Undiscovered treasure's
Calvin Stout | Des Moines, Iowa - USA | 09/19/2009
(5 out of 5 stars)
"If you know anything about music you know that Jerry Fuller is a great songwriter and a great producer as well. So, I'll skip the obvious references to the dozen hits he has written and #1 records he both wrote and produced and get to the meat....this CD. Jerry was more than just an adequate singer, he was a stylist and an innovator. Those talents are on display in the CD. The rap on the CD is that it does not present his recordings for GA Challenge in chronological order. Tht's a shame, because if they were, you could here Jerry's performing progress with the times. Anyway, all of his styles are presented more extensively than they were with the previous, but well done, compilation from the 1996 Collectables CD #5729, "Jerry Fuller Teenage Love".
"What Happened To The Music" opens the disc. It was recorded in
1965 and should have been a top 10 hit. It is an amalgam of Gene Pitney and The Righetous Bros. The second track "Double Life" (not "A Double Life") is a legend in Great Britain. Other early tracks mirror the sounds of the mid-60's in Jerry's style. The obvious titles are here too "Shy Away", "Guilty Of Loving You", "Betty My Angel" and his superior version of "Tennessee Waltz". Many fine surprises also fill this CD. "The Place Where I Cry" from 1961 is as strong as anything else recorded that year and will become a favorite of yours. "I Only Came To Dance With You" from 1963 could have been a million seller if "The Drifters" had recorded it. Stan Applebaum couldn't have arranged and produced it any better. "Anna From Louisiana" is a true cajun rocker, "Above And Beyond" (with Dianne Maxwell) is a sadly overlooked country flavored gem, "Hollywood Star" could have been another Jerry Fuller song for Ricky Nelson. "Gone For The Summer' is another masterpiece that was criminally neglected by radio in 1960. There are no real clunkers in this package and, no doubt, you'll say I missed mentioning your favorite song in this review. If you like Jerry Fuller and appreciate his contributions to pop/rock music you should have this CD in your collection. If you remember the name only from one or two of his recordings, then you should buy it just to hear all of the music you've missed over the years."
Track Listings (24) - Disc #1