Different Genre

Three disk box set, The R & B Hits of 1952. Containing 75 tracks and ( virtually ) every one a gem. Oh for such consistently high class popular music. The tracks flow along seamlessly through early doo wop, boogie, slicker jazzy blues and more hard edged Chicago sounds. Amazing amounts of double entendres lyrically, hardly "double" at all in many cases. And often from the female vocalists. I have the hits of 1954 and of 1955 to come later too, missed out on 1953 when the record company issuing this series went bust. How can you go bust when all your material is coming from the public domain ? Oh well. As I said, all these tracks are of a high standard but every now and again the sound of a fully fledged genius cuts through. In the case of this set that voice belongs to Sam Cooke in the ranks of the Soul Stirrers. And then of course there's Muddy too. Others like Ray Charles, BB King and John Lee Hooker are at early stages of their careers here but a lot of the interest lies with the more obscure artists.