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.

CORRECAMINOS ROCK AND ROLL BAND - AL BORDE DEL CAMINO

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1. Arranco el motor   2. Correr, correr   3. Oh, yeah!   4. Slow Down   5. Lejos de aquí   6. Triste canción   7. R'n'R en la ciudad   8. Al borde del camino   9. Tiempo vivido   10. Folsom Prison Blues   11. Ven aquí   12. ¿Dónde estás?   13. Mistery Train

Self-released / No ref. #

The first time I saw Correcaminos Rock And Roll Band live was in 1994, so I was just a teenager back then... and I managed to catch them on the stage several other times. Also back in the 1990's they released a demo tape and got some songs included in different Spanish Rockabilly compilations... But the time came that the band was left on hold for quite a lot of years... Until 2015, when they did a great comeback to the live shows... and now, in 2017, they release their first "official" record.

This "Al borde del camino" brings us 13 songs, including 3 covers (sung in English) plus 10 songs (sung in Spanish) penned by the band if my info is correct.

Regarding the covers, they have chosen three absolutely well known songs for the average Rockabilly fan... and this is perhaps the weak point of the record, even if I understand that these are three "classics" in the band's live shows. Anyway, they play them in their very own "full-throttle" Rockabilly way, offering good performances and being Jack Earls' "Slow Down" the best one of the trio of versions in my very own opinion.

The biggest and the best part of this Correcaminos Rock And Roll Band's record is formed by their own songs, with an absolutely good combination of Rockabilly friendly styles for sure: from the Neorockabilly of "Arranco el motor", "Oh Yeah!" (I just love this song), "Ven aquí" (a hit if this was a fair world) or "Tiempo vivido", to the ballad "Triste canción", going through Country music in "Al borde del camino"... There are no weak songs at all among them.

Víctor's powerful voice, plus Rubén's brilliant lead guitar, plus José's energetic bass, plus Adolfo's effective drums equals a very, very good and forceful record.

For sure, warmly recommended by yours truly.

PIKE CAVALERO - BOPPIN' & JIVIN' WITH... (EP)

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Cara A = 1. Twinkle, Twinkle (Pretty Star)   2. Here I Am

Cara B = 3. Love Engine   4. Cavalero Stomp

Sleazy Records / SR122

Ladies and gentlemen, Pike Cavalero has done it again. Terrific EP, singing again in English, by the way.

Four songs of astonishing good Rockabilly and Rock'n'Roll, absolutely top quality as he uses to. Three of the songs, penned by Pike Cavalero himself, can be filed under the "Rockabilly" tag without too many doubts, while the fourth one ("Cavalero Stomp") is an Instro-Rock'n'Roll composed by Francis Beard, who plays lead guitar in this record. The rest of band members are Pepe Lee playing double-bass and Jesús López who plays drums: usual suspects and top quality, yes sir.

I'm absolutely sure that Pike Cavalero is one of the best 50's style Rockabilly singers that we can get to listen to all around Europe... Yes, for me there is no doubt about that and this EP is clear proof: all killers, no fillers with, in my very own oppinion, "Twinkle, Twinkle (Pretty Star)" shinning slightly above the rest.

By the way, the sleeve notes have been written no more, no less that by DJ Del Villarreal.

Absolutely recommended, as all previous records by Pike Cavalero. Easy as that.

RISKY BET - EL ÚLTIMO ROCKER

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1. Tu Swing   2. Libre de ti   3. Rockabilly Baby   4. Noches junto al mar   5. El último Rocker

Self-released / No ref. #

A very good record indeed.

There are lots of records that I like very much, but this one has gone further than that. It's a great record, offering a blend of Rockin' fiendly styles, with Neo-Rockabilly just in the middle, probably the style in which Risky Bet members feel more at ease (as shown in "Tu Swing" or in "Libre de ti"), but adding up also a little bit of Teddy Boy Rock'n'Roll (as in their version of The Jets' "Rockabilly Baby"), some Doo Wop ("Noches junto al mar" is a clear example), a touch of dark Westerns movies atmosphere (the astonishing good, superb, "El último Rocker") and lots of good old plain Rockabilly (it's all around the record).

As a matter of fact, they have achieved a very difficult thing: to make a record reminiscent of the Rockabilly made in the 1990's (and end of the 1980's) in Spain... but at the same time being absolutely clear that the songs have been recorded in 2017.

Goyo (vocals and rhythm guitar), Roberto (double-bass), Eduardo (lead guitar) and Álvaro (drums) won't disappoint you with this cd... A very good record indeed. Please, believe me. By the way, you can get in touch with the band thru Facebook.

Get it or be square!!!

IMELDA MAY - LIFE. LOVE. FLESH. BLOOD

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1. Call Me   2. Black Tears   3. Should've Been You   4. Sixth Sense   5. Human   6. How Bad Can A Good Girl Be   7. Bad Habit   8. Levitate   9. When It's My Time   10. Leave Me Lonely   11. The Girl I Used To Be   12. The Longing   13. Flesh And Blood   14. Game Changer   15. Love And Fear

Decca / 5729629

A lot was said and written even before this record was released: new look, changes in the band, different style...

Now that I have Imelda May's new record and I have been listening to it for the past couple of weeks, I can give my very own oppinion about it, as it should be: it is obvious that there are changes... but they don't seem as "dramatic" to me as some people foresaw. Or at least they are not so for the moment. I mean, yes, the changes regarding Imelda's look (hairstyle and wardrobe) and band members are just evident but, regarding music style... well, yes, this is not a Rockabilly record at all but, when has Imelda May released a pure Rockabilly record? Yes, sure there was some Rockabilly in her previous albums, but there were also a lot of other styles and influences. It is true that Rockabilly is absolutely out of this brand new release and the change of direction seems clear, but we still can find Soul, Blues, Folk, Pop, (plain) Rock and even a little bit of Rock'n'Roll. Time will tell if this change of direction is temporary or definitive.

I'll say it bluntly: "Life. Love. Flesh. Blood" doesn't seem a bad record to me. It is not the best album released by Imelda May, but it is not at all a bad one. It is not the record I "dreamt" to be released by Imelda, but it is enjoyable, specially the ballads and, as a matter of fact, I believe that some of those ballads would fit in any of her previous records without any kind of problem. Easy as that.

And her voice, by the way, is there still. And what a voice!

Note: the track list above belongs to the "collector's edition" cd, being tracks 1 to 11 the ones included in the standard edition and tracks 12 to 15 the bonus tracks.

ANITA O'NIGHT & THE MERCURY TRIO - MERCURY RISIN'

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1. Hold Me, Squeeze Me   2. Mice Trap   3. Moody Side   4. Pretty Boy   5. I'll Know When I Try   6. One Little Taste   7. Rock-A-Bop   8. Hurry Up!   9. Love Ain't All   10. I Can't Get You Out Of My Mind   11. Mean Train Boogie   12. My Way Back Home   13. Honeysuckle Rose

Sleazy Records / SRCD35-49

It seems to me abslutely clear and obvious that the average level of Rockabilly bands in Spain is at the heigth of the best. This just released record by Anita O'Night & The Mercury Trio is proof.

This cd brings us a good collection of real Rockabilly tunes, sung and played as it has to be done when doing Rockabilly: with attitude and rhythm. If to that combination, you add up the good, beautiful voice of Anita O'Night, plus the high musical skills of The Mercury Trio members, then it goes for the best.

Further than that, they have included just 2 covers ("Rock-A-Bop" and "Honeysuckle Rose") among the 13 songs that complete the cd, which seems a good decision to me because their own songs shine above the covers, at least in this record. Talking about their own compositions, I believe that "Hold Me, Squeeze Me", "Pretty Boy" and "Mean Train Boogie" have to be highlighted, but I insist that it is a good collection of songs what we get in this record.

Warmly recommended, of course.