The Lin & Kliff Story [Box set, Import]

Various Artists - Rock | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (December 28, 1999)
• Original Release Date: 1999
• Number of Discs: 4
• Format: Box set, Import
• Note on Boxed Sets: During shipping, discs in boxed sets occasionally become dislodged without damage. Please examine and play these discs. If you are not completely satisfied, we'll refund or replace your purchase.
• Label: Bear Family
• ASIN: B00002509T
• In-Print Editions: Audio CD
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #822,998 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

Disc: 1

1. She's Somebody's Mother

2. It Don't Make No Never Mind

3. The Prisoner's Farewell

4. Please Pardon My Tears

5. Because I Love You

See all 32 tracks on this disc

Disc: 2

1. Rockin' Rollin' Stone

2. Lonesome Baby Blues

3. Guitar Smoke

4. Mother Goose at the Bandstand

5. Stutterin' Papa

See all 30 tracks on this disc

Disc: 3

1. Round and Round

2. Rough Tough Man

3. Jitterbugging Baby

4. I Found a New Love

5. Jessie Lee

See all 30 tracks on this disc

Disc: 4

1. Disc Jockey Fever

2. Pledge of Love

3. Dark Eyes

4. Music Box Lullaby

5. Rendezvous

See all 32 tracks on this disc

Editorial Reviews

This is a dazzlingly great and maddeningly confusing four-CD set -- maybe the best box of its kind that Bear Family has ever issued -- and also one hot collection of country-based rock & roll, laced with some cool Western swing and dance numbers, plus some well-played ballads. All of the 120+ songs from the Lin Records vaults (nearly half previously unissued) were cut in Texas and Oklahoma, featuring some extraordinary local and regional talent that might otherwise never have been recorded. The contents are uniformly good, which is extraordinary in itself for an indie label that most listeners outside of Texas and Oklahama scarcely remember -- what makes it maddening, but also very listenable, is that the songs have not been arranged in chronological order. Track order jumps across years, but the mix of sounds makes this one of the most listenable of all Bear Family boxes; indeed, it's like tuning in on an incredible country-rock retrospective on radio. The one concession to chronology is on disc one, which opens with the very first record ever cut for Lin Records, Wayne Jetton's "A Crazy Mind Plus a Foolish Heart." Jetton wasn't even out of high school when he wrote and cut this great, lost should-have-been-a-hit in December 1953. Disc one gets better from there, with Western swing, straight country, and proto-rock & roll. Most of this material was released in 1954, showing just how far out in front of a lot of other country labels Lin Records was in reaching out to teen audiences -- these sides all rock to some degree, and some pretty hard at that. There are a couple of sentimental country ballads in the midst of this, but a considerable amount of what's here is a branch of regional rock & roll evolving in the studio, country music changing into something harder and more aggressive. Disc two is all rock & roll, all the way, with some R&B influences as well. The disc kicks off in high gear, and the pace never really slows; there are also one or two above-average novelty rockers. Disc three is even better, made up mostly of some of the hottest White country-blues-based rock, solid dance tunes, and exquisitely sung Elvis-style ballads this side of Sun Records. Even the more romantic numbers that fill out the side don't break the spell -- this disc would have made a magnificent hour of rock & roll radio. Disc four is somewhat more uneven, running the gamut from elegant, passionate pop to novelty tracks, plus lots of romantic pop-rock from Ken Copeland, including "Pledge of Love," the biggest single that Lin ever had. The book is utterly engrossing, presenting a vivid picture of what running a small label was like the in years that Lin Records started, as well as biographical information on all of the label's artists. It's also profusely illustrated. ~ Bruce Eder, All Music Guide

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars True Mid Century Texas Sound, August 10, 2005

By 

T. Mclaughlin (TEXAS) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Lin & Kliff Story (Audio CD)

Growing up here in the great state of Texas has subjected me to a wide variety of music...the Lin & Kliff type sound is and will always will be my favorite. Tex-a-billy Swing-twang....ain't nuthin' else like it. Many of these recordings were lost, ill promoted and/or unpublished...man o' man hearing them now I believe they sure could've competed with all the big dogs of their time. This compilation is an excellent EXCELLENT spread of styles and sounds.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A collector's bonanza., March 7, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Lin & Kliff Story (Audio CD)

Bear Family Records has done it again! The world's premier packager of oldies from the 1950-60's has taken the LIN/KLIFF masters and given collectors a bonanza. Here are valuable early releases by Ken Copeland, The Strikes, and The Chuck-a-Lucks whose later masters were leased to IMPERIAL Records; Buck Griffin, Andy Starr, Margee Robinson whose later masters were leased to MGM Records; Jerry Fuller, whose contract went to CHALLENGE and COLUMBIA Records; The Tu-Tones, The Atmospheres, The Mints, Steve Wright, Honee Welch, and Ray Ruff were all leased to LONDON/DECCA Records. These artists were innovators and producers of new sounds and songs in rockabilly, country, pop - you name it. ENJOY!

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Rare rockabilly remembered, March 1, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Lin & Kliff Story (Audio CD)

Bear Family is famous for reissues in clean format, and they gave the full treatment to this compilation of North Texas inspired oldies. This collection of 4 CDs goes from Red River Hillbilly, to a facsimile of Buddy recording in New Mexico. The full story of my father's struggle to find new sounds is given in a great biography. Check it out if you are a collector.