... LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

A really wonderful Christmas album – one that matches the heavenly vocals of The Everly Brothers with the Boys Town Choir! Phil and Don are still out in the lead on most numbers, but they also get strong support from the pillow of sound provided by the larger chorus – used here in these dreamy ways that make for a real change from the usual Everly groove, especially since there's almost no other instrumentation on the record! The lack of studio polish or rocking grooves makes for a very personal moment – almost as if you've caught the Everly Brothers celebrating the Holiday privately at midnight mass – on a host of tunes that include "Silent Night", "We Wish You A Merry Christmas", "The First Noel", "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen", "What Child Is This", and "Adeste Fideles". LP, Vinyl record album

... CD

A dream of a set for anyone who's ever loved the harmony sounds of The Everly Brothers – that compelling late 50s duo with roots in country, a reach towards rock, and an incredible style that really set them apart from the rest! All the tracks here are true alternates of gems from their early Cadence Records years – tunes that have different vocal approaches, unusual guitar parts, or other elements that really set them apart – and which, given the spare, stripped-down style of the songs, really give us a chance to hear the genius of the pair at work! Most of these numbers just feature guitar and vocals – harmonizing in that fantastic way that resonates with maybe the Capitol classics by The Louvin Brothers, moves into some sweeter pop modes, and maybe has some echoes of crossover style of The Browns too. The set features 34 tracks in all – with alternates of titles that include "Rip It Up", "Maybe Tomorrow", "Hey Doll Baby", "Keep A Knockin", "I Wonder If I Care As Much", "That Silver Haired Daddy Of Mine", "Claudette", "Bird Dog", "Oh What A Feeling", "All I Have To Do Is Dream", and "Who's Gonna Shoe Your Pretty Little Feet". CD

... LP, Vinyl record album

A totally great entry in this always-great series – and one that looks at a slice of raunchy rock that's a bit different than usual! The Warner Brothers label started up right at the end of the 50s – after most of the other rock powerhouse imprints – and they also had more of an ear for pop and mainstream sounds, given their Hollywood home. Yet they also quickly found a way to turn out some really remarkable 45s – music that was maybe even just recorded with leftover studio time, or between the bigger projects on the label – funded by bigger money from films, and often done in a top-shelf studio setting! This legacy of Warner isn't nearly as well-known as their 60s pop and vocal material, but it's equally groovy – if not more so – and gets fantastic treatment here from Bear Family, who not only present a whopping 30 tracks, but also accompany the whole thing with a wonderful booklet that's filled with notes, photos, and record images. The set even includes some surprising rockers by unlikely sources – and titles include "Shimmy Shake" by Billy Land, "The Swing" by Johnny Carroll, "Teen Beat" by Don Ralke, "Road Hog" by Johnny Zorro, "Hanna Lee" by Shelly Dane, "The Fool" by Bob Luman, "Lucille" by The Everly Brothers, "Baby Please Don't Go" by Troyce Key with Eddie Cochran, "Drum Twist" by Buddy Harman, "Saturday Night Fish Fry" by Eddie & Betty, and "Forbidden City" by John Buck & His Blazers. CD

Includes tracks by The Everly Brothers, The Sonics, George Jones, The Staple Singers, The Wailers, and Sherwin Linton. CD

Includes 12 tracks from Don Gibson, Jimmie Rodgers, Elvis Presley, Patsy Cline, The Everly Brothers, Johnny Cash, Eddy Arnold, Jim Reeves, Porter Wagoner, and Hank Locklin. CD

Music from the Bobby Fuller Four, the Isley Brothers, the Everly Brothers, Ike & Tina Turner, Roy Orbison, Johnny Kidd & the Pirates, the Premiers & more. CD

This great Japanese series moves farther into the 70s than before – and brings together a great array of pop rock nuggets from the mighty Warner Brothers vaults! The music is partly soft rock of the post Sunshine years, but also shares other sweet 70s modes – maybe a pre-AOR sort of vibe, when tuneful songs could be well-produced, but still sound relatively personal presented here by artists with a surprising mix of original styles. There's lots of surprises on this 21 track set – songs we'd forgotten about, or never heard at all – and titles include "Eden Rock" by Fifth Avenue Band, "Gas Lamps & Clay" by Blues Image, "Ain't That Peculiar" by Fanny, "Beverly Glen" by Country, "Only The Children Know" by Jeanie Greene, "Flying To The Morning" by Rosebud, "All I Need" by Batdorf & Rodney, "Cruel Wind" by Eric Kaz, "Lover Baby Friend" by Dana Cooper, "Fineline" by Ned Doheny, "Ever Since You're Gone" by Brinsley Shwarz, "Gotta Get Next To Somebody" by Brigati, and "Occapella" by Van Dyke Parks. CD