MISS LAVELLE - STOLEN LOVE

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Side A = 1. Teen-Age Love   2. If I Could Be With You   3. Stop These Teardrops   4. Yes, I've Been Crying   5. Stolen Love   6. You're The Most

Side B = 7. Just Look At You   8. Tide Of Love   9. Run To You   10. Why Young Men Go Wild   11. Everybody's Got Somebody   12. The Best Part Of Me

Sleazy Records / SR10-20

A few months ago Sleazy Records released this compilation in 10" pink vinyl format in their "Ten X Ten Series" including the 6 singles Miss LaVelle got released between 1958 and 1965 for the Duke label.

I have to admit that I bought the record knowing just about nothing about this singer... but supposing that if Sleazy Records found it good enough to release it in their "Ten X Ten Series", it might worth the money... And after listening to it for the first time I saw I was right. By the way, "Stop These Teardrops" was the only song I recognised during that first listening. Of course, I've played the record many more times since that first time... and many more will come in the future because Miss LaVelle's powerful voice is just astonishing and the songs included, with styles going from Rhythm'n'Blues to Soul, including Blues and, in a certain way, Doo Wop, are just great.

I prefer Miss LaVelle in her Rhythm'n'Blues songs and for that reason her first 2 singles, so the first 4 songs of this record, are my favourites: "Teen-Age Love", "If I Could Be With You", "Stop These Teardrops" and "Yes I've Been Crying". Anyway, "Why Young Men Go Wild" is close behind in my preferences...

Good compilation work by Leo Castro, great sleeve notes by Aisha Khan and nice artwork by Berto Martínez... I mean, is good to see such a work dedicated to a singer, Miss LaVelle, that for whatever reasons didn't get the success she probably merited in the second half of the 1950's and the first half of the 1960's, even though the quality of her recordings was above average, as this record proves.

Pink vinyl for Miss LaVelle's 10" in

Sleazy Record's "Ten X Ten Series".

DARREL HIGHAM - HELL'S HOTEL

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1. Hell's Hotel   2. Turn Around And Go   3. When You Smile   4. In Summer   5. Hank Williams And Me   6. Nearer To A Love   7. My Old Friend   8. And The Angels Cried   9. Save Me With Your Kisses   10. I Found A Smile   11. The Blues Is The Blues   12. Please Give Me Something

Ambassador Records / 6046341802

Darrel Higham left his solo career for much too long in order to focus in his lead guitar role in Imelda May's band... But here we have him back for good again in front of the microphone, sure also playing his guitar as he is probably one of the best guitar players we can listen to currently.

A dozen songs have been included in this "Hell's Hotel" cd (if I'm not wrong, it is also available in vinyl LP format) and in them we get what we can expect in a record from this great artist: good Rock'n'Roll and Rockabilly. As a matter of fact, very good Rock'n'Roll and Rockabilly, going from the rhythmic "I Found A Smile" to the more relaxed "Nearer To A Love". Ten out of the twelve songs are penned by Higham himself, being the remaining two "In Summer" and a version of the classic "Please Give Me Something", in which the singer is Led Zeppelin's Robert Plant).

My favourite songs in this album are, by the way, "When You Smile" and "My Old Friend".

Further than the above-mentioned Robert Plant, the remaining guest stars are first level ones, with Imelda May doing chorus in three songs, The Roomates' Steve Webb doing the same also in three songs, Jools Holland adding piano again in three cuts and so on...

Just a few more lines to say that this is a good record, much more than recommended to be listened (and bought, of course!) as I believe that it is one of Darrel Higham's best records to date. 

GEORGE JONES - ALONG CAME YOU / FEELING SINGLE, SEEING DOUBLE

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Side A = Along Came You

Side B = Feeling Single, Seeing Double

Sleazy Records / SR125

Sleazy Records keeps on offering treat after treat to all of us, lovers of the good old Rock'n'Roll friendly rhythms, and here we have a brand new one in 7" vinyl format in their Original Rockin' Series. This time the honour goes to a Country superstar such as George Jones, with two songs of really good Country & Western with an obvious Rock'n'Roll coating: "Along Came You" on side A and "Feeling Single, Seeing Double" on side B. Note that on the brief but informative sleeve notes written by Pooly Record Hop, the orden is given the other way round... although it's not really important in a single.

Both songs were first released on George Jones' second long play for the Musicor label back in 1965, shinning on both cuts the lead guitar.

Another good 7" for any decent record collection.

CHUCK BERRY - CHUCK

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Side A = 1. Wonderful Woman   2. Big Boys   3. You Go To My Head   4. 3/4 Time (Enchiladas)   5. Darlin'

Side B = 6. Lady B. Goode   7. She Still Loves You   8. Jamaica Moon   9. Dutchman   10. Eyes Of Man

Decca Records / 00602557561241

Just a few months ago, in March 2017, the great Chuck Berry left the building... but being for sure one of the founding fathers of Rock'n'Roll, he left us his last recordings as a kind of farewell... and here they are in this LP: "Chuck".

Perhaps some could be kind of afraid about the quality of the performance given Mr. Berry's age at the time of recording... but hey! we're talking about Chuck Berry, you know? So everybody be cool.

The record starts with two shots of good, old Rock'n'Roll, pure Chuck Berry at his best: "Wonderful Woman" and "Big Boys" are songs that could have been recorded 60 years ago, back in Chuck's heydays. Absolutely great. Then comes " You Go To My Head", a Blues in which we can be reassured he was in top form when recording this album. Time then for a Hillbilly flavoured song, "3/4 Time (Enchiladas)", in which we can feel he and the band were having good time while recording it. Last cut on side A is another Blues, "Darlin'", just absolutely wonderful regarding lyrics and music.

To begin side B, Chuck Berry goes back to Rock'n'Roll in a kind of tribute to his most famous song, as the title of the one included here is "Lady B. Goode"... and from my point of view here ends the good part of the record. The absolutely great part. Probably there will be people that will love the remaining four songs, but for me those songs are too far away from Chuck Berry's classic anthems both in quality and in style.

Anyway, six astonishing good songs out of ten is not bad at all, isn't it? Ladies and gentlemen, it's Chuck Berry and this should (must) be enough. By the way, Mr. Berry is the composer of all the songs but two.

Thanks for everything, Mr. Berry. Never to be forgotten.

ARISTOGATOS - DIRECTOS MAQUETAS 1982

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Side A = 1. Himno Aristogato   2. Coca-Cola   3. Ana

Side B = 4. Visita al hospital   5. 6 de la mañana   6. Visita al hospital

Subterfuge / 210316SUB

Just released, this record is a kind of archaeological work regarding Spanish Rockabilly, as it brings songs recorded by Aristogatos, a band that existed for very, very short time, back in 1982. The six songs included are probably all the recordings they left.

Side A has three songs recorded live and can be taken as examples of what quite a lot of Rockabilly bands were doing at the time in Spain, with lots of enthusiasm but with few means.

Side B goes Pop... that is the direction most of the band members followed in the bands they played with once Aristogatos was over.

Brief, an interesting record if you are interested in the early times of the Spanish Rockabilly Revival... eventhough from my point of view there were more interesting bands at the time.

By the way, note this record turns at 45 rpm although it is a 12".

WE ARE THE ROCKERS (VOL. 1)

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Cara A = 1. Big Daddy G (Big Berry)   2. Davey Bee & The Sonics (Linda Lee)   3. Baker Knight (Apple Dandy)   4. The Firing Squad (Bull Moose)   5. Vic Vickers (Action Speaks Louder Thann Words)   6. Mike Harris (Come Along With Me)   7. The Velvets (Wild Little Willy)   8. Two Don's (Funny Honey)

Cara B = 1. Artie Sullivan With The Rhythm Beats (It's Time)   2. Bob Fryfogle (Six Feet Under)   3. Bob Swanson And The Sonics (Twisting At The Bop)   4. Steve Alaimo & The Red Coats (She's My Baby)   5. Vickie Diaz (Your Mamma Said No)   6. Phil Beasley & Charlie Brown With The Country Rhythm Boys (Good Gosh Gal)   7. Dickie Loader And The Blue Jeans (Teen Machine)   8. Sanford Clark (It's Nothing To Me)

Sleazy Records / SR-LP20

If you believe that good Rock'n'Roll was already dead and gone in the 1960's, killed by "flower power" and so on, this brilliant collection of songs compiled by DJ Danny and released by Sleazy Records will show you how wrong you are... 16 shots of amazing, good Rock'n'Roll, Rockabilly, Country Bop and other Rocker friendly rhythms... Songs that were first released in the late 1950's or in the first half of the 1960's.

It's difficult, almost impossible, to highlight a song above its companions... but if I have to pick one from each side, right now they will be Baker Knight's "Apple Dandy" from side A and Vickie Diaz's "Your Mamma Said No" from side B, but please believe me when I say that every single song included is much more than very good.

Regarding sound quality, it's true that it's not perfect, but it's much than good enough to enjoy the record without any kind of problems (note that probably the sources have been the original 45's).

Further than all said till now, the record comes into a nice picture sleeve that is pure Rocker attitude and really informative sleeve notes.

A LP that I believe is a must for any serious Rocker record collection... And when they say "vol. 1" it's because they mean there's going to be a "vol. 2", isn't it?... Great!

Absolutely good record. Sure among my favourites from now on.

HANK WILLIAMS - I'M A LONG GONE DADDY

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Disc 1 = SIDE A = 1. Calling You   2. Pan American   SIDE B = 3. Move It On Over   4. I Saw The Light

Disc 2 = SIDE A = 1. Six More Miles (To The Graveyard)   2. I'm Satisfied With You   SIDE B = 3. Rootie Tootie   4. I Can't Get You Off My Mind

Disc 3 = SIDE A = 1. I'm A Long Gone Daddy   2. The Blues Came Around   SIDE B = 3. I'll Be A Bachelor Till I Die   4. Lovesick Blues

Disc 4 = SIDE A = 1. Lost Highway   2. Honky Tonk Blues   SIDE B = 3. Mind Your Own Business   4. You're Gonna Change (Or I'm Gonna Leave)

Disc 5 = SIDE A = 1. I Just Don't Like This Kind Of Livin'   2. My Bucket's Gotta Hole In It   SIDE B = 3. Long Gone Lonesome Blues   4. Why Don't You Love Me

Disc 6 = SIDE A = 1. Alone And Forsaken   2. (I'm Gonna) Sing, Sing, Sing   SIDE B = 3. Weary Blues From Waiting   4. Honky Tonkin'

Sleazy Records / SR119

Any praise we'll give to this "box-set" released by Sleazy Records is absolutely well-deserved for sure. As easy as that. If the previous box-sets released by the Spanish label were astonishing good, this brand new one compiling Hank Williams' recordings goes even a step further.

Note that this time it is not a box what we get to keep the 6 vinyl Eps safe, but a kind of book as those 10" albums from the 1940's (and before)... So "gorgeus" is the adjective I believe we have to use when referring to the artwork of this set, done by Berto Martínez and Francho Angás.

About the musical side, not much can be added to the info on the sleeve-notes, written by Francho Angás and Rocio Cañas, as there is almost all the knowledge we'll need about the songs included. Suffice to say that the songs included were recorded by Hank Williams between 1947 and 1950, except the demo of "Weary Blues From Waitin'" (from 1951) and "Honky Tonkin'" (from 1952)... and that among the 24 selected songs we'll find from good old classic Hillbilly music like in "Lovesick Blues" or "My Bucket's Gotta Hole In It" to Gospel like in "I Saw The Light" (well, more or less Gospel) and even early Rockabilly like in "Move It On Over" or "I Can't Get You Off My Mind" (yes, this gentleman recorded Rockabilly much before anyone even thought of a name for it)...

And, of course, the sound is just absolutely brilliant, as in previous releases, being that merit of Guillermo Jiménez, re-issue producer of this release.

Perhaps you're now expecting me to say that it's highly recommended... but I won't say that this time. Instead, I'll say that it's no less than essential, especially if you're a fan of Hank Williams and classic Honky Tonk music.