GENE VINCENT AND THE BLUE CAPS - RACE WITH THE DEVIL

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RECORD 1 = SIDE A = 1. Be Bop A Lula   2. Race With The Devil   SIDE B =   3. Gonna Back Up Baby   4. Woman Love

RECORD 2 = SIDE A = 1. Crazy Legs   2. Five Days, Five Days   SIDE B =   3. Bi-I-Bickey-Bi Bo Bo Go   4. Important Words

RECORD 3 = SIDE A = 1. Well, I Knocked Bim Bam   2. Wear My Ring   SIDE B =   3. Lotta Lovin'   4. I Got It

RECORD 4 = SIDE A = 1. Dance In The Street   2. Baby Blue   SIDE B =   3. Lovely Loretta   4. Dance To The Bop

RECORD 5 = SIDE A = 1. I Got A Baby   2. True To You   SIDE B =   3. Little Lover   4. Walking Home From School

RECORD 6 = SIDE A = 1. Teenage Partner   2. Five Feet Of Lovin'   SIDE B =  3. Right Now   4. Beautiful Brown Eyes

Sleazy Records / SR94

Difficult to do better. Those are the only words that come to my mind to start this review doing a minimum of justice to that box-set. And I mean it about all the aspects: songs, sound, format... So good! Great job from Sleazy Records and from those that, in one way or another have worked in the creation of this terrific box-set.

What do we get in the box? Well, 24 songs, distributed in 6 EP's, that the great Gene Vincent, the ROCKER with capital letters, recorded along with His Blue Caps between 1956 and 1958 for Capitol Records and that were not included in the LP's released by the label back in the 50's. Some were released in singles or EP's ("Be Bop A Lula" or "Crazy Legs" for instance), but some others remained unissued for years (like "Beautiful Brown Eyes"). There is also a Gene Vincent postcard included. I've said it before: so good! Just check the track list and you'll see it's true.

Well, we're talking about Gene Vincent, about The Blue Caps and about Capitol Records, so I believe it's no necessary further comment about the songs. Or at least it should not be necessary. Full stop.

Regarding the sound quality, I have to say that it sounds powerful. Lots of quality and difficult to find better. The quality of the vinyl has its share of responsability in the above-mentioned terrific sound. Very good work indeed from the producer of the re-issue, Guillermo Jimenez.

The format, 7" EP's, helps to give the special piece of work look needed by such a good box-set. And the look helps the format, with a well chosen collection of pictures for the box cover, the sleeve of each record and the postcard. Very good work indeed for the artwork, this time by Francho Angas.

The sleeve notes, in addition, offer accurate and precise information about the songs included in each record, with detail about when were they recorded, in which format and when were they released for the first time, who were the musicians who took part in the recording... Well, once again 10 points out of 10, now for Francho Angas and Rocio Cañas.

It's said: a terrific box-set. And, sweets for my sweets, it's a 500 units limited edition (numbered).

Ladies and gentlemen, it's Gene Vincent, it's The Blue Caps and it's released by Sleazy Records. Really, ain't you going to get it? Come on: www.sleazyrecords.com. It's going to be well-spent money.

Just one more thing: a thousand times thank you to Sleazy Records for releases like this one.

The box-set contents...