This is about as good as it gets, 30 songs that pretty much (with one or two exceptions) shake, shimmy, and generally rock out about as well as any best-of-the-1950s that you'll buy from Time-Life. Even improbabilities like
Cheeko Vass'
"Bo-Peep Rock"
(the kind of novelty number this reviewer hates) come out okay, played with style, fervor, and a sweaty involvement that makes them better than the material itself.
Bob Vidone's
"Untrue" kicks off the collection in good form, and it never really lets go.
Brock Williams'
"What Am I" nearly sinks of its weight, as premature exercise in what later came to be called "identity crisis," but his raunchy singing and a good guitar break overshadow any serious intentions.
Pete Cummins'
R&B-style "In the Middle of the Night" is one of the more unexpected tracks here. Not everything is quite that good, of course, but everything here has something to recommend it, whether it's lustiness ("Honey Blonde" by
Ronnie Elles
), raw musicianship ("Bop Hop" by
Little Jimmy Dempsey
,
Ernie Nowlin's
"Tally Ho"), raunchiness ("Little Miss Susie" by
Eddie Cleary
), a great performance (the guitar on
Steve Wagoner's
"Big And Yellow"), or just a plain good song ("Check That Baby Out, One Time" by
Randy Proffitt
). Other highlights include:
Darrell Rhodes
("Lou Lou," the
Bo Diddley
rip-off "I Thought About You"),
Sonee West
("Sweet Rockin' Baby"),
Troy Ferguson
("At the Jamboree"),
Eddy Bell
("Johnny Be Goode Is in Hollywood," an unauthorized sequel to the
Chuck Berry
song), the
Elvis
imitator
Harold Shutters
("Baby Fan the Flame"),
Gene Vincent
-influenced
Jimmy Kirkland
("Come On Baby"), and
Jerry Lee Lewis
-emulator
Marshall Ray Walters
("Willie Willie Willie"), and the honking sax-driven "Rock Baby Rock" by
Cliff Ayers
-- these all rate more than a listen 40 years after the fact. ~ Bruce Eder