VA - The Golden Age Of American Rock & Roll, Vol. 12
Release Date:February 28, 2011
Label: Ace Records (CDCHD 1280)
The best series of compilation albums devoted to the first decade of rock & roll didn't run out of steam at all upon reaching a dozen volumes, even though this installment has nothing by early rock's top superstars. The 30 tracks cover all facets of rock & roll between 1956 and 1963, from rockabilly and Bo Diddley to electric blues that crossed over into the pop charts (Slim Harpo and John Lee Hooker), novelties (John Zacherle's "Dinner with Drac, Pt. 1"), surf (Dick Dale), early Motown, early girl group, an early Phil Spector production, instrumentals, doo wop, and more. Yet this wide swath doesn't come at the expense of quality, and in fact, quite a few of these tracks were big classic hits, like the Rays' "Silhouettes," Bill Justis' "Raunchy," Jimmy Jones' "Handy Man," Larry Williams' "Short Fat Fannie," the Marvelettes' "Please Mr. Postman," the Dovells' "Bristol Stomp," Conway Twitty's "Lonely Blue Boy," and Jerry Butler's "He Will Break Your Heart." Some of the not-so-big hits were classics, too, like Diddley's "Roadrunner," Arthur Alexander's early soul heartbreaker "You Better Move On," LaVern Baker's "Saved," the "5" Royales' "Think," the Righteous Brothers' "Little Latin Lupe Lu," and James Ray's "If You Gotta Make a Fool of Somebody." For the fans who have everything, or think they have everything, there are some singles that didn't make much of a mark but carry some historical interest, like Etta & Harvey's "If I Can't Have You" (a duet between Harvey Fuqua of the Moonglows and Etta James); the Velaires' adequately energetic 1961 version of "Roll Over Beethoven," the first Chuck Berry cover to make the Top 100; Marvin Rainwater's "Whole Lotta Woman," a huge hit in the U.K. even though it peaked at a mere number 60 in the singer's native U.S., and Bobby Gregg & His Friends' "The Jam, Pt. 1," featuring stinging guitar by a young Roy Buchanan. It's true the most obscure cuts don't tend to be close to the same level of quality as the big hits and classics, but they don't seriously impair the listenability of another fine volume of this excellent series, which is supplemented by superbly detailed liner notes. --Richie Unterberger, AllMusicGuide
This admirable series is so aptly named. Contrary to popular thought, if you had a bit of imagination and knew where to search, it really was a golden age, as any old relics (like me) who remember it will readily agree. We’re looking and feeling increasingly weird and marginalised these days, of course.
At a time when most music purveyors and consumers care little about history, context, who wrote a song, who played on it, who produced it, which region it burst from, what inspired it, which label it was released on, and other important sniff-snaff, I think we should all get down on our knees every so often and thank the great cosmic duck for the unswerving Ace Records and all who sail in her.
Disinterred, as usual, by the meticulous and inexhaustible Rob Finnis, this is the 12th volume of 45 rpm treasure. Thirty gems; no clinkers. Some familiar; some obscure. Stimulating examples not only of rock’n’roll (as advertised) but of R&B, teen-pop, country rock, Motown, surf, Spector, soul and other emerging strands. Magnificent sound; illuminating notes.
Back in the late 50s, one could dehydrate, wither up and die waiting for the useless, fusty, paternalistic BBC to play any (okay, practically any) of these records. Were it not for the legal payola of Radio Luxembourg we would have been lost – but thanks to their fluctuating long-reach signal, beamed towards war-torn, Conservative-governed, broke and busted, soot-encrusted Britain, we glimpsed the exotic wonder of America.
For many of us, worship of all things American had become an established religion. Everything seemed so much better over there ... girls, cars, clothes, gangsters, cowboys, songwriters, films, film stars, Negroes, trains, planes, juke boxes, jazz, climate, beaches, history, geographical features, place names, rivers, hair styles, radio, television, sport, street names, magazines, food, skyscrapers, athletes, boxers, confectionery, sunshine, comics, even their flag and their money. But at least we got our hands on some of their music – and that was the key, that’s what coloured up our drab world, changed the very nature of our existence.
As a result of hearing their records on Lux, the hippest kids of my generation – the Eric Burdons, the George Harrisons, the Mick Jaggers, the Guy Stevens, the Ian Samwells, the Roger Eagles – grew up idolising the likes of Larry Williams, Bo Diddley, James Ray, Slim Harpo, Charlie Gracie and Arthur Alexander.
They marvelled at the clang of the guitar solo on ‘Bad Motorcycle’, at the undulating riff of ‘Raunchy’, the teenage ingénue Gladys Horton pleading with the postman, the grisly imagery of ‘Dinner With Drac’, the falsetto braggadocio of Jimmy Jones, the open-hearted anguish of Jerry Butler.
They gurgled at lines like “I knew by the way he smoked, he was a bad motorcycle”, “I found to my shock, I was on the wrong block!” and “I used to lie, I used to cheat, and step on people’s feet – but now I’m stepping on to glory ... I’m saved!”
But few would have heard the fabulous “5” Royales cut or fleeting vocal groups the Velaires and the 3 Friends – showcased here in pristine quality.
Mesmerised by ‘Whole Lotta Woman’, Brian “Hank” Rankin changed his name to Marvin – while another young British guitarist, Jim Sullivan, unwittingly provided Conway Twitty with the arrangement for ‘Lonely Blue Boy’.
I still find this music endlessly fascinating – but, as my parents always predicted, I’m sure I’ll grow out of it one day. --Pete Frame, Ace Records
Track Listing:
1. Road Runner - Bo Diddley
2. Bad Motorcycle - Storey Sisters
3. Raunchy - Bill Justis
4. Silhouettes - The Rays
5. Handy Man - Jimmy Jones
6. If You Gotta Make A Fool Of Somebody - James Ray
7. Bristol Stomp - The Dovells
8. Rainin' In My Heart - Slim Harpo
9. Short Fat Fannie - Larry Williams
10. Dinner With Drac - John Zacherle
11. Back To School Again - Timmie Rogers
12. Little Latin Lupe Lu - The Righteous Brothers
13. If I Can't Have You - Etta & Harvey
14. Think - The "5" Royales
15. Lonely Blue Boy - Conway Twitty
16. Butterfly - Charlie Gracie
17. Please Mr Postman - The Marvelettes
18. Let The Four Winds Blow - Roy Brown
19. Whole Lotta Woman - Marvin Rainwater
20. Let's Go Trippin' - Dick Dale & The Del-Tones
21. He Will Break Your Heart - Jerry Butler
22. Boom Boom - John Lee Hooker
23. You Better Move On - Arthur Alexander
24. Saved - Lavern Baker
25. There's No Other (Like My Baby) - The Crystals
26. Roll Over Beethoven - The Velaires
27. Dedicated (To The Songs I Love) - 3 Friends
28. The Jam Pt 1 - Bobby Gregg & His Friends
29. Come To Me - Marv Johnson
30. Every Day I Have To Cry - Steve Alaimo
The latest (perhaps the last) volume.
Personal picks: Bad Motorcycle - Storey Sisters, Dinner With Drac - John Zacherle, Lonely Blue Boy - Conway Twitty, Whole Lotta Woman - Marvin Rainwater and Saved - Lavern Baker
Enjoy!