1950's Rock'n'Roll appreciation

MagicPigDetective

   The first music I remember loving was when I was about 4 years old, listening and dancing to my Dad’s records of 1950’s rock’n’roll classics. The two I remember most from this time are Rock Around the Clock and Wake up little Susie.  Later in life I didn’t give much notice of the music of this period, being concerned about obscure underground bands that nobody had heard of! I think Jive Bunny put me right off as well

However, I’ve been revisiting this era by playing it for my almost 4 year old daughter. She instantly loved it and started grooving (or twisting) like crazy. I was transported back to the energy and excitement of first hearing it. So many tunes tunes of this period are timeless classics. The energy is electric and a lot of the guitar sounds simple but not so when you try to play it.

I've also been listening to The Who live at Leeds for the first time, their brilliant versions of Summertime blues and Shaking all over sent me back to the original versions.

 I’ve started making a playlist for her, thought fretboarders could help by suggesting favourite tunes and perhaps some beyond the obvious ones.

I've named some classics above, so will start with Shake Rattle and Roll. Last night I discovered the superb original version.

 

vasselmeyer

I love early Rock and Roll. For me it doesn't get much better than Little Richard. The energy boiling off those records is amazing. I am also partial to a bit of Chuck Berry. His lyrics are works of art.

lustycourtier

I did a dep gig on NYE exclusively just Chuck berry, Little Richard Elvis and the Pulp Ficton Soundtrack. Easily the most fun Ive had gigging in a decade.

StageStruck

Like MagicPigDetective I was introduced to it at a very young age by my dad. Eddie Cochran, Chuck Berry, Jerry Lee Lewis, Bill Haley, Buddy Holly and the likes. I agree totally that those records seem to have a certain energy and excitement that a lot of modern music seems to find hard to capture. It's maybe easy to be dismissive of those early pioneers through modern ears, but it must have sounded like it was from another planet back in the 50s compared to the crooners and novelty songs that were the mainstay of pop music back then. I still have the occasional listen to those songs and they still sound fantastic now. 

marktheharp

Yes love those records. I did a playlist of these and similar stuff ie. AMERICAN GRAFFITI' soundtrack with some doo wop stuff ,for some summer bbq and it went down a storm. Also check out the Jeff Beck rocknroll tribute to Les Paul. Was on sky, also has Darrel Higham with Imelda May. Great set of songs and sublime playing and singing ! 

nocasternoproblem

Jerry Lee Lewis - Live at the Star Club.  Absolutely incendiary!  
Two often overlooked artists (but my faves) Warren Smith and Sleepy LaBeef.  Worth checking out.  

ICBM

Funny how when you take the historical context away so kids don't know it's not 'cool' to like this 'old' music, it still has the same effect that it did in the 1950s - it's vibrant, exciting dance music.

I've played in a couple of Rock'n'roll bands, and it still slightly niggles me when the name is used to describe rock music… it's not the same! Rock'n'roll has - in the words of Chuck Berry - that backbeat, which makes it much more danceable than straight rock music.

Check out more or less anything from the 50s by Elvis, Jerry Lee Lewis, Little Richard, Chuck Berry, Carl Perkins, Bill Haley, Eddie Cochran, Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, The Big Bopper, Gene Vincent, Duane Eddy, Johnny & The Hurricanes… maybe even Fats Domino.

Something a bit more off the beaten track… Billy Lee Riley, Flyin' Saucers Rock And Roll



(Edit - accidentally said Bill Haley twice not the Big Bopper. Bill Haley wasn't on Buddy Holly's plane…)

EricTheWeary

vasselmeyer said:

I love early Rock and Roll. For me it doesn't get much better than Little Richard. The energy boiling off those records is amazing. I am also partial to a bit of Chuck Berry. His lyrics are works of art.

There was a slow modern version of Chuck's Memphis on the radio last night and the lyrics are so well crafted yet they almost pass you by in the usual fast versions. 

When I was a kid I didn't have access to a lot of music but of what I did ( and what was of the rocknroll era) I loved Chantilly Lace by The Big Bopper ( who died in the same crash as Buddy Holly) which was enormous fun and Nut Rocker by B Bumble and the Stingers ( covered by ELP IIRC)although I don't think either of those probably  have hard core teddy boy credentials. 

mudslide73

My Dad is a massive fan and has only just let the crooners and The Beatles off for "ruining everything". 

The atmosphere on Elvis stuff like Mystery Train and Heartbreak Hotel has yet to be surpassed imo. As others have said Chuck's cars/girls/US geography lyrics are proper poetry. Singing about Gladys in a Morris Oxford at Tunbridge Wells doesn't have the same ring to it unfortunately. 

koneguitarist

Massive Elvis fan when I was a kid, plus Eddie Cochran and Buddy Holly's songs were so well crafted and produced. Listen to Sitting in the Balcony by Eddie and that solo amazing production. Buddy Holly was an amazing artist, songs like It doesn't matter anymore and think it over are still fantastic recordings today. 
But let's not forget Carl Perkins, Charlie Rich and Roy Orbison all on Sun records as well as the Killer Jerry Lee Lewis who is still banging them out now. 

robinbowes

I grew up on Buddy Holly and Lonnie Donegan (my Dad's records, I hasten to add - I'm not that old!)

R.

BigLicks67

Elvis, Buddy Holly, the Beatles & The Stones was my listening diet as a kid.

If you like 50's Rock n Roll you might like this:


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Gassage

As I get older and shredders fail to impress me, Scotty Moore, Perkins, Atkins, Cochrane are the guys that simply astonish me....they wrote the book.

MagicPigDetective

Great observations above, thanks all, I am my daughter are really enjoying going through your suggestions! I only know the obvious ones and there's a lot to discover.