Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Let's rock again now!, August 27, 2005
Its a shame that Gene Vincent isn't often mentioned in the same sentence as Elvis or Buddy Holly. He has been criminally overlooked for too long. This is probably due to the fact he only had a few hits, and never had any weak wimpy ballad crap. This is nothing but pure 100% rockabilly rebel music, a perfect example of why the music was so feared by conservative America, and with perfect reason. It was so much of a change from the Perry Como / Bing Crosby pop drivel that had ruled the charts for so long. Even more terrifying than Elvis the Pelvis was definatly Gene Vincent. Only Jerry Lee Lewis and Eddie Cochran challenge him for pure rockabilly rebellion. His influence can be found in many artist's afterwards - notably Jeff Beck, who acknowledges Gene as his primary inspiration for picking up the guitar. I can imagine The Beatles and Brian Setzer also being major fans as this is rock 'n' roll in its purest form. Three chords, catchy, rebellious, dangerous, sexy, dancable, teen angst - rock 'n' roll personified. You must buy this compilation, there is so much more to the man than just "Be-Bop-A-Lula". Also pick up his first two studio albums - two of the best records to come out of the first wave of rock. Let's rock again now!
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14 of 16 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Primal Rock 'n' Roll...Git It!, April 23, 2005
I agree with the fundamentalists: rock `n' roll is the devil's music ... but only when it's done correctly. Gene Vincent did it correctly, by God, and nowhere is that more evident than on his seminal Capitol recordings of 1956 (17 songs of which are featured here). Vincent's singing was carnal, lusty, subversive; his lyrics suggestive, particularly the way he delivered them, as if to purposefully torment the fathers of teen girls everywhere. He was blessed with a stunning voice and delivery, and used it to celebrate the "rock `n' roll" in all its original fury and rebellion.
But the exceptional singing is only half the story in this vivid musical picture. Unlike many of his contemporaries, Vincent had a working band - The Blue Caps - who not only toured, but recorded with him (as opposed to studio musicians). Nearly fifty years and a million rock bands later, the Blue Caps stand out as one of the very, very best. Guitarist Cliff Gallup displays a level of virtuosity in these recordings - from his ridiculously imaginative note selection, speed of light picking, and jazzy rhythmic fills - that was virtually unheard of in rock till a decade later.
This is real rock `n' roll, son. Before greasers were replaced by teen idols. Before "Happy Days" and "Grease" and Sha na na tricked a nation into believing that the devil did not exist in 1950's America.
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12 of 14 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The poetic sound of 50s greaser cool!, December 29, 2005
This is the sound of 1950s greaser cool, the sound of rockabilly at its wildest and its very finest. Rockabilly, as played by the legendary Gene Vincent (and other contemporaries of his) combined the late 40s/early 50s R&B of the likes of Louis Jordan, country blues, bluegrass, and hillbilly boogie. It featured a slapping bass driven primal rhythm, as well as lots and lots of echo. The end result was a youth oriented sound, a music for dancing, for driving fast, for living fast, dying young, and leaving a good looking corpse, as the saying suggested.
On this wonderful compilation, we get the essence of Gene Vincent in all his 1950s rockabilly glory. He sings here about some of life's basics - like Pink Thunderbirds, meant to be driven fast, of course, or like how great pretty girls look in tight blue jeans.
And the lyrics. Wow they are great, going right to the point. For example:
"Well I wanna-wanna lotta-lotta lovin'
Well I wanna-wanna lotta-lotta huggin'
So baby can't you see that you were meant for me
I want your lovin', yes-a-ree."
"Well I wanna-wanna lotta-lotta huggin'
Well I wanna-wanna lotta-lotta kissin'
So baby please proceed to get the love I need
I want your lovin' yes indeed."
This, my fellow listeners, is practically sheer poetry. As is this:
"Well I've led an evil life, so they say
But I'll hide from the devil on judgement day"
Great stuff, indeed. A must for any serious student of rock and roll's magnificent history.
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~ Link Wray
~ Carl Perkins
~ Wanda Jackson
~ Various Artists - Rock - Rockabilly
~ Various Artists - Rock - Rockabilly
by Gene Vincent 
