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Reviews (5)
15 Nov, 2008
Super clean Bo - good or bad ?
1 of 1 found this helpful Bo Diddley was my musical hero at a time when my contemporaries were listening to Led Zeppelin, Deep Purple etc. He was consigned to the dust bin of fame for having a string of records that all sounded the same, a one trick pony as it were. Although many rock fans liked Chuck Berry with his clear diction and simple guitar sound, most couldn't stomach Bo. His sound wasn't just too black, it was feral, not in a romantic way but in a desperate, violent and sexually charged manner that ironically was even too black for most consumers of 'race' records in the 1950s.
This set comes after the main rush of fame alongside Little Richard , Chuck , Fats Domino and the other architects of rock 'n' roll. After a brief absence from the charts , he had a second wind with Say Man and this is the period covered by these two cds.
The standout track is of course the one in the title, the mighty Road Runner, a record I've had on a London and Checker 45 ( which sounds as good as it gets ) for 30 years. It was strange hearing it cleaned up and remastered. My first impression was it was too sterile without enough greasy fat bass in it , but you can hear Jerome Green's marraccas very well. Anyway, it's all good listening and it's about time Mr. Diddley was getting his due for the incredible mix of African, Creole, Native American and Afro American influences in a musical gumbo that still sounds as exciting as it did then. Wonderful instrumentals, doo wop , blues and rock 'n' roll that set the bench mark for every pimpled white boy who started a group in the 1960s.
02 Sep, 2007
Percy Mayfield - Poet Of The Blues
Bearing in mind that Percy Mayfield is my favourite singer, here is a review that is as impartial as I can muster. There are some very poor bootlegs of Percy's material doing the rounds at the moment and I'm happy to say this isn't one of them. This is part of a two cd series covering his career at Specialty Records in Los Angeles - home to Little Richard, Sam Cooke, Larry Williams etc.
The cd begins in 1950 with Percy's first record and biggest hit - Please Send Me Someone To Love and covers the period up to 1954 including hits like Strange Things Happening, The River's Invitation and Loose Lips. Excellent value with 25 tracks and decent liner notes, this is a superb introduction to Mr. Mayfield. For the hardcore collector a few unreleased tracks. Buy the companion volume and you have the cream of his Specialty output.
After disfiguring his face in a car crash, Percy concentrated on writing achieving chart success for Ray Charles with Hit The Road Jack and others. He was asked to join Ray's Tangerine label along with Ray Charles's other favourite singer Jimmy Scott. In 1969 Elvis Presley covered Percy's Stranger In My Own Home Town bringing his music to a new audience and helping him secure a contract with RCA where he had his last chart success.
Highly recommended to all fans of 1950s R&B.
06 Apr, 2011
The complete Coasters Atco recordings
I was delighted to discover that Rhino ( an excellent US reissue label )have released this fine tribute to The Coasters and their songwriters - Jerry Lieber and Mike Stoller. It's a handsome little package with a booklet that includes some choice photos. Not only have they included their first singles as The Robins but also one cd of unreleased and alternative cuts. If you have more than a passing interest in 1950s R & B you will enjoy this set , if you love The Coasters you will be delighted.