Golden Age Of American Rock 'N' Roll, Vol. 7 CD

Recorded between 1954 and 1963. Includes liner notes by Rob Finnis.

Golden Age of American Rock 'n' Roll, Vol. 7 zig-zags inconsistently between classic oldies that are not hard to find on reissues (the Monotones' "Book of Love," the Miracles' "Shop Around," Frankie Ford's "Sea Cruise"), mid-level hits (Lee Andrews' "Tear Drops," the Flares' "Foot Stomping," the Mystics' "Hushabye," Barrett Strong's "Money"), and forgotten singles that only struggled up to the middle of the Top 100. Still, like the rest of the series, it's a worthwhile compilation of the gamut of rock sounds from rock's first decade, with a number of rarities, or even fairly big hits that don't get anthologized too often, like Barry & the Tamerlanes' "I Wonder What She's Doing Tonight" and the Five Keys' 1954 doo wop lark "Ling, Ting, Tong," one of the first rock songs to crossover into the pop Top 30. The ace rarity is Bobby Parker's 1961 single "Watch Your Step," a must-hear for anyone interested in the birth of soul, with a brash guitar and exuberant vocal that pointed the way out of R&B and into a more assertive style, sounding two or three years ahead of its time. It was covered by the Spencer Davis Group during the British Invasion, and its dynamite riff was part of the inspiration for the guitar licks used by the Beatles in "I Feel Fine." ~ Richie Unterberger

Contains 30 tracks.

Full Title- Golden Age of American R'n'R Vol 7. Ace.

Full title: The Golden Age Of American Rock 'N' Roll Vol. 7.

Performers include: The Blenders, The Flares, The Pentagons, Ritchie Valens, The Kendall Sisters, Strangers, The Five Keys, Cascades, Viscounts, Miracles, Bobby Parker, Dale Hawkins, Chuck Willis, Barrett Strong, Frankie Ford, Chris Kenner, Ernie K. Doe.

Liner Note Author: Rob Finnis.

Recording information: 1954-1963.

Photographers: Rob Finnis; Trevor Churchill.

Unknown Contributor Roles: Chris Kenner; Chuck Willis; Dale Hawkins; Ernie K-Doe; Galen Gart; Frankie Ford; Alec Palao; Peter Gibbon; Ritchie Valens; The Five Keys; Barrett Strong; Bobby Parker.

Arranger: Chuck Willis.