Hank Ballad has one of the true great voices in rock. With his series of "Annie" songs, he got typecast into writing and recording upbeat dancers and shufflers, though he could still deliver bone-chilling ballads. King Records' executives weren't crazy when they made "Tear Drops on Your Letter" and "The Twist," its flip. The former is a riveting ballad with a hesitating, slow, deadly beat that locks you into
Ballard's delivery. Many of
Ballard's double-entendre songs are here, including the scandalous "Work With Me Annie," "Annie Had a Baby," and "Hoochie Coochie Coo." An excellent starter album for new
Hank Ballard fans; it's not definitive and doesn't contain his original version of "The Twist," but it contains goodies like "Let's Go, Let's Go, Let's Go," the sad, lamenting "In the Doorway Crying," and a scintillating "Kansas City" among the 20 tracks.