Germany's Bear Family label has created an amazing series in their
Blowing the Fuse project. Each volume features chart and jukebox sellers of all stripes of R&B, soul, and early rock & roll. From the looks of things, 1956 was a wild and woolly year with
Bo Diddley ("Pretty Thing"),
Chuck Berry ("Roll Over Beethoven"), and
Little Richard ("Rip It Up" and "Long Tall Sally") all making this set. But it's not all rock & roll.
Clyde McPhatter's "The Great Pretender" is here, as are
Ray Charles' "I'll Drown in My Tears" and
Howlin' Wolf's "Smokestack Lightnin'," just to name a few more. Also in the register are
James Brown's early soul with "Please, Please, Please" and
Big Joe Turner's proto-rock & roll/R&B hybrid "Boogie Woogie Country Girl," and there are two items that cannot be forgotten,
the Cadillacs' amazing "Speedoo" and
Little Willie John's classic of classics, "Fever." Add in fine sound (no "reprocessed for stereo" crap here), fine liner notes, and a handsome package. Along with the rest of the series, this is a must-own. Simply put, these are the best year-by-year compilations out there. ~ Thom Jurek