Search - Various Artists :: 25 All Time Doo Wop Hits

Doo Wop royalty and rarities

hyperbolium | Earth, USA | 06/03/2002

(4 out of 5 stars)

"With so many Doo Wop compilations available, it's no easy task to pick one as a starting place. Rhino's box sets (three four-disc sets, and counting) and Collectables' eight disc series, "Doo Wop 45's on CD," cover more ground than most buyers need as an introduction. Varese's single-disc anthology provides a good jump-start, balancing genre standards with lesser known (but no less worthy) sides. This twenty-five track collection provides both an enjoyable doo wop spin, as well as a stepping stone into the world of doo wop collecting.Well-known highlights include "Get a Job" "In the Still of the Night" "Earth Angel" "There's a Moon Out Tonight" "Over the Mountain; Across the Sea" "What's Your Name" "16 Candles" "We Belong Together" and "Since I Don't Have You." Interestingly, the familiarity of these songs isn't always mirrored by their original popularity. Movie soundtracks such as "American Graffitti" and "Christine" (not to mention revival acts like Sha Na Na and the condensation of Oldies radio) have often rearranged our perspective on these songs. Also of note is how the R&B and Pop charts often disagreed on these memorable tunes.Lesser known highlights (not among afficianados, of course) include The Six Teens' torchy "A Casual Look" (making its U.S. CD debut), The Tokens' "Tonight I Fell in Love," The Genies' "Who's That Knocking" (featuring Claude Johnson, who'd shortly become Juan of Don & Juan, whose own "What's Your Name" is also featured here), The Solitaires' foot-stomping "Walking Along," and The Jive Five's soulful "What Time Is It?"Every one of these songs is delivered with a passion and immediacy that's mostly lost in this age of multitrack recording. Hours spent practicing on street corners turned these singers into performers, and the focus on singles provided a greater concertration of quality songs.Billy Vera's liner notes provide valuable background on the artists, setting each among the music scene, and providing avenues to explore their histories and later associations. It would have been nice if his essay followed the same order as the track listing (or if they'd at least emboldened the song titles so they were easier to pick out). Mastering, release and chart information are all top-notch."

If you don't have use for romantic music, shame on you

Arthur Shuey | Wilmington, NC USA | 01/30/2006

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Anthology

25 All-Time Doo-Wop Hits

Varese Sarabande Records 3020663392

www.VareseSarabande.com



Growing up in Louisiana, I gathered with friends near streetlights, where we fired our slingshots into the air to watch bats, alerted to the rocks' flight, zoom after what they thought were very large, very fast flying insects. It seemed like a good idea at the time. In more urban climes, boys that age gathered under streetlights to arrange and sing doo-wop songs, earnestly hoping not only to express their teen testosterone passions, but to create a ticket out of their particular urban climes.

The Silhouettes("Get a Job"), The Five Satins("In the Still of the Night"), The Penguins("Earth Angel"), The Capris ("There's a Moon Out Tonight") and dozens of other acts did create those tickets to fame and (to some extent) fortune, ending up on record labels and prestigious stages. I flew out of Louisiana on a giant bat, ending up writing record reviews and gracing the odd bandstand around southeastern North Carolina, but that's another story. Smooth, sophisticated '50s vocal groups were the middle group between post-swing crooners and hard-edged rock and roll. Elvis Presley used vocal group backing early on to make his raw sound more palatable to his fans and their parents.

As time passed and people noticed that listening and dancing to real rock didn't cause communism, atheism and pigmentation changes after all, doo-wop fell by the wayside. As CDs took over from vinyl, vocal acts, fiscally based in single 45s, became even more obscure, and then things started looking up. CD anthologies and Internet music superstores made all music more accessible, and Public Broadcasting's airing of doo-wop specials as the centerpiece of annual fundraisers reminded us that street corner harmony music had been interesting, pretty stuff.

Here's a great CD anthology of doo-wop. It's based on Billboard charts rather than label, and so brings us the best representations of the form. By the way, some of this material is still romantic, and if you don't have use for romantic music, shame on you."

Real deal

mistermaxxx@yahoo.com | usa | 05/21/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"when you want to hear Clear Pure untouched Vocals Sets such as these bring home the real deal.the kind of Vocals that are nowhere in sight with today's Vocalists.the harmony&tone you can drop a dime on it&it will still sparkle.the kind of Singing where you can Appreciate no matter when it was first released&find something&Great in it."