Customer Reviews

The Golden Age Of American Rock 'n' Roll, Volume 1: Hard-To-Get Hot 100 Hits From 1951-1963

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ACE Records bills itself as "Kings of the Reissue Market," and after listening to this first volume of their ever-expanding Golden Age of American Rock and Roll Music series (eight volumes so far) it's hard to argue with their claim. They do an impeccable job of covering pre-British Invasion American rock and roll during the years 1954 to 1963. All the more amazing is that ACE is a British label.

All tracks are mastered from "the finest tapes still surviving" and rather than recycle the hits that everyone hears over and over, ACE chooses to focus on the small independent record labels. The first five songs are from the Rust, Tuff, Soma, Coed and Dunes labels--not exactly household names. But these are terrific songs. All but one (the Genies' "Who's That Knocking") made it to the Top 30, and over half went Top Ten. But these are not artists with a long track record of chart success. More than half of these were one-hit wonders, and only five of these acts placed more than two songs in the Top 40. However, all this really means is that these were hugely popular songs, but most of them don't get played on Classic Rock radio stations.

Sure, there are some exceptions--the Kingsmen's garage band classic "Louie Louie" (the only real rock song here), the Penguins' "Earth Angel" and Bobby Day's "Rockin' Robin" (both of which sold over a million copies), but when was the last time you heard Ron Holden's "Love You So" or the Safari's "Image of a Girl" on the radio? These were Top Ten songs. As were "Cindy's Birthday" by Johnny Crawford (the kid actor from "The Rifleman"), "When We Get Married" by the Dreamlovers, and "My True Story" by the Jive Five.

In addition to the excellent song selection, each volume in this series has a 20 page-plus booklet with photos and information on the songs and the artists. Plus you get 30 songs. (That's less than 50 cents a song!) This series is truly a delight. VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

Ten years ago Ace records, the premier reissue label in the U.K., initiated their "Golden Age of American Rock and Roll" series. The intent behind this new series of compilations was to present a fully-packed CD of early American rock and roll tunes that goes well beyond the usual repackaging of the same hit titles using the best available tape sources along with interesting background material on the tracks included all at a reasonable price! Is this really possible from a major music company? Ace has proved it unquestionably. The entire series has become the benchmark for all other reissues from labels around the world and has been phenomenally successful in the process.

Here in the first volume emphasis is on top-10 hits with a few charting rarities seldom, if ever, found on CD and certainly not of this sound quality. Two of these tracks ("Cindy's Birthday" and "Since I Fell For You") appear in true stereo with the remainder in mono. While some of these songs have surfaced in stereo since, the quality of most of these tracks holds up even today. Completing the package is a twelve-page booklet with background notes on the tracks presented.

Here is an extraordinary production that is essential to any CD collection of pre-British invasion American rock and roll.

This is the first of the best Oldies compilation series I have ever seen. The sound is great, only the best sources were used, and the research in the liner notes reflects great dedication on the crew at Ace Records. Seems ironic that a U.K. company does the best job with U.S. music history. You are guaranteed to know at least half of the songs here, the rest will probably be a revelation. For related material, check out the "Teenage Crush" Series on this label, as well as "Chartbusters Usa", taking the music thru the 60s. A good buy, as are all the volumes.

I am a enthousiastic collector, and have almost all the Time Life rock n roll stuff, as well as Eric Records cds of this era. Although they are essential to any 50s 60s collection, nothing can top ACE series.
I could comment like this on all the 50s remasters of this fabulous record label, not only their other editions, but especially the Golden Age of American Rock n roll. I can not add anything to the positive reviews than simply summing up my personal view:
30 tracks per cd, and sometimes! (Time life is also excellent, but you get 15 per cd!)
excellent booklets with background info (not surpassed by any label).
not the same old songs over again, but many rare and still excellent tracks!
last but not least amazing sound quality.
So although you might have some songs there on other collections, it is for above mentioned points alone worth it to always have an ACE copy as well.

Simply put, this series from Ace Records of London is THE best on the market when it comes to multi-artist compilations of selections from the mid-1950s to the mid-1960s. And that includes the generous 30 tracks, and marvelous (and voluminous) liner notes which accompany each volume, in this instance 10 pages. Numerous photos and poster/LP reproductions are also included, as is a complete discography of the contents.

At a first glance it may appear that these tunes are readily available on many such compilations, but as you scan the remaining 10 volumes released so far you will see that Ace always manages to insert a gem or two on each which fall into the hard-to-find category. From my perspective as an inveterate collector of original hit single selections (not the records, per se, but the music, now reproduced in CD format) this includes Earth Angel (Will You Be Mine), When We Get Married, Who's That Knockin' and Image Of A Girl.

Each is not that easy to find in quality CD format, none more so than Earth Angel. Quite often the version presented in multi-artist compilations will be the remake by The Penguins when they moved to the Mercury label, not their 1954/55 smash for DooTone. This, you can be certain, is that original rendition.

Accumulating all the volumes in The Golden Age Of American Rock 'N' Roll, as well as their other series such as Teen Beat, will give you just about everything you will ever want with respect to the hit music of that era. In that respect, and considering the fantastic liner notes, it surpasses even the Time-Life series.

I can't say enough good things about Ace Records.

If the other volumes following this in this series are like this volume 1, we've got a real winner here, I have quite a few oldies cd's but I must admit this one is probably the best, it is flawless and really awesome to hear these oldies done in such perfection as this volume.I plan to buy more of these from this series, you can't go wrong with these and you will be very satisfied.

This is the best series of 50's and early 60's pre-British invasion rock&roll available today. It offers just the right mix of well known hits along side those that didn't quite make it to the top and even some rather obscure tunes which are rarely seen on other compilations. An excellent set even for those of us such as myself who grew up in the Eighties and Nineties and didn't get to experience these great songs first-hand.

For devoted pop fans, discriminating rockers, eager collectors, nostalgia nuts, and music obsessives, Ace Records' Golden Age Of American Rock & Roll series is nothing short of a gift from the gods. Each disc in the series is crammed full of relatively obscure gems from rock 'n' roll's early days (1954-1963). It was a time when pop was both symphonic and cathartic, when mainstream success meant grabbing that listener's heartstrings (or toe-taping muscles) and not letting go for two and a half glorious minutes. The series mingles everything from back-alley doo wop and crystalline pop balladry to three-chord crunchers and R&B ravers. Just about the only sound that really gets short shrift is rockabilly, but that's been covered fantastically by other compilations. In addition, each edition is gorgeously packaged, with detailed liner notes, chart information, and the like. Even the cover photos are brilliantly chosen, eye-wateringly evocative slices of classic Americana. This particular disc kicks off the series wonderfully: Randy And The Rainbows' "Denise" opens the album with an almost overwhelming burst of teenaged exuberance and soaring vocal dynamics. "Sally Go Round The Roses" is hypnotic and sensual, while "Stranded In The Jungle" is just plain hilarious. There's also the trance-inducing "Cindy's Birthday," and the rollicking "Tossin' And Turnin'." "Who's That Knocking" has this great vocal rush, and "Bongo Rock" is just plain awesome. There are a few more well-known songs- "Louie Louie," "Let's Dance," "And Rockin' Robin," will probably be the most familiar- and they all sound fantastic in this context. Rock 'n' roll enthusiasts, don't think twice about this one!

The Golden Age Of American Rock `N' Roll, Vol. 1 boasts an incredible thirty tracks that really bring back memories and show us the best talent from that awesome era of early rock and roll. The sound quality is good and the artwork impresses me greatly.

Several highlights come to mind on this album. Randy & the Rainbows's "Denise" is an electric number as they play so well; they sing this to perfection! The Crests do their classic hit "Sixteen Candles," which always moves me with its beauty. "Sixteen Candles has a great backup chorus and the arrangement works well. Curtis Lee's energetic "Pretty Little Angel Eyes" rocks well and the guitars enhance the number. Moreover, The Paris Sisters perform their lush, romantic ballad, "I Love How You Love Me." What a "make-out" song!

Bobby Day's "Rockin' Robin" really WILL rock you; and I especially like Bobby Lewis doing his "Tossin' And Turnin'." The melody rocks pretty hard for a 1950s tune and I think you'll like "Tossin' And Turnin'" very much.

The Genies perform another rocking number entitled "Who's That Knocking;" they harmonize and play their electric guitars really well to make this number shine! Listen also for The Skyliners who bat one straight out of the ballpark with their classic torch ballad, "Since I Don't Have You." "Since I Don't Have You" is easily one of the most beautiful songs on this CD.

The Jarmels really do great with their hit "A Little Bit Of Soap;" this song rocks well despite its sorrowful lyrics. The arrangement uses the percussion to give it a slightly Latin flavor at the same time. Great!

The artwork impresses me and the twelve page liner notes include a brief background of the songs on this album.

I don't think any fan of early rock and roll can afford to go without this album. The songs are terrific and the sound couldn't be better. I highly recommend the other CDs in this series for people who want to relive the "good old days"--and for those of us who want to really know just how great rock and roll was in America well before the "British Invasion."

There is a lot of memories on this CD. Some of my favorites: The Big Hurt, Love you So, Bongo Rock. Not the kind of stuff you hear on most oldies venue.