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| Various Artists Cameo-Parkway 1957-1967 ABKCO During its '50s and '60s apex, Philadelphia's Cameo-Parkway label was a hit-making machine, charting more than 100 songs during in the 10-year period chronicled. But for years, these classic works have out of print, available only on gray-market imports (if at all). Some of the artists like Chubby Checker, ? and the Mysterians and Bobby Rydell were forced to re-record some of those hits in new versions to have CDs to sell at shows. Let's be frank here, Allen Klein and his ABKCO empire have come under fire over the years for not sitting on the vast Cameo-Parkway vault. But in the spirit of bygones, if this box is any indication of the bounty we have ahead, I'm willing to forgive and forget. I got into buying Cameo-Parkway sides when I began getting heavily into Detroit musical history. Tracking down 45s by the Rationals and ? and the Mysterians became a bit of a hobby (never mind the Bob Seger sides—they've always fetched too much coin for this humble writer's wages). And my love of CP wax hasn't waned—I just found a pristine Bunny Sigler "Let the Good Times Roll & Feel So Good" for a buck in a junk shop. This new four-CD collection shows the breathtaking breadth of the Cameo-Parkway output. From doo wop that drips emotion to stomping garage rock that pours sweat, there's a vast expanse of pop music contained here – from the days before "pop music" was a term of derision. Some highlights? Well for starters, The Delfonics, Eddie Holman and the Five Stairsteps each have several cuts of the most heart-wrenching soul these ears have heard. Then, there are dance hits on the collection, notably variations on the venerable twist ("The Twist," "Let's Twist Again," "Slow Twistin'") and the always yummy mashed potato ("Mashed Potato Time" and "Gravy (For My Mashed Potatoes)"). But for pure energy, the The Dovells' "Bristol Stomp" is every bit as brutal as the Ramones' "Blitzkrieg Bop." There are a few novelty records that are of varying quality. The best is definitely Senator Bobby's version of "Wild Thing" which outdoes "Diamond" Joe Quimby on the Kenndy family mockery trip. It's amazing how some jokes never go out of style. But without question, the highlights of the box are on the fourth disc. Cameo-Parkway was based in Philly, but the last half of that disc is highlights artists from Detroit and its environs. From just north of the Motor City in Flint, Terry Knight and the Pack's string-drenched and maudlin "I (Who Have Nothing)" is simultaneously tear-jerking and knee-slapping. It's an over-the-top production that wouldn’t be topped until Richard Harris visited "MacArthur Park." From Saginaw via Mexico and Mars, we have ? and the Mysterians. We all know the pounding and twisted "96 Tears," but two other singles -- "I Need Somebody" and "I Can't Get Enough of You Baby" – offer a similar brand of unsophisticated, raw and exhilarating rawk. Is it any wonder that the term "punk rock" was used for the first time when describing this band? Ann Arbor's Rationals bust loose with a slashing version of "Respect" that came chronologically between Otis and Aretha. Those two versions may be more famous, but young Scott Morgan owns that song. And then, of course, we have Bob Seger's noir film musical "East Side Story," the original "Heavy Music" and his Christmas hit "Sock it To Me Santa" (which has his band, the Last Heard, playing James Brown licks like they smoked methamphetamine out of a pipe made of crack). The biggest deficiency of the box is that B-sides and other deep cuts aren't included. For the one great Rationals track here, there are five more that need to be released. The same is true for many of these artists. There's a bounty to be had, and it's hard to believe that this amazing box is just the appetizer.
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—Brian J. Bowe August 2005 |
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