Search - Johnny O'Keefe :: Birth of Australian Rock 'n' Roll

The wild one

dfle3 | Australia | 08/14/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"
I first discovered JOK by listening to a single my mum or dad had in their record collection: "Hey girl". This song still stacks up well years later as a sweet 50s style song. JOK is vocally and performance wise in the vein of Jerry Lee Lewis and Little Richard. This compilation is extensive. It has many of the songs JOK covered, for instance, "Shout". For many Australians this is the definitive version of that song.



There are only three songs on this 3 cd set that I would go out of my way to avoid. One of them is "Twist and shout"-after the Beatles version, all the rest pale in comparison. The rest of the cd is very listenable-not a bad track. Songs range from quiet ballads to wild rock and roll. My favourites are "Wild one", later covered by Iggy Pop. On a few songs, including this one, an image of 'shake the meat til it comes off of the bone' recurs. Not sure what that's all about!; the raucous "She's my baby"; "Hey girl"; "So tough"; "Move baby move"; and the excellent and interestingly arranged "Mockingbird" (a duet). I haven't heard the original of that song but I doubt if JOK's version can be beaten [actually, since I posted this review, I've heard the Carly Simon and James Taylor (I think) version of this song, and the JOK version leaves that version for dead].



Some songs feature a nod to Elvis or a wink to the Big Bopper. All in all, this album is great-in many ways, JOK is the archetypal 50s rocker-loud and wild, but capable of beautiful ballads too. If you have a chance to see footage of him, you'll be knocked out by his wild stage performance-only Elvis in his early days was this hyperactive. JOK...a great performer.



P.S.



*** Other Australian cds I've reviewed at this site:



Skyhooks: The collection



INXS: "Kick" and "Listen like thieves" and "Anthology"



Midnight Oil: "10,...,1" and "Diesel and dust" and others



John Farnham: The great Australian songbook



Alex Lloyd: Amazing-The best of



The Saints: Know your product-the best of



Rogue Traders: Here comes the drums"

The Birth of Australian Rock'n' Roll

Inge Iden | Bergen, Norway | 03/01/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This is a great CD set, that it took me over 15 years to find. Tha Tv series "Shout" (the story of Johnny O'Keefe) was shown i Norway 15 years ago, and I've been trying to find CD's by JOK ever since. This collection contains all of his greatest hits. The original version of "Wild One" (Real wild child) and other classic rock hits. JOK startet the Australian wave of Rock music, and was a great influence to other Australian acts. Songs like "Shout", "Sing (and tell the blues so long)", She wears my ring", and "Six o'clock rock" are good examples of the heart and soul of Rock and Roll. JOK took the best of American music and turned it into his own . He gave Australia the chance to experience the new music, and he did it well.If you like early Elvis, Buddy Holly, and other pioners of Rock music, this is a CD set you'll love."

Classic J.O'K

citadelbin | Australia | 12/08/2001

(4 out of 5 stars)

"This 75 track CD is an excellent selection of Johnny O'Keefe's hit songs. The collection contains both rare and not so rare tracks and the sound remastering is excellent. The only negative features in this selection is the use of Oop Poo Pah Doo and So Tough versions two instead of the original version ones'."