These
Hard to Find '45s
collections from
Eric
records are flat-out great. They are crazy good, and
Vol. 10: 1960-1965
is no exception. In typical
style, the songs on
Vol. 10
range from the good to the great, and the extensive liner notes make for absolutely fascinating reading. From crooner
Adam Wade
's decision to drop a career in biochemistry to pursue singing and acting, to the rumor that
Barry Young
sounded so much like
Dean Martin
that
Dino
used his considerable Ratpack power to squelch
Young
's career before it had a chance to really take off, the liner notes are so much fun that they hold equal entertainment value with the music. That's a high compliment, too, since the music here is so darn good.
Andrea Carroll
's achingly cute
"It Hurts to Be Sixteen,"
Dorsey Burnette
's goofily religious
"There Was A (Tall Oak Tree),"
Harold Dorman
's own take on his mega-hit (for everyone else)
"Mountain of Love,"
James Ray
's sweet and swaggering
"If You Gotta Make a Fool of Somebody"
and Detroit's
Dynamics
' exuberant roof-raiser
"Misery"
are all fantastic and absolutely required listening. All of the tunes have been lovingly remastered and sound better here than anywhere else. Kudos to the folks at
for taking the time and care to present these songs in the best possible light. Indispensable. ~ J. Scott McClintock