Ace keeps 'em coming
Zub | Forks Twp., PA | 03/16/2002
(4 out of 5 stars)
"The third outing in Ace's early rock instrumental series digs deeper into the vaults for few of the most popular and a lot more hard-to-find "teen beat" (mostly) instrumentals. Anchored with five top-20 hits known to most, this volume offers another 16 top-100 sides along with nine more chart misses. While not really in the genre, one of the biggest instrumental hits of the era, Arthur Lyman's hypnotic "Yellow Bird", is offered here in counterpoint to the otherwise guitar- or drum-laden tunes making up most of this collection. Among the rarities here are "Brass Buttons", the sequel to the String-A-Longs' monster hit "Wheels", Colorado's surf-rock group the Astronauts' "Baja", a superb tune that for some reason only managed to see the bottom of the charts and the Lawrence Welkesque "Velvet Waters" by a studio group dubbed the Megatrons. Another seldom-found ditty appearing here is Jimmy Dorsey's "Jay-Dee's Boogie Woogie", the b-side of a larger hit "June Night", both of which were actually made under a different musical director a few days after Dorsey's death in 1957. All together, this is an eclectic mix of recognizable hits and interesting-to-discover lesser sides brought to market in their usual outstanding fashion by the masters of reissue CDs. Sound quality is very good overall with a few tracks in stereo (2,14,15,19,20,24) with the remainder in mono, mostly good and clean. The producers have acknowledged that three tracks were dubbed from disc in a refreshingly honest acknowldgement - if only all music companies were as forthright... A great liner notes booklet wraps up the package, as with the other volumes in the series. Ace is on top again with this new addition to their excellent "Teen Beat" series."
All hail the conquering instro!
Ken Rogers | Easley, SC USA | 03/16/1999
(4 out of 5 stars)
"This is another package of 30 great instrumentals from the "hey day" of rock'n roll. The Fireballs, The Ventures, The Wailers, Phil Upchurch, Duane Eddy, The Ramrods and even Jimmy Dorsey's Orchestra....This is a great package that brings back the years 1956 thru 1964 and 30 of the greatest instrumentals of that pre-Beatle era. Lee Allen and "Walkin' with Mr. Lee" re-mastered with sound that is fabulous. The Wailers and "Mau Mau" is wonderful!!! The only draw back in the package is that "Wipe Out" by The Surfaris and "Woo Hoo" by The Rock-a-teens are Mono and available elsewhere in stereo. All in all, this is a great package."
The Series Continues For Your Listening And/Or Dancing Pleas
Ken Rogers | 08/29/2007
(5 out of 5 stars)
"In my review of Volume 1 in this series I mentioned how Lenny Dee and Bill Doggett kicked off the R&R instrumental genre in 1955 and 1956 which, mingled with some traditional big band arrangements [Reg Owen and Ernie Fields to name a couple], and even pure jazz tunes [Swinging Shepherd Blues and Take Five by the Moe Koffman and Dave Brubeck Quartets as examples], stayed with us throughout the rest of the 1950s and well into the 1960s.
As with the first two volumes they continue to mix familiar tunes with some that are coveted only by dedicated collectors of the R&R instrumental, and in that category are tracks 3, 14, 16, 17, 21, 25 to 28 inclusive, and 29. There are also a number of bona-fide hard-to-find hits, amon which are Velvet Waters by The Megatrons (# 51 Billboard Pop Hot 100 in summer 1959), Pipeline by The Chantays (# 4 Hot 100 spring 1963), Baja by The Astronauts (# 94 Hot 100 summer 1963), Back Beat No. 1 by The Rondels (# 66 Hot 100 summer 1961) - all of the foregoing being One-Hit Wonders - and Brass Buttons by The String-A-Longs (# 35 Hot 100 April 1961) and Big Guitar by The Owen Bradley Quintet (# 46 Hot 100 spring 1958).
Ace Records of England is to be congratulated for this excellent series which presents most of the best of the genre in packages that include extensive liner notes, discographies, vintage photographs, and album/poster reproductions. All are original renditions and the sound reproduction is, as always when it comes to Ace, just excellent."
Track Listings (30) - Disc #1