2007 was not a year of great musical revelations to me. This years list is surprisingly and disappointingly short on pre-Beatle music, in particular rockabilly. My big surprise is the presence on this list of so much psychedelic-era music. I wore tie-dye shirts a lot this year, so maybe there is some teen aged nostalgia stirring inside of me. My 2006 trip to Memphis and all the concerts I attended in Kansas City afterward vastly reinforced my devotion to rockabilly and all manifestations of pre-Beatle rock 'n' roll and its antecedents. Somehow, the rockabilly flame didn't burn so brightly in 2007. But then, that's the beauty of having a life-long devotion to music and an open mind willing to embrace never-before-heard sounds. Please note that there is no order of preference, no letter, number, or star grading here. I got enough of that in school. The criteria for inclusion on this list are: 1) I own a copy of this CD (bought and paid for, not a burned copy given to me. I am not a music thief.). OR 2) The music on this CD/LP just knocked me out. OR 3) I thought this CD/LP was an important release that needed to be made available to the public. Here goes:
The "5" Royales, "Catch That Teardrop", Ace CDCHD1055
Arthur Alexander, "Lonely Just Like Me: the Final Chapter", Hacktone/Elektra RS271932
The Blue Things, "Let the Blue Things Blow Your Mind", Cicadelic, CICD1966
The Coasters:
"There's a Riot Goin' On: The Coasters on Atco", Rhino Handmade, RHM2 7740
"Down Home", Varese Sarabande, 302 066 844 2
"There's a Riot Goin' On: The Coasters on Atco", Rhino Handmade, RHM2 7740
"Down Home", Varese Sarabande, 302 066 844 2
Dick Dale:
"King of the Surf Guitar", Sundazed, SC6251
"Checkered Flag", Sundazed SC6252
"Mr. Eliminator", Sundazed SC 6253
"Summer Surf", Sundazed SC6254
Bobby Fuller:
"Rock 'n' Roll King of the Southwest", Norton ED325
"Live!!!", Norton ED326
"Rock 'n' Roll King of the Southwest", Norton ED325
"Live!!!", Norton ED326
Buddy Holly, "Ohh! Annie!", Roller Coaster, RCCD3056
George Jones, "She Thinks I Still Care", Bear Family, BCD16818EK
Pink Floyd, "Piper At the Gates of Dawn", EMI, 503919-2-9
Del Shannon, "Rock On", Acadia/Evangeline, ACAM8147
Ringo Starr, "Photograph: the Very Best of Ringo", Apple/Capitol/EMI, 04932 27
The String-a-Longs, "The Tex-Mex Teen Magic of the String-a-Longs", Ace, CDCHD1144
Gene Vincent, "The Outtakes", Bear Family, BCD16842FR
The Traveling Wilburys, "The Traveling Wilbury Collection", Rhino, R2 167868
Travis Wammack, "Memphis + Muscle Shoals = Travis Wammack", a do it yourself release with no label or catalog number
The Yardbirds:
"The Yardbirds Story", Charly/Snapper, SNAJ736CD
"Roger the Engineer"/"Over Under Sideways Down", Repertoire, REP5088
"The Yardbirds Story", Charly/Snapper, SNAJ736CD
"Roger the Engineer"/"Over Under Sideways Down", Repertoire, REP5088
various artists collections:
"Get Ready to Fly: Pop-Psych From the Norman Petty Vaults", Big Beat/Ace, CDWIKD262
"Now Hear This: Garage & Beat From the Norman Petty Vaults", Big Beat/Ace, CDWIKD263
"That's Swift: Instrumentals From the Norman Petty Vaults", Ace, CDCHD1158
"Love Is the Song We Sing: San Francisco Nuggets 1965-1970", Rhino, R2 165564
"Vee Jay: the Definitive Collection", Shout Factory, 10485
OK, you've seen the list. Now if you care, some comments:
The "5" Royales, "Catch That Teardrop", Ace CDCHD1055 The "5" Royales: God, what a tough sounding rhythm 'n' blues vocal group. This CD contains later music they recorded in Memphis for the Home of the Blues label and also contains solo records made by group member Lowman Pauling for King records while the group also recorded for King.
Arthur Alexander, "Lonely Just Like Me: the Final Chapter", Hacktone/Elektra RS271932 reissue of Arthur's final album from the 1990s with bonus tracks including radio performance and demos
The Blue Things, "Let the Blue Things Blow Your Mind", Cicadelic, CICD1966 excellent mid 1960s band from Lawrence, Kansas, fine example of very early psychedelia before 30 minute solos became de rigueur
The Coasters:
"There's a Riot Goin' On: The Coasters on Atco", Rhino Handmade, RHM2 7740 RELEASE OF THE YEAR!!! Winner of Daddy-o Dilly's World Heavyweight Title. This is THE ONE! All of the Coasters recordings for the Atco label from the 1950s and 1960s with lots of alternate takes. Between the Coasters themselves, the greatest songs ever written by Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller, the soaring saxophone solos of King Curtis, and the best session musicians in Los Angeles and New York, this was a truly winning team of musicians! What a great organization of talent! I sincerely hope this will be the first of many Rhino Handmade releases that will contain the complete Atlantic label recordings of as many of their rhythm 'n' blues legends as possible. My list of favorites include: Wilson Pickett, Solomon Burke, Don Covay, Arthur Conley, the Clovers, Sam 'n' Dave, Percy Sledge, and Big Joe Turner. I really hope this happens.
"Down Home", Varese Sarabande, 302 066 844 2 The Coasters complete recording from the Date and King labels. In the late 1960s after they left the Atco label, the Coasters were reunited with song writers Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller and brilliance briefly returned to their music, but alas the times had changed too much for the public to care anymore. Great music still. Add to all this the autobiography of Coaster Carl Gardner published in 2007. A big year for Coasters fans.
Dick Dale:
"King of the Surf Guitar", Sundazed SC625
"Checkered Flag", Sundazed SC6252
"Mr. Eliminator", Sundazed SC6253
"Summer Surf", Sundazed SC6254
Dick Dale has repeatedly expressed his frustration with his Capitol recordings and I understand. Again and again he was teamed with producers and session musicians who were trying to smooth down Dick's sound for more commercial pop appeal. The results showed how much these people kept getting in Dick's way. There are some songs here and there on these albums where Dick cut loose and showed everyone the endless barrage of notes he can forcefully play all day and night long. Even on those tracks there is a bit of a thin sound here. They just couldn't record Dick's fiery thunder. I don't think we ever really heard Dick Dale on record the way he truly sounds until his 1990s CDs came out on the Hightone label. There finally we heard Dick Dale in all his surf drenched glory. Still, it's great to see that Dick Dale's original LPs being released on CD. There is one more to go, the live album and we have been promised a rarities collection, which should include many more non-LP tracks from the 1960s.
Bobby Fuller:
"Rock 'n' Roll King of the Southwest", Norton ED325
"Rock 'n' Roll King of the Southwest", Norton ED325
"Live!!!", Norton ED326
These recordings have been released before in the 1980s, but those LPs are long out of print. Norton does us a favor by putting these fine collections of Bobby Fuller's Texas recordings on two LPs. No CD releases here thus forcing the necessary point that you STILL NEED TO BE LISTENING TO RECORDS, dammit. The 40th anniversary of Bobby's death went virtually unnoticed in 2006. These LPs are a belated acknowledgment that the Bobby Fuller Four were an unmatched rock 'n' roll band.
Buddy Holly, "Ohh! Annie!", Roller Coaster, RCCD3056 Buddy Holly's 1956 recordings. There are some takes here we have not heard before and others we have never heard this well. The booklet features a surprising new interview with Bobby Peeples, a guy who had the wherewith-all to record Buddy Holly before the world gave a damn.
George Jones, "She Thinks I Still Care", Bear Family, BCD16818EK Simply the best country music release I heard in 2007. Jones complete recordings from the United Artist label. Even though the time span represented here is only two and a half years, 1962-1964, there are five CDs in this set. A lot of the Possum's best music is here: "She Thinks I Still Care", "Not Exactly What I Had in Mind", "The Race Is On", "Just a Girl I Used To Know". I have always been fascinated by the country singer with a chip on his shoulder. Jones fills the bill. Reminds me of too many of my uncles. This is Bear Family's first ever George Jones box set. There need to be more. I think the next one should contain his complete Starday and Mercury recordings. Can you imagine a box with his complete Epic recordings? It'll be a big 'un!
Pink Floyd, "Piper At the Gates of Dawn", EMI, 503919-2-9 In drastic contrast to George Jones, here we have Pink Floyd's first LP, a psychedelic masterpiece from 1967, on a three disc set: the original British track lineup in mono, same in stereo, and the non-LP and U. S. LP tracks plus alternate takes. Fer Gawd's sake, get the THREE disc version, not the U. S. TWO disc version.
Del Shannon, "Rock On", Acadia/Evangeline, ACAM8147 Like the Arthur Alexander CD described above here we have Del Shannon's final album from the 1990s reissued with bonus tracks which include the non-album B sides from the three singles originally released from the album. Del Shannon was lavished with support from Traveling Wilburys members Jeff Lynne, Tom Petty, and George Harrison all heard here. Not everyone will agree, but I took great delight in hearing how former Electric Light Orchestra leader Jeff Lynne started a second career for himself in the 1980s producing records for many of my favorite musicians from 1950s and 1960s, including the Everly Brothers, George Harrison, Duane Eddy, Del Shannon, and Roy Orbison. Lynne gave these artists a sympathetic modern updating of their sounds and it paid off handsomely for most. Del Shannon's music really adapted superbly to this sound and you can hear it best here. Del never sounded better. Many have wished aloud that Del could have been the fifth Wilbury after Roy Orbison died in 1988. Del died himself a mere fourteen months after Roy. Orbison and Shannon remain among my very favorite rock 'n' roll singers. Their back-to-back deaths still haunt me and I feel it whenever I hear this CD. The original release of "Rock On' was not a hit like other Wilbury spin-offs and that was a real shame. Del took his own life and reportedly died very frustrated.
Ringo Starr, "Photograph: the Very Best of Ringo", Apple/Capitol/EMI, 04932 27 Since Paul McCartney can't record for Capitol Records without having to hand over a big chunk of it in alimony payments, he left to go to a Starbucks/Concord label. Capitol Records sees the value of having as many Beatles as possible on their label. It's a license to print money as they say. John and George are posthumously released on Capitol, so that leaves only one living available Beatle. Thus for the first time since the 1970s, Ringo has been welcomed back with open arms. Since we can't have Paul, we'll take Ringo. And why not? It gave them, among other things, the chance to put out this excellent greatest hits collection. Ringo had records out in the 1970s that were as good as solo records by the other Beatles. He benefited greatly for musical support from the other three. One tune that came right at the end of Ringo's hit parade was "Wrack My Brain", contributed by George. I wish this one could have been a bigger hit. The bonus DVD allows us to see the memorable video Ringo made with Buck Owens on the duet remake of "Act Naturally", a song they are both famous for.
The String-a-Longs, "The Tex-Mex Teen Magic of the String-a-Longs", Ace, CDCHD1144 In 2006 and 2007 we were treated to a number of CDs containing music produced by Norman Petty in Clovis, New Mexico. This is the second compilation of the String-a-Longs from Ace Records. On many tracks you will hear what sound to me like three guitars and generous use of a Magnatone amplifier. This combination created a unique sound that I really like.
Gene Vincent, "The Outtakes", Bear Family, BCD16842FR Six CDs of Gene Vincent's alternate takes from his Capitol recording session. You may hear as many as thirteen attempts at the same song and that can strain your attention span but by God here it is. This is one of a series of CDs called "Outtakes" currently coming out on Bear Family. This and the Johnny Cash "Outtakes" collection are, I believe, the only CD box sets ever released on Bear Family that are not packaged in LP sized boxes with the discs in jewel cases. You'll hear lots of gripes and grouching from the control both by producer Ken Nelson, who very recently died.
The Traveling Wilburys "The Traveling Wilbury Collection", Rhino, R2 167868 I loved the Traveling Wilburys. I never dreamed that Roy Orbison would be in the same band as George Harrison. I didn't really believe it until I saw the video on TV in 1988. Again Jeff Lynne provided aging rock stars with a sympathetic modern sound that paid off on the charts. When the first Wilbury album came out, it was constantly right next to Roy Orbison's "Mystery Girl" on the Billboard chart for months occupying the the top five. Like everything else released under Harrison's Dark Horse imprint, the Traveling Wilbury's two albums were out of print for a decade. Rhino finally reissued the two along with the videos on a DVD. This was a best seller during the Summer. I disagree with Rolling Stone's reviewer who gave this compilation a two star review saying the music here was inferior to the music released by individual Wilburys. I many cases I PREFER this music to solo music I have heard particularly by Dylan, Lynne, and Petty.
Travis Wammack, "Memphis + Muscle Shoals = Travis Wammack", a do it yourself release with no label or catalog number He of "Scratchy" fame simply shows everyone how it's done on this self-released CD. Nobody makes records like this anymore. Time was, everybody did. They've all forgotten how. Travis makes fools out of guitar players everywhere. But that's not all. Whenever I listen to Travis Wammack, either old or recent recordings, I am not just directed to his guitar wizardry. Travis knows how to give a song a lot of pop hooks, making you think you my have heard it long ago on Top 40 radio, which you did not. Travis seems to take delight in staying home in Alabama and making homemade releases like this one for anyone who cares to seek them out. "The music industry be damned" seems to be Travis' unspoken motto.
The Yardbirds:
"The Yarbirds Story", Charly/Snapper, SNAJ736CD
"Roger the Engineer"/"Over Under Sideways Down", Repertoire, REP5088
What a banner year for Yardbirds fans! The Charly four CD box set is I think the third incarnation of this collection and it has NEVER SOUNDED BETTER! I have never heard the music of the Yardbirds this clear before. This is a very big improvement over previous releases of the Yardbirds' music and this is the one to get. It has been repeatedly said that everything the Yardbirds recorded up through 1966 is owned by their original manager and is supposed to all be here. The booklet contains an amazing essay about this era of the group including, finally, a detailed report of their Memphis recording session produced by Sam Phillips. The two biographies of the Yardbirds never told this amazing story. The "Roger the Engineer" set offers the group's 1966 LP (which is my favorite by them) in both U. S. stereo and German mono versions, again sounding better than ever. Do you think we'll ever see a complete box set of the Yardbirds? I am not counting on it.
various artists collections:
"Get Ready to Fly: Pop-Psych From the Norman Petty Vaults", Big Beat/Ace, CDWIKD262 "Now Hear This: Garage & Beat From the Norman Petty Vaults", Big Beat/Ace, CDWIKD263 "That's Swift: Instrumentals From the Norman Petty Vaults", Ace, CDCHD1158
Occasionally over the years we have seen a few photographs and write-ups about bands that were recorded by Norman Petty in the later half of the 1960s. Buddy Holly-styled rockabilly this ain't, so interest in this music has been slight, yet any rock music recorded by Petty ought to be of some interest. Enter compilation producer Alec Palao who seems to be very active in producing CDs of obscure 1960s music that have been ignored by other compilers and as a result has been shedding light on rock music of that era that has deserved wider recognition. "Get Ready To Fly" is a surprising set. The groups aren't bad and Norman really demonstrates great creative skill with stereo separation, feedback, and other effects necessary for this kind of music. Norman was clearly on top of things even during the Woodstock era. The best of the three CDs here, though, is "That's Swift". It is full of early 1960s surf tunes and related instrumentals. Groups and pickers from the Southwest you've never heard of but boy could they tear it up. Imagine the sweaty dance floors they filled up!
"Love Is the Song We Sing: San Francisco Nuggets 1965-1970", Rhino, R2 165564 Music history revised yet again by Alec Palao, who compiled this four CD and hardback book set of the late 1960s San Francisco scene. The compiler makes very clear that inclusion on this set was merited only by his favorable opinion of the music, and NOT by who was the most famous/notorious, who sold the most records, who made the Scene nightly. Thus alongside hit makers still heard on radio are groups you may have only seen mentioned in fine print. Some of these groups are pretty full of themselves but the whole hippie movement was a very self-conscious sociological experiment to start with and the music reflected the same. Word is this CD set is nominated for a Grammy.
"Vee Jay: the Definitive Collection", Shout Factory, 10485 The Vee Jay record label in Chicago recorded every kind of rhythm 'n' blues music imaginable. Prepare yourself for a veritable jukebox of great sounds. Hard Chicago blues, doo-wop, soul, gospel, slick or down home, it's all here. This four CD set is similar to another collection released a few years ago by Charly Records in England. The Charly box set also includes a very generous amount of jazz from the Vee Jay label, all of it great, and that's the big difference between these otherwise similar box sets. The Shout Factory box chose to not pay much attention to jazz.
