Search - Moon Mullican :: Moon's Rock

Country and Hillbilly blues' most versatile artist.

Patrick Wall | Waterford, Wateford Ireland | 06/14/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"By the time Moon Mullican started recording for Coral/Decca in 1958,the music he helped to develop - rock 'n' roll - had divorced from its maker,the blues.Moon's music on this CD sometimes have his producers trying for a Pat Boone/Buddy Holly type sound but somehow it never comes off (even on tracks like "Wedding of the bugs" or "Cush cush Cay yay") as Moon was not at all interested in or suited to pop music.He was a bluesman.Moon's producers' attempts to make him a Bill Haley continued with tracks like "Moon's rock", which Moon delivers in a manner that demonstrates his superiority to Haley.However,the true gems in this collection are country/honky tonk ballads like "Mr Tears","Just to be with you" or "I'll pour the wine",jazzy songs like "Waiting for ships that never come in" or "I don't know why" and especially the blues (Moon's forte) "Early morning blues" and "My baby's gone",and "Pipeliner blues". Moon's vocal versatility is to the fore here and Moon sings blues,jazz,country,hybrids and swing as they should be done.Moon is certainly arguably one of,if not the,most versatile artists to record under the country bastion.His music belongs to a time when country music was one of the most amazing and exciting genres.Also,Moon makes the boundaries and barriers between blues,jazz and country seem nonexistant."