VA - The Hillbillies, They Tried To Rock Vol.1 [2014] + The Hillbillies, They Tried To Rock Vol.2 [2014]

HILLBILLY ROCK

VA - The Hillbillies, They Tried To Rock Vol.1 [2014] + The Hillbillies, They Tried To Rock Vol.2 [2014]

At times, the line between country and rock & roll was very thin indeed, but Bear Family's two-volume, 2014 set The Hillbillies: They Tried to Rock presents a familiar story from a different angle: it showcases country singers trying to combat the rising tide of rock & roll. Plenty of the early rock & rollers came up through some manner of country circuit, the Sun stable in particular was riddled with these types, but once Elvis Presley started a streak of monster hits in 1956, major country stars and upstart hillbillies alike tried to ride that wave. The Hillbillies, They Tried to Rock does have a few sides that date a bit earlier than 1956 -- there's Bill Haley's 1952 "Rock the Joint," a rough draft of "Rock Around the Clock" where guitarist Danny Cedrone plays the exact same solo he'd lay down on "Clock;" there are the Carlisles gamely attacking the Drifters' "Honey Love" -- but nearly all of this 31-track compilation dates from that initial gold rush when rock & roll seemed to be a fad, not an institution. Nobody, not the singers, not the producers, not the labels -- had any idea whether rock & roll was here to stay but they knew it was selling, so they tried to cash in on the trend. Naturally, this crass blend of opportunism and confusion wasn't entirely successful, but that's the appeal of this collection and its cousin: the misfires are as fun as the successes. Case in point is the Stanley Brothers' strange rendition of Hank Ballard's "Finger Poppin' Time", the cover can be explained away by the fact that they were both on King Records, which is simultaneously carefree and stilted; it's clear the duo doesn't particularly care for the song, but there's a joy to the recording anyway that comes from both the tune and performance. Usually, the covers feel a bit wobbly (Johnnie & Jack's stab at doo wop on "Goodnight, Sweetheart, Goodnight" in particular), but they're overshadowed by such rowdy rockabilly boogies as George "Thumper" Jones' "How Come It," Johnny Horton's "I'm Coming Home," and "You're Humbuggin' Me," where Lefty Frizzell proves himself an adept rocker. There are other rough-cut gems tucked away on this compilation and they're worth seeking out, but it's not entirely improbable that a listener will find the duds just as memorable as the corkers. 

The second volume of Bear Family's riotous 2014 series The Hillbillies, They Tried to Rock is every bit as good as its companion, possibly because it has many of the same players as the first disc. Marty Robbins, Patsy Cline, George Jones, Johnny Horton, Webb Pierce, and Marvin Rainwater didn't cut just one jumping rock & roll single, they cut several and the best of these appear on this 31-track delight. Although there are a few exceptions here, nearly everything on this collection dates from 1956 through 1958, when it was still possible that rock & roll was just another dance fad and not a cultural revolution. Certainly, Bob Wills' "So Let's Rock" suggests just as much, with the Texas Playboys playing rock & roll as a variation on Western swing. It's a novelty, as are a few other cuts here -- Skeets McDonald's heavily recycled "You Oughta See Grandma Rock" and Carson Robison's "Rockin' and Rollin' with Grandmaw (On a Saturday Night)" take the cake -- but this is heavier on heavy-hitters than Vol. 1, containing one stone-cold standard in Moon Mullican's "Seven Nights to Rock," Bill Haley's early raver "Crazy Man Crazy," the wild twang of Johnny Horton's "Honky Tonk Hardwood Floor," Patsy Cline's stompin' "Stop Look and Listen," and Buck Owens' credible Elvis homage "Sweet Thing," which winds up overshadowed by George Jones' outright imitation on a cover of "Heartbreak Hotel." Sure, there are a few stumbles, usually arriving in the form of stiff covers or artists who just have no business singing rock & roll, but there are also some delightful surprises like Hank Thompson tearing into "Rockin' in the Congo," Wilf Carter's oddity "The Yodelin' Song," Red Foley's swinging "Crazy Little Guitar Man," and Don Reno & Red Smiley's "Country Boy Rock 'n' Roll," which doesn't rock in the slightest but the bluegrass duo was sharp enough to try to ride the wave. Such sly, silly details make The Hillbillies, They Tried to Rock, Vol. 2 intoxicating fun.  (AMG review by Stephen Thomas Erlewine)

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Track lists

Vol. 1

01 Webb Pierce - Teen Age Boogie 2:16

02 Lefty Frizzell - You're Humbuggin' Me 2:29

03 Wanda Jackson - I Gotta Know 2:29

04 George 'thumper' Jones - How Come It 2:23

05 Link Davis - Have You Heard The News 2:32

06 Patsy Cline - Let The Teardrops Fall 2:36

07 Bobby Helms - Tennessee Rock 'n' Roll 2:43

08 Carlisles - Honey Love 2:30

09 Pee Wee King - Blue Suede Shoes 2:04

10 Carl Perkins - You Can't Make Love To Somebody (Alt 1) 2:35

11 Johnnie & Jack - Goodnight, Sweetheart, Goodnight 2:14

12 Carl Smith - Go, Boy, Go 2:07

13 Marty Robbins - Maybellene 2:31

14 Bill Haley - Rock The Joint 2:14

15 Charline Arthur - Burn That Candle 2:12

16 Johnny Cash - You're My Baby (Little Woolly Booger) (Undubbed Demo) 1:47

17 Little Jimmy Dickens - Rockin' With Red 2:30

18 Louvin Brothers - Red Hen Hop 2:39

19 Onie Wheeler - Onie's Bop 2:32

20 Keray Regan - Vibratin' 2:09

21 Mimi Roman - Little Lovin' 2:10

22 Skeets Mcdonald - You're There 1:59

23 Bobby Williamson - Sh-Boom (Life Could Be A Dream) 2:11

24 Johnny Horton - I'm Coming Home 2:05

25 Stanley Brothers - Poppin' Time (Overdubbed Version) 2:14

26 Miller Sisters - Ten Cats Down (Alt) 2:28

27 Eddy Arnold - Hep Cat Baby 2:00

28 Marvin Rainwater - Hot And Cold 2:08

29 Rose Maddox - Hey Little Dreamboat 2:56

30 Hank Penny - Rock Of Gibraltar 2:26

31 Kirk Hansard - One Night 2:19

Vo. 2

01 Little Jimmy Dickens - (I Got ) A Hole In My Pocket 2:31

02 Marty Robbins - Long Tall Sally 2:08

03 Patsy Cline - Stop, Look And Listen 2:21

04 Bill Haley - Crazy Man Crazy 2:39

05 George Jones - Heartbreak Hotel 2:12

06 Myrna Lorrie - Hello Baby 2:04

07 Don Reno & Red Smiley - Country Boy Rock 'n' Roll 2:29

08 Freddie Hart - Dig Boy Dig 2:06

09 Tex Williams - Let's Go Rockabilly 2:05

10 Jean Chapel - Welcome To The Club 1:53

11 Hank Thompson - Rockin' In The Congo 2:23

12 Jimmy Murphy - Sixteen Tons Rock 'n' Roll 2:11

13 Webb Pierce - Bye Bye Love 2:09

14 Onie Wheeler - Going Back To The City 2:16

15 Alvis Wayne & The Rhythm Wranglers - Sleep Rock-A-Roll, Rock-A-Baby 2:10

16 Marvin Rainwater - I Dig You Baby 1:44

17 Hank Snow - Hula Rock 2:01

18 Johnny Horton - Honky-Tonk Hardwood Floor 2:19

19 The Davis Sisters - Rock-A-Bye Boogie 2:34

20 Betsy Gay - Hound Dog 2:40

21 Leroy Van Dyke - Chicken Shack Boogie 1:53

22 Moon Mullican - Seven Nights To Rock 2:25

23 Lefty Frizzell & Shirley Caddell - No One To Talk To (But The Blues) 2:27

24 Wilf Carter - The Yodelin' Song 2:22

25 Skeets Mcdonald - You Oughta See Grandma Rock 2:02

26 Eddy Arnold - Rockin' Mockin' Bird 2:15

27 Buck Owens - Sweet Thing 2:12

28 Sons Of The Pioneers - Tennessee Rock 'n' Roll 2:26

29 Carson Robison & The Pleasant Valley Boys - Rockin' And Rollin' With Grandmaw (On A Saturday Night) 2:40

30 Red Foley - Crazy Little Guitar Man 2:13

31 Bob Wills - So Let's Rock 2:23

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