Customer Reviews

The Buddy Holly Story

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This memorial album appeared within weeks of Holly's tragic death on February 3, 1959 and quickly shot up the charts into the Top Ten. It lingered in Billboard's Top 100 for several years, and through most of the 1960s you could find it in almost anyone's record collection. As something of a shared cultural experience these 12 tracks came to be seen -- rightly or wrongly -- as the essential summary of Holly's career.

ORIGINAL ALBUM

You might think an album of such enduring quality was compiled with great care, but actually it was done on the fly. Norman Petty said in interview that he and Dick Jacobs had to put this collection together rather quickly over the telephone, with Jacobs in New York and Petty in Clovis, New Mexico.

If true it would seem Jacobs had the final say. All but two of Holly's Brunswick/Coral singles had been produced by Petty. The two exceptions were by Jacobs, and although neither had charted, three of their four sides (25% of the album) are here: `Raining in My Heart', `Early in the Morning,' and `It Doesn't Matter Anymore'. Happily, the last of these became a huge hit in the aftermath of Holly's death, and Jacobs' tracks surely widened the album's appeal beyond teen rock fans.

My point is that with so many good things to choose from this album could easily have come together many different ways. But its impact has been such that today it is hard to imagine "The Buddy Holly Story" other than exactly as we have it.

THE FACSIMILE CD:

While grateful for this CD, I was disappointed that only the album's front cover is reproduced. The back cover liner notes by Ren Gravett were in striking oversized print with the same distinctive red lettering as the front title. Not only is that memorable backside omitted, but its liner notes are not here anywhere.

It would also have been nice to reproduce the original Coral LP's label on the CD itself.

SOUND QUALITY

This was an unexpected surprise; the CD sounds for the most part as if taken from the EQ master of the original album. (An EQ master is prepared by the engineer and reflects his personal preferences for bass/treble equalization.) "Buddy Holly Story's" EQ was unique in that it was not quite as bright as other released versions, and its deeper, richer sound made Holly not quite so young. Petty said this was his personal favorite EQ master of these songs, and always mentioning the engineer by name.

There are two departures from that original EQ:

`Peggy Sue' on this CD is actually a welcome improvement in that it opens with a nice burst of sound. On the original album it started a little too low, a significant drop in volume following `Early in the Morning', and had to build.

The other difference is that `It Doesn't Matter Anymore' is in true stereo. This is a bit startling after sitting through a mono album, and if they were going to do this one wishes `Raining in My Heart' was given similar treatment.

A CURIOUS STORY ABOUT THIS ALBUM:

Holly's "strings session" with Dick Jacobs was his last, and the only one in true stereo. The single `Raining in My Heart' /`It Doesn't Matter Anymore' was taken from it but mixed down to monaural for AM radio and juke boxes of the day.

"The Buddy Holly Story" album was originally a monaural release so the monaural mixes were also used there.

Shortly thereafter stereo became very big, and buyers with stereo players suddenly wanted only stereo albums. Record labels scrambled to issue some sort of "enhanced stereo" (aka phony stereo) versions of their monaural catalogue to meet this need.

Coral jumped on the trend with an enhanced stereo "Buddy Holly Story" but in doing so forgot they actually had true stereo versions of two of its songs.

Strange but true -- the "enhanced stereo" edition of this album featured phony stereo versions of monaural mix downs made from two true stereo tracks!

ENHANCED STEREO:

For the curious, here are some "enhanced stereo" methods I recall as a record buyer. (I'm not an engineer so these are my personal nicknames):

(1) "Vibrasonic": The same monaural track ran separately on each channel (speaker), but one track was fraction of a second behind the other. This produced a hollow echo effect that was either loved or despised.

(2) "Separate EQs": Again the same monaural track ran separately on each speaker. One track was heavily biased to bass and the other to treble. My memory is that this method was used on "The Buddy Holly Story".

(3) "Footprints": Studio musicians attempted to duplicate the original bass, drums or other instruments as closely as possible but on separated tracks for a stereo effect. This can be heard on the version of `Reminiscing' on GBO's "Reminiscing/Showcase" Holly CD

(4) Sometimes overdubbing was more extensive with added background vocals in an attempt at not just more dramatic stereo separation but also to make the recording sound more contemporary. Many tracks on Coral's 1967 "Buddy Holly's Greatest Hits" are given this treatment.

Bottom Line.

This is lovely classic Holly. No matter what else you own, do not hesitate to pick this one up. It will bring enjoyment to your life for many years to come.

Please note this is NOT the soundtrack from the movie, this is the CD we have had to wait years and years for. In my opinion, this album now finally on CD is one of the main reasons Buddy Holly still sells 44 years after his death. The tracks on the CD are the originally released versions not the later overdubs. Every track transports us oldies back to our youth complete with the joy of hearing the tracks clearly and cleanly again so many years after having worn out the old vinyl record. A must buy for all fans and any person wondering about Buddy and his music. This is the Buddy of legend.

Let us hope and pray that "The Buddy Holly Story" Volume II will also be available in the very near future.

This album is a compilation of Buddy Holly's greatest recordings from "The Chirpin' Crickets" and "Buddy Holly" albums issued during his lifetime. This recording was issued in 1959 shortly after the fatal plane crash that took his life along with Ritchie Valens, JP Richardson (The Big Bopper) and Roger Peterson (The pilot of the plane). This is the best of Buddy's recordings and the quality of the remastering is excellent. If you are a fan of rock and roll, or a Buddy Holly collector, this CD is a must for your collection. It features the black and white photo taken during the famous photo sessions by Bruno in New York City and is the best Buddy Holly album issued since his death. Buy a copy, sit back, and listen to the best example of rock and roll that was ever recorded.

I found this album on vinyl at a garage sale many years ago in perfect condition, but after a month I wore it out! It was that fine. Twelve of Buddy Holly's greatest recordings in one collection. Of course, there are other great tunes to discover, but why hurry a good thing.

Side One:
1. Raining in My Heart
2. Early in the Morning
3. Peggy Sue
4. Maybe Baby
5. Everyday
6. Rave On

Side Two:
1. That'll Be the Day
2. Heartbeat
3. Think It Over
4. Oh, Boy!
5. It's So Easy
6. It Doesn't Matter Anymore

Just enjoy this original album of twelve classics beautifully sequenced and mastered, and imagine it was the age of 33 1/3 vinyl records all over again.

Enjoy.

Most of these songs were recorded with very primitive mono equipment in less than desirable surroundings. However, this is still one of the best rock recordings ever made. If you like Buddy Holly, you must own this. If you haven't listened to this album or his music for ages, buy this. You won't be disappointed. Enough said.

The Buddy Holly Story has some excellent songs performed by Buddy Holly; and wow, how this showcases his remarkable talent! Buddy had a natural gift to sing well and he could perform anything with panache. In fact, not only could Buddy sing; he also played the piano, the guitar, and the fiddle! Buddy put all his heart and soul into everything and it all showed in his songs; his adoring audiences loved him for it. Although of course he was taken from us much too soon, he obviously lives on through his music and CDs like this are very valuable indeed. In addition, I agree with the reviewer who writes that this is not the soundtrack from any movie; these are songs Buddy did for a record album release in 1959 on Coral Records. The quality of the sound is excellent and I like that artwork, too.

The CD starts with Buddy singing "Raining In My Heart." Buddy's voice never sounded better; his excellent diction enhances his performance all the more. The music that plays perfectly complements Buddy's vocals as he sings; and that's grand. "Raining In My Heart" is quite a strong opener for this album; and listen for "Early In The Morning." "Early In The Morning" has Buddy squarely front and center for a fast tempo tune with a such a catchy beat the dead just might start tapping their feet to the rhythm!

"Peggy Sue" was one of Buddy Holly's greatest hits ever; this got lots of airplay when it was originally released and the guitars work wonders for this number. "Peggy Sue" showcases Buddy as a music pioneer who was getting into true rock and roll and more; Buddy Holly delivers this faultlessly. "Maybe Baby" is another catchy tune that Buddy aces as effortlessly as if it were mere breathing--but of course we know it really wasn't all that easy. Buddy's talents always carried him through. "Everyday" is yet another highlight of this CD; this charms me with its natural beauty and I love it!

"That'll Be The Day" is quite the masterpiece; Buddy shines bright on this tune and he handles the complex tempo and key changes like the pro he always was! "That'll Be The Day" makes good use of the drums and those backup singers harmonize very well. Buddy didn't truly need much backup but they sure do sound good anyway! "Think It Over" has more stunning guitar work that I really like; and Buddy bats this one straight out of the ballpark! And how's about that piano?

"Oh, Boy!" is very energetic; Buddy never misses a beat and that's excellent. "It's So Easy" gets the royal treatment from Buddy Holly who sings this classic tune with lots of positive energy; and yet again there's some wonderful guitar work to make this number special. The album ends with Buddy Holly performing ""It Doesn't Matter Any More;" this number puts the spotlight on Buddy which is precisely where it belonged and still belongs.

Buddy Holly sure could perform; and CDs like this one prove it. I highly recommend this for Buddy's fans. People who like early rock and even early pop will enjoy this CD as well.

Thank you, Buddy--Bravo! We will never forget you!

Very quick service. The music brings back lots of memories before "The day the music died". What a treat to listen to on a cold winter night.

It offers just 12 tracks at 26:08 running time but that's just the first transgression as I'm sure my copy of this album has been taken off a vinyl record. Oh it's been run through a modern digital processor like a Cedar unit but the vinyl used here was flawed, as many are/were.

I moved these tracks to my computer for a further look and listen and as they say the proof in is the pudding. The waveforms show various issues like pop, snaps, thumps, crackles are all there, just muted. I can listen and see every problem on the screen as I study the waveforms. The recording also have incorrect balance, equalization and high-frequency problems we shouldn't have to concerned about.

Save some money. This is not a deal I wanted.

As have others I've waited many years for this to be released on CD, and it is great that it is. However, in those days I consciously bought mono, instead of later-released "stereo" versions, because I viewed the mono as the original release as it was intended to be, and especially as the artist intended. (I didn't then know a whole lot about whether, let alone how much, say the artist actually had on those matters.)

So I wish this were the same as the original vinyl: mono, without any tampering. I don't need/want the stereo, even if it was recorded as stereo originally, if it wasn't released as stereo at the time. The mono was wonderful; this CD sounds disjointed and uneven, as there are mono, and a few stereo, and therefore no equalization of "tone" and volume across the tracks. Where one had solid sound, up front, like a mono 45, throughout, one now has mono tracks, as the original, the a track that is disconcerting -- and sounding louder than the mono -- two-channel/"echo" as result of well-known mono being replaced with stereo.

I wish I could have given it five stars.

I suppose now we'll have to wait another 20-plus years to see "The Buddy Holly Story, Vol. II" -- and then discover that it too has been "improved" over the wholly mono original.

If the release was originally mono, then don't "improve" it to something which isn't wholly the original mono.

This classic 5 star vinyl LP album is worth more if it is the original 1959 Coral release:

Simply look on the BACK cover of album --

On original release, liner notes by Ren Grevatt appear in red lettering like the album title on front cover, and they fill the entire back cover. Label on the LP is the old deep crimson Coral version.

2nd Edition back cover has Grevatt's liner notes in standard black and white type, which makes space for covers of other Coral titles by Holly and Theresa Brewer. The label on this version was probably MCA's rainbow.

Some second edition versions are in "Enhanced Stereo". Original 1959 edition is to best of my knowledge mono only -- but I could be wrong.

The image shown here is enhanced Stereo -- notice how cover sheet has been dropped down to expose the small "stereo" notation in upper right corner.

These are all good buys, but thought you might like to know which you are getting. Keep in mind that 1st editions are worth more, but condition of album and sleeve also count.