The Essential Floyd Cramer

Floyd Cramer | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (August 1, 1995)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: RCA
• ASIN: B000002WTC
• Also Available in: Audio Cassette  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (17 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #31,564 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #34 in Music > Country > Instrumental

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

21 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Floyd Cramer disc we have been waiting for!, August 13, 2000

By 

David Kenner (Fort Worth, Texas United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Essential Floyd Cramer (Audio CD)

This is the CD you will want to own if you treasure your old Floyd Cramer LPs of the 1960s. It's a terrific compilation of Cramer singles and LP cuts, many of which haven't been available on CD before. From Last Date to Java to Shrum, there's not a clinker in the bunch. One thing to note however, is that the version of Chattanooga Choo Choo on the CD is a different take from the original that appeared on the Magic Touch LP. It still sounds great though. If you like Floyd Cramer, buy this CD. And RCA, please give us volume two! P.S. The remastering is incredible.

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Too Much Variety?, July 27, 2002

By 

Mcgivern Owen L (NY, NY USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Essential Floyd Cramer (Audio CD)

The "Essential Floyd Cramer" is a mixed bag of instrumental country. FC's reputation as a top recording session pianist far exceeds his success on the charts. According to Billboard, this Samti, LA native had only 3 chart hits from 1960-1980. That statistic hides his obvious talent at the keyboard. I referred to the CD as a "mixed bag" because FC divides the 20 selections between mellow and upbeat. This reviewer strongly favored the former. These include his trademark "Last Date" plus "Stood Up", "The Young Years" and "Your Last Goodbye". For traditionalists there are 2 solid renditions of Hank: "Lovesick Blues' and "I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry". The other half of the CD is upbeat, which I don't believe is FC's strong point: "What'd I Say", Corrine Corrina (!) and something called "Flip Flop and Bop" were in sharp contrast to the mellow sounds. Fans of instrumentals may consider this "Essential" a 5 star effort based on the sheer variety herein. Those expecting all mellow music in the "Last Date" tradition will be disappointed. To give FC the benefit of the doubt, 4 stars are a nice compromise rating. Country fans should closely examine the sponsoring "Essential" series for well-produced compilations of our past heroes' best efforts. (The "Essential Skeeter Davis" CD has her sung answer to "Last Date").

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Good Cross Section of His Early Days As a Star, December 14, 2004

By 

Eclectic Revisited "Charlie" (Arizona) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Essential Floyd Cramer (Audio CD)

I don't have 40 albums by FC like one reviewer; I bet you don't either. Obsession and single-gaitedness are not my virtues. I do believe that Floyd Cramer had a wider range of knowledge about music than the possessor of so much of his work; witness THIS package of tunes. I like FC music as much as, say, Michael Jackson's mother who was treated by her son to a private FC concert once. Besides "Last Date" and "On the Rebound", Floyd's version of "Java" preceded Al Hirt's version into the market. There are two Hank Williams, Sr. tunes, one from Texas Playboy Bob Wills, two from the (ahem) eclectic Ray Charles (three if you count "Georgia on My Mind", written and first performed by Hoagy Carmichael), and "Corinne, Corinna", a song associated with Ray Peterson of "Tell Laura I Love Her Fame" and blues shouter Big Joe Turner before that and even back to Bo Chatmon in the 1930s before that. (Oddly the same song is on Eric Clapton's "Blues" album as "Alberta, Alberta"; what does HE know?). Anyway, I was there. This is a good representation of Floyd's songs and proves FC was not just a bohunk Nashville piano player. Like most us, he appreciated diverse music, no matter how he may have pandered to the single-gaited who only knew his country music. We lost Floyd to cancer in 1997, but he left us a lot of good music--from MANY sources. Enjoy.