Vee-Jay: The Definitive Collection
|
List Price: Category: Music CD See more new music releases 
|
|---|
(Click here)
Buy this Music CD at online store in your country
Canadian Music Store
Canadian Music Store
Free Music Notes for Vee-Jay: The Definitive Collection
Free Music Review: VeeJay AOK
Hit: 5 Stars
Even with the Twist missing from CD 2 (which Shout cheerfully replaced) this box set is 5 stars. So many great songs, so many I have never previously heard and such a diverse variety of styles, Blues ,Doo Wop R&B, Gospel even a surf instrumental. Great packaging. Lets face it, if you are into box sets your into booklets and packaging. A lot of thought has gone into the presentation of this box from the colour coded informative booklet to the Jewel cases. In my opinion only one track on the set is a dud every other is choice. I beleive this is one of the best produced Box sets available.Free Music Review: solid collection
Hit: 4 Stars
This box set is a very good collection of Vee-Jay blues, early soul, doo-wop, and gospel, but watch out for a defective disk 2 which on my purchase and replacement was missing track 12 ("The Twist" by Hank Ballard and the Midnighters). Amazon was quite cooperative, however, and eventually I received a correct disk 2 from the producer (Shout).Free Music Review: A mishmash (but in a good way)
Hit: 3 Stars
You're in a smoky, rundown dive bar. You know, the kind that's near a bus station, hasn't had a woman in it since 1957 and is called something like the Frolic Room or the Tick Tock. Sound good to you? Well, this box set is the jukebox in the joint.
Yup, there are a lot of great tracks here. The sequencing reinforces the somewhat scattershot nature of Vee-Jay though; rather than having a house-sound like, say, Stax or Chess, Vee-Jay covered several genres. The result is a mishmash of different styles, sounds, and attitudes. It's not a bad thing...just don't expect a highly focused experience. Just like that old jukebox under the buzzing neon beer sign, no?
Be sure to check Disc 2 carefully if you buy this set. As mentioned by earlier reviewers, "The Twist" may be missing. If you contact Shout Factory corporate customer service (NOT the customer service for their online store) they will send you a replacement disc without any hassles--at least they did so for me. It's nice that Shout Factory has made it easy to obtain corrected discs.
Bottom line: not an essential set but good for anybody who already has the basic building blocks in their blues, R&B, soul, and gospel collections. Also good for collectors who are into cover versions due to the inclusion of the originals of "Tainted Love" and "You're No Good", among others. The book is decently put together but could have included a lot more info about both songs and artists.
Free Music Review: Update to my original review
Hit: 3 Stars
My original review of this set included a complaint that the song, The Twist, was missing. Just wasn't on the disc even though it was in the track listing and in the note. I checked AMG and their samples had the same problem my disc had. After I whined about this in my review I emailed Shout! Factory to complain to them. I got a nice email back from them and within a week I got a new copy of disc two sent to me in the mail. Excellent customer service and not what I was expecting which was to be ignored. I commend them for that.
I have the Bear Family Blowin' the Fuse set of R and B songs from 1946-1960 which also has Hank Ballard doing the Twist. That version is very close to the Chubby Checker version and I assume it was the model for the Chubby Checker version. The version on this disc is very different from those two with a very different rhythm structure. I think this was the first version. Nice to have all three.
Beyond that song, this is a nice box, sequenced well, fun to listen to, heavy on the Jimmy Reed as it should be. I would have included my favorite Jimmy Reed song, Shame Shame Shame, with some of that extra cd space that Mike mentions in his review.
The package is nice. There are notes on each song, similar to the notes in the Bear Family collection. Nice to have. I have no complaints about the package, but I wouldn't call it "gorgeous". That reviewer loses alot of credibility with his raving. My standard for a gorgeous box set package would be the Revenant boxes for Charlie Patton and Albert Ayler or maybe the deluxe limited edition of the Forever Changing Elektra collection.
So I'm happy with this and you will be too if you like this type of music or just want to start exploring the old stuff. Thanks for the new disc, Michael.
Unfortunately, while the Amazon system let me update my review, it wouldn't let me change my rating. I'd go four to five stars on this now, but the system won't let me change that.
Free Music Review: Why so short?
Hit: 4 Stars
David D. (reviewer below) obviously works for Shout Factory! as every single review by him is 5 stars for a Shout Factory! product (including the "Hootenany" dvd set!)
Track selection is nice but missing a few (didn't expect nor need the Beatles). Just dissapointed that only 22 songs or so per disc when most all of these songs are 2 1/2 minute R&B numbers. Hopefully the price will come down a little bit as $53 is too much money for a four disc box set in this day and age. Maybe shout factory will release some extended 1 disc sets of some of these great, but somewhat forgotten, R&B stars.
More Free Music Notes:
1 2
1 2