Track Listing

1. Rock Around The Clock (We're Gonna)
2. Shake Rattle & Roll
3. A.B.C. Boogie
4. Thirteen Women (And Only One Man In Town)
5. Razzle-Dazzle
6. Two Hound Dogs
7. Dim Dim The Lights (I Want Some Atmosphere)
8. Happy Baby
9. Birth Of The Boogie
10. Mambo Rock
11. Burn That Candle
12. Rock-A-Beatin' Boogie
13. R-O-C-K
14. Saints Rock 'N Roll
15. See You Laterlligator

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #59885 in Music
• Released on: 2004-02-16
• Number of discs: 1
• Formats: Original recording remastered, Import
• Dimensions: .20 pounds

Customer Reviews

A Stunning Reissue For One Of ROCK 'n' ROLL's First Superstars And A Must Buy For Fans!
This 2004 Universal CD reissue gives us all 12-tracks of the original US Mono album on Decca BL 8225 released just a week before the Christmas festivities of 1955. It's remastered to gorgeous sound quality from the 1st generation master tapes by Erick Labson of Universal and its bonus tracks are 3-sides of two singles in and around the release of the LP. It's a bit of an omission leaving out "The Mail Boy (On Main Street, USA)", the B-side to "See You Later, Alligator", which would have given us 16 tracks instead of 15 thereby allowing the listener to sequence no less than 8 of his Decca singles (A&B) as follows:

1. (We're Gonna) Rock Around The Clock/Thirteen Women (And Only One Man In Town) (1954, Decca 29124)
2. Shake, Rattle & Roll/ABC Boogie (1954, Decca 29204)
3. Dim, Dim The Lights (I Want Some Atmosphere)/Happy Baby (1954, Decca 29317)
4. Mambo Rock/Birth Of The Boogie (1955, Decca 29418)
5. Razzle Dazzle/Two Hound Dogs (1955, Decca 29552)
6. Rock-A-Beatin' Boogie/Burn That Candle (1955, Decca 29713)
7. See You Later, Alligator/The Paper Boy (on Main Street, USA) (1956, Decca 29791)
8. R-O-C-K/The Saints Rock 'N' Roll (1956, Decca 29870)

But as you can see, the fifteen songs that are provided are that rarity - all killer and no filler - every last one of them released on 45 because they were ace.

Back to the album. Right from the off, the joy of the band is audible in every song and you can 'feel' why people went nuts for "rock 'n' roll". You can just imagine the new 'teenagers' of the USA - and everywhere else for that matter - sitting down in their local movie theatre, glued to the opening credits of "Blackboard Jungle", when Bill Haley's irresistible and infectious "Rock Around The Clock" comes out of the speakers and literally blew away the cobwebs of a hurting decade after the Second World War. It must have seemed like a cultural atom bomb - and best of all - scared the living crap out of their parents! A sense of sly fun pervades the whole record.

So why then is Haley seen by some as 'Uncle Bill'? Haley was 30 when the album was released, and yet somehow he seemed older - and some felt he was a pretender. Given his good looks, his voice and his sheer animal magnetism, it`s easy to see why Elvis would be adopted as the true "King of Rock'n'Roll" by the teens just a few months later. Elvis was cool; Haley was your Dad! And although Elvis ripped the entire fabric of the known Universe apart in 1956, this extraordinary album is where it all really started for Rock 'n' Roll and Bill Haley should be loved for that. Haley laid the groundwork and Elvis, Little Richard, Gene Vincent, Eddie Cochran, Buddy Holly, The Everly Brothers - they all followed in his footsteps - and all prospered because of him.

You can't help but think that this album and Haley himself are forgotten - and they shouldn't be. A fantastic listen - an important and timely reissue - and surely one of the great debut albums of all time. Start your journey to the dark side here children and swear to your parents, you'll only look at Bill from the waist up!

PS: A few words on the "ROCK 'N' ROLL 50th ANNIVERSARY EDITION" Series in general:
It should also be noted that this issue is part of the above named series issued in 2004 by Universal. 'Rock 'N' Roll 50th Anniversary Edition' is a secondary series title and is displayed vertically on the side inlay beneath the see-through tray of each release, but unfortunately, if you try to search the Amazon database for ANY titles under this moniker, it doesn't recognize the 'name' at all.

For those interested in a visual, I've placed a full list of all seven titles in LISTMANIA called "Rock 'N' Roll 50th Anniversary Edition Series". The other six are:

1. "Buddy Holly" by BUDDY HOLLY (1958 1st solo LP on Coral, see REVIEW)
2. "The Chirping Crickets" by THE CRICKETS [featuring Buddy Holly] (1957 1st LP on Coral, see REVIEW)
3. "After School Session" by CHUCK BERRY (1958 Chess debut LP, see REVIEW)
4. "St. Louis To Liverpool" by CHUCK BERRY (1964 STEREO LP on Chess, see REVIEW)
5. "Bo Diddley Is A Gunslinger" by BO DIDDLEY (1960 STEREO Chess LP, see REVIEW)
6. "Rock, Rock, Rock! - Original Soundtrack" by VARIOUS (Chuck Berry, The Flamingos and The Moonglows) (1956 Chess 'Rock'n'Roll Movie Soundtrack LP, see REVIEW)

I bought all 7 of these titles and I can't recommend them enough - each album remastered to superb sound quality, colour artwork lovingly restored and each bolstered up with 3 or 4 relevant single releases from the time (some previously unreleased). Fans of Haley, Holly, The Crickets, Berry, Diddley and Rock'n'Roll in general should quickly acquire all of these exemplary CDs. They make for the best basis of a collection in a minefield of lesser compilations. Enjoy!