Buddy Holly - Chirping Crickets (16 tracks) +Album Reviews

Plays like a greatest hits album

hyperbolium | Earth, USA | 04/15/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Much like Chuck Berry's first album ("After School Session"), Buddy Holly's first full-length is more a document of his early recording sessions (and the hit singles that they spawned) than a concerted effort to make a cohesive album-length statement. Not exactly surprising a full decade before The Beatles conceptualized Sgt. Pepper's. But also like Berry's debut, this collection of song presents an album of snapshots that document the genesis of rock 'n' roll.The album's original dozen tracks plays almost like a greatest hits collection, with signature gems like "Oh Boy!" "Not Fade Away," "Maybe Baby," "That'll be the Day" testifying to rock 'n' roll immortality. Holly's ringing guitar and hiccupping vocals drew from a different sensibility than did Berry's blues-tinged playing, but the backbeat and optimism of the lyrics (even the heartbreak suggested it was great to be a teenager ready to fall in love again) brought them together under the rock 'n' roll banner. Holly and The Crickets' simple arrangements reveal the power of Holly's songwriting - his ability to craft a lyrical and melodic hook that is unforgettable. The vocal stutter of "Oh Boy!", the rhythm guitar solo of "Not Fade Away," and the peeling guitar intro of "That'll Be the Day" are just a few of Holly's trademarks.The album's non-hit tracks offer some lesser-known delights. "An Empty Cup (And a Broken Date)," co-written with Roy Orbison, offers a helping of disappointment and a sweet guitar break, and a cover of Chuck Willis' "It's Too Late" is the perfect stage for Holly's heartbroken, atmospherically echoed crooning. Amazingly, the former was recorded in a hotel room, on a portable tape recorder, along with the bouncy flip-side (to "Maybe Baby"), "Tell Me How," and the bass-heavy nursery rhyme "Rock Me Baby." The original flip-side to "That'll Be the Day," "I'm Looking For Someone to Love," is rockin' Buddy Holly at his finest, with two fine rockabilly styled guitar breaks! Little Richard's "Send Me Some Lovin'" fits Holly's hiccupping style perfectly, resulting in a stroll-tempo cross between rock and doo-wop.Geffen's 2004 reissue adds Holly and the Cricket's first two post-album singles, the memorable "Think it Over" and "It's So Easy," and their less memorable B-sides, "Fool's Paradise" and "Lonesome Tears." They're a great coda to an album that was already one of rock's founding documents."

Classic album gets the re-work it deserves

D. Briggs | Michigan | 04/14/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This reissue is part of the series of CDs commemorating the 50th anniversary of classic rock & roll albums.The tracks here sound great, louder, clearer than the earlier MCA reissue by the same title. The first twelve tracks made up the original album, released in late-1957. In addition, there is the inclusion of the two [and sadly, final] Buddy Holly/Crickets singles that were released the proceeding year [1958]. What this means is you're getting the entire collection of Buddy Holly & the Crickets tracks released by he & the group. One track in particular, "Lonesome Tears" makes its appearance on CD for the first time. Slated for release on April 13, 2004 is the solo album Holly did for Coral, originally released at the beginning of 1957. Watch for it & pick them both up, you won't be disappointed!"

Just essential

Laurence Upton | Wilts, UK | 08/12/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This is the only album released by the Crickets in Buddy Holly's lifetime, though a solo album, Buddy Holly, was released in 1958, and a compilation of earlier material recorded by Buddy and the Three Tunes, That'll Be The Day, came out a couple of months later. Though these days the billing Buddy Holly And The Crickets is frequently used and indeed this album was re-released in 1962 with that title, this is historical revision. Buddy had a solo career on Coral whilst also being lead singer in the Crickets on Brunswick (in the UK both were on Coral).

The "Chirping" Crickets is an obvious five-star album. As well as hit singles Oh, Boy!, Maybe Baby, That'll Be The Day (the first single), and their equally memorable B-sides Not Fade Away, Tell Me How and I'm Looking For Someone To Love, there are six other exclusive tracks, all lovingly crafted at Norman Petty's studio in Clovis NM or put down in an Officer's Club at an air force base in Oklahoma City in between dates on their first tour, in order to complete the album on time, with backing vocals added back in Clovis by the Picks.

Buddy Holly's original compositions are augmented by a number of telling covers, and in fact Oh, Boy! was not an original, having previously been recorded by Sonny West. The Crickets' version of Chuck Willis's It's Too Late is surely the definitive version. Two songs were co-written by Roy Orbison, who was yet to find success as a performer, including the beautiful An Empty Cup (A Broken Date). It was to be their only album because Buddy left the group in autumn 1958 and, as we all know, 3rd February 1959 became "the day the music died", but what a classic album it is.

This 2004 edition is clearly the one to go for because apart from the excellent digitally re-mastered sound by Erick Labson, it mops up as bonus tracks the two 1958 Crickets singles, Think It Over/Fool's Paradise and It's So Easy/Lonesome Tears."

27 November 1957 to 27 November 2007. 50 Years On. And His D

Mark Barry at Reckless Records, Lon | UK | 11/24/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"A full half century ago, "The Chirping Crickets" by The Crickets was released in the USA on Brunswick Records (BL 54038) and it stands to this day as one of the great debuts of all time. (It was released March 1958 in the UK on Vogue Coral LVA 9081). Holly had had several 7" single releases on Decca throughout 1956 and 1957, but this was his first album proper. His group `The Crickets' are credited on the back of the album sleeve as a `Vocal Group With Orchestra' Yikes! Not very Rock'n'Roll is it!!

This 2004 Universal CD reissue gives us all 12-tracks of the original Mono album remastered to gorgeous sound quality from the 1st generation master tapes by Erick Labson and then tags on 4 bonus tracks at the end. The extra tracks are the A&B sides of two singles in and around the release of the album. So this allows the listener to sequence The Crickets' first five US 7" singles as follows (all featuring Buddy Holly):

1. That'll Be The Day/I'm Looking For Someone To Love (Brunswick 55009, 1957)

2. Oh, Boy!/Not Fade Away (Brunswick 55035, 1957)

3. Maybe Baby/It's Too Late (Brunswick 55053, 1957)

4. Think It Over/Fool's Paradise (Non-Album A&B sides) (Brunswick 55072, 1958)

5. It's So Easy/Lonesome Tears (Non-Album A&B sides) (Brunswick 55094, 1958)

(Note: the version of "That'll Be The Day" put out on a Decca 7" single in June 1957 credited to Buddy Holly as a solo artist is different to the version featured on The Crickets album above. The 1st issue is more rockabilly and is rarely heard above the more familiar re-issued version. The song only became a hit second time around - a number 1).

The artwork is also a treat. The album's iconic front cover colour shot of the Lubbock young bucks is reproduced in gorgeous colour on the front page of the booklet with the liner notes of the rear sleeve on the last page. The other 12 pages are given over to a brief history of the album, discography information and re-issue production credits. Very tastefully done. Another nice touch is that beneath the see-through tray holding the CD is a gorgeous reproduction of the original album's chocolate brown label (an original of the album is $800 + if you can find one!).

There were only two albums really in his short but mighty career, this his debut, followed quickly by his first proper solo album, "Buddy Holly" (released in Feb 1958 just one year prior to his untimely death in February 1959 at only 22). Universal have re-issued both of these and not the subsequent compilation albums that made up all of his 60's output (see my review of "Buddy Holly" also). Listening to them again, you're struck even now by the brilliance of his song writing - and what a crime it was that the world was robbed of him at such a young age. There's a classy feel to these issues and I recommend both albums without hesitation.

PS: It should also be noted that this issue is part of the "Rock'n'Roll 50th Anniversary Edition" series issued in 2004 by Universal. This secondary series title is displayed vertically on the side inlay beneath the see-through tray, but unfortunately, if you try to search the Amazon database for ANY titles in the series, it doesn't recognize the 'name' at all. For those interested in a visual, I've placed a full list of all seven titles in Listmania called "Rock 'N' Roll 50th Anniversary Edition Series". Other goodies in the series include "Buddy Holly" ('58) by Buddy Holly, Chuck Berry's "After School Session" ('58) and "St. Louis To Liverpool" ('64), Bo Diddley's "Bo Diddley Is A Gunslinger" ('60), Bill Haley & His Comets "Rock Around The Clock" ('56) and the "Rock, Rock, Rock!" soundtrack from 1956 featuring Chuck Berry, The Moonglows and The Flamingos. I can't recommend these titles enough - each album remastered to beautiful sound quality, colour artwork lovingly restored and each bolstered up with 3 or 4 relevant single releases from the time (some previously unreleased).

Fans of Holly, Haley, Berry, Diddley and Rock'n'Roll in general should quickly acquire all of these exemplary CDs. They make for the best basis of a collection in a minefield of lesser compilations. Enjoy!"

Like Owning A Piece Of History

Mark Barry at Reckless Records, Lon | 10/05/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Reviewer redtunictroll provides an excellent overview of the contents of this historic album, first released on vinyl by Brunswick in late 1957. I would just like to reiterate that the AAD sound quality is excellent, and that in the liner notes you get the original LP sleeve notes, another vintage b&w photo of Buddy with drummer Jerry Ivan Allison and Joe B. Mauldin on bass, a new page of background notes written by reissue compiler/producer and vice president of catalog development and A&R for Universal Music Special Markets Andy McKaie, and a listing of the tracks showing recording dates and back-up vocalists.

Certainly a must-have album to complement any serious collection of R&R oldies."

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	Buddy Holly Chirping Crickets Genres: Pop, Rock Track Listings (16) - Disc #1 Oh, Boy! Not Fade Away You've Got Love Maybe Baby It's Too Late Tell Me How That'll Be The Day I'm Looking For Someone To Love An Empty Cup (And A Broken Date) Send Me Some Lovin' Last Night Rock Me My Baby Think It Over Fool's Paradise Lonesome Tears It's So Easy
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