Retro Music Review | Oldies, Reissues and New Releases with a Retro Sound

Jay and the Americans - Live From The Cafe Wha? / Blockbusters (BGO; BGOCD791)

During the turbulent 1960s, Jay and the Americans existed in a kind of bubble world, immune to political, social and musical trends. For over a decade, the squeaky clean pop vocal group released singles and albums that sounded like a throwback to a more innocent time. Despite being a walking, talking, crooning anachronism, the Americans were also a nearly unstoppable hitmaking machine. How did they do it? The evidence can be found on BGO’s new 2-on-1 CD reissue of a couple of long out of print Americans LPs, 1962’s Live From The Café Wha? and 1965’s Blockbusters… READ MORE

Los Fabulocos Featuring Kid Ramos (Delta Groove Music; DGPCD125)

America’s rich multi-cultural and multi-ethnic musical heritage is beautifully represented on the self-titled Delta Groove label debut from California’s Los Fabulocos. Featuring legendary guitarist Kid Ramos, of Mannish Boys and Fabulous Thunderbirds fame, this Cali-Mex quartet blends rockabilly, rhythm and blues, country, and traditional Spanish and Mexican influences, to paint an ever shifting portrait of vintage rock and roll… READ MORE

Mott The Hoople - Roll Away The Stone (The Best of) (2 Discs; Music Club; MCDLX062)

Often cited as the granddaddy of glam, Mott The Hoople frontman Ian Hunter brought a unique sensibility to the early ’70s music scene. With all the grace of a ballerina swinging a sledge hammer, Hunter pounded out rock and roll songs of crude elegance and glorious excess. Nobody wrote about the trials and tribulations of being a rock star quite like Hunter. “All The Way To Memphis” and “Saturday Gigs” were classic tales of life in a band, presented in an appropriately grandiose manner. These two tunes and 33 others comprise this brilliant new collection, celebrating a time when hair was long and platform boots were all the rage… READ MORE

Patsy Cline - Showcase / Sentimentally Yours (BGO; BGOCD798)

Country music legend Patsy Cline had the kind of talent that transcended musical boundaries. Her uncommon ability to be at once vulnerable and strong, to display breathtaking emotional fragility and impressive vocal power simultaneously, made her a hit on both the country and pop charts. With the reissue of Cline’s second and third LPs, Showcase and Sentimentally Yours, together on a single CD, the BGO label has created an amazing 24-track collection that is sure to delight devoted fans and casual listeners alike… READ MORE

Jackie Payne Steve Edmonson Band - Overnight Sensation (Delta Groove; DGPCD 123)

With a combined 60 years of experience playing soul and blues all around the world, Jackie Payne and Steve Edmonson are uniquely qualified to produce music that sounds both utterly fresh and undeniably nostalgic. In an era when music in general seems to have lost its soul, these two veterans have released an album infused with true passion and a timeless groove… READ MORE