyalso recorded their tunes).These songs evoke memories of a certain era of music, namely the late 50s and early 60s, although lead singer Carl Gardner was seen as late as the 80s with the group as it stood then in at least one TV commercial.As for the guy from Tennessee with the negative review, I can't imagine how he wandered into The Coasters section.I grew up near Memphis with my "eclectic" tastes but I never knew anybody there or from there who even know who The Cure is/are. Like comparing opera to bluegrass.Anyway, this is the one, folks.Two of the tunes in fact were used in the movie "October Sky".Can you name them?

Let me off this ride
This CD contains some of the most annoying music in my collection, and I've bought some stinkers. I know The Coasters and Lieber and Stoller are sacred cows of Rock'N'Roll, but unless you're a nostalgia fiend, this "cleverness" has worn thin decades ago.
The trouble with a comedy album is the second time you hear it you know the jokes...it just isn't as funny. But if you don't find the jokes funny the first time, then you're in for the longest 42 minutes and 45 seconds of your life.
"That is Rock & Roll"...give me a break...I swear they've got a banjo a'strummin' in one of the phoniest anthems to R&R I've ever heard. There is also a lot of "Alvin & The Chipmunks" like drek masquerading as comedy liberally sprinkled throughout these Uncle Tom operettas.
If you really want to rock, try Hank Ballard & The Midnighters. If you want a few laughs (that have stood the test of time), you can't lose with Louis Jordan. If you must have a Lieber & Stoller fix, The Drifters (though slightly formulaic) evoke a great 50's groove.
The sound quality is good and the hits are all here, so hop aboard. I'm gonna go listen to The Cure...Those guys crack me up!

"...Baby That Is Rock and Roll..."
Great comedy, like great music, depends on timing. The Coasters, here with a brief but smile-inspiring set of their greatest hits, used near perfect musical and comedy timing to create hit R&B and pop spoofs which to many still define the 1950s goofy, innocent spirit.

The Coasters used Carl Gardner's tragicomic high and Will "Dub" Jones' low voices to create sly tales of teen rebellion and frustration ("Yakety Yak," "Charlie Brown," "What About Us") pop culture commentary ("Along Came Jones," "Searchin" with its lists of classic detectives) and even salacious humor ("Little Egypt," "Young Blood," "Poison Ivy.")Kids still gravitate to these songs ("Yakety Yak" was used in a recent anti-litter campaign) , which expressed their ennui and even cynicism in clever, humorous ways. In their song "That Is Rock and Roll" the Coasters even announce as much, saying, "You say the music's for the birds and you can't understand the words...but honey if you did, you'd really blow your lid..."

Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller wrote, produced, and played on most of these hits, which also featured stellar sax work by the legendary King Curtis. Leiber and Stoller borrowed the sound and feel of early radio dramas for these hits, mentioning lifting the "Gangbusters" opening for "Riot in Cell Block #9"). Small wonder years decades later they'd form the highlights of "Smokey Joe's Café," a Broadway show named for their hit with the pre-Coasters Robins.

Carl Gardner continued leading versions of the Coasters into the modern era, re-recording these songs on occasion live and in studio. Buy only Coasters CDs released on the Atlantic, Atco or, in this case, Rhino labels to be assured the original hits. Better still, seek these songs among the essential mid-80s, seven-volume "Atlantic Rhythm and Blues Collection" (now out of print) to enjoy them amid even more outstanding music of the era. ... Read more

Asin: B00000337X
Subjects:  1. Pop    2. R&B   

Deep Sea Ball: The Best of Clyde Mcphatter
Average Customer Review:
Audio CD (01 October, 1991)
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Reviews (5)

a lover's question !!no question about it !!
that's right add these lovely gams to your juke box of oldies but goodies n' party on!!this is when r n' b was r n' b honey!!in dover pa.

Nice overview of classic pop/R&B sides
McPhatter's transition from church music to secular pop infused a gospel energy into his R&B. Beginning with the Dominoes, and later as lead singer of the Drifters, and (as chronicled here) working solo for Atlantic, McPhatter invested himself in a song's lyrics, attaching his sparkling tenor to everything from romantic ballads to rock 'n' roll. The versatility displayed throughout his career is hugely impressive, and the wide range he covered in his years at Atlantic is well represented here.

This 1991 collection, featuring 19 tracks from '55-'59, is an excellent introduction to McPhatter's Atlantic sides. Included is brilliant pop-gospel ("I Can't Stand Up Alone"), indelible torch ballads ("Treasure of Love"), romantic pop ("Just To Hold My Hand"), rock 'n' roll ("Deep Sea Ball") and the chart immortal "A Lover's Question." In between are numerous other hits and lesser-known (but no less noteworthy) singles. Nick Tosches essay and the accompanying photos are fine bonuses, leaving the lack of chronological track ordering as this collection's only major failing.

For those who want a higher track count, Collectible's 26-track two-fer reissue combines the original Atlantic LP's "Love Ballads" and "Clyde," but misses a half-dozen sides here, including essentials like "Treasure of Love" "Without Love (There is Nothing)" and "Deep Sea Ball." The 32 label's double-disc "The Forgotten Angel" takes a broader approach, including earlier work from McPhatter's stint with the Drifters along with Atlantic classics and a handful of live recordings. The double disc drops seven of the tracks included here, including "I'm Lonely Tonight" and "Thirty Days."

In the end it seems to be left to Germany's Bear Family label to provide an all-inclusive anthology of McPhatter's work. In the meantime, this is a terrific sampling.

Clyde Mcphatter has the most beautiful voice in the world.
I purchased Deep Sea Ball for two tracks that I enjoy very much:I'm Lonely Tonight and You Went Back on Your Word Little Girl.I have all the other songs on other CD's.He is my all time favorite singer.I never tire of listening to his magnificant voice.He is the best.I completelyunderstand why Elvis Presley stated if he had a voice like Clyde McPhtter,he would want for nothing in this world. It pains me that he is no longeraround to entertain us LIVE. ... Read more

Asin: B000002IS2
Sales Rank: 97366
Subjects:  1. Pop    2. R&B    3. V/a Compilations   

Fats Domino Jukebox: 20 Greatest Hits the Way You Originally Heard Them
Average Customer Review:
Audio CD (12 March, 2002)
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Reviews (8)

Good Stuff
First, let me say, I LIKE "Valley of Tears" with the sappy girl chorus.I saw Fats in a Las Vegas hotel/casino lounge in 1974 first with my wife and then with my father, a fan of anybody who would sing "My Blue Heaven", apparently first heard from another famous artist in the 1920's.Fats was quoted as saying he made more dough in Vegas as an oldies act than he ever did with the (thievin'?) record companies.That may be why before one well-received single had faded, another was released.Gene Autry could be seen in an early 1940's Western, singing "Blueberry Hill" but once Fats sang it, it belonged to only him.This is a very good representation of The Fat Man at his hottest.

Great value from one of rock's greats!
When I was a young man, the release of a Fats Domino record was always exciting to me.It seems from 1955 to about 1961 he was always on the radio with hit after hit.His laid back singing with his powerful New Orleans R&B band added a unique sound to the Rock and Roll landscape during that time.His records had a beat.They rocked!He made it look so easy!Fats Domino always made me feel better.This CD is outstanding in that it features every major hit he had.There are a few minor omissions I'm sure for fans, like "My Blue Heaven" and "Please Don't Leave Me (1953)" but this CD is the one to get if you're a fan like me or want to hear what real rock and roll sounded like.This stuff still holds up today. It's the beat!

4 stars for performance - 2 for quality.
With the exception of 'You Win Again' this is probably one of the best albums you can get by the fat man. Quality was really spotty from track to track as was the volume output so have your remote on hand. I seem to recall 'I Want To Walk You Home' being much crisper on the origional 45rpm but time plays tricks and this was almost 50 years ago. Some of these may not be from the origional masters. All in all though, a must have album from the 50's and 60's. ... Read more

Asin: B00005YW4I
Sales Rank: 2979
Subjects:  1. New Orleans R&B    2. Piano Blues    3. Pop    4. R&B    5. Rock    6. Rock & Roll    7. United States of America   

His Best : The Chess 50th Anniversary Collection
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Audio CD (08 April, 1997)
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Editorial Review

"Sounds nice," Bo Diddley tongue-in-cheekily observes of his music in "The Story of Bo Diddley," one of three self-named tunes on this 20-track examination of his classic '50s and '60s Checker Records sides. Not only was the former Ellas McDaniels rhythmically sharp enough to have a beat named after himself; he had a great guitar sound and a seemingly endless supply of shaggy-dog stories, lover-man boasts, silly jokes, and complaints with which to fuse them. His Best boils down the two-CD Chess Box, including signature pieces like "Bo Diddley" and "You Can't Judge a Book by Its Cover" alongside unjustly obscure tunes such as "Pills" (later covered by the New York Dolls) and "Dearest Darling." Great. --Rickey Wright ... Read more

Reviews (10)

Bo blows it away and back!
This is a good basic collection of all the well-known Bo Diddley songs with a few B-sides that were quite well-known. This is rock 'n' roll at its finest among finest. Bo Diddley was one of the originators of rock'n'roll along with Little Richard, Chuck Berry, Fats Domino, Buddy Holly, Elvis, and Jerry Lee Lewis; these guys invented rock'n'roll!! Bo's music is an excellent example of '50s rock 'n' roll even though he wasn't a major success on the charts. "Bo Diddley", "I'm A Man", "Diddley Daddy", "Pretty Thing", "Road Runner", "The Story of Bo Diddley", and "You Can't Judge a Book By Its Cover" are the best songs on here. They rock the house! They're all good, basically. As Bo proclaims in "The Story of Bo Diddley": "I'm a killer diller."

The best single-disc Bo Diddley collection
Ellas McDaniel only had a few hits in the 1950s and early '60s, but Bo Diddley produced greater and more influential music than all but a handful of the best early rockers.
His very first single, "Bo Diddley" b/w "I'm a Man", was not exactly blues, or even straight R&B, but a new kind of guitar-based rock & roll, soaked in the blues and R&B, but owing allegiance to neither. And Diddley quickly became a hero to young white blues and R&B fans like The Rolling Stones, The Yardbirds, and The Animals - the Stones in particular borrowed a lot from Bo Diddley's pulsating rhythms and galvanizing stage performances.

This MCA/Chess compilation gathers virtually all of Diddley's best and best-known songs, an hour of deep grooves, tough blues, R&B and early rock n' roll which includes "Bo Diddley" (with the fabulous Bo Diddley beat), "I'm A Man", "Who Do You Love", "Crackin' Up", "Mona", "I Can Tell", the sublime blues rocker "Before You Accuse Me", and the underrated "Pills".

Diddley and maraca player Jerome Green lock into a locomotive groove on numbers like "Roadrunner" and "The Story Of Bo Diddley", and the transfers used on this set are exemplary, the majority of them utilizing masters that have a few extra seconds (or more) appended to the fades, which will cause even hardliners to hear these old standards with fresh ears. Especially revelatory are the "long" versions of "I Can Tell" and the Willie Dixon-penned "You Can't Judge A Book By Its Cover".
"The Chess Box" is the ultimate Bo Diddley-collection, but this is one single-disc collection that really hits the bullseye, and it is the perfect way to get started.

Bo Diddley........My era
this is music I grew up with...I recently attended my 40th HS reunion and we hads this CD along with Chuck Berry, Buddy Holly playing in the background........O, the memories! BD's style has influenced the likes of Peter Frampton, The Eagles, Rolling Stones and Grand Funk RR...In the fifties, I had the good fortune to play/sit in with his band of 4....I have all BD's music some still in wrapper of the 45 rpm variety BUT this disk is the best.....there is a world of good sounds on here and it is VALUE........If you like this artist, then buy this disk.......it is truly his best!!! ... Read more

Asin: B000005KQK
Subjects:  1. Electric Chicago Blues    2. Guitar    3. Pop    4. R&B    5. Rock    6. Rock & Roll    7. United States of America    8. V/a Compilations   

The Screaming End: The Best Of Gene Vincent
Average Customer Review:
Audio CD (21 January, 1997)
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Editorial Review

"Let's rock again!" Gene Vincent screams in his signature rocker, "Be Bop-A-Lula," and throughout this 20-song document of the first heady year of his career, he and the Blue Caps (surely, the greatest rockabilly band ever) do just that, again and again, rocking with controlled abandon--though just barely controlled.Guitarist Cliff Gallup rips off insane riffs that are the perfect match for Vincent's own pinched wail, in songs that are either scary ("Race with the Devil"), or flat amazed ("Who Slapped John?"), or nothing but the beat, the beat, the beat ("Cat Man"). All of it will leave you convinced that the title is an understatement.--David Cantwell ... Read more

Reviews (12)

Primal Rock 'n' Roll...Git It!
I agree with the fundamentalists: rock `n' roll is the devil's music ... but only when it's done correctly.Gene Vincent did it correctly, by God, and nowhere is that more evident than on his seminal Capitol recordings of 1956 (17 songs of which are featured here). Vincent's singing was carnal, lusty, subversive; his lyrics suggestive, particularly the way he delivered them, as if to purposefully torment the fathers of teen girls everywhere.He was blessed with a stunning voice and delivery, and used it to celebrate the "rock `n' roll" in all its original fury and rebellion.

But the exceptional singing is only half the story in this vivid musical picture.Unlike many of his contemporaries, Vincent had a working band - The Blue Caps - who not only toured, but recorded with him (as opposed to studio musicians).Nearly fifty years and a million rock bands later, the Blue Caps stand out as one of the very, very best.Guitarist Cliff Gallup displays a level of virtuosity in these recordings - from his ridiculously imaginative note selection, speed of light picking, and jazzy rhythmic fills - that was virtually unheard of in rock till a decade later.

This is real rock `n' roll, son.Before greasers were replaced by teen idols.Before "Happy Days" and "Grease" and Sha na na tricked a nation into believing that the devil did not exist in 1950's America.

Rockabilly that sounds just as fresh today as it did then
Wow! Like many people, I was not too familiar with Gene Vincent's work and thought of him as sort of a "one-hit-wonder" because "Be-Bop-A-Lula" was the only song of his I knew. Boy, was I pleasantly surprised to find out that not only was Gene not a "one-hit-wonder" but also an incredibly talented rockabilly musician whose music sounds just as fresh today as it did in the 1950s.

I admit, it took me a couple of tries to discern one song from another. Being unfamiliar with rockabilly was part of the problem why I couldn't tell one song from another at first. However, I quickly realized that ALL of the songs presented here are great, and they do differ in style, though there are many similarities. "Red Blue Jeans and a Ponytail" is fantastic; as are "Catman" and "Pink Thunderbird". The band sounds great; the guitar playing is unmatched; and Gene's voice could rival any singer's today. It is entirely possible, by the way, to like Elvis and Gene Vincent and not think that one was better than the other. They were very different musicians, though they both emerged in the 1950s. Gene Vincent was the true rockabilly king, and Elvis, though a great rockabilly artist, diverged into many different realms of musical expression. Gene Vincent was a great talent who died way too young, though this album preserves his spirit of teenage rebellion and rockabilly greatness for all time!
Buy it and enjoy!!!

Gene Vincent: The Greatest of the Rockabilly Singers
The only difference between Elvis Presley and Gene Vincent is the former swiveled his hips better and the latter had a better voice. Post WWII America is the only setting in history where a singer became the idol of teenyboppers because he gyrated his torso on stage. I'm certain this utterly tasteless, lowlife phenomena did not plague Aeschylus, Euripes, and Sophocles in Ancient Greek amphitheatres; nor, I'm certain, did it affect troubadours of Medievel Europe. I know it didn't affect bobbysoxer fans of Rudy Vallee, Russ Columbo, and Bing Crosby. Doubtless many female hearts (as well as the hearts of many limp-wristed males) went a-flutter at the sight as well as sound of these handsome crooners, but lest we forget, these boys could sing beautifully. The torso-over-tonsils mentality did not exist prior to the birth of Rock and Roll. This infantile approach to singers and song was a phenomena solely of 1950s America, where an always brooding, mentally deranged homosexual named James Dean became a thespian icon. Twenty, even ten years earlier he would have justifiably been given lithium and placed under a responsible guardian's care. But this was a new age of liberation! This was the age in which spoiled children of hard-working, sensible Depression and World War II generation parents and grandparents decided that Sinatra and Crosby were square, but Elvis was "sexy!" Henceforth, musical vocalizing would be measured not by octave range or pitch but by how "cute" was the singer. Personally, I don't think Presley was a handsome guy. In fact, I thought he was more than a bit greasy, effeminate, and dorkish. But then, I am a heterosexual male who still thinks Errol Flynn, Marcello Mastrianni and Cary Grant were classy and gentlemanly. Today, most people under fifty don't know or care about the identities of these idols of another age. Snoop Dog they know, Madonna, they know. Jennifer Lopez and her extra large posterior they know. In fact, they know every pseudo-talent of contemporary pop culture. If the performer is vulgar, sensational, contrived, ostentatious, and cartoonish, they'll know of him or her. Again, since the arrival of Presley, visual stimulation has been the decidiing factor as to whether or not a singer will be a hit. Ridiculous but true. This takes us to Mr. Presley and his closest rival in the primevel days of Rock and Roll, the tragic Gene Vincent.If the typical Presley fan were to listen to Presley and Vincent sing the same ballad---without advanced prompting as to which singer they were listening to---most would not be able to tell the difference. Gene Vincent's one shortcoming was that he wasn't packaged and promoted the way Presley was by the shrewd sheister Colonel Tom Parker. But if you were to be genuinely honest, Presley never sang as melodically as Vincent did on pretty ballads like "Hi Lili, Hi Lo." As a matter of fact, Vincent even had Presley beat in the rockabilly, hiccup-style of singing, as evinced by "Be Bop A Lu La." Now this was admittedly no great musical work, but then neither were "Hound Dog" and "Be My Teddy Bear," were they? Vincent sang on key more consistently and his range was greater than Presley's. On a soft ballad, Vincent had superior breath control (just listen to Presley's asthmatic-sounding "Love Me Tender." It sounded like he needed a kindergarten primer on how to sing a complete lyric without asphyxiating himself). But the teenyboppers of the 1950s weren't sufficiently sophisticated to judge a singer by his voice rather than his pelvis. Thus, Gene Vincent came up a bit short in the physiognamy department. However, if the listener is sophisticated enough to transcend the hip-shaking, big sideburns, and moronic B movies of the "Big E," he or she will soon realize that Gene Vincent had more singing talent than Presley. Now I'm not certain just how much of a compliment that is since I believe Tiny Tim and Alvin and the Chipmunks had better voices than Presley, but nonetheless, I'll take Vincent over Presley any day of the week. I sincerely believe that as far as rock singers are concerned, Vincent was the best of the originals. ... Read more

Asin: B000002ZAW
Subjects:  1. Pop    2. Rock   

His Best: 1947 to 1955
Average Customer Review:
Audio CD (25 March, 1997)
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Editorial Review

One of the best recordings in Chess Records' 50th Anniverary series is the first of two bookend Muddy Waters collections, His Best 1947-55. Documenting Waters's most creatively and commercially successful years at Aristocrat/Chess, this CD begins with his formative years and ends with Waters at his peak. So you're in for a lot of terrific bottleneck slide guitar work as well as electric Chicago blues. What's to criticize? Superb remasterings of "I Can't Be Satisfied," "Rollin' and Tumblin'," "I'm Ready," and "Mannish Boy" are simply beyond reproach. With simple bass accompaniment from Ernest "Big" Crawford, Waters's bottleneck tracks are spare, haunting and, quite frankly, perfect country blues. And listening to Waters, Little Walter, Willie Dixon, and Jimmy Rogers piece together (and perfect very quickly) the classic Chicago sound is pure blues epiphany. At the very least, this collection shows you why Waters's rollicking stop-time classics like "Mannish Boy" and "I'm Your Hoochie Coochie Man" have sparked endless imitations over the years--and why nobody has played them better since. --Ken Hohman ... Read more

Features

• Original recording remastered

Reviews (18)

Muddy Is The Man!!!
If you are a blues fan you have to have at least one Muddy Waters CD and this would be the one."Mannish Boy" is probably my favorite.This is the first Muddy Waters song I ever heard although I had heard plenty of his songs done by other artists.It was used in a beer commercial (Budweiser I believe)back in the early '90's and I had to find out who it was.His version of the often recored "Baby Please Don't Go" is my favorite version of this song. This is an essential CD if you are just getting into blues.Also see Howling Wolf's "Rocking Chair album" and "Moaning at Midnight."And for Delta Blues, Robert Johnson's complete recordings since it is only two CDs and Son House's "Father of the Delta Blues."

WOW!
Is there any better buy you could make?I mean, the cost of these songs comes out to about 69 cents a song. This was my first Muddy Waters CD as I wanted to get a taste of what he offered, and all I can say is that there is no going back now.

Often imitated but never duplicated, Muddy is the epitome of the blues.From I'm Your Hoochie Coochie Man to Mannish boy, these are timeless classics which will never be improved.

This is most definitely a "desert island cd".....add it to your collection.If you don't buy the two "His Best" CD's: 1947-1955 and 1956-1964, I would highly recommend the Chess box set.

Again.....one word: "WOW"

Blues from heaven
This album blew my mind and is essential listening for any lover of blues, rock or any form of music(interested listeners are requested to also check out Howlin' Wolf 'His Best' CDissued simultaneously by Chess Records).

Nearly 50 odd years later the music sounds as fresh as yesterday. If this isn't where all the rock maestros of later years got their sonic ideas, it should have been. ... Read more

Asin: B000005KQH
Subjects:  1. Blues    2. Blues Revival    3. Chicago Blues    4. Delta Blues    5. Electric Blues    6. Electric Chicago Blues    7. Pop    8. Slide Guitar Blues   

The Essential Sun Collection
Average Customer Review:
Audio CD (07 June, 1999)
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Features

• Import

Reviews (1)

Don't Overlook This for Carl's Greatest!
If you're looking for one basic Carl collection, this may be your best bet.The sound is surprisingly OUTSTANDING ("warm, clear, punchy, vivid" are some words that come to my mind), better than the slightly "digital harsh"-sounding single disc that Rhino (which is usually one of the best for sonic quality) put out in the late '80s, and for the price of one disc you get 2 discs with 36 tracks total.And the booklet (with notes on every track here) is outstanding for a "budget" collection.Only the hardest of the hard-core fans will need more of Sun-era Carl, namely the expensive Bear Family box.This is the best collection (and value) for everyone else. ... Read more

Asin: B00000JAH4
Sales Rank: 31905
Subjects:  1. Pop    2. Rock    3. Rock & Roll    4. Rockabilly   

The Complete Original Sun Singles
Average Customer Review:
Audio CD (21 September, 1999)
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Reviews (3)

"young, lean & hungry for success...Cash in top form!"
After listening to this 2-CD-Set ~ "The Complete Sun Singles", was reminiscent of the days when I was growing up in the '50s, enjoying every record he recorded. Even if you don't care for country music, you can respect this one-of-a-kind musician who came from humble beginnings.

Cash started writing at a very young age about the railroad (trains) as we hear "HEY, PORTER"..."BLUE TRAIN"...and prisons "FOLSOM PRISON BLUES"..."GIVE MY LOVE TO ROSE"...but listen to one of my all-time-favorites "BIG RIVER", just the way you like 'em...classic Johnny Cash.

Much credit to ~ Cary E. Mansfield (collection producer), Sun Records, Varese Sarabande, Varese Vintage and the Tennessee Two...reliving those early years when we enjoyed "The Man In Black"...JOHNNY CASH!

Total Time: Disc One 48:43 on 20 Tracks & Disc Two 43:23 on 20 Tracks ~ Varese Sarabande 302-066-056-2 ~ (1999)

Good, not great, representation of a monumental body of work
Johnny Cash recorded for only 2 or 3 years at Sun before moving on to greener pastures at Columbia, but that was still enough time to record 60or 70 different songs, creating one of the most important bodies of work inrock and country music history. Listening to these tracks, you hear Cashtouch on a variety of American musical traditions, including gospel, folk,and blues in addition to country, giving you a clear idea of how each genreindebted to the other. What's real interesting is how he accomplishes thisthrough performance and writing; the arrangements for most of his Sun workemploys a simple boom-chick-boom beat. The raw setting actually worked inthe music's favor, stripping it down to Cash's voice. Over the course ofthese records, Cash's singing becomes more casual, taking on a more honestfeel.Unfortunately, by the time he perfected his trademark baritone, SamPhillips began overdubbing back-up vocals on a lot of his records.Likethe previous reviewer said, sometimes it work, sometimes it doesn't.

Still, his Sun work remains a great body of work, so the stuff on this CD,for the most part, is good. However, it's an imperfect collection becausesuch classics as "Wreck of Old '97" and "Rock IslandLine" are passed over despite room to spare. It's great that songslike "Story of a Broken Heart" can finally be heard on a domesticCD, but it's a bit irritating that they stop short of collecting all thematerial that's truly essential. Newcomers or casual listeners may bebetter off saving a few bucks on "Sun Years" by Rhino (which ismissing great songs, as well, but is still a nice package), and peoplewanting a bit more may be better off getting the 3CD box set, "TheEssential Johnny Cash 1955-1983," which is as good of a careersummation as one could hope. And even if you're REALLY looking to collectas much Sun material as possible, you might as well get it all on the BearFamily "Man In Black" box set, a pricey set with spectacularsound.

Superb collection of Cash's earliest, landmark singles
Cash's earliest recordings for Sun are as elemental and fully formed as an oxygen atom. His very first release, "Cry! Cry! Cry!" was a template of the sound that's sustained Cash to this day. Squarely in placeon the earliest recordings were the walking basslines and twangy, spareguitar lines that drew focus to Cash's unswerving, manly baritone. Recordedat Memphis' legendary Sun studios, under the production hand of SamPhillips, Cash's singles neatly wedded the complex, adult themes of countrymusic with the brash stance of then-contemporary rockabilly.

Varese'stwo-disc set includes well-known tunes like "I Walk the Line""Get Rhythm" and "Folsom Prison Blues," as well as ahost of lower-charting B-sides and later-50s productions by Jack Clement.These later recordings expanded the trio's sound with piano, backgroundvocals and acoustic guitars, sometimes successfully, sometimes not."Home of the Blues" and "Big River" survive theadditions without losing the trio's power, while the choral accompanimentof "I Love You Because" and "Oh Lonesome Me" dilutestheir primal equation. The teen-themed "Ballad of a TeenageQueen" and "Straight A's in Love" seem out of step withCash's vocals.

Varese's release collects the 40 tracks that comprisedCash's Sun singles, both A- and B-sides. It's an excellent compromisebetween single disc hit collections and all-encompassing retrospectives. ... Read more

Asin: B00001QGRU
Sales Rank: 131911
Subjects:  1. Country    2. Country-Pop    3. Guitar    4. Pop    5. Rock & Roll    6. Rockabilly    7. Traditional Country    8. Vocals   

Howlin' Wolf/Moanin' in the Moonlight
Average Customer Review:
Audio CD (25 October, 1990)
list price: $11.98 -- our price: $10.99
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Editorial Review

This package combines blues giant Howlin' Wolf's first two albums, themselves compilations of his singles released between 1951 and 1962. Apart from two tracks cut in Memphis with Ike Turner, these Chess Studios recordings are landmarks in the development of electric Chicago blues. The Mississippi Delta native's gruff persona towers over "Smokestack Lightnin'," "Red Rooster," "Spoonful," "Evil," "Wang Dang Doodle," "Back Door Man," and others that have become standards since being "discovered" by the Rolling Stones, Clapton, The Doors, et al. Almost as influential as Wolf's bottomless growl are the guitar playing of Hubert Sumlin and the writing and direction of Willie Dixon. An exceptional twofer value for such a weighty slice of American musical history. --Ben Edmonds ... Read more

Reviews (21)

Essential Wolf
This is the most essential single Howlin' Wolf CD there could possibly be and would make an excellent first purchase for a Howlin' Wolf novice. It comprises The Wolf's first two long-player releases, both what we would now regard as compilations, and was put out by Chess/MCA in 1986.
Moanin' In The Moonlight came out in America in 1959 and was made up of 12 selected A-sides and B-sides from the many 78's he released between 1951 and 1958, all monaural, including such classics as Smokestack Lightnin' and I Asked For Water (She Gave Me Gasoline). The LP kicks off with Moanin' At Midnight and How Many More Years, comprising both sides of his first Chess single, recorded in Memphis by Sam Phillips at what would become the Sun studios, long before Howlin' Wolf moved to Chicago. The songs on this LP are among the most elemental, eerie and powerful pieces of music ever committed to tape.
Equally compelling is the second collection, usually known as the Rocking Chair album, released in the US in January 1962, when the genre was presented as the root of "Music Americana". It contained 3 previously unreleased songs recorded between May and December 1961, and 9 that were on 45's released in 1960 and 1961 (though two were recorded in 1957), but all in stereo.
Famous songs include The Red Rooster, Wang Dang Doodle, Back Door Man and the Wolf's famous variation of Spoonful (he would have learned the original, fairly dissimilar Spoonful Blues from Charlie Patton) - though all staple fare for a million blues and rock bands ever since, none could match the intensity and darkness of these originals (although the Rolling Stones' Little Red Rooster came close). Most were written by Willie Dixon, who plays bass throughout, though there are a couple credited to Howlin' Wolf and a cover of St Louis Jimmy Oden's Goin' Down Slow, on which, unusually, the recitation is spoken by Willie Dixon.
The division of stereo and mono recordings is not declared anywhere on the CD and seems somewhat arbitrary, especially since Who's Been Talkin' (stereo), Tell Me (stereo) and Somebody In My Home (mono) were all recorded on 24 June 1957.
A note in the sleeve reads, "In our effort to bring you the originals for the cost of a single CD, we have omitted one selection due to the length of the combined original albums." Given the playing time of 66 minutes this is a very irritating message, but in my quest to discover the identity of the missing selection, after consulting several online discographies as far as I can tell it seems that all tracks are present and correct

Look at me- reviewing something twice--
..and that's just how important this album is to me and should be to you.Time has only made it more clear that THIS is the root from which rock 'n roll sprang.This man was eccentric in an era where eccentricity of any kind was frowned upon.Just listen to that voice.What can be more rock 'n roll than that??Pure emotion- gravel- grit- life.You gotta respect the Wolf!!!!!!

-H

Wolf at his best
You could say that MCA/Chess' various Wolf compilations ("His Best", "His Best vol. 2", "The Genuine Article") have made this twofer-CD obsolete, but as an introduction to the great Howlin' Wolf it still ranks among the best.

The sound quality is not stellar (no remastering), and neither is the packaging, but the songs certainly are.
"Howlin' Wolf / Moanin' In The Moonlight" brings together Wolf's first two LPs, one of them being the self-titled one usually called "The Rockin' Chair Album" due to the peaceful-looking picture on the cover of a rocking chair with an acoustic guitar propped up against it...misleading cover art if I ever saw it!
One song has been omitted due to the lenght of the original albums, the liner notes say. A completely meaningless excuse since this CD only runs for 65 minutes, but what's even more odd is that the material from Wolf's first album comes after the songs from his second one, putting latter-day Willie Dixon-penned material before early Wolf-penned songs (these two albums were not conceived as such, they were merely collections of oreviously issued singles as was customary at the time).

But those are minor quibbles. This certainly isn't everything you could ever want from the Wolf, but it is an excellent place to start. Many of his most accessible "mainstream" blues tunes are here, often written by Willie Dixon: "The Red Rooster" with its muscular, slinky slide guitar riff, the propulsive "Down In The Bottom", the gleeful "Back Door Man", the catchy hard-rocking "Howlin' For My Darlin'" (erroneously titled "Howlin' For My Baby"), and the slightly-too-cute "Wang Dang Doodle", which became very popular even though Wolf himself didn't like the song.
But Wolf's own compositions are here as well, and plenty of them, and those remain his most powerful: From the Rockin' Chair album comes the swaggering groove of "Tell Me", one of the most underexposed Wolf singles, and the Chicago blues classic "Who's Been Talking", a supremely funky arrangement with some powerful, syncopated drumming from Earl Phillips and a great piano part by Hosea Lee Kennard.

And "Moanin' At Midnight" is almost all Wolf, opening with his first hit single, the monster combination of the smouldering, piano-driven "How Many More Years" and the eerie "Moanin' At Midnight". The classic "Smokestack Lightnin'" is here, one of the pillars of early electric blues singles, and so is the menacing "Forty-Four", Wolf's take on Tommy Johnson's desperate "Cool Drink Of Water Blues" (retitled "I Asked For Water"), and a slew of rough, tough lesser-known songs like "I'm Leavin' You" (later covered by J.B. Hutto), "Somebody In My Home", "Baby How Long", and the wonderful early Dixon-composition "Evil".

Howlin' Wolf might not have caried himself with the statesman-like dignity of Muddy Waters, but his performances were the stuff of legend. A huge, intimidating man with a voice like heavy machinery operating on a gravel road, Wolf's early Chicago sides are some of the most awesome electric blues ever recorded, and no-one could match the Wolf when it came to rocking the house down to its foundations (and scaring the audience out of their wits at the same time).

Wolf is not for everyone...even if you like a good dose of Muddy Waters, you may still be turned off by Wolf's glass-gargling roar of a voice and sometimes bleak - or downright frightening - lyrics. But if you are interested in prime time Chicago blues, Wolf's classic Chess sides are a must-own. Chester Burnett in his prime remains the most overwhelming performer the genre has ever seen. ... Read more

Asin: B000002O3I
Subjects:  1. Blues    2. Chicago Blues    3. Electric Blues    4. Electric Chicago Blues    5. Pop   

Bloodshot Eyes: The Best of Wynonie Harris
Average Customer Review:
Audio CD (08 March, 1994)
list price: $18.98 -- our price: $18.98
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Editorial Review

Shouter Wynonie Harris did more than provide a link between small-combo R&B and the rock & roll of the '50s: the best of the jump-blues sides contained here rival Little Richard's greatest singles for sheer honking-sax raucousness. Harris's image--that of a suave wise guy with one eye on the skirts and the other on the bottle--helped define the music in an age when it was still largely targeted at adult audiences. The combination of spirited lyrics with driving performances by high-caliber jazzers--Ellington trumpet staple Cat Anderson, pianist Milt Buckner, and the great guitarist Mickey Baker are among the personnel--also served as a major influence on the '90s swing-revival bands. But the true proof of Harris's timelessness is the indefatigable energy that still blares (literally) from these sides. If anything, the unbeatable Harris made his hottest music--"Quiet Whiskey," "Down Boy Down"--after his string of hits ran out. What did he care, as long as the party started on time? --Rickey Wright ... Read more

Reviews (9)

Thanks allformusic!!
I appreciate that bit of information, it's great to know that Wynonie Harris has gotten some type of recognition, his contributions should not be ignored. To the uninitiated, anyone who has heard Elvis do "Good Rockin' Tonight" will be in for a shock of pure pleasure, and just listen to the way he socks it to this bluesy, sometimes lusty material(even though some of the lyrics may be tame by today's standards, there was no hiding the attitude-you can almost hear him licking his chops). Also note his reading of the ballads.

Best of the best: hard swingin' R&B and the start of rock!
I'm so glad to see that Wynonie Harris is finally getting his due as a lynchpin between the jazz and jump blues R&B of the 40s and the birth of rock n' roll in the fifties. This CD is an absolutely perfect single disc introduction to the blues shouter, who, in my humble opinion, outshone even Roy Brown and Big Joe Turner. Wynonie Harris sings music that is pulse pounding, super swingin', funny, infectiously danceable, and it all rocks hard! Here's where rock n' roll really got its first electric injection, and you can see from where Elvis and the Rolling Stones took their early inspiration. On top of it all, the remastering and sound quality on this disc is superb. The early tracks are a bit muffled, but that's because of the equipment used to record them in the first place. Everything here sounds as good as it possible can, and many tracks sound as if they were recorded yesterday!

I discovered the divine Mr. Harris through the retro-swing movement that started in the late 90s (and, nay-sayers aside, is still going!). Many bands covered his songs and helped get people interested in his music again. Swing Session covered "I Feel that Old Age Coming On," Indigo Swing adapted "Grandma Plays the Numbers" (into "Baron Plays the Horses"), the Senders did "Keep on Churnin'," Blues Jumpers tackled "Good Morning Judge," and it seems as if everyone has taken a crack at "Quiet Whiskey," "Down Boy Down," and of course, "Good Rockin' Tonight." Anyone who has ever heard any of these songs from a modern band, or heard them played by a DJ on a radio station and wondered where it all came from, this is the single best disc to buy.

Really, everything on here is great. Every track is wonder of hard swingin' blues and Harris's shining, fun-loving personality. Although Roy Brown did "Good Rockin' Tonight" first and Elvis would make it one of his earlier songs, Harris's version is the best, the most definitive version. I dare you not to start clapping along when you first hear it. You may never have heard "Grandma Plays the Numbers," but this is a hysterical song with a hypnotic rhythm to it; it's one of the gems of the CD.

Other awesome tracks among this great collection: the risqué and naughty "Keep on Churnin'," the oft-covered "Good Morning Judge" (another example of Harris's sense of humor), "Down Boy Down," and the title track, "Bloodshot Eyes," which is probably the piece I hear swing DJs play the most - there's a reason this whole album takes the name of this one song.

If you love rock, swing, or the blues, but haven't heard Wynonie Harris, grab this CD. It's a great price for CD packed with nothing but the best of the best.

Every tracks Jump, Swings, Grinds and Grooves Hard ! ! !
I can't believe that I let the music of Wynonie Harris slip by me this long. This is some of the hardest hitting "classic" R & B I've heard in ages, and most of it jumps so hard, you think you're in a dirty 1950's "cross the tracks" juke joint, not the purportedly tamer mid-late 40s. - - The sound quality (remastering ?) incidentally is FANTASTIC...its definitely *not* the low-fi style KING sound you might have heard in the past !.- - Mixing slick hand clapping blues shuffles, dirty lyrics (*well, obviously a bit tame by today's standards), and some hard swinging pre-rock and roll R & B every track on this album is a winner both in terms of music, performance, and the novelty value of the lyrics (they're totally off the wall sometimes... take note if you happen to have your own blues band and are looking for good material.) - - You can think of Wynonie (who passed away at a relatively young age in 1969)as a somewhat "blue-er" funky and rough edged version of Louis Jorgan...As the liner notes demonstrate, Wynonnie lived hard and partied hard just like his music, and when you listen to it, you'll feel it too ! ... Read more

Asin: B00000335S
Subjects:  1. Blues    2. Jump Blues    3. Pop    4. R&B    5. United States of America   

Rumble! The Best of Link Wray
Average Customer Review:
Audio CD (18 May, 1993)
list price: $9.98 -- our price: $9.98
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Reviews (18)

My favorite "Best of" album
Link pounds out raw and crude rockabilly rock 'n' roll tunes like none other. I'm surprised he isn't considered one of rock 'n' roll's greatest guitarists. He is certainly one of the most influential, and is the father of the power chord. The songs are perfect for a gang stroll, and remind me of the countless AIP juvenile delinquency schlockers that were so popular in the late 50's and early 60's. Better than the Stones when it comes to primal rock 'n' roll.

The Best Guitar Player You've Never Heard Of
Link Wray gets no play on oldies or classic rock stations, which is a shame.His guitar instrumentals will be loved by anyone who likes the Rhino Records Nuggets boxed sets.

"Rumble" and "Raw-Hide" were the only two Top 40 hits from this disk (1958 and 1959, respectively), but most of the rest of the songs here are just as good.One wonders why Wray had no hits in the Sixties.

Let's get ready to rumble!
This is a compilation of some of guitarist Link Wray's best songs.It does a good job of covering some of the highlights of his career.Most of the songs are instrumentals, but there are three songs that feature Link's bluesy vocals.Link played guitar in a "dirty" style with a lot of feedback, but there is actually a wide variety to the instrumentals here.This is a solid compilation.I recommend it to fans of rock instrumentals. ... Read more

Asin: B000003308
Sales Rank: 4635
Subjects:  1. Guitar    2. Instrumental Rock    3. Pop    4. Rock    5. Rock & Roll    6. United States of America