Various Artists – Great Rockabilly. Just About As Good As It Gets (Smith & Co).
This is the first of a series of four double CDs from Dutch oldies label Smith & Co covering Rockabilly, Skiffle and Rock N Roll. George Jones opens the 64-track marathon from 1955-1956 with the energetic Rock It. You expect energy from Rockabilly and you can also hear blues influences on this. Johnny Carroll contributes the frenetic Wild Wild Women and Crazy Crazy Lovin’ from 1956 but the latter is so fresh and it could have been far younger. He also gives us some good fun on Hot Rock as does Eddie Bond on Flip Flop Mama. Bond also gives us Boppin’ Bonnie and, although the lyrics were never the best, the beat is as good as ever. The enthusiastic Joe Clay gives us Sixteen Chicks and Ducktail and he shows just how much the Rockabilly artists enjoyed what they were doing. Clay is one of many subsequent artists to follow a formula and he does it very well. Curtis Gordon also found the formula but the addition of steel guitar on Mobile Alabama keeps it on the Country side of Rockabilly. Others who veer to that side of the genre are Jack Earl with Slow Down and Sid King with When My Baby Left Me. The anarchic Marvin Rainwater chips in with Hot And Cold and the classic early Rockabilly of Mr Blues. Skeets McDonald sings Heartbreakin’ Mama and You Oughta See Grandma Rock in what became Lonnie Donegan’s style. There are some good and some not so good and the uninspired Rockin’ Rollin’ Stone from Andy Starr falls firmly into the latter category. Another one for the not so good group is Sanford Clark with Lonesome For A Letter. The vocal has no excitement and it feels like he was just going through the motions. Unfortunately, his second offering, The Fool also lacks the passion required. Tommy Spurlin’s Hang Loose is only marginally better.
The rockabilly artists would sing about virtually anything and Charlie Feathers’ Bottle To The Baby is a good example. This is basic and raw but that’s what is was all supposed to be about. Feathers also contributes One Hard Love, which keeps him in the zone. One of the genre’s giants, Johnny Burnette, provides a rip snorter in the form of Tear It Up and provides one of the albums highlights on Train Kept A Rollin’. Sleepy LaBeef is another heavyweight who delivers a powerful performance in a Presley style on All The Time. Warren Smith’s Rock N Roll Baby rolls along well and Curtis Gordon is so energetic on Draggin’. Smith also contributes Ubangi Stomp, which has novelty value that thankfully doesn’t hide the very good song underneath. Roy Orbison makes a few incursions into the album and although Rockhouse is obviously an early recording, you can hear the voice coming through – not a great song though. Another of Orbison’s is You’re My Baby and this only has slight hints of the star to come. It does, however, build up into a great Rockabilly song. The third of Orbison’s trio of songs is the inanely titled Ooby Dooby which is actually a good song but is spoiled by the stupid chorus. His quartet is finished off by the energetic Go Go Go. It is strange why the compilers of the CD decided to give Roy Orbison more tracks than any other artist.
George ‘Thumper’ Jones gives us a rendition of the now famous Heartbreak Hotel and I’m about to commit a sacrilege by saying that this is every bit as good as the Elvis version. I’ve only got three words to say about Jones’ other contribution, How Come It, -- this is Rockabilly! Another famous song is Bird Dog and Don Woody’s version has one foot firmly in the Country genre. Another one from Woody is Barking Up The Wrong Tree and this is what Rockabilly is all about – energy and fun. Ronnie Self contributes Pretty Bad Blues and it’s obvious that he modelled himself on Elvis Presley although the song itself is pretty standard stuff. The great man, Gene Vincent, throws in Woman Love and this is trademark Vincent, mean & moody, showing that class always shines through. The class also shines through on I Flipped although it is difficult to pick out Vincent. CD 1 is finished by Be-Bop-A-Lula, another of the generations defining tracks. Roy Hall’s All By Myself only skirts around the edges of Rockabilly but Malcolm Yelvington really bops on the classy Rockin’ With My Baby. Yelvington also has Yakety Yak on the album but this is a country song and not a cover of the more famous song of the dame name. Jimmy & Johnny give us Sweet Love On My Mind, a country based tune with good harmonies.
The biggest Rockabilly star, in the opinion of many, is Carl Perkins and his contributions are Dixiefried, Boppin’ The Blues and the ubiquitous Blue Suede Shoes. He is a giant of the genre, performs to the highest standard and has the voice of an angel. Ray Harris gives us the energetic Come On Little Mama and it sounds like his guitarist’s hand is near to falling off. Where’d You Stay Last Nite is another good performance from Harris. The man who is widely credited as the person who started off the whole genre, Elvis Presley, has two tracks. He is unmistakeable on Baby Let’s Play House and throws in the bluesy, classy Mystery Train to finish of the second CD for good measure. He was what the others could only aspire to. Janis Martin is the only female to make it on to this compilation and although Let’s Elope Baby is pleasant enough, is it good enough for Rockabilly? I don’t think so. Maybelline with acoustic guitar is different but Marty Robbins version is not a patch on the Chuck Berry original or the scorching version by Pat Travers. Roy Duke’s Behave Be Quiet Or Be Gone has a country style title and is a country style song, complete with yodelling. There is a formula to this style of music and these early pioneers soon set the standard and Webb Pierce’s Teenage Boogie is an example of the formula. Mac Curtis chips in with the pretty standard Grandaddy’s Rockin’ and Billy Lee Riley gives us the equally standard Rock With Me Baby. However, Curtis shows that he is one of the better vocalists on That Ain’t Nothing But Right. Sonny West’s Rock-Ola Ruby is one of the better tracks but I don’t find it menacing enough -- there should be that edge. Buddy Holly is totally unrecognisable on Midnight Shift. Buck Griffiths’ Stutterin’ Papa is very rough but is nothing out of the ordinary. Country giant Johnny Cash also makes an appearance with Get Rhythm and this is sheer class. It shows Johnny making the bridge between country and rock n roll. Also included is So Doggone Lonesome which is instantly recognisable as Cash but hardly Rockabilly. Slim Rhodes is just not up to the task on Do What I Do but that is countered by Sonny Fisher’s Rockin’ Daddy, a fine example of how the genre came into being.
This is an important introduction to the birth of a musical genre but remember, you have to take the rough with the smooth.
http://www.smithco.nl/
David Blue.
This is the first of a series of four double CDs from Dutch oldies label Smith & Co covering Rockabilly, Skiffle and Rock N Roll. George Jones opens the 64-track marathon from 1955-1956 with the energetic Rock It. You expect energy from Rockabilly and you can also hear blues influences on this. Johnny Carroll contributes the frenetic Wild Wild Women and Crazy Crazy Lovin’ from 1956 but the latter is so fresh and it could have been far younger. He also gives us some good fun on Hot Rock as does Eddie Bond on Flip Flop Mama. Bond also gives us Boppin’ Bonnie and, although the lyrics were never the best, the beat is as good as ever. The enthusiastic Joe Clay gives us Sixteen Chicks and Ducktail and he shows just how much the Rockabilly artists enjoyed what they were doing. Clay is one of many subsequent artists to follow a formula and he does it very well. Curtis Gordon also found the formula but the addition of steel guitar on Mobile Alabama keeps it on the Country side of Rockabilly. Others who veer to that side of the genre are Jack Earl with Slow Down and Sid King with When My Baby Left Me. The anarchic Marvin Rainwater chips in with Hot And Cold and the classic early Rockabilly of Mr Blues. Skeets McDonald sings Heartbreakin’ Mama and You Oughta See Grandma Rock in what became Lonnie Donegan’s style. There are some good and some not so good and the uninspired Rockin’ Rollin’ Stone from Andy Starr falls firmly into the latter category. Another one for the not so good group is Sanford Clark with Lonesome For A Letter. The vocal has no excitement and it feels like he was just going through the motions. Unfortunately, his second offering, The Fool also lacks the passion required. Tommy Spurlin’s Hang Loose is only marginally better.
The rockabilly artists would sing about virtually anything and Charlie Feathers’ Bottle To The Baby is a good example. This is basic and raw but that’s what is was all supposed to be about. Feathers also contributes One Hard Love, which keeps him in the zone. One of the genre’s giants, Johnny Burnette, provides a rip snorter in the form of Tear It Up and provides one of the albums highlights on Train Kept A Rollin’. Sleepy LaBeef is another heavyweight who delivers a powerful performance in a Presley style on All The Time. Warren Smith’s Rock N Roll Baby rolls along well and Curtis Gordon is so energetic on Draggin’. Smith also contributes Ubangi Stomp, which has novelty value that thankfully doesn’t hide the very good song underneath. Roy Orbison makes a few incursions into the album and although Rockhouse is obviously an early recording, you can hear the voice coming through – not a great song though. Another of Orbison’s is You’re My Baby and this only has slight hints of the star to come. It does, however, build up into a great Rockabilly song. The third of Orbison’s trio of songs is the inanely titled Ooby Dooby which is actually a good song but is spoiled by the stupid chorus. His quartet is finished off by the energetic Go Go Go. It is strange why the compilers of the CD decided to give Roy Orbison more tracks than any other artist.
George ‘Thumper’ Jones gives us a rendition of the now famous Heartbreak Hotel and I’m about to commit a sacrilege by saying that this is every bit as good as the Elvis version. I’ve only got three words to say about Jones’ other contribution, How Come It, -- this is Rockabilly! Another famous song is Bird Dog and Don Woody’s version has one foot firmly in the Country genre. Another one from Woody is Barking Up The Wrong Tree and this is what Rockabilly is all about – energy and fun. Ronnie Self contributes Pretty Bad Blues and it’s obvious that he modelled himself on Elvis Presley although the song itself is pretty standard stuff. The great man, Gene Vincent, throws in Woman Love and this is trademark Vincent, mean & moody, showing that class always shines through. The class also shines through on I Flipped although it is difficult to pick out Vincent. CD 1 is finished by Be-Bop-A-Lula, another of the generations defining tracks. Roy Hall’s All By Myself only skirts around the edges of Rockabilly but Malcolm Yelvington really bops on the classy Rockin’ With My Baby. Yelvington also has Yakety Yak on the album but this is a country song and not a cover of the more famous song of the dame name. Jimmy & Johnny give us Sweet Love On My Mind, a country based tune with good harmonies.
The biggest Rockabilly star, in the opinion of many, is Carl Perkins and his contributions are Dixiefried, Boppin’ The Blues and the ubiquitous Blue Suede Shoes. He is a giant of the genre, performs to the highest standard and has the voice of an angel. Ray Harris gives us the energetic Come On Little Mama and it sounds like his guitarist’s hand is near to falling off. Where’d You Stay Last Nite is another good performance from Harris. The man who is widely credited as the person who started off the whole genre, Elvis Presley, has two tracks. He is unmistakeable on Baby Let’s Play House and throws in the bluesy, classy Mystery Train to finish of the second CD for good measure. He was what the others could only aspire to. Janis Martin is the only female to make it on to this compilation and although Let’s Elope Baby is pleasant enough, is it good enough for Rockabilly? I don’t think so. Maybelline with acoustic guitar is different but Marty Robbins version is not a patch on the Chuck Berry original or the scorching version by Pat Travers. Roy Duke’s Behave Be Quiet Or Be Gone has a country style title and is a country style song, complete with yodelling. There is a formula to this style of music and these early pioneers soon set the standard and Webb Pierce’s Teenage Boogie is an example of the formula. Mac Curtis chips in with the pretty standard Grandaddy’s Rockin’ and Billy Lee Riley gives us the equally standard Rock With Me Baby. However, Curtis shows that he is one of the better vocalists on That Ain’t Nothing But Right. Sonny West’s Rock-Ola Ruby is one of the better tracks but I don’t find it menacing enough -- there should be that edge. Buddy Holly is totally unrecognisable on Midnight Shift. Buck Griffiths’ Stutterin’ Papa is very rough but is nothing out of the ordinary. Country giant Johnny Cash also makes an appearance with Get Rhythm and this is sheer class. It shows Johnny making the bridge between country and rock n roll. Also included is So Doggone Lonesome which is instantly recognisable as Cash but hardly Rockabilly. Slim Rhodes is just not up to the task on Do What I Do but that is countered by Sonny Fisher’s Rockin’ Daddy, a fine example of how the genre came into being.
This is an important introduction to the birth of a musical genre but remember, you have to take the rough with the smooth.
http://www.smithco.nl/
David Blue.
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