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4.0 out of 5 stars
Once Again On Sun Records, September 23, 2008
This review is from: Sun Records: 25 More Blues Classics (Audio CD)
This is a second group of 25 songs that were either one shot johnnie hits, ignored or put in the vaults. I would argue that the first CDs 25 (that I have reviewed elsewhere in this space)are better and if you have only one choice get that one.
Most of the points that I have made in reviewing the fates of the rock and roll artists that passed through the portals of Sun Recording studio in my previous review apply here as well, except the obvious question of race both in how the artists were treated personally and financially by Phillips and the audiences that the artists could perform before that does not get dealt with adequately in the PBS documentary on the history of Sun Records except by Rufus Thomas in his fight to trace the roots of rock and roll back to the black musical influence. As to the present compilation some comments are worth mentioning. As with all such compilations there is some unevenness in the quality of performance.
Rufus Thomas on Save That Money is fine. As are the performances of Earl Hooker and James Cotton, Tops for me is Frankie Ballard's Trouble Down The Road. One should also note the house musicians like Billy Emerson (a fine artist in his own right) and hovering around on that old piano the late Ike Turner (can anyone forget his work on Rocket 88, not on this CD but get it). Mainly though the first volume of this series (25 Rare Blues Classics) is more varied and flows better. Here there is a fair amount of imitation of Muddy Water's and Howlin' Wolf's sound (not bad men to imitate, that is for sure) by musicians who for the most part like James Cotton and Walter Horton were just getting warmed up in their careers. They get better later.
I would add this note below that I am doing to all my Sun Record-related reviews from a review of a PBS special on Sun Studios because it is appropriate in virtually every instance.
A note on sound- no, not of this American Masters production which like virtually all PBS productions is technically of high quality. No, I am referring here to the sound in Sun Studio. I do not believe in ghosts or other such things but tell me this. Why, for example, does Johnny Cash in his Sun Records days sound like god's own creation when on work from other recordings I can take him or leave him? And that goes for Elvis, Carl, Jerry Lee and the others as well. The gods and goddesses of Rock and Roll-and the blues- were smiling on that joint- thanks.
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