flashback/rhino records

you can probably find this tape at your local walmart superstore. that's where i usually find all my 50's stuff. "Why?" you might ask. it's cheaper that way.

flashback records, a subsidiary of rhino (you know rhino, they do all those great "DIY" punk comps) provides me with most of my 50's stuff, and usually runnin at 3 bucks a pop, you can't beat it.

oh yeah, the review...

the first single on this comp is the title song, "great balls of fire", probably the Killer's most recognised song the world over. in fact, almost all his classics are here ("you win again", "high school confidential", "breathless", "break up", "i'll make it all up to you", and "whole lotta shakin'"), plus a few lesser known songs, including his version of chuck berry's hit "sweet little sixteen".

none of these tracks are the recordings you're probably used to hearing, which is far from a bad thing, in my opinion. nope, these sound almost punk rock if you replace the piano with a loud guitar, which tells me these are very early recordings if not the original demos. no overproduction (choirs for back-up vocals or string sections), no digital remastering, just jerry lee, his piano and a 3-piece band backin him up. you can't get more rock 'n roll than that.

of course, you could always get online and download all these songs, but you could do that with any album. and for any fan of the killer, this would be a good addition to your collection, cause i know i get tired of hearing the same songs over and over again, but i love hearing early recordings, demos or live versions of the same songs that used to get me goin.

so the choice is yours. but i think it was well worth the 3 bucks.

reviewed by sam sinister.