Customer Reviews

Rockin With Wanda

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

 

 

This sterling reissue of Jackson's 1960 compilation of rockabilly sides shows just why she's so highly regarded by rockabilly aficionados. Jackson blazed the trail with and for the small number of original female rockabillies, cementing her place as one of the genre's legends. Capitol's reissue is a treasure chest sporting original cover art, bonus singles and B-sides, detailed liner notes, and period photos.

1960's "Rockin' With Wanda" cherry-picked a dozen sides (augmented on this reissue with six more) waxed between 1956 and 1959. Included are the iconic rockabilly hits "Fujiyama Mama," "Honey Bop," "Hot Dog! That Made Him Mad," and the self-penned "Mean Mean Man" and "Rock Your Baby." In contrast, "You've Turned To A Stranger" is sung as a twangy country ballad, and "I Gotta Know" splits its time between rockabilly and waltz (as does "I Wanna Waltz" on her debut album, "Wanda Jackson"). Bonus tracks include pure country B-sides "Sinful Heart" and "Reaching," and the cool soul of "Savin' My Love."

Backed by world-class picking from Buck Owens, Joe Maphis, and Ralph Mooney (among other luminaries), Jackson is utterly authoritative on everything she sings. This, and the accompanying "Wanda Jackson" reissue are equally essential.

What a great CD this is. I was introduced to Wanda Jackson at the Country Music Hall of Fame in Nashville where I saw her in a video singing Hard Headed Woman. It just knocked me out. And this CD shows it was not a fluke. Wanda just rocks with the best of the men. This ranks right up there with Carl Perkins and Billy Lee Riley. Rock Your Baby, Fujiyama Mama, Honey Bop - a great rockabilly. But there's more! Songs like You're the One for Me and Did You Miss Me? are teen love songs that are just as good as anything from Connie Stevens or any other teen queen of the 50's or 60's.

This is just a great album. And the price is incredible.

Having struck gold as a rockabilly filly, Jackson pumped up the volume for her second Capitol Records album, and many of these tracks will be familiar to oldies fans -- "Mean Mean Man," Honey Bop," "Hot Dog! That Made Him Mad," and "Fujiyama Mama," which made her a celebrity in Japan (despite its iffy cultural politics). This CD reissue includes a half dozen songs taken off old singles, and are all hard country (or teenpop) ballads, tasty treats for the discerning fan. Highly recommended!

We ordered Rockin' With Wanda and figured it would take a couple of weeks to get it, like most orders do. However, we received this item much quicker and were pleasantly surprised. We both think Amazon is good for business and personal. We will use Amazon again and again. Thanx Amazon!!!

Wanda Jackson is probably best known for her years as a popular, conventional country music singer but she has an international cult following for her work in the early days of rock n' roll when she simply had no peers among female vocalists in her ability to rock out. The somewhat cutesy cover of the 1960 album gives no real clue of scorching vocals contained herein where Ms. J tears into originals like the unforgettable FUJIYAMA MAMA and the anthem-like ROCK YOUR BABY. She complains about her MEAN MEAN MAN (a truly sizzling rocker) and enjoys testing her guy in HOT DOG! THAT MADE HIM MAD. Although a few of the tracks are conventional (and great) country songs and/or ballads, Wanda also deftly combines the two secular genres she loves the most in I GOTTA KNOW which switches the beat from rock verses to country chorus. This bargain-priced CD is an essential for any rockabilly/early rock n'roll/classic country music collection. Today, fifty years later, 73-year-young Wanda can still rock with the best of them and thanks to a new album with Jack White, THE PARTY AIN'T OVER, may be in for the biggest year yet of her career.

Sooner or later somebody had to make mention of the enormous debt that Lou Ann Barton owes to Wanda Jackson. I got tired of waiting.

simply the best...........and now more of the best...rock on! wanda. the next inductee into the country and rock hall of fame.??????

I love this CD! Wanda Jackson does rockabilly like no one else can!
Such excitement and twang it's absolutely the best I ever heard!
I cannot believe you can buy it for this price! Just get it, now!
Rock on Wanda!!! You blew me away with this CD! You are Great!