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Various Artists

Gonna Shake This Shack Tonight: From Vaults Of Decca & Coral Records

Review by Gary Hill

This collection from Bear Family records gathers up a heaping helping of roots music. The sound varies from early rock and roll to country, bluegrass and even jazz. It's all effective, but there are standouts. When it comes from that label, you know it's going to be a classy product. This comes in a digipack with an extensive booklet. If you are a fan of this kind of music, I heartily recommend this. Then again, I'll bet Bear Family is on your radar pretty much constantly, so you probably know about it.

This review is available in book (paperback and hardcover) form in Music Street Journal: 2021  Volume 3. More information and purchase links can be found at: garyhillauthor.com/Music-Street-Journal-2021.

Track by Track Review
Jimmy Atkins & His Pinetoppers - I'm A Ding Dong Daddy (From Dumas)
An energetic cut, this has a lot of fun built into it. The introduction has some bluegrass jamming, but the tune is more old-school pop meets country and rock and roll. There is classy piano work on the tune. The guitar solo is classic, too.
T. Texas Tyler - Hot Rod Rag
Rockabilly drag strip sounds are on the menu here. This is a fun and energetic number.
Tabby West - Chat Chat Chattanooga
Country music with some real roots rock in the mix, this is a fun tune. I dig the fact that it also has some jazzy chords at points.
Lonnie Glosson - Pan American Boogie
Blues harp brings this into being. The cut has a boogie country and rock and roll motif. It's very down-home in nature. It's not my favorite, but it is classy.
Tex Williams - Big Bear Boogie
This is sort of a jazz meets country number. It's energetic and fun. It's definitely dated listening to it today.
Autry Inman - Happy Go Lucky
Down=home country with a playful nature is the idea here. This is bouncy and has some solid fiddle and pedal steel soloing.
Grandpa Jones - 8 More Miles To Louisville
There is a lot of energy and groove to this. It seems to merge folk music and bluegrass. I really like this number.
Roy Duke - I Mean, I Mean
Old school rockabilly is on the menu here. The lyrics to this are pretty mean. I guess you get that from the title, right?
Hank Penny - Bloodshot Eyes
Old-school country music is on the menu here. This is a bouncy, shuffling kind of piece.
Tabby West - Texas Millionaire
There is great guitar work, piano soloing and tasty fiddle playing on the number. It's a catchy tune with plenty of old-school country at its core.
Hardrock Gunter - Hesitation Boogie
Rockabilly is on the menu here. This is catchy and has a great groove to it. It's one of the highlights of the set.
Texas Bill Strength - Paper Boy Boogie
Old school country merged with rock and roll, this another fun number. It has some tasty hooks.
Gene Stewart - Empty Seat In The Bar Room Booth
Bouncing rockabilly makes up the concept here. The tune works well with its fun groove.
Rusty Keefer - I'm Just Here To Get My Baby Out Of Jail
Old-school country music makes up the sound of this tune. This has a real hillbilly charm to it. The expressive guitar solo is classy.
Lonnie Glosson - Steel Guitar Rag
This instrumental number seems to have quite a bit of Zydeco built into it along with bluegrass and more.
Jimmie Davis - Cherokee Boogie (Eh-Oh-Aleena)
A bouncy groove is on the menu here. This is an entertaining piece.
Tommy Sosebee - All Night Boogie
A fun rockabilly tune, this is another classy one.
Kenny Roberts - I'm Looking For The Bully Of The Town
Old school country music is on the menu here. I dig the guitar work on this quite a bit.
Hardrock Gunter - Honky Tonk Baby
As you might expect, this has some honk-tonk piano in the mix. This is a bouncy number that works pretty well. It's not as strong as the previous cut from this act, though.
Chuck Murphy - Blue Ribbon Boogie
Another with some killer boogie woogie piano at play, this is a powerhouse number. That piano really makes the cut in a lot of ways.
Hank Garland - Guitar Shuffle
I love this tune. It has a fun suitably shuffling groove to it. This is one of my favorites of the disc.
Tabby West - Inchin' Up
While this country number is fun, it's not as effective as the previous tune from this artist.
Grady Martin - Long John Boogie
With a lot of jazz in the mix, this is a fun romp. In fact, I'd consider this to be one of the highlights of the set.
Tommy Sosebee - The Barber Shop Boogie
Rockabilly with some catchy hooks, this is another entertaining tune.
Hardrock Gunter - You Played On my Piano
The fiddle work on this number steals the show. The cut is fun.
Jimmy Atkins & His Pinetoppers - Juke Joint Johnny
Old-time rock and roll based, this is another with a lot of energy and a classy groove.
Tabby West - Pretty Little Dedon
This has a lot of energy. It's not my kind of thing, though. It does have its charms, nonetheless.
Arlie Duff - Courtin' In The Rain
Down-home bluegrass is the order of business here. A lot of the vocals on this are spoken. This is very much an old-time based number.
Wayne Raney - 40th And Plum

This old time tune is another that isn't really my kind of thing, but still works pretty well.

Roberta Lee & Hardrock Gunter - Sixty Minute Man

This is a fun duet styled piece. It has a boogie jam. The lyrics are surprisingly risqué for the time.

 
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