Search - Bill Haley & Comets :: Bill Haley & His Comets

1960 Warner Bros stereo release of 50s hits

R. Paavo | Michigan | 12/17/2007

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Purists may not like this because this cd contains covers of 50s hits including Haley's own. On the plus side, the album is in stereo and includes Comets Billy Williamson, Johnny Grande, Rudy Pompilli, Ralph Jones, Franny Beecher, Al Rappa and Haley. Danny Cedrone played the instrument guitar break on the original "Rock Around The Clock" (dying a few days later). This time it's Franny Beecher who had played with the Comets off and on. Beecher had also played with Benny Goodman before the Comets.



The sound of the covers by other artists is not up to the originals, still in listening to the songs one could easily argue that had Haley's versions been first, they would have been the hits.



Ballads are tackled here with mixed results. "Love Letters In The Sand" is a favorite of mine of all the versions I've heard and "My Special Angel" is pretty good.



This is not the place to start for a Haley/Comets compilation, but for his fans, it's a fine album with Bill Haley & his Comets."