Search - Freddy Cannon :: Where the Action Is: The Very Best of 1964-1981

Second chapter of Cannon's classic rock 'n' roll

hyperbolium | Earth, USA | 06/03/2002

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Varese's second Freddy Cannon disc covers his later hits at Warner Brothers in the mid-60s, as well as several comeback sides from the 70s-80s. Though mostly remembered for his initial flush of success ("Tallahassee Lassie" "Way Down Yonder in New Orleans" "Palisades Park") on Swan (and anthologized on Varese's "Palisades Park: The Very Best of Freddy Cannon: 1959-1963"), Cannon's second blast of singles shows him to be an unremitting rock 'n' roller who stared down the British Invasion and folk-revivalists, and stayed true to his roots.From the garage-guitar driven opener, "Abigail Beecher" (backed with the equally driven flipside, "All American Girl") through 1981's minor hit with the Belmonts, "Let's Put the Fun Back in Rock & Roll," Cannon's trademark vocals never lose their passion (or their "whooos" filling in every empty space). His 1965 title song, "Action" for Dick Clark's summer television program has the same boardwalk effervescence captured on "Palisades Park," backed by many of the same pros who populated Phil Spector and Brian Wilson's records (e.g., Leon Russell, Hal Blaine, James Burton, Carol Kaye).Cannon's material throughout the era was very in-the-moment. "It's Happening," Boyce & Hart's "Let Me Show You Where It's At" and "Beachwood City" celebrated the sunny times of the here-and-now. Similar to Gary Usher's drag-and-surf songs, but delivered with a harder '50s rock 'n' roll beat. Russ Regan's horn-filled "The Laughing Song" only managed to bubble-under the top-100, but still retains its original charm. Similarly, the non-charting "Natalie" has a wicked Sunset Strip-inspired attitude. Bonuses include 1967's previously unreleased cover of Bobby Day's "Rockin' Robin" (which differs from the Buddah release made in 1970, not included here) and the amusement-themed "Ride, Roller Coaster, Ride."By 1968 Cannon had left Warner Brothers, and released a truly manic cover of Bill Haley's "(We're Gonna) Rock Around the Clock," including a wicked James Burton lead. 1970's indie-released "Charged-Up, Turned-On Rock-n-Roll Singer," finds Cannon losing none of his energy, and working his earlier hits into a smashing medley.Varese's two-volumes (totalling 38 tracks) provide an outstanding view of Cannon's career, collecting virtually all of his important singles, as well as numerous excellent, but lower-charting entries. Like few others of his generation, Cannon maintained both his verve and his commitment to rock 'n' roll from his earliest sides to his latest."

FREDDY CANNON "THE SHOT HEARD 'ROUND THE WORLD"

Michael G. Batcho | McAdoo, PA (USA) | 06/01/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Freddy Cannon made what I like to call, "good time happy music"! If you want to dance like there's no tomorrow, even if only in your mind, just put this CD on your player and the "happiness" starts to happen.
The title song, "Where The Action Is" was the theme song from the Dick Clark television show of the same name (if you remember it was co-hosted by Linda Scott ("I've Told Every Little Star") and Steve Alaimo. I never knew that the "band" that played for this track consisted of: Glen Campbell on guitar, Leon Russell on piano, Hal Blaine on drums, and James Burton on guitar. What a line-up for a rock & Roll band!
I purchased this CD especially for "The Dedication Song". This was the song used as the opening theme for a "phone-in all-request oldies radio show" I used to listen to. A most appropriate song to open an oldies show of requests and dedications. . . and Freddy sounds like a deejay who knows his stuff!
"Beautiful Downtown Burbank" sounds like an ode to Rowan & Martin's "Laugh-In" just on the basis of its title and multi-repitiions of that line made famous on that television show by announcer Gary Owens.
"Charged-up,Turned-up Rock-N-Roll Singer" comes across as a medley of Freddy's greatest hits. It's a good song, but leaves you wanting to hear him sing the entire version of each tune.
The final track from 1981 "Let's Put The Fun Back In Rock & Roll" is an apt commentary and editorial by Freddy on what Rock & Roll is all about. It's about "fun" and "happy times" and Freddy does indeed put a lot of fun into his rock & roll and into our experience of it.
I'm grateful to Freddy Cannon for putting so much "joy" into his music and for bringing the experience of that "fun" into our lives just by listening to it. Thanks Freddy Cannon for firing "the shot heard 'round the world", and now I understand the "Boom Boom" in Freddy "Boom Boom" Cannon!"

Volume 2 of the hits, essentially

Zub | Forks Twp., PA | 03/22/2003

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Varese's "The Very Best of Freddy Cannon: 1959-1963" (which see) anthologizes Cannon's stint with Swan Records, the period during which he established himself as Mr. "Boom Boom" making rock and roll records with the pure fun and excitement of a ride on the roller coaster at Palisades Park. This collection, picks up where that first one left off, collecting Cannon's work on Warner Brothers and subsequent labels for which he recorded. Revitalized and as energetic as ever, two more of Cannon's 45's, "Abigail Beecher" and "Action" invaded the top 20 in the mid-60's. One more Warner hit, "The Dedication Song", just scraped under the top 40 in 1966 but soon the music-buying public turned its back on Cannon-style material and his chart appearances dried up. Several label changes with little success ensued until, in 1981, Cannon saw his last charting hit, "Let's Put The Fun Back In Rock N Roll", a collaboration with the Belmonts, make it into the lower reaches of the top 100. Though not as packed with hits as the Swan period piece, this collection makes an outstanding companion to that earlier one and is essential to any respectable rock and roll CD library. Varese has done an admirable job here production-wise with superior sound quality and a decent eight-page liner notes booklet. Many of the tracks (1,2,4-7,11,13,18) are in stereo, notably "Abigail Beecher" which appears in stuffy mono on most other CDs. Quintessential American rock and roll here - pure fun stuff with no pretense of musical seriousness or political grandstanding."