FERLIN HUSKY - GONNA SHAKE THIS SHACK TONIGHT

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1. Black Sheep   2. Prize Possession   3. Detour   4. Tennessee Central #9   5. Cross Eyed Gal From The Ozarks   6. This Moment Of Love   7. Watch The Company You Keep   8. Sioux City Sue   9. I Wouldn't Treat A Dog Like You're Treatin' Me   10. Alabama Jubilee   11. Draggin' The River   12. I Can't Go On This Way   13. Aladdin's Lamp   14. Bebe Beautiful Baby   15. Slow Down Brother   16. I Feel Better All Over   17. I'll Baby Sit With You   18. I'll Be Here For A Lifetime   19. Minni-Ha-Cha   20. You Make Me Feel Funny Honey   21. Pick-A-Nickin'   22. Eli, The Camel   23. Excuse Me Stranger   24. Stand Up, Sit Down, Close Your Mouth   25. What'cha Doin' After School   26. Don't Be Mad   27. Muki-Ruki   28. Bop Cat Bop   29. Missing Persons   30. Wang Dang Doo   31. I Will   32. Little Red Web

Bear Family Productions / BCD17415

In their excellent "Gonna Shake This Shack Tonight" series, Bear Family has just released this CD with 32 uptempo songs by Ferlin Husky. For those of you not knowing about this kind of a collection, just note that each CD is dedicated to a Hillbilly singer from the 1950's (and around), including the most danceables and uptempo songs. As said at the beginning, this collection is excellent. Marvelous.

And just that has to be said about this CD compiling songs from Ferlin Husky: marvelous. In it, have been included the songs that ought to be, in my very own oppinion, and to highlight any of them is pointless, as all of them are great and perfect to be played once and again, with rhythms going from plain Hillbilly to almost Rockabilly and everything in between. Each one of you will find your very own favourites. By the way, there have been included some cuts Ferlin Husky recorded under the name of his alter-egos Simon Crum and Terry Preston.

I can go on praising the quality of the music included and also the stunning, almost pristine, sound quality, but the treatment Bear Family gives to their releases has to be always duly highlighted as well: this time we have the digipack type case for the CD including an over 70 pages booklet, complete with bio (written by Scott B. Bomar), comments, recording sessions data, plenty of pictures and so on. Luxurious is the adjective that better fits.

No need, I think, to add much more: if you like old-school, uptempo, Hillbilly music this record compiling songs from Ferlin Husky (any of the ones from this "Shake This Shak Tonight" series, as a matter of fact) will please you a lot.

A STRAY CAT STRUTS. MY LIFE AS A ROCKABILLY REBEL - SLIM JIM PHANTOM

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Thomas Dunne Books - St. Martin's Press

Those of us who discovered Rockabilly and Rock'n'Roll in the 1980's and beginning of the 1990's had in the Stray Cats one of our favourite bands. In my case, the first Rockabilly related non-singer names I learnt were those of Scotty Moore and Bill Black, the couple behind Elvis in his first glorious recordings, plus those of Lee Rocker and Slim Jim Phantom, who along with Brian Setzer were the Stray Cats, the coolest band around.

In this book, Slim Jim Phantom, of real name James McDonnell, tells us in its 277 pages his life in the world of Rockabilly and Rock'n'Roll (and plain Rock too).

He goes quite fast through his origins, how he started playing drums, how he met Lee Rocker and Brian Setzer... and soon we have the three cats boarding a plane with one-way tickets to London. From then on we get a vivid and entertaining account of memories and anecdotes, without too much of a chronological order and not giving too much importance to dates. I mean that reading this autobiography I've learned quite a lot and have had a lot of fun, but I've missed a little of accuracy and also some more "in depth" when reading about certain facts, such as Stray Cats recording sessions, tours, splits, reunions... It seems to me that Slim Jim has given much more importance to anecdotes and to the funny side of his life in Rock'n'Roll, with and without the Stray Cats, than to be precise giving dates and facts.

Not a problem for me as a matter of fact, eventhough I would have liked a little bit more of accuracy, because what Slim Jim Phantom has achieved is to give a good dynamic to the book, which makes it an easy reading one.

Brief, if you grew up listening to Stray Cats and you keep believing they are one of the best bands in "modern" Rockabilly, probably you will find that "A Stray Cat Struts" is an interesting reading and you will have good fun reading it.

CAT CLUB - MUNDO DE LOCOS

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1. Mundo de locos   2. Si te vas   3. Colgada de ti misma   4. True Blue   5. Esclavo de tu amor   6. Por ti he sufrido   7. Amor desordenado   8. Ven mañana   9. Esto se va a quedar así   10. Suena HTHF   11. El último surf.

Marccato Edicions / MTCD066

Three years since Cat Club's previous record, Rockabillyland (2013), it's a long time... so this brand new "Mundo de locos" is more than welcomed.

Their new record sounds, from the first seconds on, as a Cat Club record is expected to sound. Of course there is some evolution, but their very own way of playing Rockabilly, their very own style, is there. As always, Miguel Ángel Escorcia sings and delivers ace guitar picking, while Archie Boogie with the slapbass and Lucky Martínez with the drums form one of the best Rockabilly rhythm sections we can get to listen to.

As a matter of fact, on that Cat Club Rockabilly style can be included most of the 11 songs in the CD, being the most evident examples "Mundo de locos", "Colgada de ti misma", "Por ti he sufrido" (with Ovidi Tormo from Los Zigarros adding second voice), "Ven mañana" (in which they get the help from the great Carlos Segarra, from Los Rebeldes), "Esto se va a quedar así" (where is Gisela Novais who adds second voice), "El último surf"... Most of them, it's already said.

Two beautiful ballads have been included: "Esclavo de tu amor", of which a good videoclip can be watched on YouTube, and "Suena HTHF", in which they go Country and, at the end, speed it up with a few lines of Johnny Horton's "Honky Tonk Hardwood Floor". Brilliant!

"Amor desordenado" (where they have Ariel Rot playing lead guitar) is the one in which these cats go quite out of the style we associate them with, as it is a kind of Rockabilly meets Latin Rock and Italian music... Difficult to explain but, anyway, they make it sound OK and is another good cut.

Please pay attention to "True Blue". If in the past they have played Rockabilly covers of songs from Los Panchos (as Los Swingers, in pre-Cat Club times), Roberto Carlos, or the song "Granada", now they have done the same with a song from... Madonna! Yes, sir. It's a cover somewhere between Rockabilly and Doo Wop and is a very good one, I have to say. This one is, by the way, the only song sung in English and also the only one not signed by Miguel Ángel Escorcia as composer.

As you have seen above, Cat Club has got the collaboration from several top artists, to which Candy Caramelo has to be added as producer and also playing piano, Hammond, lap-steel or guitar here and there.

To finish, it's not easy to highlight a song above the rest, but if I have to do it I'll choose "Mundo de locos" or "Suena HTHF" (really different one from the other, I know), with "True Blue", "Esclavo de tu amor" and "Ven mañana" close behind.

A very good record, yes indeed. These cats can rock for sure.

Long live Cat Club!

Since the times as Los Swingers (album released in 1993),

their first record as Cat Club (released in 2008)...

til the brand new "Mundo de Locos":

these cat's discography is gaining strength step by step.

LARRY COLLINS - ROCKABILLY FOREVER / BED TIME STORY GIRL (single)

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SIDE A = Rockabilly Forever (Secrew The Rest)   SIDE B = Bed Time Story Girl

Sleazy Records / SR113

More than fifty years after his glory days being the 50% of The Collins Kids along with his sister Lorrie, here we have Larry Collins back on record, with Joe Perez playing drums and Deke Dickerson playing bass. Of course, Larry Collins himself plays guitar... I suppose a double-neck one. Both songs, by the way, are also penned by Larry Collins.

On side A we have "Rockabilly Forever (Screw The Rest)", a song that is an evident tribute to those singers and groups that formed the first breed of Rockabilly pioneers by naming some of them as well as some of their most representative songs. A kind of Gene Vincent's "Story Of The Rockers", but with lots more of fury and rage. Not bad. I like it.

On the other hand, side B I feel is quite weak. "Bed Time Story Girl" is another Rockabilly, this time at a mid-tempo rhythm that I believe wants to show something, but doesn't get to do it.

For sure this 7" doesn't reach the level of the recordigs done by Larry Collins and his sister back in the 1950's, but I believe that "Rockabilly Forever" is good enough. It's good to see that (some of) the pioneers are still able to rock.

Yes, I agree: Rockabilly forever (screw the rest)!

PIKE CAVALERO - SIN MIEDO A VOLAR

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1. Apuntar alto   2. Cuando caiga la noche   3. Me siento azul   4. Única es   5. Rumbo a lo incierto   6. Ahora que lo tienes   7. Sin miedo a volar   8. Caída   9. Cuando no te echo a faltar   10. A cualquier lugar   11. Desde que no estás   12. Mi nena pequeña

Sleazy Records / SRCD31-45

Two years since the previous album from Pike Cavalero... It's been a long time for sure, eventhough during that gap we were lucky to get some 7" under his own name or under the name of some of the other bands in which he is involved, such as True Blue Trio. Both singles, by the way, were reviewed by yours truly in this very same blog back in February 2015 and February 2016.

Probably this brand new "Sin miedo a volar" is the record coming from this artist with the biggest mix of styles, showing as the title says, that he has no fear to fly, to take risks.

Just listen to the record and you'll see that it's a Rockabilly one, style in which Pike Cavalero is one of the best singers we can listen to nowadays. Rockabilly is for sure there in more or less quantity in the 12 songs included, being the most evident examples "Cuando caiga la noche", "Me siento azul" or "Ahora que lo tienes". But, more than that, he has given some Country feel to "Rumbo a lo incierto"; has had no fear to give a Pop touch (in the better possible meaning of the term Pop) to songs such as "Sin miedo a volar" or "Apuntar alto"; a little bit of Spanish 1960's Rock'n'Roll feeling can be found in "Única es"; and top class Doo Wop shines in "Mi nena pequeña", the only cover included (The Cleftones' "Little Girl Of Mine"). By the way, note that all the songs are sung in Spanish for the first time in Pike Cavaleros LP's.

It is a must to highlight that Pike Cavalero is surrounded by an incredible band, almost a kind of "all-star" one, with Juanny López and Francis Beard playing the electric guitars, Pepe Lee with the slapbass (and an electric bass somewhere) and Jesús López behind the drums. More than that, there are a few top class collaborations from stars such as Diego Cruz from the Sun Rockets adding his voice to some songs, Al Dual showing his great guitar skills at a couple of cuts and the amazing The Del Prince doo-wopping at "Mi nena Pequeña".

It is "Mi nena pequeña" my favourite song of the whole record. This time I have no doubt about it. Anyway, close behind are "Cuando caiga la noche", "Ahora que lo tienes" and "Cuando no te echo a faltar".

To all that said up above, it has to be added a beautiful artwork, with a cool drawing for the cover.

A very good record by Pike Cavalero, no doubt at all, who keeps on showing why he is one of the top Rockabilly acts we have at the moment. It's worth the money of buying this record. Vinyl or CD, that's up to you.

Thubs up for Pike Cavalero.

Pike Cavalero and band on the stage at the

10th Ubangi Stomp (2016).

BIG JOE TURNER - THE VERY BEST OF

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DISC 1 = 1. Shake, Rattle & Roll   2. Flip, Flop & Fly   3. Honey Hush   4. I'll Never Stop Loving You   5. Bump Miss Susie   6. Don't Make Me High   7. Lipstick, Powder And Paint   8. Roll'Em Pete   9. I Need A Girl   10. TV Mama   11. Low Down Dog   12. Rock A While   13. World Of Trouble   14. Blues In The Night   15. Married Woman Blues   16. Well All Right   17. Time After Time   18. Nobody In Mind   19. Don't You Cry   20. Cherry Red   21. Wee Baby Blues   22. You Know I Love You   23. Switchin' In The Kitchen   24. After A While   25. Morning, Noon And Night

DISC 2 = 1. Corrine, Corrina   2. Hide And Seek   3. Boogie Woogie Country Girl   4. The Chicken And The Hawk   5. I Get The Blues When It Rains   6. Love Roller Coaster   7. Midnight Cannonball   8. Trouble In Mind   9. Rebecca   10. Red Sails In The Sunset   11. The Chill Is On   12. Still In Love   13. Oke-She-Moke-She-Pop   14. Teenage Letter   15. Sweet Sixteen   16. Ti-Ri-Lee   17. You're Driving Me Crazy   18. Until The Real Thing Comes Along   19. We're Gonna Jump For Joy   20. Here Comes Your Iceman   21. St. Louis Blues   22. When I Was young   23. Pennies From Heaven   24. Morning Glories   25. Baby I Still Want You

Not Now Music / NOT2CD607

One of those cheap editions that are always welcomed to fill a gap in your collection or for those that are just starting one. Sometimes those kind of CD's don't have good sound quality, but this is not the case: the sound is good enough. "Cheap" does not always mean "bad quality": here we have an example.

The content of the double CD is absolutely clear just reading the title: Big Joe Turner's very best songs... which means that we have not only Rock'n'Roll, but also Blues and Jazz... Of course, being Big Joe Turner there are songs than can fit in more than one of the above-mentioned styles. To highlight any of the 50 songs included above the rest will be a hard and nonsense work: it is a Big Joe Turner greatest hits, so top quality everywhere for sure... Just take a glance at the track listing and you'll see.

So, we get 50 great songs by one of the true Rock'n'Roll pioneers, in good sound quality and at a bargain price... Maybe it is not a record for "experts", but if your collection lacks of a Big Joe Turner record, this one released this year by Not Now Music is a very good option.

JUNIOR MARVEL & THE HI-FLYERS - SATURDAY NIGHT

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Side A = 1. Love My Life Away   2. Get Out Of My Mind   3. Where's A Will There's A Way   4. Hopalong Howie   5. Kinda Late   6. Saturday Night

Side B = 7. Won't You Be My Baby   8. Act Like You Love Me   9. Keep Me Satisfied   10. Beer Ball Boogie   11. The Great Pretender   12. Blues At Midnight

Sleazy Records / SR10-14

The new record released by Junior Marvel comes in 10" format... and maybe the word "new" is not the most accurate one: probably "last release" will fit better as the 12 songs included were recorded from 2004 to 2014. Not bad at all. That's a "take it easy" way of doing things...

Anyway, this is a very good 50's style Rockabilly record, as previous records by this singer who, in my own oppinion, is one of the best we can find in Europe nowadays. The songs included are a mix of songs composed by Frank Marquez (aka Junior Marvel) himself and/or The Hi-Flyers' members, along with well chosen covers (not those that everybody does). Regarding the rhythm of the songs, it goes from the most danceables such as "Get Out Of My Mind" or "Keep Me Satisfied"; to the mid-tempos, such as "Kinda Late"; to some slows, such as "Act Like You Love Me" (a version of the Hayden Thompson's song). And all that, it's already said, in a very evident 50's style, with electric guitar (Nils Becker), slap-bass (Brend Scheffer) and drums (Markus Spieker), plus the voice and rhythm guitar of Junior Marvel, of course.

Talking about the songs, please pay attention to the amazing cover that these guys do of the Doo Wop classic "The Great Pretender", which Mr. Junior Marvel and his band take to an absolute Rockabilly rhythm. Wonderful.

Just to point out a little defect of this release, probably the sound is at some moments far from perfect but, anyway, good enough to enjoy the record without any kind of problems.

About the artwork of the sleeve, it is OK, being also 50's style like the musical content of the record.

Brief, if you like 50's style Rockabilly, this is a record I believe you will enjoy for sure.