With a 24-CD box set series chronicling every single ever issued by
Sam Phillips, it would seem that an entry into Bear Family's label retrospective would seem unwarranted, but this volume adds some wild and very rare performances to the list, extending the history of Sun Records even further into sainthood. What we have aboard are alternate takes of rare singles (a blistering take of
Ray Harris' "Come on Little Mama,"
Johnny Powers' "Waitin' for You," a laid-back take of
Malcolm Yelvington's "Rockin' with My Baby," Gene Simmons' "Drinkin' Scotch," both sides of
Kenny Parchman's canceled Sun single), alternates of unissued material (
Jimmy Wages' "Mad Man,"
Sonny Burgess' "Ain't Gonna Do It,"
Tommy Blake's "You Better Believe It"), unissued sides that should have been singles (
Jimmy Haggett's "Rabbit Action,"
Barbara Pittman's "Sentimental Fool,"
Warren Smith's "Stop the World,"
Narvel Felts' "Cry, Baby, Cry"
Harold Jenkins [
Conway Twitty] doing "I Need Your Lovin' Kiss"), and four superb tracks from as many unidentified artists, making this a collection of Sun rarities well worth tracking down. ~ Cub Koda