TONY CASANOVA - BOOGIE WOOGIE FEELING

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Side A = 1. When I Say Bye Bye   2. Showdown   3. My Little Nancy   4. Yea! Yea! Come Another Day   5. The Grave   6. Boogie Woogie Feeling

Side B = 7. Diary Of High School Bride   8. Carmen Rita   9. Bossa Nova Baby   10. Here Comes That Girl Again   11. Lonely Weekends   12. Here Come The School Again

Sleazy Records / SR10-13

Fourth record issued in the TenXTen Serie by Sleazy Records. This time, the artist honoured is Tony Casanova, a singer born in Puerto Rico of real name Julio Pérez, who went to the same High School than Ritchie Valens and entered the world of Rock'n'Roll along with him.

If I'm not wrong, in this record we get all the sides released of this singer between 1958 and 1969 (both as Tony Casanova and as Tony Ray), being the quality of the songs quite uneven. My favourites are "Yea! Yea! Come Another Day", "Boogie Woogie Feeling", which in some parts reminds to me "Jailhouse Rock" (just as "My Little Nancy" reminds Johnny Burnette's "You're Sixteen") and "Diary Of High School Bride". The rest of the songs are of average quality, being the ones from his Tony Ray's period the weakest ones from my point of view (too much 60's sound for me).

The record, in beautiful blue vinyl, comes with interesting and informative sleeve notes by Aisha Khan.

And once reviewed the four records released till now in the TenXTen Serie... I wonder why the songs are not presented in chronological order?

Blue vinyl has been chosen for this record.

RONNIE SMITH - LONG TIME NO LOVE

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SIDE A = 1. My Babe   2. Long Time No Love (without chorus)   3. Tiny Kiss   4. I Started Out Walking   5. I Hear You Knocking

SIDE B = 6. Lookie Lookie Lookie   7. It Hurt Me So   8. Long Time No Love (with chorus)   9. Fell In Love With A Face   10. I've Got A Love

Sleazy Records / SR10-12

There are artists of whom we'll always wonder how high will they have reached had the luck been on their side. Ronnie Smith is for sure one of them, as this man from Texas (how good Rockabilly came from Texas in the 50's!) recorded in Norman Petty's studio, was the singer chosen to replace Buddy Holly to end the Winter Dance Party tour after the infamous plane crash, got such musicians in some of his recordings as Chet Atkins, DJ Fontana, Floyd Cramer, Tommy Allsup, The Jordanaires... But all went nowhere because the sales failed. Well, his "bad habits" didn't helped neither... and he was just 22 years young when he left this world.

Sleazy Records releases this compilation of Ronnie Smith's work in their TenXTen Serie, this time in very beautiful orange vinyl and, once again, with good sleeve notes by Aisha Khan.

Regarding the music (that's what matters), suffice to say what I've written at the beginning of this review: how high will Ronnie Smith have reached had good luck been on his side? Just listen to the first song he recorded, a wonderful version of "My Babe". But there is much more than just that first song recorded: "Long Time No Love", with and without chorus, it's a great Rockabilly (I prefer the "without" version); "Tiny Kiss" sounds so close to Buddy Holly that astonishes; "I Started Out Walking" is another great song and the same can be said about "Lookie Lookie Lookie"; "It Hurt Me So" is a beautiful rockaballad... and I can go on to name them all. Maybe, the less good one is "I've Got A Love"... and please note that I'm not saying that it is a bad song, but I have some "difficulties" liking songs that include an organ.

On the negative side, the sound quality in some songs is not as good as expected, but I suppose that it is due to the origin of those recordings and to the passing of so many years. I assume, anyway, that all efforts have been done to offer the best possible sound quality.

Till now, the best record released in the TenXTen Serie. A compilation of the work of a singer, Ronnie Smith, who deserved better luck.

Orange vinyl looks great!

EDDIE CASH - DOING ALL RIGHT

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SIDE A = 1. Doing All Right   2. Come On Home   3. Land Of Promises   4. Little Bitty Pretty Girl   5. Stormy Weather

SIDE B = 6. Lonely Island   7. Thinkin' Man   8. Hey Good Lookin'   9. Livin' Lovin' Temptation

Sleazy Records / SR10-11

Second reference issued in the TexXTen series by Sleazy Records compiling the work of singers from the first generation of Rockers that didn't have, till now, a compilation of their own.

The artist chosen this time is Eddie Cash, a Memphis born singer of whom have been included 3 of the sides he got released on the Peak label, a couple of songs he recorded for Sun in 1959 (unissued until many years later), one song that was released on the Todd label, plus three that saw the light of the day on Roulette. That makes a total of nine songs... of very different quality. My favourite is his revision of Hank Williams' "Hey Good Lookin'", played and sung in a Rocking way. "Land Of Promises" seems to me also an enjoyable song.

On the other hand, the three cuts that were issued on Roulette are difficult to qualify... I really understand that they were issued against Eddie Cash's oppinion and without his consent. From my point of view, for instance "Lonely Island" is a song I can't understand how someone at Roulette thought it was worth to be published.

Good sleeve notes by Aisha Khan and very beautiful red vinyl for the record.

Some good songs included... but there are better records.

Very beautiful red vinyl for the 10".