Search - Various Artists :: Land of 1000 Dances 1

Dance til you drop

Zub | Forks Twp., PA | 02/02/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Classic-age rock and roll was punctuated with dance tunes. Fast ones let teenagers expend some pent-up, sometimes sexual, energy. Slow ones provided an opportunity to make some parent-understood if not sanctioned contact with an out and no consequences. Is there a theme here?...



Anyway, in recognition of its impact, Ace has gathered together a massive 30 dance-oriented tunes from the classic era of American rock and roll. With tons of familiar chart hits to keep the musical memory clicking and aging but still agile hips moving, this disc also includes a number of rarities to provide lots of musical variety while keeping with the album's theme. Sandwiched between monsters like Little Eva's "The Loco-Motion", the Isley's "Twist and Shout" and Joey Dee's "Peppermint Twist" are obscurities in the form of "The Push and Kick" from Mark Velentino and Tony and Joe's "The Freeze".



As has come to be expected, Ace has produced this CD from the best sources available and the sound is as good as you'll find for these tracks, if found at all elsewhere. Lots of stereo versions (1,6,7,10,12,17,21,25-28,30) contribute to the sound experience and enjoyment. The piece is capped off with the 16-page booklet with info on all the included tracks and lots of great pictures of the artists and promo pieces. If there had to be a criticism leveled here, it would be the absence of the biggest dance tune of all, Chubby Checker's "The Twist". Its omission is most likely due to the restrictive licensing policy of the catalog owners (ABKCO). Credit, however, must go to Ace for NOT including the dodgy rerecorded version that often appears in other compilations. With all the other terrific tunes here, its absence can be easily overlooked.



All things considered, this is an absolutely top-notch collection of jumping tunes from the classic American rock and roll dance-tune era - a collector's essential."