Author: Stray Cats

Brand: Capitol

Format: Best of

PartNumber: CD5225382

Release Date: 10-04-2000

Details: Amazon.ca Enjoying one of the most fascinating careers in modern pop, Setzer started out as an American reviving rockabilly in the UK with the Stray Cats, moved on to become a purveyor of quality AOR rock and finally settled down as the leader of a successful swing orchestra. This 18-track compilation charts the first two of those phases, with an intriguing mish-mash of singles, b-sides, album cuts, live-versions and out-takes. Three of the four Stray Cats items are the stripped-down energetic rockabilly hits that brought them to fame, while the fourth is a surprisingly sweet a capella version of the single "I Won't Stand In Your Way". Some of Setzer's earliest solo items are a tad clumsy, as if he had trouble adjusting from the 12-bar simplicity of rockabilly to the relative complexity of his new singer-songwriter role but, by the time he launches into the Byrds-esque guitar chimes and impeccable Everly Brothers harmonies of "Every Tear That Falls", it's hard to deny that the man is not just a superlative guitarist but also an estimable vocalist and composer. Whether he's rocking out with a big brass section on "When The Sky Comes Tumblin' Down" or schmaltzing his way through a weepy orchestral ballad like "The Rain Washed Everything Away", Setzer's sheer professionalism is never in doubt. This kind of archive raiding usually turns up sub-standard tracks that the artist was wise not to release in the first place but the best of Setzer's throwaways are exceptionally good indeed. --Johnny Black

UPC: 724352253821

EAN: 0724352253821

Model: CD5225382

Languages: English

Binding: audioCD

Item Condition: UsedVeryGood