Various - Beat From Badsville Vol. 4 (Stag-O-Lee)(German Import)(CD)(2016)

I finally found a copy of Vol. 4. I don't know for sure if these songs were actually pulled from Lux and Ivy's (of The Cramps) legendary collection of rock'n'roll, RnB, rockabilly, and doo wop 45s. However, after hearing this CD and Vol. 3 earlier, it seems exactly what I would expect from them. This 24 song CD is grouped into 4 sections; The Rock'n'Rollers, New Dance Trend, Instrumentals, and The MadDaddies. Each section has six songs and include selections from the likes of Gary Link & The Rock-A-Fellas, The Vocaleers, The Ramblers, and Jivin' Gene and the Jokers. Yeah, I have never heard of these bands or artists before but that is the point. We should have! Most of these 45s were probably released in the 1950s and early 60s(?). Most of these 45s were likely small run, regional releases. Overall, the music on this release is naked and pure. If you are interested in what raw, music for teens, sounded in that era, then get this release. For a sample, check out: Bo Toliver with Begging. The Ramblers with Devil Train.

 

Various Artists - Rock 'n' Roll Party - vol. 1 Top Rockers From The Past (CD, 2005?)

 

Wow, this red-hot CD is not even listed on Discogs. Maybe I am searchin' incorrectly 'cuz I can't seem to find it. Anyway, this collection is fun and you will find yourself boppin' along to this platter of old 45s. Just put this in the CD player in your car and you are guaranteed to get wherever you are headin' much faster! 

Check out the track listing. Heard of any of these artists or songs before? Yah, neither have I. However, whether these artists were famous or not they are on this CD because their songs rock. Check out this two-fer from Barry Lane- Oh Geronimo & Gettin' Ready for Love.  The version on this CD is much cleaner so don't fret from the scratchiness of the YouTube version. If you liked that then Sonny Lowery's Goodbye baby goodbye will rock your world. Do I sound excited? I am because this music makes me smile because it is so pure. Enjoy.  The Arch Angel

The Sleepwalkers - Roots Rockin' with (2016)

This is a fun record. The Sleepwalkers, hailing from the San Diego area, are a great mix of rockabilly, rocknroll, and cumbias. A great CD for parties. Highly recommended for those that want a fun listen.

Various Artists - That'll Flat...Get It ! Vol. 14 (Rockabilly from the Vaults of Sun Records)

I love roots music. That is, I like music that is real and that is original. Naturally, this leads me to rockabilly. I have been collecting this rockabilly series for a little bit and I have about 19 volumes of That'll Flat...Get It but the problem is that there are 32 volumes out! Ha! This series also issues rockabilly from other labels but Vol. 14 is dedicated to the Sun vaults. For those not in the know, Elvis Presley got his start at Sun. I hope that this is not the first time you heard that.

Vol. 14 specifically focuses mostly on recordings that were never actually issued on Sun but either recorded at Sun or sent to Sun as a demo. It appears that someone at the label heard these recordings and for some reason or another decided that they were just not up to par. It is a shame because some of these recordings are pretty good. Actually, having listened to the songs released here, I am pretty sure that these recordings could have easily been released on other labels at the time.

This is pure rockabilly and they all seem pretty good to me. Unless you are a serious rockabilly collector, which I am not, I can't imagine that you will find too much at fault with Volume 14. To get a sense of what you get, listen to Johnny Powers play Me and My Rhythm Guitar. Enjoy.

Various Artists - That'll Flat Git It! Vol. 20: Rockabilly From The Vaults of Event Records (CD) 2004

Man...this just flat out rocks!  This is pure unadulterated original rockabilly.  I love these types of compilations because they do a great job of giving you large amounts of great music (37 tracks) for a price cheaper than trying to find and buy the original 45s (assuming you can even find them).  This is Volume 20 (I also picked up Volume 24).  If you have the slightest interest in this genre (and you should), then go out and try some of these compilations out.  They are fun and since it is put out by Bear Family, the liner notes are top notch.  Here is a taste of Curtis Johnson - Lover Boy

By the way, this compilation concentrates on the output of the Event label out of Maine!