THE ORIGINAL ROCK 'N' ROLLERS

The Beatles didn't really invent rock 'n' roll. They popularised it and brought it to the masses. Before The   there were other legends prying their trades, most notably Chuck Berry who have been called the father of rock 'n' roll and the mild looking bespectacled but enormously talented Buddy Holly who was way ahead of his time and died way before his time. These two were guitar man.who epitomised the man with a guitar myth. And then there were the piano men. Of note were, Jerry Lee Lewis, who was once tipped to be the next big thing after Elvis Presley until his fall from grace and Little Richard and Fats Domino, all of whom were great forces to be reckoned with. There were the ones whom The Beatles crafted their initial sound after and here you will see why.

CHUCK BERRY. 20 SUPER HITS : The grandfather of Rock 'n' Roll. The one who started it all. Without him, there will probably be no Beatles, Elvis Presley, The Rolling Stones, etc. So credit must be given where credit is due. Mr. Chuck Berry. But somehow I don't quite particularity like Chuck Berry's version of his own songs. Great they undoubtedly are but they were too raw for my liking. I like my music full and not stripped to the bone if you catch my drift. The only Chuck Berry's song that I really like performed by him was ‘Sweet Little Sixteen' which was later rewritten by The Beach Boys as 'Surfin' USA'  They are all here. All the Chuck Berry songs that matter. ’Johnny B. Goode' , 'Roll Over Beethoven'  and ''Rock And Roll Music', the two Chuck Berry's songs that I first heard  from The Beatles. DOP : 24th June 1997.

BUDDY HOLLY GREATEST HITS : Now this one I like. Buddy Holly. Buddy Holly was a rock pioneer. He was one of the few rock singers who wrote their own songs and he have a whole lots of them which are still being covered by other artists today. Died in a plane crash at 22, he have only been recording for a mere two years. But curiously he seems to have a premonition of his death, cos when he died, he have been recording so furiously that he easily have enough materials and demos to fill several posthumous albums. Most of his songs I've first heard from other artists' version but I definitely like ' Everyday', ' I'm Gonna Love You , etc. The Beatles' recorded his 'Words Of Love‘ and their name were patterned after his group The Crickets. Buddy Holly was also credited with making John Lennon think it's okay to wear glasses in public.

One fine day quite a long time ago, after having played this CD, my wife was compelled to say, " That was quite nice". That, my friend, coming from someone who doesn't know The Beatles from The Osmonds, was high praise indeed. DOP : 16th February 1997.

ROCK 'N' ROLL SUPERSTAR. 3 COMPLETE ALBUMS BY : JERRY LEE LEWIS, LITTLE RICHARD, FATS DOMINO : I bought this CD 'cos of the ridiculously low price and also for the reputations that these 3 legends have acquired. I am not even familiar with their materials saved for a few of their tracks spread all over those compilation CD. So. I present to you three of the greatest singers and piano men of the pre Beatles ear.

Jerry Lee Lewis

CD 1 : JERRY LEE LEWIS : Not knowing what to expect, I was literally blown away by the first track ' Breathless'. It literally blow me away. The piano throbbing was fantastic. It left me wanting more. The recording for this track was clear too. The following tracks 'Great Balls Of Fire', Good Rocking Tonight', and the medley 'Flip, Flop And Fly / Shake, Rattle And Roll' was no less great but the sound is a big let down. 'You Win Again','Come On In'  and 'Honky Tonk Angels' shows Jerry's soft side. ' Whole Lotta Shaking Goin' On' could have been a great track but was again let down by bad sound as was the rest of the songs.. My verdict ? This was a greatly messed up opportunity. I wouldn't mind paying a bit more for better restoration of the sound but things being as they are, this is just a good album with great selections but inferior sound. As for the rest of the tracks, usually I just let them play on while I do my things, when a great track comes by, it will jotted me out of what I am doing and make me take notice but there's nothing here that's doing that.

Little Richard

CD 2 : LITTLE RICHARD : The second CD in the series fared much better in the sound department. The clarity is there. Opened with the much covered 'Lucille', followed by 'Tutti Frutti', 'Long Tall Sally' and 'Whole Lotta Shakin' , the great vibes just kept up. The song selections are not bad too. There's even a few instrumental 'Belle Stars' and 'Funky Dish Rag' abound. His version of 'Hound Dog' is quite tame compared to Elvis Presley's though. As I listened on, I realised that Little Richard does reminds me of  John Forgety of Creedence Clearwater Rivival. Guess John was influenced by him. 'Rip It Up','Ready Teddy' and 'Slippin' And Slidin' which I first heard from John Lennon was pure fun and a joy to dance to. John's version is more rowdy though and better to dance to.

Fats Domino

CD 3 : FATS DOMINO : Compared to Jerry Lee Lewis and Little Richard, Fats Domino is a much lay back performer. The kind of performers that your parents won't feel threaten. The first track 'I'm In Love Again' is a great song though not necessarily a good way to start an album. The musical background is playful like. 'My Blue Heaven' is a song I first heard as an instrumental way, way back. I find his version is better than Cliff Richard's. His version of 'Blueberry Hill' is chokeful of charms. Look at your girl's eyes while you are singing this to her. 'Honey Chile', 'When I See You' is no different. 'Wait And See' reminds me of his own 'Ain't That A Shame' which regretfully is not included here. I like 'Telling Lies' too.I have a soft spot for 'When The Saints Go Marching In' which I use to sing during my Hash House Harriet days.Overall, this is a nice CD to place in your player on a warm evening. Nothing offensives and all the tracks are listenable. Quite a numbers are memorable too. DOP : 23th March 2013.

THE VERY BEST OF BEN E. KING : Believe it or not, I got this little gem for a mere $9.90. There was a time I wanted to get this CD at it's original price of $45.90 but have decide against it 'cos I have a few of his biggest hits spread out in those compilation Cd's that I have. Still, this 16 tracks are a joy to listen to.  Apart from the obvious favourites, 'Stand By Me, ' Spanish Harlem,' 'Save The Last Dance For Me,' and 'Don't Play That Song [ You Lied]', we have Dance With Me' which I've first heard from Engelbert Humperdick, This Magic Moment,' and 'I Count The Tears' which was ripped off by The Grassroots on their 'Let's Live For Today.' Here was also the first time I've heard Ben E. King sings 'I [ Who Have Nothing ] which I first heard from Tom Jones. Definitely a  good buy.

DOP : 23th May 2013.