Search - Various Artists :: American Roots of the British Invasion

Ear-opening collection of American originals

hyperbolium | Earth, USA | 11/09/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The original American sounds whose echoes washed back ashore with the British Invasion, though widely acknowledged, were often launched as obscure B-sides and album tracks. The Brits didn?t just listen to American music, they studied it. Long before Lennon & McCartney had written an album-full of compositions, they showed off their roots with covers of non-hits by Larry Williams ("Slow Down"), The Shirelles ("Boys"), and The Donays ("Devil in His Heart"), to name just a few.To many listeners, iconic hits, like the Isley Brothers "Twist and Shout," have become "Beatles? songs." Similarly, many Americans were introduced to one of their own most popular country artists, Buck Owens, via Ringo Starr?s treatment of "Act Naturally." The British hits took popular ownership of American-born songs, and while the reincarnated doo-wop, blues, rockabilly and girlgroup pop lit up the charts, the originals cataloged here are the scene?s true foundation.Barbie Gaye?s R&B "My Boy Lollipop" and Chan Romero?s rockin? "Hippy Hippy Shake" were revived from late-50s obscurity by one-hit wonders Millie Small and The Swinging Blue Jeans, respectively. Peter & Gordon mined Del Shannon?s catalog for the fully-arranged, hit-ready album-track, "I Go to Pieces," and Manfred Mann turned Gene Pitney?s fey flute-and-trumpet "Pretty Flamingo" into rock ?n? roll gold. John Lennon?s fascination with the song "Mr. Moonlight" is finally explained by Dr. Feelgood & The Intern?s rare 1962 original.Though this twenty track collection barely scratches the surface of the British Invasion?s American roots (the Beatles alone recorded several dozen such covers), it?s still a knock-out -- a broad, ear-opening primer that begs for additional volumes."