4/12/00 to 2/27/00

Title:Nancy Sinatra - You Go-Go Girl!
Label:Varese Sarabande 302 066 059 2

Comments:This is not a greatest hits CD, but certainly contains a good
portion of her hits such as "How Does That Grab You Darlin'?" and "These
Boots Are Made For Walkin'." The main reason to own this CD is to supplement
a hits CD with some of her spiffy LP tracks ("Sorry 'Bout That") and a couple
of unreleased goodies ("Zodiac Blues" and her duet with Lee Hazelwood on
"Love Is Strange"). You get movie songs like "The Last Of The Secret Agents"
and "Geronimo" (from The Ghost In The Invisible Bikini). You also get lesser
singles like "In Our Time" and "The City Never Sleeps At Night." Frank's
daughter was not a great vocalist but her records have a certain retro '60s
go-go charm which make you want to frug madly. The cover picture is a spiffy
shot of our girl in a strange yellow and black leotard while the booklet has
lotsa legs, boots and mini-skirts. Sadly, no outtakes of the pink bikini
pictures are included, however (if you were a teenaged boy in the '60s, no
explanation is necessary - ooh la la). The sound is a mix of mono and stereo
with no new remixes cropping up.

Posted by:George W. Krieger DDS, the rock and roll Dentist 2-27-00

Title:The Chordettes - 25 All-Time Greatest Recordings
Label:Varese Sarabande 302 066 097 2

Comments:A charmingly wholesome mid to late '50s chart force, these girls
started out as a female barbershop quartet. Archie Bleyer's Cadence label
took them into the charts with goodies like "Mr. Sandman" and "Lollipop."
Virtually all the hits are included in this 25 track monster plus four
previously unreleased songs and some first time stereo (not on the essentials
however). In retrospect it's sometimes confusing as to why certain tracks
where not released and that's the case with the cute Roger Miller penned "In
the Summertime (You Don't Want My Love)" which sounds like it would have
charted. The main omission on this disc is the most 'girl-group'-like single
they ever did "A Girl's Work Is Never Done"/"No Wheels" from '59. You'll
still need to hang onto that old Rhino set for these tracks plus "Lonely
Lips" and the cute "Baby Come-A-Back," but this really is a good purchase for
Chordettes fans. The booklet contains classic photos and the sound is as
good as these old recordings probably can muster.

Posted by:George W. Krieger DDS, the rock and roll Dentist 2-27-00

Title:The Everly Brothers - Devoted To You-The Everly Brothers Love Songs
Label:Varese Sarabande 302 066 096 2

Comments:This is another repackage of classic Cadence tracks from '58 to '60.
If you already own any of the previous Cadence discs, the only reason to buy
this disc is to get two tracks that are only available on a pricey Bear
Family box ("Oh True Love" and "Life Ain't Worth Living"). Of the 16 songs
here, most are big hits ("Let It Be Me," "All I Have To Do Is Dream" and
"When Will I Be Loved"). The omissions from a standard early Everly's hits
set are "Wake Up Little Susie" and "Bye Bye Love" mainly. The label of the
CD reproduces the old Cadence 45 label and the booklet has some very nice
early Everly pictures. The sound is stereo and mono as has previously
appeared on others.

Posted by:George W. Krieger DDS, the rock and roll Dentist 2-27-00

Title:The Kit Kats - It's About Time
Label:Jamie/Guyden 4008

Comments:Each region of the country during the '60s sprouted rock bands that
could well have made it nationally, but for some reason never quite broke
through. For whatever reason, the Kit Kats never quite got beyond
Pennsylvania only bubbling under with "Let's Get Lost On A Country Road" in
'66 and getting to #57 in '70 with "Won't Find Better Than Me" (under a new
band name New Hope. These two CDs collect 28 tracks plus some studio
harmonizing, radio spots and a CD-rom accessible performance of "Won't Find
Better Than Me." That latter song is represented on this disc via five
versions so obviously they loved the song. The New Hope hit version is not
the single edit, but starts with a fabulous piano workout that would have
made Rick Wakeman proud. While most of their music sounds in a concert with
the falsetto of later-day Tokens, that keyboard workout points to a direction
(prog-rock) the Kit Kats could well have pursued had they been so inclined.
Still, most of the songs are pleasant harmony driven pop (check out "That's
The Way" and a nice cover of the Ivy League track "Funny How Love Can Be") or
oldies ("Nut Rocker" and "Liza Jane"). The booklet is obviously a labor of
love with notes and discography by Bob Hyde plus memories from band member
Karl Hausman. There is a surprising amount of stereo though the sound is
strangely muted with not a lot of high end. This turned out to be a pleasant
surprise and is much recommended for fans of late '60s pop. Now let's get
some spotlights on Colorado regional groups like the Rainy Daze and the
Moonrakers, ok?

Posted by:George W. Krieger DDS, the rock and roll Dentist 2-27-00

Title:Quicksilver Messenger Service - Unreleased Lost Gold And Silver
Label:Collectors' Choice CCM 109-2

Comments:For a couple of records, it looked like Quicksilver Messenger
Service would be one of the great bands to come out of the Summer Of Love Bay
Area music scene. Like Moby Grape, however, that early promise went
unfulfilled. Their first self-titled album still packs a punch, however,
with tracks like "Dino's Song" and "Pride Of Man." This set collects a CD of
live QMS (showing their jam-band brotherhood with the Dead) with a disc of
studio rarities including a demo version of the former song titled "I Don't
Want To Spoil Your Party." While demos and rare tracks like "I Hear You
Knockin'" are interesting, the high points for fans will surely be the long
jam workouts in the live set to songs like "Codine" and "Who Do You Love."
The sound certainly evokes a time so don't expect pristine recordings, but
it's above bootleg quality. This is a must for fans.

Posted by:George W. Krieger DDS, the rock and roll Dentist 2-27-00

Title:Mott The Hoople - Friends And Relatives
Label:Spitfire 6-70211-5093-2

Comments:Mott The Hoople will forever be linked to the glam scene and "All
The Young Dudes," but they were are frankly just a good hard garage band for
the early '70s. These two discs collect 26 tracks from our heros in concert
plus various offshoots of the band. Conspicuous by his absence is frontman
Ian Hunter, however, who had the most success as a solo act. To be honest,
this seems to be a sampler of music from the catalog of the English label
Angel Air and Hunter isn't on that label, but to leave him off is
inexcusable. Perhaps the best tracks are live Mott The Hoople and the
post-Hunter band Mott. Those tracks are already on the discs All The Way
>From Stockholm To Philadelphia and Live Over Here And There - '75-'76. They
comprise nine of the songs here with Mott's "Born Late '58" and MTH's "One Of
The Boys" standing out. The British Lions tracks used aren't the LP
versions, but are still good versions of "One More Chance To Run" and "Wild
In The Streets." Solo tracks are included by Verden Allen, Mick Ralphs, John
Fiddler, Steve Hymas and Ray Majors. Pre-Mott bands are represented by the
Silence and Doc Thomas Group. Nothing here is essential, but for fans who
don't own this stuff it's a lot of fun. Buffin wrote the notes about each
song plus a band history. Curiously, the only photo in the booklet shows Ian
Hunter alone. Some photos of each of the bands included would have been
nice, Buffin!

Posted by:George W. Krieger DDS, the rock and roll Dentist 2-27-00

Title:Hard To Find Orchestral Instrumentals / Hard To Find Pop Instrumentals
Label:Eric 11507-2 / 11508-2

Comments:These two CDs are very much of a kind and whould be bought together
for if you like one you'll like both. Eric has collected 20 singles per CD
with many in rare stereo mixes. The sound is great throughout with the music
in the 'guilty-pleasure' category for true rockers like myself. Do you
really want to admit that you love The Brass Ring's "The Dis-Advantages Of
You" or Raymond Lefevre's "Soul Coaxing"? You don't want to talk about it,
but really need to buy this stuff - go ahead - it won't hurt and you know
it'll feel good on your ears. This is the kind of stuff your mom and dad
wouldn't have minded playing on the old Philco and it still sounds good. The
orchestral set covers a broad span from '53's "Ruby" (Richard Hayman) to
'75's "The Homecoming" (Haygood Hardy). The pop set goes even further back
with "The Third Man Theme" by Anton Karas (1950) and stretches to 1979's
"Music Box Dancer" (Frank Mills). The only misstep is including a
re-recording from '99 of "Alabama Jubilee" by the Ferko String Band rather
than the old single version. The notes are devoted to the songs and include
no pictures.

Posted by:George W. Krieger DDS, the rock and roll Dentist 2-27-00

Title:Dave Dee, Dozy Beaky, Mick & Tich - Boxed
Label:BR Music 1009-2 (Holland)

Comments:This is four CDs at a bonus price by underappreciated British
Invasion band DDDBM&T who were much bigger in the UK than in the US. Their
name certainly didn't help (you can imagine a '60s AM jock refusing to play
their records since the name was so cumbersome to say). This collects all
their singles and LP tracks before Dave Dee quit to go solo. To these are
added a large compliment of solo tracks and DBM&T who carried on in the same
pop/rock vein even without Dee. All the hits are here: "Bend It," "Hold
Tight" (one hot slab of primordial guitar-soup), "Zabadak," "Legend Of
Zanadu"), but it's the lesser known tracks that provide the biggest thrills
("Snake In The Grass" and "Run Colorado!" for example). The booklet is a
real bargain too containing notes about the songs and color photos of
sleeves. With 100 songs, this is a real find.

Posted by:George W. Krieger DDS, the rock and roll Dentist 2-27-00

Title:Other Enz - Split Enz & Beyond
Label:Raven RVDS-100 (Australia)

Comments:Starting as a bit of a comicbook prog pop band, the New Zealand
outfit Split Enz evolved into a hard pop delight featuring the Finn brothers
(Tim and Neil). During the late '70s and early '80s they made a few
essential records spawning great pop like "I Got You" and "History Never
Repeats." Neil of course later founded Crowded House and continued the
string till they also broke up. These two discs collect 41 songs by various
offspring of the Enz. Most of the groups will be foreign to US ears, but
fans of the Enz need this set which shows how interlocked even ex-members
have continued to be over the years. Early member Phil Judd turns up with
the Swingers ("Counting The Beat"), as a solo ("Rendezvous"), with Tim Finn
("Long Hard Road") and with Noel Crombie in Schnell Fenster ("OK, Alright, A
Huh, Oh Yeah") for example. Crombie turns up as a solo also ("My Voice Keeps
Changing On Me") and ithe Wendy Matthews in Noel's Cowards ("Fingers
Crossed"). Of special interest are two live tracks recorded in 1989 by
Crowded House and Roger McGuinn as Byrdhouse ("Mr. Tamborine Man" and "Eight
Miles High'). Crowded House also turns in a nice version of the old Zombies
hit "She's Not There." One pleasant surprise find is world music singer
Yothu Yindi with Neil Finn on "Dots On The Shells." Perhaps the weakest
tracks are Tim Finn's which points up the problem with his solo career -
unfulfilled promise. The booklet is extensive with lots of nice color band
photos.

Posted by:George W. Krieger DDS, the rock and roll Dentist

Title:Joe Tex - 25 All-Time Greatest Hits
Lable:Varese Sarabande 302 066 101 2

Comments:The late r&b singer Joe Tex is probably remembered by casual fans
for his two novelty numbers "Skinny Legs And All" and the disco tinged "Ain't
Gonna Bump No More (With No Big Fat Woman)." This generous helping of Tex
certainly goes a long way towards showing off Tex to have been a formidable
talent. Tex charted 28 records on the Billboard Top 100 (missing from this
disc are only "That's The Way,"
"That's Your Baby" and "I'll Make Every Day Christmas") and only the 'bump'
record bears a writing credit other than Tex. Stand-out tracks are the
testifying soul of "One Monkey Don't Stop No Show," the grit of "Show Me"
plus "I Gotcha" and the feeling of "Hold What You've Got." Tex didn't have a
defining style or a flamboyant persona which probably cost him street cred.
Certainly "Papa Was Too" and S.Y.S.L.J.F.M. (The Letter Song) attest to his
drive while "The Love You Save (May Be Your Own)" could bring it slow and
soulful. There have been other Tex comps, but this is really all you need to
buy and for a U.S. compilation it's surprisingly jam packed (25 songs is
pretty much unheard of here because of licensing rules). No new stereo, but
good crisp sound.

Posted by:George W. Krieger DDS, the rock and roll Dentist 4-12-00

Title:Billy Ward & His Dominoes - The Best Of The '50s Masters (1957-1959)
Label:Varese Sarabande 302 066 102 2

Comments:This is the Liberty era Dominoes when Jackie Wilson and Clyde
McPhatter were long gone. In the pre-rock 50's, they had scored with the
racy "60 Minute Man," but this CD finds Ward and company mining the same
territory as the Platters; piano triplets and standards from days of yore.
"Stardust" and "Deep Purple" managed to chart in '57, but that's as far as it
went. While there is a sameness to much of the material, standouts are the
traditional "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot" and Ward's original "Lucinda." The
sound is pristine generally. In an interesting reverse to what was generally
happening at that time, Ward managed a final charting with a cover of a
current white pop record in Jan&Arnie's "Jennie Lee" which sounds very much
like the original. Most of this disc features songs never on CD before and
also throws in the previously unreleased tracks "These Foolish Things (Remind
Me Of You)," "There Is No Greater Love," "I'm Always Chasing Rainbows" and an
alternate take of "Stardust." There are 19 tracks here and this is one of
the more striking looking releases recently with a domino motif to the
booklet and on the disc.

Posted by:George W. Krieger DDS, the rock and roll Dentist 4-12-00

01/19/08