RECENT (& not so recent) RELEASES !!
Four more great outings from Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab., still one of the
best record companies in the world and certainly the best manufacturers
of true quality CDs, SACDs and vinyl.
Marshall Crenshaw (UDSACD 2036) produced
some of the best music of the 80's ; this, his first album (originally on
WB), is a feast for lovers of great melodies, catchy hooks and ringing guitars
- a rock'n'roll disc nobody should be without. 'Girls', 'Mary Anne', 'Not
For Me', 'I'd Do Anything', 'Cynical Girl', 'There She Goes Again' and a
remarkable cover of 'Soldier Of Love' will leave you dumbfounded if you
don't already know them. I hope they will continue with Marshall's next
three albums - notably 1985's 'Downtown', another all-time winner.
Chuck Berry, The Allman Brothers and
Little Feat don't need much more introduction
than Crenshaw. Chuck's gold CD (UDCD 776) features both 'Berry Is On Top'
(mono) and 'St. Louis To Liverpool' (stereo). 'A giant rockin' jukebox'
will only begin to describe this colossal pairing. The best way to replace
your original Chess LPs at a fraction of the price - and with a sound just
as big ! Little Feat's first album from 1970 is a welcome addition (UDCD
770, also available on vinyl), with unforgettable songs like 'Willin'.
As for The Allman Bros. (UDCD 769, also on vinyl), this was their second
album, one which would definitely establish them as a major Rock group.
Little
Richard, one of the precious few surviving Rock'n'Roll
pioneers, has received the 'Mobile Fidelity' treatment, too. His first two
Specialty LPs have been combined on a lone, terrific sounding SACD (#2028),
cut from the master tapes. What more need be said ? 24 explosive gems.
'Here's Little Richard' is also available on a limited, numbered edition
180 g LP.
The
E-types : many of us discovered them
via the superb Sundazed releases (vinyl & CD) from a few years back. Remember
the awesome, Larry Hosford-penned 'I Can't Do It' from 1966 ?
Well, now, they're back ! And their new, custom produced CD is an absolute
killer with cuts like 'All That I've Got Left To Do' and a splendid version
of 'I'll Be On My Way'. In true 60's spirit.
ALISON
KRAUSS & UNION STATION
Plus a bunch of great rockabilly 45's from ACE Records
After
the release of their outstanding ROY ORBISON
7-CD box set (BCD 16423) featuring the Sun, RCA & Monument classics,
the RICK NELSON 6-CD box set (BCD 16196) covering
the Verve & Imperial recordings (1957-1962), the 9-CD JOHNNY
BURNETTE box set (BCD 16438), featuring the R'n'R Trio recordings
as well as his Imperial, Freedom, Liberty and later sides (plus many demos
with & without Dorsey, some of them showcasing
EDDIE
COCHRAN on
guitar !) and the JIMMIE
SKINNER 6-CD box set
(BCD 16613) containing his Radio Artist, Capitol, Decca & Mercury recordings,
they have now issued two definitive GENE VINCENT
box sets : 'The Road Is Rocky' (BCD 16257) has 6 CDs of studio masters covering
his whole career (1956-1971) and a lavish 132-page hardcover book ; 'The
Outtakes' (BCD 16842) is comprised of another 6 CDs, this time featuring
all of Gene's Capitol outtakes (a number of them finally appear in stereo).
JAMES INTVELD has gained
a well deserved reputation over the past twenty years as one of the best modern
Country and Rockabilly Artists. Yes, he can handle those styles with gusto
without overdoing and overproducing them - which would ultimately ruin the
music. And not only does he sing, he also writes, produces, plays guitars,
pedal steel, bass, mandolin, piano and drums ! He did all that in his first
solo LP, a cracking 10 incher on the Bear Family imprint (B10 10001, now deleted)
titled 'Introducing James Intveld' (1995). In late 2002, he put out his second
solo release, 'Somewhere Down The Road', a CD which encapsulates his love
for those lonesome American highways and for those timeless Rock & Country
sounds from the '50s and '60s. I will run a full review of the disc in a special
piece on Intveld later on but I sure recommend you should buy it for its integrity
as well as for its musical merits. Best cut for me is his version of 'One
Sweet Letter', a Specialty R'n'B track from 1952 written and sung by Joe Liggins
; James turns it into a jumping rockabilly jiver that will make you want to
jump & shout ! And what a great guitar solo, most probably played by co-producer,
Michael Turner. Other highlights include Buddy Holly's 'Modern Don Juan',
Carl Belew's 'Stop The World' and the title track.
Issue
#109 of 'Big Beat Of The '50's', a quality Australian
music mag devoted to real Rock'n'Roll, is still available. The articles are
varied and exciting, their reading being enhanced by a text layout and graphics
of a high standard on glossy printing paper.