Carl Rocks

by Carl Perkins

Overview

Carl Perkins was one of rock & roll's first bona fide guitar heroes, a fine songwriter and an engaging and heartfelt singer, and if he didn't have quite the same magnetism of his one-time labelmates Elvis Presley and Jerry Lee Lewis, that doesn't change the fact that he made a handful of great records and was still picking strong up until his passing in 1998. However, there have been precious few career-inclusive compilations exploring Perkins -- most folks don't seem interested in much beyond his early sides for Sun (admittedly they do represent his greatest work), with his later material recorded for a number of labels usually getting short shrift. Leave it to the folks at the German Bear Family label to finally fill this void -- Carl Rocks is an excellent 31-track collection that begins with one of Perkins' first sessions for Sun in 1955 and closes with a terrific cover of John Hiatt's "Memphis in the Meantime" cut for Mercury in 1990. Carl Rocks is anchored by Perkins' Sun masters, and when you have songs like "Honey Don't," "Dixie Fried," "Matchbox," and "Put Your Cat Clothes On" in your catalog, it's no wonder you'd want to lead with them, but the lesser-known cuts such as "Rockin' Record Hop," "Jive After Five," and "Sittin' on Top of the World" prove that Perkins didn't need Sam Phillips to make a good record. And this collection lives up to its name -- Carl hits a solid rockin' groove throughout this compilation, and if you're looking for a Perkins set to get a party started, this will do the trick. Along with classic tunes and great audio remastering, Carl Rocks features an outstanding package with plenty of rare photos and superb liner notes from Hank Davis and Colin Escott -- this is as strong a single-disc Carl Perkins set you can buy, and along with offering a more complete view of his history than most packages available, it's lots of fun and a potent reminder of just how strong he was at the top of his game. ~ Mark Deming

Product Details

Release Date:	06/21/2005
Label:	Bear Family Records
UPC:	4000127167521
Rank:	60618

Tracks

1. Matchbox
2. Everybody's Trying to Be My Baby
3. Honey Don't
4. Put Your Cat Clothes On
5. Dixie Fried
6. You Can Do No Wrong
7. Boppin' the Blues
8. Your True Love
9. Blue Suede Shoes
10. Her Love Rubbed Off
11. Caldonia
12. Gone, Gone, Gone
13. Right String, Wrong Yo-Yo
14. All Mama's Children
15. Glad All Over
16. Where the Rio de Rosa Flows
17. That's All Right
18. Rockin' Record Hop
19. Sittin' on Top of the World
20. Because You're Mine
21. Jive After Five
22. Honey, 'Cause I Love You
23. Big Bad Blues
24. Lonely Heart
25. I Wouldn't Have You
26. Restless
27. Honky Tonk Song
28. E.P. Express
29. Big Bad Blues
30. Baby, Bye Bye
31. Memphis in the Meantime

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Carl Perkins   Primary Artist,Guitar,Vocals
Bill Lloyd   Vocals,Mandolin,Percussion,Guitar (Acoustic)
W.S. Holland   Drums
Henry Strzelecki   Bass
Ray Phillips   Bass
Thomas E. Cisco   Guitar,Guitar (Rhythm)
Lloyd Clayton Perkins   Bass
Carl Garvin   Trumpet
Andrew L. Goodrich   Saxophone
The Jordanaires   Choir/Chorus
Barry Jenkins   Drums
Pete Finney   Pedal Steel
Pete Drake   Guitar (Steel)
Charles McCoy   Harmonica
Jerry Douglas   Lap Steel Guitar
Jerry Lee Lewis   Piano
Quinton Claunch   Guitar (Electric)
Ray Edenton   Guitar
Harold Bradley   Guitar
Buddy Harman   Drums
John L. Allen   Guitar
D.J. Fontana   Drums
Floyd Cramer   Piano
Grady Martin   Guitar
Hargus "Pig" Robbins   Piano
Don Sheffield   Trumpet
Pete Shannon   Bass
James Buck Perkins   Guitar (Rhythm)
Stan Perkins   Drums,Vocals
Marvin H. Hughes   Piano
Herman Wade   Guitar
Gregg Perkins   Vocals,Guitar (Bass),Guitar (Acoustic)
Jimmy Smith   Piano
John Hawkens   Piano
Jerry Glenn Kennedy   Guitar
Jerry "Chip Young" Stembridge   Guitar

Technical Credits

Bill Lloyd   Mixing,Producer
Sam Phillips   Producer
Rick "Soldier" Will   Mixing
Lonnie Carter   Composer
Buck Peddy   Composer
Hank Davis   Liner Notes,Biographical Notes
Erich Huelsenbeck   Photo Scanning,Photo Restoration
Andreas Merck   Photo Scanning
Trevor Cajioa   Reissue Producer
R.A. Andreas   Photography,Illustrations
Vic McAlpin   Composer
Don Law   Producer
Howard Griffin   Composer
Wayne Walker   Composer
Jerry Kennedy   Producer
Mark Wilder   Mixing
Jimmie Logsdon   Composer
Mel Tillis   Composer
Owen Bradley   Producer
Mitchell Torok   Composer
Arthur "Big Boy" Crudup   Composer
Colin Escott   Discography,Liner Notes,Photography,Illustrations
Carl Perkins   Leader,Composer,Producer
Grady Martin   Leader
John Hiatt   Composer
Little Walter   Composer
Ulli Gladisch   Mastering
Mike Smith   Producer
Ramona Redd   Composer
Bill Denny   Producer
Jerry Glenn Kennedy   Leader