The `50s
”Jesse Belvin: The Blues Balladeer”
”Jimmy Liggins and His Drops of Joy”
”Joe Liggins and the Honeydrippers”
”Percy Mayfield: Poet of the Blues”
”Roy Milton and His Solid Senders”
”Larry Williams: Bad Boy” (Specialty)-Inaugural entries in the Legends of Specialty series, which will tap the (treasure-packed) vaults of Specialty Records, one of the prime R&B/blues/rock `n` roll labels of the late `40s and `50s. Much of the material here fits into the evolutionary timeline somewhere between Big Band swing and rock `n` roll. Of all this late-`40s and `50s material-crooner Belvin`s blues and uptempo R&B, Jimmy Liggins` jump blues, Percy Mayfield`s smooth-as-silk blues, Roy Milton`s boogie-laced blues- the most familiar and comfortable to rockers` ears probably will be the Larry Williams set, which includes the rock `n` roll hits ”Short Fat Fannie,” ”Bony Moronie” and ”Dizzy Miss Lizzy.”
Two of the LP versions available differ from the CD versions listed above: The Percy Mayfield CD entry, ”Poet of the Blues,” contains master-take versions of Mayfield`s `50s R&B-chart hits, while the LP and cassette versions, titled ”For Collectors Only,” contain unreleased material, alternate takes and a demo of ”Hit the Road, Jack.” The CD version of
”Larry Williams: Bad Boy,” meanwhile, contains some alternate takes of songs found on the LP and cassette versions.
Each of the CDs in this series offers bonus tracks. LP, tape.
”The Best of the Cadillacs”
”The Best of the Chantels”
”The Best of the Cleftones”
”The Best of the Flamingos”
”The Best of the Heartbeats”
”The Best of the Marcels” (Rhino)-Six titles that salute doo-wop and R& B vocal group sounds-and celebrate an era when singing ability and vocal harmony and interplay really counted for something. The toughest proving ground was a cappella doo-wop, which left absolutely no place for a singer to hide a ragged note, but even outings with instrumentation such as these placed a premium on professional use of the old God-given pipes. Each of the groups here had little trouble passing the test with high marks on both ballad and uptempo material (although you could argue that the Marcels relied an awful lot on their bass singer to pull them through).
The Heartbeats entry includes material by Shep & the Limelites, a post-Heartbeats group put together by Heartbeats lead singer James Sheppard.
”Speedoo,” ”Speedoo Is Back” (Cadillacs); ”Maybe,” ”Every Night (I Pray)” (Chantels); ”Heart and Soul,” ”Little Girl of Mine” (Cleftones);
”I Only Have Eyes for You,” ”Nobody Loves Me Like You” (Flamingos); ”A Thousand Miles Away,” ”Everybody`s Somebody`s Fool” (Heartbeats); ”Blue Moon,” ”Heartaches” (Marcels). Tape.
”The Best of Buddy Knox” (Rhino)-Rockabilly and pop that minds its manners. ”Party Doll,” ”Hula Love,” ”Rock Your Little Baby to Sleep.”
Tape.
”My Blue Heaven: The Best of Fats Domino” (EMI)-Twenty tunes from the much-charted piano player. ”Blueberry Hill,” ”Blue Monday,” ”I`m Walkin`,” plenty more hits. Tape.
”Zooma Zooma: The Best of Louis Prima” (Rhino)-Jazz, R&B, proto-rock and Vegas-lounge ambience stirred together by vocalists Prima and Keely Smith, sax player Sam Butera and backing band the Witnesses. ”Just a Gigolo/I Ain`t Got Nobody” (where David Lee Roth got his inspiration), ”That Old Black Magic,” ”Oh Marie.” LP, tape.
”The Best of Jimmie Rodgers” (Rhino)-Pleasant pop with a hint of folk from a singer who notched 25 Top 100 hits in the `50s and `60s. ”Honeycomb,” ”Kisses Sweeter Than Wine,” ”Bimbombey.” Tape.
The `60s
”Beach Boys Today”/”Summer Days (and Summer Nights!!)”
”Little Deuce Coupe”/”All Summer Long” (Capitol)-Surf songs, car songs, flying falsettos and happy harmonies. Part of Capitol`s ongoing CD reissue of the Beach Boys catalog, these discs combine two Beach Boys LPs, plus bonus tracks, on each CD. Also released so far: ”Surfin` Safari”/”
Surfin` USA,” ”Surfer Girl”/”Shut Down Vol. 2” and ”Pet Sounds” (the latter a single-title CD). ”Be True to Your School,” ”409,” ”I Get Around,” plenty more familiar sounds.
”Billboard Top Country Hits 1959-1963” (Rhino)-Another series collaboration, this one devoted to country music, between Billboard magazine and Rhino Records, top-rank reissuer of oldies. Similar in format to Rhino`s
”Billboard Top Rock `n` Roll Hits” and ”Billboard Top R&B Hits” lines, the five initial entries in this series each offer 10 country hits from a particular year. The 1959 disc gives you Stonewall Jackson`s ”Waterloo” and Johnny Horton`s ”The Battle of New Orleans,” among others. The 1960 entry offers a couple of ”answer” songs: Jeanne Black`s ”He`ll Have to Stay,” an answer to Jim Reeves` ”He`ll Have to Go” (also included here), and Skeeter Davis` ”(I Can`t Help You) I`m Falling Too,” which bounced off Hank Locklin`s ”Please Help Me, I`m Falling” (also included). Strong pop component in many cuts could lure oldies audiences beyond country faithful (as Billboard might say). Tape.
”Hey, Let`s Twist: The Best of Joey Dee and the Starliters” (Rhino)-`
Round and `round and up and down. ”Peppermint Twist,” ”Hey, Let`s Twist,” ”(Hot Pastrami With) Mashed Potatoes.” Tape.
”The Kingston Trio” (Capitol)-Buckle-in-the-back folk. ”Tom Dooley,”
”Reverend Mr. Black,” ”M.T.A.”
”Rockin` in the Country: The Best of Wanda Jackson” (Rhino)-One singer, two personalities. Big-raspy-voiced rockabilly and traditional, non-raspy country. ”In the Middle of a Heartache,” ”Right or Wrong,” ”Let`s Have a Party.” Tape.
”Groove `n` Grind: `50s and `60s Dance Hits” (Rhino)-A collection of oldies that were tied to dance fads. Includes the Diamonds` ”The Stroll,”
Ray Bryant`s ultracool ”The Madison Time,” Chubby Checker`s ”The Twist”
and the Olympics` ”(Baby) Hully Gully.” Tape.
”The Best of the Bobby Fuller Four” (Rhino)-Well, maybe it`s your cup of tea. ”I Fought the Law,” ”Love`s Made a Fool of You.” LP, tape.
”The Best of Joe South” (Rhino)-Southern singer, guitarist, songwriter and producer who hit the charts on his own (”Games People Play,” ”Walk a Mile in My Shoes”-both included here) as well as penning numbers that became hits for others (Deep Purple`s ”Hush,” Billy Joe Royal`s ”Down in the Boondocks”-South`s versions included here). Tape.
”The Best of Gary U.S. Bonds” (Rhino)-Solid Southern party-time R&B. If a lot of these songs are awfully similar, their purposely thick-and-muddy sound nonetheless seemed marvelously atmospheric at the time and even today retains an endearingly earthy quality. ”New Orleans,” ”Quarter to Three,” ”School Is Out.” Tape.
”The Best of the Fleetwoods” (Rhino)-Cloud-soft balladry from the girl- girl-boy vocal trio that adolescent males generally found sappy and adolescent females generally found dreamy. ”Come Softly to Me,” ”Mr. Blue,” ”Graduation`s Here.” Tape.
The `70s
”Live at Chelmsford Top Security Prison,” the Sex Pistols (Restless)-A 1976 live recording of the pre-Sid Vicious Pistols (with Glen Matlock on bass). Sounds as though it was recorded on a cheap hand-held tape recorder.
”Anarchy in the Prison” (”Anarchy in the U.K.” pitched to inmates),
”No Fun,” ”Pretty Vacant.” Pretty marginal. LP, tape.
”The Best of KC and the Sunshine Band” (Rhino)-Funky booty-shakers, uh- huh, uh-huh. ”Get Down Tonight,” ”I`m Your Boogie Man,” ”That`s the Way (I Like It).” Tape.
”The Disco Years: Turn the Beat Around (1974-1978)” (Rhino)-Mirror ball madness. Multiple-artist compilation with Gloria Gaynor`s ”Never Can Say Goodbye,” the Trammps` ”Disco Inferno” and A Taste of Honey`s ”Boogie Oogie Oogie.” LP, tape.
”The Disco Years: On the Beat (1978-1982)” (Rhino)-More madness. Lipps, Inc.`s ”Funkytown,” the Village People`s ”Y.M.C.A.,” Blondie`s ”Heart of Glass.” LP, tape.
”Gumbo,” Dr. John (Atco)-CD reissue of an album originally released in 1972. ”Iko Iko,” ”Big Chief,” ”Little Liza Jane.”
”In the Right Place,” Dr. John (Atco)-CD reissue of a 1973 album.
”Right Place Wrong Time,” ”Such a Night,” ”I Been Hoodood.”
”Raiding the Divine Archive: The Best of Be Bop Deluxe” (Capitol)-
Selections from various recordings by guitarist Bill Nelson and his Be Bop friends. A prefatory stage to Nelson`s ultraprolific (and frequently more avant-garde) solo career in the `80s. ”Jet Silver & the Dolls of Venus,”
”Sister Seagull,” ”Ships in the Night.”
”Heavy Metal Memories” (Rhino)-Ready, set, bang your head to Uriah Heep`s ”Easy Livin`,” Blue Oyster Cult`s ”Cities on Flame With Rock and Roll,” Ted Nugent`s ”Stranglehold” and assorted other crunchers. Tape.
”The Madcap Laughs,” Syd Barrett (Capitol)-One of two 1970 solo albums made by the guitarist/vocalist who was part of the early days of Pink Floyd.
”Terrapin,” ”Octopus.”
