Good Rockin' Tonight: The Legacy of Sun Records
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Music CD Cover
Edition: Music CDCD Release Date: 2001-10-30
Music Label: Rhino / Wea
Soundtracks:
- That's All Right Mama - Paul McCartney
- Mystery Train - Jeff Beck & Chrissie Hynde
- My Bucket's Got a Hole in It - Jimmy Page & Robert Plant
- Blue Suede Shoes - Johnny Hallyday
- Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On - Elton John
- Blue Moon of Kentucky - Tom Petty
- Sitting on Top of the World - Van Morrison & Carl Perkins
- Don't Be Cruel - Brian Ferry
- Red Cadillac and a Black Moustache - Bob Dylan
- Walkin' in the Rain - Eric Clapton
- Lonely Weekend - Matchbox 20
- Who Will the Next Fool Be? - Sheryl Crow
- It Wouldn't Be the Same Without You - Chris Isaak
- I Walk the Line - Live
- Drinkin' Wine Spo-Dee-O-Dee - The Howling Diablos & Kid Rock
- You Win Again - Mandy Barnett with the Jordanaires
Free Music Notes for Good Rockin' Tonight: The Legacy of Sun Records
Free Music Review: Blame It On Sam, Okay?
Hit: 4 Stars
I have already commented elsewhere in this space about the Public Broadcasting Service's American Masters 2001 production of Good Rockin' Tonight: The Legacy of Sun Records. Here we have a CD produced in tandem with that effort. And not just any old CD but a CD that has material covered by artists who either are in, will be in or are on a short list to be included in, some musical Hall of Fame. Strangely, when I first heard this CD I was put off by it because I thought, correctly, if stupidly that covers of these Sun classics could not possibly measure up to the originals, even if done by extremely competent musicians. Well, on a second hearing I got over that little personal problem and while the originals still set the standards there are some very good, and in at least one case, better covers of the classics.
So who is good here? Well, start with a nice cover by Paul McCartney (you know him) and the Elvis classic That's All Right, Mama. Jeff Beck with a fair rendition of another Elvis classic Mystery Train. A nice upbeat cover of My Bucket's Got A Hole In It. An excellent Blue Suede Shoes by Johnny Halladay. A passable Whole Lot of Shaking Going On by Elton John. Okay covers of Blue Moon of Kentucky by Tom Petty and Sittin' On Top Of The World by Van Morrison and Carl Perkins. A right on cover of Don't Be Cruel by Brain Ferry. A surprisingly good cover of the little known Red Cadillac and Black Mustache by the endlessly surprising Bob Dylan. Classic throwback performances of Just Walking In The Rain by Eric Clapton and Lonely Weekend by Matchbox Twenty. A so-so performance of Jerry Lee's (who can do it better) Who Will The Next Fool Be by Sheryl Crow. A stand up performance of Johnny Cash's Walk The Line by Live. Another classic throwback performance by Mandy Barnett on You Win Again. The biggest surprise and the one that clearly is done better than the original is Kid Rock's cover of the Jerry Lee covered Drinkin' Wine Spo-Dee-O-Dee. I have taken the time to evaluate each song in this collection to both do penance and to give just a whiff of what this masterful album holds in store for you. These are serious artists paying their dues to artists who played Rock and Roll for keeps. Kudos.
Good Rockin' Tonight: The Legacy of Sun Records Poster
Most of the artists on this tribute to Sam Phillips's legendary Memphis label have chosen to cover the rockabilly hits. It isn't until a genuine Sun rockabilly artist--the late Carl Perkins--makes an appearance, joining Van Morrison for Howlin' Wolf's "Sittin' on Top of the World," that things briefly get bluesy. Instead, Paul McCartney, Jeff Beck, Chrissie Hynde, Tom Petty, and Bryan Ferry all offer up loving, note-for-note recreations of early Elvis tunes, even if it was Jerry Lee Lewis, not Elvis, who recorded a cover of "Don't Be Cruel" (Ferry's tune) for Sun.But Elton John and Mandy Barnett both do The Killer (Lewis) proud here, as Sheryl Crow later does for Charlie Rich, and Led Zep's Page & Plant do for Sonny Burgess. Especially marvelous is Bob Dylan's subtle and, at times, hilarious take on Warren Smith's "Red Cadillac and a Black Moustache." It's a career highlight and every bit as enchanting as Robert Gordon's '70s cover version. Like the label itself, there are more hits than misses here. --Bill Holdship
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