Rock & Roll: The First 50 Years - The Mid-'60s

Performer: Various Artists
Producer: Ollie McLaughlin; Nick Cenci; Del Shannon; Don Julian; Ellie Greenwich; Jack Hakim; Whurley Burley; Robert Feldman; Tom King; Lee Lasseff; George "Shadow" Morton; Gerald Goldstein; Bill Dobshaw; Harry Balk; Helen Miller; Jim Bishop; Howard Greenfield; Johnny Fisher; George Davis; Ted Feigin; Jeff Barry; Jerry Leiber; Ken Jones; Lee Diamond; Mickie Most; Mike Stoller; Richard Gottehrer; Shel Talmy; Sonny Bono; Tony Hatch; Wesley Rose; Bones Howe; Brian Wilson; Calvin Carter; Steve Massie (Compilation); Cary E. Mansfield (Compilation)
Distributor: Universal Distribution

Notes: Audio Mixer: David Daugherty. Liner Note Author: Bill Dahl. Arrangers: Andrew "Mike" Terry; Ellie Greenwich; Bassett Hand; Joe Craig Jones; Shadow Morton; Helen Miller; Howard Greenfield; Jeff Barry; Mike Stoller; Sonny Bono; Wardell Quezergue. There's nothing out of the way on this compilation, which is, after all, comprised entirely of Top Ten singles from 1964-1966. In fact, eight of them made number one. There's no thematic link, either. All that borne in mind, it's still pretty terrific music for the most part, and a very good value for a single CD, with 25 songs covering most branches of mid-'60s pop/rock. There are British Invasion classics (Donovan's "Sunshine Superman," the Zombies' "Tell Her No," Petula Clark's "Downtown"), girl group smashes (the Dixie Cups' "Chapel of Love," the Shangri-Las' "Leader of the Pack," Betty Everett's "The Shoop Shoop Song [It's in His Kiss]"), soul (Aaron Neville's "Tell It Like It Is," the Capitols' "Cool Jerk," Robert Parker's "Barefootin'"), California pop (the Beach Boys' "California Girls," the Monkees' "I'm a Believer"), commercial folk-rock (the Turtles' "It Ain't Me Babe"), and just plain out-and-out commercial pop/rock (Del Shannon's "Keep Searchin'," the Outsiders' "Time Won't Let Me," Gene Pitney's "It Hurts to Be in Love," the Rivieras' "California Sun"). While none of these could be said to be items you'll never hear on oldies radio, there are at least a few marginally less overexposed items, like Barbara Mason's fetching soul ballad "Yes I'm Ready," the Larks' "The Jerk," and Terry Stafford's Elvis Presley-like "Suspicion." Like other volumes in this series, it's ideal for shoving in the CD player when you feel like hearing oldies without commercials or subpar filler. ~ Richie Unterberger

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