Review Text
Revered for decades as one of the Kings of Memphis Rockabilly for the scintillating records he made for Sam Phillips' legendary Sun imprint, the late Warren Smith was always a country boy at heart. After the rock 'n' roll boom was over he cut some of the best hardcore country shuffles of the early 60s. It was R 'n' R that built Warren's reputation, but honky tonkin' country that gave him his hits and made him a frequent visitor to the Billboard Country Charts between 1960 and 1964. The A and B of every single that Warren released between 1956 and 1962 can be found in this new Jasmine CD - remastered, as always, from the finest available sources - along with all the non-single tracks from his first and only album from 1960, plus some quality 1950s cuts that inexplicably failed to make the cut when they were originally recorded. Sadly Warren's personal life was chaotic to say the least. He made bad choices that impacted on his health, and eventually landed him in prison for a spell. He died while on the verge of a comeback, and before he had a chance to fully capitalise on that decade's rockabilly revival of the 1970s. Although he's been gone a long time now, appreciation for the great records that Warren made remains at a high level. Rightly so, for these are some of the best of their kind in both categories. Whether you are hearing them for the first time or simply renewing old acquaintance, you will be doing your ears a great favour by listening.
