9/25/01 to 10-24-01

Title:Sun Records - 25 Blues Classics
Label:Varese Sarabande 302 066 254 2

Comments:When one thinks of the Sun Records catalog of classic American '50s music, of course you think of Elvis, Carl Perkins, Johnny Cash, etc. After listening to this new disc, however, it is obvious that before those white guys co-opted the black blues idiom and countrified it a bit there was some storming music being laid down in Memphis. These tracks span the years 1952 - 1962 with the lion's share pre-'55. It's fun to imagine a young Elvis Presley listening to tracks like Rufus Thomas' "Tiger Man (King Of The Jungle)" or Little Junior Parker's "Mystery Train" and storing them away to pull out a critical times in his career. These early Sun blues sides have a primitive rawness to them that transcends the lack of sonic fidelity (just compare how far back in the mix the drums and other instruments are on the first track - "We Gotta Go Sometime" by Joe Hill Louis - to how much more prominent they are by 1962's "Jelly Roll King" by Frank Frost). Highlights are "Red Hot" by Billy "the kid" Emerson (later given a rockabilly treatment by Billy Lee Riley), "Baby" by Jimmy DeBerry & Walter Horton and "The Boogie Disease" by Doctor Ross (this doctor knew how to operate). Some of the tracks weren't released at the time, but deserved to be - check out "Pinetop's Boogie Woogie" by Pinetop Perkins and "The Hucklebuck" by Earl Hooker. "Feelin' Good" by Little Junior's Blue Flames and "Bear Cat (The Answer To Hound Dog)" by Rufus Thomas are probably the most well-known tracks here, but there's more here than hits. The package features some nice vintage pictures and the label reproduces the classic Sun logo.

Posted by:George W. Krieger DDS, the rock and roll Dentist 9-25-01

Title:Alberta Hunter - Down Hearted Blues-Live At The Cookery
Label:Varese Sarabande 302 066 247 2

Comments:From 1920's blues chanteuse to a new career in nursing in the late 1950's to triumphant rediscovery as a torchy classic in the late 1970's, Alberta Hunter had quite a life (before her death at age 89 in 1984). These 18 tracks come from an early '80s live set at the Cookery in Greenwich Village accompanied by piano and bass only. This set of songs reveals a sassy octogenarian who obviously had more on her mind than baking pies (check out goodies like "You Can't Tell The Difference After Dark" and "Two-Fisted Double-Jointed Rough And Ready Man" for evidence). She was equally at home with a standard like "I Got Rhythm" and the original "I've Got A Mind To Ramble." The title track was her best know song being covered by Bessie Smith (listen to Hunter's patter about that record before she sings it herself). This set is for fans of down-home smoky blues.

Posted by:George W. Krieger DDS, the rock and roll Dentist 9-25-01
 

Title:Kris Kristofferson - All-Time Greatest Hits
Label:Varese Sarabande 302 066 274 2

Comments:The late '60s and early '70s was perhaps one of the best times for songwriters writing story songs - people like Jimmy Webb or Randy Newman or - Kris Kristofferson. "Me & Bobby McGee," "For The Good Times" and "Help Me Make It Through The Night" are standards by now, but back then they were revelatory radio moments. This 18 song set collects the writer's own versions of those songs with chart hits of his own such as "Josie" and the country #1 "Why Me" recorded for the Monument label (his A&M and Columbia hits are not included). To say that Kristofferson was not the greatest singer may not adequately describe his worn-out couch of a voice, but his easy manner fit most of the songs. Hearing a songwriter sing his own songs is always instructive (check out "Jesus Was A Capricorn" or his duet with Rita Coolidge on "I'd Rather Be Sorry"). Most of the songs follow the same mid-tempo groove and a few are written with Shel Silverstein ("How Do You Feel About Foolin' Around" and "The Taker" to name two). Somebody should suggest Kenny Rogers record an album of these songs - couldn't you hear him sing "Sunday Mornin' Comin' Down?"

Posted by:George W. Krieger DDS, the rock and roll Dentist 9-25-01

Title:The Rockets - The Rockets
Label:Varese Sarabande 302 066 269 2

Comments:This is the band that became Crazy Horse, Neil Young's backing band on many classic LPs.
This is a straight reissue of the 1968 White Whale release right down to the vinyl noise on a few of the 10 tracks (one assumes that the masters were lost?). The first two tracks are 'processed' ("Hole In My Pocket" and "Won't You Say You'll Stay") while the rest are true stereo. Bobby Notkoff's violin dominates many of the solo moments, but there still is enough Danny Whitten here for fans. The album is very much of a time (hippie influenced - check out titles like "Pill's Blues" and "Stretch Your Skin"). The album was produced by Barry Goldberg from the Electric Flag.

Posted by:George W. Krieger DDS, the rock and roll Dentist 9-25-01

Title:Meisner, Swan & Rich - Meisner, Swan & Rich
Label:Varese Sarabande 302 066 258 2

Comments:Randy Meisner late of the Eagles, Billy Swan famous for "I Can Help" and Allan Rich son of Charlie Rich (the Silver Fox behind goodies like "Mohair Sam") have teamed up to form this new country-rock aggregation. This is a fine album that deserves to be splashed all over country radio ("He Loves You" is a smash ballad from a different time), but may not stand a chance with the Shania Twain/big hat crowd. The Eagles/Poco-like harmonies dominate with Rich taking the majority of leads. Meisner chips in "My How Things Have Changed" which recalls the Eagles'"Peaceful Easy Feeling" without sounding like a copy. Most of the songs are ballads or mid-tempo, but there are some rockers (notably "Who's Gonna Love You Baby"). Like previous similar aggregations (Desert Rose Band and Southern Pacific), this country 'super-group' deserves to be noticed and hopefully Eagles' fans will catch up to what these guys are up to in 2001.

Posted by:George W. Krieger DDS, the rock and roll Dentist 9-25-01
 

Title:The Ventures - Play the Greatest Surfin' Hits Of All-Time
Label:Varese Sarabande 302 066 275 2

Comments:In the wake of the tragedy of two weeks ago, it's hard to know if we are still allowed to have fun. Indeed, this reviewer found "Fun Fun Fun" by the Beach Boys playing on the radio the other day and simply had to turn it off. Yet, that's really what those demons want - the end to our American innocence and way of life. By God, what we probably need right now is a blast of good old instrumental surf music from those American treasures - The Ventures (why those guys aren't in the R&R Hall of Fame with Neil Diamond and the Moody Blues is simply a crime). This 18 track release is, what, the 150th LP or something that these guys have released. With all the bikini clad babes on the cover, you wouldn't know that the great Nokie Edwards returns to play guitar on the lion's share of this album which was mostly recorded in 1999 and 2000. Three of the tracks come from the last two great GNP Crescendo albums (Wild Again! and New Depths - "Baja" and "Lonely Surfer" from the former and "Bombora" from the latter). The guys have also kindly included their great lost track with the Go-Gos back in 1981 "Surfin' And Spyin'" which was a rare single on the Tridex label. Most of the album is made up of songs they did back in the day like "Slaughter On 10th Avenue" and "Let's Go" recreating the same arrangements. The biggest change is on the Gerry McGee led "Hawaii 5-O" where he plays it all on guitar instead of doubling with horns. While the great Mel Taylor is missed on skins (though he does turn up on three of the older tracks), his son Leon shows some deft pounding on the third version of "Wipe Out" the Ventures have included on their last three albums (one assumes they'll include it on each record till they get it right). Bob Bogle and Don Wilson had a vision over 40 years ago and it's still bearing fruit. Keep it up guys!

Posted by:George W. Krieger DDS, the rock and roll Dentist 9-25-01

Title:The Everly Brothers - It's Everly Time/A Date With…
" " " - Both Sides Of An Evening/Instant Party
Label:Warner Brothers 9362 47869-2 & 9362 47870-2 (U.K. imports)

Comments:It has always seemed like a crime that you could buy Captain Beefheart outtakes on CD, but not the original Warner Brothers label albums by the Everly Brothers - till now. These first two releases in what looks to be a total catalog roll-out (lets hope) are pretty classy affairs and certainly worth the wait. Each CD sports two full albums plus 7 - 8 bonus tracks on one disc with incredible sound not to mention a gorgeous packaging job. The first disc pairs two very strong albums the feature the hits "Cathy's Clown," "So Sad (To Watch Good Love Go Bad)" and "Lucille." The stereo separation is w-i-d-e with booming bass and a very prominent drum sound that recalls the same sound Elvis featured on hits like "Little Sister" (so it comes as no surprise to read in the booklet that the same musicians played on those tracks also). That first disc features a lot of Felice & Boudleaux Bryant with highlights like "Donna Donna," "Love Hurts" and "So How Come (No One Loves Me)." It has been said that pre-Beatles, albums were simply hits with filler, but these albums belie that fact. The bonus tracks include hits ("Ebony Eyes" and rarities like the first version of "Temptation" and the unreleased "Why Not").
The second disc in this series shows the Brothers to be lost without their usual songwriters (having split from Wesley Rose over publishing when he refused to release "Temptation" which was a U.K. #1 when it finally came out). Indeed, the two albums included here may set some kind of record for being decidedly un-hip. That isn't to say that they didn't sound great (the harmonies and great playing are still here), but songs like "My Grandfather's Clock" and "Mention My Name In Sheboygan" aren't exactly rockers. The Instant Party album actually showed some potential when the guys did classics from their father's country repertoire like "Step It Up And Go" and "Long Lost John." A whole album of this stuff was still a few years off, however, till the Roots album. The bonus tracks include the bouncy "That's Old Fashioned" and the questionable "Hernando's Hideaway." The booklets are chock full of original album graphics, single pictures, rare photos and insightful essays - all this in a slipcase. While Rhino may see these released in the U.S. eventually, it's worth grabbing these now.

Posted by:George W. Krieger DDS, the rock and roll Dentist 9-25-01

Title:Fancy - Wild Thing/Turns You On
Label:Angel Air SJPCD 094 (import)

Comments:Back in 1973/4, Fancy charted with the sexy cover of the Troggs' "Wild Thing" and the similar sounding "Touch Me." This release sports the total Fancy output of two albums plus three bonus tracks. The band was the brainchild of U.K. pop producer Mike Hurst who grabbed a Penthouse model to breathe her way through "Wild Thing" backed by the throbbing pulse of bass/glitterbeat drum and Ray Fenwick's guitar crunch (with cheesy synth break). When the 'singer' proved difficult, a better singer was brought on board in Aussie Annie Cavanagh who suggestively sang "Touch Me." The ensuing album has some pretty good tracks such as the Leiber/Stoller classic "I'm A Woman" and the oldie "One Night." The best non-single song might be the Fenwick sung rocker "Move On." Would that the second album here was as good, but instead the band went for a funk sound instead of the glitter rock crunch of the first record. The funk didn't really fit and no more hits were forthcoming. The last tracks here are from a rare and pretty decent single "Music Maker"/"Bluebird." The packaging is pretty good including rare pictures and an essay by Hurst about the band.

Posted by:George W. Krieger DDS, the rock and roll Dentist 9-25-01

Title:Non-Stop '90s Rock
Label:Razor&Tie 7930189038-2

Comments:This is yet another one of those 'hits' packages that seem to be dominating the market right now. What makes this one stand out is that the selection of songs actually seems to be worthwhile. If you want a pretty good selection of hits by artists that you may not wish to have a whole album by (come on, do you really need any more Len than "Steal My Sunshine?"), this is a good collection. You get "Mr. Jones" by Counting Crows, the pop majesty of "Breakfast At Tiffany's" - Deep Blue Something, Ben Fold Five doing "Brick," "Pepper" by B-thole Surfers, etc. 18 tracks in all including "Save Tonight" by Eagle Eye Cherry (come on, he's really Steve Miller - right?). Cheesy packaging, but what did you expect?

Posted by:George W. Krieger DDS, the rock andr roll Dentist 9-25-01
 

Title:Percy Faith - The Ultimate Collection
Label:Columbia 5024652000 (Australian import)

Comments:Yes, folks, it should come as no shock that 'Dental-Office' music should hold some appeal to yours' truly - the rock and roll Dentist. Having spent my youth absorbing easy listening music not unlike a kid gets second hand smoke - from their parents and against their will - it feels somewhat like 'comfort music' to listen to 60 Percy Faith songs on this bonus price set. This is my third Faith 'best of' CD and oddly there is little overlap between any of them. Of course you're gonna get "Summer Place" and "Swedish Rhapsody," but it's songs like "Little Bells and Big Bells" that are nice surprises. Faith's style was w-i-d-e stereo strings with cavernous echo and when the pizzicato kicks in (as on Gordon Lightfoot's "Sundown"), it makes for a mighty appealing sound - novocaine for the soul. Much of this has a latin feel such as "Brazil," "La Negra" and "Las Altenitas" which is where his arranging shone (especially nice is his version of M! arty Robbins' "El Paso"). Disc three is not as good as the first two with 7 of the 20 tracks being Beatles covers (and the Hollyridge Strings were better) and the rest being hit covers (though "The Most Beautiful Girl" and "Georgy Girl" are winners). Bonus points go to whomever included 4 songs from the awesome Themes For Young Lovers LP. The sound is excellent and the liner notes are serviceable (though there is no picture of Mr. Faith - odd). There are apparently discs in this series devoted to Andre Kostelanetz and Ray Conniff which might be worth looking in to.

Posted by:George W. Krieger DDS,, the rock and roll Dentist 10-6-01

 

Title:Matchbox - Settin' The Woods On Fire
Label:Raucous RAUCD 081 (UK import)

Comments:From 1979 to 1982 the retro rockabilly outfit Matchbox place 8 singles (from the Magnet label) in the U.K charts - look for their old greatest hits CD Rockabilly Rebel if you can still find it. This is a straight reissue of their very first 12 track LP for the Chiswick label just prior to their hit period. For this particular record the band is a stripped down four piece with lead singer Graham Fenton being the only holdover through all incarnations of the band (though guitar slinger Steve Bloomfield was also there for most of their albums). This is not one of their best records (unless you are fond of the more country side of rockabilly), but there are still a few goodies here if you like hot guitar driven retro rock with slap bass and spare drums. The best rocker here is "Gunnin' For The Dog" while others not far behind are "While I'm Away," "Cruisin'" (the old Gene Vincent number) and the wildly up rocker "Circle Rock."

Posted by:George W. Krieger DDS, the rock and roll Dentist 10-6-01

Title:Badfinger - Complete Ass
Label:Brilliant Road 037

Comments:Badfinger were/are one of the rock and roll Dentists' fave all-time bands with leader Pete Ham being one of the most tragic figures in rock history. That they were always compared to the Beatles was a blessing and a curse as they both made fabulous pop music that could sooth, rock or make your soul ache. The Ass album was the last one they did for the Apple label before moving to Warner Brothers for two ill-fated records. This album collects 37 tracks from the sessions for that record including a the 10 track original album in different sound than the reissue. There are demos ("Piano Red" is the highlight as it sounds better in this stripped down form than in the two band outtakes included on the second disc), Mike Gibbons Welsh recordings ("For So Long" is great), alternate versions of album songs (including a piano driven version of the opus "Timeless") and outtakes (three versions of "Regular" anybody?). There are four versions of ! the outtake "Do You Mind" which turned up on the Apple CD reissue and to these ears, the wrong version was chosen. Track 17 should have been the keeper with sharper guitar and an appealing organ break "Coppertone Blues" is a backing track that went nowhere while "Rock And Roll" is a Tom Evans rocker with lame lyrics, but great instrumental toughness that deserved to be worked out more. "Dreaming" was also a track deserving more attention (if only to lose the harmonica which ruins an otherwise excellent Joey Molland rocker). Admittedly, yours' truly would buy an album to hear anything associated with this band, but if you are a fan then you need this two cd set.

Posted by:George W. Krieger DDS, the rock and roll Dentist 10-6-01
 

Title:Jonathan King - Hedgehoppers Anonymous
Label:Wounded Bird WOU 1013

Comments:The rock and roll Dentist is a '60s U.K. invasion freak and had been anticipating a release of Jonathan King's singles for the Parrot label. Finally this 24 track CD lays out 14 King single A's and B's (mostly in stereo too, kids) paired with King discovery/creation band Hedgehoppers Anonymous 10 A's and B's (all mono). The non-descript cover and odd title may cause fans to miss this, but if you love well-produced pop this is for you. "Everyone's Gone To The Moon" is what most people know and it is still a thrilling sounding record (very wistful strings that make you forget that you haven't a clue what the lyrics mean). The other U.S. charter by him was "Where the Sun Had Never Shone," but the song the should have been huge was "Round, Round" which is sort of bubblegum meets Buddy Holly. Indeed many of the Hedgehoppers Anonymous songs sound like long lost Holly outtakes ("Afraid Of Love" and "Remember" for two). The only track b! y the Hedgehoppers you might know is "It's Good News Week" which King wrote and produced seemingly as a U.K. "Eve Of Destruction." The rather gruesome lyrics juxtaposed with a pop rock sound were appealing and appalling to '60s listeners as it hit the charts, but was banned by several stations. It appears that there were two versions of that song by the -hoppers as the version on this CD has a different second verse than the old single (that hit version is in stereo too on other CDs). Instead of singing about butchering the sacred cow, this version talks about birth control. Neither version was going to sit well with queasy top 40 programmers. It's too bad that the original single version isn't also on this CD as there is room, but there is a second version of "It's Good News Week" here anyway. That version is by King and seems to be a slightly sped up head-slap to the critics in that the lyrics start off talking about censorship then ! move to teen magazine-like talk of rock stars like Paul McC and Brian Wilson concluding with a cynical retort that, heck, the new lyrics are so much better than the original ones. Too bad the spare liner notes don't see fit to talk about any of that. Other goodies are "Don't Push Me" and the Dylan cover "Just Like A Woman." If you have the rare King CD that was on Music Club and collected all his '70s hits (like "Sugar Sugar" as Sakkarin and the original oog-a-chucka version of "Hooked On A Feeling'), then you have a pretty good start on a full collection. What is still missing is his great UK album with "Mary My Love" as the lead single and a few odd singles like "Gloria" and "In The Mood." Perhaps someone will give him a two CD set that gets it right, but for now this is a welcome addition.

Posted by:George W. Krieger DDS, the rock and roll Dentist 10-6-01

Title:You Gotta Use Both Ears For This One!
Label:Two Mikes 2M-001

Comments:If you are a stereo freak there is little you would not buy if there is even one song on it in first-time stereo. This 20 track disc collects a lot of stereo you won't have ever heard (much of it created via decent synch-ups that at times get out of time a bit so sound weird - check out "Louie Louie" by the Kingsmen which is at least fun since it has always sounded muddy in mono). The Sensations "Let Me In" is a winner as is the Surfaris "Wipe Out." Other goodies are "Sukiyaki," "Tequila," "Rockin' Robin," and "I Love How You Love Me." My personal fave here is "Mi Amore" by the Flamingos. There are no liner notes other than a picture of Alfred E. Neuman on the cover.

Posted by:George W. Krieger DDS, the rock and roll Dentist 10-6-01

Title:Produced By George Martin - 50 Years In Recording (6 CD boxset)
Label:EMI/Parlophone 07243 532631 2 6 (U.K.import)

Comments:This fascinating boxset features 151 songs that were produced, written and/or arranged by the man who can truly lay claim to being the 5th Beatle. Your kindly rock and roll Dentist suggests, however, that at over 7 hours you bring plenty of snacks and drinking water before digging in for a listen. If you are expecting continuous Beatle-pop music, forget it. Instead you get a nifty cross-section of British music from the Sinatra stylings of Matt Monro ("My Kind Of Girl" is darn swingin') to the goofiness of Peter Sellers with Sophia Loren ("Goodness Gracious Me"). The main reason yours truly bought the box is for the first CD release of Ron Goodwin's best tracks on CD (how's about a full set now?). Goodwin was sort of a Percy Faith for the U.K. with a touch of Mancini due to his film work (your's truly has always loved the theme to the great Margaret Rutherford Miss Marple mysterys "Murder She Says" which is included here in stereo alo! ng with "Skiffling Strings" [U.S. title was "Swinging Sweethearts"], "Elizabethan Serenade" and others). The Beatles are represented as are Gerry & the Pacemakers, Cilla Black, etc., but the reason to buy is not for those songs (you already have them, don't you?). You need it for "Nellie the Elephant" or The Vipers ("No Other Baby") or Paul Winter's "Icarus" or any number of other interesting tracks. The booklet has some interesting tidbits and great photos. All in all a classy package devoted to a classy/urbane gentleman who singlehanded created the title producer we now take for granted on albums.

Posted by:George W. Krieger DDS, the rock and roll Dentist 10-12-01

Title:The Guess Who - Shakin' All Over
Label:Sundazed SC 11113

Comments:Leave it the Bob Irwin at Sundazed. Your's truly bought the three early Guess Who releases on True North a few year back (Shakin' All Over, Hey Ho and It's Time) and when this new distillation of those records came out figured there was no reason to buy it. Wrong! The sound on this new CD is fabulous with 10 of the tracks in stereo (frankly, listening to the old CDs you have to wonder if they were mastered from vinyl anyway). There are even two previously unreleased songs. This set captures a group evolving from a very '60s British sounding band to the Burton Cummings led group that pumped out hit after hit. This and the two CD set This Time Long Ago are welcome additions to their catalog and are in some ways stronger than their later albums.

Posted by:George W. Krieger DDS, the rock and roll Dentist 10-12-01

Title:The Cyrkle - Red Rubber Ball / Neon
Label:Sundazed SC 11108 / 11109

Comments:Well, you can trade away your old Legacy CD set and buy these two superior discs that include all the tracks from that album and many more unreleased goodies/single sides. Both albums are great pop with a bit of a leaning towards Beach Boys harmonies. You need both albums, but one must assume that the 19 track Red Rubber Ball album will sell better due to the two big hits from it - the title track and "Turn Down Day." "Red Rubber Ball" certainly doesn't feel like a Paul Simon track, but it is (as is "Cloudy"). Neon has 20 tracks including two Bee Gees covers ("Turn Of The Century" and "Red Chair Fade Away"). There really are very few duff cuts on either album and both include nifty old pictures.

Posted by:George W. Krieger DDS, the rock and roll Dentist 10-12-01

Title:Donovan - Greatest Hits Live
Label:Varese Sarabande 302 066 254 2

Comments:Having seen '60s psychedelic troubadour Donovan in concert a few years ago, this reviewer can attest to the fact the he puts on a fine acoustic show complete with clever stories about his youth. This new 18 song CD records that kind of performance from a 1986 Vancouver show augmented with a few tracks from Carnegie Hall and one studio outtake from '91 (a solo acoustic song even though the notes list a full band). All the usual suspects are here including "Mellow Yellow," "Sunshine Superman," "Atlantis" and "Hurdy Gurdy Man" (with a verse written by George Harrison tacked on). Most of the songs are not greatest hits which actually makes for a more interesting set ("Josie" and "Mr. Fluteman" for example). The longest story accompanies "Isle Of Islay" and relates Donovan's brush with the law on a drug charge. This format serves the artist well and shows him to be a cheerful and intelligent performer.

Posted by:George W. Krieger DDS, the rock and roll Dentist 10-24-01

 

Title:Spencer Davis Group - Live Anthology 1965 - 1986
Label:Varese Sarabande 302 066 260 2

Comments:During the '60s British Invasion there were bands that co-opted the blues in an attempt to be more than just a pop group - bands like the Animals, the Rolling Stones and the Spencer Davis Group. In order to put across music like that a group needed an effective singer and Steve Winwood certainly filled the bill with a piercing mouth full of marbles delivery. For U.S. fans, the group can be almost reduced to two songs: "I'm A Man" and "Gimme Some Lovin'" (though a few others charted in the lower regions - "Keep On Runnin'," "Time Seller," "Somebody Help Me"). This 20 track album collects BBC and live takes of all those songs and more (plus two 2000 studio tracks with a new edition of the band that finds Davis as the lead singer). Song like "Stevie's Blues" and "Goodbye Stevie" show that the band knew who that star was. When Winwood left to form Traffic, the band found a decent replacement in Eddie Hardin as can be seen from "Don'! t Want You No More" which is a great up-tempo blues workout. Still, the bulk of the tracks feature Winwood for good reason and this is a nice addition to his fans' collections (the hits sound different enough to justify purchase, but are still well played). The two new tracks come from an independent label release and show a band in need of a better lead singer. By the way, labels, there really isn't a good comprehensive hits package from the group (EMI put one out, but it omits an awful lot). All the old songs are in mono, but the sound is decent.

Posted by:George W. Krieger DDS, the rock and roll Dentist 10-24-01

Title:Then 2 - Totally Oldies
Label:Varese Sarabande 302 066 234 2

Comments:18 oldies together on one great hit-packed CD! Of course if you replace the word 'oldies' from that sentence with 'recent hits' you get the conceit behind the best selling Now series of CDs, so your friends at Varese have put out this, the second volume of Then chock-a-block with unrelated oldies that are available for licensing. Perhaps that statement sounds a bit cynical and that's not really fair since all packages like this depend on the quality of the songs included and all 18 here are worthy. If you don't already have "Downtown" and "Runaway" in your collection, then you get them here. Frankly, yours truly was quite happy to get Betty Everett's "The Shoop Shoop Song (It's In His Kiss)," "Hey! Baby" by Bruce Channel and "Baby I'm Yours" by Barbara Lewis on CD. You get stereo mixes on Lenny Welch's "Since I Fell For You" and "Five O'Clock World" - the Vogues (and the sound is fabulous on all of them). "Sugar Shack" by Jimmy ! Gilmer & the Fireballs and "Suspicion" by Terry Stafford are examples of songs presented in mono. Still, most of the songs are in stereo including "Tell It Like It Is" (Aaron Neville) and "Liar Liar" (the Castaways). "Duke Of Earl," "Hooked On A Feeling," "You Baby," etc. - all hits kids!

Posted by:George W. Krieger DDS, the rock and roll Dentist 10-24-01

Title:Del Shannon - 25 All-time Greatest Hits
Label:Varese Sarabande 302 066 270 2

Comments:If you don't already own a Del Shannon compilation, this is a pretty fair place to start (and if all you have is an old Rhino set you may want this anyway due to the upgraded sound and stereo mixes of half the old hits). Raven put out a pretty good 2 CD set on Shannon a few years ago, but this set is perhaps the best U.S. comprehensive release (though it omits all the later '60s Liberty stuff). Six of the tracks come from later releases ("Sea Of Love" and "Walk Away" for example), 12 from Big Top ("Runaway"), 1 from Berlee ("Sue's Gotta Be Mine") and 6 from Amy ("Handy Man"). Of course we all know that Shannon was one of the few rockers in the Fabian/Frankie era of the early '60s and that he took his own life in a fit of despair in 1993. The booklet includes great old photos and posters plus the CD reproduces the old Big Top label. "Runaway" is the mono single mix. This is a good place to start if you want a single disc se! t for Shannon ("Do You Wanna Dance" and "The Big Hurt" are the only charters not here).

Posted by:George W. Krieger DDS the rock and roll Dentist 10-24-01
 

Title:Kenny Vance & the Planotones - Live and Out Of This World
Label:Varese Sarabande 302 066 264 2

Comments:This 12 track CD is taken from two nights of live shows in November 1999 at the Bitter End in N.Y. by a group that likes to mix oldies doowop with classic R&B. The four part harmony on "Who's that Knocking?" is exquisite while the groove on "I've Been Lonely For So Long/Power Of Love" is hotter than a firecracker. The guys are captured here in a very intimate jokey sounding environment which has you in the room without having to pay the cover charge. The old Don & Dewey song "Big Boy Pete" sits next to Joe Tex's "A Sweet Woman Like You." It's the ballads that get the message across, however ("Lovers Never Say Goodbye" and "Wonderful Girl" by Fred Parris). This sounds like a group worth looking for in concert and worth grabbing on CD if you like new acts with old soul.

Posted by:George W. Krieger DDS, the rock and roll Dentist 10-24-01

Title:The Mamas & the Papas - All the Leaves Are Brown - The Golden Era Collection
Label:MCA 088 112 653-2

Comments:If you have any of the Mamas & Papas hits releases (like the excellent Creeque Alley:The History Of the Mamas & the Papas 2 CD set) you may not think you need to buy this two CD package, but you would be wrong. This collects all four of the classic albums (and at least three of them are exceptional) by the Ms and Ps in fabulous sound plus you get the non-LP single of "Glad To Be Unhappy" and the mono single mixes of "Words Of Love" (which really sounds a lot different due to the horns), "I Saw Her Again" and "Creeque Alley"(this mono single mix sounds like the stereo version in mono, however, as opposed to the mix on Varese's great Magic Circle release which has different overdubs). There are rare old photos and a nice essay in the booklet. Throw away your inferior single CD reissues on any of the old albums and get this sucker on "Monday Monday" or any other day while you're "California Dreamin'."

Posted by:George W. Krieger DDS, the rock and roll Dentist 10-24-01

01/20/09