Search - Various Artists :: The Golden Era of Rock 'n' Roll: 1954-1963

Clearly, a First Class 3CD Set from Rock's "Golden Era"

Anthony G Pizza | FL | 11/28/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Compiled to celebrate rock and roll's 50th anniversary this year, this Hip-O three-disc, 62 song set features some of the best sound treatment these evergreens have received in the CD era. Gavin Lurssen's exceptional remastering allows you to clearly hear the Coasters' bass-tenor harmony-comedy in 1958's "Yakety Yak" and the Cadets' in 1956's still-weird operetta "Stranded in the Jungle." You hear the rollicking piano behind the guitar solo in Wilbert Harrison's "Kansas City," and the twangy guitar intros to Richie Valens and the Everly Brothers' (not to mention original twangy guitar Duane Eddy's) signature songs.



And signature songs, one from each artist, is all executive producer Andy MacKaie's team seemed to have room for in this expansive collection. One song each from titans like Chuck Berry, Little Richard, Fats Domino, Rick Nelson and Buddy Holly. In most cases he safely relied on their first hits ("Maybelline," "Tutti Fruitti") but also allowed hints of the 1960s producer-dominated era in tracks from the Four Seasons and Beach Boys. Hearing "Rock Around the Clock" and "Tequila" again recalls how popular these songs remained in films and television more than three decades after first charting.



Despite Billy Altman's pedantic liner notes, the set deserves five stars for the sheer number and quality of hits present (more than 30 #1 hits and more than enough songs associated with the era.) Too many artists are missing for "The Golden Era" to be definitive: no Elvis, nothing from the Cameo-Parkway or Phil Spector eras, a curious Sam Cooke track. But this collection is a worthwhile introduction or summary of rock and roll's first 10 years, an era fading from oldies station playlists and for today's senior citizens (teenagers when Elvis hit in 1954) becoming the anachronism the big bands were to a previous generation. Essential music, worthwhile here but more so in individual anthologies from Berry, Holly, and others.

"

Golden Era of Rock 'n' Roll a golden collection.

D. A. Wilson | Waynesburg, PA USA | 04/14/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This is one of the best self-contained collections of music from the early years of Rock `n' Roll. The set includes 62 songs (all original versions), digitally remastered, and chronologically arranged on three CDs. Out of those 62 songs, 35 went #1 on the pop or R&B charts (and nine of those were #1 on BOTH the pop AND the R&B charts), 10 made it to #2 and six topped out at #3. Groups and artists featured in this collection include "Bill Haley & His Comets", Buddy Holly, Dion, "The Angels", Brenda Lee and "The Beach Boys". And no less than 33 of the acts on "The Golden Era" are members of the "Rock and Roll Hall of Fame". Just a few of the songs on this collection include the first #1 Rock `n' Roll song of all time "Rock Around the Clock", the "Marcels" version of "Blue Moon", and Jerry Lee Lewis' "Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On". One track to take note of is the Cadets "Stranded In The Jungle". The version included on "The Golden Era" features "jungle noises" I've never heard on any other version. This is the perfect compilation for someone just starting off his or her Rock `n' Roll collection. And for the collector who has all of these already, now they're all in one collection."

For those smart enough NOT to buy American Graffiti OST

Joel Munyon | Joliet, Illinois - the poohole of America. | 06/22/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This compilation has nearly all the tracks from American Graffiti's soundtrack, and so much more. This is exactly what I've been looking to fit my eclectic taste. All the hits are here, this side of Great Balls of Fire and Willie and the Hand Jive. Those two would have made this compilation perfect, but perfection is hard to come by when dealing with era compilations.



I wasn't around back when these songs were blasting on the radio, but I grew up listening to this music - thanks, mom! If you want to experience the sound of this era, this three-set cd collection is perfect. I've been looking for Maybellene, Be-Bop-A-Lula, Peggy Sue, Sea Cruise and Blue Suede Shoes and they're all here on the same set!



Try ebay before you buy here. I found this set relatively cheap over there. There were about five sellers when I bought mine, all vying for the lowest price.



This is great road music for those of you in my generation brave enough to try something new and break away from the Death Cab for Cutie/Outkast conformity we hear all the time on mainstream radio.



For those of you who grew up on this stuff, please let me reintroduce you to your old friends. This cd has almost all of them."