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2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Fairly good, April 3, 2004
A Kid's Review
I have seen the original movie "Rock, Rock, Rock" (from 1956) many times and I have to say, it's the music, NOT the plot, that is appealing. So, fortunately, a record company had the good sense to finally issue the soundtrack album on CD. However, not all the music is good, but it's a good example of different styles of rock and roll during that time. The two songs ("I Never Had a Sweetheart" and "Little Blue Wren") that Tuesday Weld "sings" in the movie (the vocal is actually by Connie Francis) are quite boring and don't really rock (even for 1956) at all. Then, Teddy Randazzo (a producer and also a singer with the Three Chuckles) tries to win his girl with a song called "The Things Your Heart Needs" and when he sings the line "...unless you've a heart full of LOOOVVVE!!" he almost hits a flat note on the word "love" and brings it back up just in time. Next is an embarrasing piece of "kiddie rock" called "Rock Pretty Baby" with a girl who went nowhere in the world of fame named Ivve Schulman singing lead, with Cirino and the Bowties backing. It sounds like she's singing, "I don't want a lollipop in my ... ...I just want to dance to a rockin' band." Next up is probably the most embarrasing song in the movie, "Rock 'N' Roll Boogie." It is by the Alan Freed Orchestra, whose playing is very good, but Alan Freed is desperately trying to sing and keep a beat on this, saying things like, "Rock 'n' roll boogie...it's the blue star(?) boogie!" in an unemotional sort of way. I don't like the Flamingos or Moonglows doo-wop songs, but I do like Chuck Berry's "You Can't Catch Me" and Jimmy Cavallo & the Houserockers' "The Big Beat" very much. Teddy Randazzo tortures us again and again, although his singing on "We're Gonna Rock Tonight" is good, and then Jimmy Cavallo comes back with yet another REAL '50s rocker which will blow you away called "Rock, Rock, Rock." This is followed by Johnny Burnette, the Moonglows, LaVern Baker, Cirino and the Bowties, more Teddy Randazzo and more Alan Freed Orchestra, which is pretty good. But soundtracks from "Rock Around the Clock" and "Don't Knock the Rock," which, in my opinion, have better music, should be issued on CD rather than this one. (Dave Appell and the Applejacks and Bill Haley and the Comets are a real treat on the latter). Buy this if you like Teddy Randazzo (or Three Chuckles) and Jimmy Cavallo music.
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