The "Chirping" Crickets

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

27 November 1957 to 27 November 2007. 50 Years On. And His Debut Album Is Still Stunning!, 2007-11-24
A full half century ago, "The Chirping Crickets" by The Crickets was released in the USA on Brunswick Records (BL 54038) and it stands to this day as one of the great debuts of all time. (It was released March 1958 in the UK on Vogue Coral LVA 9081). Holly had had several 7" single releases on Decca throughout 1956 and 1957, but this was his first album proper. His group `The Crickets' are credited on the back of the album sleeve as a `Vocal Group With Orchestra' Yikes! Not very Rock'n'Roll is it!! br / br /This 2004 Universal CD reissue gives us all 12-tracks of the original Mono album remastered to gorgeous sound quality from the 1st generation master tapes by Erick Labson and then tags on 4 bonus tracks at the end. The extra tracks are the AB sides of two singles in and around the release of the album. So this allows the listener to sequence The Crickets' first five US 7" singles as follows (all featuring Buddy Holly): br / br /1. That'll Be The Day/I'm Looking For Someone To Love (Brunswick 55009, 1957) br /2. Oh, Boy!/Not Fade Away (Brunswick 55035, 1957) br /3. Maybe Baby/It's Too Late (Brunswick 55053, 1957) br /4. Think It Over/Fool's Paradise (Non-Album AB sides) (Brunswick 55072, 1958) br /5. It's So Easy/Lonesome Tears (Non-Album AB sides) (Brunswick 55094, 1958) br / br /(Note: the version of "That'll Be The Day" put out on a Decca 7" single in June 1957 credited to Buddy Holly as a solo artist is different to the version featured on The Crickets album above. The 1st issue is more rockabilly and is rarely heard above the more familiar re-issued version. The song only became a hit second time around - a number 1). br / br /The artwork is also a treat. The album's iconic front cover colour shot of the Lubbock young bucks is reproduced in gorgeous colour on the front page of the booklet with the liner notes of the rear sleeve on the last page. The other 12 pages are given over to a brief history of the album, discography information and re-issue production credits. Very tastefully done. Another nice touch is that beneath the see-through tray holding the CD is a gorgeous reproduction of the original album's chocolate brown label (an original of the album is $800 + if you can find one!). br / br /There were only two albums really in his short but mighty career, this his debut, followed quickly by his first proper solo album, "Buddy Holly" (released in Feb 1958 just one year prior to his untimely death in February 1959 at only 22). Universal have re-issued both of these and not the subsequent compilation albums that made up all of his 60's output (see my review of "Buddy Holly" also). Listening to them again, you're struck even now by the brilliance of his song writing - and what a crime it was that the world was robbed of him at such a young age. There's a classy feel to these issues and I recommend both albums without hesitation. br / br /PS: It should also be noted that this issue is part of the "Rock'n'Roll 50th Anniversary Edition" series issued in 2004 by Universal. This secondary series title is displayed vertically on the side inlay beneath the see-through tray, but unfortunately, if you try to search the Amazon database for ANY titles in the series, 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". Other goodies in the series include "Buddy Holly" ('58) by Buddy Holly, Chuck Berry's "After School Session" ('58) and "St. Louis To Liverpool" ('64), Bo Diddley's "Bo Diddley Is A Gunslinger" ('60), Bill Haley His Comets "Rock Around The Clock" ('56) and the "Rock, Rock, Rock!" soundtrack from 1956 featuring Chuck Berry, The Moonglows and The Flamingos. I can't recommend these titles enough - each album remastered to beautiful sound quality, colour artwork lovingly restored and each bolstered up with 3 or 4 relevant single releases from the time (some previously unreleased). br / br /Fans of Holly, Haley, 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!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

Like Owning A Piece Of History, 2007-10-05
Reviewer redtunictroll provides an excellent overview of the contents of this historic album, first released on vinyl by Brunswick in late 1957. I would just like to reiterate that the AAD sound quality is excellent, and that in the liner notes you get the original LP sleeve notes, another vintage bw photo of Buddy with drummer Jerry Ivan Allison and Joe B. Mauldin on bass, a new page of background notes written by reissue compiler/producer Andy McKaie, and a listing of the tracks showing recording dates and back-up vocalists. br / br /Certainly a must-have album to complement any serious collection of RR oldies.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

Just essential, 2007-08-12
This is the only album released by the Crickets in Buddy Holly's lifetime, though a solo album, Buddy Holly, was released in 1958, and a compilation of earlier material recorded by Buddy and the Three Tunes, That'll Be The Day, came out a couple of months later. Though these days the billing Buddy Holly And The Crickets is frequently used and indeed this album was re-released in 1962 with that title, this is historical revision. Buddy had a solo career on Coral whilst also being lead singer in the Crickets on Brunswick (in the UK both were on Coral). br / br /The "Chirping" Crickets is an obvious five-star album. As well as hit singles Oh, Boy!, Maybe Baby, That'll Be The Day (the first single), and their equally memorable B-sides Not Fade Away, Tell Me How and I'm Looking For Someone To Love, there are six other exclusive tracks, all lovingly crafted at Norman Petty's studio in Clovis NM or put down in an Officer's Club at an air force base in Oklahoma City in between dates on their first tour, in order to complete the album on time, with backing vocals added back in Clovis by the Picks. br / br /Buddy Holly's original compositions are augmented by a number of telling covers, and in fact Oh, Boy! was not an original, having previously been recorded by Sonny West. The Crickets' version of Chuck Willis's It's Too Late is surely the definitive version. Two songs were co-written by Roy Orbison, who was yet to find success as a performer, including the beautiful An Empty Cup (A Broken Date). It was to be their only album because Buddy left the group in autumn 1958 and, as we all know, 3rd February 1959 became "the day the music died", but what a classic album it is. br / br /This 2004 edition is clearly the one to go for because apart from the excellent digitally re-mastered sound by Erick Labson, it mops up as bonus tracks the two 1958 Crickets singles, Think It Over/Fool's Paradise and It's So Easy/Lonesome Tears.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

1957 into 2007., 2007-08-07
Still a brilliant album. I had the original, 1957 seems a world away. Sleeve notes terrific with the old liner notes. I still think Buddy Holly was ahead of his time, great harmony from the Crickets. If you listen to the echo section on the 'It;s Too Late' track, quite brilliant. But I would ask anybody to try and fault this album, you can't.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

Great Reissue! MCA: Where's the boxed set??, 2007-06-21
I really enjoyed this re-release, the packaging and sound are both great and the bonus tracks were nice also. We just need MCA to do the right thing and release the late 70's set - "The Complete Buddy Holly" again on CD!