Coming up we have a trio of compilations from the Viper Label, the label set up by ex-La's Mike Badger and Paul Hemmings to distribute cunning mix tapes from rock and roll's naughtiest, bluesiest and dustiest drawers.
But first, to Tennessee.
Any rockabilly compilation with tracks from Les Paul, Karl Perkins and Hoyt Scoggins (with his Saturday Nite Jamboree Boys) ought to be a killer. With some of Tennessee Ernie Ford's mellifluous vocal too, things should be just about dandy.
And in patches this one is just so. Dandy. And Beano besides. But with 20 tracks from Rockabilly's defining era, the reasons why it remains a niche genre become a little clearer. As a simple music, played for Saturday night dances in small town Tennessee there wasn't much scope (or demand) for development or ostentation. Lyrically conservative, melodically predictable and rhythmically agricultural it's not there to burn down barns or break up families. No Sir.
Carl Perkins, with a decent but not virtuoso guitar solo seems to recognise the obvious critique in his 1956 "Tennessee" (all titles have the State's name in, bar "Music Makin' Mama from Memphis" which avoids it for obvious reasons). He sings, perhaps for want of more convincing evidence: "But if all you folks out there will remember, / They made the first atomic bomb in Tennessee. / Let's give ol' Tennessee credit for music, / As they play it up in Nashville everyday". It's by no means his best work.
Then there's Gene O'Quinn's "Tennessee Talkin' Doll". It was probably an innocent song of its type back in 1951. Today it sounds a bit close to creepy.
On the stronger plus side, Link Davis's sharply cut "Trucker from Tennessee" has a lot of style that would stand up to some regular national radio play. Jeff Durham & his Rhythm Playboys do an extraordinary accordion/xylophone boogie-woogie duet that no one in twee-indie has stolen yet. And inevitably there are one or two songs unwittingly offering comedy platinum. Moon Mullican's nonsensical "Nine Tenths Of The Tennessee River" has a wobbly piano solo half way through that hits a bum note in the first bar.
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But I have to admit that I actually enjoyed the damn thing, and played th whole album right through more than twice.
The full listing is:
l) Trucker from Tennessee - Link Davis 1956
2) Tennessee - Carl Perkins 1956
3) Tennessee - Tommy Scott 1951
4) Tennessee Waltz - Les Paul 1948
5) Music Makin' Mama from Memphis - R.D. Hendon & his Western Jamboree Cowboys 1952
6) Sunny Tennessee - Jenks Tex Carman 1949
7) Tennessee Boogie - Zeb Turner 1947
8) Nine Tenth of Tennessee River- Moon Mullican 1950
9) Tennessee Boogie - Jeff Durham & his Rhythm Playboys 1949
l0) Tennessee Local - Thomas Dick 1949
11) My Tennessee Talkin' Doll - Gene O'Quinn 1951
12) Tennessee Rock- Hoyt Scoggins 1956
13) Leaving Tennessee - The Kelleys 1955
14) Tennessee Border - Tennessee Ernie Ford 1949
15) Tennessee Mama - Carrie Thacquer 1959
16) Tennessee Saturday Night - Johnny Bond 1949
17) Ten- Ten- Tennessee Line - Texas Tyler 1954
18) Tennessee Baby - Jimmie Dolan 1947
19) Goodnight Cincinnati, Good morning Tennessee - Long Shorty 1951
20) Tennessee Waltz - Pee Wee King 1951
www.the-viper-label.co.uk
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