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Eddie Cochran - Singin To My Baby & Never To Be Forgotten (1960)

Track listing:
  1. Sittin In The Balcony 1:56
  2. Completely Sweetly 2:19
  3. Undying Love 2:05
  4. I`m Alone Because I Love You 2:20
  5. Lovin Time 2:03
  6. Proud of You 1:55
  7. Mean When I`m Mad 1:51
  8. Stockings and Shoes 2:08
  9. Tell Me Why 2:14
  10. Have I told You Lately That 2:33
  11. Cradle Baby 1:45
  12. One Kiss 1:48
  13. Weekend 1:48
  14. Long Tall Sally 1:43
  15. Lonely 2:08
  16. Nervous Breakdown 2:16
  17. Twenty Flight Rock 1:41
  18. Boll Weevil 1:54
  19. Little Angel 1:52
  20. Milk Cow Blues 2:39
  21. Sweetie Pie 2:08
  22. Love Again 2:12
  23. Blue Suede Shoes 1:46

Notes

While Eddie Cochran was one of the greatest early rock performers, a genius at overdubbing guitar parts, and the mastermind behind some of the most intoxicating rhythms and enjoyable songs in the genre, very little of that finds its way onto this early effort. It took Cochran a little while to really find his footing as a recording artist, and while completists inevitably acquire the early material, having quickly run out of everything else in the relatively small Cochran discography, listeners who are looking for a small, solid dose of his best material would be advised to look elsewhere. There is nothing that wrong with any of the songs here, most of which are in the kind of slightly or more than slightly corny '50s rock mode with plenty of echoes of R&B and doo wop. Reverb and slapback are piled on as if it was a submarine sandwich parlor, and Cochran's voice is never less than pleasant to listen to, whether he is pretending to be "Mean When I'm Mad," begging for "One Kiss," or fussing lecherously about "Stockings and Shoes." What is really missing is an emphasis on his guitar playing. Instead of a good small combo, he is backed up by the Johnny Mann Orchestra and Chorus, which is kind of like inviting the Air Force to a knife fight. Reissues of this material add some B-sides, none of which are of much interest.

One of the better posthumous Eddie Cochran releases of the 1960s, Never to Be Forgotten was filled with strong tracks, the presence of which only served to heighten the tragedy behind his loss — he had more than just hit singles to offer. There are, of course, the priceless hard rock & roll numbers, including a surprisingly raw yet virtuistic "Blue Suede Shoes" and "Long Tall Sally," which are both guitar showcases second to none; the infectious and powerful "Nervous Breakdown" and "Twenty Flight Rock"; the Elvis Presley-style "Sweetie Pie"; the loud and slashing "Milk Cow Blues," which, if it had been released in Cochran's own time, would have appalled most parents and driven the "White Citizens Councils" of some Southern counties to foaming at the mouth (but maybe also would've earned Cochran a handshake from Muddy Waters); and the edgy "Boll Weevil Song," which walks a tightrope between rockabilly and country-pop without ever slipping off. And the ballads, including the soulful "Little Angel" and "Love Again," which show off what Cochran himself thought was his weak link as a talent, his voice, to surprising advantage.

Two original albums on one compact disc, with only two hits between the two — "Sittin' in the Balcony" and "Twenty Flight Rock." But for devoted fans of Eddie Cochran, this lovingly packaged CD is worth their time, even if some of the material is slightly weak. Singin' to My Baby concentrates on ballad material; the posthumously released Never To Be Forgotten has more rockers.