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VARIOUS ARTISTS
50th Anniversary Collection Rock & Roll (Madacy)
Reviewed by Ron Saranich
The 50th Anniversary Collection Rock & Roll features 34 singles that made the top 20 during the 1950s. All the recordings are by the original artists and the sound is improved. Medacy has done a good job of compiling this anthology, offering the listener a mix of obvious selections along with some surprises. For example, Connie Francis, one of the artists included here, is represented by "My Happiness" rather than her mega-hit "Who's Sorry Now." I find this refreshing as it broadens the range of familiarity with the artists' work. My only quibble is that Medacy did not include any songs by the King - Elvis Presley.
Several observations: It's hard to believe "Willie And The Hand Jive" by The Johnny Otis Show is almost fifty years old. That driving beat is impossible to resist, my feet must dance! Listening to "Rumble" by Link Wray and His Wray Men, I hear power cords that are still a staple of rock today. "Poor Little Fool" by Ricky Nelson demonstrates that Nelson was more than a pretty face. Chuck Berry's "Maybelline" was the work of a genius. "Wake Up Little Susie" shows off the glorious vocal harmonies of the Everly Brothers. For all you parents of teenage children, give Dion & The Belmonts' "A Teenager In Love" a listen once again and smile. We were young once, in love, and overwhelmed. Buddy Holly, represented here by "That'll Be The Day" and "Peggy Sue," died far too soon at only twenty-two. The man understood the essence of rock and roll.
The 50th Anniversary Collection Rock & Roll is a good purchase. The fifties were the beginning of rock, and many of these songs sound as fresh and relevant today as they did upon release. Things were simpler and more innocent back then, and these songs reflect it. The 2 Cds in this collection list at about $19, and you can get probably buy it at a cost of $14 to $15 dollars. Not a bad price for such historically important music. Some readers might want to purchase the anthology simply to discover the type of music their parents listened to while growing up.
Track Lists:
Disc One: Rock Around The Clock (Bill Haley & His Comets) * Tutti Frutti (Little Richard) * That'll Be The Day (Buddy Holly & The Crickets) * Sweet Little Sixteen (Chuck Berry) * It's Only Make Believe (Conway Twitty) * Sea Of Love (Phil Phillips) * Chantilly Lace (Big Bopper) * Short Shorts (The Royal Teens) * Stagger Lee (Lloyd Price) * Say Man (Bo Diddley) * The Purple People Eater (Sheb Woooley) * Peggy Sue (Buddy Holly) Maybelline (Chuck Berry) * At The Hop (Danny & The Juniors) * See You Later Alligator (Bill Haley & His Comets) * My Happiness (Connie Francis) * Rocket 88 (Jackie Brenston) (bonus track)
Disc Two: Blue Suede Shoes (Carl Perkins) * Summertime Blues (Eddie Cochran) * Great Balls Of Fire (Jerry Lee Lewis) * Wake Up Little Susie (The Everly Brothers) * Poor Little Fool (Rick Nelson) * Rumble (Link Wray & His Ray Men) * Ooby Dooby (Roy Orbison) * Be-Bop-A-Lula (Gene Vincent) * A Teenager In Love (Dion & The Belmonts) * Venus (Frankie Avalon) * Willie And The Hand Jive (Johnny Otis Show) * Blueberry Hill (Fats Domino) * Come Softly To Me (The Fleetwoods) * Young Love (Sonny James) * Sea Cruise (Frankie Ford) * Tequila (The Champs) * Crazy Man, Crazy (Bill Haley & His Comets) (bonus track)
[Pick this up at cduniverse.com.]
© 2004 - Ron Saranich