This collection of western swing workouts, guitar boogies and amped-up country and blues shuffles from the late '40s and early '50s illustrates once again that rock & roll didn't just come out of nowhere when
Elvis Presley first stepped to the microphone in
Sam Phillips' Sun Studios in Memphis in 1954. All of rock & roll's basic motifs are represented here, with
Bill Nettles' "Hadacol Boogie,"
Roy Newman's "Everybody's Trying to be My Baby,"
Merle Travis' "Merle's Boogie Woogie" and
Red Foley's "Tennessee Saturday Night" being particular standouts. ~ Steve Leggett