Customer Reviews

Rock N Roll Trio/Tear It Up

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He drove a truck for Crown Electric,lived in Memphis,died young,and started rock and roll. Are you thinkin'Elvis? I'm thinkin' Johnny Burnette! Honey HUSH!

Elvis was not the only rocker in 1954-55.

The Rock`n Roll Trio was the legendary group that during 1955-57 recorded 2 album`s worth of material.

Their pioneer rockabilly/rhythm`n blues music has been higly influential on bands like the Yardbirds, Johnny Kid and the Pirates and the Downliners Sect.

The band consisted of the two Burnette brothers Johnny and Dorsey and their friend, lead guitarist Paul Burlison. Both brothers wrote a lot of great songs, some of which were hits for acts like Ricky Nelson.

Their first album, simply called "The Rock `n` Roll Trio" was released as a 10 inch LP on Coral records in early 1957. The album caused considerably excitement among rockabilly fans, but was soon deleted. The album that curiously did not include their 1956 single "Tear it Up" soon became a real collector`s item.

In 1966 the album was rereleased on the Ace of Hearts label, at a time when the trio had been disbanded for years. Singer Johnny Burnette had died in a drowning accident in 1964.

Their material was mixture of Burnette originals and tunes borrowed from other rock`n roll pioneers like Fats Domino and Joe Turner.

The first albums opens with the great rocker "Honey Hush" with the great distorted guitar-riff.

More rockers of the same type follows; best of which are "All by Myself", "The Train Kept a Rollin" and "Drinkin`Wine Spo-Dee-O Dee, Drinking"

A few Buddy Holly-type ballads can also be found. ( "I Just Found Out" and "I Love You So" )
A little bit of country on "Lonesome Train" and sheer blues on "Chains of Love".

Their second album called "Tear it Up", released after their split shows a greater variety of styles. Highlights are the rocking single-track "Tear it Up", "You`re Undecided" and "Midnight Train" - all Burnette originals.

The playing and singing is terrific and overall there`s a lot of energy in these recordings. After 10-15 tracks though, the songs may sound a little too much alike and repetitive.

Forget Elvis man, Johnny Burnette, Dorsey Burnette and Paul Burlinson, were the guys who started it all. Some of these tracks from the mid 50s are like punk tracks from 1977. From the vocals to the guitar licks, this CD rocks!!!!

This guy was way ahead of his time! Honey Hush has distortion in the guitars and it's 1955. Listen to the vocals and you will hear what sounds like Gene Vincent, Buddy Holly, Elvis Presley, and Bill Haley. If you like early Rockabilly, you'll like this CD. I don't understand how this guy didn't make it big, but I think it is another example of the eary record companies in control and not always understanding the caliber of the talent that they had right in front of them.

Listening to The Johnny Burnette Trio will make you forget about early Elvis? You have got to be kidding!! Johnny Burnette was a great singer, his lead guitarrist was a genius and he (Johnny), may have tried - albeit too hard -, in the early rockabilly days to make anyone listening forget about Elvis
( who had himself, by 1956, dumped straight rockabilly, which he in turn, along Scotty Moore and Bill Black, invented, albeit inadvertantly, on July 5, 1954), but he failed miserably at this close to impossible task.

Here's a task for you listeners: have a go at the entire 1950's repertoire, back to back, by the Johnny Burnette trio, then do yourself a favor, and listen just to Elvis 1954-1958 rockers, also back to back. Try then, if you must, to obliterate Elvis from your mind...

I suggest you hear the following songs, all mostly lessons and how to sing different type of rock, written and performed previously by great bluesmen or rockers themselves:

Mystery Train/Good Rocking tonight/Baby, let's play house/Trying to get to you/My baby left me/Lawdy Miss Clawdy/Shake Rattle and Roll/Blue Suede Shoes/I got a woman/Reddy Teddy/Long Tall Sally/One-sided love affair/So glad you're mine/Hound Dog/Mean woman blues/Got a lot of living to do/Jailhouse Rock/Hard headed woman and, lastly, A big hunk of love.

Now, who do you want to forget?? The truth of the matter, the unvarnished truth that is, is that the Johnny Burnette Trio, no matter how good at doing early rockabilly, sound extremely repetitive after say, ten or twenty songs.

Not only is their sound repetitive, but so is their delivery.