The Best of Ronnie Hawkins & the Hawks

Ronnie Hawkins

Product Details

• Audio CD (June 12, 1990)
• Original Release Date: June 1990
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Rhino / Wea
• ASIN: B0000032SW
• Also Available in: Audio Cassette
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #36,704 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Track Listings

1. Thirty Days [#]

2. Forty Days

3. Mary Lou

4. Wild Little Willy

5. Oh Sugar [*]

6. One of These Days

7. Dizzy Miss Lizzy [*]

8. Odessa

9. Sick and Tired

10. Baby Jean - Ronnie Hawkins, Ronnie Hawkins & the Hawks

11. Come Love [*]

12. Hey Boba Lou [*]

13. Ruby Baby

14. Bo Diddley

15. Clara

16. I Feel Good

17. Who Do You Love?

18. Down in the Alley

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Ronnie Hawkins had to strain a bit to find the edge that came naturally for the likes of Gene Vincent and, for the most part, worked outside the U.S. star-making circuit for most his career. Hence, he became the quintessential journeyman. Indeed, Hawkins is now better known as the man who first brought together the Band (as one version of his fluctuating backup group, the Hawks) than as a recording artist who charted a few times in the late '50s before settling in as a club favorite in Canada, which is where he came upon Robbie Robertson, Richard Manual, Garth Hudson, and Rick Danko. (Levon Helm, like Hawkins an Arkansas native, was already a Hawk when the others joined.) This 18-track retrospective ranges from 1959 to 1970 and offers up Hawkins's smattering of minor hits ("Forty Days," "Mary Lou," "Wild Little Willy"). It's highlighted, however, by 1963's "Who Do You Love," which is dominated by Robertson's incendiary guitar and inspired playing by the rest of the Hawks, who'd soon go from playing juke joints to backing Bob Dylan at concert halls. --Steven Stolder

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Genesis of the greatest rock and roll band ever, July 28, 1999

By A Customer

I first heard Ronnie Hawkins and the Hawks live at the Rockwood Club in Fayetteville, Arkansas some 35 years ago. This band went on to become, minus their lead singer Ronnie Hawkins, the greatest rock and roll band ever, The Band, featured in Martin Scorsese's film, "The Last Waltz." This album captures that incredible sound that started so long ago and features great riffs from the best lead guitar player I have ever heard, Robbie Robertson. From "Forty Days" to "Who Do You Love", this album, perhaps more than any other, portrays the true sound of what become known as Southern rock, even though all the guys were from Canada except for Levon Helm. This is an album every serious collector of rock and roll and the origins of rock and roll should have.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Far too restrained, but not without his moments, August 14, 2005

By	TimothyFarrell22 (Massachusetts) - See all my reviews

Today, Ronnie Hawkins is best known as the man whose self-formed backup musicians later became rock legends The Band, and he may as well be. Hawkins is a bit bland and too restrained to be considored a great rockabilly artist. He lacks the menacing edge of Gene Vincent and Eddie Cochran, and he had only a few memorable songs. Too little, too late, as Hawkins came late when the rockabilly craze was dying down. It was an honorable move to try to keep the purest form of rock 'n' roll there ever was alive, but Hawkins just didn't have what it took to make the move. The main detractor was his voice, which wasn't good, not even in the untraditional rock 'n' roll way. It isn't bad on some tracks, but is a major annoyance on others. All in all, this was a respectable rock 'n' roller who had his moments, but not enough of them. The better tracks on this album are, however, quite good and the rockabilly enthusiast may pick up the compilation for those tracks. His opening Berry covers are fun, and while they aren't a match to the originals, they are better than anything Brian Setzer has produced. "One of These Days" has some very cool riffs and should've been a bigger hit than it was. The highlight of the collection is definatly "Who Do You Love". Its obvious from this cover that early on Robbie Robertson is a godly guitarist. The riffing and soloing are amazing, and the early use of distortion is fantastic. This compilation may be worth buying for rockabilly fans who already have the essentials. However, if you are new to the genre, pick up some Gene Vincent or Link Wray instead.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars My uncle David Stevens calls him "THE HAWK" of all-time!, August 7, 1999

By A Customer

The ultimate collection by the greatest ballad legends from the history of country music with all of his favorite fifties and sixtiesclassic hits like "Forty Days", "Who Do You Love" and"Mary Lou". Actually speaking on my uncle's behalf he is from Winnipeg, Manitoba. To his own review and taste of music opinion here to give for imformation on Ronnie Hawkins he's know well!