Various Artists

Rockin' Bones: 1950s Punk and Rockabilly (Rhino)

Jun 28, 2006 at 4:00 am
Ducktailed, greaseball rockabilly gets the Nuggets treatment with this four-disc set of hits (Carl Perkins' "Blue Suede Shoes," Eddie Cochran's "Summertime Blues" Jerry Lee Lewis' "Whole Lot of Shakin,'" etc.) and obscurities (most of the rest), all augmented with Rhino's typically excellent liner notes. Revelatory moments include Peanuts Wilson's sax-driven "Cast Iron Arm" and a howling, echo-drowned take on "Froggy Went A-Courting'" by Danny Dell & the Trends — although almost any other cut here would do just as well. And therein lies the one strike against Rockin' Bones: To the casual ear, 101 tracks of slapback, twang, Cadillacs and kitties might get a bit monotonous, especially in one sitting. But one square's monotony is another cat's pure unalloyed thrill, and there's no arguing with the raucous excellence of pretty much everything here.