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Pat Boone
The Drugstore's Rockin'
A recent Bear Family comp collected Pat’s rock ’n’ roll cuts; this one spotlights the ballads and teen-idol pop smashes plus rarely reissued album tracks! A 48-page booklet with unseen photos, biography and discography joins his Top 10s 'Love Letters in the Sand; April Love; I Almost Lost My Mind' (those were his three biggest hits); 'Don’t Forbid Me; A Wonderful Time up There; I’ll Be Home; Friendly Persuasion', and 'Remember You’re Mine' plus 'For a Penny; Gee Whittakers!; Bernadine', and 24 more.
$ 22.98
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Bobby Charles
See You Later, Alligator
Underappreciated as a singer but revered as a songwriter, this New Orleans legend (who died recently) saw his tunes taken on by Fats Domino, Bill Haley, Clarence “Frogman” Henry, Joe Cocker, Lou Rawls…the list goes on. This first complete collection of his Chess sides includes his hits 'Later Alligator' and 'Only Time Will Tell'; his original versions of 'Don’t You Know I Love You (You Know I Love You); On Bended Knee; I’m a Fool to Care'…28 in all!
$ 22.98
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Eddie Cochran
Rocks
Most Cochran collections dip into the hillbilly tunes, instrumentals and ballads; this one does just one thing, from track one to track 35: rocks! His original undubbed versions of 'Skinny Jim; Twenty Flight Rock; Blue Suede Shoes', and 'Long Tall Sally' join his signature smashes 'Summertime Blues' and 'C’mon Everybody'; posthumously released gems ('Nervous Breakdown; Let’s Get Together; Teenage Heaven; My Way'); rare alternate, overdubbed and movie versions, and more.
ON SALE!
$ 26.98
$ 24.98
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Gene Vincent
Gene Rocks
His finest single-disc distillation yet! These are only the leanest, meanest cuts by one of rock ’n’ roll’s original wild men; the massively influential guitar leads of Cliff Gallup blaze away as you hear the immortal 'Be-Bop-A-Lula'; the hits 'Race with the Devil; Lotta Lovin’', and 'Dance to the Bop', plus 'Bluejean Bop; Cruisin’; I Got a Baby; Crazy Legs; Woman Love; I Flipped; Pink Thunderbird; Cat Man; Bop Street; Flea Brain; Git It; Say Mama; Baby Blue'…30 tracks!
ON SALE!
$ 26.98
$ 24.98
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Dean Martin
Everybody Loves Somebody
After 13 years on Capitol, Dino showed his love for his Rat Pack pal in ’62 by decamping for Frank Sinatra’s Reprise label. He was rewarded by a long string of hits; the title #1 smash joins his hits 'Let the Good Times In; Lay Some Happiness on Me; Little Ole Wine Drinker, Me; Not Enough Indians; You’ve Still Got a Place in My Heart', and 'I Take a Lot of Pride in What I Am'; his own spins on 'I Walk the Line; Corrine, Corrina; Hey, Good Lookin’; Release Me'…85 of his finest Reprise tracks, the best collection available anywhere in the world!
ON SALE!
$ 24.98
$ 19.98
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Hedy West & Bill Clifton
Getting Folk Out Of The Country
Folk-scene fixture Hedy West and bluegrass legend Bill Clifton (who organized the very first bluegrass festival) met in a London studio in ’72 to record this much-talked-about album. It originally came out on Folk Variety and soon afterwards on Bear Family; listen as they join forces for utterly charming renditions of 'Free Little Bird; Maid on the Shore; Whitehouse Blues; Little Sadie; Angel Band; Blow Ye Gentle Winds; Pit Me All Day', and more!
$ 22.98
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Carl Smith
Hey Joe!: Gonna Shake This Shack Tonight
Carl Smith was a red-hot honky tonk singer, one of the first to use drums in his regular show, who often charted the wild side of life. Hey Joe!, his volume in the uptempo country boogie series Gonna Shake This Shack Tonight, includes 34 nuggets, virtually all of them from the mid- to late '50s except for a chugging 1960 cover of Eddie Cochran's "Cut Across Shorty." Rock fans may not find as much here to love as on a regular Carl Smith hits compilation, since Smith often led with a fiddle and left his guitar in the background, and even for country fans, it doesn't function as a greatest-hits compilation; aside from "Loose Talk" and the title track, his other hits were tear-jerkers or ballads. But Smith had few equals when it came to honky tonk in the '50s, and this is an excellent compilation of fun-loving tracks for those who want to hear more but don't feel like shelling out for the typical Bear Family box set. ~ John Bush, Rovi
$ 22.98
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Buck Owens
Open Up Your Heart: The Buck Owens & The Buckaroos Recordings 1965-1968
Performers: Earl Poole Ball - Celeste, Harpsichord, Piano; The Jordanaires - Choir, Chorus; Anita Kerr - Choir, Chorus; Walter Rower - Cello; Jelly Sanders - Fiddle, Guitar; Jeffrey Solow - Cello; Donald "Don Rich" Eugen Ulrich - Fiddle, Fuzz Guitar, Guitar (Acoustic), Guitar (Electric), Gut String Guitar, National Steel Guitar, Vocal Harmony, Vocals; Jerry Wiggins - Bells, Drums, Tambourine; Murray Adler - Violin; Chuck Andell - Violin; Billy Armstrong - Violin; Israel Baker - Violin; Arnold Belnick - Violin; Hixon Boranian - Violin; Tom Brumley - Guitar (Steel); Albert "Al Bruno" Bruneau - Guitar, National Steel Guitar; Ivy J. "Jimmy" Bryant - Guitar; Buddy Alan Owens - Vocals; James Burton - Guitar (Electric); Willie Cantu - Drums, Tambourine; Bert Dodson - Bass, Guitar; Assa Drori - Violin; Donald Frost - Percussion; James Getzoff - Violin; Glen D. Hardin - Piano; Doyle Floyd Hendricks - Guitar, Vocal Harmony; Lou Klass - Violin; William Kurasch - Violin; Buck Owens - Guitar, Guitar (Electric), Vocals; Susan Raye - Vocals; Henry Roth - Violin; Billy Sampson - Guitar; Jimmy Eugene Seals - Guitar; Sidney Sharp - Violin; Red Simpson - Guitar; Albert Steinberg - Violin; Fiddlin' Kate Warren - Violin; Jacky Wayne Wilson - Guitar; Lawrence "Red" Wooten - Bass; Billy Wright - Violin
ON SALE!
$ 194.98
$ 169.98
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Various Artists
Next Stop Vietnam: War On Record (13 Cd / Book)
Bear Family once again presents an entire college course masquerading as a boxed set with 'Next Stop Vietnam', the German label’s look at the Vietnam conflict’s impact on American society, an impact that reverberates to this day. Ranging from topical songs of the day to key sections of speeches addressing the war to latter-day reflections on its fallout, this monumental, 13-CD set includes a full 334 tracks plus a 400-page hardcover book that includes an essay on the war by Lois T. Vietri, an oral history by Doug Bradley and Craig Warner, artist profiles, photos, lyrics and much more. Among the audio nuggets, many sad, some sublime: 'Eve of Destruction' Barry McGuire; 'Masters of War' Bob Dylan; “Ike Warns of a Military/Industrial Complex”; 'Fightin’ for the U.S.A.' Jerry Reed; 'Ballad of the Green Berets' Ssgt. Barry Sadler; 'Gallant Men' Senator E.M. Dirksen; 'The Draft Dodger Rag' Phil Ochs; “Attacks in the Gulf of Tonkin/Resolution” President Lyndon Baines Johnson; 'An Open Letter to My Teenage Son' Victor Lundberg; 'Kill for Peace' Fugs; 'Simple Song of Freedom' Tim Hardin; “Bums on Campus...” President Richard M. Nixon; 'Waist Deep in Big Muddy' Pete Seeger; 'War' Edwin Starr; 'Lay Down (Candles in the Rain)' Melanie; 'It’s America, Love It or Leave It' Ernest Tubb; 'The Fightin’ Side of Me' Merle Haggard; 'Day for Decision' Johnny Sea; “Report on My Lai” Mike Wallace & Paul Meadlo; 'The Unknown Soldier' Doors; 'Galveston' Glen Campbell; 'Singing in Viet Nam Talking Blues' Johnny Cash; 'Give Peace a Chance' Plastic Ono Band; 'Winding the War Down' Stan Freberg; 'Sam Stone' John Prine; “Jane Fonda Talks about Her Trip to North Vietnam”; 'More Than a Name on the Wall' Statler Brothers; 'Copperhead Road' Steve Earle; 'Some Gave All' Billy Ray Cyrus; 'I-Feel-Like-I’m-Fixin’-to-Die-Rag' Country Joe & the Fish, and more.
ON SALE!
$ 289.98
$ 249.98
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The Big Bopper
Hellooo Baby!: You Know What I Like!
The ultimate tribute to the brief life and boisterous baritone of this rock ’n’ roll trailblazer. A 52-page booklet joins Big Bopper’s hits 'Chantilly Lace; Big Bopper’s Wedding', and 'Little Red Riding Hood'; his version of the smash he wrote for George Jones, 'White Lightning', and more of his best and rarest plus tributes and sequel songs by Eddie Cochran ('Three Stars'), Ray Campi ('The Man I Met'), Jayne Mansfield ('That Makes It')…31 tracks!
$ 22.98
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Various Artists
American Folk And Country Music Festival
Horst Lippmann and Fritz Rau began organizing their American Blues and Jazz Festivals in 1962, bringing to Europe American blues and jazz players for a series of successful tours, and in the early spring of 1966 Lippmann and Rau switched gears a bit and brought over a package of the New Lost City Ramblers, the Stanley Brothers & the Clinch Mountain Band, Cyp Landreneau's Cajun Band, Cousin Emmy, and Roscoe Holcomb, billing it as the American Folk and Country Music Festival. Although it was somewhat less fiscally viable than the blues and jazz fests, it was certainly a varied and rewarding show, and thankfully several of the stops were recorded, leading to this wonderful two-disc set featuring generous selections from all of the participating artists. Among the high points are a haunting, high lonesome version by Roscoe Holcomb of "East Virginia Blues," the New Lost City Ramblers' take on "Coo Coo Bird" (based, obviously, on Clarence Ashley's famous arrangement of the song), Cyp Landreneau's bayou meets gypsy sound on "La Danse du Lac Charles," the harmonica and banjo playing of Cousin Emmy, and the sleek yet rustic sound of the Stanley Brothers on "Riding on That Midnight Train," which, while it is definitely bluegrass in approach, still has an old-timey string band feel to it. Lovingly assembled like all of the Bear Family's remarkable box sets, and generously annotated, American Folk and Country Music Festival is both a valuable historical document and a fun, even revelatory, listen. ~ Steve Leggett, All Music GuidePerformers: Don Miller - Fiddle; Ralph Stanley - Banjo, Vocals; John Cohen - Vocals; Tracy Schwarz - Vocals; Mike Seeger - Vocals; George Shuffler - Guitar
ON SALE!
$ 89.98
$ 74.98
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Various Artists
All We Wanna Do Is Rock!
Bear Family ROCKS! Well, of course they do! The ROCKS! series is one of Bear Family's most successful-ever series! This low-price sampler is drawn from across the series. Only the price is cheap. Mastering, sound, packaging are all up to Bear Family's industry-acclaimed standards! -- In 2002, Bear Family started its highly acclaimed ROCKS! series featuring artists you'd expect (Bill Haley, Jerry Lee Lewis, Eddie Cochran, Gene Vincent...etc.) together with some artists you might not expect (Pat Boone, Bobby Darin, Roy Orbison, Charlie Rich...etc.). Showcasing the series' unbelievably high standard, Bear Family has created a sampler from across the full range of 36 CDs. Some of the artists might not leap to mind as rockers, but one thing is for sure: On this CD they ROCK! Listening to this CD is like listening to the world's greatest jukebox or the universe's best radio station. This is truly the bop that never stops!
$ 7.98
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Ramblin' Jack Elliott
At Lansdowne Studios, London
Ramblin' Jack Elliott found a warm welcome when he began touring England and the continent in 1955, first as a solo act (on a scooter, with his wife in tow) and later with the banjo player Derroll Adams, and he soon discovered that audiences were more appreciative (and that busking was more lucrative) compared to America (this despite the fact that English critics were as quick as Americans to note his uncanny similarity to Woody Guthrie). After recording several sessions for Topic (including the delightful Rambling Boys) he later signed a contract with Denis Preston and the English Columbia label, for which he recorded some of the best material of his career, a series of LPs beginning with Ramblin' Jack Elliott in London. The exhaustive Bear Family collection At Lansdowne Studios, London contains material from that LP and another, the tribute record Sings Songs by Woody Guthrie and Jimmie Rodgers, plus early duets with Derroll Adams. Far more than just a Woody Guthrie clone, Elliott began revealing his deep knowledge of American folksong, a strain that looked far west to include plenty of strong cowboy songs and his strident yodel. He also showed more of his fine sense of humor and laid-back charm (which, granted, had easily been evident from Topic recordings as well). Elliott's later material for the U.S. Vanguard label was excellent as well, but this was the beginning of his legend on record. Also, fans of '50s and '60s British roots will be pleased to find Alexis Korner present on most of these sessions. ~ John Bush, RoviPerformers: Ramblin' Jack Elliott - Guitar, Vocals
$ 22.98
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Various Artists
Dim Lights, Thick Smoke And Hillbilly Music: 1951
Hits by Tennessee Ernie ('The Shotgun Boogie'), Hank Snow ('Golden Rocket'), Hank Williams ('Cold, Cold Heart') and Lefty Frizzell ('Always Late') join a slew of compelling rarities. The Pinetoppers’ original version of 'Mockin’ Bird Hill' is here along with Bill Haley’s 'Rocket 88' and the Stewart Family’s original version of the country and soul hit 'Just Out of Reach (of My Two Empty Arms)'. 29 tracks!
ON SALE!
$ 28.98
$ 23.18
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Various Artists
Dim Lights, Thick Smoke And Hillbilly Music: 1952
Lots of classic hits here: 'High Noon' Tex Ritter; 'Wild Side of Life' Hank Thompson; 'It Wasn’t God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels' Kitty Wells; 'Jambalaya' Hank Williams; 'Indian Love Call' Slim Whitman, and more. The rare offerings include Lattie Moore’s proto-rockabilly 'Juke Joint Johnny'; Doye O’Dell’s early trucking classic 'Diesel Smoke'; Slim Willet’s original 'Don’t Let the Stars Get in Your Eyes'…26 tracks!
ON SALE!
$ 28.98
$ 23.18
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Various Artists
The Sound Of Tiki
'The Book of Tiki' author Sven Kirsten curated this musical journey through Polynesian pop: 17 esoteric mood pieces and swinging lounge songs plus a 52-page booklet to help take you to far-off tropical places! Includes 'Aku Aku' Martin Denny; 'Bird of Paradise' Les Baxter; 'Taboo Tu' Arthur Lyman; 'Bamboo' Surfmen; 'Hawaii 5-0/Quiet Village' Don Ho; 'Hawaiian Eye' Buddy Morrow; 'House of Bamboo' (1958) Andy Williams; 'Tiki' Martin Denny/Si Zentner, and more.
ON SALE!
$ 26.98
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The Treniers
Rock
They were jumpin’ and jivin’, but the Treniers were also rockin’ and rollin’ before the term was even around. No early-’50s band swung harder than the Treniers; their first cross-licensed collection also features Mil Trenier’s hottest solo sides…you get 32 tracks and a 64-page booklet! Their hit 'Go! Go! Go' joins 'Hadacole That’s All; Poon-Tang!; Everything’s Wild in Wildwood; Rockin’ Is Our Bizness; Rock-A-Beatin’ Boogie; Rock ’n’ Roll Call; Cool It Baby; Oh! Oh! (Get Out of the Car)', and more.
ON SALE!
$ 26.98
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Various Artists
Smoke That Cigarette: Pleasure To Burn
Smoking cigarettes used to be as American as apple pie. Ah, but times change. Now smoking is akin to working a street corner in a dubious profession. Soon, one suspects, only musicians will light up -- and with public smoking bans in place everywhere, they’ll have to do it in the back alley. But that won’t be new. Musicians have been smoking in back alleys since time began, as this fun 32-track sampler of songs from Bear Family’s vast back catalog makes clear. Cigarettes are rich in metaphor, standing in for romance, loneliness, restless nights, and frustration, among other things, in these songs. Things start off here with a giant cough that then spills over into Jimmy Martin’s talking bluegrass take of “I Can’t Quit Cigarettes” before proceeding through smoking songs of every style and genre, from the country wryness of Roger Miller’s “Dad Blame Anything a Man Can’t Quit” to the lush, sexy crooning of Peggy Lee’s “Don’t Smoke in Bed,” Paul Clayton’s folk narrative “My Last Cigarette,” and Frank Sinatra’s urbane “These Foolish Things.” Times do change, and if the public attitude toward smoking and smokers has turned to the seamy, back-alley side of things, people -- particularly musicians -- are still going to do what they feel they need to do to pull themselves together. Life gets hard sometimes and sometimes you just have to lean on something. Marty Robbins sums it up best here in his “Cigarettes and Coffee Blues”: "Wonderin’ how our love went wrong/Wonderin’ who’s to blame/Listenin’ while the jukebox/Plays a song that makes me blue/Another cup of coffee/And a cigarette or two." ~ Steve Leggett, Rovi
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Various Artists
Dim Lights, Thick Smoke And Hillbilly Music: 1953
Hank Williams’ immortal 'Your Cheatin’ Heart' joins the hits 'A Fool Such As I' Hank Snow; 'You All Come' Arlie Duff; 'I Forgot More Than You’ll Ever Know' Davis Sisters; 'Mexican Joe' Jim Reeves, and 'There Stands the Glass' Webb Pierce. You also get Johnny Bond’s 'Let Me Go Devil' (the original version of 'Let Me Go Lover'); Tommy Duncan’s original country version of 'Hound Dog'; Darrell Glenn’s original 'Crying in the Chapel', and more. 28 songs!
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$ 28.98
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Various Artists
Dim Lights, Thick Smoke And Hillbilly Music: 1954
Some very interesting hits here: Stuart Hamblen’s original 'This Ole House'; Eddy Arnold’s original 'I Really Don’t Want to Know'; Ray Price’s early version of 'Release Me', and Hank Snow’s 'I Don’t Hurt Any More'. Rare cuts include Sonny Burns’ honky-tonk classic 'Too Hot to Handle'; Terry Fell’s original 'Truck Drivin’ Man'…28 tracks!
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$ 28.98
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Various Artists
Dim Lights, Thick Smoke And Hillbilly Music: 1955
Webb Pierce’s biggest hit, 'In the Jailhouse Now', joins Johnny Cash’s first hit, 'Cry! Cry! Cry!'; Fess Parker’s original 'Ballad of Davy Crockett'; Tennessee Ernie’s 'Sixteen Tons'; Faron Young’s 'Live Fast, Love Hard, Die Young', and Porter Wagoner’s original hit version of 'Satisfied Mind'. Also: George Jones’ 'Why Baby Why' (first reissue unedited); Arthur Smith’s 'Feudin’ Banjos' (the original 'Dueling Banjos'); Jimmy Dean’s 'Big Blue Diamonds'…31 tracks!
ON SALE!
$ 28.98
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Various Artists
John Wayne's West - In Music & Poster Art (10 Cd/1 Dvd)
Thirty years after his death, John Wayne remains among the top three most popular American film stars of all time, and it’s not just because of his acting—Wayne has become a larger-than-life symbol for the can-do spirit of America. Now, the German (!) label Bear Family has assembled the ultimate audio tribute to the Duke, a 10-CD/1 DVD box set that includes original music from over 70 of his films, including such classics as 'The Searchers, The Alamo, The Sons of Katie Elder, True Grit, The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance, Rooster Cogburn, Rio Bravo, She Wore a Yellow Ribbon, McLintock, Fort Apache, Angel and the Badman' and many more, featuring such performers as the Sons of the Pioneers, the Limeliters, Glen Campbell, Ed Ames, Johnny Cash, Marty Robbins and many more. Plus, the set includes songs inspired by John Wayne’s movies, such as Gene Pitney’s 'The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance' and Frankie Avalon’s 'The Ballad of the Alamo', while the accompanying DVD features trailers from such films as 'Stagecoach, Three Godfathers, Rio Grande, The Searchers, The Undefeated, Cahill, United States Marshal, Rio Lobo, Hondo, The Comancheros' and many more. But all of that is perhaps mere prelude for the 464-page collector’s edition hardcover book that is the centerpiece of this set. It features a biography of Wayne by noted movie historian Richard W. Bann and several hundred posters assembled from collectors all over the world as well as lobby cards and stills, reproduced in lustrous color. If you’re a John Wayne fan, it doesn’t get any better than this!
10 CD/1 DVD/1 BOOK
ON SALE!
$ 289.98
$ 249.98
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Doris Day
Secret Love [Bear Family]
The second of Bear Family Records four-box survey of Doris Day's music is not quite as strong or interesting as its predecessor, which is not to say that it doesn't have some great moments, in jazz as well as pop. The 1951 vintage material here is not too far removed from the sophisticated pop and vocal jazz that Day was doing in the late '40s -- indeed, listening to this set's first CD, one realizes that it could easily have been folded into the preceding It's Magic box. But before long, Columbia Records seems to have directed her into a more mainstream pop approach and repertory, and while Day's style is almost always intriguing enough to justify giving her a lesson, she simply isn't pushing very hard the way she seemed to be on her earlier sides. There are also various duets amid the nearly six hours of music here, with Frankie Laine, Donald O'Connor, Danny Thomas, and Johnnie Ray, of which the latter are the most satisfying, although all display some measure of charm. Still, the sad truth is that generally, as the early '50s wound into the mid-'50s, Day's output became less inventive and ambitious. The big exception, fortunately for owners of this set, comes on disc five, which is given over to the recordings that she made in connection with the movie Love Me or Leave Me, in which she performs the repertory associated with singer Ruth Etting -- this is as good as it was going to get for Day at this point in her career, almost the equivalent for her of what Blue Rose (which was done at just about the same time, curiously enough) was for her Columbia Records labelmate Rosemary Clooney. These songs recall the hot Doris Day of the prior decade, and shake the entire set out of its cutesy pop doldrums. The sound, as one would expect, is superb, and the annotation is extremely thorough, with a full sessionography contained within a very handsome LP-size hardcover book that is profusely illustrated. ~ Bruce Eder, All Music GuidePerformers: Doris Day - Vocals
$ 119.98
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Johnny Horton
The Ballads Of Johnny Horton
During his brief career, Johnny Horton was a singer of exceptional range, knocking out great sides no matter whether they were honky tonk, rockabilly, traditional country, boogie, country-pop or, as is the focus of this Bear Family collection, ballads. (One of his most famous songs is a ballad, a pristine yet haunted version of "Lost Highway" that ranks as one of the most otherworldly sides ever waxed in Nashville.) This is, admittedly, a one-sided portrait of Horton. The Ballads of Johnny Horton misses his first-rate uptempo material like "Honky Tonk Man," focuses almost entirely on B-sides that rarely equaled their better-known flipsides, and oddly, it excludes most of his historical ballads (many of which were hits). Still, for those who look at Horton (correctly) as one of the five or six best voices in country music history and want a great rarities collection without shelling out for a box set, there's a parade of solid material here. As for classics, "Lost Highway" is present, as are two big hits, "When It's Springtime in Alaska (It's Forty Below)" and "North to Alaska." From there, the obscurities outnumber the well-known songs, including a few historical songs ("Comanche [The Brave Horse]," "Johnny Reb," "Jim Bridger") and several tragic-romance stories ("Everytime I'm Kissing You," "Meant So Little to You," "All for the Love of a Girl"). ~ John Bush, Rovi
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$ 26.98
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Connie Francis
White Sox, Pink LIPSTICK...AND Stupid Cupid: Connie Francis In The 1950s
Anyone who thinks they appreciate Connie Francis probably doesn't know half of what she could do as a singer -- this five-CD box will set them straight. The revelation of disc one lies in the fact that the three included demos and the other "failures" from her early career are all worthwhile, even inspired recordings. Francis had a superb voice, richly emotive and evocative, with an alluringly delicate enunciation when she wanted it. Listening to these sides today, one hears an extraordinary talent that was ignored until "Who's Sorry Now." After that, things really get going, because Francis was working under a contract that nobody -- not even Frank Sinatra -- had: the right to choose her own material. Disc two picks up her career after the explosive success of "Who's Sorry Now"; these are more confident performances, and reveal Francis as not only a dazzlingly talented singer but an excellent judge of songs and arrangements. Disc three showcases Francis' efforts in the long-player market, where she was really aiming her best work. The outstanding material here is the product of her February 1959 New York sessions and the sessions a month later at Abbey Road in London; here she's starting to sound like a female analog to Sinatra, just when Sinatra was at his coolest and swinging-est. But at this point, it was the rock & roll singles that were moving, and she cut a whole album of standards in that genre, represented on Disc four; also featured are her country sides. Disc five is mostly made up of unissued tracks and various alternate takes. They're all first-rate, and a few should have been hits and could have redefined her career. The lavish booklet and the detailed notes and sessionography cap this reissue, which puts Polygram's efforts with Francis to shame. ~ Bruce Eder, All Music GuidePerformers: Connie Francis - Vocals
$ 99.98
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Uncle Dave Macon
Keep My Skillet Good & Greasy
This features "All in Down & Out Blues," "I'll Tickle Nancy, " "Cumberland Mountain Deer Race, " and others. ~ All Music Guide, All Music GuidePerformers: Sid Harkreader - Fiddle, Guitar, Vocals; Uncle Dave Macon - Banjo, Guitar, Handclapping, Speech/Speaker/Speaking Part, Vocals; Kirk McGee - Banjo, Fiddle, Guitar, Mandolin, Vocals; Sam McGee - Banjo, Guitar, Vocals; Mazy Todd - Fiddle; Alton Delmore - Guitar, Vocals; Rabon Delmore - Guitar, Vocals; Dorris Macon - Guitar, Vocals; Smoky Mountain Glenn Stagner - Guitar, Vocals
ON SALE!
$ 316.98
$ 249.98
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Bob Luman
10 Years: 1968-1977
Somewhere between Elvis Country and Waylon Jennings resides Bob Luman, a former rock & roll artist who turned to country and enjoyed a healthy string of hits. This five-disc box set compiles everything Luman recorded for Epic and Polydor from 1968 until his death, including 30 Top 100 country hits. Except for a few K-Tel re-recordings, this box set is a complete chronicle of the last years of Luman's career. Luman was very consistent, the box and hardbound book are beautiful, and there are many lost gems on this set, but only the most ardent collector will shell out the high price for this import set. ~ Greg Adams, All Music Guide
ON SALE!
$ 139.98
$ 99.98
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Curley Williams & His Georgia Peach Pickers
Half As Much
Half as Much is part two in a two-volume series that compiles Curley Williams' complete Columbia recordings. It picks up in 1949 where the first volume, Just a-Pickin' and a-Singin', leaves off, and continues to the end of Williams' tenure with the label in 1952. A smattering of alternate takes dating back to 1946 are included at the end of the program to fill out the disc. Williams was reputedly a notoriously -- even comically -- slow talker, which may help explain why the pace of his recordings is strangely relaxed for a string dance band. The anesthetized performances undercut novelties such as "Honey Do You Love Me -- Huh?" and "No Not Now," which should be sprightlier. Instead, there are moments when it seems as if Williams recorded his music moments before the sleeping pills took effect. Williams is known, above all, for composing the song "Half as Much," a hit for Hank Williams and Rosemary Clooney, and Curley's original version from 1951 appears on this anthology. Unfortunately, it is an unremarkable rendition of more historical interest than anything. Curley collaborated with Hank Williams on occasion, too, co-writing the two aforementioned novelty songs. Adding to the value for Hank Williams completists, the anthology presents a rare demo from 1949 of Hank and Curley singing "No Not Now." Like the first volume, Half as Much contains a variety of instrumentals, boogies, ballads, and novelties with a regional sensibility reflected in the many prominent references to Southern states. A telling quotation printed on the back of the CD package suggests that Mitch Miller, Columbia's A&R man, had never heard of Curley Williams even though Curley had been a Columbia recording artist for seven years. It may be tempting to interpret that remark as evidence of Miller's failure to recognize great talent, but it is more likely evidence of the unexceptional character of Williams' catalog. ~ Greg Adams, All Music GuidePerformers: Harold Hensley - Fiddle; Marion Z. "Pee Wee" Adams - Drums; Owen Bradley - Piano; Farris Coursey - Drums; Jack Ford - Guitar; "Papa" John Gordy - Piano; Jesse Tiny Kennedy - Guitar (Steel); Jack Pruett - Guitar (Electric); Jack Shook - Guitar, Guitar (Rhythm); Teddy K. Wilds - Guitar, Guitar (Electric)
ON SALE!
$ 23.98
$ 19.66
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Orbison
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Roy Orbison
ON SALE!
$ 249.98
$ 174.98
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