Golden Age of American Rock 'n' Roll, Vol. 7
zig-zags inconsistently between classic oldies that are not hard to find on reissues (
the Monotones
'
"Book of Love,"
the Miracles
"Shop Around,"
Frankie Ford
's
"Sea Cruise"
), mid-level hits (
Lee Andrews
"Tear Drops,"
the Flares
"Foot Stomping,"
the Mystics
"Hushabye,"
Barrett Strong
"Money"
), and forgotten singles that only struggled up to the middle of the Top 100. Still, like the rest of the series, it's a worthwhile compilation of the gamut of
rock
sounds from
's first decade, with a number of rarities, or even fairly big hits that don't get anthologized too often, like
Barry & the Tamerlanes
"I Wonder What She's Doing Tonight"
and
the Five Keys
' 1954
doo wop
lark
"Ling, Ting, Tong,"
one of the first
songs to crossover into the
pop
Top 30. The ace rarity is
Bobby Parker
's 1961 single
"Watch Your Step,"
a must-hear for anyone interested in the birth of
soul
, with a brash guitar and exuberant vocal that pointed the way out of
R&B
and into a more assertive style, sounding two or three years ahead of its time. It was covered by
the Spencer Davis Group
during the
British Invasion
, and its dynamite riff was part of the inspiration for the guitar licks used by
the Beatles
in
"I Feel Fine."
~ Richie Unterberger