.The Rip Chords' debut album features equal smatterings of the original group ("Gone," "Here I Stand," "She Still Thinks I Still Care," "Ding Dong") featuring Phil Stewart's soaring Four Seasons-inspired falsetto and the more Beach Boys-oriented sound of Bruce Johnston and Terry Melcher (nice covers of "409," "Drag City," "Little Deuce Coupe," and "Shut Down") with the best session players money could buy back in the early '60s featured on the instrumentals "'40 Ford Time" and one of the bonus tracks, "Bunny Hill." A nice addition to anyone's surf/hot rod music collection after you've spun all of your favorite Beach Boys and Jan & Dean tracks. - Review by Cub Koda
trax:01 Hey Little Cobra 02 Here I Stand 03 The Queen 04 409 05 Trophy Machine 06 Gone 07 Little Deuce Coupe 08 '40 Ford Time 09 She Thinks I Still Care 10 Shut Down 11 Drag City 12 Ding Dong 13 Karen [Single Version] 14 Bunny Hill [Single Version] 15 Don't Be Scared [Single Version]
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With the recording of "Three Window Coupe" and its subsequent album and follow-ups, producers Terry Melcher and Bruce Johnston started singing on the Rip Chords sessions as well. This move effectively forced original members Phil Stewart and Ernie Bringas into touring-group-only status. On this album, only Stewart appears anywhere, and even then, it's only on two tracks, "Bonneville Bonnie" and "Old Car Made in '52." But as another Bruce and Terry production, this is top-notch stuff, with all the L.A. session heavyweights and the best hot rod-surf production this side of Brian Wilson and Jan & Dean. No matter who is actually singing this stuff, this is top-notch California surf/hot rod material and a welcome addition to anyone's rock & roll collection. - Review by Cub Koda
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...The real strength here is the compilation's assortment of great group material – loads of mellow harmony-styled tracks that run from late doo wop to 60s group soul – with many numbers in a laidback or midtempo mode. The packaging's not great – but there's loads of excellent songs on the set! (Out of print.) © 1996-2017, Dusty Groove, Inc.
It's just me having fun with my 45's and whatever random record I pull out of the boxes. I will try to give both sides of the 45 unless one side is dull, unbearable or unplayable. I hope you enjoy. (Gyro1966)
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...The anthology commences with Little Richard's crossover smash "Good Golly Miss Molly" -- which placed in the Top Ten of the pop as well as R&B surveys. If nothing else, the artist's flamboyant no-holds-barred bombast immediately captured the attention of teens from every race and (presumably) religion and creed. Both Joe Liggins' signature "Honeydripper" and his younger sibling Jimmy Liggins' "Cadillac Boogie" are suitable representations of their memorable contributions. The compilers wisely chose to highlight the criminally neglected sacred selections from the Specialty archives. Alex Bradford ("Too Close to Heaven") , Sam Cooke & the Soul Stirrers ("Touch the Hem of His Garment"), and the Lou Rawls-led Chosen Gospel Singers ("No Room in the Hotel") provide examples of the label's all too often neglected religious recordings. Returning to the secular side are similarly essential cuts from Lloyd Price ("Lawdy Miss Clawdy"), Art Neville ("Oooh-Wee Baby"), Larry Williams ("Slow Down"), Don & Dewey ("Leavin' It All Up to You"), Percy Mayfield ("Strange Things Happening"), Clifton Chenier ("Squeeze Box Boogie"), Roy Milton ("Oh Babe!"), Tony Allen & the Champs ("Nite Owl"), Mercy Dee Walton ("One Room Country Shack"), Johnny Fuller ("Haunted House"), and Jesse Belvin ("Where's My Girl"), who are all present and accounted for. (Lindsay Planer, Allmusic)
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...There's a warmth here that's missing from some of the other Pike dates for MPS – wonderful tones that really show Dave growing a lot as an artist, and settling into a beautiful working relationship with guitarist Volker Kriegel – who also plays some sitar and electric bass on the record too! Main bass bits, though, are handled by JA Rettenbacher – who's got this bottom sense of flow that's really wonderful – kind of a building swell that works perfectly, no matter what the flavor of the tune – and there's a mighty nice array of flavors on the set. The group's completed by drummer Peter Baumeister, who's no slouch either – and titles include "Greater Kalesh No 48", "Professer Porno's Romance", "Cornflower Girl", "The Seventh Day", and "A Nose Opener". © 1996-2014, Dusty Groove, Inc.
The Dave Pike Set:
…One primary factor in their success was Rupe and company's embrace of rock & roll -- a heretofore previously uncharted territory that a only a minority of the established indies dared to tread. The Specialty Story (1994) is a single-CD distillation of the bountiful five-disc box set of the same name. Specialty's prolific nature ensures that these platters are indeed the cream of what the moniker had to offer; however, studious enthusiasts and completists will inevitably want to locate the larger package -- especially as each featured performer is only given one entry here. That said, what is here can rightfully be assessed as "the best of the best." The anthology commences with Little Richard's crossover smash "Good Golly Miss Molly" -- which placed in the Top Ten of the pop as well as R&B surveys…
...If nothing else, the artist's flamboyant no-holds-barred bombast immediately captured the attention of teens from every race and (presumably) religion and creed. Both Joe Liggins' signature "Honeydripper" and his younger sibling Jimmy Liggins' "Cadillac Boogie" are suitable representations of their memorable contributions. The compilers wisely chose to highlight the criminally neglected sacred selections from the Specialty archives. Alex Bradford ("Too Close to Heaven") , Sam Cooke & the Soul Stirrers ("Touch the Hem of His Garment"), and the Lou Rawls-led Chosen Gospel Singers ("No Room in the Hotel") provide examples of the label's all too often neglected religious recordings. Returning to the secular side are similarly essential cuts from Lloyd Price ("Lawdy Miss Clawdy"), Art Neville ("Oooh-Wee Baby"), Larry Williams ("Slow Down"), Don & Dewey ("Leavin' It All Up to You"), Percy Mayfield ("Strange Things Happening"), Clifton Chenier ("Squeeze Box Boogie"), Roy Milton ("Oh Babe!"), Tony Allen & the Champs ("Nite Owl"), Mercy Dee Walton ("One Room Country Shack"), Johnny Fuller ("Haunted House"), and Jesse Belvin ("Where's My Girl"), who are all present and accounted for. (Lindsay Planer, Allmusic)
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…A right-hand man in early times to Brian Wilson, Usher had hits on the charts and cranked this stuff out like sausage. This debut outing of his Capitol cut-'em-quick, cut-'em-cheap LP output combines two of his finer efforts, Black Boots and Bikes by the Kickstands and Hot Rod High by the Knights. The actual lineup of players and singers on these two albums reads like a first-call list on a Phil Spector or Jan & Dean session (Jerry Cole, Hal Blaine, Leon Russell, etc.) and the sound and style is a perfect match for any Capitol hot rod/surf album from that time period. - AllMusic Review by Cub Koda
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…If you have never heard PAPA LIGHTFOOT's amazing recordings you really need to check this out... some of the most volatile and high compression harmonica blowing and the toughest of vocals make him a BLUEBEAT FAVORITE... Jimmy Anderson has the uncanny ability to sound more like Jimmy Reed than Reed himself... His recordings maintain that swampy- earthy sound that is a mainstay of Louisiana Blues players like Lazy Lester & Lonesome Sundown...
...But he longed for more creative input in the studio, and he undertook the Beyond a Shadow of Doubt project, enlisting singer and writer Dick Campbell and fellow West Coast producer Curt Boettcher to assist him. A concept album of sorts, Beyond a Shadow of Doubt was never really finished, and this Japanese import is essentially made up of preproduction demo recordings. Not that you'd know it, since Usher's demo work was as polished as most people's finished product, and this release has a lovely, hazy sonic quality. Unfortunately, the writing has that same trait, and haziness is the key word here, as rainbows, sunbeams, and crystal lights pop up time and time again in the lyrics, which seem to drift along according to some vaguely new age logic, and while the concept seems to be somebody on a journey, the journey is mostly an inner one, and those are always the hardest to chart. As long as you don't expect a whole lot of narrative sense from these tracks, but accept them as pure moods or the musings of a mind caught up in the rarefied atmosphere of late-'60s California, Beyond a Shadow of Doubt holds together pretty well, and individual songs like "Everything Turns Out Right," "Slippin'," and "Go Rocket Go" (which sounds like some great lost song the Byrds never got around to recording) have wonderful melodies and are delicately done. Edited, this could be one heck of a sunshine country-pop record. Casual listeners will no doubt feel that this CD drifts by in a bright-sounding but ultimately meaningless ennui, while fans of Usher's work (and there are many of those, thankfully) will conversely find it wise, brilliant, and essential. The truth, as it does in most things, falls to the middle. - AllMusic Review by Steve Leggett
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…Allen Bunn started out singing gospel with the SELAH SINGERS and also recorded secular sides as THE LARKS & FOUR BARONS... many featuring Bunn's guitar as back up. As the 50's progressed the recordings got more uptempo and harder edged with outstanding recordings of Wildcat Tamer & Number 9 Train being particular favorites... Twenty nine tracks that cover most of the styles of the decade... don't miss this!
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This quasi-legitimate release collects 30 tunes (mostly hot rod & surf) that Usher had a hand in as producer and/or performer between 1960 and 1965, most taken from rare collector 45s. While there are occasional touches of Buddy Holly, girl groups, or The Four Seasons, it sounds like nothing as much as a collection of Beach Boys/Jan & Dean outtakes from the early '60s. That's not to say, though, that they're on par with the average early Beach Boys albums; it's pretty innocuous (if not downright formulaic) stuff, and after a while you might start to wish it was The Beach Boys and not so relentlessly lightweight. Some of the better tracks are actually the ones on which he and/or his studio charges eschew the sub-Beach Boy approach altogether for raunchy, reverb-soaked surf instrumentals. This set includes some rare, virtually unknown cuts that Brian Wilson himself co-wrote, by the likes of The Super Stocks, the Timers, and Rachel & the Revolvers, but its appeal is really limited to surf/Beach Boy fanatics. - AllMusic Review by Richie Unterberger
...Collecting the 89 best-selling R&B vocal group hits from the Fifties, the compilation remains amongst the label's most popular titles. Now Doo Wop Revival continues the story into the early sixties when R&B vocal groups found themselves back in favour, and like it's predecessor it is annotated by Marv Goldberg: The world's leading authority on R&B vocal groups. By the end of the 1950s, according to some music historians, Rock & Roll didn't even exist anymore; it had been absorbed into, and then became, mainstream Pop music. Teen idols were on the ascendant, and, in the opinion of many, American popular music, after the mid-1950s flash of greatness, was dying. And then, some sparks of brilliance flared up. The early '60s saw a string of hits by R&B vocal groups, most shifting down the Soul path, and the Doo Wop Revival was declared. Some of these groups had been around for years (the Platters, the Midnighters, the Coasters, the Wanderers, the Drifters), but most were new to the scene, or at least to the charts. All the selections on the 90-track 3 CD Doo Wop Revival were chart hits in 1961 and 1962 (almost all on the Pop charts and most on the R&B charts as well). Some went to #1. Others barely made the top #100. But they're all worthy tunes, most of which you'll remember (and if you don't, be prepared to meet some new friends).(The R&B Monthly)
...Gary Usher was one of the architects of the "Southern California sound",and was ,in his own way,a genius in his field of music. The tracks in this collection are fun-pure and simple. No great messages to ponder,just escapist tunes that sounded good on the car radio or blasting from your parents hi-fi when they weren't at home. The arrangements , by today's standards, are straight out of the pop music era, an era that others, like Brian Wilson (a collaborator of Usher's) and The Beach Boys for example, took all the way to the top of the charts. Some listeners will note that Usher was the producer of albums by some of the best 60's groups-like The Byrds (Younger Than Yesterday, Sweetheart of the Rodeo and one of The Byrd's best, The Notorious Byrd Brothers), Jan and Dean, Dick Dale and one of my favorite groups, The Peanut Butter Conspiracy.
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It's just me having fun with my 45's and whatever random record I pull out of the boxes. I will try to give both sides of the 45 unless one side is dull, unbearable or unplayable. I hope you enjoy. (Gyro1966)
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…This collection explores Gary Usher's tenure as co-architect of the happiest pop music ever written, a guileless celebration of sun, surf and cars that's become an enduring symbol of the American dream. This collection is a remarkable glimpse of the process, of a struggling songwriter angling for a break, sometimes tapdancing in tangents, oblivious to the bullseye he was hitting on the way to forging an important new sound. 36 terrific tracks, including exclusive Sundazed interviews with Usher himself, with an illuminating essay and track commentary by author and Usher-biographer Stephen McParland. - amazon
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Iffin' ya luv toe-tappin' knee-slappin' hillbilly music...I mean real backwoods hillbilly music that'll make ya smile, laugh, and melt your heart, ya gotta hear this! This terrific compilation features Maddox Brothers & Rose recordings originally made for Columbia in the 50s. Their music features lots of fiddle, steel guitar, rhythm guitar, mandolin, and plenty of hoops and hollers! There is charm, wit, and impeccable musicianship all over the songs herein! Band member Fred Maddox is believed to have developed the technique of slapping the strings of his standup bass to derive a percussive sound, which would become the backbone of a new and radical style of music called rockabilly. This CD is part of an outstanding series titled "Gonna Shake This Shack Tonight" (Crawdaddy)
The Lehigh Valley / Allentown, PA area, at one time, was a hotbed of musical talent, influenced mainly by the British Invasion groups of the day as well as American bands like the Critters.
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...The 12 tracks live up to the sun-drenched, high-speed concept of the record without getting generic due to the cream-of-the-crop session musicians Usher employed, including Billy Strange, Glen Campbell, Leon Russell, Ray Pohlman, Hal Blaine, and Jerry Cole. With plenty of rare surf and hot rod tracks, this is an enjoyable, fun disc recommended to both collectors and casual listeners. - AllMusic Review by Al Campbell
It's just me having fun with my 45's and whatever random record I pull out of the boxes. I will try to give both sides of the 45 unless one side is dull, unbearable or unplayable. I hope you enjoy. (Gyro1966)
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...From his deathbed in Mexico in 1979 he sent a message to Sy Johnson (who was responsible for many of the arrangements on the album), saying that Let My Children Hear Music was the record he liked most from his career. Although Mingus' small-group recordings are the ones most often cited as his premier works, this album does, in fact, rank at the top of his oeuvre and compares favorably with the finest large-ensemble jazz recordings by anyone, including Ellington. The pieces had been brewing over the years, one from as far back as 1939, and had been given more or less threadbare performances on occasion, but this was his first chance to record them with a sizable, well-rehearsed orchestra. Still, there were difficulties, both in the recording and afterward. The exact personnel is sketchy, largely due to contractual issues, several arrangers were imported to paste things together, making the true authorship of some passages questionable, and Macero (as he did with various Miles Davis projects) edited freely and sometimes noticeably. The listener will happily put aside all quibbles, however, when the music is heard. From the opening, irresistible swing of "The Shoes of the Fisherman's Wife Are Some Jiveass Slippers" to the swirling depths of "The I of Hurricane Sue," these songs are some of the most glorious, imaginative, and full of life ever recorded. Each piece has its own strengths, but special mention should be made of two. "Adagio Ma Non Troppo" is based entirely on a piano improvisation played by Mingus in 1964 and issued on Mingus Plays Piano. Its logical structure, playful nature, and crystalline moments of beauty would be astounding in a polished composition; the fact that it was originally improvised is almost unbelievable. "Hobo Ho," a holy roller powerhouse featuring the impassioned tenor of James Moody, reaches an incredible fever pitch, the backing horns volleying riff after riff at the soloists, the entire composition teetering right on the edge of total chaos. Let My Children Hear Music is a towering achievement and a must for any serious jazz fan. - AllMusic Review by Brian Olewnick
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...Originally issued on Capitol in the summer of 1964, Surf Route 101 mixes the usual surfing themes ("Surfin Scene," "Surf Route 101") with several odes to specific geographic areas around L.A. and Orange County ("Redondo Beach," "Balboa Island," "Newport Beach"), and they even throw in a tune about falling in love...with surfing ("My First Love"). As usual, the folks at Sundazed have done excellent work with all three of the Super Stocks LPs; they have restored the original album artwork, featured meticulous mastering from the analog tapes, and included new liner notes by author Stephen McParland. This is an enjoyable, fun reissue recommended to both collectors and casual listeners. 
CURTIS MAYFIELD is often referred to as the architect of the Chicago soul sound and his magic touch is certainly felt at the heart of these recordings. But Curtis is only half of our story, his oft overlooked partner Eddie Thomas completes the picture. It was this partnership that formed Curtom Records in 1968, so called after their pet names for each other - Curt and Tom. The pair had already worked together as writers and producers at ABC-Paramount but when their contract was up they went independent acquiring offices at 8543 Stony Island and a distribution deal with Buddah. Eddie brought with him his eponymous Thomas imprint and Curtis added his earlier short lived Windy C and Mayfield masters. Eddie came up with the company slogan We re A Winner and indeed they were!(Shindig)
...Usher utilized the best studio players of the day, who also worked with the Beach Boys and Jan & Dean, including Billy Strange, Glen Campbell, Leon Russell, Ray Pohlman, Hal Blaine, and Jerry Cole. Originally issued on Capitol in early 1964, Thunder Road was the first full-length LP by the Super Stocks and includes 11 cuts loosely based around car themes, specifically the title track, which had been a 1958 hit for actor Robert Mitchum from the film of the same name. The remaining ten cuts are similar high-speed hot rod anthems, including "Trophy Run," "Draggin' Deuce," "Hot to Trot," and "Custom Caravan." As usual, the folks at Sundazed have done excellent work with all three of the Super Stocks LPs; they have restored the original album artwork, featured meticulous mastering from the analog tapes, and included new liner notes by author Stephen McParland. This is an enjoyable, fun reissue recommended to both collectors and casual listeners. - AllMusic Review by Al Campbell
…Here are thirty-one examples of his legacy, thirty of which he wrote himself including the hits "Those Lonely, Lonely Nights", "Always A First Time", "Trick Bag" which was later revived by Robert Palmer and "Come On (Part 1 & Part 2)" which went on to be covered by guitar stars, Jimi Hendrix, Stevie Ray Vaughn and Anson Funderburgh. Several tracks are making their CD debut (at the time of release). Includes fully detailed liner notes.
...Soon they had the interest of Private Stock Records, a New York-based company headed by former Bell Records chief Larry Uttal. Gordon was an odd fit at a label best known for artists such as David Soul, Samantha Sang, and Rupert Holmes, but then, he would have been an odd fit almost anywhere at the time. His debut album, Robert Gordon with Link Wray, released in the spring of 1977, was well received critically and started to sell in decent numbers. And then, just a few weeks later, Elvis Presley died at the age of 42. Gordon's album and the single "Red Hot" all began attracting attention from radio programmers who were suddenly interested in early rock & roll, and all of these events put '50s-style rockabilly music onto the mainstream airwaves for the first time in two decades, with Gordon as its living, breathing representative. A second album, Fresh Fish Special, released in 1978, was also favorably received by the press and the public. - Bruce Eder
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For their first album THE MEN picked their songs from the same sources The Stones, The Who, The Action and The Small Faces did when they first started. Simple, gutsy and groovy black R&B and soul, but delivered in a white guitar group-style with high three-part harmony vocals, a la spring 1965 in London.
...Otherwise, Fresh Fish Special doesn't stray especially far from the sound or direction of Gordon's debut. Link Wray returns as Gordon's lead guitarist, and as on the first LP he's in fine form, though he doesn't get to offer up as tough a sound as one might wish (many of the tunes are too low-key to carry the full weight of Wray's full-on guitar attack). Gordon's band sounds more comfortable their second time out, generating a bit more swing than before, and while the songs are mostly vintage covers again, the selection is a bit more imaginative (making room for the New Orleans classic "Sea Cruise" was a nice idea), and whoever brought Bruce Springsteen's then-unreleased "Fire" to Gordon deserved a bonus. As for Gordon, he's in great voice here, and has shaken a bit of the operatic melodrama that slowed down the second half of his debut, though he still comes off more as an enthusiastic interpreter than a musician with a vision of his own. Still, there weren't that many American-born rock & rollers who were willing to fly the flag for rockabilly at end of the '70s, and if other acts would surpass Gordon in imagination and impact a few years on, he certainly gets an 'A' for effort, and there's some real fun to be had on Fresh Fish Special. - AllMusic Review by Mark Deming
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The "Road To Soul" series continues! This time the focus is on the overwhelmingly original sounds that were coming out of Memphis and this set also sits nicely with "Memphis Soul Beat" (JASCD758). Features: Otis Redding; William Bell; Rufus Thomas; Carla Thomas; Isaac Hayes and Willie Mitchell.
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