Sam Phillips launched his Sun Records label in Memphis in 1952 (he added a subsidiary, Phillips International, in 1957), and as the world knows, he discovered
Elvis Presley and broke
rock & roll on an unsuspecting public in 1954, making the so-called Sun Records sound a Rosetta Stone for the ensuing
rock revolution. But like with all stories, there is more to the Sun saga than
Presley and the other stars that
Phillips discovered (which included
Johnny Cash,
Carl Perkins,
Roy Orbison,
Charlie Rich, and
Jerry Lee Lewis). Initially
Phillips recorded mostly black bluesmen from the Memphis area, moving on to an eccentric cast of
country players, as well, and while the pressurized test tube that was Memphis (and Sun Studios in particular) in the early '50s eventually produced
rock & roll, it also issued forth all manner of other strains of
country and
blues DNA in recordings that are utterly fascinating. This two-CD set features a disc each of
Phillips'
country and
blues experiments, and these ragged bits of vinyl are something special indeed. Among the gems on the
country disc are Malcom Yelvington's (now there's a stage name) "It's Me Baby,"
Mack Vickery's reverb-laced "Fool Proof,"
Mack Self's echoing
waltz "Easy to Love,"
Howard Serratt's
Woody Guthrie-like "Troublesome Waters," and
Warren Smith's lovely tumbleweed ballad "I Fell in Love." The
blues disc offers
Rufus Thomas' bizarre "Tiger Man (King of the Jungle)," a sequel of sorts to
Thomas' "Bear Cat," which was in turn an answer song to
Big Mama Thornton's "Hound Dog,"
Junior Parker's "Mystery Train" Xerox, "Love My Baby,"
Jeb Stuart's jaunty, horn-augmented "I Bet You're Gonna Like It," and
Harmonica Frank Floyd's primitive, ragged, and utterly mesmerizing "Howlin Tom Cat." It's quite a stew, and most of it still sounds vital, fascinating, and a little bit strange even in the early stages of the 21st century. A stripped-down set, Sun Records Collection, Vol. 2 comes with virtually no liner notes, but the music is the proof of the matter, and it more than makes this a decent look behind the curtains at the genius and mayhem that was Sun Studios. ~ Steve Leggett, All Music Guide
