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Various Artists

That'll Flat Git It Vol. 40: Rockabilly & Rock 'n' Roll From The Vaults Of MGM, Cub and Metro Records

Review by Gary Hill

This collection from Bear Family has a good mix of sounds. We get things ranging from the country side to rock and roll, surf guitar and even jazz. Not everything here works completely for me, but there are only a couple songs here that fail completely, and one of those failures is mainly from the lyrics. For devotees of this kind of music, this should be an effective collection.

This review is available in book (paperback and hardcover) form in Music Street Journal: 2023  Volume 3 More information and purchase links can be found at: garyhillauthor.com/Music-Street-Journal-2023.


Track by Track Review
Billy Jack Wills & His Western Swing Band - Troubles (Those Lonesome Kind)
I dig the jazz chordings that get this going. The cut has a real down-home country vibe mixed with some jazz and rock and roll. It's bouncy and rather fun.
Don Ruby - Rockin' Piano - Outta Tune Guitar
This energetic rocker is so much fun. It has a great energy, groove and drive. It also has some killer piano.
Arthur Smith & His Cracker-Jacks - Teen-Age Rebel
I really dig the cool rockabilly sound on this. It's catchy, energized and entertaining.
Don Gibson - I Ain't Gonna Waste My Time
The arrangement on this is much more stripped back, and the song is of the hillbilly variety. It's not my kind of thing, but it is a bouncy tune.
Andy Starr - No Room for Your Kind
I really dig the guitar work on this thing. It's an old school rocker that's so much fun.
George McCormick - Doubt
Down home country music, this makes me think of Johnny Cash, but with different vocals.
Sheb Wooley - Honey I'm Lonesome (The Telegraph Sound)
While not my kind of thing, this is fun. It has sort of a silly vibe to it. The piano is on point, and the honking horn is a nice touch.
Gary Walker - Runaway Heart
There is a fun shuffling vibe to this cut. I'm not overly crazy about the vocals, but the music is definitely entertaining.
Bill Flagg - Doin' My Time
An energized tune, this has plenty of country and folk music built into it. It's down=home in nature, but it has some killer instrumental work.
Randy Atcher - Indian Rock
This tune is silly. Add in the horrible stereotypes of Native Americans, and I'd argue that this should have been left off the set. It's basically a novelty song, but I'd recommend passing this one by and pretending it doesn't exist. I'd consider this a blemish on the set.
Bob Riley - The Midnight Line
I dig the driving blues meets country and rock and roll groove on this tune. It's also about trains, and I'm a big fan of that type of transportation. The down-home nature of it doesn't work well for me, though.
Bill Carter - Shot Four Times and Dying
Another that makes me think of Johnny Cash, this is a solid tune.
George McCormick - The Blues Moved in This Morning
I dig the rockabilly groove on this quite a bit. It's a fun romp.
Buck Griffin - Bow My Back
This is a slower groove with folk, country and blues all in the mix. I like this one a lot.
Ricky Scott - I Didn't Mean It
I'm reminded a bit of Buddy Holly on this. The recording feels kind of distant. I can't decide if that's a good thing or bad.
Ronnie Isle & the Blisters - Wicked
This a rocking little groove with some cool blues and surf guitar sound built into it. An instrumental, this is one of the highlights for me.
Marvin Rainwater - My Brand of Blues
I can also hear that Johnny Cash thing here. The vocals feels more like his on this one. It has a good energy and interesting hooks.
Gary Walker - Makin' Up with You
This one is really odd. It has some strange little changes. I don't really get this number. It pulls it together well enough, but parts of it seem really awkward. Beyond that, there is a lot of country and some hints of jazz in the mix.
Arthur Smith & His Cracker-Jacks - Your Way
Bouncy and energetic, this is kind of fun. I'm not a fan of the vocal arrangement, but the piano and musical arrangement works pretty well.
Andy Starr - She's a Going Jessie
An old school rock and roller, this is pretty fun. The opening vocal part is a little odd.
Conway Twitty - I Vibrate (From My Head to My Feet)
I really love the guitar work on this. It's on fire. The whole tune works with a great rockabilly groove. This is one of the standouts here.
Kenny Lee Martin - One Night Stand
Rock and roll meets blues on this romp. This is a fun tune. The vocals are more spoken than sung, and this is one of the highlights here.
Johnny Rivers - The Customary Thing
Doo wop vocals don't work so well for me on this, but the guitar lines are so classy that they help to make up for it. 
Chuck Alaimo Quartet - Hop in My Jalop
Another fun rock and roller, this a good energy and groove.
Jan & Jerry - Bandstand Baby
This tune is so much fun. It's another highlight of the set for me. It's a little silly, but in a great way. It doesn't break any molds, but it does groove.
Jack Turner - Shake My Hand (Meet Mr. Blues)
There is an electric country groove to this cut. It's another entertaining romp.
Buck Griffin- Jessie Lee
I dig the country meets slow rock groove on this tune quite a bit.
Gary Walker - Everybody's Got to Go Sometime
Bluesy country is on the menu here. This is a slow shuffling number.
Don Gibson - I Ain't A-Studying Baby
More of a bouncy groove, this is fun stuff. It's stripped back, just one guitar and vocals, but it manages to rock.
Jimmy Swan - Frost on My Roof
Down-home country and bluegrass are on the menu here. It has a good energy and some catchy hooks.
Marvin Rainwater- Dance Me Daddy
This cut hops and literally bops. There is a lot of jazz in the mix, with wailing horns. This is another highlight of the set.
Rita Faye - We've Got Some Dreaming to Do
There is a jazzy groove to this. The lead vocals are extremely high register.

 

 
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