NEWSLETTER #147
Second Time Around
Juke Boy Bonner ->
Bukka White
| JUKE BOY BONNER |
Arhoolie 375 |
Life Gave Me A Dirty Deal |
● CD $12.98 |
23 tracks, 70 mins, essential
Weldon "Juke Boy" Bonner was a fine singer who played both guitar and
harmonica at the same time. Like his first musical influence Lightnin'
Hopkins, Bonner was creative bluesman who in addition to the usual songs of
lost love also wrote perceptive songs about his experiences, the dangers of
the big city and the plight of the black man in America. If at times his
lyrics sound like he's feeling sorry for himself (Life Gave Me Dirty
Deal/ Hard Luck/ Life Is A Nightmare) - well the story of his life gave
him good reason to feel that way and he expresses it all in his own poetic
manner. Other songs deal with the dangers of riots in the cities (Going
Back To The Country), the dangers of Houston's notorious Lyons Avenue (Stay
Off Lyons Avenue), his excitement at the prospect of his first European
tour (I Got My Passport), his slughtly cynical view of the burgeoning
black pride movement (Being Black And I'm Proud) and, of course, the
joys and pain of love (Sad Sad Sound/ She Turns Me On/ Trying To Be
Contented). The sides here were recorded between 1967 and '69, most of
them in Houston, Texas and are probably the finest recordings of this
sometimes underrated artist. Half the tracks feature Juke Boy accompanied by
the solid and effctive drumming of Alvin J. Simon. Juke Boy's music is the
antithesis of "easy listening" but if you want hear one of America's true
folk poets you won't go wrong with this exemplary set. (FS)
JUKE BOY BONNER: Being Black And I'm Proud/ Going Back To
The Country/ Hard Luck/ Houston, The Action Town/ I Got My Passport/ I'm
Getting Tired/ I'm In The Big City/ It Don't Take Too Much/ It's Time to
Make A Change/ Just A Blues/ Life Gave Me A Dirty Deal/ Life Is A Nightmare/
My Blues/ Over Ten Years Ago/ Railroad Tracks/ Running Shoes/ Sad, Sad
Sound/ She Turns Me On/ Stay Off Lyons Avenue/ Struggle Here In Houston/
Trying To Be Contented/ Watch Your Buddies/ When The Deal Goes Down
|
| TINA BRITT |
Stateside 362 924-2 |
Blue All The Way |
● CD $11.98 |
20 tracks, 61 min., highly recommended
For a soul singer with two Top 40 R&B hits, very little is known about Tina
Britt. Very little. This collection gathers her singles between 1965-69 and
her 1969 LP on Minit, and thus comprises her complete solo output. And
although her work was issued on a number of labels, all of her songs were
produced by Henry "Juggy" Murray (of Sue Records fame). Her early work
included her biggest hit, The Real Thing, which climbed sure-footedly
to #20 on Billboard's R&B chart. The song, which apes Motown arrangements
and production, sounds like a thinly disguised knock-off of Martha Reeves &
The Vandellas' Heatwave. (To be fair, Martha and Co. knocked off that
song a couple of times themselves--Quicksand comes to mind.) In fact,
most of her early work was influenced by Berry Gordy's music machine, and
perhaps nothing more so than Look, which even includes the trademark
tambourine throughout. That said, the songs are great slices of uptempo
soul. Her later work is bluesier and more nuanced but sometimes lacks some
of the power of her earlier stuff. Also included are three previously
unreleased songs: It's My Thing, an answer to the Isley Bros.; He
Put The Hurt On Me, the finest of her three Otis Redding covers; and a
version of Doctor Feel Good. Too bad she didn't record more before
her retirement/ disappearance. (JC)
|
| THE FIVE KEYS |
Rev-Ola CRBAND 022 |
Rocking And Crying The Blues, 1951-1957 |
● CD $15.98 |
Superb collection of 30 tracks by one of the greatest
doo-wop groups recorded for Aladdin and Capitol. Whether on a bluesy soulful
ballad or hard driving rocker the group always sounded great. This
collection includes Rocking And Crying The Blues/ Love My Loving
(with some nifty steel guitar)/ Too Late Baby/ Why Oh Why/ Serve Another
Round/ How Long/ I'll Follow You/ That's Right/ It's A Groove/ I Dreamt I
dwelt In Heaven/ The Verdict, etc.
THE FIVE KEYS: Can't Keep from Crying/ Come Go My Bail,
Louise/ From the Bottom of My Heart/ Going Downtown/ How Could You Do This
to Me?/ How Do You Expect Me to Get It?/ How Long/ Hucklebuck with Jimmy/ I
Dreamt I Dwelt in Heaven/ I Wish I'd Never Learned to Read/ I'll Follow You/
I'm So High/ It's a Groove!/ Lawdy Miss Mary/ Lonesome Old Story/ Love My
Loving/ My Pigeon's Gone/ Now Don't That Prove I Love You?/ Old MacDonald/
Out of Sight, Out of Mind/ Rocking and Crying the Blues/ Serve Another
Round/ She's the Most!/ Teeth and Tongue Will Get You Hung/ That's Right/
Too Late Baby/ Verdict/ When Will My Troubles End?/ Why Oh Why/ Wisdom of a
Fool
|
| SCREAMIN' JAY HAWKINS |
Rev-Ola 169 |
The Whamee, 1953-1955 |
● CD $15.98 |
27 tracks, 70 mins, highly recommended
Fantastic collection of pre-Okeh records recordings from the indomitable
Screamin' Jay Hawkins. One of the first things that jumped out at me about
this collection was that out of the 24 different tracks on this (there are 3
versions of I Is and 2 versions of Tiny's Jump by Tiny Grimes)
19 of which are written or co-written by Jalacy Hawkins - i.e., Screamin
Jay. It's easy to just think of him as a performer, certainly one of the
best of his time, but the man also wrote a whole mess of fantastic songs. On
this you get the originally un-issued first recorded version of I Put A
Spell On You on Grand records, primitive yes, but not as primal as it
would soon be, yet still a great version worth checking out. With that you
get a rather large amount of previously un-issued (6) and alternate (5)
takes from Screamin' Jay's tenure at The Grand, Mercury, Wing, Timely and
Gotham labels. Also thrown in for an extra is Bobby Lewis doing Mumbles
Blues on Chess, that owes a certain amount of inspiration (or
appropriation) to Hawkins. According to the always informative Dave Penny,
writer of these liner notes, this collects all known recording done by
Screamin' Jay before he hit the big time with Columbia subsidiary Okeh, with
the exception of his recordings for Atlantic that seem to have been lost
over the years and sadly have never been issued in any format. (JM)
SCREAMIN' JAY HAWKINS: $10, 000 Lincoln Continental/
$10,000 Lincoln Continental (Alternate Take)/ Baptize Me in Wine/ Coronation
Jump (Instrumental)/ Even Though/ I Found My Way to Wine/ I Is/ I Is
(Incomplete Take)/ I Is (Incomplete Take)/ I Put a Spell on You/ In My Front
Room/ Mumbles Blues/ No Hug, No Kiss/ Not Anymore/ Pauline/ Please Try to
Understand/ She Put the Whamee on Me/ Take Me Back/ Talk About Me/ This Is
All/ Tiny's Jump (Alternate Take of Coronation Jump - Instrumental)/ Tiny's
Jump (Alternate Take of Coronation Jump- instrumental)/ Well I Tried/ What
That Is/ Why Did You Waste My Time?/ Why Did You Waste My Time? (Alternate
Take)/ You're All of My Life to Me
|
| EILIS KENNEDY |
Kennedy 1 |
Time To Sail |
● CD $22.98 |
10 tracks, 53 mins, highly recommended
It must be something in the water (or maybe the whiskey) but Ireland just
seems to be crawling with wonderful female singers and here's another one.
Clear, beautiful and expressive, Eilis sings some wonderful traditional
songs along with a couple of contemporary ones accompanied a cadre of
outstanding Irish musicians who provide sensitive and discreet
accompaniments allowing the focus to be Eilis' singing. Among the highlights
are a gorgeous rendition of one of my favorite songs Lord Franklin -
what a wonderful tune! She also does a wonderful version of Canadee i-o
learned from Nic Jones but given a very different arrangement. She does two
songs associated with Sandy Denny Who Knows Where The Time Goes and
Crazy Man Michael and is one of the few singers since Sandy to truly
do the songs justice. There are also several fine Gaelic songs. Wonderful
stuff. This disc doesn't have a label or number so we have decided to label
it as Kennedy 1. (FS)
|
| SAM KU WEST |
Grass Skirt 1001 |
Hawiian Hula Blues |
● CD $15.98 |
26 tracks (mostly instrumental) from this brilliant steel
guitarist recorded in 1927 and 1928 - almost his entire output. His
performances include traditional Hawaiian tunes as well as American tunes
like St. Louis Blues/ memphis Blues and Old Black Joe. Superb
sound and 12 page booklet has notes, discography, rare photos and label
shots and other memorabilia.
|
| LAZY LESTER |
Ace CDCHD 518 |
I'm A Lover Not A Fighter |
● CD $18.98 |
Back in stock. 24 classic Excello sides - 10 of them
previously unissued including a fantastic cover of Honeyboy's Blood
stains On The Wall.
LAZY LESTER: A Real Combination For Love/ Bloodstains On
The Wall/ I Hear You Knockin'/ I Love You, I Need You/ I Made Up My Mind/ I
Told My Little Woman/ I'm A Lover Not A Fighter/ I'm So Glad/ I'm So Tired/
If You Think I've Lost You/ Late In The Evening/ Lester's Stomp/ Lonesome
Highway Blues/ Patrol Blues/ Sad City Blues/ Sugar Coated Love/ Take Me In
Your Arms/ Tell Me Pretty Baby/ The Same Thing Could Happen To You/ Through
The Goodness Of My Heart/ Whoa Now/ You Better Listen To What I Said/ You
Got Me Where You Want Me/ You're Gonna Ruin Me Baby
|
| WADE MAINER |
Gusto 0957 |
I'm Not Looking Backward |
● CD $10.98 |
2 CDs, 37 tracks, 103 mins, very highly recommended
Wonderful collection of old time and bluegrass singing and playing featuring
the excellent singer and banjo player Wade Mainer who started his recording
career in the mid 30s along his with his brother Joseph Emmett (J.E.)
Mainer. This set features all of Wade's recordings for King cut in 1947,
1951 and 1961 including five previously unissued tracks. The first two
sessions from 1947 and March 1951 are very much in the old time style with
fine vocal harmonies on a selection of mostly gospel songs. By the third
session in November, 1951 the music had transitioned into bluegrass and the
April 1961 sessions is traditional style bluegrass gospel that's as good as
it gets with wonderful vocal harmonies from guitarist Owen Bloodworth and
fiddle from Ed Bryant. Several of the tracks from this session feature the
powerful solo vocals of Wade's wife Julia. This session is presented in true
stereo for the first time and the sound throughout is superb and the 16 page
illustrated booklet has informative notes by Dick Spottswood. (FS)
|
| FRANKIE MARVIN |
B.A.C.M. 003 |
Early Recordings By Gene Autry's #1 Sideman |
● CD $13.98 |
Excellent collection of 20 sides recorded between 1929 and
1932 by this fine singer and steel guitarist who worked extensively with
Gene Autry. The material here is diverse mixture ranging from solo sides
with just guitar to jazz band accompaniments which are a bit reminicsnet of
the work of Emmett Miller. Several cuts feature fine yodelling by Marvin.
Tracks include Slu Foot Lou/ Dust Pan Blues/ Cowboy's Sweetheart/ In The
Jailhouse Now/ Mammmy's Yodel Song/ Mother's Song Of Love/ Our Old Family
Album/ T.B. Blues and more. Several tracks show the pervasive influence
of the great Jimmie Rodegsr and a number of tracks feature some fine
yodelling. No duplication with Cattle 239.
FRANKIE MARVIN: Big Rock Candy Mountain/ Blue Yodel No 1/
Blue Yodel No 9/ Cowboy's Sweetheart/ Dust Pan Blues/ I'm Gonna Yodel My Way
To Heaven/ In The Jailhouse Now/ Lazy Texas Longhorns/ Mammy's Yodel Song/
Miss Moonshine/ Mother's Song Of Love/ Old Man Duff/ Our Old Family Album/
Slu Foot Lou/ Swanee Blue Jay/ T.B. Blues/ There's Gold In Them Thar Hills/
They Cut Down The Old PineTree/ Way Out On The Mountain/ Yodeling Ramblin'
Cowboy
|
| THE METERS |
Mardi Gras MG 1029 |
Best Of The Meters - Real New Orleans Funk |
● CD $15.98 |
12 tracks, 36 min., essential
The Meters' Josie material--and the Warner Bros. stuff too, for that
matter--has been conspicuously absent from record stores despite the surging
reissue market. This disc, brief though it is, offers a fair sample of the
early material (1969-72), including Look-Ka Py Py, Hey Pocky A-Way,
Mardi Gras Mambo, Cissy Strut, Sophisticated Cissy, and
more, taken from the original master recordings. Leo Nocentelli, Art
Neville, George Porter, Jr., and Joseph Modeliste were the world's greatest
funk band. It's just that simple. So how about someone reissuing all their
early sides? (JC)
|
| KING OLIVER |
Off The Record MM 6-2 |
The Complete 1923 Band Recordings |
● CD $26.98 |
Two CD set with 37 tracks featuring some of the finest ever
recordings of New Orleans Jazz with Oliver in the company of 22-year old
Louis Armstrong plus Johnny Dodds, Baby Dodds, Honore Dutrey and Lil Hardin.
These have been newly remastered from best available copies including the
only known copy of Zulu's Ball and Working Man Blues. This is
the first time that all these tracks have been remastered from original 78s
- even the previous stellar transfers by John R.T. Davies used second
generation copies for some of the tracks. All tracks have been speed
adjusted so they play in the correct pitch and tempo. Includes 32 page book
booklet with in-depth notes, photos, discography and technical details on
the restoration techniques.
|
| FRED PARRIS &
THE FIVE SATINS |
Relic 7056 |
Lost Treasures |
● CD $13.98 |
25 tracks, 62 min., recommended
This companion disc to Relic 7001 ("The 5 Satins' Greatest Hits") is a
reconfiguration of Relic's earlier 5 Satins lp series, volumes one through
three. It features released and originally unreleased numbers plus alternate
takes, mostly from the Ember label. Highlights include Please Be Mine
Tonight/ Our Anniversary/ Our Love is Forever/ She's Gone and two
versions of The Voice one a cappella. There are also a cappella
versions of All Mine and Paradise on Earth. Another fine
addition to your vocal group library from the quality conscious folks at
Relic, featuring fine sound quality, informative notes, and another
remarkably un-hip looking photo of Fred Parris and his ensemble. (DH)
THE FIVE SATINS: All Mine/ All Mine/ Church Bells Played
The Blues/ I Got Time/ In The Still Of The Night/ I‘ve Lost/ Oh Happy Day/
Our Anniversary/ Our Love Is Forever/ Paradise On Earth/ Playmates/ Please
Be Mine Tonight/ Rose Mary/ Senorita Lolita/ She‘s Gone/ Silver Waters/
Thats Love/ The Jones Girl/ The Voice/ The Voice/ To The Aisle/ Weeping
Willow/ When Your Love Comes Along/ Wish I Had My Baby/ Wish I Had Mybaby
|
| THE PRAIRIE RAMBLERS |
B.A.C.M. 149 |
Back To My Mountain Home |
● CD $13.98 |
The third volume of sides on B.A.C.M by this fine string
band from Kentucky. This volume focuses on the group's early years from 1935
to 1938 when the group was basically Chick Hurt on mandolin & tenor banjo,
Tex Atchison/ fiddle, Salty Holmes/ guitar and Jack Taylor/ bass with other
musicians occasionally substituting for Atchison and Holmes and various
other musicians added from time to time.
|
| TODD RHODES |
Classics 5159 |
The Chronological Todd Rhodes, 1952-1954 |
● CD $14.98 |
16 tracks, 40 mins, highly recommended
The third and final disc of all Todd Rhodes's recordings under his own name
is another fine collection of mostly instrumental blues and R&B from four
sessions recorded between 1952 and 1954. The first two sessions features
several fine vocals by LaVern Baker including the outstanding blues ballad
Trying. The third session also features a couple of fine vocal - one
from Wynonie Harris clone Cornelius "Pinnochio" James and the other from the
undeservedly obscure Saddie Madison - is there anything else by her? The
rest is mostly rocking instrumentals with the occasional smoocher. This was
pretty much the end of Rhodes as a recording artist though he continued to
perform for a number of years. (FS)
|
| THE STANLEY BROTHERS |
Copper Creek 101 |
Shadows Of The Past |
● CD $14.98 |
15 tracks, 35 min, highly recommended
Back in stock. Reissue of a Copper Creek LP of
some years ago, this CD features recordings from various concerts by The
Stanley Brothers between the years 1956 and 1962, including many selections
never commercially recorded by this great band, included Going To The
Races/ I Hope You Have Learned/ Thinking Of The Old Days/ White House Blues,
and Long Journey Home. Wonderful stuff, featuring various band
line-ups, all of them outstanding. Three cuts feature the too little heard
fiery mandolin of Bill Napier, great fiddler Chubby Anthony is prominently
featured in another line-up, as are guitarist George Shuffler, mandolinist
Curly Lambert, and bassists Jack Cooke and Chick Stripling. (RP)
|
| IKE & TINA TURNER |
Stateside 473327-2 |
Don't Play Me Cheap/ It's Gonna Work Out
Fine |
● CD $11.98 |
27 tracks, 66 mins, highly recommended
Ike & Tina's last two albums for Sue from 1963 by which time they has
already left the label plus four bonus tracks. "Don't Play Me Cheap" is a
bit of an oddity - apart from the first two tracks which were issued as
singles, most of the rest find Ike & Tina in lounge mode with swing band
arrangements and strings - it doesn't really work but has its moments of
interest. "Fine" is what we expect from Ike & Tina - tough R&B including the
classic title song which was their first and biggest hit. Other winners from
this album include Gonna Find Me A Substitute/ Mojo Queen, the Little
Richard flavored rocker This Man Is Crazy and the solid blues
Foolish with some great guitar work from Ike. The four bonus cuts are
singles that never made to LP including the great Two Is A Couple and
a wonderful retelling of the Stack--Lee and Billy story Stagger Lee &
Billy. Includes 12 page booklet with informative notes by Bob Fisher.
(FS)
|
| IKE TURNER
& THE KINGS OF RHYTHM |
Rev-Ola 173 |
Early Times |
● CD $15.98 |
29 tracks, highly recommended
Until some company has the foresight to compile an in depth box set of Ike
Turner we'll have to get the story of this important musician, bandleader
and rock 'n' roll pioneer in tantalizing bits and pieces. This fine set
features 29 tracks from the early/ mid 50s by Ike and his incredible band
The Kings Of Rhythm - all after his big hit Rocket 88 in 1951.
Although most of this material is avilable on other compilation there are a
number of tracks that are hard to find. Ike is featured playing guitar and
piano and has several vocal and instrumental tracks under his own name. The
rest features vocals by other members of his band including Billy Gayles,
Dennis Binder, Matt Cockrell, Bill "The Kid" Emerson, Jesse Knight, Eugene
Fox (including his amazing Sinner's Dream), Johnny Wright (a fabulous
reowkr of Things I Used To Do called The World Is Yours with
stunning guitar by Ike) and others. Most of this material is available
elsewhere but this is a very well chosen selection and some tracks are not
readily available. Now, how about that box set? (FS)
DENNIS BINDER: Early Times/ I Miss You So/ Nobody Wants
Me/ BROTHER BELL (JOHNNY O'NEAL): Whole Heap of Mama/ MATT COCKRELL: Gypsy
Blues/ BILLY "THE KID" EMERSON: If Lovin' Is Believing/ Woodchuck/ EUGENE
FOX: Hoo-Doo Say/ I'm Tired of Beggin'/ My Four Women/ Sinner's Dream/ Stay
at Home/ BILLY GAYLES: Night Howler/ WILLIE KING (BILLY GAYLES): Peg Leg
Baby/ JESSE KNIGHT: Nothing But Money/ CLAYTON LOVE: Why Don't You Believe
in Me?/ Wicked Little Baby/ MARY SUE (BONNIE TURNER): Everybody's Talking/
Love Is a Gamble/ JOHNNY O'NEAL: Peg Leg Baby (Aka "Ugly Woman")/ JOHNNY
RIGHT: World Is Yours/ BONNIE & IKE TURNER: Looking for My Baby/ IKE TURNER:
Cubano Jump (Aka "Hey Miss Tina")/ Go to It (Aka "Stringing Along")/ I'm
Lonesome Baby/ Loosely (Aka "The Wild One")/ Love Is Scarce/ Troubles and
Heartaches/ You're Driving Me Insane
|
| VARIOUS ARTISTS |
Boulevard 1013Z |
Down Home Blues Classics - California & West
Coast |
● CD $19.98 |
Two CDs, 56 tracks, 157 mins, essential and then some!
This is a fantastic collection of wonderful and incredibly rare music
recorded in California between 1948 and 1955. We're familiar with the
polished and sophisticated sounds of Charles Brown, Roy Milton, T-Bone
Walker and many others who helped form the foundation of modern blues and
R&B but there were also a number of performers who performed in an older
more rural style. Most of these recordings were made for tiny labels like
Jaxyson, Octive, Murray, Elko and others with limited distribution (J.T.
Fullbright of Elko distributed his records directly to customers from the
trunk of his car!) along with a few more familiar labels like Swingtime,
Recorded In Hollywood, etc. Much of the music recorded here harks back to
the blues of the 30s and there is just one musical treasure after another.
It includes almost the entire output of the wonderful Little Son Willis - a
superb singer and piano who was obviously influenced by Doctor Clayton
though Willis has a sweeter vocal style - his version of Clayton's Harlem
Blues is nothing short of a masterpiece. K.C. Douglas's Mercury
Boogie is probably the most well known song here and this set also
includes the wonderful flipside - the topical Eclipse Of The Sun
featuring a vocal by harmonica player Sidney Maiden. Slim Green does a
country blues flavored version of Curtis Jones' Tin Pan Alley as
Alla Blues - a song that was to become a West Coast blues standard,
Sonny Boy Johnson and his very down home group do a fine version of Baby
Please Don't Go and his Desert Blues features some nice slide
guitar. Black Diamond is a superb country blues singer and guitarist and
does two songs from 1948 that could have easily been recorded 15 years
earlier. Female singer Willie B. Huff has one of the most low down voices
you've ever heard and is accompanied by equally low down guitar of Johnny
Fuller. Other great artists here include Little Willie Cotton, Goldrush,
Junior Hampton, Sonny Boy Holmes, Buddy Lewis (aka Ernest Lewis - a
wonderful singer/ guitarist from Texas), Ernest McClay, Jerry Perkins,
Beverly Scott and his Trio and others. A number of these tracks were issued
some years ago on the ABM label but sound quality here is considerably
better. 8 page fold out booklet has detailed notes by Mike Rowe and full
discographical data. If you have any interest in down home blues then this
is an absolute must! (FS)
BLACK DIAMOND: Lonesome Blues/ T.P. Railer/ LITTLE WILLIE
COTTON: A Dream/ Gonna Shook It Up And Go/ KING DAVIS: Someday You'll
Understand/ Waggin' Your Tail/ K.C. DOUGLAS: K.C. Boogie/ Lonely Blues/
Mercury Blues/ GOLDRUSH: All My Money Is Gone/ SLIM GREEN: Alla Blues/ Baby
I Love You/ Central Avenue Blues/ Tricky Woman Blues/ JUNIOR HAMPTON: J.H.
Stomp/ SONNY BOY HOLMES: I Got Them Blues/ T-N-T Woman/ WILLIE B. HUFF:
Beggar Man Blues/ I Love You Baby/ I've Been Thinkin' And Thinkin'/ Operator
209/ BROTHER JACKSON: L.C. Boogie/ SONNY BOY JOHNSON: Come And Go With Me/
Desert Blues/ I've Been Drinkin' My Last Drink/ I've Got The $64,000
Question/ Swimming Pool Blues/ Walkin' And Cryin' Blues/ BUDDY LEWIS:
Lonesome Bedroom Blues/ You've Got Good Business/ SIDNEY MAIDEN: Eclipse Of
The Sun/ Everything Is Wrong/ Hurry Hurry Baby/ ERNEST MCCLAY: Big Timing
Woman/ Night Working Woman/ JERRY PERKINS: Katherine Blues/ Knockin' The
Boogie/ My Baby's Last Goodbye/ P38 Stomp/ AL PRINCE: Don't Love A Married
Woman/ Wine Talk/ HASKELL SADLER: Do Right Mind/ Gone For Good/ BEVERLY
SCOTT: Brownskin Woman/ Little Girl Blues/ Shakin' The Boogie/ Southern
California Blues/ ALVIN SMITH: On My Way/ LITTLE SON WILLIS: Baby Come Back
Home/ Bad Luck And Trouble/ Harlem Blues/ I Love You Just The Way You Are/
Nothing But The Blues/ Operator Blues/ Roll Me Over Slow/ Skin And Bone
|
| VARIOUS ARTISTS |
Buffalo Bop 55013 |
Monster Bop |
● CD $18.98 |
30 tracks, 69 minutes, essential
This concept has been done several times before but never to this extent.
There are 30 "monster" tunes here - enough to raise the short hairs on a
corpse. What better way to start than Jackie Morningstar's Rockin' In The
Graveyard , a super cool lyrics, pile-driver beat and savage guitar.
Almost as great is The Cat by Rod Willis. One approach to monster
tunes is the "roll call" of monsters like on Jack & Jim's Midnight
Monsters Hop , Jimmy Dee's The Monster Hop , the Daylighters'
Mad House Jump and many others. Another approach is the "top billing"
method as heard on Joe Johnson's The Gila Monster , Joe Wallace's
Leopard Man , Carl Bonafede's Werewolf , Round Robin's I'm The
Wolf Man and more Frankenstein tunes than you can shake a flaming torch
at. (AE)
CARL BONAFEDE: Story That's True/ Werewolf/ LEROY BOWMAN:
Graveyard/ JIM BURGETT: Jekyl & Hide/ CARLOS CASAL: Don't Meet Mr.
Frankenstein/ THE CASTLE KINGS: You Can't Get Him Frankenstein/ BERT CONVY:
The Gorilla/ JERRY COULSTON: Caveman Hop/ JIMMY DEE: The Monster Hop/ MIKE
FERN: The Head Hunter/ THE HOLLYWOOD FLAMES: Frankenstein/ IVAN: Frankie
Frankenstein/ JACK & JIM: Midnight Monster Hop/ JOE JOHNSON: The Gila
Monster/ CHRIS KEVIN: Haunted House/ THE KEYTONES: I Was A Teenage Monster/
RANDY LUCK: I Was A Teenage Caveman/ JACKIE MORNINGSTAR: Rockin' In The
Graveyard/ EARL PATTERSON: Nightmare Hop/ THE PHANTOM FIVE: Graveyard/ BOBBY
PLEASE: The Monster/ ROUND ROBIN: I'm The Wolfman/ TOMMY ROE: Caveman/ MACK
ALLEN SMITH: Skeleton Fight/ SCOTTIE STUART: Nightmare/ EDDIE THOMAS:
Frankenstein Rock/ JOE WALLACE: Leopard Man/ DAY WEATHERS: Mad House Jump/
ROD WILLIS: The Cat
|
| VARIOUS ARTISTS |
Crypt CRCDLR 6501 |
Strummin' Mental Part One |
● CD $16.98 |
32 tracks, 71 minutes, essential
Available again. There's hardly anything here anyone but the instrumental
fanatic would recognize but don't let that put you off. These 32 whomping
stompers can sit proudly next to the best of Link Wray and Dick Dale. Mickey
Hawks & the Night Raiders' Cottonpickin' is by far the most well
known tune here. Just check out some of the hammerin' hopefuls' handles and
you'll know they mean business - Rhythm Rockers - Madness, The Jokers
- Purple Crackle, The Renegades - Geronimo, The Cre-Shells -
Dracula, The Blazers - Poison, the Monterays- Blast Off
and on an on. Best tune title award goes to the Knights for Tale Of A 280
Pound Shoe Salesman. If want a CD that's strong on guitar torturing from
start to finish, grab this. (AE)
|
| VARIOUS ARTISTS |
Crypt CRCDLR 6502 |
Strummin' Mental Part Two |
● CD $16.98 |
32 tracks, 71 min, essential
Brace yerself for another hefty batch of rock'n'roll crudity! This wild 'n'
wooly instrumental series is back, 32 tracks worth, and if you thought the
best tracks had already been collected on volume one, then you obviously
haven't heard Lemon Lime by the Tempests, A-Bomb by the
Mysterians, Mile Zero by the Futuras, or Fort Lauderdale USA
by Bill Friel & The Fabulous Furies. You'll also want to make yourself
familiar with Beep Beep & The Roadrunners' (Shiftin Gears, B Brock &
The Vibratos' blood-curdling Fright, the rockin' weird 4th
Dimension by the Centuries, and the discs' most truly out-there track,
The Birds by the Motivations. If you thought the Stones spawned some
unruly imitators, check out what Link Wray did! And speaking of Link, even
he would have to run screaming from Alfredo Mendietta's speaker-shredding
version of Chicken Run. Really puts the RAW in RAWK'N'ROLL. Don't
miss. (GDR)
|
| VARIOUS ARTISTS |
Popcorn 6002 |
Soulful Kinda Ladies, Volume 1 |
● CD $16.98 |
25 tracks, 67 min., highly recommended
In this case the label name is no indication of the contents, as the songs
here are more R&B and bluesy than one might expect. Plenty of hard-to-find
and music and obscure artists. Most know It's In His Kiss as a hit by
Betty Everett, but the version here by Romana King is the original, and well
worth hearing. Theola Kilgore's This Is My Prayer is so soulful that
the intensely syrupy lyrics don't get in the way. A lesser performance would
have required that listeners receive insulin shots. She also turns in a
stunning version of The Love Of My Man. Other reasons to go on
breathing include the grown-up sound of Little Helen singing The Richest
Girl (Ain't Got Nothing On Me), Lula Reed's cover of the Big Maybelle
favorite Gabbin' Mouth Blues, the Motownish Straighten Up by
Connie Questell, and Johnnie Mae Matthews' deep ballad Worried About You,
which manages its soulful goodness despite pop tendencies in the
arrangement. Matthews also owns the oddest moment here with her
psychoanalysis-meets-soul song The Headshrinker. Worth it. (JC)
|
| BUKKA WHITE & OTHERS |
Columbia/ Blue Horizon 851 232 |
1968 Memphis Country Blues Festival |
● CD $22.98 |
Two CDs, 23 tracks, highly recommended
This set combines two Blue Horizon LPs with a couple of bonus cuts. The
first CD is a reissue of live recordings made at the 1968 Memphis Country
Blues Festival featuring a stellar line up of talent including the amazing
100 plus year old Nathan Beauregard who in spite of his advanced years is
powerful and compelling singer and guitarist. There are also two gorgeous
sides from the infrequently recorded Rev. Robert Wilkins accompanied by his
sons on bass and percussion plus tracks from the splendid Joe Callicutt, the
ever dependable Bukka White and the out of tune but otherwise fine Furry
Lewis. It's a real shame that no more performances were recorded by some of
these rarely recorded performers. The second CD is devoted entirely to the
great Mississippi bluesman Bukka White reissuing the album "Memphis Hot
Shots" plus two bonus tracks that were originally issued on album of the
1969 and 1970 Memphis Country Blues Festival. This is something a little
different from this great Mississippi country bluesman - Bukka with a band!
Recorded the day after the blues festival he is accompanied in various
groupings by guitarist Bill Barth, washboard player Jim Crosthwait and
others. It works pretty well when Bukka just has the extra guitar and
washboard but when the whole band is there they slow down his relentless
swing. Of course the best cuts are the few where he is completely on his
own! An interesting experiment that doesn't quite come off. Still this set
is well worthwhile for disc one and some of disc two. (FS)
|
Back To New Release Index
Back
To Home Page
|
